STILLPOINT Spring 2022

THE MAGAZINE OF GORDON COLLEGE

STILLPOINT SPRING 2022

The character and competition that fueled Gordon Athletics’ first 100 years Page 14

Also in This Issue 6 Togetherness in Tech 10 9 Questions for Gordon’s 9th President

Making Adventure Accessible At the start of the fall 2021 semester, La Vida held a dedication ceremony for the new high challenge course in the Gordon Woods. Made possible by a generous donor through the Faith Rising campaign, which concluded a few months prior, the new ropes course serves to make adventure more accessible to people of differing abilities as well as younger children. The course provides more holds for accessing the elements and the option for two climbers to help and support each other on the same element. (Read all about La Vida’s 50-year history in the spring 2021 issue of STILLPOINT magazine at www.gordon.edu/stillpoint.)

CONTENTS

FEATURE

A Century of Scots Follow the Fighting Scots from their inception as a seven-person basketball team alternating between YMCA and church gymnasiums to their role today as a cornerstone of the Gordon experience.

Page 14

IN EACH ISSUE Front with 4 Up President Hammond “Making All Things New”

5 Inspiration

Sarah St. Germain ’17 Circulation manager

6 Student Spotlight Matt Ramos ’22

8 Scholarship Snapshots Updates from the academic divisions

33 Class Notes

Alumni remembrances

IN THIS ISSUE for Gordon’s 10 99 Questions President th

An interview with President Mike Hammond

30 Remembrances

Dr. Janet Arndt and Roscoe Duttweiler

ON THE COVER Gordon athletes throughout the years (clockwise from top left): Brooke Dyson ’19 (Women’s Basketball), Richard Ryzi ’21 (Men’s Tennis), Naomi Tripp ’22 (Women’s Rowing), Emily Rodriguez ’22 (Women’s Soccer), Glenn Galish ’92 (Men’s Lacrosse), Linda Lane ’83 (Women’s Volleyball), Kenneth McCully x’27 (Men’s Basketball), Dick Visser ’58 (Men’s Baseball).

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UP FRONT with President Hammond

Making All Things New Along one of the walls in my last office sat four antique baseball stadium seats—a row of brilliant red just below a smattering of baseball posters and tin scoreboard panels numbering 75, 76 and 90 (the three most recent years the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series). My family and I salvaged the seats, along with a strip of AstroTurf, from a rubble pile when the Reds’ Riverfront Stadium was demolished 20 years ago. They’re certainly not the most comfortable seats, but they remind me of a few truths that transcend baseball fandom.

First, remodeling is temporary; renewal is eternal. At one of the first Chapel services of the fall semester, I spoke on Revelation 21:1–5. In this vision that the Holy Spirit brought to the Apostle John, we see a promise that God will make all things new. There is a new heaven, a new earth, a new city, a new world, a new creation at the end of this story. We will be new. But unlike stadium reconstruction or home remodeling, Christ’s promise of renewal is lasting—a recreation of us into people who are no more marked by sin. And the beauty is that this great promise, the work of making all things new, is happening in us right now and we can share in that work today.

Second, seats are worth saving. And I don’t just mean saving collector baseball seats from demolition; I mean saving space in our lives for others. The Kingdom to come has an impact not just on how we’re renewed in our own hearts but how we can extend that renewal to be in right relationship with Christ and with those around us. While we wait for that new creation, we’re not to waste our time here— we’re to seek the welfare of this place, to be good citizens and loving neighbors.

What would it look like for Gordon—on campus and beyond—to be known as a community marked by our civility and our peacefulness? That’s not to suggest for a moment that uniformity of thinking or total agreement would be a prerequisite. Rather, as a community of believers who foremost draw together under the lordship of Christ, faith provides the framework for us to dialogue about disagreements and differences. So, as I lead here at Gordon, this is my prayer: That we would be so marked by the love of Christ that this would not only alter our hearts internally, but it would change the way we interact with the world around us.

When you come to campus, there’s a seat for you. My office chairs are a little less colorful now but no less inviting, and I’d love to meet you.

With expectant hope,

Dr. Michael Hammond is the ninth president of Gordon College. After attending three Fenway games since moving to New England last summer, he’s still a diehard Cincinnati Reds fan but says the Red Sox are now his “favorite American League team.” president@gordon.edu www.gordon.edu/president @mike_hammond_gc

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Mike Hammond P.S. My enthusiasm for sports isn’t limited to baseball. I am thrilled to be cheering on all 21 varsity Fighting Scots teams—including the fall 2021 CCC Champions, Men’s and Women’s Soccer! It’s been a joy getting to know the current teams and the legacy they stand on. (Read all about the “Century of Scots” on page 14.)

IN EACH ISSUE

INSPIRATION Threading the Tapestry of History Sarah (Larlee) St. Germain ’17, circulation manager In 1663, a printer named Samuel Green produced a groundbreaking artifact: the first Bible printed in the Western hemisphere. Over 300 years later, the “Eliot Bible” is still in the care of Green’s family— lovingly curated by his nine-times great-granddaughter, College archivist Sarah St. Germain ’17.

St. Germain’s personal connection to this crown jewel of the Vining Rare Book Collection highlights why she so values history and dedicates her career to preserving stories from the past. “Having those first-person narratives is really fascinating,” says St. Germain. “It allows you to connect with someone who lived hundreds, sometimes thousands of years ago, and you realize that we all have similar motivations, hopes and needs across the generations.”

Tucked in a corner on the second floor of Jenks, the history graduate—now pursuing a master’s in library and information science at Simmons University (which, she notes, “happens to be a stone’s throw from Gordon’s original Frost Hall on the Fenway”)—manages 10 collections and digital archives.

Often collaborating with departments across campus, St. Germain preserves legacies and introduces students, faculty and researchers to the hearts, minds and ambitions of figures from Gordon, Barrington College and beyond. Flipping through pages of a 16th-century Martin Luther pamphlet or a doodle in A. J. Gordon’s Bible, visitors encounter real people from the past.

“Being able to interact physically with history gives you a new perspective,” says St. Germain. “It becomes real. It becomes tangible.

It’s no longer just a photo in a book or an imagined idea; it’s there and you can touch it. For me, it puts everything into perspective and makes me feel more connected with the past. Like we are a small part of a larger tapestry.” 

STILLPOINT

The Magazine of Gordon College VOLUME 37 NUMBER 2

Heather Korpi, Editorial Director Mary (Hierholzer) Jacobs ’15, Staff Writer Bri (Young) Obied ’14, Staff Writer Rebecca Powell, Art Director Selina Taylor ’18, Graphic Designer Marilyn Helgesen, Alumni News Rick Sweeney ’85, Vice President for Marketing and External Relations ADDRESS CHANGES Alumni Office | alumni.office@gordon.edu OTHER CORRESPONDENCE Editor, STILLPOINT | Gordon College 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA 01984 stillpoint@gordon.edu PRINTING Flagship Press | North Andover, MA Opinions expressed in STILLPOINT are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Gordon College administration.

Reproduction of STILLPOINT material is permitted; please attribute to STILLPOINT: The Magazine of Gordon College.

MISSION STILLPOINT magazine is one of two keynote communications (along with Gordon’s website) that exist to connect the extended Gordon community to the life of the College.

STILLPOINT offers meaningful, relevant news and stories to educate, inspire and engage Gordon and Barrington alumni, parents, donors and friends.

Send feedback and story suggestions to stillpoint@gordon.edu.

View the archives

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SPOTLIGHT

Matt Ramos ’22 TOGETHERNESS IN TECH One of Matt Ramos’s first memories of arriving in the U.S. is of stepping off an airport shuttle bus and being greeted by a snow-covered Boston. He’d never seen snow before, having lived his entire life (all seven years of it) in Brazil.

“I remember my aunt picked us up,” he says, now 26. “She gave me a scarf, a winter hat and gloves from Gap.” It’s a happy memory, but like the snow covering the dirt and cracks on city streets it conceals a harsh reality: although the Ramoses had reached the end of their 4,600-mile journey that day, they were still immigrants who now had to build a new life from scratch.

Ramos’s initial obstacle was learning English. In the beginning, he didn’t know how to ask his first-grade teacher if he could go to the bathroom. And he didn’t know which English words to write next to the pictures of common household items on his ESL worksheet.

who’d been bullied for being different, he also found a passion for serving the special needs community.

Ramos brought that passion with him whenever he learned about new technologies, realizing that “a lot of the time, solutions aren’t inclusive,” he says. “People normally think of solutions that are going to help themselves,” which can create usability problems for someone with a different set of needs. To make a difference, Ramos realized he couldn’t wait to learn about these features after they went to market. He needed to be in the room where it happens—where teams make decisions about how software and hardware get made. To have a seat at that table, he’d need a degree in computer science.

