Hilltopics Summer 2007

Bradley University Summer 2007

bradley.edu/hilltopics

Adam Oldfield ‘08 helped Hillel, Alpha Phi Omega, and Bradley Fellows raise awareness about the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Summer 2007 Volume 13 Issue 3

Keeping the faith

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Five faith-based organizations give Bradley students an outlet to practice religion, a place to enjoy fellowship, and opportunities to enhance their college experience.

Cutting-edge drama

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Technology met theatre when actors were beamed in via Internet2 for the BU theatre department’s production, The Adding Machine. The show grabbed national attention from Discovery Channel News and other media outlets.

Departments ViewPoint HotTopics

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ClassNotes

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InMemory

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NoteBook

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AlumniNews

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SportScene

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CampusView

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Staff

Administration

Karen Crowley Metzinger MA ’97 editor

Dr. David C. Broski president

Nancy Ridgeway associate editor

William Engelbrecht vice president for advancement

Justin Phelps ‘05 assistant editor Gayle Erwin McDowell ’77 contributing editor Aimée Roy contributing writer Michelle Bowers Gray designer/illustrator Duane Zehr university photographer Daniel Manson web communications Student Staff Assistants

Allison Camp ’07 Katie Hamill ’08 Abby Wilson ‘10 Student Photographers

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Oliver Squibb ’09 Jason Whang ’08

Kathy Fuller assistant vice president for university relations Cover photo by Duane Zehr

ViewPoint

Send your letters & e-mail

Nationwide search underway for BU president Dear Bradley alumni, parents, and friends: As many of you are aware, our current President, David Broski, has elected to retire at the end of June. As chairman of the 12-person search committee, I am pleased to report that we are well underway. Our committee meets on a regular basis, we have had more than 50 applicants from around the country, and we are in the process of learning more about each and refining the list. I am pleased to say that the quality of applicants is excellent.

If you are interested in reading about the position, information is available at bradley.edu/president.

As alumni and friends of Bradley, I know the top leadership of our University is important to you. Rest well assured our search committee is hard at work and will identify an outstanding leader.

Alum accesses Hollywood I read with great interest the article “Access to Hollywood” in the spring 2007 issue of Bradley Hilltopics. If you had known, there is another Bradley graduate who is working in Los Angeles. My daughter, Leslie Eve Herman ’79 is currently wardrobe supervisor on the TV show, Brothers and Sisters. The show stars Sally Field, Calista Flockhart, Rob Lowe, and Ron Rifkin.

She previously held the same position on the TV show, Alias, with Jennifer Garner. She has won awards for her costuming, and as such, her name is appearing in the credits for the shows.

Upon graduation from Bradley, she immediately went to Miami where she learned the costume and wardrobe trade. Her 20-year career in Florida found her working with many famous stars of movies, TV, and the stage, both American and foreign. Her knowledge of three languages has helped greatly in working with foreign movie and TV companies.

In 1999, she moved to Los Angeles where she lives with her two pomeranians and works in Burbank for Disney and ABC Studios.

L. Frank Herman ‘52 Springfield, IL

Gerry Shaheen ’66 MBA ‘68 Chairman, Board of Trustees

Theresa Tejeda Yepez ’49, left, and Charlotte Krook Hofer ’47 sit atop a rock near Westlake Hall in the fall of 1946. Yepez and four of her six siblings attended Bradley during the ‘30s and ‘40s.

She and sisters Antoinette Tejeda ’46, Esther Tejeda ’41, Louise Tejeda Vigil ’37, and Margaret Tejeda Chodor ‘47 (deceased) first lived in a boxcar near Chicago. In regards to their evolution from being born and reared in a boxcar to becoming Bradley scholars, Yepez said, “Our mother and father spoke very little English. They taught us, by their example, the importance of hard work.”

They established a BU scholarship in 1993 to honor their parents.

Leslie Herman ’79, left, is wardrobe supervisor for the ABC television series, Brothers and Sisters, starring Sally Field, right.

Send a letter to the editor about an article in Bradley Hilltopics or about a University–related issue. Letters must be signed and have an address and telephone number.

Letter to the Editor Bradley Hilltopics 1501 W. Bradley Ave. Peoria, IL 61625 hilltopics@bradley.edu fax 309-677-4055

© Bradley University 2007 Bradley Hilltopics is published in winter, spring, summer, and fall by Bradley University for alumni, faculty, staff, parents of students, and other friends of the University. Send letters and address changes to: Hilltopics, Bradley University, 1501 West Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625. 309-677-2249 fax 309-677-4055 e-mail: hilltopics@bradley.edu Web site: bradley.edu/hilltopics campus information: 309-676-7611 Bradley University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities for all persons regardless of age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The University also is committed to compliance with all applicable laws regarding non-discrimination, harassment, and affirmative action. Bradley Hilltopics reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor based on length and content.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2007

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HotTopics University breaks ground for rec center

by Justin Phelps ‘05

• A parking deck off Glenwood Avenue and Main Street will be constructed this summer.

• The Alumni Center was demolished in April.

Alumni Relations staff moved to Comstock Hall, at the corner of Bradley and Institute.

• The Sigma Chi house was razed in early June.

A new fraternity house is being constructed on Fredonia Avenue.

Duane Zehr

Pictured below, the April demolition of Bradley’s Alumni Center marked some of the first physical signs of the University’s expansion plans. Maria King Carroll MA ‘00 ‘03 and her family lived in the house in 1970.

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics for a link to Carroll’s blog about history and memories of the Maplewood area.

zontally a couple feet off the ground) was based on space availability and its popularity across the country. “A high percentage of new recreational facilities across the country have rock climbing walls,” Director of Intramural and Recreation Sports Mike Keup said. “It was definitely one of the two architectural statements or visual ‘wow’ factors as we heard (contractors) say. I think it will be a neat space, a fun program area. We’ll be able to do a lot of things with it. I think we’ll see a new club spin off it and some classes.”

Another point of interest includes the Multi-Activity Court (MAC court), a multipurpose court with permanent dasher boards, rounded corners and recessed goals. While it has basketball and volleyball capabilities, indoor soccer will be the priority for the MAC court. The facility will have a juice bar, and five multipurpose rooms to be used for everything from dance groups and fitness classes to fencing, martial arts, and meditation classes.

Duane Zehr

In other campus construction news:

The groundbreaking for the new Markin Family Student Recreation Center on April 27 kicked off the construction of the 130,000-square-foot building and a 15-year facility plan outlined by retiring University President David Broski.

The new recreation center, which will become one of the largest buildings on campus, is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2008. The replacement to Haussler Hall will have a natatorium, five basketball courts, two racquetball courts, a rock climbing wall, a bouldering wall, and almost four times the space for exercise equipment than campus currently holds.

“What we’ve ultimately done is make a statement to our students that their personal health is extremely important,” University Vice President for Business Affairs Gary Anna ‘75 said. Construction for the Robertson Memorial Field House replacement, which will sit in the space currently occupied by the Field House, is pending. Haussler Hall, minus the pool, will remain standing until the Field House replacement is built.

In addition to providing laboratory space and a state-of-the-art classroom to the Department of Nursing, the three-floored recreation center will house the Health Center, Wellness Center, and intramurals.

Among the five basketball/volleyball courts will be a “championship court” for intramural tournaments.

Research indicated intramural participants enjoyed the “championship atmosphere” offered by playing under the lights at Meinen Field. Attendance at intramural championships showed a need for seating, which will be available at the championship court.

The addition of a rock climbing wall and a bouldering wall (a horizontal wall which users “climb” hori-

The groundbreaking for the new Markin Family Student Recreation Center on April 27 kicked off the construction of the 130,000-square-foot building and the University’s 15-year master plan. The facility is named in honor of David Markin ‘53, who gave a gift of $8 million to Bradley University.

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Bradley graduate wins Pulitzer Renée C. Byer ’80 has earned the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography. “A Mother’s Journey” is a series of black-and-white photographs that chronicle a year in the lives of a single mother and her son as he battled a rare form of childhood cancer. She also earned the World Understanding Award by Pictures of the Year International for the series.

Byer has been a news photographer, photo editor, and designer for more than 25 years. She has worked at many daily newspapers including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Hartford Courant, and the Journal Star in Peoria. She has worked at The Sacramento Bee since 2003.

In addition to the Pulitzer, Byer has won awards from the National Press Photographers Association, Society of News Design, the Associated Press, and the Best of the West photo and design contests. In 2005, she won the Harry Chapin Media Award for World Hunger in photojournalism for her photographs on biotechnology and the McClatchy President’s Award for her photographs in the “Women at War” series.

A feature on Byer will follow in the upcoming fall issue of Bradley Hilltopics.

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics for a link to Byer’s work, including her Pulitzer-winning photo essay.

LIVE BU

WEB CAM explore. bradley. edu/ bucam/

Word scrambles, coloring pages, and information on upcoming athletic camps and academic programs are available at bradley. edu/bukids/. The BU Kids Web site, designed to feature kid-specific items about Bradley, allows visitors to learn the school fight song, send an electronic postcard to a current Bradley student, and more.

Former Congressman Robert H. Michel ’48 HON ‘81 was among the speakers at the Institute for Principled Leadership’s kickoff event on April 27 at the Hotel Père Marquette. From left, incoming student body officers Todd Moore ’08 (secretary), Josh Cox ’09 (treasurer), Nick Fahnders ’10 (vice president), Jordan Ticaric ’08 (president), Michel, and outgoing officers Byron Irving ’07 (president), Shayla Jones ’07 (vice president), Scott Gaught ’07 (treasurer), and Eric Swanson ’09 (secretary).

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2007

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NoteBook BU news, views & updates

Rainforest database benefits Smithsonian

by Aimée Roy

Dr. Rick Condit, top, of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) gives a tour of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. CS&IS students, bottom, from left, Gabrielle Olivera ’07, Andrew Sablan ’07, Tyler Tippett ’08, and Brooke Barnabe ’07, and associate professor of computer science and information systems Dr. Steven Dolins pose for a photo while visiting Panama. They visited STRI and Barro Colorado Island off of Panama as part of a project for CS 490/491 in which they created a tree database for the Institute.

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Sunscreen, insect repellent, raincoat, umbrella, hat, long-sleeved shirt, hiking boots, and binoculars…These are not your typical requirements for a computer science and information systems class. However, last fall, students in the department of computer science and information systems (CS&IS) needed those items after Bradley implemented CS 490/491, a two-semester class that enabled students to work in a team environment and gain real-world experience.

