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OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY’S
GLIMMERGLASS.OLIVET.EDU SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
Broadway Revue cast showcases hit musicals
VOL. 71 NO. 2
Students honor Crouch’s memory Cathy Schutt
T
Executive Editor
he Olivet community suffered the loss of a dear friend and colleague this past weekend. Phil Crouch, 55, died Saturday, Sept. 24. An ONU grad, he had just begun his third year as an adjunct professor in the nursing department and in the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. Crouch primarily served as a clinical instructor for Level 1 nursing students and as a Virtual Learning Center (VLC) coach. He also taught health assessment, gerontology and pharmacology courses during his time at Olivet. Dr. Susan Draine, chair of the nursing department, said that Crouch’s death was a “huge loss” to the community. Not only had Crouch taught at Olivet, but he had also worked as a nurse and a nurse director at Riverside Medical Center for over 20 years, Draine added. But family, friends and students will not remember his accomplishments as much as they’ll cherish the amiable and caring individual that he was. Senior Cynthia Lopez said Crouch was “always willing to put forth time and effort” to make sure students could succeed – including answering phone calls at home when students had questions. “He truly cared about us,” she added. Other students agreed. “He gave me grace on assignments when I needed it,” said senior Sarah Di Monte, who had Crouch for a clinical instructor and a VLC coach. “He was [a professor] that everyone loved.” Students especially appreciated Crouch’s fun-loving spirit and quirky sense of humor. “He would always crack jokes when you least expected it,” senior Bryan Stevens said. Di Monte enjoyed Crouch’s interactive class sessions, especially when he had the class practice “laughing yoga.” “‘Laughing yoga’ is when you force yourself to laugh really hard,” she explained. Crouch would use this technique when working with residents in a local nursing home for the emotional and physical health benefits it provided. Like Stevens and Di Monte, Level 3 nursing students had a lot of experience working with Crouch, as he taught several classes when they began the nursing program last fall. But to many, he was more than just a professor; he was also a friend. “He’s one professor that I actually talked to on the phone
PHOTO COURTESY OF BLACKBOARD.OLIVET.EDU
ONU nursing students will always remember Professor Crouch’s caring heart and quirky sense of humor.
outside of class,” Stevens said. Stevens recalled discussions he had with Crouch about music and football. A dedicated Green Bay fan, Crouch once even gave him money to buy Packers gear when Stevens went home to Wisconsin over break. Not only did Crouch have a great relationship with his students, but he also made the extra effort to spend time with his kids. For instance, he served as Scout Master while his son Scott was in Boy Scouts. The two of them also played music together, with Scott on the guitar and his dad on the mandolin. After his daughter Erin started practicing karate, Crouch also joined and did karate with her for the last 11 years. During that time he earned a second-degree black belt and became an instructor at Soo Bahk Do in Bradley. His experience with martial arts sometimes spilled over into the classroom. Stevens remembered one time when Crouch was supervising him during “check-offs” - tests in which students perform assessments on each other. As Stevens was assessing his partner, Crouch commented, “You know, if you ever
want to knock someone out, just hit him in the kidneys.” Scott Crouch said his father’s sense of humor could “light up a room.” But a battle with depression led him to take his own life last Saturday. Family members, colleagues and students were shocked that such a fate would befall Crouch, as he served as an encourager to many. “He hit a point where he felt alone, and he didn’t reach out to anyone,” Scott said. “At a point of weakness, he made a poor decision.” Scott added that his family is not ashamed or hiding the cause of his father’s death. Their hope is that his story will prevent others from following the same path. “If you struggle with depression or anxiety, reach out for help,” Scott said. Di Monte said Crouch had told her that working at Olivet was what he was most proud of. Ren Cloutier, a Level 1 nursing student, had her first class with Crouch this semester. She said his excitement was one of the first things she noticed. “He was very enthusiastic,” she said. “That’s what we loved about him.” Cloutier’s favorite memory of Crouch occurred during one of their first class sessions. He had shared a quote by German theologian Meister Eckhart: “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” After asking the students what they were thankful for, Crouch explained why he gave thanks. “He brought up how he was thankful to be here at Olivet teaching,” Cloutier said. “He shared how much he cared about us.” Although they mourn his loss, ONU nursing students will always remember Crouch’s cheery personality and caring heart. “He was very excited to be there with us and teach us,” Cloutier said. “He was the ‘jokester’ but he was also very intelligent,” Stevens noted. “He knew what he was doing, but he also was not afraid to just be himself with us. That’s how I’m going to remember him.” The nursing department is currently putting together a memory book for Crouch’s family, in which students can write notes describing their favorite experiences with him. Dr. Mike Pyle of the biology department volunteered to take over Crouch’s classes for the rest of the semester, according to Draine. Nursing coach Tawni Buente will take over Crouch’s clinicals.
National dilemma stirs student to take action Meagan Ramsay News Editor
Troy Davis is a name that recently attracted worldwide attention and kindled debate on the ethics of capital punishment. Davis was put to death by lethal injection Sept. 22, after lawyers and supporters asked the state of Georgia and various courts to intervene in the case. The execution took place about three hours after the initial scheduling because prison officials waited for a ruling by the Supreme Court. The Court denied his request for a stay, which would have temporarily suspended the execution, according to CNN. Davis was convicted in 1991
IN THIS ISSUE
for the 1989 shooting death of an off-duty police officer. Since the conviction, seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted or contradicted their testimony, CNN said. Davis’ supporters say the original witnesses were fearful of police and were coerced during interogations. Several hundred people waited for the verdict on Davis’ fate outside the state prison in Jackson where he was scheduled to die. A vigil was also held in a nearby church. Davis additionally had supporters rallying for his life both around the nation and the globe. Amnesty International planned protests outside the U.S. embassy in Paris and a vigil outside the embassy in London.
NEWS
STD testing is now offered for students on campus due to the high STD rate in the local area page 5
OPINION
An Olivet student rallied in the quad for Davis’ life an hour before the initial execution time. Freshman Robbie Wegley, clothed in a T-shirt reading, “Save Troy Davis,” approached students as they walked to dinner and informed them of Davis’ case. He asked students to keep Davis and his family in their prayers, although Wegley said few students he spoke to knew who Troy Davis was. He also spoke against capital punishment and his beliefs on why it should be abolished. “Capital punishment takes innocent lives,” Wegley said. Davis maintained his innocence until the very end of his life. He even declined a last meal request, insisting that it was not his last meal.
Cohabitation leads to “buyers remorse,” according to Olivet professor Dr. Kent Olney page 7
LIFE
PHOTO BY MORGAN MCCRIRIE
Freshman Robbie Wegley stopped students in the quad to tell them about Troy Davis before he was executed and to give them facts on capital punishment.
Dr. Bowling has witnessed many changes to Olivet as he enters his 3rd decade as president page 12
SPORTS
Professional athletes find success after formative years as student athletes at Olivet page 16
INDEX
News: Pages 2-5 Opinion: Pages 6-7 Life: Pages 8-12 Sports: Pages 13-16