The Carthaginian, Spring 2019

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IN THIS ISSUE Feature Articles

cover story:

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A Rising Tide As President Swallow plots a course for the College, the reciprocal benefit of community partnerships is deeply embedded in his vision.

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Patients First Without political baggage, Manar Mohammad ’16 joins medical relief missions to help her Palestinian people.

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Delightful Deliverables Students and clients alike find fulfillment in Professor Wenjie Sun’s GIS service learning projects.

Abroad Brush Returning from overseas, the initial W-K travel grant recipients saw both world and family history in a strikingly different light.

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IN THIS ISSUE Departments

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On Campus

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Class Notes

What ingredients make a good leader? Freshmen and sophomores searched for the right mix at an overnight retreat.

Faculty/Staff Notes

Awarded a major NIH grant, Professor Steve Henle expands his research into optic nerve damage.

Athletics

Community participation in Carthage’s swimming instruction program has nearly quadrupled since 2010.

Alumni share milestones from their careers and families.

Page From the Past Lasting until 1927, the preparatory Carthage Academy thrived in the College’s leaner years.

13 Reflections from Pastor Kara


THE CARTHAGINIAN Volume 98, Number 2 Carthage College combines an environment of reflection and self-discovery with a culture of high expectation so our students uncover and ignite their true potential. A four-year, private liberal arts college with roots in the Lutheran tradition, Carthage has a prime location in Kenosha. The campus, a more than 80-acre arboretum on the shore of Lake Michigan, is home to 150 scholars, 2,600 full-time students, and 200 part-time students.

Carthaginian Editorial Team Vice President for Marketing and Communications Christine Sanni

Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Elizabeth Young

Managing Editor Mike Moore

Photographers/Illustrators Ellie Cahue ’20 Mike Gryniewicz Maria Isely ’19 Steve Janiak Sam Payton ’19

Contributing Writers Jason Bennett Jennifer Gragg Mike Moore Traci Parker Emmy Schwerdt ’19

Design/Art Direction Steve Janiak Kim King ’06

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jeff Hamar ’80

President John R. Swallow Vice President for Institutional Advancement Thomas Kline

CMYK

Transparent PMS

For More Information The Carthaginian Office of Communications 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha, WI 53140 262-551-6021 • editor@carthage.edu


ON CAMPUS

A glimpse of what’s happening in the Carthage community

Follow the liter Retreat shows many recipes for good leadership Undeterred by a debilitating blender accident, Evan Blievernicht ’22 and Erin Chavez ’21 persevered with their dessert mission. Using only their right hands, the Carthage underclassmen worked in tandem to mix brownie batter and pour it into foil baking pans. A bandana kept their left hands tied together, the only visible sign of a smoothiemaking injury that had rendered them temporarily unusable. In fact, an inordinately large number of sketchy-sounding kitchen mishaps were reported that day. Clumsy cooks? No, more like resilient future leaders. This was a teamwork exercise at the

Emerging Leaders Retreat in January. As students drifted in and out of the crowded kitchen to prepare tacos and assorted sides, facilitators periodically disrupted the meal prep to assign fake injuries and test the teams’ adaptability. The intensive overnight event drew 15 freshmen and sophomores to Army Lake Camp and Retreat Center in East Troy, Wisconsin, about 40 miles northwest of campus. Already involved in both the Carthage Activities Board and Student Government in his first year, Evan could tell by day two of the retreat how immensely it would help in his growth as a leader. “Everything I’ve done here is pertinent to what I do,” he said. Besides serving as an elected freshman senator, Evan is the liaison between Student Government and student organizations. Next stop on the leadership track, fingers crossed, is a resident assistant position. Ryan Huntington and Becky Windberg from the Division of Student Affairs divided retreat-goers into three teams with color-coded bandanas. The aspiring leaders

At the Emerging Leaders Retreat in January, students explored the elements of leadership through a variety of projects. Those included a cooking exercise (top left) that stressed teamwork and resiliency, as well as a rope exercise (left) that developed trust.

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worked through a mixed bag of active and introspective exercises. “The biggest thing I learned is not everyone comes in as passionate as I am,” Evan said. “It’s about being able to inspire.” Carthage offers a series of leadershipfocused events throughout the academic year, culminating with the Student Leadership Awards in spring. The campus also has a thriving chapter of national leadership honor society Omicron Delta Kappa, which recently received a Membership Growth and Stability Award. The retreat was first held during J-Term 2018, backed by a crowdfunding campaign. It clearly left an impression; five of the initial participants returned this winter as peer facilitators to help groom the next

wave of up-and-comers. “I kind of grew into my leadership abilities after I came here,” said Madison Ganir ’21, a softball player for the Lady Reds who serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Other facilitators appreciated that the program scuttles some common misconceptions. Discovering that there’s no single template for leaders gave Serina Hernandez ’21 a boost of confidence. She’s now the senior social chair for Pi Theta sorority and an RA at Madrigrano Family Residence Hall. “I learned that, just because I didn’t picture myself as the ideal leader, I could still be a leader on campus,” Serina said. Deep connections grew out of the 2018 retreat, where strangers became close

friends in a 24-hour span. Mr. Huntington, who coordinates leadership development at Carthage, senses students’ thirst for that kind of immersive format. “A lot of these experiences happen at middle and high schools, but, when you get to college, it’s just different,” he said. “This is a little bit nostalgic.” Feedback deems the cooking session a keeper, one that offers more lasting takeaways than lunch. Students got to try out some of the primary tools in a leader’s toolkit, like planning, delegating, sharing limited resources, and navigating group dynamics. Students enjoyed the chance to practice decision-making in a safe setting, knowing the consequences wouldn’t follow them back to campus. Not even the imaginary scars.

Alumni, families, and friends are invited to Carthage for fun, friends, and football. Check out a few of the events from this exciting weekend! HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS: Alumni Breakfast

Class of 1969 Reunion

Homecoming Parade

Gold Plus Reunion

Football Game

Wiggan-Kenniebrew Black Alumni Network Reunion

Homecoming Worship Service

#CCHomecoming2019 carthage.edu

For more information, visit carthage.edu/homecoming 5


The sky’s no limit Five quick updates from fall and winter: 1

private spaceflight Blue Origin, a private firm founded by Jeff Bezos, carried a Carthage experiment aboard its New Shepard craft on a Jan. 23 test mission. The payload gathered data that will inform students’ NASA-sponsored research into a potential fuel gauging system for spacecraft. On sabbatical, Professor Kevin Crosby is working to cultivate commercial interest in related technology.

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congressional forum Contributing to the civic conversation, Carthage hosted a forum Oct. 23 for the three candidates in a race to fill the congressional seat vacated by outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan: eventual winner Bryan Steil, Randy Bryce, and Ken Yorgan. Faculty members Katherine Hilson (sociology) and Jeffrey Roberg (political science) served on the panel of moderators.

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models of diplomacy In November, Carthage’s team won six of the 16 total awards at the American Model United Nations conference in Chicago. Five students won individual recognition, and the group assigned to represent Israel won Overall Best Delegation for Exceptional Representation — one of five delegations (out of 125) to receive that honor.

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toward a smarter future In round one of its “Smart Cities – Smart Futures” innovation competition, Foxconn Technology Group awarded funding to Erin Magennis ’18 (for an anxiety-managing bracelet) and staff member Joan Volmut (for a stainfinding system and mobile app). The company recognized all of the statewide recipients on campus Dec. 13. Each received $500, with up to $5,000 available in subsequent rounds.

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chamber series The 2018-19 Chamber Music Series has featured a consistently strong slate of performers, including vocal ensemble Six Appeal, the New Century Saxophone Quartet, and father-and-son piano duo Ryan and Ryan (pictured here).

