Westwind, Spring 2015

THE JOURNAL OF WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY

ANYTHING ELEGANT

SPRING 2015

The WWU literary and artistic journal, The Gadfly, highlights elegance and embraces beauty and grace, peace and dismay, curiosity and tradition. p.18

Walla Walla University

Alumni Homecoming Weekend April 23-26, 2015

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Westwind Spring 2015

oin us in honoring the deans, staff, and RAs of Conard, Sittner, Meske and Foreman Halls—those who helped make a “home away from home” for our students through the years. Special recognition will be given at the Alumni Banquet, April 23, at 6 pm.

We are also celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Engineering Egg Drop. Enter your engineering marvel at the Special Edition Egg Drop, April 24.

FEATURE // BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

“Salmon is a strong component of Northwest culture.” p.10 Janet Ockerman, professor of social work and sociology

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College Avenue

Inspiring faculty research projects

the President From The sacred formula

THE JOURNAL OF WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY // SPRING 2015

The latest from across campus

Three Stories of Passion and Purpose

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Anything Elegant

22

Ask the Dean

Spring marks the annual release of The Gadfly

Deans share stories of dorm life

Currents

25 Alumni 25 AlumNotes 29 Alumnus of Note

PHOTO: CHRIS DRAKE

About the Cover

30 Back to You

“Catfish,” a lino-block print by Susan Haluschak ’05, was originally published in The Gadfly in 2005.

Westwind Spring 2015, Volume 34, Number 1 / Westwind is published three times a year for alumni and friends of Walla Walla University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution. It is produced by Marketing and Enrollment Services/ University Relations. This issue was printed in March 2015. Third-class postage is paid at College Place, Wash. © 2015 by Walla Walla University. Westwind/University Relations, 204 S. College Ave., College Place, WA 99324.

Telephone (509) 527-2363 Toll-free (800) 541-8900 E-mail westwind@wallawalla.edu Online westwind.wallawalla.edu Westwind Spring 2015

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

The sacred formula Finding joy in the pursuit of knowledge and the understanding of God’s wondrous creation

There is excitement around every corner at Walla Walla University. And some of the most exhilarating events occur every day in laboratories and research centers.

As president of WWU, I regard myself as holding license to poke around and watch a sacred formula in action: Highly trained, Christian faculty members, who love both their disciplines and their students, draw those students into their own research or mentor them in student research projects. Watching faculty members inducting

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Westwind Spring 2015

my colleagues in asking questions like, “Did you test your design?” and “What principles informed your project?” The event draws entries from grade school kids and engineering students. And the answers to our questions were as varied as the designs. The bubbly fifth-grader described her egg-in-a-purse design and how she thought it would protect the egg. The team of WWU engineering students described an array of calculations that went into their project, which nestles an egg in a complex contraption crafted to succeed in the environment of Mars and, hopefully, on planet Earth as well. Enthusiasm. Discovery. Joy. Fun. In the pages of this Westwind, you will read case studies of faculty members doing research and inviting their students to share in it. You will read of Professors Kirt Onthank, Roy Campbell, and Janet Ockerman and their interest in octopuses, amino acids, and non-commercial fishing culture. As our mission statement reads, “We are a community of faith and discovery … .” What could be better than watching students and faculty on a shared quest toward vibrant faith and fresh discovery?

Cordially, John McVay President

PHOTO: COLBY KUSCHATKA

students into the wonders of discovery, of expanding the boundaries of human knowledge, is high privilege indeed.

I remember my first, memorable tour of the biology laboratory facilities in Rigby Hall, which occurred several years back. We had experienced power outages on campus that had impacted some really cold, 112-degrees-below-zero freezers used in DNA research.

Dr. David Lindsey was none-too-happy about the potential negative impact on research, and I decided an on-site tour was in order.

And what a tour it was! I got to see those freezers … and a whole lot more. I saw students and faculty members engaged together in research. I reviewed brightly illustrated, data-filled posters that summarized those research projects, posters that were presented by students at national conferences. There was a hum in the air from all the laboratory equipment and a buzz of excitement rising from the students and faculty themselves.

Just last evening, after an exhilarating conversation with students about the Gospel of Mark, I left the classroom and headed toward my office. But a glance through the windows of the Hutto-Patterson History Research Center brought me to a halt. The eight members of our WWU Ethics Bowl Team were lined up on one side of the table and Professor Linda Emmerson and Dean Melodie Selby were on the other. I slipped in and listened as the professors interrogated the team members about a case study harboring a tortured, ethical dilemma. The sacred formula in action!

Not all creative learning at WWU occurs in the setting of a classroom, laboratory, or study center. Today was our 35th Annual Egg Drop competition, with the creatively protected eggs dropped from the top of Kretschmar Hall. I served as one of the judges and joined

College Avenue The latest from across campus

Shakespeare Comedy Classic Alumni bring West Coast tour to WWU stage photograph by CHRIS DRAKE

College Avenue The latest from across campus

The foursome has traveled with the show since October 2014 making stops up and down the West Coast.

“This play is such fun to perform,” says Reed, “because it combines the intellectual humor that Shakespeare lovers understand and slapstick humor that anyone can appreciate.”

On stage performing slapstick comedy is the last place you might expect to find three self-proclaimed introverts, but Canwell says, “Being on stage is where I have time and space to have a voice.”

Canwell is the director of creative media at Loma Linda University, Reed is an adjunct English professor at La Sierra University, Ray is an adjunct drama professor at La Sierra University, and Howard is an associate professor of English at La Sierra University.

“Walla Walla University is the first place each of us got involved in acting,” says Canwell. “We all were excited to come back. This place gave me balance. I never wanted to do one specific thing in my career, and here I got a degree in mass communication that helped me get a job where I can do a lot of different things—even being here doing a show like this.”

“This play opens doors and makes Shakespeare accessible,” says Ray. And it’s clear that the performance brings joy to the three colleagues and performers as well as their audience.

“These three all work really hard,” says Howard. “They are clever and smart. Walla Walla University should be really proud of them.”

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Westwind Spring 2015

Coal Wars and ‘a little nest of Fascists’ New book by Dave Bullock explores dramatic labor history

D

AVE BULLOCK’S MOTHER grew up in Roslyn, Wash., and he remembers visiting the quiet town in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains many times during his childhood. In the 1930s, however, the peaceful town he knew was split by violent discontent over coal mining unions.

Curious to learn more about Roslyn and its dramatic history, Bullock, WWU professor of communications, came across a New Republic article from 1934 that called Roslyn a “little nest of Fascists.” Intrigued by this shocking claim, he went to work uncovering the story.

Aided by reference material from personal accounts, recorded interviews, and archived public records, Bullock drew the pieces of this story together to find out what really happened.

Bullock’s discoveries were published last fall in his latest book, “Coal Wars: Unions, Strikes, and Violence in Depression-Era Central Washington.” “Coal Wars” brings to life the labor union power struggle that tore rifts in the small coal mining communities of Roslyn, Cle Elum, and Ronald in Central Washington.

“I like histories that have a really good storyline,” says Bullock.

“Everybody acts for a reason, and I tried to understand why people on both sides of the issue acted as they did.”

“Coal Wars” tells the story of 1930s coal miners who, faced with a decade-long decline in the demand for coal, found themselves working less and earning less. Miners unhappy with the contracts negotiated by the United Mine Workers of America decided to form their own independent union, and violence between competing union members escalated. The new union called a strike demanding recognition as the majority union. During the strike, wives and mothers pelted cars with rocks, rotten eggs, and cow pies, cursing and assaulting anyone who dared cross the picket line.

This epic saga between the labor unions is a story largely untold until now.

PHOTOS: CHRIS DRAKE

It’s been said that for every joke that makes you laugh in Shakespeare, there are three that flew right over your head. Yet nothing seemed lost on the Village Hall audience in January as three WWU alumni took the stage to perform the witty comedy classic, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised].” ¶ The 90-minute performance, which incorporates all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, starred WWU alumni Carl Canwell ’08, L. Kelly Reed ’98, and Scott William Ray ’08, and was produced by Marilynn (Loveless) Howard att., former WWU drama program director.

Montana Campus School of Social Work mourns loss of colleague Harriett KimballHilario, visiting assistant professor of social work and field coordinator for the School of Social Work campus in Billings, Mont., passed away Jan. 2 in Billings after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was a member of the School of Social Work faculty for more than a decade.

“Harriet always had a smile on her face and appeared to live in a cloud of absolute calm,” says Pam Cress, dean of the School of Social Work. “She had a gift for affirmation and encouragement, a natural ease with her colleagues, and a real love for her

students. She was also a very gifted therapist who could get to the heart of the problem with a single question.”

As field coordinator, she was responsible for social service placements, weekly seminars, and all final evaluations for students in the Billings program.

She taught “Privilege and Oppression” class, which addresses discrimination of minority groups in America.

Kimball-Hilario had a master of social work degree from San Jose State University. She was a member of the same weekly prayer group for more than 40 years.

#Maddy Strong

PHOTOS: CHRIS DRAKE, ALEXA LUKE, ASWWU

WWU awards first certification in global humanitarian engineering

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N JUNE, ALEXA LUKE, senior civil engineering major, will be the first WWU student to graduate with the new Global Humanitarian Engineering Emphasis (GHEE) certification. This new specialization helps to prepare engineering students for careers in international development and work with multinational companies.

“The main reason I chose engineering, and more specifically civil engineering, is because of my desire to make the world a better place,” says Luke. “I hope this certification will not only teach me new skills and remind me of my commitment to help others, but will show to future employers how important serving others is to me.”

To obtain the certification, students must complete core engineering classes as well as classes in religion, business, culture and ethics. Also required is international service or work experience, such as participation in Engineers Without Borders, student mis-

sions, Peace Corps, or work with a nongovernmental organization.

As part of her work with the WWU chapter of Engineers Without Borders, Luke assisted in the planning and construction of a potable water system for a mountain village in Peru (see story below). She also conducted initial analysis and data collection for a new bridge design for Riverside Adventist Academy in India.

“One day I want to design large-scale buildings and bridges,” says Luke. For now she is focused on graduation from WWU and on applications to graduate school where she hopes to study structural engineering with an emphasis in seismic engineering.

