Knox Magazine Fall 2016 by Knox College

FALL 2016

Bridget Coughlin â&#x20AC;&#x2122;94: Sharing the story of science at Shedd Aquarium

Tim Kasser, Professor of Psychology

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Tim Kasser, who received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in 1994 and came to Knox in 1995, is best known outside of the Knox community for his research on materialism and happiness (The High Price of Materialism, published in 2002, is often cited in media around the world). Within the Knox community, Tim is also well respected for his dedication to teaching, learning, and his students; his challenging courses; his community activism; and his appreciation for the Western Illinois countryside. All of these attributes are on display in his professional home on the ﬁrst ﬂoor of the E Wing of the Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center.

Welcome to his ofﬁce.

Open Door

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1. A cartoon dinosaur, drawn by cartoonist Larry Gonick, with whom Tim is collaborating on a book about Hypercapitalism. Gonick visited Knox in April 2015 to speak on the importance of comics in daily life. 2. This large jade plant was “rescued” from a business on Main Street before it was demolished during construction of the new Main Street railroad underpass. 3. Painted fabric given to him by a student, Austin Mobley ’11, who now lives and works in India. 4. Tea cups given to him by various students through the years. 5. Books on existential psychology by authors R.D. Laing, Fritz Perls, and Rollo May, among others, that were especially important to Tim in his earliest days as a psychologist.

6. A ceramic elephant given to him by a member of Thailand’s royal family, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, when he spoke at a conference in Thailand that was organized by the princess. 7. (From top to bottom) A drawing of a butterfly that Madeline Sonja Weiland ’09 made during Tim’s Theories of Personality class; an Alley Oop cartoon that features a dinosaur drawing by Tim’s son Dustin; a quote from the Chronicle of Higher Education about the extra workload required of a department chair (that gets handed to psychology faculty members when it’s their turn to chair the department), and a “No Durian” sign he brought back from a trip to Singapore (durian is an Asian fruit that has a foul smell).

MAGAZINE VOLUME 100, ISSUE 2

FALL 2016

“STARTING TODAY . . . ALL OF YOU NOW HAVE AT LEAST ONE PRIVILEGE IN COMMON—THE PRIVILEGE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION.” KONRAD HAMILTON, BURKHARDT DISTINGUISHED CHAIR IN HISTORY (PAGE 26)

Departments

Building Spiritual Resiliency Meet Lisa Seiwert, Knox’s first director of spiritual life, and learn more about her background and her hopes and plans for this new position.

Page 6

The Big Issue What is the most important issue facing the United States this election season? Members of the Knox community share their thoughts with Knox Magazine.

Open Door

Inside front cover

2 East South Street

Page 4

The South Lawn

Page 22

Knox Writes

Page 36

Flashback

Page 39

Class Knox

Page 41

Parting Shot

Inside back cover

Page 10

Sharing the Story of Science Bridget Coughlin ’94 shares how her love of biochemistry, lab research, and the stories of science brought her to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium as its new president and CEO.

On the cover: Bridget Coughlin ’94, president and CEO of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, interacts with a beluga whale. Photo ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez

Page 19

layout designers Ami Jontz

assistant editor Pam Chozen

Contributors, Writing & photography

assoCiate editor

Adriana Colindres

Peter G. Bailley ’74,

Evan Temchin ’10

News & Photography

Special thanks to Melissa Arney and Robyn Hepker/Benson & Hepker Design.

Becky Hale

Cheri Siebken

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

Niki Acton ’16 Visit us online at www.knox.edu/knoxmag.

KENT KRIEGSHAUSER

editor Megan Scott ’96

Pumphandle 2016 Members of the cross-country team form a human archway during Pumphandle on Sunday, September 11. Nearly 1,000 members of the Knox community came together this year to celebrate the start of fall term. In addition to the traditional handshakes, participants also received t-shirts, buttons, and temporary tattoos featuring the image of the newly unveiled Knox Prairie Fire mascot.

Editor’s Note

Letters to the Editor

The More Things Change . . .

In Praise of Class Notes & 45s

I always look at the class notes right away. It says [in the Class of 1965 notes] let’s have a get together in June 2016, which is not what I think I wrote. Correct date: June 2018!! BTW, kudos to the mag for being so classy and beautiful. I love the way they use a quote from each page at the top of the class notes and then highlight it in the letter it came from. Who thought of that? Edie [Joe’s wife] said school mags in general are going away, replaced by Facebook. Sad. And I notice the Knox Magazine is now twice a year—used to be quarterly, so maybe that’s happening to them also. Sad. I’m always stuck midway between embracing the new technology and mourning the passing of the old. Maybe that’s why I love 45 records. They are an old, superseded technology within a larger old superseded technology. Even people who embrace vinyl don’t do 45s any more. —Joe Thompson ’65

recently had the opportunity to head to Special Collections & Archives to research the history of religious studies and spiritual life at Knox, preparing for the article on the new director of spiritual life (see page 6). I love walking into special collections and being greeted by a Lincoln bust or bullhorn from the 1920s. And I love to search through old yearbooks or files, knowing that I may come across a small treasure: an amazing photo not seen for decades or an inspiring quote from a beloved professor. What I found this summer wasn’t necessarily a treasure but, instead, a great reminder: the more things change, the more they stay the same. EVAN TEMCHIN ’10

In an issue of The Knox Student from 1950, the editors were discussing the tension between religious and secular chapel services and described the student body as “religionshy.” That’s a term that I hadn’t seen used in describing our students from that era before. When we discuss earlier decades at Knox, we learn about regular chapel services, a department of religious studies, and a College chaplain. That doesn’t seem to be religion-shy to me, or at least not as religion-shy as some may describe contemporary college campuses. Today’s students live in an era when, according to a 2014 report from the Pew Research Center, church attendance is dropping nationally. And you’re just as likely to find an Atheism Club on campuses as an Intervarsity Fellowship of Christian Athletes. But no matter the era, college students wrestle with big issues—who am I, who do I want to be, where do I fit in the world? No matter the era, political and social upheavals provide the backdrop for these discussions. Perhaps being a bit religion shy at this time in their lives, as students explore these issues and are introduced to others who may live or worship differently than they do, is the norm. The key is that no matter how “shy” students may be to religion, they still need academic and co-curricular resources and support as they explore those issues. And that brings us back to where we started— the new director of spiritual life, whose role it will be to help students wrestle with these issues. So thanks, Special Collections & Archives, for this helpful reminder. I knew there was a reason why I loved stopping by. —Megan Scott ’96

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

To Each Their Own Since I love baseball and score most of the Rockies games I attend here in Colorado, I was especially interested in the article about Max Utsler. Very interesting career! One comment about the side bar about how to score a game: If there is a ground out fielded by the pitcher, I would score it G1-3, i.e., it is a groundout to the pitcher (position #1) who threw to the first baseman (position #3). The pitcher gets an assist on that play and the first baseman gets the put-out. Perhaps Max does it differently. —Jackie Dobrovolny ’71

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 61401-4999, or e-mail knoxmag@knox.edu. Letters should refer to material published in the magazine and may be edited for length or clarity.

2 East South Street President’s Note Preparing Students for Engaged Citizenship

t seems that every day a new campus is embroiled in a media storm, including controversies over campus speakers, demands for safe spaces, and trigger warnings, and I am asked regularly where Knox stands on these issues. While the underlying issues go to the core of what we do in academia, from my vantage point in Old Main, the media coverage exaggerates both the breadth and the depth of threats to freedom of speech on America’s college campuses, including Knox.

It is certainly the case that many of our students are concerned about speech and use the term “microaggression” for instances in which they feel excluded or degraded. This is nothing new. As a 1972 college graduate, I remember the struggle to be included, as a woman, in everyday language. Today, with recognition of transgender identities, there is a push for even more inclusive language. We at Knox recognize that speech can violate our norms of civility and have always addressed this as a matter of community standards. The College’s antidiscrimination policy affirms that vigorous discussion and debate are fundamental to the College and to higher learning and notes that the fact that speech is offensive is not, standing alone, sufficient basis to establish bias. Such speech typically must be persistent, pervasive, and not germane to classroom subject matter in order to violate our policy.

KENT KRIEGSHAUSER

Nationally, we see an increase in student activism, with interest in political and community engagement at the highest levels in 50 years, according to UCLA’s annual CIRP Freshman Survey. Reading further into the survey, you learn that the percentage of first-year students who expect to participate in student protests is approximately 8.5 percent, a small proportion of students. With Knox’s founders and those who inspired them engaged in antislavery protests and civil disobedience--a lineage of which we are proud--we are not surprised that Knox draws a higher share of activist students; according to the CIRP survey, 15 percent of Knox students say they are likely to protest. Yet this is still a small percentage of the student body.

In compliance with this commitment, the College neither endorses nor disallows the use of trigger warnings on a syllabus, seeing this as an essential element of faculty autonomy. Some faculty members do alert students to the presence of violent images or derogatory language in texts, but they do this to promote learning. In our classrooms, there are students who have lived under authoritarian regimes, experienced violence in their communities, been the victims of childhood abuse, or have documented disabilities. That they are here at all is a vivid testament to their resilience and their hunger for an education. It seems to me entirely appropriate that such students not be taken by surprise in the classroom with material that has a deeper resonance for them than to many of us. Behind the headlines, though, all Knox students are daily encountering concepts, facts, and narratives that challenge their perspectives. This has always been true, but it is more salient today than ever before. We live in a nation characterized by historically high levels of segregation by income, race, and ethnicity and increasingly polarized by political perspective. College campuses—and especially Knox—are one of the few places in America where those divides are bridged every day. Where else could you could live in a racially integrated suite, go to class with students from 50 other countries, share locker rooms with individuals whose sexual orientation is different from your own, or serve on an Honor Board with students who have been homeless during their childhood, as well as students who have flown to Knox on private jets?

“What happens on campuses is especially critical to our democracy.”

Managing the tensions that inevitably arise in an environment so remarkably diverse is not easy. Nor is it easy to ensure that minority views are protected. But this has always been a central challenge of campus governance, and today, what happens on campuses is especially critical to our democracy. I am optimistic that Knox will continue to lead the way in preparing our students for lives of engaged citizenship. —Teresa L. Amott

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Meet Lisa Seiwert, Knox’s First Director of Spiritual Life BY MEGAN SCOTT ’96 PHOTOS BY PETER BAILLEY ‘74

hen Knox announced a search for a director of spiritual life this spring, Lisa Seiwert was attracted to the position based upon the description she read: “The director of spiritual life will engage the Knox College community in exploring the roles of spirituality, religion, contemplation, and action in campus life and beyond and promote vibrant multi-faith dialogue and cooperation throughout the community.” An ordained minister with experience in higher education, Seiwert was drawn to campus ministry, and the position seemed like a good fit. “But it was through meeting and engaging with the community,” she says, “that I knew this is where I wanted to be.” And the College agreed. Seiwert officially joined the Knox community as the College’s first director for spiritual life on August 8. She came to Knox from the Chicago Theological Seminary, where she served as director of admission and recruitment since 2012. Seiwert began her career in social work, after receiving her bachelor’s de-

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

gree from Michigan State University. In 2008, she returned to school to pursue her master of divinity, followed by a master of sacred theology, both at the Chicago Theological Seminary. She is ordained through the United Church of Christ and has worked with many faith-based, community organizing groups throughout her career, including Chicago Regional Organizing Group for Antiracism, The Night Ministry’s Youth Outreach Team in Chicago, and ISAAC (Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy and Action in the Community). Her experience in higher education, ministry, and service made her a terrific match for this new position. “First and foremost, like all of us in Student Development, Lisa is an educator and will engage students in programs and dialogues around issues that are core to being human: compassion, understanding, equality, justice,” said Vice President for Student Development Anne Ehrlich, to whom Seiwert will report. “She is also, in many ways, a counselor, and will help students navigate their personal, ethical, and spiritual lives.”

Seiwert will also be of service to the entire Knox community providing, as Ehrlich says, “thoughtful care for our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.” “There are times when our community needs someone to be present for tragedies, celebrations, or whatever happens in life, either locally or globally,” Ehrlich adds. For Seiwert, her work at Knox will be based on trying to make meaning in our world. “We all wrestle with questions of why bad things happen to good people. We all face grief and loss and have times of deep personal pain. We all experience helplessness and hopelessness in working for social change. I believe all of us need to build up a sense of spiritual resiliency to help us get through those times,” she says. Knox Magazine spoke with Seiwert shortly before her arrival on campus about her journey to Knox and her hopes for this new position.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

YOU BEGAN YOUR FAITH-BASED WORK LATER IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO

THE MINISTRY AND YOUR FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL LIFE IN HIGHER EDUCATION?

Quite simply, what brought me to this place is hope. I began my career in social work and found myself faced with impossible situations, limited resources, and lots of red tape. I was questioning my vocation, and feeling daunted by the amount of work to do in the world. At the same time, I was exploring my spirituality and growing into my own sense of faith. A mentor suggested that I work on the question, “From where does your hope come?” Over time, I came to see the connection between my desire to engage in work that brings about increased justice, mercy, and peace and my own inner understandings of justice, mercy, and peace. My own spirituality. I came to see that rooting my work in prophetic texts, traditions, and practice is where my hope arises. This insight took me on a quest for theological education and deep vocational discernment.

THE DIRECTOR OF SPIRITUAL LIFE IS A NEW POSITION AT KNOX. WHAT CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU SEE FOR YOURSELF AS YOU TAKE ON THIS NEW ROLE?

I see incredible potential in working to create a role that becomes an integral part of the Knox community. None of us has preconceived ideas of what this position might look like in the coming years, and I am open to the growth that I believe is about to come. I am humbled by the opportunity to enrich the already excellent educational experiences at Knox by encouraging 8

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

spiritual growth and creating space for questions about life’s meaning and purpose. I like to dream, imagine, and create, and there is so much room for all of that within this role. Perhaps the biggest challenge I will face initially is getting engagement from the community. I don’t see this role as isolated for only the “religious” people on campus. Rather, I hope to create spaces for people with all kinds of religious and non-religious identities to come together, learn with and from one another, encounter new ideas, and journey together. In order to do that well, I will need to find ways to make myself and programs feel welcoming, open, and relevant.

YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE WORKING ON ISSUES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, PARTICULARLY RACIAL JUSTICE, SEXUAL AND GENDER JUSTICE, AND INTERRELIGIOUS ENGAGEMENT. CAN YOU DISCUSS THE RELATION BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION TO SOCIAL JUSTICE?

Certainly we can all name instances where religion has been used in ways that have oppressed, ostracized, and incited violence against marginalized groups and individuals. In fact, many make the case that religion is at the heart of all the evils humankind has perpetrated upon one another. We can see that religious traditions have been used to support horrific policies, regimes, wars, and genocides. And so, some might seek to rid the world of religion altogether, or at least choose not to participate in anything remotely religious. And I get that. But within all the world religions, we find teachings, texts, and traditions that point us toward justice, compassion, care

for those most on the margins, love of our enemies. Prophetic voices through the ages have painted a vision of a world very different from our current reality. A world of peace, sustainability, shared resources, abundant and diverse life. Spiritual teachers within all the world religions have offered paths that push back against the ways of the world and draw us into new ways of being— where priorities are focused on generosity, loving kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and love. It seems to me that the work of social justice is emboldened when we lean into those teachings, traditions, and practices. I hope all of us will take the time to go beyond the ways humankind has distorted religion into a tool for evil and instead discover the transformative potential within religion and spirituality. Working for social justice is an uphill battle and often feels like one step forward, two steps back. I believe our work in the world is strengthened when our spirits are sustained by practices and traditions that offer us the vision we so long for. And I believe our work is strengthened when we engage hand in hand with friends from many religious and non-religious persuasions.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU PLAN TO DO WHEN YOU GET TO CAMPUS?

Meet people! I look forward to being present as much as possible to events already taking place. I look forward to sporting events, fine arts performances, lectures and convocations, and also to finding the best place for a good cup of coffee and conversation, the best places on campus to sit outside and

WHERE INITIATIVES & INTEREST MEET watch the leaves fall, the best things to do in Galesburg.

AFTER A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT SUMMER, ONE IN WHICH OUR NATION STRUGGLED WITH ISSUES OF INJUSTICE AND ESCALATING VIOLENCE, AND ENTERING A POTENTIALLY TUMULTUOUS ELECTION SEASON, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR MEMBERS

KNOX COMMUNITY AS WE START THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR? OF THE

I hope as we enter this year that we will find a way as a community to commit to staying in difficult conversations, using language of compassion and curiosity that does not vilify or insult, and listening to those who have very different opinions. I worry that, as a nation, we have come to a place in discourse that frames issues and opinions as polar opposites and necessarily pits us against those who think differently. I believe we need to engage in a different kind of discourse. I think we need to find ways to refrain from demonizing those who disagree with us and instead see the humanity in everyone, even (perhaps especially) in those with whom we disagree. I hope that as a community, we can encourage one another to change the discourse, to refuse to participate in behaviors and speech that marginalize and instead remember that every person has a story and a journey and has arrived at her/his place in ways we can never fully know. It should never be our goal that everyone think or vote just like us; rather, we need to build a community where diverse voices find ways to stay together even through difference and conflict.

While the director of spiritual life position itself is new to Knox, it has its roots in both recent and past College history. In fact, the position finds its origins in the same ones that brought James Thrall, Knight Distinguished Associate Professor for the Study of Religion and Culture, to Knox six years ago. Both the professorship and director are supported by the same donor, and both are perfect examples of where institutional initiatives and donor interest meet. The official role of religion at Knox is complex and sometimes contentious. After a religious schism among the founders of the College, Knox became a secular institution early in its history, but religion and the spiritual life of its students remained an important part of College life. Daily chapel remained compulsory for all faculty and students until the 1940s, and a department of religion was created in 1947 and included a chaplain who also served as a faculty member. Over time, daily chapel turned to weekly chapel, which then turned to occasional convocations. In 1953, the department of religion was absorbed into the philosophy department, and, upon the retirement of long-time religion professor William Matthews in 1983, the College lost its chaplain. Thanks to faculty interest and initiative, active student groups, and connections to the local community, Knox was able to continue to provide opportunities for students to study religion and practice their spirituality. A little over six years ago, Knox faculty and student interest in reviving religious studies grew, and the College knew of a donor with an interest in this very area. Two years later, a faculty chair in religion and culture was endowed by the donor, and, after a national search, James Thrall was invited to fill that chair. More recently, with a more robust academic program in religious studies, along with a growing number of active student organizations focused on religion and spirituality, Knox saw a need to address spiritual life outside of the classroom. Last spring, Knox invited a panel of speakers from colleges similar to Knox to speak on spiritual life and the liberal arts, with a focus on multifaith campus programs. With campus interest growing in a spiritual life position, the same donor who endowed the professorship agreed to support the new position as well. “A very important aspect of education takes place outside of the classroom,” says the donor.

“It will be wonderful to have someone who can help students work through the sometimes difficult personal and philosophical issues that confront them as they make the transition between living at home and, eventually, taking their places in the world after Knox.” From the donor’s perspective, Thrall and Seiwert can work in tandem to help students explore themselves and their beliefs. “It is my belief that James Thrall and Lisa Seiwert, working together, will greatly enrich the Knox experience for every student who walks through the doors of Old Main.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

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ELLY COLLINS ’85, DIRECTOR, BOL B TON (MA) UBLIC LIBRARY

ANDREA CRAIN N ’98, TECHNICA AL CONSULTA ANT,, TESSITURA NETWO ORK

BILL COMBS ’69, TRIAL ATTORNEY

KEITH MASKUS ’76, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF CO ECONOMICS, OLORADO, BOULDER AND CHIEF ECONOMIS ST,, U.S. STA ATE DEPA AR TMENT

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MAURICE HARRIS RIS ’08, RESEARCH ANA ALYS ST,, GREATER MINNEAPOLIS NEAPOLIS SAINT PA PAUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VELOPMENT PA PAR TNERSHIP

HOWA ARD PA AR TN NER ’68, LANDSCA APE ARCHITECT

BRETT WRIGHT ’87, CEO & OWNE ER, PMDPROS LLC

BRIGID LEAHY ’89, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY,, PLANNED ED P PA ARENTHOOD OF ILLINOIS

NICK NURRE ’18, DOUBLE MAJOR IN ENGLISH LITERA ATURE AND PHILOSOPHY,, KNOX X COLLEGE

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OPHIA CLICK ’16, POST--BA ACCA ALA AUREATE ANOCHEMISTRY RESEARCHER, ATORY OS ALAMOS NA ATIONA AL LABORA

and NA AT T ); and 3) in he A /P fic C a se ki g x an ritory and infl en in he st nd out China

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JOHN (JA ACK) SHA HAW ’79, CONGRESSIONA AL REPOR TER WITH H MARKET NEWS INTERNAT TIONAL NAL

ROBER T L. WILLETT ’50,, FDIC ((RE ETIRED)) & FORMER BA ANK PRESIDENT

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pla tha it iss od yy.. Bad hin s h pen ou the w r ga dl h m h r ttl e nd n

CHARLOTTE SOMMER OMMER ’72, LECTURER, INSTITUTE OF FA FASHION AND THEATER DESIGN,, PRAGUE UE CA ATHERINE DENIAL, BRIGHT PROFESSOR OFESSOR OF AMERICA AN HISTORY,, KNOX X COLLEGE OLLEGE

ELAINE WILSON N STERN ’09, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELA R TIONS, FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVE

EARL A. BIRKETT T ’84,, PRESIDENT,, BIRKETT ENTERP PRISES, INC.

BOBBIE GOFOR TH ’52, ADMINIST TRATIVE ASSISTA ANT (RETIRED), ST. ST MARY Y’’S S EPISCOPA AL SCHOOL

DIANE DOOLEY Y,, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTA ANT (RETIRED), KNO OX X COLLEGE

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Sharing the Story of Science BY ADRIANA COLINDRES

Her plans to major in theatre at Knox took a different turn when she discovered a love of biochemistry, lab research, and spreading the word about science. Now, she leads one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beloved aquariums.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Â©SHEDD AQUARIUM/BRENNA HERNANDEZ

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

“Broader Impacts” In her lab research days, when Coughlin led teams funded by the National Institutes of Health, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, she encountered a concept called “broader impacts.” It continues to play a role in her professional life. “Many National Institutes of Health grants and many National Science Foundation grants now have a section that’s called ‘broader impacts.’ It’s how can your work—which is

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

©SHEDD AQUARIUM/BRENNA HERNANDEZ

SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE, and it’s for everybody, says Bridget Coughlin ’94, who earlier this year became president and chief executive officer of the renowned Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. About 2 million people a year visit the lakefront attraction to learn about fish, amphibians, and other animals. Coughlin’s professional journey might seem unexpected, considering that as a first-year Knox student, she intended to major in theatre. That was before, as she says, “I got a dose of what real lab work was. The pull to the lab was greater than the pull to the stage.” Unlike theatre, which generally is highly scripted and highly produced, science offered open-ended questions and “truly unknown answers,” Coughlin explains. “It had the feel of a puzzle to me, and that was a sense of freedom.” Her decision to major in biochemistry eventually led to a career path in which she’s worked as a lab researcher, managing editor of the National Academy of Sciences’ journal, vice president of strategic partnerships and programs and adjunct curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and now, leader of Shedd Aquarium. “I’ve had a really rich, mosaicked career, moving from the [lab] bench to a huge non-government organization in Washington, D.C., the National Academy of Sciences, and then into the scientific cultural world of museums and aquariums,” says Coughlin. “But if you look from theatre to bench research to the National Academy of Sciences to museums and aquariums, it’s all about that narrative, that story of science.” The story of science is one that Coughlin enjoys sharing with other scientists and, especially, with the general public. “It’s gratifying because of the collective impact the public can have when we come together around a scientific topic,” such as immunization requirements, she says. “When the public owns science—it’s theirs—they can make informed decisions that can make the world better.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the public owns scienceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theirsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they can make informed decisions that can make the world better.â&#x20AC;?

often very narrow, a signal from a protein in a cell typeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;how does that translate to making the world better? How do you go from the truly nanoscopic to seeing the big picture? And often, broader impact is about educating the public.â&#x20AC;? At one point, Coughlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research involved studying a parasite that causes Chagas disease, a potentially lifethreatening illness found mainly among people living in rural areas of Latin America. She grew accustomed to seeing the parasite in a lab environment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then I had an opportunity to travel, to see that parasite in endemic areas with the people that it was affecting. That was the broader impact. That was, for me, the thing that resonated to my soul. In the sterile lab, you can get very used to thinking about how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contained and purely academic. But for the people who had the parasite that I was studying, it was anything but academic.â&#x20AC;?

# 5KIPKĆ&#x201C;ECPV 2QUV +V 0QVG Coughlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive academic background includes her degree in biochemistry from Knox, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Iowa, and an executive MBA certificate from Northwestern Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kellogg School of Management. Her Knox liberal arts education, she says, helped position her for everything else that came afterward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the best way to frame it is that Knox taught me to fail, and learn from it and grow from it, and therefore be comfortable with taking risks,â&#x20AC;? she says. KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

â&#x20AC;&#x153;What do we hope for this organization serve? How can we impact, positively, there, out in the community; and every do more goodâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;here, there, and everywh

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and for the communities we more peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;here, on-site; ywhere, digitally? How can we ere?â&#x20AC;?

Knox also helped Coughlin learn about financial management, a key component of her current work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, I oversee a budget of $57 million and an endowment of $225 million,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But until I went to college and had to have the complicated world of scholarships, loans, parents helping, and working, it was my first step into having a diversified revenue portfolioâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to use a business termâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and managing that diversified revenue portfolio. Now I do that for a large nonprofit.â&#x20AC;?

(WVWTG 2NCPU ĹŹ(CXQTKVG 2JGPQOGPCĹ One important lesson came around 1993 when Coughlin worked on an independent research project under the supervision of Knox faculty member Janet Kirkley, now professor and chair of biochemistry. The project didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly get off to a great start, Coughlin recalls, adding: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to design the research study.â&#x20AC;? For a while, Coughlin struggled with the project and tried to figure things out on her own. One day, she found a yellow Post-It note attached to a textbook sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d placed on the lab bench. The note was from Kirkley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It just said: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How are things progressing? Seems too slowly,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? says Coughlin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whoa. Dinged.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; That yellow Post-It note was more impactful than a bad report card, than a failed experiment.â&#x20AC;? What happened next? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I gave myself a quick kick in the rear, and got going on the research, and learned to go to the professor and ask questions.â&#x20AC;? She says the episode taught her to seek help when needed, and it taught her â&#x20AC;&#x153;that Knox was small enough that you got freedom, but you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hide.â&#x20AC;?

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ÂŠSHEDD AQUARIUM/BRENNA HERNANDEZ

As a Knox student, Coughlin saw over and over again that community service was one of the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core values and â&#x20AC;&#x153;such a part of the DNA of the place.â&#x20AC;? She participated in APO, the service fraternity on campus, and still believes in â&#x20AC;&#x153;paying it forward.â&#x20AC;? One way she does that is by mentoring others, including, most recently, a young woman who will be the first in her family to go to college. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I mentor people who tend to be curious, where I can add value to their life, where we can have a real relationship,â&#x20AC;? Coughlin says.

Coughlin and the Sheddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership team have begun a months-long planning process to map out the future. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re considering a variety of questions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What do we hope for this organization and for the communities we serve? How can we impact, positively, more peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;here, on-site; there, out in the community; and everywhere, digitally? How can we do more goodâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;here, there, and everywhere?â&#x20AC;? One aspect of how to do more good involves how Shedd Aquarium can make even greater contributions in the field of conservation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are all about aquatic animals, and some of their ecosystems have real challenges,â&#x20AC;? Coughlin says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have 2 million visitors who come here a year. How do we provide vehicles for them to have a collective voice about conservation and about the science of aquatic animals?â&#x20AC;? As home to more than 32,000 animals, including penguins, seahorses, belugas, and frogs, Shedd Aquarium never ceases to be a fascinating place, Coughlin says. Yet she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a favorite creature. Instead, she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just have these favorite phenomena that are locked within these animals.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is not a day where I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t learn something about a particular fish that is really remarkable. For example, I saw our trainers feeding the belugas, and I thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they chew their food?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t masticate. They swallow it whole. What does that mean for their digestive system?â&#x20AC;? Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also intrigued by the clownfish, which is the species that was featured in the 2003 Pixar film, Finding Nemo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hermaphrodites. It really is the male clownfish that tends to the eggs, neurotically preens them, just like the movie. Pixar got that right.â&#x20AC;? For anyone who is intellectually curious, she says, Shedd Aquarium is â&#x20AC;&#x153;an incredible place.â&#x20AC;? And she intends for it to remain that way.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Teaching on Stage and Page Associate Professors Jeff Grace, theatre, and Cyn Fitch, English, were both awarded tenure at the Board of Trustees meeting in June, and Knox Magazine asked them a few questions shortly after the announcement. While they may have taken different roads to get to Knox, both exhibited a passion for teaching and creative expression that is evident in their careers and accomplishments during their time here and in their answers below.

Jeff joined the Knox theatre department in 2009, after earning his Ph.D. in theatre history, theory, and literature from Indiana University. He received an M.S. in education, curriculum, and instruction, also from Indiana, and B.A. in theatre arts from Brigham Young University. His teaching interests include theatre history, directing, American alternative theatre, gay and lesbian theatre, postmodernism, historical Off-Off-Broadway, rise of the modern director, drag narratives, and the performed body. His scholarly research, which examines representations of homosexual characters that occurred in plays presented at the Caffe Cino, a small New York coffeehouse theatre that pioneered the 1960s OffOff-Broadway movement, impacts his teaching “by bringing a much needed element of diversity to both our curriculum and production work.” Jeff’s many directing credits at Knox include The Caffe Cino Project, Next Fall, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Under Construction, The Serpent, and, as part of the 2016 Repertory Theatre Term, The Secret in the Wings. In 2012, he received

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

the Philip Green Wright-Lombard College Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Why Knox? Knox is a wonderful place to work because of the priority the College places on teaching. The most fulﬁlling moments of my job are witnessing my students grow through intellectual and creative work—and

Knox’s dedication to promoting such growth has always been the main reason I’ve stayed. Additionally, the theatre department provides a variety of opportunities that aren’t available to faculty at other institutions, mainly, the immersive Repertory Term and the opportunity to teach AND direct. What is your most memorable moment at Knox? I have two very memorable moments that stand out: (1) Directing The Caffe Cino Project, which brought my research directly to our production season through the physical realization of a full-scale version of the Caffe Cinos, and (2) the humbling honor of receiving the Philip Green Wright-Lombard College Award for Excellence in Teaching. If you weren’t a professor, you would be a ____? I’d probably still be a professor. The trajectory of my professional career has always been to teach—I’m very thankful to be doing what I love. If I couldn’t teach, the next most fulﬁlling aspect of my life is being a dad. Jeff is pictured with a performance mask from Indonesia, part of his collection of such masks from around the world. He often uses the masks in class to demonstrate various performance methods. PETER BAILLEY ’74

Jeff Grace

The South Lawn Cyn Fitch ’00 Cyn (formerly Cyn Kitchen) originally came to Knox as a transfer student from Carl Sandburg College, graduating in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in English. She then worked as a staff member in Knox’s Offices of Public Relations and Advancement before opening her own business and earning her M.F.A. degree from Spalding University. In 2006, she returned to Knox as a member of the faculty, first as a visiting instructor and then as a tenure-track assistant professor. Her teaching interests include creative writing, beginning to advanced fiction and nonfiction, composition and rhetoric, and modern and contemporary American literature. An accomplished writer, Fitch has published more than 10 short stories and essays, in publications like The Louisville Review and Midwestern Gothic and in anthologies that include Hard to Parent, Easy to Love. In 2010, she published her collection of short stories, Ten Tongues. Her current projects include Rainy Moon Rising, a novel; The Angry Chick’s Guide to Survival, a collection of essays; and an untitled in-progress collection of essays on the intersection of the Divine and self.

there I met professor Dr. John Pazereskis, who took an interest in my work. Partway through earning my associate’s degree, he called me into his ofﬁce and asked what I was going to do after Sandburg. I told him I had no plans and no idea. He said, “Then I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. You’re going to transfer to Knox and pursue a degree in English,” to which I simply replied, “Okay.” Though born and raised in Galesburg, I’d never stepped foot on the Knox campus until I was a student here. What I couldn’t have predicted is that teaching one course [at Knox] would lead to more, that I would sell my business to focus on teaching, and that, 10 years later, I would arrive here. I love Knox, and I love that I have history with her. What’s even better is that all along I have chosen Knox and said yes to Knox and now the time has come that Knox has said yes back.

What is your favorite thing about Galesburg? I love Galesburg. I am fourth generation here and, though I certainly acknowledge that Galesburg has its problems, it is my home. When I was his student, Professor Robin Metz told me not to focus so much on Galesburg’s shortcomings. He reminded me this is a good place to live and that it makes a terriﬁc home base from which I can periodically launch out into the world, returning again and again with an expanded perspective but safe within the arms of its simplicity and familiarity. Cyn is pictured with the motorcycle she purchased initially to participate in the Patriot Guard Rider events, an involvement inspired by her son’s military service. She now rides it to campus because it saves on gas and is “plain fun.”

E PET

ILLE R BA

4 Y ’7

Why Knox? My path to Knox was nontraditional and came about in an unlikely way. I was born and raised in Galesburg, and I decided to return to college 14 years after high school. My higher education journey began with one creative writing course at Carl Sandburg College in the winter of 1996. It was

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

A YEAR FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

After all the books were closed in July, we discovered that Knox set a new fundraising record during the fiscal year that ended on June 30. Thanks to the generosity of alumni, parents, and friends, Knox raised $3.8 million for annual operations (a.k.a. the Knox Fund), the most in College history. Total fundraising for Knox this year was $13 million. This year’s success was helped by the 1K #forKnox Challenge, issued by President Amott last fall, asking for 1,000 more donors this fiscal year, which brought in more than 1,200 new donors to the College.

Here are a few highlights of the year in fundraising:

9,015

$2.8 million*

Alumni Donors

$60 million

Total Donors

5,103 3,912

Parent & Friend Donors

Total grants from all private & public sources

Total raised for Above & Beyond initiatives since 2012

$217,500

Total dollars given by 1K #forKnox challengers Chuck Smith ’84, Larry Stites ’63, Reid ’94 & Jenn Quinn Broda ’94, and Nyerere Billups ’99

#forKnox *The most in recent history

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

The South Lawn As the first members of their families to attend and graduate from college, so-called “first-generation” students must navigate challenging—yet ultimately satisfying—journeys while working toward their diplomas. That was the key message at Knox College’s inaugural reception recognizing members of the Class of 2016 who are also first-generation students. Many of the students at the event, which took place in Alumni Hall on the day before Commencement, were joined by their families. “The support (from loved ones) has been enormous. I don’t know if I could have done it otherwise,” said Amber Simon ’16, who attended the reception with several family members. “I don’t know how to put it into words how much it means to me to have so many people to be proud of me and come visit me for graduation.” All first-generation graduates at the event received a Knox College pin especially designed for first-generation alumni. President Teresa Amott described the pins as “tokens, not just of your accomplishment, but of our esteem for you and all you’ve accomplished.” “I hope you will remember, when you look at that pin, the honor that you have brought to this College, the honor you have brought to your friends and your families by your achievements,” Amott added. “We are so proud of you.” Also delivering prepared remarks at the reception were two members of Knox’s “first-gen” community: Tawni Sasaki ’16, who recently received a Fulbright fellowship to teach English in Taiwan, and faculty member

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Knox Honors First-Generation Graduates

Gabrielle Raley, assistant professor of anthropology-sociology. Sasaki noted that while Commencement “is absolutely a milestone to be celebrated, we must not forget the challenges leading up to it.” “Sometimes, that meant having two distinct personalities, one for school and one for home. Sometimes, it meant feeling guilty for doing poorly on an assignment because you feel like you let down not only yourself, but your entire family who sent you there,” she said. There were good times, too, like late-night conversations with peers

about “how you can make the world a better place” and having family members and professors “tell you that they’re proud of you and your achievements,” Sasaki said. Raley observed that graduation is “an enormous, signiﬁcant moment. “We ﬁrst-generation students got here through routes as varied as we are,” she added. For example, some students felt the weight of their families’ expectations of success, “the outright need for us to make it at college because everything was riding on us.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Today, I would like to say ‘Namaste’ to all my fellow graduating seniors because I salute and honor your spirit. The spirit it took for you to be standing here today, after battling all the challenges that this time at Knox has brought us. —Senior Class Speaker Tanika Pradhan

As you commence the next phase of your journeys, I have hope and faith in all of you, that with your Knox education, you will indeed shape history and take up the many challenges of global citizenship . . . Pay attention to the lives and thoughts of others and protect their rights as vigorously as you do your own. —President Teresa Amott

COMMENCEMENT 2016 In Their Own Words

Starting today, regardless of whatever privileges you possessed or lacked when you came to campus four years ago, all of you now have at least one privilege in common—the privilege of a college education. —Burkhardt Distinguished Chair in History Konrad Hamilton, from his invocation

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Class of 2016, I don’t know how many of you would have chosen to be born in time to come of age at this moment, when the world is changing so fast it can make you dizzy and old ideas and institutions are being rattled to their cores. But what matters is: You are fitted to these times. With the education you have received, the values you bring to your life and your own moral compass, you can make this world better. —U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin 2016 Commencement Speaker

Members of the Class of 2016: (Knox) helped me to step out of my comfort zone and try to experience the world the way other people experience it. —Catlin Watts ’16, double major in international relations and Spanish, joining City Year, an education-focused national service organization

Knox has helped me to approach things with an open mind. —Hamad Alizada ’16, an economics major, joining RK Mechanical Inc. in Denver as a project engineer

The main thing that led me to want to go to grad school is a lot of my experience doing independent research and working alongside professors [at Knox] on their own research projects. —Coltan Parker ’16, a neuroscience major, starting a Ph.D. program in neuroscience at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign

I would not have pursued the career path I am taking now without the support of the faculty. —Ai Miller ’16, a history major, pursuing a Ph.D. in history at the University of Minnesota

The South Lawn Alumni Succeed in STEM Research

Sparks

BY NIKI ACTON ’16 Three Knox College alumni were awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships this spring. Adrienne Ernst ’15 received a grant for life sciences-ecology at Northwestern University-Chicago Botanic Garden; James Loving-Lichtenstein ’14 received a grant for life sciences-ecology at University of Pittsburgh and University of California, Santa Barbara; and Amelia Goranson ’14 received a fellowship to support her study of social psychology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to the three grant recipients, two Knox alumni received honorable mentions for the fellowships: Michael Supej ’15, studying chemistry at Cornell University; and Kathleen Beeson ’09, studying life sciences-neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University. These highly competitive awards provide three years of financial support for graduate study leading to a master’s or doctoral degree to individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. “To have three awardees and two honorable mentions in one year demonstrates that Knox is doing an excellent job in preparing students for careers as research scientists,” said Mariangela Maguire, interim director of the Gerald & Carol Vovis Center for Research & Advanced Study. “Small colleges don’t often appear on the list at all,” said Maguire. “It’s exciting and affirming to see three Knox College alumni on the list.” Ernst, Loving-Lichtensteing, and Goranson were Ford Fellows while at Knox. The program, now called ASSET (Artists, Scholars, Scientists, and Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow), is open to juniors with strong academic records. The fellows participate in seminars during the academic year and receive stipends to pursue an independent project over the summer. Last year, Knox alumna Gretchen Walljasper ’14 received an NSF fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and population biology at Washington University in St. Louis.

