Knox Magazine - Spring 2014 by Knox College

SPRING 2014

MEET

KATIE BELL

Class of 2008, Professional Artist, and one of Knox’s 18 under 37

Diana Cermak, Professor of Chemistry

PETER BAILLEY ’74

There’s one thing you can say about Professor Diana Cermak’s office that can’t be said about any other office on campus—it sits at the most western point of any academic building on the campus. Located on the first floor of the chemistry wing of the Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center, the office has been home to Professor Cermak for 17 years. Before coming to Knox, she earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Iowa and her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Minnesota-Morris. Although she may be far from the center of campus, she frequently works with students in her lab, where they create new, interesting compounds. “My biggest goal with my research is educating new chemists and engaging them in my research projects so that they can leave Knox as well-trained research chemists ready to take on their next challenge,” she says.

Welcome to her ofﬁce.

Open Door 5

1. A variety of cards from past students, including thank-you cards for writing letters of recommendation, holiday cards, and so on. 2. The periodic table of human qualities and emotions, which she quilted herself. “My favorite elements are C for courage, H for honor, P for power, and O for optimism,” she says. The quilt won first place for design at a local quilt guild show. 3. A Magic 8 Ball jokingly used to answer student questions like “Can I pass this test?” 4. A stack of CDs by various bands, including Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans, and The Band Perry.

5. Bottles of champagne (or sparkling grape juice), one for every completed student Honors project that she advised. 6. Jars containing crystals of the new compounds that she and her students have made in recent years. 7. A girl scientist Lego set. “It was a Christmas gift from my children. I like the little flasks, although [the girl in the model] does biology, chemistry, physics, and math all at once. She’s definitely a multitasker.” 8. The farthest door . . . “Go down the farthest west hallway to the farthest door to the farthest office.”

MAGAZINE VOLUME 98, ISSUE 1

SPRING 2014

“I LOVE WHEN STUDENTS CHALLENGE ME BACK THROUGH A GOOD DEBATE, AND WE BOTH END UP LEARNING AND THINKING ABOUT THINGS IN NEW WAYS. THIS EXCHANGE AND EVOLUTION IS AT THE HEART OF TEACHING FOR ME.” ANDREA FERRIGNO, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ART (PAGE 25)

18 under 37

Departments

Meet a few of the younger members of the Knox community—18 under 37 to be exact—who are finding success in their chosen careers and fields of study.

Page 8

Four New Faculty, Four Questions

Open Door

Inside front cover

2 East South Street

Page 4

The South Lawn

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Knox Writes

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Class Knox

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Parting Shot

Inside back cover

Just as new students impact campus life and culture with their interests and activities, new faculty add their own marks to the Knox community. Learn more about Knox’s newest faculty members in this Q & A.

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Alumni News Honorary degrees, alumni awards, the 75th Choir Reunion, new career services, and more news for Knox’s 16,000 alumni.

Flashback

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layout designers Ami Jontz

assistant editor Cheri Siebken assoCiate editor Peter G. Bailley ’74, News & Photography

Special thanks to Kathleen Baumgardner and Lori Reed.

Becky Hale

Contributors, Writing & photography Adriana Colindres Mary Kate Murray ’14 Nicole Acton ’16

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

MIA SOL DEL VALLE ’15

editor Megan Scott ’96

Bonfire Photo Bomb Before the photo bomb became the rage for celebrities at red carpet events, a Knox student photo bombed this happy moment at the annual Homecoming bonfire. See more photos from Homecoming 2013 on page 42.

Editor’s Note

Letters to the Editor

The Best of Knox Values

Good Issue, Bad Timing

As usual, the most recent issue was interesting and informative. I particularly liked the piece on trees. I suppose it is inevitable that good works for the community will become ever more organized, and thus we now have the KnoxCorps. With a less formal structure, though, Knox students have for many years, at least back in the middle of the last century, contributed to the Galesburg community. Finally, I am puzzled by the long lead time for publication of the magazine. The class notes deadline was June 1, and I expected publication in September, but my copy arrived in mid-October. Now, I have no experience in magazine production, but in one of my earlier lives after leaving Knox I was news editor of a state capitol newspaper that printed ﬁve editions every night, in the precomputer days of hot lead and linotype machines. There. You asked for comment. Best wishes. —Jim Dunlevey ’54

JOHN WILLIAMS ’12

he idea to dedicate a story in Knox Magazine to our successful young alumni came to us months ago, inspired by the many updates we were hearing about the younger members of the Knox community. Stories of Vir Das ’02 lighting up the Indian film screen, or Brad Middleton ’08 working for Senator Dick Durbin in Washington, D.C., or Oliwia Zurek ’10 presenting her research on MRSA on Capitol Hill. We then contacted faculty and staff looking for more stories, and we learned about Desmond Fortes ’00 serving as environmental and social specialist at a leading Dutch bank and Katie Holz-Russell ’01 working as the chief curriculum officer at STRIVE Prep Schools in Denver. As we learned more about these young alumni, contacted them, and wrote their profiles, we were all impressed by their success—the accomplishments they’ve achieved, the lives they’ve touched, their hopes for the future. And then we received news of another young alumna.

Alexandra “Lexie” Kamerman ’08 was one of the victims of the January 17 terrorist attack at a popular restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan. We learned that Lexie was a member of the student development office at the American University of Afghanistan, whose primary mission was to provide Afghani students, particularly women, with access to higher education. And while Kabul wasn’t the safest environment, we learned from her friends and family that Lexie was a fierce and fearless advocate for the causes that she served and was determined to help the students she met in Afghanistan. While we mourn Lexie’s passing, we are also inspired by her life, her passion, and her work. Like many Knox alumni, she was working to make the world a better place. “Lexie embodied the best of Knox values,” said President Amott in her message to the campus community. Values that we see reflected in the lives of the young alumni featured in this issue, and values that 16,000 Knox alumni strive to live everyday —Megan Scott ’96

“While we mourn Lexie’s passing, we are also inspired by her life, her passion, and her work.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Editor’s Note: Jim is right. The fall magazine’s publication schedule was about a month later than it had been in past years. With only two issues per year, we understand how important it is to keep the magazine both timely and on schedule. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances affect our schedule, sometimes we’re simply behind, but we will always do our best to get Knox Magazine into the hands of our readers as soon as possible!

2 East South Street Roots & Wings

casionally catch a nap. I imagine such activity would be prohibited today as too dangerous, but no one seemed to pay any attention back then—and we never suffered more than a few minor scrapes and bruises. —Jay Reeve ’73

ALIVE—with real roots and real wings! That’s my best phrase to describe the latest rendition of the Knox Magazine. Beautiful work by all . . . From the symbolic and real roots of: • The front cover’s majestic tree and Seymour Library, and

Remembering the Elms

• Peter Bailley’s “Roots and Branches” article, and • The acknowledgement of Bob Siebert’s inﬂuence on so many of us, and • The old and new of Alumni Hall. To the real wings of: • The excellence of Dr. Amott’s “Leading in the 21st Century” Note/Challenge, and • The KnoxCorps initiative article— how beautiful are Elizabeth and Isaac and Emma and Juliette and Hannah and Jules and their work in Galesburg; and how wonderful it is that Knox is doing such good things to tear down the old “townies vs. campus” stereotypes of days gone by, and • The Jason Deschamps and international travels and faculty too numerous to site who do so much to foster learning and growth, and • Knox by the numbers, as you note throughout the edition, and • Alumni like fraternity brother Ed Novak ’69 who carry on the value of liberal arts and spread the roots of Knox to the wings of the world. Yes, we are Knox. I am proud to be one of the “we.” Thanks again for this Knox Magazine and the reminder. —Topper Steinman ’70

Kudos As always, the current issue of the Knox Magazine was informative, interesting, thought-provoking, and very handsomely laid out. Great mixture of news about the College, students, alums. And wonderful photography. The magazine just gets better and better! —Mary Kent Knight ’60

The View from Above I appreciated Peter Bailley’s article on Knox trees, but I searched it in vain for some speciﬁc mention of what I knew as Horse Chestnuts. Those were the trees that seemed to dominate the main campus back in 1973. During spring semester of my senior year, I tried to make a point of climbing a tree every day, usually on campus. I was often joined by Joanne Parrish George ’73, and we tried to tackle different trees as often as possible, but if time was short, we might climb a convenient old friend. I remember sitting on warm spring days about 15 feet above the walkway as students passed beneath, oblivious to my presence overhead. It was a great place to read, study, reﬂect, write letters (yes, we did that), and oc-

Again a splendid job on another edition of the Knox Magazine! I read it cover to cover as soon as it arrives. Your roots and branches starting on page 22 struck a real chord with me. I was at Knox from ’60-’64, and the campus was full of mature elm trees. What a sight it was. Then we lost the elms to disease, and replacements were put on campus, and, after many years, the campus looked wonderful. Of course, we now know that the replacement trees were nearly all ash trees, which now are diseased and need to be removed. I can only hope that the director of grounds will put in a wide variety of trees so that in another 50 years the campus will not again have to have most trees replaced. Thanks for listening! Keep up the good work. —Mike Pope ’64

Editor’s Note: The College’s standard procedure is to replant a tree for every ash that has been removed. Jacob Morgan, our director of grounds, let us know that a variety of trees, depending upon location, will be used to replace the ones that were lost. I just reread Peter Bailey’s article about the trees at Knox. When the “General Knox Elm” was taken down in 1964,

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

I picked up a wedge of it, which was laying on the ground after most of the debris and saw dust was hauled away. I still have it. Enjoyed the article. One never knows what will stir a memory. Thanks, Peter. —Ron Lehmann ’66

A Long Time Ago I graduated from Knox a long time ago. I was in the Class of 1949, so, as you can see, that was more than 64 years ago! It does not seem possible to me either! I just want you to know how much I enjoyed the recent Knox Magazine and look forward to as many more issues as I can get! While at Knox, I spent two years as

editor of The Knox Student, (TKS) which was a very rewarding experience. I was editor during the days of Sharvy Umbeck and Dr. Way (a very favorite person on campus), Grace Smyth as dean of women and protector of Whiting Hall, good ole Benji ,who made sure that the girls in Whiting came in before midnight, and Evelyn Bielefeldt, women’s P.E. teacher, loved by all. It was at Knox that I met my future husband, Weston Richards, who came to Knox after the war and offered to join the TKS staff. Thank you again for the beautiful Knox Magazine. May it continue like this for many more years to come. —Lorraine Soucek Richards ’49

Send us your letters! 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 614014999, or e-mail knoxmag@knox.edu. Letters should refer to material published in the magazine and may be edited for length or clarity.

Corrections In the Fall 2013 Knox Magazine, Debra Rigney-Hays’ name and class year were listed incorrectly. Debra is a member of the Class of 1978 and not 1979, as listed. We regret this error.

In response to a question about the history of the beloved gingko tree that appeared on the cover of the last issue, Mary Jo McAndrew in Special Collections & Archives provided the following information that we think might be of interest to magazine readers. Enjoy! “The tree was part of the property given to the college by Mr. & Mrs. John Van Ness Standish, Lombard professor and great friend of Knox. In 1909, Standish gave the College property estimated at more than $75,000. It was the largest gift made to the College at that time. Part of the gift was their home located at 324 South Cedar Street. The gingko tree is prominently displayed in the front of their home (see photo), and the tree was not young at the time of the photo. Seymour Library was built in 1928 on the site where the Standish home stood.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

KNOX COLLEGE ARCHIVES

A Note about the Gingko

2 East South Street From the President The ROI of Strategic Planning

This academic year, more than 100 members of the campus community, joined with the Board of Trustees and alumni representatives, have worked to develop a strategic plan, Knox 2018, to chart the College’s course over the next five years. Starting with six framing questions, each group has undertaken research and consultations with Knox constituencies to arrive at more than 40 preliminary strategic goals that were presented to the Board at its February meeting. The task for the groups now is to integrate and focus these good ideas to identify which goals hold the greatest promise for Knox and to specify the particular tactics by which to achieve those goals in the near term. You can read more about Knox 2018 at www.knox.edu/knox2018.

KENT KRIEGSHAUSER

s I write this, the campus has entered yet another spell of subzero temperatures in this record-breaking winter. For months now, I have dressed each day as if heading to the Arctic Circle, with base, thermal, and top layers! Our students, faculty, and staff continue the vital work of teaching and learning, undaunted by the weather. Like the U.S. Postal Service, neither snow, nor wind, nor ice, nor frozen pipes, will keep the Knox community from our appointed mission.

It is a privilege of my position that every day Knox people come to me with good ideas—and the Knox 2018 process has been especially generative of good ideas. I have been thinking long and hard about the criteria we should apply as we seek the very best of those ideas for implementation. The phrase “return on investment” (ROI) comes up often these days in the national conversation about higher education. Some question whether the financial investment in a bachelor of arts degree “pays off” in higher earnings—a question that surprises me as a labor economist, since more than a century of research points to higher earnings and lower unemployment among college-educated individuals compared to those who lack that degree, with new studies confirming that result every day. Nonetheless, I think ROI provides an excellent framework for our strategic planning. To my mind, we should select goals, strategies, and tactics that have the highest ROI in three dimensions: financial ROI, reputational ROI, and transformational ROI. Financial ROI is easy: we should prioritize plans that have the highest potential to strengthen Knox financially through net tuition revenues, fundraising, and endowment returns. Reputational ROI is where Knox planning meets the market: that is, we should identify actions that have the highest potential to strengthen Knox’s reputation among national liberal arts colleges. And transformational ROI is where Knox planning meets our mission: we should prioritize plans that deliver the most transformational educational experiences for our students and our faculty working together at this “college that changes lives.” Applying these criteria will require realistic estimates of costs and benefits, expertise about best practices, and identification of aspects of the Knox experience that are distinctive and most closely aligned with our institutional values. It is not surprising that these three elements of a Knox strategic plan build on the “three pillars” articulated as part of Knox’s last strategic plan by my predecessor as Knox president, Roger Taylor ’63. The pillar of financial impregnability identified by President Taylor connects to the financial ROI, the pillar of institutional self-confidence connects to reputational ROI, and the pillar of academic excellence connects to transformational ROI. I am very grateful to the participants in the Knox 2018 strategic planning exercise who have given so generously of their time and vision. As a result of their work, I am confident that we will bring to the Board this June a strategic plan with great potential to move the College into the future as a national leader of education for the 21st century. —Teresa Amott

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

36 37 38 39

DER UNDER U

16 17 18 19

Some are investors or entrepreneurs. Some are educators or doctors. Some work in the arts. And some are still undergraduates. Yet all display talent, passion, and ingenuity. Meet a few of the younger members of the Knox community—18 under 37 to be exact—who are finding success in their chosen careers and fields of study. Proﬁles by Megan Scott ’96, Cheri Siebken, Adriana Colindres, and Nicole Acton ’16

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

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KATIE BELL

“I am both a homemaker and PROFESSIONAL a homewrecker,” says Katie ARTIST Bell, “pulling up the rug, Studio Art Major, opening the closet, and Race & Gender turning up the blinds,” and Studies Minor transforming what she ﬁnds into paintings, installations, and sculptures. And her ability to construct and deconstruct her surroundings is gaining quite a bit of attention in the art world. Bell was recently named one of the “8 Great Brooklyn Artists Under 30,” and her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, from New York to Nashville to London and Rouen, and was featured in FastCompany and Bomb magazines, among other media.

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Her most recent solo exhibition was at Mixed Greens Gallery in New York. This studio art major from Rockford, Illinois, now ofﬁcially calls Brooklyn home, after a oneyear residency at The Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation in New York, one of the most prestigious residencies in the art world. In between Knox and New York, she attended the MFA program at the acclaimed Rhode Island School of Design, where her work moved from drawing into the large-scale paintings and installations she exhibits today. Bell recognizes that the acclaim her work is receiving is signiﬁcant in the highly competitive art world. “There are so many amazingly talented artists living in Brooklyn, and I feel honored to be in dialog with them,” she says.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

VIR DAS

’02

Vir Das ’02 might not be a household name in the United States, but travel to India or Southeast Asia and Vir is not only known as a successful actor but ACTOR & also a well-known comedian. A COMEDIAN little over 10 years after graduating Economics & from Knox, he’s appeared in nearly Theatre Majors a dozen movies—Delhi Belly (2011) and Go Goa Gone (2013) among the most popular—and two television shows, headlined numerous comedy tours, formed a band, Alien Chutney, and started his own consulting and production company, Weirdass Comedy. During his time at Knox, Vir was a vibrant presence in the theatre department, where he honed both his dramatic and comedic skills. “It was a tough acting program and, by the fourth year, I . . . wanted to do something more organic and free,” he told the Bombay Times. Vir turned to comedy. “It was at Knox where he ﬁrst explored the comic themes in his original and hilarious two-man stand-up show ‘Brown Men Can’t Hump,’ that he revisited professionally early in his career in India,” remembers Liz Carlin-Metz, Smith V. Brand Endowed Chair in Theatre Arts. Featured in The New York Times in 2011 as a one of a new set of emerging comedians in India,

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Vir is known for bringing an American style—he recently described himself as “edgy, raw, offensive, vulgar, untruthful, but intelligent”—to topics rooted in contemporary Indian culture. Most recently, Vir headlined the “Weirdass Pajama Festival,” sponsored by Weirdass Comedy and touted as the largest comedy festival in India. The festival featured performances by 90 comics in three days and is set to tour in Dubai later this year. “When you look at photos or clips of Vir today, you can still see the impish comic, but you also see the kindness and warmth—the essential Vir,” says Carlin-Metz. With such accomplishments in mind, let’s go back to the beginning: Vir Das might not be a household name in the United States . . . yet.

HARPEET BACHHER

ucas Southworth doesn’t shy from the strange and the surreal. His narratives include plumbers in love, a woman trapped in a glass cofﬁn on Mars, and a room in which everybody has a gun and is waiting to see who will take the ﬁrst shot. This last story is the titular piece of his book of short stories, Everyone Here Has a Gun, the winner of the 2012 Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction. This prestigious and highly competitive award, offered by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), honors the winning writer with the publication of their book-length work. “Everyone Here Has a Gun took me on a roller coaster ride AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, ASSISTANT that I’d never PROFESSOR, LOYOLA UNIVERSITY been on before,” MARYLAND praised Dan English Literature Major Chaon, the contest judge. “There are images and moments in each of these stories that have lodged into my brain like shrapnel.” After Knox, Lucas received his MFA at the University of Alabama and is assistant professor of writing at Loyola University Maryland, where he teaches a wide variety of undergraduate courses—everything from essays to screenwriting. “It is my goal to continue to fortify the writing program at Loyola by being a part of the creative writing community and to always be working with students to strengthen it further,” says Lucas. In his time at Loyola, Lucas has been true to his goal. He is currently the advisor of the writing department publications The Forum and The Garland. He has published chapbooks with students and encouraged reading events, striving toward creating a better creative writing community. And he won’t stop there. “As a writer and a teacher,” Lucas says, “my main goal is always to keep learning, to keep writing, and most of all, to keep improving.”

LUCAS SOUTHWORTH

’01

PETER BAILLEY ’74

’02

NORMAN GOLAR

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s a sophomore at Knox College, Norman Golar was chosen for the selective Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, which encourages ﬁrst-generation college students and members of underrepresented groups to pursue careers in higher education. Ten years later, Norman, who graduated from Knox with a degree in creative writing, accepted a position as assistant professor of English and chair of the English department PROFESSOR & DEPARTMENT at Stillman College, CHAIR, STILLMAN COLLEGE a historically black 2012 Young Alumni Achievement college located in Award Winner Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Creative Writing Major “The McNair experience allowed me to know rather than feel that I belonged in higher education, in academia,” he says. Before accepting the position at Stillman, Norman pursued his MFA in creative writing and his Ph.D. in composition, rhetoric, and English studies from the University of Alabama. He was also chosen as a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar, a national program that provides support and encouragement for minorities pursuing Ph.D.s and seeking faculty positions. Attending a college that prides itself on its strong community, it’s not surprising that Norman’s undergraduate experience continues to inform his professional career. “I have the same desire now as a faculty member that I had as an undergraduate. I strive to build strong working relations with not only my colleagues and administrators, but also with students and staff members.” In addition to his teaching, Norman is a successful poet, with work featured in numerous poetry journals, including Touchstone, Temenos, and Poetry Southeast.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

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There is nothing like seeing a child smile again—or perhaps for the first time,” says Dr. Alison SnyderWarwick, whose surgical skills help children who have facial paralysis, cleft palate, and other conditions. “Facial expression is essential to communication and to selfDIRECTOR, FACIAL NERVE INSTITUTE perception. AT ST. LOUIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Helping Biology Major people regain confidence is priceless,” says Alison, director of the Facial Nerve Institute at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, also in St. Louis. Most of Alison’s medical practice involves pediatric plastic surgery, and she performs some general reconstructive surgery in adults. Her scientific research complements her clinical interests. “I am enamored by the intricacy and fine details of the surgeries,” says Alison, a biology major at Knox who earned College Honors for researching olestra, a fat substitute. “I also am inspired by the patients, especially the children, who I work with—so many of them handle adversity and obstacles with grace and a refreshingly optimistic attitude.” She has worked with the nonprofit group Operation Smile to help children in India, and she is secretary of the Sir Charles Bell Society, an international organization that aims to improve care for people with facial nerve problems. At Knox, she says, she benefited from the tight-knit community of students, faculty, and staff. “Everyone is so generous with their talents and their abilities, and it is such a friendly community.” Knox also provided an “unparalleled” education, she says. “A lot of my medical school classmates had gone to Ivy League schools and larger universities, and I didn’t feel like I was the underdog, in any sense. That was a good feeling.”

ALISON SNYDERWARWICK

PETER BAILLEY ’74

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’01

KATIE HOLZRUSSELL

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cholarship, Teamwork, Respect, Intelligence, Virtue, Effort. Or STRIVE. These are the values that Katie Holz-Russell upholds every day through her work as the chief curriculum officer at STRIVE Preparatory Charter Schools in Denver, Colorado. Katie oversees curriculum development and implementation for a network CHIEF CURRICULUM OFFICER, STRIVE PREPARATORY of eight public CHARTER SCHOOLS charter schools, English Literature Major and her primary role is to help guide young people to educational success in high school and beyond. “My work is appealing because I know that every day I am working hard to help students in Denver go to college,” says Katie, who majored in English literature at Knox. “Many of our students will be the first members of their family to attend and graduate from college.” Katie decided to pursue opportunities in educational leadership after teaching for five years—two in the Mississippi Delta through Teach for America and three at a public charter school in Denver. She then became education director of Breakthrough Kent Denver, a nonprofit educational program, and taught at Kent Denver School. “Working at Breakthrough was the first time I had the experience of hiring and coaching a staff of teachers,” Katie says. In 2008, she joined STRIVE Prep (then called West Denver Prep) and served for three years as principal of one of its campuses. In fall 2012, she assumed her current role for the network of eight schools. Katie credits her undergraduate education with preparing her well for her career. “Knox taught me to read the world both critically and with tolerance,” she says. “It set a high bar for me academically, and, because of that, I am able to help set a high bar for the students who attend STRIVE Prep. At Knox I learned to work hard, and I learned that working hard can be fun in the right community.”

DREW DIAZ

’14

Drew Diaz has packed a lot into his four years at Knox. A double-major in chemistry and sports medicine (self-designed), he has played quarterback on the Prairie Fire football team and been active in several student groups. He also has pursued Chemistry & Sports National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Medicine Majors research under the supervision of Chemistry Professor Mary Crawford ’89, whom Drew calls “an awesome mentor,” and will make a presentation about the research at the American Chemical Society’s 2014 national conference. The research relates to an NSF grant that Crawford received in 2012 for a project to design laboratory exercises that help physical chemistry students better understand connections between their studies and “real-world” applications. “P-chem (physical chemistry) is something that sometimes goes over students’ heads,” Drew says, adding that the research work is enabling them “to understand and analyze it better.” As a member and current vice president of the Chemistry Club, Drew is involved with the club’s community outreach. Several times a year, club members perform chemistry demonstrations for Galesburg elementary school students. “We really want to inspire more future scientists. That’s our goal,” says Drew, who plans to attend medical school and become a physician. He also is president of Mortar Board, the national senior honor society, and a member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. “When people ask me what kind of student ends up going to Knox, I’ll tell them this: Students who want to do a variety of things—athletics, academics, extracurriculars—they can do all of that here,” Drew says. Thanks to support from Knox friends and faculty, he adds, “It’s hard not to do all the great things you want to do.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

BRYAN QUINN

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master’s degree in landscape architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as an environmental consultant. But he found that his vision—a vision rooted in environmental ethics— FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL required a more entrepreneurial approach. In 2005, OWNER, ONE NATURE he founded One Nature, a design-build company Philosophy Major that provides internationally recognized design, planning, and scientific consulting services. Projects ot long after his company has undertaken include developing a master graduating plan for an urban estuary, creating public parks, restoring a from Knox, stream front using native plants, and reclaiming contamiBryan Quinn nated landscapes in urban areas. Bryan believes that the concluded that company’s commitment to environmental ethics makes the world them unique. “In the private sector, it’s hard to stand up to needed more clients when they want you to do the wrong thing,” he says. proactive “We are different.” He believes that this integrity can be approaches traced back to his time at Knox. “One big way Knox influtoward protectenced me was and is the Green Oaks tradition. From Paul ing the planet. With this in mind, he turned away from his Shepard to Pete Schramm to Stu Allison, I feel like I’m planned career in academia and joined the Peace Corps. part of a recent but important history and landscape that For the two years he spent in Malawi, he lived in an still serves me well.” His liberal arts education also helped agrarian community on the edge of a disappearing forest. him to think deeply about the important questions in life. “Poetically speaking, that’s been the human condition for “Why are we here? What does life mean? How do we centuries now,” he says. “Human needs eclipsing ecological know what we know?” he asks. “Reflecting on these quesneeds.” After leaving the Peace Corps, Bryan earned a tions has served as a basis for my environmental beliefs.”

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LAUREN ASSAF

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Chicago office, Lauren traveled both nationally and internationally for her work on a multi-district litigation with a class of several thousand plaintiffs. Lauren credits her early success to her liberal arts education at Knox. “I would probably not be in law school if it were not for Knox,” she says. “Knox taught me how to see an issue from several sides and to consider how tipping one factor can change an outcome or view.” She has also found her English literature degree to be a huge benefit in her chosen career. “A lawyer has to find a law that’s relevant to the case and frame it, as one would a good lit paper, around a theme. The attorney who can make the most persuasive argument determines how the law is going to affect others. It’s a way to do what I love and have an impact.”

PETER BAILLEY ’74

auren Assaf may not be a lawyer yet, but the first-year student at the University of Notre Dame Law School already has a wealth of experience in the courtroom. While a junior at Knox, she was recommended by faculty for a part-time paralegal position. She spent the next three years working at a local law firm on the defense team of a capital murder case, where she STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF reviewed and NOTRE DAME LAW SCHOOL categorized English Literature Major, 10,000 pages of Japanese & Philosophy Minors discovery; drafted sections of briefs; attended meetings with judges, experts, and state’s attorneys; and participated in a death penalty conference. At the conclusion of the trial, her Knox connections then led her to Kirkland & Ellis, one of the world’s largest law firms. Working out of their

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NIKI ACTON

’16

At 19, Niki Acton is already an accomplished playwright. Three of her plays have been selected from hundreds of entries by the Blank Theatre Creative Writing & Company’s Young PlayTheatre Majors wrights Competition and Festival, where her work was produced professionally in Hollywood, California. Another of her plays was judged one of the best in the nation in the 2013 National Playwriting Competition. Earlier this year, Niki traveled to New York City, where the play received a staged reading professionally directed by Equity actors. “I love the opportunities of the stage,” she says about why she has chosen to write plays over other forms of ﬁction. “The story is pared down to the most essential elements—character, plot, and language—and are physically embodied in a way that is very raw and emotional.” Niki says she came to Knox for the close interaction between students and faculty—which she has deﬁnitely found—but has been surprised by just how much she’s learned from other students. “I’ve learned how to be a stage manager, how to hang lights, how to realize a costume design concept, how to direct, and how to run the light board—all from my peers.” All of these skills are helping her to grow as a playwright. “It’s been helpful to my playwriting on a very practical level—I understand what’s possible with different budgets and theatres—as well as on a more artistic level. I understand what makes an exciting play from an actor’s perspective, from a director’s perspective, from a costumer’s perspective—and I’m able to apply that to my writing in order to create more rounded, producible plays. It’s not just about the language for me anymore—it’s about the stage as a whole, and what’s going on in every part of it.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

’98

JASON MONACO

’02

RACHEL ABARBANELL

Jason says he has applied lessons learned while at Knox, both inside and outside the classroom. “In the business environment that we work in today—not just at KimberlyClark but generally in today’s fast-paced economy—you have to be able to problem-solve every day,” he says. “Critical thinking is a key part of that process, and Knox teaches you critical thinking, whether you’re taking a course in chemistry, political philosophy, or literature.” SUBMITTED

n his 15-plus years with Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Jason Monaco ’98 has lived on three continents (North America, Europe, and Australia) while taking on ever-increasing professional responsibilities. Now vice president of finance, he began with the company as a financial analyst in a Kleenex™ facial tissue factory in California and worked his way through the ranks, VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE, progressing through KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION roles of increasing Economics & Political Science Majors responsibility before taking on his current role. As vice president for finance, he leads the company’s corporate finance teams and serves as group CFO for two of Kimberly-Clark’s global business units. “I’ve always tried something new—going to a new place, working with a different team, trying to solve complicated problems,” he says. “You have to take risks in your career to develop new skills and capabilities.” Throughout his career,

At Knox, Rachel Abarbanell Economics Major, Theatre Minor juggled classes, a job, theatre, choir, volleyball, and the professional women’s music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota. Now, as president of production at Lynda Obst Productions—the company that produced Sleepless in Seattle, Contact, How to Lose a Guy In Ten Days, The Invention of Lying, and, most recently, the new television series Helix—Rachel juggles an array of roles in the production of television and ﬁlm, from coming up with an idea and working with both the writer and studio in developing it, to casting, crewing up, and physical production. “I’m balancing all of these different projects, in various stages of development and production all of the time, and that’s what keeps my job interesting. I never get bored, I am always challenged, I’m always learning something new, and that’s exactly what my experience at Knox

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was like.” Rachel spent most of her time devoted to theatre and music at Knox, but an internship during her junior year at an industrial film company led to her interest in television and film production. After completing a postbaccalaureate fellowship in film studies, inquiries to alumni in Los Angeles led to an internship with the independent film company Millennium Films, thanks to a referral by Knox alumnus Bob Misiorowski ’66. Twelve years later, in a field known for being difficult to break into, she has found success in Hollywood that she never expected. To help other young women achieve similar success, Rachel co-founded Next Gen Femmes in 2006 to foster a community of young female professionals in the entertainment industry. The organization provides essential networking opportunities for women just starting out, helping them navigate this complicated industry. “In film and TV, there are hundreds of different jobs,” Rachel says. “When I was starting out, one of the hardest things was figuring out which path was right for me.” PRIYA SATIANI

PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION, LYNDA OBST PRODUCTIONS

ami Woodruff has been creating art since early childhood. “It progressed like my ability to speak,” she remembers. “It’s a fundamental mode of communication for me.” While at Knox, Cami realized that her childhood passion could become her life’s work. After graduating with a degree in studio art, she received her PROFESSIONAL ILLUSTRATOR MFA in animation at the Studio Art Major, Performance Theatre Minor Savannah College of Art and Design and now works on the animated FX TV series Archer, winner of the 2012 and 2013 Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series. With Archer, Cami focuses on storyboarding, one of the earliest parts of the process, where she interprets the text visually; and storyboard cleanup, one of the last steps of ﬁnalizing the drawings. “I’m in a really good place artistically and professionally,” says Cami of her work on Archer, ILLUSTRATION BY CAMI WOODRUFF

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CAMI WOODRUFF

as well as the work she’s done on her web comic, Doomsday, My Dear. In June 2010, she began publishing the comic, updating the series twice weekly for the last three-and-ahalf years. She describes the comic as a turn-of-the-20th century drama about a modern-day plague and the political turmoil that follows in its wake. Cami describes her drawing as “cartoony, but with gravity,” with the narrative of her art going deeper. “I’m interested in social issues and in ﬂipping pop culture on its head in a way the everyday consumer will understand,” she says. Ultimately, her goal is to become a director or artistic director for animated features. “It seems right for a long-term goal,” she says, “because I have a lot of stories I’d like to get out there if I can.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS SERVICE/SEPP JANNOTTA

PETER BAILLEY ’74

DESMOND FORTES

’00

JACOB PLUMMER

esmond Fortes grew up in nine different countries. He attended high school in Kenya, spent his undergraduate and graduate years studying in the Midwest at Knox and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and worked in London for three years at the University of Greenwich before moving to his current home in The Netherlands. Over his lifetime, Desmond has gained not only a global conscience but a passion for improving the world in which we live. This awareness ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL led to his career as an SPECIALIST AT FMO environmental and social Biology Major specialist at FMO (The Dutch Development Bank) in The Hague. FMO invests in companies, projects, and financial institutions in developing countries. As part of Desmond’s role, he analyzes the environmental and social performance of a company, discusses potential improvements, and ensures that the company works toward implementing the improvements during the lifetime of the FMO loan. In his six years with FMO, he has succeeded in convincing the organization to adopt a target of making 20 percent of their yearly investments in green projects. Because of his work, FMO will aim to invest at least 300 million Euros this year in investments that produce environmental benefits. “It was not easy convincing our management and bankers to do this,” Desmond says. “Our hope is that by initiating this focus on green investments, more of our business in the future will be centered around projects that will have a huge impact on sustainable development in developing economies.” He believes that his work today is influenced by his education at Knox. “The exposure to many disciplines helps me, as I need to be able to understand not only environmental issues but also social, finance, and legal concepts,” he says. “I’m very proud of my liberal arts education.”

SUBMITTED

t sounds cliché, but Jacob Plummer wants to make a difference in the world—a big difference. He thought to do that in the field of education, where as a student he partnered with a Knox professor to found a course management software company. But his plans changed when he was chosen for a fellowship in the Chicago mayor’s office and saw how many of the city’s issues were tied to healthcare. While pursuing a graduate program in healthcare policy at the University of Chicago, he was hired to become the youngest administrator at the University of Chicago Medical School. Jacob turned a department around that had been losing VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS money for 15 years, AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT earning a profit within ALLSCRIPTS, INTERNATIONAL the first year. But Economics Major making a difference within one hospital department, or one hospital, wasn’t his ultimate goal. He saw that one sector having a huge impact on a large scale was healthcare software. “If you make one piece of software that really works and gets people excited, it can change the world.” Which led Jacob to Allscripts, where he is vice president of global business development. He is responsible for the company’s international operations as well as strategy and business development. Of the more than 40 or so projects he’s currently working on, he’s working with a company that is developing a healthcare solution using Google Glass. “What I’ve found is that people have really good ideas, but they have a problem with communication,” says Jacob about one of the skills he honed as a Knox student. “I’ve been able to sit with them, understand what they do, and help them communicate in a way that gets them the support they need. That is the most rewarding feeling.”

OLIWIA ZUREK

’10

On September 6, 2012, Polish-born Oliwia Zurek became a United States citizen. Four DOCTORAL STUDENT AT days later, she was MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY exercising her Biology Major newly earned citizenship by traveling from Montana State University, where she is pursuing a doctorate in immunology and infectious diseases, to Washington D.C., where she met with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. She was there to advocate for the preservation of funding that helps support scientific research in the biomedical field. Oliwia’s research is focused on MRSA, a type of drug-resistant staph that causes infections ranging from mild skin abscesses to necrotizing pneumonia and sepsis in both healthy people and those with potentially weakened immune systems. Her findings could have major implications for developing

effective treatments against MRSA infections. MRSA is also the leading cause of complications from infection following invasive heart procedures, which led the American Heart Association to award Oliwia a fellowship of $50,000 for her research. She has also received a National Institutes of Health grant for her research. Last summer, Oliwia traveled to Italy to attend an international conference with an audience that included some of the world’s leading researchers of important bacterial pathogens. The talk she gave about her research turned heads and earned her a Young Scientist Award for outstanding scientiﬁc presentation. She says that Knox played a substantial role in developing her passion for research. “The McNair and Richter programs gave me an opportunity to conduct immunology research and develop skills necessary to thrive in the sciences, and I was very fortunate to have worked with professors who were eager to share their enthusiasm for laboratory work and encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree. Thanks to Knox, I found my true calling.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

MATTHEW KLICH

’15

Matthew Klich juggles a computer science major, a minor in business and management, a FOUNDER & OWNER, self-designed minor CLIK ENTERTAINMENT, LLC in sound engineerComputer Science Major, ing, and on top of Business & Management, it all, the young Sound Engineering Minors entrepreneur owns and operates his own entertainment corporation. Clik Entertainment, LLC, provides music for festivals, weddings, concerts, and parties, designing individual packages for events as small as 20 or as large as 2,000. Matthew’s job begins at event inception and follows through to event execution. He does everything from calling leads for possible events to making the annual report to playing music at events. Even when Knox is in session, Matthew runs about two events per weekend, most

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

of them in the Chicago area. He travels back and forth to Knox on Amtrak trains, often doing homework on the ride. Though Matthew started his business during his junior year of high school, he believes Knox’s business and management program has taught him things he never would have learned on his own. One example is the Entrepreneurship and Society class he took last fall, which he found invaluable. “I could simultaneously relate personally and learn about things I never even considered.” Professor John Spittell, chair of business and management and executive-in-residence at Knox, has been a profound inﬂuence on Matthew, showing him how to build a corporation out of his sole proprietorship. “Throughout the many classes I’ve taken with Professor Spittell, I learned that I have a mind of creativity and innovation, known as ‘the bug’,” says Matthew. “I always want to create new things that can help people in their lives—whether they need a good time out or a memory that lasts forever, I want to provide that experience.”

“

There is no typical day in this job,” says Brad Middleton, who has worked with U.S. Senator Richard Durbin since before his graduation from Knox in 2008. Brad began working for Durbin as a student, serving as an intern in the Senator’s WashingLEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT FOR ton ofﬁce. After U.S. SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN graduation, he Political Science Major began full-time work with the Senator, starting out as a staff assistant answering phones, then working on judiciary, foreign policy, global health,

PETER BAILLEY ’74

’08

BRAD MIDDLETON

and other issues before returning to Illinois to open and run a state office for Durbin in Rock Island. In 2013, Brad’s work took him back to D.C., where he now serves as as legislative assistant for the Senator. Brad serves as lead policy staffer on education issues and is responsible for advising and advancing Durbin’s education policy agenda. He meets with advocacy groups and education policy experts, writes background memos, and researches and writes legislation. Brad also works with other Senate offices and outside groups to build support for legislative initiatives. “Writing a piece of legislation that gets introduced in Congress is incredibly fulfilling. Passing a piece of legislation is even more so,” he says. Here’s just one example: “I worked on a bill for three years that the Senator introduced to help prevent child marriage in developing countries. After many roadblocks and even a heartbreaking defeat in the House of Representatives, we finally passed the bill last year.” Through his job, Brad has met and worked with several international figures, including ambassadors, members of royalty, and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. “Knox had a direct influence on where I am today,” he says. “The time I spent in long advising sessions with Professor (Emeritus Robert) Seibert helped me plan a path to get a job in public service in Washington D.C. after graduation. I knew it’s what I wanted to do.”

MEET MORE TALENTED MEMBERS OF THE KNOX COMMUNITY UNDER THE AGE OF 37, INCLUDING: • Ted DeLong ’00, General Manager, Oregon Shakespeare Festival • Geoff Ziegler ’03, ESPN Media Specialist • Al Keefe ’06, Political Reporter, WBEZ-Chicago • Stephanie Armagost Haedt ’00, Lawyer & Shareholder, Peterson, Savelkoul, Kolker, Haedt & Benda Ltd.

