GeDUNK Spring 2006

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totheeditor Dear Alumni & Friends, Thank you for your continued interest in the life of our College. I have had many e-mails, notes and conversations recently about the quality, scope and diversity of our communication efforts. When we introduced the newly formatted GeDUNK in early 2004, we hoped that the magazine would be more user-friendly, more professional and – frankly – more interesting. We wanted The GeDUNK, like its famous campus namesake, to be a place to come together, share news and ideas, and learn more fully about each other. With that in mind, the editors set out to focus our articles on alumni who have interesting stories to tell. People often forget that Grove City College alumni number more than 24,000 and, while all share the same alma mater, each has followed a different road. While we all started from the same place – this campus – we have traveled to many different and fascinating places in our lives. Our alumni are, in fact, a wide-ranging and remarkably diverse group regarding their lives, careers, faith and perspective. Our editors reflect that in the stories featured in each issue. What these pages share are true alumni experiences. They are stories dealing with what individuals – all Grovers – have done with their lives. You may agree or disagree with a particular story for whatever reason. Yet, each story represents the many and varied contributions our alumni family makes to society and to the world at large. As always, your thoughts regarding this publication and the College are welcomed and encouraged. It is through this honest dialogue that we all learn. Enjoy this issue of The GeDUNK! Warm regards,

Jeffrey D. Prokovich ’89 Senior Director of Alumni and College Relations

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

I applaud your stories of crisis and survival in the winter issue of The GeDUNK Alumni Magazine. However, one survivor population was overlooked in your pages. Huge portions of the population are affected by one of the most debilitating maladies in our society today – the trauma of divorce. Divorce occurs every 33 seconds in our country; each day in the U.S., 2,622 spouses permanently depart their homes, often leaving the other spouse in a state of disbelief and despair. Our GCC family is not immune to this trauma. Losses are great in divorce; not only is a mate lost, but so are future dreams, familiar surroundings and financial status. I pray for these numerous but true survivors — survivors indeed whose lives have been shattered in this way. I pray for all of us to find the tremendous courage, stamina, strength and faith to withstand this lifealtering experience and ultimately to emerge whole again. Amy (Calder ’86) McKinley Cranberry Township, Pa. I wanted to thank those responsible for putting the alumni magazine together. My husband Leland’s obituary with his picture was nicely done in the recent magazine. I started to read the interesting articles of alumni and couldn’t put the magazine down. My husband and I enjoyed the years he worked for the College and he was always proud to have been a student at Grove City. Thank you for your work well done. Kathleen Fennell (Wife of Leland C. Fennell ’53) Grove City, Pa. I would like to commend you for a superb issue of the winter GeDUNK magazine. As a parent of one of the survivors, I was skeptical about how our story would translate into an article and continue to exemplify our faith. Our article was extremely well written with necessary care and emotion, as were all of the articles. While each of the survivors shares different experiences, the commonality was very clear – that through the pain, heartache and suffering, all stood strong in their faith. My hope is that as other alumni who have had their own experiences read the magazine, they know that they are not alone in their “fight to survive” and that they too are able stand strong in their faith. Erin (Arnold ’95) Pisano Grove City, Pa.

letterspolicy Letters to the Editor must be no longer than 250 words and should be sent to: Alumni Magazine Editor, Letters, Grove City College, 100 Campus Drive, Grove City, Pa. 16127 or news@gcc.edu. The Alumni Magazine Editorial Board reserves the right to edit, hold or not publish letters.


GROVE CITY COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINE The GeDUNK Editorial Board Thomas J. Pappalardo Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jeffrey D. Prokovich ’89 Senior Director of Alumni and College Relations Managing Editor Amy Clingensmith ’96 Director of Communications Associate Editor Janice (Zinsner ’87) Inman Publications Manager Contributing Editors Ryan Briggs ’01 Caroline Koopman ’01 Linda Reash Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw Cover Photo Ed Wheeler Photography, Radnor, Pa. On the Cover... Dennis Reidenbach ’76 is at home in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park. Read more on page 4. Design Amy Clingensmith ’96 SWP (www.swpagency.com) Printer Printing Concepts, Inc., Erie, Pa. Alumni Association Officers 2005-06 Laura (Ritchey ’87) Havrilla President Angelo J. Mariotti ’78 Vice President Jeffrey D. Prokovich ’89 Executive Secretary Roger K.Towle ’68 Treasurer Ronald W. Brandon ’64 Annual Giving Chair Clark A. Rechkemmer ’68 Alumni Trustee John R.Werren, Esq. ’58 Alumni Trustee Arthur G. Mitchell ’64 Alumni Trustee Grove City College 100 Campus Drive Grove City, PA 16127 (724) 458-2300 (888) GCC-GRAD www.gcc.edu alumni@gcc.edu

COVER STORY

SPRING 2006

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Dennis Reidenbach ’76 has a new adventure every day as the superintendent at one of the country’s premier national historical parks.

FOCUS ON LEISURE

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Monroeville family focuses on fun at outfitters store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Young alums and students serve as whitewater rafting guides . . . . . 8 Jane Hamilton ’87 helps people feel at home in Colorado . . . . . . . 10 Class of ’65’s Rick and Judy Givens made a career outdoors. . . . . 11 Alums taste life through a love for winemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Trio of alumni finds reasons to work and play in Vegas . . . . . . . . . . . 14 ’03 grads run Las Vegas Marathon together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Things are looking up for balloon pilot David Knowles ’00 . . . . . . . 17 Alumni working in museums learn to appreciate finer things. . . . . . 18 Ron Carter ’86 works to restore historic theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Student entrepreneur reviews family-friendly video games. . . . . . . . 21 Ron Boustead ’72 releases first CD in 10 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 David Jobin ’85 makes move to San Francisco theater . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Alumni, Student and Trustee Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

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Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Past and Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

SPORTS

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Swimmers earn national accolades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Winter Wrap-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 New women’s hoops coach named . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Spring sports photo gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Lyle retires as soccer coach; Dreves ’97 prepares to lead . . . . . . . . 34 Recreational facilities to be renovated over summer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Sports News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

FACULTY

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CAMPUS NEWS A THOUSAND WORDS CLASS NOTES IN MEMORY ALUMNI BABIES

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~ Faculty Feature: Senorita Cynthia Forrester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Retiring Faculty: Robert Helfinstine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Retiring Faculty: Gloria Stansberry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Retiring Faculty: Barbara Stephens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Faculty News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Poli-sci prof attends State of the Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Faculty Profile: Mark Fair ’85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

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Watch for the new WEB EXTRA graphic throughout this issue of The GeDUNK. When you see it, there’s more to enjoy on the Grove City College web site, such as another story, more photos or other info we think you might like. Visit www.gcc.edu/alumni, click on the WEB EXTRA logo and get more out of your alumni magazine! The GeDUNK is a magazine published three times a year for alumni and friends of Grove City College and highlights campus news, student features and alumni achievements. Gedunk is a word that resonates with Grove City College alumni and friends. Named after the on-campus gathering place/snack bar for students since the early 1950s, the word Gedunk made its way into the Grove City College vernacular when World War II Navy veterans returned to campus, bringing with them the word that defined the place where snacks could be purchased aboard ships or the snack items themselves, everything from potato chips and candy to ice cream and sodas.The name stuck. For decades, the Grove City College Gedunk has been the place to come together to share news and ideas, and this magazine strives to do the same.


coverstory

Park Dennis Reidenbach ’76 has a new adventure every day as the superintendent at one of the country’s premier national historical parks By Amy Clingensmith ’96 ennis Reidenbach ’76 has the unique privilege of working in a national treasure. He is a stone’s throw away from the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Perhaps the greatest symbol of freedom in the world – the Liberty Bell – is literally at arm’s length. But as superintendent of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Reidenbach also has the opportunity to soak in national treasures of a different type – the people who tell the story of freedom every day. During a walk around the park, which is nestled in the historic downtown area, Reidenbach in his olive green uniform and ranger-like hat says hello to every employee by name as he passes them. Some are planting flowers, others cleaning the sidewalks, still more leading tour groups. Then there are those he doesn’t know personally, but still the same, they are part of the park. Groups of children in brightly colored jackets forming a long chain by their linked hands weave over the cobblestones. International visitors

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speaking another language gaze up at Independence Hall, appreciating what the treasures at the park have meant, not only for Americans, but for the world. Reidenbach sees their wonder and smiles. This never gets old.

Dennis Reidenbach grew up about an hour from Grove City, in the Sewickley area of Fair Oaks. His pastor was a Grove City grad so Dennis made a visit to the College for two reasons: he respected his pastor’s advice and the reasonable cost was a draw as well. Once on campus, he fell in love with its friendliness. Since then, he has kept up his Grove City friendships, many of them from the ’70s Outing Club era and some of whom attended the Philadelphia-area alumni event at Independence Hall and City Tavern on March 16. More than 100 alumni and friends ended their private tour at the Liberty Bell (see page 27). Several aspects of Grove City found their way into Reidenbach’s life. For one, he points to his grad year – ’76 – celebrated as the College’s 100th class and a year that has obvious significance in his job.

Reidenbach was named to the top position at the park in November 2005, after a varied career with the government and the National Park Service, which is a part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Even several months after his appointment, he shuffled between two offices. He didn’t find time to make the move from his old office into the new until just this spring. It’s been a busy year. One office held “Grove City stuff ” – his diploma, pictures from Outing Club trips, memorabilia from the Grove, family photographs taken on campus. In a way, Reidenbach’s time at Grove City led him to his current station in life. He reflects on history and political science courses taught by the late Dr. David McKillop. “He created in me an appreciation of the history of this country, as well as world history,” Reidenbach says. Additionally, some of the same principles the College was founded upon figure into the way the park is run. For example, the park’s $300 million, 10-year

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DENNIS REIDENBACH ’76, FAR LEFT CORNER, SHOWS CHILDREN VISITING THE INDEPENDENCE PARK INSTITUTE SOME INTRICACIES OF AMERICAN HISTORY. / Contributed photo from page 4 redevelopment project will be completed without federal funding.And while Reidenbach did not create this “policy” at the park, he certainly can appreciate its merits. Even Reidenbach’s choice of leisure activities at Grove City figured their way into his present. He was active in the Outing Club and formed great friendships through the popular organization. It was through the club that Reidenbach discovered a love for nature and the outdoors and realized each individual’s responsibility to preserve resources at all levels. But perhaps most importantly, Reidenbach met his partner in life at Grove City – Kristine (Knudsen ’77).And while they did date at Grove City, they did not become serious before Dennis left in ’76. But at an Outing Club trip in 1978, they rekindled their relationship, married and moved to Glendale, near Philadelphia, where they have lived since 1980.

Although the job of superintendent keeps him extremely busy, Reidenbach finds time for another role close to his heart – coach for the Montgomery County Special Olympics, an organization in which his 24-year-old son Erik, a highfunctioning autistic, is active. Erik’s younger brother, Matthew, 22, graduated from Grove City College this spring with an accounting degree and will start a job with Deloitte in Philadelphia in September after taking the CPA exam this summer. He is engaged to Rachel Scardigno ’07. Matthew’s dad remembers his first job after graduation well.A business/political science double major at Grove City, Reidenbach arrived in Philadelphia soon after Commencement to start his stint in the “real world.” He worked for the U.S. Department of Defense in the Meat for the Military Program.That’s right. His job was to purchase meat for the military, which may sound like an oddity but the 22-year-old Reidenbach was handling multi-million dollar accounts as he kept

soldiers fed with steak, hamburger and other meats purchased from vendors around the country. In his first week, he was ordering 34,000 pounds of meat a day. He performed that job for two years, and then moved to Williamsburg,Va., to do the same work. He then took a job as a federal buyer and a contract negotiator for photographic equipment for the government through the General Services Administration. In this position, Reidenbach says, he learned more about the business side, not necessarily the photography side. This knowledge suited him well, as the National Park Service isn’t all about camping, nature and history. It’s about business, too. In 1983, Reidenbach was named the chief of contracting for the National Park Service, overseeing Pennsylvania, Maryland,West Virginia,Virginia and Delaware.Two of his first projects were

See PARK, page 6

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Dennis Reidenbach ’76 has a new adventure every day as he leads one of the country’s premier national historical parks from page 5 reroofing the famous landmark Independence Hall and rehabilitating the historic Roebling Bridge, running between the Pennsylvania-New York border.When complete, the latter earned the Presidential Design Award. These two projects left a mark on the nation’s landscape and they left an impression on Reidenbach as well. He realized he’d found his niche and wanted to stay with the National Park Service, mainly because he believed wholeheartedly in its mission: to preserve and protect the country’s cultural and natural resources. After a five-year stint in contracting with the National Park Service, he moved to the position of administrative officer/business manager for Independence National Historical Park. Then in ’93, he was promoted to deputy superintendent and took his most recent step up the parks ladder when he was named superintendent. Reidenbach’s path to his current position was a bit of a detour from the track most superintendents take. Many, he says, start as park rangers and move their way through the system. Reidenbach went the business route, which, he says, gives him a unique perspective into the parks industry. In his former role, his duties were more internal. Now he is out in the community and more involved with the public through social engagements and park exhibits.A routine day may consist of planning press conferences, working indirectly on landscaping, coordinating dignitary visits, securing funding for projects, teaching history lessons to kids, hammering out the budget and supervising the park’s 300 employees.

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In terms of operating size, Independence National Historical Park is the third largest in the nation, behind only Yellowstone and Yosemite, and bigger than Grand Canyon and Everglades national parks. It is one of the most visited in the country. In fact, two million people visited the new home of the Liberty Bell in 2005 – the most since the Bicentennial. Independence Hall and the Bell, Reidenbach says, are the two most recognizable fixtures of the park, but many other “icons of freedom” – such as Congress Hall, Franklin Court, the famous Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank of the United States, Carpenters’ Hall, Declaration House and City Tavern – draw hundreds of thousands of international visitors every year. Reidenbach is now in the throes of one of the most important projects in Independence Park’s history – a $300 million redevelopment project set to be complete July 4, 2007.The project includes a $10 million visitor’s center and the National Constitution Center, a 130,000-square-foot building highlighting one of the most important documents in U.S. history and currently celebrating the 300th birthday of Benjamin Franklin. Additionally, the $10 million Liberty Bell Center gives visitors a walk through the life of the Bell, its history, journey to Philadelphia, details on the crack within the Bell, and the ultimate lesson that the crack reminds visitors that liberty is not perfect but constantly evolving. “History was made here,” he says,“and history continues to be made here.” (Amy Clingensmith ’96 is the Grove City College director of communications and GeDUNK managing editor.)

Facts and figures on Independence National Historial Park Established by Congress in 1948, Independence National Historical Park tells the story of the nation’s great beginnings; its leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; the issues that have shaped Americans’ beliefs from racial equality and social justice; and the events continue to come to life year after year in textbooks – the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the drafting of the Constitution. Independence National Historical Park sees 5 million visitors per year. The park is a year-round attraction. Spring brings schoolchildren and teachers on class trips; summer sees families on vacations; fall is a great season for senior citizens to enjoy the beauty of the park; and winter is a time when visitors can read every word of the historic and interactive displays, as the pace slows. The Independence Park Institute focuses on all the educational aspects of the park and the innumerable lessons available to learners of all ages. During the tenure of Superintendent Dennis Reidenbach ’76, the park has seen such dignitaries as former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, South African President F.W. DeClerk, Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, some who have received the Liberty Medal. “These people,” Reidenbach says, “can come to the park and talk about how American freedom can impact the world.” For those visiting, there are multitudes of activities that could fill several days. For one, there’s a walking tour through the city that traces the Underground Railroad; the original homes of Dolley Todd, Bishop William White, Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Edgar Allan Poe; Liberty Bell Center; Independence Hall; Congress Hall; Old City Hall; Second Bank of the United States; Carpenters’ Hall; Franklin Court; Christ Church; Declaration House; City Tavern; Mikveh Israel Cemetery; Philosophical Hall; National Constitution Center; Independence Visitor Center; Free Quaker Meeting House and the Merchants’ Exchange Building Visit www.nps.gov/inde for more information.


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Everyday Adventure Great outdoors are all in a day’s work for nature-loving family By Brian Powell ’03 usan (Ondish ’71) Gunter, her sons Nathan ’00 and Jesse ’02 Twichell, and her husband, Fred, bring a whole new meaning to the term family excursion. Fred has climbed Denali and Aconcagua (the highest peaks in North and South America, respectively), Susan has been ice climbing in Norway and Iceland, Nathan has ascended Mount Rainier in Washington, and Jesse has climbed the highest peaks in the Teton Mountain Range. Needless to say, family vacations are never boring. Fred and Susan own Exkursion Outfitters, an outdoor gear store in Monroeville, Pa.The business was started by Fred, a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania in 1974. In her other career, Susan works as an elementary administration teacher at the Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School. The best trips, Nathan says, are loosely planned. It is not uncommon for Nathan and Jesse to work a full day at the store on Friday, drive 12 hours to the Adirondack Mountains in New York, climb for five hours, and return home in order to work on Monday. “A lot of people do not understand why we do this,” explained Jesse.“But if you don’t drive 24 hours, you don’t get the five hours on the mountain.” Other family trips over the years have included skiing, kayaking, hiking and climbing at Lake Placid,Waterville Valley in New Hampshire, Utah and in Colorado along the 10th Mountain Division Trail. The family recalls one especially memorable kayak trip to the Georgian Bay, a large extension of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada.“There were huge hunks of granite in the bay that we spent

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FROM LEFT, NATHAN ’00, SUSAN ’71, FRED AND JESSE ’02 ENJOY THE ADVENTURE OF WORKING TOGETHER AT THEIR STORE, EXKURSION OUTFITTERS, IN MONROEVILLE, PA. / Contributed photo

the night on,” Nathan said. As a child, Susan enjoyed camping and backpacking as a Girl Scout and would often play outside during winter weather advisories. Her sons followed her lead. “As long as the boys [Nathan and Jesse] were dressed properly, they were encouraged to play outside all year round,” Susan said.“They loved the outdoors so much that they were already skiing by the age of 2.” When the boys were not playing outdoors, they were at the family store. Exkursion relies heavily upon their expertise and the personal touch of a family business in reaching out to their nearly 4,000 customers. “The business has always been an expression of our own individual interests,” Nathan said.“We don’t sell anything that we wouldn’t use ourselves.” Nathan remembers the gracious treatment from the Grove City faculty and administration in 1997, when his family’s store burned to the ground. “They really demonstrated for me that everyone is important,” he said.“My friends took up a collection outside of Calderwood and Ketler to help our

family.We literally did not have money to buy food.” The family looked at the devastation as just another mountain to climb. Encouraged by their church, customers, family and community, they were able to reopen the store in six months. “We weren’t sure if God was going to lead us in a new direction,” Susan said. “But it soon became clear that we shouldn’t give up.” Today, the family enjoys leading trips for Exkursion’s Schools of Paddling, Mountaincraft and Wintercraft throughout the East Coast year-round. The family also lives vicariously through their customers. Exkursion has outfitted several polar expeditions for diabetes awareness and for a team member of Erik Weihenmeyer, the only blind person to ever summit Mount Everest. “Whether it is outfitting someone for a trip to Tanzania, a first-ever backpacking trip or a motorcycle trip to Minnesota,” Susan said,“every day is an adventure for us.” (Brian Powell ’03 is a development officer for Grove City College.)

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Young alums, students grow as whitewater rafting guides for a company named after the greatest raft ride in history - Noah’s Ark

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By Caroline Koopman ’01 ettled at the base of the 14,000foot Collegiate Peaks in Colorado is a breathtaking wilderness canyon.The Arkansas River winds its way through unbelievable rock formations and towering granite walls.And for several Grove City College alumni, this is the place that changed their lives. Noah’s Ark Whitewater Company has employed Grove City College alumni and students since the summer of 2001. It provides whitewater rafting adventures and backpacking and rock climbing excursions. “I just really wanted an adventure,” said Adam Callaway ’04 of his decision to apply to Noah’s Ark. Aaron Snyder ’06 agreed,“I wanted to try something new that would be challenging. Plus who wouldn’t want to go to Colorado?” Rafting guides undergo an intense application process, followed by five to six weeks of training once they arrive in Colorado.When hired, most of the guides have never rafted. Craig Otteni ’04 said,“I had never been rafting or backpacking. I hadn’t even been to Colorado.” “Our philosophy is to take people of quality and teach them rafting skills,” said Micah Salazar, the operations manager at Noah’s Ark.“This job requires a certain

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

AARON SNYDER ’06, TOP CENTER, SERVES AS THE RUDDER OF HIS PADDLE BOAT WHILE EVERYONE ELSE PADDLES. / Contributed photo


focusonleisure Alumni event set for Colorado whitewaters Intrigued by what you read here? Join other Grove City College alumni for a Noah’s Ark Whitewater Rafting trip on July 8 in Buena Vista, Colo. An afternoon rafting trip down the Arkansas River is planned for 1 p.m. with dinner following at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $50 per person. To register, send a check made payable to Grove City College to: Grove City College Alumni Relations Office 100 Campus Drive Grove City, PA 16127 For more information or to pay by credit card, call (888) GCC-GRAD or e-mail alumni@gcc.edu. Also log on to www.noahsark.com.

from page 8 level of tenacity and aggressiveness – we need people who can make good decisions quickly. But it’s also a whole lot more than being the hero.” Rafting guides at Noah’s work six days a week, starting with getting the boats ready at 7 a.m.After rowing two half-day trips down the river, the guides are also responsible for cleaning up the beach and boats before dinner. Said Jonathan Litwiller ’04,“The biggest thing I took from this job was the importance of walking for Christ daily. It’s a lot of service.” “Noah’s is a company that is really committed to excellence and safety. People really go the extra mile for the people they’re serving,” said Ben Paulus ’03.“Part of the fun is the people who are so committed to doing a good job. I’d never been in that kind of a situation where I was held to such a high standard. You just can’t be nonchalant about your job when your boss is asking you questions like,‘So how many people flew out of your boat this week?’” Patrick Chapman ’02 was one of the first Grovers to land a job at Noah’s Ark and sees how the experience helped his leadership abilities grow.The first boat he led down the river was filled with middle

NOAH’S ARK STAFF FROM THE SUMMER OF 2002 INCLUDED, FROM LEFT, JONATHAN LITWILLER ’04, ADAM CALLAWAY ’04, BEN PAULUS ’03, ANDREW PERRIN ’04, KARA (BARBER ’04) CHAPMAN AND PATRICK CHAPMAN ’02. / Contributed photo

school-aged girls. Chapman laughed,“It was then that I really understood the responsibility I’d been given…when I thought about the parents and other leaders who trusted me to take these kids down the river.” Chapman believes the summers he spent at Noah’s Ark balanced his time at Grove City.“The thing I loved about Grove City was that it made me a better, more disciplined person. I really had to work hard,” he said.“But at Noah’s, this was where I grew relationally. Some people find that balance in college through a fraternity or sorority. But for me, it was at Noah’s. I think my college years would’ve been lopsided without it.” Others also commented on how their personalities flourished during their summers at Noah’s Ark.“They really encourage you to be who you are on the job,” said Paulus.“There’s no ideal cookie cutter personality.” Callaway said,“I’ve always been kind of an introverted ‘lay low’ kind of guy.This job put me in a very alien environment where I had to be the one talking since I was the guide. It really helped me grow relationally.” Noah’s Ark started in 1983 to provide Young Life camps with a place to take

kids rafting without a secular influence. So the company challenges and encourages its staff to grow in their relationship with God.“Ours is a service industry just like any other company. However, staff are encouraged to live their faith to the people they’re serving,” said Salazar. As a result, the environment lends itself to countless opportunities for spiritual growth and meaningful friendships. Noah’s provides housing in the nearby town of Buena Vista, so most of the guides also live together for the summer. Callaway said,“The setting at Noah’s lends itself naturally to Christian fellowship.You work together all day, but then in the evening you have no TV or distractions.You can just sit on the porch hanging out and playing the guitar.” Litwiller added,“The best thing at Noah’s was the fellowship and community. I was pushed a lot spiritually by the other people who worked there.” Otteni reflected,“Working at Noah’s was such a gift. I was blessed by the community and experienced a lot of growth during my time there.” Added Paulus,“The whole experience was just magical.” (Caroline Koopman ’01 is the Grove City College assistant director of alumni relations.)

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Rooms with a View Hamilton ’87 offers vacation rental homes in Breckenridge, Colo. By Caroline Koopman ’01 hen taking a vacation, there are a number of lodging options – anything from a little roadside inn to a five-star resort. A timeshare to a tent. And for vacationers to the Breckenridge area in Colorado, Grove City College alumna Jane Hamilton ’87 offers yet another possibility – a home. For more than 15 years, Hamilton has offered rental lodging to visitors looking for luxury accommodations that are affordable. Offering 12 unique properties ranging from the Ski Hill Lodge (which sleeps up to 24) to the picturesque Silver Pick Carriage House, which can sleep one or two, Hamilton provides visitors with a home away from home while they explore the Colorado mountains. Originally planning to start an investment company in resort properties that turned into more of a rental company, Hamilton moved to Breckenridge in May of 1990. She and her father, the late Charles Hamilton ’61, went into business together, focusing on purchasing property in both Breckenridge and Hilton Head.The plan was to research both areas for a year, but within six months they were done. She said, “My dad gave me a long, long rope and he allowed me to fail. “I drove out to Colorado from Ohio,” she continued, “and kept thinking to myself, ‘Man, I’m going out to Colorado at the wrong time. It’s going to be so boring. But I just fell in love with the summers here.” The first property they purchased was the Slopeside Lodge, a ski-in and -out property they completely overhauled. Her favorite property, however, is the Black Bear Lodge, purchased in 1998. “It’s a little more private and very ‘lodgey.’ It’s an awesome summer property because the Blue River is right there,” she said. So why did the Hamiltons even consider starting this business in a small town in Colorado? “We looked at Breckenridge because we used to go skiing there when I was a

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FAMILY MEMBERS OF JANE HAMILTON ’87 ARE, BACK ROW, COUSIN JILL, HAMILTON, SISTER LINDA, NEPHEW GUNNER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW MIKE; FRONT ROW, NIECE CARSON AND HAMILTON’S DOG, TANNER. / Contributed photo

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

THE VACATION INDUSTRY IS VERY HANDS-ON AND I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT DESIGNING HOMES. Jane Hamilton ’87

teenager and loved the area,” she said. “The sidewalks were still dirt when my dad bought his first condo here in the early ’80s. It’s totally different now.” Since then, the town she now affectionately calls “Breck” has nestled its way into her heart. “It’s a small enough community to be laid back,” she explained. “People still ride their bikes over to Clint’s, our local coffee shop. Elementary schools still have their students out on the ski hill by 11 a.m. on weekdays.The tallest building is six stories high.We’ll never have a skyscraper mentality here.” Hamilton’s long-range plan is to stay in the business for about 10 more years, and then she’d like to semi-retire. Always looking at different vacation destinations, she never plans to stop working entirely. “I always want to stay in the business of real estate,” she said. “The vacation industry is very hands-on and I love everything about real estate and designing homes.” To see Hamilton’s rental properties, visit www.janeslodges.com. (Caroline Koopman ’01 is the Grove City College assistant director of alumni relations.)