Still, by the time he was in high school, Ramos was an honors student and a varsity athlete. He became the ideal college candidate. However, as a non-citizen, he didn’t qualify for any federal aid. “On top of that, by my senior year I was already working full-time to support myself,” he says. “So, I thought the idea of going to college was out the door.” After his high school graduation, Ramos kept his full-time job at Sprint (now T-Mobile). He got promoted to store manager and started attending conferences, where he first stumbled across the world of accessible tech. “I would always feel my heart being pulled during accessibility trainings,” he says. “I’d learn how someone with Tourette’s, who may have difficulty controlling their hands, could use their phone. I’d say to myself, ‘I’d love to be part of making software like that.’”

Thanks to a private scholarship and years of balancing working full-time and going to school, Ramos is now finishing his degree in computer science—and is already using it for the greater good.

In 2020, Ramos was one of three Gordon students to create the “wellness check” on the College’s community web portal where students and employees can report COVID-19 symptoms and track their safety status. The wellness check gives campus a visual method for seeing at a quick glance who’s feeling healthy, who’s feeling sick, and who’s in isolation or quarantine. “Without something like this,” Ramos explains, “it would have made it so much harder for Gordon to bring everyone back to campus during a pandemic. It really had an impact.”

In those trainings, Ramos remembered the students with special needs he’d befriended in high school, after an administrator had asked him to help lead the school’s new unified sports program as part of a strategy to prevent bullying. Every day for two years, Ramos led a gym class for students with special needs and twice he volunteered as a mentor for the Special Olympics. In forming friendships with them, he not only made his school safe for those

This project also impressed the hiring team at Salesforce, where Ramos landed a solutions engineering internship last summer and was offered a full-time position in May after he graduates. Even though the Salesforce job is not directly related to accessibility or inclusion, Ramos knows that—like his Sprint job—it will bring him one step closer to influencing how new tech gets made and who it’s made for. 

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IN EACH ISSUE

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Scholarship Snapshots Academics took on a new form in the past two years, but Gordon’s faculty persist in their scholarship to develop new, creative work. Here’s a quick look at some of their most recent projects:

Education The MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education congratulated Gordon’s School of Education for “full approval” in all areas last August. The School was commended as “exemplary” in one area and for its commitment to continuous improvement.

Faculty in the School of Education, including Priscilla Nelson ’74, Todd Morano, Julia D’Onofrio ’05, Elizabeth Scottron ’06 M’10 and Krista Erickson ’91, are participating in Louisa Moats’ Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling.

During the 2020–21 school year, Nelson and Erickson served on the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education initiative titled Mass Literacy: Empowering Educators and Students in Massachusetts Through Evidence-based Early Literacy.

Fine Arts Bruce Herman (art) recently contributed a chapter to God in the Modern Wing

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ALUMNI

(IVP Academic 2021), and continues an exhibition tour of his collaborative project, “Ordinary Saints.”

Last fall, Benjamin Klemme (music) conducted the choir and orchestra at SING! Global, a Nashville conference hosted by modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty of Getty Music. He also conducted the Vermont Symphony Orchestra in the annual New Year’s Eve concert.

Along with fellow members of the Arabella String Quartet, Adams Endowed Chair in Music Sarita Kwok recorded the Six Concertante Quartets by Joseph Boulogne Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

The Naxos Records album is set for release in 2022. Kwok also spent time on her sabbatical as a guest at the University of Arkansas.

Mary Montgomery-Koppel (music) enjoyed two world premieres of her music in 2021: House on Fire: Three Songs on Responsibility, premiered by Calliope’s Call for their Earth Day virtual concert, and Prelude No. 2: Seaside, a commission premiered by Juventas New Music Ensemble.

Chris Underation (communication arts) received an award of excellence from the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts for his work on the audio drama, The Encounter. In October, the audiobook version of Beacon-Light: The Life of William Borden (Christian Focus Publishing) by Kevin Belmonte ’90 was released, which Underation engineered, edited and produced.

Humanities Graeme Bird (English, languages and linguistics) and Rebecca Leslie ’21 continue reading, analyzing and preparing a publication about a 12th–13th-century Byzantine Greek New Testament

manuscript held in Gordon’s Vining Rare Book Collection.

The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors published an article by Damon DiMauro (English, languages and linguistics) in September of 2021.

Physical Sciences Angie Cornwell (biology) and Kristen Siaw (physical sciences) were two of three faculty members, along with Dan Norton (psychology), to receive grant funding from the John Templeton Foundation to expand STEM research at Gordon.

Cornwell officially began her work in January during her sabbatical, examining increased risks for dementia and stroke.

A free, online textbook by Karl-Dieter Crisman (mathematics), Number Theory: In Context and Interactive, was adopted by nearly two dozen schools during the pandemic. The summer 2021 edition features new cover art designed by Art Director Rebecca Powell. Crisman recently reported results of research on highly symmetric voting systems, which was conducted jointly with Abraham Holleran ’22, Josephine Noonan ’23 and Micah Martin ’22.

Faculty hosted two summer practicums last year—the new Data Analysis Summer Practicum led by Sam Mason (biology) and the Computer Science Summer Practicum led by Russ Tuck (computer science) and Jonathan Senning ’85 (mathematics and computer science).

Last year, Mike Veatch (mathematics) published Linear and Convex Optimization: A Mathematical Approach (Wiley 2021).

Social Sciences In September, research by Kristen Cooper ’06 (economics and business) was featured in “Why We Do Research on

ON THE GRAPEVINE

CCCU Campuses,” an article published by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) in their magazine, Advance. She also served as coauthor of an article for Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics.

With a networking grant from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Ruth Melkonian-Hoover (political science and international affairs) hosted scholars for two panels in November of 2021, just in time for the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, MA: “Who ‘Belongs’ at Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving Table? Research and Dialogue on American History, Identity, and Immigration.” Gordon faculty served as respondents.

Daniel Norton (psychology) recently published articles in (PLOS) One and Frontiers in Psychology. Norton also received grant funding from the John Templeton Foundation to expand STEM research at Gordon. His work connects to research he recently published in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy.

Graduate, Professional and Extended Studies Salome Brooks (physical therapy) presented at two conferences last fall: the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy’s Educational Leadership Conference and the annual regional conference of the American Physical Therapy Association. She also gave a workshop at the Mayo Clinic Humanities in Medicine Symposium.

Ivan Filby, executive director of Gordon Global Adult Education, published the globally endorsed book Livestream: Learning to Minister in the Power of the Holy Spirit (Seedbed Publishing 2021).

Meet Gordon’s Newest Faculty

New Assistant Professor of Art Greg Deddo recently graduated from Rhode Island School of Design’s painting MFA program. The interdisciplinary artist and with experience in painting, photography and digital media showed four paintings last August in “High Quality Final Hole,” on display at Aysa Geisberg Gallery in New York City.

With expertise in biblical wisdom literature and early Jewish and Christian biblical interpretations, Joanna Kline ’05 joins the biblical studies faculty full-time as an assistant professor of Old Testament.

Originally from Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, China, Mengqi “Mandy” Liu brings knowledge of development and health economics with a concentration on human capital and child and adolescent well-being. The assistant professor of economics and business is the secretary for the Himalayan Policy Research Consortium, through which she organized the first Graduate Student Research Panel.

After earning an M.S. in Biology from the College of William and Mary, Sam Mason ’15 (not pictured) teaches biology and chemistry. As a quantitative ecologist, his research interests and experiences range from regional population dynamics to environmental nutrient cycling.

Erica Oldaker joins Gordon’s faculty as an assistant professor in mathematics with knowledge of mathematical physics related to quantum mechanics and quantum chaos.

Following part-time teaching at Gordon, Kristen Siaw now teaches full-time across multiple disciplines in the natural sciences. Siaw, who combines her love of materials science with her biochemistry and inorganic chemistry academic backgrounds, is one of three faculty who received a grant from the John Templeton Foundation to extend STEM learning at Gordon.

An assistant professor of kinesiology who hails from Harbin in Heilongjiang Province, China, Yi Sun specializes in exercise physiology, biological aging, the gut microbiome and pharmacology.

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9 QUESTIONS FOR GORDON’S

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An Interview with President Mike Hammond

As this issue of STILLPOINT magazine hits mailboxes, President Mike Hammond will be 224 days into his tenure as the ninth president of Gordon College. The past seven months have brought two CCC championships, several guest speakers for a CCCU-sponsored forum on belonging, and the return of live performances for Gordon’s music and theatre departments. In this time, President Hammond has sent roughly 20,000 emails and logged about 1,300 hours in meetings, getting to know the Gordon community—while still managing to set aside time to explore the North Shore with his wife, Jen, and four highschool daughters while the oldest two children are away at college.

Many have met President Hammond through on-campus and virtual events or have heard updates from him over email and social media.

