Aquinas Magazine :: Spring 2008 by Aquinas College

Spring 2008

The magazine of aquinas college

“Viva Balog”

Editorial Team Marty Fahey MM ’06 Laura Bennett - Kimble ’95 Sally Reeves Contributing Writers C. Edward Balog, Ph.D., President Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95 Terry Bocian ’70, staff Michelle Bottrall ’97 Cecilia Cunningham, staff Cindy Dorman, staff Roger Durham, Ph.D., faculty Marty Fahey MM ’06, staff Sara Frees, staff Ellen Harburn ’01, staff Jennifer Hess, Ph.D., faculty Linda Nemec Foster ’72 Margie Kindel, MM ’06, staff Connie Kowalsyk ’99 Crystal (Lubbers ’01) Laska, staff Robert Marko, Ph.D., faculty Greg McAleenan, staff Michael McDaniel, Ph.D., faculty Paula (Bacarella ’75) Meehan, staff Sr. Jean Milhaupt, O.P., ’45, staff Chelsea Nix, student Jessica Eimer Onan ’05, staff John Pinheiro, Ph.D., faculty Sally Reeves, staff Lauren Reiter, student Dana Samotis-Bensinger ’99, staff

Luke Sprunger, student Sue Stauffacher, staff Dan Treul, student Bill Weitzel, staff Brad Winkler, Esq., staff Sr. Alice Wittenbach, O.P., Ph.D., ’60 Layout/Design: D & D Printing, Grand Rapids Silvija Visockis, staff Design/Photo Archive Silvija Visockis, staff Photography: Katy Moore McAvoy ’01, staff Shannon Casey, student Roger Durham, Ph.D., faculty Brian Kelly Robert Marko, Ph.D., faculty Michael McDaniel, Ph.D., faculty Chelsea Nix, student Lauren Reiter, student The Grand Rapids Press – Lance Wynn – Adam Bird Mark Schmidbauer ’07, staff Andris Visockis, staff Brad Winkler, Esq., 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

L–R Board Chairman Pat Miles Jr. ’88 congratulates President Edward Balog during his Inauguration as Monsignor William Duncan, Board Vice Chairman, looks on.

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.

Spring 2008 vol. 7 no. 1

The magazine of aquinas college

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

ADMISSIONS Coffee Among Saints Program ....................... 61

CAMPUS NEWS Presidential Inauguration.................................. 6 Student Retention Initiative ........................... 10 New Residence Hall ...................................... 11 Sustainability Graduates Make Their Marks ... 14 Holmdene Restoration ................................... 16

EMERITUS COLLEGE

STUDENT NEWS

ADVANCEMENT

Model U.N. ................................................... 28 Mohler Student Research Projects ................. 30 Germany Experience ..................................... 32

New Vice President Named -Greg McAleenan. ...................................... 65 Marathoner Greg Meyer joins Advancement Team .................................... 65 Stars for Scholars: Actor Henry Winkler ......... 67 Reflection Award: Chuck and Stella Royce .... 66 Evening of Elegance: Marge Byington and Paul Potter ................. 70

FACULTY NEWS Leadership for At-Risk High School Girls ...... 33 Faculty Notes ................................................. 37

ALUMNI New Alumni Director Selected Bridget Avery ‘01 ........................................ 40 MM Alumnus is CEO at Intuit ...................... 41 Alumnae Publish Books .......................... 44&46 Alum at State Department Speaks at Aquinas Matuszak ‘76 ................................ 49 Homecoming 2007 & Class Reunions ............ 52

Inauguration Pg. 6

New Residence Hall Pg. 11

New Emeritus Director Named -Sue Stauffacher ........................................ 62 Emeritus Award (May 14) Dan and Eunice Pfeiffer ............................. 64

ATHLETICS Men’s Basketball Team Riding Wave .............. 71 Fall Sports Recap............................................ 74 Reaction to new Artificial Turf ....................... 76

CLASS NOTES..................................... 81

Model U.N. Pg. 28

Student Research Pg. 30

Winkler at AQ Pg. 67

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

President’s Message

The ABC’s of an Aquinas Education C. Edward Balog, Ph.D. The cost of higher education is a topic of wide currency. Congress is, paradoxically, threatening to reduce federal funds to those institutions whose costs they believe are increasing at an unacceptable rate. Presidential candidates have weighed in with statements of concern, but few solutions. State funded colleges and universities throughout the country are concerned with rising costs in the face of reduced appropriations. And, of course, parents and students are confronted with evaluating the cost of an education. Colleges and universities are also well aware of the concerns and the reality of rising costs. One of the consistently misleading points of focus in the debate is that college costs are increasing at a more rapid rate than inflation or the consumer price index. While inflation has been low in recent years, the cost of the items that colleges must buy to provide students with the appropriate education has been consistently higher. Energy costs, maintenance and all other costs in that long chain associated with the nearly 500 percent increase in crude oil prices over the last decade are problems faced by everybody. But colleges must invest in two of the highest priced items in any institution’s budget – technology and personnel. So the typical “market basket” of items reflected in the consumer price index is an inaccurate gauge of college costs. At the most, technology has a life span of three years (or less than two years for cell phones, if your experience is similar to mine). We must provide our students with the proper awareness of technology as they enter a world in which the nation’s economy and their own livelihoods will depend on that familiarity. The other major expense is faculty and staff. To deliver the personal and expert attention that we promise, we must attract and retain highly educated and dedicated faculty and staff. To do less would mean to have larger classes and fewer student services, which would result in a very different kind of education than the one we currently provide. So how do we decide if these costs are worth

it? This is where the ABC’s of education enter the picture. These letters stand for Access, Benefit and Cost; they must all be considered when evaluating educational costs. Throughout history, access to knowledge and information was the basis of political power, social influence and personal improvement. One of the revolutionary aspects of our democratic society is that people of whatever means have access to education. For this education to be most effective, students must find the institution that is the best possible fit for their academic goals, their personalities and their learning styles. Publicly subsidized colleges and universities are not the only institutions that provide this critical access. Through a variety of methods, including extensive financial aid, Aquinas provides access to students for whom an Aquinas education represents the best fit and therefore produces the maximum personal and social benefit. How does one measure the benefit of a college education? There are two ways and each has two parts. First there is self benefit. A solid education is the basis for a career which will provide the material well being for a comfortable and enjoyable life. It also makes the student a more complete person with a sense of self and one’s place in the larger scheme of things. Then there is social benefit. A person with professional skills and a sense of social justice informed by the tradition of Catholic social teaching will be a contributing member of society. This person will also help to improve his or her own society to be better able to compete in a continually shrinking world. A quasi-mathematical representation of this might be expressed as A+B>C. As you reflect on these points, I believe that you will agree with me that this kind of values-based education with a firm spiritual foundation will benefit both the individual and society, and that the wide range of access that we provide makes this experience worth the investment for all concerned.

Catholic Studies added to Aquinas Curriculum By John C. Pinheiro, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of History and Director of Catholic Studies Aquinas College, according to its mission statement, is “an inclusive educational community rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition” that “provides a liberal arts education with a global perspective.” In keeping with this mission and in accordance with Ex Corde Ecclesiae’s call for Catholic colleges to share “the rich experience of the Church’s own culture,” Aquinas now has a Catholic Studies minor. This will form the curricular component of a planned Catholic Studies Center. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to appeal to students interested in learning more about the Catholic tradition, as historically expressed in art, literature, theology, popular piety and philosophy. Courses in the Catholic Studies program focus on those elements of Christian history, culture and thought that are critical to understanding what Catholic culture is or was, how the Church and Catholic Christianity developed over time and the interplay between faith and culture over the centuries. The minor is composed of five required and two elective classes, making it a manageable addition

to students of any major. Core classes include Catholic Writers (English), History of Christianity (History), Catholic Intellectual Tradition (Philosophy), The Catholic Vision (Theology) and Historical Perspectives on Catholic Culture (Catholic Studies). Electives will be chosen from an approved list of classes in art, music, philosophy, theology and history. The last important component is a special topics course, which will allow Aquinas Faculty or visiting scholars to teach appropriate one-time classes in Catholic Studies. The mission of the Catholic Studies program is to expand student knowledge of the beauty and rich diversity of the Catholic tradition. Long – range goals include a one week in Rome program, coordinated with Aquinas College’s International Programs department. The vision for the program is to provide students with an educationally rich experience while establishing a Catholic Studies Center, thereby meeting the challenge issued by President Ed Balog in his inaugural address to make Aquinas “the regional center for the study of Catholicism.”

Bishop Waiter Hurley presides at Inaugural Mass in Fieldhouse, October 26.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Aquinas Welcomes Its Sixth President By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer On October 26, the Aquinas community officially welcomed Dr. C. Edward Balog, Ph.D., as its sixth president. In the event-filled day, one thing was clear: This quiet, dignified man who first served AQ as provost has earned the admiration and respect of many. “I’ve sensed that Ed is really a special fit for what Aquinas needs in a leader,” said President Emeritus R. Paul Nelson. “In the five years or so he’s been here, I think he has come to really know the pulse of the Aquinas community.” Between events, President Balog remarked that the day was particularly special on a personal level, because it brought his far-flung family together. His four children all were able to attend, as were several old friends who live out of state. The Celebration of the Eucharist Presided over by the Most Reverend Walter Hurley, bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, the Celebration of the Eucharist began the day’s events. As divine music and the scent of incense permeated the elegantly decorated Fieldhouse, some 300 people, including delegates from other educational institutions and President Balog’s current and past pastors, participated in the ceremonies. Attendees included Aquinas cross country team members in their matching fleece jackets. The Balog family sat in the first row, and a gospel reading was delivered by Balog’s son, Andrew, an AQ student. In his remarks, President Balog thanked the Church for “this wonderful liturgy” and noted that it was entirely appropriate that the first event of the day was the Mass. He described it as “an affirmation that the Catholic identity will be extended, pursued and articulated as fervently in this century as the last.” Inauguration ceremony The afternoon installation of President Balog, like the morning Mass, included an impressive processional and ceremony. “It struck a nice balance in respect to the pomp and circumstance,” said Sr. Rosemary O’Donnell, O.P., ’61, who served as marshal of the day’s events as the longest tenured faculty member in service at Aquinas. The ceremony included messages centered on four Dominican charisms: prayer, study, community and Sr. Nathalie Meyer, O.P., Trustee (L) service. and Sr. Rosemary O’Donnell, O.P., ’61 Sr. Nathalie during stage ceremony. Meyer, O.P., ’58, and

prioress of the Grand Rapids Dominicans, spoke of prayer. “Perhaps the highest form of prayer and the result of all types of prayer is contemplation,” she said. Juan Olivarez ’71, (below) president of Grand Rapids Community College, talked to President Balog about study. “Your success as president will be measured by your ability to study all aspects of the challenges you will face,” he said, stating that his own experience has taught him the importance of being the “chief learner” on campus. Next, Sr. Rosemary spoke of the importance of community. “Both as a student and a faculty member, I have been able to observe the progress that took place under the leadership of the five previous presidents of Aquinas College. Today, the torch is passed. We now look forward to the continued growth and development of Aquinas College as our honoree, President C. Edward Balog, leads us in our journey into the 21st century.” Grand Rapids City Mayor George Heartwell (below) described service as the countercultural charism and a deeply subversive activity: “Service eats away – slowly, steadily, stealthily – at the arrogance of power, at the insensitivity of selfishness. Service changes the world.” After the messages, Msgr. William Duncan blessed President Balog and the presidential medallion. Next, Board of Trustees chairman Patrick Miles, Jr. ’88 presented the medallion to Aquinas College’s sixth president, and the position he’d officially assumed in July 2007 was ceremoniously conferred. In his inaugural address, President Balog talked about “the great American garage” and the many successful enterprises that began there. He listed creative folks who started in garages including Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh, West Coast computer pioneers and Detroit bands. Noting that the foundation of a non-restrictive environment and a sense of limitless creativity were essential to their success, he said, “I would suggest that we may find that environment in the modern college and university.” Folding this idea into a Catholic liberal arts education, he said, “Aquinas should become the metaphorical garage in which learning leads to creativity and innovation, and ultimately to wisdom.”

Viva Balog After the day’s formal events, the Viva Balog party at Wege Center was alive with students, faculty and staff celebrating the new president. Student Senate Chair Josh Marko, who took the stage at the beginning of the party, captured the enthusiasm when he proclaimed, “He wants whatever the students want – Viva Balog!” Next, English Department head Gary Eberle delivered a whimsical and very humorous musical ode to the new president in florid Gilbert and Sullivan fashion. President Balog’s executive assistant Jan Sommerville also talked to the crowd, reminiscing about the day her boss came to work, turned on the computer, and saw his own face looking back at him on his monitor, an image displayed campus-wide to celebrate the incoming president. Although the image was later removed from the Aquinas network, it can still be seen on banners and tee-shirts with the slogan “Viva Balog.” When President Balog spoke, he stood on stage sans note cards and delivered a heartfelt and humble talk. “It’s been a fascinating week, especially seeing the participation of the students… I sat on stage today thinking, how...did

this happen?” He continued, “Over 34 years, I’ve worked for eight college presidents, and seen eight presidential transitions. I expect to get along with this one better than the rest,” he said with his well-known dry wit. Becoming serious, he said, “I have always told my children, life is not fair, nothing is fair. And yet, this seems right.” The party revved up when Sociology department chair Michael Cushion donned dark sunglasses and belted out “Viva Ed Balog,” sung to the Elvis Presley tune “Viva Las Vegas.” Cushion’s Elvis impression and clever lyrics had the crowd in tears of laughter. Capping off a busy day, the party was a great way for the Aquinas community to kick back and have fun. Some 400 people – about half of them students – flowed in and out of the different rooms in the Wege Center, enjoying hors d’oeuvres, entrées, desserts, a mariachi band and jazz music, and dancing. As the students say, Viva Balog – and may Aquinas College thrive under his leadership.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Inauguration – Students’ Perspective By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer “I have tremendous faith in President Balog and his abilities.” Those words, stated by Student Senate Chair Josh Marko, simply, yet aptly, summarize the overwhelming student consensus on campus regarding the new era ushered in on October 26 as Aquinas inaugurated a new president. “It’s been a great day,” Marko said of the inaugural events. “A lot of work went into this but it’s been tremendous.” The weekend celebration was marked by a “Viva Balog!” theme – a decision that went over extraordinarily well with the AQ student body. Earlier in the week, Marko and other Senate leaders passed out hundreds of free themed T-shirts to students. Even so, demand overwhelmingly exceeded supply. The morning Mass and the inaugural ceremony included music performed by the Aquinas student choral and orchestral ensembles; and the ceremony featured a procession of banner-carrying representatives of nearly every student club and organization on campus. Following the special mass and ceremony, students were treated to several parties in the Wege Center and, later, the Cook Carriage House. Student employees, especially those in Dining Services, had been preparing for the moment weeks in advance. “It’s been stressful,” junior and student caterer Dan Condit acknowledged as he surveyed the crowded Wege Ballroom, “but it seems like people are really enjoying themselves.” Sophomore Joe Haldy agreed. “I think it’s very

AQ Students danced the night away

nice. It’s cool they got students involved.” The party, which overtook all three floors of the Wege Center, featured the AQ Jazz Band, a professional DJ, ice sculptures, a strolling mariachi band, cash bars and plenty of laughs. Throwing the atmosphere into sheer hilarity was Gary Eberle, English professor and department chairman, who dressed as Balog and performed an original ode to the new president. “This is truly a treat,” said student Carolyn Lovelace. “It’s not something that you get every year.” She smiled as she pointed toward the appetizers. “I’m glad that we got a president inaugurated during my time at AQ.” The celebration aside, students seemed confident that President Balog was the one to take Aquinas into the 21st century. “He’s making strides to do things right away,” said freshman Kaitlin Barth. “He’s not a passive

Pictured L-R: Jessica Coffelt, junior, Mia Allyn Pham, senior, Nora Hurley, junior, Hannah Precup, junior, Patrick Howard, senior, Katherine Gegich, sophmore, Rebekah Jones, sophmore

Inauguration History

Patrick Howard, senior, congratulates President Balog.

president.” In his inaugural address, President Balog laid out three priorities for his administration: undergraduate research, environmental stewardship and integrity. “I like the fact that he is pushing toward research here at Aquinas,” said sophomore Katie Brandt. The student-led Aquinas Research Initiative, supported by President Balog, would provide grants for student research in the sciences and social studies. The plan gained widespread support in the Student Senate but, as of late December, the Senate had not finalized the program. Students were also encouraged by President Balog’s reassertion of the College’s commitment to environmentalism. “I liked what he said about sustainability,” said junior Maria Filice, adding that the new program and its emphasis help define Aquinas to the rest of the world. “It’s not just a trend for us. It’s a belief.”

L-R: Sarah Zawacki, junior, Becca Lodewyk, junior, President Balog, Nicole Storey, junior

With just six presidents, Aquinas has had few formal installations and therefore does not have many inaugural traditions, according to College archivist Sr. Jean Milhaupt, O.P., ’45. Yet the tradition of academic inauguration – the celebration surrounding the installation of a new president – contains several standards most schools abide by. Like commencement, the inauguration begins with a procession filing across campus to where the event will take place, in this case, the Fieldhouse. Faculty and staff walk robed in their academic regalia. The inaugural procession also contains representatives from

other colleges, universities and institutions of higher learning. For Dr. Balog’s inauguration, 35 robed delegates helped to create a dramatic, colorful processional. Symbols of office include the medallion of office, also known as the chain of office. This tradition goes back to the Middle Ages and the medallion represents the authority of the institution. The Aquinas medallion contains numerous symbols including 15 vertical bars representing the 15 mysteries of the Rosary and, through their waviness, the Grand River and Grand Rapids; the sun, which represents the light of knowledge; and an open book, which signifies learning, specifically the writings of Thomas Aquinas.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2008

Student Retention Plan Initiated By Paula Meehan â&#x20AC;&#x2122;75, Vice President for Enrollment Management In an effort to ensure overall enrollment stability, the College has formalized student retention planning. Our goal is to bring retention and graduation rates in-line with national averages for private institutions in the selective comparison group. Comparison groups are determined by ACT composite scores of entering students. Aquinas currently falls within the borders of both the traditional and selective group. The College has contracted with Noel Levitz, a national consulting firm, to assist

in guiding those efforts. The plan began with a student satisfaction inventory and various on-campus focus groups to formulate a sense of what the retention issues are and how we will begin to address them. The findings demonstrated that overall student satisfaction was very high, but conversely student retention and graduation percentages were not at the desired level. A retention committee was formed and we began to dig deep into the data around the characteristics of those students who did not persist. In tandem with data analysis, we began to look at a variety of

issues, and broke the larger committee into four subcommittees. These smaller, more focused groups have been identified as academic advising, early intervention and academic support, the freshman/sophomore experience and campus culture. All four groups met throughout the fall semester and are beginning to look at best practices, priorities and budget needed to successfully execute the plan. No less than 50 individuals representing faculty, staff and students are members of the subcommittees. Their charge is to make recommendations that will be written in a formal retention plan. This plan will be executed by various departments oncampus in an effort to boost retention and graduation rates. Early indicators demonstrate that a number of fairly easy adjustments to our current operations will assist in making an impact as early as fall 2008.

Aquinas Breaks Ground on $3.25 Million Residence Hall By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer

Aquinas College celebrated the groundbreaking of its new, $3.25 million dollar apartment-style housing complex over Christmas break. The major project – which will increase housing capacity by 64 students – is expected to be completed in time for the 2008-2009 academic year. Designed with energy conservation and environmental protection in mind, the newest addition to Aquinas’ Ravine Apartments is expected to perfectly complement the College’s already pronounced commitment to sustainability. The college is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. “The layout will make it very functional,” said Randy MacGeorge, director of Residence Life. The four-story apartment-style setup will feature single bedrooms in groups of two and four, each connected to a common living space. “I definitely think it will fit

in with the other Ravine Apartments.” While it will certainly fit in, the new residence hall also seems destined to become the hottest place to live on campus. “Compared to the last generation of Ravine Apartments,” said MacGeorge, “there will be quite a bit more in terms of common areas.” Whenever feasible, MacGeorge said, the College plans to contract with local and regional manufacturers and suppliers. The new building will additionally represent the College’s “first residence hall designed with wireless access in mind.” Upon completion in the summer 2008, the building will be open to juniors and seniors, and to those with two or more years completed at the College. With Aquinas boasting record enrollment, MacGeorge expects the new residence hall to “take some of the crunch off.”