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Encounter with Nature Givenses make career of life’s outdoor adventures By Caroline Koopman ’01 ife’s journey can often resemble a body of water. At times it can be like a steady and rolling river, where you wind your way past beautiful scenery but also through occasional obstacles and challenges. At other times, it can be like a calm and peaceful mountain pond, where you sit back, reflect and simply experience the awe of watching the setting sun glistening on the water. For Judy (Weeber ’65) Givens, the flow of her life has resembled both. She enjoyed an active childhood, where she spent much of her time on horseback or discovering her passion for birds. But she didn’t truly learn the meaning of the word “adventure” until she met her husband Rick ’65. “Rick loves adventure,” she said. Rick and Judy met during their freshman year at Grove City College through the Outing Club.“We never missed a trip or an outing,” she reflected. “The Outing Club was our fraternity.” They spent much of their college years with friends at the Outing Club cabin or taking extended hiking or canoe trips, including excursions as far away as Ontario and Minnesota. “It was the Outing Club that was the greatest single factor in our lives taking the direction that they did,” said Judy. Rick and Judy began dating at the start of their junior year and were married the August after their graduation in 1965. Rick landed an engineering job with a paper factory in Maine and Judy taught six classes every day at a small rural school nearby.

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IN SEPTEMBER 1964, RICK ’65 AND JUDY (WEEBER ’65) GIVENS, IN CHECKED JACKETS, TOOK AN OUTING CLUB CANOE TRIP WITH THEIR FAVORITE PROF, CHARLES HEADLAND, CENTER. / Contributed photo

Then, fewer than two years after they graduated, their lives headed into faster waters as they started their own business, Allagash Wilderness Outfitters. “We heard the Allagash was about to become a state park,” Judy said,“and the thought suddenly occurred to us,‘Why not try canoe outfitting?’”They both gave notice on their jobs and bought 12 canoes and gear for 24 people. “To our knowledge, we were the first to provide outfitting for folks who did not want a guide,” said Judy. They leased property on Frost Pond in Maine, where they built a cabin together by cutting 68 spruce trees with a twoman crosscut saw.They worked on their cabin every weekend and also in the winters, and lived in a tent Rick made himself.“At times the temperatures dropped to minus-25 or more,” said Judy. “But we were comfortable enough with the tent, a small wood stove, and down coats and sleeping bags.” Rick and Judy also managed a campground and later purchased Frost Pond Camps, a wilderness sporting camp with cabins and 10 campsites. During

those years, two daughters were born. They operated their outfitting business for 36 years and owned Frost Pond Camps for 27.They experienced many adventures and crises over the years, most of them involving the unpredictability of nature or unexpected encounters with wildlife. “In this kind of a business, you have to be willing to learn things by trial and error,” Judy said.“You have to learn a bit of everything and be resourceful.” Now retired, they still spend time each year at the log cabin they built together nearly 40 years ago and are active in their church and the Maine Sporting Camp Association. “I think there is something in most of us that if we can make ourselves take the leap and do something adventurous, you walk away thinking,‘Man, I did that!’” said Judy.“I would never have done these things myself, but Rick loves adventure. I learned to be unafraid to have a bad situation occur and be willing to tackle new adventures every time.” (Caroline Koopman ’01 is the Grove City College assistant director of alumni relations.)

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Vision for Vintage Watso ’51 makes wine tasting an experience to savor By Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw wine tasting courtesy of J. Simon Watso ’51 at his Schloss Doepken Winery is like treating yourself to a day at a premier spa – you are there as much for the experience as the product. Tucked among the fields and vines of Lake Erie’s wine region, Schloss Doepken is located in a weathered blue barn and farmhouse at the end of a cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Ripley, N.Y. It is a boutique winery in the truest sense – shunning the rapid turnaround and elaborate set ups of larger retail wineries to instead focus on producing awardwinning wines naturally aged to perfection. All this is guided by Watso’s careful, creative hand – creating a balance of soil, grapes and fermentation as he did with family, career and his dream. Watso’s first career was as a metallurgist; it allowed him to marry a lovely girl named Roxann Doepken and raise four sons. His career moved the family from Pennsylvania to Ohio and then to Connecticut.Through it all,Watso dreamed a vintner’s dream. When the opportunity arose to purchase property just off Lake Erie, he jumped at it, losing no time in building the “House of Doepken.” Long hours, large start-up costs and nine-hour weekend commutes from Connecticut were difficult. Retirement afforded the time needed to take Schloss Doepken to the next level. French oak fitted by professional coopers was imported to create a signature chardonnay. Massive Coca-Cola

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

J. SIMON WATSO ’51, OWNER OF THE SCHLOSS DOEPKEN WINERY IN THE LAKE ERIE REGION, STUDIES ONE OF HIS CREATIONS. / Photo by Jim Shaw

stainless barrels – no longer used for soda – found new use in the winery’s barn. Schloss White, September Rouge and Chautauquablumchen and others age beneath ancient hand hewn beams – gaining age, character and flavor. Schloss Doepken has a full range of wines to please both sophisticates and amateurs, each reflecting a personal touch.The Roxann Rouge Reserve is a loving tribute to his late wife, while the Cheektowaga White is a fun-loving picnic wine named for an area around Buffalo known for its pink

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MASSIVE BARRELS ONCE USED FOR COCA-COLA FOUND THEIR WAY INTO WATSO’S WINERY BARN. / Photo by Jim Shaw


focusonleisure from page 12 lawn flamingos, hence the pink flamingo on the label. It is in the tasting room, however, where Watso shines. His warm demeanor and crisp white beard are reminiscent of professor Fred Kring, with a splash of William Hart thrown in. From the moment he picks up the first bottle, he entrances his audience, describing the particular attributes of each wine with pride, affection and flair. He doesn’t allow visitors to only taste the wine, he reveals it; what it compliments, its essence, what occasions it best celebrates. From the dry and haughty Cabernet Sauvignon ’99 to the incredibly warm and fuzzy Apple Crisp, each wine is a friend to be loved, enjoyed and revisited. So good is his presentation that Schloss Doepken will be honored in an upcoming book on the Route 20 wine trail as the premier wine tasting experience. No small compliment for a man is as mellow and delightful as his finest wine. Visit Schloss Doepken Winery online at www.schlossdoepkenwinery.com. (Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw is the Grove City College assistant director of alumni relations.)

Manley ’67 appreciates finer things Dick Manley ’67 loves “talking, writing and drinking fine wine.” It is a passion that changed a lifelong hobby into a career. Stumbling across an article about a man who inventoried private wine cellars in his spare time, Manley devised a business model for the serious wine collector: design-stock-manage. He works with clients, including Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil, to design wine cellars for their homes. “The point of having a cellar,” he said, “is to safely maintain those wines you have that will benefit from additional aging in appropriate conditions.” According to Manley, wine cellars are increasingly seen as status amenities, with beautiful appointments and enclosed tasting rooms. More in line with his design concept are pragmatic, elegant designs.“I like straightforward, single bottle racking for maximum storage and ease,” he said.“I prefer mahogany, but pine, redwood and cedar are also used. The main ingredient is the cooling unit, as a first-rate cellar should be a constant

DICK MANLEY ’67 IN HIS WEST CHESTER WINE CELLAR. / Contributed photo

50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.” Manley has a collection of 3,241 bottles at his West Chester, Pa., home and is hoping he will live long enough to enjoy each one. He lists a ’90 Chateau Petrus as his most valuable and is saving a stock of ’96 Dom Perignon for the weddings of his three daughters. – Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw

’03 grad learned love of wine at Coppola winery Growing up next to the Napa Valley in California, Rebecca (Wong ’03) Koehn found work in the wine industry during her summers in college. On her 20th birthday, she applied to work at the Niebaum-Coppola winery, owned by director Francis Ford Coppola’s family. Underage at the time, she was hired as a retail associate, moving to the tasting bar after her 21st birthday. Koehn felt that she had landed the best job in town. “Not only did I get to meet people from around the world (including Grovers!) but I truly learned about wine – the difference in grapes, pairings,

REBECCA (WONG ’03) KOEHN AT NIEBAUM-COPPOLA. / Contributed photo

label and regional differences, and good/bad crop years. I also learned how to truly ‘taste’ wine: swirling the glass to observe the ‘legs’ and sucking in the wine like a whistle – unattractive – but it allows the wine to reach all

corners of the palate.” Though she never met Francis Ford Coppola, she did meet his wife, Eleanor. While marriage took Koehn from Napa to the Sacramento area, where she now works in corporate support for the

region’s public television station, Koehn has never lost her love of wine. Her favorite is an exquisite Opus 1 that sells for $25 a glass. “Wine is so much more than alcohol,” she said.“It’s art teetering on a delicate balance. So many people are interested in this art. Even many of my alumni friends and former professors are intrigued by the process and are big fans of the Coppola label.” – Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw

Andy ’96 and Kristen (Morton ’97) Kozusko are wine lovers, too.


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SCOTT THIEBAUD ’78 IS ONE OF THE MILLIONS OF WORKERS, AND ONE OF SEVERAL GROVE CITY COLLEGE ALUMNI, WHO MAKE LAS VEGAS HAPPEN. / Contributed photo

What Happens in Vegas... Alumni find reasons to work and play in a city that draws 37 million visitors every year 14

Grove City College Alumni Magazine

By Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw as Vegas, along with other regions that have become famous as worldwide entertainment venues, is always high on the list of places to visit when vacation time rolls around. For three Grove City College graduates, the bright lights and pizzazz of this unique entertainment industry opened the doors of opportunity and success in their careers. Each was quick to dispel myths about

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misconceptions to working in the industry, history that was no longer relevant and bias against the Vegas entertainment industry. Jeff Hornby ’80 stated that “the days of unsavory types running the show are long gone.The industry is so highly regulated … and the average person working in the industry is totally Middle America.”

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focusonleisure from page 14 Amy (Shaffer ’85) Murzinski added that the industry is “so much more mundane behind the scenes … but it is exciting to see the growth of properties and the many options that are available to enjoy mainstream, non-gaming experiences.” And Scott Thiebaud ’78 felt that the truth is hidden behind the many misconceptions about the industry. “Things seldom approach the seediness or the glamour portrayed on TV,” Thiebaud said.“Behind the scenes we’re just a bunch of good people trying to do our jobs.” Hornby realized early on that his Grove City business degree was a great foundation for financial analysis and planning. He cut his career teeth in auditing with a Eugene, Ore., insurance firm, while working toward his master’s in finance from the University of Oregon. A move to the Lake Tahoe area provided a bonanza of opportunity for him, including a position with Caesars Entertainment as a manager of its financial planning department. That, in turn, led to becoming the director of finance, purchasing and systems.“Most importantly,” he said,“I got married (to wife Katie of 18 years) and had two girls (Sarah, 17, and Ashley, 15), eventually leaving Tahoe for a vice presidency of finance position at the Grand Casino in Biloxi, Miss.” The move south opened up new doors for him. Grand Casino was eventually bought out by Caesars, and Hornby was promoted to senior vice president and regional chief financial officer – making him responsible for five casinos in the southeast. All that changed with another buyout – this time by Harrah’s and the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. Faced with the destruction of the casinos from the storm, and not wanting to pull up roots and move his family, Hornby took another gamble and “opted to take a

contract buyout and enjoy semiretirement while developing a hamburger and milkshake shop just north of Biloxi.” For Thiebaud, working with the multitude of customers who visit the Paris Casino in Las Vegas wasn’t a dream

“ ” There is just as much cultural opportunity in Las Vegas as in other parts of the country. I’m an avid soccer mom for my two daughters and church treasurer. We love to camp, and a short drive from the Vegas strip is Mount Charleston, which is a great escape. Amy (Shaffer ’85) Murzinski or career move. He “happened into Vegas and stayed in Vegas.” “Looking back over the years,” he said, “I’ve envied people who seem to know what they wanted as a career. My life was a series of what comes next … college follows high school, right? After graduation, I followed the only job offer I had – with Liberty Mutual in New England – and managed to move over to the company’s information systems, where I spent the vast majority of my career.” After a visit with friends who lived in Las Vegas,Thiebaud felt that “something got into my blood. I decided to move here.That was the first time I had been decisive in what I wanted to do next. It felt good!” Looking for a change, he attended school to get his foot in the door of a

small local casino. Since then,Thiebaud has worked his way up the ladder to what is currently his fifth job on the strip. He has seen his share of celebrities during his time there, but none impressed him as much as “Access Hollywood” correspondent Nancy O’Dell, at the casino to film a lead-in segment.“We were at a staged roulette table,” he said,“and I got to spin the ball in the wheel for her as she placed a bet. During the setup and between takes, we chatted – a great lady!” As an accounting major, Murzinski knew that numbers would be her career, but working as Harrah’s director of financial accounting for the Las Vegas region was probably the last job she could ever have anticipated. Her entry into the industry came when a friend from her church, who worked for Caesars Atlantic City, encouraged Murzinski to apply for a job in their accounting offices.This subsequently led to her handling the accounting in their marketing branch.When her job required, Murzinski and her family – husband Frank and daughters Alicia and Emily – moved to Las Vegas in 1994. Murzinski has been astounded at the challenges and rewards in Las Vegas. Her position with Harrah’s afforded her the opportunity to work with people from all over the United States, networking and learning from people throughout the industry. She had the chance to see Elton John, Celine Dion and Jerry Seinfeld, among others. “There is just as much cultural opportunity in Las Vegas as in other parts of the country,” she stated.“I’m an avid soccer mom for my two daughters and church treasurer.We love to camp, and a short drive from the Vegas strip is Mount Charleston, which is a great escape.You can even play in the snow.” (Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw is the Grove City College assistant director of alumni relations.)

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Runnin’ Down a Dream ’03 alumnae run Vegas marathon, plan for more By Kristin (Morgan ’04) Chapman t was 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005, as people clad in athletic shorts and long-sleeve T-shirts gathered around the start line for the first Las Vegas Marathon at Mandalay Bay. Some participants danced around the starting line as they attempted to keep warm and stay limber for the 26.2 mile race. Among those preparing for the 6 a.m. start were three Grove City College alumnae – Amber Jones ’03, Lisa Gregor ’03 and Megan Oyler ’03. Pittsburgh residents, the trio had traveled quite a road to that crisp winter day. As fellow accountants, they shared an interest in running, rising at 4:45 most mornings to meet each other by 5 at “the corner” and start pounding the sleeping streets of Shadyside. They had run together for more than a year when Oyler suggested they do a marathon.While Gregor and Oyler had previously run a marathon in Vermont, this would be the first for Jones.They opted for the Las Vegas Marathon, as it fit into their timing and seemed like a neat location. They began training in August with an 18-week program that consisted each week of four short runs (4-8 miles), a long run (10-20 miles) and cross-training. Their goal was to complete the marathon in about four hours. Things got off to a rocky start for Gregor, who contracted food poisoning on the flight to Las Vegas and had to be transported in an ambulance from the plane to the hospital.

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FROM LEFT, LISA GREGOR ’03, MEGAN OYLER ’03 AND AMBER JONES ’03 GEAR UP FOR THE LAS VEGAS MARATHON LAST DECEMBER. / Contributed photo

She spent the night wide-awake with an IV in her arm.“We all wondered if she should really run, but she seemed pretty determined.When you put that much into training, quitting is not really an option, so we didn’t even want to bring it up,” Oyler said. So 24 hours after her release from the emergency room, Gregor joined Jones and Oyler at the starting line.They were accompanied by their fans, Geoff Gehring ’03 and Nathan Troxell ’02, who rented a moped to follow the women and offer encouragement. “Here we are, running down the strip, and out of the blue we see this bright yellow scooter with two big guys with helmets and Terrible Towels beeping their horn and cheering,” Jones said.“It was the best motivation in the world.” Despite Gregor’s bout of sickness, all

three finished within minutes of their four-hour goal and placed 26th, 27th and 28th in their age group. Soon after the Vegas run, the women planned their next event, Nashville’s Country Music Marathon on April 29. The selection fit right in with their goal. “Doing the marathon you run past a lot of people with a ton of stories,” Gregor said.“You find several people that have completed marathons in all 50 states.We decided that while that might not be our ultimate goal – as our bodies might give out before then – we are not going to duplicate any states.” So with 47 more states to go, they have a lot of miles to cover in the coming years, but they are looking forward to the journey. (Kristin (Morgan ’04) Chapman is a freelance writer living in New Castle, Pa.)


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Things Are Looking Up Knowles ’00 pilots famous Macy’s parade balloons, recruits alum helpers By Rebecca (Beinlich ’95) Sodergren hen you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year, chances are a Grove City College alumnus will be at the helm of one of the famous balloons. David Knowles ’00 of Hoboken, N.J., manned balloons in the 2002, ’03 and ’04 parades, then took last year off, intending to spend Thanksgiving with family. But failed travel plans meant he stayed in New York City to watch the parade, itching to be in front of a balloon. So he plans to do it again this year. He landed the balloon job when he worked for Federated Merchandising Group, Macy’s parent company. Macy’s employees are recruited for the parade as celebrity assistants, clowns, parade marshals and balloon pilots and handlers. His first year, Knowles co-piloted the “Where the Wild Things Are” balloon. He piloted the Clifford balloon in 2003, directing about 80 handlers. In 2004, he piloted Big Bird, a taller balloon with more handlers, on a bad-weather day. Gusty winds threatened to bowl the bird over, and the balloon nearly popped in Times Square. But a group of soldiers recently returned from Iraq, who were parade spectators, leaped in and helped the handlers pull the balloon back up, saving Big Bird and Knowles’ piloting reputation from demise. Knowles was able to recruit several Grove City College friends as handlers on his balloons: Kristen (Rizzuti ’02) Dening, Karen Rizzuti ’04, Grace Reidy ’02, Lecia Griepp ’02, Allyson Lydic ’02 and Ryia Miller ’02. Piloting is no small feat. Knowles attended classes on the physics of the balloons and common problems faced by handlers. Pilots and handlers also practiced manning balloons in the New York Jets’ stadium parking lots. Pilots use hand signals and whistles to direct handlers to stop, go and speed up.They also use radios to communicate with co-pilots. One co-pilot is stationed at the back of each balloon, directing the back half ’s handlers, while another co-pilot walks ahead of the balloon with a wind meter, measuring the wind speed at each intersection so the pilot can decide whether to keep going or pause until the wind dies down. Pilots are escorted by police officers, who intervene if they think a poorly controlled balloon poses a threat to the crowd. Knowles said security was particularly tight in 2002, his first

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DAVID KNOWLES ’00, IN WHITE, STANDS WITH ONE OF HIS ‘BIGGEST’ BALLOONS AT THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE IN 2004. / Contributed photo

year of piloting, just a year after the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. One of the job perks is walking around inside the parade gates early on parade morning. Knowles has met “American Idol” star Justin Guarini and the rock band Barenaked Ladies. He’s no celebrity in his own right, though – TV shots usually focus more on the balloons, high in the air, than on the handlers at ground level. At most, you might catch a glimpse of a guy in white coveralls, walking backwards in front of a balloon. Knowles now works as a consultant for a company called Accenture, helping retail clients assess data, reduce costs and increase profits. But he expects to be able to pilot a balloon again this year. The one he really wants to pilot – in a tribute to his alma mater – is Grover. (Rebecca (Beinlich ’95) Sodergren is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh, Pa.)

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Preserving the Past Alums working in museums around the country learn to appreciate art, culture, archives and history By Meghan Price ’03 eople don’t expect to see some of the world’s best impressionist paintings at a house in Farmington, Conn.,” says Sharon (Daucher ’71) Stotz. But they can – Monet and Degas reside alongside 19th century Asian prints at the Hill-Stead Museum, a 152-acre estate housing art collected by the Alfred Pope family, open to the public since 1947. Living nearby after college, Stotz visited Hill-Stead frequently.“At first I loved the paintings,” she says.“Now I love the history, family, archives.” After two years, she began giving tours.“At that point there wasn’t really a staff. Just the director and his wife, some retired teachers and me. It became my family.” In 33 years she has seen Hill-Stead mature from “a small historical society” to accreditation by the American Association of Museums, and her role become education coordinator. Museums like Hill-Stead are sprinkled across America, waiting to be explored. St. Petersburg, Fla., boasts the Salvador Dali Museum, where Olive (Black ’42) Mecca, who studied liberal arts and taught in the Buffalo, N.Y., public schools, has been a docent and volunteer for 20 years.The museum opened in 1982 with the bequest of a 200-piece collection of works by the Spanish surrealist. Unlike Hill-Stead, a static collection, the Dali acquires and loans art. “Some [of the paintings] are self-

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SHARON (DAUCHER ’71) STOTZ STANDS BETWEEN TWO OF HER FAVORITE WORKS: THE OIL PAINTING ‘GRAINSTACKS, WHITE FROST EFFECT’ BY CLAUDE MONET, 1889, AND THE PASTEL ‘THE TUB’ BY EDGAR DEGAS, CIRCA 1886. / Contributed photo

explanatory,” says Mecca.“Others are surrealist or double-images.” Her favorite is “The Basket of Bread” (1926), one of the Spanish artist’s first shown in America. Now retired, Mecca’s involvement with the museum has “tapered off,” and “the status of the museum has changed, too.” In 2005, it received $4 million from the state of Florida for a new facility to receive its 200,000 annual visitors. In Morristown, N.J., the 90-year-old Morris Museum currently features an exhibit of mechanical musical instruments and figures. Sarah Morgan ’01 describes Morris’ eclectic donated collection as “strong in cultural anthropological resources” – attic treasures – and in taxidermy, geology and paleontology. As outreach educator, the former middle school history teacher organizes interdisciplinary classroom programs on subjects such as “Weather Wonders” and “Immigration and the Garden State.” The Morris Museum is expanding and

Morgan is eager to delve into artifacts hiding in storage. She hopes to someday progress to curation because exhibition design allows “interpreting for the entire public.” This year, Rowena (Lausch ’62) Clough concludes a 41-year career with the National Security Agency – the last eight as the head librarian and only fulltime library staff at the National Cryptologic Museum at Fort George Meade, Md.The museum, open since 1993, presents the history of codes and ciphers.The library attracts authors, graduate students and student groups; its collection is founded on donations of books and documents (many from former NSA employees). “I meet interesting people,” Clough says.“I like to work on my own, have a certain amount of freedom.” The museum receives up to 280 people daily, while the library attracts 75 to 100 in an average week.

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focusonleisure from page 18 City was known in the Civil Lately, Clough appreciates a War era.The old tavern quiet day. She is entrenched in houses a museum and a the task of entering the neighboring building library’s holdings into a interprets the local 19th database, ordering details century wagon industry.The before her retirement. Clough Stone House is an exhibit in hopes her successor has itself. interest in the preservation of Smith’s top concern is books, to watch over books stabilizing the foundation’s from the 16th to 20th buildings.“In historic centuries, including the first preservation you have a printed book on cryptology, serious enemy,” Smith says. Johannes Trithemius’ “Entropy. Rot. Stuff falls apart. “Polygraphia” (1518). The loss becomes The idea of a historical irretrievable.” society took flight in Stephens Small museums have City,Va., in 1997, when a local enemies, too: lack of funding resident willed nearly $4 and public apathy. million to establish a museum “In the 1960s and 70s, a at her former home – a stone proliferation of small historical and log structure originally societies and museums were built around 1760.The board established,” Smith explains. of what Of these became the house GIVE ME A Stone House museums, MUSEUM Foundation some AND I'LL began to persisted – FILL IT. purchase such as Pablo Picasso historic Hill-Stead properties in – while danger of development or others closed.“Endow-ment is ruin.“We own seven historic key,” Smith says. Stotz agrees: structures ranging from 250 to “It’s a struggle for most 50 years old,” says Byron museums to come up with Smith ’91, director and money.” Hill-Stead raises 80 curator, a literature major who percent of its budget through completed a museum studies fundraising, membership program at Harvard in 1995. appeals and admissions.“Rural The foundation’s mission is history museums are to preserve buildings, suffering,” Smith says.“Days landscapes and objects when we could count on associated with Stephens City families stopping by on and old Frederick County. Its vacation in cars” are over. properties include a brick Plane travel creates less tavern from 1819 and a post“accidental tourists.”To many Civil War chapel.The Stone families, an amusement park House Foundation participates holds more thrills than a in the Memorial Day historical museum. weekend Newtown Heritage But to these alumni, and to Festival, named as Stephens those who find their way to

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ABOVE: BYRON SMITH ’91 EXAMINES A PIECE OF LATH FROM A WALL THAT WAS RECENTLY OPENED AS PART OF A RESTORATION PROJECT ON ONE OF THE STONE HOUSE FOUNDATION’S BUILDINGS. BELOW: SARAH MORGAN ’01 PRESENTS ‘QUILTS: CONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND CULTURES,’ THE FIRST PROGRAM SHE DEVELOPED FOR THE MORRIS MUSEUM. / Contributed photos

the Stone House or benefit from Morgan’s talks, presenting and preserving the past is meaningful and exciting.“I have definitely found my career field,” Morgan says.

