Introduction and Dedication

Every year, the editors of The Phoenix include an introduction at the start of the publication that serves as a reminder to all readers that the contents of The Phoenix are unique, creative, and worthy of admiration and respect. It exemplifies why The Phoenix is treasured annually by so many members of the Thiel community.

For the 2023 edition of this publication, editor Allison Walsh ’24 has written that introduction on behalf of the editors and editorial board. Her writing, featured below, is not only a tribute to the work and creativity put forth by the contributing students, faculty, staff, and alumni that have allowed for the creation of this year’s issue of The Phoenix, it also serves as a tribute to Emeritus Professor of Business and Norman P. Mortensen Endowed Chair of Economics David Miller ’61, H’20 and his former student, Professor Gary Witosky ’79, C.P.A. and Professor David M. Miller Endowed Chair of Accounting, to both of whom this year’s edition is dedicated. **********

PEP: preparation, enthusiasm, and performance.

These are the three principles upon which Professor David Miller mentored his business students. These traits are equally as important for those of us in the humanities, as they guide our approach to scholarship, creativity, and interactions with those around us. It is a challenging task to create a work of literature – but even more so to place it up for inspection by your peers. Each of the contributors of this publication courageously entrusted their works to the public at the encouragement and support of Thiel’s faculty and surrounding community.

These two members of our Thiel community have been chosen as the recipients of this year’s dedication on the merit of their years spent committing time, energy, and PEP to the advancement of this institution. They are each revered among their students and colleagues as having fostered an immeasurable legacy within the lives of those around them. A Thiel alum, Professor Miller, returned to teach in 1963 and taught and advised more students than any professor in the college’s 155-year history. His passing in October of 2022 shook the community and left a solemn feeling in the hearts of many. Professor Witosky, also a Thiel alum, is retiring from his over 20 years of teaching this spring. To the joy and gratification of the business department, he will be returning as an adjunct professor to teach the Ruth A. Miller Senior Seminar in the spring of 2024.

The remarkable thing about Thiel is that, through the years, the sense of community, purpose, and responsibility is perpetually passed down from professor to student in an endless cycle. Professor Witosky was one of Professor Miller’s students and has carried on his legacy into his own teaching practices. Likewise, Dr. Mary Theresa Hall re-founded and advised The Phoenix and has since passed on the torch to her former students, Dr. Sheila Gross ’10 and Prof. Sean Oros ’15. Through their professors, Thiel students are encouraged and inspired to continue their legacy to those who precede them, a principle which is also evident within the works of this publication. In their combined 77 years of teaching at Thiel, David Miller and Gary Witosky have molded and guided hundreds of students while encouraging and inspiring them to reach their highest potential in every situation. They are both prime examples of the value of a liberal arts education and, therefore, a more than deserving pair to be the recipients of the dedication of this creative and artistic journal.

-Allison Walsh ’24

An Elegy for Professor David Miller

by Prof. Sean Oros ’15

Tomcat, Teacher, Storyteller, Entrepreneur; An icon of an institution And a pillar of character; Interested in everything About everybody, As attested by his son; So overflowing

Was his curiosity and joy, He talked to all

And learned their stories, Whether he ever Had them as students, Or just took time to know them. Those fortunate enough To be his direct students, He taught the secret To success:

It was all about “PEP”; Preparation, Enthusiasm, Performance. He taught his children

The point of success:

“Helping others Is why we’re here.”

He lived life With importance And value; He viewed time as important, And used that time To make others feel important. With fifty-seven years Of teaching at Thiel, Professor David Miller Embodied its values And cemented them And their lessons In the hearts of countless students So that they will echo And live on Through the ages.

By Amy Jackson

By Amy Jackson

By Amy Jackson