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2008

Physical Changes Taking Place at AQ

(B)

(D)

(A)

(C)

Thanks to action by the Board of Trustees last spring, some important changes are taking shape for Aquinas College. The Board approved a $16.325 million bond funding proposal that is providing fi nances for three major projects that will not only improve campus facilities, but will aid in attracting new students. Administrators believe the projects will impact significantly on both the recruitment and retention of students at Aquinas. The newest project is construction of a $3.25 million residence dorm on the east side of campus (A), expanding the Ravine Apartments complex. Designed to meet rising enrollments and

a corresponding increase in demand for on-campus living accommodations, the new apartment building will be ready for occupancy to meet the arrival of students for fall 2008. (See related story, pg. 11). The second project is the $1.9 million renovation of the Academic Buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second floor (B), which formerly housed the College library. The project, which began last summer, will provide much needed space for faculty offices, meeting rooms and several classrooms. Work is expected to be completed in March. The third change, which occurred late last summer, was replacement of the grass on the campus soccer field with a synthetic surface (C). The new

(E)

(F)

(G)

artificial turf gives the College a multi-purpose field with the flexibility to allow for activities other than just varsity soccer. They include the addition of men’s lacrosse in 2009 and women’s lacrosse in 2010 (see related story, pg. 76) as well as intramurals and physical education classes. On separate funding notes....Holmdene (D) also has been undergoing some changes (see related article, Pg. 16). President Balog had the former board room renovated to accommodate a new office (E) while the former president’s office, a glass conservatory, is used for meetings. Additionally, damaged tile in the

front entryway (F) was replaced and ivy (D), which has caused some damage to the exterior of the century-old former manor home, was removed. Kretschmer Recital Hall (G) in the Art & Music Center (AMC) got a face lift that included a new lighting system, new sound system, new maplewood stage floor, ceiling repairs and painting. The changes have created an exciting new environment for music performances at AMC. If you build it, they will come! Next up, renovated and expanded athletics facilities. It’s an exciting time around here. Stay tuned....

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Making a Difference: The Sustainable Business Program and Its Graduates By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer The AQ Sustainable Business (S.B.) undergraduate degree program, the first in the nation, has been up and running for more than five years, with more than 20 graduates. The S.B. major, which was designed to arm graduates with the know-how to balance economic growth with responsible environmental practices, focuses on what program leaders have identified as the “triple top line”: economic, environmental and social elements involved in successfully operating an organization. Taking a businesslike approach Based on input from the Sustainable Business Advisory committee, business leaders and a focus group of eight graduates, the department recently changed its coursework for the first time since its inception. Required classes now include introduction to communication, environmental biology, physical science, environmental chemistry, building social capital and the new sustainable business innovations lab. “More businesses are recognizing the value of this approach, which provides more opportunities for our graduates,” said Matthew Tueth, Ph.D., Steelcase Foundation Professor of Sustainable Business. “We believe this isn’t a cultural fad, but a competitive advantage.” Sustainability, Tueth Matt Tueth noted, is about “intelligently redesigning how we do business.” Industries including health care and construction have made great strides, he added. “Some sectors of business recognize the value of sustainability sooner than others. Inherent in this transition is risk, and business hates risk. It’s all about being intelligent; not doing without. We used to think appropriate environmental change added cost. Now we know differently. We can even save money.” Tueth has been pleased with the attention sustainability has received in recent years. “I’ve seen more change in the last five years than I ever expected – what I would’ve expected to see in ten or 12 years. It’s not the fringe element anymore.” This likely is because prominent leaders, including AQ President C. Edward Balog, support sustainable business concepts. In his October inaugural address, Balog talked about the three significant characteristics he’d like to see identify an President Balog

Aquinas education: undergraduate research, integrity and environmental stewardship. Balog, whose gasoline-sipping hybrid car can be seen in his parking place on campus, stated, “Green is more efficient, more profitable, more equitable and more ethical. Sustainability committees are built into the joint governance agreement of the college.” Making health care healthier Because the sustainability movement is still young, some AQ graduates are finding themselves in newly created leadership positions. For example, John Ebers ’04 serves as the sustainable business officer for Metro Health Hospital, which recently constructed the Metro Health Village in Wyoming, Michigan. Over the last three years, Ebers has worked in the areas of storm water John Ebers ’04 management, recycling and energy conservation. He helped establish criteria for selecting fabrics and other materials for the new facility and worked with grant writers to secure funding for a 48,500-square-foot vegetated roof that reduces storm water run-off and creates an attractive view from patient room windows. Since he’s been there, the hospital has received national awards for its healthy environment. These days, Ebers is eagerly awaiting confirmation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ®) certification for Metro Health Village. Ebers, who interned at Metro as a student, said the hospital hired him as its first SB officer the day after he graduated. He quickly found his AQ education beneficial. “Probably the best thing was the liberal arts education,” he said. “I was exposed to so much learning at Aquinas. It definitely helped me when I came here, because now I work with different departments and am learning a lot of different things.” Another AQ graduate working in health care is Josh Miller ’06, who interned under Ebers at Metro and subsequently became the first sustainability coordinator Josh Miller ’06 at Spectrum Health in Photo by Lance Wynn. Copyright Grand Rapids. Miller works 2007 The Grand Rapids Press. primarily at the Butterworth All rights reserved. and Blodgett campuses and, Used with permission like Ebers, works with pretty

much every hospital department. “I’m the one-man show in charge of sustainability at Spectrum Health,” he said, involved with waste reduction, recycling programs, green purchasing initiatives and employee training. As a student, Miller had to do a lot of presentations, particularly in Tueth’s classes, which he said has really paid off since department presentations are a significant – and welcome – part of his job. “Most people are wanting to change,” he said. “I’m usually invited to speak rather than having to ask to.” Communicating across communities Good communication is key for Jessica Eimer Onan ’05, program director for the Center for Sustainability (C4S) at Aquinas College, a clearinghouse for SB information to be shared within and outside the AQ community. Balog Jessica Onan ‘05 mentioned the Center in his inaugural address: “This is an effort that involves the entire community, and it reflects our understanding that an awareness of the environmental impact of our actions is something that should be a characteristic of an educated person.” Onan understands the significance of our impact on the natural environment. “We are truly at a tipping point locally and globally,” she stated. “If we don’t quickly address the prevalent social, economic and environmental problems of our time, I believe we will experience the collapse of ecosystems and society as we know it today. Utilizing a triple bottom line approach to doing business really can create win/win results, where the environment is restored, the economic situation for everyone is improved and closeknit communities are created or strengthened.” As a full-time constituent services representative in the district office of U.S. Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers, Leslee Rohs ’05 communicates within her community, too. One of her duties is to represent Congressman Ehlers at events he is unable to attend that relate to environmental and sustainability initiatives. Rohs said her background in environmental studies and sustainable business allows her to speak the language and understand the concepts and their importance. “This in turn helps me to be able to effectively report back to the congressman on what is communicated at these events.” Thinking green In the few years since the Sustainable Business degree program has been up and running, its students have made a difference, and continue to do so in methods big and small: Ebers works to eliminate PVC in Metro Health operations, Miller is figuring out how to reduce Styrofoam in Spectrum Health cafeterias, Eimer raises awareness of how the Aquinas community can reduce waste, and Rohs includes a simple note at the end of her e-mails asking recipients to “Please consider the environment before printing this email.”

15 Thinking green isn’t just a slogan. Based on what these folks have to say, it also can be a very rewarding career choice. For information on the Sustainable Business program, visit www.aquinas.edu/sb or call 616-632-2191 or 800-678-9593.

AQ Joins in Nationwide Focus on Sustainability As the magazine went to press, Aquinas College planned to join with more than 1,000 institutions nationwide on January 31 for a day of education and dialogue on global warming. In addition, student representatives were invited to attend a concert and participate in events hosted by nearby Calvin College to raise awareness on environmental issues. Also, a special committee of students, faculty and staff led by the Center for Sustainability was organizing a weeklong awareness campaign to highlight environmental issues on the Aquinas campus. With a theme of “Count Your Carbons,” some of the ideas proposed included the posting of facts on ways to reduce one’s environmental impact; a campus-wide “moment of darkness” without electricity; and an environmentally friendly meal prepared with all local foods. The Moose coffeehouse also committed to printing facts on sustainability on the “java jackets” surrounding its coffee cups. Brochures, flyers and even movies were to be available for further reading and viewing. Also being considered was a contest between residence halls in which the winning dorm would be the one that saved the most electricity as a percentage of its average monthly usage. “We each need to look at what we do in our own lives,” said assistant professor Deb Wickering, Ph.D. “We can’t sit around and wait for our leaders, our government officials to do it for us. We have to do it, and together we can do a lot.”

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Holmdene – A Centennial Celebration Holmdene, the former manor house of the Lowe estate and current home to administrative and faculty offices of Aquinas College, is 100 this year, and renovations are underway to return the historical building to its 1908 condition. In honor of the occasion, a program of events titled Centennial Celebration is planned for May 17. The Lowe estate was purchased by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1945 when Aquinas relocated from downtown. Holmdene served as the administrative and academic heart of Aquinas until 1955 when the Academic Building was completed. Today, the 22-room, 16-fireplace mansion houses the offices of the president, administrators and faculty and is on the Register of Historic Sites for both the City of Grand Rapids and the State of Michigan. The effort to restore Holmdene is spearheaded by Lou and Arlene Corsiglia, who established an endowment for the project in 2004. “Holmdene is the front door and centerpiece of the campus,” said Lou Corsiglia. The Centennial Celebration will highlight the historic architectural and artistic features of Holmdene and its gardens with tours and a feature film of the estate in the 1930s. The event will also serve to promote the work of the Holmdene Historical Society (HHS), which strives to restore and maintain the architectural integrity of Holmdene, and to preserve the history of the Lowe and Blodgett families as it pertains to the Grand Rapids community. In addition, the HHS aims to promote beautification of the entire Aquinas campus and works to enhance its neighboring communities of East Grand Rapids, Eastown and southeast Grand Rapids.

Before Entry tile was replaced

After

Ivy was removed from the building to avoid further damage

Physical plant staff painted windows on the Manor’s lower level

Aquinas College Mourns Passing of Grace Hauenstein Aquinas College joined with the Grand Rapids community in mourning the death of a close friend, Grace Hauenstein. Mrs. Hauenstein, 96, passed away Christmas Day 2007. For nearly 76 years, she was married to Ralph Hauenstein, a College benefactor and community philanthropist. The two were inseparable and often were described as the “perfect team.” Their philanthropic endeavors in the Grand Rapids area included support for the Aquinas College Grace M. Hauenstein Library (2006), the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University and the Saint Mary’s Health Care Hauenstein Neurosciences Center, which is expected to open in September. “It’s very hard to find people who are nicer to everybody, and they were kind and generous and admirable in almost every way,” according to Ed Balog, president of Aquinas College. Hauenstein was a native of Big Rapids and later graduated from the nursing education program at Saint Mary’s Hospital.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Actress to Present Play on Life of Rachel Carson Award-winning actress Kaiulani Lee will bring her play “A Sense of Wonder” to Aquinas as part of the twelfth Annual Wege Speaker Series on Thursday, April 24. The play, which brings the story of environmentalist Rachel Carson to life, will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center and will be followed by a reception. Both are free and open to the public. Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and zoologist who gained recognition for her book Silent Spring, which demonstrated the devastating effects of chemical pesticides on the natural world. Combining her knowledge as a scientist with her poetic skills, Carson captured the minds of millions

by portraying the splendor of the natural world as well as the great threat posed to it by human made products. Her book was highly influential in inspiring the environmental movement. Kaiulani Lee has more than three decades of acting experience and won the Obie Award for outstanding achievement off-Broadway. In addition to starring in more than a dozen plays on and off Broadway, Lee has appeared on television programs such as “Law and Order” and starred in the PBS film A Midwife’s Tale. Lee wrote “A Sense of Wonder”, which chronicles Carson’s fight to defend the natural world, and has been performing the play for 15 years at more than 100 universities and other venues. She performed the play at the Albert Schweitzer Conference at the United Nations, at the 2005 World Expo in Japan and on Capitol Hill in May 2007.

Some information for this article was found at www.kaiulanilee.com

Alumna Donates Painting to Hauenstein Library On July 17, 2007 a luncheon was held in the Grace Hauenstein Library to celebrate the donation of a pastel painting by alumna Sandra K. Jackoboice. Sandy earned her B.A. at Aquinas in 1989. Since then her work has attracted attention on both the local and national art scene. Her paintings feature vivid florals, wildlife and figurative landscapes. In 2006, a tour of the newly built Grace Hauenstein Library spurred Sandy’s desire to donate an original work of art for display there. The painting, “Dahlia,” is a watercolor pastel on paper that was chosen to complement the serene color palette of the new building. The luncheon was a celebration of gratitude for the gifts of creativity and partnership inspired by the Aquinas community.

Sandra Jackoboice and her husband, Ed, next to her painting

Contemporary Writers Series

Janet Kauffman

The Contemporary Writers Series (CWS) continues its eleventh season with two readings this spring that highlight two of Michigan’s most published women writers. Janet Kauffman is the author of three books of short stories, three novels and four collections of poems; her work has garnered a number of awards including those from the Academy of Arts and Letters and the Associated Writers Programs. Kauffman’s most recent work is very relevant to the environmental times we live in. She has collaborated with artist Nancy Chalker-Tennant on several visual/hybrid books including Another Account: A Water Project. She will read on Thursday, March 27. Kauffman’s visit is sponsored by Kate Pew Wolters ’78.

Laura Kasischke

Raised in Grand Rapids, Laura Kasischke has become a nationally celebrated poet and novelist. She is the author of five books of poetry and three novels. Her work has received many honors from such prestigious places as the Poetry Society of America, the Pushcart Prize Committee and the Beatrice Hawley Award Foundation. One of her novels The Life Before Her Eyes was recently made into a movie titled In Bloom with actress Uma Thurman playing the lead role. Kasischke teaches at the University of Michigan. She will read on Thursday, April 17. Her visit is sponsored Diane Herbruck and the Wordsmiths, Sandra by Jackoboice and her husband, Ed, next to John Hunting, and Paul Miles Advertising. her painting. Both readings are free and open to the public and begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Wege Center Ballroom.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

2008 Commencement Plans Set

Martin J. Allen Jr., Commencement Speaker AQ Trustee Emeritus

The Honorable Glenn Steil, ’72 Business Entrepreneur and former State Senator

The academic year is quickly winding down. In less than two months, the College will award diplomas to nearly 500 students during Commencement on Saturday, May 3. The traditional ceremony begins at 2 p.m. in the Fieldhouse. This year’s Commencement Address will be delivered by a longtime friend of the College and a Trustee Emeritus, Martin J. Allen, Jr. The Chairman Emeritus of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation is expected to focus his remarks on the close relationship he shared with the late President Ford, who died in December 2006.

Sr. Mary Aquinas Weber, O.P., ’58 Trustee Emerita and Chancellor Emerita

Allen will receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree following his talk. Two others will also be recognized with honorary degrees. Sr. Mary Aquinas Weber, op, a 1958 graduate of Aquinas who also holds Emerita status, both as a College Trustee and as Chancellor, will receive an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree; and the Honorable Glenn Steil, a former state senator, longtime Grand Rapids business entrepreneur and a 1972 Aquinas graduate, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Community Recycling Day

L–R: Levi Gardner, Integrated Architecture, unidentified Comprenew worker (in truck), and Ben VanGessel, AQ senior

The Aquinas College Community Recycling Day on October 17 was a huge success. This year, we collected 5,225 pounds of electronics to be processed at CompRenew Environmental. Volunteers from the Aquinas Center for Sustainability pitched in alongside the CompRenew crew, collecting unwanted and broken electronic equipment from Aquinas employees, local businesses and community residents. Dozens of monitors, PC towers, televisions’ and even a few things we were unable to identify filled the collection truck as the Aquinas community really showed its green spirit!

Aquinas Lauds December Graduates

President Balog congratulated each graduate

The Aquinas College Board of Trustees and the Student Senate formally recognized the school’s December graduates in a Recognition Ceremony held December 3 in a packed Wege Student Center Ballroom. Student Senate Chair Joshua Marko and Kent County Administrator Daryl Delabbio ’75, MM’94 delivered remarks that were followed by an hors d’oeuvres reception for the 36 attending students and their guests. Marko talked about community. Delabbio talked about leadership within the community. “Regardless of your religious affi liation,” said Marko, “and even regardless of whether or not you consider yourself religious, an understanding of faith is necessary to put order to the chaos.” Marko spoke on the importance of putting one’s values to work in the community.

That’s where Aquinas alumnus Daryl Delabbio came in. As administrator and controller for Kent County (Mich.), his education in public service at Aquinas, he said, has led him to the study of leadership. Delabbio remarked that vision distinguishes a true leader. “Leaders are made, not born,” said Delabbio, who encouraged graduates to pursue lifelong education – both formal and informal. “You have started on your journey to become prepared academically. Don’t stop here.” “Each of you has been given a gift [of an Aquinas education],” he continued. “Now it is up to you to decide what you are going to do with that gift, because that is the expectation now placed on you.”

Daryl Delabbio ’75 M.M. ’94

A reception followed the December graduate ceremony

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2008

What if Santa were a woman? How would things be different if jolly old St. Nick were a woman? Sister Santa made the rounds at Aquinas College December 7, visiting with her campus friends. Sr. Santa, a.k.a. professor Deb Wickering, Ph.D. listened to the holiday wishes of Aquinas faculty, staff and students, passed out special gifts from her sack and led singing of the traditional holiday carols. The campus community was also treated to free horse and carriage rides over the crisp, snow-sprinkled campus roadways. The event, sponsored by the Jane Hibbard Idema Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studies Center, Campus Life and Student Life, helps to raise awareness about the differences women would make in roles that are traditionally male-dominated.

Aquinas to Induct Three into College Hall of Fame The Aquinas College Historical Commission has selected its next class of inductees for the College Hall of Fame. Those to be honored at the Hall of Fame Gala ceremony on October 4, 2008 are:

George LaMountain † who came to Aquinas College in 1954 after serving in World War II and the Korean War and working for the National Security Administration. He founded the school’s psychology department and served as its chairman for many years. LaMountain

was an advocate of liberal education and earned a reputation as a Renaissance man due to his extensive knowledge in a variety of fields. Well informed on public issues, he frequently wrote letters which were published in local and national publications.

Lyle Morrison ’52 reached Trustee Emeritus status last May for nine years of service on the Board of Trustees and also received the Emeritus Award for his commitment to Aquinas College. Morrison made a career in the insurance

industry and has been an important supporter of Catholic education; friends and family have noted his generous nature and demonstration of his faith through his actions.

Sr. Jean Milhaupt, O.P., ’45 professor emerita of English, has an association with Aquinas that spans more than 60 years. Soon after graduating from Aquinas, she returned to teach in the English Department. Since retiring, Sr. Jean

continues to maintain her connection with the College, serving as its archivist.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

2007 Hall of Fame Gala Each year, the Hall of Fame Gala brings together alumni from many class years, many of whom are returning to Aquinas for the first time. However, each year, the comments from award recipients reflect a love of Aquinas for how the College impacted them and their lives. Here’s what some had to say: Alumni Awards Lee Jacokes, Ph.D., ’61 Distinguished Service Award, (Left) for dedicating over 40 years to Aquinas College in various capacities, including administration and teaching. “It’s been a great career at Aquinas and all people in it have been wonderful. I am humbled (by this award) and quoting from the Bible, “to serve is to experience joy and that certainly has been my case.” Paul Winchester ’75, Outstanding Alumnus of the Year He described the feelings of receiving his award as an “emotional rush” – the same as when he completed his degree after six years of study through Career Action (now Continuing Education). “This award tonight is unexpected, but a very great honor. I’m deeply appreciative, very honored and proud to be an AQ graduate.” John Rice ’99, Board Member of the Year “It’s been an honor and privilege to serve all the AQ alumni, absolutely wonderful. I love still being a part of AQ and forever will be.”