“Every single one of you is a representative of the kind of America that you want to live in. So let’s figure that out.

WHAT KIND OF AMERICA do you want to live in?” Reza Aslan, renowned writer and scholar, from his 2016 Honnold Lecture on Islamophobia, April 8, 2016

“I think you leave Knox thinking that

YOU KNOW A LOT about what’s right and wrong, and so far I’ve been learning that I know less and less.” Laura Thompson ’13, former Peace Corps volunteer, at the Work That Matters conference, April 14, 2016

"If you live in a

WELL-CUSHIONED SILO surrounded only by like-minded people, you will get very comfortable, but you will never get very smart." Anne Ehrlich, Vice President for Student Development, from her remarks at Opening Convocation, September 12, 2016

“I would think that as soon as we had language,

WE HAD GOSSIP.” Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology Frank McAndrew, from his interview with Public Radio International’s Interview Hub, June 2, 2016

FIRST-GENERATION

“We students got here through routes as varied as we are.” Assistant Professor Gabrielle Raley, from her speech at the First-Generation Alumni Reception, June 4, 2016

1K #FORKNOX!

“I just made my gift to Join me, @knoxcollege1837 alumni. Every little bit helps keep Knox weird.” Erin Duff ’10 on Twitter after giving to the 1K #forKnox donor challenge, June 13, 2016

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Knox Dance Hits the Big Time BY ELISE GOITIA ’18 AND BAILEY MUSSELMAN ’18 Football has the Super Bowl. Basketball has the NBA Finals. For college dancers, there’s the National College Dance Festival. This year, Angela McNeal ’16 performed a piece choreographed by Knox faculty member Jennifer Smith at the prestigious American College Dance Association’s 2016 National College Dance Festival in Washington, D.C. “It’s the World Series of dance events at the collegiate level,” said Smith, associate professor of dance. “We made it to our World Series.”

That conference took place in June in Washington, D.C., at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The event usually hosts schools such as Juilliard, UCLA, California Institute of the Arts, and the Boston Conservatory. “The fact that Knox was featured at the Kennedy Center is huge,” Smith commented. “It’s a great statement on the strength of our dance program.” McNeal, who is from Oakland, California, graduated with a selfdesigned major in dance and community engagement and a minor

in anthropology and sociology. After dancing at the Kennedy Center, she said she was incredibly humbled “to perform in a place with so much prominence and significance in such a historically rich town.” “It was an experience I will never forget and one that I think impacted my career goals and my views on myself as a performer,” added McNeal. McNeal looks forward to seeing what doors her Kennedy Center performance may open for the dance community at Knox. “I was glad to have been the first student to take us this far, but surely I know I won’t be the last,” she reflected. “I hope that others can see me as an example of inspiration on how they can make their abilities work for them at this institution.”

“I was glad to have been the first student to take us this far, but surely I know I won’t be the last.”

EVAN TEMCHIN ’10

—Angela McNeal ’16

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

The South Lawn Fired Up/ Burned Out Fired Up

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Knox students are living up to the College’s reputation for community service. Last spring, KARES (Knox Advocates for Recycling and Environmental Support) hosted a 5K run during Earth Month to support the planting of trees in Galesburg. The Kleine Center for Community Service hosted “One Magical Day of Service” for local youth, turning Knox into Hogwarts for a day. Meanwhile, Abdulsalam Oganla ’16 put together a soccer charity tournament while studying abroad in London to help underprivileged students in South Sudan. We can only imagine what the next year will bring!

New Minor in Design With the Whitcomb Art Center offering expanded resources on the horizon, a high degree of student interest, and faculty with award-winning professional experience in the ﬁeld, the time was right for Knox’s Department of Art and Art History to add a minor in design. The new minor also includes courses from journalism and computer science, making it an exciting addition to Knox’s commitment to interdisciplinary programs of study. Mark Holmes, associate professor and chair of the art program, says that the ability to manipulate visual relationships and put together compelling presentations, websites, and print communications is increasingly a skill set that needs to be brought into any workplace. “It will give our students an edge, professionally, to say, ‘I can write and I know how to work with visual form’—it’s part of the ability to communicate in a modern economy.” The $8.9 million Whitcomb Art Center, scheduled to open in January 2017, will include a dedicated design studio and a fully equipped Mac lab with 20 workstations. Additional technology of interest to design students will include laser cutters and large format plotting printers, so students can produce their work on a large scale. The department will also be adding a letterpress, a form of printing that can be used to self-publish short runs of custom books. Design is the fourth minor that Knox added to its curriculum in spring 2016. Other new minors include health studies, statistics, and astronomy.

Smoldering It’s hard to imagine anyone being upset over Flunk Day— this annual surprise spring carnival is one Knox’s most beloved traditions—but this year’s celebration brought with it just a bit of controversy. For the previous six years, Flunk Day took place during the last week of April or first week of May. Those dates came and went this year. By the time Flunk Day arrived on May 10, many students were fatigued or annoyed by the multiple scares and Yik Yak was full of comments from unhappy community members. Despite the date, Flunk Day was enjoyed by most everyone because, heck, it’s Flunk Day.

An April 9, 2016, Associated Press story compared the amount of lead found in water in Galesburg homes to the devastating situation in Flint, Michigan. Misinformation, confusion, and more media attention followed. But, unlike Flint, Galesburg hasn’t ignored or misled its residents and is actively working to address the problem. A little more than a decade ago, Galesburg was made an example of the loss of manufacturing from rural communities, and, now, it’s has been called out again for issues with aging infrastructure. Yet another example of the fact that not all publicity is necessarily good.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

I am Knox — Diandra Soemardi ’17 Vitals Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia Major/Minor: Chemistry major, Creative Writing minor Campus Involvements: Chemistry Club, Islamic Club, Asian Student Association, Mortar Board Class Year: 2017

Three Facts about Diandra She typically sees her family in Indonesia just once a year, during the summer. This year, however, she stayed on campus to work with Professor Helen Hoyt ’01. Together, she and Professor Hoyt are exploring the possibility of using iron as a cheap, abundant, energy-saving, and non-toxic catalyst in chemical reactions. She is also an accomplished writer who likes to incorporate scientific ideas into her poetry and fiction. One of her works of fiction focused on a massive forest fire that recently engulfed Indonesia.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

PETER BAILLEY ’74

How did you decide to come to Knox? I graduated from an international school in Bali that prepares students to study abroad for their college years. I knew I wanted to go to a small liberal arts college with a good reputation in science and writing because those are my two main passions. Diversity was also an important factor, because I wanted to have an easier time fitting in among other people who are different than me. So, naturally, Knox was a great fit. Being an international student is tough, no question. Committing four years of my life in a foreign country without my family is one of the wildest decisions that I’ve ever made. There is a lot that comes with it, including culture shock, homesickness, and the pressure of representing your whole nation. I am very proud of my cultural background, and so I bring it to Knox by performing at I-Fair, teaching Balinese dance classes, and bringing up social/political issues from Indonesia to be discussed among my peers. My friends, classmates, and professors have made me feel really comfortable here. Knox has become a second home, and a place for me to thrive. What do you hope to do with your Knox degree? I am really interested in renewable energy. As a global citizen, I think we can all agree that energy is one of the biggest problems we have to tackle. As an Indonesian, I know that my country’s biggest challenge is access. Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago nation; therefore, you can imagine how difficult it is for all of the islands to get equal access to electricity. My dream is to find a way where each family can be independent in harnessing energy for their own use.

The South Lawn Knox Ultimate Places Fifth in the Nation BY ELISE GOITIA ’18 Garvey has competed on ultimate teams in the past, including the Minneapolis Sub Zero club team. Succeeding in nationals and placing ﬁfth, he said, gets the Knox ultimate team a lot of recognition. “There were teams from around the country, but not a lot had heard of Knox before,” he said. “Now, anyone who follows collegiate ultimate will know the name Knox College.”

PETER BAILLEY ’74

For the first time in the history of ultimate frisbee at Knox, the College’s team, the River Rats, competed in the NCAA Division III National Championships of USA Ultimate. The River Rats placed fifth in the national competition. “We came together,” said Dan Perez ’18. “We went at it hard and kept winning. It was fantastic.” The sport of ultimate frisbee, commonly called “ultimate,” was created in 1968 and has gained recognition as a self-officiated sport that’s both easy to learn and competitive. Rob Clark ’95 started the Knox ultimate team in 1992. River Rats co-captain Adam Schrag ’16, who has played on the team since his first year at Knox, said that nationals “validated the work that the team has put in over the years.” “To succeed with people I really care for is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Schrag commented. For co-captain Harper Garvey ’16, reaching the competition was exciting. “Nationals has been the goal since I got here my freshman year,” he said. “We’ve always been a contender, but never quite good enough to get out of the region. When we were able to get a spot, it was great.”

Alumni Hall Takes Gold The renovation of historic Alumni Hall has been recognized for highly efficient use of resources in its design, construction, and operation. The renovation, completed in 2014, has been awarded Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council, under its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. Originally built in 1890, Alumni Hall was renovated for $13 million, to house state-of-the-art academic, administrative and academic-support facilities. Alumni Hall is the only LEED Gold certified building in Galesburg. PETER BAILLEY ’74

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Students Capture Captain America! social change, and into his most recent incarnation in a series of motion pictures. The exhibit, open from late May through July, centered around a giant star-shaped table where kids of all ages could color their own comics. Other exhibit panels prompt visitors to ponder how “Cap” reacted in the 2000s after terrorism rewrote the rules of a “surveillance society”... or to debate why Captain America was all-in for World War II but largely skipped over Vietnam and the Cold War. Taught by Bright Chair in American History Catherine Denial, this is the ﬁfth time that the Public History course has been offered, each of which has concluded with a major museum-quality exhibit designed and built by the students. The course has had strong connections to community history. It has examined the Lincoln-Douglas debate at Knox in 1858; immigrants who settled in Galesburg; four historic Galesburg neighborhoods; and how Galesburg reacted to World War II. “This one is still deeply historical, with a focus on Captain America,” Denial said. “I love when you can marry historical scholarship and something that’s very fun.” For two student teaching assistants, seniors Ai Miller ’16 and Sophia Croll ’16, this was their second time in the course. Two years ago, each built their own pieces within a larger show. This time, they were focused on the big picture. “This is how a lot of people in the world learn history, the kind of experience where history really comes alive for them,” said Miller, who will be pursuing a Ph.D. in history at the University of Minnesota this fall. “I want to be conscious of how my work as a historian is communicating with the public.” PETER BAILLEY ’74

An exhibit by Knox history students examined the evolution over the past 75 years of the most iconic and many-faceted Marvel Comics superhero—Captain America. The exhibit, American Marvel: Captain America in U.S. Culture, was produced by students in Knox’s course Public History: Museums, Monuments and Memories. Starting this spring, about the same time that Marvel began “Saluting Captain America” on its website—the students researched and built 30 large panels that charted the creation and changes of Captain America. The exhibit spans three-quarters of a century, from Captain America’s origin in 1941 as an “army reject” who became an anti-Nazi warrior, through succeeding periods of conﬂict and

Go Figure

1,500 People attended a performance of the Knox Jazz Ensemble at Northwest Polytechnical University in X’ian, China, during the ensemble’s spring break trip

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

0 Zombies seen on The South Lawn on Night of the Living Flunk, a.k.a. Flunk Day 2016

2,000+ Alumni listened to President Amott’s first community town hall phonecast in March

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Knox Slugger Named to Pair of All-American Teams What makes Drake Sykes â&#x20AC;&#x2122;17 such a big hit? For starters, â&#x20AC;&#x153;conďŹ dence,â&#x20AC;? says assistant baseball coach James Clark â&#x20AC;&#x2122;13. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When he goes up there, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a good idea of what he wants to accomplish.â&#x20AC;? As Drake sees it, his success is â&#x20AC;&#x153;just one of those things . . . Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing it for so long that it just comes naturally now.â&#x20AC;? After a stellar year on the diamond, Drake was named to both the ABCA/Rawlings and d3baseball.com All-American teams. He is the ďŹ rst Knox student-athlete to be named to the All-American baseball team in 30 years. Recipient

5 Number of top 10 Knox performances in the 100 meter dash owned by Valarie Varanese â&#x20AC;&#x2122;19

1 Number of dogs who crossed the stage (wearing a mortar board, no less) at Commencement

of the 2016 Harley Knosher Male Athlete of the Year Award, Drake was also chosen as the Midwest Conference (MWC) South Division Player of the Year. Drake, an economics major and business and management minor, spent the summer playing in the Collegiate Baseball League for the Geneva Redwings in New York and looks forward to a strong senior season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would love, as a team, to be able to go and win the conference championship for my ďŹ nal year at Knox,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even if we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win, just knowing that we were good enough would be fantastic.â&#x20AC;?

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KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

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The ’Burg Picture This: 300+ Portraits of Local Residents Over the next two years, the people of Galesburg will get a unique opportunity to see themselves in a work of art with the Galesburg Portrait Project. Publicly unveiled in late March, the project was created by John Bakker, Artist in Residence at Knox College for fall 2015, and consists of 310 box-like panels with hand-painted portraits of almost 400 Galesburg residents. Because the panels are free-standing, the work can be adapted to a wide variety of exhibit spaces and will travel to various locations around the city, including the Knox College campus during Homecoming 2016. “John’s goal is to represent Galesburg as a complex, rich, and vibrant community of individuals with a shared sense of belonging,” said Associate Professor Mark Holmes, chair of the Department of Art and Art History.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Initial funding for the project was provided by Blick Art Materials, with added support from The Galesburg Public Art Commission, and The Downtown Council, among others.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

When Linda Dybas joined the Knox College faculty in 1977, she was the first, and for nine years the only, female professor in the “male-dominated world” of Umbeck ScienceMathematics Center, said Stuart Allison, professor of biology, at a reception in June in honor of her retirement. Allison recounted how Dybas was paid less than male faculty and got stuck in a dingy, isolated basement office. At least Dybas knew what she was in for: she had graduated from Knox in 1964, and most of the men who were her colleagues had once been her professors. And at least Knox was an opportunity. “One reason I didn’t go to graduate school right after Knox—Ph.D. programs in science didn’t want women. There was this idea that a woman ‘wouldn’t use the degree.’” After graduating from Knox, Dybas moved around the country, building from office worker to lab tech, and eventually graduate student, developing skills in cell biology and electron microscopy. For her doctorate, she turned to the University of Ulm in Germany, noted for its strength in science and technology and its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. Just before Dybas was hired, Knox had purchased an electron microscope. But an unexpected faculty resignation meant nobody knew how to run it. Dybas integrated electron microscopy into the Knox curriculum, landed grants to update the equipment, and collaborated with colleagues and students. Dybas chaired the biology department, served as president of the Illinois State Academy of Science, and, as Faculty Marshal, led processions at Knox’s convocations and Commencements. She was named to the Watson Bartlett

The South Lawn ished Career rofessor Emerita

PETER BAILLEY ’74

A Fulbright Trio

Professorship in Biology in 1997. Continuing even now an avocation she had in college, Dybas plays cello in the Knox-Galesburg Symphony. When Dybas was promoted to full professor in 1993, then-Dean of the College John Strassburger wrote that “Her skills are impressively passed along to her students, who themselves over and over demonstrate that they have learned the way of scholarship.” When alumni return to campus, “they always journey to the basement [of the Umbeck Center] in search of Linda, to say thank you and to tell her how much her advice and willingness to listen and to help meant to them,” Allison said. In June, Dybas was named Watson Bartlett Professor Emerita of Biology. She will continue her electron microscopy research into the regenerative capabilities of nerve systems in sipunculid marine worms.

Three graduating seniors received Fulbright awards to teach English in Spain, Taiwan, and Mongolia. Charlie Harned, Tawni Sasaki, and Adrian Secter are among a select group of U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research, and provide expertise abroad for the 2016-17 academic year through the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Harned, a political science major, will teach in Madrid, Spain. Sasaki, a double major in international relations and modern languages (French and Mandarin Chinese), will teach in Taichung, Taiwan. Secter, an international relations major, will work with teachers in the foreign language department at the Mongolian Institute for Engineering and Technology, located in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. “While these particular students share a passionate interest in international relations and politics, that isn’t a prerequisite for being awarded a Fulbright,” said Mariangela Maguire, interim director of Knox College’s Gerald & Carol Vovis Center for Research & Advanced Study. “What is a prerequisite, and what Knox encourages students to develop, is an ability to face life’s challenges, at home and abroad, with grace and grit.” “Encouraged to pursue rigorous coursework, undergraduate research, and study-away programs, Charlie, Tawni, and Adrian also lived up to our expectation of giving back through service projects, peer tutoring, and campus leadership,” she added. “What Fulbright reviewers saw in these applicants, and what Knox faculty and staff hope to cultivate in all students, is thoughtful, passionate engagement in the world around them that prepares them to seize great opportunities such as Fulbright.” Knox has a long history with the Fulbright program. Since 2006, 18 Knox students have been selected for Fulbright awards. Overall, dozens of Knox students, faculty members, and alumni have received Fulbright fellowships and scholarships.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

First Impressions “In the prep room Simon Oldfield studied his daughter, Hildegard— Hildi—as she slipped on a pair of disposable gloves and adjusted the strings of a shiny, disposable gray apron.” The first sentence of The Truth About Death: And Other Stories (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016) by Robert Hellenga, George Appleton Lawrence Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of English and Distinguished Writer-in-Residence. In the title novella of Hellenga’s newest collection, undertaker Simon Oldfield embalms his father and faces his own death. The book also features eight “Other Stories” by Hellenga and several cartoons by Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor for The New Yorker.

Decoding a Hero Long-neglected documents, published in a new book by computer science professor John Dooley, reveal an unlikely hero in the U.S. Army’s struggle to decode secret enemy messages during World War I. John Matthews Manly was a college professor who brought a unique blend of skills to his service as a cryptanalyst, or codebreaker, in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Division: a background in mathematics, childhood interest in secret codes, and professional training as a scholar of literature. Dooley’s book about Manly, Codes, Ciphers and Spies: Tales of Military Intelligence in World War I, was released in April. The book showcases a series of previously unpublished feature articles written by Manly 10 years after World War I, narrating the wartime accomplishments of his unit, the Code and Cipher Section, known as MI-8.

What was the process of putting this book together? I found the Manly articles while researching a different American cryptographer, William Friedman, in the summer of 2013. I realized that they’d been “lost” for 80 years. I wrote a paper about the articles, which got published in 2014, and then decided I should publish Manly’s articles as they were important historically. Manly wrote the articles in 1927 and made reference to lots of things that modern audiences wouldn’t understand. During the summers of 2014 and 2015, I annotated the articles to put what Manly was saying in context. I also wrote a dozen additional chapters to set the entire thing in the context of America’s entry into WWI and to explain the cryptology that was used at that time.

Manly’s work during World War I was an important transition period for the U.S. military intelligence. How did coding change during WWI? How has it changed since? World War I was the last major conﬂict where the primary means of encrypting

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

and decrypting cipher messages was by pencil and paper. It was also the first major conflict where radio was used to transmit cryptograms. Since radio is a broadcast medium, this meant that anybody on your frequency could intercept your messages. There was an enormous increase in the number of messages intercepted and broken. This meant that both sides were constantly changing systems and trying to find “unbreakable” cipher and code systems. The war was also the first time that the Americans had a really professional military intelligence agency and the first time that the cryptographic work continued after the war. Right after WWI, the first of the cipher machines was patented. From that point on, most encryption and decryption was done using first electromechanical, then all electronic machines. This made the ciphers much more complicated. By the late 1920s, all the intelligence agencies were beginning to hire mathematicians for their crypto work. With the advent of computers in the late 1940s, things got even more complicated. Today the only way to realistically break a modern computer cipher system is by brute

Knox Writes force—you just try all the possible keys till you ﬁnd the one that works. This takes a very, very, long time, so most modern computer ciphers are practically unbreakable as long as the keys are secure.

Though Manly was a scholar of literature and you’re a computer scientist, you share an interest in cryptology. Can you talk about the intersection between the humanities and the sciences when it comes to cryptology? Up until the modern computer ciphers, the human was the most important piece in the loop of sending and receiving secret messages. Humans devised the systems, they did the encryption and decryption by hand, and humans broke the intercepted messages. Being a cryptanalyst is inherently a problem-solving effort, which is why I like it. Computer science is a problemsolving discipline. We create algorithms that are solutions to other people’s problems, and then we implement the solutions on machines. But the fun part is creating the algorithms. Codebreaking is like that. You have a jumble of letters or numbers that you know means something, but you have to figure out how that message was put together, and then you have to take it apart again to solve it. You also know that there are a set of rules that were used to create the cryptogram, and those rules are precise and, most importantly, can be undone. So your job as a codebreaker is to figure out the rules. Prior to computer systems, these cipher systems were all language based, so the first thing you have to do is guess the language the message is in. That lets you use your knowledge of the language

to ﬁnd the rules of the system. For example, you always start with counting letters because the frequency of different letters changes from language to language, and knowing the frequency of letters in English, say, lets you compare that to the frequency of letters in the cryptogram. I’m attracted to older forms of cryptology because it’s inherently mathematical and connects with computer science methods, but it is also language based and created by humans to fool other humans. That’s so much fun! John Dooley is the William and Marilyn Ingersoll Chair in Computer Science at Knox College. He earned a master of electrical engineering degree from Rice University and a master of science from Syracuse University. Before becoming a professor, he spent 20 years in the software engineering industry. In 2013, Dooley published A Brief History of Cryptology and Cryptographic Algorithms, which was a culmination of his research into cryptology.

Books by Members of the Knox Community Barrier Island Suite Texas Review Press, 2016 Kendall dunkelberg ’86 In his newest book, Dunkelberg includes poems inspired by the life, art, and writings of Walter Inglis Anderson, who spent much of his adult life exploring the barrier islands of Mississippi, sketching, painting, and chronicling his adventures in numerous logs. Elements of Anderson’s life, including his travels and his struggles with mental illness, are also incorporated.

This Is Only a Test Indiana University Press, 2016 b.J. hollars ’07 In a series of essays about natural disasters, Hollars ruminates on fatherhood and fear, sacriﬁce and safety, and losing control. He explores tornadoes, drownings, and nuclear catastrophes, weaving together his grief and his love for his children and his wife. In This is Only a Test, Hollars emphasizes the helplessness and fear we feel when faced with forces of nature and mass destruction.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Knox Writes Crown, 2016 sue Klebold ’71 Sue Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two shooters at Columbine High School in 1999. In A Mother’s Reckoning, she explores her journey coming to terms with the tragedy. Combining excerpts from her journals, videos and writings Dylan left behind, and interviews with mental health experts, Klebold tries to answer the question: what could a parent have done to prevent this?

The Iron Phoenix Bold Strokes Books, 2016 rebecca harwell ’15 By day, Nadya is a dutiful daughter, but by night, she tests her secret abilities of speed and strength. She also keeps her feelings for her friend Kesali from her family, knowing that if her secrets were discovered, she would be banished. When a murderer plagues her city, Nadya disguises herself as “The Iron Phoenix” to ﬁght the chaos.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Input Destacado y Adquisición de la Gramática (Enhanced Input and Grammar Acquisition) Difusión, 2016 Claudia Fernández, Associate Professor of Modern Languages (Spanish) This book is meant for both experts and non-experts interested in teaching Spanish as a second language. Here, Fernández delves into the mechanics of learning Spanish as a second language in an accessible way. This work is part of a collection called Cuadernos de Didactica (Teaching Notebooks), dedicated to training educators in teaching Spanish as a foreign language.

Partners in Literacy: A Writing Center Model for Civic Engagement Rowman and Littleﬁeld, 2016 Allen Brizee and Jaclyn M. Wells ’03 Partners in Literacy explores the three-year partnership between the Purdue University Writing Lab and two community organizations in Lafayette, Indiana: the Lafayette Adult Resource Academy and WorkOne Express. The book argues that writing centers can be effective spaces to work with a community by discussing the three-year engagement project and the relationships that held the project together.

Heirlooms BkMk Press, 2016 rachel hall ’86 This collection of linked stories begins in the French seaside city of SaintMalo in 1939 and ends in the American Midwest in 1989, exploring the reverberations of war through four generations of a Jewish family. Heirlooms explores assumptions about love, duty, memory, and truth. The book is the winner of the G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize for Short Fiction.

The Earth is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West Alfred A. Knopf, 2016 peter Cozzens ’79 In The Earth is Weeping, Cozzens details the conﬂict between whites and Native Americans over the West that lasted for more than three decades.With intimate detail and comprehensive research, Cozzens illuminates both sides of the war in the fullest account to date of how the West was won—and lost.

KNOX COLLEGE ARCHIVES

A Mother’s Reckoning

Class Knox

Flashback Farm Term In July, about 40 alumni gathered in Wisconsin to celebrate the 45th Reunion of Farm Term. Did you participate in the term? Share your memories and let us know who you recognize in the photo at knoxmag@knox.edu. To read responses to last issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flashback photo, First Rep Term, visit knox.edu/knoxmag.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Alumni News FIJIs Celebrate 150 Years BY DAVID BRACKMAN ’81

In the spring of 1867, an intrepid group of 11 Knox men founded the Gamma Deuteron chapter of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Intrepid, because in those days fraternities were truly “secret societies,” and membership in them was sub rosa, with members often not daring to wear their Greek letter badges until graduation. Fast forward a century-and-a-half, and nearly 1,700 Knox alumni have been initiated into Phi Gamma Delta’s Knox chapter. The 30 current members of Knox’s “FIJI” chapter are employing a mix of nostalgia and technology to reach out to the more than 700 living Knox FIJIs in anticipation of the chapter’s 150th anniversary celebration weekend, culminating with a grand celebration at Galesburg’s Soangetaha Country Club on April 8, 2017. Gamma Deuteron’s home, the FIJI “Castle” at 218 S. Cedar Street, turned 95 years old this year—it is the oldest fraternity house in Illinois—and is in the midst of a beautiﬁcation project, including a new ﬂoor that was recently installed on the main level.

To build interest as the 150th anniversary approaches, a committee of current students and alumni revived the Fiji newsletter, the G.D. Fiji, with a first-ever color electronic edition distributed to alumni in August. A new website was also created (sites.google.com/a/knox.edu/gd-fiji/home), which will be used as a depository for photos and other memorabilia. The chapter also maintains a Facebook page (search for Knox College Phi Gamma Delta). To promote its motto of “Not for College Days Alone,” the chapter is also reviving its century-old tradition of carving members’ names on a wooden table and is acquiring a new table to add to the two antique tables in its archives, with new carvings for all living members scheduled to begin Homecoming 2016. A history of the chapter is also being prepared. Receptions at the FIJI house and “under the tent” are planned for both Saturday, October 15, after the Homecoming football game and all day Saturday, April 8, 2017, before the anniversary dinner at Soangetaha. Graduates are encouraged to send news to: knoxfijigradinfo@gmail.com.

LIVE & LEARN

Join Knox’s Alumni Travel Program FLORENCE: THE CITY EXPERIENCE WITH PROFESSOR EMERITUS ROBERT HELLENGA April 28–May 4, 2017 Partnering with Go Ahead Tours Cost: $1,984 final payment/reservations due by February 17, 2017

Settle in and experience Florence through the eyes of Margot from Professor Hellenga’s New York Times bestselling novel, 16 Pleasures.

FINDING THE CIVIL WAR September 11–17, 2017 Partnering with The Grand Tour Cost: $2,790 final payment/reservations due by June 9, 2017

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

Learn more at www.knox.edu/alumni-travel.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Class Knox Four Alumni Join Board of Trustees

Nyerere Billups has spent the past 16 plus years of his life in research and development of pharmaceutical drugs both in academia and the pharma/biotech industry. He is currently based in California as an associate director, early development and project management, for Janssen: A Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in biology from Knox in 1999, he received multiple certifications in Leadership & Strategic Management from Cornell University-Johnson Graduate School of Management. While an undergraduate, he served as the vice president of Student Senate, president of Allied Blacks for Liberty and Equality (A.B.L.E.) and on the Senior Challenge committee. He currently volunteers in the Alumni Mentoring Program (KAMP) and is involved in the Knox College Black Alumni Association (BAN). In October 2014, Nyerere and fellow 1999 graduate Dunston Simpson presented a check to President Amott during an A.B.L.E. reunion at Homecoming, making a public statement to current students of color about the importance of giving back to their alma mater. It is his overarching goal “to be a positive contributor to the present state and future aspirations of Knox College.”

In addition to the new alumni trustee, Nyerere Billups ’99, three additional alumni joined the Board of Trustees in July: Tony Etz ’83, Daniel Spaulding ’99, and Heather Kopec ’10. Etz and Spaulding joined the Board as general trustees, Kopec as the young alumni trustee. Etz is an agent with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the world’s largest entertainment and sports agencies, in Los Angeles, where he has worked since 1995. He also teaches media classes as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California. Etz is a fourth generation Knox legacy. Spaulding is currently vice president head of people and culture at Zillow Group in Seattle, Washington. While at Knox, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta, Student Senate, intramural sports, a DJ for WVKC, and a letter winner in swimming. Spaulding has served Knox after graduation as a class agent and admissions volunteer and as a member of the Knox Fund Steering Committee and the Campaign Advisory Committee. Kopec is the director of start-up campaigns at the University of Wisconsin Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin. She started her fundraising career as a student caller raising money for the Knox Fund. Kopec replaces John Cusimano’13 in her role as young alumni trustee.

SUBMITTED

Meet The Alumni Trustee: Nyerere Billups, Sr. ’99

one of the top five best traditions ever. The other, more important highlight is the friendships that etched during my time at Knox. It’s an amazing feeling being a Knox grad and going to any city and being able to connect with an alum even outside of your Knox tenure. The connection of going to a small school like Knox carries a closeness that transcends time and tenure.

Why have you chosen to stay involved with the College? I’m involved with Knox out of respect, admiration, and appreciation for the overwhelmingly positive impact it had in my life. Toni Morrison once said in an interview, “It’s like writing while there’s a war going on, I cannot look away.” I feel the same about Knox. How can I continue to advance in life and look away from Knox as if it had no impact on the story my journey is crafting?

What were some of the highlights of your Knox experience?

What do you hope to accomplish as an alumni trustee?

It’s incredibly difficult to think back on a Knox highlight without recalling that first Flunk Day. Just EPIC even when I relive it now. I’d argue, without full awareness of other institutions, that this has got to be

I look forward to being an effective contributor to the series of solutions to existing and future challenges that face Knox, ultimately helping it transition and transform into an even greater institution of higher learning.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

“NEWSFLASH! On October 12, 2015, Luis, my longtime Argentine

1940-1941

1944

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

Because she was the 1944 class correspondent for so long, Barbara Lemke writes to me before I even ask for news. She knows exactly when the deadlines for news should be submitted! She reports that she is well and keeps busy with card games and church activities. Of Marynell Durland Kirkwood, she writes that Marynell had been in the hospital for surgery earlier in the spring but has since returned to her retirement home. ❯ Phil Stanforth, the son of Bill ’48 and Maylou Serven Stanforth, wrote in with an update on his folks. He says his parents, “who were married while my dad was a student-athlete at Knox and my mom worked at Knox, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on June 14. My dad was from Abingdon. I think he played football, basketball, and track for Knox and was captain of the 1947 football team. He attended Knox until he volunteered, right after Pearl Harbor. He then ﬁnished his degree after the war. Mom graduated during the war, went to Chicago to teach, and then came back and worked at Knox until Dad graduated. After teaching and coaching in LaHarpe, Illinois, for a few years they moved to Platte, South Dakota, where my mom is from. They still live independently in Platte.” ❯ I heard from Robert Mignin ’70 that his mother, Mary Jo Bristow Mignin, passed away on July 6. Mary Jo loved attending Reunions, and she returned faithfully for many years to the People’s Building (PB) Boys gatherings. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1942 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: • 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: Pam Chozen Class Notes Editor, Knox Magazine Knox College, Box K-233 Galesburg, IL 61401-4999 E-mail: pachozen@knox.edu Please note that Class Notes may be edited for space and in accordance with the Knox Style Guide.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2015

Barbara Young is currently working on her next book, Photographs are Memories. In it, she explains how she found her own creativity through photographs she took over a 40-year period during visits to Harbour Island, Bahamas. She says it further describes the many adventures she encountered on the journey to ﬁnd herself through her second vocation. Stay tuned for updates in the next issue of the magazine! Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1943 Tom Howes, Burl George, and Art Holst are always the first (and sometimes only) classmates to respond to my plea for news. ❯ I talked to Tom Howes in June, and he said he feels fairly well and wakes up happy most mornings. He told me about his son, who lives in England and has started a wealth management business. Tom went on to tell me about his granddaughter, who earned a Ph.D. in immunology from Cambridge and just published her first article. He also reminisced briefly about working his way through Knox by working four hours a night as a welder at Midwest Manufacturing here in Galesburg. Tom sends his best to all his classmates. ❯ From Burl George, though, came some sad news. He writes, “My dear wife, Gladys, passed away on February 21. We were married for 72 years, and it has been a hard blow to me and our seven children. We are slowly recovering.” Burl says that he plans to return to Galesburg in September for the annual Stearman Fly-In. ❯ Art Holst says that he has vivid memories of Professor Hermann Muelder ’27 and the new Midwest course created to interest more students in history. He recalls playing on the golf team in his junior year, which was especially meaningful as he had never won a letter before, in high school or in college. He says George “Sparky” Adams was captain of the team and Ned Landon was another member. Sparky was killed in Czechoslovakia shortly after the war ended. While Bob Kemp and Leo Munson were not on the golf team with him, they were good friends from junior high school though college. Bob was killed in Belgium, and Leo was wounded but recovered and had a long and successful life. Art says his poetry book entitled Life is Wonderful—It Could Be Verse won’t be on the New York Times Best Sellers list, but that it is doing well. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1945 John Roe is proud that his youngest granddaughter will attend Knox this year. He says he enjoyed a visit from a Knox student last fall who interviewed him about pre-WWII Knox. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

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

1947 Jim Crawford wrote that he attended the Ice Bowl in 1967 with his son. Football fans may recall that the Ice Bowl was the famous football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He says the temperature was 15 below zero, and the game came down to the last play. He and his son were stuffed into snowmobile suits to stay warm. Jim says he’s still on two legs, still loves living in Wisconsin, and still lives in the same house in Green Bay. ❯ In December,

Class Knox partner, and I were married here in Florida.” —Harry Babbitt ’48

1948 Betty Sharp looked forward to seeing a Smithsonian Institute display at the Franklin Creek Grist Mill. “I had planned to go this past week,” she wrote, “but we had tornadoes and that means a mess to clean up. The worst tornado was in Pontiac. But we had several small ones around here. Troy Grove was listed on WGN. No fatalities. Tornadoes are to be feared in the middle of the country. There was a grist mill in this location years ago. The people in the community rebuilt the grist mill—donated time and material. Paul and I visited it several times and watched them grind corn. I always bought the ground corn and made corn bread. It was so hard for Paul to travel the last four or five years that we had not visited for some time. There are three levels; the first is where the water turns the mechanism. The second is where the grinding takes place. I can’t remember what all is on the third story, but I think it is mostly for meetings, refreshments, etc. The fascinating thing for me on the third floor is 43 panels of wood about 30 inches square (all are woods found in Illinois) and all are finished. These panels span the whole room and with signs that explain what kind each one is. There is a nature area, and there has been more than 200 acres added to it about a year ago. I think more than $1 million was paid for what was added, and they had people come this spring and help plant more natural Illinois plants on the added acreage. There are some rare plants and animals in the area, too.” ❯ Harry Babbitt wrote the following: “NEWSFLASH!!!! On October 12, 2015, Luis, my long-time Argentine partner (who is 40), and I were married here in Florida. He got a visa to visit the U.S., but his green card petition was denied. Therefore, we plan to spend the summer months in Buenos Aires (November through March) and the rest of the year in Medellín, Colombia, where the weather is perfect. Luis is Peruvian by birth but has lived in Argentina for 20 years. He has dual citizenship, so we’ll also visit Peru from time to time. Nothing has changed much except that we tied the knot. At almost 90 years of age, I am very happy, and so is Luis, since we look after each other.” ❯ Jim Moser says he has also received several visits from Knox representatives and enjoys hearing about current campus events. “I suspect a partial reason for their visits is for fundraising from older alumni. In my case, they were successful in

getting me to contribute to the endowed Rothwell Stephens Chair in Mathematics. Both he and Harold Way, head of the physics department, were especially important to me. Dr. Way was instrumental in convincing me that I was more ﬁtted for a career in physics than in my original choice, engineering. Many, many years later when we both were on business trips to Cape Canaveral, he (on an assignment with the Rand Corporation) recognized me at a restaurant there, and we were delighted to meet again and visit. Dr. Stephens and I maintained correspondence for many years after my graduation. They typiﬁed the excellence of Knox. Life approaching 90 contracts a bit. The stimulating involvement at OSHER Lifelong Learning is still important to me and, at times, reminds of my days at Knox. I also work with fellow Kodak retirees to document our participation in the Cold War’s overhead surveillance programs with the U-2, CORONA, and the following satellite programs. I’m thankful I could have been a part of them. I’m also pleased you continue as our class representative and still appreciate your publication of ‘The Stories of the Class of ’48.’ I just took it out and reviewed a number of entries. So many of those tales were made possible by their days at Knox. Thank you.” ❯ Regarding Wendall Mustain, daughter Susan Wilson says, “No change in Dad, I will be sure and let you know if anything comes up or when he passes. He remembers less and less as each month goes by.” ❯ And a thought from me: I have spent much of the past month taking care of Sharane, my wife, who has been battling pneumonia. On occasion, I still try my luck at golf. Class Correspondent: Sidney E. Norris 3135 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97405, 541-683-6160, senorris@comcast.net

Galesburg, but road trips are not much fun for her anymore. ❯ Thanks to an article in the FYC Bulletin by Ken Radnitzer ’50 about his Honor Flight experience, Robert Pennington decided to make the trip himself. He said it was a great event. Robert worked as a professional artist, and he still teaches oil painting at the Cancer Resource Center in Geneva, Illinois. He’d love to hear from classmates! You can write him at 38W476 Hilltop Drive, Saint Charles, IL 60175. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1950 Bob Willett says, “We keep traveling even as the years go by. We recently took a river cruise from Marseilles to Lyon to see the places where I was in WWII. Our daughter joined us for three days

1949 Bill Wedan spends most of the year in Spain, with the exception of a few trips to the States to see family. While dining in a restaurant with friends earlier this year in the tiny mountain village of Vilella Alta, Bill met a man who said his wife was from Galesburg, Illinois. Surprised, Bill asked if he had heard correctly. The man replied that yes, but his wife was actually from nearby Wataga, Illinois. Bill told him that he was from Galesburg and the man immediately called his wife to join them. Not only was she from Galesburg, but she is a 2008 Knox graduate! After talking for some time, Bill learned that Leah Hensley ’08 and her husband, Jose Luis Raina, bought a 200-year old house in Vilella Alta and that her grandmother was a good friend of Bill’s youngest sister. I’ve heard it said often, but it truly is a small, Knox world! ❯ Stella McMaster Trench says she does “old lady things” like knitting, crosswords, Sudoku, Scrabble, and piano playing. Through the spring and summer, she also does some gardening. Stella says she misses visiting “Old Siwash” and

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Barbara Miner Landon moved to Arizona to be nearer to her daughter Lyn Landon Dray ’74 and her family. She says she enjoys her house, yard, and two Cairn terriers, plus the beautiful weather! She is happy to connect with Knox alumni in the Tucson area. ❯ Congratulations go to Chuck Trenka and his wife, Frances, on their 71st wedding anniversary in July! Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

Celebrating 70 years Bill ’48 and Maylou Serven Stanforth ’44 celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on June 14, 2016. The couple married prior to Bill’s junior year, following his service aboard the USS San Francisco during World War II. Maylou worked as a secretary in the music department while Bill completed his degree, serving as captain of the 1947 football team.

