Shipherd's Record fall 2007 by The University of Olivet

FALL 2007

THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF OLIVET COLLEGE

President’s

REPORT

Last spring, I talked about starting many building projects. I can now say we have started no fewer than eight major projects. We plan to complete most of them over the next year. We broke ground at Homecoming this year on The Cutler Events Center. The Mott Auditorium is undergoing a complete overhaul thanks to a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Construction on new apartment-style student housing is also underway. Visitors’ stands and a new outdoor track are complete. Renovations to the Dr. Paul H. and Ruth B. Engle chemistry lab and many Smart Classrooms began this summer. Most of these projects are highlighted in this issue of Shipherd’s Record. In addition to these exciting projects, alumni and friends can be proud that we constantly increase our expectations for ourselves and certainly our students. Our criteria for acceptance are more rigorous, which translates into higher expectations for incoming students. We are serious about our internal and external reputation. You may have read an article in The Detroit Free Press this summer that suggested our Teacher Certification Program was inadequate compared to those of Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. other colleges in the state. However, after careful review we discovered an error on the part of the Michigan Department of Education — we in fact earned a better score than what was reported. We were awarded additional points through an appeal and now stand firmly in the “satisfactory” category with most schools. We have historically had an excellent Teacher Certification Program, thus the initial newspaper article was very disappointing. We have graduated many excellent teachers, coaches, counselors, principals and superintendents across the state and country. And now, with our new special education major, we can further enhance our Education Department. It is my hope that our alumni and friends continue to raise the bar themselves as it relates to giving to the college. We have many giving opportunities, big and small, from the Annual Scholarship Fund to current and future capital projects and our endowment. As I have stated many times, strong, independent colleges need strong alumni and friend support. Olivet is truly starting to generate this type of support and I want you all to be involved in the excitement here on campus. I want to thank all our donors who help keep Olivet’s great academic traditions alive and who help move the college into a strong position for the future through our academic vision of Education for Individual and Social Responsibility. Sincerely,

Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. President

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS David T. Hayhow, Chair, Okemos The Hon. Judge Denise Page Hood, Vice Chair, Detroit William Middlebrooks, Vice Chair, West Bloomfield Robert M. Lawrence ’57, Secretary, Grosse Ile Stanley Dole, Treasurer, Grand Rapids MEMBERS G. Asenath Andrews ’72, Detroit Sandy Aranyos ’68, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Thomas Burke ’82, Carmel, Ind. James W. Butler III, East Lansing Priscilla Upton Byrns, St. Joseph Dennis Daugherty ’70, Mattawan Robert Ewigleben, Albion Jamey T. Fitzpatrick ’86, Grand Ledge George F. Francis III, Southfield Rich Hamann ’85, Kalamazoo David E. Hathaway, J.D., Ada Rod Hathaway ’81, Wayland William N. Healy ’79, Brighton Barbara Hill, Southfield Sharon R. Hobbs, Ph.D., East Lansing Timothy Hodge ’83, D.O., Holt Thomas Hoisington, Lansing Jeff Koch ’90, New York, N.Y. Thomas E. Kolassa ’69, Battle Creek Dean Lewis ’55, Kalamazoo Jeff Mathie ’88, Olivet Martin L. Mitchell ’73, Ed.D., Coldwater Tom Nesbitt ’63, White Lake The Rev. Don Olsen, Ph.D., Waukegan, Ill. George Pyne III ’65, Milford, Mass. The Rev. Nancy Barto Rohde ’65, Petoskey Samuel H. Thomas, Ann Arbor Karen Van Hentenryck ’81, South Lyon

TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT Name: Bob “Berry” Lawrence ’57 Hometown: Radford, Va., he also lived in Chattanooga, Tenn. for 18 months, then moved to Lincoln Park. Now lives in: Grosse Ile Occupation: Worked for BASF Corp., as group vice president. He was responsible for sales, marketing, production, research, administration and profit and loss. Responsibilities: Polyurethanes for North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region Community Involvement: Rotary in Grosse Ile. Hobbies: Golf and reading

SHIPHERD’S RECORD Shipherd’s Record is named in memory of “Father” John J. Shipherd, who established Olivet College in 1844. The magazine is published twice annually for Olivet alumni and friends.

MAGAZINE STAFF Bruce Snyder Director of Publications and Web Services Molly (Reed) Goaley ’05 College Relations Writer

Building the Future New building projects are changing the landscape of the college.

Pam Rutyna College Relations Specialist Marty (Mason) Jennings ’67 Director of Alumni Relations

New Forensic Science Minor Students take a step toward careers in forensic science.

Geoff Henson Sports Information Director Shannon Tiernan Director of Foundation Relations and Special Events Contributors: James Coleman Susanne Lewis, Ph.D. Geoffrey Moore, Ph.D. Phil Reed Tom Sampson, Ph.D. Linda Jo Scott Matt Wait ’99, J.D. Send comments or suggestions to: Office of College Relations Olivet College Olivet, MI 49076 collegerelations@olivetcollege.edu

Matt Wait ’99, J.D., assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies, looks forward to another 10 years of “Living the Seven 24/7.”

Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D., President Barb Spencer, Executive Assistant to the President Larry Colvin, Vice President for Administration Norma Curtis, Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs Mark DeRuiter, Vice President and CFO Linda Logan, Ph.D., Vice President and Dean for Student Life Tom Shaw ’88, Director of Athletics Larry Vallar ’84, Vice President for Enrollment Management Mark Veich, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

New Programs Bring New Faces Three new faculty members bring growth to academics.

From Iraq to the Football Field After serving six tours of duty in Iraq, freshman James Reynolds fights a new battle on the football field.

Send change of address notices to: Olivet College Development Office Olivet, MI 49076 (269) 749-7625 pfrayer@olivetcollege.edu

CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

10th Anniversary of The Compact

2 20 22 26

Around the Square Development Comet Athletics Class Notes

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Around

THE SQUARE

Award-Winning Broadcaster Visits Olivet Emmy award-winning broadcaster Ed Gordon has interviewed Gordon presented a lecture titled “Being newsmakers like O.J. Simpson, Janet real, responsible and right: What young Jackson and Senator Trent Lott. He people owe,” Friday, has covered such Oct. 5 at the Olivet breaking news Congregational events as the death Church. The event of Diana, Princess was hosted by the of Wales, the Bill college’s Office of Clinton/Monica Student Life. Lewinsky scandal Gordon hosts and the crash of “Our World with Swiss Air Black Enterprise,” a flight 111. weekly 30-minute During his program on the TV presentation, One station that Gordon focused Olivet College President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. includes roundtable on motivating and Ed Gordon (right) discussion with students to become newsmakers and celebrities. He has also responsible adults and successful in been a contributing correspondent for the their chosen careers. “Greatness follows CBS newsmagazine “60 minutes II,” a success and success is born from contributor for NBC’s “Today Show” and preparation,” he said. “Because you are “Dateline,” an anchor for “BET News,” in college, you have been given an and creator of his own signature one-onopportunity that you will not have at one series titled “Conversations with Ed another time in life.” Gordon.”

Great Michigan Read Comes to Olivet College Laura Barlond-Maas ’88, associate professor of English and writing program and learning communities director, recently organized a campus-wide effort for employees to participate in The Great Michigan Read, a statewide community reading program sponsored by the Michigan Humanities Council. Twenty-eight Olivet College employees are currently reading the program’s featured book, Ernest Hemingway’s “The Nick Adams Stories,” and meeting on campus throughout the year to discuss the content.

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In November, John MillerPurrenhage Ph.D., assistant professor of English, gave a presentation titled “Hemingway: Popular Perception, Critical Reception” to accompany the reading. Miller-Purrenhage addressed Hemingway’s popularity as a great American writer, and why that popularity has continued since the author’s death. In addition, David Savola, Ph.D., lecturer in English for Penn State Erie, will give a presentation in March titled “The Imagined Landscape of the Nick Adams Stories.”

State Leaders Recognized by Olivet College Olivet College recognized two of Michigan’s finest leaders as part of its Leadership for Individual and Social Responsibility Awards Dinner Thursday, June 14 in the college’s Kirk Center. Proceeds from the event benefited the Olivet College Annual Scholarship Fund. The 2007 honorees are leaders in their chosen professions and reflect the college’s academic vision of Education for Individual and Social Responsibility. Walter E. Douglas Sr. is the president of Avis Ford, Inc., a Southfieldbased, nationally-ranked Ford dealership. Prior to his involvement with Avis Ford, he served as president of New Detroit, the nation’s first urban coalition. During

From left: President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D., Rev. LaVerne Gill, Ph.D., Walter E. Douglas Sr. and David Hayhow

his tenure with New Detroit, he developed a reputation as an outstanding leader and worked closely with a number of government, foundation, business, labor and community leaders. Rev. LaVerne Gill, Ph.D., has served as the pastor of Webster United Church of Christ in Dexter since 1999. She is the first African-American and the first woman to serve this historic 169-year-old church. Under her leadership, the church has developed a mission in Ghana.

Wertheimer and Dole Collaborate on Sculpture This summer, Gary Wertheimer, Visual and Performing Arts Department chair and visual arts program director, completed an outdoor sculpture of a nested common loon and chick for Betsy

Finished Loon sculpture photograph by Betsy Dole

Dole, an Olivet College Board of Trustees emeritus. The piece is made of limestone and bronze with nickel plating to represent the markings on the adult loon. Dole, who is a member of the Michigan Loon Preservation Association, commissioned Wertheimer to create the

sculpture after viewing one of his previous works – a great blue heron. “We met in the library and discussed what the sculpture might look like, and he came up with several interesting ideas about how to portray the loon and what materials he would possibly use. After seeing a drawing of his final idea, I agreed with his proposal,” Dole said. “Collaborating as patron and artist has been a wonderfully engaging and enlightening experience.” “With this piece I wanted to address the vulnerability of a threatened species. The mother protecting its young is a metaphor for the larger threat of extinction,” Wertheimer added. “The parent is calling out in an act of both distress and defiance.” In August, President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D., former Olivet College teacher’s certification student Brooke Compson, and Wertheimer permanently installed the sculpture at Dole’s summer home on Torch Lake. “Because the sculpture sits in a shaded spot, when the sun does shine on it at various times of the day, its beauty surprises you with a slightly different appearance each time,” Dole said.

Wardell Croft Addresses Insurance Students Wardell Croft, chairman emeritus and consultant to Wright Mutual Insurance Company, addressed 108 Olivet College insurance students in September. Gamma Iota Sigma, the college’s national insurance student organization, hosted the event as part of its Leaders & Legends lecture series. Croft is a member of the Board of Directors of Detroit Renaissance, which he helped organize in 1970 to rebuild parts of Detroit Wardell Croft and conduct special innercity projects. He is also a member and former president of the Detroit Council of Insurance Executives, a member of the Economic Club of Detroit, and a Board of Trustees member

of Citizen Research of Michigan and the Metropolitan Growth and Development Corporation, among many other positions he holds in the insurance field. During his lecture, Croft shared his career experiences, stating that he wished to become a preacher but instead sold life insurance to support his family. First employed with Wright Mutual Insurance Company in 1950, Croft worked his way through the ranks of agency director, general manager, executive vice president and president before serving as chairman and chief executive officer. He retired from the company in 1994.

Tuaolo Addresses Being gay in the NFL Esera Tuaolo, former NFL defensive lineman, spoke as part of Olivet College’s Lecture and Symposium Series Wednesday, Oct. 17. For 10 years, Tuaolo excelled in the NFL, playing for five different teams: most notably with the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. He also sang the national anthem in uniform at a nationally televised Monday night game as a rookie and at the 1999 Pro Bowl.

Esera Tuaolo

But as a gay man in the hypermasculine culture of professional football, he was forced to hide his sexuality. The secret crippled him, leading him to drink excessively and contemplate suicide. It was after retiring from professional football that Tuaolo became fed up with pretending to “be straight.” He publicly announced his sexuality, which he describes as “taking off a costume I’ve been wearing all my life.” During his presentation, Tuaolo discussed the lack of tolerance of homosexuals in professional sports. “We live in a society that doesn’t really accept us for who we are,” he said of gay athletes. “I’m a man, I’m a human being, I’m a father – I’m an incredible father – and I happen to be gay. Being gay isn’t the substance of who I am.”

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Students IN THE NEWS Breanna Bath, a senior from Battle Creek, has been accepted to the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She will be enrolled in the school’s doctor of osteopathy grant program, specializing in orthopedic surgery. Breanna Bath Ryan Coburn, a junior from Wayland, was one of 20 students selected nationally to participate in an internship with the Lexington Casualty branch of the American International Group in San Francisco during the summer. While there, Coburn stayed at the home of Olivet alumnus Jason Shinabarger ’05. Coburn assisted with underwriting excess and surplus lines risks, conducted a presentation on a specific account for brokers and taught a class session on commercial insurance for other interns. Nickolas Gotts, a senior from Traverse City, is currently enrolled in the MidMichigan Police Academy at Lansing Community College. After completing the 18-week program, which started in July, Gotts will be certified as a police officer in the state of Michigan. Lindsay Pipkin, a junior from White Lake majoring in biology, was recently awarded a scholarship from the Gleaner Life Insurance Society Scholarship Foundation.

Steve Racine, a junior from Grand Blanc, recently completed an internship with All Risks, Ltd., an insurance broker in Huntsville, Md. Part of his internship included traveling to the British insurance market, Lloyd’s of London. Mike Hubbel, professor of insurance and risk management and director of the insurance program, also traveled to Lloyd’s and arranged a visit to the Chartered Insurance Institute of London. Igor Rasula, a junior from Belgrade, Serbia, participated in an internship with the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) during the summer. He was responsible for keeping an online journal with articles and photos covering EYOF’s athletic events, ceremonies and activities. Igor Rasula Rasula’s journal was linked to more than 30 Web sites around the world. After the festival, he formed contacts with managers, team directors, parents and athletes and sent them original photos and reports. Giuseppe Troncone, a junior from Macomb, recently completed an internship with the Macomb County Sheriff ’s Department. Troncone studied and assisted with jail management, police tactics and supervision. Giuseppe Troncone

Seven members of Phi Beta Lambda, the college’s business administration honor society, attended a presentation at the Detroit Economic Club in September. The lecture, titled “Harnessing Global Intellectual Capital to Create Corporate Value,” was given by Ramon Roy, chairman and CEO of Quatrro BPO

Steve Racine and Mike Hubbel

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Solutions, Ltd. Elizabeth (Dawson) Dewey, a senior from East Lansing; Darius Gibson, a freshman from Livonia; James Hall, a sophomore from Inkster; Matthew Hartig, a junior from Charlotte; Michael Katlin, a senior from Howell; Zachary Newberry, a junior from Allegan; and Terrence Stephens, a freshman from Clinton Township, were in attendance. Before his presentation, students met with Roy to ask questions and have their picture taken. Members of Middle Ground, an organization for students in the sociology, anthropology and psychology programs, have collaborated with the Eaton and Barry County Departments of Human Services in a project to work with and mentor youth who are aging out of the foster care system. Crystal Adams, a freshman from Whitmore Lake; Kirk Byrens, a freshman from Marshall; Nicole Caravagio, a senior from West Bloomfield; Amy Johnson, a junior from Gaylord; Katie Kilmartin, Kirk Byrens a senior from Wayland; Jennifer Martin, a junior from Taylor; Sara Miller, a sophomore from Casnovia; Mitch Powers, a senior from Kalamazoo; Elizabeth Putney, a senior from Grand Ledge; Christian Rowe, a senior from Midland; Chelsey Smith, a freshman from Whitmore Lake; Samantha Warner, a freshman from Union City; and Colleen Zeichman, a freshman from Clinton Township; as well as Loretta Heisler ’07, have been meeting with youth since January to help them gain skills that will assist them when they leave foster care and mentor them about continuing their education after high school.