Paul Winchester ’75 (L), Lee Jacokes, Ph.D. ’61, and John Rice ’99

Sr. M. Mildred Hawkins, O.P. †, College Hall of Fame Sr. Nathalie Meyer, Prioress of the Grand Rapids Dominicans and an Aquinas College Trustee accepted the award on Sr. Mildred’s behalf. Reading from a 1963 tribute to Sr. Mildred, Sr. Nathalie described her as an “optimistic visionary,” working day and night to make Catholic Junior College a four-year institution. Continuing, she said, “Sr. Mildred’s heritage to Aquinas is not in the things accomplished, these are too numerous to mention. Her legacy is her dauntless vision which ignored all obstacles to reach the impossible.” Rosemary Fowle Deen, Ph.D. ’47, College Hall of Fame (Left) “We owe Aquinas everything. Aquinas opened my eyes to the great human world and to my much smaller human world. It taught me how to open my eyes and I haven’t closed them since.” Ralph “R.J.” Bennett, Ph.D., † College Hall of Fame His wife, Dianne, a 1999 graduate, accepted the honor on his behalf and offered some reflection on R.J.’s 36 years of teaching (1960–1996) at Aquinas. She said “He loved his students, even taking calls at 1:30 a.m. to help them.” Reading an excerpt from one of many letters he had received from former students, she said, “R.J. had a major impact on my life. His patience, time, effort, understanding and unique mannerisms will remain. You’re a rare breed.” [Editors Note: R.J. Bennett passed away January 18 following a lengthy illness, see article on Pg. 38.]

Rosemary Fowle Deen ’47, Sr. Nathalie Meyer, O.P., and Dianne Bennett ’99

Aquinas College Calendar of Events—Spring 2008 March 16

16-17

Aquinas Music Department Spring Choral Concert 4:00 p.m.: Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC, Free. Club AQ 2 :30 p.m.: High school juniors, seniors and their families For information, visit aquinas.edu/admissions. Aquinas Alumni Breakfast 7:30 p.m., Wege Center Ballroom. For details, call (616) 632-2804 or email marchjul@aquinas.edu

Aquinas Lecture Series Women Composers. Music Department Faculty. 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Wege Center Ballroom. Free.

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30–1:30 p.m.: “Sustain Your Brain: A Hands-on Demonstration about What Individuals Can Do for Sustainability” Speaker: Deborah Steketee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for Sustainable Business. Wege Center, Loutit Room. Free.

Aquinas Music Department Event 7:30 p.m.: A Bowman Family Recital Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC. Free.

Aquinas College Lecture Series 12:30–1:30 p.m.: “Manifest Ambition: Democracy and Expansion in Jacksonian America.” Speaker: John Pinheiro, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History. Wege Center Ballroom, Free.

Aquinas Music Department Spring Jazz Night. 7:30 p.m.: Kretschmer Recital Hall. Aquinas AMC. Free.

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 9 a.m–4 p.m.: Eighth Annual Resourceful Women’s Conference. Keynote address: “Your Very Best Speaker:” Shirley O. Corriher, a food scientist and author of Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking. (www.harpercollins.com). Wege Center Ballroom. Visit www.aquinas.edu/womenscenter for updates on conference information and registration.

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

AQ Day 8:30 a.m.: High school juniors, seniors and their families. For information, visit aquinas.edu/ admissions.

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

Fine Arts AQ Day 9:30 a.m.: High school juniors, seniors and their families. For information, aquinas.edu/admissions.

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

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

Aquinas JHIWSC Event 12:30-1:30 p.m.: “STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Infections): What, How, Where and the HPV Vaccine.” Speaker: Kim Quigg, RNC, NP There will also be an ice cream social for your enjoyment and presentation illustration. Wege Center, Loutit Room. Free.

The Wege Foundation and Aquinas College present the Twelfth Annual Speaker Series 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Speaker: Kaiulani Lee, writer of the one-woman show “A Sense of Wonder,” based on biologist Rachel Carson’s 1963 book “Silent Spring.” Aquinas College Performing Arts Center, 1703 Robinson Road, SE. Reception immediately to follow. Free.

April 4,5,10,11,12

6-5/4

Aquinas Theatre Department presents “Dimly Perceived Threats to the System”, a dark comedy by Jon Klein. 8 p.m.; 6 and 13 at 2 p.m.: Tickets: $12 general, $6 Marywood, faculty, seniors, $4 students with ID. For tickets, call (616) 456-6656. Aquinas Performing Arts Center, 1703 Robinson Road, SE. Aquinas Music Department 7:30 p.m.: Student Honors Recital Kretschmer Recital Hall, AMC. Free. Aquinas Art Exhibit. opening Reception: Sunday, April 6, 2–4 p.m. Bachelor of Fine Art Exhibitions. M-Th 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; F 10-4:30 p.m.; S & S 2–6 p.m. AMC Gallery. Free.

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2008

May 1-4

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

Aquinas College Baccalaureate 10 a.m.: Cathedral of Saint Andrew, 265 Sheldon Ave., SE.

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

Evening of Elegance 6:30-9:30 p.m., $175 per person Hosted by Paul Potter and Marge Byington For details, call (616) 632-2805 or email harbuell@aquinas.edu

25th Aquinas Emeritus Evening Honoring Dan and Eunice Pfieffer Cocktails, second level, Wege Center Cafeteria 6:00 p.m. Dinner, third level, Wege Center Ballroom 7: 00 p.m. $150 per person For details, call (616) 632-2430

Aquinas College Holmdene Centennial open House Noon-4 p.m. Holmdene

2008 Aquinas College + Peter M. Wege ProAm Blythefield Country Club For details, call (616) 632-2816 or email cunnicec@aquinas.edu or (616) 632-2805 or email harbuell@aquinas.edu

June 15-20

Aquinas Music Department Jazz Camp For details, call (616) 632-2413 or email zimmekat@aquinas.edu

Au g u s t 21

Orientation

First Day of Classes

September 4

Reflection Award Event Honoring Charles and Stella Royce For details, call (616) 632-2845 or email harbuell@aquinas.edu

October 3-5 3

Aquinas College Homecoming Weekend Aquinas College Hall of Fame Gala Cocktails, 6:00 p.m., Wege Center Loutit Room Dinner, 7:00 p.m., Wege Center Ballroom Third level Wege Center For details, call (616) 632-2805 or email harbuell@aquinas.edu

Circle Theatre 2008 Productions Circle Presents is the largest presenting organization for school and families in West Michigan. Circle Presents celebrates close to decade of bringing the very best in live entertainment to young audiences. For tickets, call (616) 632-1980. For more information visit www.circletheatre.org Circle Theatre School and Family Series

•

“Fish Face” Wednesday, March 12 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, March 13 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Recommended for grades 1-4

Grandville High School Grandville High School

“My Heart in a Suitcase” Thursday, March 27 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, March 28 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Recommended for grades 4-8

Grandville High School Grandville High School

“Laura Ingalls Wilder” Monday, April 21 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Recommended for grades 2-6

Van Single FAC Kentwood FAC

Circle Theatre Productions – May - October 2008 •

“Bingo The Musical” Thursday, May 8 Saturday, May 10 – Saturday, May 24

•

“Crowns” Thursday, July 24 – Saturday, August 9

•

“Escanaba In Love” Thursday, June 12 – Saturday, June 28

•

“Tuesdays With Morrie” Thursday, August 21 – Saturday, September 6

•

“Snow White” Thursday, July 10 – Sunday, July 13

•

“Tommy” Thursday, September 18 – Saturday, October 4

Campus News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Student News

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

AQ Model United Nations-2007 By Roger Durham, Ph.D., Coordinator of Model U.N. and Professor of Political Science For the tenth year, Aquinas College students participated in a Model United Nations simulation. This year we had an amazing 53 students participate – from a school our size this is remarkable. At the American Model United Nations Conference November 17-20 at the Chicago Sheraton, roughly 1300 students from more than 100 different colleges and universities from around the world were there. This year, Aquinas students role–played delegates from France, Iceland and Sri Lanka. The students engaged in significant diplomatic process, attempting to solve many important international issues. Once again, Aquinas students were recognized for their outstanding performance. Of special note, Will Eberle was awarded Outstanding Advocate: France. Acting as legal voice for the country of France, Eberle argued in front of the Model International Court of Justice in a case concerning crimes against humanity and jurisdiction in Congo. This was the only award of its kind at the conference placing Eberle among the country’s top students in this area. The American Model United Nations distributes only 12 awards each year. Over the last four years, AQ students have won 16 awards of Outstanding Delegate or Outstanding Delegation, placing AQ among the top programs in the country. Model United Nations Conferences bring college and university students together to role-play delegates from their assigned countries. Delegates are judged on their ability to accurately portray their country’s policies and positions on a number of important issues. Knowledge of history, balance of power, alliances and diplomatic skill are fundamental. For example, in the Security Council the issues include the Indian-Pakistani arms race and conflict, the situation in Kosovo, and the ethnic cleansing in central Africa and the war in Iraq. Students must use diplomatic skills including negotiation, conflict resolution and debate. Knowledge and use of parliamentary procedure is also considered in the judging. Students at AQ spend several weeks researching and developing their country’s positions and policies. They develop specific policy statements and practice writing United Nations resolutions. Knowledge of the structures and functions of the United Nations was crucial to the success of their portrayal, as was knowledge of their country’s positions. This year’s budget was just over $10,000. In addition to fundraisers and student fees, some of the cost was underwritten by a wonderful endowment established by Ken and Melinda Krei.

Shawn Wanhala represents France on the Security Council.

Benjamin Kruid, Will Eberle, Sarah Schneider and Freya Yskes represent France.

Members of the 2007 Model U.N. team pose with President Ed Balog (kneeling center) before departing for Chicago.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

The world of foreign relations touched the lives of Patricia Zifferblatt’s parents in 1914 as they emigrated from Italy to the United States. In honor of her parents, Pat endowed the Frank and Julia Ferugheli Memorial Scholarship for Pre-Law Political Science students. Selection will emphasize student participation in the AQ Model U.N. Program. During the past few years, Pat’s support of the program has helped students compete each year in Chicago against more than 120 other college teams. Her granddaughter, Natalie Carver ’06, was an active participant of the program. Students in Model United Nations practice all of the important skills of diplomacy including negotiation, compromise and problem solving – all crucial to success in the study and practice of law.

L to R: Dr. Roger Durham, Patricia Zifferblatt, Sr. Mary Aquinas Weber and Mary Carver.

Political Science Department Offers New Moot Court Class By Bradford Winkler, J.D., Dean of Students Last fall semester, the Political Science Department launched a new course for pre-law students entitled Moot Court. This course, designed for law school–bound students and those interested in advanced debate competition, puts Aquinas students in competition with other undergraduate schools in appellate court advocacy. In late November, five teams of two competed against 48 other teams from the Midwest at the Regional Intercollegiate Moot Court Competition held at the College of Wooster in Ohio. In preparation for the tournament, I worked with our students on their oral arguments and their appellate briefs, and Thomas M. Cooley Law School students in Grand Rapids judged practice rounds and sharpened courtroom argument. This year’s case focused on two constitutional issues in which the students had to be able to argue public policy and case law surrounding the scope of the Commerce Clause and the controversial Second Amendment “right to bear arms.” This term the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on D.C. v Parker, a case identical in many ways to the tournament problem. Aquinas ranked 27th in the competition. I feel this was a great first attempt. The students learned much about the appellate process and it provided a wonderful practice experience for those students

L to R: Micah Stedman, senior; Jessica Bonner, junior; unidentified Cooley students (behind bench); Ashlyn Mausolf, junior

considering law school. Approximately 40 students are active in pre-law studies and this experience is a great opportunity for undergraduates to understand the practice of law. The course will be offered in the fall each year for upperclassmen through the Political Science Department. If any of our many Aquinas graduates who are now practicing law would be interested in assisting in the class or helping with endowing our travel costs to tournaments, please E-mail Bradford Winkler at bradford.winkler@aquinas.edu.

Student News

Aquinas Model U.N. and Pre-Law Programs Gain Scholarship

Aquinas College Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2008

Student News

Inaugural Summer Research Grants Let Students Experience Success By Jennifer Hess, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology Summertime on the Aquinas campus is typically subdued, with fewer students and smaller classes. Yet this past summer, the Albertus Magnus Science Building laboratories were full of people and activity. Why? It was the first session of the Aquinas College summer campus-wide, student-driven, mentor-led undergraduate scientific research program. As a result of a generous bequest by the Mohler family in 2006, five student-mentor teams were able to engage in scientific research. Following a model based on summer research programs at other primarily undergraduate institutions, the Mohler Grant provided each participating student a $3,000 stipend for ten weeks of full-time work in the summer of 2007. Each team also received $2,000 for research equipment and supplies. The projects undertaken include the following: Audrey Sanders, a senior biology major, and biology professor Dr. Tom Bahl initiated a study that examined mating behaviors of female Periplaneta Americana, the American cockroach, to determine if these behaviors were influenced by mating experience and their proximity to males. After observing three groups of females, their research showed that mating experience did not influence female sexual behavior and proximity to males did not affect female receptivity. This study might provide useful information for controlling these agricultural and public health pests. Kevin Coalter, a senior biology major, and Dr. Robb Bajema, an associate biology professor, investigated the health and aquatic insect community of an Aquinas College stream during the summer of 2007. The conditions of the stream often dictate the abundance and diversity of these insects. The amount of substrate in these streams (woody debris, rocks, etc.) controls the abundance as it directly provides physical habitat space for colonization of insects. The researchers found that the campus stream is fairly healthy and hosts a wide variety of aquatic insects. Lead arsenate (PbHAsO4), also known as acid lead arsenate, acid orthoarsenate and shultenite, was commonly used as a pesticide in fruit orchards (particularly on apples) before the 1960s. The U.S.

Shannon Henderson

EPA officially banned the substance for this use in 1988, but some studies have shown that orchards where lead arsenate was used are still heavily contaminated. Shannon Henderson, an Aquinas sophomore, and Dr. Beth Jensen, assistant professor of chemistry, analyzed soils from several Grand Rapidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;area fruit orchards for lead concentrations, which were found to be generally very low (less than 40 ppm). Orchards located farther away from the city center generally had even lower lead levels, suggesting that major contributions of lead are due to sources other than lead arsenate pesticide use, such as vehicle emissions, atmospheric pollution or naturally occurring minerals. Immunoglobulin-degrading enzymes can cause an increase in virulence in certain pathogenic bacteria. These enzymes are specifically known for cleaving antibodies, specifically IgG. Two of these enzymes, IdeS and IdeZ, are originally found in two different Streptococcus species. In their research, Jamie Fink, an Aquinas senior, and Dr. Jennifer Hess obtained IdeS and IdeZ plasmid DNA from recombinant E. coli, which could then be mutated using specific DNA primers. Characterizing IdeS and IdeZ IgGcleavage functions could have medical and veterinary applications. Jamie presented this work in October at the fall meeting of the Michigan Branch of the American Society for Microbiology and at the West Michigan Undergraduate Scientific Research Conference, held at the Van Andel Institute.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

more research teams, thanks to a generous gift from alumnus Ted Thompson ’58, a local entrepreneur, which will bring the total number of teams to seven. All of the involved faculty would like to recognize the diligent efforts and accomplishments of the summer 2007 Mohler Summer Research Scholars and are looking forward to mentoring undergraduate students while making discoveries for many summers to come.

Mohler Summer Research Grant Unravels Knots Aquinas sophomore Jane Kraemer worked with associate math professor Dr. Michael McDaniel on problems which looked like tangled piles of spaghetti, filling their table at the library with notebooks Dr. Michael McDaniel full of conjectures, collaborated with sophmore counterexamples Jane Kraemer as part of the and applications 2007 Mohler Research of formulas. Their Grants Projects explorations led to three results in knot theory. These three theorems, along with their other results, would compare with dissertation-level work. Graduate-level work this early in Kraemer’s undergraduate career gives her mathematical progress a significant boost. As a result, the team has submitted a paper, “Self-Invertible Chord Diagrams from the Wheel,” to the Journal

of Knot Theory and Its Ramifications. In addition, Kraemer presented a summary of their work at the Michigan Undergraduate Math Conference at MSU in October, speaking to more than 100 attendees. Kraemer and McDaniel worked on invariants of finite type, which have the potential to be able to tell all knots apart. Their work, in fact, weakens the evidence of the potency of these invariants, showing that many of them fail to tell knots from inverses. For those mathematicians seeking strong invariants, their work says, “Don’t look here.” Acceptance into the Mohler Summer Research program has opened many doors for Kraemer. Talks and a paper add significantly to her résumé. And since the grant paid her a stipend, she made as much money as if she had worked full-time all summer. While her Muscular Dystrophy limits her employment options, her strength in mathematics earned three theorems and a paycheck!

Aquinas Gets Sociology Honor Society Beginning this spring, the Aquinas College Department of Sociology will have a chapter for Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society. The Aquinas chapter will be known as Mu of Michigan;

an induction ceremony in April 2008 will commemorate this development. The AKD’s approval of the Sociology Department’s application emphasizes the academic integrity of that department.

Student News

The research teams not only benefited intellectually and professionally by engaging in summer research, but they also met periodically to read and discuss articles from various scientific disciplines. This scientific fellowship heightened the research experience for students and faculty alike. Science and mathematics faculty are looking ahead to this summer’s research opportunities with another group of inquisitive undergraduate students. Summer 2008 will also see the addition of two

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Student News

Studying Abroad: AQ Students Visit Germany By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer (Students Lauren Reiter and Chelsea Nix contributed to this article)

Aquinas junior Chelsea Nix didn’t exactly spend her twentieth birthday in typical American fashion. In fact, she spent it in Tubingen, Germany, at an African restaurant with new friends from Italy, South Korea, Germany, Turkey and Spain. At times “it was a very surreal experience,” said Nix of the spring semester she spent at the University of Tubingen. Travel companion and Aquinas junior Lauren Reiter agreed. “I was living the dream,” she said. “I traveled more in those four months than most people do in their lifetime.” “Within two hours,” Nix said, “I could take a train or drive to almost three different countries. One weekend, I was looking for cheap plane tickets and found a round-trip one to Italy for about $20.” Though the travel was certainly nice, Nix, Reiter and two other Aquinas students, Brad Osborne and Brayton Sparks, didn’t even need to leave their dorm to experience other cultures. “The dorms were filled with students from all over the world,” said Nix. “In a way we were each considered ambassadors of our own countries.” Almost all communication was in German, of which the group had “enough to get us by,” said Reiter, who is majoring in the language at Aquinas. Yet, “I didn’t just learn about active and passive sentences or what the adjective endings in the dative plural case are. I learned about culture, and not just German culture, but American culture…who I am and what I believe.” That experience was echoed by Nix. “During that

Chelsea Nix, senior (middle), in Germany with friends from other countries.

University of Tubingen in Germany

semester I became well educated not only about other cultures and countries, but…about our own country as well. It was four months of experiences that slowly molded me into a new person.”

2007 AQ Parents of the Year Last fall the Campus Life office sponsored an essay contest for students to nominate their parents for the Parents of the Year contest. The 2007 award went to senior nursing student Jill McNamara’s parents, Brian and Elaine McNamara of Owosso, Michigan. The selection was based on an evaluation of the submitted student essay by a panel of faculty, staff and students. Brian is co-owner of a family business and Elaine attends school full-time pursuing her master’s degree in nursing. She also teaches classes at Baker College. Even with such active careers, the McNamaras make it priority to do things with their family, whether attending Jill’s major events at Aquinas or her sister’s high school sporting events at home in Owosso.