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ON CAMPUS

Alphabet project: How well do you know campus crannies? take the quiz You know that cliché, the one suggesting a picture is worth a thousand words? Talk about overkill. Students in art professor Jojin Van Winkle’s Introduction to TwoDimensional Design course took on a stiffer challenge last fall, making each image convey a single letter. The assignment sent students out to look for items that resemble individual letters. Taylor Wegner ’22 turned in this photographic montage of the entire alphabet. Test your knowledge of the Carthage campus by guessing the locations where some of these “letters” were photographed. A________________________________ B________________________________ C________________________________ D________________________________ E________________________________ F________________________________ G________________________________ K________________________________ P________________________________ S________________________________ V________________________________ W________________________________ X________________________________ Answers on page 36

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J-TERM 2019

Hannah-Mae Engstrom ’19, Tanzania

Roger Moreano, Senegal

Erin Suhajda ’19, Peru

Caitlyn Meyer ’20, Honduras

Chantelle Rose ’20, London


Sarah Cottone ’20, Costa Rica

Sidney Burke ’19, India

Capturing the moment for all to see, students entered their favorite 2019 J-Term images in a photo contest using the #carthagejterm hashtag. Faculty led study tours to 13 worldwide destinations in January. In the latest nationwide Open Doors report, Carthage had the fifth-most students participating in short-term study abroad.

Allyson McKillip ’19, Nicaragua

Laura Smith ’19, Austria


FACULTY/STAFF NOTES

Updates on faculty and staff achievements

New professor awarded $750K for eye study Whether it’s caused by glaucoma, injury, or simply aging, damage to a person’s optic nerve remains essentially permanent. But does it have to be? That question has been swimming in Carthage professor Steven Henle’s head since his postdoctoral research introduced him to zebrafish, which can recover from similar damage in as little as a week. Awarded nearly $750,000 from the National Institutes of Health, the new assistant professor of neuroscience intends to work with Carthage students over the next three years to study eye development in the freshwater fish species. They’ll focus on a pair of genes that appear critical to the healing process. The NIH Pathway to Independence Award allows Prof. Henle to build on work he conducted as a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “In the sciences, it is quite impressive for a colleague to receive this award,” said Professor Daniel Miller, chair of Carthage’s Neuroscience Department. “It means that a group of successful scientists deemed Dr. Henle to have the same potential for success in research.” The recipient points out the “potential snowball effect” of the award. By proving its scientific mettle to the NIH, Prof. Henle said, the College could open the door to other major grants from the federal agency.

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Peter Dennee, director of music education,

Rocco LaMacchia Jr., director of

Jeremy Mossman, assistant professor of

presented “Planning for a Pedagogy of Inclusion” at a pair of professional conferences last fall. He initiated a discussion centering on ideas to include diversity, equity, and inclusion in the lesson-planning process for middle and high school choral classes.

admissions and financial aid, was selected from a nationwide pool of more than 200 as a candidate for a referee’s license through the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. He has 16 years of experience as a wheelchair basketball official.

music theatre, and Prof. Ness gave a presentation at the Music Theatre Educators Alliance conference Jan. 3-6 in New York. They shared ideas that apply psychologist David Kolb’s learning theory to teaching voice technique and artistry in music theatre.

Fatih Harpci, assistant professor of religion, gave a talk about gratitude from an Islamic perspective on Nov. 18 during the second annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service in San Antonio. The event gathered Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faith leaders and elected officials in unity.

Ellen Hauser, director of the Women’s and Gender Studies program, and Corinne Ness, dean for the Division of Arts and Humanities, hosted a Wisconsin Women in Higher Education Leadership conference that drew 105 attendees Oct. 18-19. Several Carthage faculty members presented research.

Rebekah Johnson, assistant professor of exercise and sport science, led two sessions and presented a poster at the Wisconsin Health and Physical Education conference Oct. 23-25 in Wisconsin Dells. Several Carthage students assisted in the presentations.

Diane Levesque, assistant professor of art, put on a solo exhibition, “Penny Dreadfuls,” in November at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Named for a genre of popular Gothic novels from the Victorian era, the show drew connections to Staffordshire figurines that often depicted macabre events in a sentimental light. Jerald Mast, associate professor of political science, published a two-volume set in November titled “Climate Change Politics and Policies in America: Historical and Modern Documents in Context.” Maribel Morales, assistant professor of modern languages, gave a presentation on a paper she titled “Indigenous Women and Tourism in Peru: Re-Envisioning Gender” at the National Women’s Studies Association conference in Atlanta last November. The project grew out of a J-Term study tour she has offered with Professor Jeffrey Roberg.

Perry Kivolowitz, professor of computer science, co-wrote visual effects software that received an Academy Award in February. The Technical Achievement Award names two of his partners in SilhouetteFX, a software project to which Prof. Kivolowitz has contributed for 14 years. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, “Silhouette provides a comprehensive solution for painting, rotoscoping, and image manipulation of highresolution image sequences. Its fast, scalable, and extensible architecture has resulted in wide adoption in motion picture post-production.” Prof. Kivolowitz previously won an Academy Award in the same category in 1996 for the invention of shape-driven warping and morphing.

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Andrea Ng’weshemi, Jerald C. Brauer chair for Lutheran studies, presented a paper on “Lutheran Churches in Africa: Vitality, Challenges, and Opportunities for the New Face of Lutheranism in the 21st Century” at the 2018 Luther Colloquy. The event was held Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Colleen O’Brien, assistant professor of management and marketing, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation — titled “Narcissism and Emotional Intelligence: The Perfect Storm?” — at the University of WisconsinWhitewater on Oct. 30. Jan Owens, associate professor of management and marketing, teamed with a colleague from Eastern Michigan University to win a Best Case Writer Award at a national symposium Oct. 19 in Chicago. Their “#PGATOUR!!” case took third place at the Jacobs & Clevenger Case Writers’ Workshop.

Nicholas Pilarski, assistant professor of communication and digital media, gave presentations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University in fall. As an award-winning documentary filmmaker, he discussed media and activism. Isabel Rivero-Vila, assistant professor of modern languages, presented “Five Months in Nantes: An Interactive Documentary Experience for Language Teaching and Learning” in October at the International Conference on Communication and Media Studies in Berkeley, California, in October. Her related paper was published in November.

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live vicariously

through Carthage students.

Follow @mycarthage on Instagram to tag along on the adventures of Carthage students, both on and off campus.


FACULTY/STAFF NOTES

PASTOR’S MESSAGE

Elaine Walton ’79, associate vice president for institutional advancement, retired Feb. 8 after 26 years. Longtime colleague Jim Unglaube ’63 called her “a rock in the advancement work of the College for a generation.” Immersed in capital campaigns, Ms. Walton took a lead role in fundraising for many of the academic, athletic, and residential Carthage facilities that are now in place. As the alumni network doubled in size, she helped develop programs to solidify the connections between the College and its graduates. Ms. Walton also coordinated Commencement and other major events — a task she carried out “with great flair,” in the words of President Emeritus F. Gregory Campbell. She was a driving force behind the Christmas Festival’s growth into a shining community tradition.

Darwin Tsen, assistant professor of modern languages, and three of Carthage’s current or former Target Language Experts participated in a panel discussion at the Wisconsin Association of Language Teachers conference in Appleton last November. They explored the use of Chinese and Japanese pop culture to help students learn about differing relationship norms, build a healthy self-identity, understand hard-to-translate concepts of gender and romance, and apply grammatical structures in fun ways. Jojin Van Winkle, assistant professor of art, was selected for Madison Magazine’s M List. Announced in August, the 2018 list recognized innovation and creativity in the arts. Incorporating drawings, thoughts, and memories from more than 500 children, Prof. Van Winkle completed a permanent sound and animation installation for the Madison (Wisconsin) Children’s Museum. “Stair Trek: Core to Cosmos” opened in 2017 and covers seven floors of the building’s stairwell.

Mimi Yang, professor of modern languages and Asian studies, was a plenary speaker in December at the International Conference of Modern Languages in San José, Costa Rica.

