Knox Magazine Spring 2017 by Knox College

SPRING 2017

To Celebrate our Past, We Look to our Future 180 YEARS OF KNOX AND GALESBURG

Tony Gant, Associate Professor of Art

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PETER BAILLEY ’74

Tony Gant and his colleagues in art and art history are still unpacking—no longer scattered across three buildings, their offices are now in the new Whitcomb Art Center, which officially opened for use on January 3, the first day of winter term 2017. So the space you see here has been his home for all of . . . a few months. A member of the Knox faculty since 1993, Gant studied at the Kansas City Art Institute (BFA) and Yale University (MFA). To see some of his artwork, you could book a flight with SpaceX—several of his site-specific constructions are visible from earth-orbit. Or just visit Green Oaks, where he’s built two installations using materials native to the forest and the prairie. Steel isn’t native to anywhere, but Gant is happy to see a lot of it in Whitcomb’s “industrial” design. This includes the visible rods and girders that go right through his office. “Starting in the 20th century,” Gant explains, “the idea developed that instead of hiding structural elements, they should be exposed; people said, ‘Let’s see how things are put together.’”

Welcome to his ofﬁce.

Open Door 6 7

1. Several items displayed on a steel column visible from South Street, including a sign that says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hello,â&#x20AC;? a drawing by a seven-year-old of a puppy dog, and a picture of a bug. 2. Site-specific artwork in Spain that Gant built in summer 2016 on the side of a mountain originally terraced for agriculture. 3. (From top to bottom) Two pieces of African art: A textile from Central Africa, the pattern based on Kuba cosmology, and a pouch used in Tuareg culture in North Africa to carry important items, perhaps a talisman or pages from the Koran.

4. A wooden bird from the Sunofo region in West Africa, originally with a large horn bill and wings. 5. A painting by Lynette Lombard, his wife and colleague, of a place in Spain with a terraced terrain similar to the location of his site-specific art work. 6. A ceramic sculpture given to Gant by a student. 7. A great horned owl donated to the art department by the biology department. 8. A self-proclaimed fan of old technology, Gant has gathered a collection of parts from an old printing press.

MAGAZINE VOLUME 101, ISSUE 1

SPRING 2017

Investing in the Future Continuing investments by individuals willing to donate their time and treasure are integral to the ongoing success of Knox and Galesburg. Meet a few individuals—Knox alumni and Galesburg community members—who are investing in the future of our college and town.

Departments

Page 6

KnoxCorps Five Years Later In May 2012, President Teresa Amott announced her plans for KnoxCorps, the community partnership that paired Knox students with local nonprofits. Take a look back at the first five years of this innovative program.

Open Door

Inside front cover

2 East South Street

Page 4

The South Lawn

Page 26

Knox Writes

Page 38

Class Knox

Page 44

Parting Shot

Inside back cover

Flashback

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For the Good of the Community Learn about Galesburg’s Heart & Soul Initiative—a program that seeks to empower residents to shape the future of their communities—and the Clinton Health Matters Initiative.

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Educational Partnership Benefits Galesburg Youth Read about the George Washington Gale Scholars Program, a collaborative partnership uniting Knox College, Carl Sandburg College, and Galesburg School District 205.

On the cover: An aerial view of Knox College and Galesburg at dawn. Photo by Ryan Donnell.

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editor Megan Scott ’96

layout designers Becky Hale

Special thanks to Lori Reed, Beverly Holmes, Megan Clayton, Carol Brown ’99, and Sharon Trotter-Martin.

Ami Jontz Pam Chozen

Contributors, Writing & photography

assoCiate editor

Adriana Colindres

Peter G. Bailley ’74,

Brea Cunningham

News & Photography

Cheri Siebken

Knox Magazine is published twice yearly by the Ofﬁce of Communications, Box K-233, Knox College, Galesburg, IL 61401-4999; Phone: 309-341-7760; Fax: 309-341-7718; E-mail: knoxmag@knox.edu. It is distributed free of charge to Knox alumni, students, parents, and friends. The magazine welcomes information and story ideas. Please query before submitting manuscripts. ISSN: 0047-3499

Jane Carlson Celina Dietzel ’17 Elise Goitia ’18

Visit us online at www.knox.edu/knoxmag.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

assistant editor

Welcome to Knox, Blaze! Blaze, the new Knox Prairie Fire mascot, was welcomed by hundreds of members of the Knox community, including current students and alumni, on Friday, October 14. Blaze made a grand entrance at a special Meet the Mascot event at Homecoming 2016. Accompanied by smoke, purple lights, and a cheering crowd, Blaze punched their way into Memorial Gym and entertained the crowd, stopping to take selfies with fans along the way.

Letters to the Editor

Editor’s Note The Year of Celebrations

s there a special connection between Knox College and years ending in seven?

A little over a year ago, we started talking about how to mark the 100th anniversary of Knox Magazine, which published its first issue in the fall of 1917. Shortly after we began our discussions, we learned that the Program in Creative Writing turned 50 this year. How great is that, I thought. We can celebrate a year of writing and the literary arts.

EVAN TEMCHIN ’10

My next realization was that Knox and Galesburg were founded 180 years ago in 1837 and that KnoxCorps celebrates its fifth birthday in May (and so the origin of this magazine’s theme is revealed). But it doesn’t stop there. I was contacted by the FIJIs last spring about their 150th anniversary celebrations in 2017, followed by the Knox chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, which will welcome its 100th class in June. Recently, it hit us that Knox signed an agreement with the Peace Corps to start the nation’s first Peace Corps Prep Program 10 years ago. And just now (I’m serious, I just thought of this as I’m writing this letter), it dawned on me that Old Main turns 160 this year as well. I wish we could cover all of these anniversaries in Knox Magazine, but I promise that we’ll try our best to make sure Knox recognizes them in other ways—in news stories, Gizmogram mentions, or social media posts. In the meantime, let the celebrations begin!

P.S. If you’re curious, here’s a guide to the anniversaries being celebrated in 2017: 5 10 50 100 100 150 160 180

P.P.S. Don’t be shy; if we’re missing an anniversary, please let us know. E-mail us at knoxmag@knox.edu.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

My copy of Knox Magazine arrived on election day, and I read it on the 9th, including all of the comments in “The Big Issue.” The serious comments reﬂect what could be expected from well-educated Knox graduates and faculty, although those issues may not be the ones that decided the election. —Jim Dunlevey ’54

Send us your letters!

#KnoxProud, Megan Scott ’96

KnoxCorps Peace Corps Prep Program Program in Creative Writing Knox Magazine Phi Beta Kappa @ Knox FIJI Old Main Knox College & Galesburg

Reflecting on The Big Issue

Knox Magazine welcomes the opinions and comments of its readers. Write to the Editor, Knox Magazine, Box K-233, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401-4999, or e-mail knoxmag@knox.edu. Letters should refer to material published in the magazine and may be edited for length or clarity.

Correction In the “Deaths of Friends” section of the fall 2016 issue, we noted the passing of Lawrence Champion, husband of Karen Sanders Raleigh ’72, but listed Karen’s last name as Champion instead of Raleigh. We regret this error.

2 East South Street From the President Building Bridges between Knox and Galesburg

I’m not surprised by these findings, but I am concerned. Knox and Galesburg were jointly founded by George Washington Gale more than 180 years ago, and, together, we’ve experienced prosperity, war, depressions, and all the events in between. But that doesn’t mean that the relationship between college and town is seamless. Knox, like many residential liberal arts colleges, is located in a small community struggling to find its stride after a decline in its manufacturing base. The day after the election, close to 200 Knox students marched in downtown Galesburg, expressing their frustrations—and even anger—with the presidential election results. It was clear that not all of Galesburg appreciated their vehicle for expression or understood their anger and frustration. Nor did all of the marchers understand the response they received from local residents and from some of their fellow students, who clearly did not agree with them. On that day, we witnessed first-hand this perceived disconnect between our college and our hometown.

KENT KRIEGSHAUSER

ver the past year, countless words have been written about how colleges and universities are out of touch with mainstream America. It’s a topic of discussion at recent conferences that I’ve attended, as well as in the offices and hallways here at Knox. In fact, the most recent Survey of College and University Presidents by Inside Higher Ed shows that the majority of presidents believe the 2016 election exposed a disconnect between academe and much of American society. Nearly seven in 10 presidents perceive that anti-intellectual sentiment is growing in the country.

I have often worried about this disconnect, as both president of Knox College and a Galesburg resident. How do we bridge the great divide between town and college? How do we challenge the widespread perception that Knox students are out of touch with the community that is their second home for four years? How do we help our students better understand and respect the people who live in our surrounding rural community? I believe that service-based engagement is essential in strengthening our connections. In fact, it was that belief that first inspired Knox parent Gary Funk and me, with support from the Galesburg Community Foundation, to launch a new program, KnoxCorps. A civic-engagement partnership that matches recent Knox graduates and current students with local nonprofit organizations to support existing projects, build new programs, and help meet the critical needs of the community, KnoxCorps is helping to build bridges across differences of age, color, and socioeconomic class. I announced the creation of KnoxCorps at my installation address in May 2012; since that time, more than 50 students and alumni have joined KnoxCorps, and two dozen local organizations have either offered financial support for the program or served as a participating agency. Members of KnoxCorps have helped create new programs in the Knox County Health Department, provided needed support for local food pantries and community kitchens, and bolstered the activities of the Galesburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. When you add in this good work to other ongoing volunteer and service hours provided by Knox students—our students furnished more than 80,000 hours of service work last year alone—just think about the number of interactions between Knox students and Galesburg residents taking place every day, week, or month. And if a long-time Galesburg resident and a current student can come together to collect food for Blessings in a Backpack in a church basement, we know that their shared dedication to a positive cause can help to overcome their differences. I recognize that there still are and will be many challenges when it comes to establishing a more positive relationship between Knox and Galesburg, but I do firmly believe that programs like KnoxCorps and the work of the Kleine Center for Community Service are key to helping us address these challenges. I am confident that Knox and Galesburg will survive together as long as we continue to build bridges, work toward shared goals, and focus on the health and prosperity of the communities we call home. —Teresa Amott

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

hen George Washington Gale and his fellow founders settled on the prairie in Western Illinois in the 1830s, they weren’t just breaking ground on a new college and town—they were making an investment in the future of their community and nation. Their risk paid off, and, 180 years later, Knox and Galesburg have overcome a variety of challenges to remain vibrant communities on the prairie.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

PHOTO BY RYAN DONNELL

Continuing investments by individuals willing to donate their time and treasure are integral to the ongoing success of Knox and Galesburg. Meet a few individuals—Knox alumni and Galesburg community members—who are investing in the future of our college and town.

Adam Vitale A

dam Vitale’s story is one that every small town in America wants to tell—successful local son returns to hometown to run the family business. In Vitale’s case, he spent a decade pursuing his education and a successful career on both the East and West Coasts and returned to Galesburg in 2008 to work at G&M Distributors, Inc., a regional beverage company run by his family since 1946. Like many who return to their hometowns, Vitale hadn’t planned on moving back to Galesburg. “I left here and thought my chosen career path was that I was going to run luxury resorts around the world,” he says. He was ultimately drawn back to his family’s long-time vocation after working as a consultant in the hospitality industry. “Growing up with the beverage industry, I took it for granted and, then, after actually working in it, I

PETER BAILLEY ’74

PRESIDENT, G&M DISTRIBUTORS 8

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

found out I absolutely loved it.” Since coming back to Galesburg, Vitale has helped grow G&M, acquiring two other distributors, and he’s also continued his family’s commitment to the Galesburg community. He serves on the board of directors for OSF St. Mary Medical Center and on the Knox County Partnership for Economic Development, and he joined the Knox Board of Trustees in October 2016. One of the great challenges—and motivations—he sees as part of his service on the Knox Board is helping Knox and Galesburg recognize and take advantage of their unique relationship. “Knox is so interwoven with Galesburg, and I wish more people realized that on both sides of the equation,” he says. Vitale isn’t the ﬁrst member of his family to have close ties to Knox. His grandfather, who started

G&M, and an uncle are both Knox graduates, and the G. L. Vitale Family Foundation is a long-time supporter of the College. “The good that Knox does, the opportunities it creates for our community, is really the primary driver for why our family is so closely tied and invested in Knox.” His return to and investment in Galesburg isn’t something he takes lightly, and he would like to see both Knox and Galesburg grow. “Galesburg is surprisingly cosmopolitan for a town of 33,000 people. Most towns our size don’t have a symphony, a performing arts theatre, or an art center,” Vitale says, adding, “Galesburg has a unique sense of community, and I’ve never found any other place quite like it. It’s a matter now of taking that sense of community, injecting more life into it, and broadcasting it to the world.” —MEGAN SCOTT ’96

Hilary Anderson ’00

PETER BAILLEY ’74

OWNER, DOVETAIL RIVET & STITCH

ilary Anderson ’00 was looking for an art studio, not a retail space. But she got both when she found a spacious and reasonably priced storefront in Galesburg after moving back to the area to be closer to family. Rivet Boutique opened in late summer 2015 on North Seminary Street and featured Anderson’s own hand-crafted jewelry, as well as dozens of other artists’ work and high-quality vintage items. Just over a year later and a block south, Anderson took over the former Dovetail Arts on South Seminary, merging the inventories and concepts of the two businesses to create Dovetail Rivet & Stitch. The change offered more foot trafﬁc, an established clien-

tele, and nicer environs to reﬂect the quality of the work. More than 200 artists are now represented—including jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, wall art, and more—and Anderson plans to add more. As a business owner and a working artist, the inventory not only reﬂects her own aesthetics but also the tastes of her customers, and she sees educating clientele about the artists and their work as an essential part of the business. Anderson’s connections to Galesburg run deeper than studying studio art at Knox. A native of neighboring rural Henry County, she grew up viewing Galesburg as the social and retail center of the region—a place where people

from neighboring towns came to shop, eat, and socialize. Now ﬁrmly ensconced in Galesburg professionally, she sees small businesses in town as essential to the town’s character and economics. “Downtown has a lot of potential,” Anderson says, noting an inﬂux of small, independent businesses opening in recent years. “I would love to see it continue to get even better.” She sees potential for enhanced connections between her business and her alma mater as well, from utilizing art and business students as interns to consigning more work from Knox College alumni. —JANE CARLSON

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Kristal Frisque ’02

PETER BAILLEY ’74

OWNER, ART DEFINED

t can be intimidating for non-artists to pick up paintbrushes and get in touch with their creative sides, but Kristal Frisque ’02 is making that easier for the people of Galesburg with Art Defined. The business hosts painting parties where participants are provided with the materials and the instruction to make works of their own on canvas or pottery. It is also home to Galesburg’s first paint-your-pottery studio. “Art can be such an elitist endeavor,” Frisque says. “I wanted to tone that down.” Launched in 2013, Art Defined initially hosted events in other facilities, but moved into its own colorful and

welcoming Main Street storefront in August 2016. Its impact has been widespread. So far, more than 2,500 people have participated in the events, including both private parties and fundraisers, with painters coming from Macomb to the Quad Cities, in addition to the local area. Frisque is the sole owner of the business and employs two others. In 2014-2015, Art Defined donated $25,000 to local nonprofit organizations through painting events created as fundraisers, and Frisque plans to start an arts-based camp for kids in 2017. That project is a continuation of her mission to fuel confidence in

participants and foster a sense that art is for everyone. “It’s great to see people break out of their comfort zones and realize they can do this,” Frisque says. Frisque was two years into her college degree when she moved to Galesburg from Green Bay, Wisconsin, for her husband’s job with the railroad in 1998. She ﬁnished her degree in studio art at Knox, concentrating in ceramics. She considers herself selftaught in the ins-and-outs of running a business, but credits the thick skin and analytical ability honed in her undergraduate art critiques as steeling her for challenges of running an arts business in a smaller city. —JANE CARLSON

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

ohn Pritchard came to Knox to study economics in 1974, juggling classes with a full-time position at Galesburg’s daily newspaper, The Register-Mail. “While most of my moves were tracked in the city, when I was at Knox, I could have been 500 miles away,” says Pritchard of his Knox

things better off when you’re done than when you started. I don’t think that’s necessarily possible in state or legislative ofﬁces.” Pritchard sees the relationship between Knox and Galesburg as a strong one, with Knox being a “real, positive contributor” to the town, not

Right now, Knox community members serve on committees and task forces that are setting the future course of the community, like the Heart and Soul community engagement project. Also underway are the Clinton Health Initiative and a target industry study. “These initiatives are deﬁning where

John Pritchard ’78 only as one of the top employers, but with the lectures, arts events, and other programming the College brings to the community, as well as the skills both faculty, staff, and students bring to the many nonproﬁt organizations and committees they serve on.

Galesburg will go in the future,” says Pritchard. “I want the people of Galesburg to determine our direction. My hope is that Knox will thrive and the city will thrive as we move forward.” —CHERI SIEBKEN

PETER BAILLEY ’74

MAYOR OF GALESBURG

experience. “It was a way to step out of Galesburg, so to speak, without leaving.” At age 20, a year from completing his degree, Pritchard left Knox to become publisher of The Register-Mail, a position he held for 13 years. When the paper was sold in 1989, he considered moving from the area to continue his career in publishing. Instead, he chose Galesburg. “Our family was here, and we had four young children. Galesburg is a good place to raise kids,” says Pritchard. “In the balance, we decided staying here was in the best interest of our family.” Pritchard shifted from publishing to broadcasting, purchasing radio stations in Burlington, Iowa, then Galesburg. Today he owns 10 stations between the two communities. He’s proud of the contributions his stations have made, as both a way to support businesses and inform listeners. With his children now grown, Pritchard is taking his experience in the community to serve it in another way— as mayor, a position he has held since 2013. “As mayor of a small city like Galesburg, you can make things happen,” said Pritchard. “You can leave

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

lvith Santoyo ’13 didn’t plan on running a restaurant right after graduation, but then again, she isn’t one to shy away from challenges. Right before her last term at Knox, Santoyo’s father gave her the opportunity to buy Acapulco, a local Mexican restaurant which had been declining in business for some time. With years of experience working in the restaurant and a

Nearly ﬁve years later, Santoyo has more than made it work. She has improved business, introduced new ideas, and strengthened her relationship with the community. “I come from a family-oriented culture,” she says. For Santoyo, family translates into community. The restaurant sponsors the local YMCA and area schools, and Santoyo attends community events

better opportunities, and she wants to be part of that. “Acapulco plays a big role within the community, because every person that walks in the door is someone we’ve served in some way.” Santoyo’s community involvement began at Carl Sandburg College and Knox, where she was part of the George Washington Gale Scholars

Elvith Santoyo ’13 whenever possible. She sees the ways Galesburg is striving to be better, how residents are coming together to offer

OWNER, ACAPULCO RESTAURANT

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Program, a partnership between Knox, the local school district, and Carl Sandburg College that encourages higher education and community service for academically promising first-generation and financially eligible youth. Through the program, Santoyo attended two years at each college, earning her bachelor’s in economics and a minor in business psychology. So what’s Santoyo’s next big move? A move downtown. Santoyo has already purchased a building on Simmons Street, formerly known as the Carriage House, which will offer more foot traffic, better parking, and the chance for Acapulco to be a part of downtown’s growing community. Although the new project has experienced a few bumps in the road, Santoyo isn’t ready to give up. “We’re still chugging along,” she says. She hopes to start construction within the next few months, and, potentially, have the building ready by the end of the summer. —CELINA DIETZEL ’17

PETER BAILLEY ’74

fresh college degree, Santoyo realized she could make it work. “I thought, I’ll give it a shot,” she says.

Nic Mink

SUBMITTED

PRESIDENT, SITKA SALMON SHARES

t’s no secret that Knox professor Nic Mink loves Galesburg, and Galesburg loves Nic Mink. His company, Sitka Salmon Shares, has brought local businesses together, started friendships, and given local residents something to rave about. The ever-expanding company started in 2011, after Mink and two Knox students returned from a ﬁshing trip in Alaska. The trip brought up conversations on responsibility, ﬁshing practices, and sustainable food systems, and, thus, Sitka Salmon Shares was born. The company, which was expected to be a small summer business, has grown into a huge enterprise with locations across the country.

Here’s how it works: In Sitka, Alaska, fishermen use environmentally conscious hook-and-line fishing methods and quickly flash-freeze fish for freshness. Afterwards, the fish are shipped to Galesburg and Chicago to be packaged. Then, delivery takes them directly to customers and local businesses like Iron Spike Brewing Company, Baked Pizza, and En Season Restaurant. Despite the recent growth Sitka Salmon Shares has seen, Mink has no plans to move out of Galesburg. “It’s a great place to have a business,” he says. Mink, who first came to Knox as an associate professor in 2010, still teaches a couple of classes at the College and continues to utilize Knox students in

his business. Students can intern with the company in Alaska and Galesburg; some students have even gone on to work for Sitka Salmon Shares after graduation. “Knox students provide us with incredible talent,” Mink says. In addition to their downtown Galesburg ofﬁce, Sitka Salmon Shares has expanded their space at the Sustainable Business Center on West Main Street, adding more space for freezing, sealing, and packaging. In addition, the company will take on three new full-time employees, and, if the uptick continues, expects to add even more positions. —CELINA DIETZEL ’17

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Teresa Phillipson ’96 T

eresa Phillipson ’96 can never be accused of following the easy path. She came to Knox in fall 1993 as a nontraditional transfer student. “I was a single parent with a full-time job, commuting an hour to take a full load of classes. It was just too much.” Going to Knox saved her the commute, and, as head resident of Post Hall, the money savings allowed her to cut back on work hours. An added beneﬁt was being able to live on campus with her daughter. “She loved it here— riding her bike on the sidewalks around campus, hanging out in the library while I was doing research. Her birthday was during winter break, so we had a slumber party for 6- and 7-year-olds in Post Lobby.”

After Knox, Teresa worked in agriculture, then moved into healthcare as administrator of Western Illinois Cancer Treatment Center, a position she held for 16 years. She’s proud of the work she did there, adding service lines and helping patients maneuver ﬁnancial obstacles to receive life-saving treatment. But the death of her brother and the lessons learned from patients made Teresa realize she didn’t want to look back on her life and say “I wish I had . . . I was comfortable with what I was doing, but not excited anymore.” Instead of following the safe path toward a comfortable retirement, she took her savings and opened Willow Haven Home Furnishings & Decor on Main Street.

“It’s not a furniture store where you see row after row of the same thing. It’s unique items,” says Teresa, who carries custom and hand-made furniture, as well as pieces by local artists. “I really like to work one-on-one with customers, going into their home to help them create their own haven—their sanctuary.” Teresa considered opening her store in a larger market, but wanted to stay in her hometown and invest here. “I’m excited about downtown and the things going on here.” And while owning her own business comes with its share of worries, she doesn’t regret the path she’s chosen. “I can’t wait to get here. The days just ﬂy by. I’m happy.” —CHERI SIEBKEN

PETER BAILLEY ’74

OWNER, WILLOW HAVEN 14

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

PETER BAILLEY ’74

OWNERS, KLEINE COMPANIES, LLC

ark and Jeannette Kleine have a vision, and it’s one that permeates their lives, from their business investments to their volunteer activities to their philanthropy. It’s all about making Galesburg a vibrant community. “We invest in things that we feel a community needs in order to be vibrant and to be able to attract people to move here,” says Mark. The Kleines’ vision ﬁnds its roots in their unique partnership as husband and wife. When they married in 2011, Mark was owner of the farm equipment dealership Kleine Equipment, and Jeannette had a 30-year career in the healthcare industry. They didn’t expect to ﬁnd themselves where they are today, dedicated full-time to investing in Galesburg through the Kleine Companies. “We knew that we were going to live in Galesburg, so we thought, let’s work to make it better,” says Jeannette. “We wanted to help people start a business, particularly businesses that would help grow our community.” The Kleines started their new venture by purchasing a building in

The Kleines are also long-time supporters of Knox. Mark served on the Board of Trustees for nearly a decade, stepping down in 2016. During

While the Kleines recognize that there are challenges ahead for both Knox and Galesburg, they remain optimistic for the future. “We have a

Mark & Jeannette Kleine downtown Galesburg. This investment grew quickly, from one building to multiple ventures, and they’ve since helped provide support for a number of new businesses in downtown Galesburg. They’ve invested in downtown lofts and in the construction of a new subdivision; serve on a number of local boards; and are generous supporters of OSF St. Mary Medical Center, the YMCA, the Orpheum Theatre, and Discovery Depot, among others.

his service, he chaired the Gateway Task Force, which oversaw the renovation of Alumni Hall. “I’ve always said, ‘So goes Knox, so goes Galesburg.’ It’s important that Knox is vibrant and strong,” says Mark. “Alumni Hall was great for Knox and great for Galesburg,” Jeannette adds. “With so much development in downtown Galesburg, it ﬁt right into what we were doing.”

community that has invested in infrastructure, invested in education. We have a vibrant arts community. And Galesburg is an affordable community. We hear over and over again ‘My gosh, I can move to Galesburg, buy a house, and start a business on Main Street.’ Yes, yes, you can,” says Jeannette. “Come to a community like Galesburg and make a difference,” adds Mark. —MEGAN SCOTT ’96

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

KnoxCorps 5 Years Later BY PETER BAILLEY ’74

KnoxCorps Fellow Samuel Chen ’16 explains head lice to students at Nielson School in Galesburg.

he only thing worse than having to give a talk on a sensitive health-related topic to a room full of strangers. . . is when the room is full of ﬁdgety second-graders. “I’d never taught a class before, much less 30 grade school students,” says Samuel Chen ’16, a KnoxCorps Fellow assigned by the Knox County Health Department to give show-and-tell lessons on head lice to audiences. “It didn’t take me long to realize that I could not approach teaching in schools the same way that I did with scientiﬁc presentations in college.” Instead, Chen hands out coloring books

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

that he drew himself. Remy the Dragon makes hygiene fun for kids, instead of a parental diktat. Chen is one of eight Knox students sent out into the Galesburg community this year through KnoxCorps—more than 50 in all since the program was unveiled ﬁve years ago by President Teresa Amott. Placing students in long-term positions as key members of the organization’s staff, KnoxCorps would showcase “new ways of civic engagement in local communities,” Amott said, announcing the initiative in her 2012 installation address.

“Wait a minute,” one might have wondered, sitting on the South Lawn of Old Main on a sunny day in May. “I thought Knox was doing well in community service.” After all, in the years preceding KnoxCorps, Knox students were annually contributing thousands of volunteer hours in the community and raising thousands of dollars for local and national charities. Knox had been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and was listed among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in Washington Monthly’s annual “service oriented” rankings.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Serves You Right “What makes KnoxCorps different is the depth of the commitment between the KnoxCorps member and participating organization. KnoxCorps Fellows and Associates bring their own initiative and interest to the experience in order to help the organizations fulfill their missions,” says President Teresa Amott. “I wanted to launch a program that would honor the unique place that is Galesburg, Illinois, and create a stronger sense of belonging and contributions to the community.” There were some in the audience that day who immediately recognized that KnoxCorps really was new and different—and an opportunity to serve. “I was in the choir, so I was right up by the stage,” recalls Josh HosmerQuint ’13. “President Amott made the announcement that KnoxCorps was starting, and there would be a call for employment.” Hosmer-Quint applied immediately and was accepted into the first cohort. Starting that fall, he served for two academic years—first, as a KnoxCorps Associate with the Galesburg Downtown Council, eight hours a week while still taking classes in his senior year. Then, after graduating, he was a KnoxCorps Fellow with the Galesburg Convention and Visitors Bureau—20 hours a week for 10 months. Fellows will say it’s a chance to give back to Galesburg before their next post-graduate step. For some Fellows, their KnoxCorps year is truly a “gap” year before graduate school or full-time employment—a chance to make a difference in the community they have called home for four years. “We really expected that most students would move through the program in linear fashion, like Josh did,” explains the program’s current adminis-

trator Karrie Heartlein. “We anticipated that students would move from Associate to Fellow. What we didn’t anticipate was igniting a spark that grew so quickly into a ﬂame. Students were truly hungry to make a difference. Several student Associates graduated and went immediately into Americorps programs such as City Year and VISTA.”

Corps Values When Amott arrived at Knox, she found others who were ready to help the College move to the next level in College-community engagement. Already living in Galesburg were Gary Funk and his wife, Jana, whose daughter, Megan, had come to Knox in 2008. Gary was directing the Center for Midwestern Initiatives (CMA), a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rural School and Community Trust, where Gary had previously spent two years as a Senior Fellow. “We hired a team of Knox students to do community work for the CMI,” Funk says. “Teresa Amott, Josh Gibb (of the Galesburg Community Foundation), and I all worked out the details of what would become KnoxCorps. It was both fun and exciting.” More than the vision of a person or a committee, KnoxCorps is a value shared with students themselves; nearly half of this year’s entering class came to Knox already having engaged in significant community service. “President Amott talked about how students would be directly helping a local organization,” recalls Bridget Doherty ’16, who was a first-year from Oak Brook, Illinois at the time of Amott’s 2012 installation address. “I joined KnoxCorps because I’d worked with the Empty Bowls project in high school. Local artists and potters donated handmade bowls and local

restaurants donated soup, and they raised money for local food charities. I came to Knox with a strong belief in bettering every community I live in.”

What Every Community Needs There’s another reason why, in the spring of his junior year, HosmerQuint was ready to jump into KnoxCorps: “I was already part of the Peace Corps Prep program, and KnoxCorps seemed like a great chance to get experience in that kind of work.” Knox graduates have been among the Peace Corps’ most enthusiastic volunteers, and it’s no surprise that, when it came time for Knox to create its own signature service program, KnoxCorps would ﬁnd the need and opportunity closest to home. As Amott stated in her installation address, KnoxCorps would help answer the challenge: “How can we build bridges to our local Galesburg community across differences of age, color, and socioeconomic class?”

“I wanted to launch a program that would create a stronger sense of belonging to the community.” —President Teresa Amott

For the past quarter-century, the Galesburg community has been shedding both population and financial resources. Several major employers have moved or closed, and the median annual household income in Knox County is under $40,000—lower than both state and national figures. Half of Galesburg’s public school pupils are classified as “economically disadvantaged.”

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KnoxCorps placed Doherty at an agency that deals with a critical need on a daily basis—the FISH Food Pantry. “I wanted to address food insecurity,” Doherty said. “I volunteered to help give out food. I also collected food donations and worked to get students to volunteer for food drives and at the pantry.” “The volunteers I worked with at FISH showed me how to be compassionate, helpful, dedicated. They showed me how I could give back to my community with even the smallest gestures.”

Burst the Bubbillusions Consider the bubble—transparent, transitory, flimsy, fleeting, floating; the smallest gesture could burst one, yet it’s enough to separate neighbors. Specifically the “Knox Bubble,” often cited by students—including those in KnoxCorps—to describe how they feel isolated in the two-dozen contiguous city blocks that comprise the Knox campus. “KnoxCorps forced me to engage with the world outside of Knox, outside

of the liberal arts bubble,” said Hosmer-Quint. “It gave me a much more realistic perspective on the world.” Closeness and convenience of both necessities and options—residential liberal arts colleges aim to provide as much of these as they can afford—can tempt students not to venture far from the well-swept sidewalks between residence halls, classes, the caf, and playing ﬁelds. Associates are working off-campus; Fellows aren’t students and can’t live on campus. Ask them about memorable experiences, and they remember getting around in spite of Midwestern weather. “There was a snowstorm on the day that I had to go to a meeting of food producers,” says Elizabeth Cockrell Shule ’12, a KnoxCorps Fellow at the Sustainable Business Center. “I found a local farmer who was also planning to attend, and I was so grateful when he offered to drive.” Doherty remembers “standing in the pouring rain at a Knox football game, collecting cans with Blessings in a

BREA CUNNINGHAM

KnoxCorps Associate Shresha Karmacharya ’17 serves beverages at the Knox Prairie Community Kitchen.

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Backpack, and lifting the cans and frozen turkeys into the tiny KnoxCorps car, and then driving them to FISH. By the time I got to the food pantry, I was soaking wet in my FISH shirt!”

Impact Makers Like many Knox students, Kati Stemple ’16 had an international focus— major in international relations, minor in French—and she was interested in the Peace Corps. “I knew that KnoxCorps would make me a competitive applicant, and give me a small taste of what service would be like.” And, according to plan, after graduating from Knox, Stemple was accepted to the Peace Corps and is currently serving in Morocco. KnoxCorps also had a local, even a very personal, focus for Stemple. “I spent part of my life in the foster care system, and my court-appointed advocate played a huge role in supporting me.” The program placed her with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Knox County, an organization that helps children caught up in abuse and neglect cases in the court system. Although the age requirement for advocates limited Stemple’s assignments at CASA to ofﬁce tasks, she had an impact on the program. “I got to share my frustrations and ideas for improvement of the overall foster care system with people who really cared and understood where I was coming from,” Stemple said. “It’s not often that I get to discuss my childhood with people in a way that doesn’t elicit [an] uncomfortable feeling . . . I was able to have real conversations about my experiences for the ﬁrst time since I had talked to my own advocate more than 10 years ago.”

KnoxCorps Sponsors & Organizations When Stemple spoke, her supervisors and co-workers listened: “One day, Kati told us that it seemed that adults often talked about children as if they were not real,” recalled Sara Robison, executive director of CASA of Knox County. “It reminded us that there are actual lives affected by the decisions being made, that we do make a difference in the lives of children.”

Build Solutions Whether helping one child in need or thousands of website visitors, KnoxCorps participants are enhancing and extending the reach of the organizations where they serve, and they’re not all working in anti-poverty programs. Hosmer-Quint did both ofﬁce and ﬁeld work for two business organizations, including building a website, organizing records, and conducting surveys. In addition to Stemple at CASA and Doherty at FISH, Knox theatre majors have been placed at the Orpheum Theatre and Prairie Players Civic Theatre. Students with interests in environmental work have been placed at similarly focused organizations. Those who want to go into health professions have been placed at the Knox County Health Department. While it’s not KnoxCorps’ purpose to provide additional workers for an organization, several have grown their positions into temporary full-time jobs. “KnoxCorps has been a huge help,” says Erin Olson at the health department. “The students have all been amazing. Due to budget limitations, we haven’t been able to replace all of the full time staff that we’ve lost to attrition, and it’s helped with that.” Inevitably, a new and innovative program will hit some bumps. Students’ skills and interests don’t always mesh

with organizations’ needs and resources. Transportation turned out to be a challenge—students didn’t have cars, or their work schedules didn’t ﬁt with Galesburg’s public transit system. The solution—a Nissan Leaf that students could share—was acquired with a grant from PNC Bank.

Thanks to the sponsors (purple) and organizations (green) who have supported KnoxCorps:

Galesburg Civic Art Center

Kleine Equipment, Inc Jenzabar Foundation G.L. Vitale Family Foundation PNC

Look Ahead KnoxCorps has become a showcase— other colleges have visited Knox to find out more about the program. Current KnoxCorps students are encouraging friends to apply. Knox is still winning Presidential Community Service Awards, now with more than 80,000 hours of volunteer service annually by students. But it would be too easy to say the future is bright. “Small colleges and small towns are both threatened in twenty-first century America,” says Gary Funk. “Programs like KnoxCorps are hard for colleges to establish and maintain. Your campus leadership has to be incredibly committed, and I think President Amott has exhibited that kind of commitment. In addition, you need the community. The Galesburg Community Foundation’s initial buy-in and the subsequent support from area businesses has allowed the program to flourish.” President Amott says KnoxCorps is helping fulfill her vision for the College’s relationship with its hometown. “The future of small towns depends in large measure on the quality of our civic engagement. It was my hope that KnoxCorps would give our students new opportunities to make a difference in the quality of life of this special place that has been our home since 1837, and our students have risen to that challenge. I look forward to the future of KnoxCorps and Galesburg.”

We Are Galesburg Fund Galesburg Community Foundation

Galesburg Public Schools Foundation Knox College

Galesburg Carl Sandburg College Public Library Prairie Players Sustainable Civic Theatre Business Center FISH Food Pantry United Way of Knox County Knox County Health Department Galesburg Civic Art Center Orpheum Theatre Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce Court Appointed Galesburg Special Advocates Public School of Knox County District #205 Galesburg Downtown Council YMCA of Knox County Knox Prairie Discovery Depot Community Kitchen Galesburg Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Galesburg Community Foundation

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For the Good of the Community Focusing on Galesburg’s Heart & Soul BY ADRIANA COLINDRES

Sam Jarvis ’09 conducts a Heart & Soul interview with a Galesburg resident at Vintages Tasting Room.

s a kid growing up in Galesburg, Sam Jarvis ’09 “kind of hated” his hometown and complained there wasn’t enough to do. Now, he knows better. “It wasn’t until I started getting more involved, mostly because of my job, that I started really appreciating this community and seeing all of the different opportunities, all the different things about it that I appreciated,” he says. Recognizing the appeal of Galesburg and working to develop new opportunities for people in Galesburg are important components of Heart & Soul, a long-term, community-driven revitalization effort. Jarvis and several other members of the Knox College community are playing key roles in Heart & Soul.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

“Heart & Soul is about the individual person, the one-on-one contact, the sense that every voice matters, and that you can influence the community.”

Knox students organized this on-campus forum to talk about the “divide” between Galesburg and the College.