Adds Stotz,“I wouldn’t even bother working anyplace else.“This is my passion.” (Meghan Price ’03 earned her master’s in publishing and writing from Emerson College. She is a copyeditor and freelance writer.)

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The Big Picture Carter ’86 leads revival efforts of town’s theater By Ann-Margaret Lambo on Carter ’86 is a man with initiative. And a good part of it goes into reviving The Strand Theater, located on Main Street in Zelienople, Pa. Carter, along with local and national civic-minded individuals, sees the now dilapidated theater as a diamond in the rough – one that, if revived, could realize a range of economic and community benefits.The Strand Theater Initiative, established in 2001, is a non-profit corporation designed to save the old theater from the wrecking ball.Through private financial support and funding from various foundations, the Initiative is working to revive The Strand as a performing arts, education and community outreach center. “I initiated the non-profit organization that was formed to revive The Strand quite by accident,” said Carter, who is the president of the Initiative.“I was driving through Zelienople’s Main Street after a recent move to the area, and I saw the empty theater and it piqued my curiosity. I began to look into what the deal was with the building.” Carter quickly learned that the building was for sale and had been on the real estate market for many years.The Strand sat on Zelienople’s Main Street for almost 20 years in a state of decay, waiting – hoping – to be rescued. And in the meantime, Carter wondered and worked toward a solution to resurrect the tiny theater. “I started looking into what could be done with this building,” Carter said. “Certainly, Zelienople has a very historic past, but the area didn’t need another

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RON CARTER ’86 HAS BEEN WORKING TO RESTORE THE STRAND THEATER ON MAIN STREET IN ZELIENOPLE, PA. / Photo by Joe Appel / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

museum piece.The area needed something that was functional that would bring people onto Main Street. I came to realize what this market (north of Pittsburgh) needed was more cultural programming. And there is still a very romantic notion that people have for these old theaters.” Carter’s vision, and that of the Initiative’s board of directors, is one that is multi-pronged. Not only does Carter believe that the single screen theater is a great place to show classic films (think “Casablanca”) but also that it can function as a regional performing arts center attracting local and professional talent. “The Strand has a small, professional stage that is very close to the audience, which offers an outstanding performance experience to amateur and (semi) professional performers,” Carter explained.

At the present time, Carter and his board are working on a variety of funding options to raise the necessary $2.1 million to refurbish the entire facility.The group raised more than $1 million to date and has already done some much-needed work on The Strand’s façade and marquee.The Initiative now owns the building and the neighboring property. A small gift shop is also open. “I’ve got three young children and a fourth one on the way and I think about what I can do to make them proud,” Carter commented.“This is my chance to leave a lasting impression on a community and a region. At this point we are so very, very close in completing this campaign.We are almost there. Just a few more wins and we are ready to go.” (Ann-Margaret Lambo is a freelance writer living in New Castle, Pa.)


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Student entrepreneur leads start-up company to review family-friendly video games RON BOUSTEAD ’72. / Contributed photo

Boustead ’72 releases CD Singer, songwriter and mastering engineer Ron Boustead ’72 recently released a CD titled “Blend,” a mixture of smooth jazz, Latin and pop music. The CD features Boustead’s own songs and singing, with special additions from guitarist Grant Geissman and pianist Gregg Karukas.The CD also includes cover versions of Stevie Wonder’s song, “Superstition” and the Carole King classic,“Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” This is the first commercial release of Boustead’s in more than 10 years. Boustead has been living in Los Angeles for the past 23 years, working his way up through the music industry. He has provided creative songwriting for other recording artists, including George Benson, Deniece Williams, the Four Tops and Jonathan Butler. Boustead has also had success writing for film and television, such as “Cop Rock,” for which he received an Emmy nomination. Last year, in addition to writing a recording, Boustead held performances in L.A., as well as at the Catalina Jazz Festival, and he regularly tours Japan. – Carolyn Lolla ’06

By Carolyn Lolla ’06 t the young age of 14, Stephan Mack, an avid video gamer, saw a demand in the entertainment industry for a company that could provide both parents and children with reviews of electronic game content from a Christian perspective. At 20, Mack, a sophomore entrepreneurship major from Eighty Four, Pa., is now the president and CEO of Plain Games, Inc.The fiveyear-old company is “dedicated to educating content-conscious consumers by equipping them with the information necessary to make informed purchasing decisions that support traditional family values,” according to the company’s mission statement. In 2002, Mack launched PlainGames.com, a highly-acclaimed website where daily and weekly game reviews are posted by Mack and his volunteer staff of 20 individuals from around the world. “We evaluate a game’s violence, language, magic, imagery and graphics, among other things,” he said. “We really just want to open up conversation channels between parents and their children.” Mack and his staff review electronic games using a bar rating system that is similar to that used by Focus on the Family. In 2004, the company adopted this new content rating system, known

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“ ” WE REALLY JUST WANT TO OPEN UP CONVERSATION CHANNELS BETWEEN PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN. Stephan Mack ’08

as Plain Games Bar Rating™.The system provides age-appropriate and content ratings, which help to inform parents and gamers. Plain Games, Inc., became a for-profit company in 2005. “The company operates on a little over $5,000 a year. Now that we’re forprofit, there are advertisements on the website,” Mack said. “But because of the new directions that the company is taking in the near future, we’re in much need of investors.” Currently, Mack and his staff are in the process of creating a Plain Games magazine that will compete with other consumer gaming magazines. “We’re also hoping to start reviewing other sectors of the media, such as movies and music,” Mack said. “We really see Plain Games as a ministry, where we can emphasize family values, while appealing to a large crowd.” (Carolyn Lolla is a political science major from Pittsburgh, Pa.)

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Name: Sarah Ditch Major: Marketing Grad Year: 2008 Hometown: Butler, Pa. Further Education Planned: Possibly graduate school for a Master of Design degree Jobs/Internships Held During High School/College: International Servant, Leadership Intern in Nantes, France; working for a Christian ministry in Grand Canyon National Park; Grove City College mailroom employee; Avon sales representative; Butler County Against Heroin; Subway Sandwich Artist Community Service: Co-leader for Thanksgiving Inner City Outreach trip for Hurricane Katrina Relief, annual summer missions trips, Big Brother/Big Sister Awards and Honors: Butler County Leader of Tomorrow Hobbies: Spending time with friends and family, music, art, skiing, travel, cultures, piano, design Activities/Sports on Campus: Adopt-AGrandparent, ICOs, Ski Club, SIBA, Steel City Ministries, Stonebridge Concerts, Warriors for Christ Family Members: Father Dennis, mother Kathy, brothers Stephen, 26, and Mark, 23 The Best Thing About GCC is: The lasting friendships that have started here If I Were a GCC Trustee, I Would: Invest in more international opportunities and programs for students Favorite Class or Professor: International business with Dr. Mark Hendrickson Why?: The material discussed had practical applications to today’s growing global society, and the term project (a global business proposal for a specified country) was enriching. Dr. Hendrickson has a great background and is perfectly suited to teach this class. Favorite GCC Story/Moment: I can’t think of a specific moment, but I know the times spent getting to know new people or spending time with friends will stick with me the most once I graduate. On Campus I Am Most likely to be Found: In my room, someone else’s room or the Student Union Off Campus, I Head For: Pittsburgh What GCC is Doing for Me/How Am I Impacted: Being at GCC has encouraged me to continue to dream big, because we all have not only the ability to make a difference in the world we live in today, but ultimately to further God’s Kingdom through these very same dreams.

Name: David L. Seals Major at GCC: English/Spanish Grad Year: December 2002 Occupation: Office manager/executive assistant, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council Hobbies: Reading, writing, theater, hiking, camping Last Book You Read: “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” by Dave Eggers Favorite Vacation Spot: The Smoky Mountains Activities on Campus: The Possum Club, Tau Alpha Pi Theatre Honorary Family Members: Wife Angela (Moore ’02) Seals The Best Thing About GCC Is: The English faculty Most Memorable Grove City Class or Professor: New England Renaissance with Dr. Gloria Stansberry. Why?: The presentation and assigned work fit perfectly to the texts – texts which Dr. Stansberry knows very well. Favorite GCC Moment: One night it snowed, though it was warm outside. It was the damp snow that clumps on trees like white leaves, like Elliott’s “Midwinter Spring.” Walked around for hours smoking my pipe by the globe lamps. On Campus, I Was Most Likely to be Found: Roaming What GCC Did for Me/How I Was Impacted: I found some good people there, and entertained some great thoughts.

Name: Stan Johnson College: Grove City College Major: Languages Graduation Year: 1960 Further Education: MBA program, Pepperdine University Occupation: Director and CIO, Port of Los Angeles (retired) First Job After College: North American Rockwell – Apollo Program Role on Board: Member of Executive Committee, Academic Committee, Governance Committee and Campaign Committee Military Service: U.S. Army – Europe Volunteer Work: Board of trustees, Independent Living Center for the Disabled; associate executive director, IS Associates, UCLA Anderson School of Management Awards and Honors: President of the Grove City College Alumni Council, 199495; Jack Kennedy Memorial Alumni Achievement Award, 1999 Hobbies: Golf, biking and travel. During my working career, I traveled extensively internationally and took my wife, Karen, with me whenever possible. Including those years and retirement, she and I have had the pleasure of visiting 68 countries together. This fall we’re going gorilla tracking in Rwanda. Last Book You Read: “A Soldier of the Great War” by Mark Halprin Favorite Vacation Spot: Africa Family Members: Wife Karen, daughters Jaqueline and Kristen, five grandchildren Most Memorable Class or Professor: Doug Bockes Why?: The creative writing skills he taught me were of great help to me throughout my working career in developing business plans and management presentations. Activities/Sports on Campus: Fraternity sports, yearbook, president of the Nu Lambs Favorite GCC Story/Moment: To receive my diploma from J. Howard Pew. To think he would take the time to come to campus and hand you your diploma when he was busy being one of the business leaders of our country was incredible to me and taught me a lesson in how important it is to continue to participate in those things you believe in. What GCC Did for Me/How I Was Impacted: The College taught me the skills I needed to succeed in my personal, family and business lives.

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

If you would like to be featured in an upcoming

Student, Alumni or Trustee Profile, e-mail us at alumni@gcc.edu and tell us a little about yourself.


Mike Nelson ’06 and Fred Fetterolf ’52 have more in common than you might think.While 50 years separate the two, experiences on the football team and as fraternity brothers bridge that gap. Full Circle helps them to do that. Besides football, Mike, a communication major, kept busy as a WSAJ radio show host, led an Inner City Outreach trip and volunteered with Steel City Ministries. He also served as a Crimson Caller for the Annual Fund.As a student, Fred played football and basketball and was on the golf team.After retiring as president and COO of Alcoa, Fred continues to lead the College as a Trustee and capital campaign chair. Each year, Full Circle supports programs that benefit all students by providing funds for leadership development, scholarship, campus improvements, extracurricular activities and special academic lectures and programs. Come full circle by June 30 and watch how your gift can make a difference for students every day.


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alumnibriefs Ralph Carlson ’62 named Professor of the Year

FROM LEFT, CANDEE HOVIS, CAROL SINGLETON AND GEORGE HAGSTROM LEARN TO COOK WITH CHEF MARK ARNOLD. / Photo by Linda Reash

Alumni acquire new skills through second Lifelong Learning series This spring, Grove City College and the Alumni Association offered the second series of Lifelong Learning classes.The initiative began last fall and saw almost 100 participants over the inaugural series of four classes. The Lifelong Learning series is under the direction of Alumni Council member Anne (Harker ’60) Dayton.The classes were established to provide alumni and members of the Grove City community with continuing educational opportunities. A series of free College lectures began the series and featured President Richard G. Jewell ’67; Retired Professor of Physics Richard Leo; Professor of History Dr. Earl Tilford; and Dr. David Dixon of Slippery Rock University. Dr. Fred Jenny, Grove City College instructional technologist and

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photographer, taught a well-attended three-part series on computers and digital photography. Jenny provided lessons on how to get the best results from a digital camera, including instruction on sharing images, creating slide shows, printing pictures and posting images to the web. Jenny also introduced simple image-editing software. A six-part series, “Cooking with Chef Mark Arnold,” featured instructions on everything from the tools of cooking to appetizers to soups and sauces. His classes were taught at Legacy Banquet Center in Grove City, where Arnold runs a catering business. For information on the upcoming series or to suggest a class topic, contact the Alumni Relations Office at (888) GCC-GRAD or alumni@gcc.edu.

Professor of Mathematics Dr. Ralph Carlson ’62 was named Professor of the Year at a Harbison Chapel ceremony on May 4. Carlson is in his second turn on the faculty. He first served as chairman of the department of mathematics from 1973-76, then as the College’s vice RALPH CARLSON ’62 president for business affairs. In 1979, he moved to a full-time position at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The ODK Senior Man of the Year in 1962, he returned to Grove City College in 2000. On campus, he advises the Epsilon Pi fraternity and the Mortar Board senior honor society. In the research world, Carlson and two mathematical partners were issued a patent in 2004 for their work on a specific algorithm to help search electronic documents. He is married to Kay (Holland ’63) Carlson and they have three children. The Professor of the Year award has been given since 2000 by the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honorary and is sponsored by the Grove City College Alumni Association.

Music events reaffirm Grove City connections Dr. Edwin Arnold, chair of Grove City’s department of music and fine arts, served as guest conductor for a high school band festival in central Pennsylvania. Arnold directed about 120 students playing in the Lycoming County Senior Honors Band in December. The band practiced and performed at Montoursville High School, where Dennis Carpenter ’81 is director of bands and his wife, Gretchen (Phares ’84) Carpenter, is assistant director of bands. Music was also the common note when grads gathered at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association in March. Grove City College hosted a Friday evening reception on March 31 for Grove City grads. Arnold extended greetings on behalf of the College. The event for high school and college music educators was set in Valley Forge.


alumnievents PAST EVENTS FEBRUARY 3 & 4 Southeast Virginia Alumni Events Hockey Games in Norfolk and Richmond, Va. FEBRUARY 22 Cultural Series: The Pittsburgh Connection Grove City College FEBRUARY 25 Charlotte Area Alumni Reception Safari Miles Restaurant Denver, N.C. Hosted by Scott ’89 and Betsy Dix FEBRUARY 26 Hilton Head Area Alumni Luncheon Moss Creek Country Club Hilton Head, S.C. MARCH 2 Ft. Lauderdale Area Alumni Luncheon Coral Ridge Country Club Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. MARCH 3 Naples Area Alumni Luncheon La Playa Beach and Golf Resort Naples, Fla.

RICHMOND, VA. ALUMNI AND FAMILIES GATHERED IN NORFOLK AND RICHMOND, VA., THIS WINTER FOR TWO MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY GAMES. HERE, AN ALUMNI GROUP COORDINATED BY GERALD BULLOCK ’92, IN RED, WATCHES THE RICHMOND RIVERDOGS TAKE ON THE ROANOKE VALLEY VIPERS AT RICHMOND COLISEUM ON FEB. 4.

MARCH 4 Sarasota Area Alumni Luncheon Prestancia Golf Resort Sarasota, Fla. MARCH 16 Philadelphia Alumni Reception Tour of Independence Hall Philadelphia, Pa. MARCH 25 “Pirates of Penzance” Alumni Reception Grove City College (see back cover) MARCH 31 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference Reception (see page 24) Valley Forge, Pa. APRIL 21 Meet the Cast Reception Hilda Adam Kring Children’s Theatre Grove City College MAY 6 Legacy Luncheon Grove City College

Check out more photos from alumni events, as well as a photo of alumni parents and their students at the May 6 Legacy Luncheon.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ABOVE: YOUNG ALUMS GATHER IN CHARLOTTE ON FEB. 25. FROM LEFT, DAVID FELTS ’05, TODD SMARTT ’02, JULIE HAWK ’05, MISTY JOHNSON ’05, JESSICA HAWK ’04, JORDAN CHANEY ’04 AND PAUL SCHEESER ’05. AT RIGHT: PRESIDENT RICHARD JEWELL ’67 PRESENTS A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS TO BETTY (OFFUTT ’40) STEELE AT THE CHARLOTTE ALUMNI EVENT. THE EVENT WAS HELD AT SAFARI MILES RESTAURANT IN DENVER, N.C. SCOTT ’89 AND BETSY DIX HELPED ORGANIZE THE EVENT.

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HILTON HEAD, S.C.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA.

MORE THAN 50 ALUMNI GATHERED AT MOSS CREEK COUNTRY CLUB, BLUFFTON, S.C., ON FEB. 26. FROM LEFT, MARILYN (HECK ’52) OESTERLING, WHO HOSTED THE EVENT WITH HUSBAND JIM ’52, FIRST LADY DAYL JEWELL, ANNE (BRODY ’82) WALTZ AND TINA (OESTERLING ’82) WEBB-BROWNING.

CORAL RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB IN FT. LAUDERDALE WAS THE SITE OF A MARCH 2 ALUMNI LUNCHEON WITH SPECIAL GUESTS PRESIDENT AND MRS. RICHARD G. JEWELL ’67. PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED, FROM LEFT, WHITEY SHORE ’58, CHARLIE STEIN ’67 AND GRACE (FERGUSON ’67) HUMBERTSON.

NAPLES, FLA.

NAPLES, FLA.

SPRING BREAK WAS A GREAT TIME FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND AN ALUMNI EVENT IN NAPLES. FROM LEFT, VIVEK THIAGARAJAN ’06, MATTHEW CHUNG ’06, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND COLLEGE RELATIONS JEFF PROKOVICH ’89, JEFF THOMPSON ’06 AND JARED SADOWITZ ’06.

FIRST LADY DAYL JEWELL VISITS WITH CLAY ’00 AND ANGELA (LILLY ’00) LANCTOT ON MARCH 3 AT THE LA PLAYA BEACH AND GOLF RESORT. GUESTS AT THE EVENT HOSTED BY JIM ’65 AND EILEEN HENDERSON ENJOYED AN UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT JEWELL, WONDERFUL FOOD AND A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET.

UPCOMING EVENTS JUNE 16 Chicago Area Alumni Event Reception and Private Tour of Tribune Tower Chicago, Ill. JUNE 24 South Carolina Alumni Dinner Thornblade Club Greer, S.C. JULY 8 Colorado Alumni Event Whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River Buena Vista, Colo. JULY 15 Central Pennsylvania Alumni Picnic and Freshmen Send-Off Reservoir Park Tyrone, Pa. 26

Grove City College Alumni Magazine

JULY 16 Harrisburg Area Freshmen Send-Off Picnic Home of Barbara (Montgomery ’60) Arnold Harrisburg, Pa.

Don’t miss

AUGUST 12 Chautauqua Area Alumni Picnic and Freshmen Send-Off Home of Ruth Ann (Fleming ’60) McChesney Lakewood, N.Y.

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Homecoming

AUGUST 26 Alumni Pittsburgh Pirates Game & Tailgate PNC Park Pittsburgh, Pa. SEPTEMBER 16 Grove City College Alumni Band Day

October 13-15


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SARASOTA, FLA.

SARASOTA, FLA.

ALUMNI GREETED FORMER PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY JOHN AND SUE MOORE IN SARASOTA ON MARCH 4. FROM LEFT, BRUCE JOHNSON ’60, SUE MOORE, DR. JOHN MOORE, TOM ROWE ’56 AND SHELVEY (PEASE ’59) JOHNSON. THE EVENT WAS HOSTED BY TOM ’56 AND PAT (HUGHES ’57) ROWE.

AMONG THE MANY ALUMNI ENJOYING THE UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT JEWELL IN SARASOTA WERE, FROM LEFT, KELLER JOHNSON ’54, DIANE JOHNSON, SHIRLEY (SPRINKLE ’55) BLOOD, NANCY (HARRER ’56) CHRISTNER, RUTH (TERRY ’56) MARKS ’56, JOHN CHRISTNER AND PEGGY (SMITH ’56) FOSTER.

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

VALLEY FORGE, PA.

FROM LEFT, HEATHER CRISOSTOMO (DAUGHTER OF THE DINDINGERS), NICOLA VITIELLO ’01, JUDY DINDINGER, DENNIS DINDINGER ’68 AND PHILIP CRISOSTOMO ’01 ENJOY TRADITIONAL COLONIAL HORS D’OEUVRES AT THE HISTORIC CITY TAVERN IN DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA.

DR. ED ARNOLD, RIGHT, TALKS SHOP WITH FORMER STUDENT AND CLEARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR RAY MANDELL ’85. THE TWO REUNITED AT THE GROVE CITY COLLEGE RECEPTION AT THE ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA MUSIC EDUCATORS CONFERENCE. READ MORE ON PAGE 24.

PHILADELPHIA, PA. MORE THAN 100 PHILADELPHIA-AREA ALUMNI AND FRIENDS GATHERED AT THE LIBERTY BELL FOR A PRIVATE TWILIGHT TOUR AFTER A SNEAK PEEK OF INDEPENDENCE HALL. THE EVENT AND TOUR WAS HOSTED BY DENNIS REIDENBACH ’76, PARK SUPERINTENDENT.

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SOPHOMORE CALEB COURAGE WON THE FIRST MEN’S NATIONAL SWIMMING TITLE FOR GROVE CITY BY CUTTING THROUGH THE POOL IN RECORD TIME FOR THE 100 FREESTYLE EARLIER THIS YEAR. / Photo by Dean Riggott


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Going to

Great Lengths By Ryan Briggs ’01 he Grove City College men’s swimming and diving program has achieved tremendous success throughout its existence: 55 consecutive winning seasons, nearly 50 NCAA All-Americans, 20 conference championships and three national champions in diving. Now, another milestone can be added to that list.At the NCAA Division III Championships in Minneapolis on March 18, Grove City sophomore Caleb Courage became the program’s first national swimming champion as he won the 100 freestyle in a Grove City-record time of 44.51 seconds. “At first, it was more shocking than exciting,” Courage said, regarding his looking at the timing board and seeing that he had won the race.“I was probably most happy about my time because it was a full second faster than last year. It proved that all of that hard work had paid off.” Courage entered the finals as the top seed after posting a time of 44.84 seconds in the afternoon preliminaries. “It was a great experience for Caleb and for all of the guys,” head coach Dave Fritz ’94 said.“And it was definitely interesting right from the beginning.” Courage left his body suit at the team’s hotel prior to the finals and had to borrow one from teammate Ben Haring for the race. “I was nervous about how it would affect him,” Fritz said.“I was also nervous about the guys he was going against. But he came out and dominated the race from beginning to end.”

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Sophomore Caleb Courage earns Grove City’s first men’s national swimming title Despite wearing an unfamiliar garment, Courage did not let it affect him in the pool. “Ben wears a 30 (waist) and I wear a 36,” he said.“So it was very tight but it was stretched. I tried to pull it up as high as I could but it was still pretty uncomfortable.” His lack of comfort did not diminish his confidence prior to the race, however. “I wasn’t really nervous,” Courage said.“I knew what I was going up against. I felt very confident because I had a good swim in the morning. “(Winning) was surprising but I still expected it. It’s probably the highlight of my swimming career to date.” Fritz hopes that Courage’s national title is just the beginning of something very significant. “When you watch him swim, you get the feeling that there is even so much more that he can accomplish,” Fritz said. “Will his national title break open the flood gates and allow us to have multiple national champions?” Fritz rhetorically asked.“It happened in diving with Chris Van De Mark ’82 winning national titles and then that was followed by Dan Young ’83 and Clark Johnson ’84, who also won national diving titles.” With two years still left in his collegiate career, it is quite possible that Courage is not finished “breaking open the flood gates.” (Ryan Briggs ’01 is the Grove City College sports information director.)

Five swimmers named All-Americans at NCAAs By Ryan Briggs ’01 Nearly 15 years ago, the University of Michigan’s men’s basketball team made national headlines with a talented quintet known as the “Fab Five.” Fast-forward to 2006.This time, a different type of Wolverine “Fab Five” found success in the upper Midwest as five Grove City College men’s swimmers earned NCAA All-American status at the NCAA Division III Swimming

and Diving Championships March 16-18. Senior Ben Haring, sophomore Caleb Courage and freshmen Drew Snyder,Tim Whitbeck and Mitch Young all achieved multiple All-America honors during the three-day event. Their collective effort allowed Grove City to accumulate

See SWIMMERS, page 35


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winter By Ryan Briggs ’01 Grove City’s winter sports teams achieved numerous milestones during the 200506 season with several student-athletes earning national and regional acclaim. The men’s swimming and diving team recorded its 55th consecutive winning season with a 9-4 record, highlighting the winter sports season at Grove City. In addition, five swimmers qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships. Grove City’s 200yard free relay team of senior Ben Haring, sophomore Caleb Courage, BEN HARING freshman Tim Whitbeck and freshman Mitch Young automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships with a time of 1:22.39 at the season-ending Grove City Invitational/Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 9-11. Courage also qualified in the 50, 100 and 200 free races while Haring qualified in the 50 and 100 free. As a team,

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Grove City placed second at the Championships with 906 points. Grove City swimmers set eight new varsity records during the Championships. Courage, Haring,Whitbeck and Young set a new record in the 200 free relay while Courage, Haring, freshman Drew Snyder and Whitbeck won the 400 free relay in a record-time of 3:04.98. The 400 free relay team also qualified for the national championships. Courage, Haring, freshman Mark Barron and Snyder won the 800 free relay in a record-setting time of 6:59.36. Grove City also set College records in the 200 and 400 medley relays. In the 200, senior Joel Boerckel, Haring, junior Andrew Gilbert and freshman Peter Larsen set a new standard with a time of 1:34.62 while Boerckel, Courage, Haring and Larsen posted an all-time best time of 3:28.89 in the 400 medley relay.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING A youthful Grove City squad placed third at the season-ending PAC

Grove City College Alumni Magazine

SOPHOMORE ELLEN KEEFER HUGS SENIOR ELLEN MAGEE AT THE PAC CHAMPIONSHIPS, WHERE THE TEAM PLACED THIRD. / Photo by Christine Bare ’05

Championships with 588 team points.The Wolverines’ 200 free relay quartet of senior Ellen Magee, sophomores Christie Hebda and Ellen Keefer and freshman Whitney Baur surpassed the NCAA Division III provisional qualifying standard with a College-record time of 1:38.62. Also for Grove City, freshman Kiersten Bower won the 200 butterfly on the third night of competition.

Grove City went 3-5 in dual meets this season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Underclassmen combined to start 77 games this season for a green Grove City team that went 9-17 overall and 57 in the PAC. Sophomore guard Shawn Carr led Grove City in both scoring (11.9) and rebounding this season (4.0). He also drained 45 three-


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SOPHOMORE RYAN GERBER SETS UP FOR A PLAY AGAINST JUNIATA EARLIER THIS WINTER. / Photo by Dave MIller

point goals, the most by a Grove City player since Shane Meling made 45 as a senior in 2001. Senior forward Chuck Cotherman earned Academic All-District College Division Second Team from “ESPN The Magazine” and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Cotherman, a seven-time Dean’s List honoree, averaged 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2005-06. He also shot 52

percent from the floor. It is the second straight year that a Grove City player has earned Academic AllDistrict honors. In 2005, J.D. Collar earned Second Team recognition.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL With just one senior and one experienced junior on the roster this season, the youthful Wolverines went 7-19 overall and 3-9 in the PAC.

SOPHOMORE BRITTANY ANDERSON TAKES A SHOT DESPITE PRESSURE FROM A WAYNESBURG DEFENDER. / Photo by Dave Miller

Sophomore forward Rachel McCoy earned Second Team All-PAC honors after leading Grove City in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shots. McCoy averaged 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game this season, including nine “double-doubles.” Her 52 blocked shots tied Sandy O’Keefe’s single-season record, set in 2003-04. McCoy’s 392-point total this year is the ninth-highest total in Grove City history.

Junior guard Elyse Bogusz drained 40 three-point goals during the season while senior Tammy Hess added 26 threes and a team-high 39 steals. Head coach Melissa Lamie concluded her Grove City basketball coaching career with a 157-171 record in 13 years, including a 153-129 mark over the last 11 seasons. (Ryan Briggs ’01 is the Grove City College sports information director.)

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New women’s hoops coach coming from University of North Carolina By Ryan Briggs ’01 Grove City College has hired Wheaton (Ill.) College graduate Sarah Harris as its new women’s basketball coach. Harris comes to Grove City after spending the past two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference. In 2005-06, Harris helped the Spartans to an 18-12 record and a berth in the finals of the Southern Conference Championship Tournament. A cum laude graduate of Division III Wheaton, Harris was a three-year starter, twoyear captain and four-year letterwinner from 1999-2000 and 2002-04. She helped the Thunder capture the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title in both her sophomore and senior seasons. Harris earned AllConference Third Team honors following her sophomore and junior season. In addition, she earned Academic All-District V honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2003 and 2004. Harris graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 2003. In 2004, she earned a master’s degree in intercultural

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SARAH HARRIS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO HAS BEEN NAMED GROVE CITY COLLEGE’S NEW WOMEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH. / Photo from North Carolina at Greensboro Sports Information

studies/TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Wheaton while finishing her playing career. She is completing the final requirements for a second master’s degree in exercise and sport science at North Carolina at Greensboro. Harris will hold the rank of assistant professor of physical

Grove City College Alumni Magazine

education and exercise science at Grove City. Harris replaces Melissa Lamie as head women’s basketball coach. Lamie stepped down following the 2005-06 season in conjunction with the expansion of Grove City’s Department of Physical Education and Athletics.

Lamie compiled a 157-171 record in 13 years as head coach, including a 153-129 mark over the past 11 years. She is the program’s all-time wins leader. She will remain at Grove City as head women’s soccer coach and will take over as head golf coach at the College in 2007. Lamie also coached three of the program’s seven alltime 1,000-point scorers in Beth Lora (1,250 points), Abby Moose (1,209) and Karin Hendrickson (1,081). A native of Denver, Colo., Lamie earned her bachelor of arts degree in physical education from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1992. In 1993, she added a master of arts in physical education from Northern Colorado University. She lives in Pine Township with her husband Steve ’85, Grove City assistant professor of physical education and head men’s basketball coach, and their daughter, Melia. (Ryan Briggs ’01 is the Grove City College sports information director.)


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spring SPORTS TICKER: Grove City College men’s tennis team chases 16th-straight PAC title ... women’s water polo team aims for return to Collegiate III National Championships ... men’s track and field looks to defend PAC title ... baseball team off to best start since 1968, already with its winningest season since 2001...

ABOVE: JUNIOR ANDREA SETTLE CONNECTS FOR A HIT. / Photo by Davor BELOW: SENIOR BRENT MOON IS THE DEFENDING PAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR. / Photo by Dave Miller

ABOVE: SOPHOMORE TRIPLE JUMPER DAVE HODGE IS A RETURNING ECAC QUALIFIER IN HIS EVENT. BELOW: JUNIOR CAITLIN EWING LEADS THE WOMEN’S WATER POLO TEAM IN SCORING AND EARNED PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS EARLIER THIS SEASON. / Photos by Dave Miller

Get up-to-the-minute spring sports coverage on www.gcc.edu/sports

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Lyle retiring as soccer coach Mike Dreves ’97 taking over in fall By Ryan Briggs ’01 Physical education department chairman/athletic director Dr. Don Lyle is retiring as the College’s head men’s soccer coach after 34 seasons. He will continue in his current position as athletic director and department chair.Assistant coach Michael Dreves ’97 will replace Lyle beginning with the 2006 season. Lyle took over as head coach prior to the start of the 1972 season. In his career at Grove City, the Wolverines posted 277 wins, six postseason berths, two Presidents’ Athletic Conference titles and nine PAC runner-up finishes. He has coached 16 players who earned Regional All-America distinction from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. In 1986, Bill Juergens ’87 earned NSCAA All-America honors. Lyle’s teams have also excelled in the classroom, boasting the highest number of PAC Academic Honor Roll placements among the league’s men’s soccer teams for 10 straight seasons. Grove City advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in both 1976 and 1980 while the 1995 and 2001 teams each participated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Championship Tournament. The 1976 team advanced to the national quarterfinals, matching the furthest advancement in any national tournament by any Grove City team. The 1996 squad captured the program’s first PAC title and advanced to win the ECAC Southern title, finishing with a program-record 16 wins. In 2005, Grove City won its first-ever PAC Tournament title and earned ECAC Southern runnerup honors. Grove City set a new school record with 11 shutouts this year.

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

MICHAEL DREVES ’97, LEFT, WILL TAKE OVER AT THE HELM IN THE FALL AS DR. DON LYLE, FAR RIGHT, RETIRES AS THE MEN’S SOCCER COACH. / Photo by Davor Photography

In 1976, Lyle helped foster the development of the men’s soccer alumni program.The alumni program has been the driving force behind two significant projects this decade – the creation of the Grove City College Men’s Soccer Hall of Fame and the ongoing renovations of the Wolverines’ home field, College Field. Lyle’s impact on area soccer has extended beyond the Grove City campus. He was heavily involved in the Grove City Youth Soccer Association from 197789.The growth of the youth program paved the way for the development of Grove City High School’s boys soccer program in the late 1980s. He has also directed the Wolverine Soccer Camp since 1977, which has hosted more than 3,500 area youth since its inception. For his efforts with the area’s soccer programs, Lyle earned the College’s Florence E. MacKenzie CampusCommunity Award in 1988. In 1995, he became the chairman of the Department of Physical Education.As department chair, Lyle has overseen the

development, implementation and expansion of the College’s intricate Fitness and Wellness program. In March 2003, Lyle also assumed the duties of athletic director. Lyle and his wife Barbara (Lyons ’84) have three adult children, including daughter Amy (Lyle ’91) Biddle, and eight grandchildren. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Dreves will join the athletic department on a full-time basis as an assistant professor of physical education and as Fitness Room coordinator. Dreves has been an assistant coach at Grove City for the past five years.As an assistant, he has helped Grove City post four winning seasons, an average of 11 wins per season and two postseason berths. Dreves earned four letters as a player at Grove City from 1993-96. He was a twoyear team captain and helped lead the Wolverines to the 1996 PAC and ECAC titles.

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wolverinesports from previous page He was head boys soccer coach at Titusville High School from 1997-00, directing the Rockets to 39 wins and one Tri-County Athletic Conference championship (1998) in four seasons. “We’re very excited to have Mike joining the staff and taking over as head coach,” Lyle said. “It is a real honor for me to pass the program to someone that has been a former player, captain and assistant coach who loves Grove City College and is extremely dedicated to the soccer program.” Dreves is taking over a program with 54 winning seasons in 66 years of intercollegiate soccer. Overall, Grove City (438-275-60) has won over 60 percent of its matches since the program’s inception in 1938. “I’m excited and sad at the same time,” Dreves said. “I’m sad that Coach Lyle won’t be head coach but I am very excited for the opportunity.” By finishing 13-6-5 this year, the Wolverines secured their ninth winning season in the last 11 years. Grove City projects to return eight starters and 14 total lettermen from that squad in 2006. “Grove City has been an excellent program historically,” Dreves said. “In the last 34 years, Coach Lyle has really cemented that.The program has earned a great deal of respect nationally, regionally and on campus. It is humbling to take over such a great program.” Dreves graduated from Grove City with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics/secondary education. He has completed the coursework for his master’s degree in exercise science from Slippery Rock University and was awarded the degree in April. Dreves is currently a mathematics teacher at Mercer Area Senior High School. He and his wife Susan (Gillan ’97) Dreves have two young sons, Joshua and Isaac. (Ryan Briggs ’01 is the Grove City College sports information director.)

Five men’s swimmers named All-Americans at NCAAs from page 29 77.5 team points, good for 13th in the final team standings. It is Grove City’s highest finish at the NCAA Championships since the 1983-84 team placed 12th in the nation. Haring and Courage are repeat AllAmericans from 2005. Courage is now a six-time All-American while Haring will graduate as a five-time All-American. This year, Courage earned AllAmerica honors in the 50 and 100 free, along with the 200 and 400 free relays. Haring joined Courage on the 200 and 400 free relay teams. He also achieved All-America status in the 50 free and 400 medley relay. Courage became Grove City’s firstever men’s swimming national champion, winning the 100 free in 44.51 seconds. Courage, Haring, Snyder and Whitbeck combined for a secondplace finish in the 200 free relay, posting a Grove City-record time of 1:21.99. “I felt that we really got up as a team very well.We had a heck of a swim,” Haring said.“It was a real highlight for me.” Added head coach Dave Fritz ’94, “The guys are all proud of what they were able to accomplish, especially the relay. I think that the relay might even be a greater accomplishment because it took four guys who came together for that second-place finish. It was really something special.” Snyder and Whitbeck earned AllAmerica in the 400 medley relay and the 200 and 400 free relays.Young swam the preliminaries in the 200 free relay and also joined Haring, Snyder and Whitbeck on the 400 medley relay. That trio, along with Courage and several other returning lettermen, will form a strong nucleus as Grove City looks to increase its presence on the

“ ” THE GUYS ARE ALL PROUD OF WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, ESPECIALLY THE RELAY ... IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING SPECIAL. Dave Fritz ’94 Head Men’s Swimming Coach

national stage even further. “The freshmen are now a part of Grove City swimming lore,” Fritz said. “They are really hungry to become a Top 10 team next season.” The performance of the freshmen at the national championships also impressed Courage, who had been in a similar situation just one year earlier. “I was really impressed with how well the freshmen did, especially with it being their first year at that level of competition,” Courage said. The success at the national level also provides additional ammunition in the competition for top recruits. “We try to showcase that we are a complete package, with the education here, the campus, the environment and the students, not just solely swimming,” Fritz said.“But this recent success has helped put us over the top with some top-notch recruits. “Recruiting each year has gone handin-hand with our improvement as a team. Success is breeding success.” If 2006 is any indication, it would appear that even brighter days are ahead for the Grove City men’s swimming and diving program. (Ryan Briggs ’01 is the Grove City College sports information director.)

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Spring 2006


wolverinesports

Thorn Field, Intramural Room to be upgraded over summer Grove City College will make several upgrades to its athletic and recreational facilities this summer in preparation for the 2006-07 academic year, which will have an impact on the campus and a direct influence on student needs and uses. First, the College will completely replace the floor of the Intramural Room in the Physical Learning Center to make it better for total athletic use.The IM Room is well-used, and therefore wellloved, by the Fitness and Wellness courses, intramural sports, club sports, varsity teams during the off season, groups hosting dinners, dances and other functions, as well as by students in general who want to get together with friends for activities or stay in shape using the indoor track. Also, in support of the changes occurring on lower campus and to support growing club and intramural sports needs, the College will install artificial turf, lights and a new eight-lane track at Robert E.Thorn Field. The football team will use Thorn Field’s new playing surface for its daily practices in addition to its home games. Club sports and intramural activities at the College will also utilize the new playing surface in both the fall and spring. “Although this will help our varsity football program,” Jewell said,“we would not do it for this reason only.The benefit will be much more.The varsity team will practice primarily on the Thorn stadium turf.This will free up space on the old practice field for club sports and intramurals, and when the evening comes after football practice, we will be able to run club sports and IM programs until 10:30 p.m. or so under the lights.” The Thorn Field renovation will

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THORN FIELD WILL HAVE A NEW ARTIFICIAL PLAYING SURFACE IN TIME FOR THE HOME OPENER AGAINST CARNEGIE MELLON ON SEPT. 9. / Archived photo

feature the installation of CSTurf, a synthetic playing surface. CSTurf is manufactured using polyethylene LSR grass fibers with a crumb rubber infill system. A new polyurethane eight-lane track will be installed around the new field. The current eight-lane track is approximately 15 years old. The preliminary design features four light towers that will illuminate the Thorn Field complex.

“We are very excited about the renovations to the intramural room and to our football and track facility,” said Chairman of the Department of Physical Education and Athletic Director Dr. Don Lyle.“The improvements in these areas will significantly improve the campus space demands for recreational use, intramurals, club sports and varsity athletics.” Installation of the turf and new track began this spring.


Making strides for Make-A-Wish

sportsbriefs Athletic staff expanding, new exercise minor added

THIS PAST CHRISTMAS, MEMBERS OF THE GROVE CITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM RAISED $1,000 THROUGH A LIFT-A-THON FOR THE MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF GREATER WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. FROM LEFT, SOPHOMORE ROSS MCCRACKEN, FRESHMAN PETER TOOLEY, JUNIOR RICHARD WELCH, JUNIOR SCOTT FICHTER, JUNIOR DAN JELTES, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF GREATER WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA ANN HOHN (WITH CHECK), JUNIOR BRYAN HANNA, SOPHOMORE JAY YANAK, FRESHMAN ZACH FULMER AND JUNIOR CHRIS SCHWAMBERGER. / Contributed photo

Grove City College is expanding its athletic staff to better meet the needs of the department of physical education. Grove City will offer a minor in exercise science in the 2006-07 academic year and plans to expand its course offerings in physical education. One such class, Ethics in Sports, will focus on the relationship between athletics and faith. Assistant football coach Jim Chinn will begin working as an assistant track and field coach in 2006-07. He will replace head men’s basketball coach Steve Lamie ’85 as an assistant track and field coach. Chinn is in his third year on the Grove City staff. Newly hired men’s soccer coach Mike Dreves ’97 will take over Chinn’s job as Fitness Room coordinator. Grove City will also hire a new head softball coach/assistant women’s basketball coach. Assistant softball coach Peter Fisher served as interim head coach this spring.

Briggs earns writing award

Six home games highlight 2006 football schedule The 112th season of Grove City College football will feature six home games in 2006, including home dates with defending PAC champion Thiel and longtime local rival Westminster. Opening with back-to-back home games, the Wolverines will host Carnegie Mellon Sept. 9 at the newly renovated Robert E. Thorn Field in the season opener and the Saints of Thomas More on Sept. 16. The Homecoming game on Oct. 14 is a match-up with Mercer County rival Thiel. Under the guidance of 23-year head coach Chris Smith ’72, Grove City projects to return 14 starters and 35 lettermen from the 2005 season. Home games are in bold: Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14

Carnegie Mellon, 1:30 p.m. *Thomas More, 1:30 p.m. *Waynesburg, 1:30 p.m. *Westminster, 1:30 p.m. *Bethany, 1:30 p.m. *Thiel, 2 p.m. (Homecoming)

Oct. 21 *Washington & Jefferson, 1:30 p.m. Oct. 28 Rochester, 1:30 p.m. Nov. 4 Case Western, 1 p.m. Nov. 11 U.S. Merchant Marines, 1 p.m. *Presidents Athletic Conference games (Kickoff times subject to change.)

Women’s cross country earns academic accolades The Grove City College women’s cross country team earned All-Academic status from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. During the fall 2005 semester, the team posted a cumulative 3.37 grade-point average, which qualifies members for the Team All-Academic award. In addition, four Grove City cross country runners posted GPAs of 3.5 or greater during the fall semester, earning individual All-Academic recognition. Senior Elisa Pedersen, junior Cara Pierce, freshman Julia Seward and sophomore Brittany Croft all earned All-Academic honors. Pedersen earned All-America honors at the NCAA Division III Championships this fall after finishing 27th at nationals. Pierce is a three-time All-PAC performer for Grove City. She placed fifth at the 2005 PAC Championships, helping Grove City capture its 17th straight league title. Seward capped her freshman season by earning First Team All-PAC laurels with a fourth-place finish at the conference championships. Croft achieved Second Team All-Conference after finishing ninth at the PACs on Oct. 31.

Grove City College Sports Information Director Ryan Briggs ’01 won second place in the general feature category in his district for college sportswriters for an article he wrote for the Winter ’05 issue of The GeDUNK. The article, “Diamond in RYAN BRIGGS ’01 the Rough,” featured members of the Grove City College baseball team and their trip to the Dominican Republic to minister through their sport. The award was given by the College Sports Information Directors of America as part of the Fred S. Stabley Sr. Writing Contest. Other schools honored included West Virginia, Mansfield, Princeton, Maryland and those in the Ivy League. Briggs joined the College staff in 2002 after working as sports editor of Allied News. He also worked for The Herald in Sharon, Pa. As Grove City’s SID, Briggs maintains www.gcc.edu/sports, is the play-by-play radio announcer for all College sports and handles press for Grove City athletics. “We are very proud of Ryan and the job he does representing the student athletes and Athletic Department of Grove City College,” said Athletic Director Dr. Don Lyle. “This is an excellent illustration of the quality work Ryan does on a daily basis.”


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CYNTHIA FORRESTER HAS BEEN BRINGING TRAVEL MEMORIES TO HER GROVE CITY COLLEGE CLASSROOMS FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS. / Photo by Dean Riggott


Charting her Course ~ Known by many as simply ‘Senorita, ’ Cynthia Forrester prepares for her 39th year of teaching as she reflects on memories made around the world

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By Carolyn Lolla ’06 rofessor of Spanish Cynthia Forrester has many faces: a teacher, a translator, an adviser and an experienced traveler. Her life is marked by unforgettable memories from within the classroom walls of Grove City College, as well as the geographic boundaries of the Earth. While Forrester prepares for her 39th year of teaching, she continues to don the faces that reflect the wisdom and worldliness of a Renaissance woman. As a child growing up in the melting pot of New York City, Forrester garnered a deep appreciation and interest in other cultures. Her exposure to vast arrays of ethnic foods and peoples only heightened her curiosity to learn and her desire to travel. Unbeknownst to Forrester, the course of her venturesome life would begin in junior high school, when the French language classes became full and she was forced to take Spanish instead. Forrester’s newfound love for the Spanish language and culture fostered within her a calling to teach. After high school, Forrester attended Ohio Wesleyan University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. She also pursued additional study at the University of Texas at Arlington and UCLA. Forrester went on to receive her master’s degree in Spanish arts and

literature from the University of Wisconsin and a translator’s certificate from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Forrester arrived at Grove City College in 1967. During her career, she taught 35 different courses at the College, including Italian and children’s literature.

Traveling is immensely educational. And I’ve always been fascinated by new sights, new customs and new folklore.

she headed the Red Box Missions Program for several years; she was involved with the foreign language honorary and the Spanish club; and she advised the Zeta Zeta Zeta sorority. Forrester utilized her knowledge of foreign cultures as the coordinator of international studies for 30 years, until the Office of International Education was officially established in September 2004.Today, she continues to act as an adviser to students who are planning to study abroad. In 1969, Forrester took her first trip to Spain with a friend from college. She studied in Madrid while staying with family friends. During her trip, Forrester was also able to tour parts of Scotland, England, Germany and Switzerland. “My friend and I opened a savings account in Cleveland for the trip. When we got to Europe, we alternated between lavishing ourselves at bed and breakfasts and on a river cruise, and then we went back to being poor students in cheaper hotels,” Forrester recalled with a laugh. Since her initial visit to Spain, Forrester has returned to the country 26 times.With each visit, she has witnessed the country’s gradual cultural and historical transformation. “Spain in 1969 was much different, culturally and socially,” she said. “There

Cynthia Forrester “Teaching is exciting because it’s always new,” she said. “And since I teach a foreign language, we get to play. I always have to find creative ways to house the repetition of learning a foreign language.” Outside of the classroom, Forrester embedded herself in student activities:

~ See SENORITA, page 45

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Helfinstine’s steady guidance in engineering leaves a legacy By Carolyn Lolla ’06 r. Robert Helfinstine, professor of mechanical engineering for 20 years, is retiring after a long and prosperous career at Grove City College. Helfinstine received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and his graduate degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. His wife, Jean, also taught at Grove City as a part-time instructor, offering courses in English composition and in the humanities.Together, they have two children, Bill and Charlie. In 1987, Helfinstine came to Grove City from Tulsa, Okla., where he was a visiting professor at Oral Roberts University. Previously, he worked at the University of Texas at Austin as an assistant professor and in the offshore technology section at Amoco Production Company in Tulsa as a senior research engineer. In 1991, Helfinstine began serving as the faculty adviser to the campus chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.The organization allowed students to meet with practicing engineers, attend meetings and competitions and seek professional guidance on employment opportunities. Dr. Mark Reuber, professor of engineering and director of the Office of International Education, served as chair of the Department of Engineering for 12 years.Throughout Reuber’s service as chair, he was able to work with Helfinstine on a daily basis. “Bob’s steady contributions in the classroom and lab have added greatly to the program over the years,” Reuber recalled.“He is often mentioned by alums as one professor whom students most appreciate several years after graduation because of his rigorous classes in thermodynamics and the excellent

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DR. ROBERT HELFINSTINE. / Archived photo

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DR. HELFINSTINE IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PROFESSOR I’VE EVER HAD. HE HAS TAUGHT ME HOW TO THINK. AND HE HAS TAUGHT ME HOW TO LEARN, NOT JUST TO MEMORIZE. Joel Boerckel ’06

preparation he gave.” Students in the mechanical engineering program also attest to Helfinstine’s devotion to his work, and to his students. “Dr. Helfinstine is the most challenging professor I’ve ever had,” said Joel Boerckel ’06, a mechanical engineer from East Moline, Ill.“He has taught me how to think.And he has taught me how to learn, not just to memorize.” Helfinstine was one of the first faculty members hired in the late 1980s when the engineering department sought ABET accreditation. Over the course of his career, Helfinstine has been highly

regarded among his colleagues at Grove City for the tireless role that he played in helping to achieve this accreditation. “Bob and I arrived at the College the same year, and I remember so vividly what continues to stand out today: His quiet, gentle, calm manner,” remarked Provost Dr.William Anderson.“He is an excellent engineer and teacher, praised highly by his students for his emphasis upon the fundamentals of engineering. And, he’s a wonderful colleague and friend.We will miss him tremendously.” (Carolyn Lolla ’06 is a political science major from Pittsburgh, Pa.)


retiringfaculty

After 40 years, ‘there is more day to dawn’ for Stansberry By Carolyn Lolla ’06 n August 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil rights march through the streets of Chicago, the Beatles performed their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and the United States was in the midst of the Vietnam War. Simultaneously, at the microcosm of Grove City College, Saturday morning classes were the norm, Dr. J. Stanley Harker was in his 10th year as President and Gloria Stansberry arrived to begin what has become a surprisingly long career as a professor of English. After nearly 40 years of teaching, Stansberry has witnessed changes throughout the school and throughout the world. Nevertheless, Stansberry’s love for teaching and learning, for her students and for nature have directed the course of her steady and successful career at Grove City. Stansberry grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.As a child, she developed a strong interest in music, animals and the outdoors. She owned her first pony at the age of 4 and now has three Spanish Andalusia horses. She studied English and secondary education at both Ohio Wesleyan and Kent State universities and continued at Kent to earn her master’s and doctoral degrees. Stansberry began teaching at Grove City while completing this doctoral work. Although Stansberry specializes in American literature, creative writing, poetry and Japanese, she teaches a variety of other literary genres and periods. She is wellknown for engaging her students in discussions, rather than only lecturing. And the discussions are just as enjoyable for her.“We’ve always had good students at Grove City,” Stansberry said.“But within the past several years, I think that the students have been outstanding.” Beyond this classroom connection,

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DR. GLORIA STANSBERRY. / Archived photo

WE’VE ALWAYS HAD GOOD STUDENTS AT GROVE CITY, BUT WITHIN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS ... THE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING. Dr. Gloria Stansberry

Stansberry is the co-adviser for the Lambda Iota Tau literary honorary and has also been the adviser to the Orchesis Dance Troupe since the 1980s. Through the experiences gained from her worldly travels and adventures, Stansberry has brought a colorful array of cultures and stories into her classroom. She has traveled to Japan, England, Spain, Italy, France,Austria, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Mexico and throughout the U.S. She also enjoys hiking, camping, competitive sailing, canoeing and horseback riding. Stansberry plans to retire from Grove City by the end of 2006.“I’m somewhat

reluctant to leave, but I want to have the energy and time to enjoy my hobbies,” she said. She will continue to travel, remain athletic, further her passion for writing and spend winters at her house in Florida. Upon retirement, she will leave behind the world she has lived in for 40 years, and continue her life in the larger world around her. Stansberry likens her future retirement to one of her favorite quotes from Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” – “There is more day to dawn.The sun is but a morning star.” (Carolyn Lolla ’06 is a political science major from Pittsburgh, Pa.)

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Even in retirement, teaching stays at the heart of Stephens By Carolyn Lolla ’06 lbert Einstein once said,“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” For Barbara Stephens, associate professor of education, one of her many gifts is an innate ability to rouse creativity and a desire to learn within her elementary education students. Yet, after 29 years of teaching at Grove City College, Stephens is closing the door to her classroom as she prepares for retirement.Although still dedicated to her work, Stephens’ desire to pursue her hobbies and hang up her lesson plans have largely influenced her decision to retire. “Teaching still gives me a charge. I get excited 99 percent of the days, but there’s always that 1 percent,” Stephens laughed. Stephens completed her undergraduate work in elementary education at Penn State University.While there, she also met her husband, John Stephens, who served as chairman of the department of education at Grove City. Stephens went on to earn her master of reading degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a reading specialist certificate from Slippery Rock University. She also conducted doctoral work at Kent State University. Prior to coming to Grove City, Stephens taught pre-school, first, second and third grades, as well as adult education for GIs at an Army base in France. Eventually, she took off time from teaching when she and her husband had their first child. In 1977, Stephens came to the College as a part-time instructor.“I never thought I would stay, much less enjoy teaching as much as I do,” Stephens said.“I love to teach, though. I consider myself as more of a teacher than a professor.” After 11 years at the College, Stephens became a full-time faculty member. She

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BARBARA STEPHENS. / Archived photo

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD STAY, MUCH LESS ENJOY TEACHING AS MUCH AS I DO. I LOVE TO TEACH, THOUGH. I CONSIDER MYSELF AS MORE OF A TEACHER THAN A PROFESSOR. Barbara Stephens

has specialized in reading and language arts methods classes for aspiring teachers. “I’ve always thought that you have to take students as they come.You can’t just teach a course,” she said.“You have to form it around the students’ needs and interests.” Additionally, Stephens served as the director of elementary education, supervising the placement of student teachers in schools. She was also the faculty adviser for Lambda Epsilon Delta, the elementary education honorary. Following retirement, Stephens is looking forward to catching up on all of her interests.“John and I are going to be

taking a railroad trip to visit the various national parks out west,” she said.“And I’ll be able to enjoy my hobbies, such as drawing, painting, sewing, decorating, exercising, traveling, gardening and spending time with my children and 10 grandchildren.”Their three children include daughter Carol (Stephens ’88) Kocur and former Grove City staff member Melissa Cessar. Although her motherly warmth and sincerity will be missed, Stephens’ imprint on the College will be long-lasting. (Carolyn Lolla is a political science major from Pittsburgh, Pa.)


facultynews Faculty members awarded sabbaticals for fall semester

Center for Vision & Values sponsors conference on Middle East democracy

Grove City College Provost Dr. William Anderson has announced that two faculty members were awarded onesemester sabbaticals during the fall of 2006-07 academic year. Dr. Paul Kemeny, associate professor of religion and humanities, was awarded a sabbatical to complete three chapters of his book, “The First Moral Majority:The New PAUL KEMENY England Watch and Ward Society and Moral Reform Politics in Late Nineteenth and Early TwentiethCentury America.” In 2004, Kemeny received a research grant from the American Academy of Religion; he has authored several books, articles and reviews on 19th and 20th century American religious history. Kemeny joined the faculty in 2000. Dr. Marvin Folkertsma, professor of political science, was awarded a sabbatical to begin two scholarly projects: a book analyzing American political thought tentatively titled MARVIN FOLKERTSMA “Pragmatists, Dogmatists,Visionaries and Sceptics: Perspectives in American Political Thought,” and a more detailed focus on theorists in the latter two categories. Folkertsma has written numerous other books and articles, including “Ideology and Leadership,”“Agony of Survival,” “Criminal Intent” and “The Thirteenth Commandment.” He is the chair of the Department of Political Science and has been named to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. He joined the faculty in 1974.

The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College hosted its second annual conference, “Mr. Jefferson Goes to the Middle East: Democracy’s Prospects in the Arab World,” on April 5-6, to address some of the world’s most difficult questions. Will democracy in the Middle East work? Will sectarian violence dash democratic efforts? Will efforts to establish freedom and democracy lead to peace? Presenters included well-known names such as Michael Novak, Ralph Peters, Paul Marshall, Daniel Pipes, Radwan Masmoudi, Sherifa Zuhur, Joseph Kickasola, Michelle Bernard and Michael Medved, as well as several alumni: Lt. George Kipp ’02, David Peiffer ’81, Jennifer Jeffries ’02, Robert Riggs ’00 and Dr. Aaron Schavey ’91. Grove City College faculty presenters included Center Executive Director Dr. Paul Kengor, Dr. Earl Tilford, Dr. Gary Smith ’72, Dr.T. David Gordon, Dr. Michael Coulter ’91, Dr. Shawn Ritenour and Dr. Mark Graham.

Additionally, the conference was broadcast via live radio through two well-known radio personalities: Medved conducted his national radio show from the conference and Jerry Bowyer broadcast his Pittsburgh WORD-FM show over the two-day event. The mission of The Center for Vision & Values is to encourage and support Grove City College faculty and friends in faith and freedom scholarship and to teach their ideas to Grove City College students, the nation and the world. The Center also seeks to develop a vision of freedom and to foster Christian values. The Center for Vision & Values is a permanent home for the scholarly – as opposed to ideological – study of faith and freedom and the implications of faith and freedom for public policy cutting across all disciplines and fields. The Center is led by Kengor and Administrative Director Lee Wishing ’83. For more information, visit www.visandvals.org.

RALPH PETERS SPEAKS ON ‘THE AGE OF FAITH AND TERROR’ AT THE CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES’ RECENT CONFERENCE ON DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. / Photo by John Gechter ’09

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facultynews

Poli-sci professor attends State of the Union Address By Leah Acker ’07 and Ryan Biese ’09 State of the Union Addresses rarely reshape history, but President Bush’s speech on Jan. 31 indelibly marked Dr. Michael Coulter ’91, associate professor of political science. Congressman Phil English, a Republican from the third district of Pennsylvania, invited Coulter to hear Bush speak in the Capitol. Coulter said that each Representative may invite one guest to sit in the gallery above the House floor. “Where I was sitting was a mixture of Republicans and Democrats,” he said. “When you were standing and clapping, the person next you might not be.” Coulter has known English for more than a decade. English is now a member of the House of Representatives’ key Ways and Means Committee. After dinner at the Republican Club, a restaurant frequented by Congressional conservatives, Coulter ventured to the Capitol amid “intense” security. “It was a total lockdown for blocks surrounding the Capitol,” Coulter said. “For hours before the event, streets were closed. Bomb-sniffing dogs were

DR. MICHAEL COULTER ’91

everywhere. Helicopters flew overhead.” Coulter also added that he underwent many security checks to enter the Capitol. “Every 50 yards there was another security check point where I had to show my ticket and driver’s license,” Coulter said.“You couldn’t take any electronic devices in with you.” Coulter said he sat mostly among the spouses of members of Congress and other Washington elite. “Lynne Cheney was in the row in front of me,” Coulter said.“I was just to her left.” The House gallery, where Coulter sat, allowed for about 600 guests.There were about 500 people on the floor, according to Coulter. Coulter said the first half of the speech was impressive, but “the second half was a

lot of domestic policy stuff, [including] responses to ongoing criticism of the administration. … I understand the political motivation [for the second section], but from a broad perspective, it looks like pandering.” Coulter also assessed Bush’s improved speaking ability. “It was strongly delivered,” he said. Coulter said he was extremely honored to attend the speech.The “event takes on a symbolic significance,” Coulter said. The State of the Union is constitutionally mandated and typically is delivered in January or February. George Washington presented the first address Jan. 8, 1790.Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of addressing Congress verbally early in the 20th century. “This speech hit some high notes, but it won’t go down in history as a great speech,” Coulter said.“You don’t always have to hit a home run though. Sometimes you just need a solid hit.” (Leah Acker ’07 is an electrical engineering major from Mercer, Pa., and the Collegian editor-in-chief. Ryan Biese ’09 is a history social sciences major from Concord Township, Ohio, and a Collegian staff writer.)

Education professor’s class project turns into reality Students in the Trends and Issues in Education class, taught by Constance (Nelson ’93) Nichols, saw success this spring in a grant writing project. One of the assignments for the course was for students, either individually or as a team, to work with a practicing teacher to write a grant proposal. Usually the grants are small (under $1,000) and the students create the grant concept and overall project idea. One team, made up of seniors Ashley

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Nielsen, Ashlyn Shivers and Katherine Stenner, saw their project for the Mon Valley Education Consortium realized. Their grant was awarded to a first-grade teacher in the McKeesport Area School District.The grant they drafted focused on acquiring literacy and phonics materials that the teacher could integrate into a learning center in her classroom. The Mon Valley Education Consortium is led by executive director Dr. Linda (Seeger ’68) Croushore and works

with 25 school districts, career and technology centers, and area vocationaltechnical schools in Allegheny, Washington, Fayette,Westmoreland and Greene Counties. “I always tell my students the real value in this assignment is what they learn about the grant writing process,” Nichols said, “but it sure is nice to hear that their creativity and hard work are resulting in some great materials for a practicing educator!”


facultyprofile

Dr. Mark C. Fair Name: Mark C. Fair College: Grove City College Major: Chemical engineering Grad Year: 1985 Further Education: Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (1990) Title: Assistant Professor of Engineering and Physics First Job After College Graduation: Postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University Awards and Honors: Best speaker at CMU Bioengineering Graduate Symposium, Roger Clark Dawes Award for most outstanding engineering student at GCC Activities on Campus: Physics Club Hobbies: Whitewater kayaking,

New Sennholz book addresses ‘Age of Inflation’ Retired Professor of Economics Dr. Hans Sennholz continues his scholarly writings with the new “Age of Inflation Continued.” The 45-page book is a follow-up to Sennholz’s “Age of Inflation,” published in 1978. At that time, inflation was on the rise toward a 1980 peak of 13.58 percent. It declined to a 1988 low of 1.55 percent, according to the book, and is on the rise again. In his new writing, Sennholz explains that the United States has problems as the world’s largest debtor and a new generation must cope with the problem of inflation, which now require a new set of answers. “Age of Inflation Continued” is published by Libertarian Press, Inc., of Grove City and is available in the Grove City College Bookstore for $10.95.

climbing, hiking, bicycling, cross-country skiing Last Book You Read: “Monster” by Frank Peretti Favorite Vacation Spot: Anywhere adventure calls Favorite Location on Campus: Rockwell Hall Classes Taught this Semester: Introduction to Engineering, Computational Methods for Physics, labs for Fundamentals of the Universe Favorite Part of Interacting with Students: Helping and seeing students achieve higher levels of understanding Publications or Special Projects: Several journal articles, my dissertation, and “North Fork of the Blackwater” in American Whitewater Journal

~ ‘Senorita’ charts her course from page 39 was still war damage from the civil war that ended in 1939.You couldn’t talk politics with anyone. And no one wore shorts. Now, everyone talks politics and wears shorts.There is a constitutional monarchy, and Spain belongs to the European Union.” Forrester has literally navigated the world for educational and recreational purposes. In the course of her life, Forrester has been to Spain, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Morocco, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore,Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Costa Rica and Tahiti. And the list does not include all of the places in the U.S. Forrester has been to as well. While most people will never visit a foreign country, Forrester’s office in the Hall of Arts and Letters and her home provide an eclectic gallery of artifacts and pictures from her travels. From

watching bull fights in Spain to traversing the headwaters of South America to drinking mystical spirits in Bali, Forrester has lived as an adventurer, a student and an educator. So where in the world is Forrester headed next? Iceland. In July, she will make her first visit there as the escort of Grove City’s 2006 Alumni Tour.The group will explore the Icelandic scenery while learning about the country’s history and the Viking heritage. “I’m very excited about the trip to Iceland because I’ve never been there before,” she said. “Traveling is immensely educational. And I’ve always been fascinated by new sights, new customs and new folklore.” At this stage in her career, Forrester has yet to consider retirement. She still carries herself with the agility of a college girl.Teaching is her inspiration for life. “It’s always full of surprises,” she said with a smile. (Carolyn Lolla ’06 is a political science/ communication major from Pittsburgh, Pa.)

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campusnews

Gift of Music Royal Parker ’52 donates organ in wife’s memory By Barb Scheffler ’06 The glorious sound of organ notes booming through Harbison Chapel resonates with every member of the Grove City College family. Taking his tune from the organ’s melody, one alumnus has found a unique way to demonstrate love for his late wife and support for future generations of students in a beautiful harmony of music and memory. Royal Parker ’52 recently donated a one-of-a-kind organ to the College in memory and honor of his wife Miriam (Shellito ’52) Parker.The two shared a love of music throughout their lives together, and Miriam was a longtime musician who began playing the organ at the College. Royal, originally from Oil City, Pa., currently lives in Princeton, N.J., and is a retired financial professional with such firms as U.S. Steel Corporation, Peat Marwick Mitchell accounting firm, Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation and Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Miriam grew up in Grove City, and after graduating from the College, received her master’s degree from Pace University in New York City and went on to become a business teacher and legal administrator.The two had three children, David, Cindy and Judy (Parker ’76) Zenowich. Royal and Miriam met at the College and sang in the choir at East Main Presbyterian Church. Royal, a member of Nu Lambda Phi fraternity, and Miriam, a Gamma Chi, were both business students. Miriam took up organ lessons under College Organist Stanley Seiple and became an accomplished musician. After graduation, Miriam continued to share her gift of music as a church organist wherever the family moved. After Miriam’s passing, Parker read in

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A NEW ORGAN FOR THE PEW FINE ARTS CENTER WILL BE GIVEN BY ROYAL PARKER ’52, IN MEMORY OF HIS WIFE, MIRIAM (SHELLITO ’52) PARKER, PICTURED. / Contributed photo

The GeDUNK Alumni Magazine how J.R. Daniels ’89 was involved in organ restoration in Pittsburgh. After reading the story, Parker contacted Daniels and they began a dialogue about organ restoration.Throughout the conversation, Parker began to consider a similar project to honor his wife’s memory that could benefit the College. Last winter, Parker contacted Dr. Richard Konzen, professor of music and college organist, who oversees the College’s organ program. Konzen and Parker spoke about the long-term needs of the program, which included a second organ for teaching, practice and performance.This would alleviate some of the challenges facing organ students who have to vie for practice times in the Chapel. Last fall, Parker and Konzen invited organ builders to the College for a whirlwind session to plan an organ installation in the Pew Fine Arts Center. The organ will be housed in a space directly to the right of the entrance to the new wing of the building, able to be seen through a wall of windows for a stunning visual impact.

In comparison to the organ in Harbison Chapel, the new organ is made in a more traditional style, and the instrument is smaller and entirely mechanical.Whereas the organ in the chapel uses electricity to activate the pipes, the new organ works entirely through simple mechanical levers. Konzen explained that the new instrument will give students exposure to a historical model organ with Renaissance and Baroque architectural elements. The organ will be built by Fritz Noack of Georgetown, Mass., who crafts custom organs with traditional techniques. “There will be no other organ on earth like this one. It’s truly one of a kind,” said Konzen.“This is a beautiful instrument that will be around for years and years.” There are currently two organ majors and eight to 10 organ students studying under Konzen.With one organ major matriculating next fall, Konzen explained that the new instrument will have a wonderful positive impact on the program. Installation of the organ will begin this summer, with the goal to have it ready for use by next fall. In his beautiful gesture of generosity and remembrance, Parker has ensured that the music he and his wife loved will be shared for years to come on Grove City’s campus. (Barb Scheffler ’06 is an English/ communication major from Butler, Pa.)

View an artist’s rendering of the new organ to be housed in Pew Fine Arts Center.


campusnews

Derby raises $3,000 for hurricane relief Yellow ducks dotted Wolf Creek on the Grove City College campus on April 1 as a Ducky Derby fundraiser aimed to help send four teams of students to the Gulf Coast region over Easter break.The teams participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts April 8-15. The event, which included separate small duck and corporate duck derbies, raised nearly $3,000 with the sale of about 600 small ducks and 40 corporate ducks. The first-place winner of the Ducky Derby was freshman Bryan Jarrell.The duck purchased by freshman Tony Sappe came in second. And third place went to freshman Sarah Hirsh. First-, second- and third-place winners received $50, $30 and $20 gifts, respectively. The first-place winner of the corporate derby was the Grove City College President’s Office, with second place going to the College Spanish department and third place to the College biology department.Winners of the corporate derby received trophies. Sponsors of the first 20 ducks to cross the finish line received a Ducky Derby T-

ANXIOUS STUDENTS WATCH THEIR DUCKS FLOAT DOWN WOLF CREEK. / Photo by John Gechter ’09

shirt. Campus corporate sponsors included: Bon Appetit Catering; GCC Tennis Team; and several College academic departments, including modern languages, psychology, history, religion, education, English, chemistry, computer science and engineering. The ducks were on sale on the Grove

City College campus and at the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce throughout the week prior to the event. Small ducks were $2 each and corporate ducks were $25. All proceeds support the campus Gulf Outreach project, under the advisement of Professor of Communication Studies Betsy (Boak ’77) Craig.

Epsilon Pi fraternity sponsors ‘sweet’ fundraising event This winter, the Epsilon Pi fraternity sponsored a “Pie the Pis” fundraising event on campus. The 30 members of the fraternity volunteered as targets for students, faculty, staff and administrators, who hurled whipped cream pies in their faces. Throwers paid $1 a pie for the privilege of hitting a member of the Pis. A total of 43 cans of whipped cream were used, and the event yielded a total of $400. Half the proceeds were used

VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT LIFE AND LEARNING DR. JEAN-NOEL THOMPSON TAKES AIM AT JAY YANAK ’08 OF DURING THE EPSILON PI FRATERNITY FUNDRAISER. / Photo by Dr. Ralph Carlson ’62

to aid two members of the Bon Appetit Catering staff; one lost her home to fire and another was seriously injured in an automobile accident. The other half of the proceeds were used to support the Reading is Learning project sponsored by Mortar Board, which supplies books to needy Christian schools in Pittsburgh. The fraternity is advised by Professor of Mathematics Dr. Ralph Carlson ’62, who was named Professor of the Year on May 4 (see page 24).

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campusnews Admiral, pastor address Class of 2006 Chief of Naval Operations and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and the Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes addressed about 550 graduates at Commencement and Baccalaureate ceremonies, respectively, on May 19 and 20. A native of Los Angeles, Calif., Mullen graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968. He received a master of science degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate ADM. MIKE School in Monterey, MULLEN Calif. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. Mullen has served in Allied, Joint and Navy positions, overseas and in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. At sea, he first served on the USS Collett and the USS Blandy. He then served as commanding officer of the USS Noxubee, USS Goldsborough and USS Yorktown. As a flag officer, he commanded CruiserDestroyer Group Two and the George Washington Battle Group. Mullen’s last command at sea was as commander, U.S. Second Fleet/commander, NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic. Ashore, Mullen served as company officer and executive assistant to the commandant of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. He also served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel as director, surface officer distribution and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the staff of the director, operational test and evaluation. On the Chief of Naval Operations’ staff, Mullen served as deputy director and director of surface warfare; deputy chief of naval operations for resources, requirements and assessments; and as the 32nd vice chief of naval operations.

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Mullen’s most recent operational assignment was commander, Joint Force Command Naples/commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe. Based in Naples, Italy, he had operational responsibility for NATO missions in the Balkans, Iraq and the Mediterranean as well as providing overall command, operational control and coordination of U.S. naval forces in the European Command area of responsibility. Mullen became the 28th chief of naval operations on July 22, THE REV. DR. 2005. CRAIG BARNES Barnes was raised on Long Island, N.Y. After graduating from The King’s College and Princeton Seminary, he received a Ph.D. in the history of Christianity from the University of Chicago. In 1981, he was ordained into the Presbyterian Church and has served parishes in Colorado, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. In the fall of 2002, he became the Robert Meneilly Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and subsequently began his service as the installed pastor of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in November 2003. Barnes’ published books include “Yearning,”“When God Interrupts,” “Hustling God,”“Sacred Thirst,” “Extravagant Mercy” and “Searching for Home.” He is also a regular contributor to “The Christian Century” and “Leadership Journal.”

Check out an online slide show and photo gallery of Commencement and Baccalaureate ceremonies as 550 grads say goodbye to Grove City.

campusbriefs Kendall passes away Long-time computer staff member Jack Kendall passed away after illness on March 27, 2006. Kendall joined the College in 1980 and, at the time of his death, was the assistant director of administrative computing and an assistant professor of computer science. An JACK KENDALL ordained Baptist preacher, he was a pulpit supply pastor for area churches and entertained with guitar and singing at hospitals and nursing homes. His service to the community was recognized in 2002 with a Florence E. MacKenzie Campus Community Award. He also will be remembered by former students for his annual Faculty Follies rendition of the Smothers Brothers with colleague Everett DeVelde. He was an Air Force veteran. He leaves his wife, Ellie; six children, including Lissa (Kendall ’97) Fry, Brett Kendall ’98 and Stephen Kendall ’00; three sisters, three brothers and 10 grandchildren.

Grove City a ‘Best Value’ According to The Princeton Review, Grove City College is one of the nation’s best value undergraduate institutions. The New York-based education services company features Grove City in the 2007 edition of “America’s Best Value Colleges.” The guide profiles 150 colleges with excellent academics and relatively low costs. It includes 103 public and 47 private colleges in 40 states. The Princeton Review chose the colleges for the book based on data the company obtained from administrators at 646 colleges and from its surveys of students attending them. According to The Princeton Review, the average cost to attend a public college or university for four years is now $48,500. At a private college, it’s $116,000. At highly selective schools, costs total about $160,000. At Grove City College in 2006-07, full-time students in residence halls will pay annually $16,728, which includes tuition, room and board. Grove City College does not tack on additional fees and has been named one of the most competitive colleges in the nation by Barron’s.


campusnews Scholarship luncheon brings together donors, benefactors “Living, Learning & Leaving a Legacy” was the theme of the second annual scholarship luncheon on March 25, where 108 benefactors, scholars and staff members were welcomed by President Richard G. Jewell ’67. Megan McFall ’07 led the invocation, and the Players’ Club String Quartet provided luncheon music. Provost Dr. William P. Anderson Jr., spoke to the group about living and learning at Grove City College. Student speakers and their topics included: Rebecca Waskey ’06, “Reflections of Gratitude”; Benjamin Midberry ’06, “Four Years in Perspective”; and Kayla Lynam ’09, “A Year of Thanks.” Ventriloquist Joshua Bartlett ’07 and his puppet, Rodney the Rabbit, entertained guests with a comedy act, and Hayden Hammett ’06 performed the piano and vocal piece “You Raise Me Up.” Thomas J. Pappalardo, vice president for institutional advancement, expressed thoughts on “Leaving Your Legacy” during his closing remarks. Prior to the luncheon, attorney William Countiss and his wife, Mary Dee, of Amarillo,Texas, representatives of the Tom and Priscilla Connally Scholarship, met with 60 of the Connally scholarship recipients at a

TOP PHOTO: FROM LEFT, JENNIFER MCFARLAND ’07, JOYCE BRANDON, KATHERINE STENNER ’06, RON BRANDON ’64, GENE GEYER, MICHAEL SMITH ’09, JULIANNE GEYER AND JEREMIAH BROWN ’08. MCFARLAND, STENNER AND SMITH ARE RECIPIENTS OF THE RONALD AND JOYCE BRANDON ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP AND BROWN RECEIVED THE EARL K. PRICE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP. RIGHT PHOTO: JOSH BARTLETT ’07, CENTER, WITH RODNEY THE RABBIT, MEETS VALERIA DUKELOW, LEFT, AND DR. DON DUKELOW. BARTLETT IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE NEAL F. DUKELOW MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP.

reception in the Great Room of the Student Union. The generosity of alumni and friends to Grove City College is a foundation upon which the mission of educating the future leaders of tomorrow is strengthened. Endowed scholarships are perpetual gifts linking past, current and

A ‘welcome’ sign

VISITORS TO GROVE CITY’S CAMPUS WILL NOTICE A NEW SIGN AT THE PINE STREET ENTRANCE NEAR HARBISON CHAPEL, THANKS TO DONATIONS FROM CLASS MEMBERS FROM 1984 TO 2000. ON THE SIGN IS A PLAQUE NOTING WHICH CLASSES CONTRIBUTED TO THE STRUCTURE.

future generations of students together, while making a Grove City College education a reality for many deserving young men and women. If you would like to leave your legacy through a scholarship, contact Director of Donor Services Roxann Williams at (724) 458-2991 or rewilliams@gcc.edu.

Debaters excel at states, nationals The Grove City College Forensics Team competed in the Pennsylvania State Championship Forensics Tournament this spring in Philadelphia, and then moved on to nationals in Gatlinburg, Tenn.At states, the team captured the President’s Cup for “small schools” and earned fifth place among all schools. Junior Jamie Tucci led the team by winning third place in Persuasive Speaking and fifth

place in Impromptu Speaking. At nationals, seven speakers competed against 48 programs and finished in the top 20. Sophomore Courtney Winther made it to the Extemporaneous semifinals and sophomore Renae Smith and Tucci both reached the finals in Persuasive. No other school had more than one competitor in the Persuasive finals. The team is led by Drs. Michael Price and Steven Jones.

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campusnews

ALUMNI GIVE WORDS OF WISDOM TO YOUNG JOB-SEEKERS AT THE ANNUAL CAREER PANEL NIGHT ON MARCH 28. / Photo by John Gechter ’09

Alums advise students at Career Panel Night Grove City College alumni spoke to students about their career histories and current positions, and offered advice at the Career Services Office annual Alumni Career Panel Night on March 28. Close to 70 alumni visited campus to

interact with about 500 students. Josh Snyder ’04 described it as a good night that “provided for a great opportunity to talk with students that are in the same position that I was a few years ago.” Participating alums represented 13

Grove City unveils new web site Grove City College launched a new website in May, replacing the former site created in 2001.The College web site is still found at www.gcc.edu. According to Dr.Vince DiStasi ’88, vice president and chief information officer, the new site offers a fresh look and is consistent with other College publications. “It is very professional and has a modern look,” DiStasi said.“It appeals to a wide variety of constituents from incoming students to alumni.We are also able to take advantage of new technologies in order to keep the website current and easy to use.”

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One example is offering RSS (Real Simple Syndicate) feeds for subscribers to automatically have the latest news from the College sent directly to an RSS reader or web browser on their personal computer. The site also gives prospective students a thorough look at life on campus by a “Call off the Search” microvideo produced for the admissions department. Also, plans are in the works to offer podcasts – or prerecorded digital audio downloads – of select events and happenings. Other highlights of the site include better navigation and search capabilities.

major industries, including accounting, business, Christian ministry, communication, computer science, education, engineering, entrepreneurship, finance/international business, law, psychology, sales/marketing and science.

College receives $105,000 tech grant Microsoft Research announced that Grove City College is among the recipients of $1.2 million in funding for academic research in technology. The Tablet PC initiative will fund curriculum development and research projects that explore the impact of the tablet technology to help make teaching and learning more engaging. Eleven winners split $500,000, with Grove City receiving $105,000.The College proposal was under the grant writing direction of Dr.Vince Distasi ’88, vice president and chief information officer.


campusnews

Apartment comples on schedule, college offers ministry, residence life positions By Nicky Lipartito ’08 Grove City College will add two new positions this fall to help meet the needs of students living in the Colonial Hall Apartments on lower campus. The director of student ministries/apartment life coordinator, as well as an apartment life director, will each have a presence in the lives of the 208 students living on their own in 2006-07. According to Assistant Director of Residence Life Tish Maust ’01, the director of student ministries will report to Dean of the Chapel Dr. Stanley Keehlwetter and to Vice President for Student Life and Learning Dr. JeanNoel Thompson. Maust said he or she will also work on chapel programs and with the Religious Activities Committee. The campus ministry director will also act as a resource for student ministry groups, Keehlwetter said. For example, the director will help develop a master calendar to encourage groups with similar interests to share in events and coordinate with one another. The new employee will also serve as the part-time apartment life coordinator. Maust said he or she will work with the new apartment life director in Colonial Hall and have responsibility in life

CONSTRUCTION ON THE COLONIAL HALL APARTMENTS ON LOWER CAMPUS IS IN FULL SWING AND WILL BE COMPLETE BY AUGUST, IN TIME FOR STUDENTS TO MOVE IN TO START THE 2006-07 YEAR. BELOW: THE LAYOUT FOR THE THREEBEDROOM APARTMENT. / Photo by Amy Clingensmith ’96

skills programming in the apartments. The search for applicants was national, in a sense, through advertising. Qualifications are a master’s degree and several years experience with student development and/or ministry. Applications were reviewed by a committee, phone interviews were conducted and candidates were invited to campus to meet with the committee, resident directors, resident assistants, the Religious Activities Committee and chapel staff members. Once named, the new employees will start July 1.

Construction on the Colonial Hall Apartments on lower campus is in full swing and should be complete by August, in time for students to

move in for the fall semester. (Nicky Lipartito ’08 of Marcellus, N.Y., will serve as the Collegian editor-in-chief for 2006-07.)

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campusnews

Parents’Weekend celebrates relationships By Lindsay Karr ’07 Parents’Weekend at Grove City College welcomed hundreds of parents and family members to campus on May 5-6. With a full schedule of activities, one highlight was the traditional processional of the Spring Court, headed by Senior Spring Queen Monica Ammirati, who was accompanied by senior Ladies in Waiting Jan Ansell, Lauren Bigley, Barb Scheffler and Kristen Yanak. The court was rounded out by Junior Queen Meredith Habbershon, juniors Kelsey Nee and Leah Kolarcik, sophomores Susan Doar, Kylie Mackaness and Tara Wagner, and freshmen Colleen Castle, Paris Howat and Lindsay LaManna. Selection of the Spring Court is based on student nominations and voting. Spring Court traditions have existed at Grove City for nearly a century. According to Parents’Weekend adviser Carol Yeager, the first Spring Queen was chosen in 1916. “The Pageant has remained nearly the same since it was started in 1916,” she said. Some of the Spring Court traditions, however, have changed.The Spring Queen previously was called the May Queen and was crowned in an outdoor ceremony on lower campus. Additionally, the Spring King title was created about 30 years ago. “The guys on campus (at that time) thought it only fair to elect a Spring King if a Spring Queen was elected,”Yeager said. “SGA organized the elections as a joke.” Other Parents’Weekend activities included the fourth annual Business Plan Competition,Tau Alpha Pi One-Act Plays, Symphonic Band concert, student art exhibit, a Touring Choir performance, Recognition Convocation, sorority and fraternity luncheons and cookouts, alumni men’s rugby game, alumni tennis

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

SENIOR SPRING QUEEN MONICA AMMIRATI, LEFT FRONT, WAS ACCOMPANIED BY JUNIOR QUEEN MEREDITH HABBERSHON, RIGHT FRONT, AND SENIOR LADIES IN WAITING, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, JAN ANSELL, BARB SCHEFFLER, LAUREN BIGLEY AND KRISTEN YANAK. / Photo by John Gechter ’09

match,WSAJ live radio broadcast, Jazz Ensembles concert, dance pageant, Q&A with President Richard G. Jewell ’67, Legacy Luncheon, a Parents’ Association

program, All-College Sing and the Parents’Weekend Worship Service. (Lindsay Karr ’07 is a Collegian writer from Pittsburgh, Pa.)


athousandwords

A SUPER CELEBRATION: ON JAN. 27, MORE THAN 300 STUDENTS AND STAFF GATHERED IN THE GEE FOR A GIANT BLACK-AND-GOLD PHOTO TO CELEBRATE THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS’ TRIP TO THE SUPER BOWL. SEVERAL MEDIA OUTLETS IN THE PITTSBURGH AND GROVE CITY AREAS PRINTED THE PHOTO, BROADCAST IT ON THE AIR AND POSTED IT TO THE WEB. / Photo by Carole Starz, guest lecturer in communication and fine arts


classnotes

70 years together

KEEP IN TOUCH! We want to keep in touch with you electronically! If you have an e-mail address, or have recently changed your address, please contact us at alumni@gcc.edu.

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Ted Uber ’31 and his wife, Louella, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Feb. 20, 2006. Ted, born in Fort Morgan, Colo., and Louella, born in Beaver Falls, Pa., met as youth after both families moved to Grove City. They were married in Harbison Chapel by Ted’s classmate Robert Atwell ’30. They moved to California in 1944 and started “California Hand Forged Aluminum” in 1947. In 1952, they bought the Van Ness Water Gardens in Upland, Calif., now run by their son, Bill. All of their children and several grandchildren have

1956 GLENN CLEPPER authored his second book, “The Spirit of America – Let’s Save and Revive our American Heritage.” It is available throughout the country. Clepper is finishing his third book, “The Spirit of America – The War on Religion: Beware of the Secular Evolutionist Threat.”

water lilies named after them. Ted and Louella retired to Los Osis in 1973, then moved to Carlsbad in 1982. They have three children, seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Stark ’51 returns from Heifer tour

1967 PAUL CARLIN received the Award for Legal Excellence for the Advancement of Professional Competence presented by the Maryland Bar Foundation. Carlin has been the executive director of the Maryland State Bar Association since 1985. JAMES DEITRICK, professor and KPMG Peat Marwick centennial fellow in accounting, received the 2005 Outstanding Professor Award from master in professional accounting students at the University of Texas at Austin. This is his fourth such award in five years. He also was recognized as an Outstanding Professor and Scholar by the Texas Blazers and an Outstanding Professor by Texas MBAs. WILLIAM SCHULTZ has been accredited as a national level philatelic judge by the American Philatelic Society. He is a lifelong stamp collector/postal historian and has been published numerous

Dr. Jim Stark ’51 recently returned from a study tour to Poland with Heifer International. He was among a small group of volunteers who visited the Polish farmers who had received the gift of animals. Heifer International requires its recipients to “pass on the gift” by sharing the offspring of their animals. Jim and his wife, Fran, have been Heifer volunteers for the past 10 years. Jim and Fran also are supporters of the Young America’s Foundation and Friends of the Ronald Reagan Ranch. They attended Young America’s 2005 West Coast Student Leadership Conference in Santa Barbara, Calif., with other donors and college students from across the country. times. He has spoken on philatelic subjects and judged competitive exhibitions across the country. He is a medal winner at the international and national levels in philatelic competitions. He and his wife, Patricia, reside in West Chester, Pa.


classnotes EPs hit Oglebay 1971

Epsilon Pi alumni take a break after a volleyball game at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, W.Va. The fraternity brothers have been gathering for at least 15 years (spouses included) at places including Hidden Valley, the Poconos, Pinehurst, the Fetterolf residence, Grove City College, and several times at Oglebay. Row 1, from left: Bill May ’53, Glenn Fountain ’52 and John Frey ’52. Row 2: Fred Fetterolf ’52, Dick Snow ’54, Jim Hammerlee ’52 and Paul Stati ’52. Row 3: Phil Lux and Jim Barnes ’52. Not pictured: Kermit Taggart ’52.

1968 RICHARD FELEGY rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 22, 2006. He was accompanied by his wife, Patti. Felegy was honored as a retiring committee member of the NYSE Institutional Traders Advisory Committee after serving two terms. He works with Morgan Stanley and has more than 35 years in the industry. THOMAS HEMMING has announced his retirement from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), where he has served as both senior vice president for medical rehabilitation services and president of UPMC Rehabilitation Hospital for the past eight years. Prior to his UPMC tenure, Hemming was executive vice president of The Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh for 11 years. He resides in Pittsburgh with his wife, Linda (Spohn ’70) Hemming. Two of his three children and two grandchildren also live in the Pittsburgh area.

KAREN (REEVIE) MCDONOUGH was selected for inclusion in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2006.” She was also honored in 2004 and 2005. McDonough retired in June 2005 from Cherry Creek School District, Englewood, Colo., after 33 years of teaching French, Spanish and English. She is currently an adjunct instructor of Spanish at Community College of Aurora. She and her husband, Joe, live in Aurora.

1973 SANDY GEISELMAN has joined the Center for Women’s Business Research in Washington, D.C., as its director of development. She will be responsible for developing corporate and foundation relations, as well as raising funds for the organization. Previously, she was divisional vice president of sales and business development at The Pfaltzgraff Company in York, Pa.

1975 MARK MUSAUS received the Take Pride in America National Award as the Federal Land Manager of the Year for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Musaus is refuge manager at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach, Fla. He is credited with developing partnerships, expanding the biological program and increasing funding for the refuge. SALLY (KOETTING) WADE was promoted to vice president of human resources at Mitsubishi Electric Power Products in Warrendale, Pa. In this position, she is responsible for all facets of human resources and payroll functions. She joined the company in 2002. She also serves on the board of directors of Holy Family Social Services and Three Rivers Youth.

Annapolis memories

Phi Sigs from the Class of 1971 met in Annapolis, Md., for a few days this fall. They say that their annual weekend together is filled with great memories. From left are: Carol (Doctor) Bowman, Jane (Neely) Evens, Suzy (Camp) Bull, Ashley (Mainard) Weston, Vicki (Gott) Liggitt, Sue Travis and Emmy (Starrett) Bocek.

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classnotes Grads teach English in China

1980

Jeff ’75 and Beverly (Parker ’74) Shaffer (left) and Melinda (Gettemy ’74) and Chuck ’73 MacPherson (right) had a unique reunion in China during July and August 2005. Jeff directed a summer English language camp and Bev, Chuck and Melinda were among the teachers. The program is designed to assist Chinese students in speaking English while their teachers share their American culture. The school was in Jingbian, China, near the Gobi Desert. The two couples also toured Xian, home to the Terra Cotta Warriors, and Beijing, where they climbed The Great Wall.

COL. KENNETH MERCHANT was nominated by the President to the Senate for appointment to brigadier general. Merchant, who most recently commanded the 551st Electronic Systems Wing at Hanscom AFB, Mass., is now vice commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah. He is a career acquisition officer with nearly 26 years of service in the Air Force. He is married to the former Susan Bell and they have a grown daughter. RACHEL SCHULTZ was chosen for “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2006.” Nominated by a former student, Schultz has been teaching elementary instrumental music for 25 years in the Butler (Pa.) Area School District. GREG SPALDING finished his 20th Great Race on Sept. 25 in Pittsburgh and his seventh Great Race with his wife, Lilly. Last year, Spalding spoke at the baccalaureate service for Kiski Area High School at the invitation of The Rev. Chuck Hildbold ’79. Spalding, author of “Run the Greatest Race,” uses the athletic metaphor as a teaching tool for discipleship.

1976

1978

KEN DEERE was named by Wachovia Corp. as its commercial banking executive for Georgia. In this role, he is responsible for creating and implementing commercial banking strategies in the region. Deere has been with Wachovia for 13 years and held numerous leadership positions. He is married to Karen (Cunningham ’79) Deere. DARRELL SMITH was reelected to a three-year term as managing partner of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, in its Tampa office. He has been with the company for 15 years. Smith was also reelected to the firmwide management committee. He represents business entities and practices in the areas of corporate and securities law, finance, and mergers and acquisitions.

THE REV. DR. JEFFREY BELL, a chaplain (MAJ) in the Virginia Army National Guard, is currently serving a one-year tour with the 40th CSG (California National Guard) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. Bell is pastor of the Providence Presbyterian Church, Virginia Beach, Va., which allowed him to serve in this capacity.

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1979 GARY BABBITT was promoted to senior vice president and manager of the Commercial Services Department of Canandaigua (N.Y.) National Bank and Trust. He also became a member of the senior management group. Babbitt has been with the Bank for 10 years. He resides in Avon, N.Y., and coaches youth basketball and baseball.

1981 WILLIAM and CONNIE (GOUGLER) BOTH welcomed their seventh child, Leah Faith, on Nov. 21, 2005. She joins B.J., 21; Rachel, 18; Jessica, 12; Isaac, 9; Jeremiah, 6; and Luke, 4. The Boths are homeschooling the children and live in Fredericksburg, Va. FORD FRAM and his wife, Janice, welcomed a son, Tyler Jacob, born April 21, 2004. His brother, Bradford, is 4. The Frams live in Burton, Ohio. KENNETH ROOS has been elected the 2006 president of the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association (PSBSA). The PSBSA is a department of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and is comprised of attorneys who focus in the representation of public school districts. Roos is head of the Education Law Group at Wisler Pearlstine Talone Craig Garrity & Potash LLP in Blue Bell, Pa., and has been practicing school law and employment law in Montgomery County for 20-plus years.


classnotes 1982

1985

JANEY (CHRISTNER) LAYMAN is an All-USA Teacher. She was named to the Teacher Team, selected by “USA Today,” in December. Layman is one of just 19 individuals and one group to be chosen for this prestigious honor. Winners receive a trophy, $2,500 for their school and $500 for themselves. This is Layman’s third national award for teaching. She teaches at Southmoreland High School in Alverton, Pa. She and a fellow All-USA Teacher from Arkansas were featured in a Dec. 28 “USA Today” article. The two teachers launched a year-long project in which the Arkansas chemistry students developed soap for Layman’s entrepreneurship students to market. The teachers met when both won Disney Teacher Awards. COL. CHRISTOPHER MILLER was serving as the deputy commanding officer of the Joint Special Operations Task Force/Special Operations Command and Control Element – Horn of Africa in the tiny East African country of Djibouti. Regularly assigned to the Office of Air Force Reserve (Pentagon), Miller was in the HOA starting in December 2005 and was deployed through March 2006. He lives in Marlton, N.J., with his wife and three children.

AMY DINNING has become the director of learning for Willow Grove Bank and First Financial Bank. The offices are located in King of Prussia, Pa., where Dinning resides. JANE (WIDENHOFER) DIXON is the president of Mount West Investments, a private equity and angel investment partnership in Pittsburgh. She is also a member of the board of directors of Pittsburgh Civic Light Orchestra (CLO), Ohio Valley General Hospital, Gateway to the Arts and vice president of the CLO Ambassadors. She and her husband have two children. JEFF GREGG joined the Geneva Watch Group in February as executive vice president and CFO. The company is based in Long Island City, N.Y. AMY (SHAFFER) MURZINSKI was promoted to director of financial accounting, Las Vegas Region, for Harrah’s Entertainment, responsible for the financial reporting for the six Las Vegas gaming properties. She was previously the director of financial accounting for Caesars Palace. Murzinski has been with the Caesars/Harrah’s organization for 14 years. She is also serving as church treasurer for Summerlin Presbyterian Church, a new church development in Las Vegas. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, Frank, and their two children, Alicia, 16, and Emily, 12 (see story on page 14).

1983 DARRYL BRAYMAN and his wife, Ellalyne, were married on April 24, 2004. In a previous GeDUNK magazine, the wedding date was listed as Nov. 6, 2004, which was the date of their more formal wedding ceremony. Their son, Joshua, was born June 3, 2005. COL. RICHARD MALLICK and his wife, Patricia, announce the birth of a son, Jackson Lee, on Nov. 11, 2004. He joins Madison, 3, at home in Universal City, Texas. NATALIE (SUTYAK) WATKINS and her husband, Garry, welcomed a son, Joseph Garry, on May 11, 2004.

1984 JOHN STILLWAGGON is president of the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce for 2006.

1986 DANA (EVERSON) BRENDZA and her husband, Tom, announce the birth of their son, John William, on May 15, 2005. He joins brother Joseph, 2. The family resides in the Cleveland area. CHRIS (VORNDRAN) CRYTZER served as a judge in the National PTA 2005-06 Reflections contest. Crytzer judged the high school literature category. The contest encourages students to explore artistic talent and expression. DANIEL GONCZ has been named a senior associate at Gannett Fleming. He is based in the Pittsburgh and Mercer offices and manages the staff in planning, grant

writing, design, permitting, bidding and construction management of municipal wastewater, water and stormwater projects. BETH (GREENAWALT) JOHNSON earned certification as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from the Human Resource Certification Institute. She has been employed as personnel supervisor for the West Seneca (N.Y.) Central School District for two years. She resides in West Seneca with children Adam, 13, Erin, 10, and husband Todd Johnson ’85, who was recently promoted to property loss supervisor for Albert F. Stager Insurance in Orchard Park, N.Y. RICK WORK was promoted to assistant advertising manager for “The Herald” in Sharon, Pa. He has worked with the newspaper for 17 years.

1987 RICHARD CREESE was elected to partnership in KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm. Creese, a CPA, provides audit services to consumer and industrial markets clients in the Pittsburgh area. He also serves as a steering committee member for the March of Dimes Star of Chefs charity event and is a member of several professional organizations. He and his family live in Butler. APRIL (RUTH) DIAZ and her husband, David, welcomed a son, Caleb Isaac, on Dec. 5, 2005. Caleb joins brothers Daniel, 8, and Benjamin, 6. JANET (DAGLIAN) HERRINGTON and her husband, Lew, announce the birth of a son, Nathan Alexander, on May 2, 2005. He joins Samuel, 5, and Alyssa, 3, at home in Odessa, Fla. ROB and HEIDI (TAYLOR) ODOM, who live in Pittsburgh, were featured in a Jan. 18 segment on KDKA TV’s morning news. It was the week of the Pittsburgh SteelersDenver Broncos playoff game; Rob is a tried-and-true Broncos fan and Heidi is a self-described Steelers fanatic. Their home has lots of football memorabilia from both teams and the story focused on their rivalry. (Editor’s note: Pittsburgh 34, Denver 17.) ROBERT WAUGAMAN and his wife, Laurie, are the parents of a son, Ryan Pete, born April 6, 2005. They live in Grove City.

– DUNK theG e

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classnotes 1988

1989

LONNIE CHENEY earned his doctor of science degree in engineering management from George Washington University in May 2005. His primary areas of concentration were cost estimation, sensitivity analysis and operations research. He works as a project manager and senior systems architect for Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Newport News, Va. He also is a faculty member in the engineering management and systems engineering department at George Washington University Hampton Roads Center. He, his wife Chryse, and daughter Jenna, 14, live in Hampton, Va. BILL DEASY was featured in the January 2006 issue of “Pittsburgh Magazine” as one of the ‘25 Most Beautiful People’ in Pittsburgh. Deasy is a musician based there. KRIS (WOLFE) and BILL MARSHECK welcomed a son, Seth Logan, on Feb. 18, 2006. His siblings are Justine, Will and Lainie. The Marshecks live in Pembroke Pines, Fla. JANICE (LESKOVAC) SCHULZ joined the University of Cincinnati as program director in the Archives and Rare Books Library. She is responsible for administering the University Records Management Program, managing the department website and providing reference service for University Records and Archives and Rare Books collections. She lives in Blue Ash, Ohio, with husband Kurt and daughters Wendy Dalton, 14, and Katie Dalton, 13. CYNTHIA (PHILLIPS) and STEVE ’89 TAAFFE welcomed a daughter, Teresa Hope “Tessa,” born Oct. 12, 2005. Siblings are John, 5, and Alex, 4. The family lives in Nacogdoches, Texas, where Steve is an associate professor of history at Stephen F. Austin State University. He is the author of a new book, “Commanding the Army of the Potomac,” published by University Press of Kansas. This is his third book. ROBERT WITZEL was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Air Force Reserve last summer. He and his wife, Athena, welcomed son Sean Matthew on Sept. 22, 2004. Sean’s sisters are Brenna, 7, and Brooke, 5.

CAROLYN (COCHRANE) CARR and her husband, Douglas, are the parents of twins, Cora Ann and Kendall Joy, born May 8, 2005. The Carrs live in Raleigh, N.C. JEFF HINEBAUGH, an attorney with Cincinnati’s Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, was named an Ohio Super Lawyer – Rising Star by Law & Politics Media. BARBARA (STUBNA) and DAVID ’91 JAMES announce the birth of their son, Joel, on April 27, 2005. SUSAN (ZERBY) SWOPE and her husband, Randall, welcomed a son, Nathan Randall, born May 28, 2005. Sister Sarah, 2, welcomed him home to Luthersburg, Pa.

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1990 LYNN GIBSON began a new position in January as special assistant for conservative outreach at the U.S. Department of Labor. Previously, she worked as director of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. SUHEIR (SAIKALY) PFEIL and her husband, Robert, announce the birth of a daughter, Laila Mariana, on Oct. 8, 2005. They reside in Pittsburgh. JODI (HEHMAN) SOULE and her husband, Bruce, live in Butler, Pa., with their daughter Alexandra Grace, born May 25, 2004. SHEREE STOUT and her husband, Douglas Davidson, welcomed a daughter, Ayli Ann, on Jan. 11, 2005. The family lives in Sewickley, Pa. DR. JONATHAN TALLMAN recently opened a private practice in Aptos, Calif. He has been working as a psychiatrist for the County of Santa Cruz for seven years, treating indigent patients with chronic mental illness. He speaks Spanish every day, as many of his patients are migrant workers from Mexico. His wife, Zelda, is an attorney specializing in criminal defense. They have a 2-year-old son, Ethan.

1991 DR. MICHAEL and LAURA (GOLD) COULTER welcomed a daughter, Jane Margaret, on Nov. 16, 2005.

MARC DANILE and his wife, Courtney, welcomed a son, Brooks Robert, on May 25, 2005. The family lives in West University Place, Texas. DAWN GABRIEL and Francis Chiafari were married Nov. 19, 2005, in Baltimore. The couple resides in Ellicott City, Md., where Dawn is a project lead for Johns Hopkins Hospital. She also is pursuing her master’s degree in project management at the University of Maryland University College. Frank is the director of molecular technology at the Baltimore RH typing lab. Dawn has two children from a previous marriage, Allie, 9, and Shelby, 6. LAURIE (JONES) and GLENN HOSHAUER announce the birth of a daughter, Rebekah, on Oct. 8, 2005. She was welcomed home to Tampa, Fla., by siblings Justin, 6, and Amanda, 2. SCOTT LIPTAK and his wife, Lynne, welcomed daughter Gwendolyn Yu Sarah, born March 14, 2004, and adopted from China Dec. 13, 2005. Siblings are Caleb, Seth and Madelyn. PAUL SHANE and his wife, Jo-Lynne, welcomed a daughter, Rebecca Morgan, on Oct. 10, 2005. She joins David, 5, and Caroline, 2, in Spring City, Pa.