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Positivity plus puppies With support from our Interfaith Lunch program, the Center for Faith and Spirituality partnered with campus ministry organizations and Faithbridge Church to reboot Study Day on Dec. 10. Faithbridge started Study Day in 2013-14, independently sponsoring the program as part of its young adult ministry. The United Methodist congregation opened the doors of its downtown Racine church to Carthage students a day or two before finals, giving them a place off-campus to study, an opportunity to worship, a homemade meal, smoothies, and lots of cookies. It started out strong, with more than 200 students showing up in each of the first few semesters. Like many programs, though, Study Day lost energy. The event attracted fewer than 50 students in fall 2017, and it wasn’t held last spring. Yet good memories of Study Day remained. When Faithbridge approached me about ways to support Carthage students during the 2018-19 academic year, we decided together to bring it back. This time, it was a joint effort by the church and some of our faith-based student organizations (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Fellowship of Christian Athletes). What would constitute a successful reboot? We set an attendance goal of 50 to 60 students from Carthage and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

I’m thrilled to share that more than 80 came. Food was enjoyed, studying did happen, and the most popular place was the Puppy Room, where students got to interact with puppies to bring some stress relief at a stressful time. Coming together and sharing space, ideas, and energy to make something happen for our students was a great experience. My jobs were to drive one of the vans between the College and the church and to help with worship. Driving the van gave me time to talk with students about the semester, their plans for the future, and what they enjoyed about the off-campus event. They loved the food, of course, but one student’s answer struck me: She loved the positive energy and encouragement from the church volunteers. Planning is well underway for Study Day at the end of the spring semester. We’re hoping for nice weather to have tables outside, and puppies are a must. We also have some new ideas: Maybe there will be a coffee bar or a calming room, or worship music may be played on acoustic instruments. Whatever it may be, it will be better because we are working on it together. Peace,

Rev. Kara Baylor Campus Pastor

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ATHLETICS

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Beyond

treading water

Swim lesson program flourishes with emphasis on small classes

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hen Beth DeLaRosby assumed control of Carthage’s young swimming lesson program in 2010, it had only 60 participants. The head women’s swimming and diving coach and aquatics director saw an opportunity for growth. “At the time, we were reaching out to only a very small population. Mostly, it was professors’ children and other members of the Carthage community,” she said. “But I realized we could grow the program and help out our swim and dive team, and also help reinforce Carthage as a part of the Kenosha community.” Under her direction, the program has grown steadily to 224 participants as of fall 2018. Lessons are offered 27 weeks of the year in the Koenitzer Aquatic Center, divided into several sessions. Coach DeLaRosby attributes the growth largely to word of mouth and active community outreach. She donated lessons for local schools’ fundraising auctions and offered discounts to Carthage alumni and their family members. To grow the program further, Coach DeLaRosby needed something to set it apart from similarly priced swimming instruction at other local sites. In the pool, as in academics, small classes became a big selling point. While competing programs match up five or six students with each instructor, Carthage offers semi-private lessons. “We only have two students for each instructor,” Coach DeLaRosby said. “That allows much more one-on-one time with each student, lots of individualized instruction, and it enhances safety.”

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That advantage resonates with parents. “I really appreciate the attention that each swimmer gets during lessons,” said Kenosha resident Jeni Parkinson. “… We have put all four of our kids in Carthage swimming lessons. All have had great success, and all gained a love for swimming.” The facility is another drawing card. The 16-lane, 25-yard pool is big enough to run several lessons at a time. It offers a range of depths, as well as starting blocks for learning to dive. Available to children 3 and older, lessons are divided into several skill levels. The curriculum covers water safety, six swim strokes, dives, and turns. The growth of the instruction program has benefited Carthage’s NCAA Division III swimming and diving teams in multiple ways. Profits help to defray the costs of an annual winter break training trip and advanced racing swimwear. “The tech suits can cost several hundred dollars each,” Coach DeLaRosby said, “and that adds up very quickly when you consider the number of athletes on the team.” This year, the lessons are distributed among 30 student instructors. Two lifeguards are on duty during each class to provide additional supervision. Swimmers and divers who compete for the Red Men and Lady Reds typically make up 80 to 90 percent of the instructor pool. “Instructors get paid,” said Coach DeLaRosby, “so it helps them learn time management skills from having a job while balancing their classes and a sport as well as putting a little extra money in their pockets.”

Perhaps more importantly, they learn communication skills. “The instructors have to interact with the students and their parents in an educational setting,” Coach DeLaRosby said. “They have to talk with the parent about expectations and learn what works best when teaching the participants. It’s an education in itself.” Program instructors agree. “I have learned a lot about patience,” said Sam Gabriel ’19. “When teaching swim lessons, you need to be patient with your kids, because some of the concepts are a bit challenging for a child to grasp.” It’s more than a campus job to Tara Smith ’19. Professionally, she sees a direct benefit. “I truly believe that the creativity and patience I gained through my experience teaching swim lessons at Carthage will be applied to helping my future students when I become an English teacher,” she said. The program reflects Carthage’s broader commitment to leverage its expertise for the greater good. “Our swim program is just one aspect of what the College as a whole is doing to immerse our student body in the local community,” Coach DeLaRosby said. “Through teaching local youths how to swim, we are promoting service to the community, as well as teaching a life-saving skill.”

GET THEIR FEET WET Carthage offers swimming lessons in all four seasons. For an updated schedule, visit: carthage.edu/swim-lessons

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ATHLETICS

All Sports

Women’s Tennis

Faculty mentor initiative

Sophomore conference champ

Carthage has launched a Faculty Athletic Mentor program, pairing each of its 24 athletic teams with a professor who will provide academic guidance for the student-athletes. The FAM program aims to strengthen the relationship between the athletic and academic sectors of the College. Faculty participants will attend their teams’ events whenever possible. Michelle Manning, director of athletics, welcomed the mentors on-court during halftime in the Lady Reds’ basketball game on Dec. 8.

Ashley Woods ’21 won an individual title in the No. 6 singles bracket at the CCIW women’s tennis tournament. The transfer student from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside upset top seed Kalli Majewski of Augustana College in the final 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 on Oct. 20 in Rock Island, Illinois. Ashley came in seeded third.

Men’s Soccer

Team, coach stand atop CCIW The Red Men won the conference tournament for the third time in four seasons, securing the automatic qualification for the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship that comes with it. After edging North Park University 3-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title match Nov. 3, Carthage fell to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville 4-1 six days later in the NCAA opening round. The Red Men went 12-9-1 overall. Carthage’s Steve Domin became the first five-time recipient of the conference’s Joe Bean Coach of the Year Award, surpassing two others — including the award’s namesake.

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Women’s Volleyball

NCAA-bound again Fueled in part by a nine-match midseason winning streak, the Lady Reds earned an at-large berth to the NCAA D-III women’s volleyball tournament. It marked their fourth appearance in the past five years. Wittenberg University halted the team’s run in a first-round NCAA match Nov. 8 at Grand Rapids, Michigan, defeating the Lady Reds 25-17, 25-22, 25-20. Carthage finished the 2018 season 21-11.

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red men & lady reds from anywhere!

Stream events live at

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COVER STORY

Partnerships for a

rising tide Since taking office in July 2017, President John R. Swallow has worked to gain a thorough understanding of Carthage's strengths, its needs, and its place in both the region and the broader higher education landscape. Here, he maps out the College's best path for the coming years.

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uring my first year at Carthage, I thought a great deal about the question asked of all new college presidents: Where do we go from here?

I believe the most important effort we can make right now is to reaffirm and reinvigorate our ethos of social responsibility — not simply to sway public opinion, which shows increasing dissatisfaction with higher education, but rather to boldly position Carthage as a flexible and inventive college, one attuned to the evolving needs of its students and those of the world around us. I believe Carthage can become a national model for workforce readiness by redoubling our efforts to make sure our students graduate with practical, high demand skills, but also go out into society with boundless intellectual curiosity.