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BREA CUNNINGHAM

–Deborah Granat Moreno ’89

“Heart & Soul is about the individual person, the one-on-one contact, the sense that every voice matters, and that you can inﬂuence the community,” says Deborah Granat Moreno ’89, coordinator of Galesburg Heart & Soul. “Our goal is eventual community transformation and getting the ball rolling for that process.” Funded by the Orton Family Foundation, the Community Heart & Soul initiative is described on the foundation’s website as “a barn-raising approach to community planning and development designed to increase participation in local decision-making and empower residents to shape the future of their communities in a way that upholds the unique character of each place.” Orton has developed its Heart & Soul method over several years and in more than a dozen communities across the United States, based on the idea that emotional connections drive citizens’ engagement in community planning and development. “Emotional connections can ultimately drive action for the public good when people begin to see themselves and their personal stories as part of a larger community narrative,” according to the Orton website. Galesburg is Orton’s largest Heart & Soul community to date. The Galesburg project has received about $50,000 from the City of Galesburg, and additional funding has come from private philanthropy through the Galesburg Community Foundation. Galesburg is approaching the end of the second phase in the Heart & Soul method, which consists of four phases over a two-year period: • Lay the Groundwork. This involves getting organized, creating a work

plan, and making people aware of the initiative. • Explore Your Community. This involves conducting interviews to collect “stories” from people and, through those stories, identifying what matters most to them. • Make Decisions. This involves developing options and making choices. • Take Action. This involves mobilizing resources and following through on decisions. Besides Jarvis and Moreno, several other individuals with ties to Knox— including alumni, current students, faculty, and staff—are among the dozens of people involved with Galesburg Heart & Soul. Almost all of them are volunteers, and they have taken on a variety of responsibilities, such as serving on the leadership team, compiling and analyzing data, and conducting interviews with residents. “A Really Cool Thing to Be a Part of”

Jarvis is a member of the Heart & Soul leadership team, and he also assists with data analysis. At Knox, he majored in biochemistry and minored in economics. He now works at the Knox County Health Department as director of health protection. Galesburg Heart & Soul appealed to him, he says, because it aims to involve as many people and as many voices as possible. “I thought this would be a really cool thing to be a part of, to see how it’s done,” Jarvis says. “I do similar things like this for my job, when we look at health assessments, for example. It’s always: How do you reach out to the people who don’t normally have a voice? That’s what really got me hooked.”

The experience has been amazing, he says, because he’s been able to connect with so many members of the community that he otherwise might not have met. “I always appreciate those opportunities,” Jarvis adds. “It’s the same way I felt about Knox.” Moreno says that Jarvis has been “a great force” for Heart & Soul. “He’s data-oriented, and I really like that. He follows through. He’s a quiet, kind of unassuming guy who says, ‘Hey, I’ll do that.’ And then he does it.” Knox Students Contribute Knox faculty member Teresa Gonzales, assistant professor of anthropologysociology, also serves on the Heart & Soul leadership team, and she incorporated the project in her fall 2016 course, Community Economic Development. Working in groups of four or ﬁve, students in the class assisted the Heart & Soul effort by doing interviews, helping with data, attending leadership meetings, and other tasks. At one of those meetings, the conversation turned to the “divide” between Knox and Galesburg, and a couple of students offered to promote and organize an on-campus forum on the topic. “They took on that role themselves and did all of the work,” Gonzales says. “It wasn’t required at all for the course.” Gonzales adds that students in her course also analyzed some of the Heart & Soul data and developed ideas about future development possibilities for Galesburg. One idea, for example, called for creating a “worker cooperative” where individuals could receive training in furnace and air-conditioning repair, woodworking, or other trades. Community development is one of Gonzales’ academic research interests,

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Connecting with the Public Galesburg Heart & Soul made one of its earliest public outreach efforts in March 2016 at the unveiling of the Galesburg Portrait Project, a work by artist John Bakker. Bakker, who was Knox College’s Artist in Residence during the previous fall term, created hand-painted portraits of almost 400 Galesburg residents who had submitted photographs of themselves. During remarks at the unveiling, which took place at The Box gallery, Knox Associate Professor and Chair of Art Mark Holmes described the project as “a representation of how Knox and Galesburg are one.” Heart & Soul Coordinator Deborah Granat Moreno ’89, Holmes, and Bakker had agreed beforehand that the event also would be a good opportunity for Heart & Soul. So volunteers at Deborah Granat Moreno ’89, The Box conducted video Heart & Soul coordinator, in front of the Galesburg Portrait Project. interviews and asked people to fill out data-collection cards. “We collected quite a bit of information and material there,” Moreno says. “It was our first splash in the community, and it was great because we had a very warm, welcoming event.” Gathering individual stories from people is a crucial step of the Heart & Soul process. In Galesburg, that process has taken a variety of forms, including radio interviews aired on local station WGIL-AM, video interviews conducted by elementary and junior high school students, and audio interviews at churches and businesses. In the interviews, people respond to a wide range of questions, but the basic ones ask them to identify what they like most about Galesburg, what improvements are needed, and what kind of community they’d like Galesburg to be in the future. Their responses are being analyzed and translated into “values statements” that eventually will help Heart & Soul determine what actions to prioritize. While most of the interviews have been conducted by adults who are part of Galesburg Heart & Soul, younger residents are contributing to the story-gathering process, too. Fourth-graders at Gale Elementary School and older students at Churchill Junior High School and Lombard Middle School interviewed Galesburg military veterans in late 2016. At Gale, for example, every team of three or four students used laptops to make video recordings of the interviews. In several instances, once the fourth-graders finished asking their questions, the laptops were turned around, and roles were reversed—with the veterans interviewing the youngsters about their thoughts on Galesburg.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

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and she says such work is complicated and takes time. “The kind of work that Heart & Soul does isn’t always about building a new building,” she says. “It’s also about changing culture and changing perception and creating cohesion.” “I am really hopeful and impressed by the process that has happened here,” she adds. “There is a lot of potential for it to have a positive impact.” “Trust the Process” Because Galesburg Heart & Soul is only about halfway through the four-phase process, it’s not yet known “exactly where it’s going to lead,” Moreno says. “We have to trust the process. From what I can see, and from what others have told me, it all seems to be going really smoothly. The Orton Foundation is very happy with our progress.” “Governmental, economic, health, and cultural organizations in Galesburg have been open to the Heart & Soul process,” she says, adding that people have been glad to “share their perspectives and hopes for the community.” And even though Galesburg Heart & Soul hasn’t yet completed its work, some important findings already have emerged. “One thing that has become really evident through this process is what a rich arts culture we have here, for such a small town,” Moreno says. She believes it’s likely that by the time the process is finished, Galesburg Heart & Soul will have decided to further enhance and spotlight the local art scene. What other priorities might be identified, and what other plans might be in store for Galesburg? It’s still too early to know for sure, though enthusiasm is growing. “I’m excited to see what will happen,” Jarvis says. “Because I know something WILL happen, so I’m just excited to see what that is.”

Health Matters Improving People’s Well-Being in Knox County BY ADRIANA COLINDRES

nox County, where Galesburg is the county seat, is the newest of just six U.S. communities to be selected for the Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI). CHMI works to improve the health and well-being of people across the U.S. by activating individuals, organizations, and communities to build strategic partnerships that will reduce preventable diseases, close health disparity gaps, and improve access to better health care for all. Knox County is an area with “great potential, but great need,” says Emily Webel, CHMI regional director for Knox County. The other CHMI communities are: Coachella Valley in California; central Arkansas, including Little Rock; northeast Florida, including Jacksonville; the greater Houston area in Texas; and Adams County, including Natchez, in Mississippi. Each of the six communities is at a different stage in the CHMI process, Webel says. The ﬁrst to be chosen, Coachella Valley, is in its fourth year of the initiative. Knox County will enter its second year as a CHMI community in mid-2017. “We are very much on the ground level,” Webel says. CHMI, part of the Clinton Foundation, doesn’t fund projects. Instead, Webel says, “We use more social capital, knowledge capital, intellectual

capital, relationship capital in that we leverage relationships we have with other entities.” CHMI working groups have been meeting in Knox County for several months. The working groups cover nine subject areas, including substance abuse, sexual health and disease control, and food quality and safety. A “blueprint for action” has been developed, and it was publicly released in February. The blueprint is intended to serve as “a piece of reference for the community of the work that they have done so far and where they want to go,” Webel says. “After the blueprint is unveiled, then the work really catapults. That’s when we start developing what-next strategies.” The blueprint spells out overall goals, action steps to achieve the goals, and indicators of success. For example, one overall goal states that “Knox County will encourage healthy eating by providing access to fresh, healthy food and nutritional education.” One of the action steps for that goal calls for strengthening collaborations with major health providers through a healthy-eating initiative, and one of the indicators of success is that nutrition education will be made available for all residents of Knox County by 2021. The Knox County CMHI process involves at least 100 stakeholders across

public and private sectors. Among them: Galesburg Cottage Hospital, OSF Saint Mary Medical Center, the Knox County Health Department, the Galesburg Community Foundation, the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development, Galesburg city government, area school districts, Knox College, Carl Sandburg College, the Farm Bureau and other agricultural groups, and faith-based organizations. Webel says she has been “very cognizant” about being inclusive and reaching out to as many stakeholders as possible because CHMI’s purpose is “to look at the whole health of the community.” “I’m a neutral convener and a facilitator. I’m not coming in as a health expert. I’m not coming in with an agenda to push. This is a community-driven initiative.” In that way, CHMI is similar to another ongoing, long-term project: Galesburg Heart & Soul; however, the two efforts differ in other ways. For example, CHMI covers all of Knox County, while Heart & Soul is focused on Galesburg. In addition, they have different missions, with CHMI’s focusing more onsystemic change. She regards the two initiatives as complementary. “It’s all for the good of the community.”

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Inspiring & Educating Benefits Galesburg Youth Gale Scholars Program Unites Knox, Carl Sandburg College, and District 205 BY ADRIANA COLINDRES

he George Washington Gale Scholars Program, a collaborative partnership involving Knox College, Carl Sandburg College, and Galesburg School District 205, reﬂects the Galesburg educational community’s commitment to working together and roviding opportunities for young people. Established in 1996, the Gale Scholars Program offers a path to a free college education for academically promising ﬁrst-generation and income-eligible students in District 205. Every year, up to 15 eighth-graders are selected for the program, which includes academic enrichment, community service, and leadership and other skill-building

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PETER BAILLEY ’74

The most recent participants in the Gale Scholars Program. The 15 students were inducted in May 2016 at Knox College.

• In 2016, all 15 Gale Scholars who were selected four years earlier graduated from Galesburg High School, and two of them qualiﬁed for direct enrollment at Knox College.

Chris Carpenter, a 2009 Knox College graduate who successfully completed the Gale Scholars Program, shares a similar view. He says the program “got me laser-focused on college.” “I was a pretty good student, but GWGS got me to be motivated by school,” adds Carpenter, now a teacher at Lombard Middle School in Galesburg. “It also gave me a deep appreciation of my community and the opportunity I was blessed with.” The program provided him with support, friends, materials such as calculators, and access to counselors who were always ready to assist, he says. It also had an impact on his career choice. “It was through experiences of this program which led me down a path toward education to give back for the opportunity I was granted,” Carpenter says. “I use the Gale Scholars Program constantly in my class to show students what experiences and opportunities they can take advantage of. I tell them that if I can graduate from college with no one graduating from high school in my family, so can they.”

PETER BAILLEY ’74

experiences. These opportunities are provided throughout the eight years of each student’s involvement in the program. Students who successfully meet the program’s requirements through their high school years are awarded tuitionwaiver scholarships for college—toward completion of an associate’s degree at Carl Sandburg College and then a bachelor’s degree at Knox College. Gale Scholars with an exceptional academic record at Galesburg High School may qualify for direct enrollment at Knox. The program came under new leadership with the 2015 selection of Steve Cheesman ’80, a ﬁrst-generation college student, as director. Representatives from District 205, Carl Sandburg, and Knox work with him to set guidelines for the program and ensure student success. In recent years, the Gale Scholars Program has reached some notable milestones.

“The Gale Scholars Program is the finest program that I have ever seen for making the educational dream possible.” –Steve Cheesman ’80

• Since 2010, a total of 23 Gale Scholars have earned bachelor’s degrees from Knox.

“Education gives you more opportunities in life to have a chance at being successful and happy,” Cheesman says. “The Gale Scholars Program is the ﬁnest program that I have ever seen for making the educational dream possible for a bunch of terriﬁc students and young people. I am so proud to be a part of it. It is fantastic in all ways!”

PETER BAILLEY ’74

• Five Gale Scholars are on track to receive bachelor’s degrees from Knox in 2017.

President Amott with the family of a recent Gale Scholar inductee.

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New faculty bring unique research, backgr Knox welcomed three new faculty members to the Knox community this fall—one each in music, biology, and mathematics. Each brings to the College their own unique research interests, teaching styles, and backgrounds. Meet this year’s new faculty.

“I realized that music was in many ways another language.” —Joan Campbell Huguet

PETER BAILLEY ’74

styles in this way, after years of not really thinking about the music I performed at all, was so exciting for me.

Why did you choose to teach at a liberal arts college?

Joan Campbell Huguet Assistant Professor of Music Joan received her bachelor’s degree in music and French literature from Rhodes College in 2008, her master’s degree in music theory from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in 2010, and her Ph.D. in music theory from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music in 2015. Her research primarily focuses on form and harmony in nineteenth-century music.

How did you first get interested in your academic field? I have always loved studying languages, both English and foreign. When I ﬁrst took music theory, I realized that music was in many ways another language, with its own grammar, syntax, and idioms. Being able to understand musical

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I went to a liberal arts school, Rhodes College in Memphis, and I loved the small, supportive community. It was only in graduate school, however, that I realized just how different my education was from so many of my peers. I was comfortable talking to professors, I knew how to read an article critically, and, perhaps most important, I was not scared of writing! These are skills that liberal arts colleges are wonderful at developing and that serve students no matter what their path after graduation.

Ole Forsberg Assistant Professor of Mathematics Ole holds a bachelor’s of science degree in mathematics from the University of Portland, a master’s of teaching degree in secondary education from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Tennessee, a master’s of science and engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in statistics from Oklahoma State University. His teaching interests include statistics and linear models.

How did you first get interested in your academic field? While growing up, my parents pushed me to excel in mathematics and science. They were successful. As the years passed, however, my interests broadened. My ﬁrst Ph.D. is in political science, with a dissertation that looked

The South Lawn ounds to Knox

Tell us one unexpected thing about yourself. I am a fan of anime and manga. I happily own several series and watch even more. I originally got hooked on anime back in the mid-1970s with the original Speed Racer and his car, Melange (a mistranslation of Marengo, Napoleon’s horse). I got back into it just a decade ago with Inuyasha and D.N.Angel. Since then, Toonami is my Saturday night habit, and the anime selection on Hulu is my habit for the other six days.

“I am a fan of anime and manga.” —Ole Forsberg

Describe one of your favorite teaching moments.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

at several correlates of terrorism in nationalist-separatist movements. Doing that dissertation forcefully showed me the importance of statistics in life. I was able to draw conclusions about a complicated phenomenon simply by using statistics. More important, I was able to quantify my uncertainty in the results. In 2009, when I was at Johns Hopkins studying statistics, I got caught up in the excitement and intrigue about the Iranian presidential election. Claims of fraud were common, but ﬁrst-hand evidence of fraud was non-existent. At that point, I turned my interests to analyzing elections with an eye toward detecting unfairness, whether due to fraud or due to something in the electoral system itself.

deeply examine how different jaw shapes function, employing models of physics and engineering to examine why anatomy is shaped the way it is, a ﬁeld typically called “biomechanics.” Most of my research time is spent studying the design and function of ﬁsh heads using comparative anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics.

Nicholas Gidmark Assistant Professor of Biology Nicholas received his bachelor’s of science degree in biology from the University of Minnesota in 2006 and his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Brown University in 2012. His teaching interests include comparative vertebrate anatomy, animal physiology, and fish biology.

How did you first get interested in your academic field? I’ve been digging in dirt, catching frogs, and looking at water beetles under microscopes since I was five. I’ve been fascinated by structure and the diversity of shapes in nature, but never really thought I could turn that into a career. I joined a Natural Resources department in college with the goal of being outside, in nature, as much as humanly possible. My interest in fishes led me to join a research lab that studied evolutionary relationships of fishes using DNA sequencing techniques. I eventually used those relationships to look at how the shapes of feeding structures (jaws, teeth, etc.) have evolved in fishes. During my Ph.D. at Brown University, I went on to more

This fall was a pretty powerful term for me. I taught Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, a deeply humbling, challenging, enthralling subject that one can only skim in 10 weeks. Fish, sharks, frogs, dogs, snakes, and birds are just plain fascinating, and studying them comparatively gives real insight into bits of nature that we see every day. I fed off of the interest my students had, and many of them either rekindled an interest in diversity and anatomy while others were jazzed about the material when they saw it for the first time. This course was an incredible challenge for me as a first-time faculty member, and my students made it truly rewarding. If 10 weeks can be a moment (it is the blink of an eye on an evolutionary timescale), this fall was definitely one of my favorite teaching moments.

“I’ve been digging in dirt, catching frogs, and looking at water beetles under microscopes since I was five.” —Nicholas Gidmark

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Introducing the Power of Experience Grant Knox has long valued the importance of experiential learning—applying what you learn in the classroom to hands-on, real-world situations. Now, students who enter Knox in fall 2017 will be eligible for a grant to support an experiential learning opportunity. The new Power of Experience Grant provides each incoming student with $2,000 during their junior or senior year to support experiences like research or creative work, internships, communitybased service, or study abroad, all of which help prepare students for success after Knox. Today’s graduates need to be able to think critically and creatively, to communicate clearly, to adapt to new technologies, and to navigate today’s interdependent and interconnected world—all skills gained through experiential learning opportunities and widely valued by employers. In a 2015 survey of employers by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 80 percent of employers said that the ability to apply learning in real-world settings was very important in the hiring of recent college graduates. Sixty percent believe that all college students should be expected to complete a significant applied learning project before they graduate. While a valuable component of a Knox education for decades—Knox can trace the pursuit of student-initiated original research to the 1920s—experiential learning was made an official part of Knox’s academic program with the introduction of a new curriculum 15 years ago. “The Power of Experience Grant bolsters a component of Knox education for which the College is known and respected,” said Paul Steenis, vice president for enrollment. “Thanks to these opportunities, our students leave Knox with the skills needed to find professional and personal success.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Kaung Kyi ’16, who interned at the Sitka Conversation Society, in Alaska.

The creation of the Power of Experience Grant is part of the Knox 2018 strategic plan and is made possible, in part, through a $2.8 million bequest from Ann Asplund, an honorary member of the Knox Fifty Year Club and long-time volunteer and supporter of the College. Funding is also being secured through the Above & Beyond Initiatives, fundraising projects and priorities that build on Knox’s historic strengths and invest in a transformative, twenty-ﬁrstcentury education.

The South Lawn

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Knox Recognized for Study Abroad More Knox students are studying abroad, thanks in part to a national campaign to help colleges and universities increase the number and diversity of American college students who study abroad by 2020. The Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative recently recognized Knox and 11 other U.S. higher education institutions that have already exceeded their goals to boost study abroad participation. Knox is among the ﬁrst higher education institutions to meet or exceed their goals among the more than 700 colleges and organizations that have joined Generation Study Abroad since its launch two years ago. About 50 percent of Knox students participate in study abroad and offcampus programs at some point in their undergraduate education, according to statistics compiled this year. That’s a dramatic increase from just four years ago, when about 32 percent of Knox undergraduates participated in study abroad, either in term-length programs or short-term immersion programs. “It is a joy to advise students as they explore the rich array of study abroad options available to them. The investment they make in their education by deciding on study abroad will offer returns for many years to come, both personal and professional,” said Brenda Tooley, director of the Stellyes Center for Global Studies.

Fired Up/ Burned Out Fired Up Knox began a partnership with Cottage Hospital in January to offer contraceptive counseling and management on campus in the College’s student health center. Students have been advocating for these services to be offered on campus for a number of years and brought the issue to the forefront upon the arrival of Anne Ehrlich, vice president for student development, last spring. Ehrlich has worked for the last 10 months to establish the partnership, and appointments for services began in January. A wonderful reminder that student advocacy can result in positive change on campus.

Smoldering Much attention of late has been given to college and university campuses serving as bubbles for the liberal-leaning folks. And, not surprisingly, Knox has received its fair share of criticism in this area. It is a fact that a majority of Knox students do identify as liberal, and we also know that our conservativeleaning students often feel isolated on campus. Knox prides itself on inclusivity, and this is one area of inclusivity where there may be a bit more work to do. The good news is that we are working on it. The Division of Student Development is talking with students this spring to address the issue.

As of press time, Knox—and all other colleges and universities in Illinois—are awaiting payment for MAP (Monetary Award Program) grants. These grants are promised to qualified Illinois students each year to help pay for college tuition, and they’ve essentially been held hostage in a budget showdown between Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and the legislature. More than 300 Knox students and 130,000 total students in Illinois are MAP recipients and caught in the middle of this political battle. Hey, Illinois lawmakers and governor, #MapMatters for our students.* *This is the exact copy that appeared in the spring 2016 issue of Knox Magazine; sad to say, it is still relevant today, as we face the same situation this year and hope it will be resolved soon.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

LIFE AFTER KNOX What is the value of a Knox education? Will students find jobs after Knox? How does a liberal arts degree prepare them for life after Knox? These are all questions that Admission counselors and other Knox staff hear on a regular basis. Here are a few facts and figures that we think may help answer these questions and more.

97%

of seniors say their Knox education strengthened their critical thinking skills, preparing them for life after college

Top 4% of national liberal arts colleges producing successful Ph.D. candidates

EMPLOYERS OF RECENT GRADUATES

Abbott Laboratories AT&T Boeing Chicago Board of Trade Epic Systems Corporation GSW Worldwide IBM New Orleans Museum of Art Sigma-Aldrich Teach for America Yelp

83%

of Knox alumni 10 years out of college say they are pursuing meaningful work

GRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED BY RECENT GRADUATES American University Columbia University Cornell University Georgetown University Harvard University MIT New York University Northwestern University Purdue University University of Chicago Vanderbilt University Yale University

$27,000

average debt of Knox graduates, below the national average of $30,000

91%

of the Class of 2015 are employed, in graduate school, or doing service work

Included in the Forbes Magazine Grateful Grad Index 2014, 2015, 2016

For even more information on life after Knox, visit www.knox.edu/outcomes.

Sources: Six Month Out & 18 Month Out Survey, collegescorecard.org, HEDS Alumni Survey

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

The South Lawn Program in Creative Writing Turns 50 Since its creation in 1967, the Program in Creative Writing has grown in both size and prestige. It is consistently one of the top majors at the College; its faculty members are widely published and awarded in their fields of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and playwriting; its students produce awardwinning work in and out of the classroom; and its alumni receive distinguished fellowships from top graduate programs, have been awarded American Book Awards, Emmys, and the Pulitzer Prize, and work in a breadth of fields from publishing, journalism, and advertising to law and education. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the program, Knox is hosting a series of on-campus and national events, including a Visiting Writer series, alumni events across the country, and limited-edition commemorative letterpress broadsides. “This 50th anniversary celebration is a testament to the importance and value of the Program in Creative Writing at Knox. Outstanding faculty, innovative students, alumni finding personal and professional success—it’s all that we hope an academic program can be, and we look forward to celebrating with our students, faculty, staff, and alumni across the country,” said Laura Behling, vice president for academic affairs. Internationally acclaimed authors Rita Dove, former U.S. Poet Laureate; Aleksandar Hemon, MacArthur “genius grant” recipient and author of The Lazarus Project; and Marilynne Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gilead, will participate in the Visiting Writer series. The seven-part series began in January with Hemon, celebrates National Poetry Month in April with Dove, and concludes in October with Robinson. Knox alumni are featured in February, May, and September. In addition to on-campus events, a series of special alumni Knox Club events are scheduled around the country. Chicago kicked off the celebration in January, and additional events will be held in San Francisco, St. Louis, and New York, among other cities. The anniversary will also be a highlight of the 2017 Homecoming celebrations in October. Limited-edition letterpress broadsides will commemorate the anniversary, featuring the work of visiting writers from 2017. Limited-edition broadsides featuring the work of current Knox College faculty are also being produced on campus, using a letterpress that was recently donated to the College by alumnus Harry (Hal) Keiner ’67. The broadsides are available for purchase at campus events or online. For a complete list of events or to purchase the commemorative broadsides, visit www.knox.edu/cw50.

Sparks “Take out your phones and

GOOGLE YOURSELVES.” Creal Zearing ’10 to Knox students during the Social Media and Personal Branding session, 2016 Career Impact Summit, November 21, 2016

“We don’t have to teach you to have

GOOD VALUES, we have to teach you to act on those good values.” Dr. Alan Berkowitz, award-winning author, scholar, and researcher on preventing gender violence, in his discussion with the Knox community, October 24, 2016

“It is easy to be tolerant in my echochamber of liberalism at Knox, but

MY HUMANITY is only realized when I accept the differences of others.” Sofia Tagkaloglou, in her letter “I am sorry, Knox,” The Knox Student, November 9, 2016

“This dude changed the

FACE OF PUNK in the 90s and freaked all the macho tough guys out.” A WVKC announcement for a concert by Selector Dub Narcotic (aka Calvin Johnson) & Tooms on February 28, 2016

“I am very stressed about the world, but I found the

KNOX FOX AT TARGET.” Tasha Coryell ’10 on Twitter, December 2, 2016

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

I am Knox — Josh Tvrdy ’17 Vitals Hometown: Tucson, Arizona Major/Minor: Creative writing major, religious studies minor Campus Involvements: Kemper Scholar, kitchen aide in the Hard Knox Café, Catch fiction editor (two years), resident assistant (two years), cross country, track and field Class Year: 2017

Three Facts about Josh He was selected as the 2016-17 Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, which recognizes outstanding college seniors in Illinois. In 2016, his indoor track and field team set a new Knox record of 10:43.13 in the distance medley relay. He hopes to work with a nonprofit for a few years before returning to school for an MFA in creative writing. Ultimately, he hopes to teach.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Was it always your intention to study creative writing and religion? The creative writing program (especially Catch) drew me to Knox, so I began my studies fairly certain I was destined to be a creative writing major. Still, like any conscientious liberal arts student, I tried to leave room for undiscovered passions. My religious studies minor came as more of a surprise. I went to a private Christian high school, so I took my first religious studies course (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) out of obligation. Obligation quickly faded away. I find religion—the needs it meets, the beauty it makes accessible—to be a fascinating area of study. I’m particularly drawn to the intersection of religion and popular culture, since that intersection helps us describe our contemporary (and very American) religious realities. What was one of your most transformative Knox experiences? In my first term, I took a beginning poetry-writing class with Gina Franco, and she challenged me to keep a commonplace book. More than a diary, the commonplace book was intended as a repository for each day’s little bursts of inspiration: scraps of language, the beginnings of ideas, and, most importantly for me, the world’s images—a pattern of light on the wall, a leaf tumbling through the air, the body of a diver. I learned to see honestly, without illusion, for maybe the first time. This new kind of seeing ultimately led me inward, to the self, and I began the long (still ongoing) process of coming to terms with my desire, with who I really am. Without poetry, or Gina, or that little commonplace book, I think I’d still be a closeted gay man, guilt-ridden and afraid, unable to look at myself honestly.

The South Lawn Eva Longoria, an award-winning actress, producer, and philanthropist best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis on the hit show Desperate Housewives, will be this year’s Commencement speaker. Longoria stars in feature ﬁlms Lowriders (May 2017) and All Star Weekend (Summer 2017), as well as the BBC miniseries Decline and Fall (March 2017), and is set to star in the new Fox comedy series Type A. She has directed episodes of acclaimed series Jane the Virgin and Black-ish and will guest star on Empire. She is founder of The Eva Longoria Foundation to help Latinas build better futures for themselves; co-founder of Eva’s Heroes, which enriches the lives of those with special needs; and is the

National Spokesperson for Padres Contra el Cancer, a nonproﬁt committed to improving the lives of children with cancer. Longoria has a master’s degree in Chicano studies. Her entrepreneurial activities include serving as a Global Brand Ambassador for L’Oreal Paris, ownership of BESO Restaurant in Hollywood, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, fragrances EVA and EVAmour, a New York Times-bestselling cookbook Eva’s Kitchen, and a home collection line with JCPenney. “Ms. Longoria’s professional and personal accomplishments reﬂect the values that liberal arts colleges like Knox hold dear—appreciation for the arts, critical thinking, resilience, the pursuit of lifelong learning, and a

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Actress, Producer, Philanthropist to Give 2017 Commencement Address

commitment to social justice and community service,” says Knox College President Teresa L. Amott. “It is an honor to welcome Ms. Longoria as this year’s Commencement speaker.” The 2017 Knox College Commencement will be held on Sunday, June 4, at 10:00 a.m. on the South Lawn of Old Main on the Knox College campus. It is free and open to the public.

Dress for Success BY CELINA DIETZEL ’17

JORDEN KNIZE ’19 (3)

Figuring out how to dress for an interview or ﬁrst job can be a challenge for many college students who may not have easy access to professional attire. Thanks to the Bastian Family Career Center and a donation from Trustee Ellie Hartog ’66, Knox students now have the Career Closet—a repository of professional-style attire available to them free of charge.

Located in the back of Taylor Lounge in Seymour Union, the Career Closet is stocked with donations from members of the Knox community, including suit jackets, blouses, dress pants, ties, belts, and gently worn dress shoes. A “Dress for Success” grand opening was hosted in February, and students now have the opportunity to set up an appointment in the Career Center to “shop” and ﬁnd what they need. Krista Nelson, associate director of the Bastian Family Career Center, says the Career Closet will help students be successful, regardless of ﬁnancial circumstances. “It’s a win-win on both sides, as our faculty and staff are able to clean out their closets and donate good clothing to a worthy cause, and students are able to get the professional attire they need for no cost.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

KNext Step: Students Overcome Kitchen Challenges Knox students practiced their knife skills with Jason Crouch, executive chef for Bon Appétit, during the October KNext Step Life Skills Series, “Knife Skills & Quick Cuisines 101.” Crouch worked with students to help to pick the proper knives and use them like professionals. “I’m going home this weekend, and I’m planning on using the skills I’ve learned and the recipe we were given to make my parents a well-deserved meal,” said Janie Sutherd ’20. The KNext Step Series, a collaboration between Alumni Relations and the Bastian Family Career Center, aims to better prepare Knox students for life after college. Other programs in the series include practical tips for starting a new job, car maintenance, and basic banking skills, among others.

For the sixth time in the last seven years, Knox was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which highlights higher education institutions that display values of exemplary community service and that achieve meaningful outcomes in the communities served. Knox earned the Honor Roll’s “With Distinction” designation in the Economic Opportunity category, which recognizes institutions of higher education with service programs that build economic independence, increase family stability, and create more sustainable and resilient communities. “With Distinction” is a reﬂection of Knox’s strong institutional commitment to community service and its involvement in partnerships that produce measurable impact in the community. The Kleine Center for Community Service administers Knox students’ involvement in community service, helping more than 1,300 Knox students—nearly the entire student body—contribute more than 80,000 service hours last year.

Go Figure

9 34

#4 Faculty team-taught the fall 2016 course Issues in Contemporary Elections

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Senior volleyball player Keiyah Triplett’s national ranking for 6.92 digs per set

50,857 Pounds of organic waste diverted from the landfill last academic year

KATY COSEGLIA ’20

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Presidential Honor Roll Recognizes Service Commitment

The South Lawn Prairie Fire Women Blaze a Trail to Success The Prairie Fire women’s soccer team made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament in November. After defeating Grinnell 1-0 to win the Midwest Conference Tournament, the Prairie Fire traveled to St. Louis on November 12, where they were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Washington University, who went on to win the national championship. A few highlights of the soccer team’s historic season include: • Being the first team at Knox to have an undefeated regular season since football was 8-0 in 1919. • Winning the regular season for the first time in their history. • Winning the conference tournament championship for the first time in their history. • Being the first women’s team to compete at an NCAA national tournament. • Outscoring their opponents 65-3. • Breaking or tying seven conference records. At one point during the season, Knox led the nation in shutout percentage and goals-against average and was ranked in the top five nationally in won-lost-tied percentage and save percentage.

$60,000 In equipment donated by Blick Art Materials for the Whitcomb Art Center

18 Knox alumni and faculty were involved in Multitudes, the most recent production by Vitalist Theatre company, co-founded by Professors Robin Metz and Liz Carlin-Metz

$1,059,128.66 Raised by the Class of 1966 for their 50th Reunion

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Two Faculty Members Receive Prestigious Fellowships WITH REPORTING BY CELINA DIETZEL ’17

ROBERTO MEDINA

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Karen Kampwirth ’86, Robert W. Murphy Chair of Political Science, and Teresa Gonzales, assistant professor of anthropology-sociology, were recently awarded national fellowships in support of their scholarship. Kampwirth, along with her colleague Victoria GonzálezRivera, San Diego State University, was awarded an American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Collaborative Research Fellowship for their project One Hundred Years of LGBT History in Nicaragua: Stories from the Global South. Kampwirth and González-Rivera have been doing research on Nicaraguan gender politics for decades, and the Fellowship, which will begin in July, will allow them to shape their extensive research into a book. The ACLS is a private, nonproﬁt organization that provides grants to scholars, with the purpose of encouraging research in the humanities and social sciences. “To receive a fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies is nationally prestigious,” said Laura Behling, vice president for academic affairs. “The fellowships are highly competitive, and more often than not, fellowships are awarded to scholars at large research universities.”

Gonzales was awarded a prestigious Career Enhancement Fellowship, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. She will use the fellowship, which allows exceptional junior faculty to pursue scholarly research and writing in order to facilitate the acquisition of tenure, to ﬁnish her book and meet with relevant publishers. The book project analyzes how neighborhood organizations in low-income communities of color respond to large-scale redevelopment initiatives, focusing on the $40 million New Communities Program in two neighborhoods in Chicago: Englewood and Little Village. A total of 30 Career Enhancement Fellowships are awarded each year, and the six-month fellowship begins in June. Gonzales is “a shining example of a faculty member at Knox who understands the clear and vital connections between scholarship and teaching,” Behling added. “Her work, on collaborative community organizing in two Chicago neighborhoods, is an important contribution to her discipline, as the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship recognizes.” Gonzales said that fellowships such as hers and the one awarded to Kampwirth highlight “the intellectual curiosity and rigor of faculty at places like this.” “I think at smaller colleges, there’s space for greater intellectual creativity to happen,” she added.

(At top) Professor Karen Kampwirth (At left) Assistant Professor Teresa Gonzales

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

The South Lawn Knox is one of the top 25 colleges in the nation for outstanding undergraduate teaching, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings. As part of their annual rankings, U.S. News asked educational leaders to identify “schools where the faculty has an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.” Other colleges cited along with Knox in the top 25 for outstanding teaching include Carleton, Williams, Grinnell, and Amherst. “We are especially delighted that Knox has been recognized as a place of outstanding undergraduate teaching. Students choose a college because they are eager to learn from and work with dedicated teachers,” said Laura Behling, vice president for academic affairs. “At Knox, our faculty prioritize their students’ learning, through challenging and thoughtful inand out-of-classroom work that engages students across disciplines.” In other listings, U.S. News ranks Knox 77th among the top 232 liberal arts colleges and identiﬁes Knox as a “Great School at Great Price.” Knox is also highly ranked by the magazine for ethnic diversity, international diversity, and as a college whose admission standards emphasize “spirit and hard work,” along with academic achievement.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Knox #22 for Great Teaching

Nicolette Laird and Shannon Henry with the membership book at the 2016 Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony.