Faculty AND STAFF Ron Bell, facilities supervisor, Larry Colvin, vice president for administration, and Brian Heisler, maintenance tradesperson, were honored by the Eaton County Sheriff ’s Department in June during an Eaton County Board of Commissioners meeting for their contributions in combating crime. They received Distinguished Citizen-awards for helping deputies locate two breaking and entering suspects in Olivet that ultimately led to solving several larcenies. Jack Brown, adjunct instructor of religion and pastor at the Olivet Congregational Church, recently published 10 hymns in the “Hymns for a Pilgrim People” congregational songbook. Brown’s contributions include “A New Year God has Given,” “In Christ We are One Body,” and “Sing a Song of Rev. Jack Brown Celebration.” In June, Brown led 35 people, including seven members of the Olivet Congregational Church, to Mission Mazahua, a program located in the mountains of Central Mexico that serves the indigenous people of that area. Parents of Olivet sophomore Jean Paul Cortes direct the mission. Molly (Reed) Goaley ’05 joined the college in July as college relations writer. She is responsible for writing feature stories for Shipherd’s Record and assisting with the writing, editing and design of a variety of communications material. Goaley’s background includes working as an entertainment reporter for the Tennessean in Nashville, Tenn. where she covered music and special events. Roger Humphrey, adjunct instructor of music (guitar), was invited to join the Mackinac Island Arts Council in August. He performed a recital with the council in July as part of their Chamber Music Series. Humphrey also recently provided music for the movie “Between the Sand and the Sky,” which is currently under production through Shorris Film.

Rev. Julie Kilmer, Ph.D., director of the Betsy Dole Women’s Resource Center and associate professor of women’s and gender studies and religion, published an article titled “Reclaim Your Rights as a Liberal Educator” in Frontline and Academe. She also presented two workshops: “To Have and to Hold: Marriage Equality for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People” was held at the Michigan Conference United Church of Christ in Grand Rapids and “Women’s Voices, Women’s Words: Feminist Interpretations of the Bible” took place during the United Church of Christ Women of Michigan meeting in Tustin. Ronda Miller joined Olivet’s staff this summer as an admissions representative. She is responsible for recruiting prospective minority students to Olivet. Miller’s background includes working with the Lansing School District for the past 11 years, where she was involved with atRonda Miller risk students and their families. She also worked with the Ingham County Health Department as a maternal/child outreach advocate. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and master’s from Western Michigan University. Phil Reed and Bob Frey have been appointed director of campus safety and campus safety supervisor, respectively. Reed is also an assistant professor of criminal justice and director of the criminal justice program at the college. He returned to the director of campus safety role, which he held from 2003-05, in July. Along with serving as campus safety supervisor, Frey is an assistant football coach at the college. Jane Reiter has been named director of the Burrage Library at Olivet. Reiter comes to the college after serving as branch manager of Jackson District Library. She was also the library director at the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in Battle Creek and has worked at

various libraries in Michigan and New Jersey. Reiter earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and master’s degrees from the University of Kansas and Jane Reiter Drexel University in Philadelphia. Justin Smelter ’06 joined Olivet’s staff in August as an admissions representative. He is responsible for recruiting prospective students. Prior to graduating from Olivet this spring, Smelter worked with the college’s Office of Enrollment Management for three years, where he helped develop a more efficient way Justin Smelter ’06 of contacting athletic coaches and conducted campus tours for prospective students. Bruce Snyder, director of publications and Web services at Olivet College was recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District V (CASE V) for his creation of the college’s capital campaign materials and DVD. Snyder won a silver award for “Excellence in Design for Brochures” and a bronze award for “Best Video/DVD for Fundraising, Alumni Relations or Commercial Spots.” Snyder worked with staff members from WLNS-TV 6 in Lansing to create the DVD. Gary Wertheimer, Visual and Performing Arts Department chair and visual arts program director, contributed sculptures made of bronze and carved stone to two art exhibits. “Gray Temples: The Work of Twelve Mature Sculptors” took place at the Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History in Jackson from July through September. “Art in the Eye,” a project created to promote art, economic development and tourism in Marshall, features sculptures at various locations through July 2008. FALL

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all is always an exciting time on Olivet College’s campus. It’s the beginning of a new school year, with fresh faces wandering around Mott Academic Center looking for their first class, while old friends gather to talk about their summer.

BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05 AND PAM RUTYNA

Olivet College President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D., and Dave Cutler ’65 during groundbreaking activities Oct. 20.

This fall, however, the campus seems more alive than ever before. With several new buildings under construction and renovations taking place, the college continues to expand and prepare for its future. “The current capital and renovation projects will have a long-term lasting impact on Olivet College,” said Mark Veich, vice president for institutional advancement. “Students believe the college is investing in their education, by making state-of-the-art resources available for them. These projects also make us competitive in the market of attracting new students to Olivet. “Student expectations have changed over the last decade and to remain competitive, Olivet must recognize these changes,” he added. “Another benefit to the progress on campus is goodwill from our alumni, who have made these campus improvements possible.”

The Cutler Events Center

Olivet students acknowledge Dave Cutler’s gift with “Thanks, Dave” T-shirts during Homecoming activities Oct. 20.

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While Upton Center was home for many years to the volleyball and women’s and men’s basketball programs, the teams will view their competition in a different venue in the future — The Cutler Events Center. The new multipurpose events center, which began construction in October, is becoming a reality, thanks to the generosity of Dave Cutler, a 1965 Olivet alumnus. Cutler has contributed two donations totaling $4.3 million toward the $5.1 million facility.

According to Cutler, his support of the center was given in recognition of Olivet’s 1961 football team. That year, he was the starting quarterback and led the Comets to one of their best overall records in school history at 8-1. “Olivet College is very fortunate to have an alumnus such as Dave Cutler, who has taken on a tremendous responsibility by funding the majority of the events center,” said Olivet President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. “The entire Olivet College community is grateful for his outstanding support through the years.” The 44,500-square-foot multipurpose facility will be added on to the existing building at the Cutler Athletic Complex. It will be used by the college and community for activities such as athletic events, commencement exercises, student events, guest speakers, concerts and conferences. The new facility will include a fitness center, 100-meter track, locker rooms, coaches’ offices and wrestling room. Olivet’s men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and wrestling programs will use the facility for practices and competition. All of the college’s 18 NCAA Division III athletic programs will use the center for off-season workouts and conditioning.

the project began in July and was completed in October. Kolassa, who is also chairman of the college’s buildings and grounds committee, said he is excited about the new building and renovation projects. “Anytime you can improve campus it creates a positive environment for students and helps improve retention,” he said. In 2004, Olivet began the renovation of the Cutler Athletic Complex with a synthetic football playing surface, home grandstand, press box, fencing and lighting. The new visitors’ stands hold approximately 550 people. The 400-meter track is constructed with a 100 percent polyurethane-based surface and designed for the steeplechase event.

Track and Visitors’ Stands

Student Housing

A new track and visitors’ stands are complete, thanks to a $576,000 donation

In September, construction began on the new Gillette Student Village, an apartment-style housing facility for students. The $1.7 million project is being financed, in part, by J. Robert Gillette, a 1963 alumnus of Olivet. Gillette knew the college needed student housing, which he said would help with retention as well as bring new students to the school. However, he also wanted to give back to his alma mater because of the difference it made in his life. “Olivet gave me a start in life,” he said. “Without it, I would never have gotten a job.” When completed, the Gillette Student Village will offer Olivet students a modern alternative for on-campus housing. The two-story building will feature nine units, each consisting of four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and dining room. The apartments will be fully furnished and include

The new track was completed in time for a dedication ceremony during Homecoming activities Oct. 20.

from Olivet alumnus and Board of Trustees member Tom Kolassa ’69. The majority of Kolassa’s donation was used to install a new eight-lane outdoor track around the football field and replace the visitors’ stands at the Cutler Athletic Complex. Construction for

Construction began on the new Gillette Student Village Sept. 15.

From left: Dennis Daugherty ’70, President Tuski ’85, Bob Gillette ’63, senior Courtney Mich, Rick Beyer ’80, Louise Tuski and Tom Nesbitt ’63 during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Gillette Student Village Sept. 15.

appliances. The new facility is expected to open in the fall of 2008.

Ruth Rawlings Mott Auditorium In 1964, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in Flint provided Olivet with a $2 million grant to fund an academic building and auditorium. By 1967, the Charles Stewart Mott Academic Center and Ruth Rawlings Mott Auditorium, located within the center, were completed. Now, 40 years later, the Mott Foundation has once again agreed to assist the enhancement of the college, providing a $750,000 grant for the renovation of Mott Auditorium. The project will include replacing the facility’s 400 seats, carpeting, ceiling tiles, lighting, stage and roof, as well as upgrading its technology, and heating and cooling systems. The auditorium’s lobby will also be renovated. In addition, a portion of the grant will be used to create an endowment for future facility maintenance. continued on pg. 8 FA LL

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Building the Future continued from pg. 7 “Although it is unusual for the Mott Foundation to fund capital projects outside the Flint area,” Mott Foundation President William S. White said, “we are pleased to make this grant based on our historical relationship with Olivet College and its record of educational excellence.” A focal point on campus, the auditorium is used by students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members for various events. It also hosts numerous departmental speakers and individuals who present on behalf of the college’s Lecture and Symposium Series. “Olivet is extremely grateful for the Mott Foundation’s support,” said Tuski. “The upgrades that will result from this generous gift will dramatically improve the overall appearance and functionality of the auditorium, which is one of our main gathering places on campus for learning and student activities.”

Dr. Paul H. and Ruth B. Engle Chemistry Laboratory Sarah (Engle) Lawrence ’56 has many fond memories of her childhood in Olivet. Her father, Dr. Paul H. Engle, practiced medicine in town for more than 30 years and was the college doctor, often looking after student-athletes. Both her parents were active in Olivet and loved the college, so it was only natural that Sarah attended the school. It was there she met her husband, Bob “Berry” Lawrence ’57. “I remember the organic chemistry laboratory in the basement of Old Mather Hall,” she said. “It was a dungeon down there.” While the “dungeon” in Mather Hall no longer exists, the Lawrences still wanted to provide students with the most up-to-date laboratories they could. Thus they donated $250,000 to Olivet for the renovation of a chemistry laboratory. The new facility, which is named “Dr. Paul H. and Ruth B. Engle Chemistry Laboratory,” after Sarah’s parents, will include new furniture, flooring, gas burners, hoods and instruments. Construction began in July and will be completed during the spring semester.

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“Donating the money to improve the chemistry lab was fitting for us,” she said. “My parents were both very active in college affairs, Bob was a chemistry major and I was a chemistry minor, so we couldn’t think of a better way to use the money.”

Frederick S. Upton Center Natatorium In May, Olivet received a $150,000 grant from the Frederick S. Upton Foundation in St. Joseph, which is enabling the college to renovate and upgrade its natatorium. The grant is a three-year pledge, which will provide the college $50,000 each year. The Upton Center natatorium and adjacent locker rooms were built in 1980. Phase I of the project, which began in the summer of 2006, included modernizing the facility’s locker rooms and showers. The college also plans to install a state-of-theart timing scoreboard system. The college’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs have seen tremendous success during the past few years, including the men’s program winning the MIAA swimming and diving championships the last two seasons. “Already the swimming and diving team is experiencing a great deal of inclusiveness and added sense of pride with the new locker rooms,” said Head Swimming and Diving Coach Jake Taber. “The Upton Foundation’s commitment to the college and facility will help maintain the program’s level of success.”

M. Gorton Riethmiller Art Building Charles ’46, Ph.D., and the Rev. Dr. Peggy Riethmiller Blackman pledged $1.5 million toward construction of the M. Gorton Riethmiller Art Building. The college is in the process of securing additional funding for this project. The 12,000-square-foot Georgian revival-style building will be constructed on Main Street next to Burrage Library and will include an art gallery, Smart Classroom, five art classrooms, faculty offices and private studio space. It will also include a fine art vault in which the college’s Mary Armstrong Collection of Art will be preserved.

In addition, the facility will offer qualified, upper-division students private studio space that will give them a sense of ownership in the program while allowing them to pursue their art in a manner that helps them transition into a career. With all of the changes occurring on campus, excitement for Olivet is expected

The M. Gorton Riethmiller Art Building will feature Georgian revival styling with studio space, Smart Classrooms and a gallery.

to last not only through the fall, but well into the future. Many of the current renovation and building projects are slated for completion within the year, which means students, employees, alumni and community members will soon be able to enjoy the tangible effects of the efforts taken to enhance the college. Thanks to generous contributions from alumni, Olivet will continue to remain competitive and provide a positive environment for students. Kolassa hopes that when those students become alumni, they will give to the college, as well. “Olivet gave me an opportunity when other colleges didn’t,” he said. “It gave me a wellrounded education that was instrumental in my successes today. I would encourage all students, when they become alumni, to give back to the college that has given so much to them.”

The minor requires students to complete 27 semester hours within the program in addition to the 56 semester hours for the chemistry major. Along with training in the college’s improved laboratory facilities, students will complete coursework in chemistry, physics, biology, crime scene processing, criminal investigation and criminal law and police procedure. Real-world internship experience will also prepare graduates for job opportunities. The goal is to run a high quality program that could help Olivet College students earn jobs with the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; state crime labs; insurance companies; and local law enforcement labs. The students in this program learn the analytical methods these agencies use to process evidence gathered at crime scenes and drug raids. They also develop the critical thinking skills necessary to document observations and physical data, which assist in reconstructing sequences of events.

Forensic Science Minor leaves print on programs BY SUSANNE LEWIS, PH.D., CHEMISTRY PROGRAM DIRECTOR, AND PHIL REED, CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

livet College is now offering a minor in forensic science for those undergraduates

majoring in chemistry. The minor, implemented this year, is an outgrowth of the criminal justice and chemistry programs that will foster an interdisciplinary approach to solving crime. There are limited opportunities across the nation for earning a bachelor’s degree focusing on forensic science. This program is unique to the Michigan region because it

The college realized several years ago that it could create a first-rate forensic science program by combining elements from the chemistry and criminal justice programs. Faculty members collaborated and developed a forensic science curriculum that is truly second to none. Some of the top undergraduate forensic science programs in the country were used as models for designing the curriculum. The program takes advantage of the college’s current chemistry, biology and criminal justice courses, while featuring new courses that focus on methods used by forensic scientists working in the field today. Crime is on the rise. Labs are behind in their analysis of case evidence and more lab chemists are needed. There is also a heightened interest in the forensic field resulting from high profile cases such as the O.J. Simpson and Scott Peterson trials and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as well as television shows that romanticize the profession. The minor’s strong emphasis on physical sciences will prepare students for rigorous careers in forensic science and criminalistics. The college believes the forensic science minor is needed in order to address the current demand for forensic scientists. With combined elements from the chemistry and criminal justice programs, Olivet has the resources to prepare students for long-standing careers in the forensic science field.

allows for students to receive formal training in forensic science at the undergraduate level.

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10th anniversary of the Co BY MATT WAIT ’99, J.D.

hat does it mean to be “subCompact?” Does it mean that you own an especially small car? No — at least not at Olivet College. For members of the college community, the term “sub-Compact” refers to conduct that fails to live up to the ideals set forth in The Olivet College Compact. At its core, The Compact is about responsible behavior and, given the current condition of the world, discussion and education about responsibility are necessary. It has Matt Wait ’99 been 10 years since the creation and implementation of The Compact. During that time, it has guided Olivetians on matters big and small, and given us some new terms and phrases, like the aforementioned “sub-Compact” and “Live the Seven 24/7.” During the last 10 years, the college has grown and changed, while at the same time retaining the attributes that have allowed us to exist since 1844. As a student during the creation of The Compact and a faculty member now, I believe this anniversary is a good time to reminisce on the journey to this point, discuss the status of our seven principles, and envision how The Compact can drive us as we move deeper into this century. For those of us who were present at the Upton Center Gymnasium on that Wednesday in April 1997 and who walked the halls of the Mott Academic Center with sticky dots for a week after, the mission was to create a group of principles that would drive our interactions with each other.

