Winter 2012 Talk of the Town by Chapman University

h t e f T o o k w l a n T TOWN & GOWN

WINTER 2012

President’s Message

Modern Art in a Mansion – A Private Tour

Although Chapman’s yearlong 150th anniversary celebration has come to a close, excitement and progress at this remarkable university seem to escalate each year. Similarly, Town & Gown’s 44th year, from June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012, has so far been a memorable one.

The reviews tell the story of our next destination... “a true gem”... “one of the hidden treasures of the city”... “a must see.” They refer to the Weisman Art Foundation in Bel Air. On Wednesday, February 15, we will be treated to a private tour of this premier modern art collection, one of the finest in the nation. The foundation is housed in the former home of Frederick and Marcia Weisman. The 12,000-square-foot mansion, built in 1928, was designed by Gordon B. Kaufmann, whose later commissions included the L.A. Times Building and the face of Hoover Dam. The home retains its original furnishings and, despite its large scale, manages to feel quite relaxed and comfortable. Unlike displays in a museum, the art here is not behind ropes or under glass; it is wonderfully informal and accessible, as though the visitor is a guest in a billionaire’s private home (which, in fact, we will be).

• Our scholarships, awarded to upperclassmen, were presented to two deserving young men. • Our largest-ever donation to the campus, the Town & Gown Gardens at the Elliott Alumni House, was recognized at its dedication ceremony; the landscaping is lovely, and we don’t even have to pull the weeds. • Our commitment for a library endowment continues. • Our ﬁrst two Lunch at the Forum programs, with renowned pianist Dr. Grace Fong and Dean Tom Campbell of Chapman University’s School of Law, set a high standard. • Our ﬁrst trip of the season, a private cruise of L.A. Harbor, was a huge success. Not bad for the first half, eh? Looking forward, there will be three more informative and entertaining Lunch at the Forum meetings and an exclusive tour of a billionaire’s mansion and his modern art collection. You will read about these events elsewhere on this page. Thanks to you, our members, Town & Gown is thriving. We urge you to share your interest in this university by bringing your friends to our events.

Marcia Cooley

Many of the works are joyously whimsical, reflecting Mr. Weisman’s delightful sense of humor. After all, he said, “My philosophy is, if I like it, I buy it. Let’s see what happens.” Every room is filled with personality, sometimes highlighting smaller treasures or works by lesser-known artists, sometimes displaying multiple works by world-famous artists: Giacometti, Paul Klee, Rothko, Léger, de Kooning, Calder, Kandinsky, Warhol, even Niki de Saint Phalle (remember her from our trip to Escondido?). The grounds feature a fabulous array of sculptures, mobiles and stabiles. Due to the intimate nature of the Weisman Foundation facility, this tour is strictly limited to 24 participants. If there is enough interest, we will charter a repeat trip on Wednesday, March 14. Fay and Bill Amneus Co-2nd VPs, Special Events

Lunch at the Forum Presents:

From Politics and Peacemaking to the Power of Graphics

Our fall presentations with Dr. Grace Fong and Dean Tom Campbell gave us fascinating insights into music and law, stimulating both the right and left sides of our brains. As we move into the new calendar year, we are going international in two very different ways. On February 2, we will hear from Middle East experts James J. Coyle, Ph.D., director of Global Education, and Nubar Hovsepian, Ph.D., associate professor of Political Science and International Studies, in a panel discussion format on The Arab Spring: Implications for U.S. Policy. They warn us that they often have opposing viewpoints. Coming one year after the start of the Arab Spring uprisings, the speakers will offer a critical analysis of this vital

region and its impact on American policy and interests. Among Professor Coyle’s areas of teaching expertise are terrorism, national security strategy and Middle East politics. Professor Hovsepian, who is from Egypt, teaches courses on international studies, globalization, democracy and democratization, Middle East politics and conflict in the Middle East. Having just visited Egypt in January, he promises to have up-to-date information to share with us. The March 1 luncheon will feature Eric Chimenti, M.A., associate professor of art and chair of the Department of Art, and Claudine Jaenichen, M.A., assistant professor of art, who will awaken our awareness of The Impact of Design: From the Olympics to Medicine. Continued on page 2