Phi Beta Kappa Marks 100 Years BY ELISE GOITIA ’18

What do a president’s chief of staff, the co-creator of the foundational language of computing, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and the director of the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic have in common? They’re all Knox alumni. And they’re all members of Phi Beta Kappa. Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society, and February 15, 2017, marked the 100th anniversary of Knox’s first Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony. Knox’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa is the fourth oldest in Illinois and the first at an exclusively undergraduate, four-year liberal arts college in the state. The President of Amherst College presided over the first installation ceremony, where seven seniors—two women and five men—were inducted. Out of more than 3,000 colleges and universities in the U.S., fewer than 300 have chapters. Kevin Hastings ’76 was inducted as a junior into the 58th Knox class of Phi Beta Kappa. As a Knox math professor since 1981, he has been honored to witness so many of his students join its ranks. “I’m just in awe of what they’re able to accomplish as students,” said Hastings. “Really, it’s their dedication and work ethic that puts them in this place where they’re honored in this way.” At Knox’s first Phi Beta Kappa ceremony in 1917, the newly inducted members signed a small, leather-bound book. At the 2016 ceremony of 38 new members (35 seniors and three juniors), the signatures of 2,028 Knox College Phi Beta Kappa members filled the book. “It was really incredible to look back at the book that has been used since the chapter was founded and see all the people who joined before me,” said Emma Thornton-Kolbe ’17, who was inducted as a junior in 2016. Allie Whitehill ’17 is another junior inducted last spring. “I really like being a part of an organization that spreads across the country. We all share common values despite our unique backgrounds and experiences.” In 2017, Knox will mark the beginning of the second century of its Phi Beta Kappa chapter with a new book of signatures to honor members. “It’s very rewarding to see the College reach its centennial observation,” said Hastings. “It’s a testament to the quality of what we do here.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

First Impressions “In 1963, Marvel Comics debuted a new superhero comic-book series titled X-Men. Today, the number of individual issues of X-Men, or its many related spin-offs, is up to several thousand.” The first sentence of The Best There Is At What He Does: Examining Chris Claremont’s X-Men (Sequart Research & Literacy Organization, 2016) by Jason Powell ’00, a writer and composer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hundreds of creators have contributed material to the X-Men comic-book franchise over the past 50 years. But from 1975 to 1991, the X-Men universe was guided by Chris Claremont. Proceeding chronologically through the issues, Powell analyzes the trends, arcs, and themes that emerge over the course of this landmark comics opus.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Generation Space: A Love Sto Doug Dechow ’91 and Anna Leahy ’88 were children when Apollo 11 took humans to the moon and Knox students (who ultimately fell in love) when the Challenger launch ended in tragedy. Dechow and Leahy are just two of the millions of Americans in the generation who came of age with the space shuttle program and continued to witness impressive innovations in space exploration. In 2008, serendipity took Dechow and Leahy to California for a new chapter in their lives and to follow the end of the U.S. Shuttle program. Generation Space: A Love Story is the story of their life together and a love letter to the Space Age.

In 2010, you felt the pull of the space program and traveled across the country to see the shuttle launch on its final missions. Why? The way we remember it, our adventure began on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009, when we spontaneously decided to drive into the desert to see a space shuttle land in California (instead of its usual landing site in Florida). But our fascination goes back further; some of our earliest dates were at airshows, and we’ve spent hours winding our way together through aviation museums. We’ve seen the Spruce Goose and a couple of Concordes in person, but never saw those aircraft in ﬂight. So, part of our adventure became following the last space shuttle launches so that we might know them by experience before they stopped ﬂying. In Moby-Dick, the classic tale of searching for one’s whale—the object of one’s obsession—Herman Melville writes, “there are a rabble of uncertain, fugitive, half-fabulous whales, which, as an American whaleman, I know by reputation, but not personally.” We wanted to know our technological white whales personally. In 2010, we became witnesses and investigators of Generation Space.

Since so much of your life has been intertwined with the space program, it seems fitting that you wrote this book together. Was there ever any hesitation to do this project, and what was your writing process like? Our ﬁrst piece together was a conference paper a dozen years ago about how aviation museums displayed World War II aircraft. We made ourselves experts so that we had an excuse to travel to Amsterdam for the conference, and that validation—two articles followed—went a long way in proving to ourselves that we could write together about these sorts of topics. We’ve never had hesitation about creating our writing lives together. When the last space shuttle launch dates were announced, we started the blog (loftyambitions.wordpress.com) in hopes of increasing our chances of being considered journalists and also to create a regular writing process together. As we forged blog posts together, often over dinner at a local watering hole or in the Kennedy Space Center newsroom on little sleep, we discovered that we worked really well together. One of us knows more about technology, whereas the other knows more about language. One of us likes to

Knox Writes ry

Books by Members of the Knox Community know everything before moving forward, whereas the other wants to plow ahead as soon as a decision is made. One of us tends to focus on gorgeous sentences, whereas the other tends to pay attention to organization and the big picture. And who exhibited which strengths sometimes came as a surprise to us. All that takes time and patience. It doesn’t feel as if we wrote Generation Space “now.” We worked on this book consistently for six years, and here it is: the best story about the Space Age that we could tell.

The two of you were uniquely qualified to write this book, with backgrounds in language, education, and science. Do you think a lot of other people have similar stories? Over the last six years, whenever we’ve mentioned this book project or our trips to see launches, the reaction has been enthusiastic. Everyone has a story, a memory, some wishful thinking about spaceflight. We saw hundreds of thousands of people line the Florida coast for the last launches. We had friends in D.C. and California watch breathless as the space shuttles Discovery and Endeavour flew atop the modified 747 to their museum homes. We saw people in a surgical waiting room riveted by television coverage of the SpaceX capsule first docking with the International Space Station. When we say, “I am Generation Space,” the response is, “Me too!”

Anna Leahy’s nonfiction book Tumor is forthcoming from Bloomsbury in 2017, and her stand-alone essays “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” and “Marrying Absurd” were awarded prizes from Ninth Letter and Dogwood in 2016. Her book Constituents of Matter won the Wick Poetry Prize, and Aperture is now available from Shearsman Press. Douglas Dechow is the curator of the Roger and Roberta Boisjoly Challenger Disaster Collection and a former abstractor at NASA’s Center for AeroSpace Information. He co-wrote The Craft of Librarian Instruction and SQUEAK: A Quick Trip to Objectland. Leahy and Dechow work and teach at Chapman University in Orange, California.

A World Less Perfect for Dying In Cervena Barva Press, 2015 ralph pennel ’94 Pennel’s ﬁrst collection of poetry explores themes of loss, faith, death, isolation, and love, examining the ways in which our lives are but the brief imaginings of others, and the hope we still dare to breathe into those imaginings.

How Kate Warne Saved President Lincoln: The Story Behind the Nation’s First Woman Detective Albert Whitman & Company, 2016 elizabeth Van steenwyk ’48 In Van Steenwyk’s 65th children’s book, it’s 1856 and Kate Warne is hired by the Pinkerton Detective Agency to worm out secrets where men cannot go. Her most important mission—to stop an assassination plot against Abraham Lincoln on the way to his inauguration.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Knox Writes Becoming a Lean Library: Lessons from the World of Technology Start-ups Chandos Publishing, 2015

Mastering Redis Packt Publishing, 2016

various poems in the Quechua language with Castilian Spanish translations. His book acts as an archive, or library, with Bolivian poetry translated in Quechua for scholars who are interested in the subject but have no references to the culture.

Jeremy nelson ’96 Becoming a Lean Library provides a detailed guide to the process of managing product development effectively. Subjects covered include lean start-ups in libraries, library systems, and lessons from lean manufacturing, among others. This practical guide, Mastering Redis, digs into the world of Redis data structure to exploit the features of the most popular, open-source, key value data structure server.

Poesía Quechua en Bolivia (Antología) Lima: Facultad de Letras y Ciencias Humanas de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and Pakarina Ediciones, 2016 (May) Julio noriega bernuy, Associate Professor of Modern Languages (Spanish) Seeking to make known the underrepresented Quechua language and culture, Noriega combines

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Comfort and Glory: Two Hundred Years of American Quilts at the Briscoe Center University of Texas Press, 2016 Kate lindquist adams ’67 Showcasing 115 remarkable quilts that span more than two hundred years of American quiltmaking, Adams documents quilt history and the deeply rooted meaning that goes into American quilts. This volume includes the development of quilts, from utility to needlework masterpieces, through color images and descriptions.

A History of Science in World Cultures Routledge, 2015

The Shape of the New: Four Big Ideas that Built the Modern World Princeton University Press, 2016 scott Montgomery ’73 A History of Science in World Cultures draws up a broad range of case studies and examples are used to demonstrate that many of the most fundamental scientiﬁc principles are drawn from the knowledge of ancient

civilizations, like mummiﬁcation in Egypt, hydraulic engineering in China, dental surgery of the Mayas, and optics in Islam. Featuring portraits of Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx, The Shape of the New tells the story of how revolutionary ideas from the Enlightenment—freedom, equality, evolution, and democracy—shaped the world as we know it today.

Rutherford B. Hayes: A Life of Service Nova Science Publishers, 2016 thomas Culbertson ’70 Culbertson writes of the Civil War hero, congressman, governor, and family man’s journey to becoming the 19th President of the U.S. in one of the most contentious elections in national history at the end of the Reconstruction Era. Culbertson also explains Hayes’ work after leaving Washington in support of veterans, education, prison reform, and equal rights.

Class Knox

Flashback Support Our Troops Protests have been a part of the Knox experience for many students. Do you know what these students are protesting? Do you recognize anyone in the photo? Share your memories at knoxmag@knox.edu. To read responses to last issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flashback photo, Farm Term, visit knox.edu/knoxmag.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

www.knox.edu/homecoming

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

PHOTOS BY PETER BAILLEY ’74, KENT KRIEGSHAUSER, BREA CUNNINGHAM, JORDEN KNIZE ’19, ANABELEN ZUNIGA ’19, JOSEPH CONNORS ’17, THERESA MURPHY ’17

We Are Knox Homecoming 2016

Come Home to Knox for Homecoming 2017! October 27-29

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Alumni News Knox Recognizes Notable Alumni at Homecoming 2016

JOHN HEYER ’68

As part of Knox’s traditional Homecoming celebrations, the College recognized several individuals for their accomplishments, teamwork, and service.

2016 Knox service award Winners • Jacob Plummer ’00 • Bob Schmid ’62

2016 Knox-lombard athletic hall of Fame inductees • 1902 Football Team • Shasta Rouch Birkey ’96 • K. Bradley Routon ’68 • Randell Strickland ’90

2016 scroll of honor recipients • Gale Hurd ’65 • Katherine “Kitty” Badger MacDowell ’63 • Charles “Chuck” Porter ’52 Knox thanks everyone who submitted nominations for these awards. Nominate a deserving friend or classmate for Knox’s 2017 alumni awards at www.knox.edu/nominate or contact Carol Brown ’99, director of alumni programs, at 888-KNOXCOL, extension 7980, or cbrown@knox.edu.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Mary Filosa Brown ’82 Memorial 5K Walk/Run The annual Homecoming 5K Walk/Run isn’t a new addition to Homecoming festivities, but it did receive a new name in 2016. After the 2015 passing of Mary Filosa Brown ’82, a dedicated alumna and Knox volunteer and a passionate marathoner, the annual walk/run is now named in her memory. In addition, husband Rick Brown ’83 and friends established the Mary Filosa Brown Fund for Community Service, which will provide support for the Kleine Center for Community Service and its four days of service each year. In total, they raised more than $100,000 for the fund, which was presented to the College at Homecoming.

Three Alums Recognized by Best American Essays The 2016 edition of The Best American Essays recognized three Knox alumni for outstanding writing: B.J. Hollars ’07, Anna Leahy ’88, and Ander Monson ’97. All are included among the book’s “Notable Essays and Literary Nonﬁction of 2015.” Hollars, recipient of Knox’s 2014 Young Alumni Achievement Award and associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was cited by the publication for “Hirofukushima,” published in Passages North. Leahy, an associate professor of English at Chapman University, was cited for “The Give and Take of Grief,” published in The Weeklings. Monson, recipient of Knox’s 2008 Young Alumni

Achievement Award and associate professor of English at the University of Arizona, was cited for “Considering a Stain,” published in Sierra Nevada Review. “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Program in Creative Writing, we ﬁnd ourselves especially proud of the ongoing, vibrant, and extraordinary work our alums contribute to the contemporary literary scene,” said Monica Berlin ’95, associate director of Knox’s creative writing program and chair of the English department. “Our writers now need only look toward our alumni to be reminded of the value of the work we perform here.”

Class Knox Dan Taylor ’72 Shares Advice with Students as Part of New Professional Residence Program BY CELINA DIETZEL’17

professionals view recent graduates. “We don’t care what you major in, we care that you did the best you could in that major,” he said. Taylor was the ﬁrst alumnus to visit campus through the Alumni in Residence program, which is hosted by Alumni Relations and the Bastian Family Career Center’s KNect: Knox Networking Program. The series brings alumni to campus to talk about how their Knox educations prepared them for success and what they have learned along the way. Since Taylor’s visit, Knox has brought 10 alumni back to campus—some virtually—as part of the program, PETER BAILLEY ’74

Knox students gained valuable insights and advice from Dan Taylor ’72 when he visited campus in September as part of the new “Alumni in Residence” program. Taylor, who was on campus September 26-28, was a sociology major, captain of the men’s basketball team, and one of the founding members of Allied Blacks for Liberty and Equality (ABLE). Today, he is senior vice president of PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Taylor told students that he didn’t follow a direct career path after Knox. Instead, he worked ﬁrst with a local bank, then in radio, and even as an NCAA basketball ofﬁcial. He encouraged them to trust their career decisions, regardless of where they lead. Taylor also shared some advice about the way his company and other

including Kurt Carlson ’76, Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic; Keith Lee ’94, Managing Director at H/2 Capital Partners; Randy Strickland ’90, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Detail to the Chicago Police Department; and Cindy Wilson ’82, Clinical Professor of Law & Director of the Center for Externships at Northwestern University.

LIVE & LEARN

Join Knox’s Alumni Travel Program FINDING THE CIVIL WAR September 11–17, 2017 Partnering with The Grand Tour Cost: $2,790 Final payment/reservations due by June 9, 2017

Join Knox alumni and renowned historian Peter Cozzens ’79 as we explore the great conflict that tore apart the United States from 1861-1865.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Bob Willett ’50 cruised to St. Maarten and “rode

1939

We are Knox. You are, too.

Maurice Stamps, who celebrated his 101st birthday last October, continues to write. In fact, he finished an article for the Seymour Herald in the fall about why girls’ high school basketball was so popular in Southeastern Iowa during the 1930s and 1940s. He also mentioned in his recent letter that he had the privilege of meeting both Ernest Elmo Calkins, Class of 1891, and Carl Sandburg, Lombard 1920, during his first two years at Knox. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1940 Whether you attended Knox for one year, two years, or graduated with honors, you are a Knox alumnus/a. You are the best reflection of Knox College and the education it provides. So, keep us informed. Tell us what you’ve been up to, if you’ve been promoted or honored, or simply say hello. Here’s how:

Ed Jurkens volunteers several days a week at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island in Hawaii. This activity is especially meaningful for Ed because he piloted combat planes in the South Pacific during WWII. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

• Contact your Class Correspondent;

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

• If you don’t have a correspondent, e-mail, call, or “snail mail” us directly (see below); • Or have other media sources send us press releases, articles, and publicity. Please send information about births, marriages, and deaths directly to: Alumni Records Knox College, Box K-230 Galesburg, IL 61401-4999 E-mail: records@knox.edu Send all other updates, correspondence, or questions to: Pam Chozen Class Notes Editor, Knox Magazine Knox College, Box K-233 Galesburg, IL 61401-4999 E-mail: pachozen@knox.edu Please note that Class Notes may be edited for space.

1941 1942 Mary Chezum Switzer writes that she’s still at home and happy to be there. There are lots of family and friends nearby to help when needed. She hopes all her Knox family is similarly blessed. ❯ This year, the Class of 1942 celebrates its 75th anniversary since graduation! Are you interested in returning to Knox to commemorate the occasion? Let me know, and I’ll make plans for a special Reunion. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1943 Art Holst writes, “Elizabeth and I are quite well for our ‘advanced youth.’ We expect our 26th and 27th great-grandchildren to arrive by May 2017. Luckily, we enjoy good health. I still play golf twice a week, both at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and here in Fort Myers, Florida. The years at Knox are happy, poignant, and enduring memories. Below is one of the poems I recently wrote, entitled ‘On Being 90.’ Many people ask what one must do to reach this 10th decade, and I tell them that the first thing is to keep breathing! However, those questions sparked this effort. I hope you enjoy it. Go Knox!”

ON BEING 90 Now that I am 90, people ask, “What should I do To reach that magic number and enjoy life like you?” First of all, be sure to pick your parents carefully. Choose those with stellar genes, and have lived past eighty-three. Enjoy a drink; enjoy good food, but never to excess. Be clean and neat and proper in the way you choose to dress. Keep a lively interest in the work you love to do. You’ll be helping others, and they’ll end up helping you. Dancing with your honey is still lovely cheek to cheek, And sex is like a rich dessert, not more than once a week. Enjoy good music always, your favorite sports and art. And always may the warmth of love, ﬁll your caring heart. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1944 Barbara Lemke fell and injured her shoulder last fall. Luckily, it wasn’t broken, and she says she has some wonderful caregivers to help with meals, grocery shopping, and housework. She’s also decided that 2017 will be the year she gives up her driver’s license. ❯ Sadly, I received a call in early December that Jane Merrill Ruth had passed away. Daughter Nancy Ethington and I had a long visit, and I learned that Jane had not been well for the last year. Jane served as a class agent and returned for many Knox Reunions, including the People’s Building Boys Reunions, with husband Dick Ruth ’43. She will be greatly missed for her kindness and generous spirit. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1945 Patricia Smith Perelli recently moved into a retirement center in Farmington, Illinois. She writes that she attended the lakeside wedding of her youngest granddaughter in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, this past summer. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1946 Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1947 Jim Crawford made the move from Wisconsin to Ocean Shores, Washington. He lives about

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Class Knox the fence” at the airport. “Not recommended,” he says. two blocks from the Pacific now and says he has traded snow for almost-daily rain. His favorite Knox memory? Catching and kissing the Knox College librarian, Ann Parks, in the Seymour Library stacks in 1947! Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

says she spent eight years as a member of her county planning and zoning commission, but has always made time to travel. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

the winter news from up north.” Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1950

1948

I had a great e-mail from Rich Lucas. He writes, “I have lived quietly by myself in Evanston since my wife of 37 years passed away two years ago. I’m in good health for 91, but I don’t drive at night or travel anymore except to visit my daughter in Washington, D.C., for the Christmas holidays. I was only at Knox for two years before transferring to the University of Washington with Pete Wensberg. My favorite Knox memory is from 1948 when the late, great Bruce McCulloch ’49 and I wrote the spring musical, borrowing liberally from the comedy and music available on the radio and movies of the day. It was pretty bad, but there were a lot of laughs. Ernie Brant’s show the next spring was much better but with fewer laughs, I think. (He didn’t have the Hollywood writers working for him.) The theatrical highlight of my brief sojourn at Knox, though, was the school production of The Desert Song, with Will Franklin ’49, Carroll Welker Lagemann ’49, and Beverly Peterson Olmstead ’51 as the leads, Lola Stout Barkow as the seductive dancer, and an actual visit by the famous librettist, Otto Harbach. J. P. Leland was the faculty producer. Who else remembers all that? Given the time, I could probably dredge up a few more memories of those happy, late-1940s collegiate years, with the campus filled with veterans like myself, rarin’ to get started on a new post-war life.” ❯ Bob Willett, wife Donna, and daughter Barbara enjoyed a long cruise on the mega-ship Oasis of the Seas. He said, “It was a fantastic ship crammed full of 6,000 mostly nice people. We did have much fun and even got off the ship in St. Maarten to ‘ride the fence’ at the airport. Not recommended.” (I had to Google this term to see what he meant. It’s amazing that he tried it!) He goes on to report, “I still write and had the cover of Naval History in August with an article, and sold one to Air & Space Smithsonian that hasn’t come out yet. I keep hounding the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to get China to bring my cousin’s remains home from his crash site near Dali, China, but get little encouragement or help. I have a tentative publisher for a book about the process, but it’s a long way from publication. Knox seems a long way away, too, and so many old college friends have left us, but I still stay in touch with Frank Johnson and wife Catherine in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They are my role models—Frank is about 95 and Catherine slipped over the 100-year mark a while back. Frank still bowls and golfs and does photography for Catherine’s bird-watching. They are quite a pair! We are still grateful we moved to Merritt Island 40 years ago, particularly when we watch

I received sad news from Jane Bergquist Stephenson that she lost husband Bill Stephenson on October 2, after a long illness. Jane has moved a retirement community and is adjusting to her new lifestyle. ❯ Jay Burgess reports that he and wife Shay have had another “pretty good year.” They traveled to Michigan this summer to see their son’s condo in Bay Harbor and then to Winona Lake, Indiana, for Thanksgiving. The couple flew to Milwaukee to spend Christmas with family and friends. ❯ Marian Tenhaeff Trythall enjoyed playing golf this summer with a friend who is a Coe College graduate. She says she is sorry to report that Coe won! ❯ Barbara Pebler Hughbanks kept busy with several exciting activities in 2016. She writes, “In December, the Botanic Garden in Claremont named me an emerita member. That represents 26 years of docent hours. For our AAUW wine-tasting fund raiser, I sold 27 tickets. That money pays for a dictionary for every third grader in our local school district. Last year, that was 2,500 books. I recruited 14 new members for the Shakespeare Club of Pomona Valley, thus helping to revitalize an organization established in 1904. At the Ashland, Oregon, Shakespeare Festival, I saw nine plays in seven days, and, in 2016, I attended 68 theatrical performances. Eighteen of them were by Shakespeare. My travel mileage is low for 2016. Besides traveling to Oregon, I went to a Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah, birded in the Tucson area, and spent vacation time in Palm Springs and Laguna Beach. (This spring’s birding trip is to Florida.) Those are my numbers for 2016. Can’t count how many times I think of Knox friends and happy college days!” Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

Class Correspondent: Sidney E. Norris 3135 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97405, 541-683-6160, senorris@comcast.net

1949 Harry Babbitt took time to write a wonderful, long note: “I often remember when I began my freshman year at Knox in 1945 (I graduated in three years) just a month after the end of World War II. Those were difficult years. I worked nights and attended classes during the day. My major was modern languages. My fondest memory is Dr. Sherman Brown, professor of Spanish at Knox for many years. He inspired me with descriptions of his adventures in Mexico and South America as a tour leader for teachers of Spanish. He told me about how they had to chase the cows off the runway at the airport in Cuzco, Peru, before the Pan Am flight could take off. He was a great photographer and invited me to join the Galesburg Camera Club. Those stories sparked the beginning of my secondary career as a photographer. After my graduation from Knox, I studied at the National University of Mexico, where I received my master’s degree and Ph.D. I taught Spanish for 42 years and ended my teaching career at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Over the years, I’ve produced DVDs and CDs for teaching Spanish using history, folklore, and travel to teach the language while enjoying Spanish and Latin American culture. My materials are available at Amazon.com and also through my website at babbittinstructionalresources.com. I was married in 2015 and live with my spouse, Luis, who is from Argentina. We live in Buenos Aires during the summer months and in beautiful Medellín, Colombia, the rest of the year.” ❯ Another alumnus abroad, Bill Wedan, wrote, “We have had a very mild autumn in my area of Spain, though we recently have had a great deal of rain. It’s very good for the local agriculture but a disaster for the Mediterranean coast and nearby interior a hundred miles south of Reus, where I live. Rivers have overflowed due to abnormally heavy rains, with several cities having to evacuate hundreds of people from homes and floating cars. I plan to visit Leah Hensley ’08, Jose Luis Reina, and their daughters in their village of Vilella Alta soon. I spent the Christmas holidays with local friends here in Reus.” ❯ Dolores Kennedy Moscou told me that she is currently president of her homeowners association and is a member of her local fire department board. She

1951

1952 Class Correspondent: Anne Reutlinger Porter 407 Russell Avenue, Apartment 316, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2853, 301-987-6894, justjim22@gmail.com

1953 Class Correspondent: Nevin C. Lescher 295 Reed Avenue, Windsor Locks, CT 06096, 860-623-0550, nesu@cox.net

1954 Response to my request for news has been limited. Possibly a class whose first presidential votes probably were cast for Dwight Eisenhower or

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Don ’53 and Gail Holmes Curtis ’55 welcomed their first Adlai Stevenson remains in shock from the campaign and results 60 years later. One thing has not changed: Professor Charles Lerche taught that there never would be peace in Middle East. Still true. ❯ Ron Leganger spent five summer weeks in Europe as planned and returned to Fort Lauderdale to celebrate his 85th birthday on November 5, before having cataract surgery and entertaining a holiday season of visitors, including four groups of nephews and guests from England and Norway. ❯ Ron Pearson remains closer to his longtime Galesburg home, where he continues to observe the campus improvements, particularly the renovation of Alumni Hall, and celebrated the 62nd anniversary of his wedding to Arline Searl Pearson ’57. ❯ Jim Albrecht lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, close to daughter Ann and her family and the family of his late brother Bob Albrecht ’55. Daughter Karen visited from Paris at Christmas, and son Jim’s family came from Washington State at Thanksgiving. ❯ Jim Wirt missed the 60th Reunion due to major surgery but recovered to catch a record fish the following year. After cheering the Cubs’ World Series win, he now threatens a return to the golf links. ❯ SaraJane Allensworth reports that Janet Wagner Rafferty is doing well in retirement in Saratoga, California. ❯ Finally, some information in the spring magazine was less than accurate. To update: After dating for five years, David ’53 and SaraJane Allensworth were married in 1953 and celebrated 63 years of marriage, with three children—Douglas, Chelsea and Tenley—before David passed away last summer. Within a few weeks, and just shy of their own 63rd anniversary, Jane Nelson Johnson and husband Dick, a Harvard graduate and strong supporter of Knox, also passed away. Jane and SaraJane had been friends since junior high; Jane had been maid of honor and Dick was best man for Sarajane and David’s wedding, and they were in Dick and Jane’s wedding. Class Correspondent: Jim Dunlevey 27419 Embassy Street, Menifee, CA 92586-2005, dunlevey@aol.com

1955 Some of you received my first November e-mail, giving a heads-up for the class notes deadline, but most didn’t. After an iMac tech came to my rescue, I sent it again, and many of you reassured me the second message came through. ❯ Among those were Jim Rogula, Frank Scherer, Carroll Shipplett, and Jeanie Moe Johnson. Thank you! ❯ Ward Knockemus kindly wrote, concerned about my hip replacement. It has healed, and I can walk without a cane, but I haven’t been able to rejoin Bud on his morning two-mile walk. I’m working on it. Ward and Evy are still in Theodore, Alabama. You probably heard their cheers for the University of Alabama, along with ours, during this past football season. ❯ Jim Janes called in August, and we had a good visit. He now lives in Cadillac, Michigan, after a long

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

career as a United Church of Christ pastor, serving churches in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Jim is widowed; he and his wife had four sons and eight grandchildren. He reported that Don Meikle, who lives in Connecticut, has had a hip replacement but is well. ❯ Bill Ives always has a trip or two to report. His wife’s career is with an airline. In my next life, I plan to marry a pilot or an employee of some sort with a major airline. Bill wrote from Burma, but the setting for his story is New Orleans. He was at a client’s meeting there in October 2015, when he had a delightful lunch with former Knox president John McCall, who lives in New Orleans. It took a couple of hours to rehash their long standing disagreement over the discarding of our Old Siwash moniker. If only George Fitch, who came up with that name for a small Midwestern college in his book written in the early years of the twentieth century, had had the internet, this whole controversy might not have happened. (That last sentence is mine, not Bill’s or John’s.) Bill wrote that even though John is in his 90s, he is sharp and articulate and has deep affection for Old Siwash (the institution, not the name). As they parted, John hopped on a passing streetcar with agility that Bill doubted he could match. ❯ Fran Lyman wrote from Ann Arbor. She was very busy with League of Women Voters before the November election and is also active in AAUW groups. Great Decisions, local issues, and international dining are some of her favorite involvements. She fell in May doing Warrior III in her yoga class, fractured the head of her femur, and had to cancel travel plans. I looked up “femur,” and that’s a thigh bone. (You knew that, didn’t you. Now I’ll Google “Warrior III.”) After surgery and physical therapy, she’s back to speed. ❯ Don ’53 and Gail Holmes Curtis recently welcomed their first great-grandchild, Cloe Christine. They also had two weddings in 2016, bringing the clan count to 20! ❯ Jim Lockett, Bud, and I had an interesting phone conversation recently about Col. James Lockett, Jim’s father, who was head of the ROTC program during our time at Knox. During WWII, Colonel Lockett was taken prisoner by the Nazis and forced to walk 350 miles to a prison camp in an effort to keep ahead of Russian troops. Lockett and two others escaped and, after six days, were able to reach American lines. In Killing Patton, Bill O’Reilly writes that there never was an escape from that prison camp. Jim wrote O’Reilly to set the record straight, but has never received a reply. Jim should write his own book about what his father went through during that war. He was a hero. ❯ Roland Peaslee wrote from Mission, Texas, where he and Bonnie spent the winter. They have three sons and 13 grandchildren. We have five granddaughters, and I always call them by one of the others’ names, so if we had 13 grands, they would all be “sweetie.” ❯ Walter Larkin was in Miami in February with his wife, Dr. Susan Clare, when she was presented with the American Medical Women’s Association’s

Exceptional Mentor Award at its annual meeting. Susan has worked in breast cancer research for many years. She is now based at Northwestern University. Wally and Sue also were in California, Scotland, and Hungary during the year. In Budapest, they saw Wally’s godson and his wife, Colleen Bell, who is the U.S. ambassador to Hungary. ❯ George Elliott and wife Margie enjoyed having the Peaslees visit them at Lake Ozark in September. The sad news is that Margie died suddenly on November 1. George and daughter Debra are having a hard time recovering from the heartache of that loss. We all send our sympathy. ❯ Sara Dolder Stewart, Carol Boldt Bentsen, and Diane Ridge Ogdon are all well since last I heard. Diane’s family is very close and keep Di busy, including her in all their gatherings. She traveled to Florida in January to visit her great-grandson. ❯ Lynn Weise Victor reports that her daughter and her husband were in Iceland in December. Brave souls! They live in Corvallis, Oregon, near Lynn, when they are not on an adventure. ❯ Al and Barbara Behringer Paulus ’56 took a sentimental journey back to Galesburg in the fall. Barb spent two years at Monmouth, so they visited there, as well as the Knoxville Historical Society and the cemetery where many of her ancestors—who were founders of the Knox County government back in the day—are buried. Of course, they visited the new and improved Knox campus. Meanwhile, Al continues to bask in the afterglow of the Cubs championship. ❯ In our Spring 2016 class notes, I told you about Russ Fuiks’ unfortunate fall in San Antonio in November 2015, and his and Jan’s hopes to be able to cruise to the Hawaiian Islands the following January. Although he was still not totally recovered, they were able to make the trip. In September, they were in Wisconsin and Galveston, Texas, and, in October, took a cruise from Galveston to Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. Their family is all in the Denver area, and the Fuiks hosted them all for Christmas. ❯ Christmas is almost here as I write this, but you will read it in springtime. May we all continue to enjoy the change of seasons, as we and the world keep rolling around the sun. Wishing you all good health. We have a lot to be grateful for, as Fran Lyman wrote, “...much of which we did nothing to earn.” Hope you have a good 2017. Class Correspondent: Dorothy Thomas Wharton 3511 S.E. Fairway West, Stuart, FL 34997-6033, 772-220-9433, dtwharton33@gmail.com

1956 This column begins with the happy news from Jack Reiners that the Class of 1956 Scholarship has been awarded to Yvette Rodriguez from Ontario, California. The fund is healthy and will continue to aid students seeking a Knox education, an enduring remembrance for our class. ❯ Another positive connection to the Class of ’56 is the Whitcomb Art Center, made possible by class

Class Knox great-grandchild, Cloe Christine. 2017 Alumni Achievement Award Harriet Drew Barringer ’58 Harriet Drew Barringer says the real value of a liberal arts education is that it offers you the freedom to change your mind. “When I was at Knox, I had the idea that I was going to be a teacher,” she remembers. “That lasted one year.” Well, yes and no. She did resign her position as a mathematics teacher in Winnebago County, Illinois, after a year, then followed her husband to Ohio and then Pennsylvania. There, she worked as a computer programmer at General Electric compiling data from nuclear reactors and spacecraft, until she became a stay-at-home mother to two sons. It wasn’t the last time she’d change her mind, though. Even though her husband’s job required the family to move frequently—“One of my sons changed schools 12 times before he got out of high school,” she recalls—Barringer slowly returned to teaching, first as a substitute in whichever school district the family was currently attending, then as a guidance counselor in Stark County, Ohio. She also taught a summer undergraduate course in educational psychology at Kent State. In addtion, she earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Villanova University. With the family settled in Pennsylvania, she returned to education fulltime, working as both a mathematics teacher and a guidance counselor at Radnor Senior High School. During her 20 years there, she created and ran the school’s first Career Center, conducted school-wide testing, and prepared students for college. By the time she retired in 1996, she had even helped create a new course in allied health that enabled students from several district high schools to train at the local hospital. Barringer retired, but she hasn’t slowed down. “Every day,” she advises, “you should try to do something for which you do not expect anything in return.” For Barringer, that includes teaching English as a second language, helping elementary school students master the art of reading, serving as a courtappointed special advocate for abused and neglected children, and even training service dogs to help people with disabilities live more independent lives. “I learned early I had to be flexible,” she says. “You get organized, you do the important things first, and you don’t worry about the other things until you have time to do them.” PETER BAILLEY ’74

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

member Joan Whitney Whitcomb and husband Dick Whitcomb ’57. It was dedicated at Homecoming and is a modern and attractive addition to the Knox campus. For those of you who haven’t visited Knox recently, the campus has changed—a lot—since our days at Old Siwash. The “new” Alumni Hall is impressive and a huge change from the admissions department we knew. Our 60th Reunion had a low turnout at Homecoming—I hope a sign that we’re all busy and not a sign that the years are taking their toll. In attendance were Charles and Carol Spiegler Haggerty, Russ and Shirley Surta Scott, Alys Hurd Wathen, George Melton, Joan Whitney Whitcomb, and me. Evidently, it was the last official Reunion for our class. ❯ Mack Trapp writes that he has spent his retirement years mostly at the Art Institute of Chicago, working on European painting and Asian art, with emphasis on Japan. For someone who never took art or an art history class at Knox, that’s quite a switch. During a trip to Japan in November, he took beautiful pictures, which can be seen on Dropbox. ❯ Bob and Judy Bowers Rothe ’58 have lived in the same home in Boulder, Colorado, for 52 years, but age and the desire for less household responsibility has prompted a plan to move in 2019 to an as-yet-unbuilt retirement community, also in Boulder. Decluttering their home in the hope of selling it and realizing a 40x profit from its purchase price means the disposition of Bob’s large (35’x16’) model railroad, which has been visited by 12,000 people since 1964. Bob became a model railroad hobbyist in 1947, and remained one through the Knox years. He kept this interest hidden then for fear of being seen as “uncool” (to use an expression not recognized in the 1950s). They invite any Knox folk on a vacation trek to visit them in their beautiful mountain location. Their e-mail address is judy.bob.r@comcast.net. ❯ Russ and Shirley Surta Scott welcomed a third great-grandchild, Campbell, in November; she joins her two older siblings in Plainfield, Illinois. At Homecoming, Russ and Shirley said they had planned a trip to New York City so Russ could participate in a marathon (no wonder he stays so thin!) and do some sightseeing. ❯ David Yount’s wife, Rebecca, has attracted five-star reviews for the fifth book in her Mick Chandra mystery series, When Half Spent Was the Night. Her sixth title in the series, The Moldwarp Prophesy, will be published early in 2017. Dave himself is at work on what will be his 15th book, Staying Alive, an upbeat guide for victims of clinical depression and an assessment of physician-assisted suicide. ❯ Bob Schwarzler ’55 and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary in June, somewhat quietly because he was recovering from a fall in May. We also enjoyed a visit from granddaughter Kerry and her family from New Zealand—fun to watch two great-grandchildren in action without being responsible for them! Class Correspondent: Ricky Jung Schwarzler schwarzler@msn.com

What do you consider your most notable achievement? At every stage of life, I have felt fulﬁlled and content. Whether it was watching my sons grow to young men of whom I can be proud, watching a puppy I raised assisting a woman with disabilities to live independently, or participating in the adoption of an abused or neglected child into a loving family—all of these are the mosaic of achievements that describe my life. What advice do you have for current Knox students? Every day, you should learn something new, be grateful, and do something for someone for which you do not expect anything in return.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

“DELIGHTFUL ARE THE COMPANIONSHIPS MADE AMONG THE BRICKS. And so they are. Still.”