SUBMITTED

• Marcus McGee ’14, International Relations Major Read more at www.knox.edu/knoxmag.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

New Faculty

Questions A new academic year brings new students and faculty to campus. And just as new students breathe new life into campus culture, new faculty add their own marks to the Knox community. September 2013 brought four new faculty members to Knox, each with their own research interests, teaching styles, and personalities. Knox Magazine asked each professor a series of questions; their answers provide a bit of insight into what their tenure at Knox may bring. By Megan Scott â&#x20AC;&#x2122;96

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Photos by Peter Bailley â&#x20AC;&#x2122;74

Anne Steinberg Modern Languages & Literatures – French How did you first get interested in your academic field? When I was in middle school, high school, and then at the university, my literature professors always reminded us that each text is anchored in a very speciﬁc, historical context. If you are not familiar with the century or era in which a pamphlet, a speech, a poem, a novel, etc. has been written, you will not understand the importance or impact such literature had at the time. The more I thought about it, the more I became interested in the link between history and literature, which constantly brought me back to the French Revolution and the 18th century as a whole. The political turmoil, the social upheavals and, in parallel, the development of “reason” got me thinking about the kinds of literary genres that were emerging or being used to convey any form of criticism.

Describe one of your favorite teaching moments? At the risk of sounding like a cliché, every day has a little bit of my favorite teaching moments. When you know that your students feel comfortable, are engaged, that they are laughing with you, they participate, ask questions…That’s what makes my day every day and this is what I love about teaching. Each day is different.

What is one of your favorite books and why? My all-time favorite is the epistolary novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos (1781). It is diabolically good! It is a great depiction of the falling aristocracy at the end of the Old Regime. The Marquise de Merteuil and The Vicomte de Valmont are trying to manipulate others and orchestrate their fall but their plans backﬁre. This novel is extremely well-written, ahead of its time, and a Anne received her bachelor’s page-turner. degree in English literature and

Tell us one unexpected thing about yourself? I originally intended to be an English professor in France, and it turns out that I am a French professor in an English-speaking country!

translation from Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3 in 2005, her master’s degree in French literature from the University of Oregon in 2008, and her Ph.D. in Romance languages and literatures from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Andy Hertel Psychology How did you first get interested in your academic field? I took Introduction to Psychology at Wartburg College during my senior year of high school at Waverly-Shell Rock High School (Waverly, IA). I think I took the class because I was innately curious about psychology. Whatever the case, by taking the class my curiosity was further stimulated such that I majored in psychology at St. Olaf College, where I had the fortune of having professors who I liked as people and who were great academic role models.

Why did you choose to teach at a liberal arts college? When I think of undergraduate education, I think of a small liberal arts college. I was drawn to Knox speciﬁcally because of its exemplary focus on academics, its diversity, its resilience, its autonomyfocused environment, its few concerns over status hierarchies, and the psychology department’s excellent reputation for both teaching and conducting research.

Tell us one unexpected thing about yourself? I haven’t had a glass of milk in 10 years. I do not have a single cavity.

What is one thing that you’ve discovered about Knox that surprised you? It is a REALLY close-knit community! I expected a strong community, but not as close-knit of a community as Knox is. I think this is a real advantage of the school.

Andy received his bachelor’s degree in 1999 from St. Olaf College and his Ph.D. in 2009 from the University of Minnesota, both in psychology.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Andrea Ferrigno Art How did you first get interested in your academic field? I have been innately interested in art for as long as I can remember. My decision to pursue it academically came early on, having attended the Kansas City Art Institute for my undergrad years. There, the desire to be engaged professionally as an academic in the arts was instilled. I then went on to the University of Iowa for my graduate studies in painting. From the beginning of my time there I was actively involved in the printmaking department as well. I am interested and engaged in the dialogue between these disciplines, as well as their varied histories, and am excited to be at such a busy intersection of artistic inquiry, from painting, photography and book arts, as well as sculpture. With rise of 3D printing and new technologies, print media is a quickly expanding terrain.

Describe one of your favorite teaching moments? I love when students challenge me back through a good debate, and we both end up learning and thinking about things in new ways. This exchange and evolution is at the heart of teaching for me.

Do you have a first day of school ritual? On the ﬁrst day of class, I try to hit the ground running as much as possible, giving the students an idea of what they are in for the rest of the term, as well as getting to know each other and exchanging in group dialogue.

If you weren’t a professor what would you be? I would still be working at trying to become one. I have always wanted to teach and am Andrea received her happy to be here!

bachelor’s of fine arts in printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2004, her master’s in painting/drawing from the University of Iowa in 2011, followed by her master’s of fine arts in painting/ drawing/printmaking in 2013.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

James Dyer Journalism How did you first get interested in your academic field? News always seemed to be a large part of my life. My parents were both avid newspaper and magazine readers, and they listened to radio news each morning while we all ate breakfast. I wrote for the student newspaper in grade school, high school, and college and started my own investigative reporting/literary magazine (modeled after the The New Yorker but with exponentially less ﬁnancial success) in graduate school.

Describe one of your favorite teaching moments? In a prior job, to get my beginning journalism students out of their comfort zone, I took them down to a street corner and sent half the class on a westbound city bus and half of them on an east-bound city bus and told them to break up in groups of two, get off somewhere in the city, and come back with a great story. They were petriﬁed and stared at me with this “Are you really going to make us do this?” look on their faces. It was priceless. They all returned with amazing stories about people they had never known existed.

What is one of your favorite books and why? I was nine years old when I read my ﬁrst novel, Jack London’s The Call of the Wild, and it changed my life. When I ﬁnished it, I learned two very important things about myself: I loved reading, and I was going be a world traveler.

What is one thing that you’ve discovered about Knox that surprised you? The incredible honesty of the students. They don’t play games. If they fail to do their homework, they’re upfront about it and adamant about accepting any and all penalties.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

James received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Minnesota in 1989, his master’s in journalism from the University of Iowa in 2002, followed by a master’s in Spanish in 2006. He is expected to complete his Ph.D. in Spanish from Iowa this year.

The South Lawn Poet Laureate to Give Commencement Address

Fired Up Four Knox College writers—including one who just graduated in June—were honored by The Best American Essays 2013, a collection that showcases the best writing of the year. An essay by Ander Monson ’97 is one of 26 works published in the collection. Sam Butler ’13, Anna Leahy ’88, and Natania Rosenfeld, professor of English, were listed in the “Notables” section of the book, in recognition of the quality of their writing.

Smoldering

JOEL BENJAMIN

Poet Laureate of the United States Natasha Trethewey will be the speaker at June’s Commencement exercises. Trethewey is the nation’s 19th Poet Laureate and the author of four collections of poetry, Domestic Work (2000); Bellocq’s Ophelia (2002); Native Guard (2006)—for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize— and, most recently, Thrall (2012). “It is an honor and a privilege to have our country’s Poet Laureate deliver this year’s Commencement address,” says President Teresa Amott. “From its earliest days in which students organized literary societies to the present-day awards garnered by our student literary publications, Knox College has always sought to honor the poetic imagination.” Natasha Trethewey, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University, was born in Gulfport, Mississippi. She earned an M.A. in poetry from Hollins University and M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Massachusetts. Her first collection of poetry, Domestic Work, was selected by Rita Dove as the winner of the inaugural Cave Canem Poetry Prize for the best first book by an African American poet and won both the 2001 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Book Prize and the 2001 Lillian Smith Award for Poetry. She has published three more collections of poetry and one book of nonfiction, Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which appeared in 2010. In 2012, she was named Poet Laureate of the State of Mississippi and the 19th Poet Laureate of the United States. Commencement will be held on Saturday, June 7, on the Knox College campus.

Fired Up/ Burned Out

The national debate over grade inflation made its way to Knox this fall. A proposal to redefine the meaning of the letter grade A was presented to the Knox faculty by Tim Kasser, professor of psychology, in November. In response to concern over grade inflation, Kasser’s proposal aims to “find out a way to be more consistent about what an A means.” The proposal spurred much debate among faculty, as well as students, and is currently under review by the Academic Standing Committee, which is expected to report back to the faculty this spring.

Extreme weather took its toll on the Knox campus during winter 2014. Temperatures and wind chills reaching nearly 50 degrees below zero early in January led to frozen pipes, and subsequent flooding, in Seymour Union and the Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center (SMC). By mid-February temperatures in the mid-40s brought thunder storms, melting snow, and even more flooding throughout campus, from the South Lawn to SMC, once again. Let’s hope spring 2014 is a little kinder to our historic campus.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

A Team on Fire Knox College’s men’s soccer team, led by Coach Matt Edwards, opened its season August 31 with a 6-0 loss to nationally ranked DePauw University. That was their one and only loss on Jorge Prats Field for the season. In a dramatic turn-around from 6-9-2 in 2012 and 1-16 in 2011, the 2013 Prairie Fire went on to win 11 consecutive games, setting the school record for wins (13) in a season and earning a spot in the Midwest Conference Tournament for

the first time in 20 years. Knox placed fourth at the conference tournament, finishing the season at 13-5 and then went on to earn even more honors. Two players, Nathaniel Logie and Charles Edemba, both ’16, were All-MWC first team picks. The team’s academic strength—3.18 GPA—was noted by National Soccer Coaches Association of America, which named Knox as one of the 2012-13 College Team Academic Award Winners.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

The South Lawn Grant Helps Professor, Students Make Green Chemistry

PETER BAILLEY ’74 (2)

A $50,000 grant from the American Chemical Society is helping Assistant Professor of Chemistry Helen Hoyt ’01 make chemistry more “green.” The grant supports Hoyt’s research on finding more environmentally friendly ways to create chemical products. “Green chemistry is a field that first emerged in the 1990s and has really gained momentum within the last 10 years,” said Hoyt. “There’s a focus on not just making something, but trying to make it in a sustainable way.” Her research focuses on catalysis—a process in which a small amount of material, known as a catalyst, alters the speed of a chemical reaction yet remains intact afterward. Using catalysis is one of the principles of green chemistry, Hoyt said, because “it minimizes the number of steps, minimizes by-products, and minimizes waste.” She is exploring the use of iron as a catalyst, and she hopes to synthesize and study new iron complexes. Iron is an appealing catalyst because it is cheap, Knox student Mike Supej ’15 works in an inert atmosphere glovebox as part of last summer’s abundant, and non-toxic. research with Assistant Professor of Chemistry During summer 2013, two Knox Helen Hoyt ’01 (pictured at right). students—Marika Takemura ’14 and Mike Supej ’15—assisted with Hoyt’s research by making iron compounds bearing ligands, which are molecules that attach to a central metal atom. Their work involved using sophisticated scientific equipment, including an inert atmosphere glovebox, an infrared spectrometer, and a nuclear magnetic resonance instrument. “They’re really developing into independent scientists able to ask and answer important scientific questions,” Hoyt said. Thanks to the grant, eight additional Knox students will work with Hoyt during the next three summers pursuing graduate-level research opportunities.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

I am Knox — Jessica Robinson ’16 Vitals Hometown: Carbondale, Illinois Majors: Biology and Environmental Studies Campus Involvements: McNair scholar, Eco House manager, Student representative for Sustainability Task Force, KARES, Garden Club Class Year: 2016

Three Facts about Jessica Jessica has completed summer internships at Shawnee National Forest in Illinois and at Yosemite National Park in California. She is active in Growing Together, an agriculture center in the Galesburg community that focuses on sustainable growing methods. As one of Knox’s sustainability interns, Jessica is working to bring a honeybee hive to campus to give students experience with beekeeping.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Who are your favorite Knox professors? Peter Schwartzman, Stuart Allison, and Mary Crawford. (Before taking Introduction to Environmental Studies with Peter Schwartzman,) I’d already heard a lot of stories about how passionate he was about teaching and how much he really believed in what he was doing. Stuart is pretty much a representation of everything I’m interested in. Mary Crawford has this way of seeing something in someone and then pushing it so that you go farther than you thought you possibly could. She’s a great role model. You are participating in the 2014 Green Oaks Term. Why did this course appeal to you? Green Oaks is an opportunity for me to get back outside and reconnect. The opportunity to get to do that with other people who want that same experience is what makes it even more powerful—that there are 12 other people who are just as willing to dedicate themselves to understanding an ecosystem and learning in that ecosystem. That’s what I want: community and education and nature, all wrapped up in one. What would you like to do after Knox? My career goal is to just be outside. I want to frolic in the woods. You can have me do anything, but as long as I can learn and be outside, I will be a happy camper. This could involve a lot of different things. It could involve working for a national park as a researcher or as an ecologist. I want to make sure my career reflects my beliefs in life.

The South Lawn The Four Most Important Items on a Resume PETER BAILLEY ’74

Amanda Goodness ’02, human resources representative at Aramark Healthcare Technologies in Wisconsin, advised current students at Knox’s first-ever Career iMPACT Summit on the most important components of a resume. Here are four of her tips on what a good resume should include:

CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION, including mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. “It sounds like a no-brainer, but I will tell you, I’ve seen enough resumes to say: make sure you get a Gmail account with your first name and your last name, or something professional-sounding,” Goodness said.

A SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE. “When you’re applying for a singular job, apply for that singular job. If you have to tailor your resume to say, ‘I want to work in HR,’ or ‘I really want to work in marketing,’ or ‘I’m really interested in going into this field,’ make sure your resume indicates that.”

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE. “Think of your resume as a summary. It’s not going to capture everything in terms of your background, but it’s there to open that door.”

VOLUNTEER WORK, HOBBIES, ACTIVITIES, SKILLS, HONORS. Include these if you think they are relevant and will help you land the position for which you’ve applied. “It’s good to include (this information), but make sure you’re not putting yourself in a situation where it might inadvertently hurt you.”

Seventy five students and 13 alumni attended the two-day Career iMPACT Summit, designed specifically for liberal arts students. The Summit included networking opportunities that brought together students with alumni who are building careers in law, education, healthcare, business, publishing, and other fields. The event was organized by the Bastian Family Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development and sponsored by the John D. Carlin Career Development Support Fund.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Faculty members Catherine Denial, Karen Kampwirth, and Rob Smith were recently appointed to endowed professorships in recognition of their distinguished teaching, scholarship, and service to the College. Denial, who joined the faculty in 2005, was named to the Burkhardt Distinguished Chair in History. Author of the recently published Making Marriage: Husbands, Wives, and the American State in Dakota and Ojibwe Country, her teaching at Knox includes courses on the American West, Great American Debates, Feminist Methodologies, the Historian’s Workshop, and Museums, Monuments and Memory. The chair was established in 2010 through the generosity of Dr. Richard W. Burkhardt ’39 and Dorothy Johnson Burkhardt ’39. Kampwirth, a 1986 Knox graduate who joined the faculty

Go Figure

75 32

Students returned to campus shortly after their winter break began to attend the first Career iMPACT Summit

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

192 Number of Knox graduates who’ve served in the Peace Corps since 1961

-15° The coldest temperature recorded on January 6, 2014, the day the polar vortex arrived in Galesburg

PETER BAILLEY ’74

JOHN WILLIAMS ’12, PETER BAILLEY ’74 (2)

Three Faculty Named to Distinguished Chairs

in 1995, was named to the Robert W. Murphy Chair in Political Science. She has lived and studied extensively throughout Central and South America, taught in Argentina as a Fulbright Scholar, and served as director of Knox’s study abroad program in Buenos Aires. Her scholarship includes the books Gender and Populism in Latin America, Women and Guerrilla Movements, and Feminism and the Legacy of Revolution: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas. Established in 1974 by the Borg-Warner Foundation, the chair is named for longtime member of the Board of Trustees Robert W. Murphy ’31 who was executive vice president and chairman of the Borg-Warner executive committee and also served as the firm’s general counsel for more than 20 years. Smith, who joined the faculty in 1996, is the first recipient of the John and Elaine Fellowes Distinguished Chair in English. His scholarship includes a monograph, The Seductions of Emily Dickinson, and a co-edited collection entitled American Culture: Canons and the Case of Elizabeth Stoddard. An accomplished creative writer, his awards include a Notable Mention in Best American Essays, a Special Mention as a Pushcart Prize Nominee, and a Scotsman Short Story Award. He teaches a wide variety of courses in American literature and film studies. The recently established chair was created through the generosity of Life Trustee John E. Fellowes ’37, his wife, Elaine Fellowes, and their family.

The South Lawn

Sustainable Service Knox College students traveling to community service jobs in Galesburg are beneﬁtting from a newly acquired electric car, provided by a grant from the PNC Foundation. The $10,000 grant allowed Knox to lease a new Nissan Leaf and install a charging station on campus. The car will be shared by students in the KnoxCorps program, traveling to non-proﬁt organizations where the students are working, as well as other Knox students engaged in community service projects.

4,016 Career rushing yards by Prairie Fire football running back Derek Mortensen ’14, a school record

2 Number of high tunnels, or greenhouses, being constructed on the Knox College campus

$11,724,623 Total amount that alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff gave as of February 2014 to support the transformation of Alumni Hall

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

The ’Burg Broadview to End Night Shift By Erica Baumgardner ’15

20 2014 014 A favorite late-night venue for hungry students, the Broadview Restaurant has overhauled its 24/7 schedule to alleviate economic strain on the business. The diner will now close its doors to the public at 9 p.m. every night. Manager Tracey Cuevas attributes the change to the slow current of business during the later hours. “Third shift just wasn’t as busy,” Cuevas admitted. Students on campus have expressed their disappointment regarding the new hours. Junior Maddie Mondeaux had planned on concluding her birthday celebration with a late night trip to the Broadview. “I was really looking forward to a late-night birthday waffle,” said Mondeaux, who has fond memories of her frequent dining experiences at the restaurant. “I liked the sense of camaraderie that came with going to the Broadview late at night,” she said, recalling 3 a.m. trips from campus amongst large groups of students. Mondeaux refers to the change as “a loss of a beautiful Knox tradition.” With only Hardee’s drive-through on East Main Street and Steak n’ Shake on North Henderson Street, students are left without a 24-hour food remedy in walking distance. For students without transportation, the options are even further limited. Although Cuevas has received a great deal of protest in response to the new hours, she remains firm in their choice. “People keep asking if we’re going to switch the hours back…the answer for now is no.”

JASON DESCHAMPS ’15

This story and photo appeared in the January 16, 2014, edition of The Knox Student; reprinted with permission.

Senior Luke Albrecht orders a meal at the Broadview.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Knox National Peace Corps Leader Knox has earned a spot on Peace Corps’ annual list of the top volunteer-producing colleges in the United States. With 13 alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers, Knox ranks No. 10 among small colleges and universities—those with enrollments of fewer than 5,000 students. Since the Peace Corps was created in 1961, 192 Knox graduates have served as Peace Corps volunteers. “I am proud to see the Peace Corps recognize the remarkable dedication to international exchange exhibited by our alumni serving abroad. These Knox volunteers return home forever changed by their experience, ready to serve their communities as lifelong peace-builders,” said President Teresa Amott. For students interested in the Peace Corps or other international service, Knox offers its Peace Corps Preparatory Program, the ﬁrst program of its kind in the nation. The program, which celebrated its ﬁfth anniversary last year, consists of a specialized curriculum with courses in international studies, education, and foreign language study. It also includes a community service project and a chance to study abroad.

The South Lawn Sparks “Mine was participating in someone’s

HONORS PROJECT research . . . what a great experience it was for me. Cheers to a great 2014 Knox College!” Nancy Kunkel Defauw ’95, replying to a Knox Facebook post asking, “What was your Knoxiest moment in 2013?”

1,400 HANDS.

“Just shook Not only is my arm about to fall off, but I am officially a student at @KnoxCollege1837”

Student poet Christopher Poore ’14 accompanied by guitarist Brandon Seabrook, right, of the Ben Allison Band.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

A tweet from first-year student Bonne Matheson after she participated in her first Pumphandle, September 11, 2013

“Audacious Sci-fi Jazz” Comes to Knox Knox music and writing students collaborated and performed with renowned bassist and composer Ben Allison, as they and jazz fans at Knox and in Galesburg got a preview of Allison’s newly released album, during Knox’s inaugural Jerome Mirza Jazz Residency in November. The residency is funded by a three-year, $30,000 grant from the Jerome Mirza Foundation of Bloomington, Illinois. Allison—along with guitarists Brandon Seabrook and Steve Cardenas, and percussionist Allison Miller—worked with several groups of Knox students during the three-day residency, which ran from November 12-14. The culminating performance featured student musicians and poets performing with Allison, plus sets by Allison and his band, and Knox’s Cherry Street Combo. The Jerome Mirza Jazz Residency was the ﬁrst of three jazz events at Knox this year. Brazilian singer and guitarist Luciano Antonio gave two free public performances as part of the Knox Winter Jazz Series on January 11, co-sponsored by grants from the Galesburg Community Foundation and the Stellyes Center for Global Studies. The annual Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival rounded out the year’s events on April 10-12 and featured CALJE (Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble), The Aaron Diehl Quartet, the Knox Alumni Big Band, Faculty and Friends Combo, and the Knox Jazz Ensemble.

The first post of winter break on The

KNOX DOODLES blog, featured on The Knox Student website, November 28, 2103

“Readers find it stirring, emotional, gripping.

IT GETS TO YOU.” Douglas Wilson, professor emeritus of English and co-director of Knox’s Lincoln Studies Center, describing the Gettysburg Address on its 150th anniversary, November 19, 2013

“They told me I

COULDN’T BREAK IN, but . . . ” Anonymous graffiti from the interior of Alumni Hall, dated 4/18/03, which was removed during the renovation of the building this fall

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

First Impressions “Everyone here has a gun. Yes, I have one too: a Ruter 10/22 auto loader. I’m sorry that yours is only a Browning single-shot pistol. But that is the way it is.” First line of Everyone Here Has a Gun (University of Massachusetts Press, 2013) by Lucas Southworth ’01. Winner of the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, Everyone Here Has a Gun is a collection of 12 short stories that describe characters searching for comfort and stability in a world that is ultimately too vast, violent, and incomprehensible. Southworth’s work has appeared in Conjunctions, Mid-American Review, Willow Springs, and many other print and online publications.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Abandoned Buildings, Belong Petty Collects Oral Histories During Chicago’s Plan for Transformation When the Chicago public housing projects began disappearing from the skyline, writer and professor Audrey Petty ’90 took note. Chicago’s Plan for Transformation began in 2000, with the goal of renovating or rebuilding 25,000 public housing units. The residents of Chicago public housing faced relocation from the communities that had been their homes, in some cases for more than 50 years. Though Petty had never been inside the housing units, she found herself concerned for the welfare of the inhabitants. She began conducting interviews with the wide range of people who lived in the public housing units. Among those she interviewed: a man who was initiated into gang life at age 12; a woman who was displaced from her home after 53 years and forced to leave many of her belongings behind; a mother whose son’s felony conviction means that she could face eviction if he visits her at her home. Petty’s interviews culminated in High Rise Stories: Voices from Chicago Public Housing, the newest addition to McSweeney’s Voice of Witness series, which uses oral history to illuminate contemporary human rights crises in the U.S. and around the world.

What compelled your exploration of the issue of Chicago public housing? I’m a native Chicagoan. I grew up on the South Side, in Chatham and Hyde Park. As I came of age, I experienced public housing as being close by and also quite distant. Robert Taylor Homes, Stateway Gardens, Ickes Homes, Hilliard Homes—all of these places were on my routine path to elsewhere: piano lessons, doctor’s appointments, ball games, family gatherings. I passed them by. I never entered them. Most of what I knew about public housing came from reading the newspaper and watching the local news. I knew very little. When the Plan for Transformation was enacted, I didn’t live in Chicago anymore, but family visits brought me back often. With each visit, I noticed new gaps in

the landscape, and I became increasingly interested in and concerned about how residents’ lives were being affected by what was already well underway.

How did you become involved with McSweeney’s Voice of Witness series? I had long been a fan of the Voice of Witness series, having read and greatly admired Voices from the Storm and Underground America. Peter Orner, the editor of Underground America, is an accomplished ﬁction writer, and he’s a friend of mine. Peter is also a Chicagoan. Whenever our paths cross, the two of us catch up on Chicago happenings. Years ago, when we talked about the demolitions underway, I told him that I wanted to know how residents were experiencing the Plan for Transformation. Peter urged me to

Knox Writes ings, and Lives follow my curiosity and pursue an oral history project. Eventually, he recommended that I approach Voice of Witness with my proposal.

You conducted nine of the 12 interviews featured in the book. What was most surprising to you about the perspectives of the high rise residents? What initially surprised me as I began was the great degree of ambivalence that narrators expressed about their home communities. Many people revealed fondness and longing for their former neighborhoods. I heard stories about how people took care of each other. I heard about impromptu group meals, Christmas toy giveaways, childcare sharing and bartering. I learned about a conservation corps at Stateway Gardens. I learned the history of a drum and bugle corps at Cabrini Green: a group of teenagers who performed in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parades. I learned a great deal about neighborliness and hospitality from the stories that were shared with me.

While at Knox, you majored in French. What sparked your interest in writing? I ﬁrst started writing poems in grammar school. Gwendolyn Brooks and William Wordsworth were the ﬁrst poets I loved. It was at Knox that I began to understand that a creative work enters a dialogue with other creative work, and that truth was inspiring.

Books by Members of the Knox Community What advice would you give to budding writers? To persist and to create a sustainable practice. To read often and read widely. To give the process of writing time. To risk. Risk small and risk big in your work. And find and hold close a tight and committed community of writers. Make them your audience and your editors. Audrey Petty graduated from Knox in 1990 with a degree in French. Now an associate professor of creative writing at The University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Petty is an accomplished fiction writer, nonfiction writer, and poet. Her work has appeared in African American Review, Crab Orchard Review, The Massachusetts Review, among others. Her fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and she’s been the recipient of fellowships and grants from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Hewlett Foundation.

The Tie That Bound Us: The Women of John Brown’s Family and the Legacy of Radical Abolitionism Cornell University Press, 2013 bonnie laughlin-schultz ’98 The Tie That Bound Us takes a new look at the ﬁerce commitment of John Brown and his family to the radical abolitionist movement. Brown’s crusade for antislavery culminated with the raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859, where his sons lost their lives and for which he was eventually executed. In her book, LaughlinSchultz focuses on Brown’s often overlooked wife and daughters, who showed their own ﬁerce commitment even after Brown’s execution.

A Call to Arms: Mobilizing America for World War II Bloomsbury Press, 2013 Maury Klein ’60 With the U.S. ﬁghting a war across two oceans and three continents, the colossal scale of World War II required a mobilization effort greater than anything attempted in all of the world’s history. American industry won World War II and transformed American economy and society. A Call to

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Knox Writes Arms is the ﬁrst narrative history of this epic struggle, rendering the transformation of America with a depth and detail never before available.

A Brief History of Cryptology and Cryptographic Algorithms Springer, 2013 John dooley, William and Marilyn Ingersoll Chair in Computer Science A Brief History of Cryptology and Cryptographic Algorithms explores the historic relationship between the person who makes codes, a cryptographer, and the person who breaks these codes, a cryptanalyst. Dooley focuses on the increasingly complicated systems of encryption that have been created since the invention of the computer and the development of techniques to break these systems.

Into Africa, Being Black Third World Press, 2013 Fred hord, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies The poems in Into Africa, Being Black span 40 years, but are united by Hord’s deep understanding of Black culture and the many issues that deﬁne it. “Dr. Hord’s poetry is socio-political commentary as well as an emergency call to recognize the importance of Black/African culture,” says Haki R. Madhubuti, a prominent African American educator and poet, who published Hord’s ﬁrst book in 1974.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

The Thunderbird Project Bedlam Press, 2013 becky harwell ’16 Becky Harwell’s debut novel follows the story of Jupiter, an 18-foot-tall outcast who was once a member of the Thunderbird Project, an FBI-run group of superhumans. Four years after the project is disbanded, Jupiter learns that members of the Thunderbird Project are being targeted by a mysterious group of assassins. She reluctantly joins the newly reinstated group in search of the assassins’ identities and a way back home.

South Park Perils: Short Ropes & True Tales Filter Press, LLC, 2013 Christie leMaire Wright ’72 South Park Perils is set in historic Park County during Colorado’s outlaw era in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The book features the true stories of the notorious criminals who once populated this area. Wright provides a picture of the sordid side of life that accompanied early settlers and miners of the South Park area.

Dialogues of a Crime

NOY World: A Futuristic Tale of Devastation and Devolution

Amika Press, 2013 John K. Manos ’74

Bay Creek Publishing, 2013 david K. dodd ’72

Dialogues of a Crime examines guilt, innocence, and the long-term ramiﬁcations of crime and punishment in a gray area where the personal lives of perpetrators, victims, and law ofﬁcers overlap. Hailed as a compelling, character-driven story, Dialogues of a Crime is ruled by complex men facing the past.

Climate change has scorched the planet, leaving an environment that can barely support life. The survivors are dominated by NOY, the ruling class that controls every detail of their lives. Gone are culture and government, and time is kept not by clocks and calendars but by the sun and moon. NOY World is told by three friends who struggle to survive their humdrum predicament and risk moving to separate villages in order to pursue a better tomorrow.

Class Knox

Alumni News Marriages & Unions Page 40

Page 62

Class Notes In Memoriam Page 44

Page 77

Flashback Seeger Sings for Sandburg Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, who passed away in January, performed at Knox 36 years ago as part of the Carl Sandburg centenary celebration. David Amor—retired journalism professor and former communication director— described the concert as being “perhaps the most moving experience during all my years at Knox.” Do you have similar memories of that concert? Share the story behind the photo—e-mail knoxmag@knox.edu. To read responses to last issue’s Flashback photo, 1971 Television Interview, visit www.knox.edu/knoxmag.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Alumni News Awards Honor Accomplishments, Teamwork, Service Homecoming weekend provided a unique opportunity to recognize alumni accomplishments.

2013 Knox service award Winners • Richard Kowalski P’14 • Tony Liberta ’55

Anne Taylor ’63 watches as Roger Taylor ’63 is draped with a hood in recognition of his Doctor of Laws degree. Also pictured are, from left, Life Trustee Diane Smatlak Rosenberg ’63, Trustee Janet Koran ’71, Dean of the College Emeritus Lawrence Breitborde, and Chancie Ferris Booth Professor of Political Science Lane Sunderland.

KENT KRIEGSHAUSER

• Steve Walton ’74

Taylors Receive Honorary Degrees at Homecoming In recognition of their distinguished legal careers and unwavering service to Knox College, President Emeritus Roger ’63 and retired pro bono counsel Anne Zweifel Taylor ’63 were awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees during the 2013 Homecoming celebration. Anne Zweifel and Roger Taylor arrived on the Knox campus in 1959 as ﬁrst-generation college students. She came from New Jersey and he came from Fulton County, Illinois. They met as ﬁrst-year students. Both studied English literature and were involved in multiple activities. Anne was president of Delta Delta Delta sorority, and Roger was president of Alpha Delta Epsilon fraternity. The Taylors graduated from Northwestern University School of Law and pursued legal careers, spending many years in Chicago. They returned to Knox when Roger was named interim president of Knox and, later, appointed as its 18th president. Anne served as Knox’s pro bono counsel. They retired in 2010. In addition to their years of service to the College, the Taylors are members of the Scripps Society, Knox’s highest honor recognizing the generosity of donors. “These degrees carry the weight of the history, tradition, and values of this College,” President Amott said. “They are conferred with care and with deep respect—and if I could say also: love—for those whose lives and deeds we are privileged to honor.” Sharing in the emotional event were the Taylors’ classmates—the Class of 1963—who were on campus to celebrate their 50th Reunion.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

2013 Knox-lombard athletic hall of Fame Winners • 1956 football team • 1957-58 men’s basketball team • Victor Garcia ’03 • Al Reilly • Jim Smith ’78

2013 scroll of honor recipients • Will Burrow ’63 • Jane Ehrenberg Rosen ’61 • Cliff Van Dyke ’51 Knox thanks everyone who submitted nominations for these awards. Nominate classmates and friends that you feel are worthy for recognition at www.knox.edu/nominate or contact Carol Brown ’99, director of alumni programs, at 800-KNOXCOL, extension 7980, or cbrown@knox.edu.

Class Knox Knox Introduces Career Speaker Series The job search process has changed. “While you still need to have basic skills in networking, interviewing, and building a credible resume, today you must also have an understanding of how to use technology with your job search and how to develop your own personal brand,” says Terrie Saline, director of the Bastian Family Center for Career & Pre-Professional Development. Supported by a gift from Nancy B. Carlin ’72, the new Career Speaker series will help members of the Knox community—students, alumni, and parents—build a successful career and job search strategy. The series delivers the nation’s top career authors and experts via computer, smartphone, or tablet. Upcoming speakers include Al Duncan, former corporate trainer and author of ALL Fired Up! in April; Susan Whitcomb, author of The Twitter Job Search Guide and 30-Day Job Promotion in May; and John Boyd, author of The Illustrated Guide to Selling Yourself in June. In addition to monthly webinars, alumni and students can also join ongoing discussions about careers and career opportunities with fellow alumni. Visit the new Alumni Career Speaker Series at alumnicareerservices.org/knox.

2013 Class Reunion Photos Missed your class photo? Want to see who attended Reunion 2013? See photos of all Reunion classes online at www.knox.edu/reunion-photos You can purchase photos for $20 each by contacting: Dickerson’s Photography 193 West Main Street Galesburg, IL 61401 309-342-3512 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008

Past and current members of the Knox College Choir celebrated the group’s 75th anniversary during Knox’s 2013 Homecoming festivities, coming together for a reunion concert and reception. Led by Professor of Music Laura Lane, who has directed the choir for 30 years, returning Choir alumni joined the 2013-14 Choir for three selections at the concert. “I can’t even imagine Knox without the Choir,” said Will Culbertson ’03, who travelled to the reunion from Austin, Texas. “I learned to listen, not just to the music but to the people around me. To be an active listener … there’s a larger life lesson there.”

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Knox Choir Celebrates 75th Year With Reunion

Alumni congratulate Professor of Music Laura Lane on 30 years leading the Knox College Choir during a reception following the reunion concert at Homecoming.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

We Are Knox Homecoming 2013

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

PHOTOS BY KENT KRIEGSHAUSER, KATE HOVDA ’15, AND PETER BAILLEY ’74

www.knox.edu/homecoming

Come Home to Knox for Homecoming 2014! October 10-12

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

The city of Rantoul, Illinois, honored Warren

We are Knox. You are, too. If 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:

1938

1942-1943

Paul Franklin Shaffer passed away on September 21. He grew up midway between Galesburg and Peoria, graduating from Elmwood High School in 1934. He used campus jobs and the National Youth Administration program to help get through four years at Knox. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and married Dorothy Lucille Daub ’42 shortly after being called up for service. He served with distinction in WWII, working on the Ultra project, the deciphering of the German war code. After the war, he graduated with an MBA from University of Calfornia, Berkeley, and embarked on a career in food distribution industrial engineering. He pioneered the analysis of grocery store and food warehouse efﬁciencies and was a highly published author of studies and books in his chosen ﬁeld. He remained a friend of the College through the years. His daughter, Jane Shaffer Stady ’67, attended Knox. He had many lifelong Knox friends, including Bob ’40 and Dorothy Rice Thompson ’39. Although he was unable to attend, this year marked his 75th Reunion. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

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; • 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: Cheri Siebken Class Notes Editor, Knox Magazine Knox College, Box K-233 Galesburg, IL 61401-4999 E-mail: csiebken@knox.edu Please note that Class Notes may be edited for space.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

1941 News of Harold Ogle appeared in Class Notes in the fall 2013 issue of Knox Magazine. Subsequent to that, he sent a copy of a photograph of Knox students and faculty from October 3, 1938. Since we are the Class of 1941, we were most certainly in the picture but, following careful scanning, the most recognizable ﬁgure was that of Knox President Carter Davidson. Viewing the sea of fresh, youthful faces called to mind the Episcopal hymn, “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” Harold still owns an automobile and drives around his home of Arlington Heights, Illinois. ❯ My e-mail to Marcia Larson was returned as “undeliverable.” I phoned her, and sure enough, she doesn’t do computers and e-mail anymore. In the Fifty Year Club Bulletin, summer 2013, she stated, “Life is good at 94 years of age and am still singing.” Still singing she is, but not as a soloist in her church choir, as she did for 60 years. In her lifetime, she has sung at more than 100 weddings. For l0 years, she sang on Roanoke, Virginia, radio station WDBJ. She is still active in her PEO Chapter. One of her many hobbies is knitting. She has knitted 789 caps that she has donated to those in need. She lives alone in a house that was built in 1868 and is located on two acres. She has a sister in Charlottesville, Virginia. Marcia still drives her car around Roanoke with enough conﬁdence to make left turns! Class Correspondent: K.T. Johnson 4800 Fillmore Avenue, #1256, Alexandria, VA 22311, 703-671-8170, janskikt@yahoo.com

1944 Barbara Lemke writes that her 90th year was spent getting water damage cleaned up in her house and a lot of construction work on both the inside and outside of her home. In the fall, Barbara attended the wedding of her cousin’s grandson in Knoxville, Tennessee. In her two weeks with her cousin, Margaret, she visited all of her maternal relatives. ❯ Marynell Durland Kirkwood continues to coordinate pastors for Vespers at her retirement community and often serves in that capacity herself when a pastor fails to show up. Reading large-print novels, quilting with her daughters, and numerous other volunteer activities ﬁll her days. ❯ The city of Rantoul, Illinois, honored Warren Manley last summer by naming August 9 and 10 as Warren Manley Days. Warren’s dedication and investment in his community and the nearby revitalized and repurposed Chanute Air Force Base, as well as the occasion of his 90th birthday, prompted the special recognition. Congratulations, Warren! Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1945 Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1946 After a minimal amount of pleading, Bill Cardin writes: “In the wartime spring of 1942, at the age of 17, I knew nothing about Knox College. I graduated from Tulsa Central High School (5,000 students) with an emphasis in drama, radio, and communications, spent the summer as a boys’ camp counselor, then went to my grandparent’s home in Peoria Heights. By chance I learned of a radio announcer job at WGIL in Galesburg. Could I study books and in between make station breaks and introduce jazz records and maybe read news reports? Why not! ❯ Knox was there for me! Gratis. The campus teemed with young men in uniform, pursuing a program preparing them for U.S. Air Force service. Not for me—I wanted ground war and depended on the draft board. During summer break, I took radio jobs in Quincy and Oklahoma City, and then I was drafted. It was easy to take horse cavalry training before my transfer to the mule pack and ﬁeld artillery. I took a ship through the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Oceans to Calcutta, India, then walked the trails and roads over mountains and through jungles 600 miles to