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“Slowing down? Maybe, but growing old? Never. Keep on climbing before the cruise but had to get back to work, so we traveled on without her.” Bob goes on to say that both he and wife Donna caught colds on the trip, which resulted in a trip to the hospital once home since Bob’s cold turned into pneumonia. It hasn’t slowed him down, though, and he says they are ready for their next cruise. It will be in celebration of Bob’s 90th birthday and his 100th cruise. Happy birthday, Bob! ❯ It was good to hear from Doris Gilson Gundersen in June. She and husband Glenn just celebrated his 91st birthday. They are well and keep busy, though they don’t travel anymore. ❯ Beth Jury Myers wrote that she has spent too much time in the hospital and rehab facilities this spring. She is delighted to be back home now, and she has enjoyed her yard and garden once again. She sends greetings to all her classmates. Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1951 I had the pleasure of seeing Jay Burgess and wife Shay in Bonita Springs, Florida, earlier this year. They are well and keep busy with golf, bridge, and travel. Jay said they took their annual trip to Milwaukee to see their son and his family and then drove with them to spend time with the family at their condo in Petoskey, Michigan. This was followed by time with their daughter and old friends in Northern Illinois. ❯ Cliff Van Dyke enjoys living on the western side of Michigan these days. He writes, “Two years ago, I bought a historic home in the sleepy little village of Benzonia (population: 494) in Northwestern Michigan. Our main intersection has the only stoplight in Benzie County. The house is a former bed and breakfast, so I’m offering an overnight to any famous Knox graduate who happens to be in the area. Of course, over the years, it has become quite evident that all alumni are famous for one thing or another. I even know a couple of Republicans who are rethinking their affiliation at this very moment. At any rate, if demand is overwhelming, I’ll have to reconsider this offer. In the meantime, I wish all Knoxites and their families a glorious summer season.” ❯ Marian Tenhaeff Trythall says she enjoyed lots of outdoor activities last winter. Because the snow was great on Mount Hood, she spent much time with friends cross country skiing and snowshoeing. ❯ I really missed seeing Dick Stranahan and Jim Hoopes in Florida this year. For many years, they attended the FYC lunch in Florida with Jim “Sam” Johnson ’53, who passed away in 2015. Dick wrote and let me know that he finally made the move to a retirement home. He says it’s pleasant with several dining rooms and three bars, a fitness center, indoor pool, and sauna. 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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1952 Class Correspondent: Anne Reutlinger Porter 407 Russell Avenue, Apartment 316, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2853, 301-987-6894, justjim22@gmail.com

1953 David Allensworth passed away July 20, 2016. He is survived by wife Sara Jane Obenlander Allensworth ’54, two children, grandchildren, and a brother. Class Correspondent: Nevin C. Lescher 295 Reed Avenue, Windsor Locks, CT 06096, 860-623-0550, nesu@cox.net

1954 In mid-June, the following message went to all class members with e-mail: “Once again, I am soliciting news and memories for the next issue of Knox Magazine. I realize that some of us have reached the age where we are slowing down. For example, the highlight of my year thus far is successful laparoscopic surgery excising a cancerous growth from my colon. Can anyone top that? Or match it? Or, best of all had no need for such?” ❯ Several classmates were quick to respond. “Slowing down, Jim?” Bobbie Schlick Poor asked. “Maybe, but growing old? Never. Keep on climbing up that hill. Of four grandchildren, there is one chance left to continue the family tradition of attending Knox. I am working on that with timely hints...purple and gold gift wrap for birthday presents, a few bars sung of ‘Hail Knox All Glorious,’ the merit in the Knox liberal arts experience and the many lifelong friendships it fosters. My year is divided between Leland, Michigan, and St. Louis, Missouri. I migrate north in May and enjoy many weeks visiting family and friends and keeping busy as a volunteer with the land conservancy and a birding organization. Summer goes by all too quickly, and October finds me back in St. Louis where being a docent for the St. Louis Zoo and also for Audubon’s education team provides a good dose of fun. It’s great to read what other classmates are up to these days. And isn’t it fine to know that all are still so young at heart!” ❯ Dave Kurtz also was quick to convince me that he has not slowed down, reporting, “I had my third colonoscopy a couple of months ago and did it again without any medication, so that I could walk out of the hospital and drive home without anybody helping me. When the physician got to the end of the pathway, he simply commented, ‘See you in 10 years.’” Dave continues to be very active in whitewater paddling and providing basic kayak instruction to youth. He reports a good slalom race result recently on an easy course, even though his 12-year-old students easily beat his time. He says he will try to find time to write a bunch of stories about those activities. ❯ Kay Eastwood Gredell is also eager to top me. “How about three back surgeries and a hip replacement all within three years?” Kay writes. “But, I’m all

fixed now and do NOT feel like 84. I got a bachelor of fine arts (finally) back in 1971 and, for 25 years, worked for several corporations spaceplanning and designing their offices. I’ve lived in Chicago’s northwest suburbs for about 30 years, with my two sons nearby. I’m an active member of a Unitarian Universalist church, bowl weekly in a senior league, and have a very active social life. Three beautiful grandchildren are doing well. One will be married next year; one lives and works in Indianapolis, having bought one of those old, old houses you see on HGTV’s Good Bones; and the third drives a truck delivering ice in the Carbondale area.” ❯ Ron Leganger splits his time between Ft. Lauderdale and Chicago and had summer plans to again attend the Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) airshow in Oshkosh before spending a month in Germany, England, Denmark, Norway and Poland, returning on September 29. Back in Florida in November, he plans to host 20 or so friends at Shooters Restaurant for his 85th birthday. ❯ Our class leader, Jim Albrecht, now lives Maryland, near family in Washington, D.C., enjoys keeping abreast of Knox news, and encourages classmates to contribute to the College. ❯ Finally, I’ll close with some sad news. Our sympathies to Sara Jane Obenlander Allensworth, whose husband, Dave Allensworth ’53, recently passed away. They would have celebrated their 63rd anniversary this September. Until the Allensworths retired to Solvang, California, in 1995, Dave was an important member of the Galesburg community. We also mourn the deaths of Jane Nelson Johnson and husband Dick, a 1953 Harvard graduate, a Galesburg civic leader, and a stronger supporter of Knox. Both of these couples were together by the time they were students at Galesburg High School; Jane and Sara Jane themselves likely met at Silas Willard Grade School. ❯ And that’s all for this time. Class Correspondent: Jim Dunlevey 27419 Embassy Street, Menifee, CA 92586, dunlevey@aol.com

1955 Greetings from Stuart, Florida, the Sailﬁsh Capital of the World (along with several other Florida towns), where today the lagoons, rivers, and beaches are ﬁlled with green algae and the heat index is right up there with Needles, California. I am in a grouchy mood because that hip repair operation I had in October didn’t work out, and I had the repair screws removed and a new hip inserted earlier this month. Bud Wharton drives me to therapy three times a week, plus endures the moans and groans from the 10 exercises I repeat 20 times each, twice a day. Has that scared you into paying closer attention to where you are walking? ❯ For most of us, this is a very gratifying time of life: graduations, weddings, welcoming great-grandchildren, and waking up each morning. ❯ I write this the end of June, while many of you are making plans for escaping the

Class Knox up that hill.” —Bobbie Schlick Poor ’54 upcoming winter. Last winter, George Elliott and Margie took a break from their thriving business in Quincy and traveled to Texas. While there, they visited Roland Peaslee and Bonnie at Winter Texans Mission. This winter, the Elliotts plan to spend February on South Padre Island, Texas, at the Island Grand. They also spend a lot of time at Lake of the Ozarks. If you are near either location, George and Margie would love to hear from you: 217-653-8746. ❯ Roland Peaslee wrote me a very informative letter about the area of Winter Texans Mission, where they winter. In that area, the problem of illegal immigration includes Chinese and Middle Easterners, as well as Mexicans, and the drug trafﬁc is another tragic situation. ❯ I guess there are many of us who are dealing with vision problems, as is Frank Scherer. Those of you who have had any sort of eye surgery know it requires an unbelievable number of drops, which Tink Lutz Scherer ’54 has become an expert at administering. ❯ Mort Weir and Ceil visited their three greatgrandchildren (two different sets of parents) in June before leaving for their cabin in Colorado for the summer. As a bit of encouragement for those of you who are dealing with wet macular degeneration, both Mort and Bud have been successfully treated for that problem and are able to drive again. ❯ Diane Ridge Ogdon and her two daughters ﬂew to Florida during the summer to meet Di’s great-grandson and to visit with their Florida family. ❯ Ed ’56 and Marianne Adler Beck went to Ireland earlier this year. The pictures she posted on Facebook are beautiful, and I’m sure it was a memorable trip. ❯ Jim Lockett hopes to convince the Seattle/Puget Sound Knox alumni to schedule an event on Camano Island, near his home. Dean Hill ’52’s son, Doug Hill ’77, spearheads this group. Jim has his Knox sweater at the ready in case the gathering is held on a cool day. ❯ Wally Larkin called the other day, and it was great to have a visit with him from his castle in the sky in Chicago. I know he and Dr. Sue must have travel plans but being on pain medication pretty much wipes out any intelligent conversation from this end of the line. ❯ Bill Ives also called earlier in the month from North Carolina. He and Virginia were looking forward to their annual vacation in Paris. ❯ Fran Lyman posts photos on Facebook from time to time from Ann Arbor, so I can attest that she has this “aging gracefully” down pat. ❯ I won’t mention our classmates who have died or are disabled; we have to cherish our memories. Stay healthy, keep your sense of humor, and send me your news for the next issue of this magazine…please. Class Correspondent: Dorothy Thomas Wharton 3511 SE Fairway West, Stuart, FL 34997, 772-220-9433, dtwharton33@gmail.com

1956 Hello, Class of 1956! Your 60th Reunion is this fall, and I hope you’re planning to return to

Galesburg to celebrate this milestone Reunion with friends and former classmates. There’s always so much to do and see during Homecoming weekend. You won’t want to miss it. ❯ While I love keeping in touch with you, it’s really time for someone in your class to take over as class correspondent. Won’t you please contact me to volunteer? Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1957 One thing that makes it easier to call my fellow classmates is age. Everyone is at home during normal daytime hours. The only downer is when I am asked, “Who are you?” Ah, the joy of senior life. I did hear from Bill Shaffer, castigating your correspondent for spelling his name wrong. I apologize for this grievous error. ❯ Judith Scott Smith of Pi Phi fame indicted that she has frequent conversations with other Knox alumni. Among those who have maintained this friendship is Abby Channon Cassell. Considering the tough weather conditions in the Galesburg area these past months, they have plenty to talk about. ❯ Allan Rock, one more of our Southern California contingent, enjoys the peaceful life. He reminisced about friends he had particularly appreciated and the kindness extended to him while at Knox. He fondly recalled Jerry Klapper ’55 and Jim Sinadinos ’55 as mentors to him. ❯ Joe LaGuess has felt the after-effects of orthopedic knee surgery. Yep, we are getting put back together piece by piece. ❯ Jamie Bjorkman has become interested in Knox alumni who served in the armed services during World War II and Korea. As some might recall, there were several pictures of these members of the military in Seymour Library. Several of these heroes had scholarships named after them. Jamie wanted to learn more about them so he has started a research inquiry into their names and places of service (battleﬁelds). He has found many stories of personal heroics. Class Correspondent: Jack O’Dowd 4837 88th Street E., Bradenton, FL 34211-3606, 941753-1483 jodowd310@msn.com

1958 Mary Zahutnik Krughoff contacted me after the last column and said she, a proud grandma, went to see grandson Kevin graduate from University of Colorado Medical School; he headed to Dartmouth in July for a residency in urology. (What a nice surprise when a classmate volunteers info— thank you, Mary Kay.) ❯ Larry Wilcoxen’s wife, Judy, e-mailed that Larry died in Walnut, Illinois, on July 2. He spent his life working in education as a teacher, coach, and superintendent. He also loved his 55 years as an IHSA ofﬁcial. ❯ Sad to report that Marge Linn Smith died last fall. (She left Knox after her sophomore year.) The Knox ’56 Gale reported under Marge’s Tri Delt photo

that she always wore colored socks to match her outfits…wonder if classmates remember that about her. Knowing the Tri Delt connection, I e-mailed Sally Arteseros. Sally had a wonderful memory of Marge when they were sophomore roommates. One fall morning, Sally and Marge walked to the Galesburg train station and took the train to Burlington, Iowa. (Sally had been curious about it…always stopping there from Galesburg to California.) They had breakfast in Burlington, walked the railroad bridge over the Mississippi River, and took the train back to Galesburg before anyone noticed they were gone! Sally still has the five-cent receipt from the MacArthur Bridge in her scrapbook. ❯ Sally also knew of Fred Kauffman’s wonderful trip to Australia and asked Fred to contact me. He reported that he and his dear friend, Johanna, traveled to Melbourne for a three-week visit during April to see her family. He said Melbourne is a modern, diverse city with a great mix of art, theatre, sports, and museums and earned its designation as “the most beautiful city on the planet.” They loved spending time around the rolling hills, vineyards, and Great Ocean Road along the southern coast of Victoria. What a fantastic trip. Have any other classmates taken interesting trips lately? ❯ Bill Baker and I attended the Knox Alumni Council meeting in April, a change from graduation weekend. The council was entertained at the Ingersoll House (the President’s residence), and then were brought up to date on financial matters, campus activities, and progress on the new fine arts building. I attended the FYC luncheon prior to graduation. The speaker was Ben Farrer, assistant professor of environmental studies, who spoke on his interesting research project on the effect of lawn signs on voting outcomes. The Knox-Galesburg Symphony’s Concert on the Lawn behind Old Main was wonderful. (I will soon finish my 22-year involvement with the Knox-Galesburg Symphony Board. I have enjoyed being a part of this great asset to our area.) After the concert, an ice cream social was held for graduates and parents, followed by fireworks! Did you know this tradition was brought to campus by President Amott? ❯ I would love to hear from classmates. Class Correspondent: Letitia Luther Schactner 246 East Dayton Street, Galesburg, IL 61401-1833, 309342-0748, letnor@comcast.net

1959

There are still classmate out there who will send news. Yeah!! ❯ Dave and June Pomatto Harris ’60 just returned from Chicago for high school graduation for granddaughter Hannah; she has been accepted directly into the pre-med track for biomedical materials engineering at the University of Illinois (U of I). Grandson Hugh is a junior at U of I in computer engineering/business. “We have been at our home in Topsail Beach, North Carolina, since early May and plan to stay

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Bruce Butterfield ’62 returned to the classroom to teach a until early October. Lot of golf and long walks on the beach getting ready for ski season.” Son David Harris ’88 and Dave plan to return to Knox for the 150th anniversary of Phi Gamma Delta next year. ❯ Larry and Barbara Woods Blasch ’61 just returned from grandson Tim Joyce’s graduation from Washington & Lee and expected a visit from grandson Connor over the summer. Connor is a lieutenant junior grade in the Navy and is stationed in Japan. ❯ Mel Brown writes, “I wanted to toot my horn a little to let you know that I have three grandsons graduating from University of Oregon this month and a granddaughter receiving a master’s degree in public health from Portland State University. The boys majored in political science, business administration, and advertising; as an undergraduate, my granddaughter was a double major in public health and exercise and sports science at Oregon State University. We are very proud of them as they attack the world as we all did a ‘few’ years ago!” He adds, “Hi to all the Siwash friends!” ❯ Jan Shroyer says, “Well, no news worth reporting. You know, more cello stuff; however, I did just finish cleaning up seven containers that went to Knox College’s education department. They house all the manipulatives in my personal math lab, which means a LOT of stuff! Diana Beck seemed eager to have them! I was thrilled. Always thought I would do things with kids/teachers in schools. It never happened. So this is good. It is also another step in my effort to declutter, which seems to be the fad these days.” ❯ Mary Coyne Karau writes, “I was dismayed to read the Knox news and find that Dorothy Schulein Borchardt and Joan Faoro Keener had both died. I did not know. Not a good feeling, is it? I have no news of Sally Barton Flynn. I got back from three weeks in Italy recently. I have been plagued with viruses this year and no sooner got over one than I got another. I’m recuperating from the second one now. They have lasted a loooooooooooooooong time. The cool weather we’ve had has not helped much but mainly I’m just fighting the virus. Other than that, things are going okay, despite the inexorable march of time—noticeably getting older! My kids are busy and well and working hard at their jobs. The grandchildren are growing, of course. I spent a few weeks with all of them in July. In August, an American friend visited me from Italy for three weeks; she taught a class at the University of Wisconsin Summer Studies program in Italian gastronomy. In November, I have plans to go to Cuba with a friend who lives in Sedona, Arizona. I’m having second thoughts about that trip, but I will lose money if I cancel.” ❯ In February, Mike ’58 and Patricia Craig Ruffolo ’58 invited us to visit them in the Bay Area to get away from Illinois’ fabulous weather. While there, we had lunch with Duane Paluska ’58 and wife Ellen. We all had a lot of catching up to do. Mike became our driver for a leisurely trip down the coast to Newport Beach. It was a beautiful drive. One

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highlight was a visit to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. It is a very impressive place. Pat’s and Mike’s daughter Catherine and husband have moved back to the LA area after about ﬁve years in Hawaii. We got to see their children and new home. We also had a wonderful lunch with Mondo Lopez ’58 and wife Jackie and Don ’56 and Susie Swanson Lisio ’58 overlooking the Paciﬁc at San Clemente. Recently, during our family Florida trip, we also had lunch with Nick and Betty Burgland Karay ’60. They are well and enjoying their great-granddaughter. ❯ Thanks to you who sent news. I really appreciate your help. Please remember Knox in your giving plans. Class Correspondent: Louise Bost Wolf 3 Gilbert Park, Knoxville, IL 61448, 309-337-6435 (cell), wolfl@grics.net

1960 Dick and Mary Lu Hudson Aft have tried to know their adult children as adults, even though geographic separation has sometimes made it difﬁcult. Foreign travel has provided a new medium for “quality time” with the “kids.” Last year, they cruised the Black Sea with their Los Angelesbased son and his wife. Recently, they returned from a two-week Venice-to-Barcelona cruise with their Dalton, Georgia-based son and his wife. Plans for a future trip with their Winston-Salembased son and daughter-in-law are in the works. ❯ George Hook published 100 Best Hooked on Haiku of 2015–16 in May. The book is available at www.createspace.com/6278897 and www.amazon.com/dp/B01FTGLL8E in paperback and e-book. The book includes the 100 best haiku (including some of his own) entered in the 2015 contest, as well as biographies of the winning authors, among them top 10 winner Gail Dean Cotton ’61, plus instructions and an online ballot at www.hookedonhaiku.net. ❯ Bob Bennett, Denny Geraghty, and Bill Graning joined forces to play golf in Birmingham, Alabama, at the Robert Trent Jones courses in late April. They were joined by other Siwash friends, teammates, and fraternity brothers: Bill Fay ’61, Eustace “Stacey” Gane ’62, Ray Godsil ’61, Bob Kucik ’62, Karl Nienhuis ’61, Bob Schmid ’62, and Jim Valentine ’61. Todd Allen ’61, along with others, started this golf pilgrimage to Alabama more than 16 years ago. They missed getting together last year because of Todd’s death, but vowed to re-establish their annual get-together in 2016. The event was the same as in the past—golf, food and drinks, and the same “old man” storytelling about attending Knox in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Bill says they all continue to enjoy the fellowship, even though the storytelling probably becomes more memory-dependent and less accurate. ❯ Bob Baker writes, “I just spent several weeks on the family farm in Neponset (yes, on Rt. 34 on the way to Galesburg) pressing canola seed into oil as part of an ongoing experiment to determine if farmers could grow their own more ecological

fuel instead of using fuel pumped from the ground. So far, so good, but we have a long way to go before we know the answer. Now that humidity has attacked Illinois, I am back at our home in Colorado for the summer.” ❯ Sharon Findley Kirmse has recently been busy with her grandson’s college graduation and an unfortunate number of funerals, but she has now found the time to write. She tells us, “Post-Knox, Carol Schaefer McCall ’59, Susan Gordon Stone, and I shared an apartment in Evanston. Occasionally George Hook would stop by when taking a break from law school. I certainly don’t remember ever discussing haiku, but I was delighted to chat with him when we were inducted into the FYC and ﬁnd that he had begun publishing his haiku. I have been the moderator of the Northwest Cultural Council (suburban Chicago) poetry program for more than 20 years and share his enthusiasm for haiku, though I am old and stodgy and still have a problem with the Americanization of the form. I am retired from Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and still serve on the steering committee for the Harper Lifelong Learning Institute. My latest project, serving on the board of the Northwest Concert Band, really keeps me busy.” ❯ Doris Janes Lawton writes, “Since my husband, Dick, died more than two years ago, I have been doing quite a bit of traveling. Last year, I took a Baltic cruise and just returned from a two-week cruise to Norway. It was very beautiful, and we were blessed with great weather. Last year, I also went to Canada with my sister and stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel and the Lake Louise Lodge. I am healthy and do a lot of quilting and reading.” ❯ I thank all of you for your continuing contributions for the magazine and am ending with a little surprise my wife, Emma, and I recently had. We opened the skimmer basket for our pool and found 10 little ducklings swimming around as though they were in a carnival game. Afraid they were too crowded and would drown, we put them all in the pool. That night, the mother returned and took them away. Now we see that a second set of 11 is being hatched by the pool. We very much enjoyed them and were amazed at how fast they can scoot across the water. Class Correspondent: Richard “Dick” Riggs rriggs3@charter.net

1961 Dear Classmates: The old saying “No news is good news” certainly holds true for our class. Everyone must be FULL of good news since we get no news. Or very little. However, due to our pleading and earnest appeals (or in spite of), four of our stalwart classmates did write. ❯ This came from Constantine Santas. “Dear Suella: I’m glad to say a few things about myself to my fellow students and current Knox students and others. After Knox, I spent a year on a fellowship at the University of Illinois in Urbana, where I earned a master’s degree in English. I started teaching at

Class Knox Senior Scholar course on the Literature of World War I. that time, and from 1964–1971, I was at University of Illinois at Chicago and earned a Ph.D. at Northwestern University. Following that, I came to Florida as a chairperson at Flagler College, from which I retired in 2002. Since then, I have become an independent author and a film scholar, publishing five books on film, all available at amazon.com. I must say one thing. Knox College gave me the initial impetus to become a teacher and writer, and I am deeply grateful for that. I am fond of reading news about my alma mater and contribute what I can to keep the connection and good wishes to the present and future.” ❯ Old chum Rosalie Kinietz Welty says she doesn’t have any exciting news to share. We disagree. She wrote: “I still do some tours during the season and love doing them. My two sons live in Alaska, where I went for a visit in July. I’m fortunate to have all three of my daughters in Phoenix, along with five of my eight grandchildren. In August, a friend and I toured Western Canada, where it was beautiful and cool, something Phoenix isn’t in August. I’m in good health and am grateful for that and much more. Miss my husband a lot, but have made a life for myself, as we all must when we lose a spouse.” Suella understands this, Rosalie, since we are both widows as well. ❯ Al Rieke said: “Okay, you asked for it! Pat and I have been married 57 years and have accumulated five children, 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. After Knox, I earned a chemistry Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska, then did two years of chemical weapons research for the U.S. Army and six years of ‘lycra’ research for DuPont. Then I went back to school for an M.Div. (Wesley Seminary). United Methodist ministry brought us to Oregon in 1977. Now we enjoy retirement living at Terwilliger Plaza in Portland.” (Your correspondents are also Methodists.) ❯ Denis Baylor has warm memories of his time at Knox. After Yale Medical School, he pursued postdoctoral training at Yale, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Cambridge. In 1974, he joined the faculty at Stanford Medical School, where he taught and did research on the function of the nerve cells in the eye. He then worked two years for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as a senior scientific officer. He has been honored by election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of London. He is married, has two sons, a stepdaughter, and six grandchildren. He and his wife live in Stanford’s “faculty ghetto.” Together they enjoy golf, reading, travel and family get-togethers. He keeps in touch with his trainees and takes pride in their accomplishments. One of his sons is an ER doctor in Charlottesville, Virginia; the other, who Denis says is incredibly squeamish, is a software engineer at Google. ❯ Be watching the e-mail traffic for further pleading and earnest appeals…. Class Correspondents: Susan Shea Worthington 1611 South Street, Lexington, MO 64067-1431, 660259-4559, skworth@cebridge.net

Ella Major Morin 11234 54th Avenue N., St. Petersburg, FL 33708-2949, 727-290-6984, ellanell1963@yahoo.com

1962 As the years go by, we say goodbye to many, but I, with great reluctance, have said “Farewell” to my co-correspondent, Dennis East. Dennis fought the grand fight with pancreatic cancer for many years and would constantly tell me he might not be writing the “next” Class Notes. Dennis passed on June 8. Dennis’ professional life was libraries, which made him the well-organized Class Notes editor. His wife, Kathy Molda East ’64, and sons Brian East ’92 and Bradley would enjoy your sharing any memories of Dennis. Let me start with the grand memories you have shared with me. ❯ Bob ’61 and Joan Dude Callecod shared: “During our years at Knox, we had only a passing relationship with Dennis and Kathy. About 30 years ago, however, we all settled in Bowling Green, Ohio, and were able to spend much time together. As the children’s librarian at the Wood County Public Library, Kathy continually created entertaining, albeit mischievous, events that Dennis wholeheartedly supported—and frequently participated. Dennis had a special affinity for our local community theatre, The Black Swamp Players. He was often in the cast and then took up directing even while battling with cancer. The last play Dennis chose was The Black Bonspiel of Willie MacCrimmon, by W. O. Mitchell (a bonspiel is a curling tournament). Since we were curlers, Dennis consulted with Bob on how to set up a sheet of faux ice on a stage floor. Although the production was postponed for one season, the play had a very successful run and won the regional Ohio Community Theatre Association’s competition. The judges commented the Dennis’ casting was excellent. The competition occurred just after Dennis’ passing, and Dennis will cheer them on from a very special seat.” ❯ Ingrid Malm Temple writes, “Tom and I have a grand memory of Dennis at Knox. When Tom came from Salt Lake City to visit me, Dennis invited him to stay in Dennis’s room because his roommate was gone. That was perfect because I am pretty sure Debby Wing would have frowned on our inviting him to stay with us ‘cellar dwellers’ in Whiting Hall.” ❯ Peter Dorris writes, “Dennis—or ‘Denny’, as he was called then—and I met as Phi Gamma Delta pledges during our freshman year at Knox. Through the years, we became close friends and spent many late night hours together telling jokes, discussing politics, and trying to solve whatever problem was at hand. I have extremely fond memories of those times. Although we saw each other only a few times in the later years, I always considered him a true friend. Denny will not be forgotten.” ❯ Mary Karr Merikle tells us, “I didn’t know Dennis well when we were at Knox; however, a few years ago, we e-mailed and talked on the phone fairly regularly—mainly about Don Lehmann and his book—and that led to chatting about other things. I enjoyed that

correspondence and wished that I had known Dennis better. I was amazed at his upbeat attitude while going through cancer treatment.” ❯ Joe and Betsy Wallace Empen shared this: “We mourn the death of Dennis East! He picked out a terrific wife, Kathy, while at Knox. (How many of us found true love at Knox?) She was a Tri Delta sorority sister of mine, while Dennis was on the Knox football team with Joe. Dennis rescued me during a rainstorm from the Tri Delt house. He just did things like that. While Joe and I were doing the Class Notes before Dennis agreed to come on board, he was always ready with news when we asked for help…and did so in a funny and friendly way. We definitely will miss his positive, friendly, and always helpful manner. And, Kathy, we love you!!!” ❯ In closing our reflections on fellow Knoxite Dennis East, and as I head for Chautauqua with Knox friends, I am reminded of the significance of our Knox experience. Knox was a place that fostered creative thought, community involvement, and the passion to continue learning. Dennis East embodied the Knox Idea. ❯ News comes from Lee and Alexandra Houston Benham ’61. “Lighthearted news: Our 17-year-old grandson just spent a semester in a school that prohibits cell phones, and, astonishingly, he and his classmates all survived. Alexandra and I continue to organize workshops for young social scientists, mainly from developing and transitional countries. It is rewarding to see their work progress. The bad news is that governments in many countries are increasingly restricting freedom of inquiry, speech, and association. Many leading scholars in Russia have been driven out of the country. In China, many have been arrested, including lawyers trying to defend those already arrested.” ❯ Bruce Butterfield tells of his return to the classroom this past winter after five years away. “I taught a Senior Scholar course on the Literature of WWI. Although it was a pared-down version of a course I had taught at SUNY Plattsburgh, it asked for more reading than the students were used to in such courses. But the 19 students (a record number) pitched in enthusiastically, and we had a great time. Many wished it had gone on longer, as did I—and I look forward to teaching another course in the next session.” He adds, “In the spring, brother Bob Butterfield ’65 sent me a draft of a short book he is writing, Making Sense of the Hebrew Bible. Some of you may know his doctorate is in Old Testament studies. This is intended for everyday readers and reinterprets major biblical stories and ‘supposed’ facts in light of archeological evidence gathered in the last 20 years. It is fascinating. I edited, he revised, and now the book has found a publisher.” ❯ In closing this chapter of Knox news, we need a replacement for Dennis (though he obviously can’t be replaced). Volunteers are appreciated but, in the absence of that, the draft may be reinstituted. Just e-mail me at hankandkate@msn.com, and we will discuss the rigors of the job. Class Correspondent: Kate Bloomberg hankandkate@msn.com

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

“Value your Knox friendships and get together whenever

1963 Laird Scott sent me a link to some photos he’d dug out of Mariann Jaegerhuber Scott’s shoebox and posted on Flickr. They go back to the fall of 1959, our freshman year. www.flickr.com/photos/ lairdascott/albums/72157668224438135 ❯ Colin Harding writes: “I have been retired for six years following 20 years in the Air Force and 26 years with the Titan Corp. in Northern Virginia. We have since traveled extensively, going back to a number of places where we were stationed. A year ago, we spent three weeks in Turkey, even got back to Izmir where we were stationed for two years in the late ’60s. Last fall, we took a trip along the Dalmatian Coast from Greece to Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia and down the Danube from Budapest to northern Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania, ending up in Transylvania. Next up: Australia, then Morocco. We will travel until we can’t do it anymore.” ❯ This from Duncan Rowles: “Nothing seems to be slowing down for us here in Granby, Connecticut. Marian and I recently completed training to become Steven Ministers for our church. Church is the primary focal point for our social lives. I continue to serve as the Deputy Director, International Exchange Program, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps and ran an in-bound exchange this summer for 50 people from eight different countries in Newport, Rhode Island. In October, I will be a delegate to the International Sea Cadet Association’s annual conference in Mumbai, India. Our 50th anniversary is next March, and I am definitely on the hook for something more than a meal at our favorite pizza restaurant. Even our sons, John and Dave, have that date on their calendars.” ❯ Bill Swanson writes: “Sandy and I have lived in Campbell River on beautiful Vancouver Island for the past 35 years. Watching cruise ships sail past our house got us interested in cruising. This fall, a transpacific cruise will complete our Round the World by Cruise Ship. So far, six continents, 44 countries, and more than 300 nights of cruising. Our to-do list includes cruising to 50 countries before our 50th anniversary and sailing to that seventh continent. Between cruises, we enjoy time with our daughter and granddaughter, camping, hunting, cooking, gardening, and keeping each other happy.” ❯ From Terry Anspach: “Although my partner of 25 years and I love living in Hawaii, since I have been retired for 17 years now, we also love traveling several months each year, so there is no chance of island fever. This year, we will be away from home seven months. We started off with Carnival in Rio as we have done for many years, and then, after a stay in Argentina, we returned home for a few weeks before sailing to Vancouver and going on to Lake Louise before making stops on the West Coast to visit friends in Portland and San Francisco. In September we’ll board the QM2 to England and go on to Paris, Lucerne, Rome, and Budapest for a Viking River Cruise to Nuremberg. We will visit Munich, return to Rome, then

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cruise to Miami to visit my brother and his wife. We will take a cruise from Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal to San Diego; and then take off again in February 2017 for Brazil and, of course, Carnival.” ❯ Bunny Zweifel Taylor writes: “We live in Forgottonia (an area in Western Illinois) on a farm that has been in Roger’s family for more than 150 years; Roger pretends to be retired while serving on three nonprofit boards and teaching trial advocacy and doing pro bono work at his old law firm.” Bunny has two new titles: assistant driver and assistant mower! ❯ Norm Solliday writes: “Wife Stella Polchowski Solliday ’67 and I had a great trip to Cuba last year with the University of Chicago. We were in Holland in May, where I got pneumonia. I’ve recovered. In July, we spent two weeks in Alaska. When not traveling, I play tennis and do some prairie restoration work.” ❯ Patricia McNelly Keller: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2014, and, after surgery, my husband and I went to Austria and Germany to lead groups in the German ministry called befreit leben. After the seminar we traveled in Germany—a rewarding trip, knowing I would be starting chemotherapy and radiation when we returned to Florida. The fact that you are reading this is evidence that I survived. Praise God! After the treatments, Jim and I traveled a lot. What we still enjoy the most is cruising on our sailboat. Orion is 40 feet of pure peace. That’s the place I find respite. We also enjoy Florida. Despite the heat, it is a beautiful place to live.” ❯ From Jerry Johnson: “Wife Karen and I still reside in Chicago on Lake Shore Drive overlooking Lincoln Park, North Ave. Beach, Navy Pier, the Hancock, etc. Even though we have now been here for 22 years, we never get tired of the view. Despite losing my left eye from a fall a couple years ago, I still drive, play golf, and do everything I want to do. I have volunteered at the Chicago Public Schools Advanced Vocal Arts Program at Gallery 37 in the Loop for 10 years and love coaching these talented high schoolers in singing, especially jazz singing. Several years ago, I began arranging and composing music for choirs, again with harmonies very close to jazz. I continue to study at the Bloom School of Jazz and really enjoy the challenges. It has been exciting to hear a tune performed that you have composed and/or arranged. Karen continues her active role as a breast cancer advisor and counselor. We continue to be very active in Fourth Presbyterian Church. We travel quite often, especially since our five grandchildren now live in Oregon. As I approach my 75th birthday, I am very thankful for all the gifts life has given me, including those from Knox College.” ❯ From Jo Mannino Hockenhull: “My latest art installation, in spring 2016, featured four large paintings at the Vancouver, Washington, City Hall—part of my Sentinel Singers series. Also, just finished a book cover for Nice Trout by John C. Pierce. Husband Jim and I play old-time, Cajun and French-Canadian music for all kinds of events:

weddings, farmers’ markets, kids’ groups, dances and festivals, etc. Jim is a ﬁddler, and I play percussion. We met a wonderful banjo player at last year’s Old-Time Music Campout in Centralia, Washington; guess where he went to college. . .yep, Bud Ullman ’70!” ❯ As for me, we checked another item off our bucket list by taking a 13day cruise from New Zealand to Australia, then a 10-day land tour in Australia. We observed our 50th anniversary in 2015 by taking a cruise from Santiago, Chile, through the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale. Class Correspondent: Ramona Reed Landberg 21500 Baltic Drive, Cornelius, NC 28031, 704-8924637, landberg.group@outlook.com

1964 Pam Norton: “Still traveling! I spent two months visiting Australian friends and touring Tasmania and mainland Australia. I have always wanted to see Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef, and I got to do both, including snorkeling on the reef, which was great fun despite my not having had a swimsuit on in the previous 20 years! Also got to go on the mail run out of Coober Pedy, 400 miles in 13 hours, on dirt tracks out to the cattle stations. Their isolation hasn’t changed much in the past 100 years, but the internet has opened up the world to them much as getting the telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin did in 1872 for Australia as a whole.” ❯ Yutaka Horiba: “I had a delightful reunion with two of our classmates recently. Hiroki Sakamoto ’62 and I were guests of Takashi Kurisaka at the Foreign Correspondent Club in Tokyo in February. In May, John Thomas and wife Donna were our houseguests in Baltimore, and enjoyed a trip together to the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay. John and I have both made it to our respective golden anniversaries this year.” ❯ Fay Stevenson-Smith: “Because I sculpted the portrait bust of Roger Taylor ’63 that is now on view in the Seymour Library, as well as a set of Lincoln-Douglas bookends to be given to Knox donors, I was recently commissioned to do a sculpture of Athletic Director Harley Knosher. Of course I was ﬂattered, because I, too, have always had great respect for Harley and look forward to seeing him when I returned to campus for Board meetings. It was a new venture for me to design and supervise the installation of the sculpture and a background unit that bears both his name and those of the men and women who receive the Harley Knosher Athlete of the Year Award—a great departure from my career as an obstetrician-gynecologist. But I have to admit that the challenge and execution was quite satisfying, and I learned a lot. The sculpture now stands in the front lobby of Memorial Gym. Harley seems very pleased with it, and basketball players have taken take great pleasure in rubbing Harley’s nose for good luck as they enter the gym for a game.” ❯ Al and Karen Hummel

