Millikin Magazine Spring 2017

SPRING 2017 // VOL. XXXIII, NO. 1 UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Dr. Patrick E. White VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT

Charlie Hahn EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Living His Type of Life Class of 1966 alumnus Robert “Bob” Givens is the type of character we love to feature.

Deb Hale Kirchner CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

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Alida Duff Sullivan ’06 MANAGING EDITOR & ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Jenell Anderson Hironimus ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Margaret Allen Friend CONTRIBUTORS

Jeremy Coulter ’00 Dane Lisser Bryan Marshall ’85 Amanda Pippitt Dr. Carrie Trimble STAY CONNECTED | GET INVOLVED | GIVE BACK

millikin.edu/alumni Phone: 217.424.6383 Toll free: 1.877.JMU.ALUM Email: magazine@millikin.edu facebook.com/MillikinAlumni twitter.com/MillikinAlumni POSTMASTER

Please send address changes to Millikin Magazine Millikin University 1184 West Main Street Decatur, Illinois 62522-2084 Millikin Magazine (ISSN 8750-7706) (USPS 0735-570) is produced by the Millikin University Alumni and Development Office. The mission of Millikin Magazine is to engage alumni, friends, parents and other constituents in the life of the University, to communicate the high quality of a Millikin Performance Learning education, and to reflect the University’s mission and values.

It is the policy of Millikin University to afford equal opportunity for all persons without distinction or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or age.

Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the university. ©2017 Millikin University.

DEPARTMENTS

President’s Perspective............... 1 Big Blue View............................ 2 Ask The Expert.......................... 6 Looking Back............................. 7 A Thousand Words.................... 8 Class Notes............................... 16 Homecoming 2016................... 24

FEATURES

Student Spotlight: Whitley Sapp ’19........................ 10 Profile: Norman Oberto ’74......................................16 Profile: Luis and Roberto Hernandez, both ’02.........18 Profile: Karla Wessels ’07........................................20 Profile: Alex Stevens ’14.......................................... 22 My Turn: Jeremy Coulter ’00..................................30 On The Job: Kevin Graham ’76................................ 32

A NOTE TO OUR READERS: Reflections of the Millikin experience mean something different to each person connected to the university. Several various Big Blue glimpses are reflected in this issue: Alumni remembering how their own campus experiences helped shape their lives, hopeful students seeking better futures for themselves and others, a campus community enthused over new developments, classmates enjoying the festive reunion atmosphere of Homecoming and more.

You’ll also notice a few changes as you flip through the pages: a different tone, a different design, a slightly different size. And beginning with this issue, the magazine is renamed to reflect the fact that Millikin’s magazine for alumni and friends is no longer published quarterly.

Thus, Millikin Quarterly becomes Millikin Magazine. We hope you’ll enjoy these fresh updates and find they make your reading experience more enjoyable. Let us know what you think! We welcome your comments and questions at magazine@millikin.edu.

Deb Hale Kirchner

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

The Mirror and the Telescope Early on in my time as president, as I was walking across campus on the first day of class, I fell in step with a freshman student. We talked about his excitement, and then he asked, “What is it that you do here?” I responded, “Well, the jury is still out on that, but the job title is president.”

Many of my friends, inside and outside of the business of higher education, echo that question: “What do you do as president of a university?” Technically, in governance you are the chief executive officer, a title that echoes corporate America; but in reality the job differs in many ways from those of corporate presidents such as Bob Givens ’66, the founder of Monotype profiled in the cover story.

My 98-year-old mother sums up the general understanding when she says, “So you’re the head honcho, eh?” At a small university like Millikin, multiple decisions rest on the president’s shoulders. As president, I must take responsibility for all that happens at Millikin and rightly give credit to others for the good that we do. No matter how assertive in individual style, each university president depends on the wise choices and independent actions of not only hundreds of colleagues, but also thousands of students who body forth and enhance the greatness of the university.

I have for some time articulated my role as president as being both a mirror and a telescope to the University. As a mirror, I see the president’s role as leading by noticing, by discovering with the community and reflecting back who we are in our best imagination of ourselves, so we can say together, “Ah, there you are Millikin.” The telescope metaphor shifts that vision to the months and years ahead: What can we become as we look to our future with all its challenges and possibilities?

This metaphor may make the work sound awfully passive, just a lot of noticing and looking, but the envisioning provided by a president or leader is never mere solo looking. At Millikin, the

complex teaching that makes the University’s characteristic Performance Learning possible is part of the president’s role as well. In Performance Learning, the hallmark of a Millikin education, the teacher notices and encourages creativity and independence, helping students grow and develop into independent thinkers and agents who make a difference in their own growth and education.

As president, I try to engage in the same complex process of show-and-tell as we communicate what we see together and articulate what Millikin can become. Sometimes this discussion is contentious. Sometimes we see things in different ways. But we have to communicate our disparate visions of the present and the future and choose our directions. That is the kind of empowering leadership we want to encourage in all at Millikin.

Millikin’s Performance Learning depends on teaching and empowering students, faculty, staff and alumni to be leaders and owners of Millikin.

Performance Learning demands — and Millikin’s future depends — on developing colleagues and students who are rainmakers; leaders who will make a difference and get things done.

Universities and colleges all over the country claim they “produce leaders.” What does that mean? With the opening of the new University Commons coming this fall, Millikin is taking a bold new step in the process of creating the kind of leaders our society needs.

Nowhere will this be more evident than in the new Doug and Diane Oberhelman Center for Leadership Performance opening in the University Commons. By establishing this center, Doug, class of 1975 and recently retired CEO of Caterpillar Inc., and his wife,

Diane, herself a highly successful real estate developer, have shown their commitment to developing a truly Millikin understanding of leadership performance. In the months ahead, a continuing project will articulate the programming and staffing of the Oberhelman Center and help us invigorate the vitality of leadership growth opportunities at MU. As you read this issue and take pride in Millikin, please join me in the conversation about the character of leadership performance we want to foster at Millikin. Talk to your friends and fellow alumni and write to me at the address on the back of this magazine, or email me at pwhite@millikin.edu. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours in Millikin,

Patrick E. White, President

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 1

BIG BLUE VIEW: MU NEWS AND VIEWS FROM CAMPUS AND BEYOND

TRANSFORMATION

University Commons, Softball Field Take Shape Transformational changes continued on campus during fall and winter.

Construction of the 87,000-square-foot University Commons is in full swing with the project expected to be complete prior to the start of the fall 2017 semester.

“The new University Commons and Staley Library will invigorate campus life,” says President Patrick White. “As a new front door to campus, the Commons will re-energize campus and become a natural home for collaborative learning efforts among faculty, students and administrators.”

With the exception of Shilling Hall, the new University Commons is the largest building project in university history in terms of square footage. The $27 million building project blends old and new, renovating the Staley Library structure and creating a large addition on the south side of the building.

Across campus, significant progress has been made on the new home for the Millikin softball program, the Workman Family Softball Field.

The new facility was made possible through a $2 million gift from Trustee Gary Workman ’65 and his wife, Judy. When completed, the Workman Family Softball Field will feature an artificial turf infield and outfield surface, lights, chair-back and bleacher seating for 150 people, dugouts, batting cages, restrooms, concessions area and press box.

In mid-February, the softball team had their first practice on the field. The facility was to be dedicated at the Big Blue’s home opener on March 26, a doubleheader against MacMurray College. M

See more photos of the University Commons construction at facebook.com/staleylibrary.

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PEOPLE

Hahn Named Vice President for Alumni and Development Charlie Hahn was named vice president for alumni and development, effective February 2017. In this position, Hahn guides Millikin’s fundraising and alumni relations efforts, and serves as a leader and advocate for the entire MU community as a member of the president’s cabinet.

In his most recent position as vice president for advancement at Webster University, Hahn was responsible for reorganizing and streamlining operations. Under his leadership, student scholarships expanded from $847,000 to $1.2 million, a 40 percent increase and Webster’s highest annual total for student scholarships.

“Charlie Hahn brings a wide variety of leadership experience and a proven record of accomplishments in higher education fundraising, donor engagement, and campaign planning and execution,” says President Dr. Patrick White.

“He will play a key role in cultivating the valuable relationships that will support the university’s strategic plan initiatives.”

Hahn joined Webster University in June 2014 and served on the administrative council, working closely with the president, provost and board of trustees. He guided endowed scholarship fundraising connected to Webster’s Centennial Celebration, raising $1.2 million for the

2004-05 Women’s Basketball Team

newly created Webster University Next Century Leaders Scholarship Fund in 2015-16, the largest initial donation to an endowed scholarship fund in Webster’s history. Under his leadership, external grant funding improved to $2.2 million during the 2016-17 academic year and the annual fundraising gala and giving societies were transformed.

“I am honored and humbled to be joining the leadership team at Millikin as we work together to build off our wonderful past and create an even stronger future,” says Hahn. “I am excited to work with all members of the university community, faculty and staff, students and alumni to ensure bright futures for generations of students yet to come.”

Prior to joining Webster, Hahn held several positions with the University of Illinois Foundation, including interim associate vice president for regional gift programs and vice president of special campaigns. In this role, he led a successful $30 million campaign in support of the U of I Library and a $15 million campaign to build a new home for the Alumni Association.

Hahn also served as associate vice chancellor for development at the University of Illinois at Springfield and was vice president for advancement at Sangamon State University, as well as executive director of the University’s Foundation.

Hahn earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. He succeeds Gina Bianchi ’93, who served as interim vice president from August 2016 to February 2017. M

TRIVIA

In what year did this scholarly figure arrive on campus? a. 1975 b. 1984 c. 1997 d. 2001 Visit millikin.edu/magazine-trivia to submit your answer and be entered in a drawing to win an MU T-shirt!

ATHLETICS

2004-05 Women’s Team Named to IBCA Hall of Fame In 2005, the MU women’s basketball team won the NCAA Division III National Championship and finished the season with a 29-2 overall record. In recognition of these accomplishments, the team was selected as part of the 2017 induction class for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame.

“Induction to the IBCA Hall of Fame is truly a privilege and is a nod to not only the members of the 2004-05 team, but to the communities who taught these studentathletes to be champions,” said Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lori Kerans ’85.

Big Blue players who received individual honors during the championship tournament included Joanna Conner Gutkowski ’06, named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, and Audrey Minott ’05 and Lindsay Ippel Douglass ’08, both selected to the fivemember all-tournament team.

Kerans is quick to add that all team members were excellent students, with the Big Blue boasting the second-highest team grade point average in the nation in 2004-05. All the players graduated from Millikin and went on to careers as nurses, educators, coaches, entrepreneurs and businesswomen.

The IBCA Hall of Fame honors former coaches, players, teams, officials, media members and friends of the game. The 2017 Hall of Fame class also includes former Millikin players Jack Sunderlik ’68 and Missy Barrett Tingley ’01. Sunderlik is Millikin’s co-record holder for points in a game at 62 and ranks 18th on the men’s basketball career scoring list with 1,279 points. Tingley is sixth on MU’s all-time women’s basketball scoring list with 1,428 points. M

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 3

BIG BLUE VIEW

business model in less than six months is truly remarkable,” says Dr. Casey Watson, associate professor of physics and astronomy. Watson offers the team guidance along with Julie Shields, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship.