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We are educating, after all, young men and women who, more than any other generation, will confront unprecedented technological change in their careers. They must be ready to master change and will, in fact, likely lead it. The ground under our feet may indeed be shifting. I believe it is our imperative to regard our success as fundamentally connected to partnerships with communities, in the broadest sense of the word. We can, and should, be that singular college that turns negative public attitudes around through positive community partnerships — partnerships that strengthen our educational mission and serve the greater good. We can, and should, see not over but through traditional boundaries between municipalities, businesses, and nonprofits. We can, and should, see those boundaries as inherently porous, accommodating and welcoming a lively exchange of ideas, talent, and opportunity. Most importantly, we can, and should, see this model as part of a renewed commitment to foster the full potential of our students so they can rise to meet the myriad and difficult challenges confronting the world as they build purposeful and richly rewarding lives. We are poised to deepen and expand our commitment to both our students and the community with The Aspire Program™, our comprehensive career preparation program. Through Aspire, we will soon deploy the resources to develop initiatives customized to student goals, to business opportunities, and to local aspirations. We will give our students opportunities to work in settings as diverse as a large corporation or a startup, a human services nonprofit or a major hospital. The consequences will be far-reaching. Through Aspire’s experiential learning opportunities, students will build skills necessary for tomorrow’s job market. Our approach to community partnerships will not be limited to Aspire and other programmatic efforts; rather, it is a frame of mind that will pervade the College. It shapes an understanding and respect for Carthage as a vital partner with industry, not-for-profits, and government in the Chicago-to-Milwaukee corridor. If we have hundreds of students each year who will work in local organizations, what impact will the work of those hundred students make? How can

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The Aspire Program™, a comprehensive career preparation initiative Carthage is designing for all students, will officially launch this fall. Blending new and existing resources, the four-year program will empower each student to tailor a professional development plan from the first days on campus. Entering in September, the Class of 2023 will be the first to follow The Aspire Program in its entirety, though returning students will also benefit from many of its elements. The Carthage community recently received a sneak peek at the program, which moved forward thanks to a $15 million gift from longtime benefactor Jan Tarble. Career advising, internships, and networking are key components, but administrators noted the multifaceted initiative will also cultivate leadership and entrepreneurial skills. “In the simplest way, The Aspire Program helps students figure out who they are, why that matters in the world, and how to build the skills they need to be able to reach their goals,” said Lisa Hinkley, associate vice president and executive director for career and professional development. Watch for more details in the Summer 2019 issue of The Carthaginian or visit: carthage.edu/aspire

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Academically agile To become the increasingly “flexible and inventive college” that President John Swallow envisions as a “national model for workforce readiness,” we must build on a strong existing foundation. Here are some examples of Carthage academic programs that have adapted to changing workforce and community needs.

accounting aculty adjust curriculum to F changing requirements for CPA exam in Wisconsin, Illinois, and other relevant states

business Accounting/Finance/ Management/Marketing R EADY™ (Real-world Experience And Developing You) proprietary curriculum design features professional projects

and simulations with industry standard software A ll new business students must

complete Microsoft Excel certification to graduate arketing majors can now add M concentration in sales, the entry point for more than half of U.S. business graduates

classics

environmental science Heavily involved in nationwide research network that lets students collaborate with peers at other schools on largescale ecological issues, following a trend in science professions

exercise and sport science Added two required courses for exercise and sport science major (formerly physical education, sport and fitness instruction) to match students’ career

interests in coaching, personal training, and health promotion

geospatial science dvanced GIS courses let students A tackle practical projects from community clients, rather than textbooks – Story on page 22

physics

Pro Seminar series, mandatory for

Career development strategies

majors, features two events per semester where speakers — often alumni —

highlighted in The Chronicle of Higher Education last fall, such as portfolio

discuss emerging fields for classics majors and their own career paths

education D eveloped urban education minor based on local principals’ feedback,

preparing teachers committed to urban schools reated bilingual and ESL teaching C programs at undergraduate level; English learners account for almost 6 percent of Wisconsin students

replacing traditional senior thesis

public relations ormed a new chapter in Public F Relations Student Society of America to broaden PR students’ professional network

studio art ew courses in Sound Art and Video N Art give students experience in wider range of artistic media

a community resource The College’s regional inroads stretch well beyond academics. Our community swimming instruction program has grown nearly fourfold in recent years. See story in Athletics, page 15.

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we shape it to meet the community’s most important needs? To be truly responsible, we must be useful. Regionally, the outlook for economic growth is enormously promising in southeastern Wisconsin. In this regard, we will continue to support Wisconsin’s 60 Forward goal, which seeks to ensure that 60 percent of the working-age population (ages 25 to 64) has a postsecondary credential by 2027. (In 2016, this figure was 48.4 percent.) Moving the needle is critical. Given Wisconsin’s aging population, the state faces an urgent and growing need for talent. The economy, and society as a whole, can ill afford the prospect of not successfully credentialing individuals from every population, and only by reducing achievement gaps will the workforce gap be filled. Now more than ever, Carthage must expand its reach to more people. Our approach — which encompasses retaining traditional students, admitting more transfer students, and engaging new populations (such as older, mid-career students) — also will encourage creativity and innovation. Carthage might consider offering drastically reduced tuition and fees in the Adult Undergraduate Studies program to parents of some of our first-generation traditional students. Doing so would allow parents to complete their degrees alongside their traditionally enrolled children. We might seek to encourage our graduates to stay in the region post-graduation by partnering with organizations and businesses to develop job opportunities that provide living stipends for the first year of work. To return to the question: Where do we go from here? Our proactive response takes strength from timeless values that define our character in a new context of community partnerships, an approach that can assure and elevate Carthage’s excellence.

Spring Carthaginian 2019


COVER STORY

We have long been custodians of culture — our liberal arts curriculum has, over the decades, evolved to educate versatile, well-rounded, and compassionate students. It is our most direct expression of a faith in humanity. But at this challenging time for higher education, we are also increasingly called upon to broaden our role, to mediate between the ideal — knowledge for knowledge’s sake — and the real. We mediate because the choice between the ideal and the real is a false choice. Rather than see an “or,” we choose to see an “and.” Looking ahead, several strategic steps will take us in the right direction. Boldly communicate. We have myriad proof points that demonstrate our commitment to our communities, and we will have more. Focused communication around these thematic strengths is critical to differentiate the Carthage experience and give us a major edge in an increasingly competitive market. We should build on our expertise in experiential learning, and especially the launch of Aspire, in all areas of the enterprise, including recruitment, public relations, and our ongoing pursuit of national funding. Educate expansively. We are poised to provide more education to more people through multiple channels, including programs for nontraditional learners, such as mid-career professionals. To do so requires developing a cycle of creativity and innovation, rigorous evaluation, and judicious adjustment for programs, both curricular and co-curricular. Integrate regionally: The time is right to reposition Carthage as a vital partner to industry, not-for-profits, and government in the Chicago-to-Milwaukee corridor, now on the cusp of dramatic economic growth. Carthage’s presidential leadership, increased local connections, and effective

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communications infrastructure are in place to derive a wide range of benefits. Excel responsively: Carthage must respond deliberately and nimbly to those who need education locally, regionally, and beyond. We can develop positive relationships with stakeholders throughout our communities and measurement tools to be able to responsibly report the outcomes. We can introduce recognition programs that reward faculty and staff not only for their individual contributions, but also for how they promote teamwork and contribute to group outcomes. In closing, I ask that you join me in elaborating this vision for Carthage. Imagine with me what our founders would say as we stand here at this critical crossroads for higher education. I suspect they would advise us that doubt and criticism take steam, as always, from frustration, uncertainty, and fears about the future. But I suspect these pioneers would also say, just as they must have thought when they opened a college on the rough frontier, that cynicism is the measure of small minds. With our own perseverance, creativity, and insightful understanding, we can carry forward that same optimism and hope as our founders. Higher education is always a worthy investment. The proof, however, will depend on the steps we take — not in the future, but now. The Rev. Samuel Zeiser, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, has described Lutheran colleges, neither sectarian nor secular, as a “gift to society.” That society is waiting for our transformative gifts; let us begin.

The time is right to reposition Carthage as a vital partner to industry, not-for-profits, and government in the Chicago-to-Milwaukee corridor, now on the cusp of dramatic economic growth.

In gratitude and friendship,

John R. Swallow

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Matchmaker for map-makers

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ot many college students can say they gained a valuable skill set and helped to improve local elementary school reading levels — all in a semester’s work. That kind of dual success comes standard in Professor Wenjie Sun’s upper-level GIS courses. She employs service learning, drawing group projects from real clients rather than textbook assignments. GIS, which stands for geographic information science, uses mapping software to interpret and analyze the underlying pattern of geographical data. Fellow professor Kurt Piepenburg thinks of it as “visual analytics.” Earlier than most, Prof. Sun understood the field’s educational and civic potential. Over the past six years, students in her courses have taken on 56 GIS projects for businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and internal campus partners. “She always takes the initiative,” says Prof. Piepenburg, chair of the Geospatial Science Department. “She’s been a real leader on our campus with the service learning projects.”