Class Knox Manley last summer by naming August 9 and 10 as Warren Manley Days. the Burma Road and helped clear it for use once again by U.S. and Chinese forces. ❯ The atom bomb ended the war, and, by December 1945, I was boarding a ship at Shanghai and heading back to Knox. How wonderful to be back on campus! What joys! Stage productions, a great library, historic buildings, fraternity pledging, volleyball champions, second in the 400-meter relay (my fault we didn’t win), and pinning a gorgeous Chicagoan. Oh what a wonderful time! ❯ I spent summer break as a disk jockey in Tulsa at the CBS affiliate and transferred to the University of Tulsa, where I met the future Mrs. Cardin. She was music librarian for the college radio station. ❯ I switched from record playing to news reporting and broadcasting. I earned my degree from the University of Tulsa, and, eventually, landed good radio jobs in Oklahoma City and Kansas City. A surprise call from a Kansas congressman took me to Washington D.C. for an interview as his administrative assistant. He hired me on the spot. It was the start of 12 years on ‘The Hill’ as a key Washington aide for members of Congress from Kansas, Arkansas, California, Michigan, and Florida. ❯ I eventually went back to broadcast news, working as wire news editor for the daily broadcast of NBC Three Star Extra, featuring reports from eight national correspondents. When the program lost sponsorship, I took a position as news desk supervisor for all NBC radio-TV broadcasts from Washington. ❯ I returned to Capitol Hill and worked as information officer for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), congressional liaison for the Federal Maritime Commission, and, eventually, relaxed back to being a mid-level bureaucrat in the Department of the Interior, specializing in water resources matters. ❯ Throughout many of these years I proudly served in the U.S. Army Reserve, attached to the Pentagon, office of the Secretary of the Army. Most annual tours of duty were in the Pentagon. Weekly meetings were in the National Press Club, where I am still a member. ❯ Shortly after my retirement at age 75, wife Marianne entered a nursing home because of Alzheimer’s disease. I lost her nine years later. I have been a hermit since, moving from an apartment to a modest home on a Little Rock hillside next to the home of my closest friend and bridge partner, Jean. ❯ The memory of the beauty and happiness of Knox days is still with me. The scenic and historic campus, the happy students, the caring faculty, and the challenging courses all lent support to living a full life.” ❯ Merle Glick heads up a team of scholars and researchers who are in the final phase of producing a book, The Art of Olof Krans, A Prairie Vision. Krans (1838-1916) produced folk portraits of many of the original Swedish immigrants who settled in nearby Bishop Hill, Illinois. The book is being published by Peoria Riverfront Museum, and Merle expects printing to be finished by May 2014. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1947 Bob “Sam” Malley and wife, Jacky Stahl Malley ’48 still enjoy life on the east coast of Florida. They have their share of aches and pains, of course. Jacky broke an arm this past fall, and, while it’s healing well, she says it’s taking far longer than she would like. The Malleys celebrated Thanksgiving in Florida with 21 family members and say the best part was letting others do the work while they gave directions! Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1948 Jim Moser writes: “In spite of a few aches and pains, there still are some pleasures in old age, like the arrival of my second great-granddaughter. They are far away, but the marvel of the Internet and Skype and the dedication of their mother, brings pictures and reports of them often. That partially makes up for the fact that most of my friends and work associates are no longer here. Kodak, the great company I worked with for nearly 40 years, exists in name only. This week, Rochester was listed as the snowiest U.S. city to date. Winter is beautiful. At times it can be difficult to manage, even with our phenomenal snow removal system. With my fireplace and OSHER Lifelong Learning classes, I’m fairly content and hope my remaining classmates are as well.” ❯ Ernie Bassi writes: “All is well with me, at least as well as can be expected at my age. Went to Italy with my three daughters in October. There were seven of us in total, all family. Went to New York. I have two grandchildren living there, and their mother and her husband just moved there from Colorado to be near them.” ❯ Elizabeth Harler Van Steenwyk writes: “Emma Van Steenwyk ’17 was here yesterday, and she definitely is smarter and cuter than when she left. I’ll try to think of something to write about other than my granddaughter. But I don’t promise.” ❯ Harry Babbitt writes that he spent six months in Buenos Aires and arrived back in the States on May 2, 2013. Class Correspondent: Sidney E. Norris 3135 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97405, 541-683-6160, senorris@riousa.com

1949 Sam Rinella attended the 28th Annual Lincoln Colloquium presented by Knox’s Lincoln Studies Center. The event was led by Doug Wilson, co-director of the center, and by other top Lincoln scholars from around the nation. He enjoyed the presentations, which focused on the importance of William Herndon’s study of Lincoln, and the presence of so many Lincoln authors. Sam accompanied a group from the Quincy, Illinois, Historical Society that assisted in the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the

Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Says Sam of his visit to Knox: “I really enjoyed being on the Knox campus, if only for a day. Those of us from the 1940s can hardly believe our eyes. Progress, change, and innovation is present everywhere. Seeing old friends from Galesburg was also fun. I’ve been gone now for 60 years. I met Owen Muelder ’63, the son of my freshman counselor, Herman Muelder, who was a very patient man.” Sam and wife Pat have returned to their winter home in Surprise, Arizona, in an effort to avoid the snow and ice of the Midwest. The couple enjoys keeping up with their busy children and grandchildren. ❯ Cliff Gilson and wife Rosemary relish retirement living at Penney Retirement Community in Florida, where there are plenty of opportunities to be active and entertained. Cliff spent more than 40 years as a teacher and pastor in Burma, the Midwest, New York, and Pennsylvania. ❯ Bill Hosking replied to my message begging for news with, “Maybe the reason you don’t hear much from the Class of 1949 is because we’re all too old to be doing anything interesting.” Bill followed this with the news that he recently spent a great afternoon ﬁnding out just how fast his son’s new boat would run. Bill sends his regards to all his ’49 classmates and says that while he’s not snowed in yet in his northern Idaho home, he’s just about frozen! Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1950 Bob Thompson has lived in picturesque Park City, Utah, for the past 25 years and remarks that it is so beautiful that when you come to ski you end up staying for the summer. While he is not traveling much these days, he does go to Phoenix a couple times a year to see his daughter, sister, and friends from his days at Caterpillar Corporation. Cancer has limited his golﬁng and skiing, but he says he’s in remission now and feeling better. ❯ Don Heidorn called to say that he and wife Bettie have moved to a retirement community in Cape Coral. He said it was a good move for them, and he is taking advantage of the many activities available there. He participates in weekly exercise, balance, and Tai Chi classes, and the couple continues to attend theatre and other cultural opportunities in the city. Don keeps in touch with classmates Joe Wagner and Ralph Trieger and passed along the sad news that Glenn LeFevre had passed away in May 2012. ❯ Joe Wagner writes: “I have been a dealer for Caterpillar Tractor Company for more than 60 years. I started with a partnership with my brother-in-law, Bob Engstrom ’42. After I sold my interest in that dealership, I acquired a dealership in Denver in 1976. I purchased a Cat dealership in New Mexico in 1984, and now have dealerships in Colorado, New Mexico, and far West Texas with about 1,400 employees. I also started a dealership in Mongolia in 1996, where

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“Bill Ives ’55 is working on his memoirs—a project we all should think we have around 800 employees. It is a very interesting developing country, and I have been there a number of times. However, it is a long, hard trip from Denver, so I don’t go as often as I would like, given my age. I also had a dealership in the Commonwealth of Independent States for a couple of years, but gave that up because it was difficult to do business with Russia. ❯ I lost my first wife, Mary Darr Wagner ’51, in 1977, and I remarried in 1980 to a wonderful woman. Judi took on the responsibility for my five children plus our daughter, Betsy. ❯ I am fortunate to have two sons in the business, as well as a daughter-in-law, daughter Betsy, and a grandson. Judi and I love to travel and have been virtually all over the world. This past September, we went to France and Sicily and had a great time. The Panama Canal is next on my bucket list. ❯ I have a lot of great memories of my days at Knox and will always be thankful for the education I got there. When I try to think of memorable events, I always come back to the morning I got up and looked out of the window and saw a car on top of the bell tower that someone had put there during the night. I don’t think anyone ever found out who did it.” ❯ Beth Jury Myers is very grateful for Home Instead, an organization that has allowed her to remain in her own home for the past two years. She says it is wonderful because it allows her to entertain her grandchildren and great-grandchildren at home. Says Beth, “It pleases me to learn how well Knox is growing, and I enjoy the Knox Magazine so much.” ❯ Bob Willett and his wife are going to escape Florida this winter by traveling to visit their former exchange student in Berlin. They plan to see Rome and cruise through the Mediterranean to Tenerife before returning home. They are looking forward to a visit from Frank Johnson ’50 and wife Kathryn. Bob doesn’t plan to write any more books, but he continues to write articles for magazines, which he says pays better. He sends best wishes to all his classmates. ❯ Bob ’52 and Julie Beauchamp Carter have been retired for 10 years from Fresh Samantha Juice business and still live year-round in Maine. Julie says they love Maine as much as ever. ❯ Ken Radnitzer and wife Ruth enjoyed celebrating the holidays with their entire family of 15. The whole group only gathers once every two years, so it was indeed a special time for the Radnitzers. Since Ken and Ruth’s family is spread from Illinois to Texas, they were especially happy to see everyone together. Ken said that the family enjoyed the traditional Swedish Christmas Eve smorgasbord and visit from the Swedish Santa Claus. On Christmas day, he said they feasted on turkey and all the trimmings and sang Christmas songs celebrating the birth of Jesus. Great times made for happy memories until the next time they are together. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

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1951 Dick Fleming writes: “My appreciation for college years at Knox grows with each passing year. I well remember most of my ’51 classmates, some in wife Lorraine Johnson Fleming 54’s class, and many in the intervening years. And I’m delighted when a brief note or photo from them works its way into the FYC Bulletin. The first thing I do when the Knox Magazine arrives is to turn to the Classes of 1948-1954 to find out who’s doing what. Yet only once or twice in all these years have I submitted anything to class correspondents desperate for material. Bummer! So here is a quick update on the Flemings. Lorraine spent her professional and, now, retirement years working to protect Delaware’s environment. She had been an associate director of the Delaware Nature Society (delawarenaturesociety.org), managing efforts to preserve important natural resources in the state. One special accomplishment involved assembling and coordinating a coalition of more than 300 organizations that lobbied successfully for many tens of millions of dollars for purchase and preservation of environmentally noteworthy properties and prime agricultural lands in Delaware. She now serves on the state’s Open Space Council. After I retired in 1991 after 34 years at DuPont, mostly in R&D management, she hooked me into joining her as an active volunteer with the Delaware Nature Society. I have served on two dozen environmental committees established by Delaware’s governors or a member of a governor’s cabinet. Committee work has ranged from control of acid rain and ozone precursors to statewide brownfields and recycling initiatives. ❯ Lorraine is an avid birder. She identifies, I photograph. In 2013, we went to Cuba with a small group of ‘Skilled Avian Field Workers’ to survey local bird populations. It turns out that this is one way experts can get a license from the U.S. government to travel to Cuba directly from the U.S. Our group identified and catalogued 161 different bird species, 26 of which are endemic—found only in Cuba.” ❯ Jay Burgess and wife Shay spent Thanksgiving with a nephew and his family on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He reports that it was cold there, but they had a great time. The couple spent Christmas in Milwaukee with their children, their grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Since their son is the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks, they also attended a couple of games. After the holidays, they returned home to enjoy Florida’s warmth and the upcoming Fifty Year Club lunch in Naples to see old friends. ❯ Reverend Carlee Bengtson Hallman has started a prayer blog. To access a prayer a day, except on Sundays, go to prayersforeveryday.wordpress.com. ❯ Alumni often run into Knox in surprising places. Marian Tenhaeff Trythall of Portland, Oregon, writes: “In one of his recent columns, The Oregonian’s columnist, Brent Hunsberger, quoted Knox Professor of Psychology Tim Kasser, co-author of a 2002 study called “What Makes for a Merry

Christmas?” Then when I was looking through the January 2013 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, I found an article on how to beat the winter blahs and the fourth suggestion came from a recent study at Knox College. The study found ‘people perked up PDQ when they listened to lively music while consciously focusing on feeling positive.’ So keep up the good work, Knox!” Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1952 Class Correspondent: Anne Reutlinger Porter 407 Russell Avenue, Apartment 204, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2853, 301-987-6894, justjim22@gmail.com

1953 Margaret Rabenau Wright graduated with a B.S. in nursing and was associated with Cottage Hospital. She grew up in Galesburg and intended to be a music major but switched to nursing after her first year. For many years, she worked at St. Joseph Hospital in Belvidere, Illinois, where her duties included writing medical manuals. She has also published articles in various nursing magazines. After retiring 20 years ago, she now resides in Sandwich, Illinois, and, using her creative writing abilities, has published her first novel, Pursuit of the Nightingale, a tale of soldiers and a German nurse during WWII. A copy of the novel is in Seymour Library. ❯ Congratulations, Margaret, you join Dick Zylstra as another author from the Class of ’53. ❯ Vernon Spencer sends greetings from Japan. He and Ayako recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. ❯ If you missed Homecoming 2013, you missed a good one. I flew from Bradley International through Chicago to Moline and drove to Galesburg. I had plans in place in late July for airline tickets, car rental, and accommodations in Galesburg. The round-trip flight was a new and enlightening experience; I hadn’t been near an airplane since 1991. The TSA security, new airplanes with increased seating full to capacity, extra fees for checked luggage, minimal snacks, and a cocktail by credit card only was all a new adventure to me! Regardless, I completed the weekend no worse for the wear. It was great. The “Taste of Galesburg” AllClass Reception was Friday night. On Saturday were Homecoming Convocation and the FYC Luncheon. In the afternoon, I opted for the tour of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe classification yards south of Galesburg in lieu of the Knox vs. Cornell football game. Knox was defeated, I later learned. Saturday night was our Reunion dinner at Soangetaha Country Club, and Sunday morning we concluded with brunch at the home of Larry Chadwick and his wife, Doris. Then it was off to Moline for my afternoon flights back to Windsor Locks. ❯ It took a couple of days to get back to normal, but, for me, it was well worth the effort. See you all again (I hope) in 2018.

Class Knox about.” —Dorothy Thomas Wharton ’55 Class Correspondent: Nevin C. Lescher 295 Reed Avenue, Windsor Locks, CT 06096, 860-623-0550, nesu@cox.net

1954 Quick Quiz: Name the 1954 Commencement speaker. For the first class member to answer correctly, I will donate $60 to the Fifty year Club in your name. The FYC’s Megan Clayton will be the judge. Send your response to Megan. ❯ Life is good for Jim and Phyllis Holowaty Albrecht ’56. Between Christmas and New Years, the entire Albrecht clan—12 people—enjoyed a seven day Caribbean cruise. In addition to Jim and Phyllis, the clan included daughter Ann, son-in-law Scott Michel, and their three sons, ages 21 to 26; daughter Karen; and son Jim, daughter-in-law Lisa, and their two daughters, ages 7 and 10. They avoided the Bermuda Triangle, Jim says. ❯ From Wisconsin, Don Stoffel reports that he is now in assisted living and battling kidney stones with three surgeries. Don’s wife died two years ago, but his four children provide great help and encouragement. While his present mobility is limited, Don writes that he occasionally sees Jack Eary and wife Shirley. “Both of them look great.” ❯ Jack Bandy weighs in with two Knox “small world” stories. In 1985, Jack placed an ad in the Los Angeles legal newspaper for a trial attorney and was surprised to receive a resume from a St. Louis lawyer. And more surprised to find the applicant was a Knox graduate, David A. Koester ’76, who was eager to move to California. Jack also learned that David was a TKE and both had held the same chapter office. After an interview, David was hired and, ultimately, the practice became Bandy and Koester. Jack has long since retired, but David continues to practice in Newport Beach, California. ❯ An even more unlikely event occurred seven or eight years ago when a new neighbor moved in across the street from Jack and wife Betty in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. While Betty was welcoming the newcomer, the subject of schools came up, and the neighbor said that while he had not been able to graduate, he had attended a small college that Betty probably had not heard of—Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. He is Joe Lisuzzo ’79. A small world, indeed. Joe maintains a strong interest in Knox, Jack says, but apparently missed President Emeritus Roger Taylor ’63’s edict that we always announce our Knox attendance proudly and never refer to it as “a small school you’ve probably not heard of.” ❯ Jim Poor, a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of Knox College, passed away unexpectedly on December 24. Jim had been looking forward to his 60th Reunion this coming fall. Knox College and Jim’s many Knox contemporaries have lost a dear friend. Condolences to his wife, Bobbie Schlick Poor, who has also been a loyal supporter of Knox, having served most recently as President of the FYC. ❯ The fall issue of the magazine featured a report on the KnoxCorps, a formal organization

providing services to the Galesburg community, including stipends for graduates. Sixty years ago, we did not have that kind of program, but Knox students did volunteer service with Galesburg organizations. One was the late Ardzie Bourns Hahn, whom I dated on a few occasions. One memorable date was for a formal dance. Before going to the dance, Ardzie, in her long gown, and I in my rented tux, were at the Carver Community Center acting as stagehands for a youth program. I lost touch with Ardzie after graduation, but I believe she was continuing to do such things when she died in 1971. ❯ Also in the fall issue, in the notes of another class, was a reference to Dr. Sherwin Proctor, a transposition of names, I’m sure, for English Professor Proctor Sherwin. Professor Sherwin began a creative writing course by asking students to name a writer they admired. My response of Mark Twain was deemed acceptable, but that of Jim Drought ’56 deﬁnitely was not. Professor Sherwin made it very clear that he did not consider Mickey Spillane to be an appropriate role model. So far as I know, though, Drought was the only member of that class to become a published novelist before his death in 1983. ❯ If you have nothing to report about current activities, how about memories of 60 years ago? Class Correspondent: Jim Dunlevey 27419 Embassy Street, Menifee, CA 92586-2005, dunlevey@aol.com

1955 Even though Bud and I take a two-mile walk most mornings, we’re beginning to wonder if reaching 80 isn’t exercise enough! Congratulations to all of us who are “hanging in there.” As one of our wise classmates wrote, none of us is going to get out of this alive! ❯ Bill Ives was our ﬁrst responder to the e-mail request for news: he and Virginia recently returned from their eighth annual month-long trip to Burma. This fall, he and freshman roommate Don Weston met for lunch at the Gizmo and shared memories. I hope all of you have seen the new Gizmo; I wonder what current students would think of our 1955 Gizmo. Bill is working on his memoirs—a project we all should think about. He reports that health and life itself remain good. Visits to Knox will be a lot more fun now that Bill’s grandson is a student there. ❯ Tony Liberta was honored with a well-deserved Knox Service Award during Homecoming Convocation. In 2007, Tony received the FYC Scroll of Honor. His contributions to Knox are impressive, and I know you all join me in giving him congratulations and thanks for all he has done for our class and the College. Phi Delta Theta members had a Reunion dinner during Homecoming weekend. Our class was well represented by Tony and his wife, Sue, and Jim Jones and his sons, Ken and Gary. Gail Holmes Curtis was there too, escorted by her Phi Delt husband, Don Curtis ’53. It was a beautiful Homecoming weekend, Tony reported, crisp and sunny. Walter Larkin and wife Susan Clare

were at the FYC luncheon with the Jones boys (all three). ❯ Nubs and Letitia Luther Schactner ’58, as well as Carolyn Swartz Park, enjoyed Homecoming weekend. ❯ Jim Lockett had cataract surgery and is adjusting to life without glasses. One of the few advantages of the golden years. He hopes to finish his book on recreational mechanics with additional track and field events. Jim hopes the Puget Sound alumni group will have a cool-weather event. He plans to impress them wearing his K sweater. (Check for moth holes, Jim!) ❯ Jim ’54 and Phyllis Holowaty Albrecht ’56 report that Jim Johnson ’54 just turned 81, and, in spite of his limitations, is leading a happy life. ❯ Fran Lyman observes that we are losing our friends, acquaintances, and family on a much too frequent basis. (Agreed!) Fran was in the Peace Corps in the ’60s and recently lost a friend who shared that experience. Fran served a second stint in the Peace Corps in the ’90s in Morocco. Those two adventures would make a fascinating book, Fran. ❯ In September, Russ Fuiks and wife Jan took an 11-day river cruise in Russia and were impressed with the sights and sounds. Their grandchildren all live within 12 miles of them, so they do a lot of grandchild sitting. Since our youngest grandchild is 21, we look back on those days with great fondness. The only trip the Fuiks have planned for 2014 is a trip to Knox with their grandson, who is college shopping. ❯ Sara Dolder Stewart, my dear old roomie, remembers what a family we Whiting Hall waitresses were and how delicious the bacon-on-buttered-toast morning sandwiches were. My delight in waitressing was having unlimited leftover desserts. I now am a Type 2 diabetic and never have had a doubt why. ❯ Sara’s fellow Arizonians Paul Johnson and wife Pat are fine, and Al and Barbara Behringer Paulus ’56 feel “this medical stuff is getting old.” Do I hear a chorus of agreement from you all? Al e-mails very “punny” jokes, and I return them with very corny ones. Last summer, they visited sons and family in Seattle and Illinois and had a visit from their Brooklyn granddaughter over Labor Day weekend. ❯ Gina Albrecht is the proud grandmother of Benjamin Knox Albrecht. The parents, Rob and Kathleen, don’t plan on using that middle name on a regular basis, but what a fine tribute to grandfather Bob Albrecht’s devotion to his alma mater. Shortly after I heard this news, I saw on Facebook or some other impressive source of information that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have named a son Knox. In fact, it is a very popular boy’s name. Who knew? The Albrechts are planning to use contributions designated for the Bob Albrecht Memorial in an appropriate way, yet to be decided. Contributions may be designated in Bob’s memory and sent to the Knox College Office of Advancement, 2 East South St., Galesburg, IL 61401. ❯ Here’s to the next generation! May they have the wonderful memories to share when they reach the golden years. Class Correspondent: Dorothy Thomas Wharton 3511 S.E. Fairway West, Stuart, FL 34997-6033, 772-220-9433, dtwharton33@gmail.com

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“I got to try out a zip line in Olympic Park.” —Ricky Jung Schwarzler ’56

1956 Happy birthday to those among us who are seeing our age odometers turn over to the big 80! Ed Beck proudly points out that he’s a few years away from that milestone, but adds “I’ve got new eyes, or at least new lenses in the old eyeballs.” He and wife Marianne Adler Beck ’55 planned two trips—cruising the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles in January, and, in the spring visiting, along with daughter Kathy, her granddaughter Izzy, a St. Olaf junior who is doing a semester in Scotland.” ❯ Ricky Jung Schwarzler writes: “Bob Schwarzler ’55 celebrated his 80th birthday in October with an informal family dinner featuring 14 lobsters, making the local seafood vendor very happy. We visited eastern Washington, and Bob went to Tofino, British Columbia, with daughter Sue and her husband to snag salmon and halibut for our freezer. We spent July 4 week in a condo with Sue and her family in Park City, Utah, where I got to try out a zip line at Olympic Park. After that, I journeyed to Chicagoland to visit sister Ann Jung Finney ’58 and her family. In October, Bob and I had a long rainy weekend with daughters Bobbie, Linda, and Linda’s husband at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, where we received news that Bobbie had become a grandmother for the second time (and we, the ‘greats’). When we returned home, I decided on the spur of the moment to go to Athens, Greece, with daughter Kate to visit daughter Ellen for two weeks. We mastered the wonderful Metro system, spent money at the Plaka, and ventured to some of the islands when we needed a break from chasing two little boys, Charlie (4) and Erich (1).” ❯ Mack Trapp and wife Carol once again traveled to Japan in the fall: first to Fukuoka so that Carol could see the sumo tournament; then to Kyoto so Mack could start his 4Faces photo and video study of Buddhist temples and gardens; and, finally, to Tokyo to stock up on sake and sashimi. ❯ Dick Pollak and his wife, pianist Diane Walsh, are leaving their Manhattan co-op apartment after almost 34 years and are relocating to Portland, Maine. Dick, who is a distinguished editor and author, recently published After the Barn, both as an e-book and in paperback. This newest book is a memoir of events that have punctuated his personal life. Of particular interest is his chapter about the tragic alcohol-related deaths at Knox in October 1954, which had a profound effect on Dick and altered the course of his undergraduate experience. Check out Dick’s website for details: www.richardpollak.com. ❯ Jack Reiners reports that this academic year’s recipient of the Class of 1956 endowed scholarship is Matthew Timmerberg ’15 from Naperville, Illinois, who is majoring in history and education and plans to be a high school history teacher. ❯ Bob and Judy Bowers Rothe ’58 traveled from their home in Boulder, Colorado, to northern Europe for several weeks this past fall. They visited Iceland,

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Czech Republic. The vacation trip had two purposes: an enjoyable 11-day cruise along the western coast of Norway, and a tour of several countries to visit about 100 young people who have at one time stayed in their home as foreign exchange students. ❯ Jerry Cuthbert happily announces the birth of four new great-grandchildren within the past year, bringing the total to eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. In the fall, he and his wife spent a week in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, with his sister and her family. They visited the African Lion Safari Park, where they rode on an elephant, and then stopped at Niagara Falls on the way home. ❯ Bob Sparks and wife Kathy had a long visit to El Paso this year due to the illness of her sister, who passed away in October. Bob reports that his golf this past year “has been better, as I shot my age for years 78 and 79. I had a great telephone visit with Mac Edwards and plan to touch base next summer with Mack Trapp. We plan to be back in Galesburg in April.” ❯ Frank Casey reports having to put his golf clubs in storage last fall while recovering from skull surgery. Upon receiving a clean bill of health from his neurologist, he scheduled a three-week voyage for December, flying to Singapore, boarding a ship, and visiting three or four places in Australia. He hoped to locate some of the great Aussie soldiers who worked for him in Vietnam on his first tour there. ❯ Shirley Surta Scott writes: “Russ Scott and two of our sons, Tim Scott ’92 and John (Lt. Col., ret./ USMC), and daughter-in-law Beth ran the Chicago Marathon. Russ wasn’t very fast. Three weeks later, we went to New York where Russ ran the NYC marathon (still slowly), and we saw some shows. We also had dinner with our daughter-in-law (wife of son Paul Scott ’81) and granddaughter Stephanie, who plays Lexi on Disney’s A.N.T. Farm. Happily, grandson John finished his time with the Marines after two deployments to Afghanistan and now lives and works in Arizona.” ❯ George Melton and wife Sara spent the winter as snowbirds in Green Valley, Arizona, where they see many friends and relatives, including son Tom and family in Chandler, Arizona. They usually connect with Burt Sargeant and wife Cleo but, this year, had to wait until October to see them in Peoria. Last June, their four children, their children’s spouses, and their 14 grandchildren joined them for a week at a large Wisconsin lake house. For George’s 80th, his wife orchestrated a surprise visit to Peoria by their four children, without spouses or children. George commented: “I cannot begin to remember the last time that just the six of us were together. There were many happy memories, great meals, and more surprises.” ❯ Nancy Merrill Swertfager writes: “I had a surprise call from Rich Clopper ’59. I hadn’t seen or heard from him in more than 60 years, so it was fun to catch up. I also occasionally hear from Knox roommate Nancy Taylor Randol. We should all keep in touch more often. At least this

column helps out.” ❯ I agree with Nancy. Please keep sending updates my way. Our classmates enjoy reading about you just as much as you enjoy reading about them! Class Correspondent: Phyllis Holowaty Albrecht 36 Warrington Drive, Lake Bluff, IL 60044-1321, 847-234-7062, albrecjp@aol.com

1957 It is fun to be able to contact my fellow classmates and hear the many adventures of my Knox associates. One thing we all have in common is reﬂecting on our days in Galesburg. Who could forget the adventures at the “Three Crown Room” and other activities? One thing we almost all can testify to today is that we are well placed in retirement. ❯ Lynn Nelson seems to be an exception to that statement. After a long career in the computer industry, a real pioneer with USG, he now spends much of his time in real estate associated with Coldwell Banker. Living in historic Concord, Massachusetts, area is a fun experience. When he’s not working, he assists for his wife in her successful needle supply business. ❯ Nancy Tice Norton enjoys her activities as a contributor to the Oak Park, Illinois, community. She’s been married for 55 years, and three children and 10 grandchildren keep her busy. For 22 years, she has been on the Oak Park Recreation Board and also serves as a commissioner of the Oak Park District. ❯ Speed skating is still a key part of Marv Hughes’s life. He coaches that sport at the Milwaukee Oval. He is also an avid shotgun enthusiast, enjoying clay pigeon and general trap shooting. Though still involved with his insurance business, it is now his son’s work. ❯ Art Sinden continues his interest in photography, especially nature scenes. After a career in engineering with the federal government, he now lives in Georgia. Sadly, Art lost his beloved wife just recently. Our sympathy is certainly known to him. ❯ Jim Roberts, our class marshal, is recovering from a couple of mishaps in his life. While recovering from a stroke, he suffered a fall resulting in multiple breaks of his femur. Jim sends his best to all while recovering at his winter residence in Pauley Island, South Carolina. ❯ Bill Shaffer has nothing to report. I just like writing his name. I would love to hear what is going on in your life. Class Correspondent: Jack O’Dowd 4837 88th Street E., Bradenton, FL 34211-3606, 941-753-1483, jodowd310@msn.com

1958 The 55th Reunion was a huge success with 27 class members returning to campus for a variety of activities during Homecoming weekend. ❯ Some attended the Friday night All-Class Reception; others went to the Athletic Hall of Fame dinner. Mondo Lopez, Larry Anderson, and Bob Wolf were members of the 1956 winning

Class Knox team inducted and honored that evening. ❯ Janet Van Der Sluys Brown and I shared memories of Whiting Hall as freshman roommates prior to Saturday morning’s Convocation. ❯ Ann Jung Finney, Mike and Pat Craig Ruffolo, Mary Peterson Potter, Bob Mason, Jim Spence, John Norton, and others attended Convocation, followed by our class photo. ❯ Many attended the FYC lunch. Muriel Hill Cronin, Sue Hill, Bill Baker, Bill Studley, and Roy Isaacson reminisced about Knox days at that event. ❯ The Reunion dinner in the Lincoln Room was well attended. After I welcomed the group as Reunion chair, Mondo Lopez recalled the friendships we made and kept over the years. Anita Tosetti Johnson led classmates in sharing memories of campus days. ❯ Bill and Joan Walant Baffes remembered fun times in the Gizmo (located in the basement of Alumni Hall). Bill and Joan met at Adelphi Hall. ❯ Mary Mullins Hinz recalled being in Whiting Hall when the public library, north of Whiting, burned in May 1958. ❯ Bob Andrews remembered bottles lined up at Seymour Hall with a message on a bed sheet intended for Dean Wilbur Pillsbury! ❯ Mike Ruffolo had fond memories of playing sax with his band for many campus events in the ’50s. ❯ Larry Fichter gave a vivid report of the married housing in those days. ❯ Nina Allen remembered playing a trick on Caroline Andrews Evans at Whiting Hall. Now living in Boulder, Colorado, Nina has a photography company. ❯ Bob and Louise Bost Wolf ’59 hosted a brunch at their home on Sunday morning. Many classmates and guests attended to say their good-byes and again renew friendships. Fred Kauffman and Bob McAllister were present for those festivities. ❯ Janet Van Der Sluys Brown shared her earlier visit with Joe and Carol Tomicki Rogers at their Lincoln, Nebraska, home. They spent the weekend catching up on the last 50 years since the gals were roommates at Knox. Carol and Janet toured Lincoln, visiting gardens and the Quilt Museum. The Rogers have been doing a great deal of traveling to see family and have taken cruises to tropical islands in their retirement. ❯ Mary Kay Zahutnik Krughoff shared that her son started racing when he was nine and in his mid-20s became a sponsored professional cyclist, racing all over the U.S. and Belgium. Mary Kay’s middle grandson is in his second year of medical school studying neurology. Her youngest grandson graduated from the University of San Francisco and is starting grad school next year. ❯ Mary Kay and Nina Allen headed home through scenic Galena, enjoying the fall colors. ❯ We all enjoyed reliving Knox experiences and sharing updates with classmates. We left hoping we would be back at Knox for our 60th Reunion! ❯ A memorial bench in honor of Nancy Cane Beelman’s 45 years as class correspondent and matching bench in memory of Leila Phillips Ivins face each other outside Seymour Hall, as Janet Van Der Sluys Brown discovered. ❯ I regret to report the passing of

Lelia Phillips Ivins, Levantha Fisher Litsey, and Bob Weise. Condolences go out to Caroline Andrews Evans. Her husband, Dr. Jesse Evans, died in November. ❯ A wonderful 55th Reunion was enjoyed by those who attended, and many of you were missed but not forgotten. Please contact me with updates for the next column. Class Correspondent: Letitia Luther Schactner 246 East Dayton Street, Galesburg, IL 61401-1833, 309-342-0748, letnor@comcast.net

1959 Larry Blasch writes: “I am on the board of the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association, have been selected to the board of the College of Education at the Citadel, and am the captain of the golf course rating team for the South Carolina low country. I sure have a lot of fun and keep busy.” ❯ Mary Coyne Karau writes: “I travel four times a year to see my daughters and their families in Bend, Oregon, and Missoula, Montana. Grandchildren are now 11, 9, and 4. I traveled to France and Italy this year. I’m going to Italy next spring and then to Russia for several weeks in early summer. I tried to have lunch with Conny Drew Tozer some weeks ago when I planned to be in Chicago for the day. She wrote back to tell me that she was going to be in Eastern Europe.” ❯ Bill Reiners is retiring at the end of this academic year. “It has been a good run— 50 years of active academic life—but teaching and other obligations during the fall semester are getting in the way of other things Norma and I want to do. Our highlight for 2013 was visiting our older son and his family last May in Nancy, France, where he had been on a full-year sabbatical. Besides enjoying Lorraine, we also traveled to one of my favorite places: romantic Heidelberg— locale for my favorite musical, The Student Prince. We roamed through picturesque Alsace and Normandy. After we returned from France, I was surprised and honored to receive the Ecological Society of America’s Eminent Ecologist Award. I wish Paul Shepard, George Ward, Don Sanville, Tom Williams, Willard Ross, Rowland Chase, and other Knox professors to whom I owe so much could have known about this.” ❯ Georgia Raft Souris says: “We took an Alaskan cruise in 2012 and a great rail trip thru Colorado in 2013. We hit six different trains in eight days, from narrow gauge steam to deluxe Amtrak. We took our kids and had a great time. We are still in pretty good health. Our grandson got married and had a baby girl, so now we are great-grandparents. He also enlisted in the Navy. We are still active in our church community and in our fraternal organizations, the Order of AHEPA and the Daughters of Penelope. We have travelled to conventions if Orlando, Florida; Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California; and Portland, Oregon, in the last year and look forward to next year’s trips.” ❯ Ralph Harju writes, “Elaine and I are creatures of habit. This year we went to

Lavagna, Italy, for a month as usual. We visited the many places in the local Genoa area, Venice, and Nice, France. This year our daughter, Melissa Harju Vos ’91, son-in-law Adam, and grandchildren plan to join us there for their Easter break. This will be the grandchildren’s third trip to Italy. We did our annual week in Stratford, Ontario, and saw 10 plays. Another annual trip was a week at Mackinac Island with a side trip to Canada for the train ride to Agawa Canyon. We frequently go to Chicago on the South Shore commuter train to visit Melissa and family. Elaine still has her art studio in Saint Joseph. I had photographs accepted in four juried art shows this year. We try to visit Dick Brakenridge (he transferred to University of Miami after two years at Knox), and Bob Moldal ’60. They each live about 90 miles from us in opposite directions.” ❯ Joe Stablein says: “We just got back from Buffalo, New York, where our daughter, her husband, and our two grandchildren live. I am retired from my position as the principal at Coon Rapids-Bayard High School in Iowa. My wife and I do quite a bit of traveling now, as we have another daughter and grandchildren in Billings, Montana. We get back to Galesburg occasionally, to visit family and friends, and tour the campus, which has changed considerably. We also spend vacation time in Colorado hiking in the Uncompahgre National Forest, where I spent 19 summers working for the U.S. Forest Service as a seasonal ranger. Last summer I was able to climb Courthouse Mountain (12,152 feet), which is pretty good for an over 75-yearold man.” ❯ Nick Karay says: “We were sorry not to be able to get back for Homecoming this year but have it on the calendar for next year.” ❯ Bob Grover writes: “I retired May 1 after practicing law for more than 50 years in Jackson County, Michigan. Wife Jane accepted a management position in Chicago with the American Dental Association. In addition to our home in Jackson and our place in Leelanau County, Michigan, we now have a condo in the Old Town neighborhood in Chicago. I walk Jane to work most mornings, and when the weather and water are warm enough, stop for a swim at the Oak Street beach. I spend lots of quality time with my daughter, Jane Grover, who lives in Evanston with husband Bill Blanchard and two grandsons. My other three kids and ﬁve other grandchildren are coast-to-coast in Boston, Seattle, and Atlanta. I play golf at Waveland Golf Course on the lakefront where I played growing up in Chicago with Ken Tetzlaff, or I ﬁsh off the rocks in Montrose Harbor. I volunteer at a farmer’s market in Lincoln Park and, every Wednesday morning in the spring and fall, I go on a bird walk around the North Pond in the park. ❯ Bob Wolf ’58 and I have had a busy fall attending all of the Knox football games to watch our grandson Ben Couri ’16. They worked and worked and played their hearts out but won only one game, at Beloit. It was a thrill. During Homecoming weekend, the ’56 football team and ’56-’57 basketball teams

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Rich Fulton ’62 retired after teaching political science for 40 2014 Alumni Achievement Award Lee ’62 and Alexandra Benham ’61 met at Knox and came to know each other during a seminar in modern algebra. “She pulled me through,” says Lee. From Knox, Lee followed Alexandra to Stanford University, where she studied mathematics and political science and health economics. Over the years, both Lee and Alexandra have been widely published in the field of economics. In 2000 they helped found the Ronald Coase Institute, which assists young social science scholars around the world in studying important economic problems in their own countries. The mission is to increase their future opportunities to improve their countries’ circumstances. The couple has travelled extensively to Russia, Germany, China, North Korea, Slovakia, Chile, and other countries through their work with the institute. Coming from 68 countries across the world, many of the 470 alumni of the institute have already made important contributions, such as studies of the benefits of clear property rights, improved judicial systems, and clean water supplies. “Most are working under difficult conditions, and it is immensely satisfying to see them flourish,” says Alexandra. “Some have said that our workshops have changed their lives, which is what Knox did for me.”

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Knox Magazine: Describe your Knox experience. Alexandra Benham: My memories center on many outstanding professors. Along with mathematics, they taught us curiosity, discipline, sophistication, generosity. Working with them during summer mathematics institutes on campus was terriﬁc. And a great bonus was that through a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) fellowship program organized by Knox professor Willard Ross and his German colleague, I got to study mathematics in Germany during my junior year. KM: How has your Knox experience affected your life? Lee Benham: I grew up a daydreamer while living on a farm. Farming is work. Daydreaming is not. Hence, when I saw Knox faculty were paid for serious daydreaming—i.e. thinking—and talking with students, my path was clear. I followed Alexandra to graduate school. For me, the Knox education was perfect and transformative. It showed me the path that I have never regretted taking. KM: What do you believe is your most notable achievement? Lee Benham: My career has been as a faculty member in economics, ﬁrst at the University of Chicago and then at Washington University in St. Louis. Some of my research papers have had an impact, and I have had great pleasure in my role as teacher. Some of my undergraduate honors students have won national prizes for their research. I am grateful to the many remarkable and dedicated teachers at Knox who served as role models. My most satisfying experience has been my recent work with Alexandra in the Ronald Coase Institute.