The McNamaras received a weekend stay at the new JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids, dinner at two local Grand Rapids restaurants, as well as a gift certificate and flowers. Congratulations to our 2007 AQ Parents of the Year, Brian and Elaine.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Leadership Workshops Put AQ into Community By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer

Program participants spent time working on programs in the AQ art lab

Faculty News

The Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center (JHIWSC) has begun an exciting collaborative program with Grand Rapids Public Schools – a leadership program for girls attending Central High School. Designed to increase self-esteem in high school girls facing social and economic challenges, the year-long pilot program began last fall with 15 students. The after-school leadership program has two segments. In Phase I the girls learn about basic leadership concepts (e.g. team building, decisionmaking, problem solving and role modeling) and historical and contemporary women leaders who have displayed them. In Phase II the girls meet with five women community leaders to discuss leadership issues. The girls then will apply the knowledge and

Students take a break in the AQ art lab.

skills they gained in Phase I, to produce a documentary video in conjunction with the Community Media Center on leadership for teenage girls at other high schools in Grand Rapids. The after-school program, led by Susan HaworthHoeppner, JHIWSC director; Nanette Clatterbuck, dean of the Aquinas School of Education; and Wendy Dean, a Central High teacher, has proven very successful already. “The girls seem very engaged in the Phase I workshops; they truly seem interested in the historical and contemporary women leaders we have discussed so far,” said Haworth-Hoeppner. “In fact, we had to add an additional session – a movie day – because they wanted to learn more about the suffrage movement.” “This partnership is beneficial to everyone involved. The relationships that Susan and I are making with the girls are invaluable,” added Clatterbuck. “We are able to sneak a peak into the reality of the lives of these teenagers. We have both spent time examining the research and looking at the statistical profiles of teens from urban environments, but the actual interactions offer an entirely different perspective.” Modeled after leadership programs at the Alice Paul Institute, an educational organization dedicated to the work of famed suffragist Alice Stokes Paul, the project has three Aquinas students serving as group facilitators and mentors to the girls: seniors Danielle

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Faculty News

Hammel, a history and international studies dual major; Mallory Bartz, an English major with a women’s studies minor; and sophomore Vanna Harris, a business major. Hammel said she has a strong interest in seeing these girls develop confidence and leadership skills. “By empowering these young women, and helping them to recognize and cultivate leadership skills, hopefully they can become activists in their communities and effect change.” Bartz echoed that determination. “I am a part of something that encourages young women to become leaders in their world and there is nothing this world needs more right now than women in powerful positions.” As they learn within a safe environment about famous women who overcame barriers, the high school girls are opening up about their own families. “During one session, I was particularly moved when they shared some of the obstacles the women in their families had gone through. What they realized is that there are a lot of strong women in their families, regardless of how subtle this strength appears to the casual observer,” stated Clatterbuck. “They are learning that they have an obligation as well as a right to continue moving forward.” “The young women we work with are very smart,” said Hammel. “It has been interesting to watch them become more comfortable with one another and us, and start to articulate their own ideas about what it means to be a leader.” By early winter, they were already demonstrating a bit of leadership through the simple act of telling their peers about what they’ve learned, to the great pleasure of the program leaders. “The girls are raising awareness in their peer

group,” Dean said. “They are talking about leadership! The girls have increased knowledge about women in history and they are discovering that there are similarities in the journeys.” The program has been beneficial to the AQ interns, too. “Discussing and learning alongside these girls has helped me to better articulate my feminism,” said Hammel. “Acting as a role model forces you to examine more closely the way you act and the things you say, and makes you pause to make sure you are living your ideals.” The program, made possible with generous support from the Dyer-Ives and Nokomis Foundations, Steelcase, and Aquinas College, has also found support in community leaders. The five woman who agreed to be interviewed by the girls are: Lauri Parks, Minority and Women in Business Enterprise developer, City of Grand Rapids; DeDe Esque, CEO and president of the Nokomis Foundation; Rachael Ruiz, WOOD-TV reporter; Jaye Beeler, food editor of The Grand Rapids Press; and Faye Richardson, director, Global Learning & Development, Steelcase University. While modest in its 15-student pilot, the program has great potential. Clatterbuck, Haworth-Hoeppner and Dean envision workshops expanding one by one into all GRPS high schools, where the girls who complete the program could serve as mentors for the next group of students, who then could take on that role for future groups. So far, everyone agrees that the program is a hit. The girls have put their hearts and souls into the project, Clatterbuck said. “What has been most impressive is how grateful they have been for everything we have provided to them. It has reminded me why I went into teaching in the first place.”

Participants listen to one of the community leaders during phase II

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

A Summer in the Ukraine By Robert Marko, Ph.D., Theology Department Chair

Senior Shannon Casey (center-red) spent time with students from other countries.

Faculty News

Since 1994, the only Catholic university in the former Soviet republics, the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in L’viv, has offered an annual opportunity for immersion in English for more than 120 students from its own faculties or schools, three separate eparchial (diocesan) seminaries, and monasteries of men and women. Last summer, education senior Shannon Cagney and Dr. Robert Marko, Theology chair, with 20 other volunteers from England, Canada and the United States, served in the English Summer School (ESS) located in the village of Strilky. The highly structured experience in a former Soviet orphanage in the picturesque setting below the Carpathian Mountains near Poland provided rich opportunities for spiritual growth and English immersion. Each day consisted of nearly three hours of liturgical prayer in English and five different classes taught on scripture, reading of literature, conservational practice and grammar, and electives such as American music and film. This was supplemented by weekend pilgrimages to village churches, huge bonfires or vatras, dances (called “discos” in Ukraine), volleyball, singing of national folk songs and “football,” that is, U.S. soccer. In the rather Spartan existence at the camp with very close quarters, limited water and opportunity for showering, the experience of being together with others on the same journey more than compensated for the amenities so taken for granted in the United States. Khrystyna Semanyuk, a second-year history

Marko pictured with students from the University in L’viv.

student, described the immersion as “experiencing community life at its apex. ‘Together’ would be a good word to explain everything.” For Khrystyna, the camp provided not just the opportunity to improve her fluency in English but to address “spiritual needs” and thus, “it doesn’t matter if the toilets are flushing.” Cagney said she considered ESS a “wonderful experience for Ukrainian students to learn English, speak with native English speakers and cultivate lifelong friendships. Although much time was spent in direct teaching, there was opportunity for the students and teachers to just be together in playing games, singing and dancing at vatras, and walking in pilgrimage. Our time spent in Strilky was extremely rich and I often have a hard time finding words to describe such a blessing. Ukrainian people are some of the warmest, sincere and loving people I have ever come to know.” One of the spiritual directors, Archpriest Robert Anderson of Canada, stated that UCU’s commitment is not just to prepare its students to be future journalists, historians, professors and social workers and to contribute to the future of the common good of the nation but to “build up a spiritual and Christian future for their homeland.” Professor Khrystya Heleta, director of Academics, reminded students that the spiritual emphasis in the program and religion itself was not a restriction on freedom but provided road signs and guidelines. Professor Heleta said, “While striving for freedom and independence in whatever we do, we should always remember that it wasn’t out

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Faculty News

of our will that we first appeared in this world.” Despite difficult conditions, students and volunteers alike raved about what a positive experience the camp was. Brother Mykola Kozelkivsky, a Basilian monk, said, “In meeting foreigners (the volunteer teachers) I decided to improve my English to communicate with them and there was no better way than to be with people who spoke the language I wanted to study.” English, by far, has become the most popular language among western Ukrainian young people and university students.

The host institution, the vibrant Ukrainian Catholic University, describes itself as “an open academic community living the Eastern Christian tradition and forming leaders to serve with professional excellence in Ukraine and internationally – for the glory of God, the common good, and the dignity of the human person.” Its English Summer School helps to fulfill this lofty mission. For more information on the university, go to www.ucef.org or contact Dr. Marko at markorob@aquinas.edu.

Marko lectures during one of his outdoor classes

Dr. Marko pauses to talk with the Arch Priest Robert Anderson

Assistant Professor Orlicki Remembered

Mary

Orlicki

Family and friends, including Aquinas faculty, staff and students gathered last November to remember assistant professor Mary Orlicki, Ph.D., who passed away in October after a lengthy battle with cancer. At a memorial service in Bukowski Chapel, faculty members and students shared some personal memories of Orlicki, who taught Spanish in the Modern Languages Department for five years. Later, her family, including husband Paul Emery, daughter Angelica Leone, and brother, David, joined with friends near the Art and Music Center where a Quaking Aspen tree was planted in Mary’s memory.

Mary received the Michigan Campus Compact 2007 Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning Award last summer for her outstanding contributions in service-learning and her influences on and engagement of students to be involved in community service. She also received the 2007 Aquinas College Woman of the Year Award.

Tree planting ceremony Nov. 2

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

FACULTY NOTES... to the field of sculpture. Pederson will be honored and presented with his award on October 3 during the ISC’s 21st International Sculpture Conference to be held October 2–4 at the Frederik Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

On November 3, Dr. Elizabeth Jensen, assistant professor of chemistry, gave a presentation at the Michigan College Chemistry Teachers Association. Her topic was “Successive

Approximations: Using POGIL to Teach General Chemistry.” She was awarded The Stanley Kirschner Award for best presentation, the second year in a row that she has received this honor.

We welcome Dr. Heather Kesselring to Aquinas College. She joins the faculty as a full-time member of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department. She will lead the sports management program, replacing Phil Hatlem,

who left last year for a similar post in Florida. Kesselring received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University and comes from Lansing Community College, where she served as the school’s employee wellness coordinator.

Dr. Chad Gunnoe, associate professor of history, gave an invited lecture October 18 at the Verein für Reformationsgeschichte (Society for Reformation Research) conference in Wittenberg, Germany. The conference title was “Religion und Naturwissenschaft im

16. und 17. Jahrhundert” (Religion and Science in the 16th and 17th Centuries). His paper was entitled “Astrology Confuted: The Debate between Thomas Erastus and the Melanchthon Circle.” It addressed an argument concerning whether or not astrology was a valid form of

Dr. Brent Chesley, professor of English, won second place in an essay contest run by the Muskegon Community College (MCC) Writers’ Center in conjunction Dr. Brent Chesley with an appearance by humorist David Sedaris on October 20 in Muskegon. Dr. Chesley’s essay, “Ferraris North of the 43rd Parallel,” was to appear in MCC’s December issue of its Literature and Arts magazine.

Dr. Elizabeth Jensen

Dr. Heather Kesselring

Dr. Chad Gunnoe

Susan English, Ph.D. Congratulations to Education Department faculty Kelli Esteves, Ed.D., and Susan English, Ph.D., who completed their doctoral programs in December.

Kelli Esteves, Ed.D.

knowledge in the era of the Renaissance and Reformation. Many Lutheran intellectuals were very enthusiastic about the scientific exploration of astrology as a means to understand divine providence. Gunnoe also was the featured speaker at the

2007 Fall Meeter Center Lecture at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on November 15. His presentation was entitled “German Calvinism in Crisis: The Heidelberg Conflict over Church Discipline 1568–1571.”

Faculty News

Ron Pederson

Ron Pederson, professor and chair of the art department, has been selected as the International Sculpture Center’s (ISC) 2008 Educator of the Year. The award was established to recognize individual educators who have made exemplary contributions

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Faculty News

Revered Aquinas Professor Passes Away As we were going to print in January, we learned of the death of long time accounting and economics Professor Ralph Bennett, Ph.D. “R.J.,” as he was known to most, passed away on January 18, 2008 at the age of 75. During his lifetime, Bennett earned six academic degrees including a Ph.D. in economics. He taught with devotion at Aquinas College for 36 years, asking students to call him at any time if they had questions about an assignment and, in September 2007, was inducted into the College Hall of Fame. Bennett created the Career Action Program, now Continuing Education, to provide working adults with an opportunity to obtain a college degree. He reached the rank of Colonel in the United States Air Force and commanded the 110th Combat Support Squadron in Battle Creek. Bennett will be remembered as a man who highly valued God, duty, honor, and country and who always strove for excellence.

R.J. Bennett

World Traveler, Artist, and Aquinas professor Elizabeth Jennings Dies February 3, 2008 saw the passing of long-time English professor Elizabeth Jennings. Jennings graduated from Aquinas College in 1962 with a Masters of Art in Teaching. She returned to the school to teach in the English department from 1965 to 1991 and for a period of time served as Dean of Women. Jennings spent time learning, teaching, or displaying her artwork in places such as Paris, Mexico, Germany, and Scotland in addition to living in various parts of the United States throughout her lifetime. Elizabeth Jennings was 81 at the time of her death. A memorial mass is scheduled for April 19 in the Dominican Chapel at Marywood.

Elizabeth Jennings

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Miss America’s AQ Connection Faculty News

When Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund was crowned the 2008 Miss America in Las Vegas in January, the Aquinas community shared her joy. Haglund, a 19-year-old from Farmington Hills, worked with Aquinas professors of communication David Weinandy Ph.D. and Penny Avery Ph.D., and alumna Cindy Goldman ’02, who were part of the team that helped Haglund prepare for the national competition. Weinandy and Avery have seen contestants they’ve trained place in the national competition’s top ten, but this is “their” first Miss America win. “It is awesome and well-deserved! She consistently has represented herself and the state of Michigan with grace and dignity,” Weinandy said of Haglund. “I saw her after she won Miss America at a VIP party at the Planet Hollywood [in Las Vegas] and gave her some last words of advice – and snagged her first autograph as Miss America. It was almost as if she had “graduated,” and it was time for her to go out on her own.” “Dave and I have been pleased to volunteer our services to this scholarship program since 1999,” said Avery. “We are proud of Kirsten and know that she will do an excellent job.” Goldman, a continuing education graduate and local cosmetics and skin care expert, enjoyed getting to know Haglund over the months of preparation on the AQ campus. “Kirsten is an amazing young woman. She has a solid faith which will sustain her and take her far.” Haglund’s win is a nice boost for the state of Michigan, too. “It was very wonderful to know that she won on Michigan’s birthday, and exactly twenty years since Michigan’s last Miss America,” Weinandy noted.

Dave Weinandy and the newly crowned Miss America Kristen Haglund shortly after she received her title

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Alumni News

Brigid Avery ’01 Selected as New Alumni Director Aquinas College’s search for its next director of Alumni Relations stretched to the Pacific shores, where it found 2001 alumna Brigid Avery, who says she’s excited about returning to her alma mater to head up alumni activities. “I am absolutely delighted to be back in Michigan after four years in sunny San Diego,” said Avery. “I am honored to return home to Aquinas College and reconnect with my fellow Saints!” Avery worked as an assistant director in the Aquinas Admissions Office for three years before leaving in 2004. She moved to California, where she earned a master’s degree at the University of San Diego. "Brigid brings a unique blend of talents and experiences to the director of Alumni Relations position,” said Greg McAleenan, vice president for Advancement. “She will do a fantastic job of strengthening bonds that already exist between Aquinas and its alumni as well as reconnecting with those whom we have lost touch.” Avery began her new responsibilities February 18. She replaces Rene Palileo ‘98, who left last October for a new position with United Way in Detroit.

(see related article below) If you have any alumni news to share to want to drop Brigid a line, welcoming her back to Aquinas, she can be reached at (616) 632-2494 or via e-mail at brigid.avery@aquinas.edu.

Aquinas Alumni Director Leaves to Fill Key United Way Position Aquinas College said goodbye to Rene Palileo ’98 in September. The director of alumni and parent relations left the College after three years in that position to begin work as the new director of capital campaign and special initiatives for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan in Detroit. There,

Palileo heads up a new United Way program known as the Sports Champion Initiative. Palileo begins this new position with nearly a decade of experience working with the United Way and other non-profit organizations in Grand Rapids, Las Vegas and Chicago. We wish him well.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Aquinas M.M. Grad to Lead Intuit management and leadership challenges shared by class members that would then become case studies in class, and the caliber of the students and the faculty,” Smith noted, emphasizing that those elements were critical in his preparation for future leadership roles. As testament to the powerful bonding facilitated by the program, Smith recalled how he became close friends with a fellow classmate, Tom Sennett M.M. ’90, whom he later asked to be the best man at his wedding. While Smith said he has lost contact with Sennett over the years, he wanted to tell his friend, “Go Irish,” should he be reading this article.

Brad Smith, M.M. ‘91

Annual Alumni Breakfast March 18 By Dan Treul, Student Writer “It’s a blast,” says Cecilia Cunningham of the alumni breakfast hosted annually by Aquinas College. Cunningham, director of the Aquinas Fund at the College, said the event usually attracts nearly 200 alumni. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, March 18 at a time sure to make current Aquinas students cringe: 7:30 a.m. Cunningham says the event functions “almost like a miniature reunion. It gives alumni the

opportunity to get reacquainted and reconnect with friends.” The breakfast additionally serves as a major fundraising event for the Aquinas Fund, which finances student scholarships at Aquinas. The popular Alumni Breakfasts in recent years have raised upwards of $50,000. Alumni participating this year will have the opportunity to hear from President C. Edward Balog, who will speak briefly on the vision of the College and

also be available to chat during the breakfast. Current Aquinas Student Ambassadors will also have the opportunity to “articulate the dynamics of the education they’re receiving,” said Cunningham. Co-chairs for this year’s event are Dan Jablonski ’77 and Kyle Dutkiewicz ’99. Note: The Alumni Breakfast is open to all alumni of Aquinas College, but it is requested that those interested in attending call Julie Marchese at 632-2804.

Alumni News

Since the mid-1970s, the Master of Management program has provided business professionals with a sharing environment where they can hone their leadership skills by learning from the experiences of others. The program is designed to help them become better managers and, hopefully, create new opportunities in their field. Such is the case for one 1991 graduate, Brad Smith, who on January 1, became the CEO of Intui , one of the country’s most successful business and financial software companies. The California-based firm, which began in 1983, had revenue of more than $2.6 billion during fiscal year 2007 and employs approximately 8,000 people worldwide. TurboTax, one of Intuit’s most popular products, helps individuals and small businesses with tax preparation. Smith, who joined Intuit in 2003, was born and raised in Kenova, West Virginia and attended nearby Marshall University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business and administration in 1986. A job with Pepsi brought him to West Michigan in 1986. Two years later, he enrolled in the M.M. program, which became a catalyst in his development as a leader. “I found the greatest benefits of the program to be the ability to apply the learning to real-world situations, the opportunity to examine real-life

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

AQ-UDM Nursing Graduate Back from Kenya

Alumni News

By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer

Waldron with a young child in the village marketplace

Children’s Ward at St. Clare’s Mission Hospital in Kaplong, Kenya, where Waldron worked for the duration of her eight months there.

Children from the Queen of Angels primary school after receiving rosaries sent to Waldron by the Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters.

Carmen Waldron ’06, who flew to Kenya in July 2006 to serve as a nurse through the Catholic Mission Board, returned in March after her eight-month term ended. Now, she’s working at the Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s Health Care in Grand Rapids. Waldron, who graduated under the cooperative nursing program established by Aquinas College, the University of Detroit Mercy and Saint Mary’s Health Center, said her time in Africa was powerful. “I learned so much about life,” she said. “The experience formed me as a person and as a nurse.” Being open to learning from those around her and realizing she could accomplish what needed to be done gave her a new confidence, she added. By the time she left, she’d been put in charge of the emergency room more than once. Waldron ended up working at a different hospital than reported in the fall 2006 Aquinas magazine, because the original hospital closed due to funding problems. Instead, she was placed at St. Clare’s Mission Hospital in Kaplong, which has five wards and less than 100 beds. There, she worked primarily with the Kipsigis, a tribe known for “their welcoming spirit.” Would she recommend overseas mission work to others? “If I hear of anyone who is even remotely considering mission work, I say, ‘talk to me, talk to me!’” People don’t realize how much they have to offer to those living in the extreme poverty of an underdeveloped, Waldron noted.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Delegation from Ghana Delivers Gift from Alumnus

Alumni News Pictured from left are Sister Alice Wittenbach; the Honorable Kofi Allotey, district chief executive of Ghana East; Glenn Barkan, dean of the school of arts and sciences; Jemima Lomotey, district planning officer; Peter Nimo, district coordinating director; and Susan Camp, president of Grand Rapids Sister Cities International.