1957 It is always a pleasing occasion for me to talk to our fellow classmates. It is so obvious that much pride is associated with our choice of colleges for our educational experience. Seemingly many of our classmates have done well. ❯ A great example is Edwin Neckermann, still working in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Ed started his own firm, a chemical company. He holds at least two patents associated with that industry. Now, he represents his now-purchased company moving their products. Ed is a genuine supporter and has many fond memories of Sharvey Umbeck. Guess he is not alone in that admiration. ❯ Ron Lowery returned to Illinois after completing his military service and became a teacher at Dunlap High School, where he taught history and other subjects and served as coach in various sports. He has enjoyed the sweet smell of success, placing second in a state championship. Wife Judy enjoys being the organist at her church. ❯ Joe LaGuess was a professional fundraiser. Some of us might recall that he was also associated with Knox in the admissions office in the 1960s. No surprise to learn that he is very active in volunteerism. He is active in Rotary, serving as president of his club and leader of a Rotary District. He truly enjoys retirement with his lovely wife, Myrna Mueller LaGuess ’58. ❯ Pat Kehoe Overy has now moved into a 100-year-old house in Port Townsend, Washington, and loves the task of making it over to her liking. Pat was a longtime resident of Seattle. Her joy is her two children, who have accomplished so much. For example, her daughter is a diplomat currently serving in Washington, D.C. I’ve mentioned in my previous reports that so many of our associates were involved in teaching. This, too, is Pat’s story. ❯ Cheers for Bill Shaffer one more time. Bill sent me an e-mail this past November in which he advised that he wrote a letter to the Knox Board of Trustees suggesting a Commencement speaker for 2017. I won’t give the name in this column, but it was one of the four candidates for President. You guess. Class Correspondent: Jack O’Dowd 4837 88th Street E., Bradenton, FL 34211-3606, 941-224-7850 jodowd310@msn.com

1958 Anita Tosetti Johnson sent a wonderful report of a special TKE event in Chicago: “Boys will be boys, and a fine crop of 21 decided to pledge the Delta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon in the fall of 1954, when they were Knox freshmen. Don Pizza, Bill Baker, and Starr Kirklin met last May and decided it had been far too long since their pledge class had gathered. Numbers had dropped to 15, as most were edging toward 80 years old. They planned the very special event for September 9 at the University Club of Chicago, across from the Art Institute. The Club, founded in 1887, has an elegant setting. The Millennium

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Room was glorious, with food and beverage incomparable. Don Pizza, member of the University Club, and wife Ginger hosted the event. TKE brothers Starr Kirklin and wife Mary Marso, Bill and Anne Velde Baker ’60, Ken Hall and wife Anne, Bob Moist and wife Marilyn, Bill Studley and wife Ruth, and my date, Jim Spence, and I attended. Each TKE received a photograph of the entire ’58 fraternity, as well as their individual photos from the ’58 Gale in an engraved frame. The camaraderie reminded everyone of the days when they were Knox College students and the TKE house was their home.” Anita added, “Cheers for the Knox College TKEs! Maybe other pledge classes will get the idea to have a similar event.” Don Pizza added that it was a small group of ’58 TKEs making an effort to share the bond one more time. ❯ Mary Kay Zahutnik Krughoff told me about her youngest grandson, Cass, who works for an international consulting company. He was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for five months doing classified work for the Saudi Ministry of Defense. Cass was one of four selected from 1,000 applicants. Needless to say Mary Kay is very proud of her grandson. ❯ On a beautiful fall weekend Dr. Bill Baker and I attended the Knox Alumni Advisory Committee at Old Main’s Lincoln Room. Some members of the Advisory Committee met with students for mock networking interviews. This networking event is very popular and wellattended. I represented the FYC at the Saturday luncheon, where the Class of 1966 was inducted into the Fifty Year Club. It was great to see Sue Hill, who attended Homecoming with friend Alys Hurd Wathen ’56. Ann Jung Finney accompanied sister Erica Jung Schwarzler ’56 to Homecoming activities. Ann wouldn’t share any news, and I told her I was going to make up something! (I chickened out.) ❯ Janet VanDerSluys Brown e-mailed that she spent some time in early December with daughter Leila in Sayulita, Mexico. While there, they went to a market in LaCruz de Huanacaxtle and saw some wonderful art from Melissa Stoller Wehri ’96. They chatted a bit with her husband, Mark, since Melissa wasn’t there at the time. Knoxites are everywhere! Their trip coincided with the fiesta of the Virgin de Guadalupe, with parades and festivities for several days. I like Janet’s quote at the end of her e-mail: “This time, like all times, is a very good time if we know what to do with it.” ❯ My best to ’58 classmates. I would love for you to share some news. Class Correspondent: Letitia Luther Schactner 246 E. Dayton Street, Galesburg, IL 61401 309-342-0748, letnor@comcast.net

1959

Thanks to you who sent holiday greetings and news. ❯ Jan Shroyer has already started making plans to attend our 65th Reunion in October 2024. She is busy with her cello, her dog, and her

two properties. Like most of us, she is liquidating surplus “stuff.” ❯ Larry and Barbara Woods Blasch ’61 are busy, with Larry serving as president of the local Exchange Club and rating golf courses and Barb running a precinct for three primaries, one presidential election, and one mutual election. Both serve on the advisory board of the School of Education at the Citadel in Charleston. They report they had only minor damage from Hurricane Matthew, mostly the loss of the contents of their refrigerator during the five-day power outage that followed. ❯ Like all Cub fans, Paul Hohe and wife Elva were thrilled with the results of the season. They have decided to sell their home and vineyard in Orcutt, California. After enjoying 15 fabulous years of grape growing, winemaking, medal winning, and class teaching, they are now ready to explore new adventures and bucket list items on the horizon. ❯ It was great to hear from Margaret Konzo Wolf after many years of silence. She reports that she attends two fitness sessions a week to gain some strength and improve balance. As an American Hemerocallis Society Exhibition judge, she has been very active in day lily cultivation at the Loveland Village Pavilion Garden, near her home in Loveland, Colorado. She recently signed up for her 20th season as a volunteer at the Colorado Master Gardener Program for Larimer County. As part of her volunteer hours this year, she wrote an article on Hardy hibiscus and another on Shasta daisies for the Northern Colorado Newsletter. ❯ Jim and Janet Eiszner MacDonald were thrilled to see the Cubs win the World Series, which they watched from their faraway home at Gig Harbor on Puget Sound. ❯ Holiday greetings came from Jenice Jaekel Tremelling. ❯ Karl ’60 and Barbara Fowler Nagel have all their family close to them in the Lake Forest, Illinois, area. ❯ Bob and I send our greetings for a healthy and peaceful 2017. Please send news any time. Class Correspondent: Louise Bost Wolf 3 Gilbert Park, Knoxville, IL 61448, 309-337-6435 (cell), wolfl@grics.net

1960 Hal Opperman and wife JoLynn Edwards are both retired from the University of Washington and moved four years ago to a condo near the Space Needle in Seattle. They write, “In the short time we have been here, dozens of new buildings have sprouted in the neighboring South Lake Union district, with more on the way, occupied by tens of thousands of employees of Amazon, Google, Facebook, and their kind. One incentive for abandoning our suburban cottage and garden for the heart of the city was to avoid the fate of living out our golden years in an academic retirement ghetto. We’ve certainly achieved that. The average age around here looks to be 28 or 29; one hears dozens of languages spoken on the street. Proximity to theatres and concert halls was the main attraction for us. Most

Class Knox — Susan Shea Worthington ’61 are within walking distance or a short ride by bus or monorail. Avid birders, we do manage to escape from the city regularly. Two years ago, we birded for a month all over eastern Australia, a long-held dream. Hal co-authored and published Birds of the Paciﬁc Northwest, a new handbook and field guide, in 2016. The Washington Ornithological Society recently recognized Hal with its Lifetime Achievement Award. This spring, we will go to Paris, where Hal will spend several weeks working with Karen Chastagnol, a younger, Paris-based museum curator, in preparation for the publication of a catalogue and critical study of the painter Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a career-long research interest of Hal’s. This collaboration is a few years old already and has been productive and enjoyable for both. Soon Hal will move to the sidelines, and Karen can take the lead.” ❯ Joe Pankus is one of the group facilitators for TEC (The Executive Committee), a company founded in Milwaukee in 1957. The overall TEC organization is based in Brookfield and covers Wisconsin and western Michigan. Joe, a former CEO of Wurlitzer USA, is leader of a group of CEOs of companies located in Waukesha, Dane, Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth counties. Today, more than 700 Wisconsin CEOs, and 20,000 more internationally, embrace the TEC system. During meetings, CEOs are welcome to discuss issues they may face and seek guidance from other members. The U.S. Supreme Court recently stated that company CEOs will now have personal fiduciary responsibilities to avoid excessive broker and fund fees charged to 401(k) programs. Joe, who was granted a series 65 license by SEC/FINRA, has analyzed such programs and will note if programs are overcharging 401(k) participants. ❯ Karl Taylor has created a blog, storiesfromsmalltownillinois.com. He has posted 25 stories, mainly about growing up in a small town. Karl is amazed he has amassed more than 7,000 readers in 26 countries, all within 18 months. ❯ Dick Riggs joined a chorus, The Goldtones Show Choir, in Fort Worth, Texas. The choir gives about 40 concerts per year in nursing homes and corporation meetings, as well as hosting an annual fundraiser. ❯ Mary Kent Knight had a WONDERFUL two-week cruise around the tip of South Africa, starting and ending in Cape Town. Before and after the cruise, she enjoyed two safaris: one at Amakhala Game Reserve near Port Elizabeth, and the other at Kampali Game Reserve near Kruger National Park. Mary says that discovering real animals wandering around the veldts certainly beats going to the nearest zoo! ❯ Marcia Muelder Eaton, who lives in Minneapolis and Naples, Florida, will give three lectures on aesthetics at the Baker Museum in Naples this winter. Her novel, The Crivelli Conundrum, is available on Amazon and Kindle. ❯ Dennis Geraghty published Trench Warfare: How to Win the War to Educate Our Children, in October. It is available on Amazon or through HugoHousePublishers.com. ❯ Editor’s note: This issue, we bid farewell to Dick

Riggs ’60 and thank him for his exceptional service as class correspondent. We will miss working with him. If you are interested in volunteering as correspondent, please contact Pam Chozen at pachozen@knox.edu. Class Correspondent: TBD

1961 Dear Classmates: Half of Suella (Ella Major Morin) attended the 2016 Homecoming weekend. The other half (Susan Shea Worthington) stayed home and awaited news. Considering Sue had to twist Ella’s arm to go to our 50th, imagine how surprised she was when Ella zipped up from Florida for the 55th. ❯ Here is what she wrote: “A hearty few convened in October for our 55th Class Reunion. We did what alums do at reunions: attended convocation, listened to honored graduates and students speak, sang “Hail Knox, All Glorious,” posed for our class picture, attended sports events, and walked the campus. We also took the opportunity to attend classes on Friday morning. It was good to hear the students talk. The campus looked lovely this fall day, and it was interesting to see some students traverse the walks from building to building on skateboards or bikes, as well as by foot power. Carrying the ever-present cell phone…. The new art center was dedicated that weekend. Having taken art classes when I was a student, I was excited to see the new space for art students. If only…. Saturday evening, we had dinner at Soangetaha Country Club. Karl and Susan Mitchell Nienhuis, the planners of our weekend, welcomed us ‘officially.’ We talked about what is happening now in our lives and, of course, memories of our college days. Moments of memory were stirred when Karl gave us a list of our classmates who have died since graduation. To me, the list seemed long. We shared stories about those people who had once walked and studied with us. On a more personal note, I want to share a story. After the FYC luncheon, two women talked with me. One had been the classmate of my sister, Rachel Major ’56, and shared her memories. Rachel died in an automobile accident in May 1960, my junior year. The other woman then told me her story. When she was 10 years old, a lovely, smiling college girl—Rachel—came to teach music to her class in Galesburg. That was when she decided she would someday attend Knox to become a teacher. And she did. These ladies knew of Rachel’s death in 1960. But she is still remembered. And so are our classmates, our friends. When the yearbook was planned, the staff took a quote from an early Gale and used in our Gale of 1961: Delightful are the companionships made among the bricks. And so they are. Still.” ❯ And this companion, Jane Ehrenberg Rosen, responded to our plea for news: “I have not been good about responding to your requests, but I will take time now to send off a few words to you. I live in New York City and am, for the most part, retired. I continue to do some educational consulting, and I ‘watch over’ a small charter school that I

founded nearly 10 years ago. My husband is also retired. We have four young grandchildren—we are fortunate that our sons and their families are close by and that we see them often. The children have stolen our hearts. We live close (walking distance) to Lincoln Center and the theatre district and enjoy many of the cultural activities in New York. We are grateful for good health. I enjoy reading the news about Knox alumni—and especially about those that I remember from my days there. This coming week, I will have lunch with Sally Arteseros ’58, a Knox friend in New York City whom I treasure.” Thanks for writing, Janie. ❯ Another welcome note arrived from Dianne Cavatorta Meyer: “Hi, Susan! Thank goodness for Facebook; I can keep up with a lot of classmates. Husband Tom Meyer ’60 and I traveled to Russia this past June. Moscow is rather sterile, and people literally don’t smile. We found St. Petersburg much friendlier and interesting. Had an inside tour of the Hermitage. I sing in a 100-plus choir, I play bridge, and am a PEO member, plus lot of church activities. I hope we have another Reunion!” So do we, Diane! ❯ Pleased to report we heard from Denis Bohm: “My first ever class note—guess we’re never too old to report or maybe brag? I’ve been retired for some time and lives in Mettawa, Illinois, with wife Roberta and our giant schnoodle, Nitro. I recently started a new career in local politics by getting appointed village trustee and am now running for re-election. I have a daughter, Chris Bohm Gavlin ’82; a son, Denis William (middle name after Bill Roop, my best friend at Knox); stepsons Jason and Matthew; six grandchildren; and, last year, a great-grandson, Denis Charles.” Sounds like a good life, Denis. ❯ Nancy Fuchs Krueger also wrote for the first time: “I was excited to learn about the distinguished career of Linda Dybas ’64 in the magazine. She was my cello student for a year at Knox. It was fun to read about her amazing accomplishments, and I was pleased she continued her ‘avocation’ on the cello. My husband of 59 years was instrumental music instructor at Churchill Junior High at the time, and we both played in the Knox-Galesburg Symphony. As retirees from teaching, we still enjoy playing violin/cello duets at home. After 18 years teaching and raising two children in the Milwaukee area, we spent 11 years teaching in Hawaii. Grandchildren brought us to California, where we enjoyed their growing-up years and gave them piano and cello lessons. After a 10-year break living in an ‘active adult’ community in Sun City, South Carolina, we are back in Oxnard enjoying three great-grandchildren. We’ve started two boys on Suzuki violin lessons. Baby girl not ready yet. I do enjoy reading about others, even when I don’t know them. Never thought I would write though.” Thanks for writing, even after 56 years! ❯ And now we must end with a sad note from Ken Adam: “My wife of 52 years, Helga W. Adam passed away on December 1.” Our heartfelt sympathy, Ken. ❯ Please remember your classmates, folks, and know that they enjoy

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

“Richard Eisinger ’65 bought us breakfast from a losing bet on the reading your news at least as much as you enjoy reading theirs. Write to us anytime! Class Correspondents: Susan Shea Worthington 1611 South Street, Lexington, MO 64067-1431, 660-259-4559, skworth@cebridge.net Ella Major Morin 11234 54th Avenue N., St. Petersburg, FL 33708-2949, 727-290-6984, ellanell1963@yahoo.com

1962 Joanna Lyon Spence writes, “Husband Allan Spence ’61 and I attended his 55th Reunion last year and plan to attend mine in 2017. As for what I’ve been doing: I play clarinet in two bands, plus soprano, alto, tenor, and bass recorder in two recorder groups. We perform mostly at retirement homes but sometimes for church services. I also teach a couple of violin and clarinet lessons. The two of us spent 18 days traveling and spending time in Dubois, Wyoming, at a reunion of my mother’s side of the family. As the leaves turned, a high school friend and I flew to the Berkshires to sightsee and spend time with her sister. Downtime is rare, but I love knitting and am attempting to learn to crochet. Thank you, YouTube, for the helpful videos!” ❯ From JoAnne Knox Cope: “I write this during an ice/snow event to remind me that I definitely am not in charge. I think we tend to all think we are. HA! I had an event-filled year as I downsized into a one-bedroom apartment (room enough for me) in a new 55-plus independent living complex here in Rosemount, Minnesota. After 45 years in my home, it was an adjustment but the perfect choice (plus, it was my choice). Of course, I took my 20 days at the Cope family cabin up north. Over the Fourth of July week, my Knox family from Colorado came, plus Illinois folks and my boys and their families…18 in all. Lots of tents and laughter, just like it is supposed to be. The best investment for that week was the porta potty. No traveling events as of yet. Another lady here at our building and I have looked at a February drive about south on the Gulf somewhere. No time table, no hurry— just enjoy our country and see what we see. I do love this type of adventure—the back roads. So I still have the summer, and my 20 days at the lake. It helps you get through the winter. I hope to see you at the Reunion.” ❯ Ann Zwiefel Taylor ’63 writes, “We spent about 75 percent of our time on the farm this year. Our principal summer activity was mowing the lawn, old barnyard, and old feedlot. Roger ’63 gave the commencement address for the Spoon River Community College and the Memorial address in Canton. We went to Galesburg for my women’s reading group, Roger’s secret men’s reading group, his Railroad Hall of Fame Board meetings, and to enjoy Knox. We spent time in Chicago for my Knox reading group, Roger’s Illinois Humanities Board work and his pro bono legal work and teaching—and, of course, visiting friends.” ❯ My thoughts: Being Class Correspondent works better if everyone

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

gives me some gossip to include. As we approach our 55th, we have stories (some even factual), memories, and challenges. Sharing those and hearing what others are about makes life richer. Just send your thoughts to Kate Bloomberg at hankandkate@msn.com whenever they cross your mind. I will save them up and include them the next time Knox Magazine bugs me for news. My life continues to include travel here and abroad, family—large and getting larger—no health challenges or opportunities—and the realization that friends from Knox are a valuable part of my life. Class Correspondent: Kate Bloomberg hankandkate@msn.com

1963 This from Jo Mannino Hockenhull: “My husband and I celebrated our 50th (really?) anniversary in August. No one is more surprised than we are. We continue to create art and play music at weddings, birthdays, wineries, farmers markets, etc. This year, I worked with the Salem Art Association to remodel a building to be used for artists’ residencies, exhibitions, and workshops. I will teach a printmaking workshop there in November. We had a wonderful visit from David Lunde and wife Patricia McKillip in July. Patricia is an amazing fantasy writer and gave a reading at our local bookstore here in Salem, Oregon. They both have new books published this year.” Class Correspondent: Ramona Reed Landberg 21500 Baltic Drive, Cornelius, NC 28031, 704-892-4637, landberg.group@outlook.com

1964 Babs Kothe Fiala writes: “Avis Sorenson Erickson, Jean Howell Card, Karen Dittmer Bowyer ’63, Kathy Molda East, Nancy Anderson Levin, JoAnn Dworzynski Pierce, and I met in Indianapolis in late August 2016 for our 26th annual Knox mini-reunion. As always, we had a glorious time…except for the fact that Jean Scott Welch had to miss the party to take care of her husband, who had been injured in a boating accident earlier that month. We loved Indy, which turned out to be a surprisingly beautiful city, and its museums—especially the Children’s Museum with its several life-size dinosaurs breaking into and escaping from the building!—and we highly recommend it as a vacation destination.” ❯ Lee Scott hopes to do a “catch up” tour to visit classmates that he missed when he was unable to attend our 50th. Before our sophomore year, Lee went to Dean Harlan with the proposal to recruit a group of “serious” students to occupy what had been the French House. The results were the “out-houses,” Tompkins and, later, McCall, whose alumni include a few contributors to this column (including the current class correspondent). ❯ A sobering but encouraging note from Al and Karen Hummel Crumbliss. “Life surprised us

when Al had a stroke July 3, the day before our European business/pleasure trip was to take place. He is recovering well ... anxious to get back to work writing papers, although he is now retired. Many long time Knox friends have been very supportive!” ❯ Mike Pope and wife Marsha fully expected that 2016 would be a year of less travel, but that is not the way things turned out. Destinations included Illinois (to visit with family and to attend the 50th wedding anniversary for Don and Catherine Hardinger Shriver ’66); California; a tour of the spectacular Canyonlands of Arizona and Utah; Vancouver, British Columbia; then back to Illinois to visit Jerry ’65 and Carol Klail Vovis ’65, Frank Konopasek ’62 and wife Raelyn, and Ray Santini and wife Diane. “The tall ships were in Chicago, and we even took a short trip on one out into Lake Michigan. Add a concert at Ravinia, which reminded us of concerts we went to back in the ’60s—great evening! In September and October, we did timeshare weeks in Minnesota and Arkansas. We finished the year with a final trip to Illinois in early December to visit the family there. Quite a year, but we loved it and, with good health, we will continue to travel in 2017.” ❯ Pam Norton Nelson: “Continuing on my bucket list, after two months in Australia last spring, I headed for Venice and the Adriatic in August, traveling with a girlfriend of 52 years! Five days in Venice and climbing the Acropolis in 100-degree heat were highlights … well, not the heat, but both were places I have always wanted to see thanks to Harland Goudie’s art history classes. Otherwise just busy with a couple of organizations and my never-ending reading list.” ❯ Harold Harrison writes, “I have great memories of Knox—first and foremost, the help from Dean of Men Al Partin (the wrestling coach) and Mr. (Harley) Knosher helping to find the financial aid to keep me in school. I am forever indebted to these people. It is what makes Knox different. Although athletics doesn’t influence everyone’s life, if it weren’t for Mr. Partin’s encouragement, I would have dropped out of school. With his help, I was able to acquire a wrestling coaching/teaching position after graduation. I coached for seven years in the Chicago area, with three city championships, and was a coach on the United States junior world freestyle team. One of my wrestlers was a NCAA champion. Upon a challenge from my wrestling colleagues, I wrestled in the National Senior Wrestling Tournament in 2007. At age 64, I was a national champion. I honestly believe my Knox experience carried over to all aspects of my life. But most of all Knox, provided a value system. I have been married to a great women for 33 years. My son is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force; one daughter is a corporate attorney; and the other is in the financial services industry.” ❯ Steve Gamble writes that he and Grace sold their residence of 30 years in New Canaan, Connecticut, and moved full-time to their place in Colorado. “Twenty people came for Christmas, so the entire family approves. For 2017, a couple

Class Knox election. I will say no more.” — Joe Thompson ’65

1965 Rod Ross writes, “I was sorry I couldn’t attend our 50th Reunion, especially after Phil Cohen and Joe Thompson told me what I had missed. Instead, I went on a Jewish-focused tour to China. I did have the opportunity to return to Galesburg in 2014, thanks to an invitation from Owen Muelder ’63, who appreciated that I had been able to arrange for him to speak in Washington for a talk filmed by C-SPAN. While in Galesburg, I stayed with Susan Wood Bailey ’66 and her husband, Steve. I retired as an archivist with the Center for Legislative Archives in the

National Archives, having worked there since 1977. Since retiring, I’ve had a chance to do some traveling, including joining the Knox alumni trip to the Desert Southwest and accompanying my flute-playing younger sister on an England-Scotland tour with the Metropolitan Flute Orchestra. In the next couple of years, I plan to move back to Illinois to be part of the lives of my twin greatnephews.” ❯ Rita Gingrich Black sponsored two Romanian music students and raised money to buy them new instruments. They are now in Switzerland and have since married; the first and second chairs from the London Symphony were at the wedding. Rita made her living as a classical singer and piano tuner. ❯ Sukh Dev Bassi earned a Ph.D. in biology and taught at St. Benedict College in Kansas. He later became head of research and development at MGP Ingredients. He still works in Overland Park as vice president of research and development for Manildra USA—an Australian company with a facility in Kansas—developing new products for the food industry. His son is president of the company. ❯ Joe Thompson writes, “Edie and I met Richard Eisinger in Washington, D.C., on our way to New England. He bought us breakfast from a losing bet on the election. I will say no more. Rich was an administrator in the Social Security Administration, so he and Edie always get yakking about interest rates and preferred bonds, and I just sit there and do the crossword puzzle. We have gotten some expression of interest in a mini-reunion of the classmates still standing, sometime in June 2018 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. If any of you know of any Windy City events in that month, let me know to help us decide the date. No one who has returned to campus over the last 50 years can fail to see the emptiness of the downtown. As a typical teenager at Knox, I never had much appreciation for the industrial base of Galesburg and its importance in cradling Old Siwash. Who knew, who cared? I lived for Flunk Day and the social board. But with the hollowing out of the industrial base of the heartland over the last half century, maybe it’s time to ask the question: As you make America great again, why not look at Galesburg? It’s been two years since my heart problem. Not a drink since then, wow.” ❯ R. Bruce St John writes, “We began the year in France, visiting our younger son and family, including little Louise Frances, born in November 2015. In the spring, I was the keynote speaker at a U.S. Navy Special Warfare Command conference on combatting terrorism in Libya. I returned to Washington to give a lecture on tribes and tribalism in Libya for a joint meeting of U.S. intelligence agencies. In October, our older son and his family visited for the annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Later in the month, I presented expert testimony at a trial in Oslo, Norway, involving corruption in Libya during the Qaddafi era, stopping in Paris on the way there and again on the way back to see our new granddaughter. In addition to completing a third edition of Libya: From Colony to Revolution,

I’ve started work on Bolivia: Geopolitical Ramiﬁcations for Landlocked States, a companion piece to my earlier book on Peruvian foreign policy.” ❯ Cecil Steed reports, “Knox College ruined me. I come from a very poor family of hillbillies, and Knox made me into an educated hillbilly. I learned that there is a different way of living—a living through philosophy, art, and CULTURE. I have pursued that ideal all my life; basically, I found that being a student was my goal and ideal. Having to go to work never appealed to me (the time spent at work I resented as an imposition on my free time). I pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago; Teubingen University in Germany; the Sorbonne; University of California, Davis; University of Oregon (where I earned an MLS degree); University of Alaska; University of Arkansas; University of Arizona (where I earned an M.A. in Spanish literature); and University of Utah. To finance my student life, I have worked as a bus driver, a Peace Corps volunteer, a research assistant, a librarian, a warehouse worker, a farmer, a social worker, and as a adjunct professor in Spanish at the College of Charleston. How can I afford all this? The secret: become a capitalist. Albert Einstein said the greatest invention of the twentieth century was compound interest. I totally, totally agree. That and indexed mutual funds.” ❯ Gordon Benkler works at Discover and likes to fish, hike, and take photographs of flowers and landscapes. He is also an accomplished underwater photographer. He worked at Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust for 17 years after graduating from Knox. ❯ Gary Schneider lives in White Sulfur Springs, Montana. He earned master’s degrees in geology

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of excursions to Norway and the Baltic in May/June and hiking in the Pyrenees in September should be fun. On the Knox front, we have shared with the College more than 600 letters between Steve’s great-grandfather (Grant’s paymaster) and great-grandmother covering the Civil War period. Knox has done a fabulous job of hydrating and copying them and is now in the process of ‘translating’ them.” [WOW! How cool is that!] ❯ Knox reunions can happen anywhere, even in New Hampshire! Freshman roommates Janet Olsen Zamrazil and Marilyn Ohta Johnson and their husbands, Jim Zamrazil ’63 and Dave Johnson, met for dinner in Hanover. Janet and Jim were on their way from their winter residence in Medina, Texas (the Hill Country), to their summer residence in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin (the Northwoods). The trip included revisiting some favorite places: a few scenic railroad trips and historical sites, plus Campobello and Prince Edward Island in Canada. They enjoy extended road trips each year and train travel whenever possible. Since Marilyn and Dave retired from teaching in 2002, they have traveled to France, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Italy, Alaska and several other states, and, always, Hawaii in the winter. ❯ I heard from Bob Young ’66 (my senior-year roomie), who wrote: “After Knox, I went to University of Illinois to study mechanical engineering and to Illinois Institute of Technology to study electrical engineering, then worked at GTE Labs near Chicago on electret microphones and other telephone-related projects before tiring of winter and heading off to California.” There, he founded Bob Young & Associates, a professional consulting engineering firm specializing in audio, consumer electronics, acoustics and electroacoustics, communications, and telephony. Bob has done projects for more than 100 companies in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, New Zealand, and throughout North America. Bob and wife Suzanne have “two sons and four grandkids, two of whom were born in New Zealand, where they have fine pinot noir and sauvignon blanc that puts California to shame.” Still working, Bob and Suzanne were in France and Croatia this fall. Class Correspondent: Terry Klopcic klopcicjt2@roadrunner.com

Joe Thompson ’65 with wife Edie.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

“By the next Reunion, my old Ford Ranger should be able to drive itself

1966 Class Correspondents: Judith Holland Sarnecki 630 Wheeler Street, Neenah, WI 54956, 920-725-1430, jsarnecki@new.rr.com

1967 Time to finalize your plans to come to our 50th Class Reunion, October 27-29. We would love to have a huge turnout to celebrate old memories and renew friendships. ❯ Hal Keiner: “I retired in 2009 from my position as university archivist at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. I live with second wife Michelle Francis in a townhouse community in Swannanoa that borders Warren Wilson College. The college’s hundreds of acres of farmland allows us many opportunities for outdoors recreation. About five miles away, we maintain a studio in a former Drexel furniture factory. My wife makes artist books, while I enjoy letterpress printing. This year, I began a project with the Knox art department to help them acquire the equipment needed to set up a letterpress studio. This will be my 50th anniversary gift to Knox. So far, I have delivered two truckloads of stuff, including both wood and metal type, type cabinets, and four presses: two small platen presses and two flatbed presses. Lots of specialized equipment, such as composing sticks, type rules, quoins, etc. has also been acquired and gifted. A 19-inch Challenge guillotine paper cutter and a large amount of

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and biology from Montana State University and completed a Ph.D. at the South Dakota School of Mines in general geology. Early in his career, he was part of a team that discovered the skull of a Tyrannosaurus rex, now on display in the Museum of the Rockies. He worked many years for the U.S. Geological Survey and later as certified gemologist in Denver, specializing in appraisals for insurance companies, primarily of diamonds, sapphires, and garnets. He enjoys a peaceful existence in his small rural community and is actively involved with future projects with Green Oaks. He also does genealogical research into his father’s Volga German heritage and his mother’s Swedish ancestors. “Since I left Knox, I never spent one hour doing anything I didn’t want to do.” ❯ Vicki Walker Brunberg lives out in the country with the deer in the Columbia Gorge area of Washington State. She is raising 2,000 seedlings and tries to protect them from the deer, which scrape bark off the trees. She does glasswork and beading and used to teach art classes in textiles and weaving at Fresno State. Two grandchildren live close by. ❯ Wife Bev and I both had a total knee replacement and have just put in a walk-in bathtub! I have returned to doing eye surgery and am very busy. Class Correspondent: Terry Rothstein, M.D. 220 N. 32nd Street, Parsons, KS 67357, antiquarian@wavewls.com

wood type that I purchased recently is next. By the time of next year’s Reunion, my old Ford Ranger should be able to drive itself from Asheville to Galesburg from memory!” ❯ Rick Uebner: “Jetty (San Jose State ’70) and I continue to spend quality time in our ceramic art studio and work with local nonprofits. We live just outside Yosemite National Park and invite Knox ’67 grads to visit our (free to alums) bed and breakfast. Looking forward to the Siwash (oops, Prairie Fire) Reunion in the fall.” ❯ Wayne and Jill Duffy Plaza: “Since graduation, our lives have involved teaching, the practice of law, and raising a family. Jill taught at the high school and college levels and started her own educational business. She wrote a curriculum for School District 214 that is used by the State of Illinois. Wayne engaged in a commercial trial practice with a large Chicago law firm that became a national firm, from which he retired as owner/general partner in 2007. Fortune 500 companies and representation of the Illinois High School Association, NCAA, other sports associations, and professional athletes were the majority of the practice. Our family consists of two daughters, their husbands, and five grandchildren. Both daughters have doctoral degrees, one in law and one in medicine. Our residences are in Naples, Florida; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; and Inverness, Illinois. In retirement, we enjoy foreign travels, golf, and competitive sailing. The Knox experience—exposure to new ideas and the required curriculum—helped prepare us for our careers. Dr ‘Bro’ White, Dr. Pillsbury, Dr. Brady, and many others at Knox, who were always available for consultation, helped us pursue our future. And Jill’s involvement in Delta Delta Delta and Wayne’s in Beta Theta Pi permitted us to maintain old friendships and make new friends.” ❯ Julie Badel: “I am now chair of the Finlandia University Board of Trustees in Hancock, Michigan. Over the loud protests of my three German Shepherds, I still work.” ❯ Joe Bastian: “Hard to believe it’s been almost 50 years. Wife Diane and I have lived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the last 17 years, after spending four years in Hong Kong. We sold our Panera Bread business four years ago and have been enjoying retired life, traveling, and working (rather unsuccessfully) on my golf game. Hope to see all of our classmates at the Big 50 in October.” Class Correspondents: Jack and Anne Talley Turner 50 East 39th Place, Eugene, OR 97405, anneturner345@gmail.com raptorjackturner@gmail.com

1968 Paul Behnke ’69 and Bill Howell ’69, with a Danish friend (left), at Paul’s 1993 wedding in Denmark.

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Barbara Irwin writes, “I’ve been retired for 15½ years and still have a blast. My passion continues to be local, organic food production. Vancouver Island, where I’m lucky to live, has been a hotbed of the local food movement for years. I volunteer at the Agnes Community Gardens, where I also

Class Knox from Asheville to Galesburg from memory!” — Hal Keiner ’67 the Connecticut River to a Norwich, Vermont, redoubt with Trish Jackson, my partner.” ❯ Carrie Swanson-McPherson writes, “Husband Daryl and I are happy, healthy, and retired in Aiken, South Carolina. Great to have ‘time’ to do what we want. I am a general aviation commissioner for the City of Aiken airport. We live on a golf course and are catching up on all the golf we missed over the years.” ❯ NCAA All-American Brad Routon was inducted into the Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame during Homecoming 2016. Coach Harley Knosher and Coach Tod Brown ’65 spoke about Brad’s feats during the ceremony. Fellow Siwashers who attended include Jim Johnson ’66, Peter Klassen ’67, Paul Madsen, Norm Close, Steve Hayashi, Bob McGregor, Andy Hoyne ’69, Tom Hogarty ’69, Jim Graunke ’70, Topper Steinman ’70, and Chip Evans. ❯ Bob McGregor reports that, thanks to an e-mail from Chip Evans, he was able to attend the ceremony for the induction of classmate Brad Routon into the Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame. “I would have not known about the special recognition of Brad without Chip, who is a real alumni booster for Knox. I had a blast walking the campus, visiting the Phi Gam house, seeing some old Knox friends and swim team members and, most of all, honoring Brad. The special recognition of Brad was welldeserved. Brad is a great guy and was a great swimmer for Knox. As Coach Tod Brown ’65 said during the ceremony, ‘Brad put Knox’s swim team on the map.’ My sincere thanks to Chip for reaching out to me!” ❯ On Veterans Day, the Knox 68 Facebook group honored our 51 classmates who served in the military by listing their names and posting thank-yous. Classmates who recently joined the Knox group include Irene Abraham Franklin, Geoffrey Mosser, Renee

Rusch, Anita Wrench Long, Lois Sowa Piland, Susan Lacy Williams, Louise Good Stroz ’67, Lissbeth Reisbick LaPrad, and Bob McGregor. All ’68ers are welcome. We are so happy to have all our new members. The minimum amount of information required to create a personal Facebook account is a first name, last name, password, gender, birth date, and valid e-mail address. (The last two items can be hidden from others.) ❯ Wes and I are very involved at this time of year with fundraisers for Misericordia, a group home for 600, where our 38-year-old son with Down syndrome lives. They have many brunches, lunches, and dinners for groups, and we are involved with set-up, serving, and sales. We have a great time. Youngest son Ross and his wife had a beautiful baby girl, Brooke Elizabeth, in October—our third grandchild. Retirement keeps me very busy! Class Correspondent: Susan Meyer Mika 1519 North Kennicott Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60004, 847-253-7719, pottatea@comcast.net

1969 Good vibrations permeated a group of Knox alums and their family members over the course of four days in August. A fairly hasty idea by a few Knox Betas from the Class of 1969 using social media generated a gratifying number of attendees arriving in Denver from coast to coast. Mike Webster and wife Luana spearheaded the itinerary, highlighted by a group meeting at a Colorado Rockies game, numerous luncheons, and a picnic that capped the events. John ’67 and Kim Adams Post set up their Blackberry to provide golden oldies at the picnic. Jim Hallock handed out “Beta Animals” T-shirts from the era, with a familiar design on the back created by Harvey Miller ’68 while at Knox. During the picnic, the

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have a garden plot. Right now, the Gardens is in hibernation mode, except for winter-hardy crops such as kale. We have a website (agneststreetgardens.ca) containing lots of garden information, book reviews, and write-ups of our garden education sessions held throughout the growing season. Happy gardening in 2017.” ❯ Alan Birkner says, “Son Steve Birkner ’03 recently married. His brother, Irv Birkner ’96, was best man. Still waiting for the pictures.” ❯ Peeky Ogburn Mathews-Berenson shares, “As we are all now entering another major milestone decade (UGH!), I decided to host a destination birthday in New Orleans for a weekend with friends from near and far. We had such a wonderful time! I recommend that every birthday be as festive! I wish all of us many more HAPPY BIRTHDAYS. Will look forward to celebrating our 50th Reunion in 2018. Don’t like these everincreasing numbers!” ❯ Ira Weiner reports, “In November, Janet Vanek Weiner and I went to New Orleans to meet up with Frank and Jean Belieff Mannino, Nancy Brunk Loncke, Peeky Mathews-Berenson, and a lot of her other friends for Peeky’s birthday. We all spent a couple days with Frank, Jean, and Nancy and husband, Ron, touring New Orleans’ French Quarter, Garden District, Warehouse District galleries, and the WWII Museum before Peeky and husband Richard arrived. Then there was a party dinner, other dinners, lunches, and a lot of activity. Unlike the rest of us, Peeky hasn’t slowed down since Knox. A great time was had by all. Thank you, Peeky.” ❯ Rod Barker happily shares, “Biggest news in my world is I just signed a publishing deal for a line of adult coloring books that will be coming out in spring 2017.” More info atwww.paintedponies.com. ❯ Lee Balgemann was elected vice president of the International Press Club of Chicago and took office on January 1. ❯ JoAnne Rawlings Vieweg reports, “I am still in Fargo, although we plan to move back to Missouri in 2018 when Bruce retires from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. I am busy with the Red River Valley Asperger-Autism Network, a nonprofit that supports individuals with autism and their families. We just completed a training module on how to start and run a support group. It’s designed to be helpful for families dealing with any form of disability or child health issue. (Contact me for a free copy!) So, I’m still involved with counseling despite being retired. It’s interesting how I can trace my current work to my degree in education and special education at Knox!” ❯ Tom Reilly writes, “Wife Sue and I visit daughter Katherine, an attorney in Phoenix, each Thanksgiving and spend the holiday with Ed Novak ’69 and his family. Ed has a married son, Jay, and Ed and his wife, Heather, have beautiful twin daughters, Riley and Claire. We always have a wonderful time. We live in Boston in the summer and Savannah, Georgia, in the winter.” ❯ Will Millard (wmillard@mtholyoke.edu) sends, “After 35 years as a professor of neuroscience at Mount Holyoke College, I have withdrawn up