“I also hope to continue my partnership with Engineers Without Borders and other groups,” she says.

To learn more about the new GHEE certification, visit engr.wallawalla.edu/GHEE.

BY THE NUMBERS

WWU loses beloved student following bicycle accident Walla Walla University lost a treasured member of our campus family on Feb. 11 with the death of Madison Baird.

Baird, a 20-yearold sophomore Spanish and health science major, died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after sustaining injuries in a bicycle accident near Walla Walla.

As students, faculty, and staff gathered to pray for Baird and her family, thousands of expressions of encouragement and sympathy

It’s a Small World After All

poured in to campus from sister colleges and universities, and from friends around the world.

Baird loved life and people and, most of all, Jesus.

She enjoyed the outdoors and in the summers shared her love of God and nature with campers at Big Lake Youth Camp.

On Valentine’s Day, Baird’s organs— including her heart—were donated to save the lives of eight people who are now living Maddy Strong.

WWU engineers bring water to Peruvian village After a year of planning and design, the WWU chapter of Engineers Without Borders battled “cookie-sized snowflakes” in Pucutuni, Peru, as they spent three weeks in September partnering with the local community to build a gravity-fed clean water system for the village. The numbers tell a little about their story.

780 3.4 40 3 MILLION

MILLION

MINUTES

Number of people worldwide without access to clean water (minus approximately 80 in Pucutuni, Peru)

Number of people worldwide who die each year from waterborne diseases

Time spent each day by WWU engineers commuting (hiking) to Pucutuni

THOUSAND FEET

Length of pipe laid for the Pucutuni water system (at 14,000 feet above sea level)

4 Number of concrete water tap stands built in Pucutuni

WATCH THE SNOWFLAKES FALL AND THE WATER BEGIN TO POUR IN PUCUTUNI, AND SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP AT EWB-WWU.ORG.

College Avenue The latest from across campus

books sites Reading and browsing recommendations from our experts

DID YOU KNOW? rd

Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival

By Velma Wallis (Twentieth Anniversary Edition, Harper Perennial, 2013)

WWU Career Center offers professional etiquette workshop The intricate Edwardian etiquette of Downton Abbey may be a thing of the past, but good manners still matter, and especially so in job interviews and business settings.

Recognizing this need and with feedback from graduates saying that they sometimes don’t feel prepared in this area, the WWU Career Center offers a professional etiquette workshop.

“It is important for students in the interview process— and throughout their careers—to meet certain expectations for social etiquette,” says David Lindstrom, Career Center director. “Often second and third interviews are conducted in a public setting so that employers can see how applicants handle themselves in social situations.”

The workshop includes an opening reception for practicing networking skills, a multi-course meal, instruction in how to eat difficult foods and which glass or utensil to use, how to start and participate in conversations during a meal, and many other helpful tips.

Lindstrom started the event and now joins forces with Whitman College and Walla Walla Community College.

“We hope that through this experience students will learn that they don’t have to be scared of an environment where they may feel ‘on stage,’” says Lindstrom. “We want to place them in an environment where they have an introduction to this type of social setting without having their first experience be in a high-stakes environment.”

Walla Walla University is pleased to welcome four new board members Daniel Bergeron is a dentist in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Stephanie Gates is principal at Cascade Christian Academy in Wenatchee, Wash. Oswaldo Villalobos is a pastor at the Forest

Grove Spanish Seventhday Adventist Church in Forest Grove, Ore. Dennis Plubell is vice president for education at the North Pacific Union Conference in Ridgefield, Wash.

illustration by CAITLIN KUHWALD

(According to data collected by the National Science Foundation from 2002 to 2011.)

wta.org

I’m pretty passionate about exploring Washington and Oregon, but, not having grown up in the Northwest, I don’t have the local’s insider knowledge of outdoor hotspots. This site helps me find the places in Washington state that I want to explore.

You can search for hikes by location and season.

—Mindy Coleman, guest relations coordinator

The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic I Cantori to premiere new choral work

From your mobile device,

get more WWU news.

Scan me with your favorite app (like red laser)!

At the Spring Choral Concert on May 16, I Cantori of Walla Walla University will premiere a new choral work that was commissioned and composed for their performance.

The new piece, “Abba Yitkadash Shemakh (Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic),” was composed by British composer Paul Ayres and commissioned by the Los Angeles-based Ann Stookey Fund for New Music. Ferdinand Regalado, WWU professor of biblical studies, served as Aramaic

consultant to Ayres.

“I Cantori is very excited about the thought of singing the Lord’s prayer in the language Jesus used when first teaching this prayer to His disciples,” says Kraig Scott, I Cantori conductor and professor of music.

In 2014 the Ann Stookey Fund provided grants for professional choirs in New York City, Washington D.C., and Miami, and for Indiana University and Walla Walla University. The fund supports the commissioning, performance, and recording of new choral music.

To see a complete schedule of music department events, visit music.wallawalla.edu/calendar

PHOTOS: ARELLA AUNG

Manners Matter

Walla Walla University ranked third in the state of Washington for the percent of graduates with bachelor’s degrees who went on to obtain a doctorate in science or engineering. Walla Walla University ranked first among all Adventist colleges and universities.

A legend of Alaska’s Athabascan Indians tells of two old women reluctantly left to die as the tribe migrates to find food in a brutally cold winter. The women, known for their complaining, recover old skills and discover new strength in friendship and the determination to “die trying.” What could be simply a story of survival becomes a story of transformation, forgiveness, and redemption as they provide sustenance not only for themselves but also for their amazed returning tribesmen.

—Beverly Beem, professor of English

80s THE

From the archives / If memory serves

Ministry of music

1983

CREDIT TK

From 1966 to 1987, The Messengers toured throughout North America sharing good news about WWU and even better news about hope in Jesus. Founded and led through the years by Mike Loewen, the name of the group was inspired by the name of a mission boat in Alaska.

Westwind Summer 2013

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RESEARCH:

Three

CREDIT TK

passion 10

Westwind Spring 2015

READ MORE ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

stories

OF

purpose

AND

How three WWU faculty are making the world a better place and modeling a life of academic excellence and discovery

CREDIT TK

BY MARK BOND • PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS DRAKE

Westwind Spring 2015

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As a Walla Walla University student, Kirt Onthank was thrilled to combine his love for SCUBA diving with his fascination for animals during summer at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Each day, he eagerly explored the chilly waters around the iconic marine research station located in the San Juan Islands northwest of Seattle.

The research project he worked on that summer turned into a lifelong obsession with octopuses. (There’s no such word as octopi.) Today he is Kirt Onthank, Ph.D., and one of the newest biology professors at WWU. His presence on campus is a reminder that, while excellence in teaching is one of the university’s highest priorities, research and academic scholarship are also elements of campus life that support the excellence in thought that is a hallmark of Walla Walla University.

Many universities focus heavily on research—understandably coveting the grants and prestige that can come with cutting-edge academic investigation. However, thirst for scholarly discovery in the lab or field can eclipse hunger for sharing knowledge in the lecture hall. Classes often end up being taught by assistants and graduate students to allow professors time to conduct their research.

At WWU, teaching comes first. More often than not, WWU professors involve students in their research projects, and this hands-on experience can help prepare students for life in the “real world.”

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OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON OCTOPUSES

During Onthank’s first summer at Rosario, he heard rumors of octopuses in the waters and was determined to catch one. For days he tried everything he could think of to do just that, even asking local fishermen for ideas.

Eventually, he located several octopus dens and tried, without success, to coax the octopuses out with fish he had speared.

Professor Joe Galusha, who was supervising the program that summer, gave Kirt a deadline. If he couldn’t capture an octopus by the deadline, he would have to conduct research on scallops instead. On the day of the deadline, Kirt captured a giant Pacific octopus and spent the rest of the summer studying food preferences with his prized catch.

Fast-forward 10 years, and Professor Onthank knows better how to capture octopuses. He now catches about

90 percent of those used at Rosario each summer. He has also discovered that he can purchase them online for about $20 each, which saves money and gives him more time to study them in the lab. It’s important to note that the octopuses he uses are treated with care and concern for their well-being. They are kept in an environment that is similar to their natural habitat, provided with dens like the ones they would find in the wild, and are more protected than they would be in the ocean. Most of the octopuses Onthank collects are returned within a couple months to the same location where they were captured.

Onthank’s current research project involves studying the acidification of ocean water and the longterm implications of acidification for octopus health and sustainability.

Ocean pH levels are slowly dropping due to carbon dioxide wastes that the ocean is absorbing. Carbon dioxide binds with water molecules to form carbonic acid. Since the Industrial Revolution, the pH of the ocean has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1, which seems small on the surface.

However, the amount of acid represented by that small numeric change is equivalent to about a 30 percent increase in the acidity of the ocean.

This change could have a huge impact on the animals living in the ocean.

Octopuses and other cephalopods are especially susceptible to subtle changes in pH. Cephalopods don’t have hemoglobin in their blood like vertebrate animals; they have hemocyanin, which transports the oxygen in their bloodstream throughout their bodies. The pH levels inside a cephalopod’s body control how efficiently hemocyanin operates.

Higher pH levels in the gills, where there is plenty of oxygen, signal the hemocyanin to pick up the oxygen, which then flows to the extremities. As the muscles of the cephalopod move, they use up oxygen and create acidic metabolic byproducts, resulting in lower pH levels in the tissues of the extremities. These lower pH levels signal the hemocyanin to release the oxygen where it is needed. Decreasing pH levels in the ocean water, however, create a false signal that stimulates the hemocyanin to let go of the oxygen in the wrong place, making it harder for an octopus to effectively distribute oxygen throughout its body.

Onthank’s research is helping to determine both the short- and long-term effects for octopuses as ocean acidification increases over the coming decades. He hopes that his findings will be helpful as efforts are made to maintain delicate global balances by reducing fossil fuel emissions and minimizing humanity’s global carbon footprint. He recognizes the potential value of his research not only for the planet but also for his students.

“One of the things that sets us apart compared to other schools is that at WWU you get the one-on-one relationship with your professors,” he says. “And not only does research not interfere with those relationships, it actually enhances them. Not only are the students encouraged to come into the labs, but they’re also given opportunities to work side-by-side with professors in real-world research.”

This summer, thanks to a $45,900 grant from the Murdock Charitable Trust, Onthank plans to hire two students to work on the ongoing octopus research project. He looks forward to passing on the vision that began when he was a student and that led him to this exciting, productive stage in his life and career.

MAXIMUM CALIBER ANALYSIS OF ION-CHANNEL GATING AND PREDICTING PATHWAYS OF PROTEIN FOLDING

OCEAN PH

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%

Increase in the acidity of the ocean since the Industrial Revolution.

Roy Campbell, Ph.D., professor of physics, is as excited as Onthank about sharing “cool stuff” with students. His classroom resembles a set from Myth Busters. Whether he’s exploding something or spinning around on a turntable with a spinning bicycle tire held at arms’ length, he takes every opportunity to get students excited about physics.

Campbell is especially excited about biophysics, which is the focus of his research efforts. While it may not be explosive or easy to demonstrate, he says there is plenty of “cool stuff ” happening in that field as well. He hesitates to call his research “cutting edge,” preferring instead to call it “modest.”

Campbell involves students in research as much as possible. “I want it to be interesting and worthwhile—and to reveal something that is new,” he says. “If the research winds up doing something important, all the better.”

His current research project is of the ilk that physicists and biologists eat for breakfast, but mere mortals struggle

Westwind Spring 2015

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to grasp. It can be explained in fairly simple terms. There are 20 kinds of amino acids. Through a process of replication using DNA, they bond together in specific orders to form protein chains. This happens inside the liquid of the cell. Some of the amino acids in the chain are hydrophobic (they don’t like liquid), and some are hydrophilic (they’re attracted to liquid). This creates a scenario where the protein chain bends and folds itself into predictable shapes based on the makeup of the amino acids in the chain.

Campbell is attempting to apply a series of equations associated with the Principle of Maximum Caliber to a simple membrane protein that creates an ion channel gate, which allows electrical impulses to pass through the membrane of the cell wall. This little gateway is a protein that changes shape to close and open, allowing ions to pass through.

The gate can respond to external voltage, solute concentration, pressure, and other stimuli. (Stay with me!)

In most proteins, the variables of the “states” or possible intermediate shapes between a synthesized chain and its final folded state are so numerous that predicting the actual pathway of folding would be nearly impossible.

Remember, we’re talking about individual proteins that are only visualized through x-ray crystallography, which doesn’t allow the process to be seen in real time.

Campbell’s membrane protein gate model potentially makes predicting those folding pathways easier since there are only two states—open and closed. By using patch clamp data, it is possible to measure the electrical charge as it passes through the membrane, allowing experimentation and prediction concerning the state—open or closed— that the protein will be in at any given time.

What is the practical value of this prediction model?

Campbell hopes that the ability to make accurate predictions in a simple two-state model will lead to the ability to use the same calculations to predict folding pathways for more complex protein molecules that fold into a variety of unique shapes.

The real-world application might perhaps be the ability to better understand certain protein misfolding diseases such as mad cow disease and Alzheimer’s. The result of predicting the pathway of protein dynamics could eventually yield results that help eliminate certain diseases.

Modest indeed.

Last summer, WWU senior Rebekah Hawkins conducted a research project to study the dynamics of the alanine dipeptide molecule. Her efforts to better understand this simple biomolecule could shed light on the problem of protein folding. Techniques and methods she learned in her research will be used to study larger polypeptides and proteins. Hawkins presented her work at the Murdock Undergraduate Research Conference in November 2014.

“I’m very proud of the work that Rebekah did,” says Campbell. “It’s those kind of opportunities for research that makes an education at Walla Walla so valuable.”

As Campbell says, that’s pretty “cool stuff.”

CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF RECREATIONAL SALMON FISHING IN WASHINGTON AND ALASKA

Valuable research on this campus extends throughout the various disciplines. Janet Ockerman, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology and social work. A sociologist by training, she found herself teaching a class in cultural anthropology.

Although there is some overlap between anthropology and sociology, anthropology was outside her direct area of training. Sociologists use quantitative analysis to study civilization. For instance, when a census is taken and de-

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OCTOPUS

30 feet Arm span of the largest Giant Pacific Octopus ever caught.

(It weighed more than 600 pounds.)

DNA

-112 degrees Lowest temperature on the WWU campus (in Rigby Hall freezers used in DNA research).

mographic data is collected, quantitative analysis is performed as an aspect of real-world sociology. Cultural anthropologists, on the other hand, gather their data in a qualitative ethnographic manner—they live among the people they are studying for periods of a year or more, learning their habits and customs.

Over time, as they participate in the everyday lives of their subjects, they learn what questions to ask and what issues to explore.

Ockerman loves quantitative analysis, but her desire to be more in touch with the anthropologic content she was teaching inspired her to embrace qualitative research as well.

But how do you immerse yourself in a foreign culture for a year or more while continuing to teach at WWU? You invest your summers. And that’s exactly what Ockerman did.

She and her husband, Joe, had recently purchased a boat for recreational fishing in Puget Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca. As they embraced the fishing lifestyle, Ockerman found herself asking many questions about the non-commercial salmon fishermen they met, including various aspects of their culture. She discovered a similar non-commercial fishing subculture during a trip to Alaska.

Specifically, she observed that fishing is primarily done by men and that it is a multi-generational skill handed down from father to son.

Further research revealed that very little has been written about the fishing micro-culture from an anthropological perspective. Thus, 10 years ago, began her passion for studying salmon fishing by observing and participating in the non-commercial salmon fishing lifestyle.

“Salmon has been a strong component of Northwestern culture for as long as we have any written knowledge,” says Ockerman. “For the Native American population, it has been a crucial part of their sustenance; and in the 1930s and 40s, commercial salmon fishing became a significant influence on the economy of the Northwest.”

Today, however, major consumers of salmon also include recreational sports fisherman.

Ockerman has never been inclined to slow down. She recently received the 2014 Walla Walla University Community Service Award for her involvement in projects focused on making food available to underprivileged populations, working with the local senior center, and helping inmates with the transition after being released from prison. But this socially conscious professor wasn’t satisfied to stay within her comfort zone.

Armed with camera, notebook, laptop computer, fish-

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

learned that fishing is managed like a military campaign with systematic fact-finding and intelligence gathering.

There are weapons and instruments (fishing gear). There is always a battlefield, on land or at sea, on the banks or in boats, in both fresh water and salt water.

Over a period of 10 years, Ockerman has gathered a vast amount of observable data and has conducted numerous interviews with fishermen in Washington and Alaska. Two years ago while traveling in the Yukon, she and her husband happened upon a Native tribe out drying their salmon in the sun. The tribe had been using that same location for as long as anyone could remember.

Avid fishers, they graciously shared their stories of how the salmon help them survive the winters, which helped confirm the continued importance of salmon to Native populations.

Ockerman has shared her preliminary findings at several national conferences, and her work has been well received. She hopes to take a sabbatical soon to focus on writing and publishing her conclusions.

Although her research does not easily translate into a hands-on lab setting for students, it has certainly made her a better teacher. She has invested her free time by immersing herself in the anthropological world, which now helps her bring to life in more meaningful ways the concepts and ideas she presents in the classroom.

“At WWU, there’s a sense that the teachers really care about each student,” says Ockerman. She is thankful that her commitment to research has not impeded her ability to put students first.

“There is a strong emphasis on advising—not only academically, but also on a personal and spiritual level,” she says, “and that’s one thing that sets Walla Walla apart. Sometimes a student will share a personal problem with you as a professor and you may not have a solution, but you’re there to listen and pray with them, and that really makes a difference.”

With a student teacher ratio of 14:1, differences like that are visible daily on campus. Students have numerous opportunities to connect with, learn from, and work alongside their professors as colleagues and friends. Research is just one such opportunity.

“Our WWU students are blessed to have the opportunity to work side by side in the laboratory and the field with faculty who are doing original research,” says Bob Cushman, vice president for academic administration.

“Our faculty members are committed to mentoring our undergraduate students in developing research and critical thinking skills that will serve them well in their chosen careers beyond graduation.”

The research efforts of Onthank, Campbell, and Ockerman are significant not just in their fields of expertise.

Theirs is a small representation of a campus-wide commitment and devotion to students in the classroom, in the lab, and in the field.

While traveling in the Yukon, Ockerman and her husband happened upon a Native tribe out drying their salmon in the sun.

ing tackle, and an inquisitive mind, she started learning by doing and by asking a lot of questions of her fellow fishermen—or “cultural guides” as they’re referred to in anthropologic circles. Complete immersion was her tactical strategy.

“It’s important to take the stance that you don’t know anything, and I pretty much didn’t know anything, so I was in a good shape!” she says.

Ockerman discovered that salmon fishermen are very competitive—even the individual sport fishermen. She

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ANYTHING E Highlights from The Gadfly, a WWU literary and artistic tradition

SEPTEMBER

Kandyce (Unterseher) King ’04 King graduated with a major in art in 2004 and also has a degree in elementary education. She created this collage/ mixed media piece during her senior year.

D10 THE TENTH DIHEDRAL GROUP: DEFINITION AND SUBGROUP LATTICE 3

John Hawkins ’08 | civil engineering and mathematics major

LET THE BUNTINGS BE OUR VALENTINE

Carrie Ojanen ’07 | English major

The snow bunting rises over the tar paper roof, twig feet nearly scratching the flashing— a bumblebee’s burst and tumble—trefoilfeet and delicate dark nails flick the green gritted sand, three others follow—their downy breasts (soft lunar eclipses) lead hearts indiscernible, but they must be red and perfect berries buried in thick tundra moss, dense and brown, caged in white lichen claws. How my Aupa loves them— winter sky, the small of their voices as they speck and disappear.

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Westwind Spring 2015

CREDIT TK

their white breasted surge into the white

LEGANT

The Gadfly—the annual WWU student literary magazine since 1938—brings together student poetry, prose, art, photos—even elegant mathematical formulas. “Anything elegant” is, in fact, a key criteria for student editors as they select content for The Gadfly. This collection of Gadfly favorites highlights contributions from recent alumni.

GREENBACKS

Kevin House ’12 and ’14 | biology major This watercolor and ink drawing was created by House during his undergraduate studies.

In summer, on my father’s land we were hot at dawn and went to bed atop the covers, while the sun still shimmered above the hills and a 3-speed fan turned back and forth across the quiet rooms of home.

Come fall, come school and leaving home we’d wait at the bus stop on our neighbor’s land with lunchboxes and #2 pencils, and venture forth while dreaming we were still in bed until the bus had left our gentle hills behind and we would take our desks and sit still.

HOME LAND

Ethan Pooley att. humanities major

Winter announced itself with rainy days and still no recess if it was too wet out. At home the puddles in our driveway were frozen and the hills were frosted white each morning, covering the land beneath in winter slumber, like our frozen flower bed covered the bulbs of daffodils that would bud forth in spring. The skies and grasses of that fourth season would always take us by surprise, still expecting cold and winter. But we’d rise from bed one morning and find the almond trees around our home suddenly in ivory-pink blossom, carpeting the fresh land and invading with the noise of bees the mild hills.

My grandfather grew up among the hills of a thousand-acre home ranch, arcing forth across the wild and canyoned land of the Sierra foothills. My father still could visit there, when he was young and home, but I was raised on less, and made my bed

CREDIT TK

amid dad’s tiny sixteen acres. Yet they embed in me their timeless nature nonetheless. The hills, in every season, ever new but always home, even now upon my visits draw this aging child forth.

And I keep going back to stand there, calm and still and listen to the silent history of the land.

I know in time upon some final bed, I will sally forth from those familiar hills again, young and clutching a lunchbox, still shaking off the sleep of home, still waiting for another land.

ART, PHOTOS, POETRY, AND PROSE ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GADFLY IN 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, AND 2013.

CONFOCAL MICROGRAPH OF LUNG EPITHELIUM NO. 3

Cedric Thiel ’14 biology major

AROUND THE BEND

Brandon Witzel ’07 graphic design major

WINTER PALOUSE

Nate Kay ’02 communications major

AS MY FATHER AND I CROSS ALASKA’S SHORE

Danielle Shull ’13 English major

from rock to rock his cheeks scrunch trying to get his glasses closer to his eyes.

One hand grips the air for balance, the other clutches the hand belonging to the blonde child who barely reaches his hip. Dad’s glasses slip again as he swings me with him from rock to rock.

His bad back bows like a breaking bridge beneath the backpack crammed with Ramen noodles and the leaky tent, the Raggedy Ann doll I couldn’t leave at the house, and the crinkled blue stone I couldn’t leave on the beach.

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MARTHA’S IN JAIL

Andrea Stout ’07 | English major

So, should we just sit at feet on Kmart cushions plumped with—heaven forbid—synthetic down, shaved from polyester geese, we have never seen, let alone plucked, stuffed, drizzled in a palatable lemon bisque garnished with capers—or, forgive me, was it cloves? Perhaps the guests were cutting capers, in awe of such a culinary golden calf.

But we wouldn’t know.

Now that Lazarus has been raised there’s work to be —is something burning?

Where were we— Ah, yes, in jail…

Should we just sit at feet, nervous about a year’s salary of store-bought perfume: a liquid lump of chemicals—which might at first smell like (but is not) hand picked lavender from green-thumbed gardens.

Should we just sit at feet and wait for someone to say “It is good.” And the evening and the morning are the first reminders that we won’t always have the organic with us.

Martha, Martha—come forth!

Promise us we can still make red-letter gifts from scraps of grave linen.

LET THE RECORD SHOW

David Crawford ’04 | English and education major David Crawford is now an assistant professor of communications at WWU.

LEMON MOON IN THE COSMIC FILAMENT

Steve Miller ’01 | art major

Don’t worry you starving people in Africa Congress has appointed a committee to look into your situation. They’ve appropriated 2 million for their meeting at the Marriot in Genève because that is where these things happen, just a little closer to you. Don’t worry you starving people in Cambodia, at this meeting they will determine what to do at the next, and what order it will be in; let the record show they know the problems and will meet at the Hilton in Hamburg because that is where these things happen. Don’t worry you starving people in Chechnya talks are on their way and the UN is sitting beside you, cheering you on through your mouthfuls of snow.

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AT THE START OF ALL THINGS BEING

Rebecca Brothers ’13 | English major

to the tune of “Hyfrydol” (“Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”)

OUTSIDE MY DOOR

Joel Henriques ’97 | art major

Henriques created this collage for the cover of a CD of children’s music composed and performed by his sister, Lori Henriques ’93, music and French major.

The package was designed by Paul Johnson ’96, communications major.

At the start of all things being, Christ was there, and One with God. He came down to dwell among us, Maker with the ones He made.

Though the darkness swirls around us, Christ’s own light shines brighter still.

He is Life to all who know Him, Source of Light for all the world.

Prophets had foretold of rivers, Flowing through the desert plains: “Joyful hands and strengthened spirits— These will come by end of days.”

When the woman came for water, Jesus sent her back with more: “Those who drink the Living Water will have life forevermore.”

When the people came to Jesus, no one knew how they would eat.

Andrew brought a small meal forward; Jesus took and bade them sit.

When they all had eaten plenty, more was left than had begun.

Jesus, Savior, Bread of Heaven, longs to fill us, every one.

Forty years in lonely desert, God’s own people walked in sin.

When they gave the lambs as offerings, sins were cleared, and hearts made clean.

Jesus came to be our offering, cov’ring all the world’s dark stains; now to us He makes His promise: “I, the Lamb, will come again.”

MERISM

Nari Kirk ’07 | writing major

How assumptive it is to say that three plus four is seven— that is, to say that the Trinity and the elements together equal everything known and unknown.

Last night, I listened to Thomas Hampson sing “All the Things You Are,” and these are not me. More than “the breathless hush of evening” I am a woman who speaks in the morning to make room for silence—and I would not steal a breath for adventure or springtime or a song. And when I tremble, I avoid the brink, fumble my way toward flat dirt far from water and close to an aster or asterism, where I know home to be. Less than an angel, I aim toward being a saint, but I am left, winded, and conclude that I am zero or somewhere in between integers or merely unaccounted for.

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Westwind Spring 2015

RED LIGHT

Kurtis Lamberton ’14 | automotive management major Lamberton used a fish tank backlit with strobes to overexpose all but the waterline and fruit in this image, and high-speed flash sync to freeze the motion, f/4.5, 1/200.

WORDS TO MYSELF Elizabeth Jones ’13 | business major

“It’s hard to describe someone you know so well.”

—Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

BALLET DANCER

Andree Anderson ’07 Anderson was a freshman English major when she painted this oil on canvas.

IT WAS THE WAY HE STOOD A HEAD taller than anyone else, it was the way he laughed so hard I couldn’t help but laugh with him, it was the way he carried me to his room from the couch so I didn’t have to wake up, it was the way he made ice cream, it was the way he let me cheat at croquet because I was the youngest grandchild, it was the way he rode on the log-ride with me even though he knew I was going to duck and soak him, it was the way he did all of these things that made me forget he wouldn’t always.

He was a big Danish man and he lived his life in a big Danish way, showing his love instead of speaking it. Every morning, rain or shine, he would wake up and scatter birdseed all over the front part of his lawn.

Every summer, we would feed the birds together, just the two of us, standing side by side, his hair white with age, mine white with youth, and watch silently as the light would transform the world in front of us; the light would slowly start to stream through the trees and burn through the mist to expose a previously barren field now lush with birds; fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Those were the words, or something like them, I imagine he was trying to show me every summer. And every summer, those were the words I most looked forward to seeing.

His daughter was my mother and when I was little, I loved to sleep next to her; I would wake up in the middle of the night, stumble into my parents’

bedroom, and use any excuse I could find to crawl into bed next to her. I was careful to never wake my dad, the surgeon, for fear of being yelled at and sent back to my own bed. I got to the point where I spent almost every night in their room; I even crawled in bed next to an unsuspecting babysitter one weekend when my parents were gone. The bigger I got, the easier it was for my mom to turn me away, because while I loved sharing a bed with her, she was not thrilled with the idea of sleeping next to a little helicopter—I would propel my legs around in the middle of the night, somehow ending up horizontal when I should have been vertical.

By the time I was four, I had grown into a big helicopter and my nights spent in my parents’ bed were limited. I remember the night before my fifth birthday I somehow found myself standing next to my mom’s side of the bed watching her sleep, desperate to get in bed with her. I eventually summed up my courage and placed my small hand on her cheek and she opened her eyes, knowing instantly what I wanted; I told her tonight would be the last night she would get to spend with four-year-old me and she smiled and pulled back the covers. I curled up next to her and fell into an easy sleep.

I found out years later my mom would often wait until I fell asleep and then she would crawl out of her overstuffed bed and into my empty one.

And I would unknowingly spend the night next to my dad instead.

FOUNDATIONS

Katrin Thorn ’11 | art major

Thorn was a senior when she created this linoleum print.

She is now working on a master’s degree in the psychology of fashion in London.

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Ask

National news stories affect dorm life GERALD WINSLOW (1966–1971) I remember

The

when our nation was entering more deeply into the Vietnam War. Nearly all of our residence hall men were at risk of being drafted. Just slightly lessthan-good grades could lead to a letter from a draft board. Our students had to make decisions about how to relate to the prospect of military service. I was the main draft counselor for our residents. Working with the U.S. Selective Services regarding draft issues occupied almost half of my time during those years.

RICK ONEAL (1991–2001)

Dean

Remember Y2K—the potential world catastrophe where thankfully nothing happened? All residents were required to vacate the dorm for days before and after Y2K just in case.

I was the dean on duty to handle anything that might happen. On New Year’s Eve, my daughter, Lyndsay, and I turned up the stereo in the lobby and played mini-golf through an empty Sittner Hall.

Rules of the day and law enforcement WINSLOW My hunch is

WWU residence hall deans reflect on dorm life through the years. BY LOREE CHASE-WAITE Dorm life. Oh, the stories students can tell. ¶ But if you want to hear some really interesting nuggets, ask the deans. ¶ On the front lines and behind the scenes, deans put their heart and soul into making residence halls a home away from home for students at WWU. In the process, they make a lot of memories.

that many of the rules we had back then would strike people as quaint now. For example, freshmen were not allowed to have automobiles (although many did and parked them in the village). All men under 24 years of age were required to live in the dorm. However, I decided there should be exceptions for 23-year-old men who had served in the Vietnam War. They were allowed to choose whether to live in the dorm or village.

ONEAL Vending machines were shut down on Sabbath so there would be no purchases made. TVs were not allowed in the dorm rooms. When that

changed, TVs were not to be used on Sabbath. The blue light from a TV shining through a window is pretty obvious.

CHRISTIE (MEDRANO) LANG (2008–PRESENT)

We stick pretty closely to the policies listed in the handbook, but we also keep in mind grace and learning opportunities.

Methods of communication WINSLOW We had front

desk monitors who could contact residents in their rooms via a rather antiquated PA system.

It was one step up from megaphones, I suppose.

ONEAL Thankfully, Sittner Hall didn’t have an intercom. Getting the dorm wired for the Internet and networking was a welcome event.

CAROL (PIFER) PERRIN (PORTLAND CAMPUS 1986–1998) During my

time at the Portland dorm, the Hot Line was a big thing. On this direct line to the Walla Walla campus, students could talk to their friends some 240 miles away without the long distance phone charges of those days. Students signed up for Hot Line time slots at the front desk.

DAVID KNIGHT (1993– 1999) In 1994, we got

an elaborate system of pagers. With the genius of Lenden Webb, one of our desk workers, we took the system to the next level. Lenden developed a coded system that would indicate the urgency of calls. For example, if we needed more stamps, the pager might read #9. For non-urgent needs, it might read #4. An immediate callback need was a code #1. Thanks to Lenden, we were moving on up.

LANG We no longer have in-room telephone lines or intercoms. Night check is done exclusively with computers and iPods.

HEIDI INDERMUEHLE (2012–PRESENT) These

Clockwise from left: Walt Meske and Lyn Prohaska serve french fries. Gerald Winslow presides over the naming of Dale Court in 1981. Women’s deans in 1982: Ilo Hutton, Irene Erickson, Paula Chapman, Patty Gepford, and Lynette Bates.

Kathy Fletcher studies in Foreman Hall.

days it’s all about cell phones and e-mail.

Making holiday memories

PHOTOS: WWU ARCHIVES

HELEN THOMPSON ZOLBER (1955–1965)

Over Christmas break, there were often 30 to 45 students on campus.

A group usually went up to Tollgate Lodge in the Blue Mountains. They played in the snow and went sledding on long bread trays provided by the cafeteria. They would cut a Christmas tree and decorate it with popcorn and cranberries. Students would take a simple gift wrapped in newspaper. There would be supper and singing by the fire, and then everyone would roll up in sleeping bags for

the night. Christmas Day brought an early pancake breakfast and more sledding. Then everyone returned to campus for a Christmas dinner provided by the cafeteria in the Alaska Room. The evening would wrap up with games in the Conard Hall parlor.

ONEAL For the guys staying on campus over

Thanksgiving break, we always had a great midmorning brunch. And each winter, we watched the Super Bowl OPS style. We put up a huge screen in the lobby and darkened the windows. At halftime we served pizza. And the wonderful ladies from the church would bring cookies. Yum!

LANG We decorate our dorm lobbies and exteriors for the holidays. And around Christmas, Foreman and Conard Halls host an open house.

Dickinson and Melvin West.

Weekend reflections

LANG I always enjoy making treats for Friday night after vespers.

ZOLBER I often think of Friday evening vespers in the Conard chapel. Every week the ladies would sing, “There is a Place of Quiet Rest.”

Mischief making

WINSLOW I’ll always cher-

ish the memories of Friday evening M.V. (Missionary Volunteer) meetings. We would hear an inspiring speaker or have a musical program. And then there were the artful and enriching Sabbath evening vespers, often led by Loren

ED TAYLOR (1987–1989)

Making Sunday breakfast was a hoot and a mess, but it always turned out to be a hit with the guys.

ILO HUTTON (1976–1994)

One night while I was making rounds, I came upon several girls who were sitting on the floor with a blanket over their laps. As we chatted, I started hearing popping sounds. It turned out, the girls were hiding a popcorn popper under the blanket, which wasn’t allowed in the rooms at the time.

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Left: Communicating with dorm residents has changed dramatically from the days when this PA system took more than it’s share of space in the Conard Hall lobby.

Below: Men’s deans in the mid-90s included Buddy Keubler, Rick Oneal, and David Knight.

One night around 11:30, the police called and said a water balloon fight was breaking windows at a housing unit at Whitman Lodge. I took off running from Sittner Hall down College Avenue, and I heard someone yell, “Meske’s coming.” When I got there, everyone disappeared.

The next day, a parent of one of the students called and said he would cover the cost of all damages.

By 5 pm that same day, all the broken windows were replaced. I never talked to any of the fellows, and that never happened again.

WINSLOW We did have

some creative “cooks” who managed to use popcorn poppers in fabulously divergent ways.

Lobby laughs ONEAL One thing I was glad about was that guys didn’t go for couples canoodling in the Sittner lobby. That was a Foreman lobby activity!

Creative reasons for missing curfew ONEAL One special excuse

for missing curfew would come up when the clocks turned back an hour in the fall. This would occur at 2 am on a Sunday morning, and the guys had to be in by midnight (or 1 am with an approved pass). Their logic at 2 am was that they were legit because the clocks turned back an hour at 2:00, so it was actually 1:00. The problem with their excuse was that they missed being in the dorm the first time 1:00 rolled on past. Nice effort though.

SANDY ZAUGG (1993– 1998) “I fell asleep” was

LANG Public displays of affection (PDA) in the Foreman lobby have always been a source of campus jokes.

Rooms to remember—or not INDERMUEHLE When

I have to check rooms, I prefer messy rooms over smelly ones. Smelly rooms are the worst!

ONEAL Of course there were some doozies, but let’s just imagine the guys have outgrown that.

WINSLOW The rare

exception in most men’s dorms would be the orderly room. I do recall that we had trouble with the shower valves on one of our halls. A sign soon appeared on the door: “Cleanliness is next to godliness; but around here it’s next to impossible!”

INDERMUEHLE Monitoring PDA is not my favorite part of the job!

WINSLOW Some enter-

prising residents literally picked up (I’m not joking) the Volkswagen Beetles owned by Dean Mike Loewen and myself from their parking spots by the dorm, carried them up the stairs, and put them in the lobby of Sittner Hall. The

probably the most common excuse for missing curfew.

INDERMUEHLE There was the sophomore student getting “lost” in Walla Walla.

LANG “I was at the bowl-

ing alley.” It had closed two hours prior.

WINSLOW My personal fa-

vorite was when Dr. Claude Barnett would take his astronomy students out to observe meteor showers or other astronomical events. If more driving was required because of cloud cover, or if the field trip ran longer than the scheduled dorm curfews, the deans could receive the most heavenly excuses.

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Your Turn

We want to hear your dorm stories! Would you like to thank a dean for making a difference or share an anecdote about dorm life? We’re collecting stories to share during 2015 Homecoming Weekend.

To share your story, send e-mail to alumni@wallawalla.edu or write to: Terri Dickinson Neil, director of alumni and parent relations 204 S. College Ave. College Place, WA 99324

PLEASE INCLUDE

• Your name and contact information.

• When you attended WWU. • If you give permission to share your story with others.

cars were then elaborately “decorated.” When Mike and I returned from a meeting that evening, we were greeted by our cars in the lobby, along with at least a hundred men expressing uncommon hilarity. We joined the laughter and the cars were later returned to where they belonged.

Gathering for worship WINSLOW Attendance

used to be required at evening worship every single weeknight. As Dean Mike Loewen used to say, “I want to see all my men together once every day.” So evening worships, which included music and a devotional talk, were a high priority.

PERRIN Food was always a drawing card. I loved putting out snacks for our weekly worship/dorm meetings.

ONEAL Fireside worship, one of my favorites, was started by a student while I was there. It was in the Sittner courtyard on Wednesday evenings. OPS worship was a great time to get the guys together, even if it was just because they had to or because they were waiting for the great games afterward.

Sunset worship in the dorm was the smallest worship event each week, but it was also more intimate.

DIANE PEARSON (1994– 2002) For the first worship

of the year, I would invite the campus chaplain to speak about growing your personal faith. Other times we would have a series of worships on different aspects of health, including spiritual, mental, emotional and physical.

PHOTOS: WWU ARCHIVES

WALT MESKE (1975–1983)

Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

AlumNotes

blessings of the Sabbath settled around us,” Elwood recalls. The Starrs have two children: Shanell Turk ’94 and Marlin.

Get up-to-date with just a few of our alumni. Send AlumNote information to alumni@wallawalla.edu

1950s

Fred Bennett ’55 lives in College Place with his wife, JaneAnn (Schlader) att. Fred is a retired WWU professor of engineering where he taught for 40 years. Fred keeps in contact with many of his former students. He and JaneAnn have four children: Jenna Quaile ’79, Fred att., George att., and Carol Bovee ’88.

Vera (Bock) Davis ’55 and her husband, Dean att., live in South Lancaster, Mass. Before retiring, Vera was chair of the nursing department at Atlantic Union College. Vera and Dean were missionaries in Brazil for 13 years.

After returning to the states, Dean finished his doctorate at Andrews University and they moved to AUC. One highlight during her time in college was taking a spring quarter class from Prof. Winters and camping at Mount St. Helens with other nursing students. Vera and Dean have three children: Robert, Dawn Nielsen, and Linda Parsons.

Dorothy (Kuhn) Holm ’55 lives in Battle Ground, Wash. Her husband, Melvin ’52 is deceased. Dorothy’s career has included work as a nursing instructor in Ethiopia, Kenya, and at the Loma Linda School of Nursing. Some of Dorothy’s favorite memories from WWU are from her time on the Portland Campus. She remembers the kind teachers and faculty who helped her overcome her shyness and complete her bachelor of science degree in nursing. Dorothy has three children: Brent, Wayne ’79, and Bruce ’82.

Stanley Sargeant ’55 and ’58 and his wife, Emma, live in El Paso, Texas. Stanley taught nursing at Florida Adventist Medical Center

and then returned to WWU to obtain a master’s degree in education. He has been a nurse anesthestist for the army both in the states and in Germany, and he served at an army hospital in Vietnam during the war. He has taught anesthesiology in El Paso; Wausau, Wis.; and Madison, Tenn. Stanley retired from his army career in 1974. He and Emma have two children, Thomas ’80 and Destiny.

1960s Wanda (Leaning) Chipeur ’60 and her husband, Edward ’58, live in Alberta, Canada. Wanda is a retired nurse, and Ed is a retired teacher. Wanda has worked in various capacities as a nurse including as an operating room nurse. She was also director of care for a nursing home in British Columbia. They moved to Canada (Ed’s birth country) in 1973. Ed was a farmer while their children finished their education. Wanda says she loved the academic atmosphere at WWU, and the friendly students and staff. She also enjoyed her job at the College Fountain. Wanda and Edward have three children: Gerald, Rebecca Davidson att., and Mark.

Doug Sayles ’65 and his wife, Virginia “Ginger” (Stelzmiller) att., live in Hagerstown, Md. Doug is a retired director of sales at Review and Herald Publishing.

“Helping people find materials for enhancing their soul-winning work hooked me,” Doug says.

He worked in Adventist publishing for 49 years. One of Doug’s favorite memories of WWU was the Sabbath when the congregation walked from the old gym to the new church. He also says he will never forget racing down the fire escape after business class to hop in his VW bug and drive to his job in Milton-Freewater. Doug also remembers waking up at 3 am every morning to open the dairy processing plant. He says, “Paying your own way through college called for extreme determination.” Doug and Ginger have three children: Wally att., Shoni Evans att., and Michael.

Kathryn (Fisher) Stanley ’65 lives in Eugene, Ore. She retired from her career as an elementary school teacher after teaching for 32 years in Adventist schools in Washington, California, and Arizona. She loves letters and calls from friends.

She has one son, Roy Bissember att., and five grandchildren.

Elwood Starr ’65 and his wife, Doyne (Allen) Lewis-Starr live in Copperopolis, Calif. Elwood retired in 2009 from the Oregon Conference after working as a pastor for 42 years. The biggest joy in his life was helping people discover a richer life in Jesus. He has been on mission trips to Tanzania and India, and has taken a tour of the Holy Land. “Through the ups and downs of my life, I have found Jesus to be a faithful friend and a help in time of need,” he says. “I eagerly look forward to the reunion in heaven when family and friends will all be together once again!” Elwood says during his time at WWU he was especially blessed by his theology professors: elders Balharrie, Groves, Ludgate, and Litke.

He remembers their classes as enlightening and enriching. Friday night vespers was a highlight each week: “It seemed like the whole campus took a collective sigh of relief after a busy week as the

Beverly (Baker) Thygeson ’60 and her husband, Scott ’62, live in Walla Walla. Beverly says that one of her most important lifechanging moments was when she became a Seventh-day Adventist.

Since that time, she has been involved in promoting the Adventist health message through wellness and preventive medicine. She fondly remembers and appreciates the nutritional meals in the cafeteria when she was a student.

Beverly also remembers first coming to WWU as a non-Adventist and following the dress code by bringing no jeans, no sleeveless blouses, and no jewelry. Beverly and Scott have four children: Laura Larson att., Hans ’90, Sonja White ’92, and John ’95.

1970s

Letha Hoos ’70 and her husband, Merle, live in Brighton, Colo. Letha teaches language arts and math for grades seven to 10 at Brighton Adventist Academy. She says that her hobby, and pride and joy are their three grandchildren. Some of Letha’s favorite memories of WWU are attending lyceum programs like those by Van Cliburn and the Russian Cossack Dancers. She also enjoyed the teachers she had and their friendliness. “Walla Walla was a most enjoyable time of my life,” she says. Letha and Merle have two sons: Merle and Curtis.

Daniel Knapp Sr. ’70 and his wife, Sharon, live in Cusick, Wash.

Daniel is a retired minister who has worked for the Upper Columbia Conference, the Northern California Conference, and the Oregon Conference. He also served as church ministries director for the Nevada-Utah Conference. Daniel enjoys canoeing, hiking, bicycling, and playing piano and organ. One of his favorite WWU memories is sitting in church listening to the organ performers. The Knapps have six children: David att., Arnold att., Daniel ’89, Lori Carambot ’84, Jason att., and Justin ’12.

Westwind Spring 2015 25

Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

Barton Morse ’75 lives in Kalispell, Mont., where he is a teacher and garlic farmer. During his career, he worked 10 years for the forest service and 24 years for the Kalispell School District. He is currently a substitute teacher and contract teacher at Flathead Valley Community College where he teaches classes on soil creation, growing cut flowers, and demystifying stock options. His favorite memory from WWU is a trip to Mexico with the mountain climbing club.

Ron Qualley ’75 lives in Roseville, Calif. He is semi-retired and works part-time as a greenskeeper at Valley Crest and Brinkmann Wood Creek Golf Courses. Ron has dedicated much of his life to working with young people in Adventist education. He was a student dean at WWU, was men’s dean at Southern Adventist University for 13 years, and was men’s dean at Pacific Union College for 12 years. He also was dean and physical education teacher at Sunnydale Academy, and dean at Forest Lake Academy.

Ron’s favorite memory of WWU is singing with the Messengers Quartet for four years. He especially enjoyed working for Deans Mike Loewen and Walt Meske. He fondly remembers winning the Sonnenburg MVP award. Ron has two sons: Lucas and Matthew.

Cherelyn (James) Strickland ’75 and her husband, Dennis, live in Mabton, Wash. Cherelyn is a registered nurse and owns and operates a small assisted-living facility called “Just Like Home.”

She also teaches nursing at the Yakima Valley Community College.

She is also active in the Sunnyside, Wash., Adventist church as school board chair, head elder, clerk, and newsletter editor. She and Dennis have spent more than 40 years enjoying their mutual interests such as waterskiing, camping, and gardening. Cherelyn loves identifying and collecting flowers by photography. She and Dennis have two daughters: Sara ’03 and Shari ’07.

Robert Stumph ’70 and his wife, Gail (Hubbard) ’68, live in College Place. Robert has been a pastor for the South Dakota, Oregon, and Texas conferences. He says one of the most challenging life events he has faced was when Hurricane Rita destroyed their apartment and the church/school building in 2005.

While leading in the re-establishment of the new building, Robert served as executive officer and chairman of the Southeast Texas Interfaith Organization (SETIO) and was director of the Port Arthur Unmet Needs Committee.

He says the ministry changed from an evangelistic mode to community service and Seventh-day Adventists became known as the people who care.

In 2011, Robert was diagnosed with cancer, which is now wellcontrolled and not active. He attributes this to the amazing grace of Jesus Christ. “I am eagerly looking forward to the day when

Alumni Sabbath at ROSARIO AUGUST 29, 2015

we all shall see Him and be made new in the ‘twinkling of an eye’ as Jesus comes for His people.” The Stumphs have three sons: Jonathan ’03, Robert, and Kinley.

1980s

Dan Bray ’80 and his wife, Patti att., live in Harker Heights, Texas.

Dan is a counseling psychologist in the marriage and family therapy clinic at Darnall Army Medical Center. In 2012 he retired as a lieutenant colonel from his postion as an army chaplain. Patti is a retired educator. The Brays have two sons: Tyler and Jordan.

Julie (Jorgensen) Gwinn ’80 and her husband, Donald ’78, live in Grand Terrace, Calif. Julie is a secretary at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She has worked with Pathfinders for 30 years and has taken many mission trips with them. She enjoys singing with the choir at the Azure Hills Seventhday Adventist Church, cruising to various places in the world, and travel in general. Julie’s favorite memories of WWU include working on plays for Donnie Rigby, meeting her future husband, and taking a summer course of study in England and Scotland.

Michael “Mic” Mihm ’80 and his wife, Nanette (Amier) att., live in Roxborough, Colo. Mic is a trial attorney specializing in legal malpractice and business tort litigation. Nanette is a realtor and volunteers as a court appointed special

advocate (CASA) for children in the legal system. Mic was recently elected president of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. He and Nanette love to travel. In 2014 they took their grandchildren and their friends to Japan and Indonesia.

They have two children: Stefanie Albrecht and Nicholas.

Bradley Personius ’80 and his wife, Laurie, live in Grants Pass, Ore. Bradley is a cardiologist and has been chief of staff at Three Rivers Medical Center. He made several trips to Haiti after the earthquake to help with medical work and to train medical students, physician assistants, and health workers. He was awarded Doctor of the Year in 2011 in Grants Pass. Bradley and Laurie have three children: Oliver, Jordan, and Brittany Steinhoefel att.

Darrell Jones ’85 and his wife, Teri (Campbell) ’82, live in Mill Creek, Wash. Darrell is a senior design engineer at Boeing Company, where he has worked since graduating from WWU. He currently manages assembly and automation projects. In 2014, he was recognized for holding more than 50 patents and being the fifth highest patent holder at Boeing.

He has invented many production processes and automation systems for the new 787 Dreamliner airplane. He and Teri enjoy traveling and vactioning with their two children, and with family and friends. Some of Darrell’s favorite memories from WWU are the personable and helpful professors. “I took engineering and had to study the whole time, so I didn’t get out much,” he says. “But my time at

Join special guest speaker Darold Bigger for a relaxing weekend with fellow friends and alumni. We will also celebrate Joe Galusha’s legacy of 41 consecutive summers at Rosario. Join us for Sabbath or the full weekend. Reservations available beginning June 15, 2015.

wallawalla.edu/rosario-sabbath | (800) 377-2586

Doug & Carmen Clark In September 2004, Douglas Clark ’70 and his wife, Carmen (Mosser) att., moved into a new house between Port Townsend and Sequim, Wash., that they helped design. Their new place is on a ridge overlooking part of Discovery Bay and the Northern Cascades. The Clarks are no strangers to the Pacific Northwest. Doug taught in the WWU School of Theology from 1987 to 2004.

They recently relocated from Southern California where Doug retired as associate dean of the HMS Richards Divinity School at La Sierra University, and Carmen retired from her work as administrative assistant to the chair of the department of nutrition and dietetics at Loma Linda University. Doug will continue to work part time as director of La Sierra’s Center for Near Eastern Archaeology.

WWU was a great experience.”

Darrel and Teri have two children: Tia and Tosh curr. att.

1990s

Shawn Casey-White ’90 and her husband, Brad, live in Orinda, Calif.

Shawn is a senior development officer for the American Heart Association. She and Brad have been married seven years. Her work includes creating strategic plans for building a culture of wellness in 10 Western states. Some of her favorite memories of WWU are the London communications tour and the Amnesty International Chapter. She enjoyed speech class with Loren Dickenson and her philosophy of religion class with Alden Thompson, where she says she earned “the best ‘C’ she ever got.” Shawn remembers studying in the library at 8 am and enjoying ice cream at the dairy.

Cynthia Dinwiddie ’95 is a principal engineer for Southwest Research Institute where, as an earth and planetary scientist, she works on programs involving nuclear waste and Mars science. She completed a doctorate at Clemson University where she also met her husband, Randy. Her work for NASA has taken her as far north as Kobuk Valley National Park, above the Arctic Circle, where she says she “spent the two most enjoyable weeks of my life—studying frozen sand dunes in

Some of Doug’s favorite memories of his time as a student at WWU are of meeting and marrying Carmen and studying theology. Doug says that studying theology in a stimulating atmosphere at WWU prepared him well for doctoral studies, a rewarding life of pastoral ministry, university teaching, and administrative service.

Doug and Carmen have two sons, Robert ’95 and Randy att.

Robert has a degree from WWU in electrical engineering and works for Apple Computers. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children: Sara, Caleb, and Amy. Randy studied biology at WWU for four years and graduated from Portland State University with a degree in zoology. He now works for the Primate Research Center at Oregon Health Sciences University. He and his wife, Kristin, have one son, Trey.

March.” She says her only children—two rare chocolate miniature schnauzers—are Cynnamon Spice and Mocha Franco Moschino.

Chuck Hagele ’95 and his wife, Kelly (Sanford) att., live in Vancouver, Wash. Chuck works as executive director for Project Patch.

Since his time at WWU, Chuck has been a pastor, an information technology manager at a bank, and has worked with Project Patch since 2005. He received a master’s in business administration from Boise State University. He leads parenting seminars, writes a blog, and does podcasts at thefamilyexperience.org. Chuck is a triathlete and enjoys traveling and fly fishing. His favorite memories of WWU are of spending time with friends and mountain biking on Friday afternoons. Chuck and Kelly have two daughters: Kara and Claire.

Sheryl “Sheri” (Wren) Reinecke ’90 lives in Walla Walla, where she works as assistant manager for Pine Creek Federal Credit Union.

She has two children: Samson and Elizabeth.

Marc Wall ’95 and his wife, Judy, live in Redlands, Calif. Marc works for the Jurupa Unified School District as a speech language pathologist. The memories that Marc remembers the most from his time at WWU is the support he received from his teachers, deans, and fellow students following a car accident he had in October 1990.

After the accident, he spent five weeks in the hospital, and he says some people thought his days of

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

higher education may be over.

Though the challenges were great, supportive friends and faculty made his return to WWU for winter quarter a reality. “The Christian spirit that Walla Walla had kept me on track for a successful education and future back then and to this day. It has been something that I look back on with great appreciation.” Marc and Judy have two children: Peyton and Lauren.

Cynthia (Olson) Williams ’95 and her husband, Ezra, live in Lolo, Mont. Cynthia is the vice president of development for the University of Montana Foundation. She and Ezra have a one son, Sean. She says her favorite memory from her time as a student at WWU is developing lifelong friendships.

2000s

Lorissa (Byrd) Brezovic ’05 and her husband, Joseph ’05, live in Lompoc, Calif. Lorissa works as a mechanical engineer for United Launch Alliance. She and Joseph have two sons: Joseph and Caleb.

Lisa (Stevens) Folsom ’05 and her husband, Nathan ’04, live in Indianapolis, Ind., where Lisa is an endocrinology fellow at Indiana University. Her favorite memory of WWU is meeting her husband, Nathan.

Diana (Cheek) Heinrichs ’05 and her husband, Aaron ’04, live

in Apple Valley, Minn. Diana is a stay-at-home mom with their two children: Avery and Emery. She teaches piano and guitar lessons out of her home and also works as a substitute teacher. Diana loves to cook; play her harp; visit nearby parks and lakes; and take her boys to the zoo, library, and to the Mall of America. She also enjoys traveling to visit family and friends via standby with Delta. Some of her favorite memories of WWU are her time in the Fine Arts Center for music and art. She enjoyed playing the harp with I Cantori and the Wind Symphony. Diana fondly remembers Wolfpack hockey trips, studying in The Fish Bowl, and soaking in the music and worship at the University Church. She enjoyed attending “The Awakening,” eating DX superburgers, and bicycling around College Place during the beautiful fall and spring weather. She remembers going off campus to Roger’s Bakery for amazing food, to Andy’s Market for bulk foods, and to Main Street Walla Walla for shopping.

Timothy Ruybalid ’05 and his wife, Marion, live in Port Townsend, Wash., where he is a branch manager for US Bank. Some of his favorite memories from WWU are of being part of worship music groups for vespers and Sabbath morning worship services. Timothy and Marion have six children: Joel, Ellianna, Dominic, Charis, Bria, and Isaiah.

Kristel Zuppan ’05 lives in Yucaipa, Calif., where she is a physical therapist for Beaver Medical Group. After graduating from WWU, Kristel moved to Loma Linda, Calif., to get her graduate degree in physical therapy. She works in a setting that allows her to see a variety of patient types and that keeps her challenged.

Kristel enjoys living in California because of the abundant sunshine and the large number of WWU alumni in the area who she spends time with regularly. She is the Pathfinder director for her church and recently returned from a three-week Pathfinder road trip to the International Camporee in Oshkosh, Wis. She has also enjoyed opportunities in the last few years to travel internationally, both for mission trips and to visit family.

Westwind Spring 2015 27

Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

In Memory Bechthold—Brian att. was born Sept. 11, 1942, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and died Nov. 24, 2013, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Surviving: wife Denise; son Kenneth Murray; and daughters Karen Bechthold, Jennifer Nunes, and Tara Bateman.

Dobbins—Pearl (Mackay) ’54 was born June 24, 1921, in Macrorie, Saskatchewan, Canada, and died April 17, 2014, in Gresham, Ore. Surviving: son James and daughter Lori Gruenbeck.

Hensel—David Reinhold ’56 was born Jan. 4, 1934, in Heron Lake, Minn., and died Aug. 6, 2013, in Inchelium, Wash. Surviving: wife Caroline (Tupper) att.; son Ken att. of Florida; daughter Linda Schumacher of Inchelium; brother Richard att. of Texas; and sister

Esther Hamel of Berrien Springs, Mich.

Hodder—Donald ’51 was born Oct. 15, 1924, in Massachusetts, and died Jan. 6, 2013, in Portsmouth, Va. Surviving: wife Virginia of Portsmouth; son Thomas of N. Dighton, Mass.; daughters Carole Stelle of N. Dighton; and Jan Baker of Whitman, Mass.; and stepdaughters Kathy Schoonover of Sandy Spring, Md.; and Beth Frohnapfel of Chesapeake, Va. Hurlburt—Robert ’77 was born Feb. 25, 1955, in Roseburg, Ore., and died June 8, 2013, in Portland, Ore. Surviving: sons Paul of Milwaukie, Ore.; and John of Portland.

Jesse—Claran ’42 was born Nov. 24, 1916, in Nirada, Mont., and died Dec. 15, 2013, in Roseburg, Ore.

Larry Lewis

Larry Lewis touched many lives as a pastor, counselor, professor, administrator, father, grandfather, and friend. He graduated from Walla Walla College in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in theology. That same year, he accepted a pastoral position in the Montana Conference where he met and married his wife, Jeanne Kurtz att. Lewis had a master’s degree in religion from Andrews University, a master of divinity degree in systematic and practical theology also from Andrews, and a doctorate in the psychology of religion and pastoral care from Boston University. He taught in the WWC theology department from 1967 to 1976, and held several academic and administrative positions at Atlantic Union College including that of president.

Lewis loved to read and backpack. He and Jeanne enjoyed conducting tours around New England for their friends and attending Broadway plays in New York City. Their travels included trips to London, Hong Kong, and Russia. Lewis was preceded in death by Jeanne in September 2000. Twelve years later, Lewis and Liz Heisler att. became good friends. “Liz became his companion and best friend during his last years of life,” say his kids. “We are thankful for the joy Liz brought to Larry’s life, and she will always be considered a cherished member of our family.” Lewis was born Dec. 7, 1934, in Olympia, Wash., and died Sept. 24, 2014, after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by daughter Lori Payne att. of Portland, Ore.; son Kent Lewis of Redlands, Calif.; daughter Sharon Hinman att. of Enumclaw, Wash.; son Brant Lewis of West Linn, Ore.; and sisters Shirley Smick att. and Marilyn Nystrom att.

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Westwind Spring 2015

Surviving: sons James of Loma Linda, Calif.; and Claron Jr. of Redlands, Calif.; and daughter Carol Follett of Roseburg, Ore. Losey—Martha (Havstad) ’49 was born March 7, 1928, in Tampa, Fla., and died May 14, 2014, in College Place. Surviving: son Larry att. of Harpswell, Maine; daughter Susan Losey ’71 of College Place; and brother James Havstad of Medford, Ore. Munsey—Frank Torrance ’46 was born Oct. 29, 1922, in Huston, Idaho, and died June 6, 2014, in Caldwell, Idaho. Surviving: son Michael att. of Taipei, Taiwan; daughter Marilyn Kreuder of Caldwell; and brother Jay of Boise.

Roberts—Greg ’87 was born Feb. 7, 1962, in Tacoma, Wash., and died

June 6, 2014, in Vancouver, Wash.

Surviving: wife Gail (Petersen) ’86 of Battle Ground, Wash.; sons Landen of Walla Walla; and Cade of Battleground; daughter Olivia att. of Battleground; brothers Dan att. of Deer Park, Wash.; and Ken ’81 of Palm Desert, Calif.; sisters Ranee’ Dearing att. of Damascus, Ore.; and Gwen Ingram att. of Portland, Ore.; father Fay ’50 of College Place; and mother Patricia Wolcott of Palm Desert.

Stahlnecker—Robert ’50 was born Aug. 14, 1923, in Janesville, Wis., and died June 19, 2013, in Charlottesville, Va. Surviving: wife Ruby Louise (Kahler) ’64 of Somerset, Va.; son Leslie ’80; daughters Carol Wayner att.; Donna Wooley; and Patricia Quenga ’77.

Toop—Joseph att. was born Aug. 9, 1938, in Carlton Place, Ontario, Canada, and died May 19, 2014, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Surviving: wife Shirley of Edmonton; son Fred of Edmonton; daughters Shelley Hoke att. of Edmonton; Joy of Edmonton; and Fern of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Bill Loveless

William Loveless, a 1949 graduate of Walla Walla College, served for more than 55 years as a pastor, professor, president and television host. With a master’s degree from Andrews University and a doctorate from Maryland University, he became senior pastor of the Sligo Adventist Church.

There he organized the Urban Service Corps, where Adventist youth tutored inner-city kids during the unrest of the 60s. During this time, the local ABC television channel invited Loveless and Winton Beavon, president of Columbia Union College, to create a weekly television show, “Concept,” which they co-hosted for six years. The two speakers introduced enlightening spiritual conversations. Loveless initiated a student missionary program at CUC in 1959, paving the way for thousands of future students to become student missionaries.

He pastored twice (1970-76 and 1990-2000) at the denomination’s largest North American congregation in Loma Linda and during his time there ordained a female pastor. He was president of the Pennsylvania Conference and Columbia Union College and had adjunct teaching appointments at Loma Linda University, La Sierra University, and the University of California, Riverside. Often called a trend-setting pastor, Loveless, who was born Jan. 17, 1928, and died Sept. 15, 2014, is survived by his wife, Edna Maye (Alexander) ’50 of Loma Linda, Calif., and two daughters, Marti Olsen att. and Marilynn (Loveless) Howard att., both of Riverside, Calif.

READ WESTWIND ONLINE: WESTWIND.WALLAWALLA.EDU

AC

Alumni Currents Staying in touch with our family of graduates

Robert Earl Bolton Reflections of a broom-maker, physician, and centenarian

I come from adventuresome stock. My dad was raised in Iowa and at age 21 homesteaded in South Dakota with his brother. One day he attended a tent meeting, and from those meetings he became a Seventh-day Adventist. Not long after, he sold the farm, went back to high school, got married and moved to Canada. I was born in Saskatchewan on Oct. 3, 1914.

When I was nine, we moved to Washington, and my parents both pursued teaching degrees. They were teaching near Pomeroy when I started school at Walla Walla College.

Just before my third year, they both lost their jobs. It was during the depression, and jobs were scarce, so my brother, Glenn, and I had to take a break from school.

Looking for work, my dad found a set of broom-making machines for sale for $50 in Lapwai, Idaho. He had made brooms as a young man so thought he might try it again.

photograph by PHIL BENTZ

Alumnus of note

1936 graduate

The owner of the machinery knew of an identical set of machines on a railroad siding along the Snake River. Dad bought the $50 machine and got the other one free. He set them both up in our garage and taught us how to make brooms. It was a miracle really.

a commission. I was assigned to the 15th Air Force, a bomber organization of B17s and B24s.

After the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan and the war came to a close, I came home to my family. In 1946 Glenn invited me to join him in a medical practice in Wenatchee.

Frank Peterson, the WWC business manager, heard about our broom-making business and visited us to see why Glenn and I weren’t in school. He made us a deal. If we would come back to college, he would purchase all the brooms we could make, half in cash and half in tuition. We got from $4 to $6 per dozen, depending on the quality. This arrangement made it possible for us to go back to college.

Being a general practice doctor I got to see and do a lot of things. I delivered thousands of babies in Wenatchee over the years and made hundreds of house calls. I stopped practicing medicine in 1985, but I am still active in the community and in my church.

In 1936 I graduated from WWC and started medical school at Loma Linda University. I got married while at WWC, and my wife worked to put me through medical school. After passing my boards in 1942, I joined the military and got

It is a surprise to me that I have lived this long. None of my family did. I used to run, but now I walk every day—usually nine or 10 miles a week, and I stay away from processed foods.

My prescription for longevity? I think it may have something to do with exercise; my diet, which includes a large salad every day; and trust in God.

Westwind Spring 2015 29

BY

Back to You A view from the field

Know What You Love, Then Do It

By Kate Thorn

30

Westwind Spring 2015

beautiful blogs. And the irony is that is exactly what happened.

The thing I found most surprising about my journey is that I never would’ve seen myself writing for a career, but when you are annoyingly persistent, committed to your goals, and resolutely against learning Excel, every once in a while you snag your dream job.

I was hired as contributing writer at the lifestyle blog Brit + Co. Within six months of starting to write for them, I was promoted to an editor position, and before I left for grad school, I had several other job offers as a writer and a travel editor.

Now I’m at one of the top fashion schools working on a master’s degree in the psychology of fashion, partly because I have a knack for choosing esoteric education and partly because I love that I don’t have to just pick one career. As a creative, it’s easy to be intimidated by people with a vacation-paying, healthcare-giving career. But now there’s a whole market for career-defiant individuals such as myself. Creatives and freelancers are moving beyond the traditional confines of a single, full-time job and creating a unique and personal portfolio of skills to earn their income. The new cubicle is that desk you picked up at Goodwill, and a career can be a combination of various jobs that you are passionate about.

I would love to do more illustration work, start a stationery line, invent a font, write a book, visit the seventh continent, learn how to properly apply red lipstick and generally have way more fun than everyone who lorded their sensible majors over my artsy head.

If I were to give advice to freshmen (or seniors) who aren’t sure what direction they are heading, I would say, set some real goals for what you want your life to look like. You may not know what career you want exactly, but you do know what you are good at. In my case, I was really good at trolling Pinterest,

recognizing good design from bad design, and understanding trends.

This goal led me to find my dream job where I get to create beautiful things and write about them.

If you feel enormous panic when you think about your life, that’s okay. Just don’t become stagnant. Don’t lie on the couch

binge-watching Netflix and festering. Take what you love, and do something with it.

Kate Thorn is currently living in London working on a master’s degree in the psychology of fashion and plotting her next travel adventure.

PHOTO: BRUCE THORN

I

USED TO ASSUME that after getting a college degree, some sort of stable, billpaying career would appear like a magical byproduct. But then I majored in art.

Majoring in art is hard work.

You are always defending your life choices because people question you. Constantly. For some reason, everyone—relatives, friends, random cashiers at Costco—feels it is their job to inform you that there is no money in the arts.

The support I received from my teachers and mentors at WWU is something that I will treasure forever. Tom Emmerson and Martha Mason are such beautiful role models and made me feel like the most important student in their class, as I’m sure anyone who has taken their classes understands.

They also made sure that I never doubted where I belonged, they encouraged me to push myself and they kept telling me to just do what I loved.

When I graduated, instead of landing the perfect career, I was struck with the classic plight of the modern 20-something: I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I had definite ideas about what I did not want to do. Namely, commit to a job that only allowed one lunch break.

So I bought a ticket around the world and spent nine months avoiding the middle seat, doing volunteer medical work, stuffing my face with European chocolate and generally putting off the “real world” as long as possible. But eventually I knew I wanted to come home and start figuring out my next step. That step involved putting money in my bank account without having to answer the question, “What are you going to do with an art degree?”

They say when you’re trying to figure out your dream career, make a list of what makes you unique, what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing. I would joke that I would have to find a job that paid me to scroll endlessly through

The Walla Walla

UniversityFund Every door on our campus opens to a world of opportunity for our students.

Your gifts to the Walla Walla University Fund help to ensure these doors remain open. By giving, you:

PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS that make quality Christian education accessible and lessen the burden of college debt. Ninety percent of WWU students qualify for financial aid.

FUND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS and services in academics, student life, and spiritual growth to prepare students and connect them to rewarding careers.

UPDATE FACILITIES to accommodate modern ways of learning and preserve our unique campus community. Smart classrooms allow professors to enhance lectures through video and online resources.

HELP US REACH OUR $430,000 GOAL BEFORE JUNE 30, 2015.

Give today at wallawalla.edu/WWUFund

Westwind Spring 2015

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See you there!

Upcoming events to note on your calendar

August 29

Please join us for Alumni Sabbath at Rosario as we celebrate Joe Galusha’s 41 consecutive summers at Rosario. This relaxing weekend with friends and fellow WWU alumni will feature guest speaker Darold Bigger.

For 2015 event details, registration information, and a link to photos from the 2014 event, visit wallawalla.edu/ rosario-sabbath.

Let your voice be heard by casting your vote for

Alumni Association Officers by April 10. Mail in your ballot or vote online at alumni.wallawalla.edu/vote.

The Alumni Association is filling positions for president elect, secretary, and two board members.

April 23-26

“Welcome Home”—the theme for Homecoming

Weekend 2015 — will

highlight dorm life and the deans who have helped create a home away from home at WWU for students through the years. Events will include an Egg Drop reunion and a vespers Prism concert.

See a complete schedule of events at wallawalla.edu/ homecoming.

June 12-14

Join us to celebrate with the class of 2015 during

Commencement Weekend. The

commencement service begins Sunday at 8:30 am on the Centennial Green.

For a complete schedule of weekend events, visit wallawalla.edu/grad.

June 22

Summer Session begins! This 8-week session of courses includes online options, off-campus programs, tours abroad, the Summer

Advantage program for freshmen, and

continuing education classes especially for K-12 educators.

Registration begins April 20, 2015. Space is limited.

For information, visit summer.wallawalla.edu.

July 7

Are you headed to the 2015 General Conference Session this summer in San Antonio?

Take a break while you’re there and swing by the WWU booth, and join fellow alumni July 7 at 5:30 pm for a

River Cruise & Ice Cream. For details go to

alumni.wallawalla.edu/events or call (800) 377-2586.

Receiving duplicate copies of Westwind? Still getting mail for your grown children at your address?

Send updated address information to westwind@wallawalla.edu.

PHOTO: DICK DUERKSEN

April 10