Bradley University Fall 2016
bradley.edu/hilltopics
MAN in the arena The making of a life-changing documentary in the world’s most failed state
President’s Welcome
The best interests of our alma mater the cost of attendance and thus, student debt. At the same time, the value of a college degree is being questioned more and more. I believe strongly that Bradley is well positioned to thrive even in such a challenging environment, largely because of its great reputation, its outstanding faculty, its student focus, its incredibly loyal and supportive alumni, and its strong public and private partnerships. Nonetheless, it is imperative that everyone in the Bradley family work together in common purpose to preserve and enhance these critical advantages that the university enjoys today. It is in that context that having our senior leadership team being totally devoted to Bradley’s and its students’ success is so fortuitous.
WHEN WALTER ZAKAHI BEGAN his duties as our new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs July 1, Bradley found itself in a rare, if not unprecedented, position — its three most senior leaders are all alumni. While this may seem quaint and charming, it is far more than that. Walter ’78, our longtime Senior Vice President for Business Affairs Gary Anna ’74, and I (class of ’70) all bring an affection for and a dedication to Bradley that we have had all of our adult lives. Our love for Bradley transcends the normal sense of duty that even the most dedicated employees typically have for their employer. It means that all we do here, we do for what we believe is in the best interests of our beloved alma mater. This is especially important these days when the challenges facing all of higher education are daunting. The number of high school graduates in the U.S. continues to decline. The costs associated with recruiting this shrinking pool of prospective students, coupled with the rapidly escalating costs of technology, various government regulations, campus and digital security, and competing in a tough marketplace for the best faculty all combine to drive up
Of course, as I emphasize over and over, a big part of Bradley’s success is the generosity of its alumni, friends and corporate partners. Without that financial support, so many of the things we do to give our students a great educational experience would not be possible. I am often asked by people whether I enjoy fundraising, and my answer is an unqualified yes. I don’t regard it as asking for money. I see it as giving people who love Bradley and remember the great impact the university had in their lives, as well as businesses that benefit from Bradley’s presence and hire our graduates, a chance to invest in Bradley’s future, and in its students who will be the leaders of tomorrow. In short, raising money for Bradley provides people with an opportunity to invest in society’s future, and that is something I am happy and proud to do. And everyone can be assured that I and everyone else here on the Hilltop are immensely appreciative of the support we get from our investors. One final note. I don’t believe many people realize that Bradley may be the only major institution of higher learning in America founded entirely by a woman, and back in the late 1800s no less — a fact we are highlighting with pride as we celebrate Lydia Moss Bradley’s 200th birthday and her amazing life this semester. It’s just another of the many reasons we all have to be so proud of Bradley University.
Fall 2016 Between the lines
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Professor of English Laurie Vickroy discovered her life’s work at the intersection of literature and psychology.
Perseverance and purpose
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Marcus Pollard ’94 went from playing in the NFL to helping players adjust to their new lives — with a side trip to some exotic locations.
21st century oasis
12: Cover of William Faulkner’s Absalom! Absalom!; 16: courtesy Carolina Panthers; 18: Duane Zehr; 22: courtesy J.R. Biersmith ’01.
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Recent renovations to the Cullom-Davis Library, including new furniture and infrastructure, increased its collaborative capabilities and enhanced the educational atmosphere.
Man in the arena
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The struggles and successes of two Somali soccer players are the latest focus for independent filmmaker J.R. Biersmith ’01. Departments Bradley Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Bradley Avenue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Research Scene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Bookplate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
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On the cover Sa’ad Hussein and Saadiq Mohammed, two soccer stars from Somalia, are the subject of a compelling and inspirational new documentary by J.R. Biersmith ’01. Photo illustration by Martin Nabelek.
Staff
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S.L. Guthrie executive editor
Sarah Dukes art director
Bob Grimson ’81 assistant director
Duane Zehr university photographer
Mary Brolley assistant director
Administration Gary R. Roberts ’70 president
Janet Lange M.A. ’93 interim associate vice president for marketing and publications
© Bradley University 2016 Bradley Hilltopics is published three times a year by Bradley University for alumni, faculty, staff, parents of students and other friends of the university. Send address changes to Bradley Hilltopics, Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625. phone: (309) 677-2249 / website: bradley.edu/hilltopics email: hilltopics@bradley.edu / fax: (309) 677-4055 / 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 is committed to compliance with all applicable laws regarding non-discrimination, harassment and affirmative action.
Bradley Bits “ WE’RE TALKING ABOUT 1 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS, BUT (THEY) SAP OUR TIME, ENERGY AND RESOURCES. THEY TAKE AWAY FROM THE 99 PERCENT. AND WE’VE ALLOWED IT.” — Susan Luparell ’85, addressing fellow nursing educators in a workshop on incivility in the classroom in August.
Bradley’s police department and the Peoria Chiefs minor-league baseball team partnered again in the team’s Gold Baseball program. In honor of former Chiefs owner PETE VONACHEN ’49, officers handed out gold baseballs to children showing good behavior. They could exchange the balls for a free ticket to a Chiefs game.
1,093 This fall, the class of 2020 walked onto the Hilltop, nearly 1,100 strong. Freshman enrollment was
up 17.8 percent from 2015. President Gary Roberts credited an enhanced social media presence, increased parent engagement and data-driven analysis for the boost. “We started from scratch,” he said of the recruitment effort.
COMPILED BY S.L. Guthrie, Bob Grimson ’81, Mary Brolley, Sarah Dukes and Duane Zehr. PHOTO CREDITS // Baseball: courtesy Peoria Chiefs; Ice cream, Packard, soccer, Alpha Epsilon Delta: Duane Zehr.
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Peoria restaurateur Frank Abdnour created a special ice cream, Mrs. Bradley’s Birthday Blend, to mark the university founder’s 200th birthday. The refreshing treat, available at Abdnour’s Spotted Cow eatery for a limited time, is vanilla ice cream with a swirl of red velvet.
A portrait of Wales H. Packard, who led the biology department from 1898–1941, the longest tenure in Bradley’s early history, finally arrived on campus after its commissioning more than 60 years ago. Contributions from Packard’s students, friends and members of the medical community lent support to the construction of Cullom-Davis Library, where the painting hangs in the Packard Room on the ground floor.
“WE ALL KNOW (PACKARD) AS AN EXCELLENT TEACHER. HE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE US, AND EVERY ONE SOUGHT HIS ADVICE ON ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS.” — Hilltopics, summer 1945
Bradley’s young soccer team — 18 true or redshirt freshmen — took down ninth-ranked Notre Dame 1-0 in August at the annual Danny Dahlquist Memorial Game before the start of the regular season. Junior RICHARD OLSON had the lone goal in the 75th minute, and goalkeeper LOGAN KETTERER stopped all five Irish shots.
Val Bennett, center, director of the Health Professions Advising Center, and officers of the newly inaugurated Alpha Epsilon Delta chapter pose with a skull, part of AED’s crest and used for initiations and other rituals. The group, an honor society for preprofessional health occupations, inducted nearly 50 charter members on campus in October.
Bradley Hilltopics Fall 2016
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Bradley Avenue
New Centurions come from business, government and nonprofit sectors MICHAEL SCIMO ’85 Describing himself as “just a kid from Addison, Ill.,” Michael Scimo ’85 admitted he had no motivation to attend college and visited Bradley at the insistence of his father. That trip and a meeting with Professor of Manufacturing Gustav Olling M.A. ’71 launched a global career for the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus and new member of the Centurion Society. Scimo retired as global managing director after a 30-year career with professional services company Accenture. He also served on the company’s Global Leadership Council and managed the firm’s Chicago office with its 5,500 employees. In that job, he expanded Accenture’s business and civic roles.
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“I know we’re being recognized for things we’ve done in our lives so far, but I also consider this as a motivation,” the Sigma Chi member said. He led Accenture’s Global Chemicals and Natural Resource Practice, working with company clients and employees in more than 40 countries. He was in charge of the company’s North American corporate citizenship programs, which played a large role in Accenture’s Skills to Succeed initiative, helping more than a million people worldwide gain job and business skills. Scimo said small gestures can have major impacts on others, adding his life changed profoundly through his
meeting with Olling, his time at Bradley and the influence of other alums. Helping people develop employment skills is one of his prime interests as a board member for Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, a nonprofit group offering opportunities for more than a thousand people. Scimo is a founding board member of Skills for America’s Future, which hopes to expand the Chicago model nationwide. He also has served on the boards of Junior Achievement and the Accenture Foundation. DAVID BRANT ’74 David Brant ’74 serves as managing director of global accounting firm BDO’s federal practice. A leader in
Faculty earn top honors on Founder’s Day global law enforcement, he previously served as director of strategy and operations for Deloitte Consulting LLP and director of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) during 9/11. Brant earned a master’s degree at Indiana State University and is a graduate of the senior executive course at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has earned many awards, including the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award and the Presidential Rank Award for exceptional long-term accomplishments by government senior executives.
CHARLES M. PUTNAM AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Caterpillar Professor of Psychology Claire Etaugh received the Putnam Award for Excellence in Teaching for her role as a teacher and mentor at Bradley for 51 years. She also has served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. Author of more than 100 publications and lead author of several textbooks, she is a fellow of the Midwestern Psychological Association and of two divisions of the American Psychological Association. Etaugh, who received her doctorate at the University of Minnesota, previously earned the university’s Rothberg Award for Professional Excellence and the YWCA Outstanding Woman Leader Award.
“When I look back and reference my career, I see and believe the foundation was established at Bradley,” Brant said, adding that traits honed at the university that may not have been reflected academically nonetheless prepared him to be a successful leader. ANDREA PARKER ’92 Andrea Parker ’92 serves as executive director of the Hult Center for Healthy Living in Peoria. Starting as a hospital pediatric nurse and supervisor, she also held a variety of public health roles before joining the Hult Center, where she oversees the UnityPoint In-School Health Program, serving schools in Peoria and the surrounding area.
Noting that what she considered her passions others perceived as achievements, Parker said, “I don’t think any of us work to be noticed for our accomplishments.” — B.G.
Scimo, Brant, Parker
Photography by Duane Zehr
Parker, who earned a master’s degree at the University of Illinois College of Nursing at Chicago, has been active in several community and service organizations. Honors include induction into the Black Hall of Fame of Central Illinois and recognition as one of 40 Leaders Under Forty, the 25 Women in Leadership, the Central Illinois Women of Influence and from the Peoria Jaycees and Peoria public schools.
SAMUEL ROTHBERG PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Described as innovative, erudite and scholarly, Professor of English Laurie Vickroy received the Samuel Rothberg Professional Excellence Award for outstanding achievements by a senior faculty member. She has published two peer-reviewed monographs and served as
co-editor for three books. A member of the faculty since 1990, Vickroy has written articles and book chapters, presented 20 papers at regional, national and international events, and her work is regularly cited in scholarly articles and journals. Vickroy earned her doctorate at the State University of New York at Binghamton, now Binghamton University.
CATERPILLAR INC. FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR SCHOLARSHIP Luke Haverhals, assistant professor of chemistry, earned the Caterpillar Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarship, cited as a teacher, researcher and prolific writer. At Bradley since 2013, he has two publications with student co-authors, with four more submitted for review. Haverhals has participated in more than 90 seminars and generated almost $700,000 through nine research funding proposals. He earned his doctorate at the University of Iowa, holds four U.S. patents and founded a company to commercialize technologies he developed.
CATERPILLAR INC. FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR TEACHING Amy Bacon, assistant professor of psychology,
received the Caterpillar Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching. She also supervises student research projects and is involved with the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning. In addition, she has earned honors from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and received the Bradley’s First-Year Teaching Award. Noted for adopting new teaching strategies and working with other members of the psychology department, Bacon came to the university in 2011. She earned her doctorate at the University of Arkansas and did a predoctoral clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina.