A small group of delegates from the Ga District of Ghana, West Africa paid a brief visit to Holmdene at Aquinas last October 24 to present the College Alumni Office with a gift from John Sackey ’04, who works at Ga District East. The delegation, who visited the city at the invitation of Grand Rapids Sister Cities International, presented the alumni office with four Kente strips with “Aquinas College” inscribed on them.

Kente is a type of traditional Ghanaian cloth which is used in important ceremonies, festivals and other significant occasions. Kente is used by both traditional and political leaders of Ghana and is often given as a gift to foreign dignitaries. The Kente strips were sent on behalf of Sackey, who returned to his home country of Ghana to work after graduating from Aquinas. Sackey has used his community leadership degree to

help with programs benefiting education and addressing the needs of the poor elderly. In addition he has been instrumental in developing the Sister City relationship between Ga District East and Grand Rapids. The strips are for sale to benefit the Alumni fund. Any alumni wishing to purchase one of these items may contact Sister Alice Wittenbach in the Alumni Office at (616) 632-2453.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Patricia (Plese ’67) Gussin Publishes Second Novel

Alumni News

By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer Aquinas alumna Patricia (Plese) Gussin, M.D., ’67, who has had a successful career as a family practice physician and corporate executive, recently published her second mystery novel, Twisted Justice. Known professionally as Dr. Patricia Stewart, Gussin has been enjoying an active retirement in Florida, New York and New Zealand, where she and her husband, Robert Gussin, Ph.D., own a vineyard. Gussin is one of three generations who have attended AQ: Her mother, Gerarda (Farrell) Plese ’37 graduated from Aquinas when it was Grand Rapids Catholic Junior College, and her son, W. Benjamin Stewart ’95, who grew up in Philadelphia, also attended Aquinas. In addition, Gussin’s uncles, Father Donald Farrell and Father Edmund Farrell, attended the seminary in Grand

Rapids and went on to serve as priests in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Unlike most students at the time, Gussin’s years at Aquinas resembled those of more modern students, in that she was a “non-traditional student” before the College had formally established its Continuing Education program for adult learners. “I was a little bit of an atypical student,” she noted. After graduating Marywood Academy in 1961, she spent one semester at Aquinas before getting a job, marrying and having two children. Upon her return to AQ a few years later, she found the College offered her exactly what later CE students appreciated: scheduling accommodations, encouragement, and excellence in her professors, including science teachers John Poje and Sr. Annabel Bollman, O.P. So, with her medical background, how did Gussin get into writing? “I had never intended that,” she said. “I was so busy with science and medicine and raising a family.” But as vice president of Consumer Pharmaceuticals for Johnson & Johnson, she found herself flying between Asia and the U.S. time and again, and “I had time to reflect on my life.” It was during those long flights that she began handwriting her first book. Ten years later, in 2006, she published Shadow of Death. One of the first steps that led to publication was transcribing those handwritten pages – a chore, she said with a laugh, since “as a doctor, I can’t read my own writing.”

That book, a mysterythriller about a female medical student whose existence is scarred by violence and murder during the Detroit riots of 1967, parallels much of Gussin’s own life. She said the main character resembles her and the place and time are real. “But everything stops there. Believe me, everything else is made up.” In contrast to that historically based mystery, Twisted Justice takes a more intimate look at the same characters seven years after the riots. Now, they live in Tampa, where murder once again turns their lives upside down. Both books were released by Oceanview Publishing, an independent firm started by Robert Gussin. In 2000, Gussin and her husband retired from Johnson & Johnson, and since then they have shared an interest in volunteering at a low income medical clinic, doting on their 17 grandchildren, visiting their vineyards and writing. Yes, Robert Gussin has a book published, too: Trash Talk, a novel about science and sports. Who ever said retirement was boring?

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Poet Nemec-Foster ’72 Honored Michigan Artist. The awards ceremony was held at a gala reception in late November at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Although Linda did not take home the “Guvvy,” she was one of only two poets to be selected as honorees in the 22-year history of the awards.

Pictured (l to r): Bill Weitzel, AQ Director of Planned Giving; Linda Nemec Foster; Tony Foster; Sr. Alice Wittenbach, O.P., Ph.D., ’60; and Michele Boniface Tsuji ’72, Nemec Foster’s college roommate.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (center) with Linda Nemec Foster and her husband, Tony Foster, M.D. ’73

Alumni News

Linda Nemec Foster ’72, the first poet laureate of Grand Rapids and founder of the AQ Contemporary Writers Series, was recently honored by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. Linda was one of three finalists for the 2007 ArtServe Michigan Governor’s Awards for Arts and Culture in the category of

Nemec-Foster ’72 Honored in Washington Linda Nemec Foster ’72 was honored in Washington, D.C. on January 5. She was selected to receive the 2008 Creative Arts Award sponsored by the Polish American Historical Association. This international award recognizes the contributions in the field of creative arts (music, visual arts,

literature and film) by individuals or groups who have promoted an awareness of the Polish experience. Linda was given the award at a gala reception at the Embassy of Poland. This event was part of the annual conference of the American Historical Association.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Catherine (Duba ’63) Lee Publishes Negotiation Book

Alumni News

By Laura Bennett-Kimble ’95, Contributing Writer When she earned her liberal arts degree with a medieval French and Spanish focus, Catherine (Duba ’63) Lee probably didn’t see herself one day traveling to Asia to help Motorola and BP Amoco executives negotiate international business. Yet, the alumna has done just that, carving out a rewarding career for herself and her Chicago area communications consulting firm, CDL & Associates. Through her years in the field, Lee has been exposed to plenty of situations where cultural differences directly impacted how business was accomplished. Gathering up those experiences and the lessons learned, she wrote the book, The New Rules of International Negotiation: Building Relationships, Earning Trust, and Creating Influence around the World. “We’re trying to change the biased way people look at diversity,” she said. “You can’t change anyone else’s biases. We have found that changing people’s behaviors is more effective.” Lee entered the business world when her four children neared college age. Her husband G. Timothy Lee ’63 became her mentor. One of the first things Lee learned was to tell clients, “I feel comfortable with that” when they asked her to take on challenging assignments. This proactive attitude, and the subsequent proven competency, has led to communications consulting work in China, Korea, Eastern Europe and South America. In addition to Lee and her husband, Lee’s older sister and two of her brothers attended Aquinas College. Lee keeps in touch with her former French teacher, Sr. Marjorie (Norbert) Vangsness, who now resides at Marywood. “She’s very much the activist at 91 years old,” Lee remarked, still working at her

ministry and encouraging Lee to work hard in her own ministry of helping American business folks better communicate with their international counterparts. Although describing her mission of essentially eradicating the “ugly American” from international business as an idealistic goal, the consultant has made good progress. This ability to facilitate likely began years ago, when Lee was elected president of her local school board. Since then, she ran for U.S. Congress in 1996, was president of the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and has presented at numerous national and international conferences and summits. She also was named one of the most influential business owners in the greater Chicago area. The New Rules of International Negotiation was published in November by Career Press.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Holidays Brighten AQ Campus By Connie Kowalsyk ’99, Alumni Board Member

Christmas tree lighting outside of Cook Carriage House.

Children from Catholic Charities of Grand Rapids gather around jolly St. Nick during the special Christmas event at the Cook Carriage House.

Members of the Alumni Board made it a special day for area youngsters. Pictured (L-R) are: Andy Holtgreive ’94, Ellen Harburn ’01, Santa, Tony Nolan ’66, and Connie Kowalsyk ’99.

Alumni News

It seems that Christmas is at its most magical when seen through the eyes of a child. The Aquinas College Alumni Board and the Aquinas Student Senate had the privilege of sharing in that magic, along with many little people from Catholic Charities of West Michigan, formerly known as Catholic Social Services. The Children’s Christmas, in its second year at Aquinas, is held in the Cook Carriage House, just prior to the annual Tree Lighting ceremony. The children enjoyed a light repast, followed by an animated reading of "T’was the Night Before Christmas" by alumni board member Andy Holtgrieve. While we were all listening for reindeer hoofs on the Carriage House roof, we were rewarded instead with the rich tones of sleigh bells, signaling the arrival of none other but Santa himself. While the alumni board, student senate, and campus life representatives looked on, our small guests exclaimed with great enthusiasm over the arrival of St. Nick, and the surprises that his bag held. Following this, everyone donned their outer garments as the entire group moved to the downstairs courtyard, to herald the lighting of the Christmas tree. From behind the tree, one could hear the small oohs and aahs as Dr. Balog lit the tree, signaling the beginning of the Christmas season on the Aquinas campus. One little girl, standing close to the tree, beautiful curls bobbing, sighed and said, “your tree is so pretty.” It is a reminder to us all, that the season is most beautiful when seen through the eyes of a child.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

AQ Alumna Battles Kids’ Hunger

Alumni News

By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer When Bridget Clark Whitney ’03 accepted a fulltime internship position at Kids Food Basket in Grand Rapids during her last year at Aquinas, she thought it would fulfill the capstone requirement of her Community Leadership major. She was right, but the project also led to her appointment as executive director of the newly formed organization which now has a yearly budget of roughly $700,000 and encompasses more than 800 volunteers, including the Dominican sisters at Marywood. Kids Food Basket was formed when founder Mary K. Hoodhood of God’s Kitchen heard from a local principal that “students were digging through trash bins… for wasted food or food thrown away by the cafeteria,” Whitney said. With the help of several volunteers, Hoodhood began bagging dinners for local elementary students. When Hoodhood left the program, she wanted the program to continue, but needed a new director. She chose the Aquinas intern. The capstone of the Community Leadership program at Aquinas requires that majors “find an unmet need and meet it,” said Whitney. “In an American city, in this country, children are not getting food.” Under her leadership, Kids Food Basket has grown to serve “sack suppers” five days a week year-round to 1,217 students at ten elementary schools in the Grand Rapids area. Thirteen schools are on a waiting list. The organization, which is looking into opening satellite agencies outside Grand Rapids, was recently honored with the Governor’s 2007 Exemplary Community Service Award. “In the past two years, we’ve had over 25 requests for our services all over the state of Michigan,” Whitney said. “We’ve found there’s no other after-school dinner program out there like this.” As much as she looks to the future, Whitney also remains deeply rooted in her experience at Aquinas. “The passion that exists at Aquinas, I think, kind of gets in your bloodstream,” she said. When she joined Kids Food Basket, “It was such a huge idea, but it seemed actually possible because of the foundation I gained at Aquinas,” she added. “Volunteerism is a really important aspect of our agency. The program [at Aquinas] taught me that I am really, truly able to make a difference.” For volunteer information or to make a donation, visit Kids Food Basket at www.kidsfoodbasket.org or call (616) 235-4532.

Whitney’s organization prepares hundreds of lunches for school kids throughout the Grand Rapids school district every day.

From left: Jane Berkey, operations manager; Bridget Clark Whitney ’03, executive director; and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm

Whitney displays one of the many thank-you notes she’s received from recipients of the free lunches.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

U.S. State Department Official John Michael Matuszak ’76 Speaks on Politics and Sustainability By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer

Alumni News

Aquinas College’s official slogan – “Makes all the difference in the world” – is put directly into action by AQ alumni every day. Just ask John Michael Matuszak, Ph.D., ’76, division chief in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science at the U.S. State Department. Matuszak, who left Aquinas with a degree in biology, currently heads up the U.S. State Department’s Sustainable Development and Multilateral Affairs Division. He returned to campus in November to speak to Roger Durham’s world in crisis and international relations classes. Though he went on to earn degrees at Michigan State University and Cornell University, Matuszak stated that it was at Aquinas that he gained “appreciation for the golden rule” and the desire “to leave the world a better place.” That desire, coupled with his love of science, ultimately led Matuszak to the State Department and into the relatively uncharted realm of sustainable development. The field, according to the diplomat, is comprised of three interconnected components: economics, environmental forces and social systems. With oil prices hovering around $100 per barrel and the United States using approximately “one quarter of the world’s energy resources,” Matuszak cautioned students that they “not reduce the options of the next generation by the choices we make today.” “He is both a very good scientist and diplomat. These are rare traits. As a member of the U.S. State

John Matuszak, Ph.D. ‘76

Department he has, and will continue to have, a lasting impact on U.S. environmental policy, regardless of any specific administration’s stances,” says Durham, chair of the AQ Political Science Department. “He also gives our AQ students a real example that they really can make significant differences in this world in a variety of ways. You don’t find that many State Department officials with a bachelor’s degrees in biology!” In his talks, Matuszak emphasized that it is “important to listen to those who have different points of view.” True to the global perspective promoted at Aquinas, he urged students to read widely, travel the world, and, if possible, make friends from overseas – “Get out of your comfort zone and volunteer in real-world problems.”

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

A Dramatic Success: Aquinas Theatre Program Shines on the Local Stage

Alumni News

By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer The Aquinas College Theatre Program dominated the college competition at the Grand Awards held at the Meijer Majestic Theatre in downtown Grand Rapids last October. Taking home top honors at the glamorous event were senior Chris Flowers for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical for his role in Civic Theatre’s Dreamgirls; the Aquinas/ Cornerstone collaboration The Pirates of Penzance for Outstanding College Production; and alumnus T.J. Corbett for Outstanding College Supporting Actor in last year’s Charlotte’s Web. In addition, Aquinas costume shop manager Bill Dunckel was nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for his work on Circle Theatre’s Sunday in the Park with George. Aquinas transfer students Rob

Karel and David Fletcher received the prestigious Norma Brink and David and Emma Nicolette Scholarships, respectively. Chris Grooms ’07, who was recently hired by Actors’ Theatre to serve as its new office manager, co-emceed the event to nearconstant uproarious laughter. Grooms credits Randy Wyatt, director and assistant professor of theater at Aquinas, for much of the College’s recent success. “I think his goals and where he wants to take the program go far

AQ student Lyle Henning, playing the Major General character, in a “Pirates of Penzance” segment performed for the Grand Awards program last October.

beyond anything I could have possibly imagined while I was there.” Wyatt replaced Anthony Guest as interim director of theatre at Aquinas after Guest’s departure in 2007. “Aquinas is why I’m here now,” said Grooms, who believes that Guest and Wyatt have already made lasting and significant contributions to the College’s theatre program. Eric Messing ’01,

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

winner Fred Sebulske ’65 reflected on the time he spent at the College. “If it weren’t for Aquinas,” the founder and longtime managing director of Actors’ Theatre said, “I’d be somewhere else.” Sebulske cites the late Sr. Mary de Chantal as a foremost influence. Sebulske stepped down at Actors’ last year to transition into retirement. He was the only award recipient to receive a standing ovation – and he was honored with two of them. Sebulske continues

his creative involvement at Actors’, though fellow Aquinas graduate Kyle Dutkiewicz ’99 recently assumed duties as managing director. Dutkiewicz is a Grand Award–winning choreographer and former adjunct instructor of theater at Aquinas. Beginning with the opening of the Performing Arts Center in 2003, the Aquinas Theater Program has “really taken off,” said Messing. And, from the looks of it, there’s nowhere to go but up…

Kyle Amanda Dutkiewicz, a 1999 AQ grad, and 1965 alumnus Fred Sebulske were co-presenters at the 2007 Grand Awards in Grand Rapids. Sebulske also received a lifetime achievement award honor during the ceremony. He recently retired as director of Actors’ Theatre.

Alumni News

executive director of Broadway Grand Rapids, agreed. “Aquinas gave me confidence that I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else.” Messing, who previously served as marketing director for Circle Theatre, believes the collaboration between Aquinas, Circle Theatre and Catholic Secondary Schools represents “a great partnership, even on a national level.” The rampant success of Actors’ Theatre is also due, in part, to Aquinas College. Speaking after the Grand Awards, Lifetime Achievement and Outstanding Director award-

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Record Attendance Marks 2007 Homecoming Weekend

Alumni News

By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer Aquinas College welcomed hundreds of alumni and their families back to campus during Homecoming Weekend in September. Current faculty, staff and students contributed to the festivities, serving food, hosting games and leading tours. The men’s and women’s soccer teams sealed the deal, delivering strong weekend victories against Indiana

Tech University. Friday night marked the sixth annual Aquinas College Hall of Fame Gala, which featured a dinner and induction and awards ceremony honoring alumni, faculty and friends of the College for outstanding achievement in academics, service and athletics. Paul

Winchester ’75, recipient of the Outstanding Alumni of the Year award, summed up the gathering’s collective sentiments well: “I am proud to be an Aquinas graduate, and it’s great to be back.” Mild fall weather descended on campus for Saturday’s mostly outdoor events and activities, which included live music, food and entertainment booths sponsored by student groups, alumni soccer and softball games, a battleof-the-bands competition and a student

parade. At the Grace M. Hauenstein Library, the staff hosted an all-night slumber party for former student employees. More than 80 showed up for the evening get–together and more than a dozen spent the night. In addition, Aquinas hosted nine class reunions, representing graduates from 1962 to 2002. “When we first started [hosting reunions] three years ago, we had between 60 and 70 people show up.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Alumni News

One class reunion brought together five special friends who had a luncheon in honor of Dan Pupel who was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Pictured (l-r) are: Dan Pupel ’58, Doug Budzynski ’57, Dr. Fred Prescott ’57, Richard G. Doyle ’58 and Don LeClair ’58. Prescott, a physician, remained at the College until Monday, taking an opportunity to speak to pre-med students.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Reunions: September 28–30, 2007: As Special as Ever

Alumni News

By Sr. Alice Wittenbach, O.P., ’60, Reunions Coordinator Reunions 2007 brought friends together from far and near: California, Colorado, Virginia, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho and, of course, Michigan to celebrate the richness of friendships and fond memories of Aquinas. We were all reminded that an Aquinas experience does, indeed, make all the difference in the world. Alumni who couldn’t be here checked in from Tennessee, Texas and Seoul, Korea. For many years, AQ didn’t have any reunions. However, with greater outreach to various class members, the College, for the first time, achieved the celebration of nine class reunions. (Next fall, the 2008 celebrations will reach the maximum of ten classes.) Beginning with 1962, we included all the 2s and the 7s. By reunion weekend, we had 270 registrations, and another 30 alums registered late at individual reunion tables. Three hundred participants represented a significant increase over 2006 reunion numbers, which totaled 115. It can only get better. Committee members of all nine reunion groups worked hard to make connections via telephone and E-mail. Alumni love to hear voices from the past. I have discovered that it’s often “people needing (and calling) other people” that makes the difference. So, start calling your friends if your reunion year is looming. The substantial increase in correspondence and attendance also enabled us to update our alumni database. Benefits for the alumni office include easier promotion of all reunion activities, not only at Aquinas, but in other parts of the country, as well: NYC, Boston, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Lansing, southern Michigan, Florida, California, Denver and wherever there are concentrations of alums with whom we would like to connect. Alums from 1967 and 1987, each with 50 attendees, set the attendance record for this year. Nine reunion celebrations occupied almost all available event space. So, keep coming! This is a wonderful challenge. Another helpful addition to this year’s reunion registration process was online registration for alums able to access the system. This allowed us to add new names from each class to the list on the Alumni Web site on a day-to-day basis. Individuals could track their friends’ participation and be encouraged to take part themselves.

Online registration also provided easy access to making a class gift contribution, which was another positive addition to this year’s celebration. Each reunion class presented a class gift check to President C. Edward Balog, Ph.D. The amounts of these gifts, which change regularly as alums continue to support this scholarship effort throughout this fiscal year, represent a substantial increase in gifts to our scholarship campaign. Records for the past two years indicate that giving from those in the 45th reunion year represented the highest participation percent with 26 percent of class members contributing to the effort. Reunion 2008 will celebrate the 3s and the 8s, ten reunions this year, beginning with 1958, and ending with 2003. The Classes of 1958 and 1959 will be combined for a 50th Anniversary celebration. Put October 3-5, 2008, on your schedule and plan to attend. It is a wonderful way to get reacquainted with your classmates, as well as with new developments on campus: the Grace Hauenstein Library, Aquinas College Performing Arts Center, new student apartment complex and new artificial surface on the AQ soccer field, along with the campus grounds, which are as beautiful as ever. Homecoming 2008 October 3-5, 2008 Class Reunions 1958 & 1959 – 50th Anniversary 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003 Get the date on your calendar!

