Engage the World THE CAMPAIGN FOR PLU
SEE PAGE 14
Inside:
> Homecoming, 24
> Service goes ‘On the Road,’ 12
> Honor Roll of Donors, 40
calendar
“Untitled,� by JP Avila, assistant professor of art. His work was part of the PLU faculty show, which took place this fall in the University Gallery.
NOVEMBER November 2, 6 p.m. Gallery Talk: Janet Marcavage Ingram Hall 100 November 3, 8 p.m. Artist Series: Early and Baroque Concert Lagerquist Concert Hall November 4, 5 p.m. MBA Speaker Series: Steve Maxwell, KeyBank Public Events Room, Morken Center
November 7, 3 p.m. Richard D. Moe Organ Recital Series: Kevin Birch, Guest Organist Lagerquist Concert Hall November 9, 7:30 p.m. Department of Religion Lecture Nordquist Lecture Hall, Xavier November 9, 8 p.m. Studio Series: Percussion and Steel Pan Ensemble Recital Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 4, 7 p.m. Literary Spotlight Series with Naseem Rakha Garfield Book Company Fireside Lounge
November 11, 10:30 a.m. A Nurse In Vietnam: Joan Watts: In Her Own Words Community Room, Garfield Book Company
November 5-7 PLU Family Weekend Locations across campus
November 11, Noon Veteran's Day Celebration Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 11, 7 p.m. Holocaust Program Lecture Nordquist Lecture Hall, Xavier November 11, 7 p.m. Literary Spotlight Series with Laurie Frankel Fireside Lounge, Garfield Book Company November 14, 3 p.m. Mary Baker Russell Music Scholars Recital Lagerquist Concert Hall November 13, 8 p.m. Choral Series: Choral Union Lagerquist Concert Hall November 17-December 15 Juried Student Exhibition University Gallery, Ingram Hall
continued on inside back cover
inside
Pacific Lutheran University Scene Winter 2010 Volume 41 Issue 2 4
Here & Now
8
Life of the Mind
12
Best Foot Forward
14
First-year students embrace tradition of service COVER STORY:
A University of Distinction Engage the World: The Campaign for PLU
22
Attaway Lutes
Athlete masters hurdles here and in Iraq
HOMECOMING PHOTOS PAGE 24 Barrett Bollen ’12 returned to continue his track career after a combat tour in Iraq. See page 22.
24
Alumni News & Events
Homecoming 2010: Luteology
30
Alumni Profiles
32
Alumni Class Notes
40
2010 Honor Roll of Donors
60
Perspective
Scene EXECUTIVE EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHER
PLU OFFICERS
Greg Brewis
John Froschauer
Loren J. Anderson President
EDITOR
ART DIRECTOR
Steve Hansen
Simon Sung
MANAGING EDITOR
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Barbara Clements
Steve Skramstad
WRITERS
ONLINE MANAGER
Greg Brewis Steve Hansen Barbara Clements Chris Albert Nick Dawson Kari Plog ’11 Theodore Charles ’12
Toby Beal
EDITORIAL OFFICES
University Communications Martin J. Neeb Center 253-535-8410 scene@plu.edu www.plu.edu/scene
Steven P. Starkovich Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Laura F. Majovski Vice President, Student Life and Dean of Students Karl Stumo Vice President, Admission and Enrollment Services Steve Olson Vice President, Development and University Relations Sheri J. Tonn Vice President, Finance and Operations
OFFICE OF ALUMNI AND CONSTITUENT RELATIONS Lauralee Hagen ‘75, ‘78 Executive Director
ADDRESS CHANGES Please direct any address changes to alumni@plu.edu or 800-ALUM-PLU
Sumerlin Larsen ‘01 Associate Director for Alumni and Constituent Relations
ON THE COVER Assistant Professor of Chemistry Neal Yakelis and Chelsea Berdahl in the laboratory in Rieke Science Center. Photo by Jordan Hartman ’02
G. Lee Kluth ‘69 Director, Congregation Relations Nesvig Alumni Center Tacoma, WA 98447-0003 253-535-7415 800-ALUM-PLU www.plualumni.org
Scene is printed on 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper using soy-based sustainable inks. The paper was manufactured at a Forest Stewardship Council-certified plant.
Volume 41, Issue 2 Scene (SSN 0886-3369) is published quarterly by Pacific Lutheran University, S. 121st and Park Ave., Tacoma, WA., 98447-0003. Periodicals postage paid at Tacoma, WA, and additional mailing offices. Address service requested. Postmaster: Send changes to Development Operations, Office of Development, PLU, Tacoma, WA, 98447-0003, deveops@plu.edu. © 2010 by Pacific Lutheran University
PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 3
here & now Benaroya Hall, Seattle
Arlene Schnitzer Hall, Portland
Lagerquist Hall, Tacoma
3 GREAT VENUES 1 GREAT CONCERT Christmas 2010: Benaroya, Schnitzer, Lagerquist
A
fter last year’s hugely successful first trip to Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, PLU is preparing for similar success with its Christmas Concerts at Portland’s premiere concert venue: the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. On Saturday night, Dec. 4, the Choir of the West, University Chorale and 4 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > HERE & NOW
members of the University Symphony Orchestra will present joyous anthems, processionals, carols, narration and audience participation in the magnificent musical venue, home of the Oregon Symphony and the Portland Opera. The larger hall will allow more music-lovers from the greater Portland area to take part in PLU’s signature musical event, which has historically sold out in the city. Friends and alumni of PLU, save the date – and be sure to plan on bringing some friends.
The Christmas Concert will also return to Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, this year on Monday, Dec. 6. Last year, the acoustically brilliant venue proved a worthy showcase for the talents of PLU’s finest student-musicians, the beginning of what is likely to be a long tradition of great performances at Benaroya Hall. On campus, performances will continue to take place in PLU’s Lagerquist Concert Hall, itself a magnificent venue. To ensure more concertgoers can
enjoy the smaller, more intimate venue, the concert will take place on three dates, Dec. 5, 9 and 10. Tickets for the Portland, Seattle and Tacoma concerts are all on sale now. To find out how to purchase tickets, and for more information, visit www.plu.edu/christmas.
worst economic recession since the 1930s. “Part of it has been careful management,” Anderson said in explaining the university’s growth and success at pushing toward its academic and economic goals. “Part of that has been just good fortune...simply put, we are able to focus on what we do best. “Everything we do here begins and ends with students,” Anderson said.
New orientation program aids first-year student success
T PLU President Loren J. Anderson
he almost 700 first-year students who came to campus in September took part in the new student orientation program, Discovering Horizons Together. The
Opening week at PLU
program helped students find new ways to get to know their new classmates, learn about the campus and its services, and discover opportunities in the greater Puget Sound region. (See related story, “Best Foot Forward,” on page 12.) “We have designed new student orientation to give new students a founda-
State of the university: ‘strong and stable’
D
uring a time of economic crisis, Pacific Lutheran University has not only managed to hold its own, but as a community, push forward with its vision to educate students who have a passion to make changes in this world, said President Loren J. Anderson in his 2010 state of the university address. “My simple thesis is the university is strong and stable,” Anderson said. “We are planning for the decade ahead from great strength.” As institutions of higher education nationally have struggled under economic restraints, PLU has fared well by nearly every measure, he said. He cited PLU’s stable enrollment – near 3,600 students – which features the most ethnically diverse incoming class ever. Retention rates for first-year students have topped 82 percent. The university continued to add to its number of Fulbright scholars, which now number 83. Despite a difficult economic environment, fund raising successes continued, with more than 10,000 donors contributing to the university last year. New endowed chairs in Holocaust Studies and Elementary Education, as well as an endowed professorship in Lutheran Studies were established last year. All this occurred in the same year that the country struggled through the
THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS
SM
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has launched Thrivent Choice Dollars, a new program that allows eligible members to designate charitable dollars to their favorite nonprofit. To designate your Choice Dollars to PLU, please follow these three steps: 1) Call 1-800-847-4836 and say, “Thrivent Choice” or visit www.thrivent.com/choicedollars. 2) Select PLU to receive your Thrivent Choice Dollars for 2010. 3) Set up a “recurring direction” to automatically designate your Choice Dollars to PLU every time your balance reaches $10 or more.
HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010
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here & now continued
tion to succeed here at PLU,” said Allison Stephens, director of student engagement at PLU. The new student orientation program combined need-to-know learning opportunities with just-for-fun events during a five-day period. The events and activities help to make PLU feel like home for students more quickly, Stephens said. A big part of new student orientation is giving students the chance to meet the people on campus who can help them with their concerns and problems, like their academic advisors and Residence Hall advisors. “We want them to be able to recognize people they know they can go to,” Stephens said.
PLU’s men’s a capella group PLUtonics
New sports mascot unveiled for sports events — the Knight
PLUtonics perform before 12 million on ‘America’s Got Talent’
oaming the sidelines this fall has been something PLU hasn’t seen for several decades – a Knight. The nickname for PLU’s sports teams will remain the Lutes, but the new mascot is a nod to the 1970s and ’80s, when teams were also known as the Knights. Members of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee who helped select the mascot wanted to preserve the longstanding tradition of the Lutes, but also wanted a visual representation to generate Lute Spirit on campus and at athletic events. The students wanted to inspire spirit and pay homage to the past, said Jennifer Thomas, assistant athletics director and advisor to PLU SAAC. The PLU Knight made its first appearance during Welcome Week, and was on the sidelines cheering on Lutes at the Sept. 18 football game against California Lutheran University at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup and has appeared at sporting events since.
his summer, John Marzano ’13 and nine other friends found themselves singing on national television as part of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” program. “I would have never, ever thought I’d be onstage singing in front of 12 million people,” said Marzano, a sophomore vocal performance major, and president of PLU’s a cappella group PLUtonic. In July, PLUtonic made it onto the entertainment reality show as one of the 12 finalists by way of the show’s national YouTube contest. “Before we knew it we were down in L.A. jumping right into rehearsals,” Marzano said. For the live show, the group performed a rendition of the song “Low” by Flo Rida and received positive remarks from the judges. Following the live performance and nationwide voting, PLUtonic was in the last elimination round during the live results and was the second-to-last act eliminated, bringing their fame to an end. The members of PLUtonic may have finished their national journey, but another is just beginning. PLUtonic is continuing work on an album, which is currently in the editing process.
R
PLU’s new mascot, the Knight
6 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > HERE & NOW
T
Big changes at PLU bookstore
T
he Garfield Book Company (GBC) has introduced several changes this academic year, especially for parents and students looking for ways to save money. (And who isn’t?) Most significantly, GBC has launched a website where students can find what textbooks each professor is requiring for their class, and compare how much that book will cost, used or new, at the bookstore, as well as how much it will cost on other online merchants, such as Amazon or Half. Matthew Crom, textbook manager of the bookstore, thinks that visitors to the site will quickly find that the GBC’s prices are competitive.
Garfield Book Company
GBC, which buys thousands of books each year for the students returning for the fall semester, and then again in the spring, will also offer a textbook rental program, which will also have a link off the GBC main site. “We will offer many options for students here,” Crom said. “They can buy a used book, purchase a new book here, or participate through the buyback program.” GBC has also expanded “Luteworld” and re-introduced a Scandinavian Shop, two popular departments of the bookstore. Now, the entire second floor of GBC will be dedicated to All-ThingsLute, from PLU sweatshirts to PLUthemed Christmas gifts. The Scandinavian Shop will feature numerous gifts and delicacies with a Scandinavian flair. S
ACCOLADES Elizabeth E. Brusco, professor of anthropology, contributed a chapter titled “Gender and Power” to the book “Studying Global Pentecostalism: Theories and Methods,” University of California Press, 2010. Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen, visiting assistant professor of religion, had her article, “Strip the Rich Right Down to Their Shirts: St. John the Almsgiver and the Transformation of the City” published in “Ekklesiastikos Pharos,” 91.20. Laura McCloud, assistant professor of sociology, recently had her paper “The Fragile American: Hardship and Financial Troubles in the 21st Century” accepted for publication in “Sociological Quarterly.” The paper was coauthored with Rachel E. Dwyer. Karen E. McConnell, associate professor of movement studies and wellness education, and director of assessment, was quoted in the September 24, 2010, edition of “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” The article, “A Measure of Education Is Put to the Test,” reported on the Collegiate Learning Assessment results. Maureen McGill, associate professor of dance and theatre, presented a paper at the International Association of Near Death Studies in Denver. The paper was based on her forthcoming book (coauthored with Nola Davis) “Live from the Other Side,” Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2010.