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Alumni Achievement Award Winner

Lee ’62 and Alexandra Houston Benham ’61

were inducted into the Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame (HOF). At the induction banquet, it was a special thrill for Bob to read the names of the football roster with grandson Ben at his side. Since it was Bob’s Class Reunion, there were a lot of friends here as well as the HOF inductees from other classes. Junior Brown, Max Brown, and their wives were here. We had about 50 people for brunch on Sunday. ❯ We look forward to our 55th Class Reunion the weekend of October 10-12. Please plan to attend. Class Correspondent: Louise Bost Wolf 3 Gilbert Park, Knoxville, IL 61448, 309-289-6435, 309-337-6435 (cell), wolfl@grics.net

1960

Greetings from the desert. ❯ John Malmberg ’61 called this fall to let me know that he and Randi are doing fine. He had a visit from two of his Beta buddies, Phil Burgess ’61 and Tom Chulibrk ’61. They had been at Knox and drove to Rockford to see him. I’m sure they had a great time walking down memory lane. ❯ The only other member of the Class of ’60 that I know anything about is me. Our lives are filled with children and dogs. Don was just elected as treasurer of our church. Since he was the only one running, it would have been humiliating if he had lost. Except having a year round tan and Don having to trek into Manhattan to go to work, our lives are pretty much the same. ❯ Now for my begging and pleading. I need some help with our column. I need information so we can all keep in touch. If five people would each send me a paragraph, I’d have five paragraphs. Class Correspondent: Susan Greco Straetz 4416 Maricopa Circle, Las Cruces, NM 88011-1722, 575-532-9461, 575-640-0762 (cell), dstraetz@aol.com

1961 Dear Classmates: Suella is thrilled to hear from you, so please consider writing more often. Even if you’ve had your news published within recent years, we’d welcome an update. ❯ Bill Dewey writes: “I am happy to hear about the friends from back in the years at Knox. Phil Burgess and his wife stopped by a couple years ago on his way to Florida, as did Tom Chulibrk on his way to visit his daughter in Charlotte. When ﬁshing in Florida this winter, I plan to see Ed Ogorzalek. I ﬁsh a lot in South Carolina; my daughter and family live there. I live only 40 miles north of Greenville and 12 miles from the state line, so I’m a big Gamecock fan!” ❯ Norm Porter says: “I have never submitted anything for Class Notes, and I was a very shy and retiring person at Knox. I am a retired OB/GYN who graduated from Northwestern med school, along with a number of other Knox graduates. My wife Gail (retired R.N.) and I celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary in September. We have an adult daughter and son and two granddaughters (4 and 6). We just returned from a three week trip with

Class Knox years at Northwest Missouri State in Marysville, Missouri. Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands. This was certainly above and beyond any of our other travels and really gave us an intimate view of one of our planet’s still pristine wild places; however, don’t go if you don’t like penguins!” ❯ A mini-Knox Reunion was held in Overland Park, Kansas, late in November. Phil Burgess was in the area for four days, and he made presentations and did book signings for his Reboot: What to Do When Your Career Is Over but Your Life Isn’t. Bill and Barbara Lee Fay hosted a dinner party for Phil and his wife, Mary Sue. Attending were Susan Shea Worthington and Gordon ’60 and Anne Wetzel Faubel ’60. ❯ Susan Shea Worthington says: “In addition to the time with friends mention above, I have a Knox story. Over the Labor Day weekend, I went to visit an old childhood playmate and his wife in the small town of Macon, Missouri. They had a Labor Day potluck cookout. I met a few of the attendees on previous visits. One of the couples had guests from North Carolina. During the meal one of the locals mentioned visiting her grandparents in Galesburg. Of course, I exclaimed I had gone to college there. We spoke about that brieﬂy, and then her husband said ‘Oh, Hal went to Knox.’ Hal was one of the other guests. I immediately went to his table and introduced myself (again). I said ‘Do you root for Prairie Fire?’ He replied ‘Actually I prefer Siwash.’ Good answer! It was Hal Lander ’60. We had a delightful visit. Turns out we remembered each other, and we think we had classes together in Alumni Hall. We remembered mutual friends and professors. Hal and wife Marie-Claire travel a lot, and he taught at the University of North Carolina. Now he does editing and had recently edited books for other Knox grads. Think of this: the party consisted of 11 people, three of whom were just visiting, strangers to the rest of the group. And of those three, two were Knox grads! What are the odds of that?” 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 Lee and Alexandra Houston Benham ’61, who work with young scholars at the Ronald Coase Institute, are headed for Xiamen, China. Despite the jet lag and pollution, they find the work with scholars “inspiring.” Lee proudly notes that their grandson soloed in a glider at age 14. “Mixed feelings: I would have loved to do that myself at 14. And I try to convince myself that it is as safe as driving.” ❯ Joe Empen, at Betsy Wallace Empen’s urging, writes: “We continue to fight the good fight. We are getting to know more about the medical profession—now is that good

or bad?” They shared an interesting tidbit: in ’58, several people in Joe’s graduating class at Polo High School attended Knox. Knox grad/Polo football coach Joe Jobst ’49 steered a few students from a class of less than 50. That year, Sandra Abels Hummel, Susan Schell White, Bob Dempsey, Ted Folk, Calvin Ebersole, and Joe came to Knox, joining Poloites Bob Reim ’61 and Larry Abels ’59. Quite a big gathering from this Northern Illinois town! ❯ Rich Fulton retired August 1 after teaching political science for 40 years at Northwest Missouri State in Marysville, Missouri. He writes: “Not sure what I will do with my time, but it came time to step aside from teaching. I’ll probably do a bit of writing and continue my weekly column of commentary in the local paper—don’t want to break the 30-year string.” ❯ Mary Karr Merikle, following her earlier visit with Todd ’61 and Linda Lenz Allen ’61, Bob and Barb Cady Schmid, and Don Lehmann, visited Knox roommate Sue Mitchell Nienhuis ’61 and husband Karl Nienhuis ’61. “What a time we had.” ❯ Here’s a partial 50-year update from Phil Merikle. After Knox, Phil attended the University of Virginia, receiving his M.A. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology (now cognitive neuroscience). In 1966, he joined the newly formed Department of Psychology at University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Phil interviewed and accepted an offer, thinking he would be there for two or three years. After almost 39 years, he retired from what he calls “a great journey,” while the university and the department gained international reputations. Initially ﬁnding Waterloo a less than exciting place, he now proudly reports the city is a very dynamic place to live and a thriving hub for science and technology—home for Blackberry and Open Text, a large Google presence, hundreds of smaller tech companies, the Institute of Quantum Physics, and the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics. After 45 years, he considers himself “a lifer.” In 1974-75, while afﬁliated with the University of Reading, he lived with his family in England in a postcard village, Pangbourne, on the Thames between Reading and Oxford. In 1995, he accepted a position at the University of Amsterdam and thoroughly enjoyed the city and The Netherlands. ❯ Jon Palmer—enjoying retirement for nearly 11 years—and wife Barbara have participated in many Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) trips. They completed their second Rick Steves tour to Italy in October. Joe maintains contact with Knox roommate Lee Benham and has visited him in St. Louis. Jon writes: “I have many fond memories of Knox and am sure that my life continues to be enhanced by the education and experiences I had there.” ❯ Bud ’63 and Mary Jo Howe Potter attended Homecoming 2013 and the dedication of Stisser Field in Knosher Bowl in honor of Vern “Junior” Stisser’s gift of $1.6 million. Vern’s children, Traci Stisser, Carrie Langemeier, Mark Stisser, and Eric Stisser, attended the dedication. The family hosted a Celebration of Life for Vern,

where alumni and Galesburg friends gathered to remember Vern and tell many good stories. ❯ In 2012, the Potters visited Cindy Donaldson Ohama and, this November, they and Mary Matheson Maltby ’63 arrived in Marin County, California. The itinerary included Point Reyes National Seashore and visits to the elephant seal colony, the tule elk herds, the bird sanctuary, and the beautiful Pacific beaches. They had fun catching up on the last 50 years. Bud adds a word of caution to unsuspecting friends: “Be careful when you casually invite us.” ❯ In September, the Potters joined George Matkov ’64 and wife Nancy for several weeks in Turkey, visiting Istanbul, the Aegean Coast, and other sites. The trip whetted their appetite for more! Bud claims no Knox professor, history or political science, ever mentioned the Ottoman Empire. Is that right? (Correspondent note: you had to attend every class, Bud!) ❯ Hiroki Sakamato spends his days reading, walking, going to clinics for rehabilitation, or watching TV: “all a little bit tortuous.” He reports that the Japanese press was filled with news of the arrival of Caroline Kennedy as the new U.S. ambassador and remains confident she’ll be welcomed wherever she goes. Recalling the 50th Reunion as a great event for him and his wife, he was particularly impressed to see Old Main and Seymour Hall, where he stayed for four years. “I’m not sure if I will be able to join the 55th Reunion, but Knox remains deep in my heart.” ❯ David A. Summers retired a couple years ago as a lawyer in Seattle, representing people victimized by unscrupulous psychotherapists, pastors, or other people in positions of trust and consumers whose health disability or life insurance claims have been denied. After enduring “countless rejections,” he happily reports that one of his short stories was recently published in issue number eight of Thuglit, a magazine also known as “the big dog of crime fiction.” Onward and upward, David. ❯ Diane Cogswell Thompson and husband Jim visited Peru for a week this fall for their nephew’s wedding to a woman from Lima. The trip included a visit to Macchu Picchu. Diane writes: “The wedding was amazing—sort of like Carnival; the noise and dancing went on until 3 a.m.” At home in snowy Tower Lakes, Illinois, Jim works as a business development manager, and Diane, a retiree, participates in local church and garden club activities and volunteers at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Class Correspondents: Kate Bloomberg hankandkate@msn.com Dennis East denniseast@att.net

1963 Cathy Skinner Feagin writes: “Our 50th Reunion was fabulous! Whenever I hear the Beach Boys singing ‘Surﬁn’ USA’ I will recall the Convocation that honored the contributions of our class. I watched with pride as my College roommate Bunny Zweifel Taylor was presented

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

“I took up bass at age 50 and trombone at age 60—and still with the honorary doctor of laws degree, along with husband Roger Taylor, and I loved reconnecting with old friends. It was great seeing classmates who hadn’t been back to Knox since graduation. ❯ From James Seago: “I am finally in my last year of teaching at SUNY College at Oswego and am busier than ever. In my 46th year at Oswego, I’m still conducting research that I’ll continue long after I stop teaching; I have projects with people in Prague, Czech Republic; Jingzhou, China; Syracuse, New York; and Waterloo, Ontario. My wife and I do a fair amount of traveling in the U.S. and overseas and plan to continue next summer, including professional trips; I’ll be giving talks at Botanical Society of America meetings in Boise, Idaho. I took up bass at age 50 and trombone at age 60—and still play. We had a great time at our 50th Reunion, and we thank everyone for such a wonderful time and event.” ❯ Roger and Bunny Zweifel Taylor report that the barn is lonely! ❯ Jo Mannino Hockenhull writes: “What a treat to see so many classmates, and RECOGNIZE them!” She sent a link to a YouTube interview about the installation of her six-panel painting at Washington State University in Vancouver: youtu.be/HMXgxnXBOfU. ❯ Bruce Spencer says: “Sorry to have missed the 50th. I have only one good reason for missing it: I was in the hospital! I’m at the Miller Rehab Center learning how to walk again. Hope to be home by early 2014.” ❯ Aiyoung Choi says: “After leaving Knox with a degree in fine arts and modern languages, I came to New York City to live with my older sister, Irene Choi ’60, then at Columbia University for a Ph.D. in organic chemistry. My younger brother, Charles Choi ’65, followed me at Knox and then transferred to Cooper Union for Architecture. The three of us lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.” Over the years Aiyoung managed a coffee shop; designed and made outfits for a rock band; worked in a public relations firm; taught Spanish; was editor at a small publishing firm; an instructor in employment training; an employee relations manager at the U.S. Department of Health, Education, & Welfare; and oversaw the consolidation of eight district offices into one huge central office for the New York State Division of Housing. She formally retired from regular employment in 1997. Since then, she has become increasingly involved with various immigrant communities in New York and has served on several nonprofit boards. Aiyoung has two sons and four grandchildren. “While I’ve returned to Knox twice since graduation, I’m a firm believer in the magic of reunions, having met the second love of my life, Gene Schwanke ’54, at a party honoring our favorite English professor, Howard Wilson, at the Gramercy Park Tavern in 1982. We have been together ever since.” They have had some exciting travels around the world, including sailing in Greece, the Caribbean Islands, and Croatia. After Italy and a one-month Eurail trip through Germany, Yugoslavia, Austria, and Croatia, they now enjoy seeing all the many

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amazing things right here in their own back yard! ❯ Eileen Klimick Schoaff added to the list at the Reunion of classmates who had served in the military: Demarious Frederick Tyson served in the U.S. Army from 1963-1983; she retired a major and served in Germany and several other locations. Bruce Turner was in the Navy with seven years of active duty, according to his page in our 50th Reunion book. He said he was in Japan and served at the Tsunami warning center in Hawaii. Eileen continues: “Husband Paul Schoaff and I enjoyed seeing friends we have not seen in ages. We were impressed that we could still boogey into Convocation to the Beach Boys. Yes, we looked older and grayer, but many of us were still in pretty good shape.” ❯ Donna Lee Stark Hayden studied English, speech, and theatre at Knox, and is a 50-year member of Illinois Beta-Delta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity. She graduated with high honors from Bradley University in 1964. In 1975, she earned her associates of arts degree in nursing at Lincolnland Community College in Springﬁeld. In 1995, she retired after working 20 years in geriatric nursing, senior citizen advocacy, and civil law. She and her husband, Lee, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2012. They have three sons and one daughter. Sadly, one son died earlier this year. In 1996, Donna and Lee moved to Southern Illinois, and, during their ﬁrst four years there, they wintered in Arizona. They have crisscrossed all 48 states and took two months driving across Canada to Alaska. Donna remembers “living” in the theatre at Alumni Hall and practicing throwing her voice so that her roommate could hear her words in the back row of the balcony there. She was also a student counselor at Whiting Hall and remembers the move into Williston Hall. Before she became hooked on theatre, Donna participated in the Puddles Swim Club shows, but, as she took on roles in the theatre, little time was left for swimming. She was active in Phi Beta, national theatre and music sorority, and The Knox Players. Her favorite professors were Kim Chase of the theatre department and Momcilo Rosic in Russian classes. Later, she treasured becoming reacquainted with Tom Williams of the music department. Knox introduced her to a life-long appreciation of literature and of all of the arts. The Mock Democratic Convention of 1960 at Knox honed her interest in politics. She especially cherishes reviving her friendship with Mike Lawrence ’64. Class Correspondent: Ramona Reed Landberg 21500 Baltic Drive, Cornelius, NC 28031, 704-892-4637, landberg.group@outlook.com

1964 As we approach our 50th, I’m proud of our professional and personal achievements—including honors accorded to my two-year Knox roommate, David Grossman. He was cited as an internationally known scholar and advocate for global, international, and intercultural education,

receiving the Arthur King Jr. Innovation Award from the Pacific Circle Consortium and the 2013 Distinguished Global Scholar Award from the International Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies. David became senior adjunct fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu after serving as professor and dean at the Hong Kong Institute of Education and Chaminade University of Honolulu. He was lauded for establishing the Stanford Program on International and CrossCultural Education, the Bay Area Global Education Program, the Consortium for Teaching Asia and the Pacific in the Schools, and the Centre for Citizenship Education in Hong Kong. From their home in Hawaii, David and his wife plan travel to Thailand, Myanmar, Bali, Hong Kong, and South Korea this year. ❯ Ginny Lund Johanson toured 27 states on a seven-week tour that highlighted the geographic and political diversity of our nation. At home in Stockton, California, she is involved in a mentoring program focused on girls in the fourth and fifth grades whose parents have not attended college. After attending a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) summer camp, the girls are mentored for five years in a wraparound approach that includes academic tutoring, course selection, and assistance in completing college admission applications and identifying scholarship opportunities. “It is a privilege to watch these girls ‘catch’ a glimpse of what their futures might hold.” ❯ Twice-retired Terry Klopcic says he is working on a third career, tackling his wife Val’s “honey-do” list, much of it linked to their 23 grandchildren. Terry served 32 years as a scientist in a government lab and then 12 as the director of labs for physics and math at Kenyon College, where he taught and joined his wife in hosting and supporting international and domestic students during “a very rejuvenating experience.” ❯ Meanwhile, alumni who have rejuvenated themselves in annual mini-reunions for two decades gathered again to engage in everything from cow milking in Luck, Wisconsin, to finding the statue of Mary Richards (a.k.a. Mary Tyler Moore) in Minneapolis, reports Barbara Kothe Fiala. Jo Ann Dworzynski Pierce handled the dairy duty during visits to farms owned by several cousins of Avis Sorenson Erickson before the group toured several museums in Minneapolis, spent time at Minnehaha Waterfalls, and stopped at the Mall of America, so Kathy Molda East could ride the Ferris wheel. “I have it on good authority that Kathy was as thrilled with her ride as Jo Ann was with milking the cow!” writes Barbara. Others in the reunion group are Jean Scott Welch, Jean Howell Card, and Karen Dittmer Bowyer ’63. ❯ Jeffrey Snow and wife Barb recently retired—he as a school psychologist working on projects to strengthen whole school behavior management systems, and she as a kindergarten teacher in the south suburbs of Seattle. Jeffrey is actively involved in an initiative that would strengthen the requirement in the state of Washington for background checks before gun sales.

Class Knox play.” —James Seago ’63 2014 Alumni Achievement Award Owen W. Muelder ’63 Owen W. Muelder ’63 grew up on the Knox College campus. The son of a Knox faculty member, Muelder attended athletic events, plays, and concerts. “The campus was my playground,” he says. When it was time to choose a college for himself, Muelder remained in the Knox community that he had grown to love. “As a student, I was introduced to a new Knox,” he says. The institution he had been part of since childhood continued to inﬂuence his values, political views, and interests. Muelder graduated from Knox with a history major and a desire to keep learning. After earning his master’s degree from Miami University, Ohio, Muelder taught for three years before he was drawn back to his alma mater and childhood home. In the 36 years Muelder worked as an administrator at Knox, he served as an admissions recruiter, a student personnel dean, and director of the annual fund, retiring as director of alumni affairs in 2004. Even after he retired, Muelder couldn’t part with Knox. In July 2004, he was appointed director of the Galesburg Colony Underground Railroad Freedom Station at Knox College. Muelder credits his Knox education as a reason for his success studying the rich history of the Underground Railroad. “The strong foundation in history I received as a student made it possible for me to establish a second career as a historian.” In this second career, Muelder has made a name for himself as a prominent scholar on the Underground Railroad. He has delivered more than 200 lectures on the anti-slavery movement throughout Illinois and across the country. Muelder has spoken at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and for the National Abolition Hall of Fame at Colgate University; has been interviewed by National Public Radio; and lectured on C-SPAN. His book, The Underground Railroad in Western Illinois, was released by McFarland Press in January 2008. In September 2011, Muelder published a second book, Theodore Dwight Weld and the American Anti-Slavery Society. RAY MILLER

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

He and Barb enjoy a weekly grandparenting day with five-year-old Kate and fishing for bass and trout. ❯ After 30 years representing the futures industry in Washington, John Damgard now enjoys a more leisurely life in Palm Beach, Florida, that allows him to improve his golf game and fly his airplane much more frequently. “Not missing all the travel but still managed to get to Europe three or four times this year, though my multiple trips to Asia are now few and far between.” ❯ Marge Lawton Click and husband Ernie, who toured Civil War sites in 2013, are eyeing Paris and a river cruise to Normandy this summer. ❯ After spending a six-month apprenticeship in Denver with figurative sculptor Ed Dwight, Fay Brown Stevenson-Smith continues her lifelong learning in community college classes. Fay, who retired from her OB/GYN practice in 2000, savors time with daughter Sahmra, a practicing attorney in the Washington D.C. area. ❯ Leighton Scott entertains home school groups and other visitors with his big model train layout and educational exhibits in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Use the hashtag #magictrainworld to access his collection. ❯ Brian Leekley is focusing anew on creative writing, his Knox major. “After some years of Bohemian social activism, my career was as a bookseller, dealing in out-of-print scholarly and collectible books.” His novel, The Son Who Paid Attention, was published in 2010. He has more fiction in the works and has been self-publishing articles on HubPages. He and his wife, an artist and hospice chaplain, live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. ❯ Karen Freedlund McCauley enjoys skyping with son Marc and first grandson Jasper. She teaches psychology, paints with watercolors, and volunteers as a Red Cross driver. ❯ Lynn Melcher Barrett continues to serve as chair of governors for a large secondary school that recently incorporated a primary school and moved into a new building. “Many challenges and lots to learn almost daily.” She remains involved in the development of school libraries and travels to the states from England with husband David to see their grandchildren. ❯ Lynn and several classmates noted they are looking forward to our 50th Reunion. ❯ Jo Ann Ooiman Robinson, who retired after teaching history for 39 years at Morgan State University, plans to attend with daughter Ellie Robinson Mitchell ’95. ❯ Pam Norton Nelson is trying to convince Mary Orne Law to join us after they enjoyed time together in Durham, North Carolina, during Pam’s visit with her daughter-in-law and children. ❯ Leslie Martens Nauta, who has been involved with the Pi Phi alum group in Lake County, hopes all her Knox sorority sisters come to Galesburg in the fall. ❯ Even as Al and Karen Hummel Crumbliss prepared for a spring semester in New Mexico, where he will serve at the Santa Fe Institute, she and Reunion co-chair Linda Bodensiek Schoneberger urge classmates to make plans for the October 10-12 event. Class Correspondent: Mike Lawrence 16 Chimney View Lane, Springfield, IL 62707-9306, 618-201-0279, mikelawrence64@gmail.com

Knox Magazine: What do you believe is your most notable achievement? Owen W. Muelder: My most notable professional achievement has been the publication of my two books and scholarly articles, as well as invitations to speak at professional conferences. My most rewarding personal achievements have been my long marriage and the pride I have in my two daughters. KM: What will you do to celebrate your Alumni Achievement Award? OM: The night before the award, friends are hosting a dinner party for me, and my wife and one of my daughters will be in attendance at the awards ceremony itself. KM: What words of advice would you offer to current Knox students? OM: My advice would be for them to spend less time interacting with electronic gadgets and more time talking to, learning from, and interacting with live human beings face to face.

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Art Adams ’66 hopes to play softball in the 70-and-older division

1965 For the past 40 years, Philip Cohen has been an avid collector of books. His interests are British aesthetic and decadent literature of the 1890s— books, autograph letters, manuscripts, and photographs; new woman/feminist fiction 1885-1914; and late-Victorian book illustration, including Laurence Housman and Aubrey Beardsley. He has written two books: The Moral Vision of Oscar Wilde and John Evelyn Barlas, A Critical Biography: Poetry, Anarchism and Mental Illness in Late Victorian Britain. He is a regular attender of the London Book Fair. He earned a Ph.D. in English literature and retired from government service. He lives in Falls Church, Virginia. ❯ Teresa Hurt DeSmet remembers graduating salutatorian of her high school class, and Steve Baylor was valedictorian. She retired as a computer programmer and worked with A.G. Edwards brokerage firm when it was still family owned. She lives in St. Louis and has a daughter and three grandchildren in O’Fallon, Missouri. ❯ Tom Butts is completing a textbook , Advanced Quantitative Thinking, aimed at teaching applied mathematics suitable for the average student. He is a semi-retired high school math teacher and has lived with wife Judy in Dallas, Texas, for 30 years. ❯ Vicki Walker Brunberg notes her son has a music studio in Portland, Oregon, called Mississippi Studios. She lives with her husband, a neuroradiologist, in Sacramento, California. They love the outdoors and recently visited Denali Park near Mt. McKinley. She has a wonderful, affectionate Goldendoodle dog that she loves dearly. ❯ Rod Carlson retired from the Air Force. He flew C130s into Laos during the Vietnam conflict. He lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina. ❯ Arthur Smith is a semi-retired minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Chicago, having studied at the Princeton Divinity School. He retired in 2008 but continues work with the church on Chicago’s South Side. His wife, Pat, is a volunteer reading and linguistics specialist teaching children in need. He is an avid Lake Michigan sailor. ❯ Barbara DeLong Paharik retired from 35 years as an elementary school teacher. She lives in Simi Valley, California, and spends June-October at her condominium in Flat Head Lake, Montana, where the atmosphere resembles her small town experience growing up in Neena, Wisconsin. ❯ Winifred Gentry returned to visit Knox two years ago. She spent her early years as a banker and real estate developer. She lives at Crista Ministries, a 50-acre independent Christian community. Her sister and three nieces live close by. ❯ Ronni Lovelace Luecht lives in St. Charles, Illinois. She has two new grandsons and seven grandchildren. One son married in March 2013. ❯ Patricia Weiland Lucas is a fifth-generation Evanston, Illinois, resident. She worked for state and federal government in health and human services, civil rights division, Chicago. Traveling is a hobby. She has been to the Galapagos Islands, Bali, Borneo, Poland, England, Tunisa, Mali, Senegal, New Zealand, Australia,

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China, Russia, and Costa Rica. ❯ Russell Dieterich and his wife of 25 years hosted 130 people for their yearly Christmas caroling party. He has attended family caroling parties since he was 10-years-old. He has retired from his obstetrics and gynecology practice and is now active in hospital administration in St. Charles, Illinois. He leads an 18-piece band and can be seen on the website, thesentimentaljourneydanceband.com. He hopes to play at the 50th Reunion of our class in 2015. ❯ Richard Lauver lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with wife of 41 years Lorna. He retired from NASA, Lewis Research Center, where he spent 35 years in chemical research and project management. He is the proud grandfather of a two-year-old grandson. ❯ R. Bruce St John recently published a 755-page book, The Historical Dictionary of Libya. In January, he travels to Peru, where he will deliver a lecture to the Peruvian Diplomatic Society. He works closely with the Oxford University Press. One son lives in Tokyo, Japan, where he works for the legal firm Morrison and Foster, in their acquisition department. His second son has moved from London, England, to New York City and will soon move to Paris, France, with the architectural firm Foster and Partners. His wife is a consultant at Ernst and Young. ❯ Jane Heinen Wanderer lives in Chico, California. She is president of the League of Women Voters in Butte County. She retired at age 55 from her position as international sales manager for Siemens Corp. She enjoys photography with her Nikon Digital SLR camera and has sold her works at Northern California craft fairs. She has traveled extensively, visiting Burma, Morocco, East Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia, and many European countries. She has fond memories of political science Professor Philip Haring and Professor of Divinity and College Chaplain William Matthews. ❯ Raymond Gadke observed his 40th anniversary at the University of Chicago Regenstein Library last year, where he is the head of the microforms department. “I think about retiring, but continue to enjoy what I do, and I like to think that working with University of Chicago students keeps me young.” He continues to dabble in research in the role of religion in the formation of individual and group identities and has quite the hobby, collecting religious statues from churches that have closed. “It is an interesting hobby and a great conversation starter.” ❯ My wife of 40 years, Beverly Anderson, and I continue to live on our farm where we ride and pasture our horses. Our horse stable continues to be a work in progress. We are animal rescuers. One of our three sons lives on the farm. The other two work in downtown Chicago—Andy with Smith Barney, and Jon with Cole Taylor Bank. We have six grandchildren. I recently received the first Gary Cantrell Award for Excellence in Radio and continue my weekly radio program, “Doctor on Call,” each Thursday morning. If you have any medical questions give me a call Thursday from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. CST at 620-421-5552!

Class Correspondent: Terry Rothstein, M.D. 220 N. 32nd Street, Parsons, KS 67357, antiquarian@wavewls.com

1966 Nancy Uss Crooker e-mailed after we had sent in our notes last June for the fall 2013 issue. Now after the fact, but still newsworthy, is what Nancy had to say. “I just discovered that Ray Greenwald ’64 and I have been elected to give named lectures at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco. In view of the fact that the AGU has more than 55,000 members, the chances of having two Knox graduates so honored in the same year is slim, to say the least! Ray and I both belong to the Space Physics and Aeronomy section of AGU. He will be giving the Nicolet Lecture, and I will be giving the Parker Lecture.” We hope both these speeches went well. ❯ Phil Bradley sent word that his book Chance Picks a Lady, a traditional murder mystery, is now available on Amazon. ❯ Ted Corwin wrote his update on the 27th anniversary of his marriage to wife Suzanne Corwin ’68. Ted reports that oldest son Stephen, a software engineer, “in his spare time has developed a website that follows urban development in Los Angeles. He is working on a documentary film on the same subject.” Younger son James must share his love of filmmaking; he is in his second year of film school at California State University Northridge. Ted also reveals that he tried to make it to Galesburg last summer “but we ran out of gas while driving from Chicago to Champaign and consequently ran out of time. Maybe next time.” ❯ Bob Misiorowski let us know that wife Elise Besson Misiorowski ’69 is “curating the local edition of Journey Stories—a Smithsonian Museum traveling exhibit that will be in Patagonia, Arizona, for a few months in 2014. Her job has been to describe the history of the area from pre-historic times through Native Americans, the Spanish colonialists, and the effect of the railroads, mining, and ranching on the culture, watershed, and native vegetation in the area. It has proven to be a wonderful way for her to get deeply into the town’s history and to give her a sense of the rich back stories of the area.” Bob says he is doing as little as possible, wondering why he didn’t retire WAY sooner. ❯ We learned that Art Adams retired from the University of Louisville this semester after 35 years teaching statistics in the College of Business. Art says: “Not bad for someone voted least likely to get a graduate degree by most of my fraternity brothers and other friends. But I kicked it into high gear after Knox; the alternative was being drafted into the military. I expect to travel a lot during the next few years and hope to play softball in the 70-and-older division here in town. I’ll be a rookie.” ❯ As many of you will recall, Vija Siksna Klive returned to live in Latvia in 1994. She writes: “I am happy to be living in my homeland. November 18, 2013, was the 95th

Class Knox in his hometown. He’ll be a rookie. anniversary of its independence from the Russian Empire.” After years of occupation under the Soviets, Germans, and, again, Soviets, “Lativa regained independence in 1991. Independence Day is a very big thing for Latvians; it is celebrated with an ecumenical church service, military parade, official concert, the Latvian president’s speech at the Freedom Monument, fireworks, and many other events in Riga and across Latvia. Flags fly everywhere. As members of the European Union and NATO, we feel safer than when we were between the two World Wars, and we are willing to contribute to world peace.” ❯ Larry Sommers reports on success in his work with bees. “We’re enjoying about three quarts of Madison, Wisconsin, urban honey that our 50,000 fuzzy new pets allowed us to steal from them in August. The winter will determine whether we’re bee-keepers or not. They’re very interesting little creatures, and the fringe benefits are, shall we say, sweet. Life is good in other ways as well.” ❯ Rich Gronemeyer would like to give Howell Chip Evans ’68, “a big thank you for taking me to Homecoming 2013. It is amazing how time flies. I have been retired from Lucent Technologies for more than 12 years and haven’t been back to Knox since the fall of 1967.” ❯ Bill Dean sent a brief summary: “Made the move from Houston to Washington State—west of Seattle. Found a great house in Port Ludlow and am now less than half an hour from four grandkids and two children. Other child and two other grandkids are down the road just into Oregon. Have been enjoying the cooler weather and the beautiful Puget Sound area.” ❯ And last, Mike Denniston reports: “The summer was a good one. In July we toured China via a Viking River Cruise starting in Shanghai, then by plane to Wuhan to board a ship for a five-day trip on the Yangtze to Chongqing. From there we went to X’ian to see the Terracotta Army and finished in Beijing. In August, when we were almost over jet lag from China, we flew into Heathrow and met up with a tour group from the Ohio State University Alumni Association. For the next 15 days, we toured a good bit of Europe by Eurostar Rail from London to Amsterdam, then by bus to Munich, Venice, Rome, and Florence, ending in Switzerland. We spent our final two days in Paris and then went home. It was a memorable, if somewhat hectic, experience. We are planning a trip to Australia and New Zealand in March 2014.” Class Correspondents: Steve & Jo Strehle Sommers 209 North Lombard, Oak Park, IL 60302-2503, steveandjo.sommers@comcast.net

1967 An article written by Jim Nordin has been published as a chapter in a new book. The article, “Federal Employee Performance Measures: Continuing Issues in a Historical Context” is included in Studies on Administrative Reform: Building

Service-Oriented Government and Performance Evaluation Systems. ❯ This past summer Larry ’66 and Joelle Nelson Sommers spent eight days in Ireland and had a great time touring, enjoying Guinness, and learning about Irish football (no, it isn’t soccer). ❯ David Axelrod and wife Linda were heading to the Galapagos Islands for a naturalist cruise on a 200-foot square rigger. “We’re packing our snorkeling gear and plenty of Dramamine.” ❯ My wife, Jetty (San Jose State ’70), and I spent two weeks in Oaxaca, Mexico, in late October enjoying the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Oaxaca is a safe, comfortable, friendly city. ❯ I am looking for a replacement to take over the class notes for our class. I have been editing it for eight years now (after Dave Breed’s lengthy tenure) and think there is someone out there who would love to take it on. Please contact me or Cheri Siebken at knoxmag@knox.edu. Class Correspondent: Richard Uebner P.O. Box 102, Cathey’s Valley, CA 95306-0102, 209-374-3493, uebner@tds.net

1968 I don’t know what happened this time, but we had very few responses. Maybe we caught up with everyone at Homecoming and have nothing else to share right now. ❯ Bill Sweeney shared that after 38 years as a chemistry professor at Hunter College in New York, he retired at the end of December to live with wife Nina PalmerSweeney in Bedford, Pennsylvania. ❯ Chip Evans wanted to share that we now have a Facebook page for the Knox ’68 group. It is a closed group page. Richard and Holly Thompson Nelson joined last week. We now have 27 members but would like many more. We hope this would be a good way to keep in closer touch with our classmates because the Knox Magazine only comes out twice a year. We would also like to have a way to share in preparing for our 50th Reunion coming in ﬁve years. Please join so we can get the class connected. E-mail Chip any questions at chibievans@gmail.com. ❯ My youngest son’s wedding and reception went really well. We had a great rehearsal dinner too. Poochies, one of our favorite hot dog/hamburger restaurants from Skokie, came to the house with their tents and set up in the backyard. They brought their grills and made everything fresh. ❯ Hope to hear from more of you next issue. Class Correspondent: Susan Meyer Mika 1519 North Kennicott Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60004, 847-253-7719, pottatea@comcast.net

1969 Ed Andreas contributed this bit of news: “In September 2013, I was named a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). The grade of Fellow recognizes AMS members who have made outstanding contributions to the atmospheric, oceanic, and related sciences. AMS

bylaws mandate that no more than 0.2 percent of the 14,000 AMS members can be elevated to Fellow in a given year.” Ed’s class of new Fellows thus numbers 27 members. The new Fellows were presented at the AMS Annual Meeting in Atlanta in February. Ed is a principal investigator and co-owner of NorthWest Research Associates, Inc., of Redmond, Washington, and does atmospheric and oceanic research in his office in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Congratulations on this “elevation,” Ed. ❯ Paul Behnke humbly submitted this “blurb” that is minimally edited (as Paul suggested) to protect the innocent while preserving the flavor: Paul Behnke and his family are firmly settled in Durham, North Carolina, for six years. They have one daughter, who is a sophomore at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a younger daughter who is a junior in high school, so not quite an empty nest. Paul and wife Deb also played in the state mixed doubles tennis tournament in Asheville in September. Deb, a former Olympic fencer, “carries” Paul in every match, Paul humbly adds. (No report on the results of that tournament, so we’re unsure whether Deb managed to carry Paul to a win.) The “big kids” from Paul’s former marriage all live near Boulder, Colorado, and there are now four grandkids, as well. Paul’s business has branched out from airport management training to include editing for Ph.D. candidates and professors. This allowed him to cut back on his international travel and work more flexible hours from his home office, a much less stressful lifestyle. Paul later reported that his eldest daughter is not only enrolled at Chapel Hill but is there on a full-ride, four-year academic scholarship. As a result, the trust in which her anticipated higher education funds had been deposited can now be “seamlessly transferred” to Paul’s younger daughter’s college needs. Meanwhile, Paul’s eldest daughter has been “active in mission work” in Haiti, as well as Ethiopia, while his younger daughter has been cultivating a love affair with the horse Paul and Deb have bought her. It seems these apples didn’t fall far from the tree. ❯ Jim Hallock reports a busy schedule with his compressed earth business. He hauled his block-making machine to Eldorado Springs, Colorado (west of Boulder), for a building project and workshop after working at an ongoing project with Oklahoma University; he attended his fifth of seven annual “Earth USA” symposiums at a site in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with worldwide attendees; he then traveled to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and returned to a completed project in Haiti. No moss growing on that stone. Class Correspondent: Bill Combs bcombsi@yahoo.com

1970 Sue Kamp Norman writes: “After 28 years, I retired from substitute teaching in May. Our third granddaughter was born in July, so Ralph Norman ’71 and I can spend more time being

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Ginny Malmquist ’70 and her husband are preparing their sailboat for grandparents. I am still deciding where I will spend my additional volunteer time. I continue to serve on our community public school fund foundation board, as well as PEO and Amity, which supports a daycare center for low-income families in Freeport.” ❯ Sue Schlaufman Deans says: “I am most thankful for the arrival of my second grandchild, Alyvia Jean Foss, who was born July 24, a month early, with serious complications. She was immediately transported to Children’s Hospital in Denver for treatment of hemorrhaging in her lungs, but our tenacious little girl was able to go home about two weeks later. She is a little charmer with no apparent ill effects from her earlier trauma. She and brother Daric (2) live in nearby Arvada, Colorado, and Grandma Sue is a frequent companion while their parents, Jeff Foss ’93 and wife Wendy, are at work. We had some weather in Colorado. I am thankful that my home suffered only minor effects from September’s flash floods— just some damage to the yard and fences. It was scary—18 inches of rain in a few days, more than we usually have in a year. I’ve celebrated turning 65 with travel. In March I visited Cathy Kucik Heimann and her friend Gary Goddard in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where Cathy and Gary wisely spend the winter months for a nice break from Galesburg. In Chicago for a June family graduation, I lunched downtown with Jan Rockin and Donna Rockin ’73. July brought a visit to Nairobi, Kenya, visiting a newspaper friend who was working there. On game trips in the wild, we saw and photographed lions, elephants, Cape buffalo, rhinoceros, and the seldom seen leopard. We were able to get a look at life in Nairobi, which was pretty peaceful at that time, before the airport fire in August and the horrific shopping mall massacre in October. I traveled to Kauai in November with some family members to bask on the beach. Life is good! See you at our 45th in a couple of years.” ❯ Topper Steinman says: “I was privileged to ride with Harley Knosher and Tom ’66 and Sue Fuerst Anderson ’71 to Coach Alby Reilly’s memorial service in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 16. Alby’s wife, Pam; their two adult children, Sarah and Rich; other family members; and hundreds of friends from around the country joined this beautiful celebration of life in Alby’s honor. Alby was one of many Knox coaches, faculty, staff, and administrators who made a significant difference in my life and the lives of so many of us. Just thought I’d write to remind us that life is precious, and so was—and is—Knox.” ❯ Alan Spear says: “Judi and I actually made it to retirement on August 2, then spent five weeks with our motorhome on the East Coast (most of it in mid-coast Maine). I will be doing some consulting in cargo logistics security, and we are both very active at Bethany Lutheran in Batavia, Illinois, where I continue as organist. I’m convinced that I have moved smoothly into retirement—she’s not so sure. Our dog, Shamus, is pleased to have two people at home to wait on him.” ❯ Ginny Malmquist and her husband are spending the winter preparing their J40 sailboat for a circumnavigation. They

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will leave this summer and join the Blue Planet Odyssey, a rally of sailboats that will work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; MIT; Cornell University; and University of Miami to measure the effects of climate change on the equatorial seas. Along the way, they will have the opportunity to do community service on some of the islands that are already seeing its effects. They expect the journey to take almost three years. Meanwhile, they’ve been studying night and celestial navigation, the use of radar, GPS, rope splicing, Spanish, French, and more. The route and other information are available on blueplanetodyssey.com. ❯ Max Utsler writes: “I will be back in 2014 as one of the official scorers for the Kansas City Royals.” ❯ Marc Wollman writes: “I’ve been busy with exhibitions at the gallery of which I’m a member and membership chair, as well as some other venues. Right now I’m trying to get ready for a dual show with my friend in the spring at the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, which will pair my photographs with her sculptures and other media. I also am working toward a solo retrospective at my gallery in Racine in June. This exhibition has me reviewing a lot of photographs to select images I want to show. That will also mean extra darkroom time to print some of the old negatives. (Digital’s handy, but for serious work, give me film.) I’m also doing some freelance art exhibition installations. That usually means I work for free, but it keeps me active in the field. Class Correspondent: Nancy Hoover Debelius 865 Gayer Drive, Medina, OH 44256-2901, 330-723-5658, Knox1970@zoominternet.net

1971 Greg and June Schulthes Loy are happy to report their first grandchild, Joshua Theodore Loy, was born October 11 to son Benjamin and his wife, Mary. Ben, Mary, and Theodore live in San Francisco near grandma and grandpa. Ben is an AV implementation engineer for J.P. Morgan Chase. June and Greg’s daughter, Jessica, is married to Jon and recently opened a criminal defense law firm in San Francisco. Greg and June were happy to see Mike ’73 and Alexa Burger Dimitriou ’73, Debbie Bernardoni and husband Paul Alter, and Peggy Swanson-Culbertson and husband Rob last summer in Boulder, Colorado, while visiting family. Greg still actively works as president of his engineering company, SC Solutions. June has been lucky enough not to work for the last year, and she enjoys her leisure. ❯ Bruce Wyatt is enjoying semi-retirement. He stepped down in June 2013 as vice president at Linfield College in Oregon to work part time on special projects as assistant to the president. He now enjoys reading to kindergarteners, volunteering at a homeless shelter, taking up yoga, and travelling to see kids and two (soon to be three) grandkids in San Francisco, Boston, and Vermont. He looks forward to our Reunion in 2016!

