The Rock - Spring 2018

SPRING 2018

theROCK WHITTIER COLLEGE MAGAZINE

in this issue

CASSEY HO

’ 09

Photo by Tony Leon

FEATURES 22

28

34

E XPERIENCING COMMUNITYDRIVEN DEVELOPMENT IN TANZANIA

R EDEFINING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE AGE OF YOUTUBE

BUILDING ON THE TRADITION OF THE MAGIC OF DISNEY

Embarking on a journey that would take them nearly 10,000 miles from the Whittier College campus, Malory Henry ’19 and Madeleine McMurray ’18—recipients of the Brethren Community Foundation Fellowship—traveled to Tanzania during JanTerm to engage with

It’s been less than a decade since she donned her cap and gown at Memorial Stadium, and in that time, Cassey Ho ’09 has built a health and fitness empire as the CEO of four international brands. Her growing success has landed her on the cover of Health

As a senior graphic designer for the Creative Studio of Walt Disney Imagineering in Anaheim, Michael Dobrzycki ’98 uses his creativity and imagination to put his mark on the visual identity of several iconic Disneyland attractions—Dumbo and Autopia, just to name two.

local communities and participate in authentic community-driven development projects in East Africa.

Magazine and she has appeared everywhere from The Today Show to The New York Times.

And, with every new addition, he helps keep the magic alive.

DEPARTMENTS EDITOR’S NOTES 2

ATHLETICS 18

PRESIDENT’S CORNER 3

ADVANCING WHITTIER 38

AROUND THE ROCK 4

POET NATION 42

FROM THE COLLEGE ARCHIVES 14

CLASS NOTES 44

SOCIETIES 15

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 51

FACULTY FILES 16

SENIOR HIGHLIGHT 52

IN MEMORIAM 50

EDITOR’S NOTES

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

theROCK A few weeks ago, I watched the Class of 2018 cross the stage at Commencement. Students beamed and friends and family members cheered as their graduates shook hands with President Herzberger and received their diplomas. This is the 11th Whittier graduation ceremony I have attended, and after all these years it never gets old and I never fail to shed a few tears. As I watch the proceedings, I love to imagine what the lives of these graduates will be like. Some already have jobs, graduate school, or other professional plans lined up. Others face more uncertainty in the months ahead as they determine what will come next. And, I know many feel anxious about leaving the safety of Whittier. But they don’t have to look far for inspiration and reassurance that their Whittier degree will help them go far. Just look at the nearly two dozen alumni that were on the stage on graduation morning: dedicated professors, members of the Board of Trustees, and the 2018 Commencement keynote speaker Cassey Ho ’09.

following pages, you can read more about her and alumnus Michael Dobrzycki ’98, a senior graphic designer for the Creative Studio of Walt Disney Imagineering—another case in point for creative career making.

Ho, who is featured on this edition of The Rock, is a successful YouTube personality and entrepreneur.

She is a great example of the creative, out-ofthe-box thinkers that Whittier produces and who will lead the way in creating new and innovative career possibilities for themselves. In the

Sincerely yours,

One of my hopes for the Class of 2018 (as well as previous classes) is that they continue to feel a strong connection to the Poet family. Reading and engaging with The Rock is one way to do that. I encourage everyone to keep in touch by sending class notes, photos, and letters to the editor.

Alumni can also give back by mentoring, attending events, donating, and referring new students (see page 50). And of course, homecoming is the perfect time to reconnect whether you’ve been gone from campus for a few months or a couple decades. Make sure to mark your calendar for Whittier Weekend 2018, October 12-13.

Wishing you all a fun and safe summer.

Ana Lilia Barraza Editor

Editor Ana Lilia Barraza

If you have followed my columns or heard me speak at an event or two, you know how much I have enjoyed serving as your president. Our College’s history and its values—which revere listening, celebrate community, and teach respect for people of all backgrounds—drive our mission and have created Whittier’s distinctive niche. Our student body is the envy of colleges and universities across the nation, and a model for all institutions of higher learning in the future. The dedication of our faculty and staff make the education we provide in the classroom, on the athletic field, during a faculty-led study abroad trip, on a service-learning project, and throughout the campus environment unparalleled. And, no institution can surpass Whittier’s location— nestled next to a vast wilderness area in a quaint historic town, on a hill with a view of the Pacific Ocean and Los Angeles and Orange Counties, one of the most dynamic metropolises of the world. Our students rightly enjoy the wealth of opportunities for learning, culture, and recreation that abound here.

Managing Editor Ericka Iniguez Assistant Editors Edna Becerra Michael McFall Communications Interns Alvaro Bravo ’18 David Castro-Jimenez ’18 Brianne Estrada ’20 Iyesha Ferguson ’19 Ariel Horton ’21 Emerson Little ’21 Priscilla Lam ’18 KamRon Perry ’18

I am immensely grateful for all of the alumni/ae, foundations, friends, and trustee donors who strongly supported us in renovating this campus over the past 13 years. They have created a first-rate classroom learning environment, made our athletic facilities second to none, and smartly converted Whittier’s landscape to a sustainable, beautiful plant palette of purple and gold—all the while helping to more than double the annual Whittier Fund and grow the endowment to over $100 million.

Design Knowble Media Contributors Steven Burns Kim Fox Lance Franey ’09 Caroline Galvin ’08 Mike Garabedian ’98 Ana Gutierrez ’96 Tony Leon Kevin Monko Sabrina Ortiz ’14 Eva Sevcikova ’03

Vice President for Advancement Steve Delgado

The Rock, Spring 2018 Volume 88, Number 2 Copyright © 2018 Whittier College The Rock is published by Whittier College Our mailing address is: The Rock Office of Communications Whittier College 13406 Philadelphia St. P.O. Box 634 Whittier, CA 90608

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEO FROM COMMENCEMENT 2018, VISIT WHITTIER.EDU/MOREROCK.

As I sat down to write my final column for The Rock, I was perplexed about how to proceed. As usual, I was constrained by having just one page through which to convey all of my thoughts—an impossible assignment for this college president who has spent 13 fortunate years at this outstanding institution.

WHITTIER COLLEGE MAGAZINE

President Sharon D. Herzberger

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Thank You for the Memories

theROCK

Dear Friends,

Phone 562.907.4277 Fax 562.907.4927 Email: therock@whittier.edu Online: www.whittier.edu/therock

“ ALMOST ALL OF MY WHITTIER MEMORIES INVOLVE THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE FORTUNATE, LIKE ME, TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS COLLEGE.” Sharon D. Herzberger, President

The honor of representing the College in forums large and small is also one for which I am thankful. I’ve enjoyed proclaiming Whittier’s greatness to alumni, parents, and friends across this country and abroad. I’ve seized the opportunity to advertise Whittier’s exceptional qualities to the NCAA and other national collegiate organizations, to many state and federal officials, and, of course, in front of a former President of the United States.

In fact, throughout my years at Whittier, I have met with many important and influential people. But none of those experiences has surpassed the joy I feel during each fall orientation, as I look out at our new students and know that they have chosen well by selecting Whittier. Nor surpasses the pleasure that comes from watching our students cross the stage at graduation, on their way to becoming shining examples of our successful alumni/ae body.

As I retire, I will take with me fond memories of these grand, ceremonial times, but also the small occasions that tell a lot about the impact and reach of Whittier College. Meeting the women’s soccer team in Madrid this past spring.

Greeting large, loyal contingents of alumni/ae in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The time students created the slogan “Fear the Poet.” The day we committed to creating a Science & Learning Center that would draw a “WOW” from all visitors. Celebrating Presidential Prize winners at each year’s student art exhibition. Witnessing our athletes earn SCIAC championships and winning back The Shoes. The night that the Alumni Association named my husband David and me Honorary Alumni. And the countless times I have visited with our talented, far-flung alumni/ae who told me of faculty members who sparked their interest in a subject, who motivated them to try harder and learn from failure, and who to this day still cheer them on.

A president’s tasks, as you can imagine, are sometimes challenging, often joyous, and not infrequently even a little embarrassing. I always have said that I would “do anything for Whittier College;” little did I know that this assertion would regularly be put to the test. I have dressed as Johnny Poet more times than I can remember (you have no idea how hot it is inside that costume), and I hesitate to remind you of the times I danced on camera for the Big Poet Give (once something is on the internet it cannot fully be erased!). The only instance I can remember refusing to perform a task was the year the senior class wanted me to dye my hair purple. (If they had said gold, I might have complied.)

As I prepare to leave this College and welcome Whittier’s 15th president, I have had many opportunities to think back over my tenure and consider all of the things that I want to pass along to Linda Oubré, only some of which I had the page space to highlight today. One piece of advice that I will be sure to share with her stems from a quote I often include in my Charge to the Graduates on Commencement Day. Tennessee Williams said “Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.” Linda, savor each day at Whittier College!

To the Whittier community, I have been so privileged to serve as your president for these 13 years, I thank you all for the memories I will cherish forever.

Go Poets!