Lunch at the Forum continued from page 1

From the time you enter the room, the work of talented student artists will demonstrate how design affects the quality of life and our daily experiences in ways we don’t always consider. The presentation by Professors Chimenti and Jaenichen will show us how design can “make or break” an experience, from a global event like the London Olympics to medicine information and packaging. We will learn about the power of design and how it changes the world around us. If you are not a series subscriber or would like to bring a guest, single tickets are always available for our luncheons. However, I urge you to make a reservation by the Monday before the luncheon, if possible. Penni McRoberts Co-1st VP, Programs

Did You Know. . . The name of our newsletter was selected during the presidency of Mary Lou Savage, 1994-1996. It was decided that suggestions for the name be submitted anonymously. They were written on slips of paper and dropped in a basket at a Town & Gown board meeting. Each name was read aloud to various reactions. When one name was read, there was no doubt about the winner. No one knew that Mary Lou had submitted the name suggested by her husband, Dennis... Talk of the Town... the unanimous choice. Dr. Dennis Savage has passed away, but many of us fondly remember him, and now we know how our newsletter got its name.

Town Talk “To everything there is a season,” and for The Block of Orange, it has been a season of change. For over 12 years, the “Block” has been a major destination for shoppers from all over Orange County. For the past few years, regular visitors have noticed an interesting shift in shopping mix, as high-end retailers have been moving in with brand-name outlet stores. The list of names, which now includes Calvin Klein, DKNY Company Store, Tommy Hilfiger and Esprit, reached a tipping point, leading the 800,000-square-foot shopping and entertainment center to rebrand itself “The Outlets at Orange.” As part of this ongoing transformation

By Paul Sitkoff, City of Orange to Orange County’s only outlet shopping destination, and in partnership with the Orange Redevelopment Agency, a new entrance will allow shoppers to enter directly from the 22 Freeway. This will completely change the flow of vehicle traffic in the area, as it will no longer be necessary for cars exiting the 22 to clog up the surrounding streets just to enter the parking lot. Donna Karan Company Store and the Calvin Klein Company Store opened this past fall in the fashion wing, joining such retailers as Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th and Neiman Marcus Last Call. Nordstrom Rack will be premiering this spring. The change to The Outlets at Orange is just another example of Orange businesses re-inventing themselves and adapting to the needs of today’s shoppers. If you are looking for a great place to find high-end apparel at affordable prices, this is it!

Behind the Scenes...the Archives During the past year we have focused on Chapman’s 150-year history. We are grateful to those who came before us for recording events of the past, even some seemingly minor activities. An acid-free environment has been created to properly preserve this wide variety of memories. Wood, rust, dust and light must be avoided. Specially treated metal shelving is used, as well as plastic (not metal) paper clips and polyester sleeves for photographs. Claudia Horn, coordinator of Special Collections and Archives at Leatherby Libraries, carefully sorts, categorizes and stores each new find. Maintained in the archives is a section for Town & Gown albums of activities, minutes of board meetings, membership directories, by-laws with current changes/additions, newsletters and copies of Talk of the Town. Often items from the past wind up in obscure places, and some resurface after many years. Recently, a group of checks, dated 1921

through 1932 - donations from Charles C. Chapman to the college - were discovered in the basement of Memorial Hall. When the college moved to Orange in 1954, boxes of memorabilia were stored in Memorial Hall, and for many years dust collected on them. Later an area was reserved for some archival records in the Thurmond Clarke Library, but most remained in Memorial Hall or were scattered throughout the campus. Under Claudia’s direction, they were collected from various places and are now safely housed in the Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives on the fourth floor of Leatherby Libraries. You are welcome to visit at any time. Please call Claudia Horn at 714- 532-7739 or her colleague, Randolph Boyd 714- 532-7711, who will be glad to assist you. Betty Rivera Historian

Membership Update Town & Gown members Shirley Lapier (left) and Margie King (right) share a special connection to this room, The Lapier Room, in Elliott Alumni House. The room was donated by Shirley and is used as an office by Margie, assistant director, Alumni Relations. We join Margie in a big “thank you” to Shirley.