Knox Beta alumni, under the direction of K.T. Johnson ’69, gathered in Denver to remember Jerry ’68 and Diane Scott Stubbs ’69 and Mike Burns ’69. More than two dozen alumni from the classes of 1968, 1969, and 1970 were in attendance.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Larry Kusch ’71 attended game three of the World Series at Knox Beta alums, directed by K.T. Johnson, gathered for a “Loving Cup” ceremony to pay tribute to beloved deceased Knox alums Jerry ’68 and Diane Scott Stubbs, as well as Mike Burns. In general attendance for these events were some two dozen dear folks, including Rob MacCarthy ’71 (Knox Beta who transferred after his sophomore year); Dave “RF” Spohn ’67; Joe ’67 and Diane Aull Winkler; Kathy Deustch ’70; Mike Hosford and wife Kittybelle; Bob Duckles ’68; Sue Barcroft McCormick; Judy Barath-Black; Denny and Kathy Lanham Myers; Steven ’70 and Nancy Warner Dibble ’71; KT’s wife, Sandy; and my daughter, Kellie, and husband Mike Ady. Dave Booth had planned to attend, but, unfortunately, a medical emergency prevented it. This allowed for us to talk behind his back, relating various stories of “Mad Dog” Booth that are mostly unfit for print here. Following the reunion, reports from Harvey Miller ’68, who resides near Dave and his wife, Jocelyn, reflected that Dave was up and about. Harvey noted that he and wife Candy had met up with the Booths to see blues harmonica player Corky Siegel at “at a nuclear accelerator joint” in Batavia, Illinois, called Fermilab. We all wish you good health, Dave. ❯ Paul Behnke reports that he enjoys fishing trips with his family as his main leisure activity. Paul appears to be flourishing in marital bliss with wife Deb and has maintained his connection with lifelong friend and classmate Bill Howell. Paul, in typical fashion, was a bit short on detailing his own amazing life, in favor of directing his attention to others. He said of his friendship with Bill: “We go way back to an ‘Ozzie and Harriet’ neighborhood in Chicago’s northwest side. We entered Wildwood School’s kindergarten in 1954 and were in the same class right on through to Taft High School. We were close friends and hung out at each other’s houses from the get-go; our parents were also friends. At Taft, a much larger (3,000 students) school, we saw each other less. He hung out with some guys who wore black socks, and my pals wore white sox (only Chicagoans will decipher the profound meaning of this fashion statement). Then came Knox. We pursued very different study tracks and did not hang out together much until senior year, where we were roommates with Phil Serafini and Bruce Shadbolt. Bill and I both signed up for Peace Corps. I wound up in Afghanistan, and he would have been in India, but it did not work out. Over the next few decades, I visited Bill in Las Cruces and Cincinnati (during his Ph.D. studies), and he visited me at UCLA. When he moved to North Carolina, I drove down from D.C. to see him at least once a year. When I moved abroad, Bill came to our wedding in Denmark, and then, 10 years later, visited my wife, my daughters, and me in Switzerland. When we moved to Durham, North Carolina, in 2006, we were finally back in Bill’s area and saw each other frequently. He moved to the coastal town of Wilmington about five years ago, and phoned us with a big surprise. He had sold almost all of his possessions and

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

bought a 37-foot trawler—and he planned to sail this thing solo! He pulled it off. He has successfully taken that boat up and down the East Coast and is moored right now in Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas. No crew—just Bill. He’s learned to read nautical charts and time the dangerous crossing from Florida to the Bahamas. Quite an inspiring achievement. We talk whenever he can get a signal. And I’ve never asked him why he wore the black socks in high school!” ❯ Finally, some sad news: Dr. Carol Klimick Cyganowski died in November in Chicago. She spent most of her career at DePaul University as an associate professor of English, serving as director of the women’s studies program and the American studies program. Her book, Magazine Editors and Professional Authors in Nineteenth Century America: The Genteel Tradition and the American Dream, explored the role of national magazines, such as The Atlantic, The Century, and Harper’s, in establishing authorship as a viable profession in the United States. Carol was an enthusiastic supporter of Chicago theatre, serving as a member of the play reading and selection committee for Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. At the time of her death, Carol was working on a play about the first sexual harassment class action case in the United States, Jenson v. Eveleth Mines. She is survived by husband Daniel Cyganowski ’67 and their daughter, Claudia. Class Correspondent: Bill Combs bcombsi@yahoo.com

1970 News from Ed Kucera: “Started a band this year. Have a bass player, a singer, and yours truly on guitar and keyboard. No drummer yet. Taking it slow. Possible names for the band: The Sixties or Senior Moments.” ❯ Mac Hamilton sent this item. “I spent Thanksgiving week with my entire family in Puerto Vallarta, and it was just wonderful to have an entire week to mix individually and collectively. Although we only live 90 miles apart (they are in Minneapolis, and Janine and I live in Rochester, Minnesota), we are lucky to get together once or possibly twice a month, so this was a great opportunity to really get to know our grandchildren and see how much they have grown both physically and mentally. This was a special trip as Jason, one of our two sons-in-law, has ALS, and this was probably the last time he will be able to travel. He is no longer able to walk and now rides a scooter, which he controls amazingly well. Thankfully, the resort is handicap-friendly. Like many of you, I enjoyed my 50th high school reunion in September. Ours was a three-day event giving us lots of opportunity to catch up with classmates. More than 350 of the 662 in our graduating class attended, and it was a great deal of fun seeing longtime friends, as well as some people I remembered but hadn’t seen in 50 years. The pictured nametags both helped and were the cause of some amusement seeing how we all looked at the time of graduation. I am

blessed to love what I do for a living and working with the small group of people in our office who have become a second family. With the Mayo Clinic—and therefore Rochester—growing steadily, there is tremendous opportunity in our real estate market. I can’t imagine retiring. If you find yourself coming to Rochester, please give me a call, as I would be happy to see you again.” ❯ Thomas Jandris sent the following news: “Concordia University Chicago has appointed me senior vice president and chief innovation officer, and dean of the University’s recently established College of Innovation and Professional Programs (CIPP). In this new role, I am responsible for fostering an environment of innovation and collaboration throughout the University’s five colleges.” ❯ Lucy Mitchell: “Thanks for your continuing work as our class secretary. I am secretary for my high school class, but there are only 50 of us. Yes, we had our 50th in April. It was a love fest. All ‘girls.’ After 41 years, I retired from Small Planet Bakery. I was able to spend four months at our home in Greensboro, Vermont. Doug remodeled the house we inherited from my parents to accommodate both daughters, our son-in-law, and two grandsons. I now have the best of both worlds: summers in Vermont and winters in Tucson.” ❯ From Roger Andersen: “Kyanne and I welcomed our second grandchild on September 8. Fortunately, both live within decent driving distances. When not visiting or hosting them, we concentrate on traveling while we still can.” ❯ News from Marc Wollman: “Where did last year go? It seems I was busy but not hugely productive. I’ve been in fewer exhibitions in 2016, but am still gradually working on my backlog of printing in the darkroom, as well as photographing some more—making the backlog bigger. My exhibiting, as well as serving as a board member/membership chair of the Artists Gallery in Racine, keeps me busy, as well as installing exhibitions for the Racine Art Guild. I actively try to stay engaged in the area art community, as well as expanding knowledge and connections with other artists around the country. And, yes, this was the year for 50th high school reunions; amazing how some have changed a lot, and others hardly at all. Went to two: mine and Deedee’s at the other local high school, where I saw folks I had not seen since middle school. Note to Chicago-area alums: Come to Racine (it’s a one-hour drive) and see not only Artists Gallery but Racine Art Museum, the preeminent contemporary crafts museum in the country. Class Correspondent: Nancy Hoover Debelius 865 Gayer Drive, Medina, OH 44256-2901, 330-723-5658, Knox1970@zoominternet.net

1971 For those who could not attend, our Homecoming Reunion was wonderful. For those who did make it to Galesburg, the Reunion was even better, as we got to experience it. It was great visiting with classmates, touring the remodeled—and

Class Knox Wrigley Field; the tickets cost more than his first year’s tuition. 2017 Alumni Achievement Award Rebecca Hollmeyer Ullman ’70 Nurse-midwife Rebecca Hollmeyer Ullman has delivered more than 2,000 babies. After establishing and running her own practice, Mountain Midwifery and Women’s Clinic in Klamath Falls, Oregon, she went on to train family practice residents in obstetrics at Oregon Health Sciences University and then to work as an international volunteer. Since 2012, she has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders, or MSF), supervising and training midwives to work in communities devastated by earthquakes, infectious diseases such as malaria, and political unrest.

Describe your Knox experience. My parents sent me to college to ﬁnd a decent husband and establish skills and competencies if someday I were to need to work outside the home—that is, a career to “fall back on.” I accomplished my father’s educational goals for me: I married my Knox sweetheart, majored in elementary education, and received a teaching credential. He should have been satisﬁed, but until his death in 2016, he bemoaned my Knox experience. He blamed my leftist political views, critical thinking skills, love of learning, openness to other cultures and ideas, and my courage in facing dangerous situations on the professors at Knox. PETER BAILLEY ’74

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

beautiful—Alumni Hall and the new Whitcomb Art Center, gazing at stars through the telescope atop the Umbeck Science Center, and hanging around the Gizmo, which put patty melts back on the menu just for us! Attendance was quite good—too many to name. As Bruce Wyatt (bwyatt@linﬁeld.edu) reported during the Reunion, members of our class and others who studied in Besançon, France, in 1969-70 organized a dinner. They had 17 “Bisontins” in attendance, including students from other colleges and spouses. Plans are now afoot for another reunion in Besançon itself, likely in the fall of 2018. That will be a shorter trip for Ted Fagerburg and wife Francine! ❯ Sarah Mulliken (swmulliken@ sbcglobal.net) bought investment property several years ago on the West Side of Chicago. She has put her real estate experience to great use as the construction manager for the rehab of the buildings for which she has been a landlord for 16 years. ❯ Wife Judy and I, together with Jan Augustyn and husband Mike, saw Larry Baldacci in the play Winterset in Chicago. Larry was quite good in the production. The most exciting news, though, is that Larry finally got married! ❯ Larry Kusch (lawrence.kusch@ bnymellon.com) attended game three of the World Series at Wrigley Field with his daughter. While he reports that the tickets cost more than his first year’s tuition at Knox, the experience was priceless. Larry still works and enjoys golfing, bowling, and happily playing with his grandkids every chance he gets. ❯ Mark ’72 and Lynn Strand McIntosh (lynnmcwho@yahoo.com) continue to live in Columbia, Missouri, where they raised five boys, four of whom attended Knox. Lynn is comfortably ensconced at home, writing a bit, volunteering, and enjoying friends. Mark was recently named interim vice chancellor for research and graduate studies and economic development at the University of Missouri. They enjoy their extended family of five sons and daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren. They get back to Knox for both of their Homecoming Reunions and to visit the site where most of their money has gone to for nearly 50 years. ❯ Mary Barclay Tompkins (mary_tompkins@ncsu.edu) reports that she and husband Wayne stay busy on their 40-acre gentleman’s farm just west of Raleigh, North Carolina. They have four retired horses, as well as several cats and dogs. Wayne spends most of his time mowing pastures or splitting wood. Their three youngest grandchildren (ages 9-12) love coming to the farm and doing all the fun things like “driving” the tractor, cleaning the stalls, and feeding and brushing the horses. The other three grandchildren have pretty much outgrown such hard labor. The eldest graduated from University of Georgia three years ago and teaches French to middle schoolers. The next eldest will graduate from Indiana University this spring and has a job in Chicago with Pepsico. Their only grandson has joined the National Guard and spent six months training at Fort Benning. He just started school at the University

Tell us about your work. Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity is a struggle against injustice, inequality, and inequities. There were 529,000 maternal deaths in the world in 2015; that is one death every minute. Maternal mortality is preventable— women who have access to high quality medical care before, during, and after childbirth do not suffer adversely from the consequences of pregnancy. Women continue to have pregnancies and babies even in adverse conditions. Medical complications are especially prevalent because of poor sanitation, lack of water, poverty, malnutrition, displacement, war, and lack of medical infrastructure. One component of my work with MSF is the training of midwives, for which a degree in education has been invaluable. In Cote d’Ivoire, I was able to incorporate psychological issues into the curriculum. There is minimal support for these midwives, even though they deliver stillborn babies and provide the intensive care for mothers who die. They deliver the news of deaths of neonates to mothers and fathers. They support sobbing grandmothers and husbands after the death of a postpartum woman. They prepare women for an unexpected miscarriage, a cesarean section, or a hysterectomy. Families, communities, and nations depend on mothers and women to nurture tomorrow’s generations. I hope some of the students I met when I returned to campus will feel inspired to do the work of MSF or to donate to the organization.

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“Forty-plus years later, we occasionally continue great conversations that of Iowa. Most of Mary’s travel is associated with weekend horse shows around the state; she also went to the Dressage World Cup in Las Vegas in 2015. ❯ David Brillhart (David.brillhart@ alumni.cmu.edu) retired from International Paper on February 28, after 29 years. Dave notes that it is a tribute to his Knox education that it will take three people to replace him! Dave and his wife plan to spend more time with their children and grandchildren in Texas and Nebraska. ❯ My past year has been a wild ride—from two surgeries (hip and prostate cancer—the first real surgeries I ever had) to hospitalization for a blood infection—and then back to playing baseball (hardball) and organizing and playing in a tournament at the Field of Dreams in Iowa (Max Utsler ’70, was also on a team there). Our eldest son and his family moved back to the Chicago area from California, so the Tatar clan is together again. It is wonderful! His wife—our latest daughter—Stephanie celebrated her three-year anniversary of breast cancer surgery by running a 50-mile ultramarathon in the Appalachian Mountains. Take that, C! Laura is working on several shows in Chicago. Meanwhile, we hoped you watched NBC’s Chicago Fire on February 21, which featured son Michael as part of the cast (he was on Squad 3). We are super excited for and proud of him. He always wanted to be a fireman! ❯ Now—our 50th! Make plans to be there! Here’s what is planned: Our class was in school during a time of great change. We vowed to “change the world.” As the class correspondent since graduation, I have had a unique perspective of our class. I have noted many women in our class are leaders/executives/entrepreneurs in business, education and other areas. Our class has political leaders, Black entrepreneurs, writers on the lives of people throughout the world, and others. At our 50th Reunion, we will host several symposia comprised of members of our class, then-current faculty, and students and others to

2017

TKE Delta Nite Saturday, April 29, 2017 6:30 p.m. Harry Caray’s 33 West Kinzie Street Chicago Register for TKE Delta Nite by Friday, April 21, 2017, online at www.knoxalumni.org/tkedeltanite, or contact Alumni Relations at alumni@knox.edu, or 309-341-7238.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

look at where we have come in 50 years. Have we changed the world? What have we accomplished? Where are we headed? So far, we have planned four symposia on the role of women in our society, the role of minorities in our society, the role of politics in our society, and the role of the U.S. in the world. We will also have some form of an art exhibit that will embrace these concepts. I am very excited about this, as is our wonderful president, Teresa Amott. I have begun working with school officials and talked with several classmates to get their input. I would love to hear your thoughts on this idea. I hope all of you will be able to join us and participate in the program. Class Correspondent: Jerome A. Tatar 333 Wilshire Drive West, Wilmette, IL 60091-3151, 847-251-4889, jerry@tatarlawfirm.com

1972 John Durham writes, “I was in Northern California visiting friends. Even better than seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time was seeing Amy Dooha ’73 for brunch in Oakland. We had 44 years of catching up to do, and both enjoyed it. Knox bonds are everlasting!” ❯ Carol Daugherty Egan writes, “We had a wedding! Son Tom Jr. married Shannon Crose. We are very excited to have Shannon and her daughter, Jaidyn (4), join our family. It was delightful to see how excited my 91-year-old mother was as son Patrick walked her down the aisle to be seated. That’s been her goal since her second hip replacement last spring, and she did it!” ❯ Robert Fairbank writes, “I just received my first ever social security payment ... so I would like to give thanks to all of you who still work for a living and, thus, will subsidize my existence for the next 30 years, give or take.” ❯ Michael Grunze writes, “After many, many years, I was able to visit Galesburg and wander around on the Knox campus, bringing many memories from when I was an exchange student from Berlin in 1969. The Gizmo, a place I used to hang out many nights, is still the same (appearance and food quality). Campus has not changed much. What struck me, however, are the changes which took place in the town. Many empty buildings; favored eateries, and small stores are gone. I guess it is because there are now big department stores and fast food places around the city rim. Changes taking place everywhere in the U.S., fortunately not as bad as in Germany, where I live now as an emeritus professor of physical chemistry at University of Heidelberg. I owe a lot to the excellent teachers I had during my year at Knox College.” ❯ Sandy Hanna writes, “I’ve completed my book, The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon. As a military child, I lived in Saigon from 1960-1962. Years later, my father gave me an exposé of the Diem regime (backed by the U.S. at that time) written by his Vietnamese counterpart, Colonel Le Van Sam. He asked me to write a compelling story based on our life there. When I asked him

why, he said, ‘In not understanding the history of Vietnam and that conflict, we are destined to repeat our mistakes around the world. We are doing it now.’ To be notified of the release of this unusual story, one that might provide a different perspective than the one so popularly spouted, please complete the contact page at sandyhannaauthor.com.” ❯ Brian Heurlin writes, “Oldest son Chris is an assistant professor of governmental and Asian studies at Bowdoin College in Maine. He published his first book, Responsive Authoritarianism in China. I have cut back on my law practice and enjoy more time on the golf course and spending time with my two grandsons (11 and 8), who live in town.” ❯ Maria Ippolito writes, “I was promoted to professor at University of Alaska Anchorage, with no plans to retire any time soon. It’s a lot of work but very rewarding and interesting. Our Knox Magazine class news will be a bright spot as we make our way through another cold, dark winter in Alaska. Two young moose showed up and took naps in our backyard last Thanksgiving, which just never happened to me while living in the Midwest!” ❯ John Kozlowski writes, “I’ve been playing semi-pro poker since 2012. Summer 2016 (and all of September) was spent at Wrigley Field. Now— Blackhawks hockey. Working on my ‘bucket list’ of 20 rock performers to see in concert; this year I saw eight, including Alice Cooper for the first time since his appearance at Knox in 1970. Also hung out backstage with Journey prior to their Indianapolis performance.” ❯ Dion Cox Mercier writes, “Tell Deirdre Poste Cummings and Pat Drummond that if they are really going to our 45th next October, that is motivation for me to be there as well!!!” ❯ Karen Sanders Raleigh writes, “I have moved to a continuing care retirement community. We had expected to move in 3-5 years, but, since my husband, Larry, passed away in February 2016, I wondered, why wait? I am at The Forest at Duke with my two West Highland White Terriers, who are ‘people magnets.’ Although I am among the youngest residents, there is something to be said about making this move while still relatively energetic. I feel as though I’ve climbed a mountain and am now on the other side.” ❯ Bob Shullaw and wife Lara competed in the Fred Astaire Studios National Dance Championship in Orlando. They finished first (in their age group) in the amateur couple Closed American Smooth Championship and Scholarship divisions. Bob, with his professional instructor, finished sixth in pro-am Closed American Smooth Scholarship, his best finish by far in a national competition. To celebrate, they spent 10 days at Iberostar Grand Rose Hall resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Bob got in some beach volleyball and catamaran sailing every day. Lara hit the spa and worked on her tan. Bob says, “Great place—all adult, all inclusive, all fun, all the time.” ❯ William Sowle writes, “Back in Scottsdale, Arizona, for winter in my effort to follow 72-degree weather. My adventures took

Class Knox began at Knox.” — Eric Eisemann ’74 on his friendship with Jay Larmee ’74 me to Telluride, where I helped Danielle Deroberts install her amazing art exhibit. The local mountains provide amazing hiking opportunities at 10-12,000 feet...the wildflowers were amazing in August. Spent a week doing volunteer work on the Colorado Trail outside of Silverton, finally ending up in Durango for some wonderful music: jazz and folk.” ❯ Bryce Suderow writes, “Dennis Rasbach published his fine book, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the Petersburg Campaign, on the June 18, 1864, attack of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at Petersburg. I helped him gather research, introduced him to three fine scholars of the Siege of Petersburg, and, am proud to say, wrote the introduction. Find it on Amazon.” ❯ Vince Throop writes, “It’s raining in Portland. The rain beats and batters against the cheap window of a rented room.” ❯ Gary Waxmonsky reports that, for the first time in about 20 years, he plans to attend Homecoming 2017 with wife Nancy Tumavick. He looks forward to buying a round or two for fellow classmates. ❯ Dave Wood writes, “Our annual outing to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with Gene Brandt, Jim Leech ’71, Terry Denoma ’71, and Dennis Farrell ’71 was great, except for the hurricane we had to deal with. Got in three days of golf before making the decision to get out of town while the getting was good! The wife and I now live on the first fairway at Soangetaha Country Club, so if anybody is the area, stop by for a drink and round of golf.” ❯ Wendy Scherwat Ducourneau writes, “Still swimming (pool competitions, long distance, and open water) and enjoying it thoroughly! Please post your news and photos on Facebook.” Class Correspondent: Wendy Scherwat Ducourneau wjsd@jps.net, Facebook Group: Knox College Class of ’72

1973 Class Correspondent: Nancy Bakos Hunter 5280 Easley Way, Golden, CO 80403-1161, 303-278-3163, n.hunter@platte.com

1974 Hello 1974ers: You all have been so helpful finding lost classmates. This just underscores our commitment to find them regardless of when or where they graduated. Looking for: Wayne Hedenschoug, Patrick Hall, Steve Marshall, and Steve Freese. Anyone else? Always fun when we hear from folks for the first time and, this time, there are a lot of first-timers! ❯ Martha Randolph writes: “It isn’t like I did not learn stuff and make friends I love and remember to this day. I left because a summer job turned into a full-time profession. I traveled around the world, worked with extraordinary artists, and, despite academic failure in languages, ended up speaking fluent German, very good French, and some Spanish. I ended up in Hawaii, where I finished

my degrees because the time was right, and I was no longer a stage manager. I got a B.A. in classical East/West studies at Hawaii Pacific University and an M.A. in religious studies with concentrations in Indian religions and in teaching religion at (secular) American universities. Look for me on Facebook: Martha Randolph in Honolulu, Hawaii; send a friend request with a note that says we were Knox classmates, and I will friend you.” ❯ After a 40-year career teaching undergraduates and graduates, Dr. Bruce MacMurray announced his retirement from academic life. He taught at several institutions, spending most of his career (29 years) at Anderson University (Indiana). Upon his retirement as professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Family Science, Bruce received the university’s Award for Service. He and his wife plan to travel throughout the United States, especially the national parks, and visit friends and their two sons, who are working on doctoral degrees. Bruce remembers fondly and offers thanks for the great education he received from Knox and wishes well the many friends and mentors who have made a difference in his career and life. ❯ Kit Evans Parker writes: “We have gotten used to life as empty-nesters with both kids in college this year, and finally feel at home in Las Vegas, where my husband cleans up the environment to improve water quality. I substitute-teach and am deciding what else I want to ‘be when I grow up.’ We’re all healthy and enjoy the world and life’s challenges and adventures.” ❯ Roger M. Rosen writes to let us know that he is a lawyer with his own small firm in Santa Monica, California. ❯ Jan “Thumper” Thompson shares this news: “I’ve enjoyed my second year of retirement from the State of Illinois by traveling. I visited Aruba. Then, my spouse and I took a paddlewheel boat trip from Peoria up the Illinois River to the Starved Rock Park Lodge. Next, I took a Melissa Etheridge cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship. Melissa gave us several concerts, as did Joan Jett! We visited Tampa, Key West, and then Cozumel, where I swam with dolphins. All in all, it’s been a good year. I hope next year is a better year, for all of us!” ❯ Jeanne Miyake Cuneo says: “I still work with the student database at York High School in Elmhurst. Kind of fun most days.... Art and I have been in Elmhurst for more than 25 years now. My son and his wife are in St. Louis. He’s principal bassoon for the St. Louis Symphony. My daughter is in Boston.” ❯ Eric Eisemann says he and Jay Larmee hiked Mt. Washburn two years ago. “Now there is talk of another trip: Jay suggested we walk the Camino de Santiago next year—in the footsteps of St. James. I suggested canoeing past the Missouri Breaks this summer—in the paddle strokes of Lewis and Clark. Jay was a physics major and engaged Catholic; I was a comparative religious studies/anthropology major and agnostic. Forty-plus years later, we occasionally continue great conversations that began at Knox.” ❯ John

Porter tells us he lives in Durham, North Carolina, “with partner Jana Mundy, Smokey the bad cat (aren’t they all), and Morty the dog. I am still in the motorcycle industry as head of sales planning for KTM North America. Jana’s son goes to Oberlin, and a recent parents weekend there reminded me of my life-changing Knox experience.” ❯ Mark Loete lives in Chichester, New York: “After a 42-year hiatus, I suppose it’s time I contributed to the Knox Class Notes. I moved to New York City five minutes after I graduated from Knox, where I built a career in commercial advertising photography. I operated two successful photography studios in Manhattan, creating imagery for Sony, IBM, NBC, DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Seagrams Liquors, HarperCollins Publishers, Avon, the United Nations, etc. Now I mount solo exhibits—at the Woodstock Artist Guild (New York), the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum (Livingston Manor), and the Catskill Center (Arkville). Check out where I’ve been pointing my lens over the years at markloetephotography.com. In 2002, my wife and I moved our home, businesses, and family to a small mountain hamlet in the Catskill Mountains. We live in a rambling 136-year old farmhouse (it’s not really a farm) in the middle of the ‘forever wild’ Catskill State Forest. Somehow, I caught the fly fishing bug. Since our home is surrounded by the famous fly fishing rivers known as the ‘Cradle of American Fly Fishing,’ I guess it was a no-brainer to start a fly fishing guiding service, Catskill Mountain Angler (catskillmountainangler.com), as a summer sideline. It has taken off big-time, and I have fun guiding anglers from all over the world. I still take on photography assignments but spend more time building custom fly rods and tying trout flies for my clients. Some days, I feel like 64 is the new 46. I hope at least some of my Knox classmates feel the same way. Kudos and thanks to Monta Lee Dakin for gathering the tribe.” ❯ Kevin Waite sent in this update: “I practice law in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Wife Carol Hansen Waite ’75 works as my assistant. We have four children. We recently met Marianne LaFave Jacobs and her husband in Maui. We visited Dave ‘Kod’ Sadok ’75 and his wife on their 10 acres near Portland, Oregon. I ran into Gloria Pyrka in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1978. I had started law school, and she was finishing a Ph.D. in physics.” ❯ Marie Winters wanted you all to know that when Michael Schurr passed away some time ago. he gave money to Green Oaks, where today you can see the refurbished multi-purpose building that is now known as Schurr Hall. Class Correspondent: Monta Lee Dakin 303-979-9307, mld780@aol.com

1975 Special thanks to those who wrote in for their first time! Here’s the scoop: Stephen Kaufmann still practices law with HeplerBroom in Springfield. He and wife Carol have three children and

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“Being First Lady didn’t involve too many official duties!” — Nora New Chief Economist for U.S. Department of State Keith Maskus ’76 In October 2016, University of Colorado Professor of Distinction and Knox Trustee Keith Maskus was named the chief economist for the the U.S. Department of State. He leads research and analysis on a wide range of international economic and security topics relevant to U.S. foreign policy, such as global economic growth, ﬁnancial stability, sanctions, trade, energy, and climate change.

Why do you feel you were chosen as chief economist? The State Department needs expert advice on international economic issues that could affect U.S. economic diplomacy of all kinds, including international trade, monetary issues, economic development, and global science and technology. I have had a long career thinking and writing about these issues and have a good international reputation as an analyst of international trade, technological change, and economic development. From that work PETER BAILLEY ’74 I have established numerous ties with international organizations, such as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. I also have managerial experience, having been the associate dean of social sciences at the University of Colorado. I think these are the primary reasons I was chosen.

What do you see as your most important role in this position? The Ofﬁce of the Chief Economist (OCE) is charged with providing evidence-based research about long-term international economic issues and sound advice to the Secretary of State about the potential effects of policy changes, taken by both the United States and other key countries. In my opinion, my most important role is to make a clear case for factual analysis, based on sound logic about how the global economy actually works, and to apply that analysis to reach convincing conclusions. The evidence we offer is an important input into the Secretary’s thinking and inter-agency discussions about international economic issues. We need to get it right.

What do you hope to accomplish during your two-year appointment? To make sure that sound economic analysis is central to American statecraft, as diplomacy is sometimes called. The State Department must engage with countries, industries, and international organizations about almost every international issue we can imagine, ranging from climate change to currency crises and from poverty reduction to economic sanctions. I hope to make OCE an essential part of the government’s deliberations and to place its work on such a sound footing that it will continue its advisory role for a long time to come.

What do you see as your greatest challenge? We are clearly observing a growing political and cultural distrust of international economic engagement around the world. Too many people here and abroad have not been able to share in the beneﬁts that globalization of trade and investment have achieved. I am concerned that this distrust could result in poorly considered economic policies that could damage global progress without addressing these basic needs. So the greatest policy challenge lies in arguing for smarter policies, both here and abroad, that can sustain our economic relations but manage globalization with a more human face. As Chief Economist, I hope that the work we do can help make that case.

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three granddaughters. Stephen recently served as co-counsel with good friend Scott Szala. ❯ Randy Seagrist recently retired from high school teaching and coaching in the St. Louis area, where he and his wife live near their two young granddaughters. ❯ Christopher Hill’s second book, Into the Mystic: The Visionary & Ecstatic Roots of 1960s Rock & Roll, will be published in fall 2017. Attaboy, Chris! His day job is as an editor at Magna Publications in Madison, Wisconsin. He and wife Marguerite report that daughter Emma works in pediatric communications disorders in Boston. Son Evan is an investigator for Human Rights Watch based in Beirut, Lebanon. Despite triple bypass surgery in 2014, Chris and son went camel-trekking in Jordan a couple years ago. ❯ Dan Martin’s eldest child, Diego, is a junior majoring in biology at Elon University. Daughter Sabrina, a high school senior, wants to be a journalist. Dan says he and wife Veronica “are looking for a good organization to volunteer our spare time; need to give now more than ever.” ❯ After many years of hospice work in D.C., Maureen Callanan now works in the spiritual care office of Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. She gives a thumbs-up for Blaze, the new Knox Prairie Fox mascot. ❯ Phil Thomason was recently appointed an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For 35+ years, Phil has been principal of Thomason and Associates, a community planning and historic preservation firm. “In recent years, I prepared the historical documentation for the Peoria Warehouse Historic District, the Frank Lloyd Wright–Prairie School of Architecture Historic District in Oak Park, and numerous properties on Route 66 from Chicago to California. I am fortunate to work in such an interesting field and expect to continue full-time for at least several more years.” Phil visited Cuba with a Knox group in December 2016. ❯ Jim Petrila kept it brief: “Still working, and I’ll let you know when that changes.” ❯ Similarly, Michael Stutman is succinct, reporting only that he is partner at Stutman Advocate Stutman & Lichtenstein, and immediate past president of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in New York. ❯ Nancy Knapp was diagnosed with breast cancer last March and spent last summer undergoing treatment. Now she will return to Southeast Asia “to support the development of a program to halt the spread of drug-resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion....an area of the world that I have called home for a lot of my post-Knox life. I hope I can do this job at this point in my life.” Godspeed, Nancy; you inspire us. ❯ Jeff Guttman writes: “In a nutshell, I’m retired and enjoy life in the Santa Cruz Mountains.” Hey Jeff, give us a bigger nutshell! ❯ Sheri Sprung Morrison spent last Thanksgiving with family and dogs aboard a houseboat on Lake Shasta. Chaos abounded: cold, rainy, no heat at night; they became unmoored, drifted, and stranded. Ah, family fun. ❯ Michael Lincoln began teaching at Ohio University in 2003, after nearly 25

Class Knox Gubbins ’75 on her husband’s term as mayor of Hinckley, Illinois years. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration from Governors State University. Son Charlie Tokar ’12 worked at an investment firm for a while and is now pursuing a master’s degree in finance from DePaul. Chuck feels fortunate to have found Denise, “a wonderful, super-sweet lady and great cook from Kentucky to share life with.” Chuck says he enjoyed seeing everyone at our 40th in 2015, and hopes to be back for more! Class Correspondent: Jeanne Pankanin jeanne.knoxfriend@gmail.com

1976 Well, our 40th Reunion was a great time. Ann Feldman Perille, as always, did a fantastic job at coordinating many events for our class. Keith Maskus, the famous economic guru from our class, moderated a panel discussion entitled “Galesburg Then & Now.” Kevin Hastings and Mike Godsil participated, along with John Pritchard ’78—the current mayor of Galesburg—and Professor Lane Sunderland. It was much fun. Our class had a fantastic turnout (more than the Class of ’75 had for their 40th—not that I keep track of those things) with nearly 50 of our class members (Ron Woodruff, John Kinnamon, Tom Farrell, Ira Goldberg, Mike Widerschein, Maureen McGarrity Murphy, Marcia Bruget Mathews, Larry Honbo, Less and Beth Prough Boucher, and Horace Flournoy to name a few) showing up at various times over the weekend. It is really fun to chat with fellow classmates, especially those you didn’t know while at Knox. The famous Class of ’76 Kazoo Band was undoubtedly a highlight for the halftime of the football game. Fortunately, Glenn Ruklic made sure we stayed on key as we tried to play a kazoo and march at the same time (not an easy task for some of us). Our class practiced for many hours before our performance, leading to moves of precision on the field. And, yes, the band will return in 2021. One of the highlights for me was seeing the renovated Alumni Hall, which is really a fantastic facility. The transformation is amazing. I also visited the new Whitcomb Art Center (Knox has a brand new building!) and really enjoyed chatting with Professor Robin Metz about the popularity of creative writing for students at Knox. I also visited the mailroom (my mailbox is still there!) And Knox now has fancy golf carts to drive old alums (me) around campus instead of doing that long walk from the Gizmo to the football field on Saturday afternoon. Several of us decided to eat lunch in the food service cafeteria, and it was amazingly good. ❯ I recently attended the Knox Chicago Alumni Holiday Party. It was at the home of Joe Moore ’80. A great turnout with many younger alums, along with President Teresa Amott. ❯ Congrats to Steve Varick who recently retired from his law firm in Chicago. Steve remains of counsel with the firm and has been very busy with travel and volunteer positions. Keep sending me updates for my next

column—thanks! Class Correspondent: George M. Pearce 1114 Forest Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091-1655, 847-256-5968, george.pearce@hklaw.com

1977 A quick reminder: Please notify Knox when your e-mail address changes. As many of us near retirement, some of the corporate e-mails bounce back, and we have no way of connecting with you. Thanks! ❯ Julie Evenson Garcia has lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, for six months and will be there another year to 18 months. Her husband’s job brought them back to the city where they met nearly 40 years ago when they were in the U.S. Army. They have been traveling a lot in Germany, France, and Spain. Daughter Patricia just returned from New Zealand and recommends visitors be sure to take in the natural beauty of Mount Cook. ❯ Bob Nordgren has started a vaccines and biotherapeutics support business from his farmstead in Watkinsville Georgia. He enjoys “waking up when I want to, not when I have to, but usually before I used to!” ❯ Jon Klem is semi-retired in Williamsburg, Virginia, still serving on the board of a biotech firm he invested in. He also volunteers at the William & Mary Mason School of Business’s Executive Partner program mentoring MBA

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years as a freelance lighting designer in New York City and L.A. Michael still works as a professional designer, but for the past four years, has also been artistic director and head of the theatre division at Ohio. He writes, “I dream about retirement, but it still seems like a long way off. Old professors just keep going!” ❯ Deborah Griffin Brown pursues a number of passions: genealogy, scouting, plant photography, and more. The Boy Scout Council recognized Deborah as a Wood Badge course director and OKPIK (cold weather camping training) course director, and she received the Hornaday Gold Badge for her work in the field of conservation. Deborah loves having a Knox legacy daughter, Kathy Brown ’10. ❯ Jenny Lisenby Lockington writes, “Before our last Reunion, I asked my Knox roommate, Suzie Whittles Hickey, if I could stay with her that weekend; instead, she invited me to go to Mexico. With our Knox-instilled Spanish, we enjoyed marvelous excursions to pyramids, underground waterways, cultural extravaganzas, and fabulous food, guided by friendly, knowledgeable native people who welcomed our efforts to communicate with them. I look forward all the more to the next Reunion!” Jenny and husband Steve have four grandchildren, and welcomed their first GREATGRANDSON last June. ❯ Nora Gubbins is not only not retired, she just started a new job as administrative assistant at an assisted living community in Naperville. Nora also helps husband Jim at his woodworking shop. She writes, “I still love working with my hands and helping to create beautiful things out of wood. Jim is finishing up his term as mayor of our little town of Hinckley, Illinois. Being First Lady didn’t involve too many official duties!” In summers, Nora and Jim fly fish in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and in Colorado, where son Nate, his wife, and his daughter live. Daughter Kolleen and her husband are in Chicago. Eldest son Nick is an anthropology professor at Ohio State and lives in Columbus with his wife and their 8-month-old son, Lucas. ❯ Jo Hammerman left CJE SeniorLife after 21 years as a clinical social worker (and close to 40 years doing social work), and is now a special education paraprofessional at a public school in Wilmette, Illinois. She and husband Don live in Skokie, but last summer they were in New Mexico, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona. Jo loves having a more flexible life that allows her to travel, play her ukulele, and volunteer at the Chicago Botanic Garden. ❯ After Dan England retired from teaching in Rock Island in 2012, he and wife Cindy moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where they have family. Dan says they enjoy exploring new locations and are now within driving distance of all the Florida cruise ports! ❯ Charles Tokar is busy as mayor of his hometown, Chicago Ridge; he’s up for reelection in April. Before that, he served as village clerk for 24 years. Chuck received his law degree from Northern Illinois University in 1978 and practiced for about 15

Cynthia Watson ’77 (right) and her mentee, Emily Titus, both received the ABC Award for going above and beyond the call of duty.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Jack Garman ’78 says, “My notes rock. Everyone

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students. He and his wife went to Italy and Greece for three weeks in September and had a fabulous time. If you want the lowdown on Lake Como, Venice, Murano, and Rome or Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and Olympia, contact Jon. ❯ Cindy Watson reports: “I recently won an ABC award at work for ‘going above and beyond the call of duty.’ A young woman I mentor also won the award. I hope to see everyone at the Reunion in October.” ❯ Roger Strukhoff checked in: “Wife Lynn and I relocated to DeKalb in April after living in my hometown of Mount Carroll for the past few years. Lynn is from the Philippines, and she enjoys getting the heck out of Illinois in the winter. We’ve almost finished building a house about 500 miles south of Manila. It’s paradise if you don’t mind the heat and humidity and the occasional beheading in the neighborhood. Had another stent put in—my third—and one of my major coronary arteries re-opened. This had been a problem for many years, but I think they finally fixed me. Too much DTL and FAC at Knox led to bad habits for too long a time, I guess. Spent a few days with Bob Thomas and other friends in Peoria around the time of Bob’s birthday. Took a tour of a local whiskey distiller and enjoyed lots of talk about politics and sports.” ❯ Doug Hill, who is organizing the Reunion IRONMAN event, got in touch: “I went to the Triathlon World Championships again in September and finished ninth in my age group. After eight years of going to the race together, my daughter could not race because she has turned pro.” Congratulations to Alycia Hill and her proud dad! ❯ Brian Bond and Mitch Baker ’76 and wife Karen recently spent time in

Mike Whitworth ’77 performs with his band, Open Road.