❯ Brian and Julia Nance Allen report that Julia retired from full-time teaching last spring and now substitute teaches and does child care at her school; however, she enjoys being able to say “no.” Brian and Julia celebrated their 40th anniversary with a two-week trip to Europe. The trip started with three days in The Netherlands, including a visit to the U.S. military cemetery at Margraten where Brian’s uncle, Bill Allen ’39, killed in World War II, is buried. They spent 10 days visiting Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, where they spent the afternoon with Professor Julio Noriega and the students who are there on the Knox program. This was Brian’s first visit since he spent the year there in the first year of the Knox program in 1969-70. He reports there have been a few changes since then. ❯ Purdue University and University of Illinois Extension hosted John Pilcher, president of Coldbrook Farm Inc. in Crete, Illinois, at its annual Illiana Vegetable Growers Symposium last January. John, Illinois’s largest aronia berry producer, spoke about “Aronia: A New Alternative.” John works with growers who want to diversify, and he markets aronia berries wholesale. Schnucks and Hy-Vee are two large Midwestern grocery chains that carry Coldbrook Farm’s dried sweetened aronia berries. ❯ Bill Rice is still happily retired and busy with the school board, the county conservation district board, and the board for his church camp up by Crystal Falls, Michigan. He occasionally visits his pastor daughter in Ontonagon County and his daughter doing medieval theatre in Worcester, England. He also attends musical happenings in the area. Good thing he is retired so he can work 24/7. ❯ I received a very interesting note from Dale Cozad. Dale is a bit older than most members of our class and was a firefighter in Galesburg. After seeing a recent article in the Knox Magazine about the Carl Sandburg statue, Dale wrote: “I met and worked with Carl Sandburg when I was in fourth grade. He had returned to his birth place and was beginning restoration. I and a friend spent the summer working with him and cleaning bricks for him to use in the walks that are still there. It would have been around 1944. I remember him as a tall man who was a good guy to be around. He talked to me as though I was an adult and paid on time, every time. He told me that he played football at Lombard College. He told me they beat Notre Dame (the score was 3 to 0) before Notre Dame became a strong football school. It seems to me that there are not many people alive who actually met, worked with, and talked to this man. My memories are that he was a good person, he got along with children very well (I was about 10 at the time), and that he had a strong desire to see his birthplace maintained. I believe he was very successful in preserving his heritage for future generations. The last time I visited Galesburg, the Sandburg House was still being maintained as a historical site.” ❯ Congrats go out to Elliott Vizansky who recently won $50,000 in the Wheel of Fortune/Harrah’s Casino sweepstakes

Class Knox a circumnavigation that they expect will take three years. in Las Vegas. ❯ I am saddened to report that David Oertley died on December 20 due to pancreatic cancer. Dave lived in Peoria, Illinois. Dave probably took more “grief” than anyone else in the Beta house. He was also the guy who you knew had your back when it was needed. He will be missed. ❯ As for me, it’s more of the usual with Judy (who retires from teaching next June) and the children. After completing the L.A. Marathon in 2013, our daughter-in-law found out that she had breast cancer. After surgery and chemo treatments this summer, Stepha is now cancer free and as beautiful and strong as ever. Six weeks after her last chemo, she completed a 5K (9:37/mile) and is now back to her pre-chemo pace as she aims to do a marathon and 50 miler in 2014. We are very blessed. ❯ As I think you know, I care about all of you very much. You have been a big part of my life. Please, PLEASE get tested regularly. Breast, prostate, and other exams are not pleasant and can be embarrassing. Those few minutes of discomfort may also save your life. I want to see each of you healthy and celebrating your family and our next Reunion. It can happen to any of us. Make an appointment today, OK? Class Correspondent: Jerome A. Tatar 333 Wilshire Drive West, Wilmette, IL 60091-3151, 847-251-4889, jerry@tatarlawfirm.com

1972 John Alberts writes: “I was elected president of the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra. Our non-traditional concert approach broadens our appeal. We performed Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, staged with people-sized puppets, and presented Wizard of Oz as an audience sing-a-long. I’d love to see many of the Knox community in our audience.” ❯ Bill and Joyce Tucker Allison write: “We’ve had a great year since our Reunion. Bill still coaches at Knox and thinks the future of Knox football is bright. We have a third grandchild; daughter Libby had a boy, Tucker. If anyone’s visiting Galesburg and Knox, our door is always open.” ❯ Mike Burke writes: “Still trying to get Cryothermic Systems off the ground. Not many investment dollars available for the health care market lately. Upended my kitchen; I’m updating it by 50 years. Attended my high school reunion after 40 years; difficult to remember who was who. Like Galesburg, being back in the Quad Cities after so long was like opening up a time capsule. Cindy and I visited my daughter. She ran Chicago’s 8K Thanksgiving Turkey Trot on the lake while we froze.” ❯ Cush Copeland writes: “Given the current success of men’s soccer at Knox, it might be relevant that I am in my 25th year coaching high school boys’ soccer in Florida; nine at Lake Howell in Winter Park and 16 at Seminole in Sanford.” ❯ David K. Dodd published his third book of fiction, NOY World: A Futuristic Tale of Devastation and Devolution.(Read more on page 38.) ❯ Carol Smith Giometti retired as senior biochemist at Argonne National Laboratory after 35 years. Her career included three

decades of biochemical research funded primarily by the Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Carol served from 2007-2012 as director, biosciences division, and now enjoys work and travel with husband Ron Giometti ’74, as well as gardening and cooking. ❯ Susan Wessels Hiatt writes she is happily retired and gets to watch her granddaughters as often as possible. “William Hiatt continues as professor, University of Colorado Medical School and president, Colorado Prevention Center. He also serves on several FDA panels each year. I will cheer his ‘one more big climb’ from the sidelines, in Denver! Those of you who remember William’s climbing antics at Knox (scaling Old Main and Seymour Union), will know that those attempts were mere practice sessions for what was to come later!” ❯ Will continues: “I will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in January. My interest in climbing goes back to childhood in Colorado. My father set a goal to climb all 54 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, which we finished in 1979. Then I turned to Wyoming, Wind River Range, and the Tetons. More remote and much harder technical climbs, these required a week or more to accomplish. Serving as board member of Colorado Outward Bound opened up new opportunities. In 2000, we climbed Argentina’s Aconcagua (22,800 feet), the Western Hemisphere’s highest mountain. In 2007, I traveled to Nepal and Western Tibet to climb Gurla Mandata (25,000 feet), but one of our guys went into pulmonary edema and the climb became impossible due to extreme weather conditions.” ❯ Claudia McFadden writes: “Jane Fuhlbruegge Bourscheidt and her husband were out to Nashville for Chuck Oertley ’73’s daughter’s wedding and spent a wonderful few days with us here in Winchester. We didn’t get nearly enough Knox chat in, but we gave it a good shot.” ❯ Karen Sanders Raleigh writes: “Larry and I attended a Knox gathering at Rick ’83 and Mary Filosa Brown’s ’82 home. It was nice to chat with Richard Riddell, and President Teresa Amott spoke eloquently about Knox. Jane Debowski Pacelli visited. Although we mostly just talked and ate, we explored Raleigh’s new, improved Natural History Museum and saw an exhibit or two at the North Carolina History Museum.” ❯ Jim Rosenthal writes: “Goddaughter Arielle landed a terrific job teaching at Sail Nauticus in Norfolk, which gives me a great excuse to visit her and her brother on my way to the Outer Banks. She has a racing catamaran of her own now, which we bought together, and I look forward to watching Arielle and boyfriend Charles blowing everyone’s doors off in their class.” ❯ Jim Sayre writes: “With retirement on the horizon, wife Cindy and I purchased land near Moscow, Idaho, home of my other alma mater, the University of Idaho. We will create a field station for graduate students in the School of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources. We’ve contracted with the Soil Conservation District and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore the former agricultural portion to native

Palouse Prairie, similar to Green Oaks. Surely Dr. Peter Schramm (and my fellow classmates) would be smiling at this news. His conservation ethic has stuck with me, and a favorite book of his, A Sand County Almanac, still occupies a special place in my library.” ❯ Bill Sowle writes: “Just purchased my ﬁrst motor home, a Roadtrek, and will be traveling this great country. I’ll begin with short trips, visiting those parts of Arizona that are great for growing wine grapes. The 22foot RV can travel on almost any road; my rooftop solar panel will provide power for most of my needs.” ❯ Steve Suskin enjoys life on Virginia’s oceanfront. A Little Theatre of Virginia Beach board member, he recently directed a production of Ken Ludwig’s The Fox on the Fairway and played Hugh Dorsey in Jason Robert Brown’s epic musical, Parade. He’s not giving up his day job with Harris Connect in Chesapeake. Daughter Jacqueline makes an honest living as a poet in Los Angeles. Google her, you’ll be amazed! ❯ Christie LeMaire Wright has written a fascinating Wild West book entitled: South Park Perils: Short Ropes & True Tales. (Read more on page 38.) ❯ Spending our free time at high school water polo tournaments–Emilie is amazing! Class Correspondent: Wendy Scherwat Ducourneau 17800 Community Street, Northridge, CA 91325-3928, 818-776-8669, wjsd@jps.net

1973 Bob Bolier enthuses: “Homecoming was great! Always enjoy acting 20 again. Friday night’s class gathering was special, seeing old classmates who still look fantastic. Enjoyed Thomas Kroupa, Nancy Bakos Hunter, and mailroom memories. Exhilarating to discuss differing philosophies with Dunnie and the Cav! Greg Divers is still Divers, always special to see him. Golﬁng with Rich Hegg and Kyle Vantrease, seeing Harley Knosher, having beers with Rick Miers and other footballers from back in the day, and dinner with many old friends, including Sue Dicks Vantrease ’75, Karen Kelley, Paula Matzek, and Barb Baird Holowka. Seeing my freshman roommate, Tom Cooke, reminded me how much fun it was to room together! Drinking wine late at night with Mike Gentile ’74, Don Bernardi, Noel Knox, and other crazy ADEs! Seeing football in the Bowl, running into Bob Prout, cheering for the Prairie Fire with former teammates Topper Steinman ’70, Rory Wagner ’72, Larry Kusch ’71, and the Normans. Put me down for the 45th and 50th! After that—who knows!” ❯ Liz Brasure teaches chemistry labs for Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. To increase her responsibilities there she retired from the elementary school job where she had worked almost 20 years. While she was teaching both groups, she was amazed how little difference there seemed to be between grade school and college students. ❯ Steve Giles started a direct primary care practice (also called concierge prac-

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Lin Yeilding Bowie ’74 teaches the same courses she took at Knox as a tice) in 2011. It is going well and is a big improvement over his previous group practice in family medicine and sports medicine. ❯ Amy Dooha had a wonderful time at the Reunion. She was able to spend time afterwards with Rob ’74 and Karen Halik Trumpy. Nineteen days later, she had a great retirement party and joined the leisure class. She reports that she has been busy— getting massages and mud baths, reading, lunching, spending time with friends and family, and she may travel next year. ❯ Pat Rusk Fitch is on the move again! She and Morgan missed Homecoming due to an urge to buy a loft in downtown Tucson, Arizona. She invites us to visit, as they may be on stage in the Wild West! ❯ Michael and Beverley Barton Seaver write: “This year we celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary and attended our 40th Knox College Reunion. It was interesting to see how the ADE guys still are the same! Michael took a new job as a nurse/consultant at Xerox Corporation in their medical IT division working with electronic medical records. He finds time to do legal nurse consulting and has recently edited another test question review book for nursing exams. He continues to make conference presentations and write articles for nursing and medical journals. Beverley has her hands full taking care of the grandchildren but still managed to find the time to direct some of her former Merrillville High School students in a musical cabaret fundraiser for her favorite cause, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Beverley presented theatre workshops at the Indiana Thespians State Conference and at Ball State University for theatre directors and college students. ❯ Mark Skipworth writes that after more than three years seeking full-time employment and working two or three part-time jobs, he’s quitting his night job and concentrating on his craft business, making wooden toys and musical instruments. He volunteers at a convalescent center, the local food pantry, and a homeless shelter, which he says is guaranteed to put your own problems in perspective. Mark reports that his family is good, and he has been married for 38 years. They have three sons and a grandson. He goes on to say: “My health is dicey, but what can you do? I’ve been a diabetic for 25 years and have had two bouts with cancer.” ❯ Chuck Kernats retired last year after more than 30 years as a government lawyer. He does volunteer work and spends a lot of time on outdoor recreation (especially kayaking and birding). Although he had a mild stroke earlier this year, he received excellent medical care and made a complete recovery. ❯ Jackie Powell Hope is living the dream in Bakken oil country! They have witnessed their town go from a quiet farm and ranch center to a bustling boom town that doubled in size in about five years. The housing and infrastructure is trying to catch up, but until it does, roustabouts and drillers live in houses that have been turned into dormitories. Her latest part-time endeavor is writing for The Dickinson Press. She is their humor columnist, which she says means that she

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has to be in good humor most days. She also writes for the local oil newspaper, The Drill. Jackie is involved in community theater with Sneak Pique Productions and is the music director at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Dickinson. ❯ Chris Eik Winick comments about our recent Reunion: “It was great to see the classmates who were able to attend our 40th Class Reunion and those who weren’t able to make it—you were all missed! Thanks to everyone who made this milestone Reunion a success! For many of our classmates, it’s been a long time since you have been able to make a return trip to campus. I suspect some decide not to attend a Reunion because their friends from the class aren’t attending, so they think—what’s the point? Those of us who came of age at Knox in the late ’60s and early ’70s have a shared history and a bond—it doesn’t matter where our personal journey has taken us. As the class agent, I have found there were classmates that I didn’t get the chance to know in college, but our Reunions have given us the opportunity to become friends. So I want to encourage everyone to come back for our 45th in 2018!” ❯ On a sad note, we lost a dear friend and fellow mailroom worker this year. Ginny Canil passed away this past summer. Our condolences to her family. Bob Bolier, Rick Miers, Thomas Kroupa, and I can still hear her say “You GUYS!” Class Correspondent: Nancy Bakos Hunter 5280 Easley Way, Golden, CO 80403-1161, 303-278-3163, geo_hunters@q.com

1974 We are closing in on 40 years. As daunting as that may be, start your workouts now as we hope to see you on campus in the fall to celebrate the big 4-0! And from the comments sent in for this column, it sounds like we’ll have a nice crowd. I hear that Homewood-Flossmoor High School may have a mini reunion. And let’s get our friends who didn’t graduate with us to come, too. Have you made your hotel reservation? ❯ Michael Murphy has stayed in touch with Ray Mikulich, John Fiedler, Dave McKillip, John Knoche, and Bob Berg, until Bob passed a few years ago. “I’ve been working for IBM since graduation. People are shocked when I tell them I’ve been at one company for almost 40 years. I am a widower. My wife, my high school sweetheart, struggled with MS for more than 20 years. I have one daughter, married and working to make me a grandfather. Life is good.” ❯ John Manos’s novel, Dialogues of a Crime, was published recently by Amika Press in Chicago. ❯ Fran Ansell Zimmerman writes: “Husband Stuart and I live in Chicago. Son Aaron is 29, and daughter Sarah is 26. I’ve been in the ﬁeld of early childhood education for 22 years. I was nostalgic about Knox as I read through the Knox Magazine and felt like I missed a lot by not staying the full four years (I transferred to Indiana University). Those years at Knox were very spe-

cial.” ❯ Fran saw Jerome Borchers. He oversees medical students who pose as patients to be “treated” and diagnosed. He lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with his family of four kids. ❯ Bob Sahm lives in the Albany area. He was executive director of the Catholic Charities Housing Ofﬁce for 13 years, consulted for state agencies, and ended up at the Ofﬁce of the State Comptroller, working on grant procurements and contracts. He has one daughter, Caitlin Sahm ’11. “I enjoyed going back to Knox for Family & Friends Weekends while Caitlin was there and hope to make it out for our 40th Reunion.” ❯ Paul Soper writes: “After a life of crime in the food industry making soon to be illegal trans-fats, I’ve taken early retirement and moved to Arizona. My wife and I enjoy a virtually snow-free life, and I play duplicate bridge four times a week. We enjoy traveling and just returned from a cruise through the Panama Canal.” ❯ Mike Smothers has been a newspaper reporter and editor in the Peoria area since 1985 after a start in Chicago and a stretch in Green Bay. “As print lost its legs, I left the Peoria Journal Star in ’08 for retail marketing. One recession later, I scrambled back into a newsroom at the Pekin Daily Times. Wife Pat and I have a wonderful son who chose a career in the Air Force. My history readings continue to feed the perspectives I bring to my stories. So much began with Hermann Muelder and Howard Wilson at Knox. I was a Phi Delt with Jim Spieth, Soldwedel (John Soldwedel ’73), the Sorensen brothers, and was Len Berg’s roommate at the house as juniors.” ❯ Linda Bruce Bucklin writes that son Sean graduated from Indiana University (IU) and daughter Meara from Earlham College (her dad’s alma mater). “I’m still working at the IU Jacobs School of Music as ‘designated mom’ in the music education department and celebrated 25 years living on my farm. Anyone who passes through southern Indiana should let me know. I love to share Bloomington with old friends.” ❯ Trissa Crowley was selected grand marshal of the Jacksonport Thanksgiving Day parade this year. ❯ Lin Yeilding Bowie is an adjunct instructor at San Mateo Community College in California. She writes: “I retired from consulting in 2007, and began teaching part time in the biology department, teaching the same courses I took at Knox as a biology major. It seems my life has come full circle.” ❯ Priscilla Inge writes to say she is “out here in Virginia. Ann Reinke lives in Richmond. A neighbor of mine is an author and works for several magazines. I told him about an unusual encounter I had with a large guinea fowl that landed in my driveway; he loved it and told the editor of Backyard Poultry magazine. It was published in the June/July 2011 issue. It was entitled ‘scarlet.’” ❯ Kathy Yamasaki is leaving Illinois after spending her entire life in Chicago. “I’m planning to retire to Gold Bar, Washington. Jan Thompson, Jeanne Miyake Cuneo, Margie Beers, Jackie Martin Totsch, and I try to get together a couple times a year for breakfast

Class Knox biology major. “It seems my life has come full circle.” or lunch. Priscilla Inge, Cleaves Maxfield Carpenter, David Reeder, Victoria Huntman Brock, and Ann Reinke join in when they can.” ❯ Jan Dillon Rybka writes that husband Jim Rybka ’74 is retired from Eli Lilly & Company, where he worked in analytical development. “We still live in West Lafayette, Indiana. Jim and I both got advanced degrees at Purdue, and our oldest son got his B.A. in mathematics and computer science there. We are a house divided—our youngest son is an Indiana University grad! We have four grandchildren. I do have to admit that retirement has been the best time of my life. Our days are full and fulfilling.” ❯ You’ll find Allen Kossoy in Topeka, Kansas, having served 24 years in a private practice as an allergist/immunologist. “Our two daughters are grown and on their own in Washington D.C. and El Paso. The one in D.C. is a principal in the KIPP charter school program. The Texan is finishing her last year of med school.” ❯ Dave Coons says: “Jane and I moved to Chesterfield, Missouri. We bought a house in the woods on top of a hill. We have three grandchildren. I’m still a tax lawyer for Emerson and look forward to retirement in three years.” ❯ Paul Skelton has retired in Homewood, Illinois, where his two daughters live. He sees Tom Legge ’73 a couple times a year and has many Knox Facebook friends. ❯ Stan Jaworski has news to share: “Mary and I moved to Hinsdale, Illinois, and live on a lake. It’s like being on perpetual vacation. I took a sabbatical for six months to recharge after leaving a management consulting company that I helped form. I became a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Chicago Healthcare IT Advisory Practice. This is my second year as the board president at Interfaith House, a care center for ill/injured homeless men and women. Erik is at Ithaca College studying documentary film studies. Daughter Alexis just finished co-producing a documentary film called Sole Survivor that was recently picked up by CNN Documentary Films.” Stan recently visited with Bob “Trapper” Dawson who is in Nevada, Iowa. Class Correspondent: Monta Lee Dakin Littleton, CO 80128-5404, 303-979-9307, mld780@aol.com

Peden writes that for more than 35 years he has taught high school English and physical education, the last 20 years at Northrop High School in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He recently returned to his old high school in Marion, Indiana, as the athletic director. His high school arena holds more than 7,500 and frequently hosts “Hoosier Hysteria.” Greg sends his best wishes to all. ❯ Carey Adamson shares that he and wife Marilyn celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. He’s lived in the Columbia, South Carolina, area since 1981. His daughter, Dr. Ashley Adamson, recently got married, and son Drew is in Ofﬁcer’s Candidate School with the Marines. Carey works with Colonial Life and keeps in touch with a few of his fellow FIJIs. ❯ Steph Day Jobes writes that her daughter recently got married. Steph noted how our class column seems to be getting closer and closer to the beginning of the magazine. Steph has worked for the USDA-ARS Salinity Laboratory for more than 20 years. ❯ Al Heath writes with an interesting memory from a concert that occurred in Kresge Hall. A mandolin player was so drunk that he couldn’t play the notes and eventually his band brought him backstage, slugged him a few times, and carried on. In November of ’73, Frank Wakeﬁeld, innovative mandolin player, obviously was quite entertaining. ❯ Glenn Ruklic sent me a note to indicate he was recently at the P!nk concert. Glenn, who still plays the horn, was apparently prepared to be invited on stage, but that never happened. ❯ Mike Rubin is a public relations practitioner who assists public relations (PR) agencies. Mike’s contact info is mrubin38@optinline.net, and he loves to talk PR with anyone who is interested. His family is doing great. Thanks for the note, Mike! ❯ Finally, congrats to Tom Morgan ’78 who is back “on the air” with the “Sports Collecting with Tom Morgan” radio show ESPN 1000, Chicago AM radio every Sunday morning. Tom has become very well known in sports collecting communities and is always a pleasure to hear on the radio. ❯ That’s all for now—keep those e-mails coming. Class Correspondent: George M. Pearce 1114 Forest Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091-1655, 847-256-5968, george.pearce@hklaw.com

1975

1977

Class Correspondent: Nancy Butts Taylor 5042 Woodman Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506-1451, 951-686-8471, ntaylorca1@aol.com

Hi, everyone. I just finished watching a DVD that I would highly recommend to anyone who went to Knox in the 70’s: it is called Song of the South, Duane Allman and the Rise of the Allman Brothers Band. Who can forget “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” wafting from an open window on a Friday afternoon? The DVD documents the early days of the band, their influences, and the evolution of their music up until the untimely death of Duane at age 24. It really captures the soul of the band. ❯ Congratulations are in order for Robert Nordgren: “I have three boys: a wilderness outfitter in Antigua, Guatemala; a wind power technician; and one finishing up his senior year at

1976 I received a nice note from Larry Schlesinger. Larry and wife Melinda Bart Schlesinger ’78 celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary in August. They have two grandchildren, Benjamin and Emma, who reside in North Carolina, very close to where they live in Cary. Larry highly recommends the joy of being a grandparent and hopes to hear from fellow classmates. ❯ Greg

Appalachian State. I am to gain two more boys when I get married in June. I think I will stop after that! I am currently the vice president and global head of vaccines and biotherapeutics R&D for Merial Animal Health located in Duluth, Georgia.” ❯ Doug Hill writes: “I went to Homecoming this fall and met with a group of pre-law students to give them a talk about how to survive law school and get a job (and he got a nice shout-out on the Knox Facebook page). And who should walk in but Bob Lemperly. Biologists thought he was extinct in the wild, but I know what I saw, despite the doubters.” ❯ Congrats to Laurie Anderson as well. She writes: “I still live in beautiful St. Paul, Minnesota. For the last eight years, I have worked at Apogee Enterprises as assistant general counselor supporting several architectural glass and window businesses. I recently got engaged to a great guy and look forward to a small wedding this year. Last year I was blessed with my first grandson, my stepdaughter’s first child. My “spare” time is primarily spent caring for elderly parents who moved to St. Paul from rural Galva, Illinois, more than two years ago. My sister, Carolyn Carton Anderson ’73, also does caregiving when she is not teaching classes at St. Olaf College. We recently enjoyed a visit from our brother, Jeff Anderson ’80, and wife Kristen. Both are professors at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. They are teaching in Rome, Italy, this semester.” ❯ More wedding news: Bill Wickart ’76 reports that he attended the wedding of Donna Brady ’76 and John McGlothlin on May 26, 2013. Bill got his online ordination and performed the ceremony, while Beth Durham Stratton performed many of the wedding day assistant duties. Bill’s son, Perrie Wickart ’08, was also in attendance, while Judy Hladik-Voss ’79 was there in spirit. ❯ Marna Buttel Kitzmiller sent a quick note: “Husband Mike and I retired two years ago and bought a second home in San Tan Valley, Arizona, where we go to get away from the Illinois winters. I guess that officially makes us snowbirds.” ❯ Tad Daley ’78, director of the project on abolishing war at the Center for War/Peace Studies in Washington D.C., sent along news about fellow classmate Phil Singer ’76: “So you probably can’t miss this, with all the TV specials and retrospectives and such—this year is the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination. It turns out that we have in our very midst one of the experts in the field, Phil Singer, AKA Cro! There is a very nice newspaper article that talks about his longtime expertise in the subject, mentions Knox College, and even has a real nice color picture of the dude! (For a pdf, e-mail me at skaull@icex.com.) ❯ Tad also writes: “After Knox I lived on the south coast of England for a couple of years, then Champaign/Urbana for a few more getting a useless law degree from University of Illinois, then moved to Southern California, where I got both a Ph.D. and a spouse, and worked for many years at the Rand Corporation think tank. Four years ago, we moved to D.C., as my wife Kitty Felde got a cool public radio gig here.” Tad has written one

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Molly Brewer Hoeg ’77 and husband took a 2,300+ mile cycling trip along book called Apocalypse Never: Forging the Path to a Nuclear Weapon-Free World and has a second book in the works. ❯ Ed Jepson and family were in Germany in July 2013, picking up son Nick from an exchange program. They visited Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Vienna, and Prague. ❯ Molly Brewer Hoeg and husband Rich are both retired and have moved back to their hometown of Duluth, Minnesota. “We spent the months of August and September on a self-supported 2,300+ mile cycling trip along the coast of New England and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Cycling through Nova Scotia, reaching the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, and traveling down the length of the St. Lawrence Seaway to Quebec City were highlights. We stayed in numerous host homes, met a lot of wonderful people, and the scenery was fantastic. We can’t wait to plan another similar adventure! We stopped to stay with Vic ’74 and Barb Linden Heintz on the way home in Rochester, New York.” ❯ That’s all for now. Everyone mark your calendars for Homecoming 2014, which will be our 37th. We have to start practicing for the big 4-0! Don’t forget to send along your news, and please send me any e-mail updates, as we are losing touch with a few of you. Class Correspondent: Sarah Kaull 52 Ober Street, Beverly, MA 01915-4733, 978-810-0181, skaull@icex.com

1978 I am sorry to report that I was not able to make the 35th Class Reunion, but I understand that it was a great time, thanks to Scott Luthy and others who helped organize the festivities and managed to keep everyone out of the Knox County Jail. Many thanks to my intrepid correspondent, Pam Berra Swafford, who dispatched this report: ❯ “Friday night’s ‘Taste of Galesburg’ in the fieldhouse was a great way to reconnect and catch up. I learned a lot about Dave Schramm and Bob Voss; however, I was sworn to secrecy so I can’t divulge any scoop. Suffice it to say, they were both cute as buttons! ❯ “After the ‘Taste,’ we all moved to a bar that did not exist when we were there. True to form, Carol Shaffner Deitch, Jim Straus, Paul and Sue Haerr Zucker, and I worked hard to be the life of the party; however, we were out ‘outschooled’ by George Cartwright, Jim Demikis, Al Saele, and Jeff Burkhead ’80. ❯ “Later in the evening, esteemed Illinois State Senator and Tri-Delta Sister Julie Jones Morrison showed up along with Bob and Deb Raphael Castle ’77 and, later, Bob Thompson. Most of us were not invited to the Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame dinner, so we missed seeing Jim Smith receive his award. ❯ “On Saturday before the football game, Tim Loch finally decided to grace us with his presence. Tim is handsome as ever, and his son, Dustin Loch ’15, was quite charming. Tim looked a little worried as we recounted old Knox stories in front of his son. At the game we bumped into Darrell Merschak and Warren Kruckmeyer, and they both look exactly the same as they did 35 years

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

ago. ❯ “Of course, no visit to Knox is complete without a trip to the library. Since this is where I did some of my best socializing, Carol and I decided to make a visit, when we ran into none other than Raymond Tse and Dave and Janice Kubota Wilson. ❯ “On Saturday night, many of us attended the official Reunion dinner, where Shumpei Kawasaki, looking very dapper, joined the festivities. I was pleasantly surprised to find out he lives in the Bay Area, not far from yours truly. ❯ “All-in-all, the entire weekend was a great success. We laughed a lot, ate a lot, drank a little, and embellished stories about our years at Knox. I hope anyone who was not able to attend puts the 40th Reunion on their calendar right now. Catching up with old friends and acquaintances can be quite the adventure!” ❯ Scott Luthy and Julie Jones Morrison supplemented the report, so I have confirmation of good times from multiple sources. The only cloud on the horizon came from Julie, who was understandably distressed when helpful Knox students offered rides in golf carts from Seymour Union to the Knox Bowl—hey, we aren’t THAT old yet. On the other hand, Julie did let slip the fact that she is a grandmother (although I am sure a very young-looking grandmother). The thing that is hard for me to picture is wild-man Joe Morrison ’79 as a grandfather. ❯ By the way, Scott Luthy just celebrated his 30th anniversary working at Molex, so maybe we are getting on in years. ❯ Meanwhile, I write this in the wake of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John Kennedy. Tad Daley reports that Phil “Cro” Singer ’76 is a world class expert on the subject. Tad also keeps up with Jack Shaw ’79 in Washington D.C. Jack is the author of a new book, JFK in the Senate: Pathway to the Presidency, published by Palgrave Macmillan, available in a bookstore near you. Way to go, Jack. ❯ Kim Estler shared a poignant memory of being in school in Dallas on the day it happened, and John Garman circulated a very moving memory and tribute, writing from L.A., lamenting the fact that it was such a significant moment for us but seemingly ignored by young adults. ❯ John Garman is also a celebrated author. Twenty years ago, he went to a major gay rights rally in Washington, D.C. He interviewed people and wrote up his own impressions, along with the interviews. He says, “At the time, we thought we just had had a good long weekend of politics and socializing. Since then, some of the trends that came out of that march have continued to affect modern life. At the beginning of this year, I polished up my writings from that time and published them as a reference to that historic event.” The book, MOW—April 25, 1993—The Day the American Gay Community Found Its Voice, is now available on Amazon. John was managing a bookstore in Baltimore back then, but is in L.A. now. Great work, John. ❯ And now, it is time to tell you that Barry Williams has revealed a longkept secret: “With the recent passing of Ronald May, I thought I would explain a curious photo that appears on Page 180 of the 1976 Knox yearbook. It was America’s bicentennial year. I was a

photographer and editor at the yearbook, and, one spring day, I asked Ron to accompany me and my camera to the Burlington Northern (BN) railroad yard. Al Qaeda, TSA, and Homeland Security were unknown in those days, and we had no difﬁculty entering the yard. As luck would have it, BN’s bicentennial locomotive, Number 1976, was in town that day, and I asked its crew if Ron could board it for a quick photo shoot. The crew obliged and even loaned Ron an engineer’s cap, and the rest is history. Alas, the truth is ﬁnally revealed.” Thanks, Barry, for memorializing Ron, then and now. ❯ Last, but not least, Joe Sullivan has a bumper crop of fall apples and is preparing for a second winter in New Hampshire, looking forward to visits to his kids in Houston and New York. ❯ Thanks to all for sharing. That’s all for now—my golf cart is here to take me back to the home. Class Correspondent: David Bates 174 Haversham, Houston, TX 77024-6248, 713-722-0815, dbates@gardere.com

1979 Hey, Classmates… I don’t have much news from anyone, but I do want to remind you of something very important: Next fall is our 35th Class Reunion! Norm Hillner gave me a call last week to remind me to start making plans, to contact everyone, and to get them to come back to Knox. Last Reunion our turnout was less than stellar, but we had a great time. It was a picture perfect day, and we had a wonderful tailgate. We had 222 in our graduating class so it should be easy to get quite a few of you to drag your butts back. I would love to hear from you so I can start making plans. If any of you would like to help, assistance would not be refused. Love you all. Class Correspondent: Brian Cox 21 Briarcliffe, Collinsville, IL 62234-2913, 618-406-7014 (cell), bjcox5257@att.net

1980 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

1981 Susan Moore Chalgian wrote to let us know that we misspelled husband Doug Chalgian’s name in the last issue. Sorry Doug! “I’m very proud of Doug’s hard work and wonderful accomplishments as a leading expert in his ﬁeld,” said Susan. Doug recently made an appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals with an argument that presumption of undue inﬂuence was not justly considered. The Court agreed. Class Correspondent: John Nicolau 930 Huckleberry Lane, Glenview, IL 60025-2302, 847-657-6311, j.nicolau@comcast.net

Class Knox the New England coast.

1982 Class Correspondents: Mary Filosa Brown 7 Shasta Court, Durham, NC 27713-8603, 919-544-0130, Brown4atNC@aol.com Sharon L. Schillereff 7770 West 38th Avenue, Apt. 310, Wheat Ridge, CO, 80033, 303-423-5329, 303-885-7185 (cell), Sschil7470@yahoo.com

1983 Have we really been out of College since 1983?! Those of us who made the trip to Galesburg in October for the 30th had a fabulous time. It was great to reconnect with old friends! Thanks to Jesse Dabson and Marybeth Erffmeyer Shomos for their Reunion planning efforts. The Betas were well represented by Jesse, Mark Dugard, Chuck Flint ’84, Kim Kost, Scott Westerman ’84, Paul Harada, and Mike O’Mary ’80. The Peterson House was there in great numbers and won the Longest Return Trip to Knox contest—Ann Elfline Davie travelled all the way from Australia. Beth Anderson Schuck, Claudia Wagner Dery, Kathy Schurr, Cindy Box, Karen Longawa Dugard, and I rounded out the Peterson alumnae. Florence Giannola Botbol and Ronda Wilkinson Sutton discovered that both of their sons attend rival Carleton College. It was great to catch up with Melissa Wolf (and cheer for her nephew and the rest of the Prairie Fire football team), Janice Butler-DiGangi, Gail Golberg Eisner, Susan Arjmand, Dan Hrozencik, Mary Beth Compas, and Quita Nelson Sullivan. Maureen Mills had a very successful pottery show on campus on Friday night. The freshman year Neal 2 crew was reunited with their R.A., James Babington ’81, on Saturday: Mark Noble, Mark Suchomel, Dean Condotti, Jim Pecilunas, and Duke Heilingoetter. We look forward to more of us making the trip in 2018 to celebrate our 35th. ❯ In other news: Pamela Messer Patton very much enjoys her new job at Iowa Public Television. ❯ Susan Payne Etheridge “still lives in Utah, working as a pediatric cardiologist at the children’s hospital, traveling as much as I can, and skiing when the weather allows. No kids; just dogs and a husband.” ❯ If you did not receive an e-mail requesting information, please contact records@knox.edu 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 I recently found myself telling my daughters, “The friends you make in college, the ones who bear witness to your ﬁnal journey towards adulthood, are the ones that will mean the most to you 30 years from now.” How true. Since our 25th Reunion, I have enjoyed reconnecting with so many Knox friends—spending time with Karen

Rage Against the Dying of the Light By William Wagner ’87 The Adam Schmitz ’88 I knew was by no means a model of perfection. He smoked too much, he swore like a sailor, and good luck trying to nail down plans with him. But he was a kindred spirit and, in the end, my greatest inspiration. Adam and I met as students at Knox in the mid-1980s, and it wasn’t long before we became friends. We were both dreamers, sometimes to our detriment. We’d wile away the hours talking about literature, music, movies, and baseball when we should have been engaged in something more practical, like studying for the next day’s exam. The conversations were heady and illuminating, and I always figured that a lesser grade on an exam was a small price to pay. In the midst of one of these conversations, with the sunrise an hour or so away, Adam paused and said, “You and I are different. It’s going to take us longer than most people to get where we want to in life, to be successful. But we’ll get there eventually.” Those words always stuck with me. Whenever I’d suffer a setback, I’d replay them in my mind like a mantra, and they’d give me solace: I’ll get there…I’ll get there…I’ll get there. About a year and a half ago, I was reminded of Adam’s words when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. It was the rawest of raw deals: a death sentence. In a cruel twist of fate, he wouldn’t be afforded enough time to “get there.” Despite the depth of his illness, Adam and his wife, Wooten, came to Homecoming at Knox SUBMITTED last October from their home in North Carolina. Adam said he wanted to catch up— “transcend life,” as he put it—with some of his old college pals. I drove down to Knox that Saturday with trepidation, like I was en route to a wake and not a party. Some things, I reasoned, just couldn’t be transcended. Man, was I wrong. He was wearing funky headgear that was accompanied by a cumbersome portable battery pack (an experimental treatment from Israel), and his equilibrium was messed up from all his meds, but otherwise he was the same old Adam. Still smiling. Still laughing. Still swearing like a sailor. Still having a blast. Adam was like the pied piper that night. Undaunted by the battery pack he was carrying and his messed-up equilibrium, he led us from place to place to place. Along the way, he and I had some of our best conversations ever. He told me that while he didn’t want to die—and was fighting like hell not to—he had never been so happy. His illness, he said, had taught him exactly how to live in the moment. He explained that love is strongest when you accept that you’ll have to let it go at some point, and his smile grew brighter and more convincing with each word. In November, Adam let go of this world. It’s a devastating loss, but at least I know this: Adam was able to “get there”—he figured life out. And he was indeed different: He was better than all of us, the kindest and gentlest soul I’ve ever met. As for me? I’m still a work in progress. But thanks to the hard-won wisdom that Adam passed on to me, I’m further along than I was before. Read more at Will’s blog: unemploymentlines-wagner.blogspot.com

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Joe Plomin ’84 gave Lynn Chasson ’84 a Knox t-shirt for her

Waldemar Szlezak ’00 and Amber Bankson— November 23, 2013

Carin Perilloux ’03 and Justin Sabatini—July 5, 2013

Chloe Brady ’04 and Matt Ensalaco—July 13, 2013

LEFT TO RIGHT: Justin Sabatini, Carin Perilloux ’03, Alison Looney ’03, Dan Chibnall ’03, Jason Myers ’03.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Julia Ellegood Pickup ’04, Crystal Seeliger Worley ’04, Chloe Brady ’04, and Vanessa Mai Doty ’04.