The principles would guide students, staff, faculty, administrators and the Board of Trustees and give them an additional way of bringing to life The Olivet Plan. I am proud to report that it has worked. The hard work and difficult decisions that went into the creation of The Compact were well worth it. The seven principles of The Compact have become a central element in the daily functioning of the college. I would also like to report that The Compact has grown into more than just words—bronzed and hung on the wall of the Mott Academic Center. The Compact has taken on a character of its own, and there are two examples of it in action that I would like to share.

THE OLIVET COLLEGE COMPACT I am responsible for my own learning and personal development. I am responsible for contributing to the learning of others. I am responsible for service to Olivet College and the larger community. I am responsible for contributing to the quality of the physical environment. I am responsible for treating all people with respect. I am responsible for behaving and communicating with honesty and integrity. I am responsible for the development and growth of Olivet College. Endorsed by the Faculty, Staff Senate and Student Senate in May 1997 and by the Board of Trustees in June 1997.

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The first example comes from our Livingston Professor, Maria Davis, also affectionately known as Professor Compact. Davis, who is chair of the Natural and Physical Sciences Department and an associate professor of biology, uses The Compact as a component of her syllabi, explaining to her students how each principle fits with the class and how each underpins her teaching. Another example comes from President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. Tuski is fond of reminding Olivetians that The Compact requires tangible actions. So, am I responsible for picking up a piece of litter left outside of its rightful resting place? If I were a betting man, I would wager a large sum that most Olivetians have heard the answer to this question from President Tuski at least once during their time here. Yes — pick it up and throw it in a wastebasket. The Compact does call on us to care for our environment, but it does much more. It asks each of us to work every day toward something greater than ourselves. Members of the Olivet College community use The Compact as a framework to analyze issues presented in their professional and personal lives. In fact, I believe that the ability of The Compact to provide guidance in varied situations is its most powerful quality. Running a close second is the fact that The Compact is not tied to a location; and, thus, it can be used by all of us at any time.

mpact As The Compact starts a second decade of service to the Olivet College community, I think it is worthwhile to think ahead another 10 years and discuss what can occur during this period. First, I hope that Olivetians continue to develop the meanings of The Compact principles as new challenges present themselves. The world The Compact was born into is different from the world in which it currently resides. We do not yet know what questions society will face in the coming years, but the principles of The Compact provide a timeless quality that will leave them well suited for answering challenges in a changing world. Secondly, I hope that all Olivetians, pre- and post-Compact creation, take the ideas expressed in The Compact and use them in their lives. The ideas of lifelong learning, honesty and integrity in dealings and service in The Compact are not solely the providence of Olivet. They are, however, ideals that we seek to instill in all Olivetians; and they do underpin what Olivet has sought to do since its inception. Finally, I hope the next decade sees Olivet and The Compact continue to grow and develop. I am extremely proud to be an alumnus and to be among the many who see Olivet College as a special place. I believe that your stories and mine help to define Olivet. If you have a Compact story or experience that you would like to share, please let me know. I can be reached at mwait@olivetcollege.edu.

Staying Busy BY PAM RUTYNA Throughout his college career, Shawn Dowling ’00 made sure he stayed busy. Whether it was as a member of the men’s soccer team, president of the International Club, or studying for his biochemistry exams, he liked being busy. Dowling is now a medical doctor, husband and father, but one thing has stayed the same—he likes staying active. It’s a trait he attributes to The Olivet College Compact. When Dowling was in college, he was on the committee that created The Compact. “By going through the steps to draw it up, it made me want to become more involved in my community,” he said. “In order to get everyone involved on campus, we had a one-day forum, where we just talked about topics that should be on The Compact. “We wanted everyone’s opinion,” he added. “Through this forum, we developed individualized statements and had Shawn Dowling ’00 students choose the ones they thought were the most important.” This process had an impact on Dowling, who went on to medical school at the University of Ottawa in Ontario. After four years, he moved with his wife to the University of Calgary in Alberta, where he began his residency in emergency medicine. “During medical school, I liked every aspect of medicine, and couldn’t decide on which one I wanted to specialize in. I decided to go with emergency medicine, where I could practice it all. Plus in emergency medicine, you have to be decisive and quick-thinking, which were attributes I thought I possessed.” After three years in Calgary, Dowling was ready for something more. He decided to return to the University of Ottawa and complete a subspecialty in clinical research. “Medicine is linear, but research relies on a think-outside-the-box approach. It’s similar to the process we took toward

creating The Compact,” he said. “In research, you gather people together to develop a solution that affects a community, just as The Compact affected the entire campus, from students to faculty and staff. “With both developing The Compact and studying research methods, you approach it from a different perspective,” he added. “The Compact was innovative. It hadn’t been done before.” Although Dowling has many memories of his role in developing The Compact, he also fondly remembers those who impacted his life while in college, including Doug Booth, former men’s head soccer coach, and Olivet President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. Dowling first came to Olivet College from North Bay, Ontario, where he was just getting involved in soccer. When he arrived for a visit at Olivet, he spoke to Booth. “Coach put an emphasis on studies,” he said. “Soccer was an important component of the whole picture, but studies were more important. That impressed me.” Dowling told himself he would give Olivet a year. After that, if he didn’t like it, he would return to Ontario. During his freshman Self and Community class, Dowling was pushed academically by Tuski, who taught the course. “Don made me realize that I could be very accomplished academically and still have a great family,” said Dowling. “I realized I could have it all. The college and Tuski made such an impact on Dowling that year, that in 2000, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and summa cum laude honors. Today, Dowling really does have it all. In April 2008, when his fellowship in Ottawa is completed, he will return to the University of Calgary to finish his medical residency in emergency medicine. And of course, he will stay busy. With wife, Stephanie Kerwin, a family physician, by his side, they will continue to raise their 5-month-old daughter, Chloe. “My family is my priority,” he said. “That was developed at Olivet and I am truly grateful for that.” FALL

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New Programs Bring New Faces to Campus BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05 AND PAM RUTYNA

ommencing with an impressive list of new building projects, Olivet College’s 2007-08 academic year has been one for growth and enhancement. Students, faculty and staff will soon enjoy the benefits of a new events center, art building, student housing complex, science labs and track and visitors’ stands, as well as a renovated auditorium and natatorium. But improvement doesn’t stop at the college’s infrastructure. With three new professors teaching this year, Olivet is enhancing its faculty and curriculum as well. Wayne Buletza, Ed.D., assistant professor of education; Gary Smith, assistant professor of journalism; and Diana Webb, assistant professor of financial planning, recently joined Olivet. Thanks to their

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arrival, new programs and courses, including special education and financial planning majors, are now available to students. In addition, the educators are assisting with existing courses, ensuring that all students receive a well-rounded, responsibility-based education. Wayne Buletza, Ed.D. Buletza’s first job out of college was working as a teacher in the Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS). “I started my career as a teacher of the emotionally impaired and thought it was a wonderful experience,” he said. That wonderful experience has spanned more than three decades and has taken Buletza from the classroom into administrative roles. From 1971 to 1986, he worked as a

special education teacher and consultant in the BCPS, where he consulted with teachers who were working with emotionally impaired students. In 1986, he moved to Eaton Intermediate School District as a special education supervisor. He then worked as the director of special education services and finally as the associate superintendent. “In my work as a special education administrator, I have tried to improve the system while serving special needs children and their families,” he said. In order to meet the demand of local school districts that indicated a need for special education teachers, Olivet hired Buletza as a consultant to spearhead the development of the major. As he planned, the major and program will provide students with a foundation in the knowledge, skills and application requisite for all special education teachers, as well as those specific to the area of emotional impairment. After receiving approval for the major from the Michigan Department of Education, Buletza joined the faculty as an assistant professor of education and director of the special education program. “It seemed like a natural choice to work with pre-service teachers,” he said. “I like the challenge of acquiring ‘tons’ of new information and the ability to influence future teachers.” Gary Smith Although Smith has never taught in an academic setting, he’s not a stranger to teaching. Throughout his career, Smith has worked as a news director at radio and television stations, as well as a bureau chief, anchor, producer and reporter in television. At each station, he has been given the opportunity to mentor young journalists. “One of the most rewarding aspects of my work in broadcast journalism has been mentoring and teaching young journalists and helping them discover their voices and develop their broadcasting skills,” he said. His mentoring was a natural lead in to teaching at Olivet College. “I have felt for some time that I wanted to expand that work and focus on sharing

Now, taking on the role of a full-time knowledge, skills and principles with faculty member in addition to her aspiring journalists,” he said. “I enjoy position with MetLife, Webb says engaging students and challenging them teaching is the newest chapter in her to explore the work of journalism and career development plan. come to an understanding of its “I am thrilled to have the importance and basic ethical standards.” opportunity to bring my experience to In his new role as assistant professor the college’s financial planning program,” of journalism, Smith has been given the she said. “Being dual employed seems to challenge of expanding and improving be the wave of the future. Bringing one’s the broadcast side of the journalism and expertise from the business world into mass communication program. the classroom will, I hope, be a benefit.” “I hope my extensive background in With courses in economics, financial commercial radio and television analysis, financial management, financial broadcasting will prove beneficial to the planning and investment basics, Webb program and Olivet students,” he said. says teaching demands her to stay “We are already working to establish a current in her fields. She holds licenses more comprehensive program that gives in health and students the life insurance opportunity to “I am thrilled to have the and also serves work in the opportunity to bring my experience as a field to the college’s financial planning chairperson of developing program,” she said. “Being dual professional their own employed seems to be the wave of development broadcast the future. Bringing one’s expertise and continuing stories. One of from the business world into the our major classroom will, I hope, be a benefit.” education and treasurer for efforts will be Diana Webb the National to acquire the Association of equipment Insurance and needed in Financial Advisors of Michigan. order to fully explore broadcast journalism “I still maintain my clients at techniques.” MetLife and will continue holding my And while his new career is different licenses, which means I am expected to than his former one, Smith is embracing complete 24 hours of continuing the change. “The classroom offers the education every two years through the opportunity and time for critical thinking state,” Webb said. “What worked five about the practice of journalism without years ago in business doesn’t necessarily the intense pressures of a working work today. As we move into this new newsroom,” he said. “It also presents the world economy, teaching students to fend opportunity for more collaborative work for themselves is a mandate for formal and the chance to challenge and engage education.” young people interested in learning about According to Webb, students’ best the real world of broadcast journalism.” defense is to not only have their own Diana Webb financial plan, but to know how to assist Webb had already worked 20 years clients with planning. in retail and had started a new career as a “When we see big companies doing registered investment advisor for MetLife away with pension plans and health Financial Services before she “second benefits, we know their employees will handedly” got involved with teaching. need financial services representatives to “My administrator’s sister was trying to help fill the gap in the work place, as well hire an adjunct at Oakland Community as after retirement,” she said. “Olivet is College to teach an investment class,” she taking a proactive approach in offering said. “I fit the bill, having both the the financial planning major to address licenses and the master’s degree, and this challenge in the new economy.” that’s how I began teaching.”

From left: Gary Smith, Wayne Buletza and Diana Webb FALL

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Acquiring Knowledge BY TOM SAMPSON, PH.D., CHAIR, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

outines and procedures. Integrated education. Site-based research. Cooperative learning. Acquiring knowledge about and experience in such research-proven concepts are all in a day’s work for a student majoring in education at Olivet College. The Education Department continues to focus on offering information and experiences to our undergraduates to best prepare them to step into a position educating students in a kindergarten through 12th (K-12) grade setting. Students begin education course work during their sophomore year of study. Initial classes are grouped to facilitate them working together as a learning community. As they progress into advanced-level classes they develop a deeper understanding and ability to implement appropriate instructional strategies within their chosen content major and minor. In addition to a deeper understanding of academic content, each education class includes a K-12 field experience component. The field experience allows Olivet students to

majors work with urban, rural and observe teachers in a classroom setting. suburban districts that camp overnight at Observation quickly evolves into the facility. The focus for the student interaction with students in a teaching/ teachers is to practice and refine learning relationship. They are given classroom procedures multiple and routines. Multiple opportunities to opportunities are offer instructional available to discover support to classes what classroom at varying grade management procedures levels using work best with students knowledge and from different skills from their backgrounds. college courses. The remainder of A semester the semester is spent in of studenta traditional student teaching serves teaching placement. as the capstone Early feedback from this experience for unique partnership Education Elizabeth Flanary ’06 with her students at indicates good potential Department Fern Persons Elementary School in Olivet. for success in preparing students. As of education majors to be fall 2007, Olivet able to step into a professional teaching student teachers are involved in a unique position. opportunity involving intensive work at As Olivet begins to implement new the Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor research-proven concepts, its focus Center located in Augusta. remains on preparing students to be During the Sherman Lake portion of productive, successful citizens. their student teaching semester, education

A Partnership with Sherman Lake YMCA Olivet College and Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center in Augusta have formed a partnership that offers a unique educational setting for Olivet’s student teachers, who will now attend a four-day Integrated Education Training program at the center during their final semester. Along with this initial four-day program, student teachers also take part in a learning session at Sherman Lake during their student teaching semester that lasts up to four consecutive weeks. During this time, student teachers deliver lessons that correspond with their major to camp participants. They also work directly with students in teaching classroom management skills to include routines and procedures. 14

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“Partnering Sherman Lake and Olivet is a perfect match,” said Tom Sampson, Ph.D., chair of the Education Department. “Sherman Lake’s cornerstones include honesty, caring, respect and responsibility. These closely tie in with The Olivet College Compact, which has a responsibility-based theme.” Joel Jolink ’06 enjoys lunch with one of his students at Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center during the Integrated Education Training Program.

One Man’s Journey BY LINDA JO SCOTT

t 86 years old, Emerson Brown ’41 still recalls his years at Olivet College under the tutorial system of Joseph Brewer with fondness and deep respect. He remembers there were no textbooks, students read primary sources on their own

Emerson Brown ’41

and then spent one hour per week for tutorials in each subject. “The entire student body and most of the faculty ate together in the Dole Hall refectory with French, German and Spanish tables at lunch. During the evenings there was dancing in Dole Commons to the music of Goodman, Shaw and Ellington.” For Brown, the center of those years was the faculty. His first tutor was the brilliant but controversial professor, T. Barton Ackeley, “whose beard emulated Lenin’s.” Later, he changed his major, and economics professor Arnold Graeffe became his tutor. “We spent more time on Freud than on Adam Smith,” he commented. He also remembers with fondness German professor Flola Shepard, who he learned

decades later was a card-carrying Communist, and the brilliant Professor John Coddington, who, Brown claimed, “could teach anything.” Then there were Walter Sprandel, Bill Hemingway and Henry Lenz in the athletic department. And George Rickey, who was artist-inresidence one year and, together with art students, painted the famous mural which still fills the passageway between the president’s office and the admissions lobby in Dole Hall. After graduation, Brown taught junior high classes in Ionia. Because his college education was different from those of his fellow teachers, he could not help but wonder about its effectiveness. His questions were soon answered when he took the Federal Civil Service professional entrance examination and scored a 91.88. Rejected from military service due to both myopia and a trick knee, Brown went to Washington, D.C., where he began work with the Office of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations, which later became the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. As part of his relief and rehab work over the next five years, Brown was assigned to Ababa, Addis, Cairo, East Africa, Ethiopia, Morocco, Yugoslavia and the Sinai Desert, where he lived in a tent for 14 months. Brown went on to earn a master’s degree from Georgetown University, and in 1949, he married Winifred Ruth Ryan, one of the early woman graduates of Yale Law School.