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Kauai celebrating the life of Brian’s wife, Helene Abrams, who was claimed by cancer last April. Helene was a family court judge for the Maricopa Arizona County Superior Court, and she and Brian were married for 30 years and have two sons. ❯ Pam Ord Newton and Brian “Sully” Sullivan ’79 are at it again! They recently were back in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Pam shared: “I am the madrina, or godmother, of one of the children here. This is a Mexican religious responsibility that I take seriously as the second mother of the child. The child’s family lives in a oneroom scrap metal home about 20 minutes outside of Cabo San Lucas. Nine children, their grandmother, and three adults (13 people) sleep in a room the size of my master bathroom. They have no electricity and no kitchen and prepare food, usually bean broth, over a wood fire. It was humbling and richly rewarding at the same time to visit and bring food and gifts to the family. Brian was the perfect accomplice for this service opportunity. I have always believed that if I am fortunate enough to have a home in this beautiful country, I have an obligation to pay forward those blessings.” ❯ Dean Anderson got in touch to say he went to New Zealand in December and that my husband and I would have a great time during our trip this winter. Also: “All is good with us in Japan. I am doing too much travel to China, though.” ❯ This from Jack Garman ’78: “After 15 years of blinding sunsets, the relentless pounding of the ocean, and constant freshly scented breezes, Santa Cruz finally chewed me up and spit me out. I went to film school at Los Angeles Valley College for three semesters, then connected with a company, Gallagher Literary, reading scripts and writing notes. My notes rock. Everyone loves my notes. I started as a creative executive, was promoted to senior creative executive, and am now story editor. This means that instead of writing an eight-page report, all I have to do is say, ‘Nah.’ If one of the scripts we work on sells, I get a slice. I can’t believe how long I’ve held my breath for this to happen, even though they told me not to.” ❯ Barry Williams ’78 checked in: “I visited Knox recently for a few hours and saw a few friends and the new college arts center. It always does me good to return to Galesburg. I find the karma in that humble working-class town to be very positive. Despite the fact that I’m a St. Louis native and lifelong Cardinals fan, I truly hoped for a Cubs World Series victory this year—at long long last!” ❯ CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! Ed Jepson, season ticket holder, went to many of the playoff, as well as World Series, games, and led the effort for the Class of ’77 fans. ❯ Mike Whitworth writes: “I became a grandfather in March when daughter Allyson gave birth to Nolan. I am still very busy with my classic rock band, Open Road. We played 87 dates last year. I have slowed down my law practice somewhat, going to ‘of counsel’ status and practicing about 60 percent of the time. That is plenty after 32 years!” ❯ In October, Phil Singer ’76 was able to

reunite the six Honor Guard members, now between 72 and 80 years old, who carried J.F.K.’s casket after his death. The men had never been together again following that fateful event. “Six young men in Washington, D.C., were chosen from different branches of the military to be the Honor Guard that tragic weekend. They carried the coffin of President Kennedy over four days. None of them could have expected what they were in for. All of them have told me how much it would mean to them for a long-delayed reunion.” And ‘Cro made it happen! Class Correspondent: Sarah Kaull 52 Ober Street, Beverly, MA 01915-4733, 978-810-0181, skaull@icex.com

1978 Our own Julie Jones Morrison was re-elected to the Illinois Senate in November—way to go, Julie! ❯ Tim Hays still runs his family business outside Pittsburgh, while wife Deb Gottfried Hays ’79 enjoys retirement, having launched their children in successful careers. I hope to pry Tim loose long enough to attend one of our Fiji gatherings—perhaps the upcoming 150th anniversary celebration in April? That our house still stands is one of the great miracles of modern civilization. ❯ Kathryn Mahaffey was in Houston to relocate her 98-year-old mother (nice genes, Kathy), but we were not able to get together this time. She has had a rough year, having lost her father and brother in 2016. One very bright spot, though, is the engagement of her younger son, who lives in Elmhurst, Illinois. Her older son in Ridgefield, Connecticut, has two children, nine and seven, and she tries to get out to spoil them whenever she can. ❯ If you watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, you likely saw our own Pete Mitchell. He reports, “Here is a bucket list item that honestly was never on my (or anyone’s) list, but it was a hoot. My daughter works in the Macy’s finance department and was able to get the whole family into the parade. We held the Macy’s Yellow Star balloons that start the parade. Even though I just turned 60, it sure felt like being 12.” Okay, just try to top that! ❯ Well, maybe Jim Straus did just that. He reports three miracles: the birth of twins Clark Daniel and Harper Eileen in November to his youngest son and his wife, the Cubs’ World Series championship, and, well, that election thing! He says, “Two out of three ain’t bad.” Babies make three grandkids! Not a bad new profession. ❯ While the rest of us are becoming grandparents (well, not me, yet), we have a newlywed in our midst. Mindy Walberg married her neighbor, Dave Webster, in Las Vegas after 16 years of dating! They are both Galesburg natives and still live there. Best wishes, Mindy! ❯ Pam Berra Swafford has lived for the last eight years in Oakland, California. She thinks of her poli sci days often, since Oakland is certainly one of the most diverse cities in the country and does not accept any change without raucous discus-

Class Knox loves my notes.” sion. She has learned she is not quite as liberal as she thought but loves the spirit and values diversity brings to a community and understands it is the differences that challenge us to be better people. She loves working with Tri Delta on a national level, helping chapters with housing issues and trying to help young women manage behaviors that aren’t always in their best interests. “What they post online is amazing to me.” Her kids are also on the West Coast, two in San Francisco and the youngest in Seattle after graduating from the University of Washington. “What he plans to do with a geography degree is anyone’s guess, but he is almost off the payroll and making life work by leasing cars for Enterprise.” Their eldest daughter will marry in Sonoma this August. “I hope everyone is well and look forward to our next Reunion. I love hanging out with everyone, I find out so many interesting things I never knew while we were at Knox. There are even some Phi Delt secrets that get divulged once you get Jim Straus and Paul Zucker drinking!” ❯ Speaking of interesting (actually, phenomenal) things about our classmates, Julie Murphy Erfani directed a graduate-level, humanitarian aid internship with 10 master’s-level students last May, helping asylum applicants in a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. Afterward, Julie rendezvoused with Cynthia Shurtleff Wilke in Rome. Both had an incredible time in the ancient city center. They plan another convergence in Europe in May. ❯ On November 1, John Scott Luthy completed his 33rd year with Molex (global manufacturer of electronic interconnect solutions) and promptly retired. He spent Thanksgiving at his daughter’s, who’d like him to move to Dallas to become a free home handyman. His son thinks he should come to his new home in Trinidad, Colorado, instead. He tried to catch up with Kathy Mahaffey in Springfield (who was away in Houston) and Kathy Hearn Leuelling (who was away in Hawaii) and openly offers “Hotel Luthy” to any friends visiting the Chicago area. He reports Tom Morgan is back on the radio with a sports collectibles show and continues to operate a sports collectibles store in Naperville. Bill Anderson, who has mostly recovered from shoulder surgery, and wife Nicki are proud grandparents of a beautiful baby girl. Bill’s drugstore has expanded significantly, and his kids now work with him. If you’re near Naperville, Scott/John invites you to catch up over coffee, drinks, whatever. ❯ Tom Daker still manages the Beverly Hills Tennis Club and says all Knox graduates can play for free. He is also club director of Beverly Volleyball Club (BVC), for girls 10 to 18. For Tom, “Nothing is more fun than watching an 11-year-old serve an ace to win a championship.” Tom has an offer you can’t refuse: “Any grandchild of a 1978 graduate gets a volleyball scholarship at BVC.” And here I am, too old to play tennis, but no grandchildren in sight. Darn. Son Chris works for Epicurious in New York, and daughter Katy runs marathons in Columbus. To Pete Mitchell, Tom says, “Anyone

can hold a balloon.” ❯ Susan Haerr Zucker plans to move from their house to a condo closer to downtown Chicago, and has to deal with 17 years of house and office clean-out. I will go out on a limb here and speculate that the views from that new condo will be amazing. ❯ Finally, just under the wire, comes a report from Susan Hughey Walker, who celebrated the big 6-0 in Napa with her family and two other couples. They rented a villa and “drank our way up and down Highway 29.” Her eldest lives in San Diego and works for BoA Mortgage; his younger brother works for Northwestern Mutual Insurance in Jacksonville and is among the Top 50 of his hiring class. Susan’s stepdaughter is also in Jacksonville, working for a media production company and volunteering for children’s charities. So far no marriages or grandchildren, but high hopes! She and her husband still work but hope to retire in the next five years, absent the right lottery ticket or oil well. ❯ As for me, I am about to head out to celebrate my son’s college graduation after, shall we say, a long and winding road. We are proud of him for his perseverance. Now, we need to look for a job. The Enterprise rental counter position looks mighty good. Class Correspondent: David Bates 174 Haversham, Houston, TX 77024-6248, 713-722-0815, dbates@gardere.com

1979 Class Correspondent: Brian Cox 21 Briarcliffe, Collinsville, IL 62234-2913, 618-406-7014 (cell), bjcox5257@att.net

1980 Meribeth Nudelman writes that she is married to Geoff Fields, and they have two daughters, Taylor and Cassandra. Taylor is in graduate school in Oxford, England, and Cass attends the University of Michigan. Geoff has prepared to walk the Appalachian Trail this spring, and then they will decide whether to stay in Western Michigan or relocate. Meribeth had a successful career consulting and working with financial institutions before transitioning to technology and acquisitions at Dell EMC. She plans to make the 2020 Reunion and hopes all are well. ❯ Dave Workman writes that, on August 22, 2016, his mother, Mary J. Workman, passed away in Logansport, Indiana, at the age of 90. While the death of “Friends of the College” aren’t typically included in Class Notes, “Mom” Workman was always a little different. She provided many meals, lodging, and laughs for members of the men’s basketball and women’s track teams. Off-season, libations would also be generously provided. In addition, Michael Quirk and Robert Alvarez were frequent recipients of her hospitality. She would often talk in fond terms of the 1980 men’s basketball trip to Spain and her friendships with many of the parents for years afterward. Words don’t do justice to her positive

attitude, sense of humor, servant’s heart, and the example she set of what it means to be a great mom and friend. Dave and Roy Brandys had a chance to get together in Austin in December to discuss our recent hiking adventure in Big Bend National Park. Dave was in Texas as a speaker for his company and drove a short 1,700 miles in the week to go to “The Silos” of HGTV fame (still crazy after all these years), as well as Austin, Marfa, Big Bend, and San Antonio. Dave reports that the great thing about Texas is you can actually say “Merry Christmas” and not be labeled intolerant of others’ feelings. ❯ Marsha Sanders McCormick writes she is a registered nurse. She worked at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, until February 2016, when she chose to find a job closer to her home. She now works in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sisters of St. Mary’s Hospital St. Clare in Fenton, Missouri. She has been a neuro-specific nurse for 34 years, 32 of which were in ICU settings. She has been married to husband Jay McCormick for 33 years, and they have one child, Matthew, who is now 29. Matthew is engaged to a marvelous woman, and they have a wonderful son, Terrence. Marsha was in Galesburg this past Homecoming and enjoyed seeing the campus and the remarkable renovations to Alumni Hall. ❯ Dave Cratty, Steve Holmes, and Jim Pogue participated in the Knox alumni golf outing held at Soangetaha Country Club in Galesburg last June. As always, Dave reports it was good to see Coach Knosher, who played the first hole with them and with all of the other foursomes throughout the day to help raise a few bucks for the College. The three also got in another round later in the weekend at Lake Bracken Country Club with Jim’s younger brother, Matt, and wife Nikki. It was a great weekend. Dave also reports that he and wife Bess had a chance meeting early in the summer with a Knox golf teammate, Brian Bond ’77, who passed through Galesburg. Dave reports that neither of them recognized the other, but when they realized both went to Knox, it all came together. ❯ Susan Naomi Bernstein, Ph.D., writes that 2016 was incredibly busy and rewarding. Susan is a lecturer in English and co-coordinator of the Stretch First-Year Writing Program at Arizona State University in Tempe. She published a book chapter, “Occupy Basic Writing: Pedagogy in the Wake of Austerity” in Composition in the Age of Austerity, published by Utah State University Press. Susan also presented “Resilience and Creativity Projects” at the Third Annual Mayo Clinic Humanities in Medicine Symposium in November. She also presented two art exhibits in 2016: All of Our Grievances Are Connected and The Naming of the World. Class Correspondents: Roy Brandys 1818 Feather Nest Drive, Cedar Park, TX 78613-1414, brandys@barronadler.com Joe Moore 1431 West Fargo, Chicago, IL 60626-1810, 773-848-5796, joe@joemoore.org

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Diane Williard Jaskolka ’82 and husband Mark moved to Boquete,

Jane Strode Miller ’81 In a roundabout way, it was Jane Strode Miller’s Knox degree that helped her land her first big job at Frito-Lay. She first met with the company as she was finishing the MBA program at Southern Methodist University (SMU). After a grueling day of interviews with eight different people, she felt good about her performance, but didn’t receive an offer. About nine months later, however, they called back. “Frito didn’t remember my name, but they remembered my Russian studies degree. Since I was the only person in the history of SMU to go on to get an MBA with a Russian degree, they found me pretty quickly!” By age 36, she had risen to president of Frito-Lay’s $1 billion Central Division. She went on to run a division of Bestfoods (you’ve probably enjoyed their Entenmann’s Cakes) and became the president of HJHeinz’s UK & Ireland division. And then she changed it up by joining Rudi’s Organic Bakery as its CEO. She stayed with them for five years, until the privately owned company was purchased by organics giant Hain Celestial. Since then, she has served as CEO to two early-stage food startups and is PETER BAILLEY ’74 now the CEO for HannahMax Snacks, whose signature product, cookie chips, have become a best seller. She also serves on the boards of Eldorado Springs Artesian Water and Madhava Sweeteners. These days, however, her passion is mentoring young professionals. She started a career advice website, janeknows.com, in 2013, and since then has published Sleep Your Way to the Top (and other myths about business success). That includes working closely with college students. “I live too far from Knox to be deeply involved in the day-to-day life of students there, so I have ‘adopted’ the University of Colorado, where I can be up close and personal to impacting students’ lives.” She serves on the board of the university’s Leeds School of Business, taught an undergraduate business course, and established a Jane Knows scholarship fund for first-generation students.

Describe your Knox experience. As the ﬁrst in my family to go to college, I didn’t know what to expect. Going to college was quite intimidating. I was grateful for my small class, the student-to-teacher ratio, and the reasonably sized campus at Knox. I found my classes were all thought-provoking, and I was able to join a sorority, Delta Delta Delta, which bonded me to both my sorority sisters and our community. Honestly, I attribute any success that I’ve had in my career to having such a wonderful educational experience.

What do you see as your most notable achievement? I consider myself a mentor to many young leaders, and that’s what I am most proud of. Through my website, I hope to inﬂuence the next generation of leaders to take chances and not be afraid of making mistakes. Jane has also played an essential role in launching Knox’s new Business Intensive Seminar, a concentrated four-day program with learning modules that build leadership and innovation skills. The ﬁrst session launches at the end of spring term.

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Alumni Achievement Award Winner

2017 Alumni Achievement Award

1981 Great to see so many of you back in October for our 35th Reunion. While I could only stay for Friday evening and part of Saturday, it was really fun at Cherry Street and for the class photo on Saturday. Glad I was able to talk Paul Martin ’80 into joining me, as he had not been back to campus in many years. Friday night at Cherry Street, he came up to me late in the evening and said, “Thanks for making me come. I’m having a great time.” Here are the latest updates from other classmates: ❯ Dali Sardar writes, “I was with Citibank in Kuala Lumpur and New York from 1982–1996. Have been running my own advisory firm since 1996 and managing venture capital and private equity funds since then. I am currently board director of Maybank Islamic Berhad, senior advisor to Uber for Southeast Asia, and board director on listed entities in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.” ❯ “Hi from Jodi Domanic. I’ve wanted to let people know what I’ve been up to for such a long time. After graduating from Knox, I got a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northern Illinois University. I did an internship in Connecticut at the Newington Children’s Hospital. For 10 years, I worked at Gaylord Rehabilitation Hospital in Connecticut as a clinical neuropsychologist working with traumatic brain injury victims and their families. As much as I loved that work, I decided I wanted to do something different. After taking some courses in film production and post-production, I changed careers, eventually becoming a film and television script supervisor. That’s a little known crew position—I’m the director’s second set of eyes and ears, the editor’s on-set liaison, the continuity supervisor, and help actors and actresses with dialogue and continuity issues. I’ve been in the position now for about 12 years and love it. Some of the films I’ve worked on are Deﬁnitely, Maybe; Deliver Us From Evil; and, most recently, Marshall, which comes out this October. In TV, I’ve worked on Blue Bloods and The Affair. Working in film and television production meant a move, so I’ve been in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for seven years. And for six of those seven years, I’ve lived with Patrick Lambert ’82. We met at Knox back in 1979, when he tried to prevent me from going down the hallway in the second story of the TKE house. We lost touch for 30 years and then reconnected about nine years ago via Facebook. Patrick lived in California at the time, working as a teacher, but moved to New York and now works as a personal chef. Last December, in Paris, we got engaged! Also in our home is a crazy, wonderful 18-month-old black lab mix named Natasha. My 21-year-old son, Alex, is a junior at Vassar College, double-majoring in film and psychology (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree). Patrick has two daughters; Alison (24) and Colleen (22), who graduates the University of Seattle this year with a degree in nursing.” Class Correspondent: John Nicolau 930 Huckleberry Lane, Glenview, IL 60025-2302, 847-657-6311, j.nicolau@comcast.net

Class Knox Panama, “with only six suitcases.”

1982 Happy New Year 2017! Reminder—our 35th Homecoming Reunion is in October 2017. Any volunteers for organizing the event? I expect to see all of you attending. ❯ Some of us were in attendance at the 2016 Homecoming for the inaugural event of the Mary Filosa Brown Memorial 5K Walk/Run. Rick Brown ’83 and his family from both Raleigh, North Carolina, and Sherrard, Illinois, were in attendance (including Emily and Adam Brown). The Whiting Wantons were well-represented by Annette Andresen O’Donnelly, Kelly Norton Warner, Chris Bohm Gavlin, Cindy Wilson, and Sharon Schillereff. Additional attendees included Jeff Clark, Mary Beth Erffmeyer Shomos ’83, Delia Thrasher ’81, Donna Mielke ’81, and Mike Maday ’81. We had the pleasure of seeing Mike Kraynak, who sells great-tasting honey. We also had fun partying with Jan Estal Maberry ’81, Laura McCall ’81, and the rest of the party animals from the Class of 1981. ❯ It should be noted that the Whiting Wantons had a get-together this September in Norman, Oklahoma, hosted by Kathy Brosnan (now a professor at Oklahoma University). Party attendees included: Kathy Schurr ’83, Nancy Markelz Gatens, Jill Vacek Brugioni, Cindy Wilson, Chris Bohm Gavlin, and the fabulous Sharon Schillereff. Look forward to seeing the Wantons at Homecoming in 2017! ❯ Now for the Class news. Steve Warner shared the sad news of the death of another classmate: Brian Mennecke passed on July 9, 2016, in a tragic boating accident. ❯ Kathy Brosnan broke her ankle over Thanksgiving in Mexico and had to cancel her China trip as a result. No more broken bones in 2017! ❯ Laurie Matthews: “This past year, I tried valiantly to convince eldest son Rob, then a high school senior, to pick Knox. We visited campus during last year’s Homecoming weekend, had a great dinner at Landmark Cafe with my former political science professors Sue Hulett and Robert Seibert, ate brunch at the Packinghouse, watched the team lose a football game at the Bowl, and even spent an hour with the basketball coach, who seemed interested in having Ron on the team. In the end, Rob chose Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, which is also a small liberal arts school, and he’s happy there. So all worked out in the end. I’m in my third year as a security analyst for TASC in McLean, Virginia. Youngest son Drew is a high school sophomore who plays basketball and, occasionally, baseball. A new Boston Terrier puppy last fall keeps us hopping. Hi to everyone!” Hi back, Laurie—see you at the Reunion in 2017! Please leave the puppy at home! ❯ Diane Williard Jaskolka: “Mark and I retired and moved to Boquete, Panama, in January 2016 after selling everything. We moved with only six suitcases. We had a lovely goodbye party and was great to see Al and Teri Maso Zdunek and Kent Slayton, Ruth Wang Davis, Nancy Borman, Brian Gaynor,

and their lovely spouses. While we love our new home in Panama, we got the travel bug and have just embarked on a nine-month trip to Asia and Europe. The first stop is Penang, then Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka to start. About half of our time will be spent volunteering in the local communities, starting with an orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia, for two weeks. Life is good. Back to Panama in September, where we welcome visitors!” The 40th Reunion will be in Panama! ❯ Kelly Norton Warner has been selected as the U.S. Geological Survey deputy director for investigations in the Illinois-Iowa Water Science Center. Kelly will oversee the modeling, analysis, and assessment of groundwater, surface water, water quality, and ecosystems studies in Illinois and Iowa. Congrats to Kelly! ❯ Pat and Melissa Pray Muldoon: “We continue to enjoy living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and this year we celebrated (gasp) 32 years of marriage. Time flies when you are having fun!” Pat enters his 10th year as CEO of Forward Foods and Detour Protein Bars (www.detourbar.com). In 2016, business travel took him to too many places, including China, Korea, England, and across North America, as the company expands. Their team continues to thrive, and this year was named by Men’s Health magazine as the #1 Protein Bar in taste and nutrition. When not working out at the gym and swimming or following Melissa to Italy, Pat plays competitive golf and realized a goal to play 90 holes in three days at the challenging and wildly beautiful Bandon Dunes courses in Oregon. Melissa promotes Italian language and culture through her dual language blog (StudentessaMatta.com). She also leads small-group language immersion programs in Italy twice a year and arranges Italian language homestay vacations. This past September she published a novel called Dreaming Sophia. It is available on Amazon in print and electronically. The story is based on Melissa’s experiences living and traveling in Italy and is a fanciful look at art history and Italian language and culture. It also features a host of Italian personalities, including Sophia Loren. Who knew a decision to study art history, through the Knox Italian program in Florence (1981), would have had such a profound effect upon her personally and professionally? Some might even recognize the character of a well loved and influential Knox art professor in her novel. Learn more at DreamingSophiaBook.com, where Melissa blogs in English about Italy and art history. To put the cherry on top of the gelato, this year Melissa got to meet Sophia Loren in person and speak with her in Italiano. “Our Muldoon boys continue to make their parents proud. Ryan, the oldest, works as a marketer in Cincinnati for Advantage Services. Michael, the second oldest, is a mathematician, working in Houston for CMG Consulting Group. Kyle, the youngest, is in his first year at DeAnza College, as a prep for the University of California system, planning to major in engineering.” Salute to the Muldoons! ❯ Steve

Czerwinski is “busy building a new house in Belize. We completed the shell in December and began the interior framing after the New Year. We still have a lot to do, but it is our plan to be moved in by mid-to-late 2018!” ❯ Hugs and kisses from Sharon and Chris! Class Correspondents: Sharon L. Schillereff 7780 W 38th Ave., #404, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, 303-885-7185, Sschil7470@yahoo.com Chris Bohm Gavlin 4246 Howard Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558, 708-246-1419, cgavlin@gmail.com

1983 It was great to hear from Mariola Dobersztyn Weithers, who heeded the call for news! She reports that, after Knox, she went to law school and then practiced law for 13 years. “I stepped away from my career when I became pregnant with my triplet daughters and have been a stay-at-home mom since. Come the fall of 2017, I will look to find a new direction for my life as my girls start college. Our son graduated from college in December 2013 and has been out of the house since then, so our house will truly become very, very empty. I don’t know what the direction will be yet—I need to get through the next few months of college applications, financial aid forms, music auditions, etc.! One daughter has applied to Knox, so perhaps my future will include parent weekends in Galesburg!” ❯ Ed Kemper ’85 “treated Tony Tedeschi, Dan Hrozencik, and Werner Holz to a Cubs game in July. Cubs win, Cubs win! A post-game visit with Dee Dee Kinzie Tedeschi ’85 was great, too. Drinks with Ed, Tony, Mike Natarus ’85 and the inimitable Rajan Malik ’86 in October. Always good to hang with Phis.” ❯ It has been another successful year of real estate for Jesse Dabson, “including the sale of a house to my daughter. I love firsthome sales, and she couldn’t be happier or prouder to own her own home. My other daughter is in her last year of graduate school and will graduate this spring with a master’s in architecture from the University of Texas. As much as she loves Austin, we anticipate a move in the spring to a major metropolitan area with a vibrant architectural job market. My wife is transitioning her store from a resale model to a craft and educational model focused on projects for children and adults. I continue to audition and act on occasion. I am both amazed and thankful for the amount of production going on in the Chicago area. All in all it has been a good and productive year.” ❯ Massoud Hassas “currently works with the United Arab Emirates and Iran in setting up international business contracts and overseeing some commercial activities in the Middle East region with the food industry, hoping to get Walmart here, keeping the fingers crossed. Great market potentials within the region.” ❯ Andrea Selymes Kolczynski will retire “from the federal government in April 2017, after 33 years of service (four years in the Army and 29 years with

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Kate Fiedorow Willicutts ’83 completed a doctorate in clinical Department of Defense). We plan on remaining in South Carolina for now, volunteering at church, scrap-booking, taking piano lessons...and traveling around the U.S. to visit friends and family. First stop is Texas, to spend quality time with our three grandbabies there. Life is WONDERFUL!” Congratulations, Andrea! ❯ Anthony Tedeschi has been appointed treasurer of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association Board of Trustees. He also serves as chief executive officer for Weiss Memorial Hospital and chief executive officer of the Northeast RegionChicago Market for Tenet Healthcare. ❯ Kate Fiedorow Willicutts completed a doctorate in clinical nutrition at Rutgers University last May. ❯ During an annual conference trip to Las Vegas, my husband and I enjoyed dinner with Beth Anderson Schuck and her husband, Brian. Next year that conference moves to New Orleans, so Beth and I will have to plan another way to get together. ❯ If you did not receive an email requesting information, please contact me so we can update our 1983 class list. Class Correspondent: Laura Thompson Sears 132 Heath Place, Westmont, IL 60559-2644, 312-899-1660, lsears@gouldratner.com

1984 Class Correspondent: Valerie Jencks 300 E. 5th Avenue, Suite 235, Naperville, IL 60563, 630-579-8070, knoxcollege84@gmail.com

1985 It was quiet on the news front this past six months—at least regarding Class of ’85, there was certainly plenty going on elsewhere. Here’s what I have to report: ❯ Lisa Poor Watson writes that, this past July, she and husband Craig made a quick trip to Iowa to see Connie DeRooi Brewer and husband Brian, who were here from Wales to participate in RAGBRAI (The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Race across Iowa). Connie rode, and Brian drove an RV for the week. Lisa says, “We had a very short visit, but it was lovely to see them. Connie and I have tried to see each other every year, and I think have been able to do so since 2009, maybe longer. We hope to see them both again in fall 2017, place to be determined! Elder daughter Emma will graduate from Miami of Ohio next December and hopes to go to physical therapy school. Anna, our younger daughter, is a junior in high school and beginning to look at colleges.” ❯ Kathy Mateer Gedamke also checked in. She is “still in sunny south Florida. (Thank God Hurricane Matthew missed us.) I can’t remember if I wrote in about 25-yearold son Nathan’s wedding last October. He finally married his high school sweetheart. Now my eldest daughter Sarah (19) is contemplating marriage. As far as my work, I still teach math at Keiser University’s Port St. Lucie campus. I also serve on the QEP committee to finally bring computer-aided learning to Keiser University’s

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

developmental math program. We look forward to moving our local campus into a new two-story facility early next year.” ❯ Lynne Gray writes, “2016 was a great and challenging year. I made a major career change, moving from teaching elementary education to landing a job as a claims trainer working for Centene Corporation. I loved teaching for the past 16 years but look forward to exploring new opportunities in the corporate training world.” ❯ Jane adds, “Hope to hear from more of you next time around!” Class Correspondents: Margaret VerKoulen Lynn mvlynn@comcast.net Jane Davis jedavis_ill@hotmail.com

1986 Greetings! The numbers at our 30th Reunion in October were a little thin, but those who attended had an amazing time catching up! Rajan Malik may win the award for coming the farthest, making a last-minute decision to fly over from his home in Bahrain. His lovely artist wife, Nomi, was unable to join him this time, but we all hope to meet her in person some day! Others who shared in the fun were Val Blevins, Lauri Andrew, Wendy Vander Meulen Currid and lovely daughter Rachel, Lisa Metz, Louis Davis, Linda Moore-Upshaw, Tom “Mr. Baseball” Jackson, Mike Boyd, Raquel Rochelle, Kat Morgan ’85, and Karen Kampwirth. There were others I’m sure I forgot to mention. Remind me to take better notes next year… ❯ Brian Conran and Alice Congdon Maitland stayed with Sterrett Collins, and I know for a fact that they are all great cooks! Brian is still an optometrist and donates his time seeing to the eye care of local prisoners. He says it doesn’t pay the bills, but does give a certain satisfaction that he can make a difference for those who are incarcerated. Alice is similarly engaged working with Doctors Without Borders, using her nursing skills to make a difference around the world. It is truly heartwarming to see the many ways in which Knox grads give of themselves to those less fortunate. I’m sure there are more stories of the ways in which we volunteer out there—drop me a note and share with your classmates! ❯ Sterrett is settling into his ministry at Central Congregational Church, where I was privileged to be the inaugural Knox Homecoming Weekend preacher. I was blessed by the presence of many alums from the Class of ’86 who got up early on Sunday morning to come out in support (special thanks to Mike Switzer ’84!) and some members of the Knox Choir, who led us in singing “Hail to Alma Mater” at the end of the service! The many ways in which Knox grads support one another shows the quality of our community. If you have a story to tell about how a Knox classmate supported you, please share! ❯ Along those lines, it is with great sadness that I report the death of Karsten Sadiq ’87 after a long and hard-fought battle

with pancreatic cancer on May 10, 2016. His wife, Ayesha Khan Sadiq, remains at their home in Karachi with their children. Her address is 47/2 8th Commercial Street, DHA 4, Karachi, Pakistan. I know she would appreciate hearing from us. ❯ In happier news, Vida Cross ’88 surprised us by announcing that she and Victor Davis were married in Franklin, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2016. Other Knox alumni in attendance were Eric “EZ” Williams ’85, Michael Turner ’87, Steve Jones ’72, and Debra De Crane ’98. Wishing you a beautiful future together, Vida and Victor! ❯ Robert Klem writes, “I have changed jobs and am now medical director for primary care for the Swedish Medical Group in Seattle, as well as still maintaining a part-time family medicine practice with Swedish. And the biggest news is that we had a new addition to the family: Cooper Vincent Klem. He was born May 23 this year and is adored by his two older sibs, Maya, who is 21 and a senior at Western Washington University, and Ely, who is 18 and a senior in high school.” Nothing like getting a fresh start at our age, Robert—congratulations on your new little one! ❯ Our former class correspondent, Tony Phillips, has been on the move: “I currently work in the southern hemisphere for the second time in three years. In 2014, my company, CGI, sent me to Johannesburg, South Africa, for three months. This time, I will spend six months in Brisbane, Australia, working on a project for the Queensland Treasury. Brisbane is a lovely city, reminding me of Chicago in some ways, and definitely worth a visit if you happen to be coming this way. I wish I were working less so that I had more time to explore and enjoy it!” We wish that for you, Tony! ❯ Mark Gembara, senior class president, has also moved, although not nearly as far: “I just moved to South Dakota about five months ago. I am working on a few books on Native American culture. Peace to you all.” I’m sure we can all use it, Mark—thanks. ❯ This in late—Mike Boyd STILL works for Accenture after 12 years, when he thought he’d only be there for two. For the last 10 years, he has owned a variety of soccer bars in Chicago, “appropriately enough for an old Phi Delt!” I’m sure he’d love a visit from anyone up in the Windy City! ❯ That about wraps it up for this edition of our class notes. If you enjoyed reading about what your classmates are doing now, consider that they may feel the same way about you! I take submissions all year long, so just drop a note or an e-mail or pick up the phone and call. And, of course, our Facebook group, Knox College Class of 1986, is open 24/7 for your reporting convenience! Class Correspondent: Susan Bantz 2012 Shady Lane, Muscatine, IA, 52761, 563-554-9213, bibliophile@knoxalumni.org

1987 Class Correspondent: Lisabeth Simms Belman 12701 York Mill Lane, Clarksburg, MD 20871-4034, 301-972-3751, lisabeth1208@verizon.net

Class Knox nutrition at Rutgers University last May.