We are pleased to give a warm welcome to our newest Town & Gown member, Mrs. Marjorie Lightfoot. Membership remains open all year, so there is always time to invite your friends to join. Membership forms are

available at luncheons, or you can contact me at 714-532-3264. Judy Crum 3rd VP, Membership

Gown Talk

By Joanne Jurczyk, University Advancement

After a certain number of years, our faces become our biographies. - Cynthia Ozick, American Novelist

Perhaps the pinnacle of Chapman University’s 150th Anniversary celebration was the special reception on November 22, 2011 which oﬃcially announced and honored the 150 Faces of Chapman, summing up Chapman’s history in a unique way. Chapman’s faces include passionate students, brilliant faculty members, generous benefactors and so many others who are a part of our university community. Among the largest group to receive nominations were members of Town & Gown both past and present, including founders President Patricia Hitt and Chapman Development Oﬃcer Jim Farley. I want to congratulate all those who were nominated and also to

share with you some of the 150 Faces of Chapman who are current T&G members. Special congratulations go out to… Zee Allred, Julianne and The Honorable George L. Argyros, Donna Attallah, Charlene Baldwin, Betty Bartley, Mike Bokosky, Sheryl Bourgeois, President James L. Doti, Dr. Lynne Doti, Patricia and Tom Elliott, Donna Gladson, Dr. Marilyn Harran, Dorothy and Donald P. Kennedy, Marion Knott, Shirley Lapier, The Leatherby Family – Joann Leatherby, Dr. Mark Maier, Dale Merrill, Professor Jim Miller, Dr. Barbara Mulch, Colleen O’Harra, Libby Pankey, Barbara and Bill Parker, Gloria Peterson, Mary Lou Savage, The Schmid Family – Patty, Dick and Marty, Dr. Vernon Smith, Chancellor Daniele Struppa, Dr. Jeanne Walker and Beverly and Dave Weatherill. I hope you will join me in taking great pride in the legacy of Town & Gown and your many important contributions to the exciting past, present and future of Chapman University. To see a complete listing of the 150 Faces of Chapman please go to www.Chapman.edu/150faces

Meet our 2011 – 2012 Scholarship Recipients Two young men have been named recipients of the Town & Gown Endowed Scholarship for the 2011 - 2012 academic year. They are Kyle Martinez and Stephen Pollard, both juniors at Chapman. Each year, T&G awards scholarships to students who achieve academic excellence, demonstrate service to humanity and are committed to a degree that will advance their career goals. Kyle is majoring in educational studies and psychology. We will hear more about him in the spring issue of Talk of the Town. Below are excerpts from Stephen’s message to us. Chapman University is the perfect ﬁt for me. The close environment and support I feel from my friends, professors, fraternity and everyone else has made my experience thus far amazing. I am so glad I was blessed to attend Chapman, and I cannot thank you enough for granting me this scholarship, helping me stay at Chapman. I am an accounting and business ﬁnance major, and I love all of my courses. ... After college, I hope to become an accountant at a

prestigious accounting ﬁrm and eventually open a partnership with my brother, Johnathan Pollard, (who graduated from Chapman last year). In addition to academics and work, I am very involved in other activities. My two main involvements are my fraternity, Delta Tau Delta and Disciples on Campus (DOC). In my fraternity, I hold the position of director of risk management and participate in as many activities as possible. In DOC I am part of the music team and am very active both on and oﬀ campus. Last summer I traveled to Nashville to help recruit Disciple youths to come to Chapman University. The experiences I have been able to have, thanks to Chapman, are amazing, and I cannot thank all of you enough for this scholarship and the help I need to stay here. We all wish these two young men much success in their studies at Chapman. Kathy Paukstis Director, Gift/Scholarship

A Tribute to Merry One is not often given the opportunity to share one’s thoughts, so I feel honored being asked to express mine about some of the special qualities that made Merry Berkowitz the person whom we loved and now miss so much. Perhaps her shining quality was her enthusiasm for life itself, for friends, for family and for causes dear to her heart. This fervor was infectious, and before long she would have an audience in the palm of her hand. Merry was a “people” person. She always had a smile for everyone. She was friendly and warm. She saved a place for you at her table, and she made you feel wanted and important. I saw it happen over and over again. This special quality made Merry a born leader, which seemed to come very naturally to her. Under her leadership, Town & Gown membership increased considerably. Early in her adult life, Merry was a stewardess. The role fit her perfectly because she was a caregiver. The act of helping people fulfilled a need in her life to be useful and thoughtful. Everyone who spent time with Merry experienced this beautiful quality. We felt secure inside her aura. As Merry took on ever-increasing responsibility with T&G, she developed the talent of surrounding herself with people who could help her. This was a very special talent that served her well when she was our 2005-2007 president. It was my privilege to be her friend and to work as a team with her many, many times. I could count on her. She never let me down. Merry passed away in St. Joseph Hospital in Orange on September 26, 2011. May she rest in peace. Elaine Parke T&G President 2009 – 2011