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Spring Carthaginian 2019


FE AT U RE S TO RY Kenosha County Food Deserts Fast Food / Gas Stations

By: Michael Meke, Lauren Mercado, Will Zolpe

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Full Service Grocery Stores Service Area (1 mile)

Fast Foods/Gas Stations Burlington

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Legend Businesses Within 5 Minutes Businesses Within 10 Minutes Businesses Within 15 Minutes Mckinley Elementary

Drive Times 5 Minutes 10 Minutes 15 Minutes

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Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCan, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri Korea, Esri (Thailand), NGCC, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

3 4 Kenosha Miles County Food Deserts

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Hispanic Population Data

By: Michael Meke, Lauren Mercado, Will Zolpe

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Prof. Sun has never been one to shy away from opportunity. Born and raised in northeastern China, she left her hometown for only the second time in her life to attend Beijing University. While there, she met people from all parts of the world, which piqued her interest in geography. “I got exposed to what I would call a much more open-minded community compared to where I came from,” Prof. Sun says. “It opened up my horizons a lot.” By the time she finished her undergraduate studies in geography, she was eager to continue exploring the world. Faced with the choice of remaining at her alma mater or heading overseas to Indiana University for graduate school, Prof. Sun picked the latter. “I guess, being a geographer, I’m adventurous,” she says. The next adventure led to Carthage, where she teaches geospatial science, computer science, and Asian studies. Colleagues have noticed that students come out of Prof. Sun’s classes knowing she genuinely cares about them and their success. “She has a very warm and engaging nature with her students,” said Julio Rivera, professor of management, marketing, and geospatial science. “That comes through in her teaching.” As Prof. Sun settled into her first faculty position in 2006, various community partners began to request mapping services. Along with Prof. Rivera, the department chair at the time, she began to parcel out the work in the upper-level GIS classes. “We started more or less experimenting with a couple projects here and there sporadically,” Prof. Sun recalls. “And, over time, I noticed that this is a great way to engage students.” Because clients aren’t charged for the work, there’s a built-in charitable aspect to it. That’s big for young adults who find it hard to contribute to the larger world while figuring out their own lives. “Service learning GIS projects allow students to learn and practice technical skills, but, in the process, students appreciate more what it means to be a good citizen,” Prof. Sun says. “And they feel much more accomplished beyond the maps they made, beyond the spatial analysis they performed. They feel like they made a real difference.” To Michael Meke ’19, a GIS and accounting double major, that added dimension made the service learning courses stand out from the rest. “When the project is finished, I’m not just happy because it’s done,” he says, “but also because I know that someone else will benefit from it, which is a great feeling.”

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A successful experiment

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Maps created in Professor Wenjie Sun’s classes provide valuable data for community clients.

Delight in deliverables After learning that 45 percent of third-graders in Kenosha were struggling to read at a third-grade reading level, leaders at the local United Way devised a solution: Readers are Leaders, a volunteer tutoring program.

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erts

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63rd St

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The organization recruited and trained reading tutors, who worked one-on-one with children after class at McKinley Elementary School. As a result, reading proficiency went up significantly. Knowing that third grade is a critical stage in a child’s reading development, United Way of Kenosha County CEO Tara Panasewicz sought to expand the program into other Kenosha schools. But she lacked the staff and resources to sustain that expansion. “We don’t like to put Band-Aids on situations,” she says. A well-timed connection supplied a more effective salve. Karen Howell, then Carthage’s director of community engagement, put the executive in touch with Prof. Sun. Together, they decided to proceed with a service learning project aimed at increasing the number of tutors for three other elementary schools. Last spring, a small group of GIS students used census and business data mapping to determine which businesses and residential areas near those schools would yield the most volunteers. The results helped United Way recruit around 50 tutors. “This would have probably doubled or tripled the time it took to get off the ground if we had to do this ourselves,” Ms. Panasewicz says. “So it was valuable — very valuable.” The benefits are clearly mutual. By working with local clients to solve nagging problems, students establish a deeper connection with the place they call home for four years — and potentially longer. “The students will come to understand the landscape of their community,” Ms. Panasewicz explains. “They will understand the challenges that face us.” Because life isn’t as simple as textbooks sometimes make it out to be, Prof. Sun welcomes clients’ thorny challenges. The work introduces students to the kinds of messy data and practical problems they’ll often face after graduation. “Our projects aren’t all out of a textbook, complete with spotless data that accompanies them,” says Aric Lang ’19. A double major in GIS and environmental science, Aric credits his professional success thus far — highlighted by an internship at the San Francisco International Airport that he secured over a graduate student — to the experiences in Prof. Sun’s courses.

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Carthage added a GIS major in 2015, though faculty are quick to point out that the skills apply to many other disciplines. Professors in the department say taking just one course can give students an extra edge over their peers. Ryan Lindsay ’14, who paired a minor in GIS with a degree in finance and economics, saw that impact in his first job interview. After he was hired by the Milwaukee Police Department, Mr. Lindsay learned from a supervisor that his portfolio of GIS projects ultimately had given him the advantage over other candidates. “My education may have gotten me to where I am,” he says, “but GIS was my foot in the door.” With several years of service learning under her belt, Prof. Sun has proposed a sabbatical in spring 2020 to reflect on its effectiveness as a teaching tool. Besides submitting that reflective piece to a higher ed journal, she would strategize ways to incorporate even more of those projects into the GIS program at Carthage. While the majority of clients have come from the region, students have done work for some as distant as Scranton, Pennsylvania, and San Francisco. Prof. Sun is eager to expand the geographical and cultural reach of the service projects. “I always prefer more diversity in teaching,” she says. “I’m always trying to reach for something new.”

JOIN THE CLIENTELE Professor Wenjie Sun is always looking for new community partners, both local and national, to collaborate on service learning GIS courses. Among dozens of past clients, the students have helped: · Paychex, a payroll services company, to grow Hispanic-owned small businesses in parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. · Kenosha County Health Department to identify areas with unsafe well water. · Warrior Strong, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit for veterans’ fitness, to identify prime locations for expansion. · Milwaukee Police Department to visualize and understand changing crime patterns for more effective and efficient policing. ·H oricon National Wildlife Refuge to monitor bird nesting sites, density, and related trends on Great Lakes islands. If you know a business, nonprofit organization, or government agency that could benefit from similar services, please contact her: wsun@carthage.edu

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Spring Carthaginian 2019


FE AT U R E S TO RY

Putting patients before politics Palestinian pediatric student pitches in where diplomacy remains stalled

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n Instagram, Manar Mohammad ’16 gives followers a pictorial glimpse of her ancestral Palestinian homeland — one bearing no resemblance to the violent, eternally unstable place depicted in sporadic news reports over the winter. The photos, taken in the Israeli-controlled West Bank during a weeklong medical mission and a side trip to her former hometown, show a carefree young woman. Ms. Mohammad wears the wide smile of someone whose appreciation for the lush fig trees, bustling marketplaces, and generous hospitality isn’t darkened by the political clouds overhead. An aspiring pediatrician deep into the second year of medical school, she’s also seen the unmet health care needs in the region. Those needs can’t take a back seat while diplomatic solutions to the 70-year-old conflict lie dormant. Ms. Mohammad most recently traveled to the West Bank last summer. She joined her faculty advisor from the Medical College of Wisconsin, a pediatric surgeon, on the mission. “I can’t fix the political situation,” she

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said. “You can serve people without just focusing on the politics.” The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) sponsored the trip. Despite its name, the nonprofit arranges treatment for ailing children across the Middle East, regardless of political or religious affiliation. Her first relief mission to the area through PCRF came in 2015, the summer before her senior year at Carthage, when her duties were limited to translation and observation. With future summers blocked off for clinical work, Ms. Mohammad took advantage of one last break to return. This time, her status as a medical student allowed for a more hands-on experience. Besides assisting the surgical team in the operating room, Ms. Mohammad put her fluency in Arabic to use. She spent many hours with patients’ families, gathering and relaying information about the children’s conditions. “They need someone to say ‘Here’s what’s going on,’” she explained “to help them understand what is happening

25


to their family member and keep them calm.” The Carthage alumna made the deepest connection with a mother roughly her own age whose young son needed emergency surgery. The boy emerged from a 14-hour operation with a few complications but, overall, in much better shape than he arrived.

Born in Wisconsin, Ms. Mohammad progressed through childhood somewhat oblivious to the hardships her parents endured before immigrating to the United States. Harry Potter’s adventures at Hogwarts seemed more real than news stories from the other side of the world. Then, at age 11, she suddenly lost those bearings. Determined to keep their four children in touch with their heritage, her parents uprooted the family and moved to the West Bank city of Ramallah — the hub for a network of dozens of relatives. Although the kids were often stopped at checkpoints on the way to class and the whirring rotors of military helicopters became a familiar sound, Ms. Mohammad admits their daily experience never aligned with that of most residents. The family had a car and a comfortable house, and the kids attended a private school with a standard U.S. curriculum. As she put it, “We lived like American kids in Palestine,” which kept them largely insulated from the constant fear and poverty that hovered over most families. Yet she absorbed enough to carry a markedly different worldview back to Kenosha as a high school junior. Ms. Mohammad accepted the mantle of Muslim American. She chose to educate, rather than avoid, classmates who stared at her headscarf. But the reintegration to American life proved rocky after so much time away. Two dueling aspects of her identity tugged in opposite directions. Poetry became the outlet, as she frequented local open mic sessions.

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“I reverted to writing,” she said. “That’s how I spoke to someone about myself. I never went up to someone and said, ‘Hi, I lived in Palestine for five years.’” When it came to targeting a career, there was no such inner turmoil. Idolizing her own pediatrician, Ms. Mohammad locked onto medicine in elementary school and began the agonizingly long countdown to college. Coming to Carthage on a Kenosha Scholarship, she divided her time among a variety of passions. Active in the College’s multicultural efforts, Ms. Mohammad helped to establish the Islamic Awareness Association. While she officially majored in English, a strategic sequence of courses from Carthage’s pre-health track served as her entrance ramp to medical school. One professor dubbed her the “pediatric poet.” With faculty support, the dream she once viewed as “crazy” started to look legitimately attainable in those undergraduate years. “It was monumental in getting me to feel confident,” she said.

Although taught by passionate mentors, Ms. Mohammad found medical school’s first-year coursework inherently impersonal. Digesting terminology seemed a long way from refining bedside manner. Eventually, she did encounter a human subject — in the cadaver lab. “It was so hard for me to separate from the mechanical ‘What are we doing? What are we learning?’” she said. The summer humanitarian work reintroduced her to the human element of health care. Even the anxious mom from Gaza momentarily set aside her concern to offer Ms. Mohammad some career advice: Stick with it. Reinvigorated, the med student returned to school flush with empathy. “I just felt way more comfortable being around patients,” she said.

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Intellectually, too, she returned with a heavier suitcase. The inadequacy of health care that Ms. Mohammad glimpsed during the family’s stay in Ramallah always gnawed at her. Now she’s in a better position to do something about it. The visit provided new insights for research she’s begun, examining the barriers to care facing the nearly 4 million Palestinians in the region. It’s a largely unexplored topic. As rewarding as the medical relief work is, she knows it’s only a Band-Aid on a deeper wound. Filling in the macro-level picture could contribute to more systemic changes. “No country wants to survive on having international medical teams come and see them forever,” Ms. Mohammad said. One hurdle to self-sufficiency is the brain drain. The best Palestinian doctors routinely move away to safer areas where they can earn a comfortable living. Other obstacles are societal, with health literacy lagging. “Preventive medicine is not a thing there,” she said. “People don’t really see their physician unless they’re sick.” And, of course, the political reality is inescapable, as the family she befriended could attest. Coming from Gaza, another territory mired in the ongoing conflict, they had to delay the ailing boy’s care until government officials granted permission to cross Israeli territory. Inching closer to the educational finish line, it becomes a tad easier for her to envision life as Dr. Mohammad. She plans to establish a pediatric practice in Wisconsin, a place she considers home — no trivial concept to someone from a stateless people. Whether it’s research from afar or individual treatment in person, the Carthage alumna vows to use her skills to care for the needy Palestinians who aren’t involved in matters of state. In her mind, it’s only a matter of circumstances that led her path to diverge from theirs. “This is a privilege I have that a lot of people don’t,” she said. “What’s the point of getting all this education and just staying comfortable?”

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FE AT U R E S TO RY

W-K travel grants connect personal, academic dots H

oping to gain a deeper understanding of his ancestry and African-American identity, Antoine Givens ’20 extensively researched the infamous House of Slaves on Senegal’s Gorée Island. Historians say thousands of captive Africans, or perhaps more, were sold into slavery there in the 18th and 19th centuries and held until ships arrived to haul them off to a life of servitude. The more he researched, the stronger the link Antoine felt with the past. “I am aware, as a young black man pursuing a college education at a prestigious college, that I am the realization of the hopes and dreams of my ancestors,” he says. It’s possible or even likely, Antoine realized, that some of his forebears walked through Gorée Island’s “Door of No Return.” A newly established Carthage grant program afforded him a unique chance to follow in their footsteps. The Wiggan-Kenniebrew Experiential Learning Fund enabled 11 students to take international study tours during January Term. Several of them, including Antoine, opted for the interdisciplinary course Senegal from Colonization to Globalization. Led by four professors, the Carthage contingent saw plenty of uplifting signs in the West African nation: people committed to service, education, and sustainability. Students even met with a former prime minister. There were also chilling moments. That’s the feeling some described after viewing the minuscule rooms in the House of Slaves, now a museum and memorial to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. For Jawaune Johnson ’19, it was a riveting and emotional experience. “I have never felt more connected to my ancestors,” he says. “It was like the weight of the past that the United States so easily wants to forget was on my shoulders, and this was a part of my history as an African-American male.” Members of the new Wiggan-Kenniebrew Black Alumni Network established the experiential learning fund to support students of color. Named in honor of the College’s first female and male African-American graduates, Lorraine A. Wiggan ’46 and Alonzo

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Several of the students who received travel grants through the Wiggan-Kenniebrew Experiential Learning Fund took a J-Term study tour to Senegal. Top Left: The group observed the notorious “Door of No Return” at The House of Slaves on Gorée Island. Bottom Left: Antoine Givens ’20 taught students to say “Hello” while visiting École LGI Mbao School in Dakar. Top Right: Jawaune Johnson ’19 befriended a local Senegalese artist on Gorée Island. Bottom Right: Paintings at The House of Slaves depict its horrific history.

carthage.edu

H. Kenniebrew ’54, it provides grant money for study abroad, conferences, internships, and other co-curricular opportunities that tuition doesn’t cover. Roger Moreano, assistant director of student involvement for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, calls the W-K fund a “treasure” for Carthage. “The investment of time, money, energy, and passion from dedicated alumni will provide students of color with aspects of an academic experience that historically have been out of reach,” says Mr. Moreano, who accompanied the group to Senegal. These grants expand access to the international component of Carthage’s popular J-Term. According to the Institute of International Education, only four U.S. colleges in its category have more students participating in short-term study abroad. Students chose from 13 destinations in January. Another seven faculty-led study tours are planned for the summer, which is considered an extension of J-Term. Xavier Sizer ’19 picked Nicaragua. Based at Carthage’s first international field station on the island of Ometepe, he did his part to ensure the locals receive clean water quickly and effectively — one half of a long-running water and medical mission that’s now offered three times a year. Sure, the W-K grant allowed him to break out of his comfort zone, but mostly Xavier just wanted to help others. “For me, the trip was about being selfless and putting other people first,” he says. “I was happy I could make difference in their lives, because they’ll remember that moment forever.” A direct personal connection drew W-K grant recipient Asmau Diallo ’21 to Senegal to learn more about her heritage. Her father was West African, but she grew up in Southern Africa. “I missed out on learning about half of who I am,” she says. “This trip provided a way to reconnect to those severed ties.” Majoring in business management and psychology, Asmau hopes she can return to the region someday with achievable ideas to grow the African economy. She returned home having learned a new word in Wolof, the Senegalese people’s most widely spoken language: Séentu. “It’s officially my new favorite word,” says Asmau. “It means to look forward with hope and anticipation for the future.”

To find out more about how to support students through the W-K Fund, please contact Bridget Haggerty at bhaggerty1@carthage.edu.

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throwback to the

deep freeze

Few ventured outside Jan. 30, especially considering record cold (the wind chill reached minus-50 degrees) forced a rare campus closure that day. Those who did, like photographer Steve Janiak, were treated to a kind of polar-esque beauty.


CLASS NOTES

1967

1974

1975

Bill Leitze – Canton, Illinois, was

Kent Gaertner – Aurora, Illinois,

inducted into the Canton Little Giants Hall of Fame on Sept. 14. During his time at Canton High School, Mr. Leitze won eight varsity letters in football, baseball, basketball, and track. While at Carthage, he played football and baseball. 1

was re-elected to a three-year term on the Illinois State Bar Association’s Board of Governors. He is a previous recipient of the DuPage County Bar Association’s Lawyer of the Year award.

1970 Col. Thomas Mortenson – Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, has

Mark Shimkus – Racine, Wisconsin, celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary with his wife, Janet (Zeiler), on July 2. To celebrate, they went to the island of Anguilla in the British West Indies. 2

been elected president of the Tampa Bay International Business Council. Known for his leadership in the government, military, and private sectors, Col. Mortenson will head the nonprofit organization connecting international businesses, chamber organizations, and trade associations throughout the world.

Rev. Daniel Gard, Ph.D. – Biloxi, Mississippi, announced his intent to retire as president of Concordia University Chicago at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. Rev. Gard, who previously retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve as rear admiral and deputy chief of chaplains for reserve matters, has held the presidency since 2014.

1977 Denise (Gifford) Dotson – Kenosha, retired from Kenosha Unified School District in June with more than 35 years of teaching experience. She has two young grandchildren.

1990 Diana (Hinz) Endress – Zion, Illinois, retired as an elementary school teacher from Zion School District 6.

1993 Jill Thomas – Mountain View, California, began working at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, on Aug. 27 as Title IX coordinator and director of equity investigations. Ms. Thomas served as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento for 11 years and has more than 20 years of experience with the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for the U.S. Air Force, as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge.

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Spring Carthaginian 2019


1995

2002

Megan (Gadient) Seib – Madison, Wisconsin, and her

Melinda Smith-Pace –

Brett Bacik – Palatine, Illinois,

Bettendorf, Iowa, received the Patriot Scholarship at Colorado Technical University. The full scholarship allows her to pursue a Ph.D. in nonprofit leadership studies. 3

married Kimberly Mueller on Sept. 14, surrounded by family and friends. The wedding party included Brad Bacik ‘99, Kevin Kelly ‘02, Marc Divello ‘03, and classmate Matt Reitmeier.

1997 Amy Savaglio-Miceli – Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, accepted a position as assistant principal with Zion (Illinois) School District 6.

Ralph Ten Bruin – Johnsburg, Illinois, was promoted to the new position of vice president of global regulatory affairs at Weber-Stephen Products LLC. He celebrated 20 years with the company, better known as Weber Grills, in January 2018.

Hank Johnson – Delavan, Wisconsin, welcomed his second son, Trey Michael, into his family on June 5 with his wife, Kira. 4

2008 Angela Catena – Phoenix, assumed a new position as Title IX coordinator for the University of New Mexico’s Office of Equal Opportunity in December. She previously taught as a clinical associate professor in the counseling program at Arizona State University.

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7

Stephanie Stein – St. Petersburg, Florida, married Travis Sitzlar on May 19. 6

2009

2005

6

5

husband, Matt, welcomed a baby boy, Ethan Thomas, on June 19. 5

Steve Germain – Racine, Wisconsin, has taken an assignment as the interim principal at Edward Bain School of Language and Arts – Creative Arts in Kenosha. Mr. Germain has been employed by the Kenosha Unified School District since 2002, formerly as assistant principal at Mahone Middle School. 7

Alison Iglehart – Kenosha, received one of the Kenosha News’ 10 Exceptional People Awards in September. Ms. Iglehart is a special education teacher at Curtis Strange Elementary School. 8 Chris Krepline – Appleton, Wisconsin, was hired as head baseball coach at Lawrence University. Previously, Mr. Krepline was an assistant coach at St. Norbert College. 9

Allison (Benthusen) Remnes – Sugar Grove, Illinois, and her husband, Brian, welcomed their first child, Hadley Lorah, on Aug. 4. Hadley arrived weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces, and measuring 20.5 inches.

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8

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Congratulations to our

newest recipients

2010 Marissa (Beckman) Narlock – Jackson, Wisconsin, and her husband, Casey, welcomed their first child, Wallace Scott, on July 10. 11

2011 Lauren (Bianchi) Scanlan – Carol Stream, Illinois, joined the

The 2019 Beacon Award ceremony on April 27 will honor these recipients:

• Brett Harmeling ’10 • Mary Hooks ’04 • Tyler Johnson ’06 • Veronica (Hunter) Moore ’05 • Scott Peterson ’01 • Michael Rust ’02

Community High School District 94 board. Mrs. Scanlan teaches third grade at Winnebago Elementary School of Glendale Heights, Illinois, in Marquardt Elementary District 15, and is principal of the district’s summer school program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. 12

2012 Maxwell Klatt ’12 and Alexis Neumann ’13 – Wausau, Wisconsin, became engaged on Oct. 19 and married on Oct. 20. They met in 2012 on a J-Term study tour to Ireland. 13

Watch for more information about the event and how you can join us in lifting up these members of the alumni community.

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Beacon Awards C A RT H AGE

12

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Spring Carthaginian 2019


Thank you, Dave and Lyn Brunn,

for making Carthage one of your philanthropic priorities. After leaving the consulting division of Arthur Andersen & Co. (now Accenture), where he spent three decades (most as a partner), Dave Brunn came to Carthage in 1993. He started as a professor of business administration and accounting, and soon after was named the Rogers Palmer distinguished professor of business administration. In 1999, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award. Prof. Brunn and his wife, Lyn, made gifts early in his tenure and became members of the Leadership Circle as they contributed to special campaigns for the A. W. Clausen Center for World Business and the Science Center. In 2006, the couple created the Dave and Lyn Brunn Endowed Scholarship Fund. Through the years, they have contributed to many areas of the College, including the Business Administration Fund and the Unglaube and R. William Miller scholarships. Sharing his passion for the Chicago Cubs, Prof. Brunn donates a pair of tickets every year in support of the Red Men/Lady Reds Open golf benefit. Prof. Brunn and Lyn are recognized as members of the Leadership Circle, the Denhart Society, and the Enduring Gift Society for their generous giving to Carthage. While the Brunns also give to their alma maters, including Northwestern University and the University of Pennsylvania, Carthage figures prominently in their philanthropy because of the visible impact of their gifts. Prof. Brunn’s involvement, first as a member of the faculty and now as a member of the President’s Leadership Council, allows him not only to see the impact of his and Lyn’s giving, but also to extend their philanthropic impact by giving time to the College. To learn more about Leadership Circle levels and the PLC, go to www.carthage.edu/give/recognition

Thank you, donors! With gratitude, we acknowledge and honor Carthage’s most committed donors for supporting Carthage through philanthropic contributions. Your partnership powers every aspect of education at the College, from financial aid and internships to faculty and program support. Every gift makes a difference, and every donor is unique. Find the society that matches your philanthropic goals. You can be a member of one, two, or all three societies. We also give special thanks to those who support the College through volunteer engagement, including the Board of Trustees, President’s Leadership Council, alumni board and club leaders, career mentors, and other entities such as the Tower Initiative and Reunion committees.

Leadership Circle members gave $1,000 or more in the most recent or current fiscal year. Tiers within the society recognize higher levels of giving, and graduated giving levels are available for recent alumni. Membership is renewable annually. Members of the Enduring Gift Society have cumulative lifetime giving totaling $100,000 or more (exclusive of estate commitments). Tiers within the society recognize higher levels of giving. Membership is lifetime. Members of the Denhart Society have included Carthage in their estate plans. Membership is lifetime.

See honor rolls and learn more about all levels of giving at www.carthage.edu/give/recognition

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CLASS NOTES

2012 Ramona Kreis and Jhon Cuesta Medina – Tampa, Florida, welcomed a son, Mateo Cuesta Kreis, on Oct. 7. 14

2013 2nd Lt. Brian Anderson – Batavia, Illinois, graduated from the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School. In attendance for the graduation ceremony in Quantico, Virginia, were fellow Carthage graduates Megan (Camiliere) Fullmer ’13, Alex Nelson ’13, Sam (Halwix) Nelson ’13, Ann O’Leary ’14, Katie Hetzner ’13, Jeremy Fullmer ’13, Matt Gundlach ’14, and Dylan Wells ’14. 15

2014 Taylor McAdams – Sycamore, Illinois, became engaged to Grant Lange on Aug. 10. They closed on their new house the same day.