The Browns then went to Frankfort and Bonn, where their first two children were born, and where Brown worked for the High Commission. Then, in 1955, Brown and his family went to Bombay, where he worked as an economic and consular officer for 25 months. By 1962, the Browns found themselves back in Bonn with a 3-monthold infant for two tours, which included President Kennedy’s official visit. By 1966, they went on to The Hague, where he worked as an economic counselor. As though they had not already lived in enough countries, the Browns were transferred to Ottawa in 1970 and then, in 1973, back to Washington for two years, where he was the Canadian country director. Due to his wife’s health problems, Brown spent his last five years in Washington in intelligence coordination. After Brown’s retirement in 1980, he and his wife traveled extensively throughout the United States and proudly watched their three children embark on varying careers. Eventually, after his wife’s death in 1990, Brown made his home in Reed City, but went on to travel not only in the United States but to other parts of the world he had missed in his career, including trips to China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Iberia, Leningrad, Moscow, Poland, Sicily and Turkey. Now Brown has cut back on travel, due to what he calls “the worn out knees and extensive cardiac plumbing.” But his mind hasn’t rested, for he still reads extensively, listens to National Public Radio and watches PBS and C-Span, staying abreast of world news. And though his work has taken him all over the globe, the memories he has of Olivet are some of his fondest. Open to all racial and ethnic backgrounds, the campus gave Brown glimpses of cultures he would encounter many times throughout his life, and provided him with an education that became the foundation of his storied career.

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Making Responsibility Matter BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05

ost people have to hear a Now, Etherton is “spreading the message repeatedly before it message” of individual and social registers with them. James responsibility worldwide as an English Etherton ’91, a Peace Corps volunteer teacher at the Pedagogical College of currently stationed in Ukraine, is one of Lebedyn (PCL) in Ukraine. “As a Peace those people. Whether through Corps volunteer, I wanted to make sure I convocations, lectures, classes or brought something special to my students commencements, as a student, Etherton and my community,” he said. “I wanted to encountered Olivet’s academic vision, help facilitate change and growth, and the Education for Individual and Social Responsibility, on a daily basis. But at the time, he wrote it off as a “motto designed to create an interesting marketing campaign,” rather than take it to heart. It wasn’t until the Battle Creek native, James Etherton with his students at the Pedagogical College of Lebedyn who earned a degree in Ukraine. in history from Olivet, began teaching at the college that the message I got the most responses from was, phrase finally sank in. ‘We all have an individual and social “In the beginning, I resisted the responsibility to do what is right.’ It’s an message,” said Etherton. “But as I finally amazing, complex began to take responsibility for my own message that at its core life, I realized this message was the has simple values. It guiding point. As I experienced personal creates a dialogue for growth, I realized ‘social responsibility’ people who want was the next step.” change in their lives Etherton taught sophomore and but don’t know how to junior core classes at Olivet from 1993 to make it happen.” 1995 before shifting to a career in retail, Etherton said he then computer support. After working teaches the vision by several years as a technical support dividing it into two technician for Jackson National Life parts. First he uses the Insurance in Lansing, he began to feel as notion of individual responsibility to help though he had reached his limit for students realize their goals and potential – professional growth. He also wanted to try that, in return, opens their minds to other things, such as learn a new language becoming socially responsible. and experience a new culture, and was “Looking at where you need to be and interested in teaching again. how to get there, and realizing that no one “What I missed most was that feeling is going to help you unless you are willing to of giving myself,” he said. “Being able to help yourself is a powerful thing,” he said. help people in some way made me feel “My advice to students is, first, look at who like I was finally doing something you are. Take that step to realize you have productive. The more this thought grew in great potential. When we decide to become me, the more I knew joining the Peace responsible and strong individuals we Corps was the right choice.” create a stronger society.”

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Since realizing his own potential, Etherton has used his position in the Peace Corps to secure funding and manage the construction of a media library at PCL, participate in HIV/AIDS awareness projects, and develop programs and classes that combat racism. But he couldn’t have done it without others who are committed to social responsibility. “None of this I did alone,” he said. “None of it would have been possible if I didn’t have help and support from other people in the community who want change and growth.” Etherton will return to the United States after his assignment with the Peace Corps is finished and plans to become a motivational speaker. He is currently developing a presentation titled “The Need for Responsibility in Our Lives: A Humorous Look at Taking This Message Halfway Around the World,” respectively. One of the first stops on his itinerary, he hopes, will be Olivet College. “Who would have thought I could inspire others with this message halfway across the world,” he said. “What better place to share my story than the place it started?” Etherton hopes to use his own experience with the academic vision of Education for Individual and Social Responsibility to encourage current Olivet students to live by it as well. “I want to bring back the lessons I learned in the Peace Corps and my life experiences to help others facilitate change in their lives,” he said. “Giving back to society and helping others allows us to grow. It’s important to volunteer and give to others because when we do we learn so much about ourselves, and in the process we create a stronger fabric for life.” Etherton would enjoy hearing from his former classmates, professors and colleagues. E-mail him at seabrig29@aol.com.

Putting Life Into Perspective BY PAM RUTYNA

uring the first acting class of the semester, Louise Tuski, adjunct assistant professor of theatre, had her students run around and act goofy. The purpose behind this was to see who was willing to step outside their comfort zone in front of perfect strangers. One student in particular stood out in Tuski’s mind — James Reynolds, a freshman from Paw Paw. “He was willing to risk it and act goofy,” she said. “I knew there was something different about him. I could James Reynolds tell he lived life to the fullest.” At first, Reynolds looks like the average college student. He blends right in while eating with the rest of his friends at the Kirk Center. However, dig a little deeper and Reynolds is far from average. At age 26, Reynolds is a nontraditional student. But the differences don’t stop there. While most incoming freshmen were going through junior high and high school the past six years, Reynolds spent those years in the Air Force, fulfilling six tours of duty in Iraq. Serving His Country After graduating from high school in 2000, Reynolds decided to enlist for two reasons. “I wanted to serve my country first and foremost, but I also wanted to earn money for college,” he said. His decision was reaffirmed after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. From there,

Reynolds with one of the planes he maintained in the Air Force.

he served in the Middle East six times, with tours lasting from four to six months. “When you’re there, you rely heavily on your friends,” he said. “I also had the opportunity to work with the British, Australian, Japanese and Korean troops, which was neat.” While there, Reynolds worked on C-130 cargo planes and helicopters, which enhanced his work ethic. “I think the entire experience helped me to become a stronger person,” he said. “It developed my work ethic and helped me stay focused. When working on these cargo planes and helicopters, I had to be efficient and accurate because the pilots’ lives depended on me.” With two years left in his military contract, Reynolds decided that once he left the Air Force, he wanted to go to college and play football. A standout football player during his high school career at Paw Paw, Reynolds hadn’t trained for four years, so he enlisted the help of a personal trainer to get back into shape for football. “Even though I was in shape for the Air Force, it’s a different kind of shape,” he said. “I was used to high school football, but college was faster and I wanted to be ready.” During his last year of service, Reynolds, who

was now a staff sergeant, wrote to several colleges asking about their football program. Olivet was the only one that responded. “I looked at several schools, but Olivet seemed to be the best fit for me overall, academically and athletically,” said the fitness management major. A Change in Perspective After his contract ended with the Air Force, he enrolled in Olivet and began taking classes in the spring of 2007. This fall, Reynolds began playing on the Comet football team as a defensive lineman. Due to his six tours of duty, Reynolds embraces life and everything it has to offer, even the small things. “When I was in the Middle East, it was the little things that made us happy, such as care packages,” he said. “I always wrote down everything I wanted to do when I got home to the United States. When I came home, I made sure I accomplished everything. “I put some of the smallest things on my ‘to-do’ list, including eat at my favorite restaurant, go camping and take a deep breath,” he added. “In Iraq, the air is so dirty that I realized how much I had taken fresh air for granted.” It’s those “to-do” lists that keep Reynolds focused to this day. Whether it’s short-term goals such as playing college football as a defensive lineman, or longterm goals such as opening his own health club, Reynolds wants to accomplish everything on his list. It is this attitude that Tuski says draws people to Reynolds. “People are drawn to him because he knows who he is,” she said. “In every class he gives 100 percent, he knows how to laugh at himself, and I can see why people on campus look up to him.”

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Pulling Together for Freedom School BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05

t was a Tuesday morning in July, and most students in the Battle Creek school districts were sleeping in as part of their summer vacation. But at Trinity Lutheran Church, which served as one of three sites for the Battle Creek Area Freedom School summer literacy

Senior Diana Coronel and Maria Piper ’06

program this year, there wasn’t a tired pair of eyes in the room. In fact, it was just the opposite. Students from kindergarten to 8th grade were forming a circle, singing songs, dancing and jumpstarting one of the program’s last days with their signature activity, the “Harambee,” which means “pulling together” in Swahili. Maria Piper ’06 of Union City, or “Miss Maria,” as the children lovingly referred to her during the six-week program, even showed off a few dance moves of her own. “You’ve got to have unity within your classroom and that’s what we did every morning with the Harambee,” she said. “You want to make sure you’re working together as a class.” Formed from a partnership between the Children’s Defense Fund and local community organizations, Freedom School offers students a literacy-rich, culturally influenced curriculum that promotes self worth and social 18

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activities that encourage relationship awareness. About 150 children, or 50 at building, such as gardening and cooking. each site, attended this year. “The program helps kids from all different Piper, who completed her teacher school districts interact, and it also helps certification from Olivet in 2006, worked them with common skills,” she said. throughout the summer as an intern at the Curriculum activities are designed to school’s Trinity Lutheran site with seniors prevent “summer slide” or when students Diana Coronel and Denise Jackson. lose interest in academics over the summer Having missed the opportunity to break. Piper said the opportunity to participate during last year’s Freedom approach interactive tasks as a group School program, Piper said she is glad to helped children stay engaged in their have had the experience. “Last year they lessons, so that they retained more of what had only one site open and could only take they were learning. “It’s in a non-school a limited number of applicants. This year setting and I think that kind of gave they reopened with three sites and I was students a reason to enjoy it,” she said. given a position,” she said. “We had different activities than regular Thanks to a $627,627 grant from the school and we never had homework, so W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, those factors helped.” Freedom School was able to expand to two additional sites, one at the city’s Calvary Baptist Church and one at Second Missionary Baptist Church, allowing more area children the opportunity to participate. Several Olivet students and graduates were given internships at the additional locations as well. Senior Wilbert Lee, Christopher Curtis ’07, Danielle Williams ’07, Mariama Wurie ’06 worked at the Calvary Baptist Church site while sophomore Shantell Mathis, Katelan Schoen ’07 and Karine (Campbell) Walters ’06 participated at the “Miss Maria’s” 3rd through 5th grade students show off a Second Missionary Baptist Church “quilt” made from note cards listing their favorite things. site. The quilt was later displayed for all Freedom School Before they were designated to students and staff to see. separate areas, though, the interns spent a week together in Clinton Piper credits her success in the and Knoxville, Tenn., for national training, classroom largely on the program’s training where they interacted and networked with course and the preparedness of Freedom other Freedom School participants from School staff. Her best support system, around the country. though, was the other Olivet students and “It was amazing. When we were in alumni teaching with her. “It was very Tennessee we stuck together and really helpful. If we needed something, we would got to know each other,” Piper said. “We share, or if we didn’t have many students on did everything together.” certain days, we would combine classes and Piper said forming that bond with work together on the lessons,” she said. other interns was the first step in setting a “We worked as a team.” positive example for students. Largely based on social development, Freedom School focuses on hands-on, group

A C D T

D EC N E . A 3 O D 1 LI S W ! N T E

Easy IRA Gift

Generous IRA Donor

Major IRA Donor

Martha was a retired county administrator and a volunteer for Olivet College. Martha’s retirement plan with the county had grown substantially and she had almost $450,000 in her IRA. Since Martha had all of the income she currently needed, she decided to make a gift of $2,000 from her IRA to Olivet. Martha called her custodian and requested a transfer of part of her minimum distribution amount. It was easy for Martha to make the gift and she liked the fact that she could help Olivet without increasing her taxes.

Luke was a retired Navy Officer and a regular supporter of Olivet College. He was an avid volunteer and made annual cash gifts to Olivet up to the federal limit, which is 50 percent of Luke’s adjusted gross income. However, Luke wanted to make a one-time gift to Olivet for a special project, without exceeding federal limits or increasing his taxes. Luke decided to make a charitable gift of $10,000 from his IRA to Olivet. He was able to continue to make his regular contributions in addition to the IRA gift. The satisfaction he gained from helping charity was immeasurable.

Ralph was a retired investment advisor. He had watched his IRA blossom and grow through good investments. It now was the largest asset in his estate. Based on his age and the increased value, his required distribution this year was nearly $100,000! Ralph was a frequent volunteer for his favorite charity and wanted to make a major gift to Olivet College. In November, he decided that he did not actually need the distribution for this year. So, Ralph contacted his IRA custodian and had the full $100,000 IRA payout sent to Olivet. He and his CPA were both delighted – Ralph made a wonderful gift and his tax situation was simplified.

For more information contact, the Office of Institutional Advancement at (269) 749-7630, or advancement@olivetcollege.edu. FALL

2007

Development NEWS IRA Charitable Rollover Deadline is Approaching, Act Now You can’t take it with you, and that definitely pleases the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). However, the tax collector does not want you to leave a lot of your money to heirs, either. This forces senior citizens to dip into their nest eggs each year or pay additional taxes. In addition, the IRS wants you to lighten your retirement reserves soon – by April 1, to be exact. If you turned 70½ last year and have not started spending what Uncle Sam thinks you should, then by April 1 you have to take an IRS-specified amount out of your retirement account, even if you’re still working. This withdrawal, known as a required minimum distribution or RMD, must come out of retirement savings where taxes have been deferred. This includes several popular IRAs such as traditional, simplified employee pension (SEP) and SIMPLE accounts, as well as certain employersponsored plans. It’s no secret why the IRS wants you to start drawing down these accounts. Your money sat in the account for years, tantalizingly out of reach of the IRS as it accrued taxdeferred earnings. A new pension law enacted last fall could provide a way to meet your required minimum distribution amount and avoid paying taxes on it by transferring it directly to an eligible charity. Nevertheless, regardless of whether you or your favorite charity gets

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the money, it still must come out of your account. Why withdraw? You don’t care what the rules are. You don’t need the money; you don’t want to pay taxes on any withdrawals and you’re leaving your account untouched. Not a good idea. Failure to withdraw triggers an excess accumulation tax. This levy is 50 percent of the required distribution that you didn’t take. For example, you didn’t withdraw the required $1,000 from your traditional IRA. The tax charge for your defiance is $500. For a taxpayer in the 25 percent income tax bracket, that is twice what you would have paid in taxes if you had simply followed the RMD rule. Withdrawal exceptions The IRS does allow a few instances in which you don’t have to touch your retirement money just yet. First, if all your retirement savings are in a Roth IRA, you’re exempt from this rule. Earnings in Roth accounts are tax-free, and you can leave your money in there as long as you like. Second, if you are still working, you can wait until you actually retire before you collect from your company pension or 401(k). But if you have other, non-work-related accounts, such as an IRA other than a Roth, you have to start taking money from them now. Third, if you’ve already withdrawn the minimum required amount, either last year when you actually celebrated your 70thand-a-half birthday or earlier this year, you don’t have to worry about the April 1 deadline. However, you will have to take another chunk out of your IRA before the year’s end. The first amount you withdrew counts toward the year when you actually reached the milestone age. The

second one applies to this year’s required minimum distribution. Even if you’ve been tapping retirement accounts before you became a septuagenarian, now you must keep a close eye on exactly how much you take out. All subsequent withdrawals must meet the IRS mandatory amounts. Other withdrawal rules You can always take out more than the required amount, but that won’t affect distributions in future years. Say, for example, your required withdrawal this year is $1,500 but you take out $2,000. You can’t carry that $500 over to count against the next required distribution. But, because you’ve reduced your IRA balance, your subsequent minimum distributions will be lowered. Do you have multiple retirement accounts? Then you must figure the minimum withdrawal amount for each, but you don’t necessarily have to raid them all. You can add the separate amounts and take the total from just one. If you made any nondeductible contributions to your traditional IRA, make sure you have the paperwork to back that up. This is part of the reason that you need to file Form 8606, which tracks these amounts and establishes your cost basis in your account. Your nondeductible contributions are not taxed when you withdraw them. Rather, they are a return of your investment (i.e., your cost basis) in your IRA. The IRS will let you take your required distribution in installments. Just make sure that these disbursements, be they monthly, quarterly or some other increment, total at least the yearly minimum amount you are obligated to withdraw.