More will meet him this spring as he embarks on an alumni tour (learn more at www.gordon.edu/alumnitour). But for those who haven’t yet tuned in—or who have and are eager to hear more—here are nine questions STILLPOINT asked Gordon’s ninth president.

Clockwise from top left: President Hammond takes the stage in the A. J. Gordon Memorial Chapel for a Convocation interview with Dr. Sharon Ketcham (biblical studies and Christian ministries); attends the dedication ceremony for La Vida’s new high ropes course; and meets with 2021–22 Presidential Fellows Sophia Mammana ’22, Callum Owen ’22 and Serafina Zotter ’23 in Jenks Library mezzanine.

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NEW PRESIDENT

1

STILLPOINT: If you could snap your fingers and make one thing happen at Gordon, what would it be?

President Mike Hammond: There is an impressive depth of commitment to the Gordon mission from everybody I’ve met and talked to. The staff, faculty and students who are here have a strong sense of why God called them here. Right now in higher education, especially for liberal arts colleges, there are a number of challenges—the pandemic, enrollment issues, changes in education. Sometimes the challenges before us can dampen our enthusiasm or cause us to forget the missional side of what we do. If it were ever so easy, I would love to resolve those challenges with the snap of my fingers so everyone can continue to flourish in this vibrant learning environment, where Christian discipleship is taking place alongside learning in the classroom. As president, part of my job is to help people flourish in the ways that they’re gifted.

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SP: What are some of the common refrains people are sharing as you talk with them?

MH: Almost everybody I talk to tells me they’re here because of the students.

The Physical Plant teams, the Dining Services teams, the professors all say that working with and serving students is what gives them a sense of satisfaction. There is a joy that comes from being part of the mission of this place. When we see students light up when they start to learn, when they start to grow spiritually, when their lives are transformed—those are the things that give us all energy. I love talking to people who have served here for decades and have seen their own lives shaped by students. They’ve seen God work in the lives of students and it makes a difference in their own spiritual journey. That’s been a great encouragement.

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SP: As you get to know the Gordon community, what’s something you’d like the Gordon community to know about you?

MH: I don’t think there’s been a day on my schedule where I haven’t had one or maybe two hours devoted to sitting one-on-one with someone or in a small group. As I hear the stories of the people here, I relate. I think it’s pretty well-known that we’re a family of eight. We have two kids in college— it’s a change for them to be 800 miles away now. And we have four girls who are in high school—it’s a huge change for them. So, if you know nothing else, know that I wouldn’t uproot my family flippantly. Doing something like this has to be driven by a sense of calling. And to dig a little deeper, if we really believe in the mission, there is a spiritual aspect to this work. We are caring for human souls. We are not just churning out the economic engine of the North Shore of Massachusetts—there’s something bigger, something deeper. And I don’t think you should do that kind of work if you don’t feel called and committed to it. There is a deep and genuine sense of calling within the Gordon community, and it’s an honor to join that.

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SP: What’s been the most surprising part of your Gordon journey so far?

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SP: What’s been the biggest learning curve over the past seven months?

MH: There’s really not much of a curve; it’s more of a brick wall and you’ve got to scale it. I’m thankful that the work I’m doing now resembles the work I’ve done in the last few years. I had a mentor once explain the interesting dynamic of this work: You may find yourself one hour in a highly charged budget discussion where everyone around the table is out of ideas and it’s frustrating, and the next hour you’re hosting a prospective family who has come from out of town and is interested in your school, and the next hour you’re giving a speech or talking to a class. Part of the learning curve is just managing all those different interests at the same time.

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MH: It’s been a real joy that I’m working side-by-side with my wife. We’ve spent entire days together meeting people and hosting meals during Orientation and Homecoming. It calls us back to when we were first married and working in residence life at another institution.

I had a staff role, but we were both living among and engaging with the students together. A lot has changed since then. We’ve had kids and gone on to other endeavors. And I knew she would be part of my presidency (she has an official role at the College) but seeing that become a reality has been so fun.

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SP: Any commentary on the transition from the Midwest to New England?

MH: I hear this question all the time, and it can be a bit pejorative. I think folks from New England may be surprised to find out we no longer drive horse and buggy in the Midwest! It’s an exciting place. Anyway, Jen and I have traveled to New England a couple times over the years, but we are realizing we had absolutely no idea about the North Shore of Boston. Half the time I feel like I’m in Colorado. Everyone’s got kayaks and bikes and they’re hiking and rappelling. I get to run on the beach every day. We’re 35 minutes away from Red Sox games. It’s a really special area and we’re just now scratching the surface.

Left to right: President Hammond delivers the keynote address for the 2021 Homecoming Awards; joins his wife, Jen, at the parent reception during Homecoming and Family Weekend; and snaps a headshot during his first day as president on July 1, 2021.

NEW PRESIDENT

You’re invited!

Please join us for the formal inauguration of Dr. Michael D. Hammond as Gordon’s ninth president on Friday, April 29, 2022. Find all the details and RSVP at www.gordon.edu/inauguration.

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SP: You have talked on a few occasions about the idea of “expectant hope.”

What does that mean to you?

SP: Do you have a favorite Lane meal yet?

MH: Every time I eat in Lane, I’m so impressed by the quality. We have amazing, gourmet-trained chefs. But I have to say that my favorite so far was the welcome lunch on my first day. It was New England themed, so we had Fenway Franks and lobster rolls. They did such a nice job, and it was such a celebratory way to kick off this new chapter in our lives.

Watch some of Mike’s Chapel talks

“All Things New”

“Expectant Hope”

MH: One of the more important roles that any leader in any situation plays is to point toward hope. One of my mentors said this: Leaders absorb the chaos, provide calm and point toward hope. But I think it’s vital to define hope. There’s a winsome, roll-of-thedice, shrug-of-the-shoulders version that would say “Well, we really hope this works out.” That’s not faith. Our hope is built on the idea that God walks with us, provides for us, and promises that he will never leave us or forsake us. When I think about pointing to hope, I’m pointing to that promise. We are all filled with the same Holy Spirit. There’s a unity in that, and it’s supernatural.

And if we really believe it, we expect that God will bless this endeavor. So, my hope for Gordon in that context is that we thrive and flourish as we work to restore some of the best aspects of Gordon’s tradition, to foster trust, to cultivate joy. I expect that’s where we’re heading and it’s exciting to be a part of it.

SP: From your view, what makes Gordon, Gordon?

MH: There are a few things, and they draw from two main parts of our mission: faith and learning, and service and leadership. On the first pairing, we never fear difficult ideas. This isn’t a place where indoctrination takes place. It’s a place where we pursue exploration marked by our own sense of curiosity and sometimes our own skepticism. I believe that skepticism without curiosity breeds cynicism, and curiosity without skepticism is just lacking direction. We focus that skepticism, that curiosity, that exploration, and we do so in a way that models stewardship of the created world and the created mind that God has given us. Our Christian faith is what motivates us toward intellectual maturity—we read and study with confidence that our faith both roots and guides us. On the second pairing, service and leadership, we see the gospel lived. Only by serving do you truly understand the felt needs of the people who are around you. And only when you serve the people who are most in need, can you better understand the best solutions to help them. Faith and learning, service and leadership—this is how we choose the way of love in a world marked by incivility and conflict. This mission is a treasure. 

“Living in Community”

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Y R U T N E C A S T O C S F O

rs, Courie men, hite, id W la d P n , sies lue a the B ighlas H s , a s t n o Sc know Flying e *Also ders, ng Blu n li t la t h a B Hig d n men a Scots

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100 YEARS OF ATHLETICS

The story of Gordon Athletics is, of course, one of steadily improved performance, equipment and facilities over the span of 100 years. But it’s also a story of steadfast, Christ-centered, championship-driven, character-building competition. “Whoever played basketball in 1921 when they started was just as competitive, just as driven, just as Christ-centered as our athletes are now,” says Director of Athletics Jon Tymann ’83. “A game will end, win or loss, and our team will go out to the middle of the court or the middle of the field and pray. I can think of many times where opposing teams would come out and join us. That’s the focus of what we do. It’s all about an audience of one.”

One purpose. One hundred years.

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Watch the 100th anniversary video

ALUMNI

Special thanks to: Director of Athletics Jon Tymann ’83 and Sports Information Director Kendall Bukuras ’14 for generously lending their time and knowledge for this issue.

The Gordon Archives team for their extensive knowledge of institutional history and their quick, thorough research: Archivist Sarah St. Germain ’17, Archival Attendant Edward Ballock and student intern Anna Wertenberger ’22.

Meet the Hall of Honor inductees

Two College centennial books—Thomas A. and Jean M. Askew’s A Faithful Past, An Expectant Future and Shaping a Heritage (Ann Ferguson, editor)—which proved to be invaluable resources.