FRANCIS C. MERGEN MEMORIAL AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE Caterpillar Professor of English Susan Brill de Ramirez received the Mergen Award for her involvement in projects from the Peoria-area Look, It’s My Book reading program to volunteering as a consultant and adviser for BIHE University, which aids Iranian students denied access to higher education because of their faith. A faculty member since 1991, she has received numerous awards, including the Samuel Rothberg Professional Excellence Award and the Parents’ Association Award of Excellence. She has written several books, chapters and articles. Active in university committees and groups, Brill de Ramirez is involved with many environmental and social service groups, as well as the Baha’i faith. — B.G.
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Homecoming: Duane Zehr; Bradley portrait: Donna Carr Roberts.
Homecoming Highlights
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A new look for Lydia The Founder’s Day luncheon in September brought the unveiling of a new portrait of a younger Lydia Moss Bradley, painted by Donna Carr Roberts. During the presentation, President Gary Roberts ’70 described his wife’s work as showing the woman who caught Tobias Bradley’s eye. Not long after their marriage, the couple moved to Peoria in the 1840s and built a business empire that she continued after his death. Lydia Moss Bradley was a major benefactor for Peoria, helping build and fund hospitals, social services and eventually, the school bearing her name. The work will reside in the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. A Facebook post about the picture drew comments like, “Very cool! What a nice portrait,” and “Remarkable woman who did remarkable things.” Closer to Bradley’s actual birthdate, July 31, the university hosted a ceremony at her gravesite. Speech team standout Jerome Gregory ’17, who earlier this year won the national championship for impromptu speaking and was runner-up for overall top speaker at the National Forensics Association contest, among other honors, demonstrated his verbal skills with an impassioned address. You can hear his remarks here: bradley.edu/go/ ht-GregorySpeech. — S.L.G.
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Bradley Avenue
Couple’s gift funds Maker’s Lab
The Federal Highway Administration honored Bradley among schools partnering with it to bring new innovations and technology to the classroom as part of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program. Five civil engineering and construction professors teamed to integrate the research program’s technologies into four existing undergraduate and graduate courses and a new graduate-level course. They also developed a one-day workshop highlighting civil engineering advancements. Courses included pavement design, soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering. Mohammad Hossain, assistant professor of civil engineering and construction, said the project introduced students to state-of-the-art technology used in the private and public sectors and enhanced their educations. Other professors involved with the program are Yasser Khodair, Sihyun Kim, Yoon-Si Lee and Fayez Moutassem. — B.G.
The couple’s gift will fund the Maker’s Lab in the Convergence Center. The lab offers space for innovators and developers to create and market their products. The gift also allows students from Peoria’s Quest Charter Academy to use the lab to create new products and work alongside college students. “This space will allow our students and members of the community to build their ideas,” said Lex Akers, dean of the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology. “We hope to see students from Quest and many other schools reap the benefits of this world-class facility.” — B.G. Editor’s note: Sadly, Glen Barton died Oct. 24, 2016 just as this issue came off the presses. His family is in our thoughts and prayers.
Polly and Glen Barton
Moon, Zarvell earn Founder’s Day awards After earning a master’s degree from George Washington University, Moon worked with the Department of Defense and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She is a board member of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, a member of the Farm Foundation Round Table and a David Rockefeller Fellow at the Trilateral Commission.
Among the honorees at Bradley’s annual Founder’s Day luncheon in September were Lisa Eakman Moon ’05 and Ray Zarvell ’62 M.A. ’69. Moon, named the 2016 Outstanding Young Graduate, is president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network, an international organization that creates and supports food banks worldwide. Previously, she served as vice president of global agriculture and food at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Zarvell, executive director of student development and health services emeritus, is the 2016 Lydia Moss Bradley Award winner. His Bradley career totaled 39 years, where he was a pioneer in college orientation and advisement programs. Zarvell was instrumental in creating the university’s innovative Academic Exploration Program (AEP). A founder of the National Peer Counseling Association, Zarvell was active in several professional and community groups. Delta Upsilon fraternity elected him to its board of directors and awarded him its Founders Medal for Service. — S.L.G.
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Moon, Zarvell: Duane Zehr.
HIGHWAY AGENCY HONORS BRADLEY
Peoria philanthropists Glen and Polly Barton donated a seven-figure gift in June to help fund the Business and Engineering Convergence Center and a partnership program with a Peoria charter school. Barton is a retired chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc.
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The best four years A new Hilltopics series
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This fall, we begin a new series following two undergraduate students through their Bradley careers. What are they looking forward to, and what do they hope to accomplish? And how will their collegiate experience be the same or different from yours? Take a look:
Name or nickname:
Melissa Fuentes Hometown:
La Grange Park, Ill.
Major:
political science
What are your first impressions of Bradley University?
I think there are a lot of opportunities to get involved and to feel a part of the community here. The small size lends itself to more opportunities for students on an individual level.
Favorite spot on campus? Michel Student Center.
How would you describe yourself?
Hard-working, confident, funny.
Name or nickname:
Adam “Ernie” Ernst Hometown:
I am obsessed with staying active and eating right. Sports, weightlifting, cardio, swimming.
Major:
What are your career aspirations?
Fenton, Mo.
pre-physical therapy (health science)
What made you choose Bradley University?
Photography by Duane Zehr
What are your hobbies, interests?
The atmosphere on campus just felt like a place where I would easily fit in. The culture, campus, dorms — all of it felt like home to me.
Favorite spot on campus? The Cullom-Davis Library and the Markin Rec Center.
How would you describe yourself? Very motivated and caring.
My dream job is to become a physical therapist. I love the atmosphere, and you get to help people recover from their injuries.
What, if anything, has surprised you about college life so far?
I am very surprised that my family hasn’t totally stopped functioning without me around the house.
What are your hobbies, interests?
Speech, going to concerts, music, politics
What are your career aspirations?
I want to be an attorney. Ideally, I would like to get into constitutional law and eventually have a career in politics.
What, if anything, has surprised you about college life so far?
Time management! There are a lot of responsibilities in college aside from just going to class and doing homework, like laundry or washing dishes.
Bradley Avenue Bradley ranks high for student engagement
A free smartphone application allows students to access university sexual assault policies, reporting options and other services. Introduced this fall, Reach Out – College Edition is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store and offers comprehensive, Bradley-centered information on services and support on and off campus. The app is private, offering students an opportunity to anonymously report sexual harassment or discrimination. It helps further comply with the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act, signed into law earlier this year by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner. Other Bradley measures to combat sexual assault include training at freshman orientation and presentations by the H.E.A.T. (Help, Empower and Teach) group of peer leaders. — B.G.
Bradley University is among the best in the country for student engagement, according to the inaugural Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. The university tied for sixth in the nation overall and tied for first among non-religiously affiliated schools. Bradley also ranked highest among colleges and universities in Illinois and fourth among institutions in the Midwest. The WSJ/THE rankings incorporated results from a survey of 100,000 college students. It took into consideration students’ experiences with their professors, how much they collaborated on projects, were pushed to think critically and whether they would recommend their school to others.
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Bradley also earned recognition as one of the best schools for undergraduate education in the nation in The Princeton Review’s 2017 listing of The Best 381 Colleges. The review, which also gave Bradley a top-25 ranking for student internships, annually profiles just 15 percent of four-year U.S. colleges and universities. — S.L.G.
Top awards for fraternity, student, alum Senior Zachary Roake, fourth from right, received the Chapter President of the Year award; the fraternity also named him to its board of directors for 2016–17. The award recognizes the time, effort and leadership given by a Delta Upsilon undergraduate chapter president for the improvement of his chapter.
The Delta Upsilon international fraternity has named the Bradley chapter one of seven finalists for its Sweepstakes Trophy, the highest honor bestowed upon one of its undergraduate chapters. The award ceremony took place at Delta Upsilon’s annual Leadership Institute, July 28–31 in Indianapolis. During the 2015–16 academic year, the Bradley Chapter had 73 members, well above the campus fraternity average of 43. Delta Upsilon reported these men boasted a chapter GPA above both the all-fraternity and all-men’s campus averages. Eighteen Bradley Chapter members attended a national Delta Upsilon educational program and raised $1,020 for the Fraternity’s Global Service Initiative, DU’s international philanthropy and service project.
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Bradley Provost Walter Zakahi ’78 called student intellectual engagement the very heart of the Bradley Experience. “Collaboration and experiential learning are core values at Bradley,” he said. “We emphasize real-world learning opportunities across the curriculum and that results in exceptional mentoring opportunities between faculty and students.”
Two weeks after she graduated, Colleen McNally ’16 began her Navy career at the training base in Great Lakes, Ill. She performed to such an outstanding degree that the Navy gave her its highest honor for a recruit, the Military Excellence Award. The prestigious award goes to the graduating recruit who best exemplifies the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military appearance and behavior, self-discipline and teamwork. McNally, a Peoria native, majored in international business. She is a legacy family member, including grandparents Dirk ’59 and Martha Pfeffinger McGinnis ’61, and aunts Meghan McGinnis Tejero ’97 and Rosalind McGinnis Helms ’97. — S.L.G.
DU: courtesy Delta Upsilon; McNally: Kristine Schmeling ’17.
NEW APP AIMS TO CURTAIL SEXUAL ASSAULT
New program boosts dietetics A new dietetic internship master’s degree program in nutrition and wellness began at the university this fall. It will replace the dietetic internship graduate certificate, which will continue while the transition takes place. The program adds a full section of graduate-level courses to the required practicum hours and maintains a focus on wellness and experiential learning. Students can align their experiences and career interests with options to study abroad and tailor a portion of their
Turners’ support aids Convergence Center Former Bradley Board Chair Robert Turner ’77 MBA ’78 and his wife, Carolyn, have committed $1 million through their family foundation to support the university’s Engineering and Business Convergence Center.
leadership are again evidenced by this wonderful gift. (As former chair) when the early versions of the convergence concept were crafted, he was always enthusiastic in recognizing its strategic importance to the university.”
“The Convergence Center illustrates Bradley’s focus on innovative concepts that enhance the student experience at the university,” said the couple. “The program and the building fit well with The Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and we are pleased to support this effort.”
The Turners previously established the Robert and Carolyn Turner Center for Entrepreneurship in the Foster College of Business, the Turner Endowed Chair for Entrepreneurship, and the Robert and Carolyn Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. They have also aided Bradley’s technology-assisted distance learning initiative, which engages hundreds of graduate nursing and counseling students across the country.
Current Board Chair Doug Stewart commended the Turners for their continued influence. “I have been engaged with Bob and Carolyn for a long time, and their support and
— S.L.G.
practicum hours and locations. “The change will make more competent, better-prepared dietitians,” said Amanda Newell, dietetics internship director. “There are so many things you can do with a dietetics degree. We want to show them options so they can expand their horizons and find a job setting they love.” The profession’s chief licensing agency, the Commission on Dietetic Registration, will require an advanced degree by 2024. Turners: courtesy Turner family.
Currently, an internship with 1,200 practicum hours is the minimum for entry-level certification. — B.G. Carolyn and Bob Turner ’77 MBA ’78
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Research Scene
Between the lines BY MARY BROLLEY
Laurie Vickroy discovered her life’s work at the intersection of literature and psychology.
rape, loss of children, neglect — and cultural — slavery, indentured servitude, oppression, poverty, racial injustice.
In college, as she studied comparative literature, she had long talks with her boyfriend (now her husband), whose major was psychology. Later, in graduate school, she was often drawn to authors whose characters experienced traumatic events, and as she wrote her dissertation on the works of Toni Morrison and Marguerite Duras, she became fascinated with incorporating psychoanalytic techniques into her study of literature.