Spending not required While the IRS says you must take a specified amount of money out of your traditional IRA or other similar retirement plan, that doesn’t mean you have to spend it. The agency is interested only in collecting some of the deferred taxes on your account. That goal is accomplished as soon as you take the distribution. If you don’t need that money, or as much as you had to take out, to meet your living expenses, you can redeposit any or all of the distribution in another nonretirement savings account where it will keep earning interest. That’s okay by the IRS, since it will get its share of these taxable earnings, too. Giving it away If, however, you don’t need the money and don’t want Uncle Sam to get his hands on it either, you can give your RMD to your favorite charity, like Olivet College. That way, you meet the minimum distribution requirement, but the withdrawal does not

count as taxable income on your personal return. Just make sure you follow the donation rules carefully. First, the transfer option applies only to IRA accounts, not your other taxdeferred plans, such as a workplace 401(k). The contribution option is available to either Roth or traditional IRA owners, but it is most beneficial when the money comes from a traditional account, since much of that cash is taxable upon distribution. And it’s only available through 2007 unless Congress extends the law. Equally important, the money must be transferred directly to the charity. If you want to personally present your IRA gift, the IRS says you can deliver it yourself as long as the check is made payable to the charitable organization. But if you get the distribution yourself and then write a personal check for that amount to the organization, you’ve taken possession of

The Jare T. Klein Wrestling Room Stemming from a longstanding past of continued growth and success, the Olivet College wrestling program is now preparing for its future. Efforts are being made to raise $100,000 by Sept. 1, 2009 for the Jare T. Klein Wrestling Room, a stateof-the-art facility that will provide Olivet Jare Klein wrestlers with the equipment and space necessary to continue the success of the program. Alumni and friends are invited to support this project. By giving to the Olivet College wrestling program, you are providing athletes with items needed to outfit the structure, including a team locker room, 2,500-square-foot mat area, 400-squarefoot training equipment area, takedown machine, coaches’ offices and storage, air filtration system, audio/video system, scoring clock, trophy showcase and wallof-fame area. When giving at the levels

listed below, names will be featured on a plaque in the facility, which will be installed in The Cutler Athletic Complex. For more information, contact Todd Hibbs, head wrestling coach at (269) 749-7671, or via e-mail at thibbs@olivetcollege.edu. Giving Levels: $250 Takedown Club Recognition on plaque $500 Varsity Club Recognition on plaque plus name plate on a locker or bench $1,000 All-American Club Recognition on plaque plus name plate on a locker or bench and an equipment item (ie: bike, treadmill, etc.) $5,000 Champions Club Recognition on plaque plus name plate on a locker or bench and either wall-of-fame, video wall, scoreclock or trophy case $10,000 Legends Club Recognition on plaque plus name plate on locker room, head coach office, assistant coach office or wrestling hallway

the money and will face the tax consequences. Check with your tax adviser, your IRA manager, and the organization you want to receive the donation to coordinate the transfer. You can transfer up to $100,000 from your IRA to a charity. The allowable amount is per account holder, not return, so a husband and wife can each transfer up to $100,000 from their IRAs to charities. You don’t, however, have to donate your entire required distribution. If your RMD is $4,000, you can direct $3,000 of it to a charity and take $1,000 yourself. And remember that if you do transfer IRA money to a charity, you cannot claim that amount as a charitable deduction. However, the loss of that tax break should be offset somewhat by the fact that the money won’t add to your taxable income.

Scholarship Programs The Olivet College Office of Enrollment Management is providing several programs that allow alumni, Board of Trustees members, pastors and educators to select two graduating seniors for unique scholarship opportunities. Scholarship programs currently being offered include: Affiliated Church Alumni Referral Board of Trustees High School Counselor Visual and Performing Arts Each is worth $2,000 per year for four years equaling a total of $8,000 per qualified student. The programs are being offered to support the financial needs of students who are responsible leaders in their communities. Nominees must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 19 or higher on the ACT for consideration. For more information, call the Office of Enrollment Management at (800) 456-7189 or, e-mail admissions @olivetcollege.edu.

FALL

2007

Comet ATHLETICS Women’s Golf Team Wins 2007 MIAA Championship BY GEOFF HENSON

Run Golf Course. At the two-day championship, Olivet continued its dominance with a 665 team score and all five Olivet golfers placed in the top 10 of the player standings. Sophomore Lindsay Pipkin, of White Lake, earned medalist honors with a two-round total of 163 strokes. In addition to winning its second straight league championship, the Comets placed each of its five golfers on the 2007 All-MIAA teams. Pipkin, along with Amber Conrad, of Battle Creek, Megan Rimmel, of Ithaca, and Amanda Sanders, of Concord, earned firstteam honors, while Trisha McKim, of DeWitt, earned secondteam honors. “I am very happy with our performance this fall,” said Head Coach Bill Maas ’89. “The girls worked really hard and deserved all of the recognition. With our depth, we were able to put together a great team effort rather than having a couple dominant individuals. Front row (from left): Trisha McKim, Amanda Sanders, Jennifer It was also nice to see Lambarth; Back row (from left): Head Coach Bill Maas ’89, Abby when someone had a Wheeler, Amber Conrad, Megan Rimmel, Katie Misko and Lindsay bad round that someone Pipkin. else was able to step up and pick up the slack. Particularly, I was pleased with Amanda over Saint Mary’s (Ind.) College by 10 Sanders because of the way she stepped strokes. Tri-State hosted the second outing up and led the team in her senior year.” at its Zollner Golf Course, and Olivet Olivet, which climbed into the top 10 extended its overall lead to 14 strokes with of the golfstat.com NCAA Division III a course record total of 329 strokes. Head-to-Head rankings, will now focus The third jamboree saw another on its spring schedule. On the schedule is course record fall, as Olivet took top honors a three-round MIAA playoff where the with a 324 team score at Alma’s Buck’s he Olivet College women’s golf team captured the 2007 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Championship in dominating fashion, beating runner-up Tri-State (Ind.) University by 58 strokes. The Comets cruised to the league championship by winning each of the three jamborees and the two-day championship. The first jamboree was hosted by Kalamazoo at the Milham Park Golf Course, where they took first-place

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winner receives the league’s automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Division III National Championships. Last year, the Comets won the playoff and made their first-ever trip to the national championships. “Winning the championship was nice to set the tone for the spring playoff,” Maas said. “It shows that we are ready to compete for the trip back to nationals. As long as we continue to shoot low scores, I believe that we are the best team in the conference.”

Men’s golf team finishes second in MIAA The Olivet men’s golf team had a banner season, finishing second in the overall MIAA standings, only 17 strokes behind Hope College. Senior Joe Kiss, of Battle Creek, earned first-team All-MIAA honors and narrowly missed being the seasonal medalist, as he lost that honor by one stroke. Brock Gleadall, of Stratford, Ontario, and Eric Ross, of Burlington, Ontario, also earned first-team AllMIAA honors, while Justin Lesansky, of LaSalle, Ontario, was a second-team All-MIAA selection. Unlike the women, the men will now have to hope for an at-large bid to the national championships. The MIAA’s automatic bid is given to the men’s champion during the fall season. During the spring, the Comets will compete in several non-conference tournaments in Ohio and Michigan.

Olivet College Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Six New Members BY GEOFF HENSON

livet College inducted six new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame during a dinner Saturday, Sept. 29. The inductees were Benjamin Bernoudy ’58, Jessica (Davenport) Creager ’00, Joseph Iauch ’58, Robert Kintz ’85, Ginny McLean ’79 and Roy “Spike” Schreck ’56. Bernoudy starred on the Comet basketball and track and field teams. In basketball, he was a 1957-58 secondteam All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) pick, and in track, he set the school record in the long jump. Bernoudy earned a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University in July 1961. He served as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, principal, area assistant superintendent and area superintendent in the Detroit Public Schools for 39 years. Creager is one of the best softball players in school history, earning first-team All-MIAA honors in 1999 and 2000 and All-Region honors in 2000. In 2000, she became the first woman in school history to earn Most Valuable Player honors from the MIAA. Creager holds the Olivet career (445) and single-season (206) records for strikeouts. From 2000-07, she taught at Lansing Everett High School and from 2004-07, she was the head varsity softball coach for the Vikings. Iauch was a three-sport standout at Olivet, playing football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. He earned 10 varsity letters.

and sales manager at Magic Media, Inc. After graduating from Olivet, he taught Most recently, she graduated from Life and coached various sports at Gull Lake, Purpose Institute of San Diego as a Yale, Bangor, Holland West Ottawa and professional certified coach. Shelby high schools. Iauch has also officiated football, basketball, baseball and track at the high school level along with basketball and baseball at the collegiate level for 32 years. Kintz finished his fouryear wrestling career with a 10028 record. He was a two-time qualifier to the NCAA Division III National Front row (from left): Ben Bernoudy ’58, Joseph Iauch ’58 and Championships Roy “Spike” Schreck ’56, Back row (from left): Jessica (Davenport) and a two-time Creager ’00, Olivet President Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. and Ginny McLean ’79. Scholar AllAmerican. Kintz Schreck played on the Olivet is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Ada. football team. He was an offensive and McLean was captain of the field defensive lineman, leading his team in hockey and basketball teams during her tackles during his senior season. During senior season. She was also a member of his time at Olivet, Schreck was the softball and track teams. Since innovative with the initiation of the graduating from Olivet, McLean has been weight training program. After a correctional officer for the Eaton County graduating from Olivet, he was a Sheriff ’s Department, owner of Touch of successful teacher and coach at Fremont Health Massage Therapy, account High School for almost 40 years. executive at Adams Outdoor Advertising

2007 Olivet College Golf Classic The 2007 Olivet College Golf Classic was held July 20 at the Binder Creek Golf Course in Battle Creek. A total of 118 golfers participated in the outing, which raised $10,000 for the Comet athletic department. Pictured is the winning group (from left): Jim Shadduck ’86, Steve Hummer ’86 and Ryan Bertoia.

FA LL

2007

Comet

ATHLETICS

Sports News and Notes Olivet College was fourth in the 2006-07 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Commissioner’s Cup with 116 points, only one point less than last year’s schoolrecord point total. The men tied for fourth and women were fifth in their respective All-Sports Standings. Eighty-four Laura Herzog student-athletes were named to the 2006-07 MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Six studentathletes – Laura Herzog, Natalie Iacopelli, Jeff Iciek, Courtney Ivan, Ann Marie Keisic and Stephanie Jeff Iciek Smith – qualified for the MIAA Academic Honor Roll for the fourth straight year. Three teams – women’s basketball (3.457), women’s swimming and diving (3.377) and volleyball (3.347) – received the 2006-07 MIAA Team GPA award. Swimmer Dustin Meisner, of Temperance, earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® first-team honors. He joins Travis Sleight ’06 as only the second student-athlete in school history to earn first-team Academic AllAmerica® honors.

Dustin Meisner and Geoff Henson, sports information director. 24

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Two new head coaches will be roaming the basketball sidelines this winter. Gene Gifford, a 1973 graduate of Olivet, began duties as the Comets’ head men’s basketball coach Aug. 1. Gifford came to Olivet from Muskegon Community College (MCC) where he Gene Gifford ’73 served as the head men’s basketball coach since 1981. He was also the athletic director at MCC for the last 14 years. In women’s basketball, Heather Bateman takes over the head coaching duties. Prior to being promoted to head coach, she was an assistant coach for six years under Deanna Richard, who resigned to take the head women’s basketball coaching position at Heather Bateman Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. Bateman continues to serve as the associate athletic director and senior woman administrator. Glen Metcalf began duties as an assistant athletic director and assistant men’s basketball coach. Last year, he completed his 24th year as an assistant coach under Gifford at MCC. Metcalf was also the athletic director and assistant principal at Muskegon Heights High School. Glen Metcalf Nicole Burford joins the women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach. In the spring, she will serve as an assistant track and field coach.

“Adopt-a-Comet” In August, the family of Edwin “Ed” Donaldson ’65, a former educator who died in February, donated more than $6,000 to the Olivet College men’s basketball team. The gift was generated from the Edwin K. Donaldson Memorial Fund, a trust that supports educational and athletic endeavors. It is being used to fund the team’s “Adopt-aComet” program, which provides practice clothing, shoes, warm-up suits and polo shirts for individual athletes. Thanks to the Ed Donaldson ’65 generous donation, every player on the team was “adopted” this year. “The mission of the memorial fund is to help support and develop great leaders, great teammates and those who deliver in the clutch for others,” said Ed’s son, David Donaldson. “Whether it is on the court, in the classroom or in life, we want to support those who are doing their best to make themselves and those around them into champions. “We chose to donate to the ‘Adopta-Comet’ program because it meant a lot to my dad,” David added. “He and my mom, Diane (Duffy) Donaldson ’65, were among the first people to support the program, and they’ve been very proud to do it.” While a student at Olivet, Ed was a four-year letterwinner on the basketball and baseball teams. In basketball, he was a three-time All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association choice. In 2004, he was inducted into the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame; an accomplishment David says was one of his father’s “proudest moments.” After graduating from Olivet, Ed spent 28 years as an educator in the Brandon School District in Ortonville. He served as a physical education teacher for 12 years, athletic director for eight years, high school assistant principal for eight years and high school principal for eight years.

Comet Athletic Schedules 2007-08 Wrestling

2007-08 Varsity Men’s Basketball NOV.

DEC.

JAN.

FEB.

Date

Opponent

Time

16 17 20 24 25

@ Franklin (Ind.) ANDREWS @ Northwood @ Hanover (Ind.) vs. Shawnee State (Ohio) or Brescia (Ky.) @ Concordia ANDERSON (Ind.) WISC.-WHITEWATER @ Wittenberg (Ohio) vs. Marian (Ind.) or Wisc.-LaCrosse @ Adrian * HOPE * @ Albion * @ Alma * TRI-STATE (Ind.) * KALAMAZOO * @ Calvin * ADRIAN * @ Hope * ALBION * ALMA * @ Tri-State (Ind.) * @ Kalamazoo * CALVIN *

7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 6 p.m.

28 15 16 28 29 9 12 16 19 23 26 30 2 6 9 13 16 20 23

TBA 7:30 p.m. 5 p.m. 2 p.m. 7:45 p.m. TBA 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8 p.m. 3 p.m. 8 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

Date

Opponent

NOV.

DEC.

1 7 15 20 29-30

JAN.

6 12-13 19 23 27 30 1-2 9

COMET DUALS @ Olivet High School Baldwin-Wallace, Ohio; Grand Valley club team; Mount Union, Ohio; Mt. St. Joseph, Ohio; Ohio Northern; Rose-Hulman, Ind.; Tri-State, Ind.; Wisc.-LaCrosse; Wisc.-Stevens Point Simonson Invitational @ Ashland, Ohio @ Heidelberg, Ohio @ Ohio Northern Invitational @ Eastern Michigan 45th Midlands Championships @ Northwestern, Ill. @ Tri-State (Ind.) with Muskegon CC NWCA National Duals @ Northern Iowa Al Hanke Invitational @ Elmhurst, Ill. @ University of Chicago (Ill.) GRAND VALLEY STATE (Alumni Day) @ Muskegon Community College Pete Willson Invitational @ Wheaton, Ill. Mid-States Conference Tournament @ Rose-Hulman, Ind. TRI-STATE, Ind. (Senior Day) NCAA Division III Midwest Regional @ Wabash, Ind. NCAA Division III Nationals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

FEB.

16 23 MAR.

7-8

2007-08 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving OCT. NOV.

DEC. JAN.

FEB.

MAR.