The many, many authors of Gordon’s student publications over the years, whose candid and consistent coverage of Athletics helped weave together this story.

Pictured on previous spread (clockwise from top left): Jennifer Clark x’91 (Women’s Softball), Megan Benevides ’06 (Field Hockey), Julius Swaim ’23 (Men’s Soccer), Gil Dodds ’45 (Men’s Cross Country), Caleigh Williams ’24 (Women’s Basketball), Katelyn Dyer ’21 (Women’s Lacrosse), Roger Hendrickson ’64 (Men’s Basketball), Rachel Shek ’21 (Women’s Swimming).

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1920s

“The prestige of a college

is advanced by the kind of men it produces. Its standing is measured not by the marks the students make in scholastic pursuits, but by the places they take in the community, or in other words, what they are worth in the life of the world. Athletic activities draw to themselves, and seem to foster those characteristics of leadership which the world demands. There is an incessant call for men of activity, of keenness in thought, and of vigor.”

—Hypernikon, 1923 Two years prior to this first recorded mention of Gordon Athletics, seven men and seven women don uniforms and assemble in Boston’s Huntington Avenue YMCA and Ruggles Street Baptist Church gymnasiums, one mile from Gordon’s campus on the Fenway, as the first Men’s and Women’s (then called Boys’ and Girls’) Basketball teams. It is 1921—a period of prosperity, technological advancements and rising interest in entertainment and sports.

Exercise courses had long been part of the curriculum to address the necessary physical skills to “bear the burdens and cares of a needy world,” according to an early Hypernikon yearbook, but competitive sports soon weave their way into the life of the College. In 1922, the Gordon Athletic Association is founded to support and promote varsity and intramural sports. Following the first varsity Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams are varsity Tennis and Volleyball. With each new team

comes the need for practice and competition space—so, students build them. By 1924, they level the ground and build tennis and volleyball courts next to the new Frost Hall on Evans Way. Athletic Association participation more than doubles by the second year and again by the third. “It is our desire that each member of the College shall have some opportunity for physical activity of one sort or another, in order that he or she may be built up physically for participation in the great game of life,” cites the Hypernikon.

By the mid ’20s, Men’s Basketball has made a name for itself among competition, which includes both secondary school and university level teams (and later churches, too): Nazarene College, Rivers Preparatory School, Anchor Class, Boston University Freshmen and Thompson’s Island.

Though the fan base is already strong in the early years, in 1928 a cheerleading squad is established.

The following year, as newly minted members of the Inter-Seminary Athletic Association, Men’s Basketball has its most successful season to date, with only a single loss to Yale Divinity School.

The decade closes out with strong Athletic Association membership and participation, successful varsity competition, and the birth of the “G” Club comprised of athletes who had been awarded the prized letters for their varsity jackets.

Pictured above: 1928 Boys’ Basketball team and 1929 Girls’ Basketball team Right (from left to right): Air Force Chief of Chaplains Terence Finnegan, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Army Chief of Chaplains Frank Tobey. Dated March 31, 1959—commemorating the moment when Tobey and Finnegan presented Eisenhower with a copy of the new armed forces hymnal, which is in Eisenhower’s hand.

In the Scotlight Frank A. Tobey ’29 During his time at Gordon, Frank A. Tobey was a point guard on the Men’s Basketball team where he learned to assess and develop the strengths of his teammates.

This proved to be a useful skill in the Army where Tobey was a chaplain for more than 20 years.

In that period, he went from first lieutenant in the Army Reserves to the 10th Chief of Chaplains in the Army with an office in the Pentagon. As the Chief of Chaplains from 1958 to 1962, Major General Tobey was the spiritual leader for 1,100 Army chaplains and their soldiers. Then, soldiers from religious minorities were seen as rule breakers and were tried in military court for actions such as wearing turbans or observing the Sabbath. In response to one such “infraction,” Tobey urged his colleagues to remember the spirit—not the technicalities—of the Army’s policies, writing, “A commissioned officer is not expected to blindly follow the letter of regulations as a limitation to judgment. He is expected to use existing regulations as a guide to determine action in similar, though not identical cases.”

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In the Scotlight

1930s

A decade after competitive sports entered the scene at Gordon, the Athletic Association continues recruiting new members, with a primary focus on exercise as a way of improving the academic experience. “Weary brains are thoroughly aired by morning jaunts in the Fenway and by brisk hikes down Ruggles Street,” notes a 1930 Hypernikon.

Competitions always begin with prayer, and a high value is placed on sportsmanship. As a 1933 Hypernikon explains, “We have met with victories and defeats, successes and disappointments, but through it all true sportsmanship and fair play have held high the name of Gordon.”

Donning new uniforms and with part-time help from a Harvard coach, the Men’s Basketball team wins the Inter-Seminary Athletic Association that year despite many tight games. In 1932, we see the first recorded—and twice victorious—competitions with Providence Bible Institute (P.B.I., which would later become Barrington College and merge with Gordon in 1985). The Men’s Basketball team also beats them in 1936 and 1937. Less is recorded for the Women’s Basketball team, although

they have a more winning record than the men’s team in 1934 and function under the motto “Win, or die in the attempt.” Competition against P.B.I. commences at end of the decade for the women’s team.

Interclass basketball games become a tradition in the ’30s. Inviting both varsity and recreational athletes, the games attract dozens of players.

Winners have their class numerals placed on a large banner in the “Game Room,” a recreation hub housed in a new addition to Frost Hall.

In 1933, a relay track team is assembled and competes against Brown University, Tufts University and Boston University at the Boston Garden. The following year, a social chairman is added to the Athletic Association leadership team to promote more events and organized activities, including a field day and a trip to P.B.I. Hiking, chess and baseball all enter the scene in the ’30s. “Basketball held the limelight all winter but we must not fail to mention the fact that the lightning moves of our chess masters and the skillful activity of our ping pong experts came in for their share of attention,” notes the Hypernikon.

Isabella Taylor Ravenell ’35 The College Archives don’t reveal much about Isabella Taylor Ravenell’s basketball-playing years at Gordon, but articles from The Boston Globe paint a picture of the life she had after college—when she returned to her hometown of Dorchester, MA, to help her new husband lead the community at Ebenezer Baptist Church. After two decades of raising children and pouring herself into the church, Ravenell got a master’s degree in education from Boston State College. She began her teaching career in 1959 and later became a respected principal throughout the Dorchester region and beyond. In 1979, Ravenell was awarded the Sojourner Truth Award by the City of Boston, and the mayor dedicated a whole day to her in “recognition of her contributions to the community in the areas of interracial goodwill and cultural activities.” For years, she’d strived to make local officials aware of the racial inequality that existed in Boston’s public school system. In 1969, she was one of the teachers chosen to fill the gaps in a history curriculum that overlooked important aspects of the Black experience in the United States. The history guides she helped create were used by 350 local schoolteachers and 13,000 junior high and high school students each year.

100 YEARS OF ATHLETICS

1940s

Gordon Athletics stays strong during the war years despite rationing, routine blackouts and students taking leaves to serve in the military. Basketball continues to be a focal point; students who play all four years earn a gold basketball in addition to their varsity letter. The men’s team becomes the “undisputed seminary champions of this section of the country” in 1943, according Gordon’s The College Bulletin publication, and again in 1945.

Games in the Ruggles Street Baptist Church gymnasium begin drawing significant crowds.

By the mid 1940s, seminaries in the Greater Boston area organize into their own league, which includes Gordon, Boston University School of Theology, Andover Newton and Episcopal Seminary. Led by captain Eddie Olson ’45, “one of the greatest players to ever wear the Gordon colors,” according to The College Bulletin, Gordon is runner-up to Boston University School of Theology for the championship in its first year.

In 1945, the Women’s Basketball team defeats P.B.I.—a “most outstanding accomplishment,” according to a May issue of Gordon’s The Challenger publication.

In 1948, Men’s Basketball sees their most successful season to date, led by high-scoring captain Dave Hamilton ’50, who averages 18 points per game.

Pictured left (top): 1930 Women’s Basketball team Pictured left (bottom): 1930 Men’s Basketball team Right: Robert Baggs in 1941

That year and the following, the “hoopsters” or “basket shooters,” as they are commonly referred to in game write-ups, play at the Boston Garden, where the fledging Boston Celtics are still getting their sea legs in their third-ever season.

In the Scotlight

Though the number of varsity sports remains small, Athletics has so worked its way into the fabric of college life that by the late 1940s all students and faculty are assigned to intramural teams. The “G Club” continues to welcome new members (though graduate students, who played regularly, do not qualify for the honor).