2015 Samantha (Anderson) Einarsson ’15 and Atli Einarsson ’18 – Hampshire, Illinois, celebrated their marriage on Aug. 11, with many fellow Carthage alumni standing by their side. 16

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2016 Apolonia “Apple” (Carreon) Sterk – Kenosha, and her husband, Patrick, welcomed a daughter, Lorelai Lydia, on July 18. Lorelai was born 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long. 17

2017 Kyle Huss ’17 and Emily Swanson ’18 – Chicago, married

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Aug. 10 in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Kyle and Emily both work for professional services company KPMG. 18

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ANSWERS TO QUIZ ON PAGE 7

A Walkway between N. E. Tarble Athletic and

Recreation Center and Campbell Student Union

B Landscape rocks, mulch by Tower C Todd Wehr Center (TWC) first-floor ceiling D Light over stairs to WOH’s Place E Bench in Madrigrano Family Residence Hall study lounge

F G

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Tire pump by TWC

K Driftwood sticks on lakeshore P Rebar in stone along lakeshore S Chairs in Science Center atrium V Wall art, third floor of Madrigrano Family Residence Hall

W Wires in David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Natural and Social Sciences computer lab

X

Underside of chair in Tower

Wood slats in Tower terrace

Spring Carthaginian 2019


IN MEMORIAM 1948 Wallace Rossmiller Berwyn Heights, Md., Sept. 29, 2018

1950 Lavern Blair Freeport, Ill., Nov. 15, 2018

William Goessel

Quincy, Ill., Oct. 30, 2018

Rev. John Schumell Milwaukee, Sept. 1, 2018

Crystal Lake, Ill., Sept. 23, 2018

1982 Christine (Krodel) Moritz

Champaign, Ill., Oct. 6, 2018

Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 30, 2018

1966 Bonnie (Smith) Lair

1984 Cynthia (Aul) Keister

Lomax, Ill., Sept. 20, 2018

Beach Park, Ill., Aug. 7, 2018

Roscoe, Ill., Sept. 19, 2018

1951 Bon Foote Sr.

1952 Kenneth Busse

1964 Genevieve (Vass) Whitson

1971 Brad Anderson

Lenox, Mass., May 29, 2018

See full obituaries at carthage.edu/alumni/inmemoriam/

1972 Bruce Mahone Kenosha, Nov. 8, 2018

1974 Emily (Dill) Johnson Lake Forest, Ill., Nov. 21, 2018

1977 Robert Bruch Kenosha, Dec. 6, 2018

Daniel Wilson Sheboygan, Wis., Sept. 18, 2018

1987 Donald Hildebrandt

2005 Kim (Carlson) DeLaO Racine, Wis., Sept. 7, 2018

2012 Henry Johnson Delavan, Wis., Oct. 8, 2018

2016 Dawn Dukas Kenosha, Sept. 19, 2018 friends of carthage

Olivia Andrea Kenosha, June 7, 2018

Sturtevant, Wis., Aug. 28, 2018

Ruth Berger

1988 Sandra (Kufahl) Boehlke

Mary Alice Capek

Madison, Wis., Sept. 2, 2018

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sept. 11, 2018

Antioch, Ill., July 12, 2018

Maralyn Stec Kenosha, Nov. 17, 2018

connect with

carthage Stay connected with Carthage through the alumni newsletter and learn more about alumni news and upcoming events. For more information, visit carthage.edu/alumni

Phil Powell Phil Powell, professor emeritus of art, passed away Dec. 6 in Crossville, Tennessee, at age 76. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, he joined the Carthage faculty in 1973 and stayed for 31 years. Prof. Powell taught a variety of art courses, including a popular offering in stained glass, and pioneered the graphic design program. “He was a supportive teacher who pushed his students to improve, and he set me on my life path,” said Lisa Truax ’02, an associate professor of art and design at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota whose teaching career began at Carthage. Prof. Powell wore a memorably thick mustache and was well-known in the art community for his prowess in pottery and ceramics. After retiring in 2004, he moved south and added woodturning to his creative repertoire, making artisan bowls. His surviving children are both alumni: Keir Powell ’90 and Kirstin Jensen ’91.


Barnes & Noble at Carthage is the official campus bookstore. Find Carthage apparel and souvenirs, reading or textbooks, and an assortment of gifts and gift cards, in addition to all of your supply needs!

Visit us in the Campbell Student Union or online at

carthage.bncollege.com

SHOW YOUR

PRIDE!

262-551-5778 • 800-551-6202 • 2001 Alford Park Drive • Kenosha, WI 53140


Class Notes Submission Form

Deadline for the next issue is May 1, 2019

Name (first/maiden/current last name)

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(attach additional sheets as necessary)

Marriage Announcement

Photos are welcome! (Please send non-returnable photos) Name (first/maiden/current last name)

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Birth/Adoption Announcement Mother’s Name (first/maiden/current last name)

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Father’s Name (first/last)

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Death Announcement Make sure to submit your class notes during this publishing cycle for The Carthaginian. Two people will be selected at random to receive Carthage gear!

Name of Deceased (first/maiden/current last name)

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Tear off this form along the perforated edge and mail back to: Carthage College, Alumni Relations, 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha WI 53140 Class notes and photos also may be submitted online: carthage.edu/alumni/class-notes


PAGE FROM THE PAST

A slice of Carthage history from the Staubitz Archives

Loud, loyal ‘Preps’ had the run of the place For most incoming students, the college experience starts when they set foot on campus as freshmen. Early in the College’s history, however, the Carthage College Academy provided younger students with a taste of college life. Founded in 1870, the Academy opened on the new campus in Carthage, Illinois. Initially designed strictly as a gateway to the College, it featured a two-year course of study divided into Preparatory and Sub-Freshman classes. Its popularity soon warranted a third, and, as the 20th century dawned, President Frederick L. Sigmund announced the Academy would become a full fouryear program. In 1908, it earned accreditation from the University of Illinois, becoming the first accredited private academy in the state. The Academy’s goals expanded along with its size. Its dual purpose is described in the 1924 Crimson Rambler yearbook: to provide preparation “sufficient in quality and quantity to admit a student to any college or university” and to give those unable to attend college “as much training and culture as is possible in four years of secondary school work.” Besides the surrounding communities, the Academy drew students from larger cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Like the College, the preparatory school was co-ed; 10 of the 12 members of its freshman class in 192223 were women. Students had access to the Carthage’s faculty and facilities, resources that certainly weren’t available to their counterparts in standard secondary schools. Those who passed through the Academy also maintained a strong alumni association. The “Preps,” as upperclassmen nicknamed them, gained a reputation for frequent social outings. While the collegians viewed the younger campus dwellers as a loud and rambunctious lot,

They may not look like teens, but this was the 1907 senior class at the Carthage College Academy.

the Preps pleaded guilty only to having a healthy supply of “pep.” Academy students’ loyalty and school spirit were unquestioned, as they cheered from the sidelines at sporting events. They started their own literary society, newspaper, and sports program, although many were called up to compete alongside the collegians in debate and athletics. Some varsity teams were primarily stocked with Preps. In “The Miracle of Carthage,” longtime president Harold H. Lentz described the College’s reliance on the preparatory program. He wrote that “there were many years when the total enrollment was either kept respectable or made economically feasable [sic] only because of a large enrollment in the Academy.”

By 1927, however, Academy enrollment dwindled to single digits as demand for such programs waned nationwide. Facing high overhead costs, officials chose to discontinue it. While the Preps never made it to the Kenosha campus, vestiges of preparatory education remain. Between 8 and 12 high school students take classes at Carthage each term through Wisconsin’s Early College Credit Program, chipping away at credit requirements for high school, college, or both. The benefits listed on the program’s website — an edge in the college application process, use of campus resources like the Hedberg Library, and “a taste of the college life” — practically match the ones Academy principal Emily Pennock touted in 1924.

Explore the rich history of Carthage at carthage.edu/library/archives

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Spring Carthaginian 2019




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