The team advances in June to the national DoE competition showcase and has applied for three more competitions before the end of the semester. Shine on, BluSolar! M

THINGS WE L♥VE

Alex Cardascio ’17

the Top 10 BFA U.S. musical theatre programs; College Magazine ranked MU as No. 7 best institution to earn a BFA in musical theatre; American Theatre Magazine included MU in a listing of 13 musical theatre programs of note outside New York. “OnStage” also named MU the Best Theatre College in Illinois.

Not one to rest on its ranking laurels, MU recently partnered with Broadway Dreams, a nonprofit organization that works to provide college scholarships in the performing arts to deserving students with financial need. Through that partnership, MU awarded a full-tuition theatre scholarship to Aaron Patterson of Atlanta. M

Visiting Instructor

THEIR PASSION FOR A CURE Could herbal teas, laser treatments or essential oils be effective in the fight against breast cancer?

Seniors MacKenzie Brummerstedt, Sara Siegfried and Alex Cardascio hope to find out. Working with actual breast cancer cells, the students are researching the effects of these substances, led

by Dr. Jennifer Schroeder, associate professor of biology. "I hope someday it will make a difference,” Siegfried says. M BRIGHTER LIGHTS THROUGH THINKING COLD Their commitment to making higher-efficiency solar panels more affordable may make things brighter for all of us. MU’s BluSolar is a brandnew, student-led startup researching how the cold process of cryogenics could benefit photovoltaics (solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity). Working in conjunction with Decatur cryogenic company 300 Below Inc., the BluSolar team made a winning discovery: 300 Below’s oh-so-cold treatment applied to certain solar cells improved those cells’ wattage output by up to 25 percent.

With this discovery and with an eye on developing a commercial market, BluSolar tied for second place in a regional competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). Jocelyn Hernandez, a senior marketing major, Estefano Martinez, a sophomore business major, and Hunter Somers, a junior physics major, presented at the competition.

“To take this project from concept to wellestablished and independently corroborated scientific results to mature commercialization/

4 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

of Digital Media Jessa Wilcoxen works with a student.

Box City 2016

STUDENTS WHO BOX IT FOR A GOOD CAUSE More than 70 students spent a chilly November night huddled in cardboard boxes and gathered around trash barrel fires to gain perspective on homelessness. The annual campus event, called Box City, ended the next morning with a program on homelessness presented by the Men’s Emergency Shelter at Decatur’s Salvation Army.

Organized by MU’s Human Service Connection and the Macon County Continuum of Care, the event supports Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. This year, donations of nonperishable food items were collected for the Big Blue Backpacks program, a new student-run organization that partners with Decatur’s Good Samaritan Inn to help alleviate childhood hunger. M A PROGRAM THAT STARS ON THE NATIONAL STAGE Sure, colleges love to tout rankings. But when three recent national rankings list the School of Theatre & Dance in the top echelon of U.S. musical theatre programs, people take notice. Here’s the rundown: “OnStage” blog Chat it up: MU’s musical theatre listed MU in program is a confirmed rock star.

A NEW MAJOR COMBINING ART AND TECHNOLOGY Arts technology is the latest example of MU’s Performance Learning model, providing hands-on learning in live entertainment technology, audio, video, graphic design, digital photography, animation and web-based digital design/communications. “This major prepares students for careers in a world rapidly changing due to advances in new media and technology,” says Laura Ledford, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “It will make our students more marketable when they graduate.” M

For more things we love, visit millikin.edu/news.

1,973

UNDERGRAD STUDENTS AVERAGE CLASS SIZE

18

472 STUDENT-ATHLETES 20 NCAA DIVISION III SPORTS COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN

Harry Potter Day at MU

INNOVATION

Hogwarts, Harry and The Issues That Must Not Be Named “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies but just as much to stand up to our friends.” — Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” Harry Potter knew what it felt like to be an outsider. As such, J.K. Rowling’s book series about the boy wizard provided a suitable subject for a Millikin class designed to foster critical thinking about tough issues that are hard to discuss.

To promote the upcoming January immersion course, some campus and community members brought out their inner Hogwarts last

fall. Putting their “Potter on” in the name of education were, from left: Amanda Pippitt, associate professor and access services coordinator, Staley Library; Dr. Ngozi Onuora, assistant professor, School of Education; Alissa Henkel, head of the adult division, Decatur Public Library; Amber Lusvardi, lecturer, history/political science; Scott Rueter, adjunct faculty member, history/political science; Rachel Bicicchi, associate professor/librarian/education technician, Staley Library; Dr. James Rauff, professor of mathematics; Dr. Tom Robson, assistant professor, School of Theatre and Dance; Dr. Travis Wilcoxen, associate professor of biology; and Dr. Christie Magoulias, director/associate professor, School of Education.

During the course, students examined notions of “othering,” marginalization and difference, and studied how these differences can be used to perpetuate political corruption and feuds, social injustice, ethnic animosities, cultural tensions, racial hatred, violence, unjust policies and even all-out war. M

Submitted photo.

TRUE BLUE LOVE

Nicole “Niki” Smith and Matthew “Matt” Niebur, both ’11, were married June 11, 2016, surrounded by their Big Blue friends.

Submit your wedding photo or news online at millikin.edu/alumni.

24

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, El Salvador, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, Tajikistan, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zaire, Zimbabwe

184

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM

NEIGHBORING STATES

Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ ΝΞ Ο Π Ρ ΣΤ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω

450

99%

GREEK ORGANIZATION

MEMBERS of MU students receive financial aid, totaling

$36.8 MILLION

Source: Fall 2016 report by the Office of Institutional Research.

Row 1 (from left): Nicole “Niki” Smith ’11 (bride), Matthew “Matt” Niebur ’11 (groom). Row 2: Raul Frausto ’14, Akilah Anderson ’11, Sarah Nielsen Mathison ’11, Jessica Ewalt ’11, Josh Dimmick ’12, Liz Choate ’11, Kelly Harrington ’10, Eric Burgett ’12, Brett Niebur ’75, Cate Harriman ’12, Darcie Dostal ’12, Hollie Logsdon Ross ’11, Chelsea Schultz ’11, Michelle Micor ’13, Taryn O’Meara Bell ’12, Greg Woods ’11, Andrew White ’11, Anna Litwin ’13. Row 3: Ashley Nelson Parrish ’09, Brian Parrish ’10, Daniel Calantoni ’12, Abel Gonzales ’13, Steve Berger ’13, Josh Kotras ’13, Garrett Mathison ’11, John Sharp ’10, Andy Howell ’11, Ryan Kragie ’11, Jeffery Bensmiller ’13, Mitchell Crain ’13, Matt Taylor ’12, Jeff Luczak ’13, Johnny Sao ’11, Nicholas Ertsgaard ’11, Hanna Gies Ertsgaard ’11, John Wagner ’11, Ian Callahan ’12, Garrett Derman ’12, Chad Bell ’11, Gregor King ’10, Michelle Thompson Gerard ’12, Joe Gerard ’12. Attending, but not pictured: Doug Oberhelman ’75, Andi Zellers Gensler ’09, Drew Gensler ’09, Ben Brown ’11, Alexandra Lolis Brown ’10.

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 5

BIG BLUE VIEW

NEWS? TECH terms CLICKBAIT — Marketing or advertising with a sensationalized headline to attract clicks (e.g., “You Won’t Believe What Happens Next ...”).

NEWSJACKING — The practice of capitalizing on the popularity of a news story to amplify a company’s sales and marketing success.

ASK THE EXPERT

Dr. Carrie Trimble, associate professor of marketing for the Tabor School of Business and director of the Center for International Education at Millikin, is fascinated by digital media and media technologies. A social media junkie, she earned a master’s degree in communication from the University of Illinois at Springfield and a doctorate in mass media from Michigan State University.

When not teaching classes in digital media marketing, consumer behavior or integrated marketing communications, you might find this self-proclaimed “Disney nerd” taking her students on a Performance Learning immersion course to Main Street, U.S.A.

Q A

I keep hearing about “fake news” and “alternative facts.” How do I know what to believe online?

First, be willing to forgive yourself.

My first year of teaching, I found the perfect article online to demonstrate a point in class. The article felt like validation of something I believed in and wanted students to know, so I shared the article in class.

And then I found out it was written by a satirical “news source” like “The Onion.” That was embarrassing.

We’re all going to make mistakes, so be kind to yourselves and your friends after sharing a story that turns out to be propaganda or parody.

But being kind also means you need to be willing to admit you’re wrong — even when you’ve been smug or felt validated.

Next, be willing to double-check your sources. Do a quick Google search. Satire news

6 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

organizations and parody social media accounts often have Wikipedia entries (e.g.,“The Onion” is listed as satirical news). Also, almost as fast as questionable news stories are posted, they’re debunked. That means if a celebrity death has been greatly exaggerated or a political post leans heavily on misinformation, someone somewhere will denounce the piece, and you will find that when you search.

Finally, do a quick gut check. Does the story or post seem too good to be true? Is it full of hyperbole and vitriol instead of verifiable facts? Is it full of phrases like “people are saying” instead of providing sources? All should be red flags that the author has a point to make instead of simply reporting the news; authors with agendas may stray from objectivity.

Millikin was the target of an author with an agenda last fall when the university was caught up in a national conversation about political protests and the national anthem. One consequence was a deluge of vitriolic one-star reviews on MU’s Facebook page that were seemingly posted by people who hadn’t attended Millikin, often couldn’t spell “Millikin” correctly and likely couldn’t find the university on a map.

While many of us had emotional responses to the situation, the problem of those one-star reviews was bigger than our personal feelings.

Most were divorced from any experience with Millikin, which makes them a fake news source when prospective students and their families are doing college searches. But in defense of Millikin, hundreds of MU alumni and students responded swiftly and effectively to the situation by providing reviews based on their own experiences.

Just as in that situation, use your criticalthinking skills to get through the online hodgepodge of “fake news” and “alternative facts.”

And remember to be kind. M

SNOPES (SNOPES.COM) — A website dedicated to fact-checking urban legends, Internet rumors, email forwards and other stories of unknown or questionable origin.

SOCIAL PROOF — A psychological phenomenon in which people seek direction from those around them to determine how they are supposed to act or think in a given situation. In social media, social proof can be identified by the number of interactions a piece of content receives or the number of followers. The thought is that if others are sharing something or following someone, it must be good.

TRENDING TOPIC — The most talked about topics and hashtags on a social media network.

TROLL — A person who is known for creating controversy in online forums, comment sections and chat rooms. Not to be confused with the lovable, crazy-haired dolls.

TWITTERVERSE — Also referred to as the Twittersphere, Twitterverse is a nickname for the community of users who are active on Twitter.

VIRAL — A term used to describe an image, video, advertisement or other digital content that is circulated rapidly on the Internet and achieves noteworthy awareness.

WIKIPEDIA (WIKIPEDIA.COM) – A free online encyclopedia, created and edited by volunteers around the world.

Source: Carly Stec for HubSpot.com

LOOKING BACK: A GLIMPSE OF MU HISTORY

Photograph of the 1908 Millidek.

Class of 1908 graduate Masuji Matsumoto of Tokyo was Millikin’s first international student.