Date

Opponent

Time

26 27 3 9

RED/WHITE RELAYS MIAA Relays @ Holland Aquatic Center KALAMAZOO * @ Eastern Michigan with Calvin, Denison (Ohio) and Wayne State @ Wabash (Ind.) Invitational @ DePauw (Ind.) Invitational @ DePauw (Ind.) Invitational @ Albion Diving Invitational @ Northwestern (Ill.) with Carthage (Wisc.) SAINT MARY’S (Ind.) * ALMA * @ Albion * HOPE * MIAA Championships @ Holland Aquatic Center NCAA Division III National Women’s Championshipsin Oxford, Ohio NCAA Division III National Men’s Championshipsin Oxford, Ohio

5 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m.

16-17 30 1 8 12 18 19 26 2 14-16 13-15 20-22

RED = home game

5 p.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA

NOV.

DEC.

JAN.

TBA FEB.

TBA

8:30 a.m. 9 a.m. 7:30 p.m. 9 a.m. 7 p.m. TBA 11 a.m. TBA 9 a.m. TBA 4 p.m. 7 p.m. 1:30 p.m. TBA 7 p.m. TBA TBA

2007-08 Women’s Basketball

TBA TBA 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m.

TBA

Time

Date

Opponent

Time

16 17 23 24 30 1 8 15 19 5 9 12 16 19 23 26 30 2 6 9 13 16 20 23

vs. DePauw, Ind. vs. Illinois Wesleyan or Washington (Mo.) CONCORDIA AQUINAS vs. Montana State-Northern vs. Carroll, Mt. ADRIAN * KALAMAZOO * @ Madonna @ Albion * @ Tri-State, Ind. * @ Hope * @ Calvin * @ Adrian * @ Rochester @ Kalamazoo * SAINT MARY’S, Ind. * @ Alma * ALBION * TRI-STATE, Ind. * HOPE * CALVIN * ALMA * @ Saint Mary’s, Ind. *

7 p.m. TBA 8 p.m. 3 p.m. 6 p.m. 11 a.m. 3 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 6 p.m. 3 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 3 p.m.

* MIAA event FALL

2007

Class NOTES From the Office of Alumni Relations Homecoming was a huge success! Thank you to all who attended. From the reunion classes’ gatherings to the alumni choir singing at the concert and on the football field, to the Garfield Lake Review and African-American reunions and our winning football game, it was an exciting, pictureperfect weekend. I would like to Marty Jennings ’67 thank Marge caid ’83 and her Constantint High School Band for their outstanding performance during homecoming. Congratulations to our honored guest, Emily Byrens; 1844 Award recipient, Jim Coleman; Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, Ruth (Yotter) Thomas ’38 and Al Swain ’78; and to our young alumni award recipient, Shawn Dowling ’00. Thank you for taking part in our “Red and White” Luncheon celebration and for riding in the parade. Keep your memory alive on our brick walkways. Phase II of the Buy-a-Brick Campaign will lead from the side to the front of the Kirk Center. Bricks have three prices — $150, $500 and $1,000. Olivet College is so special to all of you, please remember to donate to your alma mater. No amount is too small. With your contributions, the percentage of alumni giving increases and, therefore, makes the college more desirable for grants and scholarships for students. It is always good to hear from you. Please stay in touch. Visit campus to see all the new building projects and improvements. Continue to contact me with updates on your promotions, changes in life, new addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Remember to visit our Web site at www.olivetcollege.edu for upcoming events during the year. Marty (Mason) Jennings ’67 Director of Alumni Relations 26

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1940s Kiyoko (Takeda) Cho ’41 recently sent a donation to Olivet College. She is a professor emeritus at International Christian University of Japan and is a trustee emeritus of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA). Kiyoko is healthy, living in Japan and writing her autobiography in a series on the Kiyoko (Takeda) Cho ’41 Christ Weekly of Japan. Mollie (Townsend) Rogers ’46 lives at Chimney Corners Resort on Crystal Lake in Frankfort. Her son, Jim Jr., and his wife, Mary, manage the resort. Mollie’s husband, Jim Rogers ’43, died April 29, 2006. Mollie spends her winters in Florida. E-mail Mollie at r_mollie@bellsouth.net. Kathryn (Vogt) Koveleski ’47 is enjoying retirement, having taught special education for more than 37 years. She enjoys playing cards, reading, bowling, walking and dining with friends. She has two daughters and three grandsons. Kenneth Thatcher ’47 is retired from teaching special education and fifth grade. He also sold real estate. Kenneth has four children and three grandchildren.

A note from Stu Parsell Stu Parsell, former football coach during the 1960s, celebrated his 80th birthday this year. He sent this note, “Thanks to the efforts of Marty Jennings and others, I have received many birthday cards and letters from the great grads of the ’60s. The thoughtful comments were heartwarming and very special to me. You sure know the things to say that bring smiles and an occasional tear. Appreciation is what we all strive for - in that regard, you have all given me precious satisfaction.”

From left: Margaret “Teddy” (Goodsir) ’49 Welte, and husband, Bill ’49, Charles and Isobel (Goodsir) Saussele ’51

Bill ’49 and Margaret “Teddy” (Goodsir) ’49 Welte recently visited Olivet’s campus for the first time in 30 years. Isobel (Goodsir) Saussele ’51, Teddy’s sister, and her husband, Charles, returned to campus with them. Lisa (Welte) Herzig ’75 is their daughter. The Weltes live in Connecticut. E-mail Bill and Teddy at btwelte@sbcglobal.net.

1950s Bill Johnstone ex’51 held an art exhibit titled “Bill Johnstone Retrospective Exhibition” Sept. 6 through Oct. 2 in the Olivet College Art Gallery. The show featured drawings, collages and ceramics, spanning four decades. Bill spent most of his professional life as a modelmaker for Chrysler. James Williams ’55 celebrated 50 years as an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ on Oct. 11, 2007. He retired in 1996 from Bethel Memorial United Church of Christ in Creve Coeur, Ill., and then served as an interim pastor of Bethel Church from 2001-06. James is a member of the Tazewell County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency. He and wife, Marilyn, have eight children and nine grandchildren. E-mail James at n9hhu@sbcglobal.net.

Seattle Alumni Social

George Rock ’57 and wife, Carol

Left to right: Don Shorno ’65, Olivet Tuthill ’68, Marty Jennings ’67, Dick Sattler, Katie Heafield ’63, President Don Tuski ’85, Josh Hosler ’94,

John Snyder ’57 and wife, Margaret, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 29, 2007. John was a medical sales representative with Bristol Meyer. They have three children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

1960s Gail (Miller) Akiona ’57 recently moved to Seattle after having lived in Hawaii for 43 years. She retired as a preschool director, elementary school and preschool teacher in 2006. Gail has three children and six grandchildren. E-mail Gail at gakiona3@verizon.net.

Jamieson Hawley ’57 and wife, Glenna, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 7, 2007, at the Whitney in Detroit. Jamieson retired as a school principal. The Hawleys have two daughters and two grandchildren. E-mail Jamieson at hawleyhill@aol.com. Robert King ’57 retired in 1990 after 27 years of teaching physical education and coaching in the Clinton Schools. He and wife, Judie (Milliman) ex’59, have two daughters and six grandchildren. Robert still coaches volleyball and golf at Clinton and plays golf whenever he can.

Renee Akiona Ostrem, Gail (Miller) Akiona ’57, Eric Akiona David Hanna ’57 retired in 1994 after 37 years as an engineer with Bendix/Allied Signal/Honeywell. He and wife, Jolene, have three daughters and seven grandchildren. E-mail David at davehanna@aol.com.

Edgar “Jack” Martin ’57 is retired from teaching high school art for 29 years. He also coached varsity golf for 22 years. He has two daughters and four grandchildren. George Rock ’57, D.D.S., and wife of 46 years, Carol, are living in South Carolina. Over the years, George has collected and restored many cars. His 1947 Ford Sportsman, which he drove while a student at Olivet, is a rare show car that has won many trophies. George and Carol have three children and nine grandchildren. E-mail George at rockgnc@aol.com.

Roger ’61 and Gwen (Fett) ’63 Wood have 16 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Roger is retired. Gwen is teaching kindergarten. E-mail Roger and Gwen at rogerw@greatlakes.net. Jan (Somers) Klump ’63 and husband, Bob, of Massachusetts, directed “The Sound of Music” at the Northport Community Arts Center in July and August. Janet (Allen) Crane ’62 was the production manager and Hillary (Lang) Porter ’93 was a cast member. The Klumps have coached actors and singers from Broadway’s “Les Miserables” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and Jan has given Darrell Hammond of “Saturday Night Live” voice lessons. E-mail Jan at Klump1@comcast.net and Janet at rcrane@chartermi.net. Doug “Rocky” Kalish ’63 recently released an audio book, titled “HR Detective,” a thriller/mystery novel. Rocky has worked in human resources for many years. His writings include management books, video training programs and fictional novels, and his performing career includes extensive work in regional theater, voiceover narrations and roles in commercials. He and wife of 20 years, Nancy, live in Georgia. E-mail Rocky at dougkalish@gmail.com.

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Class

Richard Atkinson ’68 is retired from teaching mostly special education in Philadelphia for 35 years; 13 in the inner city and 22 at W.B. Saul High School for Vocational Agriculture. Richard also coached tennis, track and volleyball. He was an Outward Bound mentor, which included activities such as rappelling off the top of a fire watchtower located on a mountaintop. Staying active, Richard bicycled across the United States, ran 10 marathons, and competed in several triathlons. He now volunteers for Meals on Wheels and at Briar Bush Nature Center, where he leads 4- to 7year-olds through woods, looking for “lions, tigers and bears. Oh my!” He and wife, Caroline, have been married for 36 years. Ron Fazio ’68, a former teacher and golf coach, was inducted into the Manalapan High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame on June 5 in New Jersey. From 1976-96, Ron’s teams won two state championships with 229 wins, three Shore Conference Championship titles, three Monmouth County Championships and 14 Freehold Regional High School Tournament Championships. Ron retired in 2005. Dean Souden ’68 is the executive dean of career education at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor. Brian Benner ’69 was recently featured in the 2007 edition of Michigan Super Lawyers. His firm, the Law Offices of Benner, Bilicki & Foran, has an international reputation and is at the leading edge of personal injury client service. Benner, Bilicki & Foran are in the process of opening offices in California, Florida, Nevada and New York in addition to their national locations in Michigan and Washington, D.C. Outside the United States, they hold offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, Geneva and London. E-mail Brian at bennerbj@aol.com.

1970s Craig Corrigan ’70 is in his 14th year of teaching history in North Adams, Mass. E-mail Craig at dudleycorrigan@hotmail.com.

SHIPHERD’ S

Marilyn Haslett ’76 was named counselor of the year for 2007 by the Berrien-Cass-Van Buren Counselor’s Association. She is counselor at Brandywine Middle/High School. E-mail Marilyn at mhaslett@remc11.k12.mi.us.

NOTES

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Olivet College Board of Trustees member George Pyne III ’65 and son, Jim Pyne, attended the Olivet versus Albion football game Oct. 13. Olivet won the game 24-6. After graduating from Olivet College in 1965, George Pyne III played football for the Boston Patriots in the American Football Conference. His son, Jim, played football at Virginia Tech and became an All-American. He then played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jim went on to coach for several National Football League teams. Today he is a football analyst for ESPN 350 WKNK in Cleveland.

Phil Prettyman ’70 visited Olivet in October with classmate Fred Hinz ’70. Phil is a lawyer, working at Pierce County Prosecutors Office, Civil Division in Tacoma, Wash., since 1991. He specializes in real estate, eminent domain, contracts and municipal law. Phil enjoys kayaking and building kayaks. E-mail Phil at philip2202@yahoo.com. Julia Kraus ’74 has been recalled to active duty as a brigadier general and is currently serving at the Pentagon as the deputy chief Army Reserve. E-mail Julia at Julia.kraus@us.army.mil. Dave Yaksich ’74 is the coordinator of student life at Niagara County Community College in Sanborn, N.Y. He previously held positions as coordinator of intramurals/ recreation, physical education instructor, chairman of the physical education department, intercollegiate athletic director and director of student activities. E-mail Dave at yaksich@niagaracc.suny.edu.

Mary Beth (Dettling) Brady ’77 completed certification through the Dominican Center of Grand Rapids as a spiritual director in 2003. Earlier this year she completed her master’s degree in pastoral ministries through Marygrove College in Detroit. She is the director of spiritual care/bereavement counseling, Mercy Hospice in Grayling, covering nine counties. Mary Beth was the director of alumni relations at Olivet from 1990-95. E-mail Mary Beth at marybethbrady@gtlakes.com. Kim McLeod ’77 was recently promoted to director of marketing/support and distribution at Calvert Investments in Bethesda, Md. He and partner, Richard Gilroy, celebrated their 25th anniversary on June 29. E-mail Kim at macgilroy@msn.com. Michele Rutherford ’77 is the program manager for child care policy and planning for the city of San Francisco. She is also busy designing San Francisco’s Preschool for All program and a homeless childcare initiative for families in shelters. E-mail Michele at sfmmr@comcast.net. Capt. Tala (Plummer) Welch ’77 retired from the Navy June 15 at the Naval Station in Norfolk. E-mail Tala at tjwelch1@cox.net.

1980s Betsy (Dee) Adamus ’81 performed with Wind Song, a flute quartet, earlier this year in the Music in the Library series at Alpena County Library. She performed a jazz rendition of “Wonderful World” with her husband, Greg ’81. Betsy is an associate for music and Christian education at First Congregational United Church of Christ, as well as the church’s organist and accompanist for the Chancel Choir. The Adamuses have two sons. E-mail Betsy and Greg at gadamus@charter.net. Polly (Falberg) ’81 and husband, Mike “Bo” Bodjanac ’81, recently celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary. Polly has been a State Farm Insurance agent for 22 years, managing her own agency with two employees. E-mail Polly and Mike at polly@pollybodjanac.com.

Lansing Lugnuts Alumni Social

team. He and wife, Shelley, celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary in May. E-mail Eric at shelleywhitethomas@yahoo.com. Sonia (Campbell) Thorndyke ’94 and her husband, Jed, own three cabins on Pine Lake, south of Olivet, that they rent to campers and families of college students. E-mail Sonia at soniathorndyke@yahoo.com. Eric Wiederhold ’94 was recently appointed city administrator for Geneseo, Ill. Previously he had served the cities of Desloge, Mo. (2000-07) and New Baltimore (1996-2000) in similar capacities. E-mail Eric at ericwiederhold@yahoo.com.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Mark Veich and Board of Trustees member Dr. Tim Hodge ’83

Marc ’81 and Deborah (Bowers) ’83 Federau celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Aug. 14 by traveling to Ireland with their children, Drew, and Olivet College senior, Erin, and sophomore, Gabrielle. E-mail Deborah at debfederau@aol.com.and Marc at marc.federau@hrh.com. James Jackson ’82 is a music publisher and has owned his own company in New York City for 20 years. He is the president of Motown Music and he also worked for Universal Music. He and wife, Ursula Smith, have four children aged 9 months to 16 years. E-mail James at mrmusicpublisher@gmail.com. Steve Jackson ’82 was recently named a finalist for the “Memphis Most Principled Principal” award; there were three finalists from more than 350 local schools. Steve has been the headmaster of Christ Methodist Day School in Memphis for the last six years. E-mail Steve at sjackson@cmdsmemphis.org. Sandra (Vedder) Boyer ’85 owns Boyer Greene, LLC, a full service international legal industry consulting firm. Offices are in Ann Arbor and Bedford, N.H. Having been in the industry for 16 years, Sandra works with law firms in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. She has spoken on legal industry topics at conferences and seminars and has written two books, “The Effective Associate Training and Development Program” and “Associate Retention – Keeping Our Best and Brightest.” E-mail Sandra at sjb@boyergreene.com.

Tim ’80 and Linda ’80 (Wheaton) Miller

Dennis Embree ’89 received his master’s degree in special education from Western Michigan University Aug. 17. He is teaching seventh grade special education at Marshall Middle School in Marshall.

1990s Marlon Bailey ’91 is assistant professor of gender studies and African-American and African diaspora studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. E-mail Marlon at baileymm@indiana.edu. Amy Parravano-Drummond ’93 and husband, Shawn, have three sons, Rocco, 5, Jack, 3, and Cole, 1. Amy is a stay-at-home mother, but she also does contractual work in the field of social work. E-mail Amy at adrummond5@comcast.net. Shannon (Cunningham) Fairlamb ’94 and husband, Ted, recently celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. She won a battle with breast cancer and is in remission, and enjoys spending time with family and friends. Shannon would like to thank her Soronian sisters for their support during her cancer treatment. E-mail Shannon at smfairlamb@hotmail.com. Julie (Heath) Taylor ’94 is an assistant principal at Beagle Middle School in the Grand Ledge Public School District. A. Eric Thomas ’94 is a special activities director at the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kinross, the wrestling coach at Sault Area High School, and a coach for the Sault Giants football

Eric “Ricky” Hinchliffe ’96 is teaching physical education and health and coaching eighth grade football at Shelby Junior High School in Shelby Township. He also coaches wrestling at Henry Ford II High School in Sterling Heights. E-mail Ricky at rickyhinchliffe@comcast.net. David Birmingham ’98 is working with the Alternative Health and Rehab Centre in Flint, doing acupuncture. His wife, Rose (Willaford) ’98 recently graduated with a degree in nursing from Lansing Community College and is working in labor and delivery at Memorial Healthcare in Owosso. E-mail David and Rose at dandrbirmingham@verizon.net. Scott Barry ’99 is a Triple-A umpire for the International Baseball League and also fills in for Major League umpires. His wife, Christine (May) ’01, is teaching in a high school resource room in Bronson. They have two sons, Cameron, 1, and Alex, 5 months. E-mail Scott at sabarry@charter.net and Christine at clbarry@charter.net. Richard Craig ’99 is pursuing a doctorate in mass communications and media studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C. E-mail Richard at richtcraig@hotmail.com. Jeff Smythe ’99 graduated from Wayne State University Law School in May 2005 and is working as an insurance defense attorney at Merry, Farnen & Ryan, P.C., in St. Clair Shores. He is married to Melissa (Waters) ’01, who earned a master’s degree from Spring Arbor University in February, 2007.

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Class NOTES 2000s Jessica (Davenport) ’00 and Jason ’03 Creager live in Savannah, Ga. Both teach in elementary schools in the Savannah/ Chatham County School District. Jason is an assistant football coach and varsity wrestling coach for Savannah High School. They have a son, Chipper, 1. E-mail Jessie at jessicadavenport22@yahoo.com and Jason at jasoncreager22@yahoo.com.

Detroit Tigers Alumni Social Bill Swasey, Neal ex’59 and Barbara Ballheim

Rebecca (Lukasiewicz) Curnelia ’01 earned her doctorate in communications from Kent State University Aug. 18, 2007. She is married to James Curnelia ’01. E-mail Rebecca at livinginsane@hotmail.com. Stacy (Mann) Sheets ’01 has been a personal trainer at the Chelsea Community Hospital Health and Wellness Center for six years. E-mail Stacy at Stacy013@hotmail.com. Ryan Jackson ’02 is finishing his last year of law school at Michigan State University and is working for the Wayne County Prosecutors Office, Juvenile Division. E-mail Ryan at ryan_t_jackson@yahoo.com. Joy Stover ’02 is working at Consumers Energy and Corporate Safety and Health and is in the master’s program in Organizational Management at Spring Arbor University. E-mail Joy at joy_stover@yahoo.com. Andy Wood ’02 is teaching at Gobles High School. Andy and wife, Monique, have been married four years and have two children. E-mail Andy at andy.wood1@the-team.biz. Steve Delaney ’03, Jason Creager ’03, Jessie (Davenport) Creager ’00 and Tyler Hubert ’00 won first place in the Grand Ledge High School Wrestling Golf Outing in July. Jason was closest to the hole, Jessie had the longest drive and Tyler had the longest putt. Steve is a teacher and Tyler is a coach in the Grand Ledge District. Jason and Jessie teach in Savannah, Ga. Ethan Smith ’04 coaches wrestling at Traverse City Central High School (TCCHS), placing in the top eight in the state for the last two seasons. His wife, Jaime (Stenz) ’05 is 30

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William “Cliff” Dean ’60, Bob Lawrence ’57 and Marilyn (Purse) Dean ’60 Patrick Higgins and Bob Gillette ’63

the head girls’ soccer coach at TCCHS, E-mail Ethan and Jaime at jaime@ihhcsi.com. Jonathan Byrd ’05 is the director of constituent relations for the Michigan Senate Democratic caucus. He is the chairman of the Calhoun County Democratic Party. In addition, Jonathan is a member of the Senior Millage Allocation Committee, board member of Friends of the Albion Library and member of the Albion NAACP. Kelly (Murphy) Parker ’05 was the guest artist at House Wear in the Kalamazoo Mall for Art Hop in October. Her artwork was recently displayed at the Battle Creek Art Walk at Mildred’s in downtown Battle Creek, at the Open Door Gallery in Sturgis for their Art Bounce and in the Battle Creek Health Systems cancer wing. E-mail Kelly at parkerdesigns@ia4u.net.

Adam Auvenshine ’06 is teaching physical education and speech at Sawdon High School in the Grand Ledge Public School District. Caroline Chard ’06 is teaching seventh and eighth grade language arts in Olivet schools. E-mail Caroline at chardc@olivetschools.org. Caitlin Cornell ’06 is teaching economics, social issues and world studies at Olivet High School. E-mail Caitlin at cornelc@ olivetschools.org or caitlincornell @yahoo.com. Elizabeth “Beth” Flanary ’06 is teaching seventh- and eighth-grade English language arts at Olivet Middle School. E-mail Beth at eaflanary@yahoo.com.

Mark Long ’06 is teaching physical education at the Detroit Consortium College Prep High School. Mark brought 85 students and parents to campus in October. He and his wife, Jenna (Little) ex’06, have a son, Kaiden, 2. E-mail Mark and Jenna at mjklong@comcast.net. Michele Michalek ’06, after having spent 10 months volunteering at the Heifer Project International Ranch in Perryville, Ark., is now employed at Olivet College as the Dole Hall Director. She is also taking classes to obtain her teacher’s certification. E-mail Michele at mmichalek@olivetcollege.edu. Wendy Mickelwait ’06 is studying pathology at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago. Christopher Terranova ’06 is teaching third grade at the Willow Ridge Elementary School in the Grand Ledge School District. Danielle Bauman ’07 is a personal lines underwriter in property insurance in Atlanta. Gerald Dozie ’07 is a youth specialist at Starr Commonwealth, a private, non-profit service organization working for the betterment of teens, children and professionals, in Albion. Gerald has played for the Battle Creek Knights, of the International Basketball League, for its last two seasons. E-mail Gerald at geralddoz@aol.com. Darren Hamman ’07 is a commercial underwriter for Chubb Group of Insurance Companies in Chicago. E-mail Darren at dhamman@chubb.com. Matt Jezior ’07 is an associate underwriter for All Risks, Ltd., a wholesale brokerage firm in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. E-mail Matt at matthewrjezior@hotmail.com. Amanda “A.J.” Johnston ’07 is teaching fourth grade in Okeechobee, Fla. Kristy Latimer ’07 is the marketing assistant for Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek. E-mail Kristy at kristylatimer@gmail.com. Bethany Leonard ’07 is in graduate school at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. Bethany will be working with photography and radio students on independent studies. E-mail Bethany at beth14088@yahoo.com.

Fitting In BY MARTY (MASON) JENNINGS ’67 Having grown up in the small community of Pittsford, Jonathan Pelham was attracted to Olivet College when he began researching colleges during his junior year of high school. Since Olivet was the only Division III school offering wrestling, it made his decision even easier. Having received numerous scholarships, including the Olivet College Guidance Counselor Scholarship, the Presidential Scholarship from Pittsford High School for his 3.79 Jonathan Pelham grade point average and two from the Hillsdale Community Foundation, Pelham made his decision. Without the financial help, he would not have been able to attend college. For the next four years, Pelham will concentrate on becoming a secondary math teacher, in addition to becoming a wrestling coach. Wrestling is his passion, having started when he was seven. He will continue this winter when he wrestles for the Comets at 141 pounds. His goal is to become an All-American wrestler. His

record during high school was 150 wins, 45 losses. Pelham’s friends on campus are all wrestlers. When they are not working out, they spend their free time playing video games — especially Halo 3 on XBox 360. In one room they will compete with as many as 16 players at one time with four XBoxes and four TVs! During past summers he worked on farms and for the last four years he has worked at a wrestling camp with his current roommate, freshman Mason Ley from Millington. They were in charge of teaching wrestling skills to more than 100 young people. He plans on returning next summer, as well. When he first came to campus, Pelham was especially grateful to senior Mike Durga from Brown City, who was helpful in making suggestions for Pelham’s mathematics major and education minor. Studying, wrestling, playing video games and having much more free time than in high school makes Pelham feel that Olivet College is where he wants to be for the next four years.

Shipherd Family Returns to Olivet This summer, Kyle and Michele Shipherd and their three children traveled from Ripon, Calif., to see Olivet — the community and college. Their children had never been here, and they thought it was important for them to see where their great-great-great-great grandfather had founded the college 163 years ago. The Shipherds toured the campus and were given Olivet College memorabilia and information about those involved with Olivet’s beginning. They look forward to returning again.

Kyle Shipherd, wife, Michele. Children (from left to right): Kent, 12, Sarah, 6, and Olivia, 11.

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Whatever happened to Geoffrey Moore? BY GEOFFREY MOORE In 1974, Geoffrey Moore came to Olivet College to be an English professor from the University of Washington, where he obtained his Ph.D. in English literature. Having been a long-time enthusiast of soccer, Moore also founded the first men’s soccer team at Olivet College, ending his first season with a 3-4 record. Decades after his four years at Olivet, Moore is now a bestselling author and living in California where he is the managing director of TCG Advisors and venture partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures, innovative entrepreneurs with expertise in software and Internet Geoffrey Moore services, semiconductors, networking, life sciences and energy and materials. Moore founded The Chasm Group LLC, a leading Silicon Valley-based strategy and marketing consulting firm serving the high-tech sector. Moore’s most recent book, “Dealing with Darwin, How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution,” was written to support his consulting work with senior executives of large businesses. He leads the industry on strategies to transform and develop models for strategic challenges. Understanding and effective exploitation of disruptive technologies are the core of his life’s work.

His other books, “Crossing the Chasm”, “Inside the Tornado”, “The Gorilla Game”, and “Living on the Fault Line” are bestsellers and required reading at Stanford, Harvard and many leading business schools. When asked to comment about his life at Olivet and how it molded his life beyond the campus, Moore responded with the following: “At the heart of our four years at Olivet was the student-faculty intimacy in which our whole family participated. For me, the classroom experience was the heart of that intimacy, where over and over again we used the common ground of a shared literary experience to explore the deepest thoughts and feelings in the room. Always there was the search for pattern, for meaning, for value, for humor, for whatever touches the spirit. That same quest lies at the heart of all meaningful human interactions, whether it be developing a new hightech market, investing in start-ups, guiding management teams in established enterprises, delivering speeches to business audiences, or writing about business experience. The thesis that underlies liberal arts education in general, and the curriculum at Olivet in particular, is that analysis and synthesis using both mind and heart are at the center of all human enterprises. How else could a Ph.D. in medieval literature reinvent himself as a strategy consultant to high-tech enterprises?” E-mail Moore at geoffmoore@tcg-advisors.com.

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James Lile ’07 is in San Francisco, working as a professional associate for AIGRM, a commercial risk insurance company. E-mail James at James.Lile@AIG.com. Ashley London ’07 is the Michigan agent at Allen-Harmon-Mason-Selinger Insurance Agency in Battle Creek for the United Church of Christ Insurance Board. E-mail Ashley at alondon@allenharmon.com. Eunice Adeola Oladele ’07 is one of 50 new students at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. The school, located in midtown Manhattan, only in its second year, features state-of-the-art journalism labs and programs. E-mail Eunice at aeoladele@hotmail.com. Mauricio “Moe” Palli ’07 is assistant director of an education center in Chicago. He is working with teachers, parents and public school students, preparing them for the state standardized test in math, reading, writing, social studies and science. E-mail Moe at Mauricio.palli@kaplan.com.

FORMER EMPLOYEES AND FRIENDS Allen Borton, director and professor of music at Olivet for five years, has written more than 575 compositions since 1994, after he was in a serious auto accident, leaving him unable to speak. In April, he was honored at the First Presbyterian Church in Pontiac when the Chancel Choir sang his chorus arrangement of “Rise Up, O Men of God.” On Easter Sunday, the choir, accompanied by the brass quintet, organ and timpani, presented a premiere of “Christ is Alive,” written especially for that choir. He currently runs an average of four miles a day, having lost 75 pounds. E-mail Allen at choral@comcast.net. Rita Bunton, former public information director at Olivet from 1987-95, released a book, “The Battle Is Not Yours,” on March 28, 2007. The book is based on her life of poverty, an early pregnancy leading to four children by the age of 21, and heroin addiction. It is about faith – in God, in oneself and in redemption. Theresa Goodell, former adjunct instructor at Olivet College, received the 2007 U.P. Choral Leadership Award. She serves as organist/ pianist for Peach Lutheran Church in Houghton, sings in the Alleluia Trio and with Noreworthy, a ladies’ barbershop-style group.

The Origins of the Garfield Lake Review BY JAMES COLEMAN In 1966, Olivet College was an artistic and intellectual community of unusual intensity. George Hanson and Leo Hendrick were its guiding spirits, and around them had gathered luminous characters. John Byle ’66 had come from Israel to teach art, Bill and Charlotte Whitney were on campus, Don Rowe and Jim Hay were recent additions to the art program, and Bill Buchanan, Jim Bowers and Becky Newman were in English, or were soon to arrive. On my arrival with wife and son, Helen and Jimmy, I felt compelled as James Coleman a junior faculty member to do something to earn my acceptance among these people. I discovered the Nez Perce Print Shop with Steve Hazel in charge, and I had a model of collaborative learning in the arts. Perfect!

The students were no less expectant. Karl Hollander ’69 and Ben McFall ’71 eyed me in class like tigers sizing up a prime antelope. Talent was abundant, intellectual women like Sally Wreford ’72 and Amy (Leithauser) Witzke ’71 listened intently, and gave lecture material back with a fresh spin in their writing. Energy! Energy! My natural laziness was not right for the situation. In the creative arts workshops for high school students, which Hanson ran in the summers, I taught creative writing, and the students produced a publication drawn from the “broadside,” a sheet of satirical writing, poetry or political invective which had been handed out in the streets of Elizabethan London. Several broadsides were produced during the three-week workshops, and distributed among all the students on campus. The students and I liked the effect. In the fall of 1970, I started planning a magazine, and by spring, a collaborative effort for the Garfield Lake Review (GLR) was underway. A creative writing class became the administrative headquarters for the efforts of lots of people on campus.

Mike Fales ’75 Ordained to Christian Ministry

The Rev. Jack Brown (left) presents Mike Fales ’75 with a stole handmade by faculty member and close friend, Maria Davis. The stole features symbols significant to the college and Fales’ ministry.

Mike Fales ’75, director of church relations and campus ministries and co-advisor for international students, was ordained to Christian ministry in October during a ceremony at the Olivet Congregational Church. The service was held as part of the college’s Homecoming Weekend. During the ceremony, Olivet students led a processional carrying items of significance to the college, the church and Fales’ ministry, including: a historic Bible; a model of the Mayflower, representing Puritans involved in the founding of the church; a model of the Amistad ship, representing the American abolitionist movement; a picture of Oramel Hosford, Olivet’s first professor and the only other person to be ordained at the church; and items collected from mission trips organized by Fales.