With a more established athletic program comes a growing interest among the student body for a unifying athletic identity. “The Gordon Herald wants you to think up a name, such as the Gordon Preachers,” states a December 1949 issue of the student newspaper. “The names will be voted upon by the student body. You may have the honor to giving the names to the greatest basketball teams Gordon has ever seen.”

Rev. Gilbert “Gil” Dodds ’45 The world knew “Gil” Dodds as “The Flying Parson” and “The Iron Deacon” for he was both an ordained minister and the best American miler of his time. In the 1940s, he was virtually unbeatable, winning 21 straight races for the indoor mile and breaking the world record for that same race three times (twice while he was a Gordon Divinity School student). His career best of 4:05.3 stayed in the world record book for six years. It also earned him a spot in the 1,500-meter race at the 1948 Olympic Trials— although an injury to his Achilles tendon prevented him from competing in the qualifying meet. Shortly after, Dodd retired from competitive running.

For the rest of his life, he worked as an evangelist, a track and cross country coach for Wheaton College and a high school guidance counselor. In addition to his legacy as “The Flying Parson,” Dodd is remembered for giving running demonstrations and sharing his testimony as part of the early Youth for Christ rallies—and for never racing on Sundays.

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1950s

It will be several more years before a unified identity solidifies, but that doesn’t deter growth.

Fans are coming out in droves, especially to Gordon versus P.B.I games, and a Pep Rally is in the works. At one Women’s Basketball game, The Gordon Herald reports “the cheering was so boisterous on both sides that it was difficult at times to hear the referee’s whistle.” Another attracts so many fans that there is concern “that the track, that hangs over the gym, wouldn’t hold up because of the weight.”

The games themselves aren’t the only entertainment. At halftime during a March 16, 1950, basketball game, “The professors brought many howls from the crowd by their entrance on the basketball floor. All had donned choir gowns, all had books in hand and were serenated as they marched in by twos, to the tune of the graduation march. Their warm-up suits were pajamas. What an evening!”

Though national interest in baseball drops during the 1950s, a scrappy team begins forming at Gordon. Donning uniforms purchased from earnings on a magic show the players hosted at a local high school, the Baseball team makes its debut in April of 1951. They lose to Suffolk due to, according to the Gordon Herald, “a great deal of nervousness on the part of Gordon’s fielders.”

Within a few years, though, the Baseball team has a field of its own (and more wins in its record).

Like the tennis and volleyball courts at Evans Way, students build it. Named for the first baseball coach and key Athletics organizer Rev. William Gavin, Gavin Field’s first game is a victory.

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As Gordon’s Baseball team tallies more wins, they welcome a pro to campus.

George Kell, White Sox third baseman, is the principal speaker before a capacity audience during the College’s first annual sports banquet, held in the cafeteria one year after the College’s 1955 move from the Fenway in Boston to the Princemere Estate in Wenham, Massachusetts. The Women’s Basketball team is undefeated in 1956 (and again in 1958) and Ivan “Buzzy” Smith ’56 nabs the new Men’s Basketball season record with 531 points in 1956.

1957 marks the addition of a touch Football team and rifle club as well as the first Homecoming and the first step toward a swimming team (the Physical Education Department sponsors Peter Terletzky ’57 in a YMCA competition where he places third in the 600-yard freestyle and leads his team to victory in a 40-yard freestyle sprint).

100 YEARS OF ATHLETICS

In the Scotlight PRO STATUS

Pictured (clockwise from left): Gordon mascot, 1959; Men’s Basketball in the 1950s; the Baseball team in 1951; and Women’s Basketball in 1953.

But most memorably, 1957 also marks the official launch of the Fighting Scots moniker and Scottish lion rampant mascot. Articles in the Gordon Herald that year make a strong case, including this one from April 12: “Yale has a bulldog, Princeton a tiger, and even P.B.B.C. [Providence-Barrington Bible College] has a warrior. What does Gordon have? A courier, or is it a fisher, or is either any good, or who cares? The effect of a good school spirit, shown in such things as athletic traditions, athletic nicknames, athletic mascots, and a student body proud of these things, would improve the entire sports picture at Gordon.” In December, the Student Council votes, and the identity is solidified—and with it, strong momentum for school spirit and traditions.

It’s no coincidence that the following year is a winning year for Gordon Athletics. In 1958, Women’s Basketball

In the early 1950s, Don Whitehouse ’54 was wrapping up a stint with the Reynolds Club, defending state champions in a semiprofessional basketball organization, and joining Gordon’s Men’s Basketball team. By 1954, he had broken Dave Hamilton’s individual scoring record, with 474 season points.

is undefeated, and all teams celebrate winning seasons, including the new (though shortlived) six-man Football team. In their second and final season, 1959, they are undefeated North Atlantic Christian Conference (NACC) champions.

Bill “Whitey” Davis ’61 After he left the Marines, Bill “Whitey” Davis came to Gordon with a dream of becoming a missionary. But he didn’t know his mission field would include an actual athletic field. As an undergraduate, Davis was a formidable pitcher on the Baseball team with light brown hair that was bleached blonde by the summer sun (hence his nickname “Whitey”). He had an offer to play minor league ball in Canada but turned it down to continue in academia, teach history and coach varsity sports.

When he was interviewed by the College after being hired to coach Men’s Basketball in 1975, he said, “As a Christian I believe that athletics, like all other fields of human endeavor, should be done to the glory of God.”

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1960s PRO STATUS Men’s Soccer high scorer Paul Sideropolous ’67 still holds the records for season goals (41 in 1967), season points (97 in 1967), career assists (41), career goals (108) and career points (257).

He made first team NAIA All-American in 1967. After graduating, Sideropolous signed to play professional soccer with the Boston Beacons of the North American Soccer League and was selected to the U.S. National Team in 1970.

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With ample space for practice on the former polo fields of the Princemere property that is now the College’s home, soccer moves into the limelight. Men’s Soccer is established in 1961, led

by Divinity School student Cliff “Nubby” McCrath (Gordon College and Gordon Divinity School are becoming separate but linked institutions at this time). In 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1968, the team is Colonial Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAC) champions. In 1966 they also win the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship against Husson College. A Student Times article notes that “it’s natural that Gordon’s most successful team should be soccer, or football as it is called as the national sport of Scotland.”

The basketball teams continue to play on borrowed space in local elementary and secondary school gyms (and continue with an annual game at the Boston Garden). They wouldn’t have a home court for another 10 years but manage to keep winning— under longtime coach Hal Murdoch, the men’s team is NACC champions in 1960, 1961 and 1962, and Seaboard Athletic Conference champions in 1968; and captained by Sybil (Wry) Coleman ’64 and Norma “Beetle” Bailey ’62, the women’s team, still clad in dresses, has undefeated seasons in 1962 and 1963. Bob Hoaglander ’61 sets a record 52 points against Babson in 1961. The following year, Gene Fitzgerald ’62 is the first to make the 1,000-point club with 1,297 career points.

Men’s Ice Hockey also enters the scene under professor and coach Harry Leith in 1960. It’s played at the North Shore Sports Center in Lynn until an on-campus outdoor skating rink is completed in 1965. Women’s Volleyball wins league championships in 1962 and 1963; mixed Volleyball wins a league title in 1965. Field Hockey and Cross Country begin in 1963, the same year that the newly minted Softball team sets a record with a five-year undefeated streak. Club bowling also makes an appearance.

The King’s Tournament is a popular competition during this era. Dozens of students from several colleges convene at King’s College in New York for a multi-day competition that includes “basketball, cheerleading, barbershop harmonizing, ping pong, bowling and volleyball,” according to the Boston Traveler newspaper. Schools win individual competitions, but a trophy goes to the school that earns the most points in all six competitions. Gordon cheerleaders win their event at least seven years, and Gordon wins the full tournament in 1966. “Our victory was made secure through the gracious help of Barrington College,” notes The Tartan, who defeated rival Eastern Mennonite. “We screamed until our voices were hoarse and our faces were blue and then we screamed some more,” the article continues, “We are the mighty Scotsmen, we are the fighting Scotsmen.”

The ’60s is a banner decade for basketball, softball and baseball—but balancing athletic competition with academic commitment remains a priority. If any student’s average drops below a C, they are automatically removed from the team for two weeks to focus on improving their grades. Also a priority: plans for the first athletic building in Gordon’s history.

100 YEARS OF ATHLETICS

In the Scotlight Sybil (Wry) Coleman ’64

Pictured (from top): Men’s Soccer in the 1960s; the fledgling Hockey team; Hebbard Rink in 1965 (now the Physical Plant building and parking lot).

Sybil Coleman was a three-sport varsity athlete at Gordon before Ruth Bader Ginsburg won her first gender discrimination case and before Title IX went into effect. In the ’60s, one in every 27 girls played a sport (now that ratio is two out of every five) and female college athletes received only two percent of overall athletic budgets.

With limited resources, Coleman and her teammates had to line their own fields and find rides to and from their games. But none of this changed how Coleman felt about sports. She loved the thrill of full-court fast breaks, fielding balls and setting hitters up for a good spike—and that was reflected on the scoreboard. For two years in a row, the Women’s Basketball team never lost a game and the Volleyball team became league champions. After graduation, the Gordon community would come to know Coleman as a coach, women’s athletic director and, later, professor. She says that her years in Athletics served as a perfect forerunner to a 24-year-long career in social work (prior to becoming a professor). “As a student-athlete,” she says, “I learned I couldn’t maximize all values simultaneously. I was an athlete, a musician, a student, an employee.

I had to figure out seasonally and even almost weekly where my attentions had to be. That was a wonderful lesson to carry into social work. There are times when working with families, you want to preserve the family, but you want to protect the child. At times, you can’t do both, so you do the least harmful thing, which is to take the child out of the home for their protection.”

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1970s

By 1971, the Fighting Scots finally have a place to call home: The Rhodes Gymnasium, named for longtime board member Edgar L. Rhodes. Though the Fighting Scots are no longer playing annual games at the Boston Garden, the Celtics come to campus for their training camps in the early ’70s.

The 1970s may have ushered in lengthier hair styles, but not so for Gordon athletes. Behavioral standards indicate that “sideburns no longer than the bottom of the ear-lobe (no mutton chops); hair shall not exceed the Continental style with no long hair permitted. Athletes are expected to be clean shaven.”

Following a national uptick in recreational running and road races,

PRO STATUS Dr. Richard Gross, who served as president of Gordon College in 1976 to 1992, got his career start with the NBA. He was drafted by the Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) in 1953 before being drafted into the U.S. Army, where he was captain of the team that won the All-Army Basketball Championship in 1956. He participated in the Olympic basketball tryouts that same year.

Pictured: Field Hockey on the quad in 1979

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ALUMNI

cross country gains momentum at Gordon. In 1970, Dan Biebel x’74 breaks two course records and Gordon’s school record in his very first season. But then comes Edward Burgess ’80, who, to this day, still owns the College’s 8K record of 25:05 and 10K record of 33:21 (set at the 1979 Pop Crowell invitational, named for longtime Barrington coach and administrator Ray “Pop” Crowell, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Honor in 2021).

In 1975, Field Hockey has an undefeated season. Men’s Soccer has another winning streak under coach David Macmillan, making it to the NAIA District Tournament in 1973 and winning the Seaboard Conference championship the following three years. Intramural couples bowling comes onto the scene in the ’70s.

In the Scotlight

Edward Burgess ’80 Edward Burgess was the first student-athlete at Gordon to ever make nationals. He qualified for the NCAA Division III cross country championship three years in a row and was the eighth fastest cross country athlete at a Division III school in 1979, earning All-American honors. One historic moment from his long career as a high school science teacher and cross country coach was the year his team outran the best team in the nation and ranked third in the nation by the end of the season. Even though Burgess often goes to great lengths to prepare his athletes for competition, he takes care not to overwork them.

“When I was a cross country athlete in high school,” remembers Burgess, “we ran hard every single day. By the end of the season, most of us were either injured or underperforming.”

That changed when Burgess became a Fighting Scot. “At Gordon,” recalls Burgess. “I started doing better because I had more rest.” Forty years later, his favorite run is still the route from Gordon to Singing Beach, with an ocean swim in the middle.

100 YEARS OF ATHLETICS

1980s

Men’s Soccer kicks off with another winning streak, now under awardwinning coach Marc Whitehouse, who served in a number of athletic roles for 34 years. They take the district championship in 1980 and win back-toback NAIA titles in 1983 and 1984. While domestic travel has become a norm (championship games are played in Texas and California), in the late 1980s teams begin adding international travel into the mix. In 1987, Men’s Soccer team embarks on a playing-mission tour of four cities in India.

Field Hockey and Volleyball also earn championship titles. In 1982, Field Hockey is the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Eastern Regional champion under coach Liz Ruhl and in 1984, they win NAIA District V championships. Women’s Volleyball win NAIA New England Championships in 1986 and 1987 and play in national tournaments.

in all of intercollegiate basketball, is named an NAIA All-American.

The first two women also join the 1,000-point club: Barrie (Twyon) Daigneault ’88 with 1,277 and Karen (Martin) List ’89 with 1,301.

Daigneault is named NAIA All New England three times.

Intramural sports are encouraged for all of campus, and both students and faculty join. Teams now include basketball, flag football, ice hockey, soccer, indoor soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, power volleyball, broom hockey, ultimate frisbee, chess and pin bowling. The addition of a Men’s Lacrosse team in 1988 brings the varsity total to 12: Men’s Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis and Lacrosse; and Women’s Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.

In 1988, Gordon leaves the NAIA and becomes—and still is—a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division III.

In the final decade before basketball shorts lengthen by several inches, three more men join the 1,000-point club: Doug Lindland ’82 with 1,645; Steve Heintz ’87 with 1,545 and Tim Kehoe ’88 with 1,397. Heintz, a top foul shooter

A Scots Alma Mater We are the Mighty Scots We are the Fighting Scotsmen We’re marching ever onward to victory Blue and White—colors!

We’re proud of our fellows They’re always there fighting For you and me.

Gordon is the name That will bring us fame Where e’re we go from shore to shore.

We are the Mighty Scots We are the Fighting Scotsmen

In the Scotlight

Steve Heintz ’87 Steve Heintz’s first collegiate basketball game coincided with his first flight. Traveling to Ohio on a travel squad, the 1987 grad was welcomed by an icy landing, which, given his fear of heights, “frightened me to no end.” Though his basketball career began in a distressing manner, Heintz now embraces the unexpected benefits of an uncomfortable environment.

As a basketball coach who has led teams at Gordon, Lexington Christian Academy and now Masconomet Regional High School, Heintz encourages his players to pursue excellence by pushing themselves to achieve new boundaries of success. “I don’t think we change lives when we just go through with an average level of effort,” says Heintz. “We have to be uncomfortable in order to grow.”

The 2018 Athletics Hall of Honor inductee inspires his teams to approach basketball with a competitive mindset. But ultimately, he views coaching as a form of ministry, helping athletes realize their potential to impact their environments in powerful and meaningful ways.

“Effort is paramount in any walk of life—certainly in athletics—but that effort can translate into other aspects of life,” he says. “Win or lose, or less than our best, we’re still loved, forgiven and embraced by a Lord and Savior. I think that young people need to be driven toward an ethic, but they also need eternal hope.”

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1990s

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In the Scotlight

Following their pattern from prior decades, Men’s Soccer enters the ’90s with a winning streak, claiming the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship in 1990 and 1992.

Both Men’s and Women’s Soccer are CCC champions in 1993, and Women’s Soccer carries that title in 1994 as well.

Helen Bennett, parents of longtime Chairman of the Board Peter C. Bennett. It wins Athletic Business magazine’s Top Ten New Facilities Award for design and usability.

Rhodes Gymnasium eventually becomes Barrington Center for the Arts.

In 1995, Jaimee (Smith) Eldred ’95, Softball, sets the record for 35 RBIs in a season, which marks Smith an “NCAA statistical champ” and remains a Gordon record to this day. Five more men and six more women from the basketball teams join the 1,000-point club. Jim Petty ’95 tops the men’s list with 1,902 points, and Amy (McMechen) Bowen ’97 takes the lead for women with 1,440.

That same year, Field Hockey enters an eight-year streak of CCC Championship appearances— winning the title three times. And in the final academic year of the century, 1998–99, the Fighting Scots claim four CCC Championships: Field Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Women’s Soccer.

In 1996, the Fighting Scots’ new home, the Bennett Athletic Center, opens thanks to the generosity of George and

Pictured this page: Cross country runner in 1991; Women’s Soccer in 1990 Facing page: Men’s Lacrosse players in 2004

Sara (Baker) Lake ’01 For athletes like Sara Lake, sports feel as natural as basic instinct.

Athleticism is ingrained in the multisport athlete, who you might have seen performing a goalie dive to catch a softball.

Today, Lake is diving to catch her children from falling off bouncy houses instead of fielding a pop fly.

As a wife and mother, direction from the formative experience of being a soccer, basketball and softball athlete at Gordon have new outlets. “Athletics gave me a home,” says Lake, recalling the camaraderie of championship victories, spring break tournaments to Myrtle Beach, playing basketball and softball alongside her late sister Juliana (Baker) Elliott ’03 and even spirited professors cancelling class to cheer the extended overtime and penalty kicks of a tournament win on the quad.

After graduating, moving to unfamiliar locations then becoming a mom, Lake admits, “It’s easy to feel lost out here in the world.” But recalling the close-knit communities in Gordon Athletics, Lake and her husband, Tom ’01 (a cross country standout), prioritized making connections in the local church and their neighborhood.