The course’s capstone project took four Bradley students into the rainforests of Panama to help Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) botanists and zoologists create a tree database with data collected from more than 3 million trees from 6,000 species. Since 1932, the STRI, based in Panama City, Panama, has been collecting data from tropical forests from around the world including 14 countries in the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

The idea for the project was born during a conversation between Dr. Steven Dolins, associate professor of computer science and information systems at Bradley, and his friend Dr. Rick Condit, who works for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama City. Condit’s work involves conducting tree censuses­—measuring the diameter of trees and studying their growth patterns to understand why some die after a short time while others thrive. Dolins mentioned to Condit that his students could help the study by designing a database for the scientists that would be more flexible than the one they had been using with respect to storing data such as taxonomy changes, measurement changes, and measurement attributes. Condit traveled to Bradley, was interviewed by the students, and the project was underway.

Bradley CS&IS students Gabrielle Olivera ’07, Brooke Barnabe ’07, Andrew Sablan ’07, Tyler Tippett ’08, and Anthony Osafo ’07 were responsible for all aspects of the project including interviewing the clients, creating a database and user interface,

and generating reports. The data stored for STRI by the Bradley students was primarily tree measurements and species information. The database was modified from a design created by Bradley CS&IS students during the 2005-2006 school year after it was learned that the STRI scientists wanted to track trees by current names as well as tree names used in the past. Two types of reports were built for the STRI team: a plot and taxonomy report system for viewing data from the database, and a taxonomy editor to allow for changes to easily be made to the database. “They are constantly learning new things about these trees, which calls for constant changing of the taxonomy,” said Olivera.

Visiting Panama In December, four of the five students enrolled in CS 490/491 traveled to Panama to present the database to Condit and the clients at STRI, and to visit the rainforest on the Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal where the data for this project was being collected. The tour was an eye-opening experience for the students, where the average daytime temperature in December is between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with 80 percent humidity.

“Touring the rainforest gave us a better understanding of the problems our clients were facing. It really helped with communication,” said Tippett. The students also met with the STRI domain expert who will be maintaining the database, as well as botanists and zoologists from around the world. “The students presented their work to 18 world leaders in the field.

I think we impressed everyone,” said Dolins.

STRI traces its roots to the early U.S. involvement in the construction of the Panama Canal. Growing numbers of Smithsonian scientists and projects in Panama since 1911 led to the need for a unit dedicated to scientific research in the tropics. Today, STRI has research facilities on the Barro Colorado Island, the Naos molecular laboratory in Panama City, marine research stations at Galeta and Bocas del Torro, and the montane forest station at Foutuna. The Institute’s work is dedicated to increasing understanding of the past, present, and future of tropical environments, and their relevance to human welfare. Each year, an international staff of 40 scientists and approximately 800 visiting scientists and students conduct research. They represent a variety of scientific disciplines, including tropical and marine biology, forest ecology, paleontology, anthropology, and archaeology.

Visit stri.org for more information about the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

McCord left indelible mark Robert A. McCord HON ’01, longtime friend of Bradley University, died February 11 in Peoria. He was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1986 until 1992, when he served as chairman.

When McCord retired in 1990 as CEO of Illinois Mutual Life Insurance Co., the company established an endowed professorship in his name. A lecture series is tied to the endowment, allowing Bradley students, faculty, and the Peoria business community to hear and meet with prominent business executives from across the nation. The McCord lectures began in 1991 and continue today.

A graduate of the University of Chicago and its law school, McCord 1990 was a World War II Naval Reserves veteran. He practiced law in Peoria from 1948 to 1973. He was general counsel of his family’s company, Illinois Mutual, and became president in 1963. McCord was chairman of the board of the Insurance Economics Society of America. He served on the Peoria City Council in the ’50s, and later was instrumental in downtown redevelopment and building the Peoria Civic Center. The recipient of numerous awards honoring his contributions to local boards and organizations, McCord received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America. He and his wife Vicki Michel McCord ’43 were honored with the President’s Award from Bradley in 1995. Their family’s devotion to Bradley continues as son Michel McCord began a six-year term on the Board of Trustees in 2004.

In addition to his wife and son, Bob McCord is survived by two daughters, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Bradley: the next generation Jan Salinger Subar ‘79 and her daughter Erin Subar ’08 share a special connection beyond the typical mother-daughter relationship: their choice of college.

Jan currently lives in Los Angeles, a good distance from Peoria, especially for a mom sending a daughter to school in the Midwest. But when Erin chose Bradley, Jan could not have been happier. “As a freshman parent dropping her off and leaving to fly home, I could visualize her anywhere and know where she was. I could picture her walking there, sitting there, or being there. It was familiar!” Subar says that is one of many benefits of having her daughter at Bradley.

When Erin first began to look at colleges, Jan did not pressure her into choosing Bradley. In fact, Erin found the school online, realizing it offered her everything she was looking for. And it was in the perfect location—not far from Jan’s family.

Through Erin’s choice of school, Jan has been able to stay connected to the University by serving on the Parents’ Association. “I never miss an opportunity to visit the campus or get involved,” says Jan. To alumni with children looking at Bradley for a college choice, Jan advises, “Look at all schools very diligently, but give Bradley a second look. Inside this

Duane Zehr

by Abby Wilson ‘10

middle-sized school is a large amount of opportunity, a wonderful network of people, and a fabulous, wellrounded college experience.”

This year, the first fall visit day for high school students is Friday, September 28, during Homecoming weekend. According to associate provost of enrollment management, Nickie Roberson, Homecoming weekend was selected as a college visit day to encourage alums to bring their “legacy” high school students to their alma mater. Visit admissions.bradley.edu for more information on visit days.

When Brad Ator ’64 retired after working 40 years as an electrical engineer, he made a to-do list. He wanted to return to Bradley and “walk” graduation. Ator was two courses short of his degree at spring graduation, so after finishing his Bradley courses during the summer, he received his diploma in the mail in Utah. His wife, Gloria Danner Ator ’66, accompanied him to the May 19 commencement at the Peoria Civic Center to share in his excitement. Although Ator knew no one in the 2007 class, he said, “I felt like I was coming home again.”

The 2007 commencement address was delivered by Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

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Bacci ‘s Pizzeria: Student business tastes success

Diane Lee ‘08 was one of only 24 students nationwide to be selected by the Asian American Journalists Association to participate in the organization’s Student Multimedia Project.

Lee will be reporting alongside a staff of professional journalists and will use the latest communications technology as a part of the AAJA’s 19th annual national convention, to be held August 1-4 in Miami.

Most students come to college with the expectation of learning skills to succeed after college. Three BU students took that one step further last spring.

Phil Salamone ’09 and his roommate Sean Gubricky ’09 were walking to class one day in March when they noticed Jester’s Café on the corner of Bradley and Duryea was for sale. Salamone, an entrepreneurship major, and Gubricky, a business management and administration major, immediately saw potential to meet an unfulfilled need on campus.

“Sean and I knew there wasn’t a decent place to go get a slice of pizza without buying the whole pizza.

As students, we know what kids our age want, and we have an idea of what they may be looking for when it comes to food,” Salamone said.

With that thought in mind, Salamone’s brother Vito Salamone Jr. ’10 and their father, Vito Salamone Sr., joined the pair in ownership and made an agreement with the Bacci’s chain, already established in the Chicago area, to open a Bacci’s Pizzeria near campus.

The pizzeria opened on April 25 at 1222 West Bradley, home to Fedora’s restaurant during the ’90s. The Bacci chain is known for offering jumbo-sized pizza slices and a soda for less than $4, which the owners believe is reasonable for a college student’s budget.

They said opening their own restaurant has been a fun experience. “We’re learning stuff that they don’t teach in the classroom. The best skill we are learning right now is working with other people,” Gubricky said.

Duane Zehr

by Katie Hamill ’08

Bacci’s Pizzeria made about 50 jumbo pizzas, shown above, each day for lunch during the spring semester.

In its first month of business, the pizza and great prices kept the new restaurant packed every day.

Pictured from left are owners Sean Gubricky ’09, Vito Salamone Jr. ’10, and Phil Salamone ’09.

Peoria High alumni endow scholarship

From left: Randy West, chairperson of the PHS alumni association scholarship committee; principal Randy Simmons ‘79; Becky Bryant Kelley, niece of Joseph and Harriette Swanson Bryant; BU president David Broski; and Rick Kern ‘77, president of the PHS alumni association, met at Peoria Central High to establish a new scholarship.

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Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, Peoria High School graduates can apply for a scholarship created just for them. Students must be first-time undergraduates and demonstrate financial need in order to be considered.

The award was made possible by a $100,000 endowment gift from the Peoria High School Alumni Association in February.

The funds were a gift from the Joseph B. Bryant Estate in honor of Harriette Swanson Bryant, a 1935 graduate of Peoria High.

Jerry Heller, executive director of development, said this is the first time a high school alumni association has created such a scholarship for Bradley. “We are very pleased and thankful for the generosity of Peoria High School, and we hope other high schools become aware of this and step forward to do the same.”

Monitoring e-waste for good

by Justin Phelps ‘05 Michael Hodge ’00 cringes when he sees a trash container filled with used electronic equipment. Not only does he consider the consequences to the environment, but also how a used computer, microwave, or lamp could help a needy family.

Hodge is the executive director for the Peoria-based company Recycling for Illinois, a nonprofit organization that recycles and donates electronic equipment.

Its recycling division accepts “basically anything that runs on batteries or electricity,” said Hodge, listing computers, stereos, TVs, VCRs, microwaves, and more.

“We then go through a sorting process to determine what’s going to be recycled and reused. The items deemed obsolete or beyond useful life are de-manufactured and recycled. The items that are good and still useful are turned over to our other division, Retro-Tech Electronics, where they are distributed throughout the community through placement programs that help low-income families, individuals with disabilities, and students of all ages. We also have a traditional showroom where the general public can purchase items at a greatly reduced cost.”

Through his public speaking engagements, Hodge tries to find individuals who couldn’t otherwise

afford items like computers. He works with the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, and if a family loses everything to fire or natural disaster, his company replaces all electrical items at no charge. The company placed more than 2,400 computers in homes last year.

“We want to put technology in the hands of people who can use it, but may not be able to afford it otherwise,” Hodge said. “We get a lot of computers that are still very functional, very usable, and there’s very little, if anything, wrong with them.”

To assist the University, Hodge donates older computer systems to Bradley’s Computers and Society course, giving students the opportunity to disassemble computers to see what’s inside. He also recycles all of the University’s used electronic equipment.

Hodge notes the electronic recycling industry is growing rapidly. His business may boom more rapidly if an Illinois law in the House is passed, prohibiting any electronic waste from being dumped in landfills.

“When VCRs were introduced 20 to 30 years ago, you wouldn’t think of throwing them away because they were large and expensive, and they were much easier to repair.” said Hodge. “Nowadays, a VCR or DVD player costs $25 to $30, and if it no longer runs, you toss it and buy another one. And how many cell phones do you go through on an ongoing basis? And computers? It’s not entirely new, but within the last five to 10 years, it’s really started to become a bigger and bigger issue.”

Visit retro-tech.org for more information.

To order the book and DVD,

Victory, Honor & Glory: Celebrating the History of Bradley Basketball

visit allaboutsportsbu.com or call 877-301-7540.

To receive an e-mail notifying you of an update on Hilltopics Online, sign up at bradley.edu/hilltopics.

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Fashioning must-haves for kids with diabetes

by Gayle Erwin McDowell ’77

iPod Repair Squad was the winner of the inaugural Springboard Project Competition in April. The team consists of James Scaggs ’07, Patrick Whitt ’07, Lynn Wiewel ’07, Jamie Buggs ’07, and Brad Watson ’07. iPod Repair Squad, which provides convenient, affordable, and friendly service in the iPod repair industry, was selected for its market viability and potential. The group won $10,000 and a year of “knowledge capital” provided by local mentors from Junction Ventures, Converse Marketing, The Leiter Group, Coyle Insurance Agency, and Saturn of Peoria.

The second-place award of $7,500 went to Extreme Electronics (Adesegun Sun-Basorun ’07, Bryan McKinney ’07, and Brett Engelmann ’07). The third-place prize of $5,000 was awarded to D.R.E.A.M.S. (David Doolin ’07, Justin Wille ’07, and Nathan Lane ’07).

Duane Zehr

iPod Repair Squad springing into business

Children living with diabetes face complicated tasks like counting carbs, testing their blood sugar levels, and taking insulin. The bag that carries their supplies or holds the pump that delivers insulin is literally an accessory they can’t live without.

As a diabetes educator and sales rep for an insulin pump manufacturer, Nicole Ary Herron ’00 knew that finding bags and cases that appeal to young patients is usually a struggle for parents. Herron decided her alma mater might be able to help. She came up with a plan for family and consumer sciences (FCS) students to create bags and packs geared toward young people.

Aided by a special emphasis grant from Bradley for purchasing materials, the project was launched last December when five FCS majors met with 16 young people, ages three to 16. The children and teens from the Central Illinois Juvenile Diabetes Support Group were interviewed about their needs, likes, and dislikes. “Each student really spent time thinking about how to match the design to the requests of the participant she was matched with,” explained FCS assistant professor Dr. Kendra Brandes.

The FCS students and the support group met up again on March 26 for a reception and fashion

Ten-year-old Hannah Palka demonstrates for Andrea Willis ’07, left, and Dr. Kendra Brandes how diabetes supplies fit in a purse that Andrea designed just for her. Five students in the family and consumer sciences department created custom bags and packs for children and teens with diabetes.

Visit jdrf.org for information about juvenile diabetes.

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show at the Michel Student Center. Each participant received and modeled two custom-made items.

Hong Rickett ’07, a retail merchandising student, designed more than a dozen bags. “She just kept getting ideas and turning out different styles,” said Brandes. Mary Lou Strong ’07, also in retail merchandising, designed packs with clear windows so parts of the insulin pump were visible.

“The dietetics students also planned the food for the reception and listed the carbohydrate content of each food so that the participants could choose refreshments,” said Brandes. Dietetics students included Suparna Misra ’07, Vanessa Smith ’07, and Andrea Willis ’07.

Juli Palka, whose daughter was diagnosed at age 2, appreciated the labels on the healthy foods and drinks at the reception, as well as the designer accessories made with the children in mind. “One of the hardest things as a parent is when you go to an event where food is served because you have to estimate carbs. I heard lots of great comments that evening from parents who hope the program will continue.”

FCS department chair Dr. Nina Collins, associate professor Dr. Chang-ok Choi, and Brandes were pleased that the program allowed their students to learn from each other. “Our dietetics students taught the retail students about diabetes and how the insulin pumps work. The retail students taught them about working with fabrics and the design process,” Brandes said.

She and her fellow FCS professors pitched in and made packs along with the students. In addition to designing packs for the original support group members, bags or packs were sent to some children who have just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.

hoto p a e Shar e Hilltop. onic tr th from nd an elec at Se d today ard c d n e s car du/ e . y e l d ra stage is b . e r o l exp ...the po adley. on Br

What the 5! for Miami’s “Y Generation”

by Justin Phelps ‘05 J.R. Biersmith ‘01 wasn’t feeling creative enough.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in international business at Bradley, he worked three years in finance in New York City. Then he went to Miami, Florida.

“My dream job has been to run my mouth basically,” Biersmith said with a laugh, “to be a broadcaster of some sort. I just didn’t feel creative.” Now he “runs his mouth” daily for the Miami Herald’s new online video news segment What the 5!

Biersmith left NYC to enroll in the University of Miami’s one-year master’s program in broadcasting.

As he neared graduation in July 2006, Biersmith said he looked at the landscape of media and how it was changing. “People 20 to 30 years old — the Y Generation — are not reading newspapers. We’re on the Web. We’re not watching our local news all that much, but we care about what’s going on locally.”

He contacted the Miami Herald about an innovative idea for its Web site. The goal was to target young adults with a three- to five-minute, Web-only news segment. It was a tough sell. For about three months, Biersmith pitched the idea to newspaper executives and university officials. “It took a long time, a lot of persistence,” Biersmith said. “I kept hounding the publisher and people from the University of Miami, asking to meet one day to talk about the viability of

this thing. I pitched the business model, but it took two or three months to sell. Once somebody bought it for six months, we got the go ahead.”

The show launched February 19. Biersmith, whose program is advertised daily on the front page of the Miami Herald, says the goal of What the 5! is to give the “Y Generation” its news, because he says media outlets aren’t reaching that demographic. “The Miami Herald is the information leader for this community,” Biersmith said. “The Miami Herald is making an effort, as all papers are, to become more video conscious to reach this demographic. That was the thrust of my pitch: If we get a sponsor every day, and we start driving people to this Web site … if I talk about a story you’ve already done, then you’re going to get more clicks for that story.

Basically we’re fostering what journalists are already doing; we’re just redistributing it.”

Visit whatthe5.com for more information.

J.R. Biersmith ‘01, right, and Toni Gonzalez co-host What the 5!, a five-day-a-week, Web-only news segment by the Miami Herald.

2006-07 Board of Trustees: Front row, left to right, BU President David Broski; Georgina Heard ’74; Judson Mitchell ’66; Joan Janssen ’69; Chairman of the Board Gerald Shaheen ’66 MBA ’68; Emel Singer ’68; Harry Puterbaugh; Robert Michel ’48; Cheryl Corley ’76. Back row, left to right, David Ransburg; Donald Ullman; Thomas Spurgeon ’61; Wayne Klasing ’64; Michel McCord; Michael Cullinan; William Heidrich; Rex Linder ’69; Robert Clanin ’66; Douglas Stewart MBA ’79; Donald Rager ’60; Carl Birkelbach ’62. Not pictured, Wayne Baum ’60; Stephen Gorman MBA ’78; Deborah Grossman ’78; Hersey Hawkins ’88; Robin Kelly ’78 MBA ’82; Kay McCurdy; Brian McGough ’86; William Morton; Joseph O’Neill; Michele Richey ’74 MBA ’77; Larry Richman ’74; Rajesh Soin MS ’71; Robert Turner ’77 MBA ’78; Jay Vonachen; Philip Wilmington ’79.

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Kalmer earns 1,000th victory Bradley baseball coach Dewey Kalmer became the 36th Division I coach and 14th active coach to win 1,000 games when the Braves defeated Indiana State 6-1 on May 5. Kalmer, who is in his 39th season as a collegiate coach, holds a career record of 1006-886-5. Check the fall issue of Bradley Hilltopics for an interview with Kalmer.

take Take 5 minutes for the Bradley Hilltopics Summer ’07 readership survey! Visit us at bradley.edu/hilltopics to share your thoughts.

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by David Driver No matter the level of play, no matter the major league affiliate, and no matter the position played, the goal for every former Bradley baseball player—and everyone in the minors for that matter—is to make the Major Leagues.

Brock Till ’03, Brandon Magee ’06, and Joe Napoli Jr. ’06 are former Braves trying to follow the path of Brian Shouse ‘90, a Major League veteran who began the 2007 season, his sixth consecutive and eighth overall, with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Till is in his first full season with the Class AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds) of the Southern League after earning a call-up last season.

He spent three years in Class A and said he can notice a big difference between Class A and Class AA. “It’s more about the consistency of the players,” said Till, who noted that some players from Class AA are called up straight to the Majors, a rarity for Class A players. Till was expected to be the closer this season for the Lookouts, but elbow problems put him on the disabled list early in the season.

Till said his college experience at Bradley was vital, since he was able to pitch every series against top competition in the Missouri Valley Conference.

He had his share of setbacks in college, which prepared him for the life of a minor league player.

Magee, a pitcher for the high Class A Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays), of the Florida State League, began this season as the seventh-best prospect in the Toronto farm system, according to Baseball America. After a stellar pro debut in 2006 for Auburn in the New York-Penn League, Magee started 2007 with a 3-1 record and a 3.10 ERA in 11 starts for Auburn. “I try not to look at it as more pressure. It is nice to be considered in that way.

But it comes down to what I can do on the field,” he said.

Magee was a closer early on at Bradley. He later became a starter and ended up with 260 career strikeouts, one shy of the school mark. He was drafted in the fourth round by Toronto in 2006. “It is nice to get up every morning and go to the park and not go to a regular job,” said Magee, who is about one semester shy of a communications degree.

While Magee was a high draft pick, which means he will be given every chance to rise up the ladder, Napoli was taken in the 50th round by the Texas Rangers in 2005. Napoli is an infielder/outfielder for low Class A Hagerstown (Washington Nationals) in the South Atlantic League, home to some of the longest bus trips in minor league baseball.

“College is good preparation for the minors,” said Napoli, whose team plays 140 games in the regular season. “But I don’t think anyone realizes how long it is; it is a long season. The bus rides are long. You play every single day. You are done with a night game at 11 and you are in another state the next day.”

The son of former BU star Joe Napoli ‘60, Bradley’s all-time batting average leader, the younger Napoli began this season living with seven other players at a house in Hagerstown. Home is about seven minutes from the Suns’ home at Municipal Stadium, where Hall of Famer Willie Mays played his first minor league game after starting his career in the Negro Leagues.

Editor’s note: David Driver, a freelance writer from Maryland, has written about minor league baseball and its players for 15 years. He has contributed to Baseball America and other publications.

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Rodger M. Wood

Majoring in the Minors

www.dunedinbluejays.com

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SportScene

Worth the wait: Anthony Parker returns to NBA

by David Driver Anthony Parker ’97 sits in the locker room of the Toronto Raptors, surrounded by Europe. Two of his teammates are from Spain, two are from Slovenia, and Andrea Bargnani, the team’s top draft pick in 2006, is from Italy. “I remember what it was like for me,” says the former Bradley hoop star, of being a foreign athlete. “I can relate to where they are coming from.

Maybe I can help them along the best I can.”

Parker, after almost six years overseas, made it back to the National Basketball Association this season.

And he did so in style, averaging about 15 points per game for the playoff-bound Raptors. Parker played the previous six seasons in Israel: five with powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv and one with Virtus Roma. He won five Israeli Premier League championships and three Euroleague titles. For most of that time, he was considered the top American in the Euroleague.

After his years at Bradley, Parker played 32 games with the Philadelphia 76ers during parts of two seasons in the late 1990s. He played 16 games for the Orlando Magic in 1999-2000, and for the CBA’s Quad City Thunder before he began his foreign adventure.

The Naperville native has a lot of stamps in his passport. Parker says he played in at least 15 countries in Europe during his time in the Middle East. He now plays in Toronto, which has a European flavor not only in the locker room, but also in the front office.

The team’s vice president/assistant general manager, Maurizio Gherardini, grew up in Italy.

The 6-foot-6 guard/forward, who turns 32 in June, signed as a free agent with Toronto in July 2006. His last-second shot for Maccabi beat the Raptors in an exhibition game in Toronto prior to the 2005-06 season. An ankle injury forced him to miss a few games late in the 2006-07 season.

In May, Parker was named the Atlantic Division winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award. The NBA made a $10,000 donation to the Toronto Raptors Foundation in his name.

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics for a Web-exclusive question-and-answer session in which Parker talks about life in the Middle East, how the NBA wasn’t a priority for him five years ago, and why he wears No. 18 for Toronto.

Spring Sports Roundup Baseball player Ryan Curry ’07 was among the nation’s leaders in batting

average this season, hitting .416 in 53 games for the Braves, who finished 32-21 and third in the MVC tournament. … The softball team’s 26 victories were the most since 2004, and the team finished with its first back-to-back winning seasons since ‘94 and ’95. … Jennifer Jenkins ’07 placed 20th in the hammer throw at the NCAA Mid-East Regional track and field meet in May. She qualified for the meet with a school-record toss of 54.62 meters at an invitational in April. … Ryan Saurs ’07 finished eighth and led the men’s golf team to a ninth-place finish at the MVC Championships in April. … Bari-Lynn Erais ’09 claimed the MVC women’s golf individual championship, the third straight year for the Braves. Meaghan LeBlanc ’06 won it in 2005 and 2006. Bradley finished second overall. … Men’s tennis player Wil Lofgren ’07 finished his career tied for fourth-place on the University’s combined wins list with 133. …

Women’s tennis player Teri Chan ‘07 tied her own school singles record for victories with 19 and leaves as the University’s career record holder for singles victories (73) and combined wins (116).

Jeremy Crouch ’08 led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage during the 2006-07 men’s basketball season. The rising senior made 50 percent (83-of-166) of his 3s in 27 games, tying him with Texas A&M’s Josh Carter.

Crouch is the fourth Bradley player to lead the nation in an individual statistical category.

Aaron Zobrist ’97 had the nation’s best free throw percentage (.906) during the 1996-97 season; Hersey Hawkins ’88 led the nation in scoring (36.3 points per game) during the 1987-88 season; and Joe Allen ’72 had the top field goal percentage (.655) during the 1967-68 season.

As a team, the Braves made 42 percent of their 3-point attempts, the third best mark nationally.

Bradley’s 349 3-pointers are a Missouri Valley Conference single-season record and were the third most in the nation.

Bradley advanced to the NIT’s second round, finishing 22-13 for the first consecutive 22-win seasons since 1959 and 1960.

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Keeping the faith

by Katie Hamill ’08

In times of both peace and turmoil, generations of Bradley students

have turned to their faith to try to make sense of the world.

Philosophy and religious studies professor Dr. Robert Fuller said Bradley defies the norm in some senses. “Traditionally, college is the least religious period in a person’s life,” he said. “At Bradley, religion is vital. Bradley is a secular school, and for private schools, that’s pretty rare. However, Bradley students do place an importance on religion.” Nevertheless, Fuller believes the visible emphasis on religion is more the result of societal pressures to conform than strong religious desires, observing that many students want to “fit in” and be a part of a group.

Student activities director Michelle Whited holds a positive outlook on the growth of religious organizations on campus. “When people ask me about religious life at Bradley, I would say it is stronger than it was 10 years ago when I came here. All indications are that it will continue to grow.”

Five organizations share how they’ve evolved over the years.

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Bradley Hillel Hillel has made having a comfortable place to gather one of its top priorities. More than 250 students attended its Fall barbecue, and about 40 to 50 students show up for Friday Shabat dinner each week at the interim Hillel house, featuring remodeled rooms, a 50-inch flat screen TV, and wireless Internet access. Hillel gave up its post on Maplewood Avenue to the new Bradley expansion plans, and hopes to be settled into its new home on Fredonia Avenue by January 2008.

Hillel advisor and English professor Dr. Seth Katz believes the accommodations found at the interim house have been a big hit with students and added that you have to make the place more attractive to students. “For some, the religious aspects will be enough,” Katz said. “Still, religion doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.”

The Jewish cuisine made available to students is one of the things Larry Reiser ’74 MS ’76 recalls most. During Reiser’s college days, the Hillel house was on the top floor of the Garrett Center. “I remember every Thursday, they sponsored a Kosher corn beef lunch. I think it cost about $2. Someone went up to Chicago each week to bring back fresh deli meat, and it sure beat dorm food.”

Since then, Hillel has expanded to include more events for students.

While the number of Jewish students at Bradley has decreased, Hillel involvement has increased. Students take part in an array of social events, from barbeques and a weekly bagel brunch to working on joint projects with the local synagogue community. Josh Cohen ’05 said the traditional Friday night dinner and following service was a treasured part of his time at Bradley, and notes that “everyone was always welcome.”

For some, Hillel was more than just another student organization.

Jackie Farber ’05 now works for Hillel in upstate New York. “Hillel was like my family. It was my Jewish family while I was on Bradley’s campus. They helped me grow, change, and learn more about my religion, and were around to celebrate Jewish holidays with me.”

Visit bradleyhillel.org for more information.

St. Joseph Newman Center With more than one third of Bradley’s student population listed as Catholic, the St. Joseph Newman Center is one of the largest religious organizations on campus, as well as one of the oldest. Its roots date to 1948, under the direction of Father William Feeney. The annual back-to-school cookout now attracts about 550 students, with about half continuing to attend Mass in St. Mark’s Church each Sunday.

Duane Zehr

Ellen Hanson ’09, Marla Moss ’08, and Aaron Hutnick ’08, from left to right, prepare vegetables for their weekly Friday Shabat dinner.

Nearly 50 students visit the Hillel house each week for the service and dinner, which is made by the students of the organization.

Students from the Newman Center toured the Vatican gardens outside of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome during their Spring Break pilgrimage.

Front row from left to right, Katie Hamill ’08, Emily Brown ’09, and Bethany Jones ’09. Back row, Joe Macaluso ’08, Sara Worrell ’09, Anne Stein ’10, Newman Center director Father Stanley Deptula, and Joel Doran ’09.

“I would absolutely say that this generation is spiritually hungry,” said Father Stanley Deptula, director of the Newman Center.

For many students, the Newman Center is a home away from home.

Two spirited golden retrievers eagerly greet visitors at the door, students study in the sunroom and study rooms, take a coffee break in the café, and watch favorite movies in the “Holy Family Room.” All of these rooms have recently been remodeled, but perhaps no room brings greater comfort than the student chapel, featuring marble-tiled floors and statues of saints. Deptula says they try to accommodate students’ busy college schedules by keeping the chapel open 24/7.

“Our chapel is the heart of the building,” said Deptula. “It’s there during the thick of an exam, a fight with a boyfriend, for a quiet conversation with Jesus about questions of life, or to experience Him during daily Mass.”

Amy Groh ’06, director of ministry advancement at Newman, remembered just a few years earlier when “we had less than 100 students at Sunday Masses and almost no one attended daily Mass.”

Students now participate in all areas of the Mass, and on some days the chapel is too full to hold daily Mass, involvement Groh said can be largely attributed to Deptula’s arrival at Newman in 2004.

Support from the diocese, parents, and former students allowed Deptula to hire Groh and Joe Chovan ’06 to help coordinate activities for current students. Chovan graduated with a degree in secondary

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Muslim Student Association

Duane Zehr

Up to five times a day, students in the Muslim Student Association (MSA) gather at their house on Main Street to pray in the mosque.

Like several of the other religious organizations, they are renovating the house with new carpet and furnishings to make it more conducive to praying and meeting. The organization holds some meetings in the house, but the central point is the lower-level mosque. One of the organization’s projects has been to clean and renovate the basement.

MSA president Saad Taj ’10 believes having a place to pray is an important element of his time at Bradley. “When you’re at home, you have your family support, but when you leave home, you no longer have that support, so you look to other outlets for spiritual support. I was really happy to have a mosque located so close to campus.”

The group’s main objectives are to serve the Muslims on campus and promote a greater awareness of Islam at Bradley. Their Web site states a desire to sustain faith in a college environment and to convey the true meaning of Islam.

Because the group has found that many students are curious to learn more about Islam, they are creating an evening lecture about Islam that will be open to all Bradley students. Additionally, they’ve brought several speakers to campus to talk about a variety of topics related to

Saad Taj ’10, left, and Nafia Khan ’10, right, discuss thoughts and ideas with speaker Kevin Barrett, center, before his 9/11 presentation in Neumiller Hall. The Muslim Student Association brings in lecturers throughout the year to discuss issues related to Islam.

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Jason Whang ’08

special education, but said he couldn’t pass up Deptula’s offer to work at Newman. He is the director of retreats, which involves working with student leaders to plan the Koinonia weekend retreat each semester.

Chovan believes these retreats have played a large role in cultivating a greater sense of community at Newman.

Groh and Chovan said the Newman Center provides a wide range of activities to meet any student’s spiritual and social needs. Daily Masses, adoration, and confessions are all held throughout the week. “Fridays @ Newman” have become famous for fun group outings, of which favorites have included a fondue and karaoke night, Morton’s Pumpkin Festival trip, spring formal, and a Midnight Mass with Christmas carols and breakfast on study day.

Visit bradleynewman.org for more information.

Amanda Graves ’08, left, and Becca Waldo ’07 express themselves to music during praise and worship at the Chi Alpha house. Members planned a weekend themed “Ignite the Fire” to help spark a 24/7 house of prayer in Peoria.

Islam and of interest to other religions, including a recent presentation on the 9/11 attacks.

Taj said one of his goals for the organization this year is to reach out to the larger Bradley community through philanthropy.

“In the past we’ve held a fast-a-thon during the month of Ramadan where we got students to fast with us for a day. Money they were going to spend that day on food, we donate to a charity. At the end of the day, we eat breakfast with all who participated.” Over $400 was raised through this event last year. They are currently planning philanthropy with a local hospital to send students to read to hospitalized children.

Visit bradley.edu/campusorg/msa/ for more information.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship Though only in its third year of existence, the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship has grown to a base of about 60 to 80 students. The group is affiliated with Assemblies of God but is open to students of all denominations. Students meet at the Chi Alpha house on Main Street, and gather for a variety of events, including weekly Bible study, prayer meetings, Christmas parties, back-to-school events, trips to St. Louis, and a yearly conference with other regional Chi Alpha organizations.

“We’ve had a lot of growth,” Chi Alpha President Jaime Nash ’07 said, “and as more people join, we’ve been able to have more events.”

Chi Alpha received coverage in the local newspaper last May for its efforts to create and maintain a house of worship operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The idea is that at least one person is praying in the chapel at all times, and student volunteers sign up for shifts to ensure coverage even during the wee hours of the morning. In May, Chi Alpha ran a weekend program called “Ignite the Fire” in which members from a 24-hour house of prayer in Kansas came to help set up a similar room in the Chi Alpha house.

Student leader Derek Kistner ’06 told the Journal Star Chi Alpha was hoping to spiritually revive the community. “We pray continually that revival comes, that Peoria will be transformed,” Kistner said. “Jesus said, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer.’ We took that literally.”

Nash says Chi Alpha is a place for students who want to maintain their relationship with Jesus while at college. “It also is a place for Christians to connect with other Christians on campus. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost on a college campus; this is a group where students can feel a part of something and not be forgotten or overlooked.”

Visit chialphapeoria.com for more information.

Campus Crusade for Christ Since the 1960s, Campus Crusade (Cru) has been helping students to better understand the Bible through student-led Bible studies each week, in addition to many social outreaches throughout the year. Until 2004, Cru was completely run by students; today it is led by a council of students under the direction of Peoria resident Ben Davidson.

Davidson said the group tries to emphasize personal development.

“We like to think about everyone’s lives as a pie, and they have different slices of the pie. The emotional slice, the academic slice, the spiritual slice, and so forth. The spiritual slice is just another slice, one that helps to dictate how you live with the other slices of the pie.”

As Cru has grown, several local Bradley alums have continued to help out with the group’s weekly studies and events. Christine Bachmann Wallinger ’05 and her husband Sean Wallinger ’05 have returned each year to help out because they felt there was something different about Cru and the way it helped its members grow in their own faith.

Christine Wallinger said she has a desire to give back to others. “If there’s something that important in your life, you don’t just want to keep it to yourself.”

The organization has grown from the weekly Bible studies to include many more social outings. Jaclyn Taylor ’07 leads a weekly study and says they all benefit from the fun gatherings, scavenger hunts, trips to a corn maze, and annual Christmas party that help build closer relationships. Recently they have also become more active in campus-wide events such as Homecoming and the Shack-a-Thon. A handful of members took advantage of a Spring Break trip to Florida for a conference, and the group has also organized several relief mission trips in recent years, including a clean-up after Hurricane Katrina.

Cru finds a weekly meeting home in the Student Center’s alumni dining room on Thursday nights. Davidson said they always welcome newcomers to their meetings and believes “we’re all on a journey, whether we recognize it or not. Hopefully, we can come alongside people to aid them in their journey, if they’re open to it.”

Visit crupeoria.com for more information.

Worship experienced at “Full Volume”

by Allison Camp ’07

For students playing in the Christian band, Worship at Full Volume, the opportunity to lay aside campus affiliations and bring other students together to worship is one for which they’re grateful.

“It’s a good way to use the gift God’s given,” Adam Bloom ’09 said. “This gift was developed during high school, and when I came to college, I was worried about letting it go.”

Bloom, a construction engineering major, began attending the praise and worship meetings, held in the Michel Student Center ballroom, after seeing an advertisement in the freshman information binder. “One night, I heard Jake Bland ’06 talk about needing an electric guitar player, so I auditioned,” he said. Bland, a former member of Full Volume, continues to contribute to the band as an alumnus.

Various area youth group members join Bradley students on Monday nights to sing praise songs and listen to a brief sermon.

Marketing major and bassist Sean Duff ’07 said his experiences with Full Volume set a base for his Christian life. “Being in a fraternity is a good foundation to build on. I can use it to go out and bring people in.”

Other members of Full Volume include Daniel Crumrine ’07 (below, left), Kate Miller ’10, Ian Anderson ’09, Katie Post ’09, Ben Sparks ’09 (below, right), and Marla Witzig ’08.

Witzig views the band as another chance to use her violin, in addition to lessons, orchestra, and church. “Full Volume is an opportunity to gather together with other Bradley students. Especially at a secular campus, it’s great to connect.”

“It’s a nougat of truth to chew on for the rest of the week,” Duff agrees. Then Monday arrives, and the band plays on once more.

Jason Whang ’08

Jake Lessen ’08, Amanda Knussman ’08, and Stephanie Ross ’10 play ultimate Frisbee as part of year-end Campus Crusade festivities that also included a trip to the Ice Cream Shack and midnight prayer in front of the Lydia Moss Bradley statue.

Music photos by David Price, Black Olive Photographic

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Duane Zehr

Cutting-Edge Drama

by Gayle Erwin McDowell ’77

Mrs. Zero delighted in pointing out the flaws of her beleaguered husband, Zero, in the recent theatre department presentation of The Adding Machine. Only a handful of actors appeared on the Bradley stage, while others were beamed in via Internet2 from remote locations in Peoria, Florida, and Canada.

Scott Cavanah

Mrs. Zero’s diatribe against her husband (scene shown on page 16) was transmitted live from the Lab Theatre in Hartmann Center to the 32-by-9-foot screen above the nearby stage.

Michelle Ziccarelli ’07 portrayed Mrs. Zero.

National media exposure for Bradley came from more than the men’s bas-

ketball tournament last March. A 1923 play that gave new meaning to the term “high-tech” quickly grabbed the attention of Discovery Channel News. For theatergoers and technology gurus, The Adding Machine was the hottest ticket in town. And not one of them had to wear 3-D glasses to watch the special effects.

The BU theatre department is no stranger to rave reviews, so what accounts for an 84-year-old play to be heralded as such a standout? For starters, a live actor was “beamed in” from a Canadian university 500 miles to the northeast; another performed live almost 1,000 miles away in Florida, yet appeared in front of a Peoria audience. Having virtual actors onstage was definitely a first at Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts—or almost anywhere in the world for that matter.

Another first was that much of the largerthan-life virtual scenery was created by almost two dozen multimedia students at Bradley—not with hammers and paintbrushes, but with computers, innovative software, and HD cameras.

Bradley professors George Brown (theatre) and Jim Ferolo (multimedia) worked on the project for more than a year, along with codirectors at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and the University of Central Florida. It was not without its challenges. Some related to the use of revolutionary technology while others involved Mother Nature.

“The greatest challenge was doing something we had never done before,” remarked Brown, associate professor of theatre arts and chair of Bradley’s theatre department. “We had three major institutions with their own infrastructure and their own calendars. During tech (rehearsal), a snowstorm blew through Ontario and shut down the campus.”

Directors wanted the technology to be “invisible” to the audience but determined it was nearly impossible for them to compre-

hend the unique process. “Halfway through the run of the show I changed my curtain speech to instruct the audience about the technology,” Brown noted. “Early on, people were saying, ‘I thought that was videotape,’ and we had to explain that people were performing now in real time.”

Behind the scenes

Internet2, an advanced networking consortium to which Bradley and more than 200 other universities subscribe, allowed the remote performances to be transmitted to the Meyer Jacobs Theatre in the Hartmann Center.

The transmission required an extraordinary amount of bandwidth and electricity. As much as 130 megabits of data per second were being handled by a “big brain” computer at Bradley.

“Not only did we bring Internet2 into this building by putting a fiber optic switch upstairs in our catwalks, we created an entire TV studio,” explained Brown, recognizing the

irony of such cutting-edge technology in a building that is approaching 100 years old.

More than two years earlier, in the teleconferencing room of the Caterpillar Global Communications Center on campus, Brown first experimented with the technology of bringing virtual actors in from remote sites.

A 20-minute presentation of Antigone was staged with the University of Central Florida in August 2004. Later, a short Beckett piece called Catastrophe was presented with the University of Waterloo. Those trial runs helped lay the foundation for The Adding Machine, which ran more than two hours.

“We found that people were more interested in how we did it, more so than why we did it,” said Brown after The Adding Machine’s six-day run. “They [the audience] wanted to know how the technology functioned and how we put these pieces together.”

One key component was the creation of virtual scenery by students majoring in multimedia. Ferolo, assistant professor and director of the multimedia program, led students in creating the play’s computer-generated

The Plot

The Adding Machine revolves around Zero, a loyal employee with 25 years of service and a life and marriage envied by no one. Expecting a raise, Zero is enraged upon learning that an adding machine will be his replacement. When the accountant is tried and hanged for the crime of murdering his boss, the stage is set for the exploration of Zero’s afterlife. Written by Elmer Rice in 1923, The Adding Machine is regarded as America’s first expressionistic play. Rice (1892-1967) won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his next play, Street Scene, in 1929.

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Duane Zehr

On stage at Bradley, Zero (Thomas Lucas ’07) carries on a dialogue with Shrdlu (Brad Cook) who was performing at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Software called ISADORA operated a mega-computer, sending images through three projectors behind the screen.

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Duane Zehr

Virtual actors beamed in from hundreds of miles away, live actors onstage, and students using sophisticated computer technology added up to a production that was acclaimed by theatre critics and reported by Discovery Channel News.

Scott Cavanah

Explore a video documentary at addingmachine.bradley.edu

Next Act

Financial support and technical expertise for The Adding Machine came from many supporters, including sponsors like Kenyon & Associates Architects, Kuhlman Sound Co., and The Iona Group, which loaned a digital switcher and an HD camera for the run of the show. The camera was used in part to document the production, from Week 1 to Week 23. A video diary detailing the process can be found at addingmachine.bradley.edu. The production also received significant funding from a Bradley University Special Emphasis grant that supports faculty/student collaboration.

Bradley theatre and multimedia students can look forward to more hightech productions in the future, according to Brown and Ferolo. “In terms of the learning experience, the students were blown away by it,” Brown reported.

Someday the theatre and multimedia departments would like to explore mobile performance, integrating laptop computers and cell phones. “Do you need a theatre to have a theatrical performance?” Ferolo wonders aloud.

The next collaboration between the three universities will likely be seen not only at the Meyer Jacobs Theatre, but in three theatres. Alice in Wonderland is tentatively scheduled for January 2008. The co-directors see the looking glass as an ideal setup for using virtual actors. “We’re still brainstorming through possibilities,” said Brown, explaining that this time he expects audiences in Peoria, Orlando, and Waterloo, Ontario, will watch the performance simultaneously.

At left, Zero manages a brief interlude of happiness in the Elysian Fields when he encounters Daisy (Lindsey Schwahn ’07), his “missed opportunity” in life. While co-creators Brown and Ferolo staged the play in black and white, the Elysian Fields were in color and the actors costumed in white and silver.

Scott Cavanah Scott Cavanah

Director George Brown prepares Michelle Ziccarelli ’07 for a scene that multimedia majors went on to create with computers. “Shooting on a green screen allowed the background to be removed and replaced with anything we wanted,” Brown explained.

Jim Ferolo, at left, director of the multimedia program, works with students to prepare for the March 6 opening of The Adding Machine.

Below, a giant screen spanning the stage allowed actors from remote locations to interact with actors onstage. At the screen’s center, co-director John Wayne Shafer delivers Zero’s guilty verdict from Orlando, Florida. The other co-director, Gerd Hauck, traveled from Ontario to watch the March 9 performance in Peoria.

Duane Zehr

imagery (CGI). Aside from his role at Bradley, Ferolo does commercial work.

Creating panoramic backgrounds for music videos has exposed him to some innovative production techniques.

For two months, 50 to 60 hours of the directors’ time each week was devoted to the March production. With David Look ’07 as line producer, the multimedia students worked in teams to build composites (layered pieces of video) that were created with a combination of HD (high definition) video, still photos, and CGI. “I had 20 to 22 students making media on a daily basis,” said Ferolo, acknowledging his expectations and artistic demands were very high.

“There’s really no ‘done’ until the show goes up. I was continually refining and revising.” Reflecting later on the critically acclaimed show, he was quick to praise the students. “At the end of the day, I was so proud of what they created. I would put the work they did up against a host of professional enterprises.”

As for the “why” behind the groundbreaking production, Brown begins by explaining that theatre “has always grabbed ahold of new technology,” all the way back to the ancient Greeks. However, he continues to ponder the question of why.

“In redefining ‘live’ for theatre, are we intrinsically changing something?

Are we taking the last bastion of human communication away by putting somebody a thousand miles away?” he wonders. “I’m still exploring the idea of ‘why’ myself—I haven’t come to a definitive answer about that yet.”

One thing about which Brown is certain is the importance of maintaining a play’s integrity. “My whole focus has always been on the clarity of the story—is the story being served by what we’re doing?” Regarding The Adding Machine, he remarked, “We took a story that was written in 1923, made a few textual adjustments to it, but for the most part it was the same play…and it had to stand up on the stage with all the technology.”

InMemory 1930s Dorothy Jones Probanz ’31, January 26, Cape Coral, Florida. She was a teacher and principal in Geneseo for more than 37 years.

She moved to Florida in 1968. Her son and two grandsons survive.

Wilbur Dersch ’34, July 28, 2006, Peoria.

He practiced law for more than 50 years. A World War II veteran, he was an avid chess player. Survivors include his wife Betty, two daughters, and three grandchildren.

Robert V. Larson ’35, January 24, Weslaco, Texas. He retired from Caterpillar Inc. in 1978 with 42 years of service. He was involved in the Episcopal church in Peoria and Weslaco, and also was active in Masonic work and Shrine activities. Survivors include his wife Velma, four children, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Marjorie Hire ’36, February 28, Peoria. She was a secretary for the UAW, as well as several law offices. She was a member of Chi Omega.

Louise Swanson Placher ’37, December 17, 2006, Peoria. She was a teacher at White School and a social worker for the American Red Cross. Her son survives.

1940s James Finn ’40, March 1, Peoria. He was a sales rep for various companies. He was active in the Bradley Chiefs Club and had been president of the Orpheus Club. He was a World War II Navy veteran. Seven children, 17 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren survive.

Leslie Winslow ’42, November 24, 2006, Taylorville. He was a civil engineer. A World War II Army veteran, he was involved in Masonic work. Survivors include his wife Blossom, three children, 10 grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Warren L. Smith ’47, January 18, Tulsa.

He was a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction. He later worked for the state of Oklahoma, testifying on inmates’ competency to stand trial. Warren held master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois. He was a World War II Army veteran. His wife Rarity, three children, five grandchildren, and a greatgrandson survive.

Robert Brinkmeier ’48, March 9, Springfield. He served in the Illinois General Assembly from 1967 to 1977. Earlier Bob was a

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teacher and coach in Forreston for 20 years.

He taught and coached at Aquin Catholic High School in Freeport from 1968 to 1973. Bob was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981. He held administrative positions with the Illinois State Fair, the attorney general’s office, and Eastern Illinois University.

He was a World War II Army Air Forces veteran.

Robert Long ’48, January 11, Peoria. He owned an insurance agency and was active in the Independent Insurance Agents Association. Robert was a World War II Army Air Forces veteran. Surviving are his wife Beverly Carrigan Long ’47, two daughters, and four grandchildren.

Charles von Tesmar ’48, March 5, Ocala, Florida. He managed a plastics manufacturing plant in Schenectady, New York. A member of Sigma Chi at Bradley, he served on the city council of Ashtabula, Ohio. Charles was a World War II Army Air Forces veteran. His wife Elizabeth Royalty von Tesmar ’48, four children, and six grandchildren survive.

Robert Fenstermaker ’49, January 29, San Jose, California. He was a mechanical engineer for Lockheed for 33 years. During World War II, Bob was a pilot in the Naval Air Corps. Surviving are his wife Ila Mae Fell Fenstermaker ’48, two children, and five grandchildren.

Alfred Grupe ’49, March 26, Peoria. He worked at Caterpillar Inc. for many years and was a past commander of the Peoria Boat Club.

Ralph Lytle ’49, December 3, 2006, Peoria.

A World War II Army veteran, he devoted his career to medical research as a Naval commanding officer in Chicago. His achievements included work with DNA and anthrax testing.

An avid tennis player, Ralph was active in the Knights of Columbus. Three children and six granddaughters survive.

Virginia Thompson Martin ’49, August 18, 2006, Princeton. She enjoyed bridge.

Survivors include two daughters, four grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Ross Morris ’49, March 5, Cuba, Illinois.

As a law student, he was editor-in-chief of the Washington University Law Quarterly. Ross practiced law with a Peoria firm from 1951 to 1977, and then an additional 13 years in Lewistown. His specialty was trial litigation.

He received a Purple Heart for his World War II Navy service. Survivors include his wife Lois Hooper Morris ’51 and two children.

1950s Raymond Huffman ’50, January 19, Peoria.

After 39 years with Caterpillar Inc., he retired as chief engineer of vehicles and standards at the Mossville Tech Center in 1989. He was chairman of the YMCA board in Davenport, Iowa, from 1983 to 1985. A World War II Army veteran, Ray was a watercolor painter and sang in a barbershop quartet. Surviving are his wife Doris, three children, and four grandchildren.

Carolyn Jurgens ’50, February 21, Pekin.

She was director of the practical nursing program at Illinois Central College, retiring in 1986. Carolyn previously spent 37 years as director of the Proctor Hospital School of Nursing. She was an active volunteer and a member of Chi Omega at Bradley.

Henry Lopez ’50, November 7, 2006, Kewanee. He worked in quality control for Admiral Corp. in Bloomington and as a business administrator for General Electric. Later he was a high school Spanish tutor. Henry was a World War II Army Air Forces veteran. His wife Mary, three children, and six grandchildren survive.

Gail “Hap” Murphy ’50, January 13, Chillicothe. Hap was an alderman for 12 years and served as vice president of Plumber’s Local #63. A World War II Army Air Corps veteran, he served in the Air Force during the Korean War. His son and two grandchildren survive.

Gene Schramm ’50, December 9, 2006, Oxnard, California. He operated several businesses in Chicago as an entrepreneur with plastics and fiberglass. In Oxnard he and his wife Catherine Schram Schramm ’53 ran Frame of Mind, an art gallery and framing business, until 1999. An avid tennis player, Gene was a World War II Navy veteran. Two children also survive.

Clarence Shivers ’50, February 17, Colorado Springs. A member of the Tuskegee Airmen, he served in the Air Force until 1969, and later became an artist. His life-size bronze sculpture, The Black Airman, was unveiled at the Air Force Academy in 1988. Clarence and his wife Peggy endowed an African-American historical and cultural collection in Colorado Springs, as well as a concert series. He was honored as a Bradley Centurion in 1999. Other survivors include four children, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and two greatgreat grandchildren.

John Mennenoh ’51, January 2, Morrison.

John held a juris doctor degree from John Marshall Law School. He owned and operated H.B. Wilkinson Title and Abstract Co. from 1971 until 1996. Earlier he was employed by Chicago Title for 16 years. He was a philatelist and a railroad enthusiast. His wife Ann, three children, and seven grandchildren survive.

Selma Ferguson Morris ’51, January 15, Aurora. Sally was a teacher in Chillicothe for many years and was active in St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Her three children and eight grandchildren survive.

Anna Behrends ’52, February 12, Lincoln.

She taught for 42 years at Wilson School in Pekin, as well as several other schools. She also managed farmland. Anna was a Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Lutheran Church for 40 years. She is survived by her brother.

Richard “Mick” Delaney ’52, November 23, 2006, Seattle. Mick began a career as a motivational speaker in 1970, speaking nationally and in Europe. He was the first inductee into the National Speakers Hall of Fame in 1994.

Earlier he operated his own Seattle insurance agency. He also had worked at Caterpillar Inc. and State Farm Insurance. Survivors include his wife Esther, three daughters, two grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Robert Doubet ’52, February 7, Peoria Heights. He owned and operated Commercial Glass Co. for 33 years. Robert was active in Masonic work and was a Shrine jester. Three children and six grandchildren survive.

Earl Hawkins ’52, February 6, Princeville.

Earl was a retired banker. He was active in First United Methodist Church and Cursillo. A Korean War Army veteran, Earl was a charter member of Delta Upsilon at Bradley. Surviving are his wife Charlotte Phelps Hawkins ’50, four children, 12 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Roy White ’52, February 16, Peoria. He was employed by Vernard Studio and the McKesson Corp. Roy was a World War II Marine Corps veteran.

Mae Hageman Doubet ’53, December 26, 2006, Peoria Heights. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi at Bradley. Survivors include three children and six grandchildren.

Richard Kieser ’53, February 3, Peoria. The recipient of the Central Illinois Engineer of the Year Award in 1985, he retired from Caterpillar Inc. the following year as chief engineer of

large engine design. Richard received the G. Edwin Lecture Award in 1988 and was honored as boss of the year by the American Business Women’s Association. His wife Alice, three daughters, and five grandchildren survive.

Donald Lindsley ’53 MS ’54, October 14, 2006, Deerfield. Don had retired from teaching in Deerfield District 109. He is survived by his wife Connie.

Charlotte Lang Berg ’54, October 6, 2006, Scottsdale, Arizona. She had been a music teacher and traveled with a marimba quartet.

Her husband William, four children, and 10 grandchildren survive.

Nancy Newman Giampetro ’54, January 30, Coral Gables, Florida. Nancy was a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines and later worked in the athletics department of the University of Miami. She co-owned and operated an ice cream shop. Her husband George, two children, and five grandchildren survive.

Joann King Goelzer ’54, January 25, Los Altos, California. Survivors include her husband Dick Goelzer ’53 and two children.

Jack “J.D.” Wheeler ’54, January 13, Peoria. An Air Force veteran, he worked in the life insurance division of Pekin Insurance for many years until retiring in 1995. J.D. served as president of the local chapter of the ACLU for nine years. He received a number of honors for community activism, including a lifetime service award in 2005 from the ACLU of Illinois. He was a founder of the Central Illinois chapter of the Interfaith Alliance.

Charles Rassi ’55, May 19, 2006, Detroit.

He was a Presbyterian pastor in Michigan until 1968. Chuck later managed a personnel agency and sold insurance and real estate. Three children survive.

Frank Rubino ’55, March 2006, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He graduated from the University of Illinois Medical School at Chicago. Frank specialized in neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a veteran. Survivors include two daughters and three grandchildren.

Ralph Nibbelin ’56 MA ’58, January 13, Chillicothe. He taught at Illinois Valley Central High School for 36 years, retiring in 1993.

A member of two athletic halls of fame, Ralph was the official timekeeper at athletic events for 45 years. He also served as an alderman.

Survivors include his wife Gladys, four sons, and four grandchildren.

Donald Norton ’56, April 18, 2006, Peoria.

He worked in Peoria for many years and then lived in California and Florida. He was a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division. Five children, 13 grandchildren, and six greatgrandchildren survive.

Mary Deyo MA ’57, February 27, 2006, Peoria. She was a guidance counselor at Smart Junior High in Davenport, Iowa, for 15 years.

Mary was also a church organist. She directed the Peoria Women’s Club Chorus for five years.

Her daughter and granddaughter survive.

Roger Patterson ’57, October 30, 2006, Raleigh, North Carolina. He retired from IBM and then worked as a commercial real estate appraiser. Roger held an MBA from the University of Chicago. An Air Force veteran, he enjoyed outdoor sports and woodworking. His wife Joan and their four children survive.

Ellwood “Dean” Poling MA ’58, March 4, Copperas Cove, Texas. Dean was a teacher, coach, and principal in Illinois before becoming a priest in the Anglican Catholic Church.

He was dean of the Diocese of the Midwest for 10 years. A World War II Army veteran, Dean also served five years in the Reserves. Surviving are his wife Donna, two daughters, and five grandchildren.

Donna Hurst Vonachen ’59, March 25, Peoria. Known as the first lady of baseball, she kept score at every Peoria Chiefs game. Donna enjoyed painting and flower gardening. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi. Survivors include her husband Harold “Pete” Vonachen Jr. ’49, five children, and 11 grandchildren.

1960s Donald Seghetti ’61, March 5, Las Vegas. An avid bowler, he owned Town and Country Bowl in Peoria, and Northgate Lanes in Galesburg.

He last worked in insurance. His wife Linda, six children, and seven grandchildren survive.

Roy Swanson ’66, January 13, Raleigh, North Carolina. Roy held a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin. He worked in finance and manufacturing for companies including Borg Warner and SSI Technologies.

Survivors include his wife Cynthia, his mother, two stepchildren, and a granddaughter.

Eugene Gildermaster MEA ’68, November 7, 2006, Washington. Gene was an engineer at Caterpillar Inc. for 37 years, retiring in 1986.

A World War II Army Air Corps veteran, he was an active volunteer and a former library Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2007

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InMemory trustee. He enjoyed golf. Two children and five grandchildren survive.

Barbara Dearborn Phelps MA ’68, January 15, East Peoria. She was a teacher and principal at Rogers Elementary School in North Pekin for 25 years, retiring in 1977.

She ran Lorene’s department store in Roanoke.

Three sons, a stepson, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren survive.

Arthur Hossler ’69, January 26, Canton. He owned and operated Art Hossler Auto Plaza.

Art had served as chairman of the United Way, and was an Army veteran. He enjoyed outdoor sports. Two children survive.

Elizabeth Rankin ’69, January 6, Grand Forks, North Dakota. A professor of English at the University of North Dakota, she also was the director of Instructional Development.

Libby was the author of two books on writing.

She held master’s and doctoral degrees from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She and her husband Tom Steen enjoyed camping. Also surviving are three stepchildren and five grandchildren.

Rolland Scholl MSEE ’69, January 29, Dunlap. He acquired 23 patents during his 37 years at Caterpillar Inc., and retired as program manager in the electronics and electrical department. He was chairman of the board of the Apostolic Christian Church and its nursing home. His wife Carol Hoerr Scholl ’65, three children, and five grandchildren survive.

1970s James C. Stewart MA ’70, December 19, 2006, East Peoria. He retired in 1990 from teaching at Longfellow School in Peoria. He was active in Masonic work and the Mohammed Temple Shrine. Survivors include his wife Edith White Stewart MA ’67, and their daughter, grandson, and great-granddaughter.

Joseph Gibson ’71, March 15, Peoria. A graduate of the John Marshall Law School, he was in private practice for many years. Joe served as assistant state’s attorney in the late ’70s. He and his five brothers enjoyed participating in the Brothers’ Bowling Tournament.

Richard Isaacson ’71, November 4, 2006, Edwards. A teacher and coach at Peoria High School for 30 years, he was on the Manual High School baseball team that won the state championship in 1965. He played on Bradley’s final football team. Survivors include his wife Lynn and two children.

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Morrill Marston Piercy ’71, August 19, 2005, Duxbury, Massachusetts. He owned IG Marston Co. of Holbrook. Marston was a former church deacon and an avid sailor. His wife Evelyn and two children survive.

Clara King ’73, February 11, Spring Hill, Florida. She was a school librarian and elementary school teacher. She visited schools as Amelia Bedelia and read to students. Clara’s seven children, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren survive.

Terry Thomas ’74, March 18, Pekin. He worked for Caterpillar Inc. for 32 years, last working as a supervisor in the metallurgy lab.

He was a softball coach and enjoyed outdoor sports. Survivors include his wife Jeanne, his parents, five children and a granddaughter.

Ryan Shipton ’77, December 5, 2006, Castle Rock, Colorado. He was employed by Hewlett Packard for many years, and earlier had worked for Westinghouse Corp. Ryan had a private pilot’s license and enjoyed flying. His wife Sheryl Goodman Shipton ’77 and their two daughters survive.

1980s Theresa Finan ’80, November 6, 2006, Peoria.

For 15 years Theresa edited the Monthly Book Page of The Catholic Post. She had retired from teaching at AOL/Spalding Institute and Notre Dame High School. Theresa was active in her church and was a master gardener. She is survived by seven children.

Deirdre Purcell Collins ’86, August 17, 2006, Glendale, California. She held two master’s degrees in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Deirdre taught math at the high school and college levels in Chicago, and later in California. She was active in the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. Deirdre enjoyed quilting and Scottish country dance. Survivors include her husband Sterrett and her mother.

1990s Dhawn Barnes Workman ’90, November 29, 2006, Pekin. She worked part-time as a correspondent for the Pekin Daily Times. Dhawn was active in local theatre. Survivors include her husband Jesse, her parents, son, sister, and two stepchildren.

Stella O’Hanlon MA ’91, February 24, Peoria. She was a licensed clinical professional counselor for more than 15 years, specializing in grief and loss. She co-founded the Cancer Center for Healthy Living and taught workshops on relaxation training. In 2000 she was named Outstanding Practitioner by Chi Sigma Iota international honor society. Stella is survived by her husband Timothy, three children, and three grandchildren.

Jeffrey Malecek ’93, February 19, St. Charles. Jeff was an underwriter for Traveler’s Insurance. He enjoyed outdoor sports. Survivors include his parents and sister.

Bradley Faculty

John Caspari, former chair of the department of accounting, died on March 16 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was an associate professor at Bradley from 1980 to 1987.

For the past 18 years, John was involved in the theory of constraints. He and his wife Pamela were co-authors of Management Dynamics: Merging Constraints Accounting to Drive Improvement, published in 2004. He was a longtime consultant for the Edward Mellinger Educational Foundation in Monmouth. John held a doctoral degree from Washington University. He was a Navy veteran. Also surviving are 12 children and stepchildren, and 19 grandchildren.

Rachael Quant Mahue died on August 11, 2006 in Peoria. She taught

organ, harpsichord, and counterpoint at Bradley for 12 years.

Considered a virtuoso at the keyboard and pipe organ, Rachael had her own radio show at age 14. She held a master’s degree from Smith College and had played pipe organs around the world. In Peoria she was a church organist and played in the Peoria Symphony.

Her husband Louis, four daughters, three grandchildren, and a great-grandchild survive.

A tribute to Dr. Franklin Rodgers ’44 (1923-1999)

Declassified documents reveal alum’s key role in stealth technology

by Nancy Ridgeway

no evidence of having been occupied since the construction was completed, so I was able to move in with no one the wiser. For the next month, I spent most of my time alone in the shack…where our experimental program had begun. There, I returned to basic research, trying to understand the nature of the radar return from simple geometrical shapes without regard to the aerodynamic practicality of such shape.

My favorite shape was a simple circular aluminum disk. It had the advantage that the pattern of radar return from it was simpler than

Dr. Franklin Rodgers ‘44 with the SR-71 Blackbird

David A. Rodgers

When Herb Rodgers visited the home of his brother Dr. Franklin Rodgers ’44 many years ago, Frank pointed to a photograph of a stealth aircraft and quietly said, “This is mine.”