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

55 Back Row Harry Kunnath, Bill Kirkwood, Bob Bochniak, Pete Cordes, Bob Pries, Don Kessel, Hank Milanowski,Tom Osbourne, Karl Otto, Sister Sue Tracy, Bob Boguslaski, Bonnie Jean(Bollman) Randall, Bob Klien, Chris Norman Front Row Sharon (Duba) Kirkwood, Beth Crowley Wojciuch, Phyllis Taylor Saganski, Diane Butler Milanowski, Rita Laberteauk Connad, Jodi Desmet Deschaine Present but not pictured Tom Marcin, Maureen Doyle, Ken Recker, Sue Tietema

Back Row Rita Magan Laberteaux, Bill Murphy, Ruth Ann Pries, Bob LeVasseur, Mary Pyman Abouzeid, John McCabe, Terri Tomaszek, Tom Sciamanna, Tony Spica, Jim Stewart, Dominic Mattone, Jerry Hunsburger, Jim Black, Gene Smary, Mary Jo Vantiem Magee, Ken Meyer Front Row Judy Stimic LeVasseur, Sharon Tatti Fiori, Susan Sandborn Cheatham, Mary Sheridan Hunsburger, Kathy Sidnecki Falks, Donna Zamierowski Polizzi, Paula Kralovec Murphy, Sandy Herman, Marilynn Neve Bostic, Dan Ratajczak

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Back Row Michele Boniface Tsuji, Kathy Eacker Badgerow, Jean Herron, Matt Flak, Cathy Slowik, Gene Kozminski, Mike Ryskamp, John Suchocki, Kitty Allen Girard, Joey Hilton Miller, Mary Tyjchyi Olivarez, Ann Henneberry Front Row Shirley Smith Kupiecki, Cathy Kelly-Mueller, Patti Mchindon Trupani, Linda Stechschalte Kozminski, Tony Foster ’73, Linda Nemec Foster, Linda Martino, Sr. Rosemary O’Donnell Not Pictured Paul Greenwood, Geik Geikman, Linda Chevvenka, Debbie Rea White

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Back Row Jeroen Wagendorp, Louis Butler, Vickie Knizacky, Fabian Knizacky, Ann Christenson Greenslate, Doug Greenslate, Jim Krzeminski, Paul Soltysiak (married to Alum. Carrie Smith), Rita Rabideau Noland, Craig Noland Front Row Monica Halloran,Jeanine Weber, Nancy Shirey Denhof, Mary Wallace Krzeminski, Kevin Denhof, Carrie Smith Soltysiak Present but not pictured Julie Zirkelback Vontilius

Alumni News

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Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

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Alumni News

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Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

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Alumni News

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L-R: Terry Poisson, husband of Lauren Mullane Poisson ’98, Tad Kimble ’95, Elma DeLaCruz Kimble, Doug Dooley ’86, Jen Wilkinson

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Alumni News

Golden Saints Close Out Homecoming 2007 Homecoming Weekend 2007 concluded with the annual Golden Saints Brunch on Sunday, September 30. Sixty alumni and their guests representing the classes of 1934 to 1957 enjoyed a morning of great food, wonderful stories and fine entertainment. A short program began with a welcome by Sr. Aquinas Weber, O.P. ’58 and included an update of College activities by President Ed Balog. Mary (McHugh ’53) Hieshetter provided details of the reunion gift program, which segued into student Will Guyeskey’s poignant message about the gratitude he and his fellow students feel toward those whose gifts make their education possible. Audrey(O’Brien ’48) Witham brought the morning to a rousing musical close by performing with her troupe Saints Alive. Next year’s Golden Saints Brunch will feature the induction of the classes of 1958 and 1959 on Sunday, October 5, 2008 as part of the 50th Reunion Weekend during Homecoming 2008.

L-R: Kenneth Robach and John Stepanovich ’53 greet Floridian Bob Rainer ’51

Enjoying brunch are (clockwise from back center): L-R: Ginny (Vogt ’52) Astrue of Oregon is greeted by Robert ’50 and Emma Lou Sterling, Kay Braunschneider ’50, John and Barbara (Malone ’52) Magin Mary (Honton ’57) Newkirk, Faye Seeger, Maxine (Deyman ’43) Belmonte, Marie Schmitt ’53 and Lucille (Yob’53) Balcom

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Spectacular Golf Invitational May 19

Alumni News

If you love the game of golf, there is an exciting new event on May 19 you won’t want to miss! The Aquinas College Alumni Association and the Aquinas Fund are collaborating to present a premier event at Blythefield Country Club: The Aquinas College • Peter M. Wege Pro-Am. “Peter Wege has been in leadership at the College for decades. As a Trustee Emeritus he has taken a personal interest in our success. It was our hope to name this new event after him to honor that lifetime dedication to Catholic Dominican liberal arts education. He has graciously agreed. “We are thrilled,” stated President Ed Balog. Aquinas has a long tradition of attracting strong golfers to the College who go on to either professional or amateur careers in golf. The new event, positioned as a Pro-Am Invitational, is attracting attention across Michigan and the Midwest. “It just goes to show what a passionate team of people are able to do when inspired with a vision,” said Cecilia Cunningham, director of the Aquinas Fund. “There has been an amazing amount of interest and lead sponsorships from the very beginning. We have early commitments of over $70,000 in sponsorships and we expect more as the event draws near.” The Alumni Association has been interested in broadening the draw to their annual golf outing to include corporate and community leaders. They also wanted to raise much needed dollars for student scholarships through the Aquinas Fund. It is a strategic alliance built on dedication to the College and commitment to Aquinas students. “This will be a great opportunity to play golf at an excellent private club. The Pro-Am format will lend a unique twist which will add positively to the overall

Peter Wege experience, Said Greg McAleenan, vice president of Advancement. Special thanks to Scott Crowley ’90, managing partner at the Highland Group, for the design and development of the logo and marketing materials. For information about the Aquinas College • Peter M. Wege Pro-Am, please contact Cecilia A. Cunningham at (616) 632-2816 or e-mail c.cunningham@aquinas.edu or Ellen Harburn at 632-2805 or e-mail harbuell@aquinas.edu.

2008

AQU I NA S Are you in?

PETER M. WEGE

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Admissions

Saints Spread the AQ Word In order to connect with the teens of today, the admissions office must continually implement new recruitment tools. From texting and instant messaging, to virtual campus tours, prospective students receive information from all sorts of tech savvy channels. While it is crucial to stay up with the times, one strategy remains timeless. The good oldfashioned word of mouth has been bringing students to Aquinas College since 1886. As an AQ grad, you can be part of this effective strategy by joining Saints Network. It is a group of alumni who are willing to share their AQ story and spread the word about AQ to prospective students. Saints Network is a fantastic way for AQ alumni to stay involved with the College. If you are not already a member of Saints Network, now is the time to come on board. By sharing your collegiate experiences and professional successes with prospective students, you will illustrate the benefits of the AQ experience. To learn more about Saints Network check out our Web site at http://www. aquinas.edu/saintsnetwork. In addition, the admissions office is in the process of collecting stories of our alumni to be placed on the Saints Network Web site. Often in the admissions process, prospective students and their parents ask questions such as, “What do Aquinas graduates with a major in music do?” or, “Does anyone from Louisiana have a connection with Aquinas?” Prospective students will be able to search for alumni by major or geographic region and learn about the amazing endeavors AQ alumni are involved in. Your story could make all the difference in the world! You can register to be a member of Saints Network at https://secure.aquinas.edu/saintsnetwork/ form/register.html. As a thank you for submitting your story, we will send you an AQ T-shirt. (Wear it and have another easy way to spread the word!). If you have any questions regarding Saints Network, please contact Dana Samotis-Bensinger ’99 at samotdan@ aquinas.edu or (616) 632-2861.

AQ Days

Other ideas for you to help spread the word: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Wear an AQ T-shirt to a high school sporting event Hang an AQ flag in your front yard Display an AQ bumper sticker on your car Donate an AQ pennant to your local high school counseling office Tell a coworker about your AQ experience Submit your professional story to share on our Web site Share an AQ highlight with a high school student Host a college planning session at your church, PTA or school Bring students to AQ for a production in the theater or a sporting event Stop by the Moose Café with a friend for a Tully Cross Latte Drive a group of students to campus for an AQ Day Refer students to the admissions office Head to campus with your third grader to do their leaf project Donate your frequent flyers miles to help a prospective student fly to AQ Sit on a professionals panel at one of our AQ days Give a gift from the AQ bookstore Encourage a senior to fill out a free online application Volunteer to represent Aquinas at a college fair Invite the admissions office to any college event in your area Inform the admissions office of advertising opportunities in your area Submit your own idea to spread the word

Friday, March 28 – Fine Arts Day Friday, April 18 – General

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Coffee Among Saints: The Northern Michigan Connection By Dana Samotis-Bensinger ’99, Associate Director of Admissions

Admissions

Do you remember the old Aquinas tree logo and how our tag line was “The forest and the trees?” I sure do. As a high school senior from a small town in Northern Michigan, I was lost in the mists of my college quest. Searching through a pile of college brochures, I came across an AQ piece covered in autumn leaves. A place in the city with trees? A college where I will be a person not a number? I was instantly curious and suddenly content with the idea of going away to college. My comfort only grew when I visited Aquinas for the first time. I was amazed how at home I felt my very first moments on campus. After taking a tour, eating lunch in Wege, talking to professors, learning about Grand Rapids and simply observing students in their everyday routines, I was sold. I went from being a totally overwhelmed high school senior, leaning towards staying at home and taking a few classes at the community college to full blown SAINTHOOD. Since graduating from Aquinas, I have been working in the admissions office and am fortunate enough to have been assigned Northern Michigan as my recruitment territory. If you are from “Up North” (any place north of M-55) or have been lucky enough to visit, you are aware of the beautiful, peaceful environment. Growing up there, your comfort zone consists of fresh air, two lane roads, and familiar faces, similar to the AQ campus. To connect Northern Michigan students with AQ the admissions office is going beyond the typical recruitment strategies of mailings, phone calls and high school visits; it has implemented “Coffee Among Saints.” We invite past, present and potential Aquinas students to gather at local coffee houses. While enjoying a hot drink and tasty treat, Saints share their amazing AQ stories. The venue provides a cozy environment that motivates prospective students to ask questions and learn what life as a student at Aquinas is really like. Jessica Sullivan, an AQ freshman from Gaylord (Mi.), thinks the program offers a great opportunity to high school seniors. “I wish I would have had this opportunity last year, when I was a senior,” said Sullivan. “I’m always excited to share my opinions about Aquinas with the hopes of inspiring another ambitious student to attend our

college in the future. Aquinas has opened my eyes to a world of opportunity, and I wish to share that with other young adults like myself.” As an admissions representative attending these events, I feel like I am at a celebration, as alumni and current students speak from their heart and high school students engage in conversation like never before. While an admissions function, “Coffee Among Saints” gives alumni a chance to give back and reconnect with their alma mater, and provides current students an opportunity to inspire prospective students from their hometowns to consider higher education. “It gave me a chance to tell some of my friends from home why Aquinas is such a great school and how glad I am to be here,” stated Mike Kalchik, an AQ freshman from Lake Leelanau. As an alumnus, “Coffee Among Saints” reminds me that after all these years Aquinas College still offers high-caliber academic programs, professors with passion, generous scholarships, meals at Wege and a wooded retreat tucked inside growing Grand Rapids. It is still home away from home. If you are from Northern Michigan and would like to get involved with “Coffee Among Saints,” please contact me, Dana Samotis-Bensinger, at (616) 632-2861 or samotdan@aquinas.edu. You truly can “make all the difference in the world” to our prospective Northern Michigan students.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Author, Community Advocate to Lead Emeritus College

Emeritus College

Sue Stauffacher joins us as the new director of our Aquinas Emeritus College, replacing Rabbi Al Lewis, who has left Aquinas after six years. Sue holds a B.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University and an M.F.A. from the University of Arizona. Sue’s background in teaching, administration, fundraising and community advocacy made her an

ideal candidate for the position. Grand Rapids area residents may know Sue from her days as a parenting columnist and book reviewer for the Grand Rapids Press, or for one of her published children’s picture books and novels, including Donuthead and Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson.

Congratulations to Stauffacher whose book Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althena Gibson won the 39th Annual NAACP Image award for outstanding literary work in children’s books in February

Rabbi Al Lewis Leaves Aquinas Emeritus College Post After six years serving as head of the Aquinas Emeritus College, Rabbi Albert Lewis has stepped down from that post. Lewis joined the Aquinas Emeritus College soon after retiring as rabbi of Temple Emanuel in 2001. As director of the Aquinas Emeritus College, he developed programs and handled outreach efforts in the community. Lewis and his wife, Shirley (former dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Emerita

Professor-in-the College), expect to spend more time with their daughters and grandchildren and travelling. Lewis will stay involved at the Aquinas Emeritus College, teaching classes and assisting with community outreach. In addition to his involvement at Temple Emanuel as rabbi emeritus, he also continues his work as parttime rabbi at Temple Beth El in Traverse City.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Emeritus College Lands $1.2 Million Grant program coordinator Cindy Dorman, with helping to craft an application that won over the granting agency on the third go-round. “Cindy did much of the number-crunching and gave lots of creative input.” Lewis feels the grant award is a fitting culmination to his five years as Emeritus College director. “I always said I wanted to leave the program with a million dollars in the bank. I’m just delighted that has come true.” The Osher Foundation chooses to fund institutions of higher education that value lifelong learning and community service and those committed to supporting a lifelong learning program. “Budgets in many retirement communities are unable to provide such opportunities for lifelong learning,” stated Sr. Mary Aquinas Weber, O.P., chancellor emerita and former director of the Emeritus College. “This grant will allow the Emeritus College to expand and reach out to older and diverse populations in places where resources are limited.” AQ President Ed Balog welcomes what he described as a “long and productive relationship” with the Osher Foundation, whose grant will help bring national recognition to the quality of the Emeritus program. “This financial commitment will help us to solidify our range of programs and allow us to continue to fulfill our mission regarding lifelong learning opportunities,” Balog noted.

Emeritus College

On February 1,the Aquinas Emeritus College received a generous grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation to support and expand educational opportunities for older students. The Osher Foundation funds programs in lifelong learning at college and university campuses across the country. The grant will award the college $100,000 for two consecutive years and, if the program has complied with grant requirements, give a one million dollar gift to the Emeritus College endowment. One of the conditions of the grant is that the Emeritus College change its name to conform with the more than 100 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutions around the country. “The folks at Osher have been very generous in allowing us to phase in the new name, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Aquinas College, over the course of several months,” says Sue Stauffacher, the new director of Emeritus College. “We’re so excited about the possibilities for collaboration that our association with Osher affords us. We’ll be able to tap into an extensive network of exciting programming nationwide to bring the very best practices in lifelong learning to West Michigan.” Other Michigan institutions that have received Osher grants include Saginaw Valley State University in 2005 and University of Michigan in 2006. A patient approach was what Rabbi Al Lewis, who left his post as Emeritus College director in December, adopted in landing the grant. He credits

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Emeritus College

Dan and Eunice Pfeiffer to Receive 2008 AQ Emeritus Award

The Emeritus College Board has selected longtime Grand Rapids businessman Dan Pfeiffer and his wife Eunice to receive the Aquinas Emeritus Award. The couple will receive the award at the 25th Aquinas Emeritus Evening on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in the Wege Student Center. The Aquinas Emeritus Award is given as a tribute to an individual or couple in the community whose leadership, generosity and spirit of service have been sustained over the course of many years, and whose dedication to the welfare of all citizens serves as a light to guide those who follow.

A self-described entrepreneur, Dan Pfeiffer began his career by going door to door to sell his first car. His success eventually led to the development of his own dealership and the creation of the Pfeiffer Automotive Group, a landmark in southeast Grand Rapids. Eunice came to Grand Rapids from a farm near Corsica, South Dakota and married Dan in 1956. A stay-at-home mom, Eunice has served her community in a variety of ways: She befriended and procured assistance for a woman who had broken her hip (a relationship that continues to this day), chaired a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity which collected in excess of a million dollars, and collaborated with two friends to bring a botanical garden to Grand Rapids, resulting in the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Dan and Eunice have both participated in public and social service efforts for many years, focusing their efforts on fundraising for charities and cultural attractions such as Meijer Gardens, Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society, Metro Health and their passion, Faith Hospice in Byron Center. The West Michigan community has been strengthened and blessed through their efforts. Both individually and as a couple, the Pfeiffers are a shining example of the spirit and ideals represented by the Aquinas Emeritus Award.

Aquinas Emeritus College Course Offerings for Spring 2 Emeritus College has a full slate of exciting courses available for the second session this spring. The session runs from March 31 to April 24. The courses include: • The Archaeology and Military History of the Bible • African American Art • Doubt and Belief: The Letters of Mother Theresa • Europe’s Great Wars: From the Thirty Years War to WWII • Painting with Watercolors • Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism • Western Movies, Then and Now • Thoreau’s Walden For more information, contact Aquinas Emeritus College at (616) 632-2444.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Aquinas Names New VP for Institutional Advancement Aquinas has selected Greg McAleenan as its new vice president for Institutional Advancement. He assumed his post on November 1. McAleenan was the principal owner of Impact Management Company, a sports-related marketing firm that also handled athlete representation, working with such athletes as Olympian Jackie JoynerKersee; baseball players Chad Curtis, Brent Gates and Mark Dewey; and NASCAR driver Chad Little, as well

as organizations including the West Michigan Whitecaps, Herman Miller, GlaxoSmithKline, Berlin Raceway, Meijer, Mark Rypien Motorsports and Bissell. McAleenan grew up within blocks of Aquinas College, attended Williams College, where he established numerous football records, and earned his law degree at the University of Michigan. Greg’s parents, George and Katy McAleenan, have both served as College trustees. “I am excited to be a member of the advancement team as we look ahead to collaborating with those who believe in the mission of Aquinas College, both here in West Michigan and across the country, as we work to achieve our advancement goals and look for opportunities to create new ones,” said McAleenan.

U of M Fundraising Specialist Greg Meyer Joins Aquinas Advancement Team his warm personal qualities make him a perfect fit with our Dominican Catholic mission.” Meyer said he’s excited about returning to his hometown community, but noted that it was President Balog’s long-term vision for the school–initiatives to increase enrollment and the school’s endowment – that got him enthused about joining Aquinas. “It has been my personal wish to return to Grand Rapids for some time, and Aquinas is a wonderful opportunity for me to contribute to the College’s mission as well as help to strengthen its bonds within the West Michigan region.” He added, “Being a product of Catholic education in Grand Rapids, I have a strong belief that Aquinas is not only an important part of the Catholic community, but the West Michigan community overall. Like Grand Rapids and West Michigan, Aquinas is poised to make great strides in the coming years, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to be a part of it all.” Many may recall Meyer as an outstanding student– athlete at West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids who went on to great success at the University of Michigan. He is probably best known now as being the last American male to win the Boston Marathon (1983). He’s also won the Fifth Third River Bank Run (formerly the Old Kent River Bank Run) in Grand Rapids seven times. He has been inducted into almost every running hall of fame of note and was selected four times to All American Cross Country and Track teams. Meyer received a B.S. degree in Education, Social Studies from the University of Michigan in 1977 and earned a master’s degree from the School of Education at Boston University in 1986.