Class Correspondent: Gayle Pikrone Richardson 1220 Crestview Drive, Batavia, IL 60510-1180, gayle.richardson35@gmail.com

1989 Class Correspondent: Mia Jiganti 1850 W. Cortland, Chicago, IL 60622-1035, 773-278-0814, mjiganti@prodigy.net

1990 Class Correspondent: Darcy Turner 520 Colony Woods Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, bonetbien1@nc.rr.com

1991 Class Correspondent: Jonathan Sheinkop 260 Cary Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035, jonathansheinkop@hotmail.com

1992 Class Correspondents: Celine Gura Matthiessen 6417 Marlar, The Colony, TX 75056-7119, 469-384-1805, celmatthiessen@hotmail.com Tammy Thorsen Ragnini 912 S. Summit, Barrington, IL 60010-5057, 847-3824022, rragnini1@yahoo.com

1993 Karen Eves Findlay writes: “Wow, my last update was in 2006, and my children were itty bitty, haha. Still in Chelsea, Michigan. Now divorced. Working for the State of Michigan as a social worker. My son is a senior. My daughter is a junior. Both are in robotics. Nick is working on a college plan that steers him toward mechanical engineering (yay, my retirement plan...ahem, what?). 2016 has been a remarkably crappy year, but I do believe we were not the only ones to feel this way. Can’t wait to update this in 2017 with lots of excellent, happy things. In addition to working with kids and families (pretty good at this by now), I pretend to knit and crochet and make jewelry and play with essential oils and herbs (like rosemary and sage, you druggies) very poorly overall, but I have fun on Amazon dreaming big dreams. Find my incredibly average life saga updates on Facebook—Karen Eves Findlay, if you’re interested. You’ll discover middle age rants and memes, like everyone else.” Class Correspondent: Rebecca Gillan Ballard rballard@knoxalumni.org

Liberal Arts Education Invaluable to Oscar-Nominated Work Chris Murrie ’95 Kubo and the Two Strings, an animated feature film edited by Chris Murrie ’95, was nominated for two Academy Awards this year—one for Best Animated Feature Film and the other for Visual Effects. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Motion Picture. Murrie, senior film editor at LAIKA, a film studio in Portland, Oregon, received a 2017 “Eddie Award” from American Cinema Editors and was nominated for a 2017 “Annie Award” from the International Animated Film Society. In addition to Kubo and the Two Strings, Murrie also helped edit LAIKA’s animated feature Coraline, released in 2009, and edited ParaNorman, which came out in 2012— each winning more than 10 film awards.

How has your Knox education impacted your film career? I honestly don’t know if I could do what I do if I hadn’t had a broad liberal arts education. I routinely call on principles I learned across many disciplines. Art, literature, philosophy, history. . . a broad exposure to the humanities is better preparation for working in film than film school is, in my opinion. Having been working in the industry for 20 years now, I can say that film schools turn out competent technicians, but not always great artists. To be a great artist, I believe you need to drink from many, many wells. The technological changes happening in the film world are certainly changing the career landscape, but only in that people are operating different machines or operating more efficiently. The reasons film works as an art form, however, have not changed. Citizen Kane still works because it speaks to a deeper human experience and truth. The technologies will always be changing around the edges of film making, but the reason we love film remains unchanged. Art makes us reflect on ourselves and the world around us. A broad exposure to diverse disciplines and points of view makes us better audiences and better artists. SUBMITTED

1988

What is the most valuable lesson you learned at Knox? One of the most valuable lessons I ever learned about the creative process was in a Knox pottery class. “Don’t be precious” is a mantra I repeat to myself daily. The only way to throw a great bowl, is to throw hundreds of bowls and realize that the individual bowl doesn’t matter. It’s the throwing that matters. You learn to not be precious very quickly in editing. I’ll routinely spend days and days on a particular version of a scene only to throw it out and start over from scratch. Like pottery, the art isn’t in the ﬁnished thing, it’s in the process that creates it.

1994 Leslie Combs says that she still loves her job with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky after 19

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“Remember to rock and roll all night and part of every day.” years. Leslie treasures her 9-year-old daughter as she grows into her bold, funny, and kind self. She is lucky to have multiple Knox connections nearby, from neighbors Mark ’93 and Lloy Brodnicki Johnston and Brian Begy ’93 and Brenda Gregoline ’93, to frequent sightings of friends all over Chicago. She is also involved with the Local School Council (with Lloy) of their neighborhood school, Peterson Elementary, and coaches Sadie’s AYSO soccer team. I love these long-term Knox connections. What great history. ❯ Mary Souther happily teaches at one of the best high schools in Georgia and tries to send students Knox’s way. So far, none of those southern kids want to head up to the north, though. Maybe we need to talk up sledding on cafeteria trays at the Knox (Knosher) Bowl? Mary also coaches cross-country and enjoys her wonderful team. ❯ Tammy Rosen made the USA Today list twice last year with her steamy romance novels. She was absolutely thrilled to run into fellow Knox alumna Donna Bainum Cook ’95, also a published romance novelist, at RomCon in Denver this past fall. ❯ Carlos Bill spent the last two years in Arizona where he was principal of an alternative high school and planned to build a tiny home on a trailer. He bought a diesel truck and started making biodiesel, but in March 2016, a unique opportunity arose. He now lives in Sayulita, Mexico, teaching eco science and Spanish in a K-9th grade bilingual school. He says, “Living here is challenging, but, overall, it’s been a great experience. It is hard to say where I’ll be next year, but my goal is to stay here and begin my own language school. Anyone wanting to visit, the surfing is incredible!” I have no doubt that Knox prepared him for this amazing experience! ❯ Jerry Zavorka is busy with sons Ryan (15) and Jack (13), playing their favorite sport of football, with a healthy mix of baseball, track, basketball, and lacrosse added in. Jerry has spent the last eight years coaching his sons’ baseball teams, though this past season ended with a tough loss in the championship game. This year, Jerry played at some of the best golf courses in the nation, with stops at Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits, and Erin Hills. His family spends summers in Charlotte, North Carolina, highlighted this year with attendance at the Carolina Panthers spring training practice. His kids were able to score multiple autographs and play a pick-up football game with some of the Panthers players’ kids. Jerry also spent time in St. Louis visiting one of his “BFFs,” Ryan Chaney ’95. He also stays in regular contact with other “BFF” Andrew Wenk with various sports events (including the Cubs playoff game versus the Dodgers!) and moved to a new home this fall. He’d love to host you if you are in the Cedarburg, Wisconsin, area. He promises liquor and reminiscing. ❯ My husband, Chris, continues to travel occasionally for his work at the CDC, frequenting places like Jordan and Sierra Leone. I still work in Atlanta at Emory University Hospitals in the physical medicine and rehabilitation

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department, focusing on wound care and hyperbarics. I love my patients and staff. The rest of my days are filled with and subsist on whining and hugs from my three children, not necessarily in that order. We just moved into a new home this fall and plan on staying FOREVER. Please visit! ❯ One last housekeeping issue: If you are reading this, Class of 1994, and you have NOT received an e-mail from me before the last two issues, PLEASE e-mail me with your updated address. I have had a few bounce-backs with the group e-mails so far and would like to include as many of us as possible. Because I’m nosy. And I know you are, too. Hope you all are having a cozy winter, dreaming of the beauty of Knox campus in the springtime. Class Correspondent: Lisa Preston-Hsu 217-649-7889, story.of.a.kitchen@gmail.com

1995 Greetings, Class of ’95. I am seriously honored to help you connect with other classmates here in the Knox Notes and through our Facebook Group, Knox Class of ’95. (Join us if you haven’t already.) Please don’t be shy about posting discussions or reminiscences of your Knox days there. I look forward to hearing more from you in the coming year! ❯ Rob Clark moved to North Liberty, Iowa, in May with wife Claire and their four boys—Owen, 13; August, 10; Asher, 8; and Ellis, 5—and began working as the news editor at the Cedar Rapids Gazette. He joined the Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary Club and serves as a volunteer coach for the FC United soccer club. He came back to Knox in February for the 23rd Annual Natalie Veneziano Winter Whiteout Ultimate Frisbee tournament. It was great to see friends spanning two decades of Knox graduating classes. ❯ Nicole Havelka continues to love life in Columbus, Ohio, where she has lived and worked for almost two years. She serves both the national setting and the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ in supporting churches in being more creative and innovative in their ministries. ❯ Wendy Heatherly Hinojosa moved with her family to Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, last year. They have slowly gotten their house together after some unexpected projects. She had a mini-Knox reunion this summer with Humaira Basith, Eun Jung, and Sohail Hyderi, which was fun! She also keeps in touch with Melissa Collings Hancock and Sabina Hyderi pretty regularly, too. ❯ James “Thad” King was was recently named editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica’s Book of the Year. ❯ Andrea Miklasz has unfortunately had to put her graduate studies on hold due to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and generally poor health. But she’s always on the lookout for at-home writing/editing/social media opportunities within the Chicago area. She still lives in Park Ridge with son Luke Bechtel (his father is Craig Bechtel ’94). Luke is brawny but very sensitive, and works at at Illinois’s largest cinema complex. He is looking at NYU Tisch

School of Film or Northwestern University for college. Andrea still drums as much as possible, and is the director of contemporary worship music at Tabor Lutheran Church. That gig, as well as at her home church, St. Paul, are both on temporary hiatus, so she plays solo. She also models on the side for Toxic Rose Jeans, Online Leggings Store, and Gogogina (who was a major rock costumer in the 80s/90s). She says, “Best to all of you, and remember to rock and roll all night, and part of every day.” Class Correspondent: Nicole Havelka 121 E. 7th Ave., Columbus, OH 43201 revnhavelka@gmail.com

1996 Jeremy Nelson published two books in the space of seven months. His first, Becoming a Lean Library, was published in December 2015. The second, Mastering Redis, came out in June. Both are available on Amazon. Jeremy reports that he works as the metadata and systems librarian at Colorado College and is the CTO of a semantic web startup, Knowledgelinks.io. In addition to two Library of Congress contracts to build a pilot BIBFRAME catalog, he has also done consulting for Yale University, the Smithsonian, Digital Public Library of America (DP.LA), and many other libraries, universities, corporations, and nonprofits on linked data system design and technology. Class Correspondent: Kathryn Dix Biallas 1418 East Colter Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602-944-7466, kathybiallas@gmail.com

1997 Mark Berns married Taylor Miles on April 2, 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri, where they live. Mark is a partner at Onder, Shelton, O’Leary & Peterson, LLC, specializing in pharmaceutical and product liability litigation. ❯ Becky Richardson Shadlich writes, “We bought a new house in Greeley, Colorado, and I have a new job as an accounts receivable manager!” ❯ Lindsay Huffman-Dilks writes, “I have two goats. [They] roam free and walk with us everywhere! I love them so much!” If you think this is a joke, check out the Knox College Class of 1997 Facebook page. Class Correspondent: Josh Mika 6619 Mountain Ridge Pass, Plainfield, IL 60586-2844, jrmika@gmail.com

1998 It is a pleasure to share updates from so many of us! Over the past fall and winter, my family renewed our interest in looking at the night sky, spending some cold evenings in the backyard enjoying clear nights, planets, bright stars, and constellations (at least those that Chicago has to offer). ❯ Sherry Sullivan Malone will finish up her three-year term in Cairo, Egypt, and will

Class Knox — Andrea Miklasz ’95 move with her husband to Guangzhou, China, in July to take another administrative role in an international school. This past year, she has been lucky enough to see some other Knox graduates: Gavi Rosenthal, Angela Schultz, and Season Clauss ’99. What a treat! ❯ Gavi Rosenthal sent an update: After two years in Jordan leading a humanitarian team for Syria (practically neighbors with Sherry Sullivan Malone in Cairo), followed by a few months at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, Gavi has now moved back to Chicago, happy to get reacquainted with the city and old friends. She continues to work for USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (since 2009), and, in between flying to catastrophes, spends her time being as domestic as possible, while trying to master the perfect strudel. ❯ Steve Sundstrom writes: “My wife and I welcomed a new addition to our family. Son Avery was born in September, and 4-year-old sister Selina is thrilled to have a baby brother. After living many years in Japan, I now enjoy working in the grants department at Rotary International in Evanston, Illinois. It’s great to see fellow classmate Norah Webster ’97 frequently, since she works on the same floor.” ❯ From Phillip and Rachel Michalski Mottaz ’99: “We recently celebrated our 10th year living in balmy So-Cal, shedding the last drops of hearty Midwest stock for a world of comfort and 60-degree days in December. We bought our first house this summer in Sun Valley, California, and 7-year-old son Henry loves playing in the yard, riding his scooter on the patio, and picking oranges from our tree. Rachel teaches kindergarten at the Wesley School, while I work as a business systems analyst for Kaiser Permanente. I (finally) joined the ACLU, and, in the last three months, I (also finally) made more phone calls and written more letters to representatives than any other time in my life. In my downtime, I produce two podcasts: Superpunk Radio, which is a comedy collection of fake radio commercials, and Ramones of the Day, where we discuss every Ramones song alphabetically. Because these are the things that need to be done.” Phillip has a great blog at: phillipmottaz.wordpress.com. ❯ Tim Lord checked in and provided an update: “I still work in theatre and got married two years ago to a stage director. I’ve lived in New York since 2006 and work at the 52nd St. Project, a theatre that pairs theatre professionals with kids who live in Hell’s Kitchen to create their own plays. Last April, I got to collaborate with Avery Wigglesworth ’13 and Chloë Luetkemeyer ’14 on my play Peloponnesus, which had its first public presentation at the Knox New Plays Festival in 2013.” Connect with Tim on Twitter and Instagram @timjlord and check out his blog and photo gallery at timjlord.wordpress.com. ❯ Stephanie Hasan Detterline writes: “I am still in Baltimore, Maryland, with husband AJ and kids Estella (4) and Jameson (5). I am the program director for Medstar Health Internal Medicine, a large internal medicine residency program affiliated

with Georgetown University School of Medicine. I still run and try do a half-marathon or two each year. Still keep in touch with my old Knox buddies. We had our 2016 girls weekend in Vegas, and Amy Zoch Buscher, Jen Carey Anderson, and Rosalie Warren Yezbick ’97 were there. We also just celebrated our 19th New Year’s together in Nashville, Tennessee. Present were those three, as well as Dave and Sarah Atkinson Custis, Jocelyn Slowey Gelineau, and Marisa McShane. If anyone ever finds themselves in the Baltimore area, I’d love to catch up! E-mail me at stephaniedetterline@gmail.com.” ❯ Greg Johnson provided an update sharing lovely news about his family but also revealed impressive tolerance for long commutes. They must really love college towns! He writes: “Wife Amy Flanagan Johnson is now a full professor of chemistry at Eastern Michigan University and recently was awarded a grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement to work to increase STEM literacy in our local community. After a couple of years in marketing, I now work in my field again, and, at Knox, as an assistant librarian for research and instruction. The commute is a bit long, but I enjoy being back. I’ve also been named to the Board of Trustees at Daycroft Montessori School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where son Oliver is now a rambunctious 6-yearold about to earn his yellow belt in karate and a voracious reader who is starting to get into robotics.” ❯ From Andrea Crain: “This past fall, after nearly 15 years in the Chicago area, we moved back to Wisconsin, near Madison. Since I now work for Tessitura Network, a 100-percent work-from-home company, doing database work for arts organizations that use our software, there wasn’t a strong job reason to stay in Chicago, and there were many strong cheese-related reasons to head back north. We enjoy our new location, but miss our Chicago friends.” ❯ Melissa Chapman is now chief development officer for the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. She served as chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region from 2011 to 2016. Under her leadership, the Federation eliminated a $500,000 deficit and revived a critical social service agency. Before that, she spent 13 years with the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. ❯ Stacie Kemp sent in an update this past summer, after her family made a move back to Illinois. She shared: “After 13 years in Milwaukee, my husband and I decided to return to Northwest Illinois to raise our children closer to our extended families. I took at job as the vice president/chief clinical officer at a community mental health center serving four counties in Northwest Illinois, and husband Josh landed a job as a process engineering leader in a nearby town. Older daughter Ellie is in first grade, and younger daughter Ava is two.” Class Correspondent: Kip Conwell kipconwell@gmail.com

1999 In August 2016, Amy McClellan Jones and her husband traveled to Bulgaria to adopt a 3-yearold girl, Emerson. Congratulations! ❯ Josh Fourdyce was promoted to Commander of Investigations with the Woodstock, Illinois, Police Department in June 2016. ❯ Kim Rogers lives in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, teaching English to 12th grade Emirati girls. She lives there with husband Jonathan, Border Collie Charlie, and Persian cat Lulu. ❯ Michael Dale took the plunge and married Alexandra Megan Liezert in Jamaica on June 24, 2016. Tim Thompson, Mike Shipley, Reed Allison ’00, Chris Rodeghero, and Brent Merten ’00 were in attendance. The couple held a reception in Illinois when they returned; Mike Gilbert, Charlie Vinyard, Don DiBrita, and Pete Themas ’00 joined the happy couple. Class Correspondent: Valerie Saks Kihslinger S3042 W. Salem Ridge Rd., La Farge, WI 54639, 608-268-6903, vsaks@hotmail.com

2000 I was so glad to hear from some classmates this fall! Since I haven’t ventured into social media, my Knox class notes are a resource for news! ❯ Paul Perales continues to work for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. He obtained a clinical social work license and has been busy using it as part of a four-person outpatient psychotherapy practice and writing items for the national social work exams. He saw Jessica Beil Bahr at the National Association of Social Work Wisconsin conference in October. He maintains contact with Hilary Anderson and Jessica Hirth Meristil. Paul and husband Bruce celebrated three years of marriage by traveling to Montezuma, Costa Rica. They live in Appleton, Wisconsin, with their two dogs, Owen and Drummond. ❯ Nathan and Lauren Douville Boylan live in Chicago with their three children. Nathan has been a science teacher for 11 years, and Lauren raises their children. He stays in contact with Aaron Ginsberg, J.D. ’01, Dr. Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg ’01, Jason Churchill (another Chicago resident), and Todd Nahm. ❯ Jason Powell just published his first book, The Best There Is at What He Does: Examining Chris Claremont’s X-Men. (Editor’s Note: Read more about it on page 38.) His original musical For Purely Elﬁsh Reasons, a holiday-themed homage to the comedy of the Marx Brothers, was produced by the Waukesha Civic Theatre in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last December. The production had another Knox connection; it starred Jordyn Stewart ’14 in one of the principal roles. ❯ In October, I traveled to Omaha for work and met up with Maggie Wittstruck Winnicki ’99 for sushi and cocktails! She is the director of student services for the College of Allied Health Professions at the University of Nebraska Medical

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Emmie Barford Strassberg ’05 is in her final year of a maternal fetal 2017 Young Alumni Achievement Award Luella Williams says that she considered “freedom to flourish” nothing more than “a catchy tagline” as she was attending Knox. The words have come to mean much more following her graduation. “Knox is truly the foundation that enables me to continuously flourish in my life,” she says. It was while she was at Knox that she first visited the city she now calls home —New Orleans. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the city just as she was preparing to return to campus for the fall term, and, Luella says, “I had never been to nor met anyone from New Orleans; regardless, I felt compelled to do something.” When friend Megan Gamble ’06 decided to organize an alternative spring break trip to the city to help with the recovery efforts, Luella signed up and spent two weeks in the city’s Ninth Ward, gutting, cleaning, and repairing houses and distributing food, water, and clothing to residents. “This city has been in my heart ever since,” she says. After earning a master’s degree in social development and health from Queen Margaret University in Scotland, she returned to New Orleans, first PETER BAILLEY ’74 working for the American Red Cross, then in student affairs at Tulane University. These days, she serves as regional director at Up2Us Sports, a nonprofit working to ensure every child has access to a great coach and a safe space to play. In fact, she serves as one of those coaches herself—her girls’ lacrosse team, the Carrollton Boosters, includes players from around the city. “It has been a great experience leveraging sports as an opportunity for change.”

How do you plan to celebrate your Alumni Achievement Award? As a ﬁrst-generation college student, this award means a lot to me and my family members. I do not think this is anything any of us would have envisioned when we were unpacking my dorm room my freshman year. I am also very excited to get back to campus. I was unable to attend my 10-year reunion, so this is a great way to visit with professors and enjoy campus. I plan on spending part of my time wandering around Galesburg. I may even celebrate with a late night snack at the Broadview.

What advice do you have for current Knox students? My advice to current and incoming Knox students is to begin your journey with an open mind, explore, and really enjoy the experience. As an incoming freshman, I was set on being a pre-med major, which caused me to move through my ﬁrst two years with blinders. I did not take the time to explore other interests. Choose courses that help you become a lifelong learner, join a club, and grab coffee with professors. It is as equally important to balance relationship building and the energy put into making every paper and grade perfect. Knox will have a lifelong impression on you, so make it count.

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Alumni Achievement Award Winner

Luella Williams ’06

Center. In July and November, I traveled to Denver for work and met up with Katie Driver Haynes ’01 and husband Nathan. They both have successful careers with the federal forest service in Wyoming and have been out west for nearly 15 years. Coincidentally, Nathan and I were both placed in Mali, West Africa, for our Peace Corps service in the early 2000s. I hope to hear more from classmates in the upcoming months. Class Correspondent: Jennifer Parker parker_jen78@yahoo.com

2001 Class Correspondent: Allison Honaker allisonhonaker@hotmail.com

2002 Jennifer Kuschel has had a very busy fall, including getting engaged, selling two houses, buying a new house, and planning a January 2017 wedding. She made good on her long-time threat to me to get married in Fargo in January. In fact, this may be my last formal duty as Class Correspondent, as I’ll no doubt freeze to death during her nuptials. Martha Brislen Byrne writes: “Last summer, I made what I hope will be my last move for a very long time. After working at Earlham College as a visiting professor and post-doc for three years, I started a tenure-track position at Sonoma State University in Northern California in the fall. This means, for the first time in over a decade, my family can put down roots. If all goes well, I’ll retire from this job while still living in the house we just bought. We live in paradise, so come visit!” ❯ Allison O’Brien shares: “I recently left my job at Groupon after 6½ great years and have joined Vivid Seats to lead recruiting. I’m excited to be working in the live event space and to take advantage of discounts for concerts and sporting events. Jeremiah Holt ’01 and I are still working on our home and spent the summer updating the backyard, removing an old tree, and installing a new garage. We personally built a new paver patio and put up new a new fence and gates. We can’t wait to use the space in the summer to host parties and barbecues. We also adopted another cat this year, putting our total feline family at three! We hope to travel a bit more in 2017 and, of course, visit with as many Knox friends as possible.” ❯ Jennifer Walker lives in Sebastopol, California (a town north of San Francisco) and is school programs manager at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, where they rehabilitate sick and injured seals and sea lions. She has enjoyed visiting Knox friends over the last few years, including Laetitia Bourgeois in Paris and Chris ’01 and Dawn Thorndyke Miles in North Carolina, where they live with their awesome boys. ❯ Courtney Wiles married John Taylor on October 1, 2016. Class Correspondent: Jennifer Wreyford 1850 Bassett Street, #626, Denver, CO 80202, 813-482-4112, jwreyford@gmail.com

Class Knox medicine fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania.

2003 Alicia Young Herrera writes, “Since 2008, I’ve lived in Redding, California, working as an avian ecologist with Point Blue Conservation Science. We recently partnered with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service to implement our Rangeland Watershed Initiative, working with private landowners, land managers, and ranchers to facilitate the implementation of practices that preserve and enhance the ecological value and function of rangelands: increase carbon sequestration, increase water storage capacity of the soil, increase wildlife habitat. I will celebrate 10 years with Point Blue this April. At the end of 2014, I married husband Pablo Herrera in a ‘micro-carbon-neutral’ ceremony—only immediate family attended, and we walked the quarter-mile from my parents’ house to the outdoor park where the ceremony took place. We just celebrated our twoyear anniversary on November 15. We also had cause to celebrate just a little bit earlier in the year as son Maceo Thomas was born on July 31, 2016. He is our first child and has been a handful, to say the least, but we are absolutely in love and are having fun watching him learn new skills.” ❯ Carin Perilloux writes, “This fall, I began a tenure-track position in the psychology department at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas (it’s very similar to Knox), and I love it! It has been my dream job for a long time, and it’s finally come to fruition. There’s no way I could have achieved this without Knox and, specifically, without my mentor, Frank McAndrew.” Class Correspondent: Allison O’Mahen Malcom 8134 Gridley Avenue, Wauwatosa, WI 53213-3049, allison.o.malcom@gmail.com

2004 Margaret Fleetwood writes, “Some very happy news to share this time: I was married to Tammer Farid, fellow Midwestern liberal arts product (of DePauw), on October 1. The very talented Amy Atkinson performed the ceremony, with Ruth Evans Lane standing up as a bridesmaid and an excellent reader. We were delighted and privileged to have dear friends Veronica Kehoss, Mark ’05 and Miranda Higdon Addonizio, Michelle Hackman, Mallory Havens ’06, and Andrew Scott ’07 in attendance.” ❯ Jason Isbell writes, “Well, Sarah and I have a 6-monthold now. Kaylee Grace was born June 10, 2016. She came a month early and tried to come out feet first, but the c-section went flawlessly. She was a seven pound, eight ounce, perfectly healthy baby girl.” ❯ Monica Hartsock writes, “My fiancé and I own and operate Chino Valley Brewery in Ontario, California, and were excited to open a new, larger location last February. I also launched my own law firm in January 2017. The firm’s focus will be marketing and advertising law. We provide comprehensive reviews of marketing campaigns and train marketing teams how to

avoid advertising law violations and privacy law violations. Find me and connect on LinkedIn.” ❯ Kelly Anicich Dues writes: “I still teach special education in Chicago. I am also pursuing certification to become a behavior analyst. I got married on September 10 to beautiful wife Raquel, with alumna Amy Atkinson as our officiant. My last name is now Dues. We live happily in Chicago with our cat and dog, enjoying married life.” ❯ Ellie Dust Belli and husband Anthony welcomed their third child on July 7, Bridget Ann Belli. “Twin big brothers Andre and Julian have adjusted well to their little sister and always keep us busy. We have found it is much easier to have one baby at a time than two! I continue to teach math and coach track at my former high school, T.F. South. One of the highlights of 2016 was getting together with Kelsea Lipe Flanagan ’02 and Andrea Thomson Viner ’03 and their children in August.” ❯ Jasmine Jobe celebrates eight years with her husband and three years with her boyfriend. The three practice kink-conscious polyamory in Little Rock, Arkansas. ❯ Jenna Boostrom Crane writes, “My family and I are still keepin’ on! Daughter Natalie is in preschool, and son Isaac may start preschool this spring. Isaac has also been participating in an expanded access program for an experimental treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. We hope for some positive results for him!” Class Correspondent: Susan C. Vitous Johnson 1312 Iles Avenue, Belvidere, IL 61008-1407, susanvitousjohnson@yahoo.com

2005 Jonathan Betts writes, “Never a dull moment at the Betts household…Gracie Sue, Claire Bear, and Henry James just turned 6, 5, and 4, respectively. Though things are always busy, I’ve been fortunate to find some time to catch up over a beer with Dave Rahofy ’03 and Steve Bachta ’03; share a run with Seth Kopf ’04, Kim Kreiling ’07, Dave Connelly ’07, and Miranda Corbett ’18; and hope to get together with a few other alumni very soon. One personal highlight is that, after a historic run by my boys’ tennis team this past spring, I was recently notified that I have been named the Illinois High School Tennis Coach of the Year, which is extremely exciting… now I just need to steer some more of our graduating seniors toward Knox!” ❯ Jacqueline Dehne Scafidi continues to work in the fields of corporate philanthropy and employee engagement. Daughters Alexandra (5) and Vivian (3) sport new Knox shirts after a recent visit to campus. Jackie enjoyed providing some context and insight on career paths at the recent 2016 Career iMPACT Summit in November. Additionally, she recently enjoyed the Vitalist’s recent stage production in Chicago, including many Knox alumni as actors and production crew. Jackie continues to stay connected with Chicago-area Knox alums, such as Graham ’06

and Ashley Nerht Lambert ’03, Jason ’06 and Allison Beale Cascio ’04, Helen Drysdale Lillard, and others. ❯ Kim Deschamps is now the director of special education for Knox-Warren in Galesburg. She has also designed a course at Knox in the educational studies department, which she teaches every spring term and absolutely loves. She also reports that son Jack is happy and healthy and already in fifth grade. ❯ Ashley Steinsdoerfer Gottlieb is now the director of events for the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. ❯ Matthew Koch tells us that he moved from the “Boulder bubble” to Denver, Colorado, and looks forward to hanging out with some Knox grads in the big city in the future. ❯ Adam Prairie writes, “I’ve spent the last year getting deeper and deeper into the Seattle music scene. Christina Ellis, brother Chris, and I still play shows as the Hoot Hoots. I accepted a position this year as a talent buyer at the Sunset Tavern, a local music venue in the Ballard neighborhood. If you’re in Seattle and want a beer and some good music, come say hi!” ❯ Adrit Raha moved to Singapore this past August and continues to work with AIG. In addition, he has two daughters, Ayra and Ayaana. Ayaana is a Halloween baby, born in October 2016. ❯ This past July, Jeanine Rainey received an M.A. in education (curriculum and technology) from Ball State University. ❯ Emmie Barford Strassberg is in her third and final year of a maternal fetal medicine fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and plans to join a practice in Winchester, Virginia, next summer. Her research on fetal growth curves was accepted for poster presentation at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Meeting in Las Vegas in January, and her research on patient education and preeclampsia has been accepted for oral presentation at the International Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology conference in Prague in May. Additionally, music is still a big part of her life. She plays cello in the Bloomsburg University Community Orchestra and is also working on chamber music for a recital with one of her colleagues (a talented flautist). Class Correspondents: Marissa Parkin moeparkin@gmail.com Ashley Steinsdoerfer Gottlieb 815-245-3648, agsteinsdoerfer@aol.com

2006 Jon Crylen is a visiting assistant professor of film studies at the University of Iowa’s Department of Cinematic Arts. ❯ Huseyin Naci is an assistant professor of health policy at the London School of Economics. ❯ Aleza Berube writes, “Hello friends! The year 2016 brought the birth of son Feivel Elan Sitarz. So far he hasn’t disowned us for that name selection! Justin and I thoroughly enjoy watching this little human learn and grow. Much love to all!” ❯ Megan Gamble would like to say to all of you who remember her in the W

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Alex Keefe ’06 has moved back to Chicago to become senior editor for

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years—you ain’t seen nothing yet. ❯ Katelyn Mazman writes, “I moved to the Bay Area in July after five years in Chicago. Lauren Burke ’07 made the cross-country trek with me, which included a send off from Brian Humpherys ’09 and a stop in Galesburg for lunch with Nikki Whittaker Malley ’98. I also flew to Los Angeles in November for a mini-Knox reunion with Brent Aronowitz and Melanie Hagen-Ching and Brian Ching ’05 and daughter (and hopefully future Knox legacy) Aria Ching. We spent the weekend eating delicious food, cuddling Aria, and laughing at ourselves in old Knox pictures.” ❯ Kyle and Kristina Anderson Alvarez welcomed second child Noah Joseph on June 27, 2016. ❯ Alex Keefe writes, “In early February, my wife and I moved back to Chicago, where I accepted a job as senior editor for government and politics at WBEZ, Chicago Public Media. We’ve been in Burlington, Vermont, for the last two years,

Sable Schwab ’08 shares this photo she took with Chris Leisner, former assistant professor of mathematics. They ran into each other in Madison, Wisconsin, when Chris took Sable’s certiﬁcation course in teaching English as a second language (TESL). She reports that Chris left academia for insurance, then decided to pursue TESL. “I’m teaching a former Knox teacher how to teach. Knox makes the world seem so small.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

where I’ve been the local All Things Considered host at VPR and at a nifty podcast I co-founded called Brave Little State. We will miss the close friends we made in Vermont, and its ample parking availability, but we’re excited to get back.” Class Correspondent: Megan Rehberg megan.rehberg@gmail.com

2007

Hi Class of 2007! Hope everyone is looking forward to spring. ❯ Johanna Blume writes that she was promoted to associate curator of Western art, history, and culture at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. ❯ Kourtney Cone Grimm has had a busy year. She had her first academic publication from novel research this spring in the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery. She also gave birth to her second son, Leo David, on July 21, and has been busy with him and toddler Liam. It’s been an adventure! She is back to work full-time in a small animal and exotics veterinary practice in her hometown. ❯ Ashleigh Honaker Malec and husband Chris welcomed Derick James Malec on November 30, 2016, at 10:55 p.m. Derick weighed in at seven pounds, one ounce, and measured 20 inches long. Big sister Sloan still insists on calling him “Panda,” but otherwise they get along great! ❯ Malissa Kent Webber had a baby! She and husband Ragan welcomed daughter Amara Rae on October 10, 2016. Everyone’s doing great, She looks forward to giving Amara her first college tour during our 10-year Reunion in 2017! ❯ I know we have had some significant achievements to share this time. If, at any point, you graduate, have a baby, get married, or do something really cool, we would love to hear about it. Please feel free to e-mail or shoot us a Facebook message at any time. Thanks and see you next magazine! Class Correspondents: Laura J. Wentink Marcasciano 5650 Abbey Drive, Apartment 3P, Lisle, IL 60532-2558, ljmarcasciano@gmail.com Michael C. Sales 32 Elm Street, Apt. 2, Newport, ME 04953, KnoxClassof2007@gmail.com

2008 Neha Bhatnagar had a chance to travel to East Africa for several dance performances. Though she has traveled quite a lot before, this trip was an eye-opener in many ways. “We make so many stereotypes about people, places, and cultures even before we experience them. It’s better to refrain from any sort of judgment, for they cause unnecessary worries. And, as they say in Tanzania, Hakuna Matata (no worry/no problems)!” ❯ The year 2016 has been big for Will Rutter and his wife. They welcomed twin boys, Odin Ira and Luke Helmuth, into the world in October, and have moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where Will started a new job as a research plant pathologist for the Agricultural Research Service

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDAARS). Any Knox folks looking for a beach vacation next year should look them up! ❯ Leah Heister says, “In October 2015, I took a role as a consultant with CCS, an international fundraising consulting firm based in New York City. I’ve worked with a variety of clients, but most notably, I’ve worked with the Guggenheim Museum and will continue my work there through 2017. Additionally, I serve as an adjunct lecturer for the fundraising capstone course at Columbia University, where I received my master’s degree.” ❯ On May 29, 2016, William Becque married Jordan Barton in a beautiful ceremony held in her family’s barn in her hometown of Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Lots of family and friends were able to attend the ceremony, including fellow Knox alumni and Beta brothers Luke Karner ’09 and Zack LoMonaco. William and Jordan recently started a club volleyball academy, Smash Volleyball Academy, in Carbondale, Illinois, where they also recently bought their first home. William works as an associate sports information director at Southern Illinois University, a Division I school, where he covers volleyball, women’s basketball, and track and field, while Jordan coaches volleyball teams of all ages and works as a teacher’s aide at a local grade school. ❯ In 2016, Bradley Becque became a homeowner and rescued his first dog, an American Pit Bull Terrier aptly named Champ. He is in his second year as the administrative assistant to the director of education at Brehm Preparatory School, a nonprofit school that specializes in working with students with complex learning disabilities. This school year, Bradley also began teaching a contemporary issues class at Brehm. In his free time, he referees soccer games across the state of Illinois and in Missouri in order to provide his dog with a better life. ❯ Meryl Leventon moved to San Diego in May and is now a course director on the Rock ’n Roll Marathon Series! ❯ Kevin Henry welcomed a son, Brandon Gregory, into the world on February 7, 2016. He says, “Being a dad is amazing and I wouldn’t change it for the world! I am still with the United States Postal Service and hope to become a regular letter carrier by spring 2017. I hope everyone has a great year!” ❯ Marius Tan is now responsible for marketing for the Heineken brand in The Netherlands. He also got married to Stéphanie Hamilton of Silvertonhill last month. Hassan Massoud ’06, Mike Boettcher ’05, Zack ’06 and Austin Stacey Stephenson ’07 came to the wedding! ❯ Jessica Platt works for St. Louis Arc as an employment specialist, a job she started in April. When not helping people thrive at their jobs, she volunteers with dog Murphy for Support Dogs, Inc., to bring joy to students and adults at the Arc. ❯ Alex Enyart started a law practice as a “simple country lawyer” in his hometown of Belleville, Illinois. ❯ Magdalena ”Lani” Tortoriello will finish an MFA in costume technology at Indiana University this coming May, after working for six years at the university’s Jacobs School of Music as

Class Knox government and politics at WBEZ, Chicago Public Media.