Rupprecht Lofgren at her place in the Keys; meeting up with Jane Warner Berg last year in Fort Meyers; celebrating a lot of half century marks this year for Alene Lesniak Ackerman ’85, Aleida Villasuso Vekony ’86, Peggy Fletcher ’86, Glenda Garrison Miller ’85, and Diane Newell ’85, with Mary Bohaty Osborne and Laura Thompson Sears ’83, among so many others. I had a chance to catch up a few times with the likes of Brad Cecil ’83, Ken Wottowa, Dave Rosenbacher, and Bernie O’Connell, as well as John Eagelston ’85, Debra Fulscher ’85, Margaret Verkoulen Lynn ’85, and Joe Krakora ’86. Being in the Chicago area, some days bring random meetings, like when I witnessed some poor guy having a drunk women fall asleep on him after her incoherent tirade on the commuter train, only to ﬁnd out the man was none other than Mark Ackerman! Then sitting in a Michigan Avenue Starbucks, I got to catch up with Margaret Comasto Flanagan ’85 who happened to stop in while I was enjoying a latte. Knox connections really are the best. ❯ I continue to work as owner and executive director of Prairie Family Therapy in Naperville and the Loop, spending my free time running, playing violin, and writing and performing standup comedy (a newfound stress reliever). My girls are grown and independent, and I constantly marvel that I survived parenthood! ❯ Lynn Chasson writes from across the pond: “I still work as a consultant at State Street Bank here in Milan. The implementation is expected to go live in June 2014, and I’ll likely have some free time (i.e. will no longer be employed) after the summer, just in time to go to our 30th Reunion in October! Can’t wait and hope to see many classmates there. We had a great turnout for the 25th, so let’s keep up the tradition! Joe Plomin is now based in Milan, so my husband and I see him and Sue occasionally for dinner. He even gave me a Knox t-shirt for my 50th birthday this year, which my daughter promptly appropriated. I will have to purchase a new one at Homecoming!” ❯ Cindy Bandemer writes: “Our seven-year-old son, Silas, is happily situated in a local Montessori school after a two-

year attempt to adjust to public school. Now that he’s settled, I have reentered the world of work, joining a start-up venture called FuelEd Schools. We provide training and professional counseling to school teachers and administrators to support the development of social and emotional skills needed to manage relationships, prevent burnout, and become secure attachment ﬁgures for their students. Scott is redesigning the astronaut jet pack (SAFER) at Johnson Space Center. Other than that, we travel, manage extracurricular activities, and make, build, and grow stuff. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Reunion in October!” ❯ Theresa McMichael Parker writes: “I can’t wait to see everyone at our 30th!” and neither can the Reunion committee: Valerie Andrew, Lynn Chasson, Chuck Flint, Bernie O’Connell, Chuck Smith, Scott Westerman, Ken Wottowa and me! ❯ Yes, indeed. The Reunion Committee is back in full swing, and we have lots of plans for celebrating 30 years since graduation. I hope that you are booking your travel. Join the Knox College Class of 1984 group page on Facebook to follow the developments, including announcements of both planned and impromptu gatherings throughout the summer! Class Correspondent: Valerie Jencks 300 E. 5th Avenue, Suite 235, Naperville, IL 60563, 630-579-8070, knoxcollege84@gmail.com

and I am the only one on Maui. No, I haven’t found a match for myself yet. If anyone wants a tour guide for a visit to Maui, I would love to see some old friends from Knox.” ❯ Paul and Terry Malcom Downey ’87 celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in August. Paul writes: “We celebrated with our two sons, Christopher (18) and Sean (16) on a family vacation to Hawaii. We live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I work for 3M in Brookings, and Terry works for Avera Healthcare at their research institute. Chris is deciding where he will be going to college next fall. He has some great options, so I don’t think he can go wrong! Sean loves the high school experience and currently serves as our household IT consultant. In summary, all is well with the Downeys.” ❯ Kathryn Morgan Leider writes: “My husband Mark Leider ’86 and I are in Galesburg quite a bit. We grow Hardy Field Mums and other greenhouse products out in Knoxville. The main operation is in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Our oldest daughter, Lizi, is a graduate student working and living in Portland, Oregon. Our twin daughters are both slated to graduate in May 2014 from Loyola University and Bethel University. Our son, Liam, will ﬁnish up the following year at Bethel University in St. Paul.” ❯ Marc Savini has two children in college now: Analisa is at the University of Kentucky (’17) studying to be an equine vet, and Giuliana is at Wake Forest (’18) studying political science and classics. His youngest, Emilia, is a sophomore at New Canaan High School. ❯ Jolene Robinson Seitz writes: “After leaving Idaho in 2007, my husband and I moved to Aiken, South Carolina. Both of us work at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site. I have been with the federal government for 20 years, currently serving as a project manager in the waste disposition program working on the cleanup and closure of underground high-level radiological waste storage tanks that were part of the Cold War era nuclear defense program. During November, I stopped by the campus and enjoyed visiting with Professors Chuck Schulz (physics) and Linda Dybas (biology). I look forward to retiring in approximately ﬁve years

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

1985 Debbie Dehm, who lives on Maui, writes: “I have an internet radio show called Metaphysical Mornings on www.IntentionRadio.com on Mondays. I interview people about sound healing, channeling, spiritual awakenings, ghosts—all kinds of topics. I channel Quan Yin for some of my shows. I am also working as a professional psychic, which I never in a million years could have guessed would happen when I was at Knox. Would love to know if I am the only one in our class? I write for a magazine here called Maui Vision that is online now if anyone wants to read my articles: www.mauivision.net. I started a matchmaking business called Maui Matchmaker,

Class Knox 50th birthday, which her daughter promptly appropriated.

Erica Stringfellow ’08 and Patrick Tully—August 3, 2013 FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Molly Snook ’10, Miriam Gillan ’08, Cassidy Bires ’10, Erica Stringfellow Tully ’08, Rosemary Ibis ’08, Liz McCammon Thornton ’08. BACK ROW: Joe Kozlowicz ’11, Ben Martin ’03, Nina Gutierrez Martin ’05, Elise Polglaze ’08, Donald Rogers ’09, Patrick Tully, Larry Mancini ’07, Aaron Thornton ’06, Alisha Oscharoff Miller ’07, Brian Patrick King ’08.

Caitlyn Thompson ’10 and Jack Gallalee ’10—October 26, 2013 FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Courtney Tichler Hall ’11, Perryn Donaldson ’08 , Tim Schmeling ’11, Linda Guastaferri Gallalee ’74, Michael Gallalee ’74. SECOND ROW: Michael Yu ’10, Jessi Shields ’10, Caitlyn Thompson ’10, Jack Gallalee ’10, Lauren Assaf ’10, Brittany Amendolia ’11, Sam Jarvis ’09, John Mast ’10, Eric Ballard ’11, Grace Fourman ’11, Kate Heitkamp ’12, Mackenzie Loyet ’10, Abigail Peterson ’09. THIRD ROW: John Hughes ’75, Mark Hall ’72, Jacob Hartman-Simkins ’06, Tag Hartman-Simkins ’13, Zachary Kahn ’11, Ben Yocker-Henley ’14, Kevin Wickman ’09, Peter Walker ’11, Sean Carmichael ’09, Patrick Dooley ’11, Dave Kurian ’11, Jevin Lortie ’11, Creal Zearing ’10, Brittnee Busse ’12, David Guastaferri. NOT PICTURED, BUT IN ATTENDANCE: Doug Fennig ’10 and Samir Bakhshi ’10.

and to expand my travel adventures abroad, as I have already visited all 50 states.” Class Correspondents: Margaret VerKoulen Lynn 7 Blanchard Circle, South Barrington, IL 60010-9515, 847-304-8663, mvlynn@comcast.net Jane Davis 72-17 34th Avenue, #3P, Jackson Heights, NY 11372-1064, jedavis_ill@hotmail.com

1986 There isn’t much news this time around, but what we have is great! First, congratulations to our own Karen Kampwirth, who has been appointed to hold the endowed Robert W. Murphy Chair in Political Science at our alma mater! For those who don’t know, Karen joined the Knox faculty in 1995 after earning her master’s and Ph.D. in political science at Berkeley. She’s written extensively about gender and politics in Latin America, but has also branched out into new interests, such as Al Qaeda and events in the Middle East. She is married to Duane Oldfield, also in the political science department at Knox, and they have two lovely and talented daughters. (By the way, Robert W. Murphy was the grandfather of Tony Etz ’83, in case you remember him from our freshman year). ❯ Our class jet setter, Rajan Malik, has been keeping up his frequent ﬂier miles. While he lives in Bahrain, he’s been all over the last few months, taking his son to college at the University of Brighton in England and vacationing with all three of his children in Amsterdam and Bruges. His lovely wife, Nomi, is a glass artist who makes glass art features for interior designers and private collectors. You can see some of her work on her Facebook page, Nomi’s Glass Art. Beautiful! ❯ Duston ’84 and Linda Norbut Suits have been married for 26

years. They still work for the State of Illinois. He runs the IT program for the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan, and she is the art-in-architecture coordinator for the Illinois Capital Development Board. They have lived in the same old farm house out in the middle of nowhere for 23 of those years and still love it. Their older daughter, Kate Suits ’15, is a junior history major at Knox. If you are ever on campus when an improv show is scheduled, she will be the amazingly confident woman hosting the “Party Quirks” game. Sarah is a freshman at Millikin University studying art. She is pursuing a major in graphic design and computer art. ❯ Tom Jackson writes, “My dozen-year career as an advertising copywriter/creative director for a Peoria-based insurance company turned into a gig as a business analyst/tech writer on contract to State Farm. Been doing that for the last six years. In the meantime, I have been cast in some TV commercials, TV shows, and studio and independent films shot in Chicago, including the pilot episode of Leverage (the TNT show starring Timothy Hutton), cutting-room-floor fodder in The Dark Knight, and a member of the crowd in a baseballthemed Aquafina commercial starring Lou Piniella. I was later cast as one of the leads in the crime thriller, Spades. My daughter, Alexandra (24), was assistant director. I currently act in a crime-drama follow-up to Spades called Drifted. I shot most of the physical stuff for the latter just the week before I had spinal fusion surgery. ❯ “I’m still technically recovering, but I intend to be back in the batting cages to prepare for my sixth ‘old-man’ hardball league (a 30-and-older baseball league). I also write columns and host podcasts for the Central Illinois baseball news website, CornbeltBaseball.com. I am also putting together a series of podcasts for a new site called ‘Out In Left Field with Tom Jackson.’ Our

youngest, Zach, is composing the theme tune, as well as scoring a short film I’ve shot. ❯ “Wife Deb works at Bradley University in Peoria as associate director of financial assistance. Her being there helps a lot because it allows me to work toward a master’s degree in English at Bradley. Our oldest son, Nate (34) is an Iraq War vet and air traffic controller who works as a defense contractor for the Department of Defense at bases in war zones. He’s served so far in Baghdad, Kabul, and right now, in Kandahar. Alexandra works at WTVP (the PBS station in Peoria), as well as at Kickapoo Winery. Zach is a junior at Bradley, and he’s an amazing musician.” ❯ We’re all going to be hitting the big 5-0 during the coming year— what are your plans for the next half of your life? Your classmates want to know! Class Correspondent: Susan Bantz 1867 St. Paul Rd., Owatonna, MN, 55060, 563-554-9213, bibliophile@knoxalumni.org

1987

I hope 2014 turns out to be your best year ever! ❯ Maria Muzzo says: “By the time this is printed I will have (hopefully) passed my exams, and will be working on my dissertation for a doctorate in education. My specialization is in pre-service teacher performance assessment and its policy implementation.” ❯ Joanna Chodorowska writes, “I have had my Nutrition in Motion business for almost 10 years. It weathered the recession, and I found my niche helping athletes perform better using real food options. Only difference between athletes and non-athletes is that I talk about dehydration and recovery meals with athletes! This past year I added ‘Nutrition Response Testing (NRT),’ which is helping my clients to identify the underlying issues of their conditions and to bring the body back in balance

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

As she begins the college search process with her daughter, Tammy

Christine Harris ’08 and Mark Imielski ’08—October 4, 2013 FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Katie Bell ’08, Vanessa Jeske ’08, Christine Harris Imielski ’08, Mark Imielski ’08, Eric Swanson ’08. BACK ROW: Jaclyn Anderson ’09, Jacqueline Lee ’09, Laura Rogers ’08, Alan Yi ’08, Gordy Anderson ’08, Noah Magaram ’08, Ben Sommer ’08.

so it can naturally heal itself. Last year I added ‘The Path to Heal’ to help clear the blocks we subconsciously create to keep us from being in power or reaching our goals, including health goals. It is really amazing how accurately it can identify the root of our struggles and clear them energetically. I love my work! And it doesn’t feel like work! Lastly, I am scheduled for a hip replacement. I’m learning how to keep super active despite the condition but can say I am virtually pain free (NRT and nutrition help a ton). It still seems unreal that it is happening, but I am actually looking forward to it. Contact me at www.nutrition-in-motion.net. Come visit me in Philly!” ❯ Cathy Dugan LaBelle married John Matthews this year. Congratulations! ❯ Finally and sadly, Madhavi Samala ’88 and Adam Schmitz ’88 lost their battles with cancer last year, Madhavi on July 27, and Adam on November 16. Madhavi attended the Class of ’87 25th Reunion, but she knew that would likely be her last Homecoming. Adam was at Homecoming this year, where he was all smiles and full of energy, hitting the bars with Xan Ackerman Fischer, Willie Wagner, and Melvy Portorcarrero, former Spanish faculty. (Read more about Adam on page 61). We wish their families comfort at this difﬁcult time. Class Correspondent: Lisabeth Simms Belman 12701 York Mill Lane, Clarksburg, MD 20871-4034, 301-972-3751, lisabeth1208@verizon.net

1988 Class Correspondent: Gayle Pikrone Richardson 1220 Crestview Drive, Batavia, IL 60510-1180, richardsonteam@sbcglobal.net

1989 Shalini Gupta Lulla, Heather Hellenga, Katey Key, Mindy Rose Frangulova, Jessica York Heinking ’88, and Beth Potter, reunited in Deerﬁeld, Illinois, July 25-27, 2013. Reports Shalini: “We’ve been getting together almost every year for the last 10 years, and of course,

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

many times before that at weddings. Our weekend was full of laughs, spa treatments, cyberstalking, and culminated in a night out in Chicago. ❯ A quick update on everyone. Beth, a family medicine physician in Madison, Wisconsin, is married to Robin Carre ’85 and has three kids, Jonah (17), Ezra (14), and Mimi (11). Heather, a ﬁfth grade teacher in Galesburg, Illinois, is married to Tom Colclasure, and is the mom of Harper (15) and Jackson (11). Jessica, an inventory planner for Sears Holdings, lives in Hampshire, Illinois, is married to Tim Heinking, and is mom of Samuel (18). Katey lives in Chicago with her boyfriend, Philip Des Forges, and is director of strategic planning for Commonground Marketing. After living abroad for three years with her family in Russia, Mindy has moved back to Glen Rock, New Jersey, with husband Max and kids Sasha (16) and Katya (14). Shalini, a marketing strategy consultant, lives in Deerﬁeld, Illinois, with her husband Sanjeev and kids Sonali (9) and Rishi (9). Not able to attend was Leda Trivinos. Leda is a patent attorney in Boston, is married to Steve Cohen, and is the mother of Marc (16). She was sorely missed at the gathering. ❯ It sounds like Shalini, Heather, Katey, Mindy, Jessica and Beth set a standard for our class to aspire to at our Reunion in October. I hope to see you all there. Class Correspondent: Mia Jiganti 1850 W. Cortland, Chicago, IL 60622-1035, 773-278-0814, mjiganti@prodigy.net

1990 Editor’s note: We’re looking for a correspondent for the Class of 1990. Want to help out? Contact knoxmag@knox.edu.

1991 Scott Erickson writes: “I still live in Knox County and work as the Knox County Clerk in the courthouse across the street from campus. I was recently elected by my county clerk peers to serve on the board of directors for the Illinois

Gillian Stein ’05 and Mark Openshaw—December 7, 2013 LEFT TO RIGHT: Katie Lambert Weaver ’05, Mina Shupienis Crooks ’69, Susan Taylor ’05, Gillian Stein ’05, Mark Openshaw, Colleen Bohlin ’05, Stephen Moore ’05, Jessica Ramirez-Maldonado ’05, and Briana Trainor ’05.

Association of County Officials as the representative for the county clerks and recorders. I serve on that board as the chairman of the communications committee. We have just revamped the quarterly publication into an electronic ‘Facebook’ type system with great success.” ❯ Beth Landers writes: “After teaching French full-time for 10 years at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, I have accepted a new position as assistant professor of French at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.” ❯ Demosthenes Tantalidis writes: “Since Knox graduation I received my M.S. in computer science in Michigan and my MBA at Kellogg and then worked in Chicago for 15 years at PwC and IBM. I recently moved to the Seattle area and work at Microsoft HQ.” ❯ Amanda Toler Woodward writes: “I’m writing this from Tampere, Finland, where I am leading a two-week study abroad program for master’s-level social work students. I have just been promoted to associate professor with tenure at the Michigan State University School of Social Work. My husband and I are building a new house that should be done at the end of June.” ❯ Melissa Harju Vos writes: “In September I celebrated 15 years at Abbott Labs (now AbbVie Inc). I am currently an associate study project manager for clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease. These studies are based in Tokyo and South Korea. I live in Jefferson Park, Chicago, with my husband, Adam, and two children, Taylor (15) and Zoe (9). I am regularly in touch with Heidi Schwanz Rettler and Sue Frankson.” ❯ Colin Graham writes: “I live in Fairfield, Connecticut, with my wife of 12 years and seven-year-old twins. I work in New York as a business affairs attorney for talent agency ICM Partners.” ❯ Kathy Jacob Fogo continues to practice law in Gunnison, Colorado, currently serving as the attorney for the City of Gunnison and Town of Mt. Crested Butte, along with a general civil practice. She spends the rest of her time getting her daughter, Erin, to her many activities and events. They share their five acres with 13 animals, none of which work for a living, but they do provide a lot of love. ❯ Lisa Ptasienski Meinert writes: “I live in Bucks

Class Knox Thorson Ragnini ’92 is reminded of all the things that drew her to Knox.

1992 Hello ’92ers! As I begin to travel down the road of college searches with my daughter, I am reminded of all the things that drew me to Knox and the memories that keep Knox so alive for me every day. I can only hope that she ﬁnds such a place for herself. With that college decision a ways away, my four girls keep me very busy these days. Our weeks are ﬁlled with swim practices, lacrosse games, ballet recitals, and all that comes from having daughters ages 6-16. We are truly blessed … tired, but blessed. I had high hopes of making it down to Galesburg to spend time with my ’93 girls this fall, but just couldn’t make it happen. I did get a chance to meet up with Beth Middleton Voigt ’93, Katie Dalpes Thomas ’93, and Aimee Petersen Schnabel ’93 on that Friday for a little pre-Homecoming lunch in Chicago. It wasn’t exactly the same as going down to the ’Burg, but I was glad to catch up with them before they headed down. ❯ For those of you that don’t know about our Facebook Group, it’s “Knox College Class of 1992.” At last

2014 Alumni Achievement Award Lara Moritz ’90 For Lara Moritz ’90, the Knox experience opened a door to the world. “I entered Knox as an insecure, narrow-minded 18-year-old,” says Moritz. “I left as a confident, curious, fearless young woman.” Relying on this newfound self-assurance, Moritz dove into the world of broadcast journalism. In her 19 years with KMBC 9 News in Kansas City, Missouri, Moritz has interviewed a serial killer, an underwater hockey team, a teen accomplice to an accidental murder, President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama. In 1997, Moritz won her first Emmy for a story on an underwater hockey league. Using an underwater camera, she approached this unique sport in a creative way. Her second Emmy recognized an influential investigative piece on animal abuse in Kansas. Through the story, Moritz and her team were able to convince lawmakers to make animal abuse a felony charge. Moritz received her first Edward R. Murrow Award in 2007 for a three-year investigation with the Kansas City murder squad. Granted unprecedented access to the squad’s investigative process, Moritz and her team put together a comprehensive piece on the murder investigation, from the autopsy to suspect interrogations. In 2009, Moritz was awarded her second Murrow Award for a chilling interview with a serial killer on death row. “It was intimidating interviewing a man who confessed to me that if he was ever let out of prison he would kill again,” says Moritz. Most recently, Moritz’s reporting earned her the 2012 Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award, an honor given to an individual who reinforces self-worth and self-confidence in women and demonstrates that “anything is possible.” As part of the award, she was given $10,000 to donate to any institution. She chose to support scholarships at Knox, building on the foundation started by her parents. SUBMITTED

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

County, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia and spend most of my free time involved with my kids’ sports/activities. Thomas is 14, and Kelly is 11. I have worked at Aon for 17 years. Currently, I design and implement new insurance products and programs. ❯ I regularly see Jenny Firth Sharrock and her family, who live outside of Philadelphia, and my brother and sister-in-law, Mike ’92 and Alexandra Friefeld Ptasienski ’95 and niece Raphaelle (9), who live down in McLean, Virginia.” ❯ Steve Fouts is a social entrepreneur currently teaching math at an innercity school in Chicago. He is also executive director of a non-proﬁt leadership organization called the Republic Foundation, which works with K-12 students and teachers. ❯ Jody Herfel Neja writes: Tim Neja ’88 and I returned from a few weeks in Ireland with our kids. This year was a particularly busy one for us. In July 2012, Jeff and Kim Black Turnbull and their beautiful daughters were in Georgia and spent a day hanging out with us. Except for the eight kids between our families, it was just like we never left Knox! In August I returned to work after 18 years of being a stay-at-home mom. I teach part-time in my parish preschool’s two-year-old class. With our kids now 19, 18, 15, 13, 9, and 7, I enjoy the opportunity to spend time with little ones! I also spend a lot of time helping out at our kids’ schools. Our oldest, Maggie, just ﬁnished her freshman year at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, which brings back a lot of fond Siwash memories. Tim is still with Cryolife, Inc., and has had some great travel opportunities over the past year or two, particularly to Australia and China. All in all, life is very good! As always, we love visitors and welcome anyone traveling this way to stop in and say hello! Class Correspondent: Jonathan Sheinkop 1444 N. Orleans, Apt. 9I, Chicago, IL 60610-6538, jonathansheinkop@hotmail.com

Knox Magazine: How has your Knox experience affected your life? Lara Moritz: The professors at Knox helped me ﬁgure out what I was interested in and helped me develop the self-conﬁdence to pursue a career in journalism. There is such a variety of courses at Knox—each one has helped me become a well-rounded reporter. I developed a curiosity about people, places, and things at Knox that has helped me cover a wide range of stories. Knox helped me search for not just one truth but many different truths depending on the situation. My foundation as a person was built at Knox, and it is indestructible. KM: What words of advice would you offer to current Knox students? LM: Take advantage of every opportunity to travel around the world, take courses from all kinds of professors, make as many friends in as many different circles as possible. And know this: no matter where you end up in life, the people you met at Knox will always share an unbreakable bond that will carry you through times of sadness and times of joy.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

The family of Donna Bainum Cook ’95 will be just like the Brady

Steve Yasukawa ’06 and Clair Durkes—August 10, 2013

Ashley Steinsdoerfer ’05 and Jeffrey Gottlieb— September 1, 2013

LEFT TO RIGHT: Devin Hogan ’06, Nate Ewigman ’06, Brian Marienfeld ’06, Brian Werner ’06.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Brian Ching ’05, Melanie Hagen-Ching ’06, Jeffrey Gottlieb, Ashley Steinsdoerfer Gottlieb ’05, Lyndsey Ayers Carney ’05, Rebecca Halonen ’05, Constance Halonen ’06.

IN THEIR ARMS: Steve Yasukawa ’06.

count, we had 108 members. I know there must be more of you out there, so spread the word. Class Notes have been a little light since last year’s big Homecoming. As many of you told me this time around, things seem to be pretty status quo in everyone’s life. I know I love hearing from everyone about anything you’ve got going on, so please consider dropping me a line for the June 1st deadline. —Tammy Thorsen Ragnini ❯ Rafael Castanos writes: “I have been living in the Seattle area for eight years enjoying the Paciﬁc Northwest outdoors with my wife, April, and my two my younger kids, Nicolas (14) and Samantha (11).” ❯ Jen Goldsberry Quandt writes: “I’m same old, same old. Nothing to report but Homecoming antics. Homecoming is always fun, and this year was no exception. Got to see so many people from our class and the Class of ’93: Sreedhar Yedavalli ’93, Michele Danaher ’93, Anne Swanson’93, Aimee Petersen Schnabel ’93, Beth Middleton Voigt ’93, Brett Barnhart, Danielle Mari, Malinda Heerwagen Riley ’93, Summer Scobell ’93, Lisa Harrison Piane ’93. And my favorite surprises, Andrew Iorgulescu ’93 and Kyle Anderson ’93! I spent quality time with Kim Chipman, Genevieve Fitzgerald Schulz, Brian East and Julie Scannell ’91, Kathy Hansen Foster ’91, and Kellie Monroe Lane ’91. I even ran the Knox 5K with a bunch of these folks. Had a dedication for the Class of ’93 at the Suzanne L. Hart Memorial Garden, and Sree spoke so beautifully, not only of Zanny, but of all our Knox brothers and sisters gone too soon. I, of course, cried as I tried to talk about the garden. I am just never going to get over it. I still miss Zanny like crazy. But I digress. We had a blast, and I wish we could do it all again tomorrow! Siwash forever, ya know I mean it.” ❯ Jennifer ‘Otis’ Hartman writes: “Everything continues to be status quo here in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. My wife and I

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

continue to try and keep up with Rebekah, our nearly eight-year-old, who has developed the expensive hobby/addiction of horseback riding. I’m still a very busy family practitioner and have the fortunate job of delivering lots of beautiful babies. We’ll keep the light on for anyone heading to Boston (we are only 45 minutes away)!” 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, 847-382-4022, rragnini1@yahoo.com

1993 It was great to see so many classmates at Homecoming! It was a true Knox experience hanging out with so many creative, intelligent, and talented people. As classmates and friends we celebrated together. ❯ We also share in each other’s sorrows, and, at Homecoming, we paused to remember those we have lost. Now, our hearts go out as well to Sue Lin Yee and husband Jeff, whose daughter, Zara Yee Hawthorne, passed away in China on November 1, 2013. Sue writes: “Zara (6) was a kind, curious, and vivacious child who made friends everywhere she went and had opportunities to travel to many U.S. states and countries, including Costa Rica, Canada, China, and South Korea. Zara was bilingual in English and Mandarin and known for her love of art, fashion, and dance. She danced with the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company for one year and was taking Chinese dance at Beijing’s Dongfang Performing Arts Academy.” Sue Lin is the deputy director for management and operations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. ❯ Dan Rosenberg writes: “I had a great time seeing other 1993 classmates at Homecoming in

Donnie Forti ’06 and Megan Loiselle—February 23, 2013

October and singing in the choir concert. I also enjoyed the chance to talk with Choir Director Laura Lane and Professors Doug Wilson and Rodney Davis, two of my favorite Knox professors. Glad to see everyone is doing so well. It was also fun hanging out for a while in The Knox Student office and talking to current editors. I spent a lot of time in that office in the early ’90s, and I still felt right at home there, despite all the vastly improved technology now in place. After graduating Knox and then earning a graduate degree in journalism at Northwestern University, I spent 10 years as a financial journalist, writing for Dow Jones Newswires, The Wall Street Journal, and Barron’s. In 2005, I left journalism for public relations, and, since 2008, I’ve been senior manager of public affairs at Hospira, a medical company based outside of Chicago. I live in Highland Park with my wife, Debbie, and two children, Jonah (13) and Evan (10). I still keep in touch with Knox friends, including Ferran Costa ’94, Erin Roche, Ahmad von Schlegell, and others. See you all at our 25th!” ❯ Alex Marshall says: “I’m back at work eight months removed from open heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurism. I’m in great shape and look forward to continuing my firefighting career as long as the body and mind can take it.” ❯ Mitra Ghaboussi writes: “I hope to finish my M.S. in counseling psychology next year. I live in Urbana and am writing my third book right now. I’m a shamanic practitioner, as well as a massage therapist, and have been doing a bit of both. I’m seeing a great new man. I have high hopes and think he’s the one for me. We have great times together.” ❯ Katie Dalpes Thomas writes: “I’ve been back in Denver (after California and Arizona) for 11 years, teaching Spanish at an independent high school here. Next fall I’ll be taking on a new job at the same school as director of our college counseling program. My son is in sixth grade and attends my

Class Knox Bunch . . . as soon as they get a maid named Alice.

Donna Brady ’76 and John McGlothlin—May 26, 2013 LEFT TO RIGHT: Bill Wickart ’76, Donna Brady ’76, Beth Durham Stratton ’77.

school; my husband teaches history at the rival independent school in town. It was fantastic to see the gang at Homecoming this year. Aimee Petersen Schnabel, Beth Middleton Voigt, Tammy Thorsen Ragnini ’92, and I enjoyed a bit of Chicago before heading to Galesburg to meet up with Malinda Heerwagen Riley, Anne Swanson, and Michele Danaher Molloy. What a surprise to see Andrew Iorgulescu, Kyle Anderson, Darren Smith, Rob Louthain, Alex Marshall, Sree Yedavalli, Suchita Kishore, Mi Chard-Cunion, Heather Chelberg, and lots of other terrific people (including you, Rebecca!). The Lake Storey 5K, the strolls around campus, the tailgate fiesta, and all our old haunts were worth the visit 20 years later. Here’s to our 25th Reunion, hoping that more people can pull themselves away from their busy lives and reminisce with former (not old) friends from Knox!” ❯ Brenda Gregoline writes: “I was recently promoted to managing editor of all scientific journals at the Journal of the American Medical Association Network. This is an exciting time to be in STEM publishing, as there are lots of changes and disruptive business models going on. I still live in Chicago with my husband Brian Begy, who is chief technology officer at a successful internet startup called Spotlite. We have a 10-year-old daughter, Nora, who plays ice hockey, runs track, does push-ups whenever she can, and is just generally awesome. We work a lot, but we also spend time renovating our bungalow (new kitchen this year—oh what a joy dealing with 90-year-old electrical wiring), traveling as a family (most recently to San Diego), and hanging out with friends. We see Brian McKeough and his family regularly and live just down the street from Mark Johnston and Lloy Brodnicki Johnston ’94.” Class Correspondent: Rebecca Gillan Ballard rballard@knoxalumni.org

Sam Flanders ’10 and Melati Nungsari ’10—September 15, 2012 LEFT TO RIGHT: Hosu Klessig ’11, Maaya Ikeda ’10, Willie Ow ’11, Erin Souza Dreyfuss ’10, Marc Dreyfuss ’10, Melati Nungsari ’10, Sam Flanders ’10, Nicole Henniger ’10, Kelly Walsh ’10, Robin Kristoff ’09, Michael Sales ’07, Nor Azilah Ngah ‘83 (not in picture).

1994 Class Correspondents: Lloy Brodnicki Johnston 5507 N. St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625-4624, 773-539-5519, lloy@steel-springs.com Leslie Combs 5432 N. Bernard, Chicago, IL 60625-4614, 773-539-1775, leslieccombs@yahoo.com

1995 Donna Bainum Cook has three boys from her first marriage and has gained three stepdaughters with her second marriage. That makes them just like the Brady Bunch… as soon as they get a maid named Alice. Her wonderful husband, Kevin McCain, is a fine artist and illustrator. They celebrated their two-year anniversary last November. She put her creative writing degree to good use; she’s a freelance writer and editor and published her first novel late last year. Gift of the Phoenix has won several awards and will be featured in the December issue of Shelf Unbound e-magazine as a “Notable Read.” Between her family and her writing career, she stays pretty busy, but not too busy to marvel at the fact that our 20th Reunion is less than two years away! ❯ Rebecca Kizlinski Sisk was very busy in 2013. She ran her first ultramarathon in January (42 miles) and then ran the 100-mile Umstead endurance run in April. In June, she hosted a girls’ weekend reunion at my house with Mimi Doyle Russell and Ann Pieper. After a difficult year of separation from her husband, they finalized their divorce in September. She also completed her third Ironman triathlon in October and then turned 40 in November. ❯ Andrea Miklasz is a second-year graduate student at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, working towards a master’s degree in counseling psychology, with a specialization in

clinical psychology. She plans to work with dualdiagnosis substance abuse/mental illness clients. She is obviously insane for signing up for 10 credit hours next term but wants to finish grad school in three years while maintaining some semblance of sanity (which ain’t easy, folks). Her son, Luke (with Craig Bechtel ’94), is in eighth grade, plays basketball, and was just confirmed into the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Most days, it’s a victory if everyone is present and accounted for. ❯ Ellie Robinson Mitchell loves living in her hometown of Baltimore with husband George and children Lucienne (5) and Ellison (7). Since 2009 she has led Maryland’s statewide afterschool network (there are 42 networks across the country), trying to increase afterschool and summer learning opportunities for young people. She’s looking forward to attending Homecoming next year with her mom for her 50th Reunion and then returning the next year for our 20th. Will she see you there? ❯ I’ve had a year of great changes, challenges, and opportunities. In early summer, my position as associate conference minister with the Iowa Conference United Church of Christ (UCC) was eliminated. By fall, I had gotten a new position with the Michigan Conference UCC and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. The new position is half-time, which allows me to do consulting, coaching, and teaching related to effective approaches to youth ministry and faith formation. In the midst of it all, I trained for and completed my first Olympic-distance triathlon right after turning 40. Before leaving Iowa, Chris Tong and I convened the first gathering of the Central Iowa Knox Club, Class of ’95, in Des Moines. Class Correspondent: Rev. Nicole Havelka 514 Elm St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007, revnhavelka@gmail.com

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

As if on cue, the sun set over the Pacific Ocean immediately after

Tanya Frank ’05 and Adam Jones—August 17, 2013

Christy Rosier ’05 and Chris Heimann ’04—September 21, 2013

KNEELING (LEFT TO RIGHT): Sarah Lammie ’05, Tara Converse Rollins ’05.

FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Mikey Wood ’08, Joey Shipley ’04, Trey Parrott ’05.

STANDING: Yaritza de Jesus ’05, Chris Rollins ’04, Gabrielle Genevich Muldoon ’05, Erica Skog ’06, Will Cwik ’07, Annie Vernon ’07, Tanya Frank Jones ’05, Shirlene Love ’04, Monica Hartsock ’04.

SECOND ROW: Kevin Marshall ’82, Kevin Heimann ’02, Cathy Kucik Heimann ’70, Renae Skogan McIntosh ’04, Katie Drummond Bonstead ’04, Christy Rosier ’05, Chris Heimann ’04, Karli Murphy Meyer ’05, Cammi Heimann Lawrence ’95. THIRD ROW: Katie Megli Howard ’01, Danny Nunez ’04, Tim McIntosh ’04, BJ DePung ’02, Heidi Becker DeHaan ’05, Tiffany Lambert Pullen ’05, Becca Drummond '06. FOURTH ROW: Jeff Howard ’01, Matt McGinn ’05, Kirk Helm ’06, Andrew Hulbert ’05.

1996 Kathy Dix Biallas writes: “This year has been difficult, with lots of injuries and illnesses, that have cut into our social life and minimized our home improvements. I’ve returned to being a software business analyst after a short foray back into technical writing, as I cannot retain anyone in this role and have to keep re-filling it myself. I still have five different bosses.” ❯ Brandon Mack writes: “It’s been a busy time in the operating rooms recently as everyone is meeting their year-end deductibles. Our department of anesthesiology is preparing to design a new surgical center to begin construction early next year. My wife, Marissa, and little one, Haya, are decorating our home for the upcoming festivities. We are preparing to enjoy our holidays in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Alfred Wooten … I’m looking out for you!” ❯ Monica Ostrand Day says: “This year we welcomed our adopted son Jackson’s baby brother into our home. Aiden is currently in foster care with us, and we hope to adopt him. My Student Parks Project at Michigan State University is entering its fourth year. Turning 40 is unwelcome, but it is heartening to see so many of my friends are just now starting to have babies. Makes me feel I’m right on time (and not too late!).” ❯ Angie Valetutto says: “This year has been a wild one. I co-directed and performed in an original dance/theatre/aerial piece, which we presented at Synapsis Warehouse in Eureka, California, and at Zaccho Dance Theatre in San Francisco. I entered the third trimester of my pregnancy during the run of the show. I am grateful that I was able to perform in the show, including a solo on the trapeze. The trapeze was lowered to the height of a swing. And on October 1, partner Scott Sween and I welcomed our daughter, Stella Cordelia, into the world. Stella, Scott, and I currently have a collaborative photography project on display at

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

the Brenda Tuxford Gallery for the Open Heart Show. It’s been a full year!” ❯ Shannon McDaniel writes: “I just got back from a 10-day cruise through the eastern Mediterranean. We explored Italy, Greece, and Turkey, and didn’t want to get off the ship.” Class Correspondent: Kathryn Dix Biallas 1418 East Colter Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602-944-7466, kathybiallas@gmail.com

1997 Scott ’96 and Amanda Holstrom Lubbs write: “The Lubbs family continues to enjoy life in California. The weather just can’t be beat, and 40 minutes to the beach is irresistible! Our two children are thriving in a two-way bilingual Spanish immersion program. It is fun watching them break out into fluent Spanish so naturally. I’ve already attended two orientations for the imminent junior high years that will start next fall. Scott, teaching in his 12th year, is reaping the benefits of ‘flipping’ his class last year. As educators, we are excited about the opportunities technology brings to the students but are also very aware of the challenges. It is never boring when you’re a teacher!” ❯ Amy Falasz-Peterson writes: “I’m director of the Fondulac District Library in East Peoria, Illinois. On November 2, a new 32,000 square-foot facility opened to the public. More than 1,100 people walked through our doors that day. The new library features lounge seating, quiet study rooms, an expanded collection, a drive-up service window, and a bright, airy children’s department. The community supported a $7 million referendum in 2009 to pay for the construction and to furnish and equip the facility. As library director, I was the library’s liaison throughout the construction process. We are part of a multi-use, redeveloped Brownfield site in East Peoria. My kids, Will (4) and Ella (3), and husband Brian Peterson ’94 enjoy the new facility.” ❯ Jameta May Rogers

writes: “husband Jerry and I have two toddlers: a 3-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl. I’m an advisor at Olive-Harvey Middle College, an alternative high school. We are housed at Olive-Harvey College, so as a dual enrolled advisor I work with the high school students to enroll them in college courses. After working for 13 years with TRIO programs, I love helping students discover their passion. I teach college success classes on helping students become familiar with the school and giving them tips on how to be successful.” ❯ Presita May West is the mother of two incredible boys, Brandon (11) and Jeremiah (9). She is in her 10th year at the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. She is also the president of the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, making history as the first African American woman to be president.” ❯ Brad Pritts writes: “The family formerly known as the Chi-Town Prittses is officially kicking off 2014 as the C-Businator Prittses, in Columbus, Ohio! We’ve found a great school that our whole family can rally around and get involved in for my daughter, called the Ohio School for the Deaf. With the birth of our third, Emmett (September 27), and a big move under our belt, we feel like the adventure of the next half of our lives is off to a good start! Somewhere between a life of sitting and a life of running—AMBLE (Aston, Micaela, Brad, Lisa, Emmett).” ❯ Becky Richardson Shadlich writes: “I have completed my second master’s degree (I now have a BFA, an MBA, and an MSA). I am preparing to take the CPA exam in 2014 and am hoping to open my own tax franchise in 2014. I currently have my own company that has been doing bookkeeping for small businesses, and I have been preparing individual tax returns for six years. I still work full-time as a financial aid processor/advisor at Westwood College (the online school), but I have several small business clients. I hope to turn my business into a full-time job in the next year or two so that I can work for myself. I have been

Class Knox Alexis Houghton ’97 said “I do.”