Advancement

Aquinas College welcomed a new member to its Advancement staff March 1 with the addition of Greg Meyer as its associate vice president for Institutional Advancement. The Grand Rapids native comes to Aquinas from the University of Michigan, where he served the past seven years as its Regional Director (West Michigan) for Major and Planned Giving. While there, his efforts helped the University surpass the $125 million goal assigned to West Michigan in connection with the Campaign for Michigan. “Clearly, Greg’s fundraising achievements at Michigan were very successful,” said Greg McAleenan, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “I believe Aquinas will benefit immensely from that experience. Greg is a tremendous addition to the Advancement team here and I personally look forward to the experience and professionalism he brings to us.” President Ed Balog mirrored those sentiments and welcomed Meyer to what he feels will be a long and productive association with the College. “Aquinas is very fortunate to have someone with Greg’s experience join our team,” he stated. “His professional background, his world class athletic accomplishments and

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Advancement

Reflection Award Honors Business and Community Leaders The Aquinas College Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that the 15th annual Reflection Award and dinner will honor Charles and Stella Royce. The Reflection Award is one of the highest honors the College bestows. It is given to those who epitomize the Aquinas values of integrity, service, loyalty, vision and commitment. The Royces have spent a lifetime emulating these very characteristics in both business and community service. The Royces have made a tremendous impact through their leadership commitment to countless West Michigan organizations. While their names are synonymous with the energetic growth of the arts in Grand Rapids, they also have been instrumental in their support of education, health care and the environment. Chuck and Stella Royce, both natives of Michigan, chose to pursue higher education. Chuck graduated from Marquette University and Stella from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After serving in the U.S. Navy during WWII from 1943–1946, Chuck returned home to the family business Royce Rolls Ringer Company. Stella also served our country by working overseas for the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico. It was on a vacation to Grand Rapids from Mexico that Stella met Chuck and, in December 1953, they were married. They have been a dynamic duo ever since; working together in the family business, raising four children and serving our community. “It is wonderful to be a part of such a generous community. People always receive more than one gives,” stated Stella, “We have.” Chuck, at her side, readily agreed, “We have been blessed.” It is a privilege to pay tribute for a lifetime of leadership in business and philanthropy to Chuck and Stella Royce with the 2008 Reflection Award. Please join us in celebrating this achievement at the September 4 dinner in their honor.

Charles and Stella Royce

The Reflection Award dinner will be Thursday, September 4, 2008 and benefits the Aquinas Fund for student scholarships. For sponsorship and ticket information contact Ellen Harburn (616) 632-2805 or e-mail harbuell@aquinas.edu.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Aquinas Students Set Fundraising Record By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer (Front L-R): Linda Meier, Timothy Parker, Bridget Harrigan (Phone Center coordinator), Colleen Guysky, Annie DeMeyer (Back L-R): Kaitlyn Burns, Elizabeth Litchfield, Rachel Koval (assistant to the Phone Center coordinator), Timothy Streasick, Erica Clites, Stephen Simon (Not Pictured): Kyle Flippo, Nicole Caswell

Staffed by 11 current scholarship recipients, the Aquinas College phone center raised a recordbreaking $91,000 for the Aquinas Fund in the first semester of the 2007-2008 academic year, besting the previous semester record by roughly $11,000. “It’s truly a tremendous feat,” said Cecilia Cunningham, director of the Aquinas Fund. With enrollment growing and the demand for scholarships on the rise, Cunningham noted, “There’s definitely a need.” The phone center is overseen by full-time coordinator Bridget Harrigan, who assumed supervision of the effort in March 2007. Aquinas junior Rachel Koval serves as assistant coordinator of

the operation, which contacts hundreds of alumni and parents every year. Both have been “excellent,” said Cunningham. With so much underway at the College, there may never be a better time to give. “There’s an incentive for giving,” she said, noting that the Wege Foundation Challenge Match provides $250,000 for new contributions to the College. The phone center has set a goal of raising $220,000 this year for the Aquinas Fund. “Clearly, this is an amazing team of people,” said Cunningham. “But they’re not done yet. We’re winning, and we’re winning big, but we still really need people to step up.”

Who would ever imagine that the “King of Cool” struggled with his self-esteem? Yet as the model for Hank Zipzer, a fourth grade boy with learning disabilities, we see that Henry Winkler did just that. Co-author of 12 Hank Zipzer novels, Winkler’s story about a child with dyslexia is very much his own. The books, which deal with serious issues, approach life with a “The most important thing I can tell you is to never stop believing in yourself. There are going to be times when school is tough, when life is tough, but you can always get through it and you’ll be better for it in the end.” – Henry Winkler

good dose of humor and a bold sincerity. Winkler has been speaking around the country about his struggles with learning disabilities and helping at a number of children’s charities. A founding member of the Children’s Action Network, Winkler is also involved with the Special Olympics, the Very Special Arts Festival and the National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped. Winkler is the first speaker in the new Stars for Scholars series that will help raise scholarship dollars for the Aquinas Fund. The series will focus on bringing celebrities to the College in an effort to strengthen awareness of the Aquinas Fund, which brings in almost $2 million a year for scholarships. Winkler was scheduled to speak to the public free of charge on March 10 in the Performing Arts Center and is to appear for a $125 plate dinner reception March 10 at the Fredrik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. The Grand Rapids law firm of Varnum Riddering Schmidt & Howlett was the Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Stars for Scholars.

Advancement

Actor Henry Winkler to Visit Aquinas

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

The Aquinas Fund–Cornerstone of Student Scholarships

Advancement

By Cecilia Cunningham, Director of Aquinas Fund Enrollment continues to increase. This means the need for scholarship assistance is even greater. Hundreds of volunteers and thousands of alumni and community leaders have already lent their strong support to the nearly $900,000 raised for the Aquinas Fund. People recognize the importance of the Aquinas Fund as the cornerstone of unrestricted scholarship support at the College. As a parent, Dr. Patrick Dillon, faculty member at Michigan State University, sent his daughters, Caitlin and Mary, to Aquinas College. In addition to a strong liberal arts education, “Aquinas exposed them to community service, which inspired them with a vision of how they can truly make a difference in the world,” he said. Both young women received scholarship support while at Aquinas. Giving to the Aquinas Fund has eternal properties. You are investing in the lives of men and women; you empower them by giving them an Aquinas education. Their lives will forever be enhanced. The goal of the Aquinas Fund is to raise $1.8 million by June 30, 2008. The Aquinas Fund is a team effort and needs alumni, community and corporate leaders to get and stay involved. The Wege Foundation has offered an incentive for this to happen by challenging Aquinas alumni, parents of Aquinas alumni and current students with a $250,000 Wege Match. Each new and increased gift to the Aquinas Fund will be eligible. There is $110,000 still available which must be leveraged by June 30. If you have already given this year, thank you! If you are still considering a gift, we would encourage you to do so soon and help us capture the rest of this very generous match. If you have questions about the Aquinas Fund contact Cecilia A. Cunningham, director at (616) 632-2816.

$1.8 million

$915,655

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Scholarship Reception Honors Recipients and Benefactors The 2007 Scholarship Reception was an evening full of food, good conversation and thanks to those who have made an Aquinas education possible for hundreds of students. The November event brought together more than 160 guests, including private scholarship benefactors, students, families, faculty and staff, in the Wege ballroom. Following the meal, student musicians Adam Taylor, James Trares and Todd Wilkie, accompanied by Bill Marfink, provided entertainment. Among the evening’s speakers were Terry Bocian, director of athletics; Ben Richardson, goalie for the Saint’s soccer team; outstanding student Vinh Ho; parent and alumnus Tom Vereecke ’77 and College benefactor Lou Corsiglia. The scholarships, most of which are endowed, provide almost $400,000 each year for Aquinas students. In his comments President Balog noted, “Last year the difference in total educational debt between graduates of public colleges and universities and private institutions was only $2,500. This is possible because of the kinds of scholarship aid we are celebrating tonight.” Those interested in establishing a scholarship should contact Bill Weitzel in the Planned Giving office at (616) 632-2820.

From left: Carolyn Lovelace, Margaret Ryan, Alan Ryan and Ben SchwarzSchneider

Trustee/benefactor Lanny Thodey (back, right) with Jane Kraemer and her parents, Lisa and Frederick Kraemer

From left: Sonya Evenson-Ford, Vinh Ho and Norm Boike “Look among you! Magic is everywhere, from your decision to go to Aquinas College, to your teachers, family/friends, benefactors and most importantly God. Being able to go to college is a great blessing, and all of you have demonstrated this willingness by your presence here through your wonderful accomplishments. Please continue to do the great things that you do, but don’t ever forget those who are always there to guide your paths.” -Vinh Ho, Dr. James F. Ford Memorial Scholar

Laura Uzarski (left) and Marian Geary ’38

From left: President Emeritus Paul Nelson and Ruth Nelson (center) with Allyson Putt, Valerie Huisman, Christine Armock, Mariel Borgman and Ericka Hallatschek

Advancement

From left: Billey Moore ’74, Deborah Ford, Yamaka Bracey and James Moore ’84

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Fantastico! Evening Of Elegance Offers A Taste Of Italy By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer Reprising last year’s record-breaking success, the upcoming 2008 “Evening of Elegance” – a privately hosted benefit event for Aquinas College – is expected to draw some of the community’s most influential benefactors for an evening of gourmet food, great wine and generous fundraising. “This event has sold out the last six years,” said Cecilia Cunningham, director of the Aquinas Fund. This year’s May 6 event will be held at the home of former Aquinas trustee Marge Byington and her husband, Paul Potter. “Exquisite, with no detail left undone,” Cunningham said of the couple’s Italian-style villa. The home will be the perfect spot to host hundreds of private and corporate donors, who will be served gourmet Italian meals prepared by Andrew and Karin Smith, a 1993 Aquinas Alum. “Last year we raised over $140,000,” said Cunningham. “This year we expect to do even better.”

As with previous years, the funds raised at this year’s “Evening of Elegance” will be put toward the Aquinas Fund, which finances student scholarships at the College. Huntington Bank is this year’s Presenting Sponsor.

The home of Marge Byington and Paul Potter will be the setting for the 2008 “Evening of Elegance” event on May 6.

Florida Gatherings:Fun, Fun, Fun in the Sun! Advancement

Florida receptions draw a great number of Alumni and special friends of Aquinas. The Palm Beach reception was hosted and underwritten by David Kamm ’64 and the Naples reception was hosted by Karen ’89 and Bill Palmore and underwritten by Huntington Bank. Sandra Jackoboice ‘89 made a special presentation of a painting which will be on display at the Florida state capital. We are already looking forward to next year.

Aquinas President Ed Balog welcomes guests to the Palm Beach gathering at the home of David Kamm ‘64. The 2008 Naples reception was hosted by Bill and Karen Palmore ‘89 and underwritten by Huntington Bank. Lt. Gen. John Nowak ‘63 and Maureen Nowak will host the 2009 Naples reception.

At the Naples reception, Sandy Jackboice ‘89 presented details about her 21 paintings that will be exhibited in the Governor’s Office Gallery of the Florida State Capital. The exhibit will run from March 11 to April 16.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Athletics: Men’s BB Team & Classic By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer Building upon last year’s considerable success, the Aquinas men’s basketball team launched an already impressive season with a victory in the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame Classic tournament. On Nov. 23, the Saints had been trailing by 13 with just 13:22 left in the game against Hope College when the team made its charge into overtime. Senior James Telman added 14 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to give the Saints their final surge toward a 78-69 victory. The next evening saw Aquinas battle Calvin College for the prestigious tournament championship. The Saints kept it close the entire game, with a tipin from junior Pedja Lazic finishing the Knights in double overtime and earning Aquinas its first GRSHF Championship in ten years. “It was just a great effort by both teams,” Aquinas Coach Dave Hammer said after the game. “To best Hope and Calvin in the same weekend on back-toback nights is something we are extremely proud of.”

Aquinas, ranked 13 in a recent NAIA Div. II Top 25 coaches’ poll, began its season at 6-0 with three overtime wins. After winning the GRSHF Championship, the Saints – and Coach Hammer – once again look to be a powerhouse in the WHAC and bring home the conference title.

Familiar Faces in New Places Some familiar faces are taking on some new roles and responsibilities within the athletic department.

Athletics

Crystal (Lubbers) Laska ’01 has been named the new head softball coach for the Saints. Laska, A former pitcher for the Saints, has served as associate head coach and pitching coach for the past four years. Laska will retain her position as associate athletic director of operations.

Mike Wojciakowski ’97 has been named the new sports information director. Wojciakowski was a former runner, and AllAmerican for the Saints cross country and track teams back in the mid-1990’s. Mike will also maintain his coaching responsibilities with the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams.

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Aquinas College Sports Schedules—Spring 2008 TRACK DAY, DATE

SITE

TIME

Grand Rapids open Bulldog Invitational Spartan Invitational EMU Twilight Grand Rapids Twilight Drake Relays Stan Lyons Invitational WHAC Championships Aquinas Twilight Invitational Dr. Keeler open NAIA Outdoor Championships

Grand Rapids, Mich. Big Rapids, Mich. East Lansing, Mich. Ypsilanti, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Des Moines, Ia. Indianapolis, Ind. Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Naperville, Ill. Edwardsville. Ill.

1:00 pm 11:00 am 11:00 am 3:00 pm 5:00 pm 3:00 pm 11:00 am 4:00 pm 5:00 pm 2:00 pm 10:00 am

DAY, DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

TIME

Sat., March 23 Tues., March 25 Wed., March 26 Thurs., March 27 Sat., March 29 Sun., March 30 Wed., April 2 Sat., April 5 Sun., April 6 Mon., April 7 Tues., April 8 Wed., April 9 Sat., April 12 Sun., April 13 Tues., April 15 Wed., April 16 Sat., April 19 Sun., April 20 Tues., April 22 Wed., April 23 Sat., April 26 Sun., April 27 Thurs.-Sat. May 1-3 Wed.-Fri., May 7-9 Wed.-Fri., May 14-16

GRCC (DH) * Alma Siena Heights (DH) Muskegon * St. Xavier (DH) St. Xavier (DH) Madonna Concordia (DH) Concordia (DH) Hope (DH) Purdue North Central (DH) Indiana Tech (DH) Siena Heights Siena Heights Northwood (DH) Rochester College (DH) Madonna (DH) Madonna (DH) Purdue North Central (DH) Concordia (DH) Indiana Tech (DH) Indiana Tech (DH) WHAC Tournament NAIA Great Lakes Regional NAIA Super Regional

Kimble Stadium Kimble Stadium Kimble Stadium Muskegon, Mich. Chicago, Ill. Chicago, Ill. Livonia, Mich. Kimble Stadium Ann Arbor, Mich. Kimble Stadium Westville, Ind. Kimble Stadium Adrian, Mich. Kimble Stadium Midland, Mich. Kimble Stadium Kimble Stadium Livonia, Mich. Kimble Stadium Ann Arbor, Mich. Fort Wayne, Ind. Kimble Stadium TBD TBD TBD

2:00 pm 1:00 pm 2:00 pm 1:30 pm noon noon 1:30 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 3:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:30 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:30 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 2:00 pm 1:30 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm

Sat., March 29 Sat., April 5 Sat., April 12 Sat., April 19 Wed., April 23 Thurs.- Sat., April 24-26 Sat., April 26 Fri., May 2 Wed., May 7 Fri., May 9 Thu.-Sat., May 22-24

Athletics

BASEBALL

* Exhibition DH - Double Header

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

MEN’S TENNIS DAY, DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

TIME

Sun., March 30 Sun., March. 30 Wed., April 2 Tues., April 8 Fri., April 11 Mon., April 14 Sat., April 19 Fri. - Thurs., April 25-26 May 12-16

Earlham Indiana Tech Hope Olivet Nazarene St. Francis GRCC Spring Arbor NAIA Regional NAIA National Championships

Aquinas Indiana Tech Aquinas Aquinas Aquinas GRCC Spring Arbor TBA Mobile, Alab.

10:00 am 2:00 pm 3:00 pm 2:00 pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 11:00 am TBA TBA

DAY, DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

TIME

Sat, March 22 Wed. March 26 Sat., March 29 Sun., March 30 Wed., April 2 Sat., April 5 Wed., April 9 Thurs., April 10 Sat., April 12 Sun., April 13 Mon., April 14 Wed., April 16 Sat., April 19 Sun., April 20 Tues., April 22 Fri., April 25 Sat., April 26 April 30-31

Robert Morris University Ferris Michigan-Dearborn Indiana Tech Cornerstone Madonna Concordia Calvin Siena Heights Michigan-Dearborn St. Francis Indiana Tech Cornerstone Madonna Spring Arbor Siena Heights Concordia WHAC Tournament

Chicago, Ill. Big Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Fort Wayne, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Livonia, Mich. Ann Arbor, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Dearborn, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Adrian, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. TBD

TBD 3:30 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 2:00 pm 1:00 pm 2:00 pm 3:30 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 4:00 pm 3:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 1:00 pm TBD

SOFTBALL

Aquinas College has announced that Terry Bocian, athletic director and baseball coach emeritus, will return to the AQ dugout this spring to assist Head Baseball Coach Doug Greenslate with the team. "I never lost the passion to coach baseball during the past several years, so the opportunity to work with Coach Greenslate and our young people is like a dream come true,” stated Bocian.

Last fall, when Bocian was approached by several colleges, asking him to head their baseball programs, he spoke with President Ed Balog about his options. “I will be forever indebted to him, as well as my wife, Karen, for working with me on this option,” he said. “There is really no other place that I wanted to coach other than at the Aquinas. Doug is like

another son to me and I am overjoyed about helping him. I will do anything he needs done to benefit the Saints program." Bocian coached AQ teams to over 1,000 victories in his 30 year career and is a member of the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame and the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame. He will continue on as Aquinas' athletic director.

Athletics

Coach Terry Bocian to Return to AQ Dugout

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Fall Sports Wrap...

Athletics

Men’s and Women’s Golf The men’s golf team finished the 2007 season taking second place in the WHAC behind champion Davenport. Junior Brian Hayward was awarded first team All-Conference for the WHAC. Hayward and Junior Dan Szatkowski led the Saints in scoring average, ranked one and two respectively. This fall marked the first year that the WHAC offered women’s golf as a conference sport and the Aquinas women rose to the occasion. The women finished the season with a bang in winning their last four matches and on the way won the 2007 WHAC championship. Seniors Ashley King and Jessica Morse along with junior Liz Clement received WHAC AllConference recognition. Head Coach Dan Pupel was also named WHAC Coach of the Year. Coach Pupel and his Lady Saints are ready and waiting for the spring season to do battle in the NAIA Region 8 Tournament Men’s and Women’s Cross Country The men’s cross country team enjoyed another very successful season. The Saints won their sixth straight WHAC and Region Eight Championship and finished the season with a sixth place effort at the NAIA National Championships. The graduating seniors were perfect in WHAC and Regional Championships in their careers and finished no lower than sixth at the NAIA National Championships. Chris Robertz, Scott Assenmacher and Chris Leikert received All-WHAC awards. Chris Robertz, Scott Assenmacher, Chris Leikert, Seth Bjorle and Nate Straathof received All-Region Eight Awards. Coach Mike Wojciakowski received both WHAC and Region Eight Coach of the Year honors. The women’s cross country season was highlighted by a 14th place finish at the NAIA National Championships – the highest finish ever by an Aquinas women’s cross country team. The women finished second in the WHAC and fourth in the highly competitive Region Eight championships. Junior Amanda Strouse was crowned WHAC and Region Eight Runner of the Year, as well as being named AllAmerican thanks to her 15th place finish at Nationals. Senior Jesse Lord–Wilder also garnered All-Region Eight honors. Volleyball The Aquinas volleyball team under new Head Coach David Rawles had its struggles at times during the year but always stayed competitive and worked hard. The Saints have a strong base with young talented athletes and look to have lots of success next year. Senior Alene Seiler received NAIA Academic All–American Honors.

Men’s and Women’s Soccer Fall 2007 was an amazing season for the Women’s soccer team with their much improved record of 16-4. The women captured their first WHAC Conference championship (10-2) since 1999, and additionally won the conference tournament. That win secured the #1 seed and home-field advantage in the regional tournament. The start of the season proved valuable to the team’s success as they started out 11-0. Junior goalkeeper Kristina Gladstone was recognized as an NAIA All-American for her work protecting the goal. The Lady Saints posted six players to the WHAC AllConference Team, and junior Brianna Hill was named Offensive Player of the Year. Head Coach Mark Fales was awarded WHAC Coach of The Year. Second year Coach Joe Veal and his Saints saw success during the 2007 men’s soccer season, posting a 14-6-1 record and winning the WHAC conference tournament. Aquinas’ hot start to begin the season and a strong finish were crucial in its success. In the WHAC tournament the Saints prevailed with a 3-1 victory over Madonna and in the championship game they defeated Davenport 3-0. Seniors Levi Swaney and Ryan Robleske were awarded NAIA All-American honors. The team also posted four players to the WHAC All-Conference Team.