International Treasure At this past fall’s opening convocation, colorful flags filled Kirkland Fine Arts Center as Millikin’s 52 international students processed onto the stage to represent their 26 home countries. More than a hundred years ago, MU’s first international student graduate, Masuji Matsumoto ’08 of Tokyo, led the way for today’s international students by enrolling at MU as a commerce and finance major in January 1905.

According to The Decaturian (Dec) student newspaper, Matsumoto came to Millikin after helping staff the Japanese delegation’s exhibit at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis (aka the World’s Fair depicted in the popular Judy Garland film, “Meet Me in St. Louis”). As a student, Matsumoto was a frequent

contributor to the Dec and the yearbook, writing articles on diverse topics such as Japanese military service and popular sports in his homeland (including ken-jitsu, jiu-jitsu, boating, swimming, tennis and baseball). He also would write an occasional poem and a humorous insert titled “Tokyo American” for the Dec. A member of the YMCA, he was active in several campus organizations, including the Commerce and Finance Association.

A local newspaper, The Decatur Herald, reported in March 1905 that Matsumoto sang several Japanese songs, performed a dance and gave a jiu-jitsu demonstration as part of a Dramatic Club fundraiser for the Millikin Athletic Association on the stage of what is now known as

Albert Taylor Theatre. His demonstration partner, fellow student Casca Whitehouse, “became winded from the violence of the exercise” and had to take a break to rest. The paper later reported in depth on Matsumoto’s reading of his research paper, “The Courts and Jails of the United States Compared with Those of Japan.”

Both newspapers reported the disappointment of his fellow students when Matsumoto left Millikin during the 1906-07 academic year to study at the Wharton School of Commerce and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, per his father’s wishes. However, Matsumoto became so homesick for Millikin that he convinced his father to allow him to return in fall 1907 to complete his bachelor’s degree at the Big Blue. His fellow Millikinites welcomed him back with “a buzz of genuine pleasure,” the Dec reported, and he was elected student marshal for his 1908 commencement. M by Amanda Pippitt, MU Archivist

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 7

A THOUSAND WORDS: KIRKLAND FINE ARTS CENTER PAINTING STUDIO

Unseen by patrons who come to Kirkland performances is a private world where color, curios and creativity collide. There, studio art majors studying painting have turned closet-sized alcoves into personalized studios that offer their own unique “portraits” of the artists. From curious objects of inspiration to unfinished works, the tale of each growing and vibrant student-artist is taking shape, one canvas at a time and without needing a single word.

8 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

Photography by Alida Duff Sullivan ’06.

A World of Pure Imagination

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 9

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: PERFORMANCE LEARNING

Photography by Alida Duff Sullivan ’06.

Physics major Whitley Sapp ’19 interned at Dunn Co. of Decatur, where he worked in their cold in-place recycling program.

Cold Facts Whitley Sapp, a sophomore physics major from Decatur, was one of only six students to receive an Institute for Science Entrepreneurship (ISE) undergraduate fellowship last semester. For his fall fellowship, he was part of a team of three other students working under the direction of Dr. Casey Watson at 300 Below Inc., a cryogenic company, where they planned to examine the possible positive impact of cryogenic treatment on the transformers and solar cells of wind turbine gearboxes.

Last summer, Sapp interned at Dunn Co. of Decatur, a full-service pavement construction company, where he worked with their cold in-place recycling program. Dunn asked him to continue on at the firm during the fall semester.

What have been your responsibilities at Dunn Co., and what are the advantages of cold in-place recycling for pavement reconstruction?

WS My primary responsibility has been to take numbers from past and future recycling jobs, calculate the various environmental MM

10 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

savings benefits and use that data to create a “green sheet” for each project. I’ve also put together an application checklist for county engineers or other potential customers to use when deciding whether the cold in-place process is applicable for their needs. I’ve also worked on a brochure compiling some of the environmental benefits that I discovered.

There are several advantages to using cold in-place recycling. The process delivers long-lasting results with less maintenance than a traditional asphalt road, because it gives the road a flexible base and reduces future cracking by 50 percent. The process also minimizes traffic disruption and eliminates closed roads by working one lane at a time. Some environmental benefits I found during my research include a 72 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a 98 percent reduction of diesel fuel consumption for hauling materials and an 80 percent reduction in the energy used to produce/reprocess the road materials.

MM Your experience working with two local companies is a strong example of Millikin Performance Learning. What has Performance Learning meant to you?

WS As a Decatur native, working to expand local businesses and to advance my hometown means a lot to me, as does the experience I’ve gained through Millikin’s Performance Learning model. During my time at Dunn, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know and work with some great people, both in the office and on the site.

In addition to working in the office, a lot of my time during the summer was spent traveling around the state with Dunn’s cold in-place recycling representative, Aaron Osman, to different job sites where I observed the process firsthand and gained a better understanding of how it all works. While onsite, I also had the opportunity to meet several civil engineers and get a general understanding of what their jobs entail. As a student, Performance Learning has helped me by opening my mind up to different ideas and building my confidence.

MM How would you describe Performance Learning to a prospective Millikin student?

WS Performance Learning allows students to get hands-on experience in the field they are pursuing. It helped me build valuable skills by being part of an office environment and working with others to achieve the goal of the company.

Also, having face-to-face conversations with people with job titles that I hope one day to have helped build my confidence that my dream can be reality if I stick with it.

MM What has been most memorable about your overall Millikin experience to date?

WS The ISE work that I’ve done has certainly been the highlight of my Millikin experience.

The dedication of the staff and the studentto-faculty ratio at Millikin allows more students to have opportunities they wouldn’t find at a larger school.

MM What are your plans after graduation?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

WS After Millikin, I plan to attend graduate school for mechanical engineering. I have yet to decide where I would like to go; however, I’m thinking an escape from the harsh winters of Central Illinois would be nice, at least for a couple of years. In 10 years, I hope to be improving the world as an engineer, continuing to work on old cars and trucks as I do now, and pursuing my lifelong goal of fixing up an old

farmhouse on a nice plot of land.

M

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Living His Type of Life The year was 1986. Robert “Bob” Givens ’66 was asked to head up an experimental company working on a new and revolutionary concept: scalable type. The company’s products meant that, for the first time, an average Joe and Jill could produce high-quality printed documents in type of various sizes on their home printer instead of relying on a local print shop. Now known as Monotype, Givens’ company helped usher in the era of “desktop publishing.” From a modern perspective, that term may sound as old style as a reference to Gutenberg’s printing press.

Words by Katie Liesener ’03 // Portrait by Jessica Brooks Sebok ’15

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ut that observation would be a mistake, one that Givens — a man prone to sweater vests and warm curiosity — would likely forgive, if quickly correct. As Givens, Monotype’s long-time CEO, recently told a group of Millikin business students: “Every single one of you, every single day, uses our products.”

More than ever, our world is bathed in type, and displaying type correctly in a digital, global age is a tricky endeavor. How do you get a brand motto to look clear and recognizable across English, Urdu and Swahili? On billboards, laptops and smart watches?

These are problems that Monotype tackles with its type technologies. It’s a niche business, employing software engineers and type designers who fret over the finer points of rasterization and stroke-width. The fonts that Monotype creates and leases comprise their own exotic language: Quire Sans, Classic Grotesque, Neue Haas Unica, Rockwell, Metro Nova, Times New Roman, et al.

The names are often fantastical, but the stakes are real. In a study conducted with MIT, for example, Monotype found automobile drivers can read “humanist” type styles on navigational displays a half-second faster than other fonts. At 60 miles per hour, that half-second translates to a stopping distance of almost 50 feet.

The many dizzying applications of typefaces and typeface technology have powered Monotype’s growth into the $200+ million-peryear company it is today, with more than 700 employees in offices from New York to London to Hong Kong. Givens attributes that astronomical success in part to a Midwestern work ethic that got its start many decades ago in Decatur.

In postwar Decatur, the Givens family was the picture of prosperity. Givens’ father owned a successful roofing and siding business, while his mother was a respected socialite who volunteered for local charitable organizations.

But in the mid-1950s, their comfortable lifestyle quickly deteriorated when Givens’ parents divorced. Within one year, his mother (who had taken over the family business) had to declare bankruptcy. Both parents suffered health problems that prevented them from working. For Givens and his older brother, Charles, the family home became temporary and transient. They were forced to move from

14 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

apartment to apartment, as money for rent was scarce. They moved six times in a five-year period. Givens describes these as difficult times but also times that taught him many valuable lessons about family.

Originally, Givens had planned to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

But when his mother underwent a serious eye operation and could not drive, Givens chose to attend Millikin to stay closer to home.

“Going to a small college like Millikin was very important to my academic and personal well-being,” Givens says. “I would have been lost at a massive school like the University of Illinois.”

Givens worked two to three jobs during college to pay his family’s rent. Beginning his freshman year, he worked more than 30 hours a week as a salesman at Bachrach’s men’s clothing store. Later, he added a job working the night shift as a newspaper delivery driver.

Despite his busy schedule, Givens threw himself into campus life. He joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity and became an active leader in Greek life, as well as president of his senior class. He also met his college sweetheart, Tri Delta Connie Richeson ’67, whom he married.

The Givens brothers’ chaotic childhood proved a powerful motivator for both Givens and his brother. Charles, who became famous in the 1990s as a financial guru, embodied financial success. He authored a bestseller, “Wealth Without Risk” and appeared on various TV shows, including “Oprah” and “Larry King Live.”

“My brother centered his life around building a successful business, and he certainly achieved that,” Givens says. “We had the same upbringing but different life goals. I was more concerned with building a successful family, and I carried that notion to my company.”

For all his ambition, rising from an entry-level salesman to CEO and chairman of a publiclytraded company, Givens insists that his career was always a means to that end: creating and sustaining a sense of family.

But the journey toward that goal was initially uncertain. After graduating from Millikin, he pursued a master’s degree in higher education administration. After working briefly at the University of Connecticut, he was drafted into service and served in the infantry during the Vietnam War. Returning to the U.S. after his service, he craved a job where he could call the shots.

“I do like to be in control,” he says. “I like to run things.”

He started in sales in the Printing Products Division of 3M and in 1975 moved to Compu-

graphic, a company that sold typesetting equipment. In 10 years, he rose from a sales position to international marketing manager, all the while striving to make his family, which now included two daughters, his top priority. As a result, he sometimes went to work at 6:30 a.m. to ensure he could be home for dinner.

Then in 1986 came the opportunity of a lifetime. His boss, a vice president at Agfa (the multinational company that bought Compugraphic), asked if he would like to head an experimental new company within their corporation based on a patent for scalable type.

Agfa had an inkling of the new technology’s value, though no one could foresee how low-cost desktop publishing would explode as a result.

Agfa extended a three-year commitment to the new company, Font Technologies, with the expectation that it would produce five large customers and at least $2 million in revenue.

Although the company started with one modest customer, within 30 days, a dream client arrived on their doorstep. Hewlett-Packard, which dominated roughly 65 percent of the printer market at that time, approached Font Technologies about including scalable type in

their upcoming HP Laser Jet III printer. Givens’ team would load eight typefaces and their patented technology into the new printer.