Sharon

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EDUCATOR AND ENTREPRENEUR NAMED

15TH PRESIDENT OF WHITTIER COLLEGE Linda Oubré, Ed.D. has been appointed Whittier College’s 15th president and will take office on July 1, 2018. Oubré will succeed Sharon D. Herzberger, who will retire on June 30 after 13 years as president.

“We are thrilled to welcome Linda to Whittier,” said Jim Brown ’71, chair of the Board of Trustees in an announcement to the College community.

“Linda is a dynamic academic leader and accomplished business executive with 30-plus years of experience in higher education and industry. Her background as an innovative educator and successful entrepreneur uniquely positions her to expand the College’s resources while enhancing the undergraduate experience for Whittier’s diverse student body. She will be an exceptional president who will build on the legacy of President Herzberger and take the College to the next chapter.”

“ I AM HONORED TO HAVE BEEN SELECTED THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF WHITTIER COLLEGE. I LOOK FORWARD TO TRULY GETTING TO KNOW THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY AND BEGIN EXPERIENCING THE DIFFERENT FACETS THAT MAKE WHITTIER A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING.” Linda Oubré, President-elect

A native of Los Angeles, Oubré has served as the Dean of the College of Business at San Francisco State University (SFSU) for the past six years, leading approximately 6,100 undergraduate and graduate students and 120 faculty in 10 academic departments. During her time at SFSU, she has increased fundraising by more than 300 percent—including support for student career and leadership development—and launched innovative programs including a graduate curriculum review and a new executive MBA program.

“As dean of one of the largest and most diverse business schools in the nation, Linda successfully expanded the institution’s core academic mission by launching new revenue-generating and fundraising initiatives. Working closely with faculty, she led a strategic planning effort and curriculum review process that resulted in transformative outcomes for underrepresented students of color,” said Brown.

Oubré will be the first person of color to lead Whittier College.

“I am honored to have been selected the next president of Whittier College,” said Oubré. “I look forward to truly getting to know the campus

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community and begin experiencing the different facets that make Whittier a nationally recognized institution of higher learning. Throughout this process, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting faculty, students, staff, and dedicated alumni; and their passion for the College is so exciting. It’s become apparent how unique this college is with its strong mission rooted in the liberal arts and sciences and commitment to student success.”

Prior to SFSU, Oubré was executive director of corporate relations and business development, and chief diversity officer for the Graduate

Associate Professor of Biology Sylvia LopezVetrone ’99, who also served on the search committee. “I am excited to welcome Linda as our next president, and I am looking forward to the new innovative measures that Linda and our faculty will embark upon that will build on our mission of academic excellence.”

The search for the College’s 15th president commenced in July 2017, with the establishment of a search committee comprised of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees. With the help of the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer and

“ I AM SO PLEASED THAT SHE WILL BE LEADING THIS COLLEGE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HER GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THE POET COMMUNITY AND I WILL WARMLY WELCOME HER TO CAMPUS AND I AM CONFIDENT SHE HAS ALL THE QUALITIES THE COLLEGE NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO GROW. I’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT BEING PRESIDENT OF WHITTIER IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD AND I’M SURE LINDA WILL SOON DISCOVER THAT,” SAID HERZBERGER.

School of Management at the University of California, Davis. There, she oversaw the school’s corporate relations and business development start-up efforts and led the development and implementation of an enrollment growth, marketing, and visibility strategy for the Bay Area MBA program.

With decades of corporate experience, she previously served as president and CEO of LSO Ventures, a venture investment and consulting firm, and was one of the founders and president of BriteSmile, a company that she took public on NASDAQ. She has also held leadership roles in various companies including Tri Com Ventures, Times Mirror Company, and the Walt Disney Company. During her career, Oubré has received numerous accolades including the Trailblazer Award from the San Francisco chapter of the National Council of 100 Black Women, Women Who Have Made Their Mark Award, and was named one of the “Most Influential Women” by the San Francisco Business Times, among other honors.

“Linda’s track record of launching new initiatives to improve outcomes for underrepresented students is rooted in her unique, entrepreneurial skill set and her passion to provide educational opportunity and access,” said James Irvine Foundation Chair in Biological Sciences and

input from the campus community, the committee launched a nationwide search that attracted more than 100 candidates.

“I couldn’t be more happy to welcome Dr. Oubré to Whittier,” said Cristian Alcantara ’19, student representative on the search committee.

“I was inspired by her ability to connect with our student population and I’m confident she will contribute greatly to the culture of Whittier College.”

Oubré holds a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an Ed.D. in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. She will be joined in Whittier by her husband Nathaniel Oubré, a senior executive at Kaiser Permanente. They have two adult sons, Nathaniel and Alexander.

“The selection of Linda Oubré as the next president of Whittier was a remarkable choice,” said Herzberger. “I am so pleased that she will be leading this College and I look forward to her great accomplishments. The Poet community and I will warmly welcome her to campus and I am confident she has all the qualities the College needs to continue to grow. I’ve always said that being president of Whittier is the best job in the world and I’m sure Linda will soon discover that.”

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Whittier Ranked a Top College for Latino Student Outcomes A NEW REPORT BY THE EDUCATIONAL TRUST SHOWS THE NEED TO PRIORITIZE COMPLETION RATES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS “This report confirms what we have known for many years now—Whittier College is a model for the nation of how a campus can successfully embrace diversity and achieve notable outcomes,” said President Sharon D. Herzberger.

“These outcomes are a result of innovative programs, unique curricular offerings, and best practices designed by faculty and staff to address the needs of Latino, first generation, and students from other underrepresented groups on campus.”

Whittier boasts a multifaceted array of programs, including hiring and staffing practices that place a high priority on cultural awareness; a strong emphasis on providing students with academic advising, career counseling, and other support services; and the implementation of gateway courses designed to foster student success.

W

hile more Latino students are enrolling in four-year colleges and universities than ever before and graduation rates are on the rise, the national graduation rate for Latino students at four-year colleges and universities is 10 percentage points behind their white counterparts (53.6 percent and 63.3 percent respectively), according to a new report from The Education Trust. Bucking this trend is Whittier College, which tops the list of high-performing institutions that, based on three-year averages, have low completion gaps and higher graduation rates for Latino than similar institutions.

The report, A Look at Latino Student Success: Identifying Top- and BottomPerforming Institutions, concludes that eliminating the national completion gap between Latino and white students requires simultaneous work from our nation’s higher education leaders on three fronts: 1) closing institutional gaps between Latino and white graduation rates; 2) improving overall graduation rates at colleges and universities that enroll significant numbers of Latino students; and 3) ensuring more Latinos attend selective institutions with high graduation rates.

“Equitable completion rates are possible. All college and university leaders must take their responsibility seriously to provide students with the support they need to earn their degrees, while leaders at selective institutions, where Latinx students are grossly underrepresented, need to put their resources to work to increase their enrollments of Latinx students,” said Andrew H. Nichols, Ph.D., The Education Trust’s director of higher education research and data analytics and author of the report.

NEW PEACE CORPS PREP PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

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hittier College has launched a new partnership with the Peace Corps to provide students with a competitive edge when applying for a full post with the international service organization. The undergraduate certificate program, known as Peace Corps Prep, combines targeted coursework with hands-on experience, building the competencies needed to be strong volunteers and fieldworkers within the Peace Corps or other intercultural organizations.

Selected participants will learn about and practice leadership, intercultural competence, foreign language, and a professional sector of their choice such as education, health, or the environment. The program is housed in the Weingart Center for Career and Professional Development.

Whittier is only the third institution in California to establish a Peace Corps Prep program and it’s the first partnership between the College and the Peace Corps. The program was originally created in 2007 and aims to meet the demand for Peace Corps volunteers with a broad and relevant set of expertise, and to support schools’ efforts to provide substantive, globally focused experiences for their students.

Since 1961, Whittier has had 147 Peace Corps volunteers, with two recent graduates currently serving.

Poet Activism Recognized

State Legislator Champions Whittier Students California Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon was recognized by the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) and Whittier College as a 2017 Champion of Students for his continuous work to support college access.

“ FOOD SHOULDN’T BE THROWN AWAY WHEN THERE ARE HUNGRY PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO COULD REALLY USE IT.”

Notably, Calderon was instrumental in ensuring that the 2017-2018 California budget maintained the Cal Grant maximum award level for students attending independent, nonprofit colleges, such as Whittier.

“It is imperative for me to continue to take action and ensure that college students have their voices heard on their path to receive their degrees,” said Calderon.

Christina Fong ’18, FRN Whittier Chapter Leader

More than 38 million tons of food are thrown away every year in this country, according to a 2014 EPA study. A group of Whittier students is tackling this problem while also addressing the issue of hunger in the local community.

The Food Recovery Network (FRN), founded four years ago at Whittier, works with the campus dining service, Bon Appétit, to collect leftover food, which is then donated to the St. Matthias Church soup kitchen.

Whittier’s FRN was recently noted as a “model for other colleges”

by Food Tank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and helping the world with food issues. In its first three years, FRN collected 21,130 pounds of excess food from the Campus Inn.