Vida Cross ’88 and Victor Davis ’86—July 23, 2016

Mark Berns ’97 and Taylor Miles—April 2, 2016 LEFT TO RIGHT: Amy Fox Hastings ’01, Brian Hastings ’99, Sean Hastings ’98, Anne Duda Mayes ’97, Jeremy Mayes, Mark Berns ’97, Taylor Miles Berns, Brenda Mueller Butler ’97, and Jerry Butler.

a draper/wardrobe supervisor. ❯ Jennifer Golz Reidl had second daughter Maggie Reidl on April 5. Maggie’s godmother is Laura Rogers! ❯ Miriam Gillan and Erica Stringfellow Tully attended Jasmina Ruano Schroeder’s beautiful wedding in October. In September, Miriam was able to catch up with Becca Ganster. Class Correspondents: Miriam M. Gillan miriam.gillan@gmail.com Erica Stringfellow Tully e.stringfellow4@gmail.com

2009 Class Correspondent: Sam Jarvis 1059 Lincoln St., Galesburg IL 61401, 309-368-7885 samuelpaulleejarvis@gmail.com

2010 Class Correspondent: Lauren Assaf knoxcollege2010notes@gmail.com

2011 Busy, busy, busy! That might be the Class of 2011 buzzword. With everyone going places and doing so many exciting things, I am happy to share what some of our classmates are up to. ❯ AJ Shule has made his very first update to announce he married Elizabeth Cockrell ’12 in October and had a blast celebrating with his FIJI brothers and Knox friends. In December, he celebrated his one-year work anniversary as a QA tester at Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery. ❯ Adam Iona enjoys living the North Carolina life in Chapel Hill. ❯ Amelia Gant continues to enjoy living in the Bay Area and all it has to offer. ❯ After completing a residency in ocular disease at the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Michigan, Chris Bugajski returned to Chicagoland to practice in the western suburbs. After two months, he decided to accept the a job offer and move to Tomah, Wisconsin, where he works as an

optometrist taking care of our nation’s vets. ❯ Alex Davis and his bar trivia team placed eighth in the nation, earning him $1,000. In other news, he became an officially licensed attorney and began practicing in Peoria, Illinois. ❯ Still living in Alaska, Annie Zak has seen upwards of seven moose. ❯ Brigette Demke recently became the unit wound person. Very exciting! ❯ Courtney Jude and wife Christian Lewis Jude ’12 live in St. Louis, where he teaches eighth-grade American history. ❯ Chris Johnson was promoted at Google, and he and wife Elizabeth Woodyard Johnson ’13 have enjoyed traveling, working on their companies, and living the life in California. ❯ Dami Olotu graduated in June with an MBA from Chicago Booth and now works at Sears Corporation in its leadership program. ❯ Emma Beyer finished her first semester in the journalism program at the University of Missouri. ❯ Effrat Fayer finished her Ph.D. in chemistry and moved back to Israel, where she now works as a researcher at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. ❯ Hyesun Jeong works in Philadelphia with three different nonprofit organizations. Although she feels occupied with work 24/7, she looks forward to her wedding in March 2017. ❯ Jon PierceRuhland was married in September in the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. ❯ Jackie Stillmaker helps children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorders, Down syndrome, and other conditions develop skills necessary to function at home, in school, and in the environment. ❯ Jordan Ball started a new position in Macomb, Illinois, as the materials management leader at McDonough District Hospital. ❯ Kusum Hachhethu lives in Rome, Italy, and works for the United Nations Food Programme. ❯ Katie Johnston moved from San Francisco to New York City for a job as a copywriter at the Martin Agency. ❯ In May 2016, four years of teaching and traveling in Asia culminated in a 31-day trek around Everest Base Camp and a proposal for Kate Robbins. (She said yes!) She now lives in Nashville, eating a lot of hot chicken

Michael Dale ’99 and Alexandra Megan Liezert— June 24, 2016 The couple married in Jamaica. Knox alumni in attendance included Tim Thompson ’99, Mike Shipley ’99, Reed Allison ’00, and Chris Rodeghero ’99. (Not pictured is Brent Merten ’00).

and teaching sixth-graders how to write fiveparagraph essays. ❯ Kevin and Cory Bieber Beck ’10 live and work in Chicago—Cory as a kindergarten teacher at Chalmers School of Excellence and Kevin for a third-party logistics company in Chicago, TMC, a division of C.H. Robinson. Like many in Chicago, Kevin was extremely excited about the Cubs’ World Series win. ❯ Kelly Wiggen is interviewing for cardiology residencies while interning in Los Angeles. ❯ Since her last update, Lexie Frensley got engaged and moved across the country to Portland, Oregon. In the long journey from Nashville to Portland, she enjoyed the gracious hospitality of Grace Fourman in Kansas and Joe Kozlowicz and Molly Snook ’10 in Denver. She would love to meet up with other Knox alumni in the area! ❯ Nea Larson Fernandez was married in July and lives and works in immigration. ❯ Patrick Dooley adopted two cats, chartering his path to crazy cat person status. He also received certification for histotechnology through the American Society for Clinical Pathology, but that’s not as important as cats. ❯ Rachel Goldstein now lives in Denver and works as a United States probation officer. She will graduate next December with a master’s degree in public administration. She now has a sidekick named Caleb, a one-year-old boxer mix. ❯ Shih Yi (Ruby) Goh is finally adulting— she moved into her own one-bedroom apartment in London, England. ❯ Samuel Stokley Conrad started getting more Instagram likes on the regular and had a Tumblr post blow up to 80k notes. ❯ Sara DeMaria is probably still on a bison ranch in North Dakota due to the blizzard happening when she submitted this update. ❯ Sarah Juist has settled into her new role as the pastor of Hanover Presbyterian Church in Hanover, Ohio. If y’all find yourselves near Columbus, look her up! ❯ Sasha Murphy and Sean Frohling ’10 were married in November. ❯ Tomi Olotu grew professionally over the past year with Stanbic IBTC Asset Management in Lagos, where it is basically summer all year round. ❯

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

In 2016, Kate Donoghue ’12 became a bona fide

Margaret Fleetwood ’04 and Tammer Farid— October 1, 2016

Tara Orech moved into her first house, got engaged, traveled a ton, adopted a puppy, and accepted her first job as a dentist! ❯ Zak Kahn bought a new pair of Crocs, camo patterned. Class Correspondent: Tim Schmeling trschmeling@gmail.com

2012

recently became a certified urban forester and has found a coffee shop almost as good as Kaldi’s. ❯ Hayley Schueneman works at Whole Foods and also reads college applications and also writes for Reductress and also takes improv classes, and she still finds time to shove Domino’s pizza in her mouth 1-2x a week. ❯ Margaret Hart moved to ’s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands to support Dutch hospitals using Epic. She spends most of her time gallivanting around Europe, including a trip to Budapest with Bri Collishaw in December and multiple trips to Copenhagen to relive study abroad memories. ❯ Krista Anne Nordgren lives happily in Durham, North Carolina, where she co-owns a little shop downtown and builds websites for people. ❯ Nellie Ognacevic is still a proud Chicagoan! After three

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Kristine Weller works way too much as the advertising and marketing director at an engineering magazine in Chicago, but finished that master’s degree in information science. Now, she tries not to adopt every rescue dog she sees and is planning her wedding to Paul Lebryk ’14. ❯ Katy Sutcliffe moved to Detroit, Michigan, and started a new job in healthcare consulting. She

Sarah Lammie ’05 and Luke Remiasz—January 10, 2015 LEFT TO RIGHT: Meghan Tippy-King ’04, Luke Remiasz, Sarah Lammie ’05, Katy Biver Newcomb ’02, Tara Converse Rollins ’05, Chris Rollins ’04, Yaritza De Jesus ’05, Rebecca Meyerson ‘06, and Mindy Dyson ’05.

Sara Johnson ’13 moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 2015, where she enjoys both yoga and the spectacular scenery.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

years in the theatre scene and producing Pygmalion last year, she started grad school in January at Creighton University, working toward a master’s degree in health and wellness coaching, and quit her marketing 9-to-5 to teach cooking classes for children, because what is life really about? ❯ Josh Wood enjoys the challenges of his new job as a software engineer at Label Insight in Chicago’s West Loop. The startup culture suits him, but you really can’t go wrong with beer on tap and Bring Your Dog to Work Fridays. ❯ Emma Gingold remains at Lyons Township High School part time, but she’s busier than ever with new music experiences, like accompanying an ILMEA district chorus and touring with the Spirito! girls’ choir. Josh and Emma adopted a dog, Bonnie, in November. ❯ Elizabeth Cockrell married AJ Shule ’11 in October and was thankful to share the day with so many Knox friends. Now she is focused on her environmental consulting job, managing a team of employees and trying to convince her clients she goes by Elizabeth Shule now. ❯ Jun Young Cho writes from Gyeonggi, South Korea: “Serving for the Korean Army as an intelligence and interpreter officer for three years helped me gain knowledge about the interconnected nature of diplomacy, information, military, and economics. Strengthening the alliance for peace and stability was an honor, and now I take a step forward to the novel unknown with passion and a hint of trepidation.” You can reach Jun at jy.cho@outlook.kr. ❯ Kate Donoghue recently completed an M.A. in drama and performance studies at University College Dublin. She will begin a Ph.D. in drama in the U.K. next fall, studying representations of trauma in contemporary European performance. In 2016, Kate became a bona fide Irish citizen. She still lives in Dublin, Ireland, with everyone’s beloved, Cricket the dog. ❯ Tory Kassabaum teaches third and fourth grade at City Garden School in Columbia, Missouri. Her partner, Anthony Meyer ’09, is kicking butt in his second year of law school at University of Missouri. While living in Missouri can be quite difficult, they embrace the challenge and work to make their home state the best place it can be! ❯ Lisa

Class Knox Irish citizen.

Marius Tan ’08 and Stéphanie Hamilton— November 12, 2016 LEFT TO RIGHT: Marius Tan ’08, Hassan Massoud ’06, Austin Stacey Stephenson ’08, Stéphanie Hamilton, Zack Stephenson ’06, and Mike Boettcher ’05.

Cory Bieber ’10 and Kevin Beck ’11—November 7, 2015 FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Holly Bieber ’17, Josh Franklin ’07, Cheyenne Cortez-Franklin ’10, Kimberly Sorensen Megli ’08, Ashley Lanfair Witzke ’10, Amanda Sicoli ’11, Britt Anderson ’11, Beth Beadle Legue ’09, Joe Garbin ’10, Cory Bieber Beck ’10, Kevin Beck ’11, Daniel Kizior ’11, Samantha Eggert Paul ’08, Jennifer Golz Reidl ’08, Cassandra Milleville ’10, Kate Moon-Raess ’10, and Jordan Raess ’10. SECOND ROW: Kevin Megli ’07, Michael Whitt ’12, Brian Paul ’13, Matthew Surprenant ’17, Michael Kizior ’09, Robert Dempster ’11, Christopher Paul ’07, Kyle Gordon ’09, Amanda Chavero ’09, and Clint Moore ’09.

voice is indeed boring enough for public radio. Her work has appeared in the Texas Tribune and on Refinery29, and she hopes to write a book about queso soon. She welcomed a lab mix, Leroy, into her family after her first dog, Ruby, passed away. ❯ Monica Prince lives in Lakewood, Colorado, and works as a writing tutor for two community college TRIO programs, as an English composition instructor at a university, and as a teaching artist at a high school, in three different Colorado cities. You can read all about it on her website, monicaprince.com. ❯ Julia Shenkar is pursuing a master of linguistics degree at George Mason University and works for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, where she writes about dietary supplements and functional foods. She spends spring and summer weekends sailing on the Potomac—which is pretty gross, but what are you gonna do? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ❯ Amanda Wollrab Archer accepted a new career opportunity in Orange County, California, last fall as product manager for a large manufacturer. She lives with her husband and cat in Anaheim Hills. ❯ Rachel Clark is still working on a neuroscience Ph.D. in Iowa City. “Last fall, though, I enjoyed a short stint as a visiting psychology instructor at Knox. It was pretty awesome to be back on campus and to be reminded of how curious, enthusiastic, and weird Knox students are. It simultaneously felt like going home while also feeling out of place in a familiar space. Sure made me miss my Knox friends— hope you all are well and that I manage to run into you again before long!” ❯ Oliver Horton is in Chicago and performs with Sam Brownson and Jake Hawrylak ’13 in a band called Sedgewick. “Our new record is set to release in spring/summer 2017, and we will tour the West to promote it! I also teach little kids how to learn and develop a passion for playing and a passion for life.” ❯ Karl J. Bair and Audra Adolph ’09 are excited about their upcoming wedding. Audra may go back to school to obtain a master’s degree

in nursing, while Karl continues to grow his financial services practice and invest in several upstart restaurants in Nashville. If you’re passing through Music City, hit them up for the best Nashville hot chicken and waffles! Class Correspondent: Aparna Kumar aparna.kumar05@gmail.com

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Blagg writes from New River, Arizona, “Fiancé Joe Lundy and I are planning an October 2017 wedding. We enjoy living here, compared to Wisconsin and Illinois. I still teach sixth grade math at Constitution Elementary in Phoenix, Arizona.” ❯ Michael Whitt lives in Aurora, Illinois. “I am pleased to announce I work at my old high school, Waubonsie Valley High, as a teaching assistant and freshman football coach. My first season, we went 8-1 and almost won a conference championship! If you ever run into me, ask me about the only game we lost. Smook Dogg out.” ❯ Rayann Parkinson Puntoriero says she and her husband, Lt. Joseph Puntoriero ’13, are nearly done with their two-and-a-half-year tour in Seoul, South Korea. Upon completion, they will head to Fort Carson, Colorado. Rayann works at Navy Federal Credit Union and hopes to be able to transfer once they arrive in Colorado. ❯ Kelsey Martinez still shovels snow while she works on a Ph.D. at Syracuse University, but she daydreams about moving to the Southwest, becoming a desert ecologist, and climbing on sandstone rocks every weekend. ❯ Stephanie Lashway is working on a Ph.D. in epidemiology at the University of Arizona after completing a master’s degree in public health. When she’s not working, she enjoys agility training with her dog. ❯ Jamie White is older, grumpier, heavier, and hungrier. By the time you read this update, he will either have been rehired as an English composition and literature instructor at Florida Atlantic University or will live in a tree outside Mar-a-Lago. He is halfway to becoming a U.S. citizen, and also halfway through a 4.5-pound box of Walkers shortbread. ❯ Natalia Cipolla graduated with an M.P.A., got married, moved to New Jersey, and started a new job in fundraising for a nonprofit hospital system. ❯ Anna Casey will graduate with a master’s in journalism from University of Texas at Austin this spring. She made her NPR debut on stations across Texas earlier this year, confirming her

Joseph Puntoriero ’13 has served with the United Nations Command, U.S. Army, in Korea for the last three years.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Anna Goldbeck ’13 still works in radio, still does not understand how

Natalia Cipolla ’12 and Matthew Prendergast—June 11, 2016

Charmaine Washington ’13 and Kyle Sibley ’09— July 16, 2016

Kyla Tully ’13 and Keegan Siebken ’11—April 26, 2016

Wisconsin, with dog Tucker, enjoying the outdoors, craft beer, and local cheese. They insist that they’re not hipsters. ❯ Brian Paul works as process development chemist within the Global Technology group of BASF AP and finished grad school with an M.S. in chemistry. He purchased a house in Quincy, Illinois, and is building a strong Quincy-Knox college alumni network. ❯ Jessica Brode recently married Ryan Frank ’14. She served as the digital asset management system manager for the Smithsonian’s African American Museum, but has recently moved from Washington, D.C., to Chicago to work as the digital collections manager at the Adler Planetarium. ❯ Anna Goldbeck still works in radio, still does not understand how radio works. ❯ Hannah Basil works as an associate advisor at Basil Financial Group, a fee-only financial planning firm. She will soon complete coursework at Northwestern University to come a certified financial planner. She lives with her fiancé, Caleb Bryant, in their condo in Edgewater, Chicago. ❯ Elicia Bibbs: “I’ve been in Shanghai for two years now. I began as a teacher, but now study Mandarin full-time. Just received a scholarship for next year, so I’ll stay a bit longer.” ❯ Robyn Wright married Joshua Brownell in January 15. Both will graduate—Joshua from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, and Robyn from Rush Medical College—in May 2017. ❯ Charmaine Washington married Kyle Sibley ’09 in July 2016. ❯ Jill Krippel and Justin Dingle live in Springfield, Illinois. Justin got a master’s degree in environmental studies with a certificate in GIS from University of IllinoisSpringfield and works as a loan document specialist for Wells Fargo through a temp agency. Jill works for the Illinois Department of Revenue as a Revenue Tax Specialist I in Central Registration, specializing in tax location verification. ❯ Joseph L. Puntoriero completed his third year in Korea with the United Nations Command, U.S. Army in February 2017. He was recognized by the Korean Minister of Defense for his work planning and executing a repatriation ceremony of 17 fallen Korean War soldiers (Korean and

United Nations) and the seizure of Chinese fishing vessels operating illegally in the Han River estuary. He and wife Rayann Parkinson Puntoriero ’12 will return to the U.S. this year. ❯ William (John) Budding lives in the Boston area and is pursuing a career in human resources. He has worked at Harvard and MIT and is also involved with volunteering and campaign support for the Perkins School for the Blind, an internationally renowned school for blind youth and social justice advocacy. He appears on the fall cover of Perkins’ magazine Perspectives. He also sings in the Oriana Consort, a 30-voice semi-professional choir based near Harvard, and enjoys exploring the city of Boston and the rest of New England. ❯ Tina Shuey lives in Denver, Colorado with dog John Goodman, Jr. She still works at the Denver Zoo. ❯ Sara Johnson has worked in the technology industry for the past three years. She is now a solutions consultant for a business intelligence company, providing counsel on various clients’ existing data structure and tools, which often leads to a restructure and implementation of a new tool. Since October 2015, she has lived in Melbourne, Australia with her boyfriend, “a footy player raised near here. I have seen a fair number of new countries since graduating.” She still plays basketball once a week on a local Australian team, she’s a yoga enthusiast, and plans to make her stay in Australia permanent. ❯ Alison Gaines is in the first year of an MFA program in poetry at the University of Florida. Before that, she lived in Chicago and wrote a few educational books as a freelancer, thanks to fellow 2013 classmate Renni Johnson. “Also, I miss the TEA House!” ❯ Justin Steele currently resides a stone’s skip away from Galesburg in the beautiful river basin of Peoria, Illinois. He spends his days looking forward to the upcoming graduation of Nicolas Osuna ’17. He attends medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria and, within a year and a half, will be responsible for caring for your children and loved ones. Lord help us all. #blessup ❯ Emily Weimer graduated last spring from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a master’s degree in

LEFT TO RIGHT: Timmi Schmeling ’11, Stephanie Sorensen ’12, Natalia Cipolla ’12, Rachel Clark ’12, and Jenny Linder Footle ’13.

2013 Stephanie Fore has spent the last two years working and living at a children’s home in rural Honduras. She teaches fourth grade and subsists on eggs, beans, rice, and corn tortillas. ❯ Cole Atcheson completed an M.A. in children’s literature from Simmons College last May. He moved to Chicago in September and now lives with Brigette Demke ’11 and Elizabeth Schult. He works as a test prep and English tutor for Nurturing Wisdom Tutoring and at Lakeshore Academy. ❯ Li Ann Marco writes, “This year has been profound and eventful for me. I bought a house for my parents and received a promotion at work in time to be diagnosed with a brain tumor as I turned 25 that same week. I survived the surgery for its removal and am working hard to be on the road for a full recovery.” ❯ Josh Hosmer-Quint and Haley Beeson ’14 got engaged in August. They also released their first album as Moonshine Kids on December 17, with a show in Evanston, Illinois. Josh works for the Illinois Early Intervention program as a case manager for children with developmental delays. ❯ Kyla Tully reports, “I live in Milwaukee with my dude (Keegan Siebken ’11—we eloped in April 2016) and our four fur babies. During the summer, I work front of house at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and, in the winter, I split my time between the Riverwest Food Coop and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.” ❯ Franzesca Mayer works full-time at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where she just became a union wardrobe technician with I.A.T.S.E. Local 154. She is also the owner/designer/creator of Rubberlesque, intimidating intimates made from recycled bicycle inner tubes. ❯ Megan Lee and Alejandro Varela currently live in Galesburg with two epic chihuahuas. They have taught in town for four years. Megan has started a teaching blog, and Alejandro coaches wrestling. ❯ Anna Novikova and and John Baillie ’08 married in August 2014, with dozens of Knox alumni, staff, and faculty in attendance, and are now collectively the Bailliekovas. They live in Madison,

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Class Knox radio works. database management.” ❯ Michael Schroeder lives St. Louis and works for Millipore Sigma, a chemical company, as a biochemist. ❯ Kate Haslem lives in Denver and enjoys the beer with Aimee Neilan and Tina Shuey! Class Correspondent: Danny Schaefer danielcschaefer19@gmail.com

2014

Lena Brandis ’13 and Paul Lurenz III ’12—July 17, 2016

Hannah Bloyd-Peshkin ’14 and Josh Tatro ’13— December 28, 2016 LEFT TO RIGHT: Lourdra Thorson ’14, Celinda Davis ’15, Josh Tatro ’13, Hannah Tatro ’14, Bridget Doherty ’15, Laurie Kahn ’72.

urban planning and moved to Washington State for a transportation planning job. ❯ Danny Schaefer keeps busy in Chicago studying acting, writing, and performing improv and sketch. He just graduated from the training center at The iO Theater and co-produces a web series that he also acts in. He is best known for his riveting performance as “Eagle Mascot” in a Dairy Queen Instagram post. ❯ Amanda Goslawski is a second year medical student at Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine. She volunteers at a free health clinic and mentors high school students who are interested in medicine. ❯ Lena Brandis and Paul Lurenz III ’12 were married this past July. They now have four plants. ❯ Kelly Eigenberger moved to Chicago after graduation, staying for one full winter before getting the heck outta there. She now lives north of Denver, Colorado, with her fish, Salvador Dreadnought First of His Name and Lord of the Tank, and their three snails. She works at Level 3 Communications in finance, managing a large portfolio of wholesale customers. ❯ Sophie Townsend married Gaige Spencer in July 2015. They currently reside in Port Orchard, Washington, with their perfect dog, Ginger. Her husband was recently accepted to Knox College and will enroll in classes for the spring 2017 term, after his contract with the Navy ends. They will miss Washington and its beautiful scenery, but are glad to move closer to family and friends. ❯ Madeline Mandel has worked as an English teacher in Seville, Spain, since September 2013. Next September, she starts a master’s program in bilingual and bicultural education at the UMass Amherst. ❯ Laura Castaños is engaged to Brett Sorby ’12 for real this time. ❯ Sienna Cittadino misses Hali Engelman. ❯ Brynne Downum writes, “After graduation, I got a master’s degree in clinical psychology and recently started a Ph.D. program in human development last fall. I’ve also moved to St. Louis, joined a recreational soccer league, and read tons of science fiction.” ❯ Kristal Romero left her job at a nonprofit helping those with HIV/AIDS and instead took a gander in the wonderful world of politics. She

spent the eight months working on a congressional campaign in California in hopes of turning a red district blue. Until she wakes up from the nightmare of a Trump victory, she plans to recreate the relevant scenes from Eat, Pray, Love while simultaneously looking for her next professional endeavor. Shout-out to any fellow alums who want to help out with the search. ❯ Rup Sarkar received a M.A.T. from the University of New Orleans in May. He works as a substitute teacher at the International School of Louisiana. “I still live in New Orleans and still watch the Mardi Gras parades on St. Charles Avenue. Things are going well in the Big Easy! Who Dat!!!” ❯ Anna Meier writes, “I just finished the third semester of my Ph.D. in political science at University of Wisconsin–Madison and am trying not to freeze to death. Prior to retreating back to academia forever, I was in D.C. for a couple of years collecting terrorism data for the government.” ❯ Michael Gasparro has lived in Los Angeles for the last three years and works for the LA Galaxy. “I have been doing my part to help grow soccer in the U.S.” ❯ James Rosenstein has lived in Chicago; South Carolina; Long Island, New York; and New Jersey. He served in City Year Chicago and went on to work for Illinois Governor Quinn’s reelection campaign and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s mayoral campaign, before moving back to New Jersey to work for the labor union Communication Workers of America (CWA). “At CWA, I represented state workers in grievances and disciplinary meetings and signed up non-members to join the union. After five months, I left CWA to join Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in three states. I’ve met brilliant and passionate people all over the country. After campaigning for Senator Sanders, I moved back to New Jersey to go to graduate school at the City University of New York to get a master’s degree in labor studies, learning about labor unions’ deep history in the United States and how to negotiate contracts and represent workers. In addition, I work for the New York Professional Nurses Union in Manhattan, handling the union’s telecommunications and

Hannah Bloyd-Peshkin and Josh Tatro ’13 were married on December 28, 2016. ❯ Amanda Axley still lives in Galesburg, where she manages the Knox-Galesburg Symphony and plays organ at First Lutheran Church. She and fiancé Pier Debes ’11 have two dogs, Tossa and Geordi. Amanda and Pier plan to get married sometime in 2017, but as it turns out, planning is super hard. ❯ Jenifer Becker and Alex Alemu got engaged. ❯ Kailee Gawlik has happily lived in Madison, Wisconsin, for almost a year now and works in the International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS) office at University of Wisconsin–Madison. At IFSS, she works in immigration to bring in international faculty and staff members to do research and teach. She loves her job and her cat, Mango, terribly much. ❯ Maricruz Osorio is currently working on a Ph.D. in political science at the University of California, Riverside. “Fighting the good fight still.” ❯ Connor Schmidt works for a software consulting company and now helps run a podcast with some other Knox alumni. Class Correspondents: Esther FarlerWestphal and Natalia Binkowski Knoxnotes2014@gmail.com

2015 Vakhtang Tsereteli worked at UN headquarters in New York but is now back in Georgia to help his family run their business. ❯ Marisol Gonzalez Castillo is a second-year law student at the University of Wisconsin and works with the Wisconsin Innocence Project. ❯ Jess Oakley works for the I Have A Dream Foundation of Boulder County. ❯ Emily Passarelli is pursuing a master’s degree in environmental studies at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and researches attitude and identity shifts (particularly as they pertain to the environment) in previously incarcerated individuals who participated in ecological restoration programs during incarceration. ❯ Nat Baldino is halfway through their second year of a doctoral program in women’s studies at the University of Maryland and received an M.A. They teach courses on gender theory and also participate in harm reduction and transgender resources activism in D.C. They have two cats, Dorian and Cannoli, and live in a queer group house in Petworth. ❯ Alexia Vasilopoulos is a special education teacher for fourth and sixth grade students at Funston Elementary in Logan Square, where she also lives. She teaches a theatre elective after school, and is

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Ashlee Pitts ’15 is in her second year with Teach for America in working on a master’s degree in special education. ❯ Sam Hart works for Motorola Solutions in Schaumburg, Illinois, as a senior software engineer, as well as working on a new database software application, recording professional music, and working on antique cars. ❯ Ashlee Pitts is in her second year with Teach for America in Mississippi, teaching eighth grade English language arts, with an additional role as a Teach For America content leader. ❯ Claire Neri is halfway through a master’s program at Mount Mary University, where she is working on publishing her stories in literary magazines. ❯ Lexi Watkins worked as a content writer/social media coordinator for McDaniel’s Institute of Anti-Aging Research, but planned to take a position as executive assistant director of the ED-TECH Academy’s Norfolk, Virginia, branch at the beginning of 2017. ❯ Eve Martinez continues to attend Purdue’s chemistry Ph.D. program. ❯ Rhiannon Neuville works for Flatirons Habitat for Humanity in Boulder, Colorado, through Americorps, and is applying to MLA programs for fall 2017. ❯ Callie Smith works as a paid sustainability intern at Bunn, a leading manufacturer of beverage products, including coffee machines. Callie’s work includes looking for ways that the company can reduce their environmental impact while also saving money through investing in efficiency. ❯ Serafine George works for BDA, a merchandising company in Woodinville, Washington. Most of her work involves helping major league baseball teams with in-stadium and out-of-stadium promotions. ❯ Matt Klich runs two entertainment businesses: Clik Entertainment and Operation Glow. Matt plans to attend grad school in 2017. ❯ Camille Brown, with Margaret A. Miller, published a feminist web article on Suicide Squad that champions Harley Quinn against her (mostly male) critics. They will present this work at the Pop Culture Association Convention in San Diego this April. ❯ Erik Gustafson is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Iowa. Class Correspondent: Erik Gustafson gustafson.erik.j@gmail.com

2016 Class Correspondent: Vanessa Garcia vjgarcia@knox.edu

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

Marriages and Unions Mindy Walberg ’78 and David Webster on 5/17/16. Vida Cross ’88 and Victor Davis ’86 on 7/23/16. Mark Berns ’97 and Taylor Miles on 4/2/16. Michael Dale ’99 and Alexandra Megan Liezert on 6/24/16. Jennifer Kuschel ’02 and Travis Johnson on 1/21/17. Courtney Wiles ’02 and John Taylor on 10/1/16. Alicia Young ’03 and Pablo Herrera on 11/15/14. Margaret Fleetwood ’04 and Tammer Farid on 10/1/16. Sarah Lammie ’05 and Luke Remiasz on 1/10/15. William Becque ’08 and Jordan Barton on 5/29/16. Jasmina Ruano ’08 and Joshua Schroeder on 10/1/16. Marius Tan ’08 and Stéphanie Hamilton on 11/12/16. Cory Bieber ’10 and Kevin Beck ’11 on 11/7/15. Sasha Murphy ’11 and Sean Frohling ’10 on 11/26/16. Jon Pierce-Ruhland ’11 and Sarah Slezak on 9/10/16. Natalia Cipolla ’12 and Matt Prendergast on 6/11/16. Elizabeth Cockrell ’12 and AJ Shule ’11 on 10/22/16. Lena Brandis ’13 and Paul Lurenz III ’12 on 7/17/16. Jessica Brode ’13 and Ryan Frank ’14 on 10/1/16. Anna Novikova ’13 and John Baillie ’08 on 8/10/14. Kyla Tully ’13 and Keegan Siebken ’11 on 4/26/16. Charmaine Washington ’13 and Kyle Sibley ’09 on 7/16/16. Robyn Wright ’13 and Joshua Brownell ’13 on 1/3/15. Hannah Bloyd-Peshkin ’14 and Josh Tatro ’13 on 12/28/16.

Deaths Florence Campbell Mead ’41 on 7/2/16. Glenn Gore ’43 on 1/1/16. Natalie Woodward Morris ’43 in September 2016. Jane Merrill Ruth ’44 on 12/7/16. William West ’44 on 9/16/16. Stanley Hutchison ’46 on 10/18/16. Betty Clouston Greer ’48 on 12/3/16. Wendell Mustain ’48 on 9/20/16. Richard Welge ’48 on 9/9/16. Doris Rehder Gerken ’49 on 7/1/16. Stanley King ’49 on 10/13/16. Mildred Byrkit Brons ’50 on 8/22/15. Grant “Tom” Bullis ’50 on 1/26/17. Joan Felter Hotchkiss ’50 on 9/13/16. Williams Stephenson ’50 on 10/2/16. Molly McLain Becker ’51 on 5/30/16. Nancy Snell Burgess ’51 on 8/8/16. Mary Seibel Larson ’51 on 7/29/16. James Hoopes ’51 on 12/13/16. Mary Carman Troutt ’51 on 11/29/16. Lillian Mureen Tucker ’52 on 8/12/16. Robert Willits ’52 on 9/13/16. Marianne McKoane ’53 on 10/8/16. C. Bradford Murphy ’53 on 11/18/16. Joann Campbell Sinn ’53 on 9/22/15. Jane Nelson Johnson ’54 on 8/13/16. Charles Opel ’55 on 9/4/16. William Athanatos, Jr. ’56 on 9/20/16. Frank Campbell ’56 on 10/30/15. John O’Connor ’56 on 10/15/16. Donna Fisher Hagenauer ’57 on 7/8/16. Kathlyn Smith Schrage ’57 on 9/21/16. James Wollrab ’59 on 7/24/16. Francis Bock ’60 on 9/13/16. Frank Gustine ’60 on 11/11/16. Frank Kerous ’61 on 7/29/16. Annette Holst Cordon ’62 on 9/24/16. Charles Hoffman ’62 on 12/16/14. Johann Corry Kucik ’62 on 9/12/16. Bruce Spencer ’63 on 11/5/16. Thomas Jensch ’65 on 7/16/16. Tomlin Gardner ’66 on 7/21/16. Carolyn Grimm Nolan ’66 on 10/21/16. Sue Hampton Schwarzkopf ’66 on 1/23/17. Judith Winkle ’66 on 9/25/16. Susan Welch McGoldrick ’68 on 8/3/16. Carol Klimick Cyganowski ’69 on 11/11/16. Michael Gilson ’70 on 7/29/16. Janet Irvin Heinselman ’70 on 11/14/16. Michael Orloff ’71 in September 2016. Boyd Vieregge ’74 on 11/10/16. Gary Miller ’77 on 4/7/16. Richard Barzin ’79 on 1/18/16. Vanessa Kellerman Molzahn ’81 on 8/17/16. Brian Mennecke ’82 on 7/9/16. Karsten Sadiq ’87 on 5/10/16.

Class Knox Mississippi, teaching eighth grade English language arts.

David Harned, father of Mark Harned ’98 and Aaron Harned ’98, on 11/28/15. Stephen Kilgore, husband of Mary Webster Gilmore ’60, on 12/10/15. Ron Gales, husband of Sandra Steinhauer Gales ’66, on 1/27/16. Sandra Schwanberg, mother of Christopher Guthrie ’08, on 2/1/16. Daniel Merrill, friend of the College, on 3/13/16. Helene Abrams, wife of Brian Bond ’77, on 4/17/16. Richard Tyson, husband of Demarious Frederick Tyson ’63, on 4/29/16. Waymon Boyd, father of Melody Boyd Junker ’03, on 7/6/16. Cecil Shafer, friend of the College, on 8/2/16. P. Wayne Shadbolt, father of Bruce Shadbolt ’69, on 8/3/16. Walter Sampson, friend of the College, on 8/4/16. Dwayne Morrison, friend of the College, on 8/10/16. Jackie Sullivan, mother of Deanna Moczarny, dining services, on 8/27/16. Clarice Curtis, friend of the College, on 9/1/16. Martha Jean Oldfield, mother of Duane Oldfield, political science, and mother-in-law of Karen Kampwirth ’86, political science, on 9/5/16. Edwin Lindsay, father of Edwin Lindsay ’05, on 9/6/16. Juanita Sandberg, former College receptionist, on 9/11/16. James Hutchcroft, husband of Sally Hopkins Hutchcroft ’72 and father of Joel Hutchcroft ’82, on 9/12/16. Robert Steele Jr., father of Craig Steele ’76 and David Steele ’80, on 9/16/16. William Weiss, friend of the College, on 10/10/16. Frances Viola Cox, mother-in-law of Donna Cox, financial aid, on 10/15/16. Harold Blodgett, father of Vicky Jones, finance and legal affairs, on 11/2/16. Leo Mize, father of Adam Mize ’12, on 11/9/16. Margaret Ann Thompson, friend of the College, on 11/10/16. Helga Adam, wife of Kenneth Adam ’61, on 12/1/16. Robert Bradbury, husband of Jane Ann Scott Bradbury ’60, on 12/16/16. LaVeta Jane Kenney, mother of Carol Brown ’99, alumni relations, on 12/24/16. Kathryn M. Jones, mother of Sandy Jones, Vovis Center for Research & Advanced Study, on 1/10/17. James Meyer, friend of the College, on 1/15/17. J.K. “Jack” Erffmeyer, friend of the College and father of Mary Beth Erffmeyer Shomos ’83, on 1/25/17. Gene Devita, friend of the College, on 2/9/17.

In Memoriam Jerry Cecil ’48, Chair Emeritus, Knox College Board of Trustees Jarvis Burdette “Jerry” Cecil ’48, a life trustee of Knox College and chair emeritus of the Board of Trustees, passed away on November 4, 2016, in Pennsylvania at the age of 91. Jerry is survived by Kathleen Cecil, his wife of 30 years; children Ann Brouillette and John and Scott Cecil; grandchildren Sarah, Erin, and Suzanne Brouillette and Rachel and Teddy Cecil; and sister Marjorie Burgess. Jerry was born in Wichita, Kansas, on September 22, 1925, to Kenneth and Mildred Lewis Cecil. He grew up in Knoxville and entered Knox College in 1943. In winter 1944, he joined the Army Air Force, serving as a navigator. He returned to Knox College after World War II, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude in winter 1948. In 1949, Jerry married June Pendarvis, whom he had met in college. June Cecil died in 1974. Jerry married Kathleen Nicolette in 1986. Jerry received his MBA in 1949 from Harvard Business School, where he was named a George F. Baker Scholar, the top scholastic honor, and worked for two years as a research associate. Jerry joined Continental Oil Co. (Conoco) as a staff accountant in Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1951. After transfers to Houston and Connecticut with Conoco, Jerry moved to Pittsburgh to become executive vice president of Consolidation Coal, a subsidiary of Conoco and later of Du Pont. He retired in 1988. Jerry was committed to his alma mater—College ﬁles contain the letter that accompanied his ﬁrst gift to the Alumni Fund in 1944, mailed from U.S. Army Air Force training camp in Florida. He was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1973 to 1999, when he was elected Life Trustee, serving as chair of the Board from 1978 to 1995. At his passing, he was the longest serving trustee of the current Board of Trustees, having served for 43 years. In recognition of his unmatched service to Knox, Jerry was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1995. His successor to the Chair, Dr. Morton W. Weir ’55, stated that Jerry “earned universally high praise from his colleagues for the wisdom, even-handedness and civility with which he has guided the Board’s deliberations. . . . His commitment to the College’s academic mission is profound and has helped shape the Board’s priorities under his leadership.” Jerry was a member of the Sesquicentennial Capital Development Program and the Fieldhouse Campaign Team. He personally chaired the campaign to renovate Seymour Library, where the Cecil Reading Room is named in his honor. He was a star donor to Knox, meaning he’d made a gift to the College every year since he graduated. He and Kathleen will remain in perpetuity members of the Scripps Society, Knox’s highest giving society, recognizing their generosity to Knox. A lifetime member of The Nature Conservancy, Jerry was deeply interested in the environment, including leadership positions with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Fox Chapel Land Conservation Trust, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and the Fox Chapel Environmental Advisory Council. He also was active with the Pittsburgh Public Theatre and Pennsylvania State Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Fox Chapel Borough Council and Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church. PETER BAILLEY ’74

Deaths of Friends

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

A Sky Ablaze An appropriately fiery sunset over Trevor Field, home to the Prairie Fire Track and Field team. Photo by Peter Bailley â&#x20AC;&#x2122;74

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2017

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