Three months after the deal was struck, it threatened to unravel when Font Technologies’ chief engineer told Givens they would be three weeks late delivering the software. “We were looking at each other thinking, ‘we just started this business, and this is probably it. We’re going to have to close things down,’” Givens says.

He immediately called the HP lab manager with the bad news. For an excruciating while, she said nothing. Finally, she asked, “How late?” Givens, thinking quickly, said six weeks to provide some wiggle room. She agreed.

Font Technologies met the extended deadline, and the debut of the HP Laser Jet III became the most successful printer release up to that time. Later, the HP lab manager told Givens, “No software company calls and says they’re going to be late. When you called to tell us, I knew we could trust you and work with you guys.”

The story crystallized a company ethic: proactive honesty, internally among employees and externally with clients, no matter the

consequences. That policy helped build Monotype’s reputation and a company culture in which people could trust one another. These principles were informed in part by Givens’ Christian beliefs, but they also held practical value. The resulting strong relationships were good for business.

For example, Givens opted for royalties over fees as compensation for the software his company installed on other companies’ products. He stood steadfastly by this model, even turning down a seven-figure offer for a paid-up license at a time when the company’s sales were $2–3 million. Investing in his partners’ success paid dividends, as those partners expanded to include IBM, Canon, Toshiba and others.

It was one of several key decisions Givens made to further Font Technologies, which later became Agfa Type Division, then Monotype.

He acquired several companies that owned important typeface libraries. Then, he ensured that Monotype’s technology and typefaces were always licensed together. In 2004, he led the leveraged buy-out from Agfa so that Monotype could flourish as an independent enterprise. He also ensured his employees would receive equity

positions in the new company. One of his last achievements as CEO was the acquisition of the Linotype typeface library, (which includes such well-known typefaces as Helvetica and Frutiger), solidifying Monotype’s font collection as one of the largest in the world.

Givens retired as CEO in 2007 and served as Monotype’s board chairman until 2014; today he serves as chairman emeritus. Meanwhile, the company he leaves behind has made its mark on human history. As part of a five-year partnership with Google, Monotype created a free font (Noto) designed to accommodate more than 800 languages, including dead ones like Coptic, and those without a typographic tradition, such as Tibetan. Expressed in a universal font, these languages can now survive into the digital age.

But if you ask Givens about his legacy, he points to the moment at his retirement party when he learned his successor sent a terminally ill employee and her family to Italy, fulfilling her lifelong dream.

“At that moment, I knew [he] had learned everything he needed to learn from me to continue the company culture,” Givens says.

Monotype’s culture of caring continues.

Even today, Givens can’t slip into headquarters without hearty greetings from employees at every step.

“This is a family,” he says.

These days, Givens is turning his attention to another family. In his memoirs, he reflects on a time he suffered a “downhill slide from which I might not [have] recover[ed].” In his junior year of college, overwhelmed by obligations, Givens started regularly missing classes. But MU’s dean of students noticed and intervened with the wake-up call Givens needed — one, he is convinced, that could only happen at a small college like Millikin.

“I am forever grateful for the help I received from everyone at Millikin — professors, administrators, even Dr. Paul McKay, the university president,” Givens says. “This school provided me the support I needed to succeed during a difficult period in my life, and it’s one of the reasons I feel privileged to be able to financially give back to the university that served me so well.”

Now, Givens is bringing his business and leadership skills to Millikin as one of the newest trustees. Because, as Givens well knows, drive and compassion and integrity make the difference — at any scale. M Givens celebrated his 50-year class reunion at Homecoming 2016. See more, page 25.

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 15

CLASS NOTES

Virginia Frazier Strohecker ’52 and her husband, Chester Strohecker ’53, of +earlier Arthur, Ill., celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in June 2016.

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Nancy Dickey Oliver ’66 of Pawnee, Ill., helped organize and start a food pantry in her community 10 years ago and continues to serve as the chair for the organization’s board of directors.

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Richard Rouse and Linda Helman Rouse, both ’71, of Tucson, Ariz., are enjoying retirement and traveling through Europe.

Pat McCormick Winn ’73 of Wadsworth, Ill., is director of training for NorthPointe Resources in Zion, Ill., an agency serving individuals with intellectual/ developmental disabilities and/or mental illness. She has two children and five grandchildren.

Submitted photo.

Kenny Olmstead ’77 of Euless, Texas, and his wife, Sally, owned and operated TMC Inc., a dealer in new and used industrial machinery, for 17 years. Since selling the business and retiring, he has made community volunteering his new career, and completed nearly 500 hours of volunteerism in 2014 and 2015. He received a special Presidential Award for both years.

He continues to serve on the Euless Planning and Zoning Commission since his appointment in January 2014, and he has completed 14-week citizen police and fire academies.

Brice Elliot ’79 of Tucson, Ariz., is executive vice president at Pramata Corp., a customer relationship intelligence company headquartered near San Francisco. He is responsible for field operations and the company’s go-to marketing strategy. He is also a credentialed pastor and is active in various discipleship ministries. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Melissa, six children and four grandchildren.

Leslie “Les” Hellemann ’80 of Vero Beach, Fla., retired as joining and heat treat manager at GE Aviation in Cincinnati. He is married to Leah Huhnke Hellemann, also ’80. She retired from teaching biology at Waynesville High School in Waynesville, Ohio, after 31 years of service. Since retiring, they moved to Florida to begin a new chapter of their lives.

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Submitted photo.

Mary Strine Miller ’76 of Northbrook, Ill., is president of Miller Comms Inc., where she helps companies achieve measurable business gains from engaged employees.

Driven by Determination Last October, Norman Oberto ’74 discussed his path to heading his own company with a campus audience that included several students considering careers as entrepreneurs.

Norman Oberto’s “Journey in Determination,” as he calls it, began at a young age. A Decatur native, the 1974 industrial engineering graduate lost his father when he was just 14 years old. A heartbroken Oberto, his mother and his sister, Glenis Oberto ’77, decided to “make it work.” He began working at a grocery store after school, saving his money to complete an unfulfilled dream he had shared with his dad: to build a car together.

“After my father passed away, what really saved me was I decided to build a street rod anyway,” he says.

Oberto worked on the car whenever he had spare time: during his four years at Millikin, through meeting his future wife, Lori Gould

Oberto ’75, even through getting married, moving into a little house by Decatur’s Nelson Park and working five years at Firestone. To his long-term regret, he felt he needed to sell the car when he started work for an East Coast manufacturing company in 1979.

Oberto went on to work for several years in manufacturing sales, eventually returning to his hometown to work as vice president of sales and marketing for Wagner Castings for 10 years. All the while, he was reaching out to the business owners he knew, asking their advice on the ins and outs of business ownership. A dream larger than building a street rod had taken a strong grip, and Oberto couldn’t shake it.

16 CLASS NOTES SUBMITTED MAY 2-SEPT. 30, 2016. SUBMIT YOUR NEWS ONLINE AT MILLIKIN.EDU/ALUMNI.

CLASS NOTES

Norman Oberto ’74 stands next to his street rod, which he built after his father passed away.

“I’d always wanted to own my own company.

Thought about it for years. But it took me 30 years to get the courage to go out and do my own thing,” he says. “Some people are not born entrepreneurs, and I certainly fell into that category.”

former MU professor, Dr. Bill Williams, who had advised that the ideal age to purchase a business was 38 or younger.

“As an entrepreneur, you need to get used to the fact that people are going to tell you that you can’t do something,” he says, noting that taking risks and bucking popular notions are part of the package of business ownership. “Along the way, not everybody is going to be with you.”

Unfortunately, Oberto had a problem.

“I still didn’t have any money,” he says.

So he called on a Decatur connection who helped him obtain the $10 million in financing he needed.

Today, his company has grown from $9.2 million in annual sales when he purchased it to $115 million in annual sales, 850,000 square feet of space, 800 employees and 153 machines for producing everything from Polaris hoods to OtterBox phone cases.

“I’ve been fortunate to be the leader of the band, but I don’t play the instruments,” he says.

“It’s been a fun journey.”

Currently chairman of the board, he will retire when he turns 65 later this year.

“I truly don’t like the word ‘retirement,’” he says. “I want to do something different. So I’m dabbling.”

In other words, he’s exploring opportunities to invest in another type of industry, perhaps as far away as Austria.

Childhood friend Warren Jesek ’74 thinks Oberto will succeed at whatever he sets his mind to next: “I’ve known him since first grade. Got a great relationship with his people. Success in any business is to know and love people. This man’s got it.”

And that street rod he sold in 1979? Oberto’s “Journey in Determination” didn’t end with

“As an entrepreneur, you need to get used to the fact that people are going to tell you that you can’t do something.”

– Norman Oberto ’74 Finally, in 1996, after some research and investigation, he found a Minnesota plastics company.

As he puts it, he “fell in love” while visiting there, talking with the current owner until 2 a.m. and making the deal while Oberto’s wife was back in Illinois preparing for the birth of their third child.

So at age 44, Oberto purchased Imperial Plastics Inc. in Lakeville, Minn. He made the determination despite the advice of his respected

owning Imperial Plastics. Five years ago, he hired a private detective who tracked the car down in Missouri, 10 owners and several trophies later.

Oberto proudly shows off a photo of the car again in his possession, saying, “I wanted that car back in the worst kind of way. It gave me a goal to work on.” M by Deb Hale Kirchner

Beth Langdon ’82 of Decatur is a home care physical therapist for St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill., She recently wrote a book, “Footprints on My Life,” about her profession.

Carol Smith ’84 of Decatur is semi-retired, serving as faith community nurse at First Christian Church.

Julia “Julie” Standerfer ’84 of Sullivan, Ill., is an instructor for Millikin’s School of Nursing.

Jacqueline Kaufman Roberts ’86 of Argenta, Ill., is retired from teaching at Richland Community College. Her husband, Mark, teaches for Decatur Public Schools.

Robin Wall ’86 of Edinburg, Ill., is general supervisor of work equipment for Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Norman Oberto’s 10 TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN COMPANY 1 Do it for a higher purpose, not just to make money.

2 Create a set of core values that you want the company to be about. Imperial Plastic’s values have been streamlined to “TOPS” – Transparency, Ownership, Positive attitude and Stewardship.

3 Be humble and grateful – not everyone can be an entrepreneur.

4 Make the call, and do not be afraid to ask for help.

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Seek out mentors.

6 Pay attention to what’s happening around you. Things happen for a reason.

7

Be determined and persistent.

8 Be capable of changing along the way.

9 Enjoy the ride. The joy is in the journey.

10 If you have something to say to someone, say it before you go to bed, because tomorrow may be too late.

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CLASS NOTES

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Katherine Bezak Dill ’87 of Kalispell, Mont., is outreach chief nursing officer at Kalispell Regional Healthcare.

David Wright ’88 of Monmouth, Ill., is an assistant professor of English at Monmouth College, where he teaches creative writing and American literature.

His most recent poetry collection, “The Small Books of Bach,” was published in 2014. He married Marci Rae Johnson on May 29, 2016. She is also a poet and teacher.