Assemblyman Calderon (far right) is pictured with (l-r) President Sharon D. Herzberger, Bryce Scurr ’19, and Manuel Herrera ’20.

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Poet Speaks Up For Dreamers

New Faculty Chairs Announced Professors Lana Nino and Sal Johnston Receive Appointments

Walking up the steps of Capitol Hill, immigration activist Gaby Gil ’18 wasn’t sure how she’d be received inside the domed building. Gil was in Washington D.C. in early February to meet with legislators and to advocate on behalf of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. She was joined in D.C. by hundreds of her peers from across the county, all with the same goal.

Professor of Business Administration Lana Nino John A. Murdy III Chair in Business Administration and Economics An active scholar of business education, Nino’s research focuses on the professionalization of the field and advancing students within the major. In 2016, she co-authored the book Educating Business Professionals: The Call Beyond Competence and Expertise with Professor Emerita Susan Gotsch. Nino also currently chairs her department, and has been a member of numerous committees including the Faculty Executive Committee, Whittier Scholars Council, and the Educational Policies Committee.

The Murdy endowed chair was established with a generous gift from Maxine and George Trotter in honor of John Murdy, who served as a trustee of the College from 1984 to 1992.

Associate Professor of Sociology Sal Johnston C. Wright Mills Chair in Sociology A popular advisor and teacher who was honored with the Harry W. Nerhood Teaching Excellence Award, Johnston’s courses traverse a range of issues including sociological theory, social change, power and politics, and sustainable food systems. Johnston’s current research focuses on the impact of social, political, and legal changes on the daily lives of transgender men and he also examines motivation and persistence among wildlife rehab volunteers.

The Mills endowed chair was created through a generous bequest of the late Professor Emeritus Les Howard ’62. The holder of the endowed professorship will apply sociological theory to practice within a local or international community; promote social justice, especially for the disenfranchised; and use the resources of the appointment for student-centered activities.

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WHITTIER SCHOLARS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS A UNIQUE APPROACH TO INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION SINCE 1978, THE WHITTIER SCHOLARS PROGRAM (WSP) HAS GRADUATED HUNDREDS OF WHITTIER’S MOST CREATIVE MINDS FOR FORTY YEARS. To celebrate this landmark occasion, Whittier will host a dinner on October 13 that will reunite former program directors, alumni, and current Scholars and faculty. In addition to an inspiring program featuring Scholars who have shaped the WSP through the years, the dinner will honor the achievements of a Scholars graduate with the inaugural Director’s Award.

With Wardman House as its backdrop, the dinner is sure to be among Whittier Weekend’s most popular events. For more information or to RSVP for the dinner visit whittier.edu/WSP.

Their visit was coordinated through the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a group of university and college leaders dedicated to increasing public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact students, campuses, and communities.

Whittier Vice President for Advancement Steve Delgado accompanied Gil on the trip, providing mentorship and guidance.

Once inside the Capitol, Gil had the opportunity to meet one of her legislative heroes, California Senator Kamala Harris. The Senator provided assurance that she was doing her best to advocate for all immigrants. “As a woman of color, she’s a perfect role model and one of the few politicians I look up to,” said Gil. A history major and Latino studies minor, Gil currently serves as a diversity ambassador for Whittier’s Office of Equity and Inclusion.

“

REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS, I SEE MYSELF CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR UNDERREPRESENTED AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.”

“I’m a beneficiary of DACA and with this visit, I am able to amplify the voice of my community, which is a lot of pressure, but also an honor,” added Gil who hopes to eventually work in law or public policy.

Yet, with the uncertainty surrounding her immigration status, she knows that her plans may have to change.

“Regardless of what happens, I see myself continuing to advocate for underrepresented and marginalized communities,” said Gil. “My community is very resilient and motivates me to keep going.”

In December, President Sharon D. Herzberger joined the Presidents’ Alliance, which now has more than 240 members. And in March 2017, the Whittier College Board of Trustees issued an official statement directing the College administration to adopt the Poet Student Sanctuary Protections Policy, as a response to immigration policy changes that could have negative effects on students who are undocumented, attend college under the DACA program, or have undocumented family members.

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around theROCK “ I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MILK AND DRINK MAYBE FOUR FULL GLASSES EACH DAY. SO, THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT WAS VERY PERSONAL TO ME AND I BELIEVED I COULD CAUSE A CHANGE WITH A LITTLE APPLICATION OF MY BIOCHEMICAL BACKGROUND.”

2018 FEINBERG LECTURE ADDRESSES STATE OF HATE IN CALIFORNIA Speaking to a packed room on the Whittier College campus, 2018 Feinberg Lecture speaker Joanna Mendelson captivated the audience with her expert knowledge on hate groups and the normalization of bigotry and hatred in recent years.

Mendelson, the senior investigative researcher and director of special projects for the

Learning to Play the Game at Whittier

Olive Anague ’18

Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Center on Extremism, addressed issues including the recent public reemergence of far-right extremist groups, the astonishing increase in hate activity from 2016-2017, and an in-depth examination of white supremacist ideology and tactics— especially within the Alt-Right movement.

Students and other audience members added to the conversation during a lively Q&A session with Mendelson.

In her role with the ADL, Mendelson provides expertise, analysis, and training that enable law enforcement, public officials, and community leaders to identify and counter emerging extremist threats.

“Whittier College was the first to not dismiss my interest, but to ask, ’What can you do with your interest?’” Craft said.

hours playing the hugely popular video game World of Warcraft.

While in high school, his teachers dissuaded him from devoting so much time to this interest. But, at Whittier, Craft has been able to turn his passion for gaming into a major and career path.

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The Feinberg Lecture Series is made possible through an endowment established by the late Sheldon Feinberg, a former trustee of Whittier College, and his wife, Betty, in order to invite major scholars to the College to discuss broad historic, religious, and political issues encompassed by Judaism and its role in a changing world.

The program allowed him to mix a wide range of coursework, including English, art, psychology, and computer coding. In May, Craft graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Game Design and Media Production, with a minor in economics.

“It was just so cool to be able to explore what I love,” said Craft, who found a research opportunity with professor Patrick Davison, investigating video game history and recreating early computer programs. The research culminated in a paper analyzing gaming’s evolution. In addition, while at Whittier, Craft developed two board games that he hopes to continue developing after graduation.

Charlie Craft ’18 has spent more than 2,500

In his first class, microeconomics, Craft’s professor described ideas that he was already familiar with from video games, but didn’t have a formal name for, such as supply and demand. Throughout the semester, his professor encouraged him to use gaming as a way to talk about economics in his papers.

Mendelson concluded her remarks speaking to the students directly, encouraging them to educate themselves, stay informed and involved, and take action against injustices. “It is up to you guys—as future leaders—to make sure the hatred does not go unanswered,” she said.

Craft initially thought he would major in economics.

During his early time at Whittier though, he realized there was another option, a way to hone his focus on his original goal: a game design major that— fittingly—he would design himself, thanks to the Whittier Scholars Program.

So far, his post-Whittier plans involve becoming a game journalist before ultimately working for one of his dream companies, Riot Games (the developers of League of Legends) or gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment. As a matter of fact, both companies employ Whittier alumni. Craft hopes to be counted among them, some day.

Improving Milk for Millions Chemistry major Olive Anagu ’18 has an idea for making dairy more appetizing for the millions affected by lactose intolerance.

To help counteract this intolerance, dairy milk is normally treated with lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose. The issue with this method, Anagu said, “is that it leads to the introduction of more preservatives and chemicals that need to be in the milk,” which some consumers would rather avoid.

“I absolutely love milk and drink maybe four full glasses each day,” Anagu said. “So, this was an issue that was very personal to me and I believed I could cause a change with a little application of my biochemical background.”

SHE MAY HAVE A SOLUTION, AND IT INVOLVES BEADS. Anagu had come across a study in which other chemists used “column chromatography” to remove a chemical compound from a mixture. Anagu realized that the same method, which involves running the mixture through a column of specialized silica beads, could remove the lactose from milk.

After testing her theory in the Science & Learning Center’s organic chemistry lab, Anagu found that the column process was working, immobilizing 99 percent of the lactose on the column and breaking down 60 to 70 percent of the lactose in the filtered milk.

There was a hiccup. Straight out of the carton, milk is too thick to run through the column. She had to filter it first, which removed a large amount of the beneficial fats and proteins that make milk “the wonder food” that it is, Anagu said. Milk is one of only two foods that supply all of the daily nutrients that a complex organism needs; the other is eggs.

Though the need for filtration disappointed Anagu, she has ideas about how she might be able to modify the process.

According to Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ralph Isovitsch, Anagu is the first to take this novel approach. Moreover, it’s economical. She was able to reuse the columns throughout her tests, so they could prove to be a cost-effective option for consumers to use at home. “ It still needs quite a bit of work to become a world-renowned advancement, but it was definitely on the right path to my goal, and for that I have to thank my mentors, professors [Christina] Bauer and Isovitsch, who helped a lot with my trouble shooting through the project,” said Anagu.