Scott Assenmacher

Chris Robertz

Chris Leikert

Ryan Robleske

Levi Swaney

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Fall Athletic Honors

Amanda Strouse

Alene Seiler

Connie Rogers Women’s Soccer • All–Conference: Jessica Greaney, Kristina Gladstone, Brianna Hill, Hillary Bisnett, Connie Rogers and Rebecca Underwood • Academic All–American: Connie Rogers and Rebecca Mudri • All–American: Kristina Gladstone • WHAC Offensive Player of the Year: Brianna Hill Men’s Soccer • All–Conference: Ryan Robleske, Levi Swaney, Erich Jackson, and Jarod Smith • Academic All–American: Ben Richardson and Goran Guzan • All–American: Ryan Robleske and Levi Swaney • All–Region: Ryan Robleske, Levi Swaney, Erich Jackson, and Jeovani Pantoja Volleyball • Academic All–American: Alene Seiler

Patrick Earl

Rebecca Mudri

Lianne Griffiths

Men’s Cross Country • All–Region: Chris Robertz, Scott Assenmacher, Chris Leikert, Seth Bjorle, Nate Straathofz • Academic All–American: Scott Assenmacher, Patrick Earl, Chris Leikert, and Chris Robertz • All–Conference: Chris Robertz, Scott Assenmacher, Chris Leikert Women’s Cross Country • All–Conference: Amanda Strouse • Academic All–American: Amanda Strouse and Lianne Griffiths • All–American: Amanda Strouse • All–Region: Amanda Strouse, Jesse Lord-Wilder Men’s Golf • All–Conference: Brian Hayward Women’s Golf • All–Conference: Jessica Morse, Liz Clement, and Ashley King

Athletics

Fall 2007 Academic and Athletic Honors Team

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Soccer Field’s Artificial Turf Gets Rave Reviews

Athletics

By Dan Treul, junior, Student Writer The grass may be fake, but the advantages are real. That’s what most affiliated with the athletic program at Aquinas are saying now that the soccer field has been replaced by artificial turf. The only member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) to boast such a facility, Aquinas watched September 11 and 12 as both its men’s and women’s soccer teams delivered the first victories on the new surface. “It’s outstanding,” said Mark Fales, coach of the women’s soccer team. “It handles the weather so nicely. We put tremendous pressure on this field with two teams.” Aquinas senior Ben Richardson can attest to that. As the veteran men’s goalie, he remembers watching Athletic Director Terry Bocian “spread Quikrete drying gravel over key spots on the field that were always swamped…just to make the old field playable. In past years, the Aquinas soccer teams have had to practice at other fields in order to save their own for important games. “I really appreciate this new turf,” Richardson said.

Sophomore Carlee Chapman

“Now, I can always get my footing, and it isn’t nearly as painful to dive as it was on the old field.” The benefits don’t end there, however. As men’s soccer Coach Joe Veal stated, “More and more high schools and colleges are playing on [artificial] turf now, so it’s actually helped our recruiting.” Also in the works is the addition of a lacrosse program at Aquinas, with a men’s team playing in spring 2009 and a women’s team to form in spring 2010. That change is possible with the added durability of an artificial field, according to Bocian. The installation of the $600,000 new field represents “the first major addition we’ve made in athletics in thirty years,” said Bocian. “We’ve got a ten-year guarantee,” he said. “I don’t anticipate any problems.” That opinion appears to be the overwhelming consensus among athletes, and players like Richardson point out that the new field’s added benefits – such as the

creation of a lacrosse program – mean that “everyone can enjoy this beautiful field now.” Senior Connie Rogers, who plays defense for the Saints agreed: “It gives us a great sense of pride in our school.”

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Six Tabbed for 2008 Athletics Hall of Fame The AQ Athletics Department will induct six former student-athletes into its Hall of Fame. The 2008 inductees come from five decades of AQ athletics and include sisters. The 2008 Class includes: • Ed Kelbel ’59, legendary AQ golfer from the 1950s • John O'Donovan ’60, an outstanding golfer from the 1950s and 60s who will also receive a lifetime achievement award • Ernie Mousseau, former Aquinas track and cross country coach from the 1970s and 1980s • Laray Hardy ’86, AQ basketball’s all time leading scorer from the 1980s

• Robin Bessette ’95, Shannon's younger sister, who is the leading scorer in the history of AQ women's soccer from the 1990s. Terry Bocian, Aquinas College director of Athletics, stated “We are excited about honoring these individuals. They represent all of the positive qualities that Aquinas endears.” The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, October 3 as part of the Aquinas College Hall of Fame Gala, which kicks off the 2008 homecoming festivities.

• Shannon Bessette ’95, AQ’s first outstanding women’s soccer player who also coached the College’s soccer team to several outstanding seasons in the 1990s

Captains Kami Kracht (l) and Hillary Bisnett present President Ed Balog with the WHAC conference championship ball. The coaches and team members signed the soccer ball following their victory. The women’s soccer team went 16-4 in their first season with the new turf field. This is the first championship team of President Balog’s tenure.

Athletics

Women’s Soccer Team Gives Championship Ball to President

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

2007 Athletic Hall of Fame Aquinas College welcomed five inductees into the Hall of Fame last September. The highlight of any Hall of Fame Gala is, of course, hearing the stories of how Aquinas impacted the lives of the former student-athletes. Anne (Biermacher) Stegehuis ’86, Basketball Anne played under Coach Patti Tibaldi ’73 for four unforgettable years. “What Patti taught us went beyond the basketball court. She prepared us to overcome whatever challenges we would encounter in life through hard work. “Aquinas College provided me with a quality education and established a solid foundation for a successful career. Aquinas will always be in the heart of my life’s experiences, a part of what makes me who I am today.” Anne (Biermacher) Stegehuis ’86, Basketball

Rick Vryhof ’84, Basketball “This is not just an induction, but an induction of an entire support system...my parents and wife....they showed up wherever we played. I truly thank God for bringing me into this community.”

Athletics

Jesse Young ’75, Baseball “I feel very honored and privileged to be a part of this group. The successes in my lifetime is secondary to the relationships I developed.”

Dan Pupel, Sr. ’58, Golf Lifetime Achievement “This plaque is an affirmation that I have done a few things right in my life, and that my humble and meager doings have made a difference in the lives of other people and that they care.”

(L-R): Dan Pupel Sr., Golf Coach and Lifetime Achievement; Jesse Young ’75, baseball; Anne (Biermacher) Stegehuis ’86, basketball; Rick Vryhof ’84, basketball; and Dave Bartels ’78, Cross Country and Track.

Dave Bartels ’78, Cross Country and Track “I’m both humbled and deeply honored to be included in the Hall of Fame. Many of the good things in my adult life are the direct result of having attended Aquinas.”

Dave Bartels ’78, Cross Country and Track

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

MARRIAGES ’98 Daniel Doan and Jill Rogers August 11, 2007

’46 James Gazella Zephyrhills, Fla. August 20, 2007

’99 Shannon Ottenweller and Jason Borowicz May 5, 2007

’47 Ken Marin Chelsea, Mich. Ken will be remembered for a long legacy of service to Aquinas College as a member of the faculty (1953-1989). Among his survivors are his sister, Mary Elise Henehan ’46; his children, Kevin ’77 (Catherine ’76) Marin; Elise ’81 (Mathew) Merkel; Marysharon Marin ’78 (Jonathan McGee); David ’74 (Terri ’76) Marin. September 2, 2007

’01 Martha E. Krzyzewski and Michael J. Boks June 30, 2007 ’02 Beth Goyette and Ryan Jacobson July 15, 2007 ’02 Laura Rzeszut and Russell Van Vlack June 30, 2007 ’07 Micah Stedman and Jane Schaut, student May 18, 2007

BIRTHS ’03 Laurel (Meyers) and Wade O’Boyle ’00, a daughter, Claire Ann, April 8, 2007 ’06 Molly (Martincheck) and Josh Friederichs ’04, a daughter, Margaret (Molly) Elaine, November 27, 2007

IN MEMORIAM Alumni Deaths ’29 Elizabeth (Sproul) Thrall Grand Rapids, Mich. She is the mother of Steve ’72 and Mary ’86 Thrall and grandmother to Katherine Thrall ’05. She was also a proud member of the first graduating class of Marywood Academy. June 26, 2007 ’30 Dorine (English) Terpstra Coopersville, Mich. June 4, 2007

’36 Robert Stoffer Livonia, Mich. September 13, 2007

’52 Robert Taylor Williamsburg, Virg. October 21, 2007

’68 Mary Ann Sweeney Du Bay December 2007 ’70 Mary Ancona Grand Rapids, Mich. July 6, 2007 ’74 Michael McDonough Bay City, Mich. November 2, 2007 ’75 Paul Douglas Grand Rapids, Mich. Husband of Mary(Baldiga ’75) ’80 Ellen Henehan Ellen’s mother and niece are also graduates of Aquinas College, Mary Elise (Marin) Henehan ’46 and Erin Henehan ’99. September 14, 2007

’53 Sr. Helen Bolger, O.P. Grand Rapids, Mich. Sr. Helen was a Grand Rapids Dominican for 73 years and worked at Aquinas College as an Associate Professor of French. September 21, 2007

’81 Maureen Magras Grand Rapids, Mich. September 24, 2007

’53 Roger Kampfschulte Tallahassee, Fla September 13, 2007

’82 Donald Switzer Greenville, Mich. November 8, 2007

’54 Marian (Burke) Seward Bay City, Mich. She is survived by her husband, Peter Seward ’53. August 29, 2007

’84 Gregory McGandy Hastings, Mich. September 20, 2007

’55 John Ronan John is survived by his wife, Therese (Zeilbeck) Ronan ’55. August 5, 2006 ’58 Jeanette (Kosequat) St. Clair Grand Rapids, Mich. July 20, 2007 ’58 Michael Babrick Grand Rapids, Mich. December 14, 2007 ’59 Richard “Bud” Crampton, ’70 Sterling Heights, Mich. Brother to Robert ’59 January 8, 2008

’82 Kimberley (Orr) Lemmon Miami, Fla. November 27, 2007

’91 Judith (Catt) Olson South Haven, Mich. November 17, 2007 ’96 Lisbeth “Lilly” Lipke Grand Rapids, Mich. October 25, 2007 ’97 Barbara Kooiker April 30, 2007

Class Notes

’36 Nathalie (Podhajski) Cordes Wilmington, Del. August 6, 2007

’50 Rex O’Connor Ionia, Mich. November 13, 2007

’62 Gary Bierd July 22, 2007

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

DEATHS OF FRIENDS AND RELATIVES Scott Anderson, father of student Danielle Anderson September 2007

Allen Horjus, father of Michael Horjus ’86 June 17, 2007

Carolyn Arndt, mother of employee Joyce LaFleur ’82 (Dwight LaFleur ’82) and Gary Arndt ’05; grandmother of Travis LaFleur ’04, students Taber LaFleur and Isaac Arndt. October 9, 2007

Raymond Kramer, brother of Sr. Jean Kramer ’58 2007

Donald Berg, husband of Sally Ann Berg ’51 September 30, 2007

Barbara Langa, friend of Martha Brucker ’62 October 1, 2007

Elizabeth Brandstatter, wife of Richard Brandstatter; sister of Bob Berles ’48, and Dick and Mary Knape August 23, 2007

Elene Marie Leidlein, mother of Michael Leidlein ’76 September 1, 2007

Louis Corsiglia, Jr. son of friends of Aquinas, Lou and Arlene Corsiglia June 11, 2007

Larry Lewis, husband of Katherine Lewis June, 15, 2007

Wesley Devon, father of Scott Devon ’91 August 15, 2007

Kenneth McKenna, brother of Bishop Robert S. McKenna ’50 September 9, 2007

Martin M. Fahey, M.D., father of employee Marty Fahey M.M. ’05, and grandfather to Courtney Fahey ’07 and freshman Sean Fahey September 29, 2007 Doris Farrell, sister of employee Claudia Farrell September 2007 Margaret Goyette, sister of Sr. Joan Alflen, O.P. ’60 and Sr. Laurena Alflen, O.P. ’62 April 9, 2007 Paul Graff, son of Thomas ’79 and Kathleen (Lynch) ’78 Graff August 18, 2007 Helen (Cady) Griffith, Aquinas College Emeritus student July 12, 2007 Grace Hauenstein, friend of Aquinas College, wife of AQ Benefactor, Ralph Hauenstein December 25, 2007

Class Notes

Jeffery Lambries, father of Sandra (Lambries) de la Barrera ’07 September 12, 2007

Robert Holm, husband of Carol (Duba) Holm ’61 September 12, 2007

Lawrence Megill, father of Marian (Megill) Stressman ’80 July 18, 2007 Gail Morrison, wife of Trustee Emeritus Lyle Morrison ’52 September 30, 2007 Mary Orlicki, faculty member, wife of Paul Emery October 11, 2007 Mary Pew, mother of Kate Pew Wolters ’78, former AQ Board Chairperson, Trustee Emerita and wife of Bob Pew, former AQ Trustee. December 22, 2007 Guy Rogers, former employee August 18, 2007 Douglas Ruoff, Aquinas College Emeritus student June 3, 2007 Kevin Ryskamp, father of student, Chad Ryskamp October 4, 2007

Robert Sadler, husband of Ellen Sadler, father of Thomas Sadler ’83 June 4, 2007 Constance “Concy” Seeley, aunt of former employee Julie Ridenour June 2, 2007 Tom Sgriccia, father of Thomas Sgriccia ’81 September 27, 2007 Robert Siegel, father of Robert Siegel, Jr. ’79 August 18, 2007 Edward Snook, friend of Aquinas, father of Edward Snook, II September 9, 2007 David Steenbergen former employee November 24, 2007 David Van Belle, father of Josh Van Belle ’05 August 8, 2007 Casey Van Buren, cousin of employee Bridget Harrigan July 12, 2007 Robert Van Singel, father of Robert Van Singel, II ’80 August 23, 2007

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Class Notes 1947 Ken Marin who died September 2, will be remembered for a long legacy of service to Aquinas College as a member of the faculty and having established the Marin Memorial scholarship fund in memory of his two deceased children, Molly and Mark ’71. The scholarship will continue in Ken and Millie’s memory as well. Ken was a member of the first freshman class of Aquinas College in 1940. His education was interrupted when he served in WWII as an Air Force weather observer in Italy, from 1943 to 1945. He returned to Aquinas to complete his degree in Economics in 1947, and continued on to the University of Michigan to complete an M.A. in Economics in 1948. He also pursued a doctoral program in Economics at U of M from 1949 to 1952. In 1953, he returned and joined the Aquinas faculty as assistant professor of economics and Public Relations Director (1950s) where he stayed until his retirement in 1989. Ken was an enthusiastic supporter of credit unions, and was instrumental in establishing the Aquinas College Credit Union in 1953. Ken is survived by his sister, Mary Elise Henehan ’46; children Kevin ’77 (Catherine ’76) Marin; Elise ’81 (Mathew) Merkel; Marysharon Marin ’78 (Jonathan McGee); and David ’74 (Terri ’76) Marin.

Dr. Heather Bunting (l) and nurse Julie Lepzinski (r) with David Naumes ’78, the runner they saved during the New Year’s Eve run in East Grand Rapids.

1989 Brother Benedict Baer hosted an Inter-Faith Prayer Service on October 23, 2007 welcoming His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to Bloomington, Indiana and Indiana University. (photo on page. 82) The prayer service included representatives and readings from the following faith traditions: Buddhist, Native American Indiana, Sikh, Baha’I, Moslem, Christian, Hindu and Jewish. In attendance were representatives from the U.S. government as well as religious leaders from various parts of the world. Br. Benedict hosted and coordinated this “by invitation only” prayer service for over 1,000 persons. The service was carried live on cable TV in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky and shown on Public TV the following week. Br. Benedict also coordinated the venue for three days of His Holiness’ teachings at Indiana University.

Class Notes

1970 Michael J. Polzin, Ed.D., and associate professor in the School of Labor and Industrial Relations, Michigan State University, has received a Fulbright Scholar Award to teach and do research in South Korea in 2008. He will serve as a visiting professor in the School of Business Administration at Kookmin University, in Seoul, where he will lecture on workplace education, workforce development, and labor relations. He will also research Korean policies and practices pertaining to workforce development and employment security.

1978 David Naumes ’78 is Aquinas’ latest miracle. Dave has been a runner his entire life, but on New Year’s Eve, he suffered a massive heart attack while in the Resolution Run in East Grand Rapids. “I am lucky to be alive; thanks to all the fellow runners in the race… I was in the right place at the right time. I am feeling very blessed, and am absolutely amazed that strangers would feverishly and flawlessly work on me, as a team, even though they did not know each other.” While two care givers are acknowledged, and portrayed with David in the photo below. David and his wife, Tae, are grateful to the many nurses, doctors and police who arrived on the scene. As David will say, again and again, “I am incredibly grateful. It’s a wonderful life.”

Aquinas College Magazine – Spring 2008

Alumnus Hosts Dalai Lama

2001 Brigid Avery was selected to be the new director of Alumni Relations at Aquinas College. She began her new duties in February 2008. She is returning to Aquinas from San Diego, California, where she earned her master’s degree at the University of San Diego. She previously worked at Aquinas from 2001–2004 as an assistant director of Admissions. Martha (Krzyzewski) Boks earned a master’s of Public Administration degree in 2006 from Grand Valley State University.

Brother Benedict Baer, O.P. ’89 (left) with the Dalai Lama (center) and Brother Benedict’s good friend and religious brother, Arjia Rinpoche, one of the eight High Lamas of Tibetan Buddhism.

1996 Anna St. Amand, M.M. ’96, B.S.B.A. ’91, B.A. ’89 is enjoying life on the San Francisco Bay peninsula in San Carlos with her partner, Susan Blackman, while working at the College of San Mateo as Coordinator of the Reading/ESL Lab. Year round beautiful weather among the redwoods, mountains and ocean is wonderful.

Class Notes

1998 Maris Brancheau received two prestigious awards from the San Diego Press Club during the 2007 Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony in November. Brancheau, a staff writer at the Borrego Sun in Borrego Springs, Calif. and the former editor-in-chief of what was then the Aquinas Times, won first place for non-daily newspapers in both the breaking news category and the history category. The San Diego Press Club is one of the largest in the nation and the winning articles were judged by a panel of journalists from press clubs around the country. Brancheau is also the proud mom of a rambunctious three-year-old daughter whom she calls her “cub reporter.”

Sean Fischbach earned a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee (UT) and the UT Space Institute on December 15, 2007. Sean is the son of Bob and Denice Fischbach of Bloomington, Illinois. Fischbach already holds undergrad degrees in math, physics, mechanical engineering and a master’s in aerospace engineering. He is currently doing research in Germany and has accepted a position as an Acoustic and Stability Support Stress Analyst for Qualis and MSFC/NASA Engineering Sciences and Technical Services for the space program.

2003 Michelle Farnsworth is a preschool 4 teacher at Everest Academy in Clarkston. She is the seventh and eighth grade girls’ soccer coach. The girls’ soccer team at Everest Academy finished first in their division in the CYO league, with an 8-0-1 record. Michelle was honored by being nominated to appear in Who’s Who Among American Teachers. 2005 Emily Carter started her doctoral program in August 2007 at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology to work on attaining her Psy.D. in Health Psychology.

2006 Daniel Paul Costie has been accepted into the Peace Corps. Costie departed for the Eastern Caribbean on July 25 and is now training to become a community development Peace Corps Volunteer. Upon graduation in October, Costie will be working with social and health services in disenfranchised communities.

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PETER M. WEGE 2008 Aquinas College May 19, 2008

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