Plans were also discussed in occasional seminars held at Garfield Lake Tavern that spring. Professor Hendrick helped to set the critical tone of the publication with his forthright distaste for overly sentimental, soft-headed, boring or “purple writing.” The sense that sometimes bruising intellectual encounters were okay guided the editors who assembled the early issues of the magazine. A few good poems about kitties or tireless moms were probably lost in this editorial atmosphere, but that made space for other work. The first issue of the GLR emerged from the collating table at the Optic Print Shop and landed on campus with a “Take that!” attitude, which it seems no one has been able to stomp out in succeeding decades. Through the services of Linda Jo Scott and Marty (Mason) Jennings ’67, a full list of contributors has been compiled. Those who would prefer now that their name not be associated with the magazine should have contacted their lawyers years ago.

Educators’ Day Olivet College’s Education Department and Office of Alumni Relations held an Educators’ Day Thursday, June 21. The event included four courses pertaining to the following topics: learning-disabled children; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; autism; and at-risk students. The instructors leading the sessions included three Eaton Intermediate School District employees: Kristal Hafner and Lisa Woodcock are school psychologists while Doug Derdowski is a consultant for autistic students and school social worker. Peter Riffle, the fourth instructor, is a special education and learning disabilities teacher at Wilson School District, West Lawn, Penn., and an adjunct professor at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Penn. He is the author of “The Cloud Chaser,” which is about teaching students with learning disabilities. FALL

2007

Allison Choike ’05 Planning Her Next Move BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05

llison Choike ’05 never expected “My dad started hinting at to follow a career path in the government service when I started my military. On the contrary, it was the last senior year at Olivet,” Choike said. “After thing she thought she wanted to do. With growing up in the military I wanted a United States Marine for a father, she nothing to do with it, but he was stationed spent most of her childhood growing up in here in Fort Leonard Wood and knew different cities before settling down at some people in public affairs. He said, ‘Do Olivet College to start her college a summer hire and see if this is what you education. like.’ I worked really hard and I liked it, While on campus, the communication and in September I told my boss I didn’t major participated on the swimming and want to leave.” diving team for two seasons, was a staff Now a senior staff writer covering writer and editor for The Echo, the college’s military news, Choike says journalism is student-run newspaper, and a Shipherd her calling. “Seeing your name in print Hall resident advisor, where she lived all never gets old,” she said. “I meet 18-yearfour of her college years. When May 2005 olds who know they are going to war and rolled around, for them to be able to Choike was in no send a story home to hurry to graduate. mom and dad and show “I was them what they’re doing, dragging my feet,” it really touches my she said. “The day heart.” of graduation my With plans to room wasn’t even become an editor one packed and I was in day, Choike credits her denial. I didn’t want experience with The to leave my Echo as a major friends.” Unsure influence on her career. about what career “Once I started working path she wanted to at The Echo I knew right pursue, Choike away that this was moved back to her definitely what I wanted parents’ home to to do,” she said. “I was explore her options. so happy to see how After some small Olivet was. That’s encouragement the reason I chose it, from her father, because I could get Dan Choike ’81, involved. If I had gone she was packing her Chioke snapped this photo of Staff Sgt. to Michigan State bags again and University or somewhere Veronica Ashe leaping over a pit at a heading to Fort bigger, it would have bayonet course. Leonard Wood, a been harder to get U.S. Army Basic Combat Training post involved in some of those programs.” located in the Missouri Ozarks, to take a She added that the relationships she summer job as a photojournalist and staff made at Olivet contributed to some of her writer for the Guidon, the community’s fondest memories. “Being a military brat, I weekly newspaper. didn’t have much stability. I was always

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moving around, and Olivet was the first place I’d really come to where I stayed for more than a year or two,” she said. “Some of my best memories are just lying around and being goofy with my

Choike speaks to Pvt. Anthony Tauvela about role playing during basic training.

girlfriends or walking to the Kirk Center to get lunch – those were some of my favorite things.” Choike would enjoy hearing from her former classmates. E-mail her at allison.choike@us.army.mil. Her articles and photographs for the Guidon are also available for viewing at www.flwguidon.com.

Traverse City area Alumni Social

BIRTHS Jason Conkin ’97 and wife, Jeanne, a son, James Mac, Aug. 3, 2007. E-mail Jason at JConkin@archinsurance.com. David ’98 Birmingham and Rose (Willaford) ’98, a son, Cayden Timothy, Feb. 7, 2007.

Preston ’66 and Colleen (Hutton) ’67 Moose

Frances (Johnson) Baad ’48, Board of Trustees member Stanley Dole

Dave Banks ’64, Preston Moose ’66, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Mark Veich, John Rohde ’65, Bob Lewallen ’67

How a Football Reconnected Old Friends BY MARTY (MASON) JENNINGS ’67 After 30 years, Tim St. Aubin ’80 and Jim Klipfer reconnected at Olivet’s home football game Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007. It was an exciting day for both of them and their families. Plans for the reunion started earlier this year when Klipfer’s young son asked his dad about the signed Olivet College football that he had kept for 30 years. Klipfer told his son the story about the kind football player who had given him a signed football. Klipfer never forgot St. Aubin and how they met; he contacted Olivet College, asking about him. Within a few days, St. Aubin and Klipfer were communicating through e-mail and planning to get together. It was October 1977 when they first met at Battle Creek Community Hospital. St. Aubin had gotten hurt in a football game; his leg became infected, so he ended up in rehabilitation. While in the hospital, he befriended 10-year-old Klipfer, who was also in rehabilitation for burns. Klipfer’s friend accidently started a fire, and while trying to put it out, Klipfer’s jeans caught fire, severely burning his leg.

Shelly Marie (Gullett) Das ’98 and husband, Ashish, a son, Christian Alexander Vijay, Aug. 7, 2007. He joins sister, Grace Alyson Anjali, 1-1/2. E-mail Shelly at shellymariebean @hotmail.com. Scott ’99 and Christine (May) ’01 Barry, a son, Alex Christopher, June 6, 2007. He joins brother, Cameron, 1. E-mail Christine at clbarry@charter.net and Scott at sabarry@charter.net. Jeff ’99 and Melissa (Waters) ’01 Smythe, a daughter, Lindsay Marissa, April 26, 2007. She joins brother, Cameron, 3. Shawn Dowling ’00 and wife, Stephanie, a daughter, Chloe Alexandra, June 22, 2007. E-mail Shawn at shawn.dowling@ calgaryhealthregion.ca. Alex “Marty” Moore ’00 and wife, Sarah, a son, Brody, June 2, 2007. He joins sister, Avery, 2. Bryant Williams ’00 and wife, Antoinette, twin daughters, Elizabeth Anise and Alexandra Rose, May 11, 2007. Bryant is with EarthTech as a staff scientist level VII. E-mail Bryant at bryantkwilliams@hotmail.com. Shawn ’01 and Angela (Young) ’02 Hardy, a son, Blake Cameran, March 21, 2007. E-mail the Hardy’s at a_hardy01@yahoo.com. Gail (Hoag) Lakatos ’01 and husband, Patrick, a son, Landon Patrick, Sept. 5, 2007. He joins brother, Trevor, 2.

Jim Klipfer and Tim St. Aubin ’80

St. Aubin is a teacher for the Tawas Area Schools and spent 26 years coaching. He and wife, Ellen (Holzwarth) ex ’80, have two college-aged sons. Klipfer installs security systems for colleges and other industries, and his wife, Diane, is an elementary school teacher in Hastings. They have two daughters and a son. They were able to catch up on each other’s lives and left the game with plans to make the reunion a yearly event. E-mail St. Aubin at tstaubin@tawas.net.

Lisa (Chase) ’02 and Travis ’03 Lehman, a son, Brody Michael, Sept. 9, 2007. Glen ’03 and Jamie (Hinkle) ’03 Pafford, a daughter, Lillyan Ryan, April 13, 2007. Steve ’03 and Andrea (Mroczek) ’06 Szokola, a daughter, Eva Rae, Sept. 2, 2007. E-mail the Szokolas at sszokola@hotmail.com. Christina Furlong ’06 and Brian Swearinger, a son, Isaac Ryan, April 24, 2007. He joins brother, Anthony Brian, 2. Erin ’07 Fredericks and husband, Michael, a daughter, Hannah Mae, June 10, 2007. Michael is an assistant professor of computer science at Olivet College. E-mail them at mfredericks@olivetcollege.edu.

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Class MARRIAGES

Catherine Waskewski ’82 and Christopher Caminsky, July 7, 2007, at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church in Royal Oak. Steve Critchlow ’02 and Kalyn Post, July 21, 2007, at the Olivet Congregational Church. Kalyn is the daughter of Mike ’82 and Lori (Page) Post ’82, niece of Todd Page ’85, Kristine (Post) Jenkins ’89 and John Page ’92, sister of Joe Post, Olivet freshman, and granddaughter of Beth Page, former director of student employment at Olivet. Steve’s dad is Thomas Critchlow ’82 and his uncle is David Critchlow ’80. They both teach in the Pahrump Valley High School in Pahrump, Nev. Ryan Jackson ’02 and Krista (Hoekstra), June 2, 2007 at the Van Andel Museum in Grand Rapids. Kappa Sig brothers in the wedding were David Bush ’91, Bill Deemer ’03, Eric Thompson ’01, and Bryant Williams ’00.Other Olivetians were Sarah (Jackson) Thatcher ’95, and Jennifer (Jackson) Bush ’92. Samantha Wood ’02 and Jeremy Schultz, August 18, 2007 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Battle Creek. Samantha is the daughter of Terry and Therese Wood ’07, director of human resources at Olivet. Samantha’s sister Amy (Wood) Tanis ’99, and Christy Hochstetler ’02 were among her attendants. Samantha is the assistant registrar and teacher’s certification officer at the Robert B. Miller College in Battle Creek. Chris Longyear ’03 and Kristin Dominique, June 16, 2007. Chris is a teacher at Mar Lee School in Marshall and owner of Star Fitness Center. E-mail Chris at longyearc @mar-lee.org. Katie Graebner ’05 and Kyle Ingraham, June 16, 2007, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lansing with the reception at Chisholm Hills Golf

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Club. Olivetians in the wedding were Dave Keeney ’05, Carrie Abbott ’06, Becky Gehrman ex’05, Marie Gouba ’06, and Margaret Todd ’06. E-mail Katie at kgraebner@gmail.com. Karine Campbell ’06 and Olivet College senior Brandon Walters, July 7, 2007, at the Olivet Congregational Church. Olivetians in the wedding were Samantha Dyke ’06, senior Tony Hall, Adelphic brother Levi Mason ’07 and Brandon’s brother, sophomore Blake Walters. Brandon’s mother is Tammy (Hoyt) Walters ’80, director of conferences and housing at the college. Karine is teaching ninth grade English and reading at Haines City High School in Polk County, Fla. Chad Folkersma ’06 and Denise Ritzer ’07, Sept. 29, 2007, at the Olivet Congregational Church. Olivetians in the wedding were Jeremy Shephard ’05, senior Nick Borowicz, Jaime Brubaker ’07 and Moe Palli ’07. E-mail Denise at deritzer@yahoo.com. Arin Hankerd ’06 and Cari McGee, June 23, 2007, at Lily Missionary Baptist Church. Arin is a teacher at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fla. E-mail Arin at vikinghank@aol.com. Lindsay Janousek ’06 and Chad Stewart, June 23, 2007, at the Olivet Congregational Church. Olivetians in the wedding were the bride’s aunt, Linda McGuire ’04, Louis Vasilion ’00 and Kelley Watson ’06. Lindsay is a preschool teacher in Tekonsha. E-mail Lindsay at StewartLindsayR@gmail.com Darren Hamman ’07 and Amy Burnett, May 12, 2007, at the Medalist Golf Course in Marshall. Mike Fales ’75, director of church relations and campus ministries, performed the ceremony.

Irene Elizabeth Brown ex’29, Aug. 8, 2007. Ruth (Marcy) Sell ’34, May 14, 2007. Lawrence White ’35, Oct. 6, 2007. Frances Louise (Frederick) Wilson ’35, Aug. 29, 2007. Elizabeth Louise (Leslie) Seager ’36, Sept. 13, 2007. Betty (Schoenstein) Langner ’42, June 16, 2007. Betty Jean (Frise) Conner-Wishart ’45, May 14, 2007. William Jacobson ’50, June 13, 2007. Donald “The Fox” Steele ex’50, Sept. 19, 2007. Merlynn (Bowyer) Hansen ’63, April 23, 2007. Patricia Beth (Lenning) Harris ’63, Dec. 31, 2006. Robin Lew Howard ex’63, Aug. 2, 2007. Ken O’Brien ’64, May 14, 2007. Mike Jones ex’65, July 11, 2007. Suzanne (Shank) Leet ex’66, July 26, 2007. Susan Loungway ’66, May 10, 2007. Richard Dutton ’68, March 6, 2007. Gloria (Sniezek) Miller ’73, Feb. 11, 2006. Ronald Hobday ex’74, June 4, 2007. Paul McKenzie ’75, early in 2007. Gary Keyes ex’81, Feb. 13, 2007. Suzanne (Schneck) Huff ’85, September. 2007. She is survived by her husband. Theodore Huff ’85. Trent Hersman ex’93, July 22, 2007. Robert “Bobby” Dixon ex’02, May 8, 2007, in Iraq. Tyson Herrick ex’07, May 3, 2007.

FORMER EMPLOYEES AND FRIENDS Elizabeth “Andy” Anderson, Oct. 7, 2007. She was a food service cook for 30 years. “Corky” Drumgold, May 23, 2007. Corky was the wife of Emerson Drumgold, former football coach at Olivet College, who died 10 years ago. Judy Martin, Dec. 9, 2006, wife of Edgar “Jack” Martin ’57. Bob Rue, Sept. 3, 2007, former assistant professor and administrator during the ’60s.

Showcasing Culture BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05

oji Takahashi has always been curious about his Japanese heritage, but it wasn’t until the senior math major experienced the culture firsthand that he wanted to share it with other people. Takahashi, a Toronto native whose father is Japanese and mother is Canadian, spent May 2006 in Tokyo and various parts of Japan while visiting his older sister, who was there participating in the Japan Exchange and Teaching ( JET) program. “I’ve always been interested in the culture and I’ve always really liked the food,” Takahashi said. “But because of my trip and my sister going over, I’ve taken a lot more interest in it.” When he returned to Olivet, he was encouraged by students, faculty and staff to present photographs, videos and mementos from his trip, as well as other aspects of Japanese culture, in an exhibit. Takahashi decided to hold the event in April, during the same time as Japan’s popular Cherry Blossom Festival. “We reserved the Oaks Dining Room to set up different items that Japanese culture has to offer,” he said. “I learned that there is a big Japanese population in Battle Creek, so I tried to get a hold of different people to see if they had anything to contribute. I also called the Consulate-General of Japan in Detroit and they sent some material over about the JET program.”

The exhibit featured origami, calligraphy, language, traditional clothing, sculpture and slide shows of photographs from Takahashi’s trip, as well as a video of his sister performing Japan’s famous taiko drumming. “It was really incredible to see the dedication the drummers have,” he said. “You don’t talk during or after the performance, you just focus on what you’re doing.” Perhaps his favorite display, though, was the food table. “I did some examples of Japanese food and my sister and mother actually came from Toronto and helped me with it,” he said. “It was really nice – my mom made vegetarian sushi.” In addition, Mike Fales, director of church relations and campus ministries and co-advisor for international students, set up an information table about an upcoming trip to Japan he is hosting during the college’s 2008 Intensive Learning Term, which Takahashi plans to attend. But if it’s up to him, this won’t be his last time there. He is currently in the process of applying to the JET program himself, with hopes of becoming an assistant English teacher and living there for a few years. In the meantime, Takahashi, who is on the swimming and diving team, a Blair Hall resident advisor, Common Ground vice president, Society of Hosford Scholars activities coordinator and a member of Helping Hands, is staying busy and staying put. “I’m enjoying the friends I’ve made and the programs I’m involved with here,” he said. “Coming from a huge city like Toronto to Olivet is a big difference. But I think it’s really essential to immerse yourself in a culture you’re not used to, step outside your comfort zone and adapt to it. It’s been a good experience.”

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