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Coding the Future of Physical Therapy “ IT’S AMAZING AND IT’S GOING TO BE REVOLUTIONARY THE MORE AND MORE WE DEVELOP IT.” Frankie Capraro ’18

Nixon Fellow Examines Expansion of Welfare Programs THE LEGACY OF RICHARD NIXON’S ’34 PRESIDENCY REMAINS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF STUDY AT WHITTIER COLLEGE programs like Medicaid and federal aid to dependent families with children actually expanded, despite the fact that Republicans are traditionally considered to be against expanding the government’s role in people’s lives.

Britton spent a semester digging through memos, legislation, and more in order to better understand what key players influenced changes to the federal welfare policies of the era. The nearby Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library and Museum was an invaluable resource for his research.

Caleb Britton ‘18 pictured with Professor Mike McBride, faculty advisor for the Nixon Fellowship program.

C

aleb Britton ’19, a social work and Spanish double major, is studying how social welfare policies changed during Nixon’s tenure. His research is part of a Nixon Fellowship, an annual opportunity for students to examine the various aspects of the 37th president’s impact or to research topics that echo his domestic or foreign policy.

developed a virtual physical therapy simulation and connected the program to both cameras.

“It was a good opportunity for me to learn and use my animation skills to enhance the project so that it looks more like a physical therapy clinic and not just robots doing some arm motions,” Capraro said. “It’s a little more comforting to the client.”

Bailey Russ ’18 (above left) and Frankie Capraro ’18 (above right) are laying the foundation for an Xbox program that could change how physical therapy patients recover at home.

Currently there are games available for Xbox that involve virtual workouts, but none that involve coaching. The Xbox’s Kinect camera can detect players’ motions, but without accountability, the games’ energetic commands ultimately amount to an exercise video—not necessarily at-home therapy.

But what if the game could “see” that a patient performed only four bicep curls, when their regiment asks for eight, and encouraged them to finish? Russ, a kinesiology major with an emphasis in physical therapy, can envision how such an artificial intelligence program would be useful.

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“For example, elderly people sometimes have physical therapy and it’s not always easy for them to travel,” Russ said. “So maybe we could put this system inside their home and this avatar can monitor their exercises and send the information back to the physical therapist who could see if they are doing everything that they are supposed to do.”

The first step was to determine if the Kinect’s “eye” is reliable enough for clinical care. For that, they would need a virtual trainer to lead people through exercise routines while the Kinect and a separate motion-capture camera collects data from their movements.

To build this, Russ found a partner in Capraro, a self-designed film and physics major through the Whittier Scholars Program, who could lend her coding and animation skills to the project. After intensive hours of research, troubleshooting, and guidance from Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Joshua Haworth, they

With the simulation and cameras in place, they then hooked up motion-capture sensors to 14 test participants and recorded their movements as the trainer led them through exercises in the Yao Yuan Sze Foundation Movement Laboratory.

After Russ analyzes the data from the cameras, they plan to partner with the mathematics department to take the project to the next level: giving the virtual trainer the artificial intelligence it needs to become effective.

“It’s amazing and it’s going to be revolutionary the more and more we develop it,” Capraro said.

As Russ sets her sights on graduate school, she hopes to continue investigating the benefits of combining physical therapy and the virtual world.

For her part, Capraro hopes to work at a visual effects production house to create the dazzling worlds within movies or video games.

Britton was surprised to find that during Nixon’s presidency welfare

At the end of the day, there’s proof of a more bipartisan coalition in Washington D.C. during Nixon’s era than there appears to be today, Britton said. Studying that time frame shows that during any administration “there’s still a possibility of providing social programs to communities in need,” he added.

Originally a political science major, Britton switched to social work believing this field could offer him more tools to become an effective advocate for marginalized communities.

“I want to help people live their best lives. That’s a really fulfilling thing for me and I really saw that in the social work department,” Britton said.

After Whittier, Britton has his sights on graduate school.

Examining the United State’s Influence in Central America Growing up in a politically polarized El Salvador, Roberto Bonilla ’18 was left with a lot of unanswered questions. At Whittier, the political science major is working on finding answers.

With the support of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, Bonilla’s research examined how the United States may have affected political ideology in his home country, which—intentionally or not—could have affected the outcomes of Salvadoran elections for almost two decades.

“As I was digging a little deeper into the research and what had already been done about the elections there, I found something that hasn’t been connected yet to the elections,” Bonilla said.

From 1989 to 2004, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party won four consecutive presidential elections—a trend that Bonilla theorizes could be partly attributed to the influence of a televised educational program in the 1960s, “teleteacher,” in addition to ARENA’s control of print and televised media.

The program was developed through the Alliance for Progress, an economic cooperation program set up between the United States and Latin America. The central message, particularly in the social sciences, Bonilla said, “was to teach children the American values: individualism, capitalism, free market.”

Bonilla clarifies that he’s not making a judgment about ARENA’s political values.

Rather, he’s interested in tracing the spread of those ideas in people’s minds.

The teleteacher program ended shortly before civil war erupted in El Salvador.

In its wake, the ARENA party emerged in the 1980s. Thus, Bonilla hypothesizes that a good portion of the students who were exposed to teleteacher grew up to become potential voters in the ’80s and ’90s and may have affected the outcomes of those elections in ARENA’s favor.

According to political science professor Debora Norden, Bonilla has landed on a theory that could have implications beyond El Salvador. His research about the subtle ways that a larger country can influence the politics of a smaller one, even unintentionally, can be applied on a more global scale.

For instance, Bonilla is looking into whether a similar effect occurred in Paraguay, which was also part of the Alliance for Progress. “That’s where I would actually see if I’m onto something good, or something big,” he said.

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FROM THE COLLEGE ARCHIVES

SOCIETIES

theROCK

Friday’s Tale Friday the squirrel–the former pet of poet and College namesake John Greenleaf Whittier (JGW)–arrived on campus in 1980. He came as part of a larger JGW collection obtained by the College that included, according to former librarian Philip O’Brien ’61, “virtually the entire contents of the poet’s Oak Knoll Library,” including chairs, desk, books, papers, magazines, and pictures.

Society Sweethearts Hundreds of Whittier College graduates will attest to the fact that some of the best friends they made in college were their society brothers and sisters. It’s not surprising then that some wonderful love connections were also created among society members. Below are a handful of the stories shared as part of the Poet Love Celebration that took place in the spring.

Alex (Sanchez) ’01 and Manuel Rosales ’99 Manuel and Alex have been in a loving relationship for 19 years.

As a Thalian and Orthogonian they were a natural match.

Together, they have a 14-year-old daughter, Bryana and an eight-year-old son, Reyes. “Our marriage has withstood the numerous storms that life has placed on our path. We have been the sunshine for each other in times of need and the necessary umbrella when life decides to pour it on! We look forward to growing old together,” said Alex Rosales.

The story of Friday begins with a caring individual who rescued the tiny foundling from certain death.

When nearly grown, “with a fine gray coat and a plumy tail,” he was given to JGW who kept him as a pet for many years. Although Friday had a cage for a home, he often left his nest, to run about the various rooms of the house, and, occasionally, he escaped to the trees, and leaped from bough to bough; but always he came back to his home. Friday entertained himself storing nuts in all kinds of secret places: behind picture frames, between books and loose papers, in the library, and even under JGW’s coat collar.

Friday lived a long and comfortable life. JGW was so attached to the small creature that after his death the squirrel was stuffed and kept on the poet’s desk. Whittier also wrote a poem in honor of his pet beginning with, “Alack! the day when Friday lay/ Quiescent in his cage.”

On the College campus, Friday was a known fixture even before the real article arrived. In the 1970s and 1980s, well before Johnny Poet became the College’s official costumed mascot, it was a student in a big Friday the Squirrel costume who led cheers and rallies at sports events. Today, the squirrel can be found on display in the Bonnie Bell Wardman Library and has assumed the role of the College’s unofficial mascot.

Bill ’62 and Janice (Barker) Geiger ’62 This ’60s couple met during sophomore year in their Intro to Literature class and had their first date at a Thalian party.

“We were pinned during our junior year, engaged in our senior year, and married in August, 1962, after our June graduation,” said Janice.

 See more Sweetheart stories on page 43 and on whittier.edu/morerock.

Email your own Poet love story and photos to alumni@whittier.edu.

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Sarah (Wills) ’08 and Louie Salazar ’07 The Salazars met in 2010 when both were members of the same wedding party—Sarah was a bridesmaid for her Met sister Valene Esqueda Martinez ’05 and Louie was best man for his Orthogonian pledge brother Eric Martinez ’06. They have been together eight years, married almost six, and have a perfect little family completed by daughter Madison and son Kaleb.

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FACULTY FILES

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SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE Whittier College bade a fond and tearful farewell to three beloved professors this spring.

As they prepare to move on to the next chapter of their professional and personal lives, they took a moment to reflect on their Poet past and to share future plans.

During his more than four decades at Whittier, Professor of Political Science Fred Bergerson has specialized in bureaucratic politics, international and homeland security policy, and civil-military relations. He has taught courses from the fundamental, Introduction to Political Science, to the original, Federalism and Urban Life, and his signature JanTerm course, Warfare: Pursuit of Military Security.