Class Knox you can!” —Lynn Melcher Barrett ’64 Crumbliss: “We again enjoyed Europe over the summer for a BioMetals chemistry meeting and to chase ancestors! Al continues to write and edit after his formal retirement in August.” ❯ Brian Leekley: “In the coming church year, I will chair the Faith in Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Portage, Michigan. Areas of focus will include antiracism, climate justice, gay rights, and reform of immigration laws and policies.” ❯ Stewart Dyke: “As some may recall, about 25 years ago, I was director of public affairs at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. One alumni weekend I was in line for lunch when the lady in front of me looked at my name badge. ‘I knew Stew Dyke when I attended Knox College before transferring to Denison,’ the irrepressible one exclaimed. She may have also reminded me that she—Kathe Murphy ’66—came from the same hometown as my Knox roommate, Wayne Parks of Pelham, New York. Shortly after that re-introduction, ‘Murph’ helped steer her goddaughter from Sandpoint, Idaho, to Denison. And, upon graduation, her parents, Murph, and I all became reacquainted. Fast-forward to Murph’s 50th class reunion at Denison this summer and a campus top-down tour with the grizzled grey one in my 1957 Thunderbird. Yes, Siwashers, that’s the same car in which I left Illinois for the University of Missouri School of Journalism as a transfer student and the same car I drove to our 50th Reunion at Knox! Is the circle now complete?” ❯ Evan Cameron: “What happened to me after graduating from Knox? Having dabbled in philosophy while majoring in history, I moved eastward to secure an M.S. in ﬁlmmaking in 1968 and a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1970 from Boston University. In 1967, I married Joan Evans, an unwitting pianist from Newfoundland whom I had found wandering about town; daughter Hilary was born in London in 1975. We moved to Toronto in 1981 following a brief sojourn in the Paciﬁc Northwest. I retired from York University in 2009, having taught screenwriting for more than 40 years, while sinning occasionally by corrupting graduate students of Kant, Wittgenstein, and Collingwood as well. Joan retired before me, having become a renowned authority on the composers of Nazi Germany (who stayed, who left, why, and to what effect). Hilary, a doctorate in law now augmenting her laurels as a refugee lawyer, began teaching courses within the law school of the University of Toronto this fall. We summer on the west coast of Newfoundland, where I continue to augment hard-earned skills at rebuilding old houses while pondering (when weather, Joan, and our two grandkids permit) the wondrous achievements of the philosophers, mathematicians, composers, novelists, poets, and even screenwriters that I have for so long admired. The screenplay of my life remains a work in progress—or regress—the difference, in keeping with the craft, elusive.” ❯ Lynn Melcher Barrett: “This is a bittersweet message. Dennis ’62 and Kathy Moda East, their faithful dog,

Jessie (who didn’t go to Knox), Gordon ’61 and Anne Fribolin Stagg, and husband David and I spent time together in Arizona in March, all wanting to escape from the cold and damp of our winters and to enjoy each other’s company. We are now especially thankful that we had that time together because Dennis passed away in June after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Kathy supported him wonderfully through the last three years and now continues to be an inspiration to us who miss him. The moral of the story is, value your Knox friendships and get together whenever you can!” [Our sympathy goes out to all who knew Dennis.] Class Correspondent: Terry Klopcic klopcic2@roadrunner.com

1965 Deborah Frazier Golitz has been working with Habitat for Humanity. She was recently in Romania, near the Ukrainian border, helping to work on an orphanage for the Roma. She enjoyed a beautiful walk through the northern Romanian countryside. Things in this agrarian area have not changed in a hundred years. The clothing, the farms, and the methods of farming are like they have always been. They still farm with horses rather than tractors. She has also walked through parts of England and the highlands of Scotland. Prior to her retirement, she was head of the child psychology outpatient program at Denver General Hospital. Her husband continues to work in dermatologic pathology at the University of Colorado Medical Center. ❯ Richard Crooker notes that “all is quiet on the Western Front.” He retired as an organic chemist from an American-French company, where he did research on ﬂuorocarbons. While active, he traveled extensively between the American and French facilities. He lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania. ❯ Amy Lawrence Freiman lives in Newcomb, New York, and Tucson, Arizona. She is a retired nature center director. Husband Steven Freiman ’64 is a retired math teacher. They are active in wildlife rehabilitation, including raptors and small mammals. She also works with guide dogs for the visually impaired, socializing them for eight to 14 weeks prior to their formal training as guide dogs. The dogs are typically labradors and golden retrievers. ❯ Janice Sullivan traveled in the spring on a Caribbean cruise aboard a brand new Norwegian ship. She is retired from a career as a primary school teacher in Peoria. She enjoys photography and has a 300mm lens for her digital camera; her specialties are landscapes and animals. She is very thankful for her Knox education. ❯ Joe Thompson is quite interested in a class reunion in 2018 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Please contact Joe and let him know of your interest. Great idea. ❯ When we spoke, Garry Howard was surviving 100-degree weather in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He retired from teaching in Colorado, where he taught mathematics and

coached cross-country. He worked in Pakistan in the 1970s and ﬁshed in the Himalayas! He also served in the Peace Corps in Cambodia at the time of the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War. While he was there, he had the opportunity to tour Cambodia in the Vietnam days. Was able to see Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal. He took a birding trip to Southern Arizona last year and will soon visit Monterey, California, for another. He lives in Bailey, Colorado—west of Denver and in the mountains. The lowest point on the property is above 9,000 feet. ❯ Gary Wanke taught biology at both the high school and community college level but retired two years ago. He taught at Niles Township High School in Skokie, Illinois, as well as Oakton Community College in Des Plaines. He enjoys tai chi and pocket billiards. He lives in a townhouse in the Luther Village Center. He says it’s like living in a suburban community, only with all the outdoor work done by the facility. ❯ Sandra Olson Herrick has two dressage horses, one of which has competed at the Grand Prix level. She enjoys travel and has been to 200 Unesco heritage sites. Last year, she traveled to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland. Soon, she heads to Hawaii. As fellow horse lovers, we hope to visit Sandy in the fall. ❯ My wife and I are happily living on our farm and continue animal rescue. I

CLASS OF 1965 FOR THE WIN! We think it’s safe to say that the Class of 1965 is the winningest of our 50th Reunion classes to date. Don’t believe us? The numbers speak for themselves!

105 Classmates attended Reunion 2015*

66% Of the Class made a Reunion Gift*

$3.9 Million Total Reunion Gift* *The most, highest, and largest of any 50th Reunion class to date, respectively.

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“If someone had suggested my future when I was walking around campus, am actively working as an ophthalmologist and enjoy it very much. Class Correspondent: Terry Rothstein, M.D. 220 N. 32nd Street, Parsons, KS 67357, antiquarian@wavewls.com

1966 These notes were written before and will likely be read after our 50th Reunion. We asked for a sentence or two sharing what you’ve been doing in the past 50 years since graduation. ❯ Virginia Schwartz remembers, “It was a patriotic thrill for me to lead the Milwaukee American Legion Band into the 1989 Blau Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. The crème de la crème of European music was there, and I proudly carried (okay, so it was not my flute) the American flag! On a narrow street as we marched with other groups, a frail, elderly woman pushed her way through the people to me, picked up a corner of our flag, kissed it, and melted into the crowd.” ❯ Judith Holland Sarnecki says, “Husband Jan and I are excited about traveling during retirement. In early 2015, we spent a month in New Zealand and Australia. This past March, we traveled around the world to Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India. I look forward to seeing old chums at our 50th and then allowing life to settle down a bit afterward (does it ever?).” ❯ Virginia Bliss Bailey writes: “Our most fulfilling experience was traveling to Kenya as guests of The Kenyan Children’s Foundation. We volunteered for three weeks in an orphanage with 98 HIVpositive children. During the week, we worked in the orphanage and on the weekends we went on safari. Great experience!” ❯ Vicki Webster Hieronymus exclaims, “How lucky all of us who love to travel were to have graduated in 1966! Travel was so simple. Reasonably priced sameday fares, uncrowded lodgings, and no long TSA lines made traveling without reservations possible. Europe on $5 a day, no crowds, being allowed to climb the Tower of Pisa, and wander around Stonehenge, and safely roam through Papua New Guinea, as well as much of the rest of the world; B & B for £1 a night; legroom in coach; free meals; and no baggage fees made travel pleasurable. As a bonus, we had the benefit of a Knox education that fired the imagination and the desire to explore and learn.” ❯ Susan Wood Bailey sent this: “In 2001, my husband and I took a trip with Jim and Mary Gibson King (our travel agent!) to Northern France and Belgium to see WW I and WW II battlefields and cemeteries. Mary customized the trip for us; it was one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences I have ever had.” ❯ Sandra Steinhauer Gales tells us, “Husband Ron and I had 46 years of together time with vacations in the States and Canada with and without kids and grandkids. We were also in Europe with our son. Ron passed away this January after battling lung cancer. I have spent more than 40 years teaching math, from high school and college way down to

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

the little ones. I do some tutoring now, see family, and work on organizations at church and with women’s groups dedicated to education.” ❯ Joan Adams Leonard replied, “Fifty years! How they add up! One marriage, two children, two grandchildren, three years in the Peace Corps in Kenya, four years in law school at night, 27 years as a public defender in New Haven, Connecticut; seven years and counting as a retired public defender still doing conflict cases as a private attorney. Two Knox Reunions and all-too-infrequent visits with Susan Wood Bailey, Carolyn Grimm Nolan, and former exchange student Guenter Struve and wife Hilleburg. Travel to Austria, the Azores, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Italy, Mali, Mexico, Norway, and Tanzania. Whew! I need a nap.” ❯ Jim Drew writes, “I enjoyed singing with the Quincy Symphony Chorus, the Barbershoppers Chorus, the Scrap Iron Four Barbershop Quartet, and many productions at the Quincy Community Theatre (Music Man, Oliver, and more). I also ran the light board or stage crew for many other shows.” Jim and wife Dienna Danhaus Drew ’65 owned a Wild Birds Unlimited, and they just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. “I lived in Drew House, named for my grandfather, Knox professor William Prentice Drew, my first two years at Knox.” ❯ Greg Stanton says the two things he did after leaving Knox were to marry Margaret Sawyer Stanton ’67 and to follow an interest in neuroanatomy that developed in Dr. Michael Fox’s lab at Galesburg State Research Hospital. “The first accomplishment has given me/us 48+ happy years, two great sons and their spouses, and a 6month-old grandson. The second yielded a very satisfying career (recently concluded) teaching and doing research in neuroscience.” ❯ John Peden had two careers. “First, I was in the apparel business; I had two factories in Guatemala for 16 years. Second, totally out of character, I’ve been involved with prison ministry for 15 years in a maximum-security prison and served as South Carolina State Chairman for two years.” ❯ Joy Meriam McConnell reports, “I have spent a good amount of time trying to understand peaceful conflict resolution, family systems theory, nonviolent communication, and interpersonal neurobiology to improve my own relationships with others and the wider world and to share what I have learned as a high school English and values education teacher, an ethical humanist director of religious education, an ethical culture/humanist leader (clergy), and a congregational consultant. I continue to use those skills in my volunteer life and in the Unitarian Universalist congregation to which husband Richard and I belong here in Asheville, North Carolina.” ❯ From 4,678 miles east of Galesburg, Vija Siksna Klive writes: “I am in Riga looking forward to the Latvian celebration of John’s Eve (June 23) and John’s Day (June 24). This comes from ancient times, when the soil gods were worshipped. John—or J¯anis (pronounced Yaanis)—was a god

of fertility, and many rituals and folk songs were developed in praise. Although most Latvians are Christians, they engage in the celebration of John’s Eve because this celebration is truly a Latvian one, and, during the Soviet occupation times, its celebration had nationalist overtones, even though the authorities tried to suppress it. There is a saying: ‘You should not go to sleep on this shortest night of the year, because in the future you will not sleep well at all.’ Well, I am 71, and I simply cannot stay up all night! Amen!” ❯ And last, a literary note from Larry Sommers. “My story, ‘Nickel and Dime,’ adapted from my short screenplay of the same name, is featured in The Saturday Evening Post’s New Fiction Friday series. It’s about a little boy who lived a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” Read it online at saturdayeveningpost.com. Class Correspondents: Steve & Jo Strehle Sommers 209 North Lombard, Oak Park, IL 60302-2503, steveandjo.sommers@comcast.net

1967 Kate Linquist Adams: “Husband David and I have lived in Austin, Texas, since 1975, where I have been with the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. I am delighted to report that I will have retired by the time this issue sees the light of day, just after my book Comfort and Glory: Two Hundred Years of American Quilts at the Briscoe Center is published by the University of Texas Press. David and I expect to go on a long vacation in the fall in our Alaskan camper. Yippee.” ❯ Sally Neuwoehner Anderson: “Still using St. Louis as home base from which to travel as much as possible. Ken and I spent 72 days on a cruise through the Panama Canal and around South America last winter. Obviously, we are retired! While I graduated from the University of Denver, I consider Knox as my alma mater. Best to all the Class of ’67.” ❯ Judy Crawford De Leon: “I continue to live a life of 100 percent vacation—gym, family, friends, local events, travel, and keeping up on the internet. I am blessed to still have my mother, so I spend time with her also. This fall, we head to Walt Disney World with our granddaughter and her parents. We will also spend three weeks in Puerto Vallarta (my home away from home).” ❯ Sam and Mireille Henninger Griswold continue to enjoy retirement in sunny South Carolina. ❯ Sue Crume Montgomery: “My photographer husband, Todd, and I moved to Southern California more than ﬁve years ago and enjoy publishing articles about travel, food and wine. (See Examiner.com and our own site, LifeUncorked.com.) I am on the board of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association; we will co-chair its annual conference on Coronado Island, near San Diego, next fall. Sometimes, we travel with our two sweet cocker spaniels, Catie and Chester. We also visit our four children as often as possible. Kristin Mekeel is a kidney

Class Knox clay flaking off my jeans, I would have just laughed.” —Harvey Sadow ’68 and liver transplant surgeon at the University of San Diego, and David Mekeel, an international marketing director for a breast cancer diagnostic company based in Irvine. (Many of you may recall their father, Steve Mekeel—unfortunately, Steve passed away several years ago, but he would be very proud of our children’s accomplishments.) Liz Montgomery and our three wonderful grandchildren will soon return to the States after a nine-year stint in Hong Kong. And our son, Tripp Montgomery, is the head coach of a fabulous, growing swim team in Columbia, South Carolina. We would love to have any of my Knox classmates visit us in the Temecula Valley wine country, about an hour from San Diego. We promise to show you a great time, especially if you enjoy wine. We hope to attend the 50th Reunion in 2017.” ❯ Jim Nordin: “Linda and I took a third trip to China. This one was vacation rather than work, so we were actually able to see some sights. Among the most impressive were the Great Wall and the terracotta warriors. Among the most beautiful were the Ling Ling Gardens and the Temple of Heaven. So much to see and such a huge country. Incredible change from our ﬁrst trip in 2010. When you see some of the westernization, it makes you wonder about the image we are projecting.” ❯ Quentin Pletsch: “Volunteering now occupies much of my time. My wife and I no longer travel with a pediatric surgical team to Vietnam. Instead, I volunteer with Mission Outreach, which provides medical supplies and equipment to third-world countries. I also volunteer with Animal Protective League (love those dogs and cats) and with Meals on Wheels. Recently, my wife and I continued our travels with Dick Fiddes and his wife to St. John in the United States Virgin Islands, and to Kauai, Hawaii. As I write, we are looking forward to my third visit with cousins in Germany. I always knew my German courses at Knox would someday be useful.” ❯ Joelle Nelson Sommers: “Larry Sommers ’66 and I have been very busy. I am 3/4 retired, serving as a volunteer tax preparer for AARP in the winter. Larry works on his writing now that he has retired from his editing job. You can ﬁnd him on the Saturday Evening Post website. This past summer, we planned a Viking ocean cruise to all the Baltic ports I have wanted to see, also visited a cousin in Sweden and spent some time in Iceland. Daughter Katie Sommers ’98 and two grandchildren live near us in Wisconsin and share a lot of our time. Hope to see you all at the Reunion next year.” ❯ Tom and Dorie Campbell Tichenor: “We continue splitting our retired years between West Virginia and Florida, with trips to Tucson and Seattle to visit the kids and grandchildren. AND we look forward to next year’s 50th Reunion and hope to reconnect with old classmates.” ❯ Update from the Jack and Anne Talley Turner: “We’re happily settled into what we hope will be our last house, near our kids in Eugene after many years in the countryside. Loving the conveniences now: closer to grandkids and pizza deliveries! The

Class of ’67 Reunion committee is hard at work making plans for our 50th next October. If you are in touch with classmates who you think may have gone missing from Knox communications, encourage them to get back in touch. A big turnout for our Reunion would be wonderful.” Class Correspondents: Jack and Anne Talley Turner 50 East 39th Place, Eugene, OR 97405, anneturner345@gmail.com raptorjackturner@gmail.com

1968 Linda Richards Colacurcio lives the life of a happy grandma. This summer, she went to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to babysit granddaughter Alice (3) and see six-month-old grandson Henry. She has two more grandkids who live near her, Meredith (8) and Tyler (6). She meets their bus once a week. She celebrated her joint 70th with friends Heather Milliken Daina, Alice McClenahan Burk, and JoAnn Johansen. She is ecstatic about the Cleveland Cavaliers and shot off ﬁreworks at home. People partied in the streets near the Q all night. ❯ Mary Mangieri Burgland and husband George worked as leaderboard and thruboard volunteers at the PGA Senior Championship in Benton Harbor, Michigan, this past May. ❯ Frank Mannino and Alan Greenwald just reunited to take a Colorado River rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. ❯ Peter Kimmel will travel while he attends the NeoCon show in Chicago. ❯ Anne Maxfield Wilkinson says, “I had the distinct pleasure of getting together with Harvey Sadow recently in Sarasota, Florida. He and his wife and my husband and I spent some time in our scintillating downtown by dining at Mattison’s City Grille. What a great time! They live in Jupiter, almost exactly across the state. Without having known each other well at Knox, our mutual connections often surprised us. It was good to spend time together, and we never would have done it without the ‘Knox 68’ Facebook page, which has brought many of our classmates back into contact.” ❯ Chip Evans reports the classmates who joined the Facebook group recently include: Marilyn Bell Primm, Vic Brown, Wendy Saul, Joe Hammon, Peggy Gamble Vogelsinger, Ann Harper, Donna Roberts Godkins, Mark Burkhalter, Jean Rabinow, and Georgia Mohr Lusk. He sends thanks to Bill Butts, who recorded the Stoney Hollow Boys in 1966, converted the tape to mp3 ﬁles, and posted links to 15 songs. ❯ Harvey Sadow reports, “Earlier this spring, I attended a Knox Club function at the Whitney Museum in New York with Peeky Ogburn Mathews-Berenson and met many other interesting alumni, as well as President Teresa Amott and members of the Knox administration. It was a really enjoyable afternoon. I shot my age (69) in a Florida state tournament, a bucket list thing, and won the Brooks Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament. We recently visited Dick Wissler ’69 and Diana

Egbers Fanning ’71 and her husband in Middlebury, Vermont. The Fuller Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts, just acquired one of my pieces from the Jupiter Diary Series for its permanent collection, joining more than 30 museums around the world that include my work. Another piece has been included in the permanent collection of the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pasadena, California. When people talk about the dubious value of a liberal arts education, they really miss the point. I discovered my life’s work in the visual arts via a philosophy class co-taught by Professors Daly (philosophy) and Parks (art). I was a creative writing major. If someone had suggested my future when I was walking around campus, clay flaking off my jeans, I would have just laughed.” ❯ Ron Boggs reports that he is alive and well and lives in Highland Park. While he left Knox in 1966, his collegiate heart is with Knox. Hardly a day goes by that he doesn’t reflect on a Knox experience: great teaching, friends, and good times! ❯ Update from Barbara Irwin in Victoria, British Columbia: “I’ve had a blast participating in the organic local food movement on Vancouver Island. I have a large backyard garden and an allotment plot at the Agnes Street Gardens (agnesstreetgardens.ca). I volunteer for several jobs there, including reviewing books for the Armchair Gardener Series (retired librarians can’t resist working on garden education). There is a ton of food produced on the 110+ plots.” ❯ Paul Madsen reports that Chip Evans usually arranges for a monthly luncheon getting Allen Mossman, Ron Weingart ’70, Joe Hammon, Paul Madsen, Allan Penwell ’66, Rich Gronemeyer ’66, Tom Wingader ’66, and Bill Lloyd ’65 together. “We enjoy conversation and memories of Knox in the 1960s. Chip Evans, Tom Mellen, and I went to see Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson in concert in Aurora in June.” ❯ Susan Tracy Van Kirk shares, “Right now, I’m in the middle of writing a historical fiction novel with a friend and learning that collaborating on a fiction plot is really funny and thought-provoking. I self-published an e-book, The Locket: From the Casebook of TJ Sweeney, about the detective in my Endurance mysteries. The second novel in the series of mysteries is coming out November 16 and is titled Marry in Haste. All my books are available on Amazon and some on Barnes & Noble. I enjoy visits from my three children and eight grandchildren and occasionally visit them in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Loving retirement.” ❯ Jack Brown attended an exhibit at the Petzel Gallery by artist and Galesburg native Stephen Prina. Galesburg, IL, features locals Carl Sandburg and Dorothea Tanning ’32 among his artistic influences. ❯ Gaetano Amorosi (formerly Guy Morose) died in April. He lived for a time in New York City and in Florida before settling in San Francisco in 1983. He volunteered at the Shanti Project during the height of the AIDS epidemic and supported many local charities. He also supported his alma mater and always

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“I have taken up boxing. Muhammed Ali is gone. There is

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treasured his college years, remembering fondly his role in The Mikado. He was sober for more than 30 years and helped many other people stay sober during that time. He gave freely of his time and energy to help people build a life from the ashes of their addiction and believed that every minute was time well spent. He leaves behind husband and soulmate Ken Auletta after 15 wonderful years of travel, adventure, and fun. He spent months ﬁghting a failing heart that didn’t work mechanically but was full of love for his husband and friends. He died peacefully with his husband by his side. ❯ We just took a wonderful trip to Door County and took Judd to camp. Youngest son Ross and his wife expect their ﬁrst baby in October. Oldest son Josh Mika ’97 is very happy working for Apple. Class Correspondent: Susan Meyer Mika 1519 North Kennicott Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60004, 847-253-7719, pottatea@comcast.net

1969 Seated, left to right: Mary Mundt Reckase ’73, Kadi Finlayson Meyer, Professor Dewey Moore, Professor Doug Wilson, Jan Novak Dressel ’71, Marla Rybka Biss ’73, Judy O’Keefe van der Linden ’73. Standing left to right: Lenny Green ’73, Dan Reckase ’72, Sandy Lamprech Heggeness ’73, Caity Curley Callison ’73, Jane Wolff ’72, Kevin Corrado ’72, and Steve Axon. Not able to attend were Karen Claus Schuh ’73, Chuck Gardner ’73, and Rick Yerkes ’73.

Farm Term Reunion BY JUDY O’KEEFE VAN DER LINDEN ’73

This past summer, I was one of 12 Knox students and two professors who gathered in southwestern Wisconsin for a unique college reunion. It was held on two farms—the same farms where we students had lived, worked and studied with our professors in the spring of 1971. The “Farm Term” was an off-campus, interdisciplinary program organized by then associate professors Douglas Wilson (English) and Duane “Dewey” Moore (geology). Their goal was to expose urban students to life in the country, hoping the students would gain an appreciation for farming and rural communities, and, at the same time, examine the consequences of treating nature as a commodity. Fifteen students were selected for the program. The nine women roomed in a wood-heated farmhouse on land owned by Knox English Professor Robin Metz (and used that spring by Farm Term). Six men bunked in the upstairs and attic of Moore’s nearby farmhouse. Wilson and his family lived close by on their farm. Students and faculty met each morning at the Metz farm for classes. The program was challenging for everyone. Moore and Wilson worked long hours to stay one step ahead of the students and to provide all services normally handled by College staff back on campus. The students initially were cold in the draughty farmhouses, and some struggled to adapt to “too much togetherness.” To save water, students were allowed one shower a week and encouraged to use the outhouse— difﬁcult adjustments for many of us. But it was clear to me that for those of us at the reunion (and also several who could not attend), the positive impacts of Farm Term far outweighed the hardships. Several students said they carried the program’s unconventional learning style into future adventures and careers. Others remembered the thought-provoking readings, ﬁeld trips and guest lecturers. Many of us reexamined our life values in light of the experience. And because of those different and personal impacts, we took the opportunity to again thank Wilson and Moore for their vision and perseverance in making Farm Term a reality.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

First, an apology to Kyle Rost for neglecting his submission to me from last November. Kyle wrote: “I picked up road bicycling a few years ago and, as I am prone to do, I worked at [it] like no man’s business. Last year, I felt ready to advance and entered my first race, a several-hours-long event called the Cherry Creek Dam Race. I won my division, including a neck-and-neck, madman sprint finish reminiscent of Mark Cavendish in the Tour de France! This was good, but the story has a bit more. When I analyzed the full race result, I saw that I had beaten far more than my division: all teenagers, all the 20-year-olds, and all the 30-year-olds. The clear trend was that the tough, really tenacious guys must be at the upper end. This is not what you might guess, but there is charm to it. Encouraged by my racing experience, I have taken up boxing. Muhammad Ali is gone. There is room at the top. I’ve already been challenged by a pro who saw me beat the cover of the heavy bag, so keep your eye on The Ring.” ❯ KT Johnson issued an e-mail to Knox Betas and friends of the fraternity seeking support for renovation of the Knox Beta house, ownership of which the College took over recently. If you are interested in contributing time, money, or labor to this project, please contact either KT or Mark Wilson of the Knox Office of Advancement. ❯ Speaking of Betas, the 1969 Knox Beta graduates planned a get-together with their pledge brothers and others in Denver this past August. Expect a full report in the next Knox Magazine. ❯ On a sad note, Bob Combs, my eldest (of five) brothers, recently passed away at the age of 78, due to heart complications. As a former Marine, he was interred at Sarasota National Cemetery with military honors. Bob was the standard-bearer of the family throughout my youth, and a treasured confidant in my adult years. Many of my Knox friends made Bob’s acquaintance and have expressed their condolences to me. I thank all who

Class Knox room at the top.” —Kyle Rost ’69

1970 From Bud and Becky Hollmeyer Ullman: Becky completed her sixth tour with Doctors Without Borders in July, this time returning from Côte d’Ivoire after six months teaching midwives and nurses in Katiola. She took up development and training in the sexual violence prevention program in September. Bud plays banjo with the 7:20 Band (marginally famous within three miles of his kitchen), works—despite his pessimism— on transition-from-fossil-fuel issues, and continues his work as adjunct professor at the University of Tulsa, a distance-learning program that does not require leaving the house—from the windows of which he can see eagles and orcas. They have four perfect grandchildren. ❯ Catherine Kucik Heimann: “Well, I guess the first order of business needs to be sending you my sincere thanks for doing this service for the Class of 1970. Thank you! I’m not one who responds to the requests for news very often . . . but I always read about our class when the magazine arrives. So, here’s what’s happening in my life. I retired in June 2010 from my position as legislative aide to my state representative. I was motivated to retire by several factors: 1) Tim’s too-early death, 2) a misconception regarding Social Security, 3) my kids all living far away, and 4) a friend who wanted a travel buddy. So, my friend threw me a great party . . . I retired . . . we traveled—to Puerto Vallarta for three months during winters, among other places. Fast-forward five years: My former boss, who will not run for reelection in November, asked me to come back and help him from October 2015 until January 2017. Thus, I’m back at work, and my friend keeps asking, ‘What’s that work thing all about?’ In another area of my life, I have four beautiful grandchildren. They live in Michigan. That’s too far away, and they’re growing up too quickly. I will have #5 in July; that one will live near St. Louis, a bit closer. My four adult children are all fine. They live in Princeton, New Jersey (2); near Grand Rapids, Michigan; and near St. Louis. I don’t see them enough, but I love every minute we’re together. And finally, my friend and I plan another retirement party in January. He’s a great party person! He’d like it to be somewhere warm—Mexico or the Caribbean. I think it should be here in Galesburg. You’re all invited!” ❯ Incidentally, friends of Tim Heimann will want to check out the newly surfaced floor of Tim Heimann Court in Memorial Gym. It’s beautiful! ❯ Bob and Jan Eckardt Butler: “Bob and I have launched two kids into doctoral programs. We signed up to teach again at Holland Hall next year and spent our summer remodeling our kitchen...from 1970 yellow Formica® and broken tile to sleek new tile and DIY countertops and Rust-Oleum®

cabinet reﬁnishing. Bob is in his element planning the kitchen and setting up the outdoor kitchen to cook whilst the indoor is torn up. Otherwise, I still chase birds and butterﬂies, especially monarchs, when not teaching art and drawing, potting and gardening.” Class Correspondent: Nancy Hoover Debelius 865 Gayer Drive, Medina, OH 44256-2901, 330-723-5658, Knox1970@zoominternet.net

1971 I did not hear from as many of my classmates from the glorious Class of ’71 as I usually do. I assume that everyone is waiting to share info and gossip at our 45th Reunion, October 14–16. ❯ Ted Fagerburg (ted.fagerburg@gmail.com) wrote that he and wife Francine look forward to seeing classmates at the Reunion. Ted and I can compare artiﬁcial hips (his right, my left), which we each received this year. Francine says Ted has become “bionic and better than ever with the new hip” and has “such a pretty scar that he’s tempted to wear a string to the beach this summer in order to show it off.” Let’s hope that Ted gets that out of his system this summer and does not display such outﬁts at Homecoming. Their son, Nils, was married and moved from Belgium to Maine, while daughter Anne Fagerburg ’08 is engaged and works in Chicago. As Ted noted, if he and Francine can make it to Homecoming from Belgium, “there’s no excuse for others who live closer (for example piddling off to Portugal—you know who you are).” ❯ Steve Phillips (knox1971@gmail.com), under his professional guise as Dr. Steve Phillips, gave the keynote address, “A Nurse Just Like You,” at the Brecken-

ridge School of Nursing pinning ceremony in June. He discussed five notable nurses from history who were “nurses just like you.” They included Sister Mary Joseph, Caroline Hampton Halsted (the first person to wear rubber gloves in the OR), James Derham (the first Black man to practice medicine in the U.S.), and Mary “Pinky” Roberts (the first woman to earn the Silver Star in U.S. history). ❯ Don Raleigh (djr@ email.unc.edu) recently crossed another item off his bucket list by vacationing in China, a trip that included a visit to Lhasa, Tibet. He received the 2016 Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring at the University of North Carolina’s doctoral hooding ceremony in May. The award is presented annually to a faculty member “who has encouraged graduate students to establish their own records of scholarly activity, provided a supportive environment that brings forth the very best from students, and achieved a successful record of graduate degree completion among students he or she has advised.” Congrats, Don. Quite an honor! ❯ Greg and June Schulthes Loy (junesloy@gmail.com) recently went on an alumni tour to the Four Corners area, viewing and photographing ruins of the ancient Pueblo peoples with professors Mike Godsil ’76 and Greg Gilbert, as well as a number of other alumni. They encourage others to go on these tours and said that they “met some great people and had a wonderful time!” ❯ Steve Weiner (sweiner@listenup.com) reports that son Graeme Johnston graduated magna cum laude from Fort Lewis College this year, having majored in art education with a minor in history. Graeme has accepted a position teaching art to grades 3-8 in Wray, Colorado (population: 2,500). Meanwhile,

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kindly took the time to offer consolation; the kind words indeed softened the impact. Class Correspondent: Bill Combs bcombsi@yahoo.com

“Old Timers of Ping Pong” Reunite The mighty ADE team who captured the 1970-71 Intramural Ping Pong Tournament title reunited in Denver in June 2016. From left to right: Ben Tovrog ’71, Kathryn Keller ’73, Kevin Murray ’71, Dennis Reynolds ’71, and Gail Tovrog ’73. (Kevin’s wife, Liz, took the photo.)

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Chris Eik Winick ’73 was elected as a Democratic National daughter Ruby Johnston is in her second year at Brooklyn College. ❯ Charley Stivale (ad4928@ wayne.edu) relates that, after 18 years as a Detroit city resident, he is happily in the ’burbs (Novi). He started his phased-in retirement (over three years) from Wayne State this fall. He and wife Nancy Kozak spent two weeks in Roma. Charley will be in for the Reunion and looks forward to seeing Class of ’71 faces in October. ❯ The last time I saw Charley was at the White House, when we visited a little-known classmate, John Podesta, whom, I hear, keeps going from job to job. Something tells me John may be too busy to make it to this Reunion. Hopefully, he will make it to our 50th. Speaking of which, there will be a big announcement about it at this year’s Homecoming. That’s the teaser to get more of you back to the ’Burg in October. ❯ For those of you who had season tickets to the 1970-71 Intramural Ping Pong Tournament, I am sure that you will recall that it was won by the mighty ADE team of Dennis Reynolds (dpr2004@comcast.net), Ben Tovrog, and Kevin Murray. This past June, that memorable trio staged their own “Old Timers of Ping Pong” event in Denver together with wives Kathy Keller ’73, Gail Wagner Tovrog ’73, and Liz Murray. No doubt their hands hurt from all the autograph seekers. (Don’t miss the photo from the event in this issue!) ❯ Judy and I got away for a few days in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, recently. We were joined by classmates Ann McConachie and Betsy Harris Bowen. The four of us had a wonderful dinner at what has become our favorite classic Wisconsin supper club, The Duck Inn in Delavan, where we talked about classmates, children, travels, and life. ❯ My year has been interesting, to say the least. Before this year, the last time I was in the hospital for surgery was when I had my tonsils taken out at the ripe old age of eight. This year, I had the hip replacement in November, robotic prostate cancer surgery in April, and then a week in the hospital with a virus and bacterial infection in May. I am ﬁne now, have lost weight, and am ready to join my baseball (hardball) team on the ﬁeld. For those of you who want to turn their trip to Galesburg for the Reunion into a longer vacation, you can join my teammates and me at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, the weekend of October 7–9, where we’ll play in the First Shoeless Joe Field of Dreams Movie Site 60+ Wood Bat Tournament. We wear 1917 White Sox uniforms, so we’ll be real comfortable coming out of the corn. Max Roy Utsler ’70 will also be there with a team from Kansas City. ❯ That’s it. See you in October! Class Correspondent: Jerome A. Tatar 333 Wilshire Drive West, Wilmette, IL 60091-3151, 847-251-4889, jerry@tatarlawfirm.com

1972 Mike Burke writes, “As always, thanks for doing such a good job compared to most classes. Just ﬁnished my two-year term as chair of the Northern Ohio Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Made our fundraising goals both years, and we are having great success curing blood cancers. My daughter ﬁnished her six-month stint in England with Lockton learning cybersecurity brokerage and got recruited to Allianz in Chicago to lead their U.S. Midwest effort. I ﬁnally got engaged! We are working on dates with tax planning in mind…I know, not romantic…some of you know better.” ❯ Sheila Guter Cohen writes that husband Jan Cohen died in December 2015. They were married for 42 years, and “met when we were kids.” ❯ Deirdre Poste Cummings writes, “Pat Drummond and I will travel together to our 45th next year. Sue Davis also said she will go if I go. Sounds like a great time is coming. Too bad it’s over a year away.” ❯ Bob Fairbank writes, “So…I retired. Forty-six years of IT is enough. My thanks to Bill Ripperger ’60 and that sweet little IBM 1130 computer. My e-mail address… which used to be bfairbank@bloodsystems.org…no longer works (having been retired too). It should be changed in your records to bopnmama@q.com. Me being Bop (because Bob is too hard to say when you’re two (I guess)) and my wife is, of course, Mama. Hindsight being 20/20, I guess I should have made it mamanbop@q.com but…oh well.” ❯ Ron ’74 and Carol Smith Giometti are now the proud grandparents of Benjamin Patrick Whittenhall (8/26/15) and Charlotte Marie Giometti (5/16/16). ❯ Bob Robeson writes, “I retired on July 29 after 22 years of federal service and 16 years in the private sector. I feel very blessed to have had a fascinating career in international trade and then aviation. My career took twists and turns I’d never have predicted when I was at Knox, and I think the liberal arts environment provided a rounded education that made such a varied experience possible. I’ve made many wonderful friends and have kept up with many Knox friends on Facebook, visits, and, of course, Homecoming. Alice and I are in Cape St. Claire, Maryland, for the time being while we ponder our future. With our kids and grandkids in Baltimore, Maryland, Nashua, New Hampshire, Logan, Utah, and Key West, Florida, we have many opportunities to consider. At this time next year we could be, well, most anywhere! Meanwhile, if anyone is passing through the Annapolis area, look us up. We know where the crabs are always available!” ❯ Bill Sowle writes, “Perfect timing, I just happen to be at the Aspen Library. I had been skiing with the Phoenix Ski Club in March, mostly at Snowmass next door, but vowed to come back this summer. The Aspen Music Festival (July and August) is in full swing, and each day I am able to attend a free concert at one of the many venues. Interestingly, the festival was founded in 1949 by Chicago businessman Walter Paepcke and wife Elizabeth. The concerts were originally held in a large circus tent. Carrying on the tradition, a new Benedict Music Tent was constructed in 2000. I am staying in a wonderful Forest Service campground four miles outside of town. Great hiking trails, streams, and snowcapped mountains abound. Amazingly, this small town of 6,000 has the Wheeler Opera House,

built by Jerome B. Wheeler, Civil War Cavalry officer and later president of R.H. Macy in New York. He also built the Jerome Hotel. Both restored. The burger at the hotel bar was excellent, and I was able to get a seat for a performance of La Boheme.” ❯ Since January 2012, Steve Suskin has resided on the beautiful Virginia oceanfront. In addition to his rewarding work as director of philanthropy at Beth Sholom Village in Virginia Beach, he has been busy working as an actor and director in community theatre. He has also taken up painting! He shares his life with the lovely Dr. Lisa Barr, “the most amazing person on the planet.” Anyone desiring a lovely oceanfront beach vacation? Virginia’s Tidewater has a place for you: ssuskin50@gmail.com. ❯ Vince Throop writes, “The hot humid days of summer are upon us—the usual thunderstorm in the evening and hot sticky mornings. The tomatoes have tons of flowers but little fruit, and the early apples are tart even when dried. The new chickens are well, but, unfortunately, one chicken had to be dispatched using my daddy’s old hatchet to prevent any spread of nervous disorders. And the new pup is slowly being trained—with a long way to go. I’m lonesome for the road and eager to kick up my heels. I suppose it is time to hitch to the coast.” ❯ Wendy Scherwat Ducourneau writes, “Needed to make a visit to Arkansas and driving was the most efficient way to go. It turned into a 20 day, nine state, 5,271 mile journey—including a four-day visit with our daughter in Danville, Kentucky. (Emilie spent her summer at Centre College as part of a small team, interviewing and video recording Kentucky World War II veterans in order to preserve their stories for posterity.) Amazing side trips allowed me to explore some unfamiliar parts of our great nation. Highly recommend historic homes in and around Lexington, Kentucky, as well as the back country of New Mexico. Thoroughly enjoyed two stays with Jerry ’71 and Barbara McCauley Baumeister. Have now swum in nine US Masters swim meets, one open water competition, and a couple ‘across the lake and back’ swims in various Arkansas lakes. Next up—ocean swimming. Having a great time in the water!” Class Correspondent: Wendy Scherwat Ducourneau wjsd@jps.net, Facebook Group: Knox College Class of ’72