In Margaret Atwood’s “The Blind Assassin” (2000) and “Alias Grace” (1996), the female protagonists react to punishing environments by repressing their thoughts, withdrawing or rationalizing their behavior. In “Absalom, Absalom” (1936), William Faulkner shows the effects of Southern slave culture on generations of men and women, both black and white.
Today, the longtime professor of English teaches and mentors young writers and researchers as she continues to explore the field of trauma narratives. Experts in this emerging area — Vickroy among them — search for patterns in fictional characters’ endurance of and reactions to traumatic events in stressful social contexts. “Peoples’ circumstances have a huge effect on them,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in how people survive traumas, how the past haunts them.” Reading challenging works is an entertaining and artistic experience that also deepens empathy and understanding, Vickroy said. “People have a taste for reading about (trauma). If a writer can make it palatable, they find it interesting.” And such works, she said, expose the beauty and depth of the human experience. In her 2015 book “Reading Trauma Narratives,” Vickroy examined five well-known contemporary writers and eight of their works. Each author is an original voice representative of their time. The characters’ traumas are both individual —
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By immersing them in the traumatic history of AfricanAmericans in “Paradise” (1997) and “A Mercy” (2008), Toni Morrison helps readers understand how systemic repression can cause individuals to devalue and wound others. Social and cultural forces wreak havoc on Chuck Palahniuk’s tortured narrators in “Fight Club” (1996) and “Invisible Monsters” (1999). And in Jeanette Winterson’s “Written on the Body” (1993), a deliberately anonymous narrator-protagonist reveals the role of neglect and abandonment in survivors’ trauma. “(My) book tries to help readers figure out what these writers are doing,” said Vickroy. “How do they make the characters engaging? How do they make us care about them?” Because narrators are often unreliable, Vickroy deftly uses psychological, literary and cultural theories to shed light on their reactions, motivations and coping mechanisms. In September, Vickroy, who came to Bradley in 1990, received the university’s Samuel Rothberg Professional Excellence Award, presented annually to a senior faculty member. Honored for her scholarship and contributions to her field, she has presented her work at conferences and published
Bookplate Recent books by Bradley faculty
SCREENING VIENNA: THE CITY OF DREAMS IN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CINEMA AND TELEVISION Cambria Press
articles in journals, chapters in book collections. Vickroy has written two books and co-edited another. Amy Eggert ’05 M.A. ’07, a psychology major, took a class taught by Vickroy as an undergraduate.
Depictions of the Austrian capital in English-language television and movies have shaped perceptions of the historic city. Timothy Conley, associate professor of English, analyzes how more than 150 English-language productions from the 1920s to 2013 have portrayed this cultural and diplomatic center.
“She was motivational,” Eggert recalled. “We talked about psychoanalysis, we talked about how to diagnose characters.” She credited Vickroy with opening her eyes to the connections between psychology and creative writing, an influence that led her to pursue both disciplines with a master’s in writing and a doctorate in English Studies, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder and creative writing. Vickroy was also on her dissertation committee. Now an English instructor and director of Bradley’s Writing Center, as well as a writer of trauma fiction, she said Vickroy’s emphasis on the interplay of personal and systemic traumas makes perfect sense. “So much of personal healing involves reconnecting with one’s community,” said Eggert. “If the community itself is in turmoil, there’s less of a chance that people in that community can help the survivor recover. “Even though it’s uncomfortable, there are ways of talking about these things without perpetuating the myth that they’re taboo. I think it’s really important as humans to talk about all human conditions, not just the cheerful ones.” Vickroy, too, believes tackling more challenging works may act as a civilizing force. “Studies show that those who read literary fiction may be primed for traits of empathy and social perception,” she said. “Through reading, they can see what people go through and witness events that are outside their experience.”
SMART EDUCATION AND SMART E-LEARNING Springer Vladimir Uskov, professor of computer science and information systems and co-director of the InterLabs Research Institute, was an editor for this volume of the KES Smart Innovation Systems and Technologies series. It includes 45 peer-reviewed book chapters from the second international KES conference on smart education and e-learning. — B.G.
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A stethoscope may not seem like much of a gift. But if you’re trying to hear a patient’s heartbeat, a stethoscope is everything.
Gifts to the Bradley Fund pay for the things students need to become the next generation of leaders, thinkers and doers. Even stethoscopes. And best of all, they fit any size budget. Consider making your gift to the Bradley Fund today.
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Spirit
Always brave Nine former Bradley men’s basketball players joined together this summer in The Basketball Tournament, a single-elimination, winnertake-all $2 million event. Always A Brave reached the semifinals with a quarterfinal victory over a team of Marquette University alumni. The Bradley squad lost to eventual runner-up Team Colorado 78-70 on Fordham University’s (N.Y.) campus in a game shown on ESPN. The Bradley squad scored a pair of opening-round victories in Chicago and a victory in the Super 16 round in Philadelphia on the way to the event’s Final Four. The 64-team tournament selects participating squads partially through fan voting
and fundraising efforts for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Bobby Parker, the university’s associate athletic director for communications and operations, formed the Always A Brave team. Coaches included Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame member Chuck Buescher ’68 MA ’70.
Bradley named Carol PriceTorok head volleyball coach earlier this year, replacing six-year coach Jenny Maurer. Price-Torok was at the University of Arkansas for the past eight seasons, serving as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator the last four years. During her time there, the school produced four volleyball All-Americans, five all-region picks and eight all-conference selections.
Catch up on the 2016–17 men’s and women’s basketball schedules, and see news and schedules for other intercollegiate sports on the newly redesigned Athletics website, bradleybraves.com.
Players include Tony Bennett ’06, Jeremy Crouch ’08, Will Franklin ’07, Hall of Famer Phillip Gilbert ’04, Sam Maniscalco ’11, Patrick O’Bryant ’08, Daniel Ruffin ’07, Matt Salley ’08 and Marcellus Sommerville ’06.
New volleyball coach named Always A Brave: courtesy The Basketball Tournament; Price-Torok: Duane Zehr.
NEW BRADLEY BRAVES.COM SITE
Always a Brave celebrates their semifinal win and placement in the bracket.
“There is room for tremendous growth for Bradley volleyball and I am humbled to be the next head coach to lead the program into a new chapter,” Price-Torok said in a news release. The 2015 Bradley team finished 6-24 with a 1-17 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
— B.G.
Planning and design of the new site covered several months, and the revamped site went live July 1. Covering all 13 intercollegiate sports, the site provides current schedules, ticket information and ways to support Bradley athletics. There is additional information for student-athletes and others. Designed by SIDEARM Sports, the site offers enhanced videos and photos, and is more adaptable for mobile devices. — B.G.
A 2005 graduate of Texas A&M University, Price-Torok was the volleyball team’s 2003 offensive MVP and a member of four consecutive NCAA tournament teams. She also lettered in basketball for the Aggies. She was an assistant coach at Southwestern University and the University of Texas at San Antonio before moving to Arkansas. — B.G.
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Perseverance and purpose BY BOB GRIMSON ’81
Hard work and determination led to a 14-year career in the NFL. Now this alum helps others find something within. After starting the 1998 season with six straight losses, the Indianapolis Colts knew they had to pull a win against the New York Jets on a brisk Sunday in November. With less than a minute to go, Marcus Pollard ’94 broke free from Jets’ cornerback Otis Smith and caught a pass from then-rookie quarterback, Peyton Manning, and made the touchdown. Pollard’s perseverance led to a 24-23 victory for the Colts and gave Manning his first pro-level game-winning touchdown pass. “I was always impressed by how hard Peyton worked,” Pollard told ESPN back in 2014. “People talk about his film study, but he goes after it just as hard when it comes to taking care of his body. When we did conditioning or lifted weights in the offseason, my attitude was always that I didn’t want to let a quarterback beat me in anything.” Pollard showed a similar determination during his 14-season pro-football career, spent primarily with the Colts, as well as stints with the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. It’s an attribute he currently uses to good advantage as director of player development and youth football for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
ABOVE: MARCUS POLLARD ’94 makes a shot as a member of the men’s basketball team. BELOW: Chatting up a ref on the sidelines as a staff member for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. OPPOSITE: Pollard spent most of his 14-year NFL career as a tight end with the Indianapolis Colts.
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“My NFL career gave me the opportunity to show people. When I felt like throwing in the towel, I had to find something within,” Pollard said in a recent interview, adding his personal motto was GRIT (Greatness Requires Internal Toughness). “You can achieve whatever you put your mind to. I think what I achieved opened the doors for people coming up. It opened the eyes of coaches and general managers to a new type of tight end.” What makes Pollard’s NFL career even more interesting is that he played basketball, not football, during his Bradley years. The personality
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traits that made his pro career in another sport a success got their start at Bradley and landed him in the 2017 class of inductees to the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame. He will formally join the hall during the MVC’s annual ceremony next March in St. Louis. A self-described relationship person, Pollard said friendships and connections got him an NFL tryout. After his Bradley career ended, friends Joe Napoli ’60 and Jeff Doeden ’94 approached Pollard about trying football, which he hadn’t played since high school. Then-Athletics Director Ron Ferguson knew a Colts scout, which led to Pollard’s tryout with the team. His skill building relationships also played into his post-football career. After retiring from the NFL, Pollard spent 40 to 50 hours a week as a volunteer high school football coach for his brother-in-law’s team in Alabama. His family suggested taking that work ethic to a higher level. Talking with people he knew from his playing days led to a meeting with Jacksonville Head Coach Gus Bradley and new opportunities. Pollard is currently in his fourth year with the Jaguars, primarily working with younger players as they adjust to life as a professional athlete, offering counsel, guidance and an ever-present candy jar in his office. “It’s more off-the-field stuff,” he said, mentioning duties such as lining up trusted advisers, recommending places to live and imparting basic life skills to these newly minted millionaires. All NFL teams now have a similar position, he added. The league has programs to help players, including one which introduces them to options available after they end their careers. Current players learn about future occupations ranging from cooking to broadcasting.
“Anything they want to do when they get done. It is unbelievable. If a guy didn’t graduate from college, he can go back to school on the league’s dime. There’s so much out there for them now.” His post-Bradley life hasn’t been entirely about professional sports. Pollard and his wife, Amani, saw the world as participants on “The Amazing Race 19” in 2011. Former Colts teammate Mike Vanderjagt had applied, but suggested the pair send in demo tapes. When Vanderjagt’s Canadian birthplace proved problematic, show personnel turned to Pollard.
and David Winslow ’95, along with former assistant coach Rob Judson. “The Sundays, that’s what I miss the most,” he said. “The locker room, coming out of the tunnel onto the field, you can’t put it into words.”
“I just finished getting the words out of my mouth and (Amani) said, ‘When do we leave?’ She was all over it.” In Thailand, the couple won the fifth leg of the race and a trip to Bali, Indonesia. But on the next stage in Malawi, they finished last after carrying two heavy, handcrafted wooden beds to the finish line. Luckily, that stop was one of the predetermined ones without an elimination, which saved the couple and led to an overall third-place finish. “I really got to see my wife in a different light,” Pollard said, adding she was tougher than any linebacker and didn’t want their children to see the couple lose. “Times we felt our backs against the wall (or) any time we had a situation, we bonded even closer.” His wife has closed her country boutique business and the family is in the midst of selling their Georgia home and moving to Jacksonville. Their four children — two boys and two girls — are active sports fans and participants in AAU and youth athletics. They acknowledge their father’s athletic success but are more excited when random people recognize him, Pollard said. He remains in contact with people from “The Amazing Race” and also cited longstanding friendships with Bradley teammates Billy Wright ’96, Charles White ’93, Duane Broussard ’93 M.A. ’97
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Long a destination for those seeking solitude and focus, today’s libraries also welcome students who wish to collaborate. With powerful upgrades to electrical and network systems and beautiful new furniture, the Cullom-Davis Library’s recent renovation is a not-so-quiet success. BY MARY BROLLEY Photography by Duane Zehr
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The three young women, all freshmen from Peoria, had gathered to prepare for morning classes. They worked quietly, clearly at ease in the bright, open space. Because they live at home, Fatima Farooqi and cousins Naveen and Naydeen Musaitif don’t have a dorm room or apartment to escape to between classes. For them, the Cullom-Davis Library is a refuge. “We’re always here,” said Naydeen Musaitif, an industrial engineering major. “The fact that it stays open late is great, since I like to get all my work done before I leave campus.” “We meet between classes, we eat our lunches here,” added Farooqui, a civil engineering major. “It’s study friendly and convenient. If you don’t have a laptop, you can check one out. They’re very considerate of what we need,” said Naveen Musaitif, an accounting major. A college library beckons those seeking quiet, focus, purpose or peace. Peeled away from distractions, students can concentrate on research, planning or writing. But that’s just part of the story. Those who seek to connect with others are also drawn to the library, where they can plug in their devices, buckle down and collaborate in a safe, neutral space. The just-completed renovation of the Cullom-Davis Library is a nod to both camps. The structure’s first facelift since 1990 focused on increasing electrical access, enhancing network power, improving security and the HVAC system, and providing a facelift to the first and second floors. Students, faculty and staff were an essential part of the planning process, begun in 2013. According to Joan Sattler, who served as interim provost during the project’s timeline, library staff surveyed the student body to gauge their needs for the space. Students asked for more electrical outlets, more gathering places and mobile furniture. A recent study showed that students may bring as many as eight devices to college, so the upgrades included increased bandwidth, more than doubled Wi-Fi access points and 59 power towers with extension cords. “Libraries are much different these days,” Sattler said. “The collection has become more digital and we designed the library
with an open design for different modes of learning for students from individual pods, to small groups and study groups with technology adjacent and ergonomic furniture so students could arrange and rearrange for comfort. We wanted the renovations to reflect current and future students’ needs.” With new carpeting and shelving plus walls painted gray, deep blue, yellow and lime green, the space is open, modern and welcoming. Comfortable new furniture includes individual pods that afford privacy as well as places for laptops, snacks and drinks. There’s even a hassock in the pod for the user’s feet. For students working in groups, there are several types of whiteboard surfaces. Some of the new tables and chairs are adjustable by height, and all the furniture is sturdy and carries strong warranties, since students tend to be hard on furniture. The library’s open look is possible because many of the bookshelf groupings or stacks that housed books and periodicals were condensed, removed or replaced with lower shelving. With an overwhelming number of journals available online, better, more flexible seating and improved computer access allow today’s students to quickly find what they need. Reactions from all across campus have been positive, and the library has enjoyed increased traffic since the project’s completion. “The library has been especially busy since the summer renovation,” said the library’s executive director, Barbara Galik. “Even on Labor Day, it was hopping. It’s great seeing them come in.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A group gathers around a table/whiteboard; modular couches with a view of the Quad; a pod offers privacy and quiet; large sofa with movable whiteboard table and stools provides multiple seating opportunities; booths provide comfortable seating, a work surface and electrical access; students collaborate via wall-mounted monitor.
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Killing field: Mogadishu stadium, through the holes of a blasted clock face. Once the home of Somali soccer, al-Shabab used the stadium for public executions.
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Man in the arena BY S.L. GUTHRIE
A compelling documentary about two star players on the Somali national soccer team changes lives beyond their own. What started as an ordinary Thursday evening at a friend’s home turned into anything but. At 7 p.m., as Sa’ad Hussein’s cell phone emitted a musical ringtone, a gunman on patrol for the Islamist militant group, al-Shabab, barged into the house to arrest him. “I saw that there was just one guy,” said Sa’ad. “I thought I was stronger than him so I decided to fight. I started wrestling with his gun, and when he felt I was taking his gun, he fired in the air. Another guy came in, and there were too many to fight. They started beating me with the barrel of the gun. When we arrived at the jail, they handcuffed me and shackled my legs. They told the elders that I broke the law … They sent two teenagers inside the jail to threaten me and tell me I’ll be slaughtered.” Six days later, the al-Qaeda-linked group took a small car with a microphone and went around the district informing people that they would take the teenager back to his village and whip him. After a 30-minute speech in front of his neighbors in the agricultural village of Afgoye, outside the capital of Mogadishu, Somalia, al-Shabab made good on its promise.
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“ They whipped me,” he said, placing his head in his hands, his voice cracking. “(They) whipped me 38 times.” Sa’ad’s crime? Listening to music and playing soccer, the latter banned by the jihadist group in 2010. He relayed the harrowing incident in the unforgettable new documentary, “Men in the Arena,” by independent filmmaker J.R. Biersmith ’01. Shot on location in Kenya, Somalia and the U.S., the inspirational film captures the Somali story through Sa’ad and his friend, Saadiq Mohammed, players on the Somalia national soccer team and former club rivals. They are celebrities in a country where soccer is a means of escape for athletes and fans alike after decades of terrorist war. While looking for deeper stories to tell, Biersmith heard an NPR story by Toronto Star reporter Michelle Shephard that gave him the initial idea to begin research for a possible film. Visibility from the piece had helped 17-year-old Ismail Khalif Abdulle receive asylum in Norway after al-Shabab publicly cut off his left foot and right hand for refusing to join their ranks.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/J.B. Forbes
“Terrorism is coming out of these corners of the globe and landing in our back yard; what’s being done?” asked Biersmith during an interview this summer. “… I wanted to understand not only what’s happening (in Somalia), but also allow the world to understand there’s a human side to the story, and if we don’t find a way to elevate their heroes, who are young people supposed to look up to?”
TOP: Sa’ad suffered through multiple, arbitrary arrests in Kenya from corrupt officials seeking bribes. BELOW: Saadiq (l) and Sa’ad (r) keep up their skills in a St. Louis park.
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The film chronicles how Saadiq’s and Sa’ad’s pursuit of professional soccer enabled them to escape the poverty and desolation of a country reputed to be the world’s most failed state. Using news footage, interviews and other classic documentary elements, the St. Louis native follows the national soccer team as it struggles to compete internationally. “The soccer team reminds me of the country of Somalia itself,” said AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia, the U.N.-sanctioned peacekeeping force) Ambassador Fred G. Ngoga, in the film. “As Theodore Roosevelt once said on politics, it doesn’t matter how many times you fail, but ‘the credit belongs to the man in the arena’ … Somalia is in the arena and there is no doubt in my mind that they will make it and they will become a great team.”
But Biersmith, who directed, executive-produced and co-wrote the documentary, didn’t want to make another hero film. His goal was to construct a human story that showed not only the harsh reality of life inside the war-torn nation, but one that would inspire outsiders to look at it as more than a land of refugees and terrorists. Building relationships was a key part, but it wasn’t easy. It began with a last-minute flight to Tahiti in September 2013 to meet with the Somali soccer federation’s general secretary, and then convince him to give Biersmith access to the team. “It took six days of saying, ‘This is who I am. You have to trust me,’” said Biersmith. “… (I told him) It’s not like there’s an end consumer base that I can go and sell this to or get major sponsors. I think this is important. I want the next generation of Somalis to look at your players and say, ‘That could be me.’” Biersmith and his producing partner, Brian Bellinkoff, next traveled to Kenya and spent 12 days with the team. It was there they first met Sa’ad and Saadiq. About six months later, Biersmith traveled to Somalia on his own for a week to get more footage and to hire locals to film when he was back in the States, especially in places that would have been too risky for both filmmaker and subject. “If I go to Sa’ad’s village, then Sa’ad becomes a target, because of having a foreign journalist (with him),” Biersmith said. “He’s already been captured by al-Shabab, so if we go into his village and they see me with him, they know it’s not just a local story being told about soccer.”
“I wanted to leave, I wanted to play soccer (and) I wanted to be (sic) normal person, but if you just say something that makes you different from other people, all the attention will be on you,” said Saadiq in a recent interview. “I didn’t want to be the guy talking about politics, talking about (the) real life we are facing. At the same time, I had no choice.” Despite the difficulties the men faced, e.g., being held at gunpoint, imprisonment, prejudice from non-Somali players, there are many sweet and touching moments in the film, such as Sa’ad playing soccer with young children in his village or Saadiq’s teaching the dance moves Somalis use for training to his club teammates in Dallas. In October 2014, Saadiq got a lucky break with a tryout at Nova Southeastern University. His soccer skills were good enough for a spot, but he had missed too much school in Kenya to attain the necessary academics. Saadiq next landed on the roster of a football club in Dallas and attended a charter school. He experienced many new things, like snow, but also battled loneliness and a crushing amount of schoolwork to complete in the time he had left in America.
Sa’ad’s teammate, Ahmed Abdalla, left, snaps a photo of Sa’ad with Biersmith in Mogadishu Stadium.
For his part, Biersmith wasn’t scared about being in Somalia, though he admitted he didn’t tell his family exactly where he’d be. As an independent filmmaker, he bought kidnap insurance and hired security guards. He also wanted to make it clear that he didn’t do anything more dangerous than what many professional journalists have done in that region over many years. Taking the biggest risks were the documentary’s subjects, for their participation and for criticizing al-Shabab. Saadiq confessed he was very scared when filming began, but felt he had to share his story.
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After more than a year in hiding, Sa’ad reunited with Saadiq in St. Louis this past March after Biersmith’s longtime friend, Marc Adelman ’00, was able to connect him with the proper U.S., U.N and Kenyan agencies. “You want to talk about (it takes) a village … this was the personification of that,” said Adelman. “… It’s probably one of the proudest things I’ve ever been a part of because we may have saved Sa’ad’s life. At a minimum, he’s starting a whole new life, which will hopefully be plentiful, happy and free … We’ve altered (his) history in a positive and wonderful way.” Initially, Saadiq came to the U.S. on a one-year visitor’s visa and eventually applied for asylum status for his participation in the documentary, which Sa’ad did as well later on. After his club stint in Dallas, Saadiq moved to St. Louis into the home of Biersmith’s sister, Jessica Herschend, and her family. Now that the NCAA has granted his eligibility, Saadiq is able to attend Saint Louis University on an academic scholarship and play for its team. To get ready, Herschend spent hours every day helping him study and made sure he ate enough, since Saadiq often had to fast back home due to lack of food and could forget to eat. “When we first met Saadiq, you just can’t help but love him, and then he quickly became part of the family,” said Herschend. “He’s left his mom and his siblings and everything he knows behind … This is (now) home, so we want to make him feel that way and that’s hard to do without family around.” Sa’ad lived in an apartment in a less-than-desirable part of St. Louis when he first came to the U.S. In August, he moved into Herschend’s home and works at a nearby restaurant. He studies hard to improve his English and may try to play professionally at a future point. At age 23, Sa’ad’s first day of class was his first day of school ever. Having both young men as part of her family has altered Herschend’s views about Somalia, but she’s not the only one to make a paradigm shift. Many Somalis consider coming to America the ultimate, impossible dream, and Saadiq discovered it’s not as easy here as he imagined.
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“I didn’t know people work hard (in the U.S.), he said. “I thought the government provided everything … I was so surprised when I came here. (It’s also) the first time I realized how important education is. It’s the people who make this country great … You come here, you see the buildings, like how people take care of everything. You never see in Africa people worrying about trash. (Here) you feel like it’s yours. That’s the difference, I realized, and it’s important.” Biersmith said it was imperative to get them out before the film is released and available in Somalia. “I didn’t know (Saadiq would stay this long),” said Biersmith. “I just thought he was going to come for one year and then go play soccer somewhere else. I just wanted to give him a shot. The part that I never expected was America. I never expected that either of them would come here — that was never a part of the plan. It was just to go tell a story. And then when I got close to them, and I realized what I would have to do to properly tell the story, they didn’t have to end up in America, but they had to be somewhere other than (Somalia) to release the film.” What about the critics who say the east African nation was already dangerous? Biersmith answered that although some believe Sa’ad and Saadiq would have been fine, from what he’s seen in the last three years of this project, it’s all too easy for someone in Somalia to become a target. “The Somali Football Federation can protect themselves,” he said. “They can hire people and create a security team; they know how to network and what to do. When you’re 18, 19 years old, they’re not providing security for you if you do publicly speak out. That’s where the challenge is. What are they supposed to do? They’ll just be left for dead.” Three years after their first meeting, Saadiq laughs when he thinks about how nervous he was then. His teammates had spread the rumor the CIA sent Biersmith to check up on him, but once Saadiq remembered he hadn’t done anything wrong, he relaxed.
TOP two rows: Saadiq walks off the field; Saadiq having fun with a head balance; Sa’ad surrounded by fans; leaving Somalia’s Banadir Stadium. BOTTOM rows: Armed guards providing security on the shoot; Saadiq with Biersmith and his family; Saadiq and Sa’ad reunite at a St. Louis airport.
These are real people with real lives. — J.R. Biersmith ’01
“Now, (Biersmith is) the closest person I can talk to if I have any problems,” he said. “I sometimes tell my friends, ‘Do you remember what you guys said about him’ and now? I feel like he’s my real brother. He’s a person like a brother, a father … You meet people, and they come into your life and they change it.” Another thing Biersmith didn’t anticipate was how his own understanding of his homeland would shift. “I see America totally differently because of them (Sa’ad and Saadiq),” he said. “Saadiq’s first week in America was probably one of the most eye-opening weeks of my life. To get in a car with the kid and see a police car and have him exclaim, ‘I saw that in the movies; that’s a real police car!’”
If people come together, they can even mend a crack in the sky. — Somali proverb At Bradley, Biersmith majored in international business and was a member of Sigma Chi. He went to Copenhagen during his sophomore year, which changed his world view, followed by the fraternity’s Horizons Leadership Development program that summer. He came back to Bradley for his junior year energized, and got involved on campus, running Derby Days and becoming the Sig chapter president, all while performing well academically and interning 15–20 hours a week at Morgan Stanley.
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Working at the financial services firm led to another internship in New York the following summer at SG Cowan Investment Group. Biersmith moved to the Big Apple after graduation to continue in finance, but within the first couple of years realized that world wasn’t for him. Earning his master’s degree at the University of Miami (Fla.) came next, during which time Biersmith created a web show for the Miami Herald. He interviewed celebrities from film, music and sports with the goal of engaging Generation Y, viewers who didn’t have the same interest in newspapers and investigative journalism as their predecessors. “It was fun, but I was pigeonholed,” he said. “I wasn’t really TV talent; I was this emerging web talent. We didn’t have the infrastructure to support us and we made a lot of mistakes, but it was cutting edge.” After bouncing between coasts, Biersmith landed and stayed put in Los Angeles. Interviewing actors and athletes was fun, but he wanted something with more meaning. That’s when Biersmitih heard Shephard’s story. He then read Mark Bowden’s account of the 1993 Battle of Black Hawk Down and thought if someone who wasn’t a war correspondent could get into Somalia, he could, too. To date, Biersmith said the film has cost about $80,000, but that’s without paying himself. He and Herschend have also covered almost all the young men’s living costs, such as clothing, transportation and schooling. A Kickstarter campaign raised some of the funds, but Biersmith has used all his savings and gotten loans from family members. He’s picked up a handful of projects making videos for corporate clients to keep some money coming in. Viewers will be able to watch the documentary in early 2017 after its release across video-ondemand platforms like Amazon and iTunes. Biersmith screened the film at the Riverfront Museum in Peoria last May, and will continue to show it at regional film festivals to generate buzz. He also hopes to screen it properly one day in Somalia and Kenya.
It’s a really, really challenging place, but if we cast them all as terrorists, how do you find a Sa’ad — J.R. Biersmith ’01 and Saadiq? “We think it’s a global film,” he said. “It works in Latin America; it works in Africa; it works in Europe; it works for soccer fans. Anybody that’s ever rooted for an underdog story, it doesn’t get much more underdog than Sa’ad and Saadiq.” Money isn’t as much a concern to Biersmith as is visibility, saying he “didn’t spend three years of his life for (the film) to disappear into no man’s land.” Already, articles have appeared in Sports Illustrated, BBC Radio, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and that city’s local NPR affiliate; it also has nearly 8,000 likes on Facebook.
of their efforts is the renovated Banadir soccer stadium in Mogadishu, completed in 2015. More importantly, when the Somali people see it, he wants his documentary to inspire them and create even more change. “I want Sa’ad and Saadiq’s story to resonate, and I want young people (in Somalia) to carry this around as their ‘Rocky’ … I hope that someday kids who are 9 or 10 years old, when they feel like they’ve got to go pick up a gun because they think it’s the only way they can survive, there’s this story.”
Biersmith hopes his audience will understand that Somalis, whose diaspora numbers about 2 million people, don’t want to be migrants or victims of terror. For the first time in 25 years, the troubled nation is closer to achieving peace, and the people have begun to rebuild. The symbol
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Class of 1966 50th Reunion William Barber worked for 36 years in various jobs for the ElectroMotive Division of General Motors. He has three children, five grandchildren, a great-grandchild and lives in Gravois Mills, Mo. Mildred Swanson Benson worked at WMBI and Moody Bible Institute. A chorale member at Bradley, she has sung with her church choir and several other groups in the Chicago area. She and her husband, Tom, live in Oak Park, Ill. They have two daughters, and she is an active volunteer with her church. Gayle Nicholas Bohne taught high school English and journalism for 35 years. She is active with her family’s business, Imperial Crane Service, the nation’s largest crane rental company. Gayle also helps run the Bohne Foundation, which supports a variety of organizations in the U.S. and abroad.
where she had a 31-year career as an educator. Sue earned a master’s degree at California State University, Los Angeles, and a doctorate from the University of Southern California. She is a writer, speaker and consultant on home staging and organizing. Her book, “Clear Your Clutter: 50 Ways to Organize Your Life, Home or Business So You Can Become More Calm, Focused and Happy,” has won several honors. Sue and her husband live in Carlsbad, Calif. They have one daughter, with their first grandchild expected in October. Patricia Dempsey retired as director of custodial services after working more than 40 years at Bradley. Before that, she taught elementary school. Leonard Dubas has two children and five grandchildren. He lives in Feasterville, Pa.
“ Living in old Harper Hall was a challenge. As a 22-year-old freshman, I was mixed with 18-year-old kids. I was considered the serious old guy from Chicago who often warned the kids to keep quiet in the hallway.” — Larry Cowling
A cheerleader when Bradley played in the NIT, Gayle is an award-winning gardener featured in the Chicago Sun-Times and earned an M.S. from Phoenix College (Ariz.). The mother of three sons, she has five grandchildren and splits time between Orland Park, Ill., and Paw Paw Lake, Mich. Larry Cowling, an Air Force veteran, was a scholarship track and football athlete on the Hilltop. He and his wife have two sons and live in Peoria. Sue Sweeney Crum joined classmate Sue Arnold Purciel in California after graduation,
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Toni Grover Frei M.A.’05 recently retired after 34 years as a teacher in Peoria public schools. She earned her master’s degree in education. Toni has two sons, Hans ’02 and Aaron ’08, and two grandchildren. She lives in rural Peoria. H. Michael Gross attended the American Institute for Foreign Trade and the University of Texas at Austin before graduating in 1970 from South Texas College of Law in Houston. He retired from his law practice in 2006 and is a member of both the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. He and his wife, Nez, have three children, two grandchildren and live in Tyler, Texas.
He remains involved with Bradley through the Meyer and Anna Block Endowed Scholarship, created by his uncle. Ronald Gunther M.S. ’71 taught high school biology. He earned two certificates in electronics, one in ornamental horticulture, and did graduate work at Western Illinois University. An active birdwatcher, Ron published several papers and has given presentations on entomology, biology and ornithology. He lives in Bartonville, Ill. Wayne Kaplan earned a master’s degree at the University of Illinois and worked in radio and TV news in Peoria, Detroit and Minneapolis. He then worked in media relations for utility companies and with a trade association for the apartment and rental-housing industry in Arizona. An active volunteer, Wayne and his wife, Lynn Linkimer Kaplan ’67, met on a blind date during summer school on the Hilltop. They live in Phoenix. Judson Mitchell earned a master’s in public administration from Governors State University (Ill.) and served as vice president for human resources at DePaul University and associate vice president for human resources at the University of Illinois. He served on Bradley’s Board of Trustees and as an adjunct professor at Governors State. He has three children, including Janay Mitchell Yotter ’10, and five grandchildren. Judson lives in Matteson, Ill. J. Michael Morris MME ’71 died March 28. He was a teacher at Limestone High School in Bartonville, Ill., for more than 30 years and earned honors as the school’s teacher of the year twice; he was Peoria County’s Teacher of the Year in 1977. Mike received several other teaching honors and directed church choirs, the Peoria Area Civic Chorale Youth Chorus and the Peoria Philharmonic Chorale. He and his wife, Sherrill, have two children and 10 grandchildren. Dick Nitto graduated from Indiana University School of Law in 1967 and worked for Caterpillar Inc. and Australia Capital Equity. A former Bradley student president, he lived in several overseas locations during his career, including London, Geneva and Northern Ireland. Dick has two children, three grandchildren and lives in Peoria. Susan Arnold Purciel was a medical technologist in Pasadena, Calif., and raised three daughters in a home on the staging
route for the annual Rose Parade. Susan, who earned a master’s degree from the University of Bridgeport, later worked for 24 years in training, technical support and sales at Becton Dickinson. She enjoys travel, spending time with her eight grandchildren and working with theatre groups. Susan lives in Altadena, Calif. Richard Raguet worked for 36 years in information technology at Caterpillar Inc. He also worked at LTV Steel and AllisChalmers Corp. He and his wife, Nancy, have two children and three grandchildren. Randall Schick MLS ’88 was a high school math teacher in Peoria and suburban Chicago. He also taught at Illinois Central College and Bradley, where he was honored for his service to students. Randy and his wife, Jane, have six children, including Keith Schick ’88, and 22 grandchildren. Charles Schlewitt lists four careers since graduation: accountant, insurance sales and finance manager, manufacturer’s
representative and medical biller. Now retired, he enjoys singing, acting and golfing in Georgetown, Texas. Chuck has six children and nine grandchildren. Beverly Lawless Stender earned a master’s degree in special education at Illinois State University and taught for 29 years. She has two daughters, three grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren. E. Gifford Stack was an Air Force officer and worked for 20 years for trade associations on environmental issues. He retired as a colonel
in the Air Force Reserves and earned a master’s degree from Monash University (Australia). Gifford worked for the New Mexico environmental department and now is active in several organizations in Oak Island, N.C., where he lives with his wife, Sylvia. Last year, Gifford did a 4,400-mile solo motorcycle road trip to Missouri, which included a stop in Peoria and a visit to campus. Richard Thulean taught school for six years and has been a State Farm Insurance agent in Peoria for 44 years. He has three children, six grandchildren and lives in Peoria.
“ Bradley has so many great memories for me. The small classes gave us an opportunity to know the teachers.” — Gayle Nicholas Bohne
FRONT ROW: Susan Sweeney Crum, Susan Arnold Purciel, Sena Cirese Drawer, Patricia Dempsey, Gayle Nicholas Bohne, Barbara Zeisel Moon, Camille Berg Johnson, Patrice Wilson Fuchs. BACK ROW: Robert Courtney, Wayne Kaplan, Robert Coleman, James Lightfoot, Bruce Rusch, Richard Nitto, John Plumley, Michael Kerns, William Hanen, Joseph Ernst. Photo by Duane Zehr.
Legacy Family
Backstage romance BY MARY BROLLEY Photography by Duane Zehr
Ask Kim Koziol Laird ’86 and Jeff Laird ’86 how they got together, and prepare for the meet-cute to beat all meet-cutes.
Though Kim and Jeff hoped she would attend Bradley, older daughter Rebecca (Becca) Laird ’17 had other ideas.
Though Jeff claims he noticed Kim as soon as they got to campus, the two officially met on stage when they became involved in theatre.
“She did not want to follow in our footsteps,” Jeff said.
Their romance kindled during a production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 1984, in which the Lairds played two of the leads. Each performance, they entered a house on the set that had no exit to backstage. So during another character’s song, they had to be perfectly quiet and wait. “There wasn’t room to sit down. So we danced,” Jeff recalled. “While the song was sung, I looked into her eyes, held her in my arms, and we danced.” That spark eventually led to marriage and life with two daughters in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Jeff, now an asset management marketing consultant in Chicago, entered Bradley as a computer science major. “Even though I wasn’t a theatre major, I was in several plays and was a member of the speech team,” he said. “Eventually, I changed my major to radio-television (now communications), with a business minor.” In 1985, Kim had the title role in an adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland,” written by now-Dean of the Slane College, Jeffrey Huberman, who was in his first year at Bradley. Kim, also an RTV major, and Jeff both worked at WCBU on campus. “We were involved in a monthly Peoria Home Companion-type program called ‘The Duke Knight Radio Hour,’” she said. Kim and friends founded Bradley’s honorary theatre fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega. (Jeff joined the following year.) The couple also helped create the theatre’s annual Mock Anthony awards, and Kim toured Europe with the Bradley Chorale. Right after graduation, she joined Chicago radio station WLIT-FM as promotions coordinator.
“At first, I didn’t want to go to Bradley,” agreed Becca. “We visited, anyway, during my sophomore year (of high school). It was really nice, and Bradley became a contender. We visited several times, and people were very welcoming. “Twice, our tour guide was a theater major named Chloe. I saw myself in her. I thought, ‘If I come here, I want to be a tour guide.’” More than 30 years after her parents met on the same stage, Becca played a lead in Chekhov’s “The Seagull” last spring and had a lead role in “Mr. Burns” this fall. A triple major in theatre, public relations and Spanish, she spent a semester studying in Spain during her sophomore year. Becca did become a student tour guide. She instantly recognizes the moment when a reluctant high school student falls victim to the Hilltop’s charms. “You can always tell when someone changes their mind (about attending Bradley),” she said. “Because that was me.” Kim and Jeff have relished the chance to visit Becca and watch her perform on the Hartmann Center stage. “The best things about Bradley haven’t changed,” Kim said. “Its size offers a lot of activities, and it’s small enough that students can do a lot of them. Becca has gotten even more out of Bradley than we did.” Second daughter Katie, a high school sophomore, hasn’t decided where she’ll go to college. Becca hopes she’ll consider Bradley. “I hope she can see herself here, because I want an excuse to come back after I graduate,” she said.
ABOVE: Kim in “The Passion of Dracula” in 1985; Jeff in “The Christmas Nightingale” in 1984; Becca in “The Seagull” in 2016. OPPOSITE: Becca Laird, who calls her family very theatrical, said, “There is always someone singing in my house.”
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Class Notes 1960s Arthur Beane ’68 wrote the songbook “Waitin’ For Her At The Station: A Collection of Original Blues, Country Blues, Jazz Blues, Gospel, Funk and Blues Rock Selections” (Outskirts Press, 2016). A longtime educator, he earned a doctorate in education from Boston University and a master’s degree from Salem College (Mass). He and his wife, Margaret Rose, live near Boston. They have seven children and five grandchildren.
Baseball fan Mark Stulberger ’69 and player Mike Tauchman ’13 met this summer at a minor-league game between the Fresno Grizzlies and the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Class Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Mark had a 35-year career in broadcasting and Mike, who plays for the Isotopes, won several national honors while leading the nation in hitting his senior year. This is his fourth year of professional baseball in the Colorado Rockies organization.
1970s The Senior College of Greater Des Moines (Iowa) has elected Steve Dunn ’71 to a three-year term on its board. Active in several community and civic groups, he also ushers at Iowa Cubs baseball games. He and his wife, Cindy, have two children, two grandchildren and live in Des Moines. Steven Goldman ’71 retired as an educator in the Miami area. He also worked as a travel agent, tour guide and in sales. Steven is a high school and college swimming official and lives in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
1. When and where was Lydia born? a. b. c. d.
July 30, 1815, in Log Lick, Ind. Aug. 1, 1816, in Peoria, Ill. July 31, 1816, in Vevay, Ind. July 4, 1776, in Chicago
2. Lydia’s formal education took place in a home kitchen. Whose kitchen was it? a. b. c. d.
Mrs. Smith Mrs. Fields Mrs. Butterworth Mrs. Campbell
Lydia Moss Bradley birthday quiz How well do you know Bradley University’s founder? Have some fun with our pop quiz on Lydia Moss Bradley.
3. How many children did Lydia and Tobias Bradley have? a. 8 b. 2 c. 6 d. 5
Bob Zyskowski ’73 retired in May after working 43 years for Catholic newspapers in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. He also served as president of the Catholic Press Association and won that group’s St. Francis de Sales Award.
4. In addition to Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Lydia gave many gifts to the city of Peoria. Which of the following benefited from her generosity? a. b. c. d.
Grand Opera House Universalist Church Peoria Park District All of the above
The Illinois State Podiatric Medical Licensing Board has appointed Paul Brezinski ’74 to a three-year term. A past president of the state Podiatric Medical Association, he has a private practice in Palatine, Ill. Paul earned a DPM at Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine.
5. When did Lydia die? a. b. c. d.
Jan. 16, 1908 Feb. 1, 1916 Jan. 15, 1907 Dec. 31, 1910
Answers: 1. c; 2. d; 3. c; 4. d; 5. a.
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While touring Germany, Stuart Borden ’73, an attorney and retired judge, and his wife, Pamela, along with son Jonathan ’04, met Bill ’55 and Marilyn Leininger Gand ’55. Among the group’s destinations was the Reichstag in Berlin. The Gands live in Palm Harbor, Fla., and Jonathan lives in Peoria. Stuart, who earned a juris doctorate at Southern Illinois University, and his wife live in Wyoming, Ill.
THE ALOHA SPIRIT The Aloha Spirit encompasses unity, honesty, humility, patience and perseverance, but James G.Y. Ho ’50 didn’t expect to find it 4,157 miles from his hometown near Honolulu. “When we were (at Bradley), discrimination was in full swing, but we experienced none of that,” Ho said in August while bringing his granddaughter Emily ’20 to campus. “We were treated like long-lost cousins … We formed a Hawaiian Club and had a big luau.”
Ho family: Duane Zehr.
A World War II veteran, he was among 112 Hawaiian students who transferred to the university after then-President David Owen ’29 touted the veterans’ housing available near what is now Olin Hall. The GI Bill paid for his tuition, books and supplies, and Ho worked a variety of jobs on and off campus. After earning a master’s degree at the University of Hawaii, he served as a teacher, principal and school administrator. Ho has written five books available at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Hawaii and was a history lecturer on cruise ships for Holland America.
The Hilltop was multicultural before the term became popular, Ho added, noting his professors and fellow students came from a variety of backgrounds. He showed an old photo from a university publication of him and students from South America, the Philippines and China to President Roberts. “That’s why we liked Peoria and Bradley so much,” Ho said, adding he named his second son Bradley — Emily’s father — in honor of the school.
TOP: A 1950s Bradley publication shows JAMES HO ’50, second from left, and students from China, the Philippines and South America at the library. ABOVE: The Ho family on campus in August. From left, Bradley, Patricia, EMILY ’20, James, Florence and Courtney.
— B.G.
“I witnessed all 300 Japanese planes flying over my house,” he said of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Bradley Hilltopics Fall 2016
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Army DPT learns from patients On a typical day in his clinical rotation at Evans Army Community Hospital in Fort Carson, Colo., 1st Lt. Ryan Lynch DPT ’16 treated acute injuries, knee and back pain and monitored postsurgical healing. But something about this new patient’s condition troubled him. The young infantry officer — who’d incurred an injury to his thigh — was in pain and having difficulty walking. Though initial treatment had involved caring for the thigh wound, Lynch suspected there was an underlying cause.
Duane Zehr
So he asked questions about the time of injury and what other healthcare professionals had already checked out. “He told me he’d been skiing and had hit his thigh on a tree. I began to suspect he may have hyperextended his knee.” Tests confirmed Lynch’s suspicions. “It was a complicated injury. Undetected, it would have caused more damage,” he said. Lynch quickly learned that listening well is a crucial skill. “I’ve heard that half of your diagnosis is made by (listening to) the patient, and I think that’s true. Other healthcare professionals are busy and focusing on a lot of variables. PTs are able to take the time to listen.” He received his Army commission in 2012 while earning his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University. Contacts in the ROTC program helped him research places to continue his physical therapy training, which led him to Bradley’s three-year doctoral program. Lynch became interested in the field after being treated by excellent and caring PTs as a youth playing sports.
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One perk of the Evans Army Hospital placement was the variety of patients and conditions. “It’s a unique setting. We saw military spouses and kids, too. Sometimes, when I was treating a young person with an injury, I wondered if I might be an influence (on the youngster) — as my PTs were on me as a kid.” Newly graduated, Lynch will be stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., for three years before receiving another assignment. — M.B., with reporting by Maddie Gehling ’18
Chris Gambla ’79 is in charge of the dental department at Stateville Correctional Center (Ill.), providing daily care for 2,000 maximum-security inmates. He earned his D.D.S. at Loyola University in Chicago and lives in Tinley Park, Ill.
Eric Schwartz ’88 is vice president/ operations manager of customer experience for JPMorgan Chase & Co. He and his wife, Beth, have two daughters, Rebecca ’16 and Sarah ’20. The family lives in Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Joe Trungale ’79 serves as vice president of Clune Construction with more than 35 years’ construction experience.
Stanley Consultants has promoted Melissa Guthrie Oelke ’89 to corporate marketing manager. Previously, she served the firm as strategic pursuit manager and has more than 25 years’ experience in engineering and consulting.
1980s The Centre for International Governance Innovation in Toronto has named Wil Burns ’80 a nonresident senior fellow. He is co-executive director of the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment at American University (D.C.) and the University of California at Berkeley. Wil earned a doctorate in international law at the University of Wales-Cardiff School of Law.
Heaton: Wendy Lake; Heil: Jason Lindsey; Rogers baby: J Crusen Photography.
J. Andrew Heaton ’82 is a board member of the Lutheran Camping Corporation of Central Pennsylvania. He earned a juris doctorate at the University of Chicago and is global lead counseldata privacy and security for Ernst & Young Global Limited. He and his wife, Charity, have six children and live in Gettysburg, Pa. Maureen Raihle ’84 was in the Top 400 Financial Advisors list for 2016 by the Financial Times, and Barron’s magazine recognized her in its Top 100 Women Financial Advisors for 2016. A private wealth adviser for Merrill Lynch, Maureen has won several other industry honors and is active in civic groups. Different generations of Bradley graduates share the workplace at NorthShore University Health System’s hospital in Skokie, Ill. David Klop ’86 is a nuclear technologist and Jennifer Dienberg ’13 is an exercise physiologist in the hospital’s cardiac imaging department. She holds a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University.
1990s John Maher ’92 started Maher Legal Services in Tinley Park, Ill., where he also opened Maher Funeral Home with his brother, Phillip ’94. John earned an MBA from Northern Illinois University and holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and DePaul (Ill.) law schools and the Army War College (Pa.). The legacy family includes sister Julia Maher ’00. The Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel has appointed John Heil Jr. ’93 to a one-year term on the board. He is a partner with Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C. and served in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. John earned his juris doctorate at Chicago-Kent College of Law. LaShanya Aikerson ’95 is CEO of Aikerson Consulting Group, which provides leadership training and coaching. She earned an MBA at Northwestern University (Ill.) and a change management certificate from Harvard University (Mass.). Mindy Matson Rapp ’95 received the Prism Award from the Society of Women Engineers. A Caterpillar Inc. employee, she is a member of the university’s IMET Department Advisory Board. Mindy earned a master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.
Lee Bloome ’98 celebrated 10 years with Hanson Professional Services Inc. A civil engineer, he worked on company projects in Illinois and North Dakota and is a member of several professional organizations. Joseph Albright ’96 MBA ’03 retired as a procurement manager at Caterpillar Inc. He and his wife, Jennifer, started Spend Right Inc. in January. He also owns Albright Conceal Training. Joseph lives in Peoria. Mark Haraburda ’99 is CEO of Barchart, a full-service provider of financial market data. Previously, he was managing director of business development and sales at the company. Mark holds a master’s degree from Illinois Institute of Technology.
2000s Brandon Colvin ’01 is the new men’s head basketball coach at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill. He also is the school’s intervention and compliance coordinator. Previously, he was head basketball coach and athletic director at Dakota College (N.D.). Torrie Harano ’03 married Sid Nagendran Feb. 12. Torrie is a project/data analyst for Perkins Coie Trust Company. The couple lives in Seattle. Mary Rogers ’03 married Adam Smith May 17, 2014, and the couple welcomed a son, Dawson Cooper, Aug. 8, 2015. Mary is a senior claim adjuster at Pekin Insurance and the family lives in Peoria.
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Class Notes Paul Cantz ’04 is on the fifth annual Double Chai in the Chi: 36 Under 36 list by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. He is associate director of training and an associate professor of psychology at Adler University (Ill.) and supervising psychologist at Hartgrove Hospital. On faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and at Spertus Institute, he is active in other religious groups and has a private practice. Rebecca Earhart Michel ’05 M.A. ’07 and her husband, Eric ’04 MBA ’07 welcomed their second child, Hartley Thomas, Sept. 8, 2015. Rebecca earned a doctorate in counselor education from Old Dominion University (Va.) and is an assistant professor at DePaul University (Ill.). Eric is pursuing his doctorate in management at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The family lives in Orland Park, Ill.
Joseph Kieca ’06 married Whitney Brough ’08 Oct. 25, 2015. Joe is a police officer in Sandwich, Ill. Whitney earned a master’s degree at North Central College (Ill.) and serves as high school partnerships coordinator at Waubonsee Community College (Ill.). The couple lives in Naperville, Ill.
Rob ’03 and Jen Friedman Roth ’05 welcomed a daughter, Leah Bea, Feb. 11. Jen is a social media content strategist for Allstate Insurance and Rob is a construction superintendent for Gallant Construction. The family lives in Chicago.
Rich Gioiosa ’07 and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed a daughter, Adeline Rose, May 13. Rich holds a master’s degree in computer science from DePaul University (Ill.) and is a senior software engineer at Rise Interactive. The family lives in Streamwood, Ill. Amanda Groszek ’07 married Andrew Mohrman ’07 MBA ’11 July 3, 2015. Amanda earned a master’s degree in occupational therapy at Governors State University (Ill.). Andrew is a business development manager for Caterpillar Inc. The couple lives in Leicestershire, England. Interbusiness Issues magazine named Aimee LeVar Link ’08 to its 2015 list of 40 Leaders Under Forty. A third-generation Caterpillar Inc. employee, she is a communications support representative II at the company, responsible for the website strategy and other communications for the Financial Service division. Active with the Peoria Chamber of Commerce and Young Professionals of Greater Peoria, Aimee is involved with Junior Achievement, the Greater Peoria Development Council and other civic groups.
A great magazine needs great stories. So, if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I wish Bradley Hilltopics would write about …” here’s your chance to make that happen! Send your ideas to hilltopics@ bradley.edu.
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Groszek: Jean Smith Photography; Link: Color Classics.
We’re all ears
Matthew Spering ’08 MSA ’08 married Danielle Gehrke ’08 July 18, 2015. Matthew is a CPA and tax manager at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP. Danielle is a registered dietitian and dining service health and wellness manager for Aramark with University of Chicago Medicine. The couple lives in Chicago. Amanda Schmitt Wright ’08 and her husband, John, welcomed a daughter, Harper, July 6. Amanda is an assistant supervisor at PepsiCo. The family lives in Groveland, Ill. Joseph Costello ’09 MBA ’13 married Christine Maliwanag MBA ’13 April 23. Joe is a market research analyst for Caterpillar Inc., and Christine is a healthcare consultant for Advocate Health Care. They live in Chicago.
Costello: Elena Bazini; Keepper: Ryan Christensen; Kottemann: Duane Zehr.
Joshua Cox ’09 and his wife, Sarah, welcomed a son, Jarrod, April 19. Joshua is assistant director of annual giving at Illinois State University. The family lives in Gridley, Ill.
an insurance defense attorney. Patrick earned a juris doctorate at John Marshall Law School (Ill.). The USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame named Adam Bockler ’11 the leading martial arts instructor of the year and inducted him into the hall for a third time. Previously, he earned distinction as karate black belt of the year and leading seminar instructor of the year. A national competitor in martial arts, Adam owned and taught at Metamora Martial Arts and worked as a yoga instructor for the Metamora park district. He is the communications manager for Float and lives in Metamora, Ill. Kristin Manning ’11 married Ray Derer ’11 Aug. 15, 2015. Kristin is in the nurse anesthesia doctoral program at Millikin University (Ill.) and Ray is a senior engineer at Caterpillar Inc. They live in Peoria. Luke Ketcham ’12 and Kaela Giles ’16 married May 21.
Brian Scheffer ’09 and his wife, Hope, welcomed a son, Grayson Paul, April 3. Brian is president/owner of ScheffTech Productions. The family lives in Peoria.
Patrick Sullivan ’10 joined Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney Ltd. as an associate attorney in the firm’s Chicago office. Previously, he was
Norma Rodems Kottemann ’52, a 2004 Centurion and longtime Peorian, died June 21 in St. Louis. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta and winner of the sorority’s national Carnation Award for service. Active with the Peoria Dental Auxiliary, she also volunteered with the Peoria County Court Counselor program, Center for Prevention of Abuse, Planned Parenthood and the Methodist Hospital Service League. Kottemann was a member and chair of the BU Council. She and her late husband, George HON ’97, provided funding for the sculpture studio at Heuser Hall and the Kottemann Gallery of Dentistry at the University of Illinois’ College of Dentistry.
2010s Claire Johnson ’10 is managing editor of Elearning magazine and its sister publication, Government Elearning. Previously, she served as a managing editor in the von Rabenau Media Corporation.
In Tribute Norma Rodems Kottemann ’52
Chadd Keepper ’13 and Sarah Lipski ’13 married Sept. 19, 2015. Chadd is a project manager at Fleetmatics and Sarah serves as a human resources specialist with the company. They live in Bartlett, Ill.
Surviving are two children, five grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. — B.G.
Danielle Lemek ’16 played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur golf tournament in August, advancing to the event’s round of 32 before bowing out.
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Class Notes In Memory 1930s Mary Ketzle Simpson ’37, July 10, Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.
1940s Harold Hanke ’40, May 19, Atlantic, Iowa Maryanna Richardson Zehr ’43, May 1, Eden Prairie, Minn. Joseph Gittings ’48, Aug. 28, Rome, Ga. Merle Heitz ’48, May 30, Belvidere, Ill. Jane Roe Lady ’48, Aug. 20, Milwaukee Walter Anderson ’49, May 16, St. Augustine, Fla. Bill Armstrong ’49, Aug. 25, Springfield, Mo. Wallace Lorey ’49, June 11, Decatur, Ill. George Michlik ’49, May 25, Streator, Ill.
1950s Kingsbury Heiple ’50, March 13, Chagrin Falls, Ohio Vincent Monti ’50, June 6, Rockford, Ill. Ray Nissen ’50 M.S. ’53, Aug. 16, Foxfire Village, N.C. Louis Westfall ’50, May 12, Gettysburg, Pa. David Birkett ’51, Aug. 4, Lemont, Ill. Joseph Bussone ’51, June 14, Sycamore, Ill. Margaret “Peggy” Talbott Hill ’51, June 19, Peoria Richard W. Hunt ’51, Aug 15, Hendersonville, N.C. Robert Runkle ’51, May 23, Peoria Robert Shymkus ’51, Feb. 16, Bowling Green, Ky. Jon Evanoff ’52, May 8, Peoria Miriam Schuth Reyher ’52, June 17, Fishers, Ind. Margaret Kapraun Ritter M.A. ’52, May 5, Peoria Charles Burns Jr. ’53, June 29, Spokane, Wash. Dale Campbell ’53, July 1, Dunlap, Ill. Vince Mackenzie ’53, Aug. 3, Sausalito, Calif. Robert Ohlsen ’53, July 27, Decatur, Ill. Walter Chave ’54, July 24, Peoria Richard “Gene” Kehder ’54, May 13, West Frankfort, Ill. John Treece ’54, May 6, Arlington, Texas Elaine Schmitt Carlson ’55, April 1, Rockford, Ill. Herman Griesenbrock Ed.D. ’55, Aug. 10, Macomb, Ill. Thomas Stockdale ’55, June 9, St. Louis Douglas Temple ’55, July 27, Oak Creek, Wis. Keith L. Williams ’55, May 13, Dayton, Ohio James Kosmond ’56, April 16, Chicago Michael R. Armstrong ’57, June 2, Jacksonville, Fla. Kenneth Belsley ’57, Aug. 4, Eureka, Ill. Jean Doubet Brentz ’57, May 27, Peoria Salvatore “Sam” Piunti ’57, June 4, Chicago Heights, Ill. Gary Chaney ’58, May 29, Northbrook, Ill. Libbie Moody Cothren M.A. ’58, May 25, Normal, Ill. Donald Macholl ’58, Aug. 4, Spokane Valley, Wash. Chauncey Malcolm Jr. ’58, Oct. 7, 2015, New Orleans James Rugen ’58, July 21, Plainfield, Ind. Ronald Snyder ’58, April 12, Bella Vista, Ark.
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Vera Goddard Speake ’58 M.A. ’61, Feb. 25, Williamsburg, Va. Cleo Atkinson Tudor ’58 M.A. ’62, May 14, East Peoria, Ill. James Estes ’59, Aug. 15, Graymont, Ill. Arlene Dentino Larson ’59 M.S. ’66 M.A. ’82, July 30, Peoria Joyce Hedges Oard ’59, July 19, Peoria Joseph Polanka ’59, July 28, Westport, Ind. Walter Strode ’59, May 9, Peoria George Such ’59, May 24, West Richland, Wash.