In his retirement, Bergerson plans to spend time with his family, maintain his involvement in politics, and, above all, stay connected with his former students. Bergerson jests that he will spend his retired life imitating his un-retired life to the best of his ability—occupying his time with familiar activities like talking with past students and “being actively aggravated” by politicians.

Bergerson will truly miss his “extended family” at Whittier. He cherishes the joy and insights shared between him and students over the years, as well as time spent with his colleagues, “raising questions about contemporary society, politics, policy, each other, students, the world, the future, and the past.”

“It means so much to me to have been surrounded by such wonderful people,” reflects Bergerson, “people whose lives I have changed, and who have changed my life.”

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Joseph L. Price is the Genevieve Shaul Connick Professor of Religious Studies and co-director and founder of the Whittier College Institute for Baseball Studies. Price has taught more than 30 different courses at Whittier, including original creations like, Modern Doubt, Theology Through Film, and Sport, Play, and Ritual.

Following his retirement, Price will continue to work on several projects, including volunteering with the Institute for Baseball Studies and writing books for the Sports and Religion series which he edits for Mercer University Press. His latest book, Perfect Pitch, The National Anthem for the National Pastime, was released in April.

He also plans to keep busy researching “food and faith” at the Huntington Library and gardening the hillside at his home.

As he prepares for his retirement, Price looks back fondly on his time at Whittier. “I’ll be wistful as I miss working (and playing) with colleagues and interacting with smiling students,” says Price, “and I’ll be delighted to miss the stacks of essays on my desk awaiting grading.”

VISIT WHITTIER.EDU/MOREROCK TO SEE MORE ON PROFESSORS BERGERSON, PRICE, AND WAGNER.

Professor of Education and Child Development and former Director of the Broadoaks Children’s School Judith Wagner is a distinguished educator who has taught all levels, from preschool to university; and all over the world, including the U.S., Denmark, China, and Korea, among others.

Although Wagner is retiring from Whittier and Broadoaks, her work will continue on many fronts. Wagner will proceed with three ongoing research projects and continue her role as chief administrative officer for OMEP (The World Organization for Early Childhood Education) at the United Nations (UN) and serve as OMEP’s liaison to UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Unit. At the UN she will continue her work with the Committee on Migration, focusing on migrant children’s issues.

She’s also serving on the multi-national UNESCO Early Childhood Global Action Plan committee on Education for Sustainable Development and on the Early Childhood Peace Consortium sponsored by UNICEF and Yale University.

Most recently, she was appointed to the board of directors at Joan Macy School—David and Margaret’s Youth and Family Services.

Beyond her many academic and diplomatic ventures, Wagner also has plans to travel (“just for fun”) with husband, Richard Contreras ’62.

Wagner deeply values the years she spent inspiring Whittier students to become future leaders in education. Above all, Wagner says that she will miss having daily interactions with college students and faculty colleagues, as well as with the children, parents, and staff at Broadoaks.

New Book: Looking Beyond The Celebrity In his latest book, L.A. Man: Profiles from a Big City and a Small World, Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Journalism Joe Donnelly’s attempts to go beyond the “façade of fame” to get a closer look at the humanity that exists within.

This collection of profiles shares Donnelly’s journalistic encounters with iconic celebrities—experiences like surfing with Chris Malloy, verbally sparring with Christian Bale, shooting pool with Sean Penn, going on a date with Carmen Electra, and driving to Texas with Wes Anderson, just to name a few.

“What a pleasure to ride shotgun with Joe Donnelly, a Los Angeles journalist who tells the story of a city through its artists, outlaws, and other raconteurs,” wrote New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis about the book.

Staff writer for The Atlantic Conor Friedersdorf adds, “Joe Donnelly gravitates toward characters who have heart and portrays them with insight and humanity.

I’ve yet to read one of his profiles without feeling that I got to know the subject and benefited from the encounter.”

Donnelly is an award-winning journalist, writer, and editor. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, LA Weekly, Mother Jones, Huck, Orion, Slake, The Surfer’s Journal, Washington Post, and other publications. Donnelly co-founded and co-edited Slake: Los Angeles, the acclaimed journal of long-form journalism, fiction, essay, poetry, photography, and art.

PROFESSOR FINDS BLAZAR JETS WITH NASA SUPPORT Billions of light years from Earth, the hot, energetic, swirling areas around supermassive black holes shoot jets of a trillion electron volts of gamma-radiated gas into space. As hard to miss as that seems, the jets from some of these objects, known as blazars, have never been seen before—until now.

Professor of Physics and Astronomy Glenn Piner and a colleague, Philip Edwards of Australia’s federal agency for scientific research, have created the first images of 20 blazar jets across the universe. Their findings of their four-year study, which was funded by the NASA, were published in the January edition of The Astrophysical Journal.

To find these blazar jets, they needed the right tool, though that’s easier said than done.

There are orbiting satellites that can detect high-energy gamma rays, but the resolution of the pictures they take is too low to see any of the details in the objects that they were looking for.

The highest resolution pictures come from the Very Long Baseline Array, a network of 10 telescopes linked across the country, from Hawaii to the Virgin Islands. The array is powerful— highest-magnification-on-the-planet powerful. But they’re radio telescopes, not gamma-ray.

The blazar jets emit a ton of gamma radiation, but the radio signals that these specific blazars give off are weak. Through the lens of radio, the jets may simply get lost in the noise.

“It was challenging because these were at the faint end of the limit that this telescope can do,” said Piner. “They’re right at the edge. We weren’t sure. They hadn’t been imaged with radio telescopes before, if they would even be detectable.”

For a more complete picture, he teamed up with Edwards, who has access to a similar network of radio telescopes in his half of the world. It’s common for astronomers in different hemispheres to work together, since neither can see the stars on the other’s side of the globe.

After pointing their giant lenses heavenward, the results came in—and the jets were visible amid the noise.

“We’re able to actually look at the structure of the jet. The images suggest a hollow structure, with the area in the middle evacuated,” Piner said. “So we were able to get some of the structural details for the first time and then hopefully that’ll help theoretical physicists construct models.”

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ATHLETICS

poetsCAMPAIGN

INDIVIDUAL HONORS FOR THE PURPLE & GOLD

2017-2018: FALL AND WINTER SEASONS

MEN’S BASKETBALL Eric Davis ’19 was named Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Athlete of the Week during the first month of play and teammate Louis Kurihara ’18 received the honor twice later in the season.

Kurihara was also named to the All-SCIAC second team.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Monica Hanna ’22 was named to the All-SCIAC second team.

MEN’S/WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Julian Sandoval ’19 earned first team All-SCIAC recognition for the second year in a row after posting a second place overall finish at the SCIAC Championships. Benjamin White ’21 continued to impress as he wrapped up his conference campaign with an 11th place finish at the Championships, which placed him on the All-SCIAC second team, and was named SCIAC Newcomer of the Year.

Sandoval and Julissa Tobias ’18 earned berths into the Division III National Championships in Illinois at Principia College.

Photos by Tony Leon/Action West Photography

FOOTBALL

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Bryson Sanders ’18 ended his career on a high note as he was recognized on the All-SCIAC second team as a wide receiver.

MEN’S SOCCER Connor Tait-Mole ’18 and Luis Espitia ’21 have been named to the All-SCIAC second team.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Leah Kolek ’18 was named to the United Soccer Coaches Women’s Scholar AllRegion team. She was named first team

All-SCIAC and was a third team All-West Region recipient. Lauren Kai ’18 and Leah Kolek ’18 were named first team All-SCIAC and Jenna Muise ’19, for the second year in a row, was named second team All-SCIAC.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING Brooke Geske ’21 was named the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year and qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the 100 and 200 back. She now holds the Whittier records in the 100 back, 200 back, 200 medley relay, and 400 medley relay.

Alexa Melara ’21 won the 200 IM and came in second the 200 breast at the SCIAC Championships.

MEN’S WATER POLO Four Poets were named to the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches AllAmerican Teams. Hans Zdolsek ’21 was named to the first team. Landing on the second team was Carlos Heredia Viteri ’21. Murat Ersoz ’20 and Tim Aakhus ’18 received honorable mention.

All-SCIAC recognition went to Ersoz and Heredia, first team; Zdolsek and Aakhus, second team; and sportsmanship to Andrew Wettstead ’18. Zdolsek was also named SCIAC Athlete of the Week twice and SCIAC Newcomer of the Year.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Four players were named All-SCIAC including Makenzie Thieme ’19, first team; Ashley Whittall ’21 and Camryn Purdom ’20, second team; and Alexis Mills ’18, All-Sportsmanship team.

Whittall was also named SCIAC Newcomer of the Year. Thieme received honorable mention in the Division III All-West Region teams by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. For the first time in the program, the volleyball squad qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships.