Maria Filippone ’03 and Adam Zwirek—August 10, 2013 FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Ty Thompson ’84, Chris McCown ’03, Agostino Filippone ’06, Maria Filippone ’03, Adam Zwirek, Andrew Flock ’09, Samantha Pelkey-Flock ’09, Sam Newport ’10, Sarah Colangelo ’10, Jennifer Keegan, Donna Curry. BACK ROW: Aaron Hook ’03, Andrew Bazan ’03, Racheal Beaver Strain ’04, Joseph Mohan ’03, Joshua Ferchau ’03, Amelia Welty, Teresa Pittman, Susan Pointer Thompson ’85, Benjamin Wetherbee ’12, Lisa Knisely ’03, DeVone Eurales, Donna Cox, Dan Chibnall ’03, Alison Looney ’03, Jamie Koenig Nordling ’04, Hillary Loomis ’06, Joe Page ’03, Dolly Sundel, Todd Smith, Mary Wright, Hayley Schueneman ’12, Emily Berkson ’12.

married for 12 years, and my very smart threeyear-old is going to start school soon. Look out for a new Knox legacy in a few years!” ❯ Cassie Smith Hart writes: “The biggest news in our family right now is the addition of our third child, Wesley, born in August. His big sisters Maddi (7) and Ali (4) love him to pieces! Other than that, I continue to work from home on freelance writing/editing projects, and I play the occasional jazz gig when the opportunity arises. Had a great visit a few weeks ago with fellow alumni ladies Nikki Malley ’98 and Erin Rakers Crawford ’98. My husband, Kevin Hart, still teaches jazz piano/combos at Knox and two other schools.” ❯ Nahyan Fancy writes: “I am enjoying my sabbatical in Edison, New Jersey. We plan to be here until August 2015, and would love to meet up with Knox folks currently in the NYC/NJ area, or those planning to visit it.” ❯ Julie Keck writes: “All’s well in Chicago! Still causing trouble here with my partner of 15 years, Jessica. Loving my work with PBS MediaShift as their social media editor and occasional contributor. I recently wrote an article for them about social media tips for Crowdfunding. I’ve also been writing and producing a web series for the lesbian content hub telloﬁlms.com for several years. I have three series on the site (“I Hate Tommy Finch,” “The Throwaways,” and “Roomies”), and I do our marketing and promotion, as well as shepherding new writers and directors through the production process. Feeling lucky to have a creative life that pays my real-life bills and gives me a chance to help other creators do the same. If you’re on Twitter, let’s play! I’m at @kingisaﬁnk. Cheers!” ❯ Rebecca Slaughter writes: “I work for the City of Las Cruces. I was asked to serve as the interim museum system administrator, which means I am in charge of three other museums, in addition to my regular gig as the director of the Branigan Cultural Center. It’s a lot of extra work but fun, too. In early 2013 I was one of 36 professionals

interviewed for the upcoming book Leadership Matters: Thoughts on 21st Century Museum Leadership. It should be published by The American Association for State and Local History sometime soon.” ❯ As if on cue, the sun set over the Paciﬁc Ocean immediately after Alexis Haughton said “I do” to Justin Slagle in September 2013. It was a beautiful Southern California bayside setting in the OC. Alexis and Justin currently reside in Irvine, California. Class Correspondent: Josh Mika 1850 Waverly Way, Montgomery, IL 60538-4130, jrmika@gmail.com

1998 Class Correspondent: Stephanie Hasan Detterline 4330 Conifer Court, Glen Arm, MD 21057, 410-882-1018, stephaniedetterline@gmail.com

1999 Not too much to report on the Kihslinger end; however, in September, Kevin Kihslinger and I did take a trip to Crete, where we spent 10 days soaking up some sun and sites. Seven of those days we were fortunate to spend with Hanna Essner and her husband, Johan Stenfeldt. We try to visit with our Knox friends when we can. We also had a fun visit with Todd Koca and his parents in October. In November, we met Sandy Arndt and her family in Madison at the Children’s Museum. ❯ Sara Biner Brugam writes: “Matt Brugam and I welcomed son Ean Richard Brugam to our family on June 12, 2013. Emilie enjoys the ‘big sister’ role but deﬁnitely does not want to share her toys. Matt works for AT&T as a senior network engineer, and I am always busy keeping up with the two kids!” ❯ Season Clauss writes: “I am still tackling life in Vietnam working for a Vietnamese/Australian international school and a Vietnamese/American language

center. In my free time, I’ve been exploring the local region on single day or weekend trips. Japan is in the cards, and I will finally get to play in snow after two years. I am not too sure that I will survive the cold after living in 85+ temperatures! It will be nice to have some authentic Japanese food. Daily living in Vietnam is always adventurous, and I am glad that some friends and family from the States have been able to see this place halfway around the world.” ❯ Susannah Gillan Gawor writes: “The Gawors have moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where Susannah is director of the graduate business programs in medicine for Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and Brian Gawor ’98 is associate vice president in the fundraising management division for RuffaloCody. Girls Emma (12) and Kennedy (9) keep us laughing every day!” ❯ Tami Gillip Rudolph writes: “My past two years have been very busy. Jason and I decided to leave San Diego, California, almost two years ago and move back to the Midwest, closer to family. We live near Kansas City, Missouri, and are still trying to adjust to the colder weather. I work for Quintiles, and our son is in first grade. We look forward to an exciting summer, as we are expecting our second child.” ❯ Beth Gerlach writes: “After living in Brooklyn, New York, for 10 years, I moved to Seattle, Washington, at the end of 2011 with husband Dave Clay. We miss our friends in New York, but we really love Seattle, especially the house we just bought in March! 2013 has been a very busy year for us. In June, we got married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Sandy Arndt was one of my bridesmaids. Joel Fleminger-Rier’s wife, Erika, and their 10-year-old daughter, Isadora, (my goddaughter), were also bridesmaids! We had a lovely two-week honeymoon in Italy in September. To top it off, Dave and I are now excitedly expecting our first child in April.” ❯ Todd Koca returned to the U.S. State Department as a foreign affairs officer in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. ❯ Thanks for the news! Keep it coming! Class Correspondent: Valerie Saks Kihslinger S3042 W. Salem Ridge Rd., La Farge, WI 54639, 608-268-6903, vsaks@hotmail.com

2000

I was delighted to get several updates from classmates this time! Keep them coming! ❯ Stephanie Armagost Haedt was selected by Super Lawyers as a Minnesota 2013 Rising Star. ❯ Waldemar Szlezak sends a note that he is “still in New York, working for Soros Fund Management as a managing director, and I ﬁnally got married this year to Amber Bankson, who is a managing director at Teach for America and recently graduated from Columbia University’s Teachers College with a master’s in counseling psychology and is working as a therapist.” ❯ Christopher Wise writes: “I am executive vice president and co-founder of UOVO Fine Art Storage, a 270,000 square-foot ground-up, state-

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Dan Tyx ’03 had an essay published in the Best American Travel of-the art building in New York City. When we open next year, it will be the largest art storage project the United States. My wife, Aura, and I celebrated the third birthday of our son, Eliot.” ❯ Emily Sherrer shares: “2013 was a big year! In February I changed law firm partners and moved into a new office space. In March, we moved out of our condo and into a house. Our new home was built in the 1890s, so Dan and I are learning a lot about home maintenance and repairs! In May, we welcomed our son, William Alexander, to our family. He has been such a joy, and Ada is a wonderful big sister. Since then, we have been adjusting well to life as a family of four. With a two-year-old and a six-month-old, there is never a dull moment!” ❯ Scott Mendelson writes: “My wife, Dr. Cathy Humikowski, and I welcomed the birth of our daughter, Eleanor Margaret Mendelson, on July 3, 2013.” ❯ Rhonda Reed Weiner is doing great in Houston with two fantastic daughters (1 ½ and 4 ½). Rhonda made partner at her law firm (Gardere Wynne Sewell) this past April and misses everyone. ❯ Eric and Janelle Curtis Eckdhal ’01 celebrated the birth of Violet Lucille in October. She joins siblings Connor (6), Althea (4), and Evelyn (2). Eric is enjoying another season of curling, and Janelle keeps busy with a dental practice in the small town of Monroe, Wisconsin. ❯ Hilary Anderson lives in Northeast North Carolina with her partner, Andy Bartley, and two kids, Otto and Ada. She spent a few years as program director with Pocosin Arts Folk School, a non-profit arts education organization. She currently stays home, still draws, and finds herself busy caring for two small children, developing metalsmithing skills, and crafting art jewelry. ❯ Brooke Mathews Johnson and Adam Johnson ’02 recently moved to Waverly, Illinois, with their two boys, Collin Patrick (6) and Drew Vincent (5). Adam teaches, coaches basketball, and farms with his dad near Waverly. Brooke works as a full-time registered dental hygienist in Springfield, Illinois, and is in charge of all social media for Luker Dental Care. “We are always busy but happy!” ❯ This summer Tara Miller-McCluskey completed an advanced certification by The Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice in the fields of chiropractic pediatrics, perinatal care, women’s health, and family wellness. Dr. MillerMcCluskey is the only chiropractor certified by the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics in the Charleston area and only one of three certified chiropractors in the state of South Carolina. She resides in sunny Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, with husband Jim, Jack (5), and Lucy (2). ❯ Abigail Kean still lives in a Milwaukee suburb and is in year 13 of teaching high school social studies and theatre. “Part of my job the last two years has been working to build an arts charter school within our traditional high school. In the charter, I mentor students who have chosen theatre as a focus, in addition to teaching social studies in interdisciplinary seminars. It’s very much like a liberal arts college at the high school level. Besides serving at church, I don’t do much

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

other than activities related to my job. I am hoping to get into a routine after this year when the charter is more established. One of my brightest teaching and Knox-related moments of 2013 was attending Rep Term, in which one of my former students was involved. I’ve been blessed to have a weekend with a bunch of Knox friends the last few springs and am so glad to keep up with the news from Jamie Garcia Stoltzfus, who gave birth to her third daughter last spring; Dana Pulte Smith, who is about to have baby number three; Jesse Shaffer Ballard, who has started a cake decorating business upon their recent family move to Montana; and generally keeping in touch with Meagan Burns Gottcent, Becky Alyea Gill, and a few from the Knox Class of 1999. ❯ Steve ’99 and Erin Jacoby Easter enjoy life in the Bloomington-Normal cornﬁelds. “After completing our master’s degrees at Illinois State, we both work at State Farm. I am a digital architect, working on design and usability testing of internet and mobile applications, while Steve is a technical analyst on IBM Middleware products. Life with Maggie (5) and Lucas (3) keeps us quite busy, but we’ve enjoyed seeing Knox friends regularly the past few years at Homecoming, various parties, and while traveling.” Class Correspondent: Kristie Wagher Scarffe, D.C. 6985 Merriman Road, Garden City, MI 48135, 734-402-2225, kgwscarffe@gmail.com

2001 Hi Everyone! I had a couple of updates this time around from our classmates, and I have one about myself. I attended the Apple Academy in Cupertino, California, in January. I am now an Apple Certified Foundations Trainer at Oak Grove School in Green Oaks, Illinois, where I have been a tech coach for the last three years. This is my 12th year at Oak Grove. It was an amazing experience with 17 other teachers and some fantastic trainers! ❯ My sister Ashleigh Honaker Malec ‘07 and husband Chris had their first baby, Sloan Ava, on July 13, 2013. I was able to change her first diaper and help her with her first selfie when she was only hours old! That makes seven nieces and nephews for me! ❯ Jim and Becky Alyea Gill ’00 welcomed son John Gill on October 12 in St. Louis. Little Jack arrived two days before his sister Janice’s second birthday. Janice and big brother James enjoy their new baby brother. ❯ Michaela Klein writes: “I recently got a promotion to a great hospital system on the east coast of Florida. I work for Health First Medical Group in Brevard County, Florida. I work alongside my sister in the same system, a nurse practitioner in the ER of one of my sister hospitals. I love it here and am trying to learn how to surf, riding my Harley whenever I can, and living the salt life. I was rated one of the top surgeons in the state by Florida Today Magazine. It was a huge honor, and the newspaper distributes to all of central Florida, so that was pretty exciting. I am also helping develop a center for women’s health and a cancer

care service line for our group. It’s been an exciting adventure, and I am honored to be a part of it. I got to catch up with Summer Kingery when she interviewed at Melbourne for a position in veterinary medicine. It was great catching up with her after all these years. I am also completely in love with my goddaughter, Myka, whose mom is Sarah Frazer. Sarah is the most loving mother in the world, and I am blessed to be godmother to such a wonderful family! I’m trying to convince them to move down to Florida, too!” ❯ Elisabeth Beasley Kramp and husband Steve welcomed second son Joachim Kramp into the family last February. The Kramps moved to the Seattle area this fall and enjoy living in the Paciﬁc Northwest. ❯ Naomi Tsuji Caro and husband Ivan welcomed third child Mari in July. Her two older brothers love her to pieces. Naomi’s been the chemistry lab manager at Knox for three and a half years now. ❯ Take care everyone and keep those updates coming! Class Correspondent: Allison Honaker allisonhonaker@hotmail.com

2002 Stacia Falat Kiraly and husband Dominic are delighted to announce the arrival their son, Caden River Kiraly, born on March 3, 2013. “Caden’s big smile and merry blue eyes seem to draw compliments from every stranger in a 10foot radius. He makes us ridiculously happy. We feel like we won the kid lottery.” ❯ Brooks and Erin Rockwood Goedeker expect baby number three in May. ❯ Ami Jo Lawin writes: “Three years after losing the love of my life, I’m finally getting life back together. I’ve now been with Rock Bottom Brewery since the beginning of September, and I’m having a ball running a fullservice restaurant again—especially one that makes its own beer! Additionally, I celebrated 15 years in my industry this past July. Apparently I really did know what I wanted to do with my life when I was 19. Otherwise, I had a blast in the U.S. Virgin Islands for my spring break this year. I still have my Twins tickets, and my assorted nephews are growing quickly.” ❯ Danielle Docka-Filipek recently (finally!) finished her sociology Ph.D. with a graduate certificate in advanced feminist studies at University of Minnesota in August 2013. She relocated herself and her family to the Columbus, Ohio, area in July, and assumed a position as assistant professor of sociology at Otterbein University in fall 2013. Danielle teaches classes in human services; community organizing; service learning; race, class, gender and structural inequality; family studies, and social problems. ❯ Christopher PageGoertz ’03 and Kristine Allmendinger-Goertz moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Akron, Ohio, over the summer. Chris completed his pediatric critical care fellowship in Milwaukee and accepted a position at Akron Children’s Hospital. Ten years of medical training is finally completed. Kristine continues to work part-time in the field of clinical research, and daughter Emily cele-

Class Knox Writing Anthology. brated her second birthday in September. Kristine writes: “We had the chance to visit with other Knox friends at summer weddings and Homecoming and look forward to celebrating our 10th anniversary in June 2014.” ❯ Martha Brislen Byrne writes: “My son, Elliot, was born last April, and the whole family moved to Richmond, Indiana, in August. I have a two year pre-/post-doc position at Earlham College, and it’s wonderful to be back at a small, liberal arts college. I’ll defend my Ph.D. dissertation in March and graduate in May. In short, it’s been a big year for the Byrne family!” Class Correspondent: Jennifer Wreyford Bentley 1032 Merritt Terrace, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, 813-482-4112, jwreyford@gmail.com

2003 Carin Perilloux and Justin Sabatini—sadly, not a Knox grad—were married July 5, 2013, in Austin, Texas. ❯ Dan Tyx had an essay published in the Best American Travel Writing Anthology. In addition, Dan reports “surviving day-to-day with two young kids.” I hear ya, Dan. ❯ Melissa Moster Dragoo reports: “I received a promotion in September and became the youth services manager at the Hamilton East Public Library in Fishers, Indiana. I will also present at the 2014 Public Library Association Conference in Indianapolis this year. I would love to meet up with any other Knox librarians in attendance!” ❯ Vanessa Ribeiro Lawton writes “Husband Charlie and I spent a unique year in Alamogordo, New Mexico. We learned lots about the desert and the amazing space programs developed at Holloman Air Force base, but we were ready to move on. In January 2014, we relocated to San Antonio, Texas, where Charlie got a new job assignment. We’re happy to be living in a big city again! I took the opportunity of living in a small town to start my teaching certification online. I hope to graduate by the end of April 2014 and apply to be a middle school math teacher in Texas. That’s also when our first baby is due! We’re so happy and looking forward to welcoming our son to the family. Our dog, Maria, will finally have someone who can keep up with her!” ❯ Speaking of babies… Shalini Mahapatra White and husband Michael welcomed Jahan James Shekhar White on February 5, 2013. She reports: “He’s a true blessing and always such a happy boy.” Shalini works in project management for the Queensland state government in state development, infrastructure, and planning. ❯ Tina Browder gave birth to a daughter, Sylvia Elaine, on September 25, 2013. ❯ Mike and Karen Moravek Erwin ’05 are excited to share the news that they welcomed Carter David Erwin into the world on September 17, 2013. Mike writes: “Both mommy and baby are doing great, and we can’t wait for our first Knox trip together!” Class Correspondent: Allison O’Mahen Malcom 8134 Gridley Avenue, Wauwatosa, WI 53213-3049, allison.o.malcom@gmail.com

2004 Stephanie Fouhy is doing well, having just welcomed son Valen Matthew Fouhy on September 24, 2013, and is loving life as a new mom. ❯ Gina Gehrke Bodam and husband Jason welcomed Eleanor Julia (Ellie) to the world November 20. Big brother AJ (2) is slowly adjusting to having a little sister. All are doing well! ❯ Krista Nieraeth writes: “This summer I was hired as the principal at Pacific High School on the coast in Port Orford, Oregon. It has been a big adjustment for me with a steep learning curve, but this is what I’ve always wanted to do. Right before I got the job this summer, Gina Salamone and Kandra Ellis flew out to Oregon and, along with Erin Spier and myself, enjoyed the wineries of the Rogue and Umpqua Valleys. It was a great time!” ❯ Teresa Lazarz Spicer started a new position as senior process engineer at Maxim Integrated in San Antonio, Texas. She will use her Knox critical thinking skills to restructure the area she is in charge of. ❯ Lisa Casarrubias says: “I moved to Taiwan this past August and now teach eighth grade ESL at Taipei American School.” Visit: www.lisacasarrubias.com to keep up with her. ❯ Doug Falk and wife Nadja celebrated the birth of their daughter, Hilde, October 3. ❯ Ed Jones of Madison, Wisconsin, will marry Michaela Payne in September 2014. ❯ Karen Grover writes: “I am still in Singapore working as a ship broker and traveling Asia extensively. I presented a paper on Methanol shipping at the 16th Asian Methanol Conference and am training to run my first marathon. I recently caught up with Chris ’05 and Yuna Engle Ferguson, along with Min Kang ’05, in Seoul and had a very nice lunch with Takahiko Yamazaki ’03 in Bangkok. If you are passing by the region and would like to team up, give me a shout!” ❯ Jasmine Jobe saw Dir en grey live in Dallas; became a Beth Ditto fan; interviewed Damien Echols and wife Lorri Davis; met George Takei; continues to write and participate in readings; is preparing to teach a creative writing seminar through the library system; and is halfway done with her MFA in creative writing at University of Central Arkansas. Husband Doug exceeded his 150 books read in a year goal and continues toward his goal of certification as an alcohol drug counselor. Son Jack loves Legos, Adventuretime, and astronomy; and is preparing for the next life challenge: middle school! ❯ Jessica Weller writes: “Jubin Rahatzad and I welcomed our first child in July. Her name is Lila Elsi, and we love every minute with her.” ❯ Mary O’Malley says: “After working at a boarding school in Indiana for the last five years, I moved back to Chicago this summer, started graduate school at Northwestern University (where I took a class with Jim Davis ’06), and accepted a job as the assistant director of counseling at the Latin School of Chicago.” ❯ Nancy Curry says: “Chris and I welcomed our son, Silas Curry Clendenin, February 19, 2013. We still live in Philadelphia and love it!” ❯ Erin Spier says: “I’ve been on the Southern Oregon Coast for six years and will

complete my license as a professional counselor in February. I hope to be in private practice by May and am working toward opening an arts outreach center in our community. Partner Kevin and I welcomed our second boy, Finn, to the family. He joins Kevin’s older two, Joslynn and Landon, and our oldest, Cadan-Grey. We have a busy life! ❯ Tiffiny Ramirez Grace writes: “I continue to live in Las Vegas, Nevada, with my husband and two children, Emily (5) and Ethan (1). I still work in a busy pediatric office. I had the chance to visit with Kelly Anicich.” ❯ Tim McIntosh writes: “Renae Skogen McIntosh and I have had quite the year. In August, Renae joined the faculty at the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri teaching pediatric nursing. I took on a new role in December as manager of talent management for Mizzou. Our three future Knox students are getting big with Henry starting kindergarten. Time is a flying by! ❯ Julie Ellegood Pickup says: “I enjoy life here in St. Louis with my wonderful husband, Chris. I have two exciting jobs: by day I am the clinical supervisor at Epworth Children & Family Services, where I supervise family therapists in a child abuse and neglect prevention program; by night I am adjunct faculty in the University of MissouriSt. Louis School of Social Work, where I teach theory and practice with families.” ❯ Eura Ryan Szuwalski and husband Cody welcomed their first child October 11, 2013, in Seattle, Washington. Evelyn Mary is keeping her parents on their toes and delighting everyone with her brilliant smiles. Eura retured to work at the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library as electronic services and instruction librarian in January. ❯ Allison Kelly writes: “Walker Weyerhaeuser ’05 and I were married in Knoxville, Illinois, in 2010, surrounded by so many wonderful Knox folks. We live in Champaign and both work for Common Ground Publishing, developing education software. We just had our first child, Johanna, born November 22. She’s rad!” ❯ Cyril Ramathal got married in 2012 and works at Stanford University as a postdoctoral researcher in stem cells and regenerative medicine. He is searching for new opportunities in academia or life science companies in the Chicago area. ❯ Kitie Stransky Arrayan writes: “My children are in Hawaiian immersion school, so I not only get to experience the non-stop fun (confusion) of bilingual parenting, but I get to geek out on everything from linguistics to sociology every day. It’s the perfect use for a liberal arts degree.” ❯ Gina Salamone writes: “No big changes here, but I’m looking forward to meeting Krista Nieraeth, Jamie Mitchell, Katie Drummond Bonstead, and Kelly Ramig Gillespie at Knox in January for a long weekend and coming back in the fall for our 10-year Reunion.” ❯ Jason ’06 and Allison Beale Cascio moved to Chicago this summer. “If you’re in the area, let us know!” Class Correspondent: Susan C. Vitous Johnson 1321 Iles Avenue, Belvidere, IL 61008-1407, susanvitousjohnson@yahoo.com

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Brian Ching ’05 finally graduated from 25th grade by completing his 2014 Young Alumni Achievement Award

2005

SUBMITTED

Knox has affected BJ Hollars’ life in countless ways, but perhaps its most lasting contribution is in teaching him to dream big. “If I wanted to found a literary magazine like Cellar Door, it was as simple as knocking on the dean’s door. If I wanted to run for vice-president of student senate, all I had to do was sign my name on a sheet.” Was Hollars qualified to serve in either of these roles? “Absolutely not,” he says. “I may not have known exactly what I was doing when I was doing it, but I always knew much better by the time I was done.” This idea of “dreaming big” continued well beyond his time at Knox. Believing he had a future as a writer, Hollars enrolled at the University of Alabama to earn his MFA and continued to dream big by trying to tackle various civil rights issues. Hollars wrote two books of non-fiction, Thirteen Loops: Race, Violence, and the Last Lynching in America, the 2012 recipient of the Society of Midland Authors Adult Nonfiction Award, and Opening the Doors: The Desegregation of the University of Alabama and the Fight for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa, both published by University of Alabama Press. “As a white, middle class Northerner, I probably wasn’t in the best position to write about racial issues in Alabama,” says Hollars. “But Knox instilled in me the confidence to try anyway, to track the story as best I could in order to offer my own contribution.” Today Hollars is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He has also served as editor for three anthologies, and his debut short story collection, Sightings, was recently published by the Indiana University Press. Knox Magazine: Please describe your Knox experience. BJ Hollars: When I reflect on my time at Knox, I’m always baffled by how I seemed to have stumbled into so many life-changing moments. I never planned for any of them, and yet the moments always somehow emerged. During my first week at Knox I was encouraged to enroll in Professor Fred Hord’s Black Studies class. Though I had little knowledge of the subject, I decided to give it a try. How could I have guessed just how influential that class would become for me? How could I have imagined that as a result of it, I would spend four years studying in Alabama, where I would eventually write two books on civil rights? KM: What do you believe is your most notable achievement? BJH: A few weeks back I received a letter in the mail from rural Alabama. It was from a woman who had lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama—the home of the University of Alabama—during Governor George Wallace’s infamous Stand in the Schoolhouse Door in 1963. My book Opening the Doors covers this event, and after reading my work, this woman felt compelled to write to me and share her own personal story. I was enthralled. As I’ve learned, no matter how many interviews I conduct or how many microfilm rolls I scan, there is always more to the story than the story I think I know. This woman’s letter served as proof.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

BJ Hollars ’07

Elizabeth Presley Bazan received her master’s in learning and visitors studies in museums and galleries with distinction from the University of Leicester. She continues to work at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, but as of September, became an assistant curator of education. ❯ Jessica Ramos Bess gave birth to twins on June 23. Matthew Benedict was born at 11:15 p.m., followed very closely by his sister, Sarah Scholastica, at 11:16 p.m. ❯ Katie Harring Cartwright writes: “Husband Adam Cartwright and I had identical twin boys, Jacob and Caleb, on September 27. They were nine weeks early and spent about a month in the neonatal intensive care unit, but they are now home and doing well.” ❯ Brian Ching finally graduated from 25th grade by completing his sports medicine fellowship! He is enjoying his new job at Kaiser Permanente in Rancho Cucamonga, California, practicing family and sports medicine. He loves the relaxed hours, the clinic, the weather, and spending time with his lovely wife, Melanie Hagen-Ching ’06. ❯ Tanya Frank Jones married Adam Jones on August 17 in Denver, Colorado. ❯ Ben Gildehaus and wife Janice reside in the Boston area. They adopted a rescue dog last spring and enjoy taking her on daily walks in surrounding wilderness areas. Ben received his clinical license and is assistant program director and family therapist serving the needs of at-risk youth. Additional highlights in his life this year include attending the World Series at Fenway Park and summiting Mount Moosilauke in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. ❯ Rebecca Halonen and Marc Schumann ’03 welcomed their first child, Lauren Chase Halonen Schumann, on December 2 in Arizona. ❯ Marissa Parkin writes: “After three years of fun in the tropics, Ian, our cat (Catface), and I bid farewell to Malaysia and moved to Sydney. We are very excited about the move, and if you find yourself Down Under, please get in touch.” ❯ Adam Moeser writes: “Erin Vorenkamp Moeser ’07 and I moved to Detroit, Michigan, where I work as a veterinary neurologist. Erin is an elementary and middle school Spanish teacher at a school in the area. We are both doing well and are happy to be back in the Midwest again.” ❯ Jacqueline Dehne Scafidi enjoyed the holidays off with their new addition, Vivian Irene Scafidi, born November 6. Husband Matthew and daughter Alexandra also enjoy Vivian’s smiles and hilarious Zoolander impressions. Jacqueline plans to be back at work soon creating and consulting on volunteer and charitable fundraising opportunities for employees at her company. ❯ Emily McKendry-Smith finished her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and works as assistant professor of sociology at University of West Georgia. ❯ Gillian Stein moved to New Zealand in 2006 and became a citizen last year. She writes: “I work as a travel agent, which gives amazing travel perks and keeps

Class Knox sports medicine fellowship. me happy. On December 7, I married Mark Openshaw in a small ceremony just outside Wellington. One of the things that made the event so special was the number of Knox grads who ﬂew in for the event. Mina Shupienis Crooks ’69, a fellow ex-pat I found through the Knox database when I moved to New Zealand, was also able to attend!” ❯ Ashley Steinsdoerfer had a very good 2013. Not only did she receive a promotion at the University of Chicago and is now an associate director of events, she also married her best friend, Jeffrey Gottlieb, September 1 in Chicago, Illinois. ❯ Roberto Vargas is a research librarian at Swarthmore College, which he enjoys a lot. ❯ Adam Wilhelm married Jennifer Baird on December 6 in Libertyville, Illinois. Class Correspondents: Marissa Parkin moeparkin@gmail.com Ashley Steinsdoerfer 1867 N. Sheffield Ave., Apt. 2, Chicago, IL 60614, agsteinsdoerfer@aol.com

2006 Alex Keefe got married in June 2013 at the Boston Public Library. He’s a political reporter with WBEZ-FM, the NPR station in Chicago. ❯ From Kate Garklavs: “In December 2013, I joined Scripted.com as the company’s first editorial analyst, a role that encompasses writer onboarding/retention, data analysis, and a bit of event planning. Needless to say, I’m 100 percent stoked for this new endeavor! In May, boyfriend Micah and I found an apartment together. We enjoy life in the Mission, especially the prevalence of artisan doughnuts, old-timey barber shops, and bacon-enhanced Bloody Marys. Portland, with its cheap real estate and untapped taxidermy market, beckons, but we’ll be in San Fransisco for a few years yet. If you’re in town, come say hello!” ❯ Ben Stripe graduated last year from Northwestern University with his Ph.D. in physics and has been working at Argonne National Lab as a postdoc since October 2012. He was in the “Alumni News” section of the Gizmogram in August 2013. His son, William Donald Stripe, was born on March 23, 2013. He was 8 pounds, 1.5 ounces. ❯ Erica Skog writes: “I started a new job in May that I enjoy immensely. It’s also been a year full of traveling! While enjoying a well-deserved rest day on our second big hiking trip last July (the first being the Camino de Santiago in May 2012), my now-fiancé surprised me by proposing on the Great Blasket Island off the Dingle Peninsula in the west of Ireland. A delightful Irish couple captured it for us on our camera, and we’re now busy planning our August wedding. Scattered throughout the year, I’ve been to lots of places to visit friends—Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon in February; San Diego in June for a convention with Katie Lambert Weaver ’05, Judy Waggoner Lambert ’71, and many other Pi Phis; Denver in August for Tanya Frank Jones ’05’s wedding; Portland in October including lunch with Samantha Pelkey-Flock ’09; Chicago

for Gillian Stein ’05’s bachelorette party; and most recently to New Orleans with Gabrielle Genevich Muldoon ’05 and Tanya Frank Jones ’05. The coming year involves less travel but plenty to look forward to!” ❯ Emily Woodruff and Sean McKittrick ’07 have a new baby, Thomas James McKittrick, born October 15. He was 8 pounds, 13 ounces. ❯ Jason ’06 and Allison Beale Cascio ’04 are now in Chicagoland! Jason graduated with his Ph.D. in immunology from Mizzou and is now in his first year of medical school at Loyola University Chicago. They are excited to be closer to Knox and some Chicago theatre and look forward to creaming the Knox A-team at Winter Whiteout this year! ❯ Erika Barrish says: “2013 brought great changes for me! I re-roofed my house, adopted a dog, and decided I was fonder of the dog than I was of my boyfriend of six years. I began seeing a man I went to high school with and have learned how unpredictable life can be.” ❯ From Mary Tibbets: “My husband, Peter McKeigue ’04, and I still live in Austin. We both changed jobs earlier this year. I now work as a biologist for CP&Y, an environmental consulting firm, and Pete works as a senior database analyst for Accruent, a software company. Earlier in October, Stefanie Turner ’04 visited us for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. During her visit, we ate a diet consisting of nothing but tacos and took a driving tour of filming locations for the greatest television show ever made, Friday Night Lights. It was one of the top five most magical experiences of all our lives. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose! Veritas!” ❯ Donnie Forti and Megan Loiselle married on February 23, 2013. “We’re grateful to all of our Knox friends who attended or sent their love from far away.” Donnie and Megan reside in Rochester, Minnesota, where Donnie is the content manager at the NBC affiliate, and Megan is a high school Spanish teacher. ❯ Aaron Thornton reports that his wife, Liz McCammon Thornton ’08, finished her master’s in speech-language pathology at Northwestern and moved out to New Jersey where he has been working and living for the past year. They recently bought their first house, and Aaron just started a part-time MBA program. Liz spent the summer working at the NYU Medical Center in Manhattan and is about to start working at a school for kids with special needs in New Jersey. ❯ Steve Yasukawa writes, “Married! Clair Durkes and I had our wedding in Evanston, Illinois, but we still live in Seattle. We are both teachers who work for education non-profits. She is a lead teacher for IslandWood, an outdoor education center, and I teach creative writing at 826 Seattle. The wedding? Croquet, temporary tattoos, excerpts from Beyoncé, Andru Bemis!, six different cakes, and a whole lotta Knox made for a weekend masterpiece. Allison Yasukawa ’02 was my best sister, and Adam Prairie ’05, Ashely Palar, Brian Marienfeld, Brian Werner, Christina Ellis ’05, Devin Hogan, Meghan Kennedy ’07, and Nate Ewigman danced off

their kitty tattoos all night. Paula Barrow Danoff ’77 hosted the event at the Evanston Art Center.” ❯ Heather Courtney Porter reports that she is in the middle of her second year in the Sycamore School District as an speech language pathologist. Doug Porter ’05 started a certiﬁcate program to obtain his credentials for school counseling. He is in the middle of an internship and will wrap the program up by the end of the school year. This past summer, they had a chance to visit Italy and enjoyed their time in Rome and Florence. They’re looking forward to more summers off, and more travel! ❯ From Megan Gamble: “I moved to Washington D.C. in March of 2013 and love it. I work for NARAL ProChoice America in the development end of the membership department. Mike Boettcher ’05 and Zoe Berman ’07 are here, and I very randomly ran into Peter McAvoy ’05 late one night while crashing a house party. Sarah Legowski McElravy ’05 just moved here for work, and Angharad Hollingworth ’08 has been in town to nanny her sister’s kids. Knox all around!” ❯ Cameron Lilly defended his Ph.D. in biomedical science on December 2. Jenni Davids ﬂew into town to attend his defense. Class Correspondent: Megan Rehberg 220 Shroyer Road, Dayton, OH 45419, 262-909-8784, megan.rehberg@gmail.com

2007 Hey Knox Class of 2007: These past six months were very quiet for us all. I don’t have any updates to share with you this time. As always, if you have something fun that happens to you, please feel free to send it to Knoxclassof2007@ gmail.com at any time or direct message Michael Sales or myself via Facebook or e-mail. Have a great one! Class Correspondents: Laura J. Wentink Marcasciano 5650 Abbey Drive, Apartment 3P, Lisle, IL 60532-2558, ljmarcasciano@gmail.com Michael C. Sales 129 Curtis Hall Pleasant Street, Castine, ME 04420-5000, KnoxClassof2007@gmail.com

2008 On Friday, January 17, 2014, the Class of 2008 lost our dear friend Lexie Kamerman in a tragic act of terrorism in Kabul, Afghanistan. She was working as a student development specialist at the American University of Afghanistan. ❯ John Baillie and Carmen Knight remember how Lexie embodied the spirit of Knox College, both as a student and as an alumna. Lexie was drawn to Knox because she felt she could be herself here, whether as a ﬁerce water polo competitor, a Pi Phi sister, a small social gathering organizer, a close friend of TKE, or an avid GDH student. ❯ After graduating from Knox, she realized she wanted to give the same opportunities to other

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“My re-election = another Knox success story! = your degree is more students. She pursued a master’s degree in higher education so she could become her own combined version of Craig Southern and Xavier Romano. She followed her personal belief in social justice to Afghanistan, where she worked to empower ALL her students to achieve their dreams through education. ❯ Lexie approached life with enthusiasm and heart. She was someone who would always give a listening ear, extend a shoulder to cry on, be a willing partner in shenanigans, or become a willing debate opponent. Lexie’s love of life and Knox will be dearly missed. ❯ Lexie’s family has chosen to honor her memory by encouraging donations to Knox College for scholarship assistance. Please consider honoring Lexie’s memory by giving in her name at www.knoxalumni.org/kamermanschp. ❯ Stephanie O’Brien moved to Portland, Oregon, for an administrative fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University She spends her weekends exploring the city with Christopher Guthrie. Chris travels the world as an educational consultant and portfolio manager for Rubicon International. ❯ Ann Marie Albright is in nursing school at Johns Hopkins. ❯ Graham Troyer-Joy is doing standup comedy, writing for blogs, and developing age-related knee pain. ❯ This past summer, Will Rutter finished his Ph.D. in genetics at Iowa State University and got married to Christina Schulte. He started a position as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Plant Pathology at Kansas State University in January. ❯ Anne Fagerburg went back to school for the last time to get her MBA, which she will receive in May 2014 from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. After graduation, she intends to work in marketing somewhere in Europe. ❯ Adrianna Crawford is still in Madison, Wisconsin, with James and their dog. She says, “It’s been a busy year—I fought in my first Muay Thai tournament and ran my first marathon! In January, we’re off to Thailand for a few weeks to relax a bit.” ❯ Ariel Lauryn is in her final year at Dell’Arte International, earning her MFA in ensemble-based physical theatre. In this year, she will be touring a holiday show along the coast of California, dancing in Bali, and creating a thesis show investigating performing objects and female comedians. Check out her Facebook page and get in touch if you happen to come up to NorCal! ❯ Erica Stringfellow Tully got married on August 3, 2013, to Patrick Tully and turned 27 on August 4, so it was a great birthday party! She says, “I changed my name because I wanted to, but it’s still weird to hear my fourth graders call me Mrs. Tully. I was sad to miss Homecoming but, hopefully, will be able to come back to Knox soon.” ❯ Courtney Meaker’s play Buckshot, produced by Macha Monkey Productions, opened to sold-out houses in Seattle, Washington. Her next play, Chaos Theory, opens in April at Annex Theatre. ❯ Mark and Christine Harris Imielski were married October 4, 2013. ❯ Luke Temple serves as an environmental extension Peace Corps volunteer in rural Tanzania with wife Samantha Claypool Temple ’11. ❯ On June 29,

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2013, Geoff Brown and Olivia Cacchione were married in the Woodland Park Rose Garden in Seattle, Washington. Brian Camozzi performed the beautiful ceremony that was attended by a whole slew of Knox alums. Olivia attends the University of Washington (UW), where she is adding an M.A. in music history to her M.M. in harp performance. Geoff is applying to the UW’s library and information science program for fall 2014 and is playing bass for The Hoot Hoots. ❯ I was in Erica Stringfellow Tully’s wedding and was excited to see all of the Knox alums that were in attendance. I had a great time at Homecoming this year hanging out with my sisters, Rebecca Gillan Ballard ’93 and Susannah Gillan Gawor ’99. I met a lot of alums from the Class of 1993 and got to catch up with Emily Jensen, Maurice Harris, and Laura Rogers. I will get my MBA from Bradley in May and can’t wait to be done with school. Class Correspondent: Miriam M. Gillan miriam.gillan@gmail.com

2009

Ahoy, Class of 2009! Our classmates continue to rock it. Read on to find out how! ❯ Brian Chi Zhang is busy analysing online advertisement at Adomic Inc. in Los Angeles. He found out today’s advertising industry is nothing like what’s in Mad Men, especially the (lack of) drinking. ❯ Matt Baker got the hell out of Silicon Valley. ❯ Sarah Bigus Eagen lives and works as an actress in Los Angeles. She works with AIDS organizations and appears in film and television. ❯ Hayley Lerner received her first (pseudonymous) starred New York Times book review. Her writing is currently taught at high schools and colleges around the U.S. ❯ James Clark earned his master of science in sport management at Western Illinois University and is assistant sports information director/assistant baseball coach at Knox College. ❯ Sara Patterson Adamek says: “We bought a house. It’s a very, very, very fine house.” ❯ Matt Hundley began work at Manhattan’s Bideawee Animal Shelter as an adoption associate this fall. He’s also doing wardrobe for Peter & The Starcatcher. ❯ Elizabeth Wolfson writes: “I’m still doing the Ph.D. thing, but this summer, I’ll be excavating an ancient strip-mall in Argilos, Greece.” ❯ Liz Soehngen and Simon Lepkin ran out of room to move East after spending the summer in Harlem and fall in Brooklyn. They’re now in Palo Alto, California, where Simon is a web developer with the tech start-up Upstart. Liz is on strike from moving. ❯ CeCe Manganaro lives in London and organizes the London Original Print Fair at the Royal Academy of Arts in April. ❯ Marek Dorman writes: “Bought house.” ❯ Last fall, Elena Gleason accepted a librarian position at the Coos Bay Public Library in Oregon and moved to the coast, where she now lives happily with her two cats. ❯ Molly Rose Wilson writes: “I look forward to finishing the first year of my Ph.D., the end of winter in Wyoming, and seeing lots of Knoxies at my wedding in May!” ❯