1960s Geraldine “Jeri” Kavolis Mullin ’60, May 31, Barrington, Ill. Kenneth Yarno M.S. ’60, June 8, Arlington Heights, Ill. Bob Zimmerman ’60, April 29, Ocala, Fla. Ian Chafee ’61, March 4, Oak Lawn, Ill. John Wenner ’62, April 28, Bonita Springs, Fla. Robert “Chuck” Hanlon ’63 M.A. ’64, June 29, Elgin, Ill. Michael O’Flaherty ’63, July 21, Alpha, Ill. Iryis “Faye” Pritts Walker M.A. ’63, July 19, Morton, Ill. Larry Wilcoxen M.A.’63, July 2, Walnut, Ill. Charles Burt ’64, July 30, Petaluma, Calif. Calvin Whitehall ’64, Aug. 2, Lafayette, Colo. Mary Culshaw Baxter ’65, Aug. 7, Pekin, Ill. Lynn Ward Hoffmann M.A. ’65, Aug. 12, Savoy, Ill. Lydia Johnson Stairwalt Camp ’66, May 5, Galva, Ill. Harry Cole ’66, April 25, Sterling Heights, Mich. Gary Dawson ’66, July 12, Sedona, Ariz. Thomas Doty ’66, June 9, Sarasota, Fla. Alfred “Fred” Duy ’66, July 12, Oswego, Ill. John Lobberecht Jr. ’66, June 6, Peoria Geoffrey Serwer ’66, June 18, Melville, N.Y. Carol Kuhn Turbett ’66 M.A. ’94, June 7, Peoria Thomas Slavens ’67, Aug. 14, Peoria Albert Starr MEA ’68, June 18, Peoria Sharon Miller Eichenberger M.A. ’69, June 28, Magnolia, Ark. Dorothy Andrews Jepson ’69 M.A. ’74, May 11, Hanna City, Ill. Gayland Spencer ’69, July 3, Metamora, Ill. Norman Zeter ’69, June 13, Rio Rancho, N.M.
1970s Marshall Barney ’70, July 30, Upper Arlington, Ohio Kenneth Brierre ’70, May 31, Freeport, Ill. KristyAnn Johnson ’70, Aug. 2, Rockford, Ill. Sandra Schlessinger Kayser ’70, Dec. 31, Milwaukee Larry Selinger ’70, Aug. 21, Springfield, Ill. Frank “Gene” Hewitt MEA ’71, Aug. 15, Peoria Michael Isaacson ’71, July 31, Edelstein, Ill. Thomas P. Murphy ’71, July 22, Riverside, Ill. Michael Obert ’71, May 23, New River, Ariz. Clifford Steadman ’71, July 10, Peoria Susan Mui Woods ’71, Aug. 4, Longmont, Colo. Bill Fitch ’72, June 25, Springfield, Ill.
Address Changes:
Email alumnirecords@bradley.edu, or write to Alumni Records, Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625.
Faculty
In Memory Guidelines: Arthur Dini MSME ’53, associate professor emeritus of civil engineering and construction from 1948 to 1989, died Aug. 26 in Pekin, Ill., his hometown.
Along with serving as faculty, Dini was a leader in television tower design, which he did part time for many years. The civil engineering and construction department honored the World War II veteran after retirement for his service, dedication and inspiration. Active in his church, he also was a member of several professional and social organizations. Surviving are his wife, Lois Johnson Dini; two children, Thomas Dini ’83 ’98 and Cheryl Dini Nieslawski ’81; and two granddaughters. — B.G.
Submit an obituary by mailing a newspaper clipping or memory card from the funeral home to Bradley Hilltopics, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625.
Class Notes Information: Send Us Your News! Complete the form below and mail to Bradley Hilltopics, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625. You may also fax it to (309) 677-4055, or use our online form at bradley.edu/go/ht-Classnotes. Name________________________________ Maiden__________________ Class Year____________ Degree___________________________________ Advanced Degree(s)____________________________________________ Institution(s)____________________________________________________ Home Address_________________________________________________ City _____________________________________ State______ ZIP________ Email__________________________________________________________ Phone_________________________________________________________ Current Job Title(s)______________________________________________ Employer______________________________________________________
1980s Roger Anderson ’80 M.A. ’82, April 2, Chicago David L. Fleming ’86, June 16, Alton, Ill.
1990s Kim Giazzon ’90, May 21, Hinsdale, Ill. Benjamin Bankert ’98 MBA ’12, July 19, Peoria Daniel Aspell ’99, June 3, Peoria
2000s Lesley Koch Ahten ’01, June 19, Peoria
Name___________________________ Maiden__________________ Bradley Alum?______________ Class Year______________________
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Raymond Krutz ’72, July 14, Rock Island, Ill. Rosemary McCraw Paxton ’72 M.A. ’74, June 27, Kewanee, Ill. Eva Conroy Brinck ’73, June 10, Naperville, Ill. Dorothy Phillips Deege ’73, July 3, Liberty, Ill. Bobbi Foy Grafton ’73, July 10, Bartonville, Ill. Daniel J. Harmon ’73, May 31, Waco, Texas Roger Hoerr M.A. ’73, Aug. 1, Peoria William Fiorino ’74, June 3, Bloomingdale, Ill. Thurston Lee III ’74, July 2, Mesa, Ariz. G. Ronald Wright ’76, May 30, Bloomington, Ill. Leo Delinski ’77, July 14, Peoria Michael Schuerman ’77, June 9, New Port Richey, Fla.
Degree___________________________________________________ Advanced Degree(s)________________________________________ Institution_________________________________________________ Current Job Title(s)_________________________________________ Employer_________________________________________________
Number of Children_____________________________________________ My News (Please provide month/day/year for weddings and births.) ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ PLEASE NOTE: Class Notes are published in the order they are received. Please send wedding and birth announcements within one year of the event. PHOTO SUBMISSIONS: Digital photos should measure at least 1,200 pixels on the short side. Include photographer’s written permission to reproduce copyrighted photos. Bradley Hilltopics reserves the right to make the final selection of all photography based upon available space, subject matter and photo quality. QUESTIONS: Call (309) 677-2249, or email hilltopics@bradley.edu.
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Alumni Connections Alumni Events Nov. 21–23 // Estero, Florida Men’s basketball Gulf Coast Showcase Tournament Dec. 11 // Chicago BUBAA pregame and game, Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions Dec. 21 // Ft. Worth, Texas Reception with President Gary R. Roberts ‘70 and men’s basketball game vs. TCU Jan. 25, 2017 // Chicago Pregame party and men’s basketball vs. Loyola Mar. 2–5, 2017 // St. Louis MVC men’s basketball tournament Mar. 9–12, 2017 // Quad Cities MVC women’s basketball tournament Mar. 25, 2017 // Peoria Sigma Kappa reunion Mar. 31–Apr. 3, 2017 // Peoria BFAN reunion Apr. 8, 2017 // Peoria Chi Omega reunion Visit bradley.edu/alumni for details and registration, or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (309) 677-3565 or (800) 952-8258.
Director’s Corner Tory McCord Jennetten ’96 First of all, I want to thank so many of you for attending activities — on campus and beyond — this late summer and fall. Whether you attended BUBAA’s Senior Send-off, CIBAC’s Bratfest, the Legacy Lunch on Move-In Day or one of the far-flung major league baseball games, your engagement with Bradley is impressive. In late summer, our celebration of the 200th anniversary of Lydia Moss Bradley’s birth began with a graceful and touching ceremony at Springdale Cemetery in Peoria. We continued to honor her throughout the fall, including indulging in a delicious new ice cream flavor (thank you, Spotted Cow!) and being amused by a bevy of “little Lydias” posed creatively, photographed and then sent to us by Bradley fans all over the world.
In addition to our traditional events, Homecoming in September featured the dedication of the beautiful Hardin Circle of Pride, donated by the estates of the late Bill Hardin ’50 and his late wife Marian Hoerr Hardin ’48. It’s sure to become a favorite campus spot for community gatherings or quiet reflection. I continue to be so grateful for our amazing Bradley family. Wherever I go, I see your generosity and commitment to your alma mater. Wherever you go, you do us proud. Hail, Red and White,
Tory McCord Jennetten ’96 Executive Director, Alumni Relations
VIEW MORE PHOTOS at flickr.com/BradleyAlumni
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1 San Francisco Attending the Giants game against the Los Angeles Dodgers were (left to right): Nancy Trogman ’60, Dave Karlin ’79, Barb Lesak Karlin ’79, Mackenzie Korth Jakoubek ’04, Steve Champi holding son Nathan, and Eva Wong Champi ’01. 2 Reno The Bradley University Vets Club held a reunion June 27–30 at the Silver Legacy Hotel in Reno, Nev.
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5: Jerrold Berry / Alpha Photography.
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3 St. Louis Alumni — among them (left to right) Alyssa Shyken ’11, Elizabeth Murphy Lombardo ’11, Natalie Morton Bannon ’11, Steve Bannon ’11, Staci Tons Gerchen ’11 and David Bornfleth ’10 — celebrated Homecoming from afar with a kickoff event in the Show-Me State. 4 Peoria Alumni and friends enjoyed music and food at the Central Illinois Bradley Alumni Chapter’s (CIBAC) annual Bratfest at Jimmy’s Bar Aug. 5. Helping raise money for CIBAC scholarships were (back row, left to right) Chip Kellogg ’71, Steve Roach ’71, Erin Durbin Craig ’97 M.A. ’05, Jeff Craig, Bob Janssen ’71, Dean of the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology Lex Akers, Caitlyn Garman ’14, Ray Smith ’64 and Greg Domaszewicz ’09. Front row, left to right) Daniel Van de Water ’16, Tracy Koger ’01 M.A. ’07, Claxton Cantrell M.A. ’74 and Christopher Smith ’13 MSEE ’15. 5 Chicago The Bradley University Black Alumni Alliance (BUBAA) celebrated the upcoming school year with its annual BBQ for current and incoming students and their families July 24. 6 Los Angeles Nearly 50 alumni and friends, including (left to right) Ashley Walden, Tristin Engels, Tifanie Connor, Rahul Chopra ’02, Kirtal Patel and James Connor ’02, gathered Aug. 27 for a pregame party at Mohawk Bend before watching the Chicago Cubs play the Los Angeles Dodgers. 7 Peoria The Alumni Association’s annual legacy lunch is part of Move-In Day activities. Taking a meal break at the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center after a busy morning hauling boxes are (seated, left to right) Janelle Peter Helfrich ’86, Steven Helfrich ’89, Jared Hoffman ’20, and Bradley Helfrich ’20. Standing (left to right) are Renee Helfrich ’18 and James O’Hara ’19. 8 St. Louis President Gary Roberts ’70 and his wife, Donna Carr Roberts, welcomed 40 alumni and prospective students at a reception at the St. Louis Club on June 28. Shown (left to right) are Phil Ruffus ’95, Diane Meyer Ruffus ’95, Eric Martin ’93, Jeanne Martin, Scott Ladewig, and Kristin Smith Ladewig ’93.
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Hilltop View Hardin Circle of Pride Members of the Bradley community have a new outdoor gathering space, thanks to the generosity of the estates of the late Bill ’50 and the late Marian Hoerr Hardin ’48. The area in the alumni quad prominently includes 15 flags, and also features benches representing alumni and campus groups the Hardins enjoyed. The raising of the flags on Founder’s Day also was part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Mrs. Bradley’s birth. Photography by Duane Zehr
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“FIRST, PROTECT YOUR FREEDOM AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. SECOND, THINK BEFORE YOU HATE. TRY TO THINK ABOUT THE OTHER GUY. AND THIRD, FIGHT THOSE WHO DENY THAT THIS (HOLOCAUST) EVER HAPPENED.” — Magda Brown
Before a rapt audience in the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center, Holocaust survivor Magda Brown, 89, spoke of the horrors she and nearly half a million Hungarian Jews, Roma and others suffered at the hands of German Nazis in the spring and summer of 1944. In searing detail, she told of the enforcement of the anti-Jewish Nuremberg Laws in her hometown of Miskolc, Hungary, and beyond, and of how, on her 17th birthday, the Nazis herded Brown and her family onto freight cars and transported them over three days to Auschwitz II-Birkenau (a combination concentration/extermination camp in Poland). Separated from her family upon arrival, she later learned that all but her brother had died in the camp’s gas chambers. Brown, who managed to escape during a forced march in 1945, has dedicated her life to educating others — especially children and young people — about the Nazi genocide, which she called “a premeditated, scientifically coordinated mass murder.”
Photography by Adam Rubinberg ’19
Holocaust survivor