1992 ELAINE BRENNER-ZALEWSKI was nominated recently for “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering 2006.” She teaches AP biology, directed research, general biology and general chemistry at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, N.J. She also shows a blue tortoiseshell cat named Sasha, who was adopted as a rescue cat and is now a Supreme Grand Champion with more than 70 top 10 finishes, including five “Best Cat” awards. SUSAN (FLEMING) CRARY and her husband, Karl, are the parents of a daughter, Elizabeth Grace, born July 3, 2005. The Crarys live in Pittsburgh. BETH (DOROW) FREDERICK and her husband, Kevin, announce the birth of a daughter, Lia Elizabeth, on Nov. 6, 2005. The family lives in Pittsburgh. MATTHEW HAMILTON was elected to a counsel position with Pepper Hamilton LLP in Philadelphia. He will focus on pharmaceutical and medical device product liability litigation.


classnotes SHARON (ESHBAUGH) LIPSCOMB and her husband, Steve, welcomed a daughter, Meghan Lucille, on Dec. 22, 2004. Sister Michaela is 4. The Lipscombs reside in Sellersville, Pa. JODIE (BERRINGER) LOTT and her husband, David, announce the birth of a son, Brenden David, born Oct. 24, 2005. DAVID MAZEROSKI and his wife, Kelly, welcomed a son, William James, on Aug. 31, 2005. The family lives in Souderton, Pa. LORI (FORSYTH) MCCANDLESS and her husband, James, are the parents of a son, Ryan James, born Oct. 25, 2005. Ryan’s sister, Jenna, is 4. The family makes its home in Franklin, Pa. KIMBERLY (HAWKINS) ROBINSON and husband Douglas welcomed a daughter, Elizabeth Jane, on April 13, 2005. She is joined at home by brother Sam, 3. KIMBERLY (DAVIS) and SEAN RUTKOWSKI welcomed a daughter, Courtney Nicole, on Oct. 21, 2005. She joins Ashley, 9, Tyler, 6, and Bryan, 1, at home in Saint Michael, Minn. KRISTEN (WELCH) and ERIC ’94 SNYDER adopted a son, Andrew Paul, born Aug. 30, 2005. He joins brother William at home in Lyndhurst, Ohio. CATHERINE (COLE) TEPASKE and her husband, Jason, welcomed a son, Maxwell Cole, born Oct. 6, 2005. SAM and TAMMY (ELDER ’91) WILLIAMS announce the birth of their third child, Emily Faith, on Jan. 24, 2006. Her sisters are Katelyn and Anna. The family resides in Grove City. LESLEY (MARTZ) and MICHAEL ’91 WINFIELD welcomed a second daughter, Nicole Kirsten, on Dec. 22, 2005. Sister Ashley is 3. The Winfields live in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

1993 JASON BISCOMBE and Wachiraphan Paktanabodee were married Jan. 14, 2006, at Bung Ta Lau Park in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Jason is a historical landscape architect for the National Park Service and Wachiraphan is a global service agent for PayPal. The couple lives in Omaha, Neb.

’94 grads chat in Charleston

Alumni from the Class of ’94 met for their 11th annual gathering at the Charleston, W.Va., home of Brian Acklin and his wife, Traci. Row 1, from left: Daniel Legters, Nicholas Legters, David Verduci, Ben Acklin, Joey Verduci and Karen (Lesch) Verduci, holding Sarah Verduci. Row 2: Traci Acklin, Philip Acklin and Joe Verduci '94. Row 3: Brian Acklin, Lisa Legters, holding Jennifer Legters, and Jeff Legters. Row 4: Andy Barr, holding James Barr, and Laura (Spicer) Barr. KATHY (JONES) FORESTER and her husband, Randall, announce the birth of a daughter, Angelica Jubilee, born Sept. 23, 2005. The family lives in Chicora, Pa. AMY (SMITH) and GEORGE GUNN welcomed a son, Daniel James, on Oct. 14, 2005. Brother George is 2. The Gunns live in Collegeville, Pa. CHRISTINE (BILLINGS) NICKERSON and her husband, Timothy, welcomed son Joshua on Aug. 20, 2005. Framingham, Mass., is their home. DAVID PISANI and his wife, Yang, welcomed a son, David Reagan, on Feb. 10, 2006. They live in Castleton, N.Y. WENDY (SCHWAB) RILEY and her husband, Andrew, announce the birth of their second son, Spencer Joseph, on Nov. 10, 2005. Braeden is 4. They live in Oil City, Pa. DENNIS STATES and his wife, Gail, welcomed a daughter, Natalie Ann, on Nov. 11, 2005. Natalie was welcomed by brothers Owen, 6, and Eric, 4, in Greensboro, N.C. KIRK WOLF and his wife, Tiffani, welcomed twins, Luke and Lily, on Sept. 28, 2005. They joins siblings Bailey, 11, and Bradley, 8, in Portage, Mich.

1994 LORI (STEFFY) ARCHER and her husband, David, welcomed a son, Henry David, on Nov. 18, 2005. The Archers reside in Mount Joy, Pa. ROBIN (TURNEY) BALNAVE and her husband, David, adopted two girls from Guatemala on Oct. 23, 2005. AvaJane Helen was born April 22, 2005, and Kelsey Grace was born April 30, 2005. The family now lives in Bath, Ohio. PAULA (JOHNSON) HOLLORAN and her husband, Michael, welcomed a daughter, Grace Elizabeth, on Feb. 18, 2005. BOB and CINDY (WITTE ’93) KEEFER adopted a son, Manuel DeJesus, on Jan. 26, 2006. Manuel is from Guatemala. KEVIN LABBY and his wife, Molly, welcomed a son, Andrew Justus, on Nov. 12, 2005. He joins brothers Elijah, 6, and Micah, 4, at home in Jeannette, Pa. MARSHA (CRIBBS) and NICHOLAS ’95 MATTHEWS are the parents of twins, Katherine and Alexander, born July 20, 2004. They live in Southlake, Texas. – DUNK theG e

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classnotes VICTORIA (STONE) RAYBOULD and her husband, Neil, welcomed a son, Matthew Neil, on Nov. 28, 2005. He was welcomed home in Cranberry Township, Pa., by sisters Abby, 4, and Emma, 2. KATE (WARNER) REIN and her husband, Mark, brought home their daughter, Esther, on Dec. 8, 2005. Esther was born Jan. 1, 2005, and was adopted in Hubei, China, in November. Kate is selfemployed as a business writer for Wolf Creek Publications; Mark is a morning show personality and news director for 95.5 The Fish in Cleveland. GREG and AMY (SIEK ’96) SARKETT are the parents of a son, Evan James, born April 16, 2005. Evan joins Ryan, 3, at home in Canonsburg, Pa. JILL (FITCH) SLABY and her husband, Scott, have a new son, Henry, born Dec. 25, 2005. Brother Nate is 2. The Slabys recently moved to Avon Lake, Ohio. TRACI (MORTON) SWEETSER and her husband, Stephen, welcomed a daughter, Abigail Elizabeth, on July 31, 2003. Big sister Rachael is 5. The family resides in Harrisburg, N.C.

1995 AMY (WILLERUP) BENTON and her husband, Allan, welcomed twin daughters, Emily and Alexa, born Nov. 9, 2004. The Bentons reside in Bear, Del. BETH (SCHLAYER) CHIOFALO and her husband, John, announce the birth of a son, Vincent John, on Jan. 7, 2006. They reside in Orrville, Ohio. MICHAEL HOFFER and his wife, Connie, are the parents of a son, Jason Andrew, born Jan. 5, 2006. The Hoffers make their home in Chicora, Pa. KIMBERLY (WHELAN) KIERSTEAD and her husband, Justin, welcomed a daughter, Kailey Elisabeth, born Oct. 24, 2005. DEBORAH (LESZCZYNSKI) KNOX and her husband, Cliff, announce the birth of Catrina Kendall, born May 18, 2005. DAVID LAUTENSCHLEGER and his wife, Leslie, are the parents of a son, Treyton Kent, born Sept. 14, 2005. The family lives in Dover, Ohio.

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CHRIS and NICOLE (VARGO) MCCORMICK welcomed a daughter, Ciara Hope, on Nov. 14, 2005. She joins sister Riley, 4, at home in Chardon, Ohio. BETSY MEADE and John Warner were married June 25, 2005, at Calvary United Methodist Church in Oil City, Pa. The couple resides in Oil City, were Betsy is a middle school math teacher for the Oil City Area School District. John is a marketing strategist for Forever Broadcasting. CAROLINE (LUCHETA) ONG and her husband, Kevin, announce the birth of a son, Gideon Angelo, on Dec. 9, 2005. The family lives in Van Alstyne, Texas. MATT RISINGER and his wife, Christy, are the parents of a daughter, Alivia Claire, born Jan. 9, 2006. The Risingers live in Austin, Texas. REBECCA (FROST) and PETE ’94 SIEBERT welcomed a daughter, Molly Grace, on Sept. 30, 2005. She joins brothers Jacob, 7, and Luke, 4, in East Petersburg, Pa. ERIC SIMPSON and his wife, Carrie, are the parents of a son, Isaac McCain, born Nov. 24, 2005. ROBERT SYKES and his wife, Nisachol, announce the birth of a son, James Robert Charles, on July 11, 2005. LOUIS and CHRISTINE (LEAHY ’97) WASNESKY and daughter Elyssa welcomed Bryan Michael to the family on Oct. 10, 2005. They reside outside of Annapolis, Md. Lou works for Constellation Energy and Christine is a stay-at-home mom. MEG (HINTON) WATSON and her husband, Terry, welcomed a daughter, Ella Kathleen, on Jan. 2, 2006. The Watsons live in Nashville.

1996 HANS BUEHLER and his wife, Ellen, announce the birth of a daughter, Betty Autumn, on Aug. 19, 2005.

ANNA GEE and Christian Sary were married June 4, 2005, at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Anna received her master’s degree in special education in 1997 and is an office manager at a CPA firm in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Christian is a firefighter/ paramedic in North Royalton. They live in Strongsville. JEAN JOCOY and Ryan Sullivan were married on Dec. 31, 2005, in Niagara-onthe-Lake, Canada. Jean is a regional sales manager for a lighting manufacturer and Ryan owns and operates a Family Fun MiniGolf Center. They live in Wadsworth, Ohio. DEANNE KISSINGER graduated from the Melbourne Business School in Melbourne, Australia, in May 2005 with an MBA in international marketing and communications. She earned highest honors in organizational behavior as well as a dean’s commendation for her work in brand management. She now works for GlaxoSmithKline in Uxbridge as their UK salesforce training manager. She lives in London. JONATHAN LARSEN and his wife, Caroline, announce the birth of a daughter, Lauren Pond, on Jan. 9, 2006. JEFFREY and ERIN (MCGREGOR) LISAK welcomed a daughter, Hailey WuZhen, born Feb. 2, 2005 and adopted from China on Sept. 14, 2005. Brother Jacob is 6. They reside in Bethel Park, Pa. JOE and ANGELINE (SNEERINGER) MERTZ announce the birth of son Brendan on Sept. 22, 2005. Sister Rachel is 2. The family lives in Orlando. MATTHEW and HEATHER (HARRIS ’98) MLECKO welcomed a son, Logan Lawrence, on Aug. 28, 2005. He joins Brooke, 2, at home in Bethel Park, Pa.


classnotes “JJ” JENNIFER (WOLFE) RHINEHART and her husband, Tim, announce the addition of a daughter, Katrina Esther YuJiao, born Jan. 9, 2005, and adopted Oct. 8, 2005, from China. Big sister Juliana, 6, welcomed her sister in China before all returned home to Williamsport, Pa.

Destination Baltimore

1997 BRIAN BIANCHI accepted an assignment to Australia two years ago to manage the Asia/Australian operations for a global US-based company. He is responsible for manufacturing and logistics in the region and for re-structuring the Australian business. His wife, Sarah (Moore ’98) Bianchi, had been working as a high school English teacher before the move and is now doing substitute teaching. MIKE DREVES was selected as one of seven state finalists for Pennsylvania’s 2005 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He was math teacher at Mercer Area High School. In the fall, he will join Grove City College as head men’s soccer coach, assistant professor of physical education and Fitness Room coordinator (see story on page 34). LAUREL (HERON) and STEVEN ’96 JONES announce the birth of a son, Tyler Andrew, on April 12, 2005. They live in Longmeadow, Mass. GREGORY KREUTZBERG and his wife, Beatriz, announce the birth of a daughter, Elise, on Sept. 19, 2005. Sister Caroline is 2. The family lives in Virginia Beach, Va. MARLOE (APELMAN) LIPPERT and her husband, Webb, welcomed a daughter, Camden Grace, on March 24, 2005. BETH (MATHIESON) and TRAVIS ’95 WELLER are the parents of a daughter, Amelia Sue, born Dec. 16, 2005. Amelia joins sisters Hannah, 5, and Abigail, 3, in Mercer, Pa. MAE (MCCLERNON) and KYLE ’98 WILSON welcomed their second child, Samuel Wallace, on Jan. 23, 2006. The family resides in Richmond, Va., where Kyle is a practice manager for a computer consulting firm. Mae homeschools their daughter Emma, 5.

Alumnae from the Class of 1998 gather each summer to spend an extended weekend together. They come from five different states and chose Baltimore for last summer’s stop. Other trips included Pittsburgh, Rehoboth Beach, Chicago and Harrisburg. Row 1, from left, Carrie (Shaw) Lebo and Karin (Schwammlein) Stiles. Row ennie (Greer) Hardy, Erin (Landis) Smith, Yohanna (Knight) Richman, Erin 2: Je (Reagan) Reisman and Jessica Davis.

1998 BRIAN and PAULA (CUNNINGHAM ’96) FAGAN added a son, Tyler James, on Sept. 14, 2005. He joins sisters Sarah, 5, Abigail, 4, and Paige, 1, at home in Medford Lakes, N.J. BEN HUTH and his wife, Cara (Ialongo – attended GCC) welcomed a daughter, Giovanna, on Dec. 5, 2005. JANICE (NAIK) and JEREMY ’99 JOHN are the parents of an infant son, Micah Aaliyah. The family lives in Jamaica Plain, Mass. CARRIE (SHAW) and LONN ’96 LEBO welcomed a daughter, Katherine Sterling, on April 21, 2005. The Lebos reside in Mechanicsburg, Pa. JEFF and KELLY (PROFANT) PORTER announce the birth of a son,

Matthew, on Jan. 3, 2006. Brother Samuel is 2. The family lives in Adams Township, Pa. MERILEE (GERHART) and ROBERT PRICE added a son to the family. Owen Robert was born Feb. 8, 2006. He joins sisters Abigail, 5, Eliana, 3, and Rachael, 1, in Downers Grove, Ill. BETH (JOHNSON) and NATE SORIANO welcomed a son, Aaron James, born Nov. 14, 2005. He joins Aidan, 2, at home in Maplewood, N.J. BENJAMIN and RACHAEL (BOETTGER ’99) TERLOUW announce the birth of a daughter, Hailey Rose, on March 3, 2006. Siblings are Mikayla, 7, and Noah, 4. They live in Grand Junction, Colo. LYNN (PEACHEY) and KYLE WENGER are the parents of a son, Christian, born Nov. 30, 2005. The Wengers live in Lancaster, Pa.

– DUNK theG e

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classnotes 1999 WILLIAM and REBECCA (SARKIS) BANKS are the parents of a daughter, Zoe Isabel, born March 1, 2006. The Banks family lives in Reading, Pa. JOHN and HEATHER (HOFFMAN) BARBER welcomed a son, Micah Otis, on Aug. 26, 2005. Micah joins siblings Caleb, 4, and Acacia, 2, at home in Frewsburg, N.Y. KERRIE (WALLACE) BOCCI is a chemistry teacher at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. She and her husband, James, are the parents of a son, Sergio Luca, born Jan. 31, 2006. BRANDON BUSCH and his wife, Heather, are the parents of a daughter, Abigail Jean, born Sept. 23, 2005. They make their home in Greenville, Pa. ROBERT BUSH and his wife, Kathryn, announce the birth of their son, Robert, on Oct. 4, 2005. The family resides in Schaumburg, Ill. BRYN (BOSLEY) DEBASS and her husband, Haile, welcomed a daughter, Abigail Evelyn, on Feb. 25, 2006. Big brother Caleb is 3. The family resides in Elkins Park, Pa. MEGAN (KOERBER) and MATTHEW ’97 DEMONTAIGNE announce the birth of their second daughter, Catherine Noel, on Aug. 12, 2005. Sister Ella is 2. They live in Norristown, Pa. PATRICK GROLEMUND and his wife, Lisa, welcomed a son, Liam Jacob, on Jan. 31, 2006. Liam was born at Lakenheath Air Base hospital in the United Kingdom, where Patrick is serving as a captain. ROB and LESLEY (NORTON) LANPHEAR have a new address in Richmond, Va., and a new daughter, Katherine Grace, born Aug. 22, 2005. DEANNA (HESS) and ANDREW ’98 MARTIN are the parents of a son, Trevor James, born Jan. 17, 2006. The Martins live in State College, Pa. ERIN MAYNE is a mathematics teacher and head volleyball coach at Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio. She completed her master’s degree in June 2004 at the Harvard University School of Education. RACHEL (BOWSER) RERKO and her husband, Neal, are the parents of a toddler daughter, Ella. The Rerkos reside in Erie.

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BELINDA (SNYDER) STILLMAN and her husband, Bryan, welcomed a son, Eli Benjamin, born Jan. 20, 2006. They live in Erie, Pa. JAMES and CLAIRE (ATKINSON ’98) SULLIVAN announce the birth of a daughter, Bridgette May King, on Oct. 5, 2005. Siblings are Juliana, 5, and Moira, 1. The Sullivans reside in Delaware, Ohio. DAN SWIGER is now director of enrollment data analysis at Johns Hopkins University’s Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences in Washington, D.C. JULIE (HARPST) VALENTINE and her husband, Keith, welcomed a daughter, Katelyn Margretta, born April 12, 2005. Brother Josiah is 2. The Valentines live in Fleetwood, Pa.

2000 SONJA (SMITH) BROWN and her husband, Ken, announce the birth of Kennedy Ilene on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, 2005. The Browns reside in Fairfield, Pa. SCOTT CAMPBELL and his wife, Lee Anne, welcomed a daughter, Mallory Jane, on Jan. 19, 2006. They live in Erie, Pa. Grandparents are Donald Campbell ’64 and his wife, Margaret. K.J. MARKS and his wife, Erin, welcomed a daughter, Vanessa Rose, on Dec. 21, 2005. The family lives in Quakertown, Pa. Marks reports that, despite his degree in biochemistry, he has found a higher calling in youth ministry and is now serving as the youth director at a church in Lansdale. NATHAN MOORE and his wife, Sara, announce the birth of a daughter, Olivia Grace, on June 25, 2005. The Moores reside in Winona, Minn. KATHY (MCDOWELL) PARTON and her husband, John, announce the birth of a daughter, Grace Elizabeth, on Jan. 17, 2006. Grace’s brother, Daniel, is 3. DREW PETERSON and his wife, Cherith, are the parents of a son, Caleb Andrew, born Nov. 11, 2005. The Petersons live in Charlotte, N.C., where Drew works as an attorney. KRISTIN (BARBISH) ROBERTS and her husband, Alex, welcomed a son, Paul Xavier, on Nov. 12, 2005. They reside in New Kensington, Pa.

MARY BETH SHANK was elected in November 2005 to serve a four-year term on the Chambersburg (Pa.) Borough Council. MATTHEW and TARA (MCCASLIN ’99) SMOUSE have a new son, Tyler Jacob, born Dec. 8, 2005. He joins Gabriel, 2, in Owings Mills, Md. MICHELLE (LESNEY) ZANG and her husband, Jason, announce the birth of a son, Ethan Thomas, on Oct. 1, 2005.

2001 SARAH (HAHN) and TRAVIS ’99 BOND welcomed a second daughter, Rachel Evelyn, on Jan. 4, 2006. Her sister is Alayna. KELLY (KIRSCH) CAHALL and her husband, Casey, announce the birth of a daughter, Kenzie Brooke, on Nov. 1, 2005. The Cahalls live in Zelienople, Pa. Kelly is a teacher with the Seneca Valley School District. MATT and CHRISTINA (LUZAR) GARBER have a new daughter, Anya Joy, born Oct. 7, 2005. Big sister Daniella is 3. The Garbers live in Altoona, Pa. HEATHER (PATTERSON) and BEN GEASLEN are the parents of a son, Aaron Michael, born Feb. 3, 2006. The live in Milton, N.H. TRICIA (SHULTZ) GRIFFIN recently earned her J.D. (cum laude) from South Texas College of Law. ALLISON MASTROIANNI and Jim Murray were married at Norwin Christian Church in North Huntingdon, Pa., on June 4, 2005. They live in Irwin, Pa., where Allison is a first grade teacher in the Hempfield Area School District. Jim is a project engineer for Emerson Process Management in Pittsburgh. ELIZABETH (MILLIGAN) and BRIAN ’02 MORRISON welcomed a son, Grant William, on Dec. 1, 2005. They live in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.


classnotes BETHANY (PERAGALLO) PAQUIN and her husband, Jed, welcomed a daughter, Anna Ruth, born Nov. 16, 2005. Brother Noah is 2. The Paquins reside in Rindge, N.H. DEANNA (FUNKHOUSER) and CHRISTOPHER ’02 TRETER announce the birth of a daughter, Magdalena, on Sept. 26, 2005. The family lives in King of Prussia, Pa. JUSTIN and CORRIE (GARDNER ’00) YODER announce the birth of a daughter, Caitlyn Elizabeth, on Oct. 16, 2005. The Yoders live in Orrville, Ohio.

Hometown Homecoming

2002 ANDY CALLEN and Liz Losser were married Sept. 25, 2004. They live in Pittsburgh. Andy was hired recently as the corporate communication specialist with Ten United, an advertising agency in Pittsburgh. Liz graduated in December from the University of Pittsburgh with a master’s degree in education. JEFFREY CHIDESTER had an article published in the “Toronto Star,” Canada’s largest newspaper, on Feb. 2, 2006. The article, titled “Friendship has its Benefits,” concerned the previous week’s Canadian elections and the Reagan oral history. Chidester is research director for presidential and special projects at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs. CHRISTOPHER and ELLEN (O’LEARY) CREFELD are the parents of a daughter, Lydia Rose, born Sept. 24, 2005. DAVID DIQUATTRO received a master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame in January. He has begun work on his dissertation for the Ph.D. in philosophy at Notre Dame. PETER DRAKE and his wife, Kelly, are the parents of twin girls, Abigail Faith and Julia Rose, born Dec. 1, 2005. The family lives in Mansfield, Ohio.

A group of 2003 alums celebrated Homecoming at Camp Hebron in central Pennsylvania, closer to where they live and work. Eleven Grovers and one non-Grover husband met at the camp near Harrisburg. They played games, canoed, built a bonfire and went on a horse-drawn hay ride. They also had their own worship service on Sunday morning. Pictured on the hay ride, from left to right: Emily Martens, Sarah Markwood, Abby (Sakowski) Yoder, Myron Yoder, Karen (Sundberg) Potocki, Sophia Wang, Julia Goll, Laura Goll, Craig Riggall, Molly Marie (Hoogerhyde) Riggall, Will Lapp, and April (Dunfee) Lapp. BRIAN NEWTZ recently accepted a position as software developer at Himebaugh Consulting, Inc., in North Canton, Ohio. His wife, Lindsie (Nofsinger ’03) Newtz, has been selected for inclusion in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2006.” She has taught kindergarten for three years for the Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools. The couple resides in Navarre, Ohio. BEN ROSS and his wife, Kelly, announce the birth of a daughter, Madelyn Elizabeth, on Sept. 28, 2005. The family lives in Sinking Spring, Pa. MELISSA (SNOWDEN) and JOHNATHON ’01 SABELLA welcomed a daughter, Sarah Ann, born Dec. 23, 2005. Sarah’s sisters are Grace, 3, and Lilly, 2. BRIAN SYNAN, asset manager of Rimco Properties in Pittsburgh, earned the certified property manager designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management, an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. He is studying for an MBA at Duquesne University.

2003 MELODY (BERNHEISEL) AGATE and her husband, Ed, announce the birth of a daughter, Kiara Grace, on Sept. 15, 2005. The Agates live in Level Green, Pa. MATT and NICOLE (BUICK) BROWN welcomed a son, Caleb Michael, on Dec. 14, 2005. JIM CAMPBELL received the secondplace award in the Alliance Defense Fund’s eighth annual William Pew Religious Freedom Scholarship Competition for full-time law students. While at the University of Akron School of Law, he has participated in the Federalist Society, Moot Court Society and the “Akron Law Review.” He is also a 2004 Blackstone Fellow. DAVID HEFNER and his wife, Melissa, are the parents of a daughter, Olivia Grace, born Nov. 17, 2004. They live in Morgantown, W.Va. David is a medical student.

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classnotes AMBER JONES joined the assurance and advisory group of Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP as a staff accountant. The company is located in Pittsburgh. BEN KEENAN and his wife, Heather, announce the birth of a son, Nolan Wyatt, on Aug. 30, 2005. The Keenans live in San Antonio. JANICE CHAO-CHING LIAO earned her master’s of science degree in education from Pace University in New York City. She is in her third year of teaching elementary school in Brooklyn, N.Y. KIRSTEN PEDERSEN and JONATHAN MEYERS ’04 were married July 9, 2005, in Rochester, N.Y. They reside in Rochester, where Kirsten teaches middle school science, Jonathan teaches third grade, and both coach high school girls volleyball. NICOLE SEARS and Andrew Reckhart were married Nov. 13, 2004, at Grove City Alliance Church. Nicole is working at USIS in Grove City and Andrew is a business manager at a car dealership. They live in Stoneboro. JEREMY SHANKLE and ELIZABETH GRIMES ’02 were married Sept. 24, 2005, in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. They had a second ceremony in Baltimore in December with friends and family. The couple works with Aretao, their training and knowledge management company. ELIZABETH SMITH and JAMES FRENGEL ’02 were married July 23, 2005, in Harbison Chapel. The couple resides in Slippery Rock.

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SUSAN VASSALLO and MARK SCHEUFLER were married June 24, 2004, at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. Susan is teaching fifth grade at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md. Mark is a system engineer for Science Applications International Corp. in Washington, D.C. The Scheuflers reside in Rockville.