Patrick Cavins writes: “The boyfriend and I spent a wonderful camping trip in the Northern Cascades with Kristin Mussar and Erika Anton.” ❯ Sam Bouman is honestly kind of up in the air at the moment. ❯ Ozzy Thebe writes: “I’m at the University of California, San Diego, working on my master’s degree in computer science.” ❯ Jennifer Hoben is celebrating her fifth year teaching in Denver and has taught her current students in third, fourth, and now fifth grade. She also ran her first marathon in October. ❯ Ally Rashid writes: “I’m finishing the second year of my master’s in literature and textual science at the Université de Franche-Comté in Besançon, France.” ❯ Kristin Mussar passed her qualifying exam and is now a Ph.D. candidate! Just another three more years to go… ❯ Deana Rutherford writes: “Remember that guy that didn’t go to Knox that came to visit Deana all the time? The guy with the beard? We’re getting married!” ❯ Nora Nelson writes: “I happily departed Washington D.C. at the end of May and am working in San Francisco on a variety of international environmental projects in Africa and Central and South America.” ❯ Pac Pobric writes “Still kickin’ it in New York and writing about art. Living the dream.” ❯ Jackie Lee is a pharmacist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She is in the first year of a hospital pharmacy administration residency and master of public health. ❯ Laurie Nowak writes: “Laurie Nowak for DuPage County Board—Take two! My re-election = another Knox success story! = your degree is more valuable. So onward to 2014.” ❯ Kevin and Sarah Won Klosterboer write that they “will be celebrating their daughter’s first birthday in April with friends and family.” ❯ Sarah Williams writes: “I still live in Chicago with Carolyn Hanig ’10 and work at The Anti-Cruelty Society. I spend my free time gaming, cuddling my pet rats, and going on urban adventures.” ❯ Andrew Raridon and Sarah Kosmicki ’10 added Ruth Meadow, 9 pounds, 3 ounces, to the mix on August 20, 2013. Watch out, Knox Class of 2035! ❯ I’m still in Australia, where I enjoy sending home beach pictures in December, taking selfies with kangaroos, and helping non-profits. I’ve also started a communal food blog with a bunch of Knox kids! untilwemeatagain.blogspot.com.au ❯ That’s all for the Class of 2009 this time! Remember, if you didn’t get my request for updates, that probably means you haven’t updated your e-mail address with Knox. Do that! Then let me know what’s up with you. Class Correspondent: Brittany N. Leggans knoxclassof2009@gmail.com

2010 Cami Woodruff graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with an MFA in animation. She has been working on storyboards for Archer with Floyd County Productions since October! ❯ Colleen Harden works as a mental health counselor in private practice in Cham-

Class Knox valuable.” —Laurie Nowak ’09 paign, Illinois. ❯ Caitlyn Thompson married Jack Gallalee in October. The pair attended two more Knox weddings thereafter. They still join Mackenzie Loyet for brunch. ❯ Jordan Noller is a graduate teaching assistant at Kansas University and will graduate with a master’s in classics this spring. She and husband Steve Smaczniak ’08 recently bought a house in Lawrence where they live with daughter Scotlyn. ❯ In July, Erin Souza Dreyfuss led 1,400 members of Team USA to Israel for the 19th Maccabiah Games, while Marc Dreyfuss graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s of city planning. They moved to downtown Birmingham, Alabama, where Marc is a community planner with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham. ❯ Nicole Thompson calls Brooklyn home, for now. She writes for The Latin Post and contributes to Madame Noire and BK United. She still eats a great deal of ramen. ❯ Karin Rudd returned to Seattle after living in Tokyo for two years and India the year prior. She is working toward her Washington teaching license and is a paraeducator in an elementary school. ❯ Abigail Harms has a new job at The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is applying to grad school. ❯ Margaret Spiegel is in Milwaukee working toward her master’s in public history and museum studies certificate at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. ❯ Laura Miller is proud to have finished her first Chicago Marathon in 2013 and won the office Halloween costume contest as Ms. Frizzle. ❯ Mandy Gutmann-Gonzalez received her MFA in poetry and is currently a lecturer at Cornell teaching two classes. She is also working on several print media projects! ❯ Meg Allen works as a project assistant at the law firm Dentons in downtown Chicago. She is happy to finally feel like an adult. ❯ Clayton Besong works full-time as a systems analyst at Mercy Medical Center and continues to volunteer with church-related events. He started graduate school for his MBA. ❯ Jennifer Nefzger opened her second social enterprise, Revive Thrift Shop and Coffeehouse, in conjunction with the St. Louis non-profit, Mission: St. Louis. ❯ Gloria Feliciano moved to a new role at Zurich, working in the compliance department under another Knox alum. It is a small world! ❯ Analise Rahn continues to freelance costume design and sew in Chicago while playing keyboard, singing backing vocals, and bellydancing with the band V is for Villains. ❯ Molly Snook got engaged to Joe Kozlowicz ’11 in September and moved to Denver for the foreseeable future. ❯ In December, Angela Zinn completed a master’s in special education with an emphasis in early intervention at the University of Oregon. ❯ Elisa Hilderbrand is working on her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Illinois Chicago studying the role of estrogen in cocaine conditioned place preference in female mice. ❯ Sandy Guttman left the Art Institute and has been working at GG+A since September 2013. She also moved to a darling apartment in Logan

Square and is training for a 5K! ❯ In September, Karen Frost and her husband moved to Houston from Rome. She accepted a new job as an immigration assistant at Berry Appleman & Leiden, LLP. ❯ Alison Hidden works as a mental health counselor at Chicago Lakeshore Hospital. She got engaged in August and will be married next August! ❯ Richard Thiemann does computer stuff for Major League Baseball in NYC. He lives in Brooklyn with all the cool kids and drinks on his roof. ❯ Mike Herbert is simultaneously engaged in a M.S.N. program at Rush University and becoming more of a dangerous, subversive anarcho-capitalist every day. ❯ Joyce Omondi left her job as a TV host in Kenya to come back to the United States. She is in her first year of grad school at Georgetown University. She continues her work as a musician and will release another single soon. ❯ Chrissy Morse lives in Toppenish, Washington, on the Yakama Reservation, and teaches science at White Swan High School. ❯ Abby Pardick started a new job at D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns in September as the community school coordinator for Coit Creative Arts Academy. Last November, she proposed to Josh Clayton and married him on October 19, 2013. ❯ Shane Donegan enjoys his work in urban forestry and has been involved in a variety of theatrical projects around Des Moines. ❯ After finishing graduate school at Boston University, Michael Orr took a job at Lesley University in Cambridge as sustainability coordinator. He lives in Boston. Over the summer, he and Dan Pers ’10 backpacked through Europe for two weeks. ❯ Alex Vaassen is learning new slang (woo-woo dis, woo-woo dat) and works at a drop-in center for homeless youth with a non-profit organization called Urban Peak in Denver, Colorado. ❯ Virginia Graves is in graduate school at the University of San Francisco working on her master’s in international and development economics. In her free time, she serves on the associate board of Girls on the Run of the Bay Area. ❯ Kathy Olsen works at an art library and is taking a class about the shape of garments. Her life currently involves more leotards than expected. ❯ In October, Beccah Lanni moved to Melbourne, Australia, with two friends from high school for a year of adventures. ❯ Ashley and Michael Atkinson-Leon ’09 married in Glenview, Illinois, on September 21, 2012. Jessa Dahl and Mary Vanden Plas were in the wedding party. ❯ Sam Flanders and Melati Nungsari are a couple of years away from getting their Ph.D.’s in economics at UNC-Chapel Hill. They married in September 2012 and celebrated their wedding in both of their hometowns: in December 2012 in Malaysia and in June 2013 in Maine. Melati’s mother, Nor Azilah Ngah ’83, was in attendance. “‘Twas so good to see old Knox buddies at both occasions!” ❯ I am enjoying my first year at Notre Dame Law School and continue to compete in dance! Class Correspondent: Lauren Assaf knoxcollege2010notes@gmail.com

2011 Hello fellow 2011-ers: 2013 ended on a high note for a lot of us! Some of us became masters: Lisa Marquardt from the University of Bradford with a master’s in conflict resolution; Whitney Helm from Columbia College Chicago with a master’s in journalism; Emily Oliver from Cornell University with an MFA in poetry; Stef Gordon with a master’s in education and special education; Casey Patrick with an MFA in poetry; Nigam Gandhi with a master’s of health administration; Sarah Juist with a master’s of divinity; and Ben Reeves received his M.A. from NYU. Congrats! ❯ A lot of us moved closer to our education goals: Travis Helgren passed his candidacy exam and is that much closer to having his doctorate in organic chemistry; Amanda Sicoli has a year and a half of law school left and spent spring clerking for a federal judge; Brett Daley is working hard on his master’s in political science at Iowa State University; Anna Emmerling just started down the exciting road to her J.D.; Dami Olotu left her position with Northwestern Mutual to start studying for the GMAT; Liz Thomas plans to attend S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in August after she leaves China; Jackie Stillmaker is working away on her master’s of occupational therapy; Isabelle (Izzy) Leventhal is studying psychology at the New School in New York; Tara Orech started her doctor of dental surgery at the University of Minnesota; Brigette Demke is finding veins in nursing school; and Grace Fourman started her second master’s in education. Good luck, all! ❯ Other classmates have been equally busy with education: Leslie Kang returned to the States to teach ESL at Solex College; Ndaya Farrell moved to Minneapolis to join Cristo Rey Jesuit High School as a corporate work study program coordinator; Keely Campbell ’12 teaches psychology, coaches basketball, and counsels students applying to college (Go, Knox!); Kelley O’Connor teaches hashtags and special education at a turnaround school in Chicago; Courtney Jude teaches fourth grade and coaches basketball in Homewood, Illinois; and Sarah Lindeman passed the national teaching exam in France and teaches in a beautiful 18th-century abbey. Keep up the excellent work! ❯ Courtney Tichler and Alex Hall were married in November. After she finishes her year with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, she and Alex will head to Cameroon with the Peace Corps. Say ‘hello’ to Sam Claypool Temple for us! ❯ Some of us work in media: Andrew Polk is burning the midnight oil doing live reports for Good Morning El Paso, and Marnie Shure is making laughs and taking names at The Onion in Chicago. We can all say we knew them when! ❯ And some of us did other exciting things: Ryan Larson started basic training for the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Georgia; Patrick Dooley joined Rush University Medical in their Alzheimer’s Disease Center and plays with brains all day; Hannah McMahon,

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Sara Jane Ahmed ’12 works in climate change and private sector Jimmy Thornton, and Joe Kozlowicz are loving life in the Mile High City and all the craft beer they can drink; Peter Cain joined MuleSoft in San Francisco and plays a lot of basketball; Cat Manning was recently promoted and enjoys globetrotting; Shea Strausman helps get you health care with the New York State Healthcare Exchange; Shih Yi “Ruby” Goh celebrated her second year at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London; Nea Larson is in Barcelona working as an immigration consultant; Tomi Olotu is in Nigeria as an institutional sales consultant at Stanbic IBTC Asset Management; Sasha Murphy and Sean Frohling ’10 were engaged in October; and Amelia Garcia is slamming poets around the country. ❯ Look at us go! Just think, we only left Knox three years ago. I am so proud to call you all my classmates. Class Correspondent: Tim Schmeling trschmeling@gmail.com

2012 Emily Turner lives in Chicago and works at Mike’s Hard Lemonade Company as an accounting analyst. ❯ Greg Noth lives in Washington D.C. with Tommy Veague, Elliot Madison, and Sam Bernstein. Greg works for the Wyss Foundation, a private grant writing organization focused on conservation, women’s equality, economic opportunity, and voting and democracy. ❯ Elise Hyser is a first-year medical student at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in South Carolina. She aspires to be a pediatrician. Elise continues to appreciate the values that Knox helped her cultivate. ❯ Alexandra Greer began a degree in systems engineering in January. ❯ Rachel Clark lives in Iowa City and is in her second year in the neuroscience Ph.D. program at the University of Iowa. She works in a building on Iowa Avenue and pretty much can’t get any more Iowan. She is currently looking for a new apartment on Iowa Avenue just to make it official. She studies the effects of exercise on the aging process, particularly in regards to cognitive function and connectivity between different regions of the brain. In her excessive amounts of free time, Rachel swing dances and teaches Zumba classes at the campus recreation center. She is also learning to be an avid bike commuter in as many seasons as possible. On the whole, Rachel Clark is happy and healthy. ❯ Maisie Maupin is a woman seeking a new rat-boyfriend in Orange County, California. ❯ Tory Kassabaum spent 10 months on Bainbridge Island, Washington, teaching environmental education to fifth graders from surrounding cities. She is currently finishing her graduate degree on the other side of the water at University of Washington in Seattle. She graduated with a master’s degree in education with a focus in environmental education in March. ❯ Claire Turner teaches social studies and language arts to fifth and sixth graders in warm, sunny Arizona. ❯ The ever-so-exciting life of Ed Davis: He finished his first semester of graduate school at Roosevelt (M.M. in music

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composition). He performs with Bella Voce, a Chicago-based professional choir, where he has been a featured soloist, and premiered a new choral composition of his in December. Peregrine Vocal Ensemble, a choir Ed helped found, has kicked off its inaugural season. ❯ Julia Shenkar lives in Arlington, Virginia, where she sleeps in a dining room turned third bedroom. There is a walk-in closet, hardwood floors, and a balcony with great views of D.C. She works for a nonprofit just steps from the White House. Still no sightings of the first dog and no dog of her own, but the dream is very much alive. ❯ Sara Jane D. Ahmed lives in Washington D.C. and works in sustainable finance, specifically in climate change and private sector development, in the World Resources Institute. Typhoon Haiyan recently hit the Philippines, claiming more than 5,000 lives and affecting more than 11 million people. Sara Jane is on a task force that works to help the Philippines think strategically about reconstruction work. This includes the rehabilitation of schools, primary health care centers, and government offices, as well as power by decentralized renewable energy sources instead of relying on diesel generators. For now, she works on mobilizing short-term aid through the Future Faces Manila Foundation. Feel free to contact Sara Jane at sjahmed29@gmail.com or www.linkedin.com/in/sjahmed. ❯ Hayley Schueneman enjoys her second year as an admission counselor at Knox. She lives with Emily Berkson, who shapes young minds as a third grade teacher at King Elementary School. They are currently on a first-name basis with most pizza delivery people. ❯ Kiki Cohen ’13 serves with the Peace Corps in Armenia. She started her service August 7. She teaches English to third to ninth forms in a town named Sisian. She is also involved in an English club outside of school and works with girls on developing their confidence and skills in kickboxing. Her blog is at findingthellaveinarmenia.wordpress.com. ❯ Anna Casey got a job at the LIVESTRONG Foundation in July 2013. She continues to enjoy breakfast tacos most mornings and enjoyed the chilly 60 degree temps in Austin this winter (Knox visitors welcome). She’s training for her first half marathon. ❯ Elizabeth Cockrell works as a project scientist for Trileaf Corporation, an environmental consulting firm in St. Louis, Missouri, and is excited to live so close to Ted Drewes Frozen Custard! ❯ Emma Gingold and Josh Wood got engaged and look forward to their wedding in the fall 2014. ❯ Cale Dahm ’13 teaches social sciences at Red Hill High School in Bridgeport, Illinois. He’s also an assistant coach for both football and baseball. ❯ Katy Sutcliffe has lived in Chicago since graduation. She works as a research specialist at the University of Chicago and interns for Chicago Dramatists. She has been accepted to graduate school for public health this upcoming fall. ❯ D’Angelo Smith is in a master’s program at McCormick Theological Seminary in urban ministry. ❯ Christina Yin has exciting news! She left her

clinical research coordinator position at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and accepted a position as a management associate at Ergoing Corporation, a small corporation headquartered in Taiwan, with ofﬁces in various parts of China and the U.S. Her position will be a twoyear management rotational program throughout Taiwan and China. Class Correspondent: Audrey Todd todd.audrey.anna@gmail.com

2013 Kelly Vlaskamp writes: “I work for an NGO called Bridges to Community as the international volunteer coordinator in Jinotega, Nicaragua. I lead groups of North American volunteers in service learning activities and collaborate with community leaders to facilitate development projects in rural communities in the Nicaraguan mountainside.” ❯ Nate Williams writes: “Sydney Stensland and I had a beautiful baby girl, Archie Faye Williams. She was born September 18, 2013, weighing 6 lbs. 12 oz. We live in Valparaiso, Indiana, where I am getting a master’s degree in sports media studies.” ❯ Nicole Greene-Winek lives in Saint Louis and is pursuing a master of social work degree at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. ❯ Joseph Puntoriero joined the U.S. Army and is a commissioned second lieutenant as part of the Quartermaster Corps. He married Rayann G. Parkinson ’12 on September 18. ❯ Hannah Basil is a commercial associate at Fifth Third Bank in Chicago. She is taking hot yoga classes and trying to master the crow pose. ❯ Rana Tahir writes: “I graduated from the University of Denver Publishing Institute in August 2013, along with Renni Johnson. Currently, I’m an MFA student at Paciﬁc University’s low-residency program while interning at Smithsonian Books in Washington D.C. Another Knox connection: enjoy living with Sara Jane Ahmed ’12.” ❯ As for myself, I am getting settled in New Orleans. I will be pursuing a master’s of arts degree in teaching at the University of New Orleans starting fall 2014. I look forward to hearing more from the Class of 2013 soon! My email is now rupkumarsarkar@gmail.com. Don’t hesitate to drop me a line! Who Dat! Class Correspondent: Rup Sarkar 4419 St. Charles Avenue, Unit 3, New Orleans, LA 70115, rsarkar@tulane.edu

Marriages and Unions Debby Nelson Anderson ’54 and Robert “Bob” Brooks on 7/20/13. Laura Thompson ’83 and Mel Sears on 7/20/13. Donna Brady ’76 and John McGlothlin on 5/26/13. Alexis Haughton Slagle ’97 and Justin Slagle on 9/29/13.

Class Knox development at the World Resources Institute. Kimberly Cox ’99 and Eric Lee on 1/19/13. Waldemar Szlezak ’00 and Amber Bankson on 11/23/13. Carin Perilloux ’03 and Justin Sabatini on 7/5/13. Maria Filippone ’03 and Adam Zwirek on 8/10/13. Chloe Brady ’04 and Matt Ensalaco on 7/13/13. Tanya Frank ’05 and Adam Jones on 8/17/13. Christy Rosier ’05 and Chris Heimann ’04 on 9/21/13. Gillian Stein ’05 and Mark Openshaw on 12/7/13. Ashley Steinsdoerfer ’05 and Jeffrey Gottlieb on 9/1/13. Adam Wilhelm ’05 and Jennifer Baird on 12/6/13. Donnie Forti ’06 and Megan Loiselle on 2/23/13. Steve Yasukawa ’06 and Clair Durkes on 8/10/13. Mike Giese ’08 and Michelle Leigh on 11/9/13. Christine Harris ’08 and Mark Imielski ’08 on 10/4/13. Erica Stringfellow ’08 and Patrick Tully on 8/3/13. Geoff Brown ’08 and Olivia Cacchione ’08 on 6/29/13. Jack Gallalee ’10 and Caitlyn Thompson ’10 on 10/26/13. Abby Pardick ’10 and Josh Clayton on 10/19/13. Ashley ’10 and Michael Atkinson-Leon ’09 on 9/21/12. Joseph Puntoriero ’13 and Rayann G. Parkinson ’12 on 9/18/13.

Deaths George R. Bruce ’31 on 6/7/12. Emma-Lou Fisher Tindall ’32 on 6/19/13. Edward Arvidson ’33 on 5/9/13. Ila Jane Devlin Berry Lombard College ’33 on 12/14/13. Catharine Latimer Monroe ’34 on 9/11/13. Gene Balsley Mills ’35 on 11/22/13. Ila Woodward Willard ’36 on 2/5/13. Arla Ecklund Bragg ’38 on 7/6/13. Paul F. Shaffer ’38 on 9/21/13. Dorothy Johnson Burkhardt ’39 on 1/24/14. Richard Burkhardt ’39 on 3/4/14. Thomas P. Green ’40 on 11/24/13. Evelyn Sommer Kilker ’42 on 8/25/13 Josephine Crook Rich ’42 on 8/18/13. Gloria Lillyblade Blakley ’43 on 11/1/13. Marie Newey Degaard ’43 on 11/16/12. Marcia Berndt Kemper ’43 on 6/9/11. Dr. Betty McCray Thompson ’43 on 11/20/12. Lawrence W. Sawhill ’43 on 5/18/13. Doris Carroll Strobel ’44 on 11/13/13. Robert G. Cadwallader ’44 on 5/14/11. Mary Maglott Van Epps ’44 on 12/16/12. Gene Sackey ’44 on 4/13/13. Rosalee K. Nelson Stice ’44 on 6/18/13. Ida M. Moon Sayre ’44 on 12/30/12. James E. Perelli ’45 on 9/14/13. Richard H. Keen ’45 on 3/2/13.

Robert C. Stoerzbach ’45 on 10/27/13. Betty Clegg Miner ’46 on 3/20/12. Robert W. Courtney ’46 on 6/26/12. Virginia Moon Fuson ’46 on 9/14/13. Mona B. Weir Shafman ’46 on 11/1/13. Dr. George Bower ’47 on 12/25/12. Jean Ray Conlon Wheat ’47 on 8/2/13. Charles B. Baker ’47 on 9/8/13. Dr. Robert E. Grogan ’48 on 6/28/13. Patricia Ackerman Hazen ’48 on 6/28/13. Mary Isaacson Cleaveland ’49 on 11/26/13. Leonard C. Donohoe Jr. ’49 on 6/13/13. Alvan L. Kelinson ’49 on 3/20/10. Lois Arlene Nofsger ’49 on 10/15/13. John S. Boydstun’50 on 10/6/13. Albert J. Carstens ’50 on 9/27/13. Ralph T. Cianchetti ’50 on 6/25/13. George W. Lund ’50 on 8/12/13. Florence Aster Ouderkirk ’50 on 11/19/13. Dr. Richard M. Potts ’50 on 8/7/13. Ralph L. Stinson Jr. ’50 on 3/26/13. Frank R. Taraba ’50 on 8/2/11. Dr. Norman D. Hungness ’51 on 10/17/13. Virginia Reynolds Merrilees ’51 on 11/26/13. Marilyn Posson Stephenson ’51 on 7/6/13. Herbert Hatowski ’52 on 2/4/12. William J. Ogdon ’52 on 9/19/13. J. Bradley Williams ’53 on 7/3/13. Richard E. Cannaday ’53 on 7/16/13. Ruth Dickler Moberg ’54 on 5/10/12. Ronald K. Green ’54 on 9/2/12. Dane Hooper ’54 on 5/20/13. Felicity “Fisty” Scholes Bennett ’54 on 8/11/13. Mary Lou Walter Flater ’54 on 9/27/13. Katherine Theodoras Anderson ’54 on 11/13/13. Jim Poor ’54 on 12/24/13. David S. Boyd ’55 on 11/11/13. Jack N. Cokel ’55 on 6/14/11. Stanley H. Johnston Jr. ’55 on 7/4/13. William “Bill” Lynch ’55 on 9/2/13. William McKillip ’55 on 9/26/13. J. Blair Johnston ’57 on 7/17/13. Bruce F. Williams ’57 on 8/16/13. Jerome W. Orloff ’57 on 8/22/13. Dr. Charles A. Wright ’57 on 9/23/13. Donald B. Neal ’58 on 3/15/13. Roger C. Betts ’58 on 6/22/13. Joe L. Garrett ’58 on 7/26/13. Harold M. Grabow ’58 on 7/17/13. J. Gary Steinfeldt ’58 on 11/5/13. John E. Sundeen ’58 on 10/31/13. Robert “Bob” Weise ’58 on 9/2/13. Janet Gainder Frazier ’59 on 1/6/12. Dr. Anton J. Jirka ’59 on 12/7/12. Robert S. Douglas Jr. ’60 on 5/19/12. Michael S. Duggan ’61 on 9/27/11. Dr. Henry L. Misbach ’61 on 11/25/12. Ronald J. Kier ’62 on 10/5/12. Gretchen Utz Hook ’62 on 10/17/13. Frank S. Cottrell ’64 on 6/18/13. Dr. Linda Meyers Donelson ’65 on 10/8/12. Ann Talbot Petty ’67 on 3/31/12. J. Mark Brooks ’67 on 6/28/13. Richard A. Binder ’67 on 7/8/13.

In Memoriam Albert Reilly, Football Coach Albert Reilly, one of the most successful head football coaches in Knox history, died October 17. Reilly served as an assistant coach from 1968 to 1970 before taking over as the head football coach in 1971, a position he held for six seasons. During Reilly’s tenure, the team had an overall record of 29-23-2, had winning seasons in four of his six years at the helm, and achieved top division standing in the Midwest Conference five times. Larry Kusch ’71, a former player, recalls the turnaround of the football program under coach Reilly. “He was the defensive coach when I came to Knox in 1969 as a junior college transfer. In one year we went from 1-8 to 6-3 thanks largely to ‘Alby’s’ commitment to excellence and his passion for innovative teaching KNOX COLLEGE ARCHIVES techniques. He was the main reason for Knox’s Golden Era of football from 1970 to 1976.” Reilly’s best season was in 1976, when the team (Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2012) went 7-1-1 to win the Midwest Conference, shut out Lake Forest 33-0 in the playoffs, and finished with the best record among all football teams from Illinois colleges. The ’76 team was also ranked #10 in the nation by United Press International and remains the last Knox football squad to win a conference championship. “It was the best record in 49 years,” former athletic director Harley Knosher said of the 1976 season, “It was a high mark for both the program and Knox.” Reilly received his bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in English literature from Middlebury College. He was offensive backfield coach at Dartmouth College before assuming the same position at Knox in 1968. In addition to his duties as football coach, he served as women’s basketball coach, assistant track coach, and was an assistant professor of physical education at Knox. Reilly was inducted into the KnoxLombard Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. In 1977, Reilly left coaching to purchase a regional greenhouse manufacturer that he helped grow into an international operation with manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, Ohio, and North Carolina. Albert Reilly is survived by his wife, Pamela, two children, and two grandchildren.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

In Memoriam W.G. Fiedorow, Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages Vasili “Bill” Fiedorow, professor emeritus of modern languages, died August 27, 2013, in Washington. Fiedorow taught Russian and French at Knox for more than 30 years, serving eight years as chair of the modern languages department. He regularly led faculty and student trips—19 in all— to the former Soviet Union and twice directed the Krasnodar Program in Russia for the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. Fiedorow was KNOX COLLEGE ARCHIVES born September 9, 1939, in Suzemka, Russia. His family left Russia during World War II and he was educated through high school in Belgium. In 1956, his family was able to come to the U.S. with sponsorship by Tibbett’s Methodist Church in West Seattle, Washington. Fiedorow attended West Seattle High School and received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Washington and his Ph.D. from Indiana University. He taught French and Russian at Knox from 1972 until he retired in 2005. He translated numerous works from both languages to English. In announcing Fiedorow’s promotion to full professor in 1988, Knox College noted his work “reﬂecting all the attributes of a mature, thoughtful, sensitive scholar who is extremely well read in Russian, French and English literature.” He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies, the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages, and Phi Beta Kappa. Fiedorow is survived by his wife, Cathryn; three children, Greg Fiedorow ’89, Liz Sjaastad ’89 and Kate Willcutts ’83; and six grandchildren.

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Stephen B. Dilks ’68 on 12/17/12. Lawrence W. Goedke ’68 on 6/8/13. Thomas A. Costello ’68 on 8/7/13. John A. Foshay ’70 on 6/23/11. Dr. Susan Trebbe-Haas ’70 on 11/22/11. David Oertley ’71 on 12/20/13. Linda Cline Garland ’72 on 9/27/12. Cynthia Rexroat ’72 on 11/3/12. Paul W. Challacombe ’72 on 10/1/13. Virginia A. Canil ’73 on 7/15/13. Lynn Dorrough ’74 on 11/21/13. David “D.W.” Hartmann ’74 on 10/6/13. Peggy Miles Hutson ’74 on 11/15/13. Linda McCarty McElhaney ’75 on 7/3/11. Dr. Christopher W. Conavay ’76 on 2/26/13. David G. Fox ’77 on 2/24/11. Ronald P. May ’78 on 6/23/13. Roberta A. Tauchen ’78 on 7/27/13. Richard J. Gregory ’80 on 7/2/11. Joseph J. Janatka ’84 on 3/27/12. Madhavi Samala ’88 on 7/27/13. Adam Schmitz ’88 on 11/16/13. Brian S. Biever ’89 on 10/22/13. Linda M. Wikoff ’91 on 8/20/13. Anya L. Garten ’04 on 9/5/13. Alexandra “Lexie” Kamerman ’08 on 1/17/14.

Deaths of Friends John G. Kilker, husband of Evelyn Sommer Kilker ’42, on 2/3/11. Harold Ladendorf, husband of Kathryn Pedley Ladendorf ’60, on 3/5/11. Richard E. Petersen, husband of Jo Ann Casburn Petersen ’53, on 4/13/11. Mildred L. Stancl, wife of Donald L. Stancl ’62, on 4/16/11. Mardi Littell, wife of Dan Littell ’61, on 5/8/11. Jane Goodsill Hibbard, daughter of M. Max Goodsill and Rita Chase Goodsill (1912), on 10/23/11. Lauri L. Rathmann, mother of Quiana Rexana Klossner ’14, on 10/31/11. Shona D. Woolard, mother of Jeremy Lee Woolard ’09, on 11/4/11. Harriet Lemon, wife of Gerald Lemon ’43 and sister of Vera Clayberg Krohe ’51, on 11/26/11. Daniel L. Dresier, father of Sara E. G. Dreiser ’10, on 1/9/12. Louise C. Tortorelli, mother of Joseph J. Tortorelli ’12, on 1/31/12. Victor F. Bittner, husband of Jean Hodgson Bittner ’53, on 2/9/12. Jeffrey J. Becker, father of Dana E. Lesus ’08, on 7/1/12. Anthony Mark Kuchan, brother of Len Kuchan ’53, on 6/14/12. Angela C. Bauer, mother of Jessica L. Bauer ’08, on 7/18/12. Dr. Wm. Carl Bailey, father of Claire Bailey Roehl ’84 and Carl G. Bailey ’88, on 7/31/12. Peggy Irwin, wife of R. Patrick Irwin ’68, on 10/14/12.

Michael Warta, husband of Cynthia Stiller Warta ’73, on 11/19/12. John L. Martin, father of Stephanie L. Martin ’09, on 12/3/12. Daniel J. McLaughlin, husband of Joann Paley McLaughlin ’72, on 12/3/12. Lentena Anderson, mother-in-law of Dr. Terry Rothstein ’65, on 12/7/12. Margaret Gilbert, wife of John W. Gilbert Jr. ’55, on 12/18/12. Albert Riederer, husband of Sandra C. Midkiff ’72, on 12/27/12. Margaret Pippenger, wife of Philip M. Pippenger ’63, on 1/4/13. Janet Durst, daughter of Ruby L. Skinner Williams ’55, on 1/9/13. Diane Stowell, wife of James K. Stowell ’58, on 1/15/13. Samson A. Cox, father of Robert L. Whiting ’86, on 1/17/13. Virginia W. Nelson, wife of Keith E. Nelson ’41, on 1/28/13. Margaret Borden, friend of the College, on 2/5/13. Julia M. Davis, wife of David G. Reynolds ’55, on 3/8/13. George H. Weyerhaeuser Jr., father of G. Walker Weyerhaeuser Jr. ’05, on 4/15/13. Joyce M. Roberson, mother of Carter Jace Roberson ’14, on 4/26/13. Charles R. Sear, husband of Harriet Remaley Sear ’62, on 4/29/13. Larry J. Kennedy, husband of the late Dorothy Lee Miner, friend of the College, on 5/13/13. Dr. Michael S. Sidell, friend of the College, on 5/19/13. Anthony B. Lischwe, father of Dr. Timothy Lischwe ’80, on 5/8/13. C.E. “Gene” Bradbury, step brother of Gilbert Moore ’61, on 5/8/13. June Thompson, wife of Willard R. Thompson ’51, on 5/16/13. Roberta J. Reeder, mother-in-law of Michael Panther ’73, on 6/2/13. Lois E. Hallberg, mother of Sara E. Hallberg ’87, on 6/3/13. Douglas M. Konicki, father of Michelle Konicki LeDeaux ’97 and Ashley M. Konicki ’09, on 6/11/13. David Martin Anderson, grandfather of Claire Anderson ’11, on 6/14/13. Edwin W. Bright, husband of Mary Elizabeth Hand Bright ’44, on 6/14/13. Harlan Todd, father of Martha Todd Wilson ’83, on 6/16/13. Edward Young, brother of Amy Roth, alumni relations, on 6/17/13. G. William “Bill” Hinrichs Jr., husband of Geraldine S. Stewart ’45, father of George W. Hinrichs III ’67 and Bradley G. Hinrichs ’72, on 6/23/13. Doug Scherer, father of W. Troy Walker ’97, on 6/27/13. Barbara A. Bowman, wife of James W. Bowman ’50, on 6/28/13.

Class Knox Cordelia Shelton, grandmother of Amy Gilman ’93, on 7/2/13. James R. Kuchan, brother of Len Kuchan ’53, on 7/8/13. Jan Eric Hayden, son of Donna Stark Hayden ’63, on 7/9/13. Elizabeth “Betty” Snitker, mother of Sherril Zaric, postal services, on 7/13/13. Hubert Larson, husband of Catherine Crum Larson ’40, on 7/18/13. Robert W. McCoy Sr., father of Kevin McCoy, campus safety, on 7/19/13. Clifford Nelsen, husband of Cleon Fulle Nelsen ’51, on 7/22/13. Darrell L. Miller, brother of Sherril Zaric, postal services, on 7/25/13. Lela M. Truedson, wife of Ray A. Truedson, Lombard College ’32, on 7/26/13. Howard Tolley, father-in-law of Margaret Tolley ’73, on 7/26/13. Mary Vacek, mother of Patricia Vacek ’73 and widow of Joesph G. Vacek, former College employee, on 7/27/13. Walter I. Jones, father of Steve Jones, information technology services, on 8/4/13. William W. Arney, father of Melissa Arney, advancement ofﬁce, on 8/5/13. Betty Edwards, sister of Barbara Paulus ’56, on 8/6/13. Mary Ann Salter, widow of Lewis Salter, former dean of the College, mother of David R. Salter ’75, Allen Salter ’75, and Andrew L. Salter ’83, on 8/9/13. Sandrae K. Scannell, mother of Tamara Guest ’86, on 8/9/13. Ken Phillips, friend of the College, on 8/14/13. James E. “Jim” Colwell, brother of Kenny Colwell ’52, on 8/15/13. Gary Dennis, husband of Deborah G. Dennis ’83, on 8/18/13. Shirley Kay Perrone, wife of Mark Perrone ’73, on 8/19/13. Ann Robinson, widow of David T. Robinson ’38, mother of Peter W. Robinson ’67, grandmother of Karen Robinson Bogen ’92, on 8/21/13. Paul Papke, father of Paul Papke Jr. ’69, on 8/22/13. W. G. “Bill” Fiedorow, Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages, father of Greg Fiedorow ’89, Lizabeth Fiedorow Sjaastad ’89 and Kate Fiedorow Willcutts ’83, on 8/27/13. Carol Sinden, wife of Arthur W. Sinden ’57, on 9/4/13. Josephine M. Kennedy, aunt of Steven P. Luetger ’75, grandmother of Meghan E. Kennedy ’07, on 9/6/13. Merle B. Nelson, former Knox College employee, on 9/11/13. Dewey A. Trone, grandfather of Jonna John ’13, on 9/9/13. Donald J. Newbart, father of Dave Newbart ’90, on 9/13/13. Carol J. Sodetz, wife of Frank J. Sodetz Jr. ’63, on 9/14/13.

Mary LaVaughn Ronk, mother-in-law of Roxanne Ronk, human resources, on 9/16/13. Anne E. Sperry, daughter of Carol A. Stevens Spencer ’63, sister of Edward Spencer ’95 and Maria Carpenter ’02, on 9/16/13. Raymond G. Kimbell, friend of the College, on 9/17/13. Eugene H. Fosburg, grandfather of Rebecca L. Lytle ’13, on 9/23/13. Margaret L. Anderson, grandmother of Benjamin D. Stripe ’06, on 9/25/13. Monte Jones, father of Sandy Jones, Vovis Center for Research & Advanced Study, 9/27/13. Charles T. Williams, husband of Susan Suchocki Williams ’72, on 9/27/13. Roselea L. Hoane, mother of Michael Hoane ’90, on 9/29/13. Elaine A. Fellowes, wife of John E. Fellowes ’37, on 10/7/13. Marjorie S. Douda, sister of Charles Shaw ’54, on 10/30/13. Dr. Curtis B. Coleman, former professor of chemistry, on 10/31/13. Cyril F. Whiteman, Army Air Forces Program graduate, on 10/15/13. LeRoy F. Gillen, grandfather of Zachary Ricketts ’11 and Kelly Ricketts ’13, on 10/16/13. Albert Reilly, former football coach, on 10/17/13. John S. Watt, former educational studies professor, on 10/19/13. Shirley J. Like, wife of Terry Like, retired grounds department employee, grandmother of Jennifer Hoben ’09, on 10/19/13. Gesina W. Sage, grandmother of Patricia Yeager McCrery ’91, on 10/23/13. Paul M. Worthen, father of Caitlin R. Worthen ’11, on 10/26/13. Zara Yee Hawthorne, daughter of Sue Lin Yee ’93, on 11/1/13. Wendell R. Clark, father of Natalie Clark Crittenden ’79, on 11/11/13. Florence Pica, mother of Tolan Pica ’93 and George Pica ’69, on 11/5/13. Imogene Housh, aunt of Nancy Housh ’63, on 11/7/13. W. Kirk Ruhl Sr., brother of Sherrell Ruhl ’58, on 11/14/13. Cecile A. Smith, retired assistant director of development, on 11/15/13. Phyllis McKillip, mother of Danette McKillip, dining services, and Dave McKillip, assistant football coach, on 11/17/13. Arthur E. McElhaney, former adjunct professor, on 11/18/13. Frances Watson Parnell, former secretary to the dean of students, on 11/30/13. James Griffith, brother of Tom Griffith, facilities services, on 12/9/13. Rob Reed, former lecturer in journalism, on 2/5/14.

In Memoriam Richard ’39 and Dorothy Johnson Burkhardt ’39 Knox Life Trustee Dorothy Johnson Burkhardt ’39 died on January 24, 2014. Her husband of 72 years, Richard Burkhardt ’39, died on March 4, 2014. The Burkhardts believed in the power of a transformational educational experience and together became the second largest donors to Knox during their lifetime. At Knox, Dorothy was a French and psychology major and member of the Phi Mu sorority; Richard was a history major and member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. They met in their sopho- SUBMITTED more year, when Dorothy was elected class secretary and Richard class president. Both were initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. Dorothy received a master’s degree from Ball State University in 1958 and was an instructor of French, Spanish, and Russian at the college. At Knox, she served as an Alumni Trustee from 1976 to 1979 and general trustee from 1982 to 1990, when she was named a Life Trustee. Richard received his doctorate from Harvard University and worked at Syracuse University before becoming vice president for instructional affairs and dean of faculties at Ball State University. He was later named provost and vice president for academic affairs and served as acting president of the university. Richard received a Knox College Alumni Achievement Award in 1974. The Burkhardts established two professorships at Knox: the Burkhardt Distinguished Chair in Modern Languages and the Burkhardt Distinguished Chair in History. Gifts from the Burkhardts also created advanced facilities for teaching languages, designed to encourage active, collaborative learning. They also established two funds to support campus lectures by scholars and faculty development in the ﬁelds of language and history. “Knox is a stronger institution because of their generous support,” said President Teresa Amott. “Their legacy will be felt by generations of Knox students and faculty.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Spring 2014

Parting Shot

Fire Starters As the nation’s second oldest prairie restoration site, the prairies at Green Oaks have been burnt by Knox students and faculty every spring (save a few exceptions) for more than 50 years. Shown here in 2013, a fire crew checks the prairie moments after the flames have swept through. This year’s prairie burn took place on March 29, at the start of the most recent Green Oaks Term. Photo by John Williams ’12

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Knox College

MAGAZINE Knox College Galesburg, Illinois 61401-4999

MEET

VIR DAS

Class of 2002, Actor & Comedian, and one of Knoxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18 under 37

Photo by Harpeet Bachher