Rebecca M. Wilkin, assistant professor of French, had her second book published for the series, “Chicago’s Other Voice in Early Modern Europe.” Wilkin’s book, co-translated by Donna Stanton, is a compilation of the works of the late 17th century French philosopher Gabrielle Suchon. It is the first time Suchon’s works appear in English. Michael J. Halvorson, associate professor and chair of history, had his book “Heinrich Heshusius and Confessional Polemic in Early Lutheran Orthodoxy” published in September. This historical monograph presents original research that opens a window on the formation of early Lutheranism in late 16th century Germany. Amy Siegesmund, assistant professor of biology, was one of 23 biologists selected to participate in the 2010 American Society for Microbiology Biology Scholars Program Research Residency. The program is a national leadership program established in 2008 to help faculty improve student learning in the laboratory or classroom. Bridget E. Yaden, assistant professor of Spanish and director of the Language Resource Center, has been awarded the 2010 “Inspirational Leadership Certificate” by the Washington Association for Language Teachers. The award “recognizes contributions in promoting, organizing, supporting, defending, lobbying, or planning some important aspect of study of world languages and/or cultures.”
HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 7
8 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > LIFE OF THE MIND
life of the mind One student’s experience at the Tribal Gathering in Neah Bay, and how one course outside the classroom changed how he sees the world Photos and text by Theodore Charles ’12
E
very morning in Neah Bay, Wash., the cold fog would sweep through our camp and shake us from our sleep as we trundled across the grounds of the Makah Cultural and Resource Center for the showers. It was my second time at Neah Bay. I had been here once before, part of a JTerm course, “Makah Culture Past and Present.” My experience from that time
was why I returned this past summer. Along with several other PLU students and Professor of Anthropology David Huelsbeck, we came to volunteer at Tribal Journeys, one of the largest Native American celebrations on the West Coast of the United States. My first experience at Neah Bay taught me the warmth of the Makah people – I never had been welcomed so
warmly by people I had just met. I returned to Neah Bay to not only continue to learn about the Makah, but to expose myself to the traditions of the many Northwest tribal nations attending the celebration. On the day of arrival, almost 10,000 people crowded onto the beach to watch 86 canoes from as far away as Alaska address the Makah Tribal Council, requesting permission to come ashore. Quileute, Quinault, Tlingit, Swinomish, Cowichan, Warm Springs and Lummi are only a few of the tribes to attend. For 11 days, we were essentially the ‘go to’ people for anything that needed to be done. We were assigned as volunteers for elder hospitality, an incredibly honorable task of handling the needs of important tribesmen. On an average day we volunteered for four to 10 hours – assisting elders, >>
The ceremonial landing just prior to a salmon dinner for the inaugural day of Tribal Journeys.
LIFE OF THE MIND > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 9
life of the mind continued Professor Dave Huelsbeck, Brianne Ankenman ’13 and Sarah Finley ’12 clear rocks from the canoe landing area.
Scrubbing the hull of a canoe in preparation for youth races.
A Tlingit canoe waits to land during the ceremonial landing of Tribal Journeys.
10 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > LIFE OF THE MIND
Students take a break from bagging sack lunches on the floor of the community center.
making sandwiches, driving people in golf carts, transporting salmon, directing traffic and hauling canoes from the water. In our time off we chatted with elders, went hiking, joined drum circles and ate fry bread. No matter what we did, we learned a great deal about native culture – and a little about our own traditions, as well. I come from an extensive Scandinavian family that hosts a Smorgasbord around Christmas and garlands its trees with Swedish and Norwegian flags. My time with the Makah taught me to look at my own culture in a way that is not simply seasonal. I think of the Makah who participated for six hours of dances that have never been performed before and may never be again. These songs and dances are not only an incredible form of expression, but the right to perform them are the most valued property a family can have. I was captivated by that dance. Not simply the beauty of the performance, but the value in that gesture. It left me with a desire to “live my heritage” more thoroughly. To me, appreciating who I am through understanding my heritage impacts the actions I make on a daily basis. To have been a part of Tribal Journeys was an experience that I
never, in my wildest dreams, considered a possibility. This fantastic experience broadened my gaze from a simple love of the discipline of anthropology, to a passion for the subject. S
Learning anthropology by doing anthropology
T
he two courses mentioned in Ted Charles’ essay seek to provide an opportunity for students to experience a different culture: To learn anthropology by doing anthropology. This summer, as part of the Tribal Journeys celebration, the focus was on Northwest Native American culture. The J-Term course specifically focuses on Makah culture. The goal is to help students learn to recognize cultural values that are different from their own, and learn to recognize when they are acting/reacting
on the assumption that their values are “right.” (In other words, to recognize when they are being ethnocentric.) These anthropological learning objectives are congruent with PLU’s Wild Hope Project, in that they give students the chance to discover the kind of “big enough questions” that will continue to have an impact in the student’s life beyond the classroom, today and in the future. Both courses involve on-campus inclass preparation, and then 12 days in Neah Bay, Wash. Ordinarily 12 days is not nearly enough time to recognize often subtle differences in customs and values and, more importantly, not enough time to resolve conflicting emotions about cultural differences in a way that allows one to understand the other culture. The courses are a collaboration between PLU and the Makah Cultural and Research Center (MCRC). PLU students learn about Makah and Native American culture from Native Americans. The Makah are eager to share their culture and are very talented cross-cultural educators. Why is this collaboration so effective? I began working with the tribe during graduate school in 1977. We know and trust each other. I’ve been bringing PLU students to Neah Bay since 1995. Year in and year out the students are eager to learn, respectful and honest – even if they don’t always agree with every Makah value. The students have earned the trust of the Makah people who work with us. The trust makes possible an openness and sharing more characteristic of the multi-year relationship than a 12-day experience. The trust relationship is reinforced by service activities. We “help out.” It might be something as simple as stacking firewood for an elder, creating an opportunity to get to know each other as individuals. It might be helping serve dinner at a potlatch or helping with elder hospitality at Tribal Journeys, creating an opportunity not just to observe, but to participate. Participating in another culture is truly a life-changing experience. —David R. Huelsbeck, professor of anthropology LIFE OF THE MIND > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 11
As part of ‘On the Road,’ first-year students embrace PLU’s tradition of service WHEN FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS came to campus for orientation weekend this past September, organizers made sure that, on that first Saturday, those students were promptly sent off campus. It was part of PLU’s On the Road program, which takes place each year to help first-year students become familiar with the city and region that will be their home for the next four years. Some explored the lava caves at Mt. St. Helens. Others learned salsa dancing at Abbey Ballroom in Tacoma. Some visited Tacoma’s art and glass museums. And some pulled weeds. More than 390 students took part in On the Road, at 23 different locations. Four of those trips were designed help students find a place where they could volunteer their time and energy – all in that great Lutheran 12 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > FEATURES
tradition of service. “We’ve noticed over the years that the outdoor rec trips and the service trips are always the first ones to fill up,” said Melanie Deane ’12, ASPLU programs coordinator and student organizer of On the Road. “So this year, we wanted to make sure there were more opportunities for students.” One of those trips was to Tenino, Wash., where about a dozen students rolled up their sleeves and got muddy
at Left Foot Organics, a non-profit farm which aims to promote self-sufficiency, inclusion and independence for people with developmental disabilities and rural youth. “I just liked their mission,” Anna Payton, a first-year student from Puyallup, Wash., said. “I really like that they give disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities the opportunity to work.” Payton and the rest of the students in her group spent the day learning about Left Foot’s mission and helped farm workers pull weeds. “Their hearts seem to be in the right place when it comes to helping others and providing healthy food for the community,” she said. “It was a little hard work to help out a wonderful cause.” First-year Sarah Kintner, who came to PLU from Wenatchee, Wash., because of the strong sense of community, said she
By Kari Plog ’11 went on the Left Foot trip to play in the dirt. “Volunteering for something like that was a great opportunity to have fun and get to know some great people and get muddy and dirty at the same time,” she said. Left Foot Organics was new to this year’s slate of On the Road trips. The non-profit farm grows more than 50 varieties of vegetables year-round and harvests eggs to sell, as well as boasting a pesticide-free operation. It has more than 700 volunteers who put in approximately 3,800 hours of volunteer work last year. There were three other On the Road trips that also sought to encourage students to find ways to be of service to others. One group went to Northwest Harvest, one of Washington’s largest hunger relief agencies. Another group took part in a habitat restoration project on the PLU campus. Another trip introduced first-year students to PLU’s own community garden, which donates organic vegetables to members of the Parkland community. Kirk Rose, one of the employees for Left Foot, said he learned about the spirit of service while in college, and it
was his love of volunteering and his farming background that brought him to Left Foot about a year ago. Trips to places like Left Foot encourage students to find the connection that Kirk Rose did – something that
they love and give themselves to. That was true for ASPLU’s Deane, a Lake Oswego, Ore., native. Two years ago, she participated in an On the Road Trip to the Tacoma Rescue Mission, and that experience is still important to her. She’s found more opportunities to volunteer there, and she expects the students on this year’s trips will too. “It is an awesome way to continue community service,” Dean said. Cody Cano, a first-year student planning to major in biology, said he chose the trip at the last minute, but enjoyed the experience with the new friends he made. “We all met today and we are working toward one common goal,” Cano said. That goal might be called “community.” And that is something that firstyear student Johanna Muller, who comes from Denair, Calif., definitely stands behind. “I live on a farm in California and I love volunteering and helping other people,” Muller said. “This seemed like a good fit to start off the year.” S Photos by Megan Randich ’12 FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010
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14 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > FEATURES FEATURE
Engage the World THE CAMPAIGN FOR PLU
A UNIVERSITY
OF DISTINCTION Pacific Lutheran University is a learning community that distinguishes itself by developing generations of globally conscious, self-aware citizens who are equipped to engage the world in serious and meaningful ways. PLU lives out its Lutheran heritage by providing each student preparation both for a successful career and for a lifetime of service to others. With a unique commitment to student-faculty research, an academically rigorous and internationally distinctive curriculum, and purpose-centered learning that forms and engages passionate leaders and learners, PLU is one of the premier comprehensive universities in the West. PLU prepares students to learn and to teach; to understand and to be understood; to collaborate and to lead. The university is determined to foster a new generation of leaders who will shape a just, healthy, sustainable and peaceful world. An innovator in values-based, globally-focused education, the campus community is committed to a set of priorities that enliven its mission of serving the world. We now invite others to invest financially in the PLU experience and the priorities of Engage the World: The Campaign for PLU. FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010
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“I grew up in a family with three generations at PLU. So I know that without scholarship support many students would not be able to afford the life-changing experiences that PLU has to offer. Our gifts make a difference now and for years to come.” –Jenna Edlund ’96 ’99
ENDOWMENT
ACADEMICS & MISSION PLU’s faculty, academic programs, and campus-wide Wild Hope Project – exploring vocation in the 21st century – are nationally and internationally recognized for their quality and distinctiveness. Enhancing the endowment to a level better aligned with the university’s stature and size will advance quality and distinctiveness and strengthen the university’s capacity to carry out its mission in these areas:
GLOBAL EDUCATION Endowment support for the building of a globally focused university is central to PLU’s future success. Great progress has been made in bringing a global emphasis more broadly to the academic, curricular and programmatic areas of the university. That work can be accelerated through the funding of endowments with a particular global emphasis, including: curriculum development, expanding study-abroad opportunities, creating more student-faculty research opportunities, more fully opening the campus to international students, and named faculty chairs and endowed professorships in the global curriculum.
STUDENT-FACULTY RESEARCH AND CREATIVE PROJECTS Student-faculty research opportunities enhance the educational experience of students and faculty working one-on-one and in small groups to delve deeply into issues critical to disciplines across the curriculum. Opportunities include: establishing student-faculty research endowments in professional schools, enhancing the endowments that exist in Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences, and endowing or expanding endowments for equipment funds in art, business, economics, music, natural sciences, nursing, psychology and theater.