Lake says, “It was easy to recognize the beauty of those relationships and to want it to be part of it because of my history of being in athletics and feeling close to a group.”

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100 YEARS OF ATHLETICS

2000s

When the world doesn’t end with Y2K, the Fighting Scots resume play. The turn of the century marks another era of championships for Gordon Athletics. During the 2001–02 academic year, Gordon again claims four CCC Championships, this time all by women’s teams: Tennis, Volleyball, Field Hockey and Lacrosse (the latter two were coached by Cory Ward).

Women’s Lacrosse also wins the CCC championship in 2003 and 2005.

In 2001, Women’s Tennis is undefeated.

In 2002, Women’s Volleyball sets a record with 35 wins in a season. And in 2003, Men’s Soccer wins their fourth CCC championship. Five more men and three more women join the 1,000-point club for basketball, with Sarah DeLuca ’05 now taking the women’s lead with 1,956 points.

Men’s Lacrosse makes three CCC championship appearances in the early ’00s, winning the title in 2002 and 2003.

And two Chapman brothers, Tim ’01 and Matt ’02, take Men’s Lacrosse records by storm. Matt, along with five other athletes from previous years, were the inaugural inductees in the Hall of Honor in 2007. Since then, 50 more athletes

PRO STATUS In 2009, Tod Murphy became the 33rd coach of Gordon Men’s Basketball. He previously played four years in the NBA—for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons.

In the Scotlight

(many of whom are named in this issue) have been inducted.

Important as they are, championship titles aren’t the only CCC accolades to Gordon’s name. In the first two decades of the 21st century, Gordon’s varsity teams accumulate 88 CCC Sportsmanship Awards, a dozen of which belong to Men’s Tennis. Service continues to weave more intentionally into athletic programming, and mission trips—to places like Taiwan, Guatemala, El Salvador and Argentina—become more regular.

Thanks again to the generosity of the Bennett family, the Brigham Athletic Complex opens in 2005, honoring Helen Bennett’s maiden name. The following year, Gordon hosts its first CCC track invitational there.

Amy Dodd ’07 When Amy Dodd read a book in middle school about Christian female athletes, she promised to share her testimony through sports, too—if God ever made her a professional athlete.

When she became a member of Women’s Basketball at Gordon and attended Fellowship of Christian Athletes trips to Guatemala and El Salvador, Dodd realized didn’t need to be famous to accomplish her goal.

Though torn between a career in physical therapy versus sports ministry, she felt a clear message that the Lord would use her in either arena.

So, Dodd got involved with Athletes in Action, where she has spent 12 years trying to reach collegiate athletes and coaches with the gospel. From playing a game of pickup basketball to hosting a Bible study, Dodd says, “The natural language of sports gives you a segue in to sharing your faith. Sports reveal so much of who you are and your character and your personality.”

Recalling the pivotal moments of college, Dodd values ministering to students who are encountering questions of values and faith. She says, “The best part of the job is when the gospel clicks with a student and to see the joy of salvation on their face—the joy of like starting a relationship with Christ.”

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2010s

“When you go to the basketball game Saturday you will see about twenty of your classmates—guys in white shirts and plaid ties, girls in white blouses,” notes a 1965 Tartan article, “ringing cow-bells, beating kettles with brush handles, or blowing trumpets loudly enough to tumble the walls of Jericho.”

White-clad noisemakers have returned, now filling sections of seating in Bennett and Brigham. They’ve replaced cow-bells with car key jingling and updated the former Racket-teers moniker to The PIT, but this much remains: “Their number-one motive is to create school spirit and to make enough noise to let the team know that the school is really behind them.”

This latest incarnation of Scots fandom cheers at fewer championships than the ’60s version, but CCC victories are sprinkled throughout the decade: Men’s Basketball in 2010 and 2014, Field Hockey in 2013, and Men’s Soccer in 2015 and 2018. In 2019, Softball has a record number of wins (20) in a season.

During the middle stretch of the decade, Dean Drukker ’17 and Dan Fauber ’16 slash Men’s Swimming records, and Zach Hall ’16 and Mason Casady ’18 do the same for Men’s Tennis. One woman and seven men make the 1,000-point club, with a new name topping the men’s list: Garrisson Duvivier ’19 at 1,935.

ALUMNI

In the Scotlight

Then, in 2015, a small group of students led by Maddie Hopkins ’18 make a splash with a big idea: a Gordon College rowing team. What starts out as a student club grows into one of the more successful collegiate sculling programs in the U.S. Within a few months, they are competing in elite races like Head of the Charles in Boston. And within a few years, they are winning—taking home silver in the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta in 2019. Thanks to a generous gift, the Rowing team has a boathouse to call home on nearby Chebacco Lake, one of the only suitable freshwater locations for crew training in Massachusetts.

Maddie Hopkins ’18 A young Maddie Hopkins spent countless afternoons on New York’s Mohawk River. Bundled in a snowsuit and curled up at the base of a boat with a carton of hot water to keep her hands warm, the rowing coaches’ daughter grew up listening to the swish of paddles and calls of a coxswain.

It was Hopkins’ turn to pull the oars at age six, and before long she was competing against much older rowers.

Her youthful ambition persisted through college—Hopkins’ admissions counselor noted that Gordon didn’t offer rowing, but she confidently replied, “There will be rowing at Gordon by the time I’m done.”

When her first semester without the sport proved that she couldn’t bear to stay away for long, Hopkins kickstarted a rowing club at Gordon and competed once again. For three years Hopkins often rowed alone, but the experience that eventually equipped her to become an inspiring head coach when Gordon launched varsity Rowing. “I understand what you have to do to motivate yourself,” she says.

Her infectious enthusiasm sparked Gordon Rowing to grow like wildfire, and the team of 30 goes head-to-head with (and defeats) Ivy Leagues.

“There’s something really attractive about being around people who work as hard as you,” says Hopkins. “That time in a single boat allowed me to create that culture later because I know what it takes. I’m so much better equipped to create the space that these students need.”

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100 YEARS OF ATHLETICS

2020s

COVID-19 isn’t the first pandemic to interrupt Athletics (the 1957–58 “Asian flu” pandemic cancelled a handful of games), but it does wreak havoc on competition in 2020 and 2021.

Gordon’s new Golf team enters its second season, and the still fledgling Rowing teams excel. The Men’s and Women’s Lightweight teams join the Intercollegiate Rowing Association, placing them among the ranks of Harvard, Columbia and Stanford. Grant Veurink ’21 and Stephen Kaelin ’24 earn the title of national champions in May of 2021 after winning gold in the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.

In 2020, three basketball players make national headlines with stats that place them at the top of NCAA basketball: At 33.5 points per game, Eric Demers ’20 is the top point-maker in all of college basketball, even over players at top teams like Duke and Louisiana State University; with 24.4 points per game, Meghan Foley ’20 is the top scorer in CCC Women’s Basketball and second in NCAA DIII; and with 13.8 rebounds per game, Sarah (Gibbs) Haworth ’20 leads the CCC and is third in DIII. Demers and Foley join the 1,000-point basketball club—Demers earning the men’s top spot with 2,553.

In the Scotlight Eric Demers ’20 Athletics Rising, an arm of the College’s highly successful Faith Rising comprehensive campaign, concludes in the spring of 2021, raising $5 million to support Gordon Athletics. A portion of these funds go to significant upgrades in the Bennett Athletic Center and Brigham Athletic Complex, including the new Kanas Court gymnasium, indoor softball and baseball facilities and a new track and turf. The Marc Whitehouse Broadcast Booth, named for the longtime Athletics coach and administrator, and the Juliana Baker Elliott Scoreboard, named for former softball player Juliana “Jill” (Baker) Elliott ’03, are both dedicated at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2021.

Today, 28 percent of the student body now participates in varsity or club Athletics—fostering, as the Hypernikon aptly stated a century ago—“the characteristics of leadership which the world demands.” 100 years of Christcentered, championship-driven, character-building competition, and many more to come.

2021 CCC Champions Men’s and Women’s Soccer rang in Athletics’ 100th anniversary year by winning the CCC Championship

As a child, Eric Demers arrived at TD Garden early to watch the Boston Celtics warm up before games. Last summer playing for San Antonio Spurs’ 2021 NBA Summer League squad, Demers saw the faces of enthralled children there early to see him.

“It was a flashback to being a little kid dreaming of something like this,” he says.

And now he takes the court as a pro with the Maine Celtics, an NBA G League team. While most NBA players come from NCAA Division I and II backgrounds, Demers says his Gordon career provided distinct advantages. Ample playing time developed Demers’ skills; becoming a Division III standout garnered national recognition; and close relationships developed him both as an athlete and as a person.