1973 I have not followed husband Clay into retirement but continue as a technical writer and geologist for a Boulder, Colorado, software ﬁrm. ❯ Judy Bence Barnicle retired from Richland Center High School (22 years) and University of Wisconsin–Richland (10 years). She has no plans except to enjoy summer and see what fall brings. ❯ Don Bernardi retired from the bench in 2008 and teaches at Illinois State University. He works part-time as a guardian ad litem for children in juvenile court. Daughters Leah and Caroline graduated from Notre Dame, and son Daniel is

Class Knox Convention delegate for Bernie Sanders. at Villanova. Don and wife Joan are still getting used to a quiet house without children! ❯ Genevieve Best-Dickson and husband Bob just returned from California, where daughter Mary Nora had her hooding ceremony and received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from University of California, Irvine. Son Charlie should graduate from University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco next June. Genevieve retired from her job as an R.N. in October 2014, and recently accepted a part-time job as teaching assistant for a K-3 class. ❯ Bob Bolier will ﬁnally retire to Sarasota, Florida, in November! No more snowy winters, just golf, senior softball, and hitting the Siesta Key Beach. Bob spent time in March in Scottsdale, Arizona, with Dennis Farrell ’71 and John Flood ’71. He also played in the K Club Harley Knosher golf outing in June with Don Sweeney and Kyle Vantrease, and Don’s son, Cameron. While in the ’Burg, Bob joined Rick Miers, Monty Abbott ’72, and John Flood for a few cold beverages. ❯ Susan Westerberg Cole has retreated into retirement. ❯ Steve Kaufman’s mother, Anne Kaufman, turned 100 on July 12. She lives in an assisted living facility two miles from Steve, and he will resume his habit of seeing her several times a week once he recovers from shoulder surgery. ❯ Kathy Keller retired after teaching grade school for 35 years but continues to stay busy subbing, volunteering at the Ten Thousand Villages store in Glen Ellyn, and quilting. She also escapes to Washington Island, Wisconsin, to help a friend at her bookstore. She and husband Dennis Reynolds ’71 travel and enjoy spending time in Colorado with the Tovrogs and Kevin Murray ’71. ❯ Tom Kroupa and wife Kim keep collecting grandkids while still working in their respective ﬁelds. The myth that Kim actually graduated from Knox is fueled by her attending so many Reunions. The legend is getting out of control, since now classmates are telling “Do you remember the time that Kim...” stories. ❯ Rick Miers recently spent time in G’Burg, and traded stories with Bob Bolier, Kyle Vantrease, and Don Sweeney, who were in town for Harley Knosher’s golf outing. Rick sees Bob Lindsay regularly and hears from a number of alums on Facebook, including Judy Bence Barnicle, Sue Braasch van Bavel, Diane Grosvenor Griffith, Noel Knox, Debbie Soule Salansky, and Amy Dooha. Rick maintains a number of websites for his local school district and has recently coauthored a book on the history of Rock Island High School. ❯ Scott Montgomery published two books in 2015: The Shape of the New: Four Big Ideas that Built the Modern World (Princeton University Press), with co-author Daniel Chirot, made the NY Times’ 100 Best Books of 2015. He also published A History of Science in World Cultures (Routledge) with co-author Alok Kumar. Scott continues to teach courses at the University of Washington in the Jackson School of International Studies, where his students remind him of those at Knox. Outside the classroom, he spends time writing in the house on Capitol Hill, which

he and wife Marilyn bought decades ago. ❯ Scott Moore retired from Colorado State University after doing 36 years of political science stand-up in Kansas, New York, Virginia, and Colorado. He continues to pursue research projects while recovering from a total hip replacement. He will stay in Fort Collins but plans a trip to Laos to hike, cycle, and to see the “middle Mekong” during high water. After visiting the Class of 1973 Facebook site curated by Rick Miers and Diane Grosvenor Griffith, Scott says he was flooded with the realization of the lovely imprint people in ’73 left on him. ❯ Judy O’Keefe van der Linden and husband Peter retired last year to Decorah, Iowa, near their three children. They have no grandchildren, so have lots of time to pursue interests in the outdoors, music, and historic building preservation. Judy looked forward to attending Knox’s 45th Farm Term reunion in July in Ferryville, Wisconsin. ❯ Mark Skipworth says when you get to be our age, no news is actually good news! He now has his first hearing aid so has no excuse when his wife asks him questions. ❯ Solveig Spjeldnes (formerly spelled Spellnes) recently married John Molinaro, president and CEO of the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, and they honeymooned near Bar Harbor, Maine. She is an associate professor in the department of social and public health at Ohio University and studies issues related to rural criminal justice and how economic development can reduce criminal recidivism. Her oldest son earned an M.F.A. in poetry in May, and her youngest son is a campaign manager for a targeted Congressional race in Michigan. ❯ Jane Goeltz Stetson has no news but sends her greetings. ❯ John Straus shared this note: “Hello, 1973 classmates! Recently, I reached out to all of you asking for contributions to the College’s $200,000 matching challenge. Many thanks to those who accepted. To the majority who did not respond, I can’t help but ask, ‘Why not?’ Over the years, it has continued to disappoint me that our class ranks among the lowest in the number of alumni making gifts. Our personal experiences at Knox varied greatly. We were among the largest classes of our era. Yet, in contrast to others, so few of us provide needed ongoing support to the College. If any of you have any insight to offer, I welcome your comments at straussjj@ aol.com. And, for those of you who feel disconnected from Knox, I strongly encourage you to visit campus. It’s a long, long road to alma mater...but it feels great to be back again.” ❯ Ben ’71 and Gail Wagner Tovrog are retired and basking in grandparent delight. They now have a place in Denver to be close to their daughter and spend summers there. They love seeing their two grandsons grow up, and enjoy cycling, hiking, and enjoying the scenery. The rest of the year finds them near Atlanta, where they enjoy their adorable twin granddaughters. Last year, the Tovrogs traveled to Ireland and England and had such a grand time that they plan a trip to the Danube region this fall. Gail keeps busy making

beaded jewelry, painting, doing aqua aerobics, and gardening. ❯ Chris Eik Winick was elected as a Democratic National Convention delegate for Bernie Sanders. She saw Michael Briggs on the campaign trail and hoped their paths would cross again in Philadelphia. Chris continues to enjoy retirement and the freedom it provides to travel or just loaf. She had a great trip to Cuba in March on the Knox alumni trip and especially enjoys going to Chicago to see her son and her niece, Brynn Seibert ’01. Chris looks forward to seeing everyone at our next Reunion in two years! Class Correspondent: Nancy Bakos Hunter n.hunter@platte.com

1974 I heard from many of you who have not updated us in a while. Yahoo! We also heard certain themes: retirement, gardening, traveling. We have arrived at that age! ❯ Bob Sahm lives and works in the Albany area. He started a new job as manager of contracts and procurements for the New York State Dept. of Corrections and Community Services, focusing on housing and services to transition back to community. He says, “This will be my last job, hoping to be able to retire in the next few years.” ❯ Jackie Martin Totsch (Park Ridge, Illinois) reports, “I get together with my local Knox gals (Kathy Yamasaki, Jeanne Miyake Cuneo, Jan Thompson, and Margie Beers) a couple of times a year. I recently started a business working as a professional gardener after receiving that designation from the Chicago Botanic Garden. Next year, I will finish additional certifications in ornamental plant materials and garden design. My husband, kids, and their spouses are supportive and amused.” ❯ Lin Yeilding Bowie wrote in with this: “I completed my (almost) last year teaching biology at the local community college. I am phasing out into retirement. I want more time to travel to see my grown children and pursue volunteer interests as a master gardener and docent, as well as some community service.” ❯ The Gallalees send greetings from Chicago: “Mike Gallalee has been retired for two years. He is busy working on his novel and envisioning home improvements. I (Linda Guastaferri Gallalee) recently celebrated 40 years working for a Fortune 500 company in the field of professional liability insurance. Our younger son and his wife are also Knox graduates. We always look forward to our next vacation. Next year is Rome for our 40th wedding anniversary!” ❯ John Manos: “I had close encounters with old friends in the last year: Steve Schwartz ’75, Stu Harvey, and Jack McGuinn ’75. We shared lodging in the former Salvation Army building on Cherry Street in the fall of 1973 (I renamed it The Lap of Luxury in the letterboard out front). I would love to report that we looked the same, but in truth we all looked like old farts. Steve lives in Flagstaff, Arizona; Jack in Elgin, Illinois; and Stu in Oklahoma City. It was a de-

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

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Sheri Sprung Morrison ’75 and husband Jerry made their two annual

FIJIs, and Phi Delts Come Together for Golf Challenge FIJIs from the 1970s and 1980s display shirts and hats honoring Paul Brauer ’78 at the 2016 FIJI-Phi Delt Golf Challenge in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Front Row (left to right): Jim Murphy ’82, Steve Lamore ’80, Jim Lofgren ’80, Matt Brauer (Paul’s son), event organizer Norm Hillner ’80, Mark Unangst ’82, Tom Bannos ’79. Back Row: Kent Williams ’80, Bob Voss ’78, Bill Hurley ’77, Dave Brackman ’81, Joe Czurylo ’80, Brian Cox ’79, Tom Minick ’82, David Bates ’78, Glen Thompson ’78, Chuck Barstow ’79, John Gordon ’82, Brent Petersen ’78, Dave Lymberopoulos ’78, Joe Morrison ’79, Doug Duff ’78. Not pictured: Dean Toriumi ’80 and Jim Mocogni ’79. light to see all of them.” ❯ Priscilla Inge: “I live a very busy country life—gardening, staying in shape, and staying politically aware. I can’t travel very much except locally because of all my animals. I hear from my friends in the Chicago area: Jan Thompson is retired and loves it, going on trips and to concerts. Margie Beers’ daughter is expecting, and Margie had a lovely shower for her. Kathy Yamasaki moved to Washington State in August. Annie Reinke has a wonderful new condo. I talk to Jeanne Miyake Cuneo occasionally; it’s always about Knox and our group and newsy stuff about Knox. I look forward to the 45th Reunion in 2019. We’re all getting older, so we need to get our butts off the couch and get to the Reunion! Love you all.” [We are now on notice for 2019. Thanks, PI.] ❯ “Greetings and best wishes to Knox friends from Landis Smith. I’m alive and well in Philadelphia and still co-artistic director of Enchantment Theatre Company (since 1978!) along with my wife, Jennifer Blatchley Smith. We create original theatre pieces and symphonic concert programs based on classic stories that tour North America. We conduct inschool educational programs in Philadelphia inner-city schools and take very portable theatre productions into schools and community venues.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

It’s a lot for a small nonproﬁt company to manage, but we feel fortunate to wake up each morning and get to do something we love!” [Perhaps a trip to Philly is in our future?!] ❯ Victor Heintz decided to tell us about his kids: “Eric is halfway through a two-year fellowship in infectious disease at University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital. Laura is looking for a school psychologist position in the Philadelphia area after recently completing an internship year there for her Ph.D. program.” ❯ Ted Jelen celebrates 20 years as a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ted writes about religion and politics and conducts occasional studies in applied probability theory. He is continually seeking funding for the latter. ❯ David O’Grady writes this: “I have lived in Walnut Creek, California, (just east of Berkeley) since 1987. Married for an astonishing 32 years, two beautiful daughters who are doing great work for the world. I am still busy in my practice as a clinical neuropsychologist. I love hiking, B&W photography, and cooking. My two men’s book clubs are the high points of my month. I would love to hear from Knox folks.” See more at drdavidogrady.com. [Always impressed with those who have their own websites.] ❯ Catherine

Evans Parker wrote what many of you often say: “Thanks for keeping us all in touch.” She adds: “My husband and I moved to Las Vegas last year. I substitute teach and am looking into further challenging career avenues. He coordinates a large-scale, long-term environmental cleanup here and is making great progress. We enjoy Summerlin much more than I had expected: the outdoors, new friends, and (with both kids in college) our mostly ‘empty nester’ life.” ❯ Bruce Shaw finally wrote in: “I am still married to Janet Ruthen Shaw ’76; we celebrated anniversary #39 last September. I sold my company, Chief Adhesives, and retired on December 31, 2014. We hope to retire in Florida if our son ever graduates from college. We’ve been in Texas 38 years, and we’ll miss it, but we want to be closer to big water where we can enjoy fishing. I still ride a Harley, as does Jan. I try to squeeze in as much golf as possible, donate time to Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics, and do a bit of woodworking. Life is good.” [Miss you, BShaw!] ❯ David Usher reports his fourth grandchild was scheduled to arrive in August. “I have been playing a lot of fancy old-time clawhammer banjo at a weekly jam we have at Schlafly’s Brewery in Maplewood, Missouri, on Sunday afternoons. Knox friends are invited to have fun with us and enjoy a beer and good food.” [On our way!] ❯ I’ll go last: I ate a hot dog recently at Hitler’s Eagle Nest Retreat, went to the “top of the world” at the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland, and vowed to return to Iceland to visit once more its ethereal panoramic landscapes. The Sound of Music bike tour of Salzburg was an unexpected hit. But spending the night at Mount Vernon was the real highlight of the year. Or maybe it was Ted Jelen remembering that I had missed Ken Pahel’s final exam in PHIL 201 because of an appendectomy. Good memory, TJ. Good to hear from all of you. I hope more of our lurkers will write in next time! Class Correspondent: Monta Lee Dakin 303-979-9307, mld780@aol.com

1975 The best things in life aren’t things. That said, here are communiques from some of the best people from your life! ❯ Sheri Sprung Morrison and husband Jerry made their two annual pilgrimages to Ashland, Oregon, for the Shakespeare Festival—which she calls the best repertory theatre in the country. Sheri also has been doing Mussar, a Jewish spiritual practice that “helps achieve balance on a spectrum of soul traits (humility, patience, simplicity, strength, loving kindness, etc.).” ❯ Larry Tarman and wife Wendy (married 36 years) recently moved to Willowbrook from Hinsdale. Larry worked 23 years with printer RR Donnelley in sales management before starting his own consulting company in 2004, focused on coaching and training sales reps and managers, but has now semi-retired. Sometimes travelling with son Brian (29) and wife Deeya, and son Kaden (23), who

Class Knox pilgrimages to Ashland, Oregon, for the Shakespeare Festival. Lynne B. Porter ’75 Reflections on 30 Years in State Government After 29 years, Lynne B. Porter ’75 retired this spring from her role as reading clerk for the Maryland State Senate. Porter was responsible for announcing each bill, tallying votes, and displaying legislation as it was considered. Though she held one of the most stressful jobs in the Senate, Porter had a reputation for grace and unflappable calm. In the following interview with The Knox Student, Porter discusses her career and her intimate relationship with American politics. What was it like serving as a clerk? I served as the reading clerk during the legislative session. Outside of session, I worked for about 18 years in the Office of the Executive Director. In that position, I moved from a research job to administration and management of the agency. But working as a reading clerk was very interesting because you are sitting right there watching the action happen. The role of the desk officer is to process the work of the legislature and in point of that, it starts with me. What is something someone wouldn’t guess about serving as a clerk? Most people would not know that we had to keep our personal political philosophies to ourselves. We absolutely could not, in any way, impart what we felt on a subject into our work. So, if you were asked to do a research project, it doesn’t matter how you feel. You have to be absolutely totally and completely objective. That was probably the hardest part of my job.

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graduated from DePaul with honors in psychology in June, Larry and Wendy have roved plenty in the past couple years—to Ireland (“Went in ’84 with my parents; always great beer, but the food has improved dramatically”), France (“Loved it so much we’re going back in the fall”), and Northern India (“with Deeya’s family, our own bus, and tour guide”). Larry still sees some FIJIs, including Steve Baumgartner ’77, Bob Steinman ’77, and Duke Petrovich ’74. “And once in a while I run into Fran Paradise ’77 as well when we go to see his gifted guitar-playing son, Jason, who is in a Chicago-based band, JJ and Dre.” Larry says he and Wendy “spend a lot of our time during the summer going to outdoor music events at Millennium Park, Rosemont, and neighborhood festivals. In addition, we like to spend time near the lake at North Ave. Beach and attending concerts at many of Chicago’s main venues. And, of course, we have been going to Cubs games and enjoy their success. After living in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Charlotte over the years, it is good to be back in Chicago to potentially see the Cubs’ World Series drought come to an end! Go Cubbies!” ❯ Deborah Griffin Brown reports she enjoys life and keeps out of trouble in Woodridge, Illinois, by splitting her time a) as a professional genealogist, and b) volunteering as a district commissioner, Order of the Arrow assistant lodge advisor, and webmaster for the local Boy Scout council. She also spends one day a week at Morton Arboretum doing plant photography and editing photos for its Quercus online plant ID program. ❯ Gary Pokorn writes, “Quick update from the Pokorn Ranch in Littleton, Colorado: I have lunch periodically with Coach Bill Foss ’68 (and continue to support his Blue Agave Importers business by buying Suavecito tequila for special occasions). Speaking of special occasions, Greg Peden ’76, wife Cindy, and their son, Keith, bunked at our ranch in June on their way to a family reunion in the high country.” ❯ Rick Partin, former editor of Knox Magazine, survived yet another May graduation ceremony as part of his duties as coordinator for outreach and external relations for the School of Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Rick says he truly enjoyed himself at Knox Homecoming ’15, where he spoke on behalf of his father, Al Partin, when Al was admitted to Knox’s Athletic Hall of Fame for the third time—this time as an individual coach and mentor to student-athletes from 1954–1983. (Al missed the ceremony because he had a cold at the time.) Rick was in Chicago at the Blues Fest, along with a blues musician pal and Rick’s 17-year-old musician son, Trevor, just as I (Jeanne Pankanin, aspiring harmonica player) was heading off to Blues Fest myself. ❯ Concurrently, Tim “TJ” Smith sent along his well-wishes, saying he was in Chicago, too. And that’s all he wrote. C’mon, Tim, we want more next time! ❯ Paula Ochs’ son, Jess, graduated from Brandeis and now works for Palantir in New York City. Paula has expanded her private

What has been the most rewarding about serving as a clerk? Working on a piece of legislation from beginning to the end. Watching it come to fruition, watching the various stakeholders participate, compromise, make changes, make amends, and then come out on the other end with a piece of policy that is doing the greatest good for the greatest number. How have you witnessed American politics change over the years? I have seen American politics become ugly. I have seen a loss of decorum. If you’re running for the President of the United States, people want to know what you’re going to do. People want to hear realistic solutions, but people are playing to the worst fears of Americans. It’s an unsettling time. My experience has been at the state level. At the federal level, I think it is much worse, to the point where we have an impasse in Congress. With divided government, there’s nothing happening. How could we fix that divided government? Opening lines of communication would help. Less partisanship would help. Finding people who are willing to listen to the other side. I think Maryland is a very good example of two sides coming together to bring about an important piece of legislation.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

“I still do trail ultramarathons; however, they seem practice as a family therapist and psychodramatist in Montclair, New Jersey, by teaching and conducting workshops. She taught family therapy to social work graduate students at Rutgers last semester, while continuing her 20-year work with a not-for-proﬁt counseling agency. She and her husband of 25+ years want to downsize their home, while staying close to support her aging parents. She hopes all her classmates are well! ❯ Last spring, David and Linda Nelson Langston bought a condo in Alexandria, Virginia, and moved in on April Fool’s Day, as Linda started a new position with the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C. They’ve opted to try a new experiment, leaving both cars back in Iowa, where they retained their home of more than 25 years, and live completely on foot and public transit! Linda’s new job leverages her experience in county government, emergency management, and community resilience. Dave is mastering life in the greater Washington, D.C., area, walking extensively and drinking deeply from the abundance of rich cultural opportunities! ❯ Gary and Judy Middleton Anderson live in Rockford, Illinois. Gary retired from private practice as a pathologist in 2013 but still teaches medical students at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, where he chairs

the pathology department. Judy works 20 hours a week at North Suburban Library District, where she is children’s librarian. Daughters Melissa, Laurel Anderson Scigouski ’03, and Adrienne Anderson ’06 are all teachers. Gary and Judy relate that grandchildren Norah (7), Quinn (4), and Levi (8 months) are a source of wonder, pride, and entertainment for them. ❯ Thanks to all for sharing a piece of your story. Class Correspondent: Jeanne Pankanin jeanne.knoxfriend@gmail.com

1976 Our 40th Reunion will be October 14–16. Forty years! We ﬁnally get to be those old alums the students look at as we slowly stroll around campus, pointing at buildings and laughing about days of old. A wonderful committee of Ann Feldman Perille, Keith Maskus, Steve Varick, Tom Farrell, Sally Everett Etheridge, Barb Epstien, Mary Marselus Rosic, Randy Oberembt, Rick Swanborg, Kevin Hastings, Mike Godsil, Ellen Jones McNair, Horace Flournoy, Carol Brown ’99, Bob Erffmeyer, Denise Buntin, Tammy Walker Myers, and yours truly have worked to come up with a fantastic weekend for all attendees. A select group of panelists will be talking

about Galesburg then and now, which should be entertaining. Please plan on attending, as it is always great fun. ❯ Speaking of fun, the tradition of the Phi Delt–FIJI golf outing continues. This is the fourth year this event has been held, and nearly 40 Knox alum golfers attended. The Phi Delts won the trophy this year, thanks to the wonderful efforts of captain Tim Loch ’78 and teammates Merlon Schuneman ’75, Tony Lee ’75, Tom Farrell, Paul Zucker ’78, Mike Calhoun ’78, Scott Calhoun ’81, Steve Laudel ’79, Joe Hagemaster ’79, Tom Stelter ’77, and Tom Yarotsky ’77. Norm Hillner ’79 graciously accepted the unique second-place trophy for the FIJIs. ❯ Yours truly recently saw John Santos ’77 and Pete Monahan in Chicago at a Sox game outing. John is still busy teaching economics at Robert Morris University, and Pete is active with pro bono legal volunteer efforts. ❯ Congrats to Randy Oberembt (the only one in our class who has an amenities center with his name on it at the Knox campus), who recently retired from his position as athletic director at New Trier High School. Randy has led a well-known career in sports coaching and administration and now looks forward to golf lessons from classmate Ira Goldberg. ❯ I could use a few more notes from classmates (hint, hint) as I have gotten back to my old habits about writing about Phi Delts. Send me a note and I will update our classmates. See you in October! Class Correspondent: George M. Pearce 1114 Forest Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091-1655, 847-256-5968, george.pearce@hklaw.com

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1977

Phi Delts Take Texas A group of Phi Delts traveled to Galveston, Texas, recently for a golf outing and posed for this photo. Front Row (left to right): Tom Yarotsky ’77, Tom Stelter ’77, Jim Straus ’78. Back Row: Paul Zucker ’78, George Pearce ’76, Tom Farrell ’76, Tim Loch ’78, Bob Szyman ’79.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Hi, everyone! As I write this, it is a spectacular early summer day in the Boston area; the lawns and gardens are verdant and, oh, the long, long days! Our household has settled into a rhythm with our two boys living and working in Boston during the week, then arriving on the weekend with laundry in tow, hoping for a few good meals. Meanwhile, our daughter is apartment-hunting in Manhattan, which is a vicious sport and not for the faint of heart. ❯ Our 40th Reunion is next year so please put it on your calendar and plan to be there! ❯ Rick Stiles writes: “I’ve been in corporate banking for 34 years, currently as a charter president with the Wintrust in Chicago. I’ve got two sons, both married. Rich is the band director at Woodstock High School, and Dan is a commercial lender with Wintrust. Both kids have a child, and Rich has three foster kids! We enjoy spending time with all of the grandkids.” ❯ From Kristie Zamrazil: “Anything interesting in my life tends to be art-related. I hosted eight artists at my studio/backyard during the West Austin Art Studio Tour—see kristiezamrazil.com/news for photos. Yes, in several shots, that’s Paul Cimino ’76 selling his sophisticated clay work (assisted by his lovely wife, Liz Brady Cimino ’81) AND Michael Murphy ’76, making sure our wine tastes okay! I was also in Santa Fe, New Mexico,

Class Knox to take a lot longer these days!” —Julie Ozaki Modaff ’77 bought a farm and now get up with the roosters, figuratively and literally. All three boys are employed full-time in Austin, Denver, and Durham, and the youngest is also a professional Ultimate Disc player for the Charlotte Express. My two stepsons are in college, one a junior at Duke and the other a freshman at University of Georgia.” ❯ Maureen FitzSimon Bartizal is dogless after 33 years of fostering and rescuing canines. Over the years, she has provided a permanent home to three shih tzus, a poodle, and a wheaten terrier mix, and is now considering a labradoodle. Traveling is on her nearterm agenda, finally using all of those AMEX miles she has accumulated but hasn’t had time to use. Maybe a good time to go to the UK, Maureen? ❯ Dean Anderson got in touch: “We moved back to Tokyo in April after being away for 20 years. I spend a day or two a week at our technical center in Omaezaki, a small fishing village in Shizuoka prefecture. Picking up Japanese again is a lot harder this time around! Our kids are all grown up; Collin works as an engineer and lives at home, and Kirsten just finished her third year of medical school; we now regularly consult her with our questions.” ❯ Jon Klem enjoys semi-retired life in Williamsburg, Virginia, but seems busier than ever. “I mentor wounded warriors separating from the Army and entering the private sector. During the school year, I serve as an executive partner at the Mason School of Business at William & Mary working with MBA students. I also did my annual March Madness trip to Vegas to play golf with Steve Fraser ’78 and Dave Koester ’76; this year, Jim Tiernan ’76 joined us from Chicago.” Jon and wife Bonnie planned to travel to Venice, Lake Como, Florence, and Rome in September, followed by a cruise around the Greek Islands. ❯ Craig Ferris still practices pathology in Russellville, Arkansas. “I hope to retire in five-six years. My three children are all grown, although not all are currently employed. I have been married for 35 years. Although I never got to know many of my classmates very well, some of my best memories are of my days at Knox—I tell my kids college was the most fun I ever had in my life!” ❯ On a closing note, I am sorry to report that Gary Miller passed away on April 7 after a heart attack, according to wife Debbie. May he rest in peace. Class Correspondent: Sarah Kaull 52 Ober Street, Beverly, MA 01915-4733, 978-810-0181, skaull@icex.com

1978 Scott Luthy reports Bill Anderson’s wife threw him a surprise 60th birthday party, attended by many Phi Delts, including Paul Zucker, Tim Loch, George Pearce ’76, and Mike Huck. Bill is now a granddad to a beautiful little girl! He still peddles drugs in a third- or fourth-generation pharmacy in Naperville. ❯ Speaking of Scott Luthy, his 12th patent is in the works! Very impressive! ❯ Susan Haerr Zucker took Paul on a “Hawaii 6-0” on the Big Island and Kauai,

hiking the Na Pali coast and canyon, kayaking, snorkeling, and biking in Volcanoes National Park, topped off with a breathtaking helicopter ride in Kauai. Last winter, they were in Argentina and Chile, highly recommend Buenos Aires and Santiago, and enjoyed glacier hiking, sailing to Cape Horn, and hiking in Torre del Paine National Park. Recently, they returned from Savannah and Charleston, where they tried to replace all those calories lost on the trails. ❯ Not to be outdone in the make-us-all-jealous department, Faith Miller boarded the Crystal Serenity in Honolulu for a cruise to Sydney, Australia. Amazingly, one of her tablemates was Percy Reynolds ’66, who was traveling to Bali with his sister. It’s a small world after all. ❯ Jim Foley is still at Bradley University in Peoria, now running its center for entrepreneurship, working with companies expanding internationally, and teaching courses. He has two books under his belt. Jim was able to get back to campus recently and will work with Knox’s entrepreneurship activities this fall. He reports that he is jealous of everyone who

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studying portrait painting/drawing with master artist Tony Ryder and getting back in touch with my creative writing muse (who has been feeling neglected these past few years) in addition to painting, hiking, and enjoying Santa Fe weather, restaurants, galleries and environs. Stay tuned to hear how Santa Fe survived a visit by a few members of the Barrow gang (Jan Schlichting Junk, Missy Mueller, and Brigid Wyatt Conklin).” ❯ Mitch Baker ’76 reports on his recent trip to South Africa: “It exceeded expectations on all fronts. As far as our ‘itinerary’ (other than the time in Kruger, we made it up as we went along), we started in Cape Town, then went to the wine country. I’ve become a bit of a wine snob in my old age and was amazed how good the wines were. And, like everything else there, they were incredibly cheap—a good bottle could be had for $10 in a nice restaurant.” Other destinations included the beaches at Plettenburg, a Xhosa village, and Soweto. “In a nutshell, varied and spectacular scenery; great food—better than we get in Denver at a fraction of the price; really interesting culture, and friendly folks who were willing to talk openly.” An epic vacation, Mitch! ❯ Pam Roper O’Brien writes: “I just completed my tenth year teaching freshman science students in our public school system. Who knew that teaching would be such a good fit for a mid-life career? Daughter (graduated, married) is good; spouse (retired) is traveling in Europe; and I try to create order in my yard where the ‘native plants’ (read: dandelions, creeping Charlie, and plantains) have become the predominant greenery. I also started working with a personal trainer to improve my mobility; the aging process is not for the timid! Looking forward to our 40th, although I can’t quite fathom that it is our 40th!” ❯ Brian Bond got in touch from Galesburg, where he recently spent a few days. He played golf at Soangetaha Country Club and had a good visit with Roy Andersen, retired economics professor. Brian snagged a Knox tshirt for good friend Mitch Baker, with whom he stayed in Denver at the beginning of his sojourn. “I retired from public defending in Phoenix, Arizona, last July and likely will not go back to work unless I get terribly bored, which ain’t likely.” ❯ An update from the bionic Julie Ozaki Modaff: “I still work at McDonald’s in IT. Since this is my 10th year, I received a paid sabbatical of eight weeks in addition to vacation. It was wonderful and relaxing. In addition to visiting my sister in Boulder, we went to Australia for two weeks. We flew into Sydney, then to Great Barrier Reef, then Uluru, and finally into Melbourne. Next time, I’d like to see New Zealand. I still do trail ultramarathons; however, they seem to take a lot longer these days! My eldest son is a game programmer, middle son is doing a cardiology fellowship, and my daughter works in customer support.” ❯ Bob Nordgren reports: “I retired after 32 years in animal health (most recently as the head of vaccine R&D at Merial) and started my own business, Aix Bio Consulting. I really like my new boss! I also

Public Servants Three Knoxies who became public servants recently met up at the opening festivities of the Northbrook, Illinois, farmers market on June 22, 2016. Jill Brickman ’82 (left) is township supervisor of Northﬁeld, Illinois; Julie Jones Morrison ’78 (center) is an Illinois state senator for the 29th District; Sandy Klein Frum ’70 (right) is the mayor of Northbrook, Illinois, and she just happened to have a Knox shopping bag with her!

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

“The annual FIJI-Phi Delt golf outing gets better every year. (Except, is retired but enjoys his work. ❯ Jim Straus keeps in touch with the Phi Delts, recently tuning Tim Loch, Tom Stelter ’77, and Tom Yarotsky ’77 up for their stunning victory over the FIJIs at the annual golf outing, though Jim was unable to make it to the tourney himself. ❯ My wife and I were able to have dinner with Brent Petersen, and wife Cheryl, along with Norm Hillner ’79 and wife Kathy. Brent continues to practice family medicine in Algonquin, Illinois. They have four children ranging in age from 20 to 30—two work in the Chicago area, one in Boston, and the youngest begins her junior year in college this fall. Meanwhile, Norm is a retired teacher and coach, but not really retired, because he still works with the men’s soccer program at Northwestern University, travels the world, and tries to organize the FIJIs and Phi Delts. ❯ It was great to hear from Nan Setterholm Van Sandt. Since graduating from the Knox/Rush nursing program, she has lived many places, but is now happily settled on two acres in Brownsville, Oregon. Her nursing career has included pediatric ICU, cardiac rehab, hospice, and currently, oncology. She has done her share of nursing management and education but says she’s happiest working at the bedside, where she can truly connect with people. She and husband Steve stay busy growing pretty much anything you can think of, along with keeping chickens and bees. Their two sons both live in Colorado. Their eldest married a Japanese woman last year—you may recall that Nan lived in Japan until coming to Knox, so having a Japanese daughter-in-law is quite a thrill. She keeps in occasional touch with Brian Bond ’77. ❯ Tim and Deb Gottfried Hays ’79 are well. Deb recently retired, but Tim still works in the dirt burning business (i.e., castings for jet engine turbine blades, etc.). Their oldest is doing industrial engineering work at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh and enrolled in an evening MBA program. Their twins (yes, tiny Debbie had twins) turn 25 in August. One works in supply chain management at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Pittsburgh, while her twin brother is in investment banking at JPMorgan Chase in New York City. Deb and Tim celebrated their 33rd anniversary in July and have been in the same house 32 of those years. ❯ Carol Shaffner Deitch is also ﬁnally an empty nester; all four kids are on their own. I am impressed with their professional diversity: Islamic studies, investment banking, land restoration, and the military. Husband Bob likes his job and will not retire for 10 more years, so that leaves time for Carol to play tennis and travel. ❯ Susan Hughey Walker headed to Napa to celebrate her big 6-0 with family and a couple of friends. She reminded me that 60 is the new 40, but that might be because of access to good wine. She and her husband are downsizing—selling their house and building another. ❯ Darrell Merschak sent me a great picture from his sailboat on Lake Michigan with the Chicago skyline in the background. He has offered rides to all

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

classmates! He says he has nothing to report other than a new cloud network startup company and a late start to the sailing season due to chilly spring temperatures. Wait, a new cloud network start-up company is nothing to report?! ❯ Brad Milton reports life is good in Germany, which is fortunate, because, originally, his project was supposed to be complete by 2018, but, now, it looks more like 2024. He lives in a little village near Ramstein Air Base, surrounded by farm fields and rolling hills, and works at Landstuhl Hospital with a great group of people who, unfortunately, rotate every three years. He is on his fourth commander (hospital commander, not wife; still on his first wife). Their kids are both stateside, but there’s FaceTime, and Skype, and airline tickets, so distance isn’t an issue. He thinks the move overseas while they were still in college might have helped them launch. ❯ Dave and Jan Kubota Wilson both retired last fall, sold their house, trekked west from Chicago for two weeks, bought one-way plane tickets from San Francisco, and moved to Hawaii! Their son graduated from Purdue in history and education and will be a principal in the Round Lake School District this fall. Their daughter earned a master of social work degree at the University of Minnesota and works at a Minneapolis high school. They already miss Ray Tse, who is a tenured chemistry professor in Chicago, but plan to be back for the next Reunion. ❯ Finally, I just returned from the annual FIJI-Phi Delt golf outing. This was the fifth year, and thanks to the organizing efforts of Norm Hillner ’79 and many others, it gets better every year. (Except, for the first time, the Phi Delts won!) On a more serious note, this year we renamed it the Paul Brauer Memorial Golf Tournament, in honor of Paul Brauer, who attended until his passing last October. His youngest son, Matthew, came in his place. It was a fun and moving day for all of us. Class Correspondent: David Bates 174 Haversham, Houston, TX 77024-6248, 713-722-0815, dbates@gardere.com

1979 Happy Fall, Y’all…I had a busy summer and did actually see some of my FIJI Brethren at our annual FIJI/Phi Delt golf outing up in Glen Ellyn. I am sad to report that the Phi Delts actually won this year, snatching the Victors’ Trophy away for the first time in five years. A great time was had by all, with a number of our classmates in attendance. Norm Hillner stepped up again to host the event for the FIJIs, and we had a nice evening at his house with adult beverages and pizza. The old stories flowed by the end of the evening and we were transported back to the ’70s. Those in attendance included Jim Mocogni, Joe Morrison, John Sherrick ’78, Tom Bannos ’80, Chuck Barstow, Joe “Howie” Hagemaster, and Steve Laudel. For all the rest of my FIJI brothers, mark your calendars for April 8, 2017. This is the 150th anniversary of the chapter, and we want to

get as many FIJI alumni as we can at Pig Dinner. We may try to also tie in the FIJI/Phi Delt golf outing in this weekend as well. ❯ Eric Jackstadt, the poster child for liberal Democrats, has raised two hawks for sons. I must say that he and I are very proud of that fact. His eldest ﬁnished a law enforcement degree at Western Illinois and then enlisted in the Army. His specialty is intelligence, and the Army is teaching him Chinese! Eric’s youngest is at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and joined the National Guard. Both of them are MMA ﬁghters and do quite well. He is VERY proud. ❯ Now for the sad news, Ann Hutchcroft-Weber wrote to me that her husband, Les, passed away in April. It all started when he broke his hip on Valentine’s Day, then went through a series of unrelated problems. He eventually developed pneumonia and passed very quickly. Our hearts go out to Ann; I had the pleasure of meeting Les at a couple of Reunions, and it’s very sad. If you get a chance, drop her a note at aweber3753@mchsi.com. ❯ As always, drop me an e-mail to let me know how you are doing so I have something to write. It’s easy…really. Class Correspondent: Brian Cox 21 Briarcliffe, Collinsville, IL 62234-2913, 618-406-7014 (cell), bjcox5257@att.net

1980 Greetings from Roy Brandys and Joe Moore and hope you and your families are doing well. Joe and I appreciate all of your notes; keep them coming. Before we get to the updates, we are very happy to let you all know Roy got married on January 2, 2016, to Colleen Volk in Austin. Mark Umlauf ’81 and wife Karen and Steven Holmes and wife Brenda attended the festivities. Much fun was had by all. ❯ On a more serious note, Mike Quirk now lives at the Fountains of Shiloh Assisted Living facility at 1201 Hartman Lane, Shiloh, Illinois 62221. Please keep Mike in your prayers as he courageously battles his condition, and feel free to send him a note or card of encouragement. ❯ Joy Machnicki Frestedt writes that her ﬁrst book, Warning Letters Reference Guide: 2016 Edition, has been published by Barnett International. “I run a couple of small businesses offering clinical, regulatory, quality, and engineering services to drug, device, and food companies frestedt.com and alimentix.com. Husband Robert does the electrical engineering thing at work and, right now, is hanging a new door in our ofﬁce building. Needless to say, ‘fun’ has taken a whole different meaning since college days at Knox! Daughter Megan has toured the world a couple of times as the tour manager for Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and is now the day manager for the singer/songwriter St. Vincent. Sister Julie Machnicki Kruk (at Knox from 1966 to 1968) recently retired and is starting a new business (she obviously does not know what retirement means). I sometimes play with college friends Cindra Halm ’81 and Helene Mann ’81. Hope you are doing well, and, as they say in the

Class Knox for the first time, the Phi Delts won!)” —David Bates ’78 years. Other Knox graduates teaching at Colby include Jeff Anderson and Suzi Westerberg Cole ’73, who just retired after 39 years.” 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 Wanda Noftsger and husband Wilbur celebrated their 50th anniversary on April 9. Congratulations! ❯ James A. Whitehill has been elected president of the board of trustees of the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. Class Correspondent: John Nicolau 930 Huckleberry Lane, Glenview, IL 60025-2302, 847-657-6311, j.nicolau@comcast.net

1982 Congratulations to all families with either high school or college graduates! The world awaits them! ❯ We are saddened to announce the death of Dave Wrobel. He will be missed. His family has requested that donations be made in Dave’s honor to the American Cancer Society, 1801 Meyers Rd #100, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181 or via cancer.org. Please keep the Wrobel family in your thoughts and prayers. ❯ In honor of the one-year anniversary of the passing of Mary Filosa Brown, we are reprinting a letter sent to all classmates in this column. We wish to thank those that have already donated. If you have not already made a donation, please consider making one. Additionally, we look forward to seeing you at Homecoming 2016, which will feature the inaugural Mary Filosa Brown Memorial 5K Run/Walk…Saturday morning, October 15.