Information about stealth technology, used to make airplanes invisible to radar, was top secret until it was declassified in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. When Herb visited, though, Frank could not talk about his work. A few years ago, the History Channel aired a documentary about stealth technology and gave all the credit to another engineer. Herb decided to seek recognition for his late brother, as well. He explains Kelly Johnson, who led Lockheed’s Skunk Works project, designed the plane to fly, while Frank designed it for stealth capability. From 1956 to 1962, Frank was involved in stealth research, including the research and discovery of the first principles of stealth technology in the U.S. Herb visited Bradley in 2003 to collect information on Frank’s past. He learned that the Office of Alumni Relations had no record of Frank having attended Bradley, but when he dug deeper, he found that the Registrar’s Office had records showing he had graduated with honors in 1944. When Herb visited the University of Illinois, where Frank had earned a Ph.D. in physics in 1949, he also found Frank’s records were buried. It was then he figured the CIA may have covered Frank’s tracks since he was doing top-secret work.

In 1995, Frank wrote his memoirs about the years he had been involved in stealth research. Herb shared those memoirs, as well as additional background about his brother. He says Frank was a rising star in the radar division of MIT’s research center, Lincoln Labs, in 1956.

Edwin Land of Polaroid fame worked there. His cameras and film were used on the U-2 spyplane. Land was instrumental in bringing Frank and the CIA together.

Frank joined a team of radar experts to try to find a way to make the U-2 stealthy. One member of the team was Edward Purcell, Harvard professor and Nobel Laureate in physics, who was highly regarded among radar engineers. The team worked for the next two years but could not come up with an invisible U-2, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower insisted upon after Gary Frances Powers was shot down while flying his U-2 over Russia in 1960.

It was at this time that Dick Bissell, deputy director of the CIA for (Covert) Operations asked Frank if he thought he would be more successful if he could influence the design of an aircraft from its inception rather than working on an existing plane. His reply was the same as when he started the U-2 effort: “I don’t think so, but if you want me to try, I will.”

In his memoirs, Frank wrote, “I had the problem of finding a way to carry out those experiments without raising curiosity, with no equipment and no staff. There happened to be a small wooden shack on the roof of the building in which my radar groups were housed…It showed

a shape other than a sphere. After a month of frustrating failure, I adapted to my metal disk a technique developed during World War II for an entirely different configuration. To my complete surprise, the radar return did not just decrease; it disappeared.”

It was the above statement that made Herb believe Frank was truly the father of stealth technology for the U.S. Frank took his ideas to Kelly Johnson’s Skunk Works project at Lockheed. Together, they began work on the CIA plane, the A-12. In 1962, the Air Force renamed it the SR-71 Blackbird. Frank’s research led to the discovery of the five principles of stealth design still used today: radar cross-section reductions, such as vehicle shape and radar-absorbing paint; acoustics; visibility; infrared; and reducing radio frequency emissions.

Herb has submitted the memoirs to Bradley University’s Special Collections, housed in the Cullom-Davis Library. Contact Herb Rodgers at herbrodgers2@juno.com for more information.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2007

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AlumniNews

people & events

Alumni Events July 14 Quad Cities Peoria Chiefs vs. Quad Cities Swing baseball game, John O’Donnell Stadium, 7 p.m.

July 19 Chicago Kane and DuPage County alumni boat cruise, St. Charles Paddlewheel Riverboats, 6-7:30 p.m., $20 per person includes dinner and cruise July 23 Chicago alumni golf outing, Royal Fox Country Club, St. Charles, noon lunch, 1:30 shotgun start. $700 foursome, $175 per individual, includes lunch, dinner, 18 holes of golf, cart, Bradley University golf shirt, tee gifts and prizes August 12 St. Louis SLABAC annual picnic, new student send-off and 25th chapter anniversary, Creve Coeur Park, Tremayne Shelter, 1-4 p.m.

August 30 Peoria CIBAC Bratfest, Shea Stadium, 5-9 p.m., $6 per person, $20 per family September 14 Rockford alumni wine reception, at the home of Ted and Cheri Nordenberg Greenlee ’71, Belvidere, 5:30-7:30 p.m., guest speaker is Dr. Robert Fuller, professor of religious studies September 15 Washington D.C. Virginia Wine Festival; Morven Park Equestrian Center

Naples Forty-two alumni attended a luncheon hosted by Maj. Gen. Rudy Bartholomew ’53 and Mary Bartholomew on Saturday, March 23 at the Royal Palm Country Club. Shown from left, Shelli Williamson, Les Getz ’38, Mary Bartholomew, Rudy Bartholomew, Mabel Schoenheider.

Class of 1957

Golden Reunion

Thursday, September 27...Founder’s Day, 50-Plus Club reception Friday, September 28...campus & Peoria tour, Conklin Dinner Theatre Saturday, September 29...reunion luncheon

November 15 Chicago CABAC alumni theater event, featuring The Jersey Boys, LaSalle Bank Theatre November 30 Peoria CIBAC holiday party, Mount Hawley Country Club

University Events September 27-29 Founder’s Day and Homecoming 2007 November 2-3 Forensics Alumni Reunion For more information, visit bualum.org or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 309-677-2240 or 800-952-8258.

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Atlanta Bradley alumni gathered together to watch Bradley beat Virginia Commonwealth University in a nationally televised game at Frankie’s at the Prado in Atlanta on February 17th.

From left, Neil Terc ’96, Tom Sargeant ’87, Jim Parment ’68, Bart Seidner ’96, Nate Browne ’00, Todd Desrosiers ’96.

Bond, Dr. Ed Bond associate professor of marketing

Sarasota About 40 alumni enjoyed brunch and a campus update at the Longboat Key Resort on Sunday, March 24. Shown from left, Alan ’58 and Goldijean Shaikun Turow MA ’90, who hosted the event, and Dr. Sol Rosenberg Ph.D. ’55 (1955 was the last year Bradley awarded a Ph.D.), and Bernice Rosenberg.

Thursday,

September 27 Founder’s Day

September 28

Friday,

campus poker run

Saturday,

St. Louis Alumni enjoyed lunch at Fast Eddie’s in Alton on February 10.

Contact your alumni chapter at

September 29

bualum.org

Gary R. Tippett Memorial Homecoming 5K run, Homecoming parade, tailgate party, soccer vs Illinois-Chicago, fireworks, alumni night at Jimmy’s

Sunday,

September 30

Homecoming Brunch featuring a variety of Bradley musical ensembles

Visit bualum.org for details and a list of reunions

Phoenix More than 30 alumni, family, and friends gathered to watch a Chicago Cubs spring training game in Mesa, Arizona, in March.

Bring your college-bound students to the Homecoming 2007 Visit Day on Friday, September 28. Spend the day learning what Bradley has to offer your student.

The next day, reunite with your Bradley classmates for the Homecoming Parade, tailgating, and Bradley soccer match. For more information, contact Erin Durbin ‘97 MA ‘05 at 800-952-8258.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2007

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CampusView In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings

by Nancy Ridgeway/photos by Duane Zehr

David Baer, Bradley police chief

Campus emergency info In the event of a University emergency, call 309-677-4000 or go to

emergency.bradley.edu mybu.bradley.edu bradley.edu/rss 32

bradley.edu/hilltopics

The deadly shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16 served as a chilling reminder that tragedies can happen anywhere, including college campuses. No one is more aware of this than David Baer, chief of Bradley University’s police department.

For the past 34 years, Baer’s mission has been to ensure the safety of everyone, particularly students, on campus.

Baer and Chuck Ruch, associate provost of information resources and technology, along with other members of the campus community, are working to upgrade the University’s emergency communication capabilities. Plans previously in place include media announcements on local radio and television, mass e-mails, a Web site, and phone trees to contact specific groups such as residence hall advisors and others.

Effective this summer, a new Web site, emergency.bradley.edu, allows wider access so those who know relevant information can post it. All postings will include a date/time stamp to clarify the timeliness of the information. In addition, the campus community may dial 309-677-4000 for emergency information.

While the Web site and phone number allow people to “ask” for information, the University also is devising a plan to alert the campus community if there is an emergency. Plans are underway to collect cell phone numbers and authorization to receive emergency text messages from all students, faculty, and staff on a volunteer basis. Text messages will alert people to an emergency situation and will direct them to the emergency phone or Web site for more information. The message also will advise people about what type of action they should take, such as locking themselves in a

building, vacating, etc. Baer and Ruch emphasize that only emergency information will be sent, and a clear policy regarding the emergency database and mass text messaging will be established this summer.

Ruch says, “We all learned from Hurricane Katrina that text messaging is the most effective means of communication. Hopefully, in the event of an emergency, we can get the word out to people in short messages. Then they can go to the phone or the Web for more information.”

In addition to text messaging, the University will work in conjunction with the Peoria Police Department to send a similar phone message to all existing land lines on campus.

Besides efforts on Bradley’s campus, three government officials are spearheading efforts to see what can be done at Illinois colleges to help provide for the protection of students.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is creating the Illinois Campus Security Task Force, while U.S. Senator Richard Durbin proposed legislation called the Campus Law Enforcement Emergency Response Act of 2007. Attorney General Lisa Madigan invited college and university leaders to participate in a statewide discussion of campus safety issues including emergency lockdown and communication, developing security and law enforcement relationships, and mental health and privacy issues such as those addressed in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Baer will serve on a team comprised of members of the Illinois Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, which will respond to the issues that arise from these efforts. He said, “Individuals in campus law enforcement have been called upon to be the links of response to the federal and state groups.”

Baer stresses the importance of Bradley’s involvement in these efforts. He says, “You can’t act like you’re off in a corner. We monitor and look for problems that could exist. It’s for our betterment. There is no way to know what people will do.”

All Bradley police officers are state-certified and receive the same training as all municipal officers.

Bradley officers work cooperatively and have direct contact with the City of Peoria police department and other federal, state, and municipal agencies that would respond immediately to a University emergency.

Visit bradley.edu/police for information about the University’s police department and about Bradley’s Emergency Response Plan and Emergency Guidelines.

More than 100 students, faculty, and community members gathered April 23 on Founder’s Circle for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. Earlier, Bradley’s Alpha Phi Omega members created a banner signed by hundreds of students, faculty, and staff that was sent to Virginia Tech’s APO chapter. Letters to the campus community from Bradley President David Broski and Provost Peter Johnsen may be viewed at bradley.edu/hilltopics.

Bond, Dr. Ed Bond associate professor of marketing

1994 Lotus Esprit S4 courtesy of Dr. Mitch Griffin

Bradley Hilltopics 1501 West Bradley Avenue Peoria, Illinois 61625 Change Service Requested

Tux courtesy of Ducky’s Formal Wear

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Pontiac, Illinois Permit No. 6