Those connections carry over into his latest endeavors even beyond basketball. Teammates stood beside him as he married Lauren (Edwards) Demers ’20 and traveled to watch him play in the NBA Summer League. “I try to remind myself that at the end of the day, the hoop is the same height, the basketball is the same, and I’ve been doing this for a very long time,” he says. “I’m trying to believe in myself that I am ready and embracing the opportunity.”

this past fall. Siblings Nathan Talesnick ’22 and Taylor Talesnick ’24 hold the trophies.

Follow the future of the Fighting Scots

See game schedules, live broadcasts, competition write-ups, athlete spotlights and more at athletics.gordon.edu gordonathletics

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gordonathletics SPRING 2022 | STILLPOINT 29

STARTERS

NEWS

PRESIDENT

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ARTICLES

Remembering Janet and Roscoe

ALUMNI

In December of 2021, Gordon College was shocked and heartbroken by the loss of two beloved community members: Dean of the School of Education Dr. Janet (Spoerer) Arndt ’68 and College Electrician Russell “Roscoe” Duttweiler.

Dr. Janet Arndt May 23, 1947–December 13, 2021 Arndt served the College for more than 25 years in teaching and administrative roles. A 1968 Gordon alumna, she returned to her alma mater in 2001 as the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) licensure officer after a long career in public education and New Hampshire state politics.

In 2008, she became the director of graduate programs in education even as she continued assisting teacher candidates and alumni in obtaining state teaching licensure in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Arndt developed and implemented the Master of Arts in Leadership degree program, which launched in 2016. She was instrumental in the establishment of the School of Education in 2019, being named dean upon its inception. That same year, she joined the President’s Cabinet as the faculty representative.

Arndt is remembered as a talented, passionate educator whose dedication to the field and her students was evident in her work. Inspired by their own studies under Dr. Winifred Currie ’45, Arndt and her sister, Dr. Priscilla (Spoerer) Nelson ’74, had worked side-by-side at Gordon for the past two decades. Together they garnered national

recognition for the College’s education program, specifically for its strong commitment to evidence-based reading instruction and its academic selectivity.

Prior to her career at Gordon, Arndt was a public-school teacher, early childhood specialist, guidance counselor and principal. A resident of Windham, New Hampshire, Arndt was a policymaker as a state representative in New Hampshire for 10 years. She was a member and past president of the International Christian Community for Teacher Education.

Arndt earned her bachelor’s in psychology from Gordon, Ed.M. from Boston University and Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her areas of research were family/school partnerships, transitions, special education, mentoring, and the use of Universal Design for Learning in teacher preparation.

In addition to Nelson, Arndt left behind her husband, Ken, who passed shortly after her; children Elissa ’00 (Matthew) Rader, Emily ’03 (Flavio) DeCastro, Ethan ’05 (Joice) and Erica ’08; and nine grandchildren.

Read more about Janet’s legacy on page 32.

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ARTICLES

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

—Psalm 34:18

Roscoe Duttweiler August 9, 1962–December 9, 2021 A beloved member of the Gordon community, Duttweiler worked as an electrician for the Physical Plant team since 2012. Going far beyond the scope of his day job, Duttweiler also advised local and global mission trips for the past nine years and was involved with the College’s Athletics, Chapel and La Vida programs.

Duttweiler was widely known by colleagues, students, alumni, friends and family as a godly man and a faithful servant of Christ. He viewed working at Gordon as an opportunity to serve Christ and share the Word of God. Duttweiler often opened his home to students over holidays and breaks and was known for sending encouraging texts on Fridays. He exuded joy, cheerfulness, patience, generosity and a playful sense of humor. Many will remember his favorite expression: “God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good.”

of Houghton College graduates and earned his bachelor’s in Bible there in 1986. As a student, he played varsity baseball, ran indoor track and coordinated intramurals.

For the past three decades, Duttweiler resided in Lowell, Massachusetts. A multi-instrument musician, he was a longtime member of Countryside Bible Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he most recently served as worship leader and elder. He previously served as a youth leader and was passionate about having a positive impact on young adults.

Duttweiler was husband to Babette; father to Victoria “Tori” (Eric), Ashlee (Tesfa), Naomi (Daniel) and Reuben; and grandfather to Joey and Charis. For many students who served with him on mission trips, Duttweiler became, as they described, a “second father.”

An avid Buffalo Bills fan, Duttweiler was originally from Buffalo, New York. He came from a long line Read more about Roscoe’s legacy on page 32.

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ALUMNI

A teacher of teachers: Janet’s legacy “Janet and I both attended Gordon in the sixties and were colleagues for many years in the public schools and at Gordon.

She was someone who always encouraged me to do what I did not think was possible. Teach college? I can hear her say, ‘Of course you can. It is the same as teaching your preschoolers.’

Along with the words came actions to make it all happen. Her words of encouragement and her friendship will be sorely missed.” —Geraldine “Gerri” White ’67 M’00

“Janet knew that she was called by God to expand his Kingdom through training up strong teachers that were filled with love and integrity. All who were under her mentorship can attribute our academics, pedagogy and desire for integrity to the example Janet set as coach and mentor. I will miss our talks, her leadership, her wisdom. I strongly desire to continue to carry on her legacy of championing others in the field of education. Thank you, Janet, for your lasting influence of completing the good works he laid out for you.” —Sara Doughty ’04 M’11

“Janet has been a friend and colleague for over 50 years, and for me her most outstanding attribute at Gordon College was her devotion to the education and growth of graduate students. She personally invested time and encouragement with every graduate student that crossed her threshold.

She was their advisor, supervising observer and ardent cheerleader. They knew she had their back.”

—Dr. Donna J. Robinson ’70

“To know that Dr. Arndt believed in me was one of the most inspiring feelings in the world. It was an honor to serve as her Presidential Fellow this year and learn from her example of utmost devotion to the Lord. Dr. Arndt opened my eyes to the importance of education in every career, and I pray that I will be a better doctor one day because of her advice, love and encouragement.

Her passion to share the gospel was evident in every aspect of her life and exemplified through the many new initiatives that she brought to Gordon.” —Miranda Pomphrett ’22

Electrician, musician, mentor: Roscoe’s legacy “Never has there been a man with so much joy and always a smile on his face. While at Gordon I could always count on Roscoe for an energetic hello and uplifting smile. I continued to get and respond to his high-five texts till a few [months] ago, which always helped me to see the littlest joys in life. Roscoe was a man who gave away joy in abundance to everyone around him. I praise the Lord for his life and ministry.”

—Nicaragua mission trip student participant

“Running into him around campus was such a joy, and Roscoe always had time to ask how I was doing no matter what he was working on. Whether he was fixing fire alarms in the dorms, testing electricity up on the turf, or fixing lightbulbs in Gillies, Roscoe always seemed to show up when I needed encouragement. I know I am not alone, and many people have this similar story. Seeing his authentic love for this community was so tangible and his heart for the Lord so real. He offered hospitality when I didn’t know where I would live for a short time, and he even came to see my art show, wanting a personal tour so he could hear all about the meaning behind my work and ask deeper questions.” —Gordon alumna and employee 32 STILLPOINT | SPRING 2022

​“Roscoe was an integral part of the spiritual formation of countless students at Gordon. This was true on our servicelearning trips, as he was able to step into the role of spiritual leader with more wisdom and experience than we as student leaders could offer. Roscoe had the unique ability of being able to address a stressful situation calmly, effectively and with a smile. I always felt supported and uplifted in my partnership with him. Roscoe was a joy to sing with, a wise soul to ask questions of, and someone I could always have a laugh with.”

—Nicaragua mission trip student leader

“When I think of Roscoe, the words ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ immediately flood to mind. Roscoe was a team player and always there—ready, willing and able to serve both the Lord and co-workers at Gordon College any way he could. It was an honor to serve with such a great, godly man.

Roscoe served with the love of Christ and modeled that in everything he did. He was a man of integrity, wisdom and kindness, and I will miss him and his ‘Can do!’ attitude.”

—Physical Plant coworker

Fuel to Flourish Like gas in your car, the Gordon College Fund is the vital fuel that sustains the College’s mission.

A gift to the Gordon College Fund supports:

Academics | Community life | Scholarships and financial aid | Athletics | Internships and career services | La Vida | The arts | And much more

A gift to the Gordon College Fund is the difference between a good education and an exceptional one. Make your difference today using the enclosed envelope or save the date for Day of Giving on April 7–8, 2022!

SPRING 2022 | STILLPOINT 35

255 Grapevine Road, Wenham MA 01984-1899 www.gordon.edu

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Master of Public Health (MPH) Launching fall 2022

With concentrations in epidemiology and health policy and management

Prepare to meet today’s most pressing public health challenges by integrating public health education and a Christian worldview through an online 18-month program with in-person intensives.

www.gordon.edu/mph