WILD HOPE PROJECT – VOCATION, IDENTITY AND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE The Wild Hope Project is the unifying name for several programs that ensure each PLU student receives a comprehensive understanding of how to go about discerning one’s vocation. College is the critical junction in the lives of most young people as they make decisions about life goals and career paths that will affect them for a lifetime. Institutionalizing that program is crucial to effectively leveraging the $2 million grant PLU received from the Lilly Endowment Inc., that made the Wild Hope program possible. Named endowment funds will ensure the success of these programs in perpetuity.
NAMED FACULTY CHAIRS AND ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS Named faculty chairs and endowed professorships bring public recognition to the university and its programs as well as provide salary support, travel, research stipends and programming funds for faculty members. 16 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > FEATURES
16 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > FEATURES
We can reach our goal
with your help! DONATE NOW 1-800-826-0035 www.plu.edu/give For more information on Engage the World: The Campaign for PLU, visit www.plu.edu/campaign
FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010
17
C A P I TA L P R O J E C T S
RECREATION & WELLNESS FACILITIES In the context of its traditional commitment to improving the mind, body and spirit, the campus community recognizes the importance of serving wellness and recreation needs of the campus and the surrounding community, as well as the physical education and athletic needs. Redevelopment of the land resources on the lower campus into multipurpose facilities and fields will serve this goal. Plans arising out of the work of the campus master plan for facilities include:
• All-Weather Lighted Athletic Fields • Olson Auditorium and Gymnasium
18 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > FEATURES
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT Excellent faculty cultivate their intellectual capital through on-going development in teaching, scholarship and university citizenship. Faculty development funding provides educational, research and study, and leadership development opportunities.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING
CAMPAIGN GOALS RAISED TO DATE $90 MILLION
GOAL $100 Million
Endowed sponsorships for major symposia, annual lectures, seminars and workshops are crucial to a flourishing academic culture and extend the explicitly academic resources of the university out into the community. Such events provide a forum for faculty and visiting scholars to share knowledge, engage students in non-classroom settings and provide community outreach.
ENDOWMENT
ENSURING STUDENT ACCESS Enhancing the endowment for financial support for students is critical to ensuring access to college for all, regardless of their economic standing. It also enables the university to attract a diverse group of highly qualified students, and enrich their educational experiences, through scholarships, student-faculty research grants, and study-abroad stipends. Named endowment scholarships and grants mirror the university’s commitment to student access, the recognition of scholarly achievement, and a commitment to global education.
Global Study Opportunities Study-abroad scholarships for low-income students who otherwise might not be able to take advantage of study-abroad opportunities.
Global Scholar Grant Program Supported by single or multiple donors, an endowment of $1 million would provide $50,000 a year for one or more upper-division students’ tuition, room and board, travel, and research.
We can reach our goal
with your help! DONATE NOW 1-800-826-0035 www.plu.edu/give For more information on Engage the World: The Campaign for PLU, visit www.plu.edu/campaign
PLU Achiever Opportunity grant A $500,000 endowment provides full tuition or $25,000 per year for lowincome and/or students of color to encourage academic accomplishment and help ensure access to college. The scholarships are awarded to students who show the promise of success.
Regents’ Scholarships A $500,000 endowment supports the most prestigious university scholarship offered to high ability, incoming first-year students and is continued annually, full tuition or $25,000 a year.
President’s Scholarship A $325,000 endowment recognizes outstanding academic achievement in the classroom and beyond at $16,000 a year. FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010
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Academic Merit Scholarships A $100,000 endowment provides $5,000 per year to recognize and support academically meritorious students.
Donor-Designated Scholarships A $25,000 (minimum) endowment provides scholarship support at $1,250 a year for a student in a particular major or course of study. Donors help determine the criteria for students receiving scholarship support from the endowment, typically named in their or a loved one’s honor or memory.
C A P I TA L P R O J E C T S :
ACADEMIC FACILITIES A school with a strong commitment to the liberal arts must provide highcaliber facilities to support its academic and cocurricular programs. Architecturally distinctive facilities, complete with appropriate equipment and technology, inspire students and faculty and enhance the academic vitality of the university. PLU has work left to be done on the academic schoolhouse, bringing our facilities up to the level of our programs, including: • Performing Arts Center and Chapel, at Eastvold, Phase One • Rieke Science Center • Olson Auditorium and Gymnasium
We can reach our goal
with your help! DONATE NOW 1-800-826-0035 www.plu.edu/give For more information on Engage the World: The Campaign for PLU, visit www.plu.edu/campaign
• Upgrading other classrooms and teaching facilities and acquiring stateof-the-art instructional technology and equipment.
Performing Arts Center and Chapel at Eastvold Hall The first phase of the renovation of one of PLU’s historic landmark buildings began in summer 2010. A new roof, new exterior brickwork and renovation of space formerly occupied by KPLU into a first-class “black box” Studio Theater is included in the first phase of this project. Naming opportunities range from $1 million for the studio theater to $1,000 for individual seats.
Rieke Science Center Home to the PLU Division of Natural Sciences, Rieke Science Center is now more than 25 years old. Still state-of-the art in its design and open lab concept, Rieke requires upgraded equipment and reconfigured internal space to meet the demands of scientific inquiry in the 21st Century. The investment planned for Rieke Hall will be used to: • Reconfigure interior laboratory space to support and enhance science instructional methodologies and for student faculty research • Update classrooms • Improve the second floor “open lab” space • Update various building infrastructure, such as heating and ventilation. There will be numerous naming opportunities associated with the Rieke Science Center renovation. For a gift of $1.5 million, donors will have the
20 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > FEATURES
opportunity to name the signature feature of Rieke Science Center, the second-floor open laboratory space, used primarily for chemistry and physics experimentation. Other opportunities, ranging from $1 million (for the atrium of the Rieke Science Center) or $500,000 (for chemistry faculty research lab), to $25,000 (for faculty offices) are also available.
PROGRESS
CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES $90 MILLION MILESTONE ON THE WAY TO $100 MILLION GOAL The public phase of PLU’s new $100 million fund-raising campaign began Oct. 10 at a celebration that included the announcement that more than $90 million of the goal is already in hand. Known as “Engage the World: The Campaign for PLU,” the drive is raising funds for academic program support, student scholarships, improved academic and athletic facilities and operating support and special projects.
O P E R AT I N G S U P P O R T
AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
Past achievements at the university have been accomplished through the generosity of thousands of faithful donors – Q Club members, Lute Club members and others who make special gifts in support of specific programs. This broad base of continuing support must grow for a PLU education to continue to be affordable for students and their families, for PLU to attract and retain top-quality faculty and for PLU to be faithful to its mission.
Campaign leadership celebrated at Tacoma’s Museum of Glass, marking the beginning of a broad appeal for support from alumni and friends of the university. At the event, President Loren J. Anderson announced a $10 million gift from the estate of Karen Hille Phillips who passed away September 13. “Karen was deceptively wise, caring of heart, humble in bearing and generous in spirit,” he said. Phillips, the largest benefactor in the history of the university, has now given almost $20 million. She was a 1955 graduate of the PLC School of Nursing and she served as a member of the Board of Regents for nine years beginning in 2000. (Editor’s Note: watch for a feature on Karen Phillips in the next issue of Scene.) “The campaign celebration provided us the opportunity to thank the people who have helped us reach the $90 million mark,” said James A. Plourde, director for campaign and strategy. “We were also able report to them on campus enhancements that the campaign has made possible and enlist their support for meeting the challenges that remain in reaching our $100 million goal,” he said.
“People have been remarkable in their generous responses,” he said. “Gifts to Q Club in support of student scholarships, gifts in support of students who study abroad, gifts in support of academic and athletic programs and gifts from those who are remembering PLU in their estate planning are all essential.”
“OUR STATURE is measured by how we serve students and how they in turn serve the world.”
Last year there were more than 10,000 donors who contributed to PLU – more than ever before in the history of the university.
–Loren J. Anderson, President
Plourde said that while large campaign gifts have provided a remarkable legacy to date, full participation is important and gifts of all sizes are welcome and appreciated.
“All donors make a difference,” Plourde said. “And our donors are, in effect, casting a vote in favor of what we do here at PLU and demonstrating to the broader community that they support PLU’s mission. “Everyone who cares deeply about PLU should consider making a gift to the campaign.” S FEATURES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010
21
attaway lutes From PLU, to Iraq, and back: Barrett Bollen attacks life’s hurdles
B
arrett Bollen ’12 settled into the starting blocks for the 400-meter hurdles finals. It was the 2010 Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships in Spokane last April. Ten hurdles measuring 36 inches in height separated him from the finish line. Compared to the hurdles that Bollen crossed one year earlier as a member of the United States Marine Corps in Iraq, those 10 hurdles seemed like a walk in the park. But more on Iraq later. Bollen, running only the third 400meter hurdles race in his life, surprised most everyone by winning the conference title with a time of 56.13 seconds. In doing so, he lowered his personal best by more than two seconds. It was only Bollen’s third time running the event, including the first time when he tripped over a hurdle, got back up, and established a conference meet–qualifying time. The hurdles title capped an outstanding meet for Bollen, who placed fifth in the 400-meter dash in addition to running the second leg on both of PLU’s relay teams. Two weeks earlier, Bollen finished fifth in the conference decathlon championship meet. He started the second of two days of competition in seventh place, but moved up two spots with 5,650 points. He recorded personal bests in all five of the secondday events – 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters. “I certainly have a new love in the 400meter hurdles, so that has to be my favorite single event now,” Bollen said. “But competing in the decathlon is certainly the greatest experience I’ve ever had in track and field. My favorite part of the decathlon is the 1,500-meter run. It's the last event and, since everyone is just exhausted, it comes down to how badly you want to win.” At first, track and field didn’t come easily for Bollen, who grew up in Grayland, Wash., a small community located on the central Washington 22 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ATTAWAY LUTES
coast. In the eighth grade he finished last in a 400-meters race and took that as a personal challenge. By the time he was a senior he had shaved 30 seconds off of his time and ended up placing fourth in the state. PLU track and field, and cross country head coach Heather Kreier saw him while he was an athlete at tiny Ocosta High School. “When I saw him as a recruit, he was this highly positive and talented kid – and he could back it up.” His personality and temperament lent themselves to leadership, a quality that Kreier valued. When he got to PLU, Bollen’s athletic career was ready to take off. And that’s when the military called. Bollen had enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 2005 when he was 17years-old. A year later, one month after his high school graduation, he went to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego, graduated meritoriously, and was promoted to private first class for earning a perfect score on his Marine Corps physical fitness test. After attending combat training and occupation specialty school to become a motor transport operator, he checked in with his reserve unit at Fort Lewis in December 2006. In the fall of 2007, Bollen’s first semester at PLU, his unit received activation orders for deployment to Iraq. He took that “ready-to-go” attitude into Iraq’s Al Anbar province, where his unit conducted security missions from April through October 2008. The unit was then deactivated and Bollen returned stateside. He re-enrolled at PLU and resumed classes in January 2009, but remains involved in the Marine Corps Reserves as a corporal. Bollen came back ready for his first full season as a member of the PLU track and field team. His natural leadership abilities had been refined by his seven months in Iraq. “You’ve got a man coming back to the program with much greater life experiences,” Kreier said, “and grateful to be
back and have the opportunity to once again compete in athletics.” Bollen sought out his coach to discuss his desire to be a team leader, and soon, as Kreier said, “he was on the fast track to team leadership.” “I know that being a Marine has done a great deal for me in terms of making me a better leader and athlete,” Bollen said. “Many of the characteristics that go into being a successful Marine such as self discipline, confidence, mental and physical toughness, are also attributes of most successful athletes.” Bollen’s approach to leadership, whether on the track and field and cross-country teams, or with the Marines, is about initiative. “Everyone has the capacity to be a great leader, but inspiring others only comes as a result of individual effort,” he said. “Simple things like a positive attitude, good work ethic, accountability, and confidence can prove to others and to me that success is always possible through initiative. “It works both ways. Every day I see my friends, my teammates and my fellow Marines aspire to improve themselves, and as a result they inspire me to do the same.” “He’s an example that the other athletes can aspire to,” Kreier said. “He likes that role, he shines in that role.” Bollen may or may not choose a career in the Marine Corps. His current focus is to earn a degree in history by May 2012, two months before his six-year contract with the Marines expires. “When I joined the Marine Corps I only wanted to return the service that others had provided for me,” Bollen said. “I had always planned on going to college and pursuing all the things that made me happy, but I didn't want to do those things until I had proved to myself that I had earned the right to do so. “I believed that there was no better way to earn that happiness than to serve my country and family in a time of conflict, and I stand by that belief to this day.” S —Nick Dawson
“Everyone has the capacity to be a great leader, but inspiring others only comes as a result of individual effort.”
ATTAWAY LUTES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 23
alumni news & events
BY STEVE HANSEN
Homecoming brings together current students and alumni as part of ‘Meant to Live’
W
hen the student-organized Meant to Live program blossomed on the PLU campus in 2004, its mission was a simple one: To bring speakers to campus who can share their vocational journey. In short, to get them to talk to students about how and why they do what they love. The program was quite a success, and over the past several years, it brought people from a wide array of vocations. One person, for example, sought to build world peace and global under-
24 PLU SCENE FALL 2010 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS
standing though a non-profit called “Companion Flag International.” Another chased tornados. Their stories were as diverse as they were compelling. But the theme was always the same: Live Your Passion. Or, to put it a different way: to get students to think about what they can do with their one wild a precious life. This year, on the Friday of homecoming weekend, saw a significant change in the Meant to Live program – it joined forces with Homecoming. After all, homecoming was already a time when
hundreds of successful PLU graduates already came to campus, and organizers thought this would be the perfect opportunity to take Meant to Live and turn it up a notch. “What could be a better time to bring alumni and students together than at homecoming?” asked Lauralee Hagen, executive director of PLU’s office of Alumni and Constituent Relations. Her point is well taken. And it seems to fit nicely with a gift that the class of 1958 gave to the university. That gift – almost $107,000 provided by 67 gener-
ous alums – sought to endow the Meant to Live program, part of PLU’s signature “Wild Hope Project.” “Meant to Live is the convergence of a gift from the Class of 1958 and Homecoming, where an alumnus of the university can speak to students about his or her life’s work,” said Samuel Torvend, project director of the Wild Hope Project and professor of the history of Christianity. This is the first year that Meant to Live will officially be associated with Homecoming. Even so, the idea remains
a simple one: bring together Lutes from all ages and disciplines, and let them talk about their own vocational passions. And judging by the group assembled in the University Center on Friday, Oct. 8., the union is already a success. With this year’s homecoming affinity group being graduates of the School of the Arts and Communication, Meant to Live organizers tapped filmmaker and advertising guru Jim Walker ’76 to address participants and take part in the first-ever Meant to Live luncheon. There, SOAC students, faculty and alumni came
together to connect and converse, listening to vocational narratives and advice from alumni mentors, and alumni will hear about students' current experiences and hopes for the future. Following the luncheon, Walker, who is currently partner and creative director for Twin Creek Productions and whose work has been recognized from the Cannes International Film Festival to TBS’s Funniest Commercials in the World, discussed how his education at PLU contributed to, raised questions about, and provided him with a sense of vocation. S
ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS > PLU SCENE FALL 2010 25
26 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS
ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS> PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 27
28 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS
alumni news & events
continued
Join the
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Get connected with the online community
O
ne of the best ways to stay connected with your friends and PLU is to become a member of the PLU Online Community. Search for friends and make new connections. Membership is free and exclusive to alumni. All you need to do to take advantage of the community is to proceed through the easy registration process below. Begin at www.plualumni.org. On the left hand side of your page you will find the Online Community log-in section. Click on the “Register Now” link right below the log-in. Registering involves filling in your first and last name as well as your
•
official graduation year (i.e. 1986 rather than 86). When this is complete, select “Find my Record.” The following screen will show all the records matching the search criteria you have just entered. Select your name. To verify that this is your record, you will be asked for your alumni ID number. This number is listed on the label of this magazine. You will now choose your own user ID and password for continual access to the online community. Once you have agreed to the terms and conditions, click the “Complete Registration” button and a confirmation e-mail will be sent to you if requested. You are now registered! As a member of the online community, you can update your current information, search the directory for your friends, or establish contacts by bookmarking them. Contact us with any questions at alumni@plu.edu or 253-535-7415. Do not waste any time, get online and sign up to be a member of the Online Community and reconnect! S
• •
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Alumni Recognition Award Nominations Awards are given each year to alumni, friends and students for outstanding achievements and years of service. Nominations must include supporting letters and be returned to the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations by Jan. 5, 2011. Here are the categories: Distinguished Alumnus Award Through years of dedication and service, this alumnus has achieved professional or vocational distinction. YOUR NOMINEE
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Outstanding Alumnus Award Awarded to an alumnus, beyond 15 years of graduation, who has excelled in a special area of life. YOUR NOMINEE
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award Awarded to an alumnus, within 15 years of graduation, who has excelled in a special area of life. YOUR NOMINEE
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Pencil Us In
Heritage Award Awarded to an alumnus for years of distinguished service to the university. YOUR NOMINEE
UPCOMING EVENTS December 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU GOLD event in Portland, Ore. December 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Music alumni pre-concert event, Portland, Ore. December 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU GOLD event at The Gonyea House December 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU GOLD event at Vessel in Seattle December 6 . . . .Music Alumni pre-concert event at The Capital Grille, Seattle January 25-31 . . . . . . . . . .University Wind Ensemble Tour, Southern California February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU Connection Event, St Paul, Minn.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Special Recognition Award Awarded to an alumnus or friend of the university who has uniquely served the university. YOUR NOMINEE
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Alumni Service Award Awarded to an alumnus who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer leadership and/or service to their community. YOUR NOMINEE
February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU Connection Event, Denver, Colo.
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February 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU Alumni Basketball event at PLU
Brian C. Olson Student Leadership Award Awarded to a student who has demonstrated potential for a lifelong commitment to the university and the alumni association.
February 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU SUNDAY in ELCA Region 1 Congregations March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU Connection Events, Montana March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PLU Connection Event, Portland, Ore.
YOUR NOMINEE
S –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
For more information: www.plualumni.org or call 800-ALUM-PLU.
ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS> PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 29
alumni profiles
19-year Air Force vet challenges ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
W
hen Major Margaret Witt graduated with a nursing degree from PLU in 1986,
she began a highly successful career as a flight nurse with the U.S. Air Force. She served in the Persian Gulf, including during Operation Enduring Freedom, earning many medals and commendations. She even received a medal from President Bush for her “outstanding medical care.”
That career lasted 19 years, yet it ended prematurely. In 2004, Witt was suspended, and by 2007 she was officially discharged under the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The highly decorated flight nurse lost the job she loved simply because she is a lesbian. What followed was four years of legal
Margaret Witt, right, and her partner, Laurie McChesney, celebrate as they leave the federal courthouse in Tacoma, Wash. A federal judge ruled that Witt, a flight nurse discharged from the Air Force for being gay, should be given her job back as soon as possible. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
30 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ALUMNI PROFILES
wrangling, culminating in a monumental decision at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Tacoma. This September, federal judge Robert Leighton ruled that sexual orientation does not negatively impact unit morale or cohesion, and that Witt is constitutionally entitled to reinstatement. With the ruling, Witt has won the opportunity to get her job back – though she understands there may be many more years of appeals, perhaps all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. More importantly, she acknowledges that she has become the central figure for what many consider a key civilrights issue: allowing all gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military. “I just want to be with my unit,” she said of her battle. “At the same time, I know it is a much bigger issue [than just me].” Witt had a part in high-profile court cases before – in 2008, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy could remain in place. However, a test known as “The Witt Standard,” came out of it – U. S. armed services that wished to discharge someone under “don’t ask, don’t tell” had to first prove that his or her conduct hurt morale and unit cohesion. In the September 2010 ruling, Judge Leighton found that it did not. In the court’s finding of fact, he ruled “no credible evidence was presented to this court which indicated that Major Witt’s sexual orientation ever had a negative effect on the unit morale, order, discipline, or cohesion.” Witt, in her experience, certainly found that to be the case. “The armed services aren’t given enough credit,” she said. “We can adapt to this. We are the most diverse workforce in the world.” Of her time at PLU, Witt, who played both softball and basketball, speaks fondly. “I practically grew up on that campus,” she said, noting that many relatives attended PLU, including her siblings and her parents – as well as her great uncle Harold Leraas, of the Leraas Lecture Hall. “I’ve had tremendous support from PLU, especially from my old professors [in the Nursing and Women’s And Gender Studies],” she said. “At the trial, PLU was very well represented.” —Steve Hansen
Years after PLU, track star keeps breaking records
K
aren (Bell ’86) Steen has yet to meet a running challenge she cannot overcome. The 1986 PLU graduate and former track team member reached the national tournament for the Lutes in each of her four years. Her athletic accomplishments since then have been even more impressive. During her senior year, Steen became the first collegiate woman in Washington state to break the 60-second barrier in the 400-meter hurdles event. Her time of 59.79 seconds still stands as the PLU record. Bradford Moore, Steen’s former coach at PLU and current associate professor of movement studies and wellness education, described her as one of PLU’s all-time top competitors. “It was her tenacity and competitive spirit that led her to extremely high levels of athletic achievement,” Moore said. “She combined her talent with an enormous work ethic, stimulated by her desire to excel. Excel she did.” Steen earned All-American honors during her junior and senior seasons at Pacific Lutheran. After leaving PLU, she married fellow PLU alum Mike Steen ’85 in 1987. She spent a few years away from running. But when she returned, the former collegiate hurdler decided to transition to running marathons, starting with Olympia’s Capital City event.
“I did the local marathon just to do one marathon,” Steen said, “and I ended up doing 15.” Steen won the Capital City race seven times in 15 years. Her top time was two hours, 43 minutes. At that point, she elected to move onto another challenge: the 2,000-meter steeplechase. At age 40, Steen set a new world record for her age group by completing the race in seven minutes, five seconds. But she was not done. Five years later, in 2009, Steen shattered the 45-49 age group record by nine seconds when she ran a 7:07. Steen’s response to such success? Setting her sights on other records to avoid competing with herself. “It is a new challenge because I’m afraid that I might not be able to run faster in an event,” Steen says. “So, if I find a new event I won’t have to worry about that.” While any one of Steen’s accomplishments require dedication and perseverance, she does not spend all of her time running. She is also the mother of three and has taught physical education at Mountain View Elementary in Lacey, Wash., for about 15 years. In summer 2010, Steen began to focus on three different events: the outdoor mile, the 800-meter, and a return to her collegiate event, the 400-meter hurdles. She said she’d like to break the national records for each of those events, “just for the fun of it.” —Tyler Scott ’10 Alumni Profiles are continued on page 39 ALUMNI PROFILES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 31
alumni class notes Class Representative positions available: 1946, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1959, 1968, 1980, 1990 and 1991.
1928
Golden Club Class Representative Committee Marie (Espeseth) Hauge died April 28 in Bend, Ore. She was 101-years-old. Marie and her husband, Larry, owned and operated Larry’s Ice Cream in Portland, Ore., for 27 years. She also taught elementary school in Poulsbo, Wash., and Kent, Wash. She is survived by two children, Margaret Hauge Larson ’64 and Evelyn Hauge Hellwig; three grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.
1933
Golden Club Class Representative Committee Edgar R. Larson died July 4. After graduating from PLU, he taught briefly and then worked with the Red Cross in Japan after World War II. He went on to earn a master’s degree at the University of Washington and became a librarian. His first library job was at the U.S. Library of Congress, but he spent the majority of his career at the Navy Post Graduate School in Monterey, Calif. He retired in1982 and moved to Lakebay, Wash. He was preceded in death by his sisters Sylvia (Larson ’28) Daughters and Pauline (Larson ’30) Nelson, and his brother Paul Larson ’38. He is survived by several PLU relatives, including nephews Larry Larson ’67 and Bruce Larson ’92, and great-niece Emily Larson ’03.
1936
Class Representative – Volly (Norby) Grande
1940
Class Representative – Luella (Toso) Johnson Mildred Wallace died July 10. Mildred was proud of her Norwegian heritage and enjoyed traveling, gardening and spending time with her grandchildren. She was a kindergarten teacher for many years in the Tacoma School District. Thelma Willis died August 28, just shy of her 94th birthday. Thelma was raised in Parkland, Wash. Thelma and her husband, Stan ’42, also lived in Spain, Germany and Puerto Rico. Thelma spent a lifetime sharing her musical skills and interests as a teacher, accompanist, organist and concert pianist. She conducted the bell choir at Parkland Lutheran Church for 19 years, until June of this year. Thelma was preceded in death by her husband, Stan ’42, and son, Jim ’68. Thelma is survived by two daughters, Kathy (Henry) Pollakowski,
Judy Carr ’70 (Jack Kirkman); son Brian Willis ’77 (Liz Pine Willis ’75); 11 grandchildren, including Lutes Mark ’05 and Lauren ’06, and five great-grandchildren. Caroline Anderson died on July 14. She lived in Bothell, Wash.
1941
Golden Club Class Representative Committee Mary (Nicklason) Grover died May 26. She married Capt. Ernest Grover on May 26, 1942. After Ernest’s retirement as a Lt. Colonel in 1954, they settled near Spokane, Wash. In 1960 they moved to Carson City, Nev., and then, in 1976, to Hogan’s Corner, Nev. Mary loved spending time with her family, her dog Benji, watching the Mariners, and growing flowers. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Susan; her sister, Margaret, and a granddaughter. Mary is survived by her son, Peter; her brother, William; and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
1944
Golden Club Class Representative Committee Robert Parker died June 27.
1945
Class Representative – Annabelle Birkestol
1946
Dorothy (Nieman) Anderson died June 18. Dorothy and her husband, Gustaf ’48, lived in Spokane and Mercer Island, Wash., until they bought Anderson Blueberry Farm in Bow, Wash. Her life centered on being a very active member of Edison Lutheran Church, her community, and both the Washington Blueberry Commission and the American Blueberry Council. She is survived by sons Gerald ’70, Donald (Linda Clement ’72), Richard ’78 ’87 (Krista Neely ’83) and David ’81 (Catherine); brother Robert ’50 (Pat Nieman); four sisters-in-law including Stella (Anderson ’57) Nieman and Anna (Anderson ’47) Hoiland; nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews, some who attended PLU.
1947
Class Representative – Gerry Lider
1948
Class Representative – Norene (Skilbred) Gulhaugen
1950
Class Representative – Dick Weathermon
1953
Class Representatives – Naomi (Roe) Nothstein and Carol (Schuler) Karwoski
32 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Paul Wangsmo died December 12, 2009. Paul was an educator for more than 30 years and he received many awards during that time. Paul was most proud of being elected student body president of PLC in 1952 and being involved in many activities at that time. Paul, along with his wife, Birdell, remained active at PLU throughout his lifetime by being members of Q Club (Paul was a Q Club Director) and by participating in many activities.
1954
David Kelmer Roe died July 2 in Portland, Ore. During his long career as a professor of chemistry, Roe held faculty positions at MIT, the Oregon Graduate Center and Portland State University. David was the son of beloved PLU Professor Kelmer (and Hannah) Roe, and brother of Naomi (Roe) Nothstein ’53.
1955
Class Representative – Phyllis (Grahn) Pejsa Shirley Kohl-Dimler died July 4 at Tacoma Lutheran Home. Shirley taught elementary school and music at several Tacoma-area schools before she found her true calling as a kindergarten teacher at Life Christian School. She was included in “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” in 1994. She is survived by many members of a loving family including her step-daughter Sandy (Dimler ’73) Privett. Karen (Hille) Phillips died September 12. Karen first heard of PLC in the late 1940s when PLC President Seth Eastvold came to visit her parent’s family farm in Ritzville, Wash. She graduated from the School of Nursing in 1955, working at Swedish Hospital in Seattle before helping to open the new University of Washington Medical Center, where she was its first nurse. She worked there for 30 years. Karen Phillips was the greatest single benefactor in the history of PLU, supporting scholarships, Xavier Hall, the Morken Center, the coming renovation of the Performing Arts Center and Chapel at Eastvold Hall. She served on PLU’s Board of Regents for nine years beginning in 2000. She we preceded in death by her husband and longtime companion, J.W. Phillips, who died in 1998.
1956
Class Representatives– Ginny (Grahn) Haugen and Clarene (Osterli) Johnson
1957
Class Representative – Ed Larson
1958
Class Representative – Don Cornell Ron Ho has been designated as a Fellow of the American Craft Council in recognition of outstanding artistic achievement and leadership for his jewelry art. The award honors an individual who demonstrates extraordinary ability as an artist and who has worked 25 years or more in their respective craft field. His necklace was recently exhibited in “Celebrating 70” at Facere Jewelry Art in Seattle.
1959
Larry Eichler died suddenly on July 20. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy from 1959 to 1964 and was honorably discharged as a submarine officer. He remained in the Naval Reserves, retiring as captain. Upon discharge from active duty, Larry took flying lessons and was hired as a commercial airline pilot in 1965. His career lasted more than 30 years, the last five as a linecheck captain and instructor. Larry and his wife, Janice, lived in Henderson, Nev., and enjoyed spending time on Lake Mead, following UNLV basketball, and traveling.
1960
Class Representative – Marilu (Miller) Person Dan Witmer looks forward to celebrating his 50th reunion at PLU this fall. He is retired after many years of service as a college professor, pastor and chaplain. His wife, Betty Jean (Patterson ’61), is a retired real estate broker. Together they have raised three children and now enjoy 11 granddaughters and one grandson.
1961
Class Representative – Ron Lerch Gerald Fosen died from cancer July 23 at his home in Litchfield Park, Ariz. Gerry served in the Marine Corps. He earned his master’s degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Arizona. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He moved to Arizona in 1984. He was a retired Lutheran pastor and currently a member of Community Church of Joy. He loved watching PLU Lute Football and often spoke to the team when they played in Southern California. He is survived by his wife, Janice ’66; two daughters, Grethe Hedrick and Ruth Diehl; and five grandchildren.
1962
Class Representative – Leo Eliason and Dixie (Likkel) Matthias
1963
Class Representative – Merlyn and Joan (Maier) Overland
1964
Class Representative – Jon and Jean (Riggers) Malmin Bill Robb died May 23. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn (Brueggemeier ’65) Robb, and his daughter, Liz.
1965
Class Representative – Dave Wytko Arden Flom died July 20 after a long struggle with cortical basal degeneration. Arden was the director of theatre at Everett Community College for 31 years. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Oregon and did additional graduate work at the University of Denver. He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years Cathy; his children Erik and Kristen; and six grandchildren; sister Audrey and brothers Richard and Randy. Stanley Hoobing has begun another interim assignment at Ascension Lutheran Church in Orofino, Idaho. This is his sixth interim assignment since the fall of 2002 when he completed 35 years as a parish pastor in various churches in the Pacific Northwest.
1966
Class Representative – Frank Johnson Hope Cecelia (Svinth) Carpenter died June 25. She taught several years in the Tacoma School District and was an Indian historian and advocate. She had published several books dedicated to her Native American heritage and to her Nisqually people. She received several awards and acknowledgements throughout her lifetime as a proud member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, including the PLU Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary doctorate from the University of Puget Sound. She was preceded in death by eight brothers, four sisters, her mother, father and husband of 60 years, Marvin Carpenter. Cecelia is survived by her son, Dean, daughter, Susan; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Christopher Howell released his ninth collection of poems, “Dreamless and Possible: Poems New and Selected” published by the University of Washington Press. A two-time winner of the Washington State Book Award, he teaches at Eastern Washington University’s Inland Northwest Center for Writers, in Spokane.
1967
Class Representative – Craig Bjorklund Dr. Alan Hedman recently published the book, “Killer Bs and Worker Bs: Survive or Thrive?” The publication asks the question, “Is there more to life than just surviving? Is life getting in the way of us living out our passion or dreams?” For more information, go to www.killer-bproject.com.
1968
mentary school teacher and they are researching international teaching opportunities.
Dolores Insel died June 5. After PLU, Dolores taught seventh and eighth grades for 16 years at Holy Cross School in Tacoma, where she later became religious education coordinator for the parish. In 1979 she began work as religious education director at Ft. Lewis, where she continued until her retirement in 2008. Dolores will be remembered for her sense of humor and her appreciation of the people with whom she worked. She loved reading, gardening, cooking, calligraphy and dogs. Dolores is survived by her cousins, Dawn Mitolo and Diane Akins; her nieces and many friends.
1973
Class Representative
1969
Class Representative – Rick Nelson Marv Slind has published a two-volume collection of letters from men and women serving in World War II, “Luther College Goes to War: ‘Scuttlebutt’” and “The World War II Letters.” The volumes include letters sent to Luther College history professor, Chellis Evanson, who published a newsletter that was sent to all former Luther students serving in the military. Slind is associate professor in the Department of History at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he serves as department head.
1970
Class Representative – Bill Allen Charlotte Thompson is a family nurse practitioner at The Boeing Company.
1971
Class Representative – Joe Hustad, Jr.
1972
Class Representative – Molly Stuen Steve Browder received the Faculty Distinguished Service Award. He is a professor of biology at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind. Since 1984, Steve has served as the Deppe Endowed Chair of Biology and the adviser for pre-medical students. In addition, he has served as head of the natural sciences division since 2002.
Class Representative – Karen (Wraalstad) Robbins and Sandy (Dimler) Privett
1974
Class Representative – David E. Johnson Kris Polda Bulcroft has been named as the 6th president of Capilano University in North Vancouver, British Columbia. For the past two years, she has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Franklin College in Switzerland. Her husband, Richard, is an associate professor of sociology at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. Randal Spitzer has re-branded his business. Shared Values Group is now called Responsibility Cultures. More information about the company and his new book, “Take Responsibility: How the Best Organizations in the World Survive in a Down Economy and Thrive When Times are Good,” may be found at www.responsibilitycultures.com. Kim Green retired after 34 years working as a physical therapist, the last 22 years with Multnomah Education Service District in Portland, Ore. She now concentrates on improving her game of golf and going on vacation (during the school year!) with her husband, Mike Goebel. She’ll continue on a limited basis to help students with physical disabilities in east Multnomah County.
1975
Class Representative – Helen Pohlig Wendy Enger, a vice president at Merrill Lynch, suggests “new hobbies for the Class of 75”
The Rev. Richard Stetson was inducted as rector of the Parish of Salt Spring Island, in the Southern Gulf Islands, British Columbia. This completes his transition to the Anglican Church of Canada.
Theodore Hile, a current MBA candidate in the PLU School of Business, will spend the 2010 fall semester as an exchange student at the Trondheim School of Business in Norway. In addition, Theodore’s daughter, Danica Hile, started PLU fall term as a junior transfer student, majoring in history. She will study in Vienna, Austria, during the Spring 2011 semester.
Joe Evans recently published “Death, Despair and Second Chances in Rocky Mountain National Park.” Available through Amazon.com, his book chronicles the nearly 300 deaths in the history of the national park, as well as stories of many injured visitors that survived accidents. The book provides many tips on how to stay safe on public lands. He and his wife, Caroline, live in Estes Park, Colo. Caroline recently retired as an ele-
Dr. Terris Kennedy has recently accepted the newly created position of chief nursing officer for the Riverside (Va.) Health Care System. For the previous seven years, Kennedy served as chief nursing officer and vice president at Riverside (Va.) Shore Memorial Hospital. She has also served as associate dean for academic affairs at Duke University School of Nursing, and as assistant chief of the Army Nurse Corps.
Ann Marie Mehlum, president and chief executive officer at Summit Bank in Eugene, Ore., was elected president of the Oregon Bankers Association at their annual meeting in July.
1976
Class Representative – Gary Powell Janine “Kooch” Kikuchi died May 25. She worked at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle for more than 30 years. Kooch loved movies, costume design, cooking, fishing, shopping, and her friends and family. She is preceded in death by her mother, Hiroko, and her Father, Jun. She is survived by her brother, Mark; sisters, Kris and Lori; and two nieces. Ray Heacox 76, president and general manager of KING-5 TV, recently received the Northwest Regional Emmy for Overall Station Excellence from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The top honor was one of 17 Emmys awarded to KING-5 TV, the most awards given any Northwest television station.
1977
Class Representatives – Leigh Erie and Joan (Nelson) Mattich Keith Davis served as president of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians 2008-2009 and IAFP Immediate PastPresident 2009-2010. He continues to serve on the IAFP board. Keith was elected District 5 trustee for the Idaho Medical Association to represent physicians in central southern Idaho at the IMA board of trustees. In addition to his 25 years in private practice at Shoshone Family Medical Center in Shoshone, Idaho, Keith is employed part-time as an emergency department physician at St. Benedict’s Family Medical Center in Jerome, Idaho. He welcomes communication with alumni at docdavis4L@hotmail.com or docdavis@shoshone.net.
1978
Class Representative – Pete Mattich
1979
Class Representatives – Dave and Teresa (Hausken) Sharkey
1980
Lionel Alford graduated with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Dayton in May 2010. He received a patent for the Capped Helix Winglet, a blended winglet, in January 2010. John Swanson has been promoted to the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy. He has been a Navy Chaplain for the past 19 years and is currently stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. He and wife, Shirley (Cole ’80), have four children and four grandchildren.
1981
Class Representative – Dean and Susan (Lee) Phillips
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010
33
1982
Class Representative – Paul Collard
1983
Class Representative – Dave Olson Brad Tilden was appointed as independent director of the board of Flow International, the world’s leading manufacturer of industrial waterjet machines for cutting and cleaning applications. Brad has been president of Alaska Airlines since 2008.
1984
Class Representative – Mark Christofferson
1985
Class Representatives – Janet (Olden) Regge and Carolyn (Plocharsky) Stelling
1986
Class Representative – Stacey (Kindred) Hesterly Robynn (Rockstad ’87) Rex is living in Paris and works as the communications director for the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), which works to promote excellence in neuroscience research and teaching worldwide.
1987
Class Representatives – Lisa Ottoson and John Carr
John Wolfe was named the executive director of the Port of Tacoma. Wolfe had served as the deputy director of the Port of Tacoma since June 2005. Darrel Bowman, won the new veteranowned business “Top Gun” award from the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber. Bowman, a disabled veteran, owns mynetworkcompany.com, a company that prioritizes hiring veterans and current active duty information technology military personal. Bowman was one of seven award winners at the 2010 Spotlight on Business awards luncheon.
Greg Wilson has been named principal of Greenwood Elementary School in Lakewood, Wash. Prior to this assignment, he was the assistant principal at Woodbrook Elementary School, also Lakewood, Wash.
1988
Class Representative – Brenda Ray Scott
1989
Class Representative – Lisa (Hussey) Ferraro
1994
1991
Stacey Loftin was appointed principal at Coe Elementary School in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Previously, she served as an instructional intervention specialist in the Edmonds School District.
1992
Lucinda (Cindy) Watters has been selected as the new assistant principal of Einstein Middle School in the Shoreline (Wash.) School District. Cindy has been the house administrator at Eckstein Middle School in Seattle for the past two years. Prior to her position at Eckstein, Cindy spent three years at the Shanghai Community International School in China teaching social studies, serving as athletic director, and coaching basketball. From 1994-2005, she held various positions in the Puyallup (Wash.) School District.
Class Representatives – Dan Lysne and Catherine (Overland) Hauck Benjamin Moore has written and published his first comic book. It became available in Portland, Ore., area stores on September 7. It is available online at http://tinyurl.com/benjaminmoore.
Class Representative – Darcy (Pattee) Andrews
1995
1993
Chris Egan received a regional Emmy Award for his work as a sports anchor at KING-5 TV in Seattle.
Class Representative – Barbara (Murphy) Hesner
Class Representative – Christi Rupp
Brian Laubach has been appointed director of teaching and learning for the Clover Park School District in Tacoma, Wash.
1996
Class Representatives – Mari (Hoseth) Lysne and Jennifer (Riches) Stegeman Erik and Heather (McDougal ’97) Melver have just completed their first year living in Saudi Arabia working for Saudi Aramco Schools. Erik is teaching drama, film and improvisation classes in middle school, and Heather is working as a library aide at the local elementary school on Dhahran camp. They are both active members of the Dhahran Theatre Group. The Melvers first met in the theatre program at PLU.
1997
Class Representatives – Andy and Stephanie (Merle) Tomlinson
1998
Class Representative – Shannon (Herlocker) Stewart
1999
Class Representative – Julie (Johnston) Bulow von Dennewitz Zach Hiatt is working with Graham & Dunn in Seattle as an environmental lawyer. He received his J.D. from the University of Washington in 2006.
Picture Perfect
Jenny (Johnston ’01) Sullivan and Lori (Blachowski ’93) Harrison, registered nurses at MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, pose with a Vietnamese baby girl at Nui Dong #1 Children’s Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Elise Erickson ’03, Devon Van Dyne ’03, Jacob Himmelman ’03, Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman ’03, Doug Baxter ’03 meet at Stanley and Seafort’s in Tacoma. Jacob and Elisabeth now live in Wisconsin.
Would you like to share your pictures with your fellow alumni? Send pictures to us by e-mail at alumni@plu.edu, or by mail to the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations, Pacific Lutheran University, 12180 Park Ave. S., Tacoma, WA 98447. Please feel free to call us at 800-ALUM-PLU if you have any questions.
34 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
From left to right, three old PLU friends, Gay (Thompson ’75) Mitchell, Carol (Littlejohn ’75) Johnson and Jennifer (Buchholtz ’77) Hall, celebrate their annual girls’ weekend at Gearhart Beach, Ore.
Cindy Jacobsen Shove ’74, Mary Donatello Hines ’74, Debbie Bomgren ’76, Sylvia Meacham Wallen ’75 and Ann Meacham ’75 all met for a Seattle dinner while Mary was visiting from Anchorage. Ann and Sylvia live and teach in Gig Harbor, Wash. Debbie lives on Mercer Island and teaches in Bellevue. These Harstad friends have many shared memories.
Carol A. Leeper died September 29, 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Roni (Young) Cagle is a nurse case manager at Madigan Army Medical Center near Tacoma. She loves taking care of America’s service members, giving her best back to them for all they do for us and ours.
2000
Class Representative – Ashley Orr Jeremy Johnston was recently named a partner at the law office of Messina Bulzomi Christensen in Tacoma. He was named by the magazine “Washington Law and Politics” as a Rising Star, largely for his successful cases against negligent drivers, manufacturers, medical providers and property owners. Jeremy was also named member of the Million Dollar Advocate Forum, which includes attorneys who have returned results of $1 million or more. Sarah Cunningham received a law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in June 2010.
2001
Class Representative – Keith Pranghofer Brooke Anne (Mueller) Hartman married Craig Thomas Hartman on May 29, 2010 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Heather Bledsoe ’01 was the maid of honor. Brooke is a pharmaceutical sales representative for Lilly USA. Craig is a pilot for FedEx. They currently reside in Chugiak, Alaska, with their chocolate lab, Wrangell. Angela Meade sang the title role of “Norma” in a concert performance of the great Bellini opera “Norma” at the 2010 Caramoor International Music Festival in Katonah, New York. She also performed in Giuseppe Verdi’s “il Trovatore’ for the Portland (Ore.) SummerFest’s Opera in the Park series. She has performances scheduled in St. Paul, Minn., Ireland, Pittsburgh and Austria in the year ahead. Tarah Demant completed her Ph.D. in English and American literature, and a graduate certificate in women, gender and sexuality studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Fellow Lute Josh Dasler ’05, flew to St. Louis to help celebrate commencement. Tarah and her husband, Christopher Watson, will be moving to Oakland, Calif., where Tarah has secured a position in the English department at Mills College.
Danielle (Cook) Beck completed her Ph.D. in developmental psychology at the University of Washington in December 2009. Danielle is an assistant professor of psychology at Simpson University in Redding, Calif.
2002
Class Representatives – Nicholas Gorne and Brian Riehs Jennifer (Osier) Castaneda received her master’s degree in May 2008. She is a fourth grade teacher in the Bethel School District and her husband, Johnny, is a network engineer. They reside in Spanaway, Wash.
2003
Class Representative – Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman Chris Anderson recently moved to Portland, Ore., to take a promotion as assistant director for international admissions at Portland State University. Troy Oppie married Carly Lucille Booth on May 1, 2010. Other Lutes at the wedding were Anna (Bartholomew ’03) Coughlin, Matt Coughlin ’03, Erin (Feutz ’04) Loe, Melissa Rasmussen ’05, Jaci Hendricks ’04, Andy Loe ’03, Taryn Arvold ’02, Dan Gomez ’03, Eric Beckemeier ’03, and Ben Blixt ’03. Amanda Weiss married Craig D. Sherrod on November 7, 2009, in Malibu, Calif. Other Lutes in attendance were maid of honor Kari (Keller) Rallo ’02, Chris Rallo ’05 and Jen Baumgarten ’01. Amanda and Craig are both teachers and they live in Moorpark, Calif. Roni (Dittli) Crews married R. Brian Crews on August 22, 2009, at the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, Calif. Fellow Lutes in the wedding party were bridesmaid Heather Short ’04, Heather (Applegate’03) Collom and Zachariah Collom ’01. Roni is currently the parish administrator at the Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin in San Francisco.
2004
Tamara Lynn Schaps and Andrew Roland Sternard ’03 were married on August 21, 2009, at Lagerquist Concert Hall on the PLU campus. Lutes in the wedding party included Josh Baeth ’04, Dave Edmiston ’04, Jamie Sowell ’03, Joey Sternard ’08, Bridget (Roth) Baeth ’04, Shella Biallas ’04, Jenna (Steffenson) Serr ’06 ’10. The reception was held in Puyallup, Wash., and more than 30 Lutes were in attendance. The happy couple has moved to Washington, D.C., in pursuit of graduate education opportunities.
2005
Class Representative – Micheal Steele Anna (Mastrodonato) Amstutz is the new director of alumni relations at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salinas, Kan. Jennifer Schlies graduated in May 2010 with a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) from Des Moines University in Des Moines, Iowa. She began her four-year OBGYN residency program in Muskegon, Mich., at Mercy Health Partners on July 1.
2006
Class Representative – Jenna (Steffenson) Serr
In Memoriam 1928
Friends and Family
1933
Seiichi “Sei” Adachi died June 15 from complications related to pulmonary fibrosis. He came to PLU in 1967 as the director of the Counseling and Testing Center and assistant professor of psychology. He served in the capacity of director until 1975. His PLU career spanned 32 years and he entered phased retirement in 1999. Throughout his years of service he assisted thousands of students as a therapist and was a good friend and mentor to students and colleagues alike. He enjoyed listening to Mozart, writing poetry, growing vegetables, spending time at his family’s property on Hood Canal and, of course, playing badminton. He is survived by his wife, Yoko, and son, Derek ’92.
Marie (Espeseth) Hauge died April 28 Edgar R. Larson died July 4.
1940
Caroline Anderson died July 14. Mildred Wallace died July 10. Thelma Willis died August 28.
1941
Mary (Nicklason) Grover died May 26.
1944
Robert Parker died June 27.
1946
Dorothy (Nieman) Anderson died June 18.
1953
Paul Wangsmo died December 12, 2009.
1954
David Kelmer Roe died July 2.
1955
Shirley Kohl-Dimler died July 4. Karen (Hille) Phillips died September 12.
1959
Larry Eichler died July 20.
1961
Gerald Fosen died July 23.
1964
Bill Robb died May 23.
1965
Arden Flom died July 20. Hope Cecelia (Svinth) Carpenter died June 25.
1968
Dolores Insel died June 5.
1976
Janine “Kooch” Kikuchi died May 25.
1999
Carol A. Leeper died September 29, 2009.
2006
Teresa Ann Marie (Palmer) Autrey died August 15.
Sandra Kostelecky died September 9 of cancer. She joined PLU in 1995 as a senior office assistant in the School of Physical Education. She became assistant to the dean and athletic director in 2001, and in 2006 became the assistant to the athletic director. Sandra thoroughly loved her work at PLU and was passionate about all sports. She was also a committed community volunteer, and coordinated advertising for the PLU Women's Club annual Yule Boutique. She was known for her bright smile, infectious laugh, and warm and gentle spirit. Sandra is survived by her children Adam, Sara and Amy ’04.
Class Representative – Tammy Lynn Schaps
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 35
What’s new with you? >
Please fill out as much information below as possible, including city of residence and work. Feel free to use another piece of paper, but please limit your submission to 100 words. Photos are welcome, but only one photo will be used, and on a space available basis. Notes will be edited for content. Photos must be prints or high quality jpegs. Please, no reproductions or copies from other publications. Deadline for the next issue of Scene is January 5, 2011.
NAME (LAST, FIRST, MAIDEN)
PLU CLASS YEAR(S)
SPOUSE
SPOUSE’S PLU CLASS YEAR(S) IF APPLICABLE
STREET ADDRESS
IS THIS A NEW ADDRESS? YES ❑ NO ❑
CITY STATE
ZIP
PHONE NUMBER
E-MAIL/WEBSITE POST ON THE ALUMNI E-MAIL DIRECTORY YES ❑ NO ❑
Job Information JOB TITLE
EMPLOYER
WORK ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP
WORK PHONE
WORK EMAIL
Teresa Ann Marie (Palmer) Autrey died August 15 at the age of 44. After the birth of her three children, Lawson (16), Emily (14) and Hunter (10), Teresa returned to school at PLU and earned her BA degree in history. She is survived by her children and her husband Ralph. Rase (Ryan) McCray received an MA in comparative literature from the University of Cincinnati, and an MFA in creative writing from Hollins University in Roanoke, Va. He recently accepted a new position as writing specialist at Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke, Va.
2007
1999
Class Representative – Kaarin Praxel Katie Oxenford was promoted to account executive at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide in Bellevue, Wash. She resides in Renton, Wash. Lindsey Balogh married Joe Meszaros ’06 in Elkhart, Ind. on May 30, 2010. The wedding party included Emilee (Sieverkropp) Telyea ’06, Molly Meszaros ’11, Cam Duncan ’07, Morgan Keys ’07, Regan Babst ’06 and Matt Meikle. Also in attendance were Lutes Kris Olsen ’06, Matt Kennedy ’07, Kasey McPherson ’07, Katie Gribble ’07, Wes Telyea ’06, Jess Muir ’06, Jeff Maahs ’06, Allison Haar, Margaret Chang ’07.
2008
2009 SPOUSE’S NAME (FIRST, MIDDLE, MAIDEN, LAST)
Class Representative – Maren Anderson and Amy Spieker
DATE/PLACE OF MARRIAGE
Timothy Siburg earned his masters of arts degree in management from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University, May 2010.
SPOUSE’S OCCUPATION
Birth
2010 CHILD’S NAME (FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST)
BIRTHDATE (M/D/Y) GENDER MALE ❑ FEMALE ❑
SIBLINGS/AGES
Promotions/Awards NAME
TITLE OF POSITION/COMPANY/AWARD/ DATE ASSUMED
>
MAIL TO: Office Alumni and Constituent Relations, PLU, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003; FAX: 253-535-8555; E-MAIL: alumni@plu.edu; Internet: www.plualumni.org. Please limit to 100 words.
36 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1998
Michael and Jana (Steiner) Strasburg announce the birth of Audrey Marie on January 5. She joins big sister Emma, age 4. Michael is kept busy as a stay at home dad and Jana is working as a research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The family lives in Richland, Wash.
Class Representative – Christy Olsen Field and Courtney Stringer
Marriage (no engagements, please)
Future Lutes
Class Representative – Nick Caraballo, Jillian Foss Trey Watt signed a free agent contract with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. He plays for the Missoula Ospreys, the Diamondbacks’ Rookie League team in Missoula, Montana. Brett Monson recently relocated to Washington, D.C., where he is a research assistant for the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. He is doing research on therapies for phantom limb pain.
Seth Cooper and his wife, Gretchen, announce the birth of their first child, Elysia Phyllis, on July 30. The family lives in Fairfax County, Va. Elysia is the beloved granddaughter of Delores (Holt ’69) and Ken Klubberud ’67. Sara Locke and her husband, Aaron, announce the birth of Madison Grace on June 21. She joins big sister Mackenzie, 7. Sara, Aaron, Mackenzie and Madison live in Sumner, Wash. Sara is a special education teacher in the Puyallup School District and Aaron works for the Walt Disney Company as a computer storage engineer.
2000
Beth (Colwell) Isenhath and Scott Isenhath ’99 announce the birth of twin girls, Annie and Claire, on May 22. The family lives in Seattle.
2001
Anna (Hall ’01) and Joe Anderson announce the birth of their first child, Rachel Grace, on August 4. Anna is pursuing a Master’s of Science in marriage and family therapy at Seattle Pacific University. Joe works as a clinical manager for a medical device company in Seattle. The family lives in Seattle. Tricia (Schmidt) and Mike (’00) Berger announce the birth of their son Jordan Diesel William, on March 2. Tricia
became a National Board Certified teacher in 2008 and teaches in the Renton School District. Mike is a senior tech support engineer with Certain Software in Bellevue, Wash. They live in Issaquah, Wash.
2002
Kristen (Bailey) Boudon and her husband, Chad, announce the birth of Evelyn Grace on April 3. Chad and Kristen were married in 2003. Lutes in the wedding party included Sarah Yonich ’02, Lindsay (Smith) Beal, Sarah (Phillips) Rasmussen ’02, and Melissa (Lagen) Bowers ’02. They live in Mukilteo, Wash., where Kristin is a teacher. Jeremy and Kristen (Luddy ’03) Rolf announce the birth of their daughter Pearl Elena on April 6. Jeremy is a manager with the FedEx Office in Puyallup and Kristen teaches sixth grade at Lighthouse Christian School in Gig Harbor, Wash.
Michael Mauss, wife Kristine, and daughter Avila Maire would like everyone to know that the newest addition to their family – born April 10 – is Maximilian Joseph Mauss, not Joseph Mauss, as reported in the Fall ’10 issue of Scene.
2003
Lee and Megan (Freiling ’03) Hutton announce the birth of their first child, Colin Dietrich, on April 14. They
live in Auburn, Wash.
2004
Noah Frerichs and his wife, Kjersten, announce the birth of their son, Vance, on Feb. 27. The family resides in Othello, Wash. S
Come by and see what’s new
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 37
Legacy Lutes Each fall we welcome new students to our campus. The Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations extends a special welcome to our “Legacy Lutes” – those students whose parent(s) also attended and/or graduated from PLU. We recognize this extra special commitment to their alma mater and are thrilled to have their sons and daughters carry on their legacy. Please note that only parents who attended PLU are listed below. Evan Ameluxen-Coleman – Marci Ameluxen ’82
Cleo Hagen – Lori HarrisonHagen ’88
Ryan Brisbin – Colleen Brisbin ’99
Brittany Hammer – Karl Hammer ’84
Nathan Brown – Gayle (Dalsanto ’02,’04) Mollerstuen Spencer Brueske – Scott ’84 and Cathleen (Swanson ’83) Brueske Kayla Carlson – Michael ’81 and Lisa (Henninger ’82,’91) Carlson Mackenzie Carlson – Stephen Carlson ’83 and Stacy Waddell Carlson ’83
Emily Harmon – Leslie (Jensen ’76) Harmon
Alexander Lund – Karyn (Atkins ’80) Lund
Rebekah Soltis – Kathy (Philby ’82) Soltis
Morgan Hecker – Tamera Cole-Hecker ’85
Rebecca Lunde – Rolf Lunde ’80
Stephanie Stromberg – Debi (Consear ’83) Stromberg
Judah Heimlich – Mark ’78 and Meridee ’78 Heimlich
Danielle Cryer – Heidi (Knutzen ’80) Cryer
Danica Hile – Ted Hile ’82
Vanessa Darrah – Marcia Darrah ’93 Brian Dennis – Scott ’83 and Katherine (Johnson ’84) Dennis Michelle Dezihan – Egon Dezihan ’80 Ryan Donovan – Patrick Donovon ’83 Amy Driver – Margo (Blecha ’76) Driver Anna Ellersick – Steve Ellersick ’83 Nickolas Erickson – Janet (Sugars ’81) Erickson Scott Ferrin – Timothy Ferrin ’79 Staci Ferrin – Timothy Ferrin ’79 Darren Frank – Brenda Frank ’08 Ryan Gallagher-Burkholder – Bret Burkholder ’82
Farah Schumacher – Norhana (Sulaiman ’86) Schumacher Samantha Shockley – Shelley Shockley ’85
Eric Herde – Ed ’86 and Karen (Foster ’87) Herde
Jasmine Dansby – James Dansby ’72
Hannah Lansverk – Marvin ’80 and Kay (Landerholm ’81) Lansverk
Austin Schorno – Amy Schorno ’93
Samantha Loete – Steven Loete ’85
Abigail Hardin – Susan (Dorothy ) Hardin
Kiera Carpenter – Steven Carpenter ’86
Catherine Curtis – Brian ’85 and Ardys (Burt ’86) Curtis
Kelsey Langston – Shawn ’89, ’93 and Shelley (Johnson ’88, ’91) Langston
Jacob Hoffman – Rebecca Hoffman ’87 Rebecca Holtgeerts – Stephen Holtgeerts ’79 Kelsey Houglum – Karl ’80 and Mary (Stangland ’80) Houglum Michele Houston – Barbara Sharts ’86 Tyler Howard – Diana Ortiz ’98
Mariah Madden – Timothy Madden ’89 Jennifer Martin – Christina (Doelman ’83) Martin Rachel Mason – Cara (Homestead ’87) Mason Anna McCracken – Ben ’78, ’90 and Ellen (Govig ’86, ’90) McCracken Nickolas Mertens – Sharilyn (Gibson ’03) Mertens Haley Moe – Michael ’84 and Heather (Keith ’81) Moe Chelsea Moorhead – Todd ’87 and Laura (White ’86) Moorhead James Nelson – David Nelson ’75
Marit Swanson – Mark ’68 and Wendy Lider-Swanson ’71 Jenny Taylor – Martin Taylor ’83; Susan Paulsen ’82 William Tollefson – Cynthia (Susie) Tollefson ’87 Henry Tolstedt – Mark Tolstedt ’78 Jessica Trondsen – Robert Trondsen ’84 Michelle Turk – Gina Canada ‘98 David Twietmeyer – Eileen Hoffman ’85 Erik Udbye – Andreas ’83 and Kari (Pederson ’81) Udbye
Joshua Olsen – Eric Olsen ’80
Megan Valerio – Dena (Ingle) Van Matre ’89
Micaela Ingraham – Lisa (Rhea ’85) Ingraham
Elizabeth Olson – Michael Olson ’75
Mark Walsworth – Charles ’83 and Naomi (Kauth ’84) Walsworth
Karlee Iverson – Kevin ’86 and Theresa (Zuehlewski ’89) Iverson
Matthew Ostendorf – Kevin ’83 and Terry (Dietsch ’83) Ostendorf
Cameron Wiemerslage – R. Keith Wiemerslage ’82
Alexander Johnson – Erik Johnson ’89; Theresa (Harold ’88) Lorenz
Brittany Paetel – Janet (Olson ’76) White
Jessica Williams – Tamra Williams ’86
Gregory Johnson – Gregory ’90 and Cinthia (Garcia ’91) Johnson
Samuel Perry – Dale Perry ’78
Andrew Wise – Timothy ’85 and Susan (Simpson ’85) Wise
Andrew Peterson – Rebekah (Swenson ’81) Peterson
Emily Wold – Scott Wold ’83
Larissa Hurd – Michael ’83 and Carlene (Lukin ’83) Hurd
Paul Johnson – Gregory ’82 and Kristin (Loop ’84) Johnson Alexander Kean – Roslyn Kean ’87 Margaret Kiffer – Jay Kiffer ’85
Hannah Gjerness – Dale Gjerness ’92; Deborah Marken-Gjerness ’89
Sarah Kintner – Michael ’81 and Tamara (Shrader ’81) Kintner
Reed Gunstone – Reed ’77 and Diane (Nieman ’80) Gunstone
Lucas Kulhanek – Carla Bennett ’77
Adriana Guzman – Raymond Bunk ’06
David Kvamme – Thomas Kvamme ’82
38 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Kaitlyn Prideaux – Suzanne Prideaux ’08 Saiyare Refaei – Sandy SoohooRefaei ’83 Carrie Reierson – Timothy ’87 and Ann (Forney ’84) Reierson Amanda Robinette – Eva TallmanRobinette ’85 Trevor Romo – Daryl ’84 and Julie (Hueners ’85) Romo
Jared Wright – Suzanne Smithson ’83 Megan Wusterbarth – Gary Wusterbarth ’77
alumni profiles continued
Cooking up a recipe for success
A
s vice president of SDI Media, a subtitling and dubbing service for media and entertainment companies, PLU alum Ron Cook ’86 knows the meaning of achievement. But along the way, his path featured both expected and unexpected turns. One thing was for certain: Cook was going to be a Lute. “I was born and raised in Tacoma just a few blocks from PLU,” Cook said. “I grew up going to PLU football and basketball games. I was always around PLU.” Several of Cook’s family members had already graduated from PLU. In fact, Olson Auditorium is named after his grandfather, Clifford Olson, who was coach and athletic director from 1929 to 1948. “I don’t know that I really ever considered another college,” Cook said. Cook and his brother, Bryan Cook, enrolled at PLU in the fall of 1982. Bryan transferred to the University of Washington after one year. But Ron stayed on, keeping busy with business and accounting classes, chapel choir and residence hall life. Professor Judith Ramaglia sparked Cook’s interest in accounting. “The attitude she had really inspired me to go into this profession,” Cook said. Cook ultimately became a Certified Public Accountant, and earned his first accounting job at the Matsushita Semiconductor Corp., the parent company of Panasonic. “I got the job based on the recommendation of the dean of the
business school,” Cook said. Over the years, Cook also worked for Investco Financial Corp., and PACCAR, Inc., the parent company of Kenworth and Peterbilt, a Fortune 200 company with annual revenues of $10 billion. From 2004 to 2006, Cook worked as an independent consultant in Seattle. In 2006, while visiting friends in Los Angeles, he made a bold decision. “I went down for the weekend and ended up buying a condo,” Cook said. “I had been in Seattle all my life. I just needed a change.” Cook didn’t have any trouble finding work. “I had five job offers in the first week,” he said. One of those offers came from PeopleSupport, Inc., a firm now known as Aegis, where he was the corporate controller for three years. Now at SDI Media, Cook is working on a project called Oracle, a product that would enable businesses to accurately compare currency without converting numbers. Ron Cook credits his undergraduate education as the foundation for much of his success. “Attending a small liberal arts university gives you a lot more access to professors and potential mentors,” Cook said. —Stephen Odell ’10
Alum joins family members to create children’s book
F
amily businesses are nothing new. But Paul Swenson ’84, a fine arts major at PLU, says illustrating a book written by his mother and published by his brother proved to be a unique experience. “It was challenging, speaking euphemistically,” Swenson said of working with his mom. Swenson now lives in Northern California with his wife and two kids, and runs Paul Swenson Photography, which he opened in 2000. Although photography is his focus, Swenson works in all facets of art, including painting, drawing and writ-
ing. That would come in handy when Swenson’s mother, Tacoma author Chellis Jensen, asked if he could illustrate her children’s book “Mrs. Annathena Gilly Gully From Puddle Rumple Tilly Willy.” The story is about a woman who grapples with her identity and unusual name. The book was published in September 2009. Jensen, who struggled at first to get the book published, eventually sought help from Paul and his brother Patrick, both of which turned out to be wise moves.
Patrick Swenson ’81, an education major at PLU who is now an English teacher at Auburn (Wash.) Riverside High School, is the owner/operator of Fairwood Press, a small publishing company established in 2000. Before starting Fairwood, Swenson owned and published a science fiction magazine called Talebones. “I had to switch gears and approach everything differently because of the mother-son dynamic,” said Patrick Swenson. The family considers the book a success. So much so, Jensen and her sons now are thinking about working together on a sequel. “There is no guarantee it will be a success,” according to Jensen. “All I really care about is finding children who would like to have the book to read.” For his part, Paul Swenson said he’s open to the idea of doing another project with his family. “It was a great learning experience,” said Paul. “And now I know that if I can work with my mother, I can work with anyone.” S —Caitlyn Hoerr ’11
ALUMNI PROFILES > PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 39
perspective continued from back page
report was adopted. In that same document we set out our pathways to academic distinction in global education, purposeful learning and lives of service, and the close interaction between students and faculty. What a gift this collective vision has been as we build on our accomplishments and plan for the future. SURROUNDED BY CHANGE While we like who we are, and what we do, there can be no doubt that the drumbeat of change is rumbling around us. Said more formally, there will be significant changes in the educational landscape in the coming decade and no institution will stand apart from the individual and collective impact of these changes. First, there are major demographic changes ahead in our region of the country. The number of traditional age students will not change dramatically, but their composition will, as the new cohort becomes more diverse in learning experience and style, in their economic situation, in their ethnic heritage and in their educational expectations. I believe that both more non-traditional age students and more first generation students are headed our way. The implications for the schedule and the calendar, as well as the campus and the classroom, are many fold. Second, the wise and effective use of technology in education will continue to grow. We will never be a fully online university, and we may not, at least in the short term, offer completely online classes or programs. But I believe that we must continue to stay near the cutting edge in classroom-based technology use if we expect to compete for the next generation of the best and brightest. They will expect nothing less. Third, the world continues to get smaller. Our nationally recognized position as a leader in global education is a huge strength. But we will not be able to rest on our laurels, we must find ways to "globalize" every PLU student's education, both on campus and through additional study-away possibilities. Global education is currently a key to admissions marketing, I believe it may become even more important. Fourth, the market for "higher" higher 62 PLU SCENE WINTER 2010 > PERSPECTIVE
education will continue to expand. The Master's may become the new BA and, in many fields, the applied doctorate will be the new MA. While we have a solid foothold in graduate education, we have, in recent years, tended to focus our greatest energy on undergraduate education. In the next decade, our focus will need to broaden (not change, but broaden) to include new master's and possible doctoral programs. Our mission challenges us to do our part in meeting these emerging educational needs, and our opportunities for enrollment growth and financial return are most abundant here.
Our nationally recognized position as a leader in global education is a huge strength. But we will not be able to rest on our laurels, we must find ways to “globalize” every PLU student's education, both on campus and through additional study-away possibilities. CHARTING OUR COURSE The great task facing us at Pacific Lutheran University will be to build on our strengths as we address significant changes – changes not of our own making – in the educational landscape that lies before us. Said differently, the great long-range question is how do we wisely and strategically navigate a path that will ensure that our mission and program remains compelling, relevant, effective and, yes, affordable in the years ahead? To do so will require that we face change boldly and with confidence as we prepare to serve a new cohort of students, incorporate technology, become more global, teach more graduate students and seek new efficiencies in all that we do. FAITH AND HOPE As I begin my 19th year here, I honestly believe that no college or university in
America is any better positioned than Pacific Lutheran University to affirm and consolidate our strengths, to address the challenges of this second decade of the third millennium, and to emerge in 2020 as a stronger and even more excellent university. I believe this is the case because we stand on and within the great heritage of Lutheran higher education; a heritage that calls us to accept all of creation and each person as God's great gift. So it calls us to use our minds fully as we explore and seek to understand the world, always with a sense of wonder and awe and always in gratitude. It calls us to use our hearts fully as we embrace one another on this campus and in the global community. It calls us to use our will as we seek individually and collectively to serve the world on God's behalf, educating each day in the highest traditions of the liberal arts and academic freedom, and preparing each graduate to discover a vocation-driven life that truly matters. I believe this is true because for over 120 years, we have evolved a clear and defining understanding of our mission and purpose; an understanding that is relevant and that connects with our wonderfully rich and diverse Pacific Northwest setting. And in pursuing our mission we have built an absolutely superb academic and cocurricular program that is at once characterized by excellence, and as always a work in progress. Yes, all of us who care about PLU have been tasked to participate in this important work. It is work grounded in our religious faith, shaped by our Lutheran heritage and tradition, informed by enduring educational values, and dedicated to good and humane purpose. May God bless all that we do in this new academic year for the calling we hold is both a remarkable gift and a sacred trust. S Loren J. Anderson is president of Pacific Lutheran University. This article was adapted from his September 1, 2010, University Conference State of the University address.
calendar continued from inside front cover
November 17, 5:30 p.m. Visiting Writer Series: Matthew Dickman and Monica Youn Regency Room, University Center
CHRISTMAS CONCERTS
November 18, 7 p.m. The Chinese 21st Century Lecture Series: Daniel Bell on China’s New Confucianism Scan Center, University Center
A PLU Christmas: “Peace” December 4, 7:30 p.m. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland
November 18, 8 p.m. Artist Series: James Hall, Guest Flutist Lagerquist Concert Hall
A PLU Christmas: “Peace” December 5, 3 p.m. Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 2nd Annual Danish Christmas Bazaar Scandinavian Cultural Center
A PLU Christmas: “Peace” December 6, 7:30 p.m. Benaroya Concert Hall, Seattle
November 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Yule Boutique Memorial Gym
A PLU Christmas: “Peace” December 9, 8 p.m. Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 20, Noon Studio Series: Solvvinden Flute Choir Lagerquist Concert Hall
A PLU Christmas: “Peace” December 10, 8 p.m. Lagerquist Concert Hall
November 20, 9a.m.-5 p.m. Annual Nordic Sweater Exchange First Floor Hallways, University Center
DECEMBER December 1, 5:15 p.m. Light Up Red Square Red Square December 3, 7:30 p.m. Annual Sankta Lucia Fest Lagerquist Concert Hall December 6, 10:30 a.m. No Oar-dinary Event: Rowing Across the Atlantic Community Room, Garfield Book Company December 9-11, 7:30 p.m. Performance: “The Seagull” Eastvold Auditorium December 10, 6 p.m. School of Nursing Recognition & Pinning Ceremony Trinity Lutheran Church December 11 Fall Commencement Olson Auditorium
December 12, 2 p.m. Closing Matinee: “The Seagull” Eastvold Auditorium December 16 PLU Christmas Luncheon Olson Auditorium December 18, 6 p.m. Annual Nordic Christmas Fest Scandinavian Cultural Center
JANUARY January 20, 10 a.m. FDA and Food Safety with Dr. Olufs: Our Food our Health Regency Room, University Center January 26-29, 7:30 p.m. Alpha Psi Omega’s One-Act Festival Eastvold Auditorium
FEBRUARY February 9, 5 p.m. Opening Reception - Heather Cornelius Exhibition Ingram Hall
Feb 10 – Mar 9 Heather Cornelius Exhibition Ingram Hall February 15 Wang Center’s World Conversations Locations across campus February 24, 7 p.m. Faith & Reason Dialog Scan Center, University Center
MARCH March 2, 7:30 p.m. Religion Department Public Lecture: “Resurrecting the Death of God” Nordquist Lecture Hall, Xavier March 8, 9 a.m. Voices Against Violence Community Partnership Conference CK East, University Center March 10, 7 p.m. Jolita Benson Education Lecture Scan Center, University Center March 12 School of Business 50th Anniversary Celebration Morken Center March 17-April 13 Bret Lyon Exhibition Ingram Hall March 16, 5:30 p.m. Visiting Writer Series: Kellie Agodon and Julie Wade Scan Center, University Center March 17-19 Powell and Heller Holocaust Conference Locations across campus March 17, 7 p.m. Annual Lemkin Lecture Lagerquist Concert Hall March 18-19, 4 p.m. Business Plan Competition Morken Center Atrium S
www.plu.edu/scene CALENDAR > PLU WINTER 2010 63
PLU Scene, Tacoma, Washington 98447-0003 Address change: If this copy of Scene is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Office of Constituent Relations with his or her new mailing address. You can reach us by phone at 253-535-7415 or 1-800-ALUM-PLU. You can also fax us at 253-535-8555 or e-mail alumni@plu.edu with the new information. Thanks!
perspective Consolidating our strengths and addressing new challenges
PLU President Loren J. Anderson greets students during opening convocation. He believes the next few years will be critical as PLU plans for its future.
By Loren J. Anderson
T
he public announcement last month of the university’s new fund-raising effort, “Engage the World: The Campaign for PLU,” sets out one of two critical initiatives that the campus community will be undertaking over the next two years. The other is work on the long-range plan PLU 2020. Together they will set the stage for the university’s progress in the decade ahead. In recent months, I have been asked many times for my views on new directions that will arise out of our longrange planning process and how our
campaign success will help transform the university. My response is always the same. I don't know, because the long-range plan will be shaped and written by the PLU community. And our donors will play a determining role in the nature and pace of our campaign successes. But I have been listening to the campus community on the topic of longrange planning and I have been listening to donors on their vital interests in the university’s future. Here are some of the key perspectives that I have heard emerging from these conversations.
BUILDING ON STRENGTH At PLU we like who we are and what we do. Said more formally, there is broad support both on and off campus, for our current mission and our academic program. You know our mission statement well: "To educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care, for others, for their communities, and for the earth." It was formally accepted by our Board of Regents when the PLU 2010 long-range planning continued on page 62