2004 JONATHAN BOND was chosen by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton (District of D.C.) to serve as an intern during the summer of 2006. Bond is a first-year law student at George Washington University. EMILY COUGHLIN took a three-month hiatus from her job to do medical missions work in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is a registered nurse at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. EMILY DRAWBAUGH and NATHAN DIETRICH ’05 were married July 9, 2005, at York First Church of the Brethren in York, Pa. Emily works as a secondgrade teacher for the York Suburban School District. Nathan is a systems integration engineer near Harrisburg. The couple resides in New Cumberland. MELINDA HARING joined the Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., last June as its new program director.

MATT KEISLING and Danielle Hobbs were married July 9, 2005, in Chalfont, Pa. Matt is in his second year of medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Danielle, an art major from Houghton College, is working as a vet assistant. They live in Florida but are moving back to Lansdale, Pa., in June. KRISTEN MANN graduated in December from Regent University with a Master of Arts in Government, Public Policy. She is a staff assistant for Rep. Thelma Drake (R-Va.). LAUREN STITES and David Smith were married Oct. 8, 2005, at Grace Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Va. They now live in Fairfax, Va., where Lauren is an organizational development consultant and David is a software engineer.

transcripts For official transcripts, send a letter to: Registrar, Grove City College 100 Campus Drive Grove City, PA 16127-2104 (724) 458-2172 / www.gcc.edu Please include: NAME on records (maiden if female) SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER DATE of graduation or attendance NUMBER of transcripts needed PHONE to reach you during business hours ADDRESS where transcripts should be sent FEE of $3 per copy

Information in a transcript may not be released to third parties without written consent of the student. Requests submitted by e-mail or fax cannot be honored. Make checks payable to Grove City College.


classnotes 2005 CHRISTINE BARE won first place in the Photo Story category in the 2006 Scholastic and Collegiate Keystone Press Awards, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. Her award recognized her photos in the “Bands Rock Arena” feature, which ran in “The Collegian” on April 15, 2005. She and Chelsea Cordell ’07, who received an honorable mention nod for her Collegian photography work, accepted their awards on March 29 in Hershey, Pa. CAITY RIGATTI and GUY TARBERT ’04 were married June 18, 2005, at Peters Creek Baptist Church in South Park, Pa. The couple currently lives in Pittsburgh, where Caity is an offline captioner for Vitac Corporation and Guy is an applications specialist for Konica Minolta Business Solutions.

EMILY RUSSELL and GARETH HUGHES ’04 were married June 11, 2005. They reside in Pensacola, Fla., where Gareth is in flight school and Emily teaches in a local middle school. MEGAN SMITH and Lindon Fowler were married Dec. 31, 2004, in Butler, Pa. They currently reside in Montgomery, Ala. Megan works as a clerical assistant for the law firm of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles P.C. Lindon is the director of student ministries at Memorial Presbyterian Church. Megan was also recently accepted into the World Journalism Institute.

ELIZABETH THOMPSON, a graduate student at Ball State University, won first place in the school’s feasibility plan competition. She and a business partner proposed a start-up company called Higher Sites Video to produce multi-media videos for parents who have adopted children overseas. The prize money will allow the duo to continue developing the business concept.

2007 DAVID LAUER and his wife, Noriko, welcomed a daughter, Anna Patience, on April 22, 2005. They live in Grove City. GeDUNK Alumni Magazine Class Notes are gathered from alumni and news reports. The editorial board reserves the right to edit, hold or not publish notes. Weddings and births must be submitted no later than one year after the event date.

Are you a snowbird? Spend your winters away from home? If you head South for the winter, be sure to let us know so you can continue to receive The GeDUNK Alumni Magazine and other College publications while soaking up the sun! Address 1 NAME (+ maiden):______________________________________GRAD YEAR:______ SPOUSE:________________________________GRAD YEAR (if applicable):______ ADDRESS:_____________________________________________________________ CITY:____________________ STATE:______ ZIP:________ PHONE:_______________ DATES AT ADDRESS 1: Month ______ Day ______ to Month ______ Day ______

Address 2 NAME (+ maiden):______________________________________GRAD YEAR:______ SPOUSE:________________________________GRAD YEAR (if applicable):______ ADDRESS:_____________________________________________________________ CITY:____________________ STATE:______ ZIP:________ PHONE:_______________ DATES AT ADDRESS 2: Month ______ Day ______ to Month ______ Day ______

E-mail Address:__________________________________________________________ Return in envelope at center of magazine to: Grove City College Alumni Relations, 100 Campus Drive, Grove City, PA 16127 – DUNK theG e

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Johnstons give back to alma mater through Charitable Gift Annuity By Carolyn Lolla ’06 cott Johnston ’55 is truly an entrepreneur at heart. After graduating from Grove City College with a degree in political science and history, Johnston began a career in metal tubing sales. As he developed an understanding of the industry, Johnston set his mind on achieving his lifelong goal: to own his own business. In 1963, Johnston co-founded Phillips & Johnston, Inc., a highly profitable metal tubing distributor based in Glen Ellyn, Ill. It was here that Johnston and his wife, Anne (Whitely ’57) lived for 29 years while raising their children, Debby, Betsy and Scott. After a long career as co-owner, Johnston sold the company that he helped to establish.Today, he continues to serve on the board, and he and his wife live in Onekama, Mich., where they are able to enjoy visits with their three children and nine grandchildren. Although Johnston has retired, he is still a venturous man. Not only did his experience at Grove City provide him with the necessary tools to be a successful businessman, but

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it further instilled in him a sense of generosity and appreciation. “As the years go on, your experience from Grove City becomes more important.You only have so many things that shape your life. Grove City was definitely one of them for me,” Johnston said. Because of the fond memories and excellent education that Johnston and his wife received at Grove City, they chose to invest in a Charitable Gift Annuity as a way to give back to the College that had given them so much. Their type of gift generates highreturn lifetime payments to the donor, along with several tax advantages. It is also an important way for a person to continue to give to the College even after their lifetime. At that time, the principle of the investment continues to provide financial support to a specific area of their choosing within the College. “I would definitely recommend Charitable Gift Annuity. It’s a really good investment,” Johnston said.“And you get a good feeling about helping Grove City College.” (Carolyn Lolla ’06 is a political science major from Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Would You Like to Lower Your Taxes and Increase Your Income? Consider a Charitable Gift Annuity for Grove City College A Charitable Gift Annuity is an excellent way to make a gift, increase your income and reduce your tax bill. Benefits of a Charitable Gift Annuity include: Fixed lifetime income for yourself and another person, a portion of which is tax-free Charitable income tax deduction Capital gains tax savings when you contribute appreciated securities Providing for the future support of Grove City College Sample Charitable Gift Annuity Rates

Your Age Annuity Rate

65 6.0%

70 6.5%

75 7.1%

80 8.0%

85 9.5%

90+ 11.3%

Sample rates are for single life. Gift Minimum: $2,500. Minimum Age: 55

If you would like to learn more about Charitable Gift Annuities and other estate planning options, contact Marcus J. Fish ’97, director of planned gifts, at (866) 386-3422 or mjfish@gcc.edu.

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inmemory he Grove City College Alumni Association places a book in Henry Buhl Library in memory of each alumnus for whom the Alumni Office receives written notification of death, including a copy of the obituary. In addition to paying tribute to the lives of deceased alumni, the books will benefit current and future students. If you would like to support Grove City College through a will bequest or other charitable estate plan, contact Marcus J. Fish ’97, director of planned gifts, at (866) 386-3422 or mjfish@gcc.edu.

MARGARETTA (SNODGRASS) SMITH ’27 died Oct. 2, 2005. She lived in Pleasantville, N.Y., and was active in her church and in the community, and volunteered at Northern Westchester Hospital. Surviving are a daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. FRANCES L. HAYES ’29 died April 30, 2005. She lived in Sharon, Pa. LUCINDA (KLINGENSMITH) GARTLEY ’31 died Feb. 28, 2006. She was an elementary school teacher in Kiski Township, Pa., and also a substitute teacher and home-bound instructor. Surviving are a daughter, a granddaughter, three great-granddaughters and a stepsister. DONALD C. MILLER ’32 died Nov. 11, 2005. He made his home in Jamestown, Pa. GEORGE J. SABO ’35 died July 18, 2005. He was a longtime resident of Boca Raton, Fla., and leaves a wife, Eudora, and two sisters. MARY LOU (WHEELER) JERGE ’37 died Jan. 15, 2006. In the 1970s, she worked as a real estate agent in Buffalo, N.Y. More recently, she was busy with bridge, entertaining and her dogs. Surviving are two sons, a daughter, three grandchildren and a great-grandchild. BERNARD M. MARKWELL ’38 died Oct. 22, 2005. A tenor, he sang in churches and synagogues in Pittsburgh and on “Memory Time” in the 1940s, first on KDKA radio and later on television. He retired from the Gulf Oil Corp. after working in leadership positions in Port Washington, N.Y., Boston, Houston and Pittsburgh. Surviving are two children, two grandchildren and two brothers. THE REV. DR. JAMES A. WALTHER ’39 died Dec. 28, 2005. He enjoyed a distinguished pastoral and teaching career, receiving Grove City’s Jack Kennedy Memorial Alumni Achievement Award in 1983. He taught Greek and Latin at Grove City College from 1950-54, then taught New Testament studies at the (now) Pittsburgh Theological Seminary until 1983. He served the Presbyterian Church at many levels and was a chaplain in the Naval Reserve for more than 30 years. He is also a published author and one of the founders of the Kerygma Program. Surviving are his wife, Janet (Shaw ’56) Walther; a son; a daughter; three stepsons, including The Rev. Robert Langston ’80; and seven grandchildren. MARGARET (PIZOR) BOWER ’41 died Nov. 30, 2005. She was a longtime member of her church choir and an avid reader. Surviving are her husband, Joe; two sons, including Dr. David Bower ’76; and four grandchildren.

HAWORTH A. ARCHER ’42 died Nov. 7, 2005. He was living in Sun City, Ariz., with his wife, Patricia (McGinley ’43) Archer. MARY (WITHROW) REISER GORDON ’42 died Sept. 18, 2005. She lived in Largo, Fla. DOROTHY (NEWMAN) WILSON ’43 died Dec. 19, 2005. She taught high school social studies in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., where she was active in the Newcomers Club and Human Rights Commission. She and her husband, Randolph Wilson ’42, who survives, retired to Tacoma, Wash., in 1990. Also surviving are a daughter, two sons, a sister and five grandchildren. CHESTER L. BUXTON ’44 died Feb. 18, 2006. A World War II Army veteran, he retired as a slitter operator after 38 years of service with Sharon Transformer Division of Westinghouse Electric Corp. Surviving are his wife, Rose, a daughter and son, three sisters and four grandchildren. MILES R. LYNN JR. ’46 died Nov. 29, 2005. Originally in the Class of 1942, he was a fighter pilot in World War II. He was also an attorney in Emlenton and Venango County, Pa., for many years. He was involved with his church, the Emlenton and A-C Valley boards of education and civic activities. Surviving are his wife, Edith (Swartz) Lynn ’42, daughter Cynthia (Lynn ’67) Burns, son Miles Lynn III ’68, three grandsons and a great-grandson. GEORGE VARNUM JR. ’46 died July 14, 2005. He was former director of financial services for the North Allegheny (Pa.) School District, and an Army veteran of World War II. MILDRED (LAWLESS) CAMPITELL ’47 died Jan. 19, 2006. She was a homemaker and worked for an attorney in Doylestown, Pa. She was living in Selinsgrove. Her husband, Robert, a son, daughter and two grandchildren survive. WILLIAM J. REESE ’48 died Nov. 15, 2005, in Flagler Beach, Fla. He was an Army World War II veteran and retired in 1977 as a Calgon sales manager. He was a fisherman, artist, bridge player and chef. Three daughters, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren survive. W. GLENN ZEMBOWER ’48 died Jan. 21, 2006. A World War II Army Air Corp., veteran, he worked in store management and real estate. With his wife, Joylyn (Murphy ’48) Zembower, he started Zembower’s American Hardware in Cumberland, Md. He sold the business in 1986 and retired after 25 years of service. Surviving in addition to his wife are son Barry Zembower ’76, daughters Becky Zembower ’77 and Darcie (Zembower ’79) West, and four grandchildren. – DUNK theG e

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inmemory JANET (MCKENZIE) GAUVAIN-SCHWAN ’49 died Oct. 26, 2005. She was living in Bradenton, Fla., and had worked as a nurse for Manatee Memorial Hospital and the Sarasota County Department of Health. She was active in her church, Girl Scouts and a camping club.

HARRISON “NEIL” HOGAN ’55 died Jan. 4, 2006, in Lunenburg, Mass. He is survived by his wife, Jane (Jones) Hogan ’53, and their children: Sally (Hogan ’80) Rosen; Dan ’86 and Rachel (Jeffries ’86) Hogan; Trudy (Hogan ’90) Brasure and Rick Hogan ’97.

DR. PATRICIA (PATTERSON) CORDERA ’50 died Aug. 10, 2005. She taught business education at Franklin and Blairsville (Pa.) high schools before becoming a professor in the College of Business at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for 23 years. She was an avid golfer, sang in the church choir and was a master crafter at needlework. Survivors include her husband, Reno, a sister and a sister-in-law.

JOSEPH S. GULLO ’56 died Jan. 20, 2006. He was a business owner, running two family businesses for 45 years. A Pittsburgh native, he retired to Daytona Beach, Fla., in 1991. Surviving are his wife, Nancy, two sons, a daughter, a sister and five grandchildren.

JAMES E. “NED” HAMILTON ’50 died Jan. 18, 2006. He excelled in sports and was a Navy veteran of World War II. A long-time resident of Oil City, Pa., he retired in 1986 from Pennzoil, where he was manager of accounts payable. He was a 51-year member of his church. Survivors include his wife, Marianne (Marquis ’52) Hamilton, two sons, two sisters, a brother, seven grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. MYRNA (ESPEY) PORTER ’50 died Dec. 13, 2005. She made her home in Lititz, Pa. Among her many surviving family members are son Mark Porter ’75 and his wife, Christine (Farabaugh ’75) Porter; son David Porter ’88 and his wife, Valerie (Verner ’89) Porter; two daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and three brothers, including George Espey ’39 and Donald Espey ’42. JEAN (MASER) DEZORT ’51 died Jan. 9, 2006. She was living in Bradford Woods, Pa., and leaves a stepson. JOHN J. KAYE ’53 died March 6, 2006. He served in the Army during World War II and was a pharmaceutical representative for more than 35 years. He retired in 1990. Survivors include his wife, Mary, a son, five stepdaughters, three brothers and grandchildren. CLAIR C. WINTERS ’53 died Aug. 20, 2005. He was living in Boca Raton, Fla. DONALD K. FEHRS ’55 died Jan. 1, 2006. He was an Air Force veteran who retired in 2000 after 12 years as owner of Insty-Prints in Manassas, Va. He served more than 30 years in the retail trade industry, including the vice presidency of Alvin Gutman Ltd. in Buffalo. Surviving are his wife, Lois, three daughters and six grandchildren.

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WILLIAM H. BEYNON ’57 died June 27, 2005, in Colorado Springs, Colo. He leaves his wife, Donna, a son, grandson and sister. WALTER W. KIMES ’57 died Jan. 13, 2006. He had been self employed as a notary public and also was a bookkeeper and tax preparer. An honorary Sandy Lake, Pa., fireman, he received the Distinguished Service Award for Citizenship from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2003. Survivors include nieces and nephews. DR. FREDERICK E. MONG ’58 died Jan. 31, 2006. He was living in Logan, Ohio, and was a judge in the Court of Common Pleas, Probate/Juvenile Divisions, Hocking County. He also practiced law and served as assistant prosecuting attorney. Using his doctor of ministry degree, for five years he was campus minister for Ohio University. Active in community and professional groups, he strongly supported programs for youth. He helped develop the Hocking Valley Community Residential Center and the Multi-County Detention Center. He was active in the Masons and Shriners. Surviving are his wife, Jane, a son, two daughters, grandchildren, his mother and a brother. THE REV. DR. RICHARD D. ADAMS ’61 died Dec. 9, 2005. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church, he served in Harrisburg, Indiana and Saltsburg, Pa., and in Victor, N.Y. He also served as adjunct faculty at both San Francisco Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary. He wrote two books and several articles on railroads and had a keen interest in his Scottish heritage. Survivors include his wife, Janet, three children, two grandchildren, sister-in-law Laura (Kiebler ’78) Martin and niece Callie Martin ’09. WILLIAM D. BIE ’61 died March 1, 2006. He was a multi-year resident of both Marina del Rey and Rancho Mirage, Calif. Survivors include his wife, Carrie, and a sister.

ROBERT I. JAMISON ’62 died Jan. 5, 2006. He made his home in Chesterfield, Mo., with wife Lynne (Nicholson ’61) Jamison. Also surviving are two daughters, a sister and two grandchildren. KAY (BESWICK) HILL ’63 died Dec. 26, 2005. She was living in Chico, Calif., with husband Edgar “Duz” Hill ’64. Also surviving are a daughter and three grandchildren. GARY M. KOMITSKY ’64 died Jan. 28, 2006. He lived in Monroeville, Pa., and formerly worked for US Steel and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. Survivors include his wife, Kay, three daughters, a son, two sisters, six grandchildren and a brother, Dr. Frank Komitsky ’60. DAVID C. ENGLE ’68 died Feb. 15, 2006, in Naperville, Ill. He worked as a chemical engineer. Surviving are his wife, Edna, two daughters, three sisters and a brother. JON A. KELLY ’69 died Jan. 12, 2006. An Army veteran, he worked for Saft, Inc.; Gould Battery Inc.; and J.T. Baker Chemical Company, a position that took him to Brazil for 15 months. At the time of his death, he was a department manager for Wal-Mart in Scottsdale, Ariz. He made southwestern art, wrote four science fiction novels and kept physically fit. Survivors include his wife, Carol, a son, two daughters, a stepdaughter, his mother, two brothers and grandchildren. WILLIAM R. HUDDLESTON JR. ’77 died Feb. 2, 2006. He worked for Northrop Grumman as manager of payroll and labor accounting at the Electronic Systems Division in Linthicum, Md. He was active in the Severna Park, community, coaching baseball, soccer and swim teams, and in his church, where he worked with youth. Surviving are his parents (father William Huddleston Sr. ’48); wife Ellen (Barrie ’77) Huddleston; a son and daughter, a sister and a brother, Thomas Huddleston ’80.

JACK KENDALL, a longtime computer staff member, passed away after illness on March 27, 2006. Kendall joined the College in 1980 and, at the time of his death, was the assistant director of administrative computing and an assistant professor of computer science. Read more about his life and work on page 48.


alumnibabies

Emily Marie Bamford Born 7-25-04, adopted 5-30-05 Joseph ’81 and Lynn Bamford

Peter Samuel Bevington Born 4-11-05 Alan ’60 and Melita Bevington

Jocelyn Capri Bolumen Born 2-1-05 Mark ’96 and Karen (Dutka ’96) Bolumen

Emma Bromage Born 8-8-05 Aaron ’94 and Gail (Brechbill ’95) Bromage

Betty Autumn Buehler Born 8-19-05 Hans ’96 and Ellen Buehler

Asher Gabriel Bunovich Born 3-24-04 Chad ’97 and Kristi (Simonsen ’97) Bunovich

David Paul Clark Born 3-14-03 Calvin ’84 and Linda (Haynie ’83) Clark

Nathan James Clark Born 3-14-03 Calvin ’84 and Linda (Haynie ’83) Clark

Dominick Jacob Curci Born 3-23-05 Matthew ’96 and Kristin (Blosser ’00) Curci

Brooks Robert Danile Born 5-25-05 Marc ’91 and Courtney Danile

Callie Gabrielle David Born 4-19-05 Julie (Frank ’93) and Philip David

Caleb James Emswiler Born 7-23-05 Shane ’97 and Anne Marie (Lau ’01) Emswiler

Benjamin Michael and Clayton James Blucher Born 3-19-05 and 1-25-03 Dan ’94 and Michelle (Fogle ’94) Blucher

Congratulations New Parents! Grove City College welcomes your new bundle of joy.We want to send your newborn a Grove City College T-shirt. So between the feedings and late-night lullabies, be sure to send the Alumni Relations Office your child’s name and date of birth. Shirts are available only in infant size. Due to the popularity of the Alumni Babies feature, photos will be limited to babies under the age of 3 in GCC shirts only. Digital photos must be high resolution, 300 dpi. Please do not imbed photos in the body of an e-mail message, but rather attach a high-resolution image. Send to Alumni Relations Office, Alumni Babies, 100 Campus Drive, Grove City, Pa. 16127 or alumni@gcc.edu.

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alumnibabies

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Madelyn Kathleen Fish Born 8-10-05 Marcus ’97 and Hollie (Shaull ’97) Fish

Owen Wesley Fisher Born 8-2-05 Caren (Hiser ’92) and Wes Fisher

Samantha Rita Gioan Born 5-15-05 Missy (Thompson ’99) and Joe Gioan

Liam Jacob Grolemund Born 1-31-06 Patrick ’99 and Elizabeth Groleumund

Eden Linnae Grosh Born 2-22-05 Tom ’96 and Theresa (Ginder ’96) Grosh

George Harold Hall Born 5-14-05 Matt ’02 and Jeannie (Klein ’01) Hall

Nathan Alexander Herrington, Born 5-2-05 Janet (Daglian ’87) and Lew Herrington

Abigail Vandhana Jessen Born 9-28-03, adopted 7-16-05, Joel ’93 and Kimberly (Grubb ’93) Jessen

Benjamin Steven Jones Born 4-10-05 Julie (Pearce ’94) and Steve Jones

William Michael Kaminicki, Born 6-14-05 Michael ’95 and Jody (Reimann ’95) Kaminicki

Nolan Wyatt Keenan Born 8-30-05 Benjamin ’03 and Heather Keenan

Ian Koeppen Born 5-20-05 Joy (Swartzlander ’88) and Mark Koeppen

Jason Mark Lepore Born 7-25-05 Beth (Fox ’96) and Leo Lepore

Lydia Joyce Mahan Born 3-29-05 Andrew ’04 and Peggy (Whitbeck ’04) Mahan

Annie Rees Mitchell Born 2-25-04 Jessica (Daw ’96) and Rees Mitchell

Noah William Mizener Born 12-28-04 Melanie (Andrick ’94) and Eric Mizener

Grove City College Alumni Magazine

Samantha Lynne Goerlich Born 6-21-05 Dave ’94 and Lynne (Humphreys ’96) Goerlich

Aaron Goff Born 11-12-04 Carolene (Rojik ’94) and George Goff

Anna Grace and Laura Catheryn Hawkins Born 1-19-03 and 10-22-04 Todd ’98 and Tara (Clemens ’98) Hawkins


alumnibabies

Olivia Grace Moore Born 7-25-05 Nathan ’00 and Sara Moore

Evan Cole and Caden Drew Myers Born 9-27-04 Jeff ’93 and Andrea Myers

Caelen Robert Naas Born 3-25-05 Rebecca (Lowry ’95) and Daniel Naas

Gideon Angelo Ong Born 12-9-05 Caroline (Lucheta ’95) and Kevin Ong

Susanna Mae Patten Born 9-29-04 Eric ’96 and Julie Patten

Esther Qing Mei Rein Born 1-1-05, adopted 11-29-05, Kate (Warner ’94) and Mark Rein

Paul Xavier Roberts Born 11-12-05 Kristin (Barbish ’00) and Alexandre Roberts

Bryson Dean Robinette Born 4-22-05 Sherriann (Shrontz ’94) and David Robinette

Elizabeth Jane Robinson Born 4-13-05 Kimberly (Hawkins ’92) and Douglas Robinson

Madelyn Elizabeth Ross Born 9-28-05 Benjamin ’02 and Kelly Ross

Clarissa Rose Schuller Born 2-22-04 Jeffrey ’93 and Andrea (Stonestreet ’93) Schuller

Marisa Marie Shaffer Born 1-22-04 Gina (Goldinger ’98) and Edward Shaffer

Isaac McCain Simpson Born 11-24-05 Eric ’95 and Carrie Simpson

Jonah Benjamin Smeltzer Born 3-29-04 Craig ’96 and Cindy (Goehring ’95) Smeltzer

Elizabeth Celeste Sodergren, Born 3-7-05 Jeff ’92 and Becky (Beinlich ’95) Sodergren

Riley Keith Stewart Born 1-19-04 Bryan ’95 and Jennifer (Fair ’95) Stewart

James Rajan Swygard Born 9-28-05 Luke ’03 and Chitra (Thiagarajan ’01) Swygard

Elijah James and Caleb Zane Weikal Born 11-25-03 Adam ’00 and Stacy (Griffith ’00) Weikal

– DUNK theG e

|

Spring 2006


From the last cover… After a rough post-Hurricane Katrina year, the family of Todd Slack ’90, featured on the Winter 2006 GeDUNK “Survivors” issue, will move into a new house back in New Orleans this June. The house, built in 1889, is completely updated and has four bedrooms – perfect for Todd and Adrienne’s three children: Naomi, Victoria and Cooper. The family will live one block off St. Charles Avenue, famous for its streetcars, in the middle of “old New Orleans,” about eight blocks from Tulane University and several parks. The best feature of the house, Todd reports, is that it sits on high ground – about 9 feet higher than the Slacks’ house that was flooded after the levees broke after the massive hurricane hit the Gulf Coast. The new house sustained no damage from the recent floods or hurricanes.

Junior Chris Aitken, center, sings about the qualities of a “Modern Major-General” in the Grove City College production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance.” Directed by Dr. James Dixon, the operetta took the stage at the Pew Fine Arts Center on March 22-25. / Photo by Chelsea Cordell, a junior from High Point, N.C. Cordell recently won an honorable mention nod for her photography work in “The Collegian” at the Scholastic and Collegiate Keystone Press Awards, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. Christine Bare ’05 also won first place for her work. See one of her photographs on page 30.

Grove City College Alumni Magazine Grove City College 100 Campus Drive Grove City, PA 16127

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 869 Erie, PA


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