Michael “Mike” Plunkett ’89 of Hillsboro, Ill., is publisher of Journal Publications. Joining the staff in 1990, he has worked at the newspaper for 26 years, serving as editor for the last 18. He has also served as an elected official on the Montgomery County Board for 16 years, including six as chairman. He and his wife, Heather McCaffrey Plunkett ’90, have a son, August, 14.

Anthony “Tony” Riedlinger ’93 and his wife, Tracy, formerly of Louisville, Ky., welcomed a son, Henry, born Nov. 16, 2015.

He joins his brother, Charlie, 4. Tony is assistant special agent in charge for the Chicago field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Tracy is a stay-at-home mom.

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Jodi Foster Silotto ’95 of Champaign, Ill., is Millikin’s marketing director.

Mark Potter ’96 of Decatur received the 2016 Lincoln Trails Council Silver Beaver Award for outstanding service to local youth. One of the most prestigious awards given by the Boy Scouts of America, it is the highest award a local council can present to a volunteer. He and his wife, MeLinda Bostic Potter ’01, have two daughters: Morgan, 11, and Meredith, 6.

Laura Elston Stinebaker ’96 of Carrollton, Ill., is senior teller and backup customer service representative at CNB Bank & Trust N.A. Jennifer Vadbunker Wilken ’96 of Thawville, Ill., is director of home care and hospice for Carle in Champaign, Ill. Patrick Dill ’98 of Waukesha, Wis., is director of choral activities at Carroll University.

Photography by Alida Duff Sullivan ’06.

Frank Tieri ’88 of Midlothian, Ill., was a quarterfinalist for the Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation’s 2017 Music Educator Award, recognizing current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. He directs the vocal music department curricular and extra-curricular choirs at Oswego High School, where he also serves as an audio technician for the athletic department. He also directs the school’s fall play and all-school musical.

Roberto (left) and Luis Hernandez, both ’02, shared their experience as “Biggest Losers.”

Brothers Win Big

By Losing Together During Homecoming, 2002 grads Roberto and Luis Hernandez stopped by campus to share their weight-loss journeys on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”

Although twins Roberto and Luis Hernandez, both ’02, never planned to walk life’s path together, things just seem to be working out that way.

“The only thing we ever planned to do together was attend Millikin,” says Roberto. Yet the brothers are both physical education teachers at J. Sterling Morton High School in their hometown of Cicero, Ill. They also shared a life-changing experience as contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” In February 2016, Roberto was named the winner after shedding 160 pounds and 46 percent of his body weight. Luis, the at-home winner, lost 139 pounds and 45 percent of his body weight.

Roberto and Luis had struggled with their weight for years. “Our parents thought ‘a healthy kid is a husky kid,’ and that kind of prepared us to be overweight as adults,” says Luis.

The brothers weighed 260-280 pounds when they started at Millikin.

Like most new college students, they quickly

18 CLASS NOTES SUBMITTED MAY 2-SEPT. 30, 2016. SUBMIT YOUR NEWS ONLINE AT MILLIKIN.EDU/ALUMNI.

CLASS NOTES Luis (left) and Roberto Hernandez participate in one of the “Biggest Loser” challenges.

Photography by Trae Patton/NBC.

gained unwanted pounds thanks to late-night study sessions, often fueled by pizza and fast food.

“Millikin is definitely our second home,” Luis says. “So many faculty and staff members were such a big part of our lives, including [Dean Emeritus of Admission] Lin Stoner, [Former Environmental Services Specialist] Rodney Morville and [Retired Director of Student Development] Linda Slagell, who we called our mother away from home.”

Their fond memories also include their time on the Big Blue football team, which they credit with helping them succeed on the show. “[Former Head Coach] Doug Neibuhr and the other coaches helped make us strong,” Roberto says. “We came in as boys and left as men.”

In the years following graduation, the brothers tried to lose weight many times. “We called ourselves the yo-yo twins,” Roberto says. “We tried all kinds of diets.”

After years of weight cycling while admiring the success of “Biggest Loser” winners, the brothers applied as contestants in 2013. After making it through the first round of interviews, they were invited to California.

Following several additional interview sessions, the brothers were selected for the show’s 17th season. Then things began to move very quickly … and so did the contestants.

“During our very first workout, [trainer] Jennifer Widerstrom put us through hell,” says Luis.

“We ran for 45 minutes on an inclined treadmill, and the next day, I couldn’t walk down the stairs.”

The intimidating atmosphere and rugged pace of the workouts had an immediate effect on the brothers. Luis says that in a photo of their first workout, “you can see the fright on our faces; you can tell how scared we were!”

However, the desire to succeed was greater than fear. Both brothers were determined to get healthy, for themselves and for their families. “I saw myself as a dead father in the next five years if I did not lose that weight,” says Roberto.

Amanda Fields ’99 of Hays, Kan., received the 2016 Kairos Best Webtext Award for “Performing Urgency: Slamming and Spitting as Critical and Creative Response to State Crisis,” which appeared in Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology and Pedagogy, Issue 20.1. The award is given to the best scholarly webtext published in the previous year.

She also recently published “Activist Mapping: (Re) framing Narratives about Writing Center Space” in the collection, Making Space: Writing Instruction, Infrastructure and Multiliteracies. She is assistant professor of English and writing center director at Fort Hays State University. She and her husband, James Austin, have a daughter, Fiona.

Mandy Wimmer-O’Brien ’01 and her husband, Tom, of Washington, D.C., welcomed a daughter, Amelie Mae, born April 24, 2016. She joins her brother, Elliot, 4. Mandy is founder and director of Tri Star Music Together and owner of a private piano studio. Tom teaches special education at Washington Latin Public Charter School.

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Both brothers realize their extraordinary weight loss is not typical and is partially the result of the exceptional circumstances created on the show. “How many people lose 160 pounds in six months?” asks Roberto. “We could do it because of everyone there to help us — doctors, trainers …

It was our job to lose weight.”

Their participation on the show did require many lifestyle changes. “We gave up fast food for a year,” says Roberto. “That’s something you have to adjust to.”

But the adjustments have been good for them. “We were both pre-diabetic, and were taking cholesterol and high blood pressure pills,” says Roberto. “I went in taking several pills a day, but today, I take one cholesterol pill once or twice a week.”

They are also determined to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Luis even ran a half-marathon last September. “A year ago, I would never have thought I’d be able to do that,” he says.

Both have regained some weight, but the show’s doctors assured them that was perfectly normal. And although they still “love to eat,” the Hernandez brothers hold themselves accountable for their choices and continue a demanding workout program that includes CrossFit and boot-camp style training sessions.

“Back in the day, we were probably eating 4,000-5,000 calories a day,” says Luis. Adds Roberto, “My metabolism has changed, and I now eat fewer than 2,000 calories a day.”

“Our goal is to not fall back into old habits,” says Luis. “The best thing you can do is take it a day at a time.” M by Margaret Allen Friend

Erin Crow Usher ’03 and her husband, Cory, of St. Louis, welcomed a son, Austin Jacob, born Oct. 2, 2015. He joins his brother, Clayton, 4. Erin is account manager at Millipore Sigma.

Dan Haynes ’04 and his wife, Brooke, of St. Louis, welcomed a son, Tyler Everett, born Aug. 11, 2015.

He joins his brother, Landon, 3. Dan is chief compliance officer at Summit Strategies Group. Brooke is CRM manager at Dot Foods Inc. Pamela Borgers Jenkins ’04 of Clarksville, Tenn., is assistant registrar for the College of Professional Studies at Bethel University.

Beth Nolan ’04 of Decatur was named one of the 2016 “20 Under 40” by the Business Journal of Central Illinois. She is vice president of investments and certified financial planner at the Brechnitz Group.

Kristin Radley Drollinger ’06 of Bethany, Ill., is an administrative assistant in Millikin’s School of Music.

Elizabeth Thomas Safranski ’06 of Chatham, Ill., recently celebrated 10 years of employment at Hanson Professional Services Inc. in Springfield, Ill., where she is a traffic modeler. During her tenure, she has prepared traffic and travel-demand models for transportation projects, including an environmental impact statement for high-speed rail in Springfield and the Interstate 74 Mississippi River bridge replacement from Moline, Ill., to Bettendorf, Iowa. She also created a regional travel-demand model for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, which comprises Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties.

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 19

Christine LaPorte ’07 of Oceanside, Calif., teaches mathematics at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego. She and her students were honored with the national Peace Leader Award for their work to support students in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The award was presented by Pennies for Peace, a servicelearning program of the Central Asia Institute that brings cultural and philanthropic education to students and educators all over the world.

Submitted photo.

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Submitted photos.

CLASS NOTES

Adam Nowicki ’07 of Granger, Ind., is corporate HR manager at Lippert Components Inc., the leading supplier of components to the recreational vehicle and manufactured housing industries, in Elkhart, Ind. Mollie Starke Fry ’08 of Greensburg, Ind., is wellbeing administrator at MainSource Financial Group.

She and her husband, Kevin, married in 2014.

Latasha Atkins Lee ’08 of Decatur completed a master’s degree in nursing/family nurse practitioner from Walden University. She is community health coordinator for the Greater Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce.

Jodi Cunningham Ogilvy ’08 of Decatur was named one of the 2016 “20 Under 40” by the Business Journal of Central Illinois. She is communications manager at The Hope Institute for Children and Families in Springfield, Ill. She also co-founded the fashion and lifestyle blog, Mod Circus (modcircus.com), with Molly Pearce Heise ’10.

James Dawson ’09 of Decatur was named one of the 2016 “20 Under 40” by the Business Journal of Central Illinois. He is an art teacher for Decatur Public Schools.

Tracie Yantis ’09 of Decatur is part-time assistant women’s basketball coach at Millikin.

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Brenna Clark ’11 of Mt. Zion, Ill., is an instructor of nursing at Millikin.

Bradley Day ’11 of Champaign, Ill., is an adjunct professor of chemistry at Millikin.

Aaron Largent ’11 of Decatur was named one of the 2016 “20 Under 40” by the Business Journal of Central Illinois. He is an information technology business partner for corporate functions at Archer Daniels Midland Co. Nicole “Niki” Smith and Matthew “Matt” Niebur, both ’11, of Warsaw, Ind., were married June 11, 2016.

Niki is business coordinator at Warsaw Orthodontics.

Matt is branch manager at MacAllister Machinery.

See photo on page 5.

Gold Standard Last September, Karla Wessels ’07 traveled to Rio de Janeiro to serve as athletic trainer for the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2016 Paralympic Games, where the team won the gold medal. In between prepping the team for daily competition, Wessels taught online classes for her students at Georgetown College, where she is assistant professor and director of the athletic training program.

In Rio, you were the athletic trainer for the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team that won gold.

Talk a little about that amazing experience.

KW Rio was exactly what you said: amazing.

It was great to be a part of the Paralympics and specifically that gold-medal team. To watch that team grow over the years and develop into a goldmedal team was fun and truly remarkable. The Paralympics as a whole was outstanding. There was a lot of negativity surrounding the Olympics and Paralympics, but Rio did an amazing job and everything ran smoothly. On top of that, Rio is a MM

gorgeous city, so it was nice to be able to experience that!

What was a typical workday like at the Paralympic Games?