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ATHLETICS

poetsCAMPAIGN

REVAMPED REVAMPED BASEBALL BASEBALL STADIUM STADIUM COMPLETE COMPLETE The Poets kicked off the spring semester with the newly renovated Adam Elberg Field and Hugh B. Mendez Baseball Stadium. After months of construction, the grand opening of the new facilities took place with a dedication ceremony attended by guests, supporters, and alumni from across the country.

“Athletics is such an important part of college life and provides students with so many wonderful life skills,” said Whittier College President Sharon D. Herzberger during the ceremony. “We are thrilled that our coaches are such good educators, but we couldn’t do all of this without the support of so many people who have contributed to our athletic program today and over the years.”

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NEW SOCCER HEAD COACH SHOOTS FOR ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP

(l-r) Executive Director of Athletics Robert Coleman, Bob Kittle ’91, Brenda Elberg, Adam Elberg ’91, Andrew Lamar ’18, President Sharon D. Herzberger, and Coach Mike Rizzo ’86.

A leadership gift from Adam Elberg ’91 supported the renovations and provided a new entrance gateway to the field as well as a covered, threetunnel batting cage, including lights and bullpens down the left field line.

(CENTER) Robert Mendez and Dottie Mendez, son and widow of the late Hugh Mendez.

Keith Gendreau ’80 and his wife Allison’s contribution helped provide a permanent grandstand, press box, and surround sound PA system.

The new stadium is named in memory of former Whittier coach, Hugh B. Mendez, who was inducted into the Purple & Gold Hall of Fame in 2014.

“We are fortunate to have over 1,000 individuals who believe in the impact of the collegiate athletic experience and choose to support our teams and student-athletes each and every year,” said Executive Director of Athletics Robert Coleman. “Their generosity is not lost on our studentathletes. They know that when they come to Whittier, they are standing on the shoulders of those that came before them.”

As the current conference champions and a repeated all-academic team, the Poet women’s soccer players are getting ready to lace up their cleats and head into the fall season under the direction of new head coach Derek Hanks and assistant coach Sebastian Carrasco. Hanks is looking forward to getting to know the players, who have become a tight-knit group of friends and teammates.

(l-r) Coach Derek Hanks, Lyla Matar ’19, Kanoe Morihara ’19, Miranda Yzabal ’19, and assistant coach Sebastian Carrasco.

“My goal is to continue the momentum from last year and lead them through another successful season,” said Hanks, who is seeking to take his team to the NCAA championship in 2018.

“The intensity the women portray at every game is on another level,” Hanks said when explaining the strengths of the team. “Every practice has been great. It’s clear they want to make it back to the championships and seeing their motivation every day is amazing.”

Before coming to Whitter, Hanks spent seven years at California State University Northridge, most recently as top assistant coach. In 2017, Hanks helped coach Northridge to the Big West Championship.

“Derek came on campus and already had a plan in place to take Whittier College soccer to the next level,” said Executive Director of Athletics Robert Coleman. “He is passionate and prepared.”

RETURNING CHAMPIONS

Coach Hanks is fortunate to have a number of returning players for the fall 2018 season. Among them are the following players who have shown much passion and dedication to the Purple & Gold.

LYLA MATAR ’19 – FORWARD

KANOE MORIHARA ’19 – MIDFIELD

MIRANDA YZABAL ’19 – FORWARD

Growing up, soccer had a place of prominence in Matar’s family and she fell in love with the game at an early age. Naturally, winning the SCIAC championship was one of the best moments of her life. “I don’t think our team has ever worked harder for a game than in those 90 minutes,” said Matar.

“Coming into that game I visualized our victory and mentally prepped for the responsibilities that I would have to undertake to achieve a win. I’m looking forward to another competitive SCIAC season and to allow our momentum from this past season to carry us into next.”

“The SCIAC championship game was crazy.

When the clock finally hit zero and the ref blew his whistle I remember running to my teammates and embracing each other. Tears fell from my eyes and I was filled with pure joy. No words can even describe the feeling,” said Morihara.

For Yzabal finding the balance between athletics and academics is essential. “It requires some sacrifice here and there but school is always first.

I also work with my professors a lot to make sure I am on track.”

Matar is truly inspired by her teammates, praising them as the “hardest working people” she knows.

According to Morihara, the strong friendships among players is a vital part of making the team work. “For my senior year, I am looking forward to playing under the lights, on our field with my teammates. I can’t wait to make it a season to remember,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to defending our SCIAC championship next season. Every game is going to be a tough one and every team is going to be out to get us, but it’s going to be fun.”

During spring break the women’s soccer team traveled to Spain to compete against four local club and college teams in Madrid and Barcelona.

“Traveling to a different country and learning about different cultures and traditions together as a team is something we will hold on to for the rest of our lives. Being able to play and learn together, soccer-wise, while we were in Spain has made our bonds stronger.”

Yzabal adds, “Next season I’m looking forward to keeping the legacy going and continuing to grow the program. I am also excited to see some changes in our game with our new coaching staff.”

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theROCK features

EXPERIENCING COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT IN TANZANIA Seeing wild giraffes and lions up close, visiting the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, walking through the ruins of ancient Greek civilizations, touching the Great Wall of China, and climbing up to Machu Picchu – these are some of the wonders of exploring the world outside our borders. And while any student would be enticed by these opportunities, Whittier College students haven taken travel and study abroad to an even higher level. Participating in faculty-led study trips, as well as international internships and fellowships, Poets embark on unique academic adventures that allow for scholarly pursuits, professional development, cultural immersion, and personal growth. Moreover, these explorations help to prepare students to become leaders in our global society and evolving workplace.

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EXPERIENCING COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT IN TANZANIA

Previous page: (clockwise) Madeleine McMurray ’18; Anne Angarola, Global Partners for Development (GPD) Community-Driven Education Manager; Malory Henry ’19; Amy Holter, GPD Director of Programs and Evaluation; and Juma Sulle, GPD Tanzanian Country Coordinator.

theROCK

1 Henry and McMurray visit a new community well. 2 New classroom in Tanzania.

3 McMurray during her travels. 4 Director of Study Abroad Professor Andy Wallis in Tanzania.

1.

3.

2.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

E

mbarking on such a journey— one that would take them nearly 10,000 miles from the Whittier campus—Malory Henry ’19 and Madeleine McMurray ’18 traveled to Tanzania during the most recent JanTerm to engage with local communities and participate in authentic communitydriven development projects.

“Leaving on the plane to go to Africa, I was more excited than I was scared,” said Henry. “One of the biggest things I learned is that we never make the journey that we think we’re making. Every single expectation I had about coming here was completely wrong.”

Henry and McMurray were the inaugural recipients of the Brethren Community Foundation (BCF) Fellowship—a partnership between BCF, Global Partners for Development (GPD), and Whittier. The fellowship was designed as an elite opportunity for participants to interact with Global Partners, a non-profit organization that works with local communities in East Africa to find sustainable solutions to critical needs such as health care, education, and access to clean water.

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The fellows spent four very busy weeks in Tanzania, traveling by van with their guides, visiting Global Partner project sites at different stages of development. “We moved around every three to four days to see different examples of community-driven development,” said McMurray. “You get to see how happy everyone is to have these projects and how much they’ve impacted the community.”

One stop included visiting a new school that educates hundreds of children. “The school had three rooms­—one room for the girls, one room for the boys, and one was the teacher’s office,” said McMurray. With large windows and a new blackboard, the modest schoolhouse was a definite improvement to its predecessor, a four-walled wooden structure held together by clay.

“Towards the end of the trip it was really exciting, we got to go to a public meeting where partnership was first being offered to this community,” added McMurray. She explains that rather than simply proposing a project to a community that may not have the desire or resources to maintain it, GPD first begins a dialogue with villagers to determine what the community truly wants and needs.

For Henry, a pre-med student, a highlight of the trip involved shadowing doctors at the Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME Medical). “It was such an amazing experience to see how hospitals function in other countries,” she said. “Staying at FAME Medical especially opened my eyes to life as a doctor abroad—I’m hoping to return to FAME at some point, whether that’s as a student researcher or a doctor.”

“An American gets to know the life of a Maasai family, and a Maasai gets to know the life of this young girl from America. They no longer read about it but live it. I believe that the girls who have been with us will not go to America the same people,” said Alias Marindat, one of the Maasai hosts and a GPD partner.

“Being able to see Maasai pastoralism, religion, and lifestyle was something I really enjoyed—experiencing another culture’s way of life, if only for a short amount of time, definitely forces one to think critically about their own lifestyle and culture,” said Henry.

The experience also challenged Henry in ways she had not foreseen: “The fact that I am an outsider, I look different, I don’t speak their language, and I don’t understand their culture, and they don’t understand mine. It is very uncomfortable. I think being uncomfortable is one of the most important things you can feel when you are going abroad. That’s probably been the biggest source of my growth.”

Having traveled broadly, McMurray can also relate to being challenged in new and foreign settings. The business administration and environmental studies double major had previously studied abroad in Costa Rica and China and completed two summer internships in Cambodia with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. She said that Whittier helped prepare her for these experiences.