To All: The death of Mary Filosa Brown ’82 in August 2015 devastated the Knox College family. We miss her terribly, but we also remember her vibrant presence on campus and her enthusiasm for our alma mater in the decades following graduation. The Mary Filosa Brown Memorial Fund for Community Service has been generously established at Knox College by her husband, Rick Brown ’83. It constitutes a beautiful and fitting tribute to a woman whose life was defined by compassion, charity, and joy. Mary’s deep commitment to improving the lives of others was evident even in our student days. In addition to participating in a plethora of campus activities, Mary volunteered at the mental health facility in Galesburg. It was no surprise when she chose a career in social work, first caring for children at a Galesburg hospital and later addressing the needs of the elderly in North Carolina. Mary and Rick settled in the Raleigh-Durham area after graduate school. With their children, Emily and Adam, they have been deeply engaged in their church and local community, as well as the Knox community. The Mary Filosa Brown Memorial Fund for Community Service will support the Kleine Center for Community Service located in Alumni Hall and its four Days of Service. This project engages students in an important aspect of the Knox College mission: putting their learning to use in ways that contribute to the well-being of others. Mary dedicated her life to family, friendship, faith, and service; this fund encapsulates her sense of commitment. As an endowed fund, the Mary Filosa Brown Memorial Fund will live on in perpetuity doing the good works it envisions. Our goal is to see the fund reach $100,000 by the end of 2016. Contributions to the fund count as a donation to Knox College. What makes this memorial fund so great is that its impact will be felt both in the Galesburg community and the wider world beyond the campus. We cannot bring our dear friend back, but we can insure that Mary’s memory lives on at Knox College, a place dear to her heart and ours. Please join us in

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UK, cheers!” ❯ Keith Willer writes: “I’ve been in Southern California for 33 years, working various IT positions for Assurant, Experian, and Farmers Insurance. I’ve lived in the city, at the beach, the mountains, desert, and now in Orange County with my two dachshunds. I have done volunteer work with the Paciﬁc Symphony Orchestra, trying to stay in touch with a pretty active arts scene here in OC.” ❯ Dave Workman writes: “Embracing the better-late-than-never slogan, it was another weekend of killing brain cells and telling old stories with plenty of Motrin and ice bags thrown in, as the Class of 1980 was well-represented at the Knox basketball Homecoming weekend, playing in the alumni game and attending the dedication of the Harley Knosher statue. Kurt Pearson and Jodi, Dave Cratty and Bess, Steve Holmes and Brenda, Roy Brandys and Colleen, and Jim Pogue all showed up for the festivities, too. There was a Friday night meal and a gathering at a bar in downtown Galesburg with other fellow hoopsters (Dan Calandro ’77, Bill Colby ’77, Gary Jacobson ’77, Bobby ‘T’ Thompson ’78, Joe Hagemaster ’79, Joe Morrison ’79, Ed Eshoo ’82 and Ray Campbell ’82). The alumni game was a clear example of the clock being turned backwards as the trio of Workman, Pogue, and Brandys clearly outplayed the younger alumni because of their conditioning, girth, and oxygen tanks on the sidelines. Legends were created and conﬁrmed.” Dave and wife Beth’s youngest child, Katie, graduated from Purdue this spring with highest honors/Phi Beta Kappa; she plans to start her own public relations company. Dave is very thankful for dominant maternal genes. Oldest son John (DePauw) got married in August. Their other son, Daniel (DePauw), was married last November. Dave recently celebrated his 30th year in the brokerage business, running his company Workman and Associates, and has no current plans to retire. ❯ Susan Ksiazek writes: “Regina Hartley, Jean Peters, Charlotte Smith Jones, Lynn Mandle Usem ’81, and I got together in Chicago this June. We caught up on each other’s lives reminiscing about times at Knox. Regina is a long-distance runner and has worked at ADM in Peoria for 36 years. Jean is semi-retired from teaching and enjoys her new grandchild. Charlotte keeps busy with families, church, and teaching. Lynn works in a neonatology unit in the Twin Cities, having raised four children there. I’ve moved back to Chicago, where I raised two children.” ❯ Tracey Rappaport Greenwood writes: “I haven’t submitted anything since graduation, so here’s a short synopsis: I moved to Peoria, then Barrington, Florida (Orlando and West Palm Beach), back to Barrington, Illinois, then Waterville, Maine. In 2006, Paul Greenwood and I got married and have raised two wonderful girls. One is almost 21 years old and interning for a semester of college at Disney World. The other is almost 18 and starts her freshman year at SUNYPlattsburg. Paul earned a Ph.D. at Florida State and has been employed at Colby College for 29

Regina Theobald Hartley ’80, Jeans Peters ’80, Susan Ksiazek ’80, Charlotte Smith Jones ’80, and and Lynn Mandel Usem ’80 reunited in Chicago in June to catch up and reminisce about good times at Knox.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

HEIRLOOMS, a collection of linked stories by Rachel Hall ’86, was commemorating a life well lived by making a gift to the Mary Filosa Brown Memorial Fund at knoxalumni.org/Brown. Thank you, Annette Andresen O’Donnelly ’82 Chris Bohm Gavlin ’82 Kathy Brosnan ’82 Frances Jones ’82 Nancy Markelz Gatens ’82 Kelly Norton Warner ’82 Sharon Schillereff ’82 Jill Vacek Brugioni ’82 Cindy Wilson ’82 Paula Ramsbotham Watson ’83 Kathy Schurr ’83 Judy Wey Rudman ’84

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Class Correspondents: Sharon L. Schillereff 7780 W 38th Ave., #404, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, 303-885-7185, Sschil7470@yahoo.com Chris Bohm Gavlin 4246 Howard Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558, 708-246-1419, cgavlin@gmail.com

1983 Brian Williams ’86 and Akwasi Asabere ’05 may not be classmates, but their Knox connections are still strong. They got to know each other while Brian was Knox’s vice president for Advancement and Akwasi was a student. They recently had a chance to reconnect thanks to the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), where Brian now serves as vice president and director of faculty development and grant projects. He writes: “I was glad to catch up with Akwasi while in Silicon Valley on ACM business and glad that he could share his expertise with the group of ACM faculty who had gathered for a seminar to learn about innovation and entrepreneurship and its application to the liberal arts.” Akwasi currently works in business development and partnership at Helix in San Francisco.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Class Correspondent: Laura Thompson Sears 132 Heath Place, Westmont, IL 60559-2644, 312-8991660, lsears@gouldratner.com

1984 Brian Anderson co-wrote Space Dictionary for Kids for Prufrock Press with daughter Amy, a ﬁrst-year graduate student in astrophysics at Rice University. Class Correspondent: Valerie Jencks 300 E. 5th Avenue, Suite 235, Naperville, IL 60563, 630-579-8070, knoxcollege84@gmail.com

1985 Paul Storment III writes, “Okay, here is my long overdue update. I have practiced law as a solo practitioner since 1992. I have been married for 26 years to my wonderful wife and have three great young adult children. I was one of the founding members of the Knights of Columbus Council here in Belleville, Illinois, and served as Grand Knight. My Sundays encompass teaching morality to seventh graders in my parish’s PSR (Sunday school)...how funny is that? If they only knew me in the early ’80s.” ❯ Debra Fulscher writes, “My eldest daughter just graduated high school and headed off to Loyola University, having been accepted to the Neihoff School’s nursing program. I am still in Barrington until my other two daughters ﬁnish high school, and time seems to be ﬂying by faster and faster each year! My only other news is that I will read Torah as an adult bat mitzvah at the end of October. Preparing for this has been an interesting and enlightening challenge, as I was not able to read Hebrew prior to this year. I keep in touch with a few Siwash, and Facebook has provided an easy venue for this.” ❯ Michael Spires writes, “I saw

Dave Crowl this summer and Laurie Stein earlier this year. Had a blast, as usual, at the Colorado Knox Alumni Scholarship day in Denver. I was sorry to miss our 30th Reunion last fall, but I was giving a workshop with colleagues from University of Colorado Boulder and Northern Illinois University and staff from the National Science Foundation at the annual meeting of the Society of Research Administrators (SRA) International in Las Vegas that weekend. SRA recently appointed me to its speakers bureau, which is a group of subject-matter experts they draw from when someone asks for a workshop or a presentation on a specific topic.I have also continued my association with the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP). At the board of directors meeting in May, I was elected vice president/president-elect of the organization, an office I assumed July 1. Next July, I will become president for a year. I have also been appointed conference chair for NORDP’s ninth annual research development conference, which will take place in May 2017 in Denver. This increase in my commitments to professional organizations means I’ve had to step down as class agent for the Class of 1985. The Office of Advancement would welcome volunteers to replace me in that role.” ❯ Dale Dilworth writes, “My wife and I moved the family to Mexico City at the end of June. We will all teach/attend the American School Foundation. My wife will be in early childhood education, and I will teach AP English and 10th grade English. We are all very excited and can’t wait to get back to the delicious taquitos! Daughter Ximena will be a high school freshman, and son Auggie will be in seventh grade.” ❯ Gioconda Cabalceta ’84 writes, “I am a freelance naturalist tour guide and travel consultant and own a small office called ‘Costa Rica for the Best.’ We plan small, private, customized trips for friends and families. I have two kids: Crista, 21, in medical school, and Santiago, 19, into the arts in France. Anyone visiting Costa Rica, feel free to contact me: konda_cr@yahoo.es.” ❯ We look forward to hearing from you. The next column will be prepared by Jane, so please send your news to her. All the best from Margaret. Class Correspondents: Margaret VerKoulen Lynn mvlynn@comcast.net Jane Davis jedavis_ill@hotmail.com

1986 Greetings, classmates! You may have noticed that our last column was, well, empty. All requests for news had been met with silence, so our column went silent, too! Fortunately, some of you decided that silence in the alumni magazine is not golden (nor purple, for that matter), so you reported on your activities. Thank you to those who contributed! ❯ The Share the Light campaign in Aimee Coath’s memory was a huge success! Lisa Metz and Susan Bantz hosted a reception to dedicate the new light board, which

Class Knox selected for the G.S. Shara Chandra Book Prize.

Susie Stone ’03 and Jake Wright ’03—August 11, 2006

Annie Vernon ’07 and Will Cwik ’07—May 21, 2016

Happy 10th anniversary to Susie and Jake, who forgot to submit their wedding photo before now!

LEFT TO RIGHT: Evan Sawdey ’07, Gabrielle Genevich Muldoon ’05, Erica Jessen Skog ’06, Sara Eldridge ’07, Dr. Valerie Cwik ’77, Tanya Frank Jones ’05, Mandy Bernstrauch ’07, Shirlene Love ’05, Dr. Cory Wilczynski Straub ’06, Will Cwik ’07, and Annie Vernon-Cwik ’07.

FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Chris Etheridge ’05, Jon Gripshover ’06, Tim Peterson ’06, Carl Lehnen, Dan Chibnall ’03, Brent Aronowitz ’06, Micah Riecker ’06. BACK ROW: Evie Peterson ’99, Ana Peterson ’03, Anjali Krishan ’05, Shalini Krishan ’03, Sarah Schantz ’05, Rose Courtney ’03, Kelsey Keyes ’03, Susie Stone ’03, Jake Wright ’03, Alison Looney ’03, Amy Lammers ’03, Helen Scharber ’03, Hillary Loomis ’06, Jenny Logan ’05, Norma Gutierrez ’02, Juana Tiscareño ’04, Rosie Tiscareño ’04. NOT PICTURED: Andy Stone ’01, Brian Beeman ’04.

was installed in Harbach at the end of February, along with a plaque sharing information about Aimee. (The old light board was installed in Studio Theatre.) Aimee’s former husband, Greg Wilson, daughter Elaine Wilson Stern ’09, and son John Wilson were present and shared memories of Aimee and her love of Knox theatre. Thanks to all of you who contributed to this project. Be sure to stop in CFA and read the plaque next time you are on campus. And, of course, remember Aimee and her light. ❯ The Wolf is back! The Rev. Dr. Sterrett “Wolf” Collins was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) last January and accepted a call to Central Congregational Church in Galesburg in February. He’s excited to be back in the ’Burg with a new job, a new house, and his lovely wife. Congratulations, Rev. Dr. Collins! ❯ Rachel Hall writes, “My collection of linked stories, Heirlooms, was selected by Marge Piercy for the G. S. Sharat Chandra Book Prize. BkMk Press will publish the collection in September. I still teach English at SUNY Geneseo and still live in Rochester, New York, with my husband and daughter. I’m grateful that I get to see Mary Cantrell, Sarah Smith Maxwell, and Anna Leahy ’88 fairly regularly.” ❯ And as for me— I’ve accepted a new call to be the director of spiritual care (read: chaplain) at Lutheran Living, a continuity-of-care senior living facility, so I have moved back to Muscatine, Iowa, where I previously lived for eight years. My phone number and e-mail will stay the same, but I have a new address (see below). My parents, who are in ill health, will move in with me, so I will be, like so many of us in the sandwich generation, juggling the responsibilities of parenthood with a full-time job and caregiving for elderly parents. ❯ Life is a challenge for us all. As we celebrate 30 years since our graduation from Knox, what challenges have you faced? What rewards have you experienced? Share them here—your classmates would love to hear from you!

Class Correspondent: Susan Bantz 2012 Shady Lane, Muscatine, IA, 52761, 563-554-9213, bibliophile@knoxalumni.org

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

1988 Anna Leahy has published a poem, “Google Moon (2)” in the spring issue of Bellevue Literary Review. Class Correspondent: Gayle Pikrone Richardson 1220 Crestview Drive, Batavia, IL 60510-1180, gayle.richardson35@gmail.com

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

1990 Vegetables are geat in relationships! If you ever mess up (i.e., break a promise or hurt someone), go to the freezer or the pantry and take out the peas. Walk up to that person and say, “I apologize. ‘Peas’ forgive me!” Or, let’s say you’ve met someone special, but you’re not sure how that person feels. Use the beets and the carrots, saying, “Do you ‘carrot’ all for me? My heart ‘beets’ for you!” Still yet, if you’ve met the person of your dreams, use the olives and say, “‘Olive’ you!” ❯ As a middle school counselor, that’s what I’d share when I introduced myself. Only once has a student said, “In your own words, ‘peas’ stop.” I tell you this now because, when I ﬁrst started

writing these notes, I did threaten to tell jokes if no one wrote. Why should you ‘carrot’ all? Reading about each other can’t be ‘beet’ (plus you’ll bypass my humor). So, ‘peas’ write! ‘Olive’ sharing! Class Correspondent: Darcy Turner 520 Colony Woods Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, bonetbien1@nc.rr.com

1991 Kellie Monroe Lane writes, “I have started my fifth year as a school social worker for the HenryStark County special ed district and am still partners with my mom at our art gallery, Gallery on Second, here in Kewanee. Doing stained glass serves as my therapy! Daughter Katie is a senior in high school this fall, and son AJ is an electrician and will be getting married in two years. I will also get married to Jeff Wilke next September and move to Oak Run. I really look forward to seeing whomever can make the trip for Homecoming this fall.” ❯ Julie Scannell writes: “We’ve come a long way since Knox. We found jobs. We built relationships. We made humans. We’ve suffered insufferable bosses, survived catastrophic losses, and sat on grade-school bleachers until our derrieres deflated. To that fresh, doeeyed senior in a black cap and gown sitting on the lawn that Saturday not so long ago, you’ve performed miracles. You have answers to all of their questions; you know which ambitions are worth pursuing. You even know how those loans actually got paid. So much of the time, we all just pretend to be adults. Deep down we’re still that clueless kid shuffling between Seymour and SMC, referencing nature vs. nurture for the umpteenth time, worrying about how to finish that term paper *and* study for two finals, thinking we were stressed out. Bring your stress and your stories to Galesburg the weekend of October 14-16 and spend a little quality time with

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

THEFANTASYGREEK.COM, created by Jim Saranteas ’91, was recently

Matt Richardson ’94 and Douglas Konja— September 5, 2015

K.C. Collins ’03 and Matt Burlison—September 25, 2015

Megan Rehberg ’06 and Sean McDaniel—December 31, 2015 LEFT TO RIGHT: Penny Stein Buchman ’08, Kyle Buchman ’06, Sean McDaniel, Megan Rehberg ’06, Maggie Claudy Teeravechyan ’04, and Jo Teeravechyan ’01.

people who know you as something other than your job title. You’ve been pretending for a long time! Somewhere between those insane work deadlines, dealing with in-laws over the holidays, being overcharged for appliances, and scooping vomit out of the carpet at 2 a.m., you’ve earned this. We’ve booked the third-ﬂoor Bier Garten at Cherry Street for our class on Friday night. We’ll meet for a class photo late Saturday morning and have a designated area at the tailgate on Saturday afternoon. Whether you prefer football, volleyball, or men’s or women’s soccer, all teams are scheduled for home games that weekend—a rare and special phenomenon itself—in addition to the many activities the College organizes. And if you’re on Facebook, join the Knox 1991–Homecoming 2016 page. You can use it to make plans, track down old friends, and share photos; we’ll post updates as it gets closer. We warmly welcome any of your suggestions for events we might add to our weekend in October; however, the ‘My How You’ve Changed’ swimsuit competition has already been voted down. Look forward to seeing you in Galesburg!” ❯ Jonathan Sheinkop: “I was very excited that I had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong for business this past April, where I had the pleasure of spending time with Yash Rana ’92, the proverbial king of Hong Kong. Though he’s an expat, it seems as if he runs the place, which is not totally surprising but still pretty darn impressive. To make the experience even more epic, the last time I saw Yash was when I stayed at his house in Mumbai back in the summer of ’91. Good memories! On a separate note, I hope to see a lot of people this year at Homecoming 2016. There’s a lot of noise about it, and it seems to be shaping up to be a great time.” ❯ I also want to congratulate Jim Saranteas, who left his successful law practice to build a football news and fantasy football advice website called TheFantasyGreek.com. After four years, the website was recently made an afﬁliate partner of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Jim’s quite happy with the news and the partnership, saying, “It’s a big step in the right di-

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

rection. I had to knock on a few doors, do a lot of work to get here. I’m lucky I and the site had a lot of support along the way from friends, family, and followers alike.” Jim added, “I’ve had a few Knox and former Knox students contribute as writers to the site as well. If I can say one thing, they [Knox students] are still as well prepared as we were to write. They’ve been some of the best so far.” The Fantasy Greek’s annual draft guide, a top-seller on Amazon, was published in mid-July. Class Correspondent: Jonathan Sheinkop 260 Cary Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035,

1992 Jen Hartman: “All’s well here in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, as we celebrate our seventh year here. My family practice office is very busy, and I feel fortunate to continue to be able to deliver lots of babies. Our daughter is solidly in the double digits, growing so fast and keeping us so very busy with all her various activities. We have a very girly kiddo; I’m not sure where or who she got it from, but she makes her moms look very bland. Hope all is well with you and yours.” ❯ Chris Poe writes: “The premature passing of Mary Carney Dawson hit pretty hard. She had such a great combination of resilience, humor, and big-heartedness...It reminds me how short life is. RIP, Mary. I was recently granted (with three other inventors) a patent involving a pressure vessel used in spray finishing/painting. Very cool. My irrepressible eight-year-old, Matthew, continues to amaze between learning resilience and his ever-expanding worldview. Bride Lisa and I have neared 11 years of marriage. I’m still active in the scouting movement and Lions Club. I continue my long and deep friendship with Professor Larry Welch. In short, my cup runneth over.” ❯ Carrie Wild: “I have a busy art fair schedule right now, with nine juried shows lined up this year. I have branched out from Indiana and Ohio to include three events in Illinois: in Springfield, Naperville, and Geneva. (To quote another artist, I’m basically a long-haul trucker with a gambling

problem.) In addition to fairs, I’m still a member of Art IN Hand, a great little co-op gallery in Zionsville, Indiana, and I continue to license my artwork for greeting cards, including the Trader Joe’s grocery store line. Between those three things and keeping up with local exhibit opportunities, I stay pretty busy. I’m already looking forward to Homecoming 2017; who can believe it’s been almost 25 years since we graduated?!” ❯ Brett Barnhart: “Daughter Bridget Barnhart ’18 will be in the study abroad program in Japan (Kansai Gaidai) this coming fall semester. She has fallen in love with Asian studies, and Knox has been a great experience for her thus far. We are extremely excited for her and this amazing opportunity! Son Broderick has elected to join the Air Force out of high school and will specialize in fighter aircraft avionics. Since he was in first grade, he has said he wanted to join the Air Force and become a pilot. He looks forward to working on his degree through the Air Force and hopes to eventually become an officer and a pilot. My youngest two children, Lucy and Julia, entered fourth and second grades, respectively. My own career is good; I work at HNI Corp. as senior manager of solution delivery and application integration, as well as serving as a founding partner of a startup called Core Insight. I stay very busy! I hope to catch up with everyone at Homecoming this year!” ❯ Bill Feste: “Still teaching, still married, house in Asheville; two kids, 7 and 9; having too much fun bouncing between oceans and mountains. I start a Ph.D. this fall. No complaints; all good. Just doing fabulous!” ❯ Michelle Williams Garvey: “Paul, Gabriel, and I are in Kent, Washington, staying busy and enjoying the outdoors. We have done some hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and beach combing. Gabriel is three and keeps us very busy! I am now a full-time stay-at-home mom and really enjoy being able to take care of Gabriel. If you ever get out this way, please let me know! It would be great to catch up!” ❯ Nichelle Fraction shares that she was promoted to sergeant in the Chicago Police Department on June 1.

Class Knox made an affiliate partner of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

Maureen Olesen ’07 and Sergio Alvarez Fernandez—June 25, 2016

Michael Sales ’07 and Rachel Spencer—October 10, 2015

Kanjana Rajaratnam ’09 and Josh Hartshorne— August 15, 2015

LEFT TO RIGHT: Chelsea Bagot Wunnicke ’07, Catherine Miller Armstrong ’07, Emily Quade ’07, and Maureen Olsen ‘’07. Not pictured but also in attendance was Rebekah Richardson ’07.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Jennifer Presley Trocke ’07, Michael Sales ’07, Rachel Sales, Chor Lee Campbell ’06, and John Campbell ’07.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Adam Vera ’09, Lily Wirth ’10, Kanjana Rajaratnam Hartshorne ’09, Deana Rutherford ’09, Laura Weiss ’09, and Mike Payne ’09.

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 Laura Bernhardt: “My current employer (Buena Vista University) recently decided to eliminate its philosophy and religion program. Sadly, this means that my tenured job disappears at the end of the 2016-17 school year, and I’m currently looking for a new gig. On the plus side, I also just finished a master’s degree in library and information science at San Jose State University, so I will probably escape the horrors of the academic philosophy job market and move on to something new and exciting and library-related. Until I find that magical library job, though, I’ll serve out the rest of my time in Storm Lake, Iowa, teaching my remaining students in the major and getting ready to move on to bigger and better things.” ❯ Melissa Agar: “The past year has been relatively exciting. I finally joined the world of property owners and bought a house, so I’ve spent the past year settling in. It’s definitely still a work in progress! Professionally, I still teach at Monmouth-Roseville High School. I teach English and also direct the school’s drama club and coach the speech team. Our team has taken the regional championship three of the past four years, and this year, one of my kids made it to the top 14 in the state in her event.” ❯ Scott “Peter” Waldspurger: “‘Peter (Von Brown) Waldspurger’ still writes novels, but now primarily focuses on writing and drawing a webcomic. It follows the day-to-day adventures of Talbot and his pals, who just happen to prefer remaining in their werewolf forms. Because werewolves want to hang out and have pizza, just like regular people. And they do, in a town called Wolverton. Read it at wolverton.thecomicseries.com and

tapastic.com/series/Wolverton. ❯ Alex Marshall: “I am well, although dealing with the unexpected passing of my father, Thomas Hanson Marshall. It took me a second try, but in May, I was promoted to captain-paramedic with the Salinas Fire Department. I am now a supervisor at the ﬁre station and at emergency scenes; thus, I am required to make quick decisions, at times with little information. It is a welcome change. I enjoy being a father.” ❯ Alex Hopkins writes that, after 22 years of sales in the laboratory research market, he decided to become a real estate broker. He now works for Windermere of Kirkland-Central. “A big HELLO to all of my classmates and friends!” he says. Class Correspondent: Rebecca Gillan Ballard rballard@knoxalumni.org

1994 Hello, all! I’m excited to start my stint as the class correspondent, something I’ve actually wanted to do for a very long time. When the opportunity arose, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. ❯ Carlos Bill updates us with a move south of the border. “After 18 years in Arizona working in education as a teacher and principal, I have resigned and moved to Mexico. I plan to live in an eco-community in a beach town on the Pacific coast, teaching environmental science at an international green school and helping to build and open a high school.” ❯ Bob Connour states, “Things in my world are pretty normal: three kids—Lewis, 16, Maria, 14, and Joey, 10. My wife of 18 years, Jackie, is a professor at Ohio Northern University. I just finished my 16th year as a professor at a big Northwest Ohio community college. I hope to get back to Knox for Homecoming sometime soon!” ❯ Gabi Kupfer Zolla is “headed into my 16th year at a national nonprofit, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), that connects learning and work for adults. Daughter Ruthie starts eighth grade this year, and son Wilson enters fourth grade. We live in Lincoln Square in Chicago.

This summer, Ruthie and I went on a service trip to Nicaragua, where we taught English at a summer camp. Wilson went from playing baseball to watching baseball all summer!” ❯ Ralph Pennel “still lives in the greater Boston area (Somerville—seven years now). I’ve taught poetry and expository writing at Bentley University since the fall of 2014. My first collection of poetry, A World Less Perfect for Dying In (Cervena Barva Press), was published in 2015. I still work as the fiction/managing editor of Midway Journal (midwayjournal.com), which is now in its tenth year of publishing. I still love East Coast living.” ❯ Matt Richardson married partner Douglas Konja at the Michigan Renaissance Festival in September 2015. They were married in full Renaissance regalia, and the reception that followed included acrobats, juggling, comedic performance, dancing, sword fights, and live music. Wendi Fornoff ’92 was Matt’s “best woman.” Matt also made a career change in 2015 and now works as a Java developer at the University of Michigan. ❯ As for me, I’ve had quite a few moves and shifts. After four years in the Bay Area for my husband’s medical fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Stanford, we moved back to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2014. Chris and I first met here in 1995 when we were working on master’s degrees in public health and before either of us went to medical school. I now work at Emory as a physician, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. When I’m not working, I am shuttling one or all of our three children to playdates, the swimming pool, etc. I also enjoy squeezing out short stints to write. I write for my food blog, a digital tome that has become a years-long love letter to my children, at www.storyofakitchen.com. ❯ Keep the updates coming! Class Correspondent: Lisa Preston-Hsu 217-649-7889, story.of.a.kitchen@gmail.com

1995 Instead of the usual updates this time, I asked a different question of my 1995 classmates: What is

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Anthony Edwards ’96 was assigned as company commander over the

Jackie Lee ’09 and Joe Gravert—April 16, 2016

Carla Hamilton ’10 and Adam McDowell ’08—April 22, 2016

LEFT TO RIGHT: Megan Quick Romstad ’09, Jaclyn Anderson ’09, Jackie Lee Gravert ’09, and Tony Lee ’74.

FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Anne Carter ’10, Devan Cameron ’10, Abby Harms ’10, Laura Weiss ’09, Adam McDowell ’08, Carla Hamilton McDowell ’10, Meghan Reardon ’08, Anne Fagerburg ’08, Evan Sawdey ’07, Kristen Chmielewski ’10, Allison Smith Hahn ’10, Tony Hahn ’08. BACK ROW: Matthew Schmalz ’08, Mikah Berky ’09, Michael Callahan ’09, Alex Nimmer ’09. NOT PICTURED: Ashley Witzke Lanfair ’10, Jordan Lanfair ’11.

something that you’ve done since leaving Knox that people wouldn’t have expected of you back then? I ask this question in part because the answer is pretty obvious for me: As a young adult who spent a lot of time avoiding the institutional church, I returned to school to get a master of divinity degree and became ordained in the United Church of Christ. I have even served a “church administrator” for nearly eight years, working in several UCC Wider Church settings, training and resourcing church leaders. This seems really far away from a theatre/literature major who aspired to be a theatre critic and/or Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist. I use my abilities to communicate effectively, adapt to constantly changing circumstances, and think critically to improve organizational systems badly in need of re-invention. That sounds pretty “Knox” to me. ❯ Nancy Kunkel DeFauw responded, “I have worked for the last 10+ years designing software—not building it (I’m not a developer)—but designing how the software embodies a process, how it’s organized, how it’s structured, and how, ultimately, it gathers the data the client will need on the back end to support decision-making. Not something I ever envisioned as a history/economics major. But here’s the link: the ability to break down a complicated process into multiple interrelated threads.” ❯ I hope we have more of these conversations in the future. It’s so fascinating to hear what others have been doing the past 20 years. In the meantime, look for the Knox Class of ’95 group on Facebook. Class Correspondent: Rev. Nicole Havelka revnhavelka@gmail.com Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @revnhavelka

1996 We are so excited about our upcoming trips this year: Disneyland and Knox Homecoming. Will you be joining us in Galesburg, Oct. 14-16, for our 20th Reunion? It’s stunning to realize that we’ve been away from Knox for two full decades

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

now, and I look forward to reconnecting with so many old friends.We plan to spend a couple days in St. Louis, drive up to Galesburg for the Reunion weekend, then drive to Chicago that Sunday for a couple of days, so let me know if you would like to meet up. I look forward to singing the Knox Hymn and cheering on the Prairie Fire with all of you in a very short time. ❯ Preety Gadhoke writes, “Wow, I cannot believe time flew by this quickly! Weren’t we just hanging out at the Bowl and partaking in Flunk Day like yesterday? I teach public health, critical medical anthropology and social theories, public health program planning, and global health courses at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. This academic year will be my fourth. Three down, three more to go for tenure. It’s a long road, but it has moved steadily along. My parents and brother are all healthy and well (in Michigan and Massachusetts, respectively). So, all is well on my end in New York City!” ❯ Ned Earley says he wants to make Homecoming this year, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to. “Singing the Knox Hymn with the Alumni Choir would be a highlight. Right now, I am in Kansas City grading AP calculus tests.” ❯ Brian Bossler writes, “Okay, I’ve never contributed a class note. Feeling guilty. Here’s my past 20 years really quickly and in no particular order: I live in Libertyville, Illinois, with wife Denise and four kids, ages 14 to nine. I’ve gone to the same barber for 20 years. College roomie Jacob Auguston was in my wedding, and I in his, but we don’t keep in touch. I miss him. My career has ranged across multiple companies in employee benefits, insurance, global manufacturing, and IT. I started a financial tech company three years ago, and it’s going well. I went to grad school at Northwestern—not as much fun as Knox. I haven’t been back since the misspent post-graduation summer I spent bartending at Cherry Street.” Brian won’t be at Homecoming, unfortunately, but he wishes everyone well. ❯ Jen Rose Schmittauer plans to attend. “Should be a fun time.” ❯ Joey and

Amber Aulwes Finke had a lot of news to share. After several years at different law firms in Chicago, Joey made the decision to consult. He also coaches a 16U travel softball team, so “the consulting flexibility makes life much easier. I’m currently a senior program manager at Walgreens and launching a new global customer satisfaction program.” Amber is a supply chain manager at Baxter Healthcare, where she has worked for 20 years now. “We have both enjoyed our careers and have had the opportunity to do some crazy travel both individually, together, and with the kids (Singapore, Ireland, UK, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Beijing—just to mention a few). Daughter Cheyenne will be a senior at Prairie Ridge High School and is super-excited for college. Right now, her top two picks are Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and University of Glasgow in Scotland. She is breezing through all her tests right now—got a 33 on her ACT. She wrapped up her last year of travel softball and is also in the jazz band (alto sax). She is a darn good artist as well…both body paint and canvas. Anyone who follows us on Facebook has seen her work. Son Logan is a freshman at Prairie Ridge this fall and plans to be on the golf team. He is a darn good artist as well—can draw about anything and is an incredible piano player. Hard to believe, but in four years, we will be empty nesters. Where does the time go?” ❯ Angie Valetutto writes, “Through my work, I participated in a performance called the Body Discourse Project. We presented the piece this past spring at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and in San Francisco. I did my first postpregnancy trapeze performance, which was especially exciting for me. I took daughter Stella to her first aerial class; she’s two-and-a-half and fearless. Partner Scott, Stella, and I made a trip to NYC, where we visited with Liz Huddell Webster, husband Luke, and son JJ. It was fantastic!!!! Life has been full of adventures lately.” ❯ Sara Lindstrom Williams says, “This past year has been an adventure for husband Mike and me

Class Knox 2025th Transportation Company in Jacksonville, Alabama.

Allison Smith ’10 and Tony Hahn ’08—July 8, 2015

Allison Fabino ’14 and Michael Carr ’13—April 10, 2016

LEFT TO RIGHT: Elizabeth Wolfson ’09, Nina Litoff ’12, Elisa Hilderbrand ’10, Carolyn Hanig ’10, Allison Smith Hahn ’10, Tony Hahn ’08, Adam McDowell ’08, Carla Hamilton McDowell ’10, Kristen Chmielewski ’10, Dan Dyrda ’10, Laura Miller Dyrda ’10.

FRONT (LEFT TO RIGHT): Ashlee Pitts ’15 and Dan Johnson ’13.

with the birth of our ﬁrst child, son August. We just celebrated his ﬁrst birthday. We live in Chicago on the northwest side of the city in a little neighborhood called North Mayfair, lots of cute Chicago bungalows. I still work at a community mental health center as a supervisor for a children’s crisis program. Son, house, and job keep me pretty busy. Looking forward to seeing folks at the Reunion!” ❯ Anthony Edwards writes, “I was recently assigned as company commander over the 2025th Transportation Company in Jacksonville, Alabama. I’m in year two of a three-year doctoral program in adult learning. My focus is on recidivism in black male inmates. Professor Fred Hord recently agreed to serve on my dissertation committee. He planted the seed back in 1994 when he arranged for William Harwell and me to offer words of encouragement to inmates in the local prison in Galesburg. It has been more than 20 years since that visit. However, the impact those young men had on my life grows stronger each day.” ❯ From Leslie Leutwiler: “My big news is that I received a J.D. from New York Law School last month (cum laude). Now, I’m feverishly studying for the bar exam and looking forward to when it will all be over. Wish me luck!” Class Correspondent: Kathryn Dix Biallas 1418 East Colter Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602-944-7466, kathybiallas@gmail.com

the impending nuptials of Ryan Miller ’00. Most recently, Rachel Ziech Mika and I had the chance to hang with Jim and Terry Veith Lynch ’96 and Jeff Oldham before the Peter Gabriel and Sting concert. Getting our families together for a BBQ made me realize that, yes, it has been almost 20 years since we walked the Knox campus as students. ❯ My old swimming buddy, Kara Van Kirk Levin, recently published Soldier, a beautiful children’s story about a porcupine whose quills don’t lay flat, preventing hugs from his family: http://ow.ly/aKrA302629M. Kara writes, “Graduated in May with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, have twin six-year-old sons, and live with husband and boys in Brooklyn.” ❯ Chad Binger writes: “The five of us have been going on a fishing trip for nearly 18 years to-

SECOND ROW: Jessica Oakley ’15, Stephanie Peter ’13, Meagan Kapes ’14, Allison Fabino Carr ’14, Mike Carr ’13, Mike Schroeder ’13, Ryan Stefanczyk ’13. BACK ROW: Charlotte Garvin ’14, Kelli Heubner ’13, Keegan Dohm ’16, Kristi Weller ’12, Paul Lebryk ’14, Alli Diamond ’14, Chloe Vollenweider ’17, Andrew Cook ’14, Brynne Downum ’13, Amelia Goranson ’14, Tom Carr ’14, Drew Diaz ’14.

SUBMITTED

gether! I live in Huntley, Illinois, with wife Nancy. We have four-year-old boy/girl twins and an eight-month-old. I am a chiropractor and have been in practice for 14 years.” ❯ Shawn Wynn is an orthopedic surgeon with the group Ora Orthopedics in the Quad Cities. He lives in Moline with his wife Sara. They have two boys and a girl. ❯ Chris Welch lives in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, with his family of six. Chris is a veterinarian and owns two clinics with his wife Kelly, who is also a vet. Chris stays very involved coaching his kids’ sports activities. He writes, “We are blessed every day with a busy successful lifestyle and welcome any visitors from the Knox community. ❯ Brett Barnhart ’96 is an orthopedic surgeon in Canton, Illinois. He focuses on total joint replacement, sports medicine, and fracture treatment.

1997 One of the best parts of business travel is reconnecting with friends and new experiences. What better way to enjoy this than hanging with Knox people all over the U.S.? The beginning of the year found me crossing paths with Morgan Berg ’98 and Josh Gharst ’98 while traveling through Minneapolis and St. Paul. We made impromptu dinner plans, and two hours passed like minutes as we talked about stories old and new. ❯ I was able to make a brief venture to Vegas with Joel Duckworth and Dan Spaulding ’99 to celebrate

Great Catch! Each year, these old Knox friends meet up for a ﬁshing trip; this year’s destination was Whiskeyjack Lake in Manitoba, Canada. From left to right: Brett Barnhart ’96, Steve Ellingson ’96, Chris Welch ’97, Shawn Wynn ’97, and Chad Binger ’97.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

“After nearly 15 years of post-baccalaureate training, I He has two sons who are both honor roll students and three-sport athletes. ❯ Steve and Natalie Lanciloti Ellingson live in Burlington, Wisconsin. Steve is a site engineering manager at Abbott Laboratories, where he will celebrate 20 years of employment next year. Natalie is a physician assistant. They have three boys and a girl. Class Correspondent: Josh Mika 6619 Mountain Ridge Pass, Plainfield, IL 60586-2844, jrmika@gmail.com

1998 Maddie Stapleton Fay: “It’s been a while since I’ve written in, and, since I got called out in the last issue by Tiffany Felde Rahn, I figured I had better send in an update! I have lived in Roswell, Georgia (a suburb of Atlanta), for the past 14 years with husband Gavin. We have an adorable three-year-old boy, Declan, who keeps us on our toes, and we try to fill our spare time with a mix of fun in the city and trips to the mountains— where we live is ideally suited for both! I’ve worked in the art and framing industry since graduating from Knox, but, for the past 10 years, I have been an art consultant with Art Initiative Inc, an art consulting firm based in Atlanta. I have focused almost exclusively on healthcare and provide artwork services to many of the hospital systems in and around Atlanta. I don’t get to see Stacie Traum Kemp half as much as I would like, but we DID get together with a couple other friends for our 40th birthdays in Sanibel Island, Florida, in February and pretty much talked nonstop for five days straight.” ❯ I caught up with David Spetzler when he visited Chicago for a conference. He’s great, keeping busy at work and enjoying family life in Phoenix, Arizona. As always, he does a lot of mountain biking and running with Charles Guthrie at his lovely home in Saint Louis, Missouri, and then took full advantage of his burgeoning foodie blog. He’s been

to hundreds of Saint Louis eateries and has amassed thousands of followers, who use his recommendations to find unique restaurants. Follow his adventures on Instagram: @weeatstuffstl. ❯ I’ve enjoyed following Damon Clark ’99 on Facebook this past year. He has completed marathons all over the nation. This past spring, he ran into Emily Holzhausen Breaux ’99 at the Nashville Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. Look for him at a marathon in a city near you! ❯ Alex Russell is training for his first marathon this fall, and he is fast! Check him out at strava.com. ❯ Finally, an update from me. This spring, I coached park district baseball, and really got a lot out of it! The kids and I look forward to next season. Lately, we’ve enjoyed our backyard and work hard to keep up with our vegetable garden. For what seems like the first time in a long time, we recently, took a week to rest in a rustic cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ❯ Join the Knox College Class of 1998 group on Facebook. Class Correspondent: Kip Conwell kipconwell@gmail.com

University of Colorado and moved there in the fall, where I now run a laboratory studying inflammation and blood development. We live in Denver, which is great, given Steve and Katie Holz-Russell are just a neighborhood away!” ❯ Derek Papp also wrote me an update: “This past March, the World Baseball Classic qualifiers were held in Australia, Mexico, and Panama. I covered the Mexicali qualifier with the help of fantastic athletic trainers from the Cubs, Reds, and Diamondbacks organizations. In June, the Orioles medical training staff put on a mini-symposium here in Baltimore on the treatment and rehabilitation of Tommy John surgery at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) conference, and I was fortunate to be a part of that. I gave a talk similar to the one I gave at Knox in the winter (on the history of surgical management and the media’s perception of an ‘epidemic’)—and kept all my Knox pictures in there!” Class Correspondent: Allison Honaker allisonhonaker@hotmail.com

1999

2002

Just one update, from Rhonda Wood Woerndle. She reports that she is the winner of the 2016 St. Louis Section Chemical Science & Technology Award. Class Correspondent: Valerie Saks Kihslinger S3042 W. Salem Ridge Rd., La Farge, WI 54639, 608-268-6903, vsaks@hotmail.com

Tahlia Weis Sadoski writes: “The end is in sight! After nearly 15 years of post-baccalaureate training, I may finally get a job. I am finishing my last year of vascular surgery residency and am eager to start anew with my little three year-old boy, Oliver.” ❯ Courtney Wiles will marry John Taylor on Saturday, October 1, 2016, in the suburbs of Chicago. They met online on a free dating website and have been dating for five years. ❯ Josh and Nalini Prakash Hart ’03 live in Chicago with one-year-old son Remy and fouryear-old daughter Lilah. The kids loved meeting Riddhi Sandil ’03 and Vir Das during their visits from New York and Mumbai earlier this year. Josh will travel to Loda, Illinois, to participate in the annual PFL fantasy football draft with a dozen Knox grads from 2000 through 2002. Class Correspondent: Jennifer Wreyford 1850 Bassett Street, #626, Denver, CO 80202, 813-482-4112, jwreyford@gmail.com

2000 Hi classmates. Just a quick note to say I am the new correspondent for our class. I look forward to catching up with you all and hearing about your lives. My partner of nine years and I married in July 2016. We have two daughters, 3 years and 18 months, who keep us very busy! Please send any updates for the spring issue! Class Correspondent: Jennifer Parker parker_jen78@yahoo.com

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2001

Dudley McCarter ’72 (left) congratulates Liz Grana ’06 (center) and Joel Christensen ’06 (right) on their recent promotions to partner.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Hi, everyone; I only received two updates this time, but was happy to hear from Eric Pietras with his ﬁrst update! He writes, “I left Chicago in 2003 for graduate school in California and earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from UCLA in 2008. Following graduation, I moved up to San Francisco for postdoctoral training in 2008 at UCSF. I had the great fortune of meeting wife Bridget Harrington up there, and we were married in 2012. Jim Gill, Ryan Williams, and Matt Zanon ﬂew out to San Francisco for wedding. Matt gave a hilarious and memorable toast as best man. While in California, I also kept busy playing in bands, releasing a few records, and hosting an ambient/experimental music radio show at a San Francisco internet radio station (which I still do). Last year, I was recruited to a tenure-track faculty position at the

2003

K.C. Collins Burlison married Matt Burlison on September 25, 2015. ❯ Brandon and Katie Koca Polite welcomed their second baby boy, Beckett James, on January 8, 2016. ❯ Lisa Knisely writes, “I’m not sure when my last update was, but, I spent a few years teaching at the Paciﬁc Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. I took last spring term off to travel, and when I returned to Portland, I started a new gig as a copywriter for Atelier Ace. I also recently served as the editor-in-chief of Render: Feminist Food and Culture Quarterly for a year and continued to publish freelance work. I celebrated two years of home ownership in September and have been learning both about weaving and gardening, as one does when one lives in the Paciﬁc Northwest!” ❯ Kelsey Keyes and husband Brad welcomed their

Class Knox may finally get a job.” —Thalia Weis Sadoski ’02

2004 Rebecca Paxson Osborne writes. “Husband David and I welcomed our twin boys, Theodore Charles and Elijah Arthur, on November 19, 2015. They have made our lives so joyful, and unrelentingly busy. We still live in Lichfield, England, but Theo and Eli have already made it back to Oregon for a visit. In September, I finished my maternity leave and went back to work as an English teacher; however, I will be at a different school where I will be able to work part time, enabling me to spend more time with the babies.” ❯ On March 14, Crystle Rivera gave birth to her first children, fraternal twin boys

Javier and Martín. They were born at 35 weeks at respectable weights (5 pounds, 4 ounces, and 6 pounds, 2 ounces, respectively). They didn’t spend any time in the NICU and have grown very well. ❯ Teresa Lazarz Spicer writes, “Husband Chuck and I had a daughter, Sara, in February 2015. She is running to explore the world in a hurry and talking up a storm of short sentences. Our semiconductor device fabrication plant was recently sold to TowerJazz, an Israeli semiconductor foundry. We are now transferring in many new technologies, which is making both work and home interesting and intense!” ❯ Jasmine Jobe graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with an MFA in creative writing. ❯ Nancy Curry moved with husband Chris Clendenin and three-year-old son Silas back to her hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nancy has created a parenting program for incarcerated women at David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center. ❯ Julie Ellegood Pickup writes, “I recently received a promotion; I’m now the director of family services at Epworth Children & Family Services, where I have worked for seven years. My husband and I bought our first house last fall, which we primarily use to chase around our one-year-old son, Maxwell. ❯ Kelly Anicich reports, “I live in Chicago with partner Raquel. We are getting married in September. I am currently pursuing a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification. I am happy to welcome fellow alumna Amy Atkinson to my neighborhood (she moved here last month!). She will officiate my wedding.” ❯ Heather Papp Kilic: “Talip Kilic and I moved to Rome in January. He continues to work as a senior economist for the World Bank, and I work as an international development consultant. We have enjoyed la dolce vita with our two greyhounds and look forward to hosting our friends from Knox!” ❯ Gina Gehrke Bodam writes, “I finished my first year at Johnsburg High School, completing my 10th year as a school social worker—and still love it. Jason and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary June 28. AJ (4) and Ellie (2) are well, too!” ❯ As for me, Chad, Imogen, and I welcomed Hunter Nathaniel Doyle Johnson into the family on January 27, 2016. Big sister is glad he’s here, but she has mixed feelings on whether she’d like him to stay. Class Correspondent: Susan C. Vitous Johnson 1312 Iles Avenue, Belvidere, IL 61008-1407, susanvitousjohnson@yahoo.com

2005 Sarah Lammie writes: “I have a wonderfully normal life. I celebrated my ﬁrst wedding anniversary and our third ‘adoptiversary’ of dog Bo this year. I am now a tenured teacher at Chicago Public Schools, and work at a new dance studio, Yvonne’s Dance Academy, teaching tap. I was just in a National Tap Day show and enjoyed summer break and taking trips with my husband.” ❯ Lauren Harrison Rossato married Ken Rossato on September 5, 2015. They have a home in

Silver Spring, Maryland, and adopted an amazing cat. In attendance at the wedding were Rachel Megibow Pitt ’07 and husband Brian, Marcy Wiget Huggard ’04 and new husband Charlie, and Sera Stack ’03 (maid of honor). ❯ Brett Zinter writes: “After 10 years as a manufacturing scientist, I decided to change directions and go back to school. In May, I completed a master of science degree in supply chain management from Washington University in St. Louis and am beginning my new career in that ﬁeld.” ❯ Marisa Sengstock Banaszak expects her ﬁrst child in October—otherwise, she says, her life is pretty boring! ❯ Jacqueline Dehne Scafidi reports that oldest child Alexandra (5) is about to start kindergarten this fall. Her youngest, Vivian, is great and will be three in the fall. The work/life balance keeps Jackie busy! Husband Matt was promoted to manager this year. Her work in corporate philanthropy and employee engagement continues as she starts to plot out her next adventure in her career. Until then, some of her major projects involve managing the American Red Cross and Habitat relationships, along with a major engagement project with employees across North America. Class Correspondents: Marissa Parkin moeparkin@gmail.com Ashley Steinsdoerfer Gottlieb 815-245-3648, agsteinsdoerfer@aol.com

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second son to the family. Felix Benjamin Iverson Keyes was born on September 1, 2015. Kelsey writes, “He’s a happy baby with a big smile, and he loves his big brother, Wally.” ❯ Amanda Erwin Franklin and her husband welcomed their second daughter, Sadie Chase. Amanda states, “Big sister Piper (who turned two on June 20) is so excited to help. (Maybe a bit too excited!) I took the summer off before heading back to work at a local nonprofit.” ❯ Kimberly Martinez Van Winkle-Spires reports, “I have been with Select Sires for eight years now. I am the assistant laboratory supervisor. Luv it! It is based in Plain City, Ohio, and is North America’s largest artificial insemination company, with nine farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. Its mission is to provide dairy and beef producers with North America’s best genetics at reasonable prices. Also, I married a great guy (Brian Spires) last September.” ❯ Susie Stone writes, “Aside from celebrating 10 years of wedded bliss, things in Rochester are going well for Jake Wright and me. I work with the Diversity Council, a local nonprofit that leads anti-bias training and inclusivity workshops in local schools and for businesses and organizations. I have also been refereeing soccer and lacrosse, you know, for fun…or something like that. Jake continues to love teaching philosophy at the University of Minnesota-Rochester. He has also been selected to be a member of the Choral Arts Ensemble, a premier choral group in Rochester.” ❯ Dan Chibnall has accepted the position of STEM librarian in Cowles Library at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He is excited to work with biology, chemistry, physics, math, computer science, kinesiology, and environmental science students and faculty and teach in the library’s information literacy curriculum. ❯ John Dick and Mary Hogarty moved to Sheridan, Wyoming, in December 2014. John, who is still with the University of Wyoming, was promoted to director of the Wyoming Technology Business Center for the Sheridan area. John, Mary, and Isla (who’s now three!) welcomed the newest addition to their family, Coraline Blair, in March. Class Correspondent: Allison O’Mahen Malcom 8134 Gridley Avenue, Wauwatosa, WI 53213-3049, allison.o.malcom@gmail.com

An International Reunion Jessica Watson ’06 and Eura Ryan Szuwalski ’04 visited Karolina Sawicka Davis ’04 and husband Mike at their new home in Poland. Jessica says they all met in London, then travelled to Wroclaw, Krakow, and Warsaw. “It was an amazing trip, and we can’t wait to meet again sometime soon!”

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Eric Langston ’07 graduated MAGNA CUM LAUDE from DePaul University Jonathan Gripshover ’06 Jonathan Gripshover ’06 is a career technical instructor, Code.7370, working out of San Quentin Prison. He hopes that by giving inmates skills in coding and technology, he can help them break into the job market when they’re released. What are your responsibilities as a career technical education instructor? Our program is called Code.7370, the first coding program ever inside prison walls. I am the intermediary between all involved parties—The Last Mile (TLM), a nonprofit organization founded by Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, wants to bridge the gap between incarcerated people and the technology revolution; the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) is a state-run organization that employs more than 6,000 inmates in production of various goods and trains them in employable skills; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), or the prison itself; and the prisoners. Whenever someone needs to communicate between these parties, they come to me first. Why do you believe teaching inmates to code is important? The rate of recidivism in California is approximately 67percent. In other words, approximately two-thirds of inmates released will reoffend within the next three years. The reason this happens is because a lot of these prisoners don’t have a way to break into the job market with a skill that earns them enough money to not have to engage in any illegal activity to earn a living. San Quentin is less than 20 miles from San Francisco, one of the largest markets for the tech industry in the entire world. If we can find a way to make this coincidence benefit some of these reformed and skilled prisoners, everyone right down to the taxpayer wins. SUBMITTED

Describe your path since graduating from Knox. I worked for Kaplan, the test prep company, for a few years in customer service and compliance. When the economy crashed, I wrote freelance for a while and eventually concluded I should relocate and restart my professional career in mental health. I worked for Seneca Family of Agencies as a mental health counselor for at-risk youth in residential facilities, in the community, and in public and nonpublic schools. One problem I encountered too frequently was that once our kids turned 18 and had not magically become an adult yet, they made the same mistakes they did as a 17-year-old. Only as an 18-year-old, they were suddenly receiving long sentences, and they had to grow up in prison. Our ﬁle on them closed and was chalked up as a failure. I knew, though, that their life wasn’t over, that they still had an opportunity to grow and reform and become the person they always wanted to be. How did your Knox experience impact your life? Knox afforded me the healthy and supportive environment I needed to try things and fail. The small, tightly knit community made me feel loved and connected. Now that I’m older, I see how many Knox grads spread out all over the world in a network that I ﬁnd hard to rival.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

2006 Rachel Navarre graduated with a Ph.D. in government from University of Texas at Austin. She plans move back to New Orleans for a position as a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Inter-American Policy and Research at Tulane University. ❯ Emily Woodruff writes, “Sean McKittrick ’07 and I celebrated our seventh anniversary in July. We have a two-year-old named Thomas and a five-month-old named Joseph. Thomas loves to sing and so might be an aspiring choir member.” ❯ Ben and Jennifer King Stripe (and new big brother Will) celebrated the birth of Daniel Isaac Stripe on May 13. ❯ Jeremiah Tindall writes, “Since 2006, here are several things I’ve done (there are others, but these make for some good highlights). I attempted to start a skateboard shop in Minneapolis in 2008. After a change of plans, I shipped all the inventory down to Jamaica, where I’m still attempting to develop skateboarding opportunities on the island. I was the program director for an indoor youth center/skatepark in Fairbanks, Alaska, for a year in 2009. That year, I also took a trip to South Africa to deliver some skateboards and shoes to various children with the founding members of TOMS shoes. I worked as a crew member sailing a 125foot schooner from Boston to the Bahamas in 2011 (the fourth tall ship I lived and worked aboard since graduating). Currently, I teach ninth grade English for the Miami-Dade public schools and enjoy helping out with music at church. This summer, I traveled to India for a month to visit my sister and her family.” ❯ Leanne Lilly attended vet school and then returned to Colorado for general practice for four years. Last July, she changed gears and started an internship with the University of Pennsylvania’s Veterinary Behavior Department in a partnership with a local shelter. This July, she returned to the Midwest, though remains on East Coast time, starting a veterinary behavior residency at Ohio State University. ❯ Megan Gamble says: “Hi, dad!” ❯ Doug Franke writes, “My family and I had planned on coming to the 10-year Reunion this October but we have had to cancel our plans, as my wife and I expect our third child this December, and we have to prepare for three younglings in the house. Oldest son Jude starts four-year-old kindergarten (4K) this year, while Kiran starts pre-school. Ten years on from my graduation at Knox College, I am again looking at graduation, as I will complete an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Parkside this December. While we have had to cancel our plans to make it to Galesburg this year, we are already planning a trip in 2017 to make up for it.” ❯ Cody Happ is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, finishing an M.S. in speech-language pathology at the University of New Mexico. She was accepted into a scholarship program specifically for preparing bilingual clinicians. She’ll also complete an internship this fall at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center; she will graduate next May. She and partner Ted plan to stay in

Class Knox College of Law.

2007 Greetings! It’s almost time for our 10-year Reunion next year—where does the time go? We hope you enjoy reading these updates from our

class. ❯ Donielle Augustson moved to Portland, Oregon. She is now a deputy medical examiner for Multnomah County. ❯ From Lindsay Fondow: “Seven years ago, I moved to St. Louis from St. Paul in a beat-up Chevy Prizm, and, while I’ll always have a soft spot for the Gateway City, I’m thrilled to have moved back to the Twin Cities. I brought with me a husband and our baby girl, Natalie, who was born January 11, 2016. Despite doing research and evaluation work for an early childhood organization, I can’t for the life of me figure out how to get our infant to sleep more than three consecutive hours, so if this post is incoherent, you know why. We bought a house in South Minneapolis, and I can’t wait to connect with all you Knoxies who have also settled here!” ❯ Akshay Gavai works at Organic Valley in Wisconsin with Kevin ’99 and Valerie Saks Kihslinger ’99. ❯ Emaad Hassan writes, “I currently work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the division of global health protection on the implementation of the global health security agenda and international health regulations in Pakistan and Egypt. I also coordinate the CDC WHO Eastern Mediterranean region collaboration for the division. Between work travel and the office, I have pretty much no life. I do take time out to relax with Knox friends and still feel that Knox people are my family. I wish we could all meet more often. Looking forward to more Knox times ahead. Get in touch if you’re ever where I am. Love and miss you all!” ❯ Eric Langston graduated magna cum laude from DePaul University College of Law and was inducted to the Order of the Coif (like Phi Beta Kappa, but for law school). He will join the Chicago office of Proskauer Rose in October as an associate. In his free time, he likes to go rock climbing and ride his motorcycle. ❯ Katya Manak shares these accomplishments: “I am engaged to John Fuentes (University of Illinois), and our wedding will take place in June 2017. My maid of honor will be Maureen McDonnell ’09. I continue to practice family law in Chicago with the law firm, Stein & Stein, Ltd. Recently, I was named an ‘Emerging Lawyer’ by Law Bulletin Publishing Company, a distinction earned by the top 2 percent of lawyers licensed to practice law in Illinois who are 40 or younger or who have practiced law 10 years or fewer and have proven themselves professional, ethical, and experienced at an early point in their careers.” ❯ Adam Nader writes, “I currently live in Miami, Florida, with my wife, Jaclyn Shapiro; we got married in September in Chicago. I am also finishing a cardiology fellowship and will start practicing cardiology soon.” ❯ Maureen Olesen got married June 25 to Sergio Alvarez Fernandez, in Piloña, Asturias, on the north coast of Spain. Four friends from Knox attended: Chelsea Bagot Wunnicke, Catherine Miller Armstrong, Emily Quade, and Rebekah Richardson. “We met seven years ago in Asturias, where Sergio is from, and have lived together the past four years in Baden-Baden, Germany.” ❯ 2016 has been a

joyous adventure for JoAnna Novak and husband Thomas Cook ’05. With dog Lucy, they moved from Massachusetts to Los Angeles in a cross-country drive that took them through 13 states. JoAnna accepted an assistant professor position at Mount Saint Mary’s University, where she teaches in the MFA program, and Thomas works as a freelance copywriter. In other news, JoAnna’s debut novel, I Must Have You, was acquired by SkyHorse Publishing. It’ll be available in hardback in May 2017. ❯ Natasha Pamenter Paris owns ParKelm Farm in Green Lake, Wisconsin, where she and her husband raise grass-fed beef and sheep. She also works as an agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America advisor at Ripon High School in Ripon, Wisconsin. ❯ Steuart Pittman received the 2016 Peter S. Reed Foundation Award in painting and recently moved into a new art studio in Oakland, California, alongside Keenan Wells ’05. ❯ Tim and Casey Norton Powers had a baby, Lily Brooke, on March 25. Casey was recently promoted to director of Monterey County services for Rebekah Children’s Services. Tim is currently the offensive coordinator for Watsonville High School. ❯ Michael Sales and wife Rachel were married on October 10, 2015, at the Alamoosook Lakeside Inn in Orland, Maine. “It was a beautiful fall day for an outdoor wedding, and we had a great time celebrating with close friends and family. In attendance were Chor Lee ’06 and John Campbell and Jennifer Presley Trocke.” Michael has just begun his third year as the Coordinator of Student Life at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine. Highlights of the ﬁrst two years include bringing a camel to campus to celebrate hump day, setting up inﬂatable “big red balls” from the Wipeout TV show, and setting up a regular service project with the Waterville Food Bank. ❯ Tawny Wilson Boyce writes, “For the past year and a half, I have worked as a biostatistician at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer

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New Mexico for a few years after she graduates. They enjoy their southwestern adventure! ❯ Luella Williams writes, “Through my work with Up2Us Sports, I have had the opportunity to work alongside key citywide initiatives to make New Orleans one of the fittest cities by its 300year anniversary. We contribute to this effort by engaging approximately 3,000 youth in physical activity across the city per year. Due to my focus to ensure that every child has access to a great coach and a safe space to play, I have been selected to participate in two unique experiences. In September, I began a 12-month fellowship with the Allstate Foundation’s Greater Good Nonprofit Leaders program at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management’s Center for Nonprofit Management. Additionally, I will represent the New Orleans sport for youth development community at a global summit in Germany in October 2016. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the Reunion but will be there in spirit.” ❯ Adam Kruse attended law school at University of Missouri and graduated in 2009. He has worked for the City of Columbia, Missouri, as an assistant city counselor in the law department for the last seven years, and got married on July 2. ❯ Erica Skog Jessen reports, “This past December, my spouse and I moved from our lovely house in the country to Madison’s Near East Side. We miss the quiet and starry skies but love being so much closer to everything! In January, we welcomed a daughter (who looks great in the Knox onesie I bought her last Homecoming). That and various house projects have kept us closer to home than in past years, but we’ve had lots of opportunities to connect with Knox friends at weddings and for weekend visits. We look forward to seeing more of you come October!” ❯ Jessica Watson writes, “I quit my job as a social worker 3½ years ago to start my own real estate business. After hard work, I’m finally seeing a decent profit and just acquired my 16th rental in May! Setting my own schedule has been very rewarding. I’ve gotten to see many Knox alumni and new places over the past few years. I hope to continue traveling in my off-time. I’m very thankful for my time working with Habitat for Humanity at Knox, which gave me a good knowledge base on construction!” ❯ Sylvie Davidson reports: “Musical partner Trevor Wheetman and I are so excited to share that two of our songs have been selected as finalists for the Global Peace Song Awards! ‘Through the Cracks’ is a finalist in the folk category, and ‘Can’t Stop This Train’ is a finalist in the country category! You can hear our songs at globalpeacesongawards.org.” Class Correspondent: Megan Rehberg megan.rehberg@gmail.com

Dan ’10 and Laura Miller Dyrda ’10 pose with son Rowan Patrick, who was born on May 25, 2016.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Courtney Meaker ’08 was nominated for a Stranger Genius Award Center. On June 2, husband Bert and I welcomed a little girl, Charlotte Layne, to our family. Right now I’m adjusting to motherhood and wishing our country had better maternity leave policies.” ❯ Annie Vernon and Will Cwik wanted to share with the Knox community that, after 11 years, “We ﬁnally tied the knot in a small ceremony with close family and friends, in Chicago, where we currently live! In attendance were Evan Sawdey, Gabrielle Genevich ‘05, Erica Skog Jessen ’06 (and baby!), Sara Eldridge, Dr. Valerie Cwik ’77, Tanya Frank Jones ’05, Mandy Bernstrauch, Shirlene Love ’05, and Dr. Cory Wilczynski Straub ’06. Two weeks before the ceremony, Will graduated from IIT with a master’s degree in design and an MBA. I have a Master of Social Work degree from USC and am working toward my clinical license. We look forward to life’s adventures together!” Class Correspondents: Laura J. Wentink Marcasciano 5650 Abbey Drive, Apartment 3P, Lisle, IL 60532-2558, ljmarcasciano@gmail.com Michael C. Sales 32 Elm Street, Apt. 2, Newport, ME 04953, KnoxClassof2007@gmail.com

2008 Ike and Bethany Vittetoe Glinsmann, missing the road, recently became owners of a two-bedroom, one-bath, 27-year old, six-wheeled home! They look forward to spending the next couple years renovating their ﬁxer-upper and going mobile in 2018. ❯ Mark Imielski and Christine Harris welcomed a baby boy, Harris Bernard (“HB”), on January 15 2016. All are well. ❯ Courtney Meaker has had a busy year. She has been nominated for a Stranger Genius Award for her play That’swhatshesaid, which started a national conversation about women’s roles in theatre. She ﬁnished her second year as a member of Seattle Repertory Writers Group with a reading of a new play, Candid International. Her play Chaos Theory is in the process of being published with Original Works Publishing. Her play The Lost Girls will premiere in Seattle at Annex Theatre in October. And, this fall, she began pursuing an MFA at the University of Iowa at the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. ❯ Jessica Strache and her dad spent eight days trekking Mt. Kilimanjaro and made it to the summit (with an altitude of 19,341 feet)! ❯ Philippe Moore got married on July 16, and has relocated to Portland, Oregon. ❯ Catherine Ray Dabrowski said, “This year has been full of change for me! I married best friend Kevin Dabrowski, graduated from residency in anesthesiology, moved to Nashville, and started as a private practice anesthesiologist in August! We love our new home in Music City!” ❯ Dana Becker Lesus said, “In December, I graduated from Creighton University School of Law with an master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution. My husband and I also got a four-year-old black dog named Gola.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

❯ Anne Fagerburg wrote, in response to our postings: “Funny you should ask...I just got engaged last week while traveling in Belize with my now-fiancé, Thomas. Other than that, still staying awesome.” ❯ Meryl Leventon says, “In May, I made the coast-to-coast hop and moved to San Diego from Miami! I took a new position with Competitor Group as a course director on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and will travel nationally handling course operations. In fact, Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Louis is one of my events. So far, San Diego feels very laid back and has perfect weather, so the transition has been nice and easy!” ❯ Michael Marshall has exciting news! “My wife and I are excited to announce that we expect our first child in January.” ❯ Paul Cotton and Jennifer Wolf were blessed with a healthy baby girl, Beatrix Lew Cottonwolf, on April 11. ❯ Jessica Platt was hired as an employment specialist for St. Louis Arc in April, and dog Murphy became a certified therapy dog in the TOUCH program for Support Dogs, Inc. ❯ After working as a government contractor in Cincinnati for a few years, Caroline Allen was accepted to a master’s program at the University of Cincinnati (UC) with a scholarship so… she quit her job and began graduate school. She also somehow found the time to marry Ian Silander ’06 in St. Louis last August, “which was super fun and exciting haha.” She just finished her master’s degree and has been accepted to the doctoral program in criminology at UC, so they will be in Cincinnati for a few more years. Ian still works at Fifth Third Bank headquarters. They also just bought a really sweet house near UC and adopted the best dog ever, named Beatrice. She says, “So aside from sneezing all the time because of terrible Cincinnati-style allergies, life is pretty good!” ❯ Natalie “Tali” Haberkamp started a new position at Northwestern University and got married to Jairus Paulus (sadly not a Knox alum) in August. She says, “Between those two life events, there hasn’t been much time for other grand exploits, but it’s certainly been an exciting year.” ❯ Jasmina Ruano got engaged on December 22, 2015, and will be married on October 1, 2016! ❯ In February, Emily Jensen started a new job at Rush University Medical Group as an administrative manager for the university’s hepatologists. She was also asked and happily accepted another three-year term on the Alumni Council with Mo Harris. She is the Council’s new social media committee chair, so you will see a lot more on the class Facebook page in the future (with minimal fundraising posts, unless it’s the end of the fiscal year). ❯ Erica Stringfellow Tully graduated in May with a master’s degree in English language teaching and learning and still enjoys living in Chicago with husband Patrick and going to SoulCycle with Miriam Gillan at least three times a week! Meanwhile, Miriam is living the dream and works at a marketing agency on the Loop in Chicago. She re-signed the lease on her studio, which she shares with cat Eowyn. She loves going to SoulCycle with Erica!

Class Correspondent: Miriam M. Gillan miriam.gillan@gmail.com Erica Stringfellow Tully e.stringfellow4@gmail.com

2009 Ahoy, Class of 2009! Seven years out of Knox, and our class is getting into all sorts of adventures. Read on… ❯ Elizabeth Barrios finished her Ph.D. and got a tenure-track job at Albion College, a small liberal arts school in the Midwest (you know the type). She will continue to live in Ypsilanti, Michigan. ❯ Sarah Williams writes: “I still live in Chicago with my cat and the love of my life. When I’m not playing video games and enjoying a good whiskey, I can be found working at the Anti-Cruelty Society as a humane educator, playing Pathfinder, or practicing aikido.” ❯ Ruvini Jayasinghe writes: “Graduated from Rosalind Franklin University with a Ph.D. in pharmacology and moved to the East Coast! Finally done with school and now working at a healthcare communications firm as a medical writer.” ❯ Chi Brian Zhang married Camellia Zhao in 2015 and regretfully left Nordstrom/Hautelook to lead a Chinese startup, opening an office in Los Angeles. “Make the world a better place by selling more handbags,” as one may say (ref: Silicon Valley, HBO). ❯ Beth Beadle Legue and husband Nate welcomed the arrival of their son, Elijah Loras, in September. ❯ Matt Baker writes: “N.” ❯ Jennifer Hoben says that 2016 has been one of the best years yet! It has included completing the Boston Marathon, getting engaged, and finding fulfilment at work in education outside the four walls of a classroom. ❯ Jamie Hadac recently moved to the Bay Area and works as a consultant in the pharmaceutical industry. ❯ Tighe Burke writes: “I’ve been living the dream being American and wearing tank tops in San Francisco, headhunting Silicon Valley’s finest for a few years now. I will soon get married and expect a baby boy on Election Day: Trump Burke. Nice ring to it, huh?” ❯ Grant Guimond writes: “My wife and I bought a house near Denver recently and also found ourselves adopting a dog, Kuruv. Been going to monster truck rallies and all sorts of other freak fests lately, too.” ❯ Ashley Shane was a recipient of a $1,000 SCORE Grant from the Illinois Education Association. She will use the grant to fund four kindergarten family literacy nights for the 2016–17 school year at Nielson Elementary School in Galesburg, where she teaches kindergarten. ❯ Samantha Pelkey-Flock graduated with a M.S. in counselor education this June and is in the process of opening a private practice! With all of her newfound free time, she enjoys long walks along the Portland riverfront with Drew Flock ’08 and dogs Mosby and Lily. Drew has been enjoying the corporate life and his mountain views. He says, “Hi.” ❯ Hayley Lerner graduated with an MFA in writing. During the course of her studies, she received a fellowship

Class Knox for her play THAT’SWHATSHESAID. Pamela Schuller ’09 A Chorus of Yesses Pam Schuller’s Unique Career Has Roots at Knox A comedian and activist, Pamela Schuller ’09 works with the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services and 70 Faces Media managing the Teen and Mental Health Initiative. What drew you to this career path? I have two passions: comedy and advocacy. They are both equal parts of my identity, and choosing one would be like choosing a favorite child. Growing up with a severe case of Tourette syndrome, I was able to see first hand what a great advocate looked like. Through those advocates, I learned that I can define Tourette’s, instead of it defining me. Describe your path since graduating from Knox. After leaving Knox, I was hired as a director of youth engagement in New Jersey. While in that position, I received a master’s degree in child advocacy in policy. My graduate school thesis was on using improvisational theater as a tool for self-advocacy. Last year I gave a talk online about inclusion that went “Jewish viral,” and shortly after that, Mayim Bialik from The Big Bang Theory gave me the opportunity to write a secular piece for her website. Those opportunities have allowed me to travel the world doing comedy and working with schools and camps to create inclusive communities. You completed an Honors project and participated in Repertory Term while at Knox. How did these experiences influence your path? My Honors project is one of the most transformative experiences of my life. The project had two components: working with local high school students to create a movie on suicide ideation and creating a documentary while I worked as the theater director and inclusion specialist at a summer camp. The documentary is titled Come and Get Me, I Hate it Here. The project was the first time I started combining improv with inclusion. During Rep Term, I had a blast and learned so much; it was my relationships with the theatre department faculty who were most transformative to me. Liz Carlin-Metz, Neil Blackadder, Craig Choma ’93, Jen Smith, Kelly Hogan ’93, and Doc Bob (Robert Whitlatch) were the first people who validated that yes, I have Tourette’s, but that doesn’t stop me from playing a role on stage, and it certainly doesn’t stop me from being funny and creative. SUBMITTED

from an imprint of HarperCollins and won a cash prize for her thesis. ❯ Marek Dorman writes: “Had daughter.” ❯ Sarah Bigus Eagen is an actress in L.A. She was recently on the CBS show Rush Hour and was a guest star on a Lifetime show. She also writes pilots and just attended a premiere at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for a rock opera she choreographed. ❯ Ashley Blazina is finishing up a graduate degree in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. She currently teaches the undergraduate sustainability studio course in the environmental studies program. ❯ Iona Cooper writes: “Left my job as a wilderness therapy guide and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, last March to pursue a M.A. in counseling at Southwestern College. Having a blast so far! Recently discovered a passion for biking.” ❯ Liz Soehngen volunteers as a sexual assault crisis counselor and helped her organization coordinate one of their largest fundraising events of the year. Husband Simon Lepkin continues to work in Silicon Valley at a company that plans to actually make a profit this year. They both attended a Knox wedding and got to see a ton of other Knox alumni in the area for the first time in years. It was great and worth braving the potential of a muggy Midwest summer. ❯ Audra Adolph still works as a neurosciences nurse in Nashville, Tennessee, and is happy to announce a recent engagement to Karl Bair ’12. Audra is excited about the upcoming wedding as well as helping with Karl’s growing business in financial services. ❯ Pac Pobric writes: “I bought an apartment with my wife in Spuyten Duyvil, in the Bronx.” ❯ Adam Vera shares this masterful poem: Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis, Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis, Samuel Paul Lee Jarvis ❯ Katie Fronczak is now a detective primarily handling special victims on the Louisiana Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Turns out it’s hard to look as good as Olivia Benson. She and Noa Chaput just bought a house with a room devoted only to books: life goal achieved. ❯ Cal Kotz recently reached his 18-month mark at Wells Fargo, where he has parlayed his college experience as “The Comparatively Responsible One” into a risk and quality analyst job. ❯ Nora Nelson writes: “I spent a month earlier this year working with remote indigenous communities in the Amazon, and took other exciting and fulfilling work trips to Mexico and Vietnam. I got married in September in Big Sur and will honeymoon in Myanmar!” ❯ Alison Rashid writes, “I have moved to Sacramento, California, to teach French!” ❯ Kristin Mussar has graduated from the University of Washington with a Ph.D. in pharmacology! Her research was on regeneration of the pancreas. Next, she is

How did your Knox experience change your life? I loved my time at Knox. How incredible to be in a space where I could have some strange idea and have five professors immediately say, “Yes, let’s make it happen!” Knox is where my passions first started to meld together. I think I would still be doing comedy and inclusion work, but it was the creative way of thinking I learned at Knox and the chorus of “yesses” I heard that allowed me to think that my passions of comedy, advocacy, improv, and inclusion could fit together.

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Kristin Mussar ’09 earned a Ph.D. in pharmacology; her research excited to move to the business/technology commercialization side of science. ❯ Danielle Jones teaches third grade at a British school in Budapest, Hungary, and adventures around Europe (and beyond!). ❯ Will Gallmeyer helps to implement a natural gas utility’s residential consultation program in Michigan, where he bought a house and is putting down roots. ❯ Toshia Zessin Albright married her partner in crime, Vic, and welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Anna, after defending two Ph.D.s successfully. ❯ Molly Wilson is still plodding toward a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision. One step closer to becoming Heather Hoffmann every day. ❯ As for me, I am celebrating my newly granted Australian permanent residency, working on a blog series about representation in tabletop gaming, and thinking about starting an acrobatics troupe for body-diverse acrobats. Good times. Class Correspondent: Brittany N. Leggans knoxclassof2009@gmail.com

2010 Abby Harms graduated in June with a master’s degree in human rights from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and looks forward to starting her career in refugee agencies. ❯ Chrissy Morse has spent the last three years teaching high school science on the Yakama and Puyallup Indian reservations. She lives in Seattle and is busy learning how to be a Jedi, thanks to lightsaber choreography and costuming group SaberGuild. ❯ Gloria Feliciano left her corporate job in 2015 to return to academia. She is pursuing a M.Div. at GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and a master’s degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago. In addition, Gloria is pursuing ordination in the United Methodist Church as a deacon. She married Tim Feltman in September 2016. They live in Pilsen and enjoy being puppy parents to their dog, Arby. ❯ Erin Souza Dreyfuss received a master’s degree from George Washington University. Now, she works at the DCJCC and is the youngest-ever board member at their synagogue. Marc Dreyfuss keeps trying to make things walkable and extend Metrorail into the rapidly developing trafﬁc nightmare that is Northern Virginia. ❯ Adam ’08 and Carla Hamilton McDowell were married on April 22, 2016, in Chicago, where they live with their dog, Spud. ❯ Nicole Henniger ﬁnished up a Ph.D. at UC San Diego and is excited to return to Knox for a year as a visiting assistant professor in psychology. ❯ Daniel and Laura Miller Dyrda welcomed Rowan Patrick Dyrda into the world on May 25, 2016, at 10 pounds and 22 inches. Rowan is already learning about classic literature, music, and politics, and cheering on the Chicago White Sox. ❯ Richard Thiemann recently traveled to Borneo from his home in Singapore, hiked in the jungle, and saw a proboscis monkey. ❯ Abby Pardick Clayton and her husband will soon be parents to an amazing

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nine-year-old girl. They began the foster care/adoption journey in January 2015 and have ﬁnally found their match. They asked if they could adopt her on May 6, 2016, and she said YES! ❯ Tony ’08 and Allison Smith Hahn celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary! By day, they work in two different public libraries in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, and, by night, Allison bounces around designing costumes for various theatres in Chicagoland. Upcoming is the U.S. premiere of Multitudes with Vitalist Theatre and Rasaka Theatre, directed by Knox’s own Liz Carlin-Metz! ❯ John Eisemann recently found his custom purple and gold chucks and wore them to school on Flunk Day for his students to see. His former students, now Knox students, still call him at 3 a.m. PST and leave a message to ring in that most wonderful day. It feels wonderful to pass on the tradition and still be a part of it. ❯ Rita Lanham works at a grocery cooperative in Madison, Wisconsin. She is in school studying occupational therapy and likes to spend her free time kayaking and swimming. Rita feels like a child who is somehow allowed to do adult things. ❯ Ellie Poley lives in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago and just started a new job teaching software development at Dev Bootcamp. ❯ Cami Woodruff spent a week in Seattle doing some contract work for Valve. She has also done some freelance for them in the past months, including a comic cover for Call of Duty and the trading cards for Steam’s winter sale. Prospects look good for her maybe ending up in Seattle working for a major game company sooner rather than later? ❯ July marks a full year as a Stanford postdoctoral fellow for Oliwia Zurek—she probably won’t ever go back to a snowy state! She started the summer by saying goodbye to Lauren Assaf, who graduated in style from Berkeley Law! Benjamin Yoder-Henley ’14 joined in the celebration. Then, Oliwia was off to Stanford Business School, where she learned how to be an entrepreneur in the biotech world. On top of that, research, grant writing, and mentoring undergraduate honors students keeps her pretty busy! ❯ By the time you read this, Samantha Newport will have purchased 20 acres in rural Wisconsin and be preparing for her nuptials. The land needs a lot of work (the forthcoming wedding, not so much), so feel free to swing by and get your hands dirty. This is a for serious open invite for rugged laboring and nostalgic reminiscing. Have your people call her people. ❯ Carrie Bueche spent 2015 teaching English in Shanghai. She now lives in New York City, is engaged, and is a program coordinator at the Council on Foreign Relations. ❯ Laura Anderman and Nolan Bryant ’09 tied the knot after the better part of a decade together. They married on July 23, 2016, in the Portland, Oregon, area with a number of other Knox grads in attendance! ❯ Virginia Graves still works at Feeding America in Chicago and has spent the last year traveling across the country visiting food banks as a consultant. One trip took her to Portland, Maine,

where she got to see Michelle Geyer! ❯ Alexandra Braun works for an event planner and is studying for the GRE in advance of pursuing an MBA. ❯ Alana Ogilvie is now the proud business owner of Portland Sex Therapy, providing mental health services to vulnerable populations in Oregon. In her spare time, she hikes around the Pacific Northwest with her fiancé and plans their wedding! ❯ In the years since Knox, Christina Vanni Mullison married Ben Mullison and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois College of Law. She currently works as an assistant state’s attorney at the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office in Decatur, Illinois, where she prosecutes felonies. She recently second-chaired her first murder trial in June 2016. Ben also works as an attorney at the firm of Heavner, Beyers & Mihlar, LLC. ❯ Lauren Assaf took the California bar exam before traveling with friends to Japan and Mexico! She starts in the corporate department at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in October. Class Correspondent: Lauren Assaf knoxcollege2010notes@gmail.com

2011 Five years ago, the Class of 2011 became the newest members of the Knox alumni community. Since then, our class continued to exceed expectations and chart our own paths to success! ❯ Katherine McManus began her fourth year teaching at Hmong College Prep Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is engaged to a fellow liberal arts-educated D3 athlete from Minnesota. ❯ Amelia Gant helps companies move their employees around the world as a part of Deloitte’s global mobility practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. ❯ Shruti Patel Carr graduated with an master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown and started a job in government consulting. She met husband Steve in the Peace Corps. ❯ Sam Claypool Temple started a new chapter of life with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. She also founded Live Dunia (livedunia.org), hoping it will lead her back to Tanzania. She celebrated six years of marriage to Luke Temple ’08. ❯ Audrey Savage approached ﬁve years at VelocityEHS (formerly MSDSonline). She was promoted to marketing operations manager in January 2015. She lives in Chicago with her diabetic (but on the mend!) kitty, Oscar. ❯ Ariana Tuckey lives in Washington, D.C. In February, she began a two-year appointment as a presidential management fellow with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ❯ Jaclyn Stillmaker has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist at North Shore Pediatric Therapy in Lake Bluff since January. ❯ Caitlin Collins teaches preschool at Hilltop Christian School. She and Lauriane Wales, who is an engineer with the Utah Department of Transportation, were engaged in April. ❯ Jimmy Thornton is in Denver working as a bartender at a brewery and whiskey bar called Bull & Bush. ❯ Courtney and Christian

Class Knox was on regeneration of the pancreas. Lewis Jude ’12 have officially signed contracts to continue their teaching careers in St. Louis Public Schools. ❯ Chris Bugajski completed an optometry residency in ocular disease at the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Hospital in Michigan. He plans to return to the western suburbs of Chicago. ❯ Chris and Elizabeth Woodyard Johnson ’13 have been working hard to grow their company. Chris has been a software engineer with Google for almost a year now. ❯ Kevin Morris is a senior manager with Pearson. He and wife Marnie Shure live in Chicago. ❯ Kristin Niehoff Weisenberger finished her fourth year of teaching second grade and loves being a mom to three-year-old August and one-year-old Cooper. ❯ Helen Schnoes is an aspiring bureaucrat working to support the local food system in Lawrence, Kansas. ❯ Ndaya Farrell has continued working with a TRIO program at the University of Cincinnati. ❯ Nigam Gandhi is in New York working at a children’s hospital. He will be married in 2017. ❯ Alex Davis graduated from law school. ❯ Sadie Arft started a master’s program in art history at the University of Kansas. ❯ Claire Knowlton lives in Washington, D.C., and teaches third grade dual language. ❯ Adam Iona lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is a data analysis for a big financial services company. ❯ Nea Fernández-Larson married Jose Luis Fernandez Sanchez. She lives in Barcelona, Spain, and works in immigration. ❯ Helen Hapner graduated from law school and moved back to Chicago to start putting her degree to use. ❯ Priya Sharma started medical rotations at Mt. Sinai and Nicklaus Miami Children’s Hospital in South Beach, Florida. ❯ Keely Campbell ’12 finished her first year of work toward a master’s degree at Boston College School of Social Work and works for St. Vincent Hospital in Worchester, Massachusetts. ❯ Dami Olotu completed an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and joined Sears Holdings. ❯ Peter Cain teaches Spanish and officiates high school basketball at Redlands East Valley High School. ❯ Kathleen Kellett spent the summer teaching for both the Institute of Reading Development and Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She has a new manuscript in development. ❯ Kelly Wiggen matched with a veterinary cardiology internship in Los Angeles. ❯ Isabelle Leventhal quit life and became a Lemonhead and followed Queen Bey around on tour. ❯ Lisa Marquardt has been a counselor with Youth for Understanding, a nonprofit focused on educational student exchange programs, for the past two years. ❯ Sam Stacklin eats so many donuts and doesn’t go to the grocery store enough. ❯ Travis Helgren is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois at Chicago working on the development of novel cancer therapies. ❯ Anita Ahuja got engaged to Gabe Lock. She has finished her first year of a med-peds residency in Peoria. ❯ Leslie Kang graduated from the University of Chicago and plans to teach in Chicago. ❯ Chloe

Bohm moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to work at the capital as a budget analyst for the House Appropriations Committee. She ran her first full marathon this spring. ❯ Zak Kahn has business cards and a desk job. ❯ Alicia Vallorani started a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and social and affective neuroscience at Penn State. ❯ Brigette Demke started an RN-to-BSN program and ran a half-marathon. ❯ Colin Davis loves his job as the foundation director at Spoon River College and finished a master’s degree in political management from the George Washington University. ❯ Sasha Murphy and Sean Frohling ’10 are busy planning a wedding. ❯ Grace Fourman and Kevin Wickman ’09 live in Kansas City. Grace teaches fourth grade. ❯ Akiba Bradford lives in Oakland, California and works for the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission. She was the San Francisco regional coordinator for Measure AA, the first nine-county environmental ballot measure to restore the wetlands in the Bay Area. It passed with 71 percent of the vote. ❯ Hannah McMahon #DenverLiving #DreamJobInAdvertising #IHaveTheBestFriends #OptOutside #EarnYourBeer #PlayInTheMountains #DogMom ❯ Sara DeMaria’s life is officially “home on the range.” ❯ Mary Reindl Henderson married DeAndre Henderson ’10 and began her last year of a M.S.W. program. ❯ Rachel Perez and Lyall Wallerstedt ’10 got married. ❯ Willi Goehring completed an MFA in poetry at the University of Arkansas. ❯ Melissa Cuenca is busy running Honest, an Indian street food restaurant, with her husband in Schaumburg, Illinois. ❯ Tomi Olotu was recently promoted at Stanbic IBTC Asset Management. ❯ Lola Copeland volunteered for the Bernie Sanders campaign in Fort Collins, Colorado. Class Correspondent: Tim Schmeling trschmeling@gmail.com

2012 Amanda Wollrab Archer still lives in Eastern Iowa and works as a product manager for a Fortune 1000 company. She and husband Joel travel as much as possible. So far this year, they have visited nine countries across Europe, Asia, and Central America. ❯ Christina Warner is an MBA candidate at Duke University. On the side, she is an avid member of the Chicago Global Shapers Community, which is a part of the World Economic Forum, and loves taking her new German shepherd puppy to dog beaches and parks. ❯ Agnes Mahung and Michael Kolbeck tied the knot on a Chicago beach back in September (surrounded by so many lovely Knox friends!), and moved to Lexington, Kentucky, three weeks later for a new job. Agnes now works for the Kentucky Judicial Branch, developing programs for highrisk juveniles in the court system with the goal of reducing recidivism. Michael took his computer science program at DePaul University online and is a full-time graduate student. He also works at

the Lexington Public Library teaching computer literacy and programming classes part-time. ❯ Julia Shenkar still lives in Washington, D.C., still works in communications, and still does not have a dog. ❯ Lauren Smith is still in Rockford, Illinois, and has just finished her first year as a Montessori early-childhood teacher. In the little bit of spare time she has, she plays with a local jazz band, goes to tractor shows, and makes frequent trips to Galesburg and Carthage to visit family and Knox friends. ❯ Ed Davis performed in his second season with the Grant Park Chorus in Chicago and traveled to Australia to hear a piece that he composed premiered by an ensemble in Melbourne. This September, he got married to Gabi Sutton! They’ve been together almost three years, and last summer adopted a puppy, a mastiff/pit bull mix named Leo. A month before the wedding, they moved to Kansas City, as Ed started his doctorate of musical arts studies in music composition at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. ❯ Bess Cooley graduated from Purdue University in May with an MFA in poetry. She requests that you now refer to her only as “Master Cooley.” ❯ Back living in Lakewood, Colorado, Monica Prince has adopted a black pug named Otis, moved to a modest apartment, and published a few poems and one essay in online literary magazines. Her choreopoem, Testify, originally produced at Knox in 2012 under the name Confessions in Living Color(ed), had its first Brooklyn premiere through the CutOut Theatre in December 2015, produced by Thea and Avery Wigglesworth ’13. She teaches creative writing at a summer camp in Houston, Texas, every summer, and spends most of her time in Denver writing, doing yoga, and changing the world. She’s available for performances and general excitement on her website, monicaprince.com, and she can be reached at poetrysaveslives@monicaprince.com. ❯ Rachel Clark is pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Iowa. In her free time, she swing dances, teaches Zumba, and spoils her adorable nephew. In a surprising turn of events, Rachel has returned to Galesburg this fall to teach courses as a visiting instructor in psychology. She’s excited that she gets to be a temporary SMC rat. ❯ Mark Wolak has recently finished graduate school at Northern Illinois University, where he acquired an M.S. in electrical engineering. He is now in a full-time engineering position at the Northrop Grumman Corporation in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. ❯ Kevin Box is gonna empty his pickup truck by driving backwards real fast. ❯ Recently transplanted to Seattle, Katelynn Schlaman just married John Gevlin, who she met while the two were teaching English in Madrid. She has taken up dog walking and blogging, both of which have proven to be more fun than anticipated. ❯ D’Angelo Smith has graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary with a master of divinity degree on May 7, 2016. He now serves as youth and young adults director at University Church in Hyde Park. Also, he

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When Samuel Brownson ’12 is not making music with his band, Sedgewick, three years working in the admission office at Knox, Ben Wetherbee took a job last August at Lake Forest Academy, a boarding school in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he currently serves as a college counselor and basketball coach. ❯ Alexandra Greer Slagle celebrated her first wedding anniversary in July with Jeremy Slagle. She happily resides in South Carolina. Best move of her life! ❯ Karl Bair is now a Certified College Consultant and will soon sit for his Certified Financial Educator designation. He is also elated to announce that his fiancée, Audra Adolph ’09, is going into business with him. ❯ And I enjoy living in Seattle again while working as a user experience researcher for Qualtrics. Class Correspondent: Aparna Kumar aparna.kumar05@gmail.com

2013 PETER BAILLEY ’74

Class Correspondent: Tina Shuey knoxco2013@gmail.com

2014

Knox Seniors Raise More than $13,000 for Knox For many Knox alumni, Senior Challenge is the first time they make a gift to the College. This year, nearly 70 percent of the Class of 2016—211 students—contributed $13,051 toward a wide range of Knox initiatives, from scholarships and financial aid to Knox’s general fund. Once again, Joe ’85 and Margaret Camasto Flanagan ’85 offered a challenge gift to inspire more students to participate; they contributed $3,500 in recognition of the fact that more than 200 seniors made a gift to Knox. Seniors also had the satisfaction of helping the College meet its 1K #forKnox Challenge, counting among the 1,000 new donors the College hoped to recruit during the fiscal year. Senior Challenge was organized by a committee of student volunteers. Front row, left to right: Hanh Bui, Zane Carlson, Ellen Lipo, Jazmine Kenny, and Lorena Amarillo. Back row: Aaron Hoover, Natalie Polechonski, Tommy Hintz, Kati Stemple, Hannah Steele, Ellynn Rolett, and Mackenzie Anderson.

has started as a chaplain intern at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois, where he is assigned to the trauma unit. ❯ Samuel Brownson recorded a Kickstarter-funded album this summer with his band, Sedgewick, a progressive folk trio made up entirely of Knox alumni: himself, Jake Hawrylak ’13, and Oliver Horton. When he’s not making music, he teaches toddlers colors and sounds as a preschool teacher and interns at a local recording studio. Come record something with him! He can be reached at sam@sedgewickmusic.com. ❯ Martin Yeager lives in Durham, North Carolina. He divides work

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

time between UNC Chapel Hill, where he works in a group home for adults with autism and severe intellectual disabilities, and a startup company that creates educational supports for teachers who have students with autism. He attends the master in public administration program at UNC Chapel Hill and misses Knox every week. ❯ Emma Poland graduated with a master of science in nursing (MSN) from the University of Virginia this spring. She was excited to move back to the Midwest this summer and join the surgical nursing team at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. ❯ After

Hannah Bloyd-Peshkin and Josh Tatro ’13 got engaged! ❯ Allison Fabino and Michael Carr ’13 got married on April 10, 2016. ❯ Anna Lemen still lives in Kuwait and works at the American School of Kuwait as a third grade teacher. She recently accepted a position to be team leader. ❯ Hannah Black accepted a position at the Dubuque Mississippi River Museum and will hopefully intern as an aquarist there this fall! She also finished the first year of her master’s program with a 4.0 average. ❯ Marcus McGee graduated from the University of Chicago with a master’s degree in social science research in June 2016. ❯ Natalia Binkowski graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a master’s degree in social work in May 2016. ❯ Tim O’Neal will move to Seattle this fall to work on a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Washington. ❯ Emiley Brand will graduate in December with a doctorate in physical therapy. ❯ Jess Ranard drinks Four Loko every day. ❯ Ruth Amerman and Luke Albrecht now live together in Minneapolis. Ruth works at Tree Trust YouthBuild, a youth employment program. Mostly, she’s just trying to waste time until the next Game of Thrones episode. ❯ Andrei Papancea ’13 graduated a year ago from Columbia University with a master’s degree in computer science. He currently lives in New York City, where he works as a lead software engineer for American Express and does consulting work through his recently opened company. ❯ Jmaw Moses finished a fellowship at his high school alma mater, Edmund Burke School, in Washington, D.C. He began work at Capitol Hill Day School as its registrar and administrative assistant on June 20. ❯ Danika Hill and Ryan Paulus share a little studio apartment in Moscow, Idaho, with their two guinea pigs, Arya and Ygritte! Danika will soon graduate with a master’s degree in environmental science. ❯ Ryan West finished Knox’s dual-de-

Class Knox he teaches toddlers colors and sounds as a preschool teacher. gree engineering program at Washington University in St. Louis. He accepted a fellowship with Venture for America and will work at an artiﬁcial intelligence startup as a machine learning engineer/data scientist in Columbus, Ohio. ❯ Tom Carr made the move to Novosibirsk and currently makes a living playing high stakes dominoes. He’s thinking about becoming a sushi chef, but we all know how competitive those programs can be…. So either he’ll get into that, or he’ll just default to a position as chief Cheetos engineer for Frito-Lay. ❯ Grace Theisen accepted a fellowship at Dodge Nature Center, an environmental education organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. Additionally, she is an assistant coach for the Southwest High School women’s basketball team in Minneapolis—her high school alma mater. ❯ Jenifer Becker graduated with a master’s degree from UCLA’s library and information science program. ❯ Sarah Martin works as a ﬁeld and research assistant at Massey University, studying feral cat population and their effects on kiwi and other wildlife populations. She is also studying for the GRE and applying to graduate programs. ❯ John Bergholz works in Chicago as a copywriter at Magnani Continuum Marketing and will complete Second City’s improv program in August. Aside from that, he folds paper cranes. Class Correspondents: Esther Farler-Westphal and Natalia Binkowski Knoxnotes2014@gmail.com

2015 Jenna Butler lives in Parker, Colorado, where she teaches earth science and chemistry at Legend High School. She is also a JV softball coach and spends time taking her puppy on hikes in the mountains. ❯ Bethany Larson teaches English in Japan through the JET program. ❯ Stevie Hawes works for Strait Music as a sales associate in the sheet music department and hopes to start sitting in on jam sessions at local bars in the Austin area. ❯ Nesha Harper has begun her final year in a master’s program in clinical psychology. Nesha interns at Saint Louis University in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, as well as interning at the Alton Mental Health Center. ❯ Abby Kravis is finishing her work with the Maryland Conservation Corps and has started working part-time as a whitewater raft guide. Once Abby completes her AmeriCorps service, she will be a full-time whitewater raft guide. ❯ Griffin Belzer works for Sketchdeck, a design agency based in San Francisco that creates designs for many startups and large corporations, including Reddit, Dropbox, and Facebook. ❯ Maria Silva is a leasing consultant in the Old Market of Omaha, Nebraska, as well as a parttime panda. ❯ Carly Berinstein has started a one-year master’s program in cognitive studies at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. ❯ Linda Eunha Kim works at Costco and at Glass Lyre Press, an independent poetry publishing house in Glenview, Illinois. ❯ Bridget

Doherty teaches art to K-6 students in Des Plaines, Illinois. This summer, she taught a ceramics class for Knox’s College4Kids program, as well as several different art classes for the Park District of Oak Park. ❯ Marc Spehlmann is a research assistant at the University of Wisconsin– Madison. While taking graduate computer science courses, he also helps out with Quickstep, an open-source, high-performance database. ❯ Molly Suter works at Barnes & Noble as a cashier and at KCJJ Radio 1630 in Iowa City as a board operator. ❯ Jovan Krkljus has started a master’s program in sports leadership at Concordia University in Chicago. ❯ Camille Brown is in her second year of an M.A. in literature at Mills College in Oakland, California, where she lives with her partner Margaret Ann Miller (an English literature Ph.D. candidate at UC Davis). In April, they both presented at the inaugural Interdisciplinary Queer Studies Symposium at UC Merced. ❯ Cody Sehl works as a software developer in Denver, Colorado, and often has the time to ride his bike and enjoy the view of the mountains. ❯ Micaela Rodriguez is working toward a master’s degree in accounting science at Northern Illinois University. She works as a research assistant in the university’s Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Development. This winter, Micaela will intern with RSM US LLP. ❯ Matt Gordon works as an intern specializing in event/tournament operations at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. This fall, he enters his final year of graduate school at Illinois State University, working toward a master’s degree in kinesiology and recreation, with an emphasis in sports psychology and sports management. ❯ Emily Ioppolo lives in Chicago and continues to work in theatre. Since graduating, she has worked with multiple groups, including Eclipse Theatre Company, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, and Griffin Theatre. This fall, she will work with Vitalist Theatre Company with professors Liz Carlin-Metz and Craig Choma ’93, as well as other Knox theatre alumni. ❯ Bryan Valencia briefly worked for a pediatric cancer charity, has assisted in the opening of the Second City’s new restaurant, 1959, and continues to work in entertainment. ❯ Roman Magid finished his first year of medical school at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. ❯ Alvaro Parra is a bilingual (Spanish) customer service rep for Maui Jim in Peoria. ❯ Martina Pezzino Bergstrom lives with husband Geoff Bergstrom and teaches music at Ewing Marion Kauffman School, a charter school that serves low-income areas with the goal of increasing college graduation rates. ❯ Olaloye Oyedotun studies law at the University of Leicester in England. Class Correspondent: Erik Gustafson gustafson.erik.j@gmail.com

2016

Marriages and Unions Solveig Spjeldnes ’73 and John Molinaro on 6/18/16. Roy Brandys ’80 and Colleen Volk on 1/2/16. Matt Richardson ’94 and Douglas Konja on 9/5/15. Jennifer Parker ’00 and Renatto Carr on 7/27/16. Kimberly Van Winkle ’03 and Brian Spires on 9/9/15. K.C. Collins ’03 and Matt Burlison on 9/25/15. Kelly Anicich ’04 and Raquel Dues on 9/10/16. Lauren Harrison ’05 and Ken Rossato on 9/5/15. Cory Wilczynski ’06 and Justin Straub on 9/6/14. Adam Kruse ’06 and Hannah Hassemer on 7/2/16. Catherine Miller ’07 and John Armstrong on 3/22/14. Michael Sales ’07 and Rachel Spencer on 10/10/15. Annie Vernon ’07 and Will Cwik ’07 on 5/21/16. Maureen Olesen ’07 and Sergio Alvarez Fernandez on 6/25/16. Adam Nader ’07 and Jaclyn Shapiro on 9/17/16. Caroline Allen ’08 and Ian Silander ’06 on 8/29/15. Catherine Ray ’08 and Kevin Dabrowski on 5/28/16. Philippe Moore ’08 and Torin Widhammer on 7/16/16. Natalie Haberkamp ’08 and Jairus Paulus on 8/7/16. Kanjana Rajaratnam ’09 and Josh Hartshorne on 8/15/15. Jackie Lee ’09 and Joe Gravert on 4/16/16. Nora Nelson ’09 and Nik Steinberg on 9/17/16. Allison Smith ’10 and Tony Hahn ’08 on 7/8/15. Carla Hamilton ’10 and Adam McDowell ’08 on 4/22/16. Laura Anderman ’10 and Nolan Bryant ’09 on 7/23/16. Gloria Feliciano ’10 and Tim Feltman on 10/8/16. Mary Reindl ’11 and DeAndre Henderson ’10 on 6/11/16. Rachel Perez ’11 and Lyall Wallerstedt ’10 on 6/11/16. Nea Larson ’11 and Jose Luis Fernandez Sanchez on 7/1/16. Alexandra Greer ’12 and Jeremy Slagle on 7/18/15. Agnes Mahung ’12 and Michael Kolbeck ’12 on 9/5/15. Katelynn Schlaman ’12 and John Gevlin on 6/5/16. Ed Davis ’12 and Gaby Sutton ’12 on 9/10/16. Allison Fabino ’14 and Michael Carr ’13 on 4/10/16.

Class Correspondent: Vanessa Garcia vjgarcia@knox.edu

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

In Memoriam Walter E. Sampson, Emeritus Trustee

FILE PHOTO

Walter E. Sampson, 96, passed away on Thursday, August 4, 2016, at his home in Galesburg. Sampson was born June 8, 1920, in Petersburg, Illinois, the son of Earle and Elizabeth Blood Sampson. He graduated from Petersburg High School and received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from the University of Illinois in 1942. Sampson served in the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant during World War II from 1942-1945. He started his professional career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1946, moving on to John Deere Company in 1952. Sampson later owned and operated Sampson Implement, a John Deere Equipment Dealer, in Galesburg for 29 years, until his retirement in 1994, when he sold the business to Mark Kleine, also a Knox trustee. Sampson settled in Galesburg in 1952, where he was active in community life. He was a member of the Galesburg Noon Rotary Club for 45 years, served on the Area Wide Board for OSF St. Mary Medical Center, and was a member of First Presbyterian Church. He also enjoyed playing golf at the Soangetaha Country Club. Sampson’s service to Knox College began in 1984, when he was ﬁrst elected to the Board of Trustees as a general trustee. He was made a life trustee in 1995 and emeritus trustee in 2015. He was also a member of the College’s LincolnDouglas and Old Main Societies. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rose J. Manchuk, his parents, and three brothers and is survived by several nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to Knox College by contacting the Ofﬁce of Advancement at gifts@knox.edu or calling 800-566-9265.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Deaths Charles Barnes ’34 on 3/16/16. Kathryn Price Jones ’36 on 11/1/14. Marian Backus Molthrop ’38 on 5/9/16. Harriet Pinckly Bricker ’39 on 7/12/12. Ann Conlon Welch ’39 on 3/30/16. Lynne Jenks ’40 on 2/15/12. John Wilson ’40 on 2/2/16. Julia McKirgan Mayher ’41 on 2/1/15. Marian Nelson Haagen ’41 on 3/4/16. Jane Evans Winders ’41 on 4/12/16. Irma Braselton Sands ’42 on 4/3/16. Janice Zimmerman Strawbridge ’43 on 11/12/15. Beth Lewis ’43 on 2/3/16. Joseph McRaven ’43 on 2/24/16. Mort Monson ’43 on 3/1/16. Gertrude Hammond Bean ’44 on 2/7/16. Robert Johnson ’44 on 3/16/16. Mary Jo Bristow Mignin ’44 on 7/6/16. Miriam Ehrlich Jencks ’45 on 7/21/15. Lewis Hollmeyer ’45 on 4/7/16. Harriette Bledsoe Small ’45 on 5/3/16. Mary Jane Hillier Petty ’46 on 8/13/15. Richard Brown ’46 on 5/18/16. Alexa Graham Streed ’47 on 11/28/15. Phyllis Short Arnold ’47 on 1/14/16. Nancy Roberts Kratville ’47 on 3/24/16. Roberta Ingersoll Stryker ’48 on 1/13/16. Joseph Morrissey ’49 on 1/14/16. Howard Langan ’49 on 2/3/16. Katherine Anderson Spiker ’49 on 3/1/16. Kermit Allen ’49 on 3/15/16. Ruth Taylor Roberts ’49 on 3/30/16. Robert Russell ’49 on 5/6/16. Barbara Becht Smith ’49 on 7/27/16. Nancy Hooper Jung ’50 on 2/7/16. Donald Forsythe ’50 on 4/30/16. Murray Smith Jr. ’51 on 12/23/15. Vera Clayberg Krohe ’51 on 2/18/16. Robert Scott ’52 on 2/14/15. Richard Mallett ’52 on 12/16/15. Ruth Miner McDade ’52 on 1/26/16. Shirley Alpers Martin ’52 on 4/12/16. George Porter ’52 on 6/22/16. Alice Brady Gruenwedel ’53 on 9/21/15. Rollin C. Huggins Jr. ’53 on 11/23/15. David Luper ’53 on 1/7/16. Virginia Fisher Kickham ’53 on 2/10/16. Russell Nelson ’53 on 3/11/16. James Ewing ’53 on 7/9/16. David Allensworth ’53 on 7/20/16. Curtis Collart ’54 on 1/31/16. Gayle Carrington Spiller ’54 on 2/14/16. R. Alan Alig ’54 on 3/5/16. John Livermore ’54 on 6/27/16. Hayes Tucker ’54 on 7/9/16. Richard Cromwell ’55 on 3/8/16. Mary Ann Ruzecki ’55 on 3/9/16. Barbara Condon Sappington ’56 on 6/9/15. Jeretta Popham Garner ’56 on 12/23/15. Jane Nelson Johnson ’54 on 8/13/16. Richard Gappen ’56 on 7/23/16. Jane Cuddeback Elwell ’57 on 1/29/16.

Lawrence Kipperman ’57 on 4/18/16. Marjorie Linn Smith ’58 on 10/5/15. Roger Funk ’58 on 3/7/16. John Treece ’58 on 5/6/16. Maxine Patterson Rambo ’58 on 5/26/16. Larry Wilcoxen ’58 on 7/2/16. Joan Faoro Kenner ’59 on 2/23/16. A. Timothy Mogill ’60 on 6/4/16. William Lucy ’61 on 4/7/16. Rodney Crist ’62 on 5/21/16. Dennis East ’62 on 6/8/16. Steve Aschenbrenner ’63 on 3/20/16. John Buckner ’63 on 4/17/16. Audrey Collet Conard ’65 on 9/15/15. Robert Rogers ’65 on 9/17/15. Peter Losche ’65 on 3/9/16. Robert Duncan ’65 on 6/24/16. Louis Goldstein ’65 on 7/17/16. H. James Fox ’65 on 7/21/16. Elizabeth Rockwood Beckhouse ’66 on 3/24/16. Philip Bradley Jr. ’66 on 6/27/16. John Bodwell III ’67 on 8/25/14. Patsy Bond Berry ’67 on 3/26/16. Mark Thackaberry Jr. ’67 on 6/6/16. Robert Emshoff ’68 on 3/23/15. Gaetano Amorosi ’68 on 4/16/16. Larry Detweiler ’68 on 5/5/16. William Dolph Jr. ’68 on 6/22/16. Christopher Martin ’71 on 12/17/15. Donald Savage Jr. ’71 on 7/28/16. Scott Boyden ’72 on 3/19/16. Donald Sullivan ’72 on 7/15/16. John T. Delawder III ’73 on 2/18/16. Edward Kras ’76 on 9/23/15. Charles A. Gardiner ’76 on 2/15/16. Michael Zielinski ’78 on 3/4/16. David Wrobel ’82 on 6/17/16. Victor Miller ’85 on 1/10/16. Jacqueline Dayle Campbell Paulus ’90 on 3/28/16. Marjorie Susan Hulick ’94 on 12/19/15. Jerome “Jamie” Jacobsmeyer ’05 on 6/6/16.

Deaths of Friends Helen Mogill, wife of Timothy Mogill ’60, on 5/23/13. Martin Mazurk, former Knox air cadet, on 8/26/13. Carolyn Mason, wife of James Johnson ’66, on 10/28/14. Noel Kemp, widow of Wallace Kemp ’34, on 3/20/15. Biljana Miletic, mother of Ana Miletic Sedy ’99, on 5/19/2015. Robert Hayes, father of David Hayes ’74, on 11/18/15. Dennis Wilson, husband of Kate Whitney Wilson ’65, on 11/18/15. Klaus Hummer, friend of the College, on 11/20/15.

Class Knox Gilbert Douglas, father of Darren Olson ’94, on 12/16/15. Barbara Wynn Meek, friend of the College, on 12/18/15. Clifford “Kibby” Neubaum, father of Terry Neubaum Eastman ’68, Janet Neubaum Kovarik ’70, and James Neubaum ’75, on 12/25/15. Dr. Elizabeth J. Hill, mother of Nicholas Chapin ’16, on 1/9/16. Ron Gales, husband of Sandra Steinhauer Gales ’66, on 1/27/16. Deloris Welch, mother of Teresa Phillipson ’96, on 1/27/16. Harry Bentsen, husband of Mina Stumpf Bentsen ’55, on 1/31/16. Lois Ann Peterson, widow of Theodore Peterson ’46, on 2/2/16. Ronald Theobald, husband of Regina Hartley ’80 and father of Ashlee Heinz Sheely ’06, on 2/4/16. Lawrence Champion, husband of Karen Sanders Champion ’72, on 2/7/16. Ann Asplund, friend of the College, on 2/9/16. Bob Combs, brother of Bill Combs ’69, on 2/17/16. Lowell Johnson, husband of Jeanie Moe Johnson ’55 and father of Steven Johnson ’82, on 2/20/16. Gladys George, wife of Burl George ’43, on 2/21/16. Clarence “Erick” Erickson, father of Ron Erickson ’77, on 2/24/16. Earl Wilson, husband of Dorothy Wilson, formerly of the Ofﬁce of Minority Affairs, on 2/25/16. Margaret Mary Pisle, friend of the College, on 3/1/16. Billie Jean Bailey, wife of longtime facilities staffer Mike Bailey and sister-in-law of Denise Bailey, advancement, on 3/2/16. June Lombard, mother of Lynette Lombard, professor of art, on 3/10/16. James Breeden, friend of the College, on 3/15/16. Mary Ponce, friend of the College, on 3/18/16. Ruth Brown, mother of Julie Brown Kapsch ’86 and sister of Paul Patton ’50, on 3/21/16. Joe Rescinito, friend of the College, on 3/23/16. Terri Selman, former dining services employee, on 3/23/16. Gerda Nickels, wife of Oliver Nickels ’53, on 3/24/16. Pearl Strickland, former executive director of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, on 3/28/16. Dr. Leslie Weber, husband of Ann Hutchcroft Weber ’79, on 4/3/16. Janice Saline Fordyce, sister-in-law of Terrie Saline, Bastian Family Career Center, on 4/6/16. Djamila Kafaldji, mother of Schahrazede Longou, assistant professor of modern languages, on 4/6/16. Deborah Stefanik, wife of Mark Stefanik ’74, on 4/9/16.

Charlotte Jordan, widow of C. Garrett Jordan ’47, on 4/14/16. Nola Bloom, grandmother of Erik Wessel ’95 and Bridget Wessel ’97, on 4/20/16. Lee Creek, friend of the College, on 4/24/16. Helen Mackie, grandmother of Whitney Mackie Leckrone ’09, on 4/28/16. Murrill Morris Lowry, former Knox instructor, on 5/1/16. Brenda Kelso, mother of Connie Godfrey, dining services, on 5/2/16. Ann Behnken, friend of the College, on 5/7/16. Lloyd “Kojak” Taylor, father of Sabrena Taylor ’79, on 5/9/16. Lucille Msall, mother of Laurence Msall ’84, on 5/15/16. Betty Sutler, mother-in-law of Lori Moore, dining services, on 5/19/16. Martha Hunt, former business ofﬁce employee, on 5/20/16. Mike Kemp, father of Nate Kemp, campus safety, on 5/23/16. John Sholl, stepfather of Amy Welty, admission, on 5/24/16. Mary Gregory, friend of the College, on 5/24/16. Janet Wynn McClelland, grandmother of Brigid McClelland ’07, on 5/27/16. Wayne Brown, widower of Joan Hinkle Brown ’57, on 5/29/16. Virginia Dalegowski, friend of the College, on 6/1/16. lsa Templeton, mother of Jennifer Templeton, professor of biology, and mother-in-law of Jim Mountjoy, associate professor of biology, on 6/6/16. William Keith, father of Elizabeth Keith ’05, on 6/9/16. James van Bavel, husband of Susan Braasch van Bavel ’73, on 6/13/16. Robbie Park, brother of Scott Park, Advancement, on 6/28/16. Richard Johnson, husband of Jane Nelson Johnson ’54, on 7/5/16. Cecil Foster, friend of the College, on 7/5/16. James Tucker, husband of Caroline Hamblin Tucker ’53, on 7/6/16. Bruce Shively, husband of Margo Shively, theatre, on 7/18/16. Jeppie Harris, former maintenance employee, on 7/24/16. Harriet Jane Bevard, mother of Diane Estes, educational studies, and mother-in-law of Joel Estes, educational studies, on 7/29/16. Marie Bailley, mother of Peter Bailley ’74, communications, on 8/2/16.

In Memoriam Frank Kerous ’61, Emeritus Trustee Frank James Kerous IV passed away Friday, July 29, 2016. Born on March 26, 1940, he came to Knox College with the intention of pursuing the field of dentistry. At Knox, Kerous was a member of the swim team and wore his letter jacket proudly until his last days. He was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and was made an Honor Delta TKE in 1978. Kerous earned a doctoral degree in dental surgery from the University of Illinois at Chicago, followed by two years of specialty training PETER BAILLEY ’74 in periodontics. One of the first periodontists in the Chicago suburbs, he maintained offices in Arlington Heights and Oak Brook for many years. Kerous also began teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1964, where he spent 38 years in the Department of Periodontics, eventually becoming a tenured faculty member. At retirement, he was the clinical director of periodontics and spent most of his time preparing senior students for board examination. Kerous and his wife, Sandra, also opened and operated McDonald’s franchises in the Glenview area in the late 1970s. They were early members of Christ Church of Oak Brook, where he was secretary of the board of elders for many years. He was pleased to have been the principal architect of the Christ Church endowment fund in 1980. Kerous was elected to the Knox College Board of Trustees in 1974, serving as a general trustee until being named a life trustee in 2009 and emeritus trustee in 2015. At the time of his passing, he was the second longest currently serving trustee, with a total of 42 years. He served as president of the Knox College Alumni Association from 1974-1976, chaired three capital fund drives, served as a volunteer for his 50th Reunion campaign, organized the first major gathering of Knox’s President’s Circle donors, and nominated numerous honorary degree recipients. Kerous is survived by his wife, Sandra, his children: Karen (Richard) Kooy, Kathryn (David) Voss, and Frank (Emily) Kerous V, and seven grandchildren.

KNOX MAGAZINE Fall 2016

Parting Shot

At One with Nature Lee Foxall ’16 sits in the midst of his site-specific art project at Green Oaks Biological Field Station. The project was part of his studies in Green Oaks Term—a 10 week, interdisciplinary immersive term— offered to students every other year. He says of his project, “I made a habit of checking in with the landscape and with my body, my goal being to let the piece I was creating speak about the way the space moves, grows, and changes.” Photo by Evan Temchin ’10

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Blue Skies over the Whitcomb Art Center