KW While in Rio, the team had a game and practice each day. Being their athletic trainer, I went to each game and practice to make sure they were physically ready and able to play. In between the practice and game, or at the end of the day, I would do treatment with whoever was nursing an injury or had muscle MM

20 CLASS NOTES SUBMITTED MAY 2-SEPT. 30, 2016. SUBMIT YOUR NEWS ONLINE AT MILLIKIN.EDU/ALUMNI.

CLASS NOTES prepare to leave my current job for three weeks. I didn’t want the students to suffer and have to play catch up when I returned, so I had all of my classes online during the time I was away.

How did Millikin prepare you for what you’re doing today?

KW Millikin is where I studied athletic training and became an athletic trainer, so to say it helped prepare me for this is an understatement. In addition, the reason I am involved with adapted athletics is because an MU professor encouraged me to take a graduate assistantship at the University of Illinois with the wheelchair basketball and track teams. It is because of that encouragement that I began this journey.

Abby Bialeschki Helm ’12 of Cerro Gordo, Ill., is an account executive and part-time Y103 radio morning show co-host for Neuhoff Media in Decatur.

MM

Karla Wessels ’07 (left) celebrates with U.S. women’s wheelchair baskeball team member Gail Gaeng, after a gold-medal win at the 2016 Paralympics.

Who were some of the MU professors or administrators who made a special impact on your education?

KW The entire athletic training program did a great job preparing me to become an athletic trainer. During my tenure, the staff included Tisha Hess ’98, Noel Neptune and Trevor Bates ’02.

Specifically, Noel and Trevor made a huge impact on my education and continue to do so today.

They were not only my mentors then, but they continue to mentor me and offer advice whenever it is needed now. They have been a guiding light through it all.

MM

What is the best career advice you’ve received?

I think some of the best advice I have heard is to step outside of your comfort zone. Who knows where I would currently be if I had not stepped outside my comfort zone and went to work with the wheelchair athletics program at the University of Illinois? I listened to the advice, and because of it, I have a doctorate from a great school, am an athletic trainer for Team USA and landed my dream job at a young age. Everything could be completely different had I decided to stay in my comfort zone.

MM KW

tightness and pain. When I wasn’t serving as an athletic trainer for the team, I graded homework, answered emails and made sure my classes and athletic training program were running smoothly back home.

What kind of preparation went into the Rio trip?

KW There were years of preparation for this trip for the team and staff as a whole. First, we had to qualify for Rio by earning a spot at the Parapan Am Games in 2015 in Toronto. From there, we trained on a monthly basis to prepare for Rio, either through a training camp or a competition. I also had to

MM

What are your future career goals?

The athletic training program that I currently direct is an undergraduate program. Athletic training education is moving to the master’s level, so my most immediate goals are to see that through. I also would like to work on publishing my research about balance assessment after concussion in individuals with physical disability, so other medical professions can properly care for this population. M MM KW

Kevin Jones ’12 of Monticello, Ill., is adjunct assistant professor of music for Millikin’s School of Music.

Chazaray Carson ’13 of Decatur was named one of the 2016 “20 Under 40” by the Business Journal of Central Illinois. He is director of supply chain at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital.

Cora Herek ’13 of Decatur is director of Cantabile Choir for Millikin’s Preparatory Department.

The regional ensemble includes third- to fifth-grade children.

Jacob Shasteen ’13 of Decatur is a Millikin admission counselor.

Chelsea Hadsall ’14 of Decatur is an adjunct instructor of chemistry at Millikin.

Laura Peete ’14 of Crystal Lake, Ill., is director of education for Spotlight Youth Theater Co., an organization that serves more than 6,000 students annually through theater arts classes, staging 30 productions each year from Chicago to Milwaukee.

Christopher Garcia ’15 of Aurora, Ill., is an intern coach for Millikin men’s and women’s golf.

Emily Noffke and Christopher Raymond, both ’15, of Monticello, Ill., were married March 12, 2016. Emily is a music teacher at Pleasant Acres Elementary School in Rantoul, Ill. Christopher is completing a master’s degree and doctorate in bassoon performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ryan Bodine ’16 of Decatur is a Millikin MBA graduate assistant and serves as a teaching assistant for Blue Connection, Millikin’s student-run art gallery.

Kiana Holmes ’16 of Elgin, Ill., is a licensing worker for Lutheran Child and Family Services.

Trevor May ’16 of Dundas, Ill., is an MBA graduate assistant at Millikin. He also serves as the MillikinDennis Lab School liaison, where he develops, plans and executes cooperative events between the university and the partnering K-8 school.

Mikayla Mendenhall ’16 of Blue Mound, Ill., is associate director of annual giving for MU’s Alumni and Development Office.

Hannah Wheeler ’16 of Sullivan, Ill., is a Millikin admission counselor.

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 21

Submitted photos.

Alex Stevens ’14 (inset) has earned acclaim for his “simple and effective” lighting, as seen in his lighting design for “The Model American.”

Bright Light Since his time at MU, the design work of Alex Stevens ’14 has been seen in a number of productions — from Henrik Ibsen’s “The Master Builder” (for which he received strong reviews) to the highly experimental “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit,” whose improvisational structure invited a less-is-more approach to lighting. He was awarded top honors at Live Design International, an international tradeshow and conference for live design professions.

Reviewers have noted the “haunting effect” that your lighting choices have on the audience, as well as their “skillfully simple and effective” design. What philosophy drives your overall work?

AS My philosophy is to serve the needs of the MM

production. I admit it’s a bit of a vanilla philosophy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t try to entice the creative team toward a production with a lot of visual contrast and dynamic choices. Sometimes a show just doesn’t need dramatic lighting. If I’m lighting a comedy and the audience can’t connect with a character because they can’t see their face, the jokes will flop.

You’ve won top honors at Live Design International (Las Vegas), competing in High End Systems’ Hog Factor 4 National Collegiate Concert Lighting Design Competition. Talk a little about this competition and the work that goes into it.

AS A big part of the concert world is previsualization (or “previz”) software. It lets you see what the lights are going to look like before the event happens. Beyoncé’s lighting designer doesn’t show up to the Super Bowl and wing it.

It’s all meticulously programmed beforehand.

MM

Every university that enters the competition receives a trial version of High End’s specific brand of previz software, as well as a PC version of their lighting console software (Hog 4). Each team designs and programs one of three songs selected by the company and sends it in to High End Systems to be judged. The top three schools advance to the finals in Las Vegas. For the finals, each school designs the same song. We do it all on the computer using previz. You show up to the booth at the convention center with your show on a USB drive, plug it into the lighting console, fall to the ground and hope that what you created translates well into real life. You have 30 minutes to change whatever you want, and then you perform the piece in front of the judges later in the day. It’s terrifying. Thankfully, because we were able to see what worked well in real life last year, we’re much more prepared for the finals this year. Keep your fingers crossed!

22 CLASS NOTES SUBMITTED MAY 2-SEPT. 30, 2016. SUBMIT YOUR NEWS ONLINE AT MILLIKIN.EDU/ALUMNI.

IN MEMORY How important is it to stay on top of technical innovations in the field?

AS A good designer, and especially a good assistant, has to have a masterful grasp on drafting, lighting console syntax, rendering software and the newest offerings in fixture technology. Just as in other fields, staying on top of the tools of the trade is a constant battle. In computer-aided drafting alone, a new version of the software, complete with expansive features, gadgets and even bugs, is released every year. Our lighting consoles are able to trigger sound cues, projection cues and even specific automation cues through the use of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) signals, and if you ever find yourself in a situation where you don’t know something, you better learn quickly.

It’s a lot of technology to keep up with, but surrounding yourself with smart and intuitive friends is a great way to keep all your bases covered. That’s why it’s so important to keep the equipment and software accessible to students up to date. Having those skills at graduation provides a huge leap over the competition when searching for jobs.

MM

How did your time at Millikin prepare you for what you’re doing today?

AS The School of Theatre and Dance taught me fundamental qualities that students must have to succeed in this tough, tough business.

As a student, you can learn the fundamentals of any design area in the classroom, but ultimately, you must realize a design to put context and meaning behind the teachings. Actors, designers, technicians — we learn by doing and by making mistakes. Millikin provides opportunities for realized successes and failures in an environment that cultivates trust, so the important failures are moments of learning, not moments of grief.

MM

You’re currently completing a master’s degree in lighting design at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh) — what are your plans after graduation?

AS I’m going to go with Carnegie Mellon to NYC and LA design showcases and see what offers come my way. I’ve worked very hard creating parallel networks during school and have had to turn down different offers ranging from Broadway to touring gigs. All I can be sure of is that I’m moving to a bigger city than Pittsburgh, and that I’m ready to be able to say “yes” to opportunity. M

Editor’s Note: See complete text of available memorials online at millikin.edu/memorials. For those without Internet access, please call 1.877.JMU.ALUM to request a printout of any memorial.

Jerome “Jerry” Frank ’51 Decatur, June 25, 2016

John Wasson ’58 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Aug. 5, 2016

J. Duane Palmer ’51 La Jolla, Calif., April 25, 2016

Sandra “Sandy” Langsfeld Michonski ’59 Northbrook, Ill., Feb. 22, 2015

Louise Stallings Cotton ’41 Beloit, Wis., Aug. 3, 2016

Irene Bernardi Richardson ’51 Champaign, Ill., formerly Decatur, Aug. 25, 2016

Herbert “Herb” Blacker ’43 Boulder, Colo., July 26, 2016

Helen Widick ’51 Urbana, Ill., Nov. 15, 2015

Virginia “Ginny” Bopp French Richardson ’43 St. Petersburg, Fla., June 27, 2016

Dorothy “Dottie” Dunkelberg Craddock ’52 Roseville, Minn., Sept. 16, 2016

Zella Whiteside Rushing Huffstetler ’44 Alma, Ark., formerly Marion, Ill., Dec. 24, 2015

Phyllis Brais Enright ’52 Kankakee, Ill., March 29, 2016

Marion Geoffroy McKeown ’45 Ames, Iowa, Sept. 29, 2016 William “Bill” Thalman ’45 Yuma, Ariz., July 10, 2016 Robert “Bob” Whitacre ’45 Lombard, Ill., May 31, 2016 Myra Stiehl Ramers ’46 Swansea, Ill., July 11, 2016 Billy King ’48 Taylorville, Ill., May 21, 2016 Audrey Baxter Porter ’48 Charleston, Ill., formerly Newman, Ill., May 12, 2016 Doris Paul Hunter ’49 Springfield, Ill., Oct. 11, 2016

Donald Evans ’60 Fairview Park, Ohio, formerly Macon, Ill., Sept. 28, 2016 Scott Dowell ’61 Warr Acres, Okla., June 23, 2016 Marvin Vogt ’61 Glen Carbon, Ill., formerly Belleville, Ill., Aug. 29, 2016 Janet Baugher Whitaker ’61 Norman, Okla., May 11, 2016

Lillian “Jean” Moore ’52 Decatur, July 29, 2016

Joseph Adamson ’62 Bremerton, Wash., Aug. 8, 2016

John Winick ’52 Decatur, Aug. 2, 2016

Thomas “Tom” Gunnigle ’65 Atlanta, Aug. 19, 2016

Kathleen McCarthy Carpenter ’53 St. Louis, May 29, 2016 Elizabeth “Betty” Ryan Frandsen ’53 Walnut Creek, Calif., March 1, 2016

David Leonhard ’66 Normal, Ill., July 23, 2016

Mary Ann Schroll Johnson ’53 Petersburg, Ill., July 27, 2016

William “Bill” Armstrong ’68 Louisville, Ky., Aug. 14, 2016

Betty Hill Martinez ’53 Green Bay, Wis., March 12, 2016

Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Chute West ’68 Springfield, Ill., Sept. 23, 2016

Gordon Short ’54 Plainfield, Ill., formerly Spring Valley, Ill., May 31, 2016

Paul Andrews ’72 Jamestown, R.I., April 29, 2016

James Porter ’49 Decatur, Sept. 15, 2016

Gerald “Jerry” Babel ’55 Batavia, Wis., formerly Ellison Bay, Wis., May 1, 2016

Ralph Ambler ’50 Savoy, Ill., May 6, 2016

Elmer Buese ’55 Frankenmuth, Mich., July 7, 2016

Helen McEvoy Blount ’50 Naples, Fla., Jan. 6, 2016

Louis Westfall ’55 Gettysburg, Pa., May 12, 2016

Barbara Hall Heely ’50 Springfield, Ill., formerly Belleville, Ill., Aug. 19, 2016

Harold Howe ’56 Highland, Calif., June 29, 2016

Michael Kocher ’72 Homewood, Ill., June 30, 2016

MM

View the full interview at millikin.edu/alumni/alex-stevens.

John Cordts ’66 Decatur, Sept. 15, 2016

Lamire Wiss ’50 Vandalia, Ill., July 26, 2016

Charoline Saddler Robb ’56 Bloomington, Ill., formerly Decatur, July 5, 2016

Milton Albert ’51 Bonita Springs, Fla., Aug. 16, 2015

Harold Hammond ’57 Coralville, Iowa, June 11, 2016

Charles Clayton II ’51 Lebanon, Ill., Sept. 11, 2016

Glenn Huffman ’57 Bismarck, Ill., Sept. 17, 2016

Vicki Beals Julius ’73 Mt. Zion, Ill., June 23, 2016 Shirley Stymets Oseland ’73 Decatur, July 31, 2016 Mary Lou Jenner Ferriell ’75 Decatur, Aug. 13, 2016 Robert Ohlsen ’76 Decatur, July 27, 2016 Linda Glessner Vallier ’76 Quincy, Ill., Aug. 19, 2016 Donna Hanks Kemp ’87 Decatur, July 31, 2016 Tucker Schwengel ’17 Shelbyville, Ill., Aug. 27, 2016

Evodia Wessels Stoddard ’58 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Feb. 25, 2016 Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 23

HOMECOMING 2016

Reunion portraits by DR Roberts Photography.

1951 Row 1: Marilyn Morthland Shroyer ’51, Joyce Ahlers Allen ’51. Row 2: Kathy Gehrig (daughter of Ken Gehrig), Roger Mulholland ’51, Janice Durchholz (spouse of Vic Durchholz). Row 3: Ken Gehrig ’51, Bob Tully ’51, Vic Durchholz (spouse of Janice Durchholz).

1961 Row 1: Dale Brown ’61, Joann Thompson Nagel ’61, Pam Connor (friend of Joann Thompson Nagel ’61), Clara “Soupy” Henson Peters ’59, Judy Tucker Cain ’59.

A TRADITION RETURNS

Guests at Millikin’s 101st Homecoming lined the Oakland Avenue sidewalks to watch the return of a favorite MU tradition: the Homecoming parade. Student and community organizations decorated floats and shared the Big Blue spirit with everyone along the way. MU President Patrick White (below) kicked off the parade as Grand Marshal driven by Trustee Emeritus Bruce Nims ’72.

BLACK ALUMNI CELEBRATION

Black alumni of all generations gathered for a celebration Saturday evening following the football game. Pictured from left: Tony Edmonds ’95, Tony's son Elijah Edmonds, Greg Hines ’85 and Jerrell Watson ’96.

24 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

1966

Row 1: Deanna Barnhart Metzger ’66, Luiza Moraes (guest of Bruce Meyer), Sue Vaughan Nelson ’66 (spouse of Ken Nelson ’66), Patricia Moore Hopkins ’66 (spouse of Thomas Hopkins ’66), Sharon Liston Yeakley ’68 (spouse of Jim Yeakley ’66), Karen Sullivan Stevenson ’66 (spouse of Dennis Stevenson ’66), Jan Talbot Steele ’66 (spouse of Richard Steele ’66), Carolyn Camp Schwartz ’66, Karen Rubins Sebok ’66, Jan Rubley Thies ’66, Nike Smyth Whitcomb ’66, Barbara Fritch Layman ’66.

Row 2: Bruce Meyer ’66, Thomas Hopkins ’66 (spouse of Patricia Moore Hopkins ’66), Ellen Boling Zemke, former Millikin first lady (spouse of Douglas Zemke ’66), Jim Yeakley ’66 (spouse of Sharon Liston Yeakley ’68), Dennis Stevenson ’66 (spouse of Karen Sullivan Stevenson ’66), Richard Steele ’66 (spouse of Jan Talbot Steele ’66), Mary Kay Gisolo Burton ’66, Lynn Molling Titus ’68, Kathleen Johnston (spouse of David Johnston ’66), David Johnston ’66 (spouse of Kathleen Johnston).

Row 3: Barb Hughes Janes ’69 (guest of Bill Corum), Bill Corum ’66 (spouse of Mary Ann Chomiak Corum ’69), Mary Ann Chomiak Corum ’69 (spouse of Bill Corum ’66), Ken Nelson ’66 (spouse of Sue Vaughan Nelson ’66), Douglas Zemke ’66, president emeritus (spouse of Ellen Boling Zemke), Bill Sill ’66 (spouse of Bette Armentrout Sill ’67), Bette Armentrout Sill ’67 (spouse of Bill Sill ’66), Jim Overholt ’66, Henry Hagen ’67, Don Titus ’66.

Row 4: Mary Winters Turner ’67 (spouse of Elmer Turner ’66), Connie Richeson Givens ’67 (spouse of Bob Givens ’66), Christine Reed (spouse of Karl Reed ’66), Carrie Putnam Inman ’66, Celia O’Rourke Waters ’71 (spouse of Warren Waters ’66), Connie Griffith Jurgens (spouse of Mike Jurgens ’66), Carol Phifer McCloud ’66 (spouse of Don McCloud ’66).

Row 5: Elmer Turner ’66 (spouse of Mary Winters Turner ’67), Bob Givens ’66 (spouse of Connie Richeson Givens ’67), Karl Reed ’66 (spouse of Christine Reed), Art Inman (spouse of Carrie Putnam Inman ’66), Warren Waters ’66 (spouse of Celia O’Rourke Waters ’71), Jim Budde ’67, Mike Jurgens ’66 (spouse of Connie Griffith Jurgens), Don McCloud ’66 (spouse of Carol Phifer McCloud ’66), Terry Krause ’66.

HELLO, MR. PRESIDENT

The class of 1966 welcomed back the largest reunion class of Homecoming 2016. Among the attendees was President Emeritus Douglas Zemke ’66 (right), who served as Millikin’s 13th president from 2003-10.

A GOLDEN LEGACY

The 50-year anniversary class commemorated their golden Homecoming by establishing the Class of 1966 Scholarship. The scholarship recipients joined the reunion class for a dinner celebration at the Decatur Club.

Pictured from left: Nike Smyth Whitcomb ’66, Valina Hoang ’17, Katy Swift ’17, Bob Givens ’66, Emily Altic ’17 and Sue Vaughan Nelson ’66.

MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 25

Reunion portraits by DR Roberts Photography.

HOMECOMING 2016

1971 Row 1: Everett Lawrence ’71, Dennis Hamilton ’71.

1976

Row 1: Patricia Little Peterson ’76, Barbara Ehling ’76, Sid Smith ’76, Annette Binkley Heim’76, Holly McClintock Bowling ’76, Robin Kuykendall ’75.

Row 2: Terry-Ann Saurmann ’76, Janice Mintel Jack ’72 (spouse of Don Jack ’76), Patty Orme (spouse of Daniel Orme ’76), Sherrie Wolfe (spouse of Joe Wolfe ’76), Kari Pierce Jordan ’86 (spouse of Dwight Jordan ’76), Sally Brown Schepper ’78 (spouse of Steve Schepper ’76).

Row 3: Jeff Arnold ’76, Don Jack ’76 (spouse of Janice Mintel Jack ’72), Daniel Orme ’76 (spouse of Patty Orme), Joe Wolfe ’76 (spouse of Sherrie Wolfe), Dwight Jordan ’76 (spouse of Kari Pierce Jordan ’86), Steve Schepper ’76, adjunct professor of horn for the School of Music (spouse of Sally Brown Schepper ’78), David Hagan ’76.

A HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE

MU First Lady Chris White (left) was among the many Homecoming guests who lined up for a custom balloon sculpture. Balloon hats and even wings (below) were the must-have fashion of the day.

POPPING ONTO CAMPUS

During the Kickoff Carnival, students helped master balloon artist Brian Getz build a larger-than-life sculpture of Mr. Big Bronze Man. The sculpture long outlasted the HC festivities, taking up residence in the Richards Treat University Center lobby until finally deflating in December.

26 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

1981 Row 1: Rebecca McCabe Bruckert ’82 (spouse of Terry Bruckert ’81), Kima Jo Thommas Mehr ’81 (spouse of Mark Mehr ’81), Lisa Walker (spouse of Dave Walker ’81), Debbi Storey Warren ’82 (spouse of Dan Warren ’81).

Row 2: Luisa Visintin Turudic ’81, Terry Bruckert ’81 (spouse of Rebecca McCabe Bruckert ’82), Mark Mehr ’81 (spouse of Kima Jo Thommas Mehr ’81), Dave Walker ’81 (spouse of Lisa Walker), Dan Warren ’81 (spouse of Debbi Storey Warren ’82).

WANT MORE HOMECOMING IN YOUR LIFE? Check out millikin.edu/homecoming for #BigBlueHC16 photos and video.

Plus mark your calendar for HC17 weekend, Oct. 6-8, 2017.

KNOW AN ALUM WHO BLEEDS BLUE? Nominate him, her or yourself for an alumni award or induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Learn more or submit a nomination by April 15 at millikin.edu/awards.

1986 Row 1: Cynthia Smith Dodge ’85, Christine Perry Kramer ’86, Lori Gower Lilly ’86, Laura Sleade ’86.

Row 2: Karen Buenzli (spouse of Randy Buenzli ’86), Kari Pierce Jordan ’86 (spouse of Dwight Jordan ’76), Kitty Campbell ’86, Shari Butler Fitzgerald ’86 (spouse of Edward Fitzgerald), Christine Magallanes Kushner ’86.

Row 3: Randy Buenzli ’86 (spouse of Karen Buenzli), Dwight Jordan ’76 (spouse of Kari Pierce Jordan ’86), Wally Plywaczewski ’86, Michael Buono ’86, Edward Fitzgerald (spouse of Shari Butler Fitzgerald ’86), Keith Lewis ’86.

BIRDS-EYE VIEW

IN BRIEF

Homecoming 2016

Students (and even a few faculty members) took to the sky via the zip line at the HC16 Kickoff Carnival held on the Dr. and Mrs. J. Roger Miller Centennial Quad.

DATES: Sept. 30-Oct. 2 THEME: Big Blue Road Trip HASHTAG: #BigBlueHC16 NUMBER OF CLASS YEARS REPRESENTED: 63 NUMBER OF OFFICAL EVENTS: 65 PARADE ENTRIES: 20 VOTES FOR KING AND QUEEN: 838 FURTHEST TRAVELER: Karen Sebok ’66 of Carmel, Calif.

YOUNGEST REGISTERED ATTENDEE: Liam Bates (5 months), son of 2016 Young Alumnus Award recipient Trevor Bates ’02 and Kassandra Bates.

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 27

HOMECOMING 2016

1991 Reunion portraits by DR Roberts Photography.

Row 1: Sheri Timmons Reck ’91, Carrie Benjamin (daughter of Joetta Krepps Benjamin ’91), Joetta Krepps Benjamin ’91, Kimberly Kuhr White ’91 (spouse of Geoffrey White).

Row 2: Larry Lagerhausen ’91, Jeff Benjamin ’89 (spouse of Joetta Krepps Benjamin ’91), Geoffrey White (spouse of Kimberly Kuhr White ’91).

1996 Row 1: Joss Watson (daughter of Jennifer Gartke Watson and Jerrell Watson, both ’96), Jaxx Watson (son of Jennifer Gartke Watson and Jerrell Watson, both ’96).

Row 2: Kimberly Holman Mangan ’96, associate director of corporate and foundation relations for Alumni and Development, Jennifer Gartke Watson ’96 (spouse of Jerrell Watson ’96), Carrie Ferrill Young ’96, Shawn Murphy Barnes ’96 (spouse of Todd Barnes ’96).

Row 3: Jeffrey Schutt ’96, Jett Watson (son of Jennifer Gartke Watson and Jerrell Watson, both ’96), Jerrell Watson ’96 (spouse of Jennifer Gartke Watson ’96), Robert “Joe” Gordillo ’96, Grant McCloud ’96, Todd Barnes ’96 (spouse of Shawn Murphy Barnes ’96).

A TASTE OF MU

The Alumni Association Board hosted the inaugural “Taste of MU,” featuring the products of alumni vintners, brewers and distributors. Pictured from left: Alumni Association Board Member Darrah Hulva ’14; Mabel Roth; Grafton Winery, Brewhaus and Vineyard Investor David Roth ’63; and Alumni Association Board Member Eric Smith ’97.

PARADE PALS

2016 Merit-Loyalty Award recipient Carole Medal ’72 (left) joined some friends to watch the Homecoming parade. Pictured from left: Carla File Scott ’73, Kimm Hollis ’72 and Milt Scott ’67.

28 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Winter Spring 2017

2001 2006

Row 1: Tessi Taylor ’01, Allison Wannemacher Hannam ’01, Megan Macke Pistorius ’01, Sara Brown Murdick ’01, Renée Estes Welch ’01.

Row 1: Ray Kirby ’06, Stephanie Seasly ’06, Liz Thomas Safranski ’06, Melinda Usherwood Lewis ’06, Heidi Clark West ’06, Courtney Lane Traeger ’06, Amy Bearden ’06, Amanda Meehling ’06, Kinsley Lidy (daughter of Sarah McReynolds Lidy ’06 and Paul Lidy ’04).

Row 2: Laura Zimmerman ’06, assistant professor of biology, Jessica Forrest Riney ’06 (spouse of Crystal Riney ’06), holding Jaxon Riney (son of Jessica and Crystal Riney, both ’06), Michelle Glass ’06, Ashley Goodson Fitzpatrick ’06, Sara Kendall Gottman ’06 (spouse of Tim Gottman ’06), Alida Duff Sullivan ’06, director of communications for Alumni and Development (spouse of Hugh Sullivan ’06), Sarah McReynolds Lidy ’06 (spouse of Paul Lidy ’04).

Row 3: Joanna Conner Gutkowski ’06, assistant women’s basketball coach, Crystal Riney ’06 (spouse of Jessica Forrest Riney ’06), Jennifer Stephenson Garrett ’05 (spouse of Nicholas Garrett ’06), Cassie Gonzales Chwalek ’06, Nicholas Garrett ’06 (spouse of Jennifer Stephenson Garrett ’05), Anne Pettenon Reed ’06, Steven Freitag ’06, Tim Gottman ’06 (spouse of Sara Kendall Gottman ’06), Hugh Sullivan ’06, adjunct instructor of communication (spouse of Alida Duff Sullivan ’06), Paul Lidy ’04, director of Residence Life (spouse of Sarah McReynolds Lidy ’06).

MU-SICAL MEMORIES

University Choir alumni joined voices for a rehearsal prior to their Sunday performance alongside current UChoir members.

Spring 2017 // MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 29

MY TURN: IN THE WORDS OF OUR READERS

The Good, The Bad and The Yellow Jeremy Coulter ’00 owns a collection of more than 3,900 films and views more than 400 titles per year. He applies this passion for film to writing film essays, which have been appearing with Arrow Video releases for nearly three years. Coulter graduated with degrees in writing and religion from Millikin before completing a master’s degree in writing at Illinois State University.

Through a series of happy accidents, as a freshman at MU, I was given the chance to write movie reviews for our campus newspaper, The Decaturian. (Reviews that, though they took top honors in state competition, still make me cringe a bit today.) In grad school, when faced with final papers for two classes, I found myself returning to film — trying to rehabilitate maligned movies like Orson Welles’ “Mr. Arkadin” and David Cronenberg’s “Crash.” After grad school, this enthusiasm for film led me to writing a series of essays published with Blu-ray releases in the U.S. and U.K., and ultimately, my ongoing participation in the home-video revival of a genre known as the giallo.

Giallo is Italian for “yellow” and refers broadly to bright yellow paperbacks released by Italian publisher Mondadori. Starting in 1929, they published translations of world-famous crime writers — from Agatha Christie to Rex Stout, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to Cornell Woolrich. The garish yellow covers became the company’s calling card, making their books instantly recognizable to a growing audience of Italian fans. And, as the 1960s dawned, filmmakers began to translate these mysteries to film.

Italian popular cinema has always been a “trend cinema,” with producers more than willing to riff on (some would say, “steal from”) whatever movies were doing best at box offices around the world. U.S. film fans probably know this trend in the form of the “Spaghetti Western,” which surged to worldwide popularity with Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” starring

30 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

Clint Eastwood. What stateside fans may not know, though, is that Italian producers didn’t stop with Leone; during the life of the genre, nearly 700 such Westerns were produced. And not just in Italy. The material reality of European film production meant that financing came from several countries at once, creating “Europudding” productions that were equal parts German, French, Spanish and Italian.

This trend-chasing didn’t begin or end with the Western. First there was a sustained wave of “Sword and Sandal” epics (think Hercules films), as well as a raft of Italian Gothics (if you’ve ever seen the inimitable Barbara Steele in 1960’s “Black Sunday,” you know what I’m talking about). And in its wake came the poliziotteschi, which rushed to model itself after films like “Dirty Harry” and “The French Connection.”

Most film historians agree that the first true giallo arrived in 1963 with Mario Bava’s “The Girl Who Knew Too Much.” As might be obvious from the title, the giallo owed as much to the work of Alfred Hitchcock as to its Mondadori past. And, as the genre cohered, so too did its cinematic influences — German expressionism, film noir, the krimi. As the genre matured into the 1970s, it produced one of its most enduring and iconic hits: Dario Argento’s “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.” With this film, Argento

took Bava’s template and made it his own, perfecting characteristics that would come to define the genre’s golden age: 1

Mystery thrillers focused on the unreliable nature of perception and memory. Often the film’s main character, an amateur detective, has seen or heard something unexplainable (usually while witnessing a crime). They spend the runtime of the movie trying to solve this mystery, eventually finding a solution that calls into question what they think they know about the world.

2

Films that featured long-winded titles — often lurid combinations of animals and adjectives (titles like “A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin,” “Four Flies on Grey Velvet” and “A Dragonfly for Each Corpse”).

3

Films that used a “set-piece structure” — i.e., movies divided into standalone scenes of highly stylized and theatrical crimes, with these scenes serving as the main draw for the audience.

For more than a decade now, boutique home-video labels like the one I write for have been undertaking the Blu-ray restoration of these films — all in the hopes of exposing new fans to a “forgotten” genre. Theirs is a passion I share — one I’ve been writing about since freshman year. M by Jeremy Coulter ’00

Experience the best of Kentucky with fellow Big Blue alumni and friends!

Aug. 4-6, 2017 | millikin.edu/bourbontour

ON THE JOB

Uncorking Life and Wine

Photography by Alida Duff Sullivan ’06.

Kevin Graham ’76, director of Millikin’s counseling services and a nationally certified counselor, has been lending his ear and support to Big Blue students for more than 20 years.

Many years earlier, though, Graham uncorked a casual interest in good wines that ultimately led to a lifelong passion to learn about the liquid fruit of the vine. Today, he balances student counseling with his role as “The Wine Guy,” hosting wine tastings most often at The Decanter Fine Wine & Spirits, a shop he owns with two partners in downtown Decatur.

There is a synchronicity to both his passions.

Much of the advice Graham gives to MU students can also apply to sampling wine: “Breathe.”

Just as deep breathing can help reduce stress, a good red wine needs to breathe to release more flavor.

“Slow down, and take some time to think about it.”

Trying to do it all can be a major stressor. Just as in wine tasting, it is helpful to slow the pace and focus on one task at a time.

“Find what you enjoy.”

Life/career choices and wine choices are personal and unique; not one size fits all.

“Try something new.”

Taking a risk and trying something new can lead to a new discovery … or a great dinner pairing. A new path could lead to different and possibly better results.

“Ask questions, and seek recommendations.”

Seeking out experts and those with more experience than you can help you make better decisions.

32 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE // Spring 2017

µ Kevin Graham ’76, MU’s director of counseling services, is also a locally known wine expert. ¬ Graham spends much of his time listening and taking notes during sessions. Through this process, he looks for patterns and causes behind the emotions. “There must be reasons we feel the way we do,” Graham says. “How do we connect the dots to understand the feelings?”

µ Graham pours a sample of Herencia Altés Garnatxa Negra, an earthy Spanish wine that pairs well with grilled meats and lamb. Red wines should be served at room temperature and swirled in larger glasses, allowing the wine to “breathe” and release more flavor.

µ When creating a tasting experience for customers, Graham starts by selecting two white and three red wines, which will create a “tour” of taste. His libation choices for the “tours” typically start with the dry whites, transition to the more full-bodied reds and finish with the sweet wines. ¬ “We need to learn to treat ourselves in the same way we treat our best friends,” Graham says. While the need for counseling services on campus increases every year, Graham notes that students are beginning to break the stigma of seeking help and “giving themselves permission to see a counselor.”

¬ “Wine tasting is different than wine drinking,” Graham says. “Tasting is about slowing down your process and taking some time to think about it – what you’re smelling; what you’re tasting – thinking about the food and how they pair together.”

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