CULTURAL IMMERSION

To gain a deeper understanding of the people of Tanzania, the fellows lodged for a few days in a Maasai homestay, where they tended to cattle and goats, helped prepare meals, and developed true friendships with the Maasai, an ethnic group native to the region.

4.

“ At Whittier, every day in classes you’re being exposed to all of these different ideologies and backgrounds of students. At the end

“ I’M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE HARRIS FAMILY BEING ABLE TO MAKE THIS EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE FOR ME.” Madeleine McMurray ’18

of the day, you recognize that people are people, and you find ways to connect with people who are, at face value, so different from you,” said McMurray.

AN EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE

After graduation, Henry and McMurray plan to expand on the lessons they’ve learned as undergraduates—seeking careers on the international level.

McMurray plans on pursuing a career that combines her travel, internship, and academic experience, allowing her to put into practice the skills she’s developed during her time at Whittier. Eventually, she also plans on obtaining a master’s degree.

In addition to her trip to Tanzania, Henry, who is majoring in medical anthropology through the Whittier Scholars Program, spent a semester studying in South Africa. Before applying to medical school, Henry is PAGE 25 / WHITTIER.EDU

EXPERIENCING COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT IN TANZANIA

theROCK

“ THIS EXPERIENCE ABROAD DEFINITELY PREPARED ME FOR WHAT I IMAGINE MY LIFE TO BE.” Malory Henry ’19

Malory Henry ‘19 during her travels in Tanzania.

considering joining the Peace Corps or embarking on another research fellowship. Her ultimate goal is to become a doctor and work in an international community. “ This experience abroad definitely prepared me for what I imagine my life to be,” said Henry.

The BCF fellowship supported 100 percent of the costs associated with the trip. Harriet Harris and her husband, Whittier Trustee Emeritus Bill Harris Jr. ’55 were instrumental in bringing this partnership to the College. Strong supporters of Global Partners, they have been part of the Brethren Corporation – parent organization of the BCF – for decades.

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VISIT WHITTIER.EDU/MOREROCK TO SEE A VIDEO OF MCMURRAY'S AND HENRY'S EXPERIENCE IN TANZANIA.

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REDEFINING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE AGE OF YOUTUBE

theROCK features

RED FIN G ENTR P U SHI IN THE AGE OF YOUTBE PAGE 28 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

IT’S BEEN LESS THAN A DECADE SINCE SHE DONNED HER CAP AND GOWN AT MEMORIAL STADIUM, AND IN THAT TIME, CASSEY HO ’09 HAS BUILT A HEALTH AND FITNESS EMPIRE AS THE CEO OF FOUR INTERNATIONAL BRANDS. HER GROWING SUCCESS HAS LANDED HER ON THE COVER OF HEALTH MAGAZINE AND SHE HAS APPEARED EVERYWHERE FROM THE TODAY SHOW TO THE NEW YORK TIMES.

She’s not only an incredibly successful entrepreneur, she’s also a powerful woman in business in an era where women-led startups outpace their male counterparts.

Among the many ways the Internet has changed the business world, comparatively inexpensive websites have lowered the barrier to entry for aspiring entrepreneurs who don’t have to pay thousands of dollars a month for a brick-and-mortar, and ubiquitous platforms like YouTube and Instagram have given passionate personalities a huge boost for their voice.

In many ways, Ho—a woman who’s used the Internet to build a multimillion-dollar career—is the new face of business.

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REDEFINING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE AGE OF YOUTUBE

theROCK

o

n the stage of the Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts, Cassey Ho ’09 and four dancers spun, stretched, and kicked in a kaleidoscope of lights and colors. The performance transformed the stage of her alma mater into a mesmerizing expression of how POP Pilates—her wildly successful pairing of pop music and exercise—makes her feel: strong, beautiful, and empowered.

The young, energetic CEO has millions of reasons to feel powerful—four million and counting, to be exact. Her Shannon Center dance anchors a music video, The Perfect Storm, that debuted this year to her more than 4.1 million YouTube subscribers. That’s more fans than some network television series.

Her YouTube channel, Blogilates, has become the numberone female fitness channel on the site. Recognizing the popularity of her passionate and empowering approach to Pilates, 24 Hour Fitness signed a deal with the rising entrepreneur to make her pop music-infused exercises the official Pilates workout at their nationwide gyms. On top of that, she’s the designer and CEO of her own active wear line, POPFLEX; she’s authored a best-selling book, Hot Body Year Round; and she’s launched a new, intensive workout program, PIIT28.

It’s no wonder that Time magazine named Ho one of the 25 most influential people on the Internet, alongside J.K. Rowling, Katy Perry, and Chance the Rapper.

Those aren’t the only famous names she’s been associated with. Collaboration is key in the realm of YouTube and, living in the Los Angeles area, Ho is never far from a close group of fellow well-known YouTube personalities like Lilly Singh and Rosanna Pansino, who can quickly organize to promote and support one another. Such collaboration is an important skill, and one that Ho developed at Whittier by being heavily involved on campus while juggling a full course load and her part-time job teaching Pilates at a local gym.

WHITTIER COLLEGE After she arrived at Whittier, Ho went from simply practicing Pilates to teaching it. At a 24 Hour Fitness gym not far from campus, she began instructing a Pilates class part-time while working toward her bachelor’s degree.

In many ways, Whittier is where Ho began sketching the beginning of her career—literally. During one of her marketing classes, she doodled a logo design in the margin of her paper: “Blogilates,” in cursive, with a little heart to dot the “I.” Fashion design was always a passion, and early into her time at Whittier, a flirty and sophisticated “little black dress” she designed hit the catwalk during San Francisco Fashion Week after winning a student competition.

Her exposure to the fashion world was eye-opening. Ho, who majored in biology and minored in business administration, aspired to fuse her scientific and artistic interests through entrepreneurship.

Before crossing the commencement stage, she picked up soft skills that would serve her well on that path. Ho was a resident advisor, tutored her fellow students, and joined both the Asian Student Association and the Ballroom Dance club.

“Because I was so involved on campus while I was at Whittier, I learned how to be very resourceful,” she said.

“I loved putting on events, so connecting with organizations and people all over campus helped me learn how to collaborate and make things happen.”

When she graduated, she created a send-off video for the 40 Pilates students she was leaving behind. The 10-minute session, filmed in her living room, was the first video she posted on YouTube. She never expected anyone but those few dozen students to see it.

She was wrong.

DISCOVERING PILATES One fateful Saturday morning, while still in high school and living at home in San Francisco, Ho happened to catch one of fitness guru Mari Winsor’s new infomercials about a workout she’d spent years popularizing: Pilates.

“I thought to myself ’Yea, I can do that!’” Ho said. “It seemed like something fun yet challenging that I could do on my own.”

As she prepared to graduate and come to Whittier, Ho was sitting in her high school economics class when her teacher assigned them to budget their bills and how they would live, based on their car choice. Most people took the fiscally conscious route with rides like Honda Civics or Toyota Camrys. But when it was Ho’s turn, she showed everyone a picture of a shiny, hardtop Mercedes-Benz convertible. As Ho recalls, the teacher laughed and said, “and how is that gonna happen?”

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BLOGILATES Ho picked a perfect time to join YouTube, which in the late 2000s, created a tidal wave of online stars.

Shifting viewing habits—especially among millenials—from traditional media to the Internet created a growing audience for people like Singh, Pansino, Tyler Oakley, and Lindsey Stirling, who all debuted within a year or two of Ho. As they accumulated millions of views from their living rooms, they were changing the way the world thought about celebrity.

There was never a particular moment when Ho realized that a true YouTube career was materializing. Everything happened gradually: she discovered there was an interest in her workouts (which she paired with pop music to create POP Pilates), she posted them on her channel, Blogilates, and views and subscriptions climbed. And climbed. And climbed.

Fashion design was always a passion, and early into her time at Whittier, a flirty and sophisticated “little black dress” she designed hit the catwalk during San Francisco Fashion Week after winning a student competition.

IT’S NO WONDER THAT TIME MAGAZINE NAMED HO ONE OF THE 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL P E O P L E O N T H E I N T E R N E T, A L O N G S I D E J . K . R OW L I N G, K A T Y P E R R Y, A N D C H A N C E T H E R A P P E R .

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“Being able to offer something of value to people all over the world helped me gain trust and an audience,” Ho said.

She puts in a lot of effort for that growing fan base. On filming days, after scouting a location and prepping lights and sound, Ho powers through five to six full workouts—each with their own choreography. All that, plus hair, makeup, and outfit changes between each workout, and a lot of video editing back at the studio.

Thanks to her hard work, Ho led a global audience to healthier lives while listening to the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen and Taylor Swift, and as she accumulated millions of social media followers, Ho always remained herself. When she considers why her brand grew so enormously, she points to that authenticity.

“The community aspect of Blogilates thrived because of my honest and transparent approach to connecting with people,” Ho said. “I’m not afraid to be vulnerable, and I think a lot of people find that to be comforting and relatable.”

By 2012, monetization of her videos had become a significant portion of her livelihood. That year, Blogilates—with that cursive logo penned at Whittier—had accumulated more than 20 million views, and the likes of Forbes took notice. The business magazine heralded Ho as one of YouTube’s “Rising Women of Power,” and her name has only grown since.

Twenty million views exploded to 300 million (included among them: Swift herself). It wasn’t long before Blogilates became the number-one female fitness channel on YouTube. In 2015, she signed the deal with 24 Hour Fitness to install POP Pilates as the gym company’s official Pilates workout.

Months later, she was sharing a stage with the likes of Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson and Sean Rad, the CEO of Tinder, at an entrepreneurship panel in downtown Los Angeles, talking about the future of global business.

“Not knowing what direction Blogilates was going, I had to trust myself, trust my community, and give them what they want. Because they’re the ones who basically gave me what I have today, so I am always grateful for this community,” said Ho during the panel.

That integrity and wholehearted service to her audience has helped her brands grow over the years. And, when her fans started asking for a clothing line, that’s what she did.

POPFLEX In an office filled with inspirational sketches, deadline-laden calendars, and a rainbow of fabrics, Ho made good on a longheld goal that she’d kept burning at Whittier to become a fashion designer.

CASSEY HO WAS THE 2018 COMMENCEMENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER. VISIT WHITTIER.EDU/MOREROCK TO SEE HER SPEECH ONLINE. PAGE 32 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

For two years, Ho and her team researched the industry and traveled the globe to source every thread, trim, ribbon, and piece of fabric that would go into the line, cutting out the middleman to keep the price point on the line affordable for her fans. Starting from the ground up, they built relationships and ensured that the

garment sewers and factory partners were happy.

In her spiral notebooks, Ho inked her ideas and collaborated with her employees on how the designs should look and feel.

By December 2016, the line was ready. It draws its inspiration from nature, with collections like the pink-and-periwinkle Peony and the turquoise-and-magenta Mermaid.

“The work that goes into fashion design is extremely challenging. But, when we get it right, it is one of the most satisfying things in the world,” Ho said. “To see your idea— your sketch—go through several months of revisions, fittings, and for it to make it through production and end up on a real person’s body—I mean, wow, that’s chaotic choreography that was well planned and well executed!”

The new endeavor was a success. POPFLEX has become an international brand that, just earlier this year, Ho brought to its first industry trade show: Active Collective in New York City, where names like Lorna Jane attract potential buyers. It was surreal and a confidence boost seeing POPFLEX shine next to big players.

“I first started drawing my original sketches for my activewear line in college,” she said. “What I’m most proud of is the fact that something that began as an idea in my head truly became a reality.”

GIVING BACK After all this success, Ho and her fiancé, Sam Livits ’08, are giving back to Whittier this year with the $50,000 Blogilates Entrepreneurial Scholarship, which will support female students who showcase entrepreneurship and leadership across campus.

“Sam and I have always wanted to give back to our amazing school because the staff, the professors, and the entire Whittier community have provided so much value and so many positive memories for us,” she said.

“The community aspect of Blogilates thrived because of my honest and transparent approach to connecting with people,” Ho said.

“I’m not afraid to be vulnerable, and I think a lot of people find that to be comforting and relatable.”

LIVING HER BEST LIFE Cruising around sunny Santa Monica late last summer, Ho steered past the bustling pier and swung through bohemian Venice Beach, with the wind blowing through her hair, and a film crew following closely behind. But the cameras capturing her every turn weren’t her usual setup; they belonged to the creators behind a new commercial, who were looking for a powerful woman to pair with their newest convertible.

Ho more than fit the bill. In only a few years, she’d turned a single YouTube video and sketches into international brands.

She had seen a course for her life, and with intense passion and work, steered it to a place of monumental success. She’s earned much, and on that warm August day in Southern California, she’d earned a dream come true: Ho was behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz.

It was, in her words, magical.

PAGE 33 / WHITTIER.EDU

BUILDING ON THE TRADITION OF THE MAGIC OF DISNEY

theROCK features “LET IT GO. LET IT GO.”

BUILDING ON THE TRADITION OF THE MAGIC OF DISNEY WALKING THROUGH DISNEYLAND IS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, THAT AS WALT DISNEY INTENDED, TRANSPORTS YOU TO A LAND OF FANTASY BUILT ON STORYTELLING AND IMPRESSIVE ATTENTION TO DETAIL. EVERY INCH OF THE PARK IS CAREFULLY CRAFTED—FROM THE MUSIC THAT SURROUNDS MAIN STREET, U.S.A. TO THE COSTUMES WORN BY CAST MEMBERS TO THE COLORFUL MARQUEES AND SIGNS THAT GUIDE VISITORS THROUGHOUT THE PARK.

W

alt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

Michael Dobrzycki ’98 has been adding his creativity and imagination to the park for nearly two decades. As a senior graphic designer for the Creative Studio of Walt Disney Imagineering in Anaheim, he’s put his mark on the visual identity of several iconic Disneyland attractions—Autopia and Dumbo, just to name two— as well as newer limited-time events like Star Wars: Season of the Force.

With every new addition, he helps keep the magic alive.

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If you are a parent with a child under the age of 12, this refrain from the uber-popular Disney movie Frozen probably sounds familiar. It definitely does for Dobrzycki, whose daughter fell in love with the tale of the two sisters, Elsa and Anna.

Having worked for Disney for most of his professional career, he knew early-on that Frozen was destined to be a classic and began sketching out ideas to bring the story to life at the amusement park.

“A few years ago, I had the chance to work on an update to the Storybook Land Canal Boats. I served as the creative designer and field art director for the new Arendelle scene from the movie Frozen,” said Dobrzycki.

“Having a daughter of an ideal age to appreciate Frozen made that job very gratifying, both personally and professionally.”

While Dobrzycki spends most of his days designing and generating ideas at the Walt Disney Imagineering Anaheim office location—he will regularly don a safety vest and hard-hat to work on location and see his work come to life.

He spent many nights and early mornings overseeing the installation of the new features to Autopia, one of Disneyland’s original opening-day attractions. For Autopia, Dobrzycki developed five new show set scenes and updated its design aesthetic.

“Currently, I am working with creative teams that are bringing exciting updates to some other classic Disneyland attractions, such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Space Mountain, as well as leading the design effort for the upcoming Tropical Hideaway in Adventureland,” he added.

As a senior graphic designer for the Creative Studio of Walt Disney Imagineering in Anaheim, he’s put his mark on the visual identity of several iconic Disneyland attractions— Autopia and Dumbo, just to name two—as well as newer limitedtime events like Star Wars: Season of the Force.

PAGE 35 / WHITTIER.EDU

BUILDING ON THE TRADITION OF THE MAGIC OF DISNEY

theROCK THE ARTIST’S WAY

HOW IT ALL STARTED

For Dobrzycki, this high-profile work involves both a collective effort and concentrated attention.

“I think that if I had to describe my career course in a word, a good one would be organic,” said Dobrzycki, who joined the Disney Company as a regular cast member at Disneyland park while still in college.

On a regular basis, he will juggle a number of concurrent, deadline-driven creative projects while working in what he describes as an “intensely collaborative environment.”

Beginning with a very general idea, with a lot of group input, the work eventually begins to take shape and narrow in scope.

“I prefer to really focus on an individual design element without interruption or distraction,” he explained. “As difficult as it is to do so in today’s work environment, I really try not to multitask when finishing my production artwork.

I am rarely satisfied with the end result if I have not given it my full attention.”

He adds, “I really enjoy the fact that I get to work with some of the most accomplished and talented designers in their fields, on projects that are incredibly meaningful to people all around the world. I also find it both humbling and satisfying to think that millions of people get to experience our work every year.”

“I have always been willing to take on new duties and responsibilities as they present themselves, allowing (not forcing) my role to grow within the company. Often, these new roles required very different skill sets and might have different, sometimes competing definitions for success.

I think that working in this way helps me to be a better and more understanding team player,” he added.

At Whittier, Dobrzycki majored in art and history.

According to him, it was the strong connections he formed with professors at the College that allowed him to develop his academic and artistic strengths.

“I will always be indebted to art professor Kim Russo for being infinitely patient with me as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to express in my drawings and paintings,” he said. “And I still consider the lessons that Professor David Sloan taught me about conscientious fabrication and the selection of materials for dimensional design on an almost daily basis.”

Moreover, he believes it was at Whittier where he gained the confidence to make a career in the visual arts.

“As difficult as it is to do so in today’s work environment, I really try not to multitask when finishing my production artwork. I am rarely satisfied with the end result if I have not given it my full attention.”

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“My undergraduate experience was a period of great joy and personal growth for me,” said Dobrzycki. “I am convinced that the interdisciplinary curriculum and focus on making connections between broad topics makes me a better problem-solving designer today.”

In addition to his work as a graphic designer, Dobrzycki has taught at the college level and is an accomplished painter, carpenter, puppet maker, and sketch artist whose work has been featured in more than a dozen children’s books and small press publications over the last few years.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the time of this interview, Michael Dobrzycki has been promoted to Art Director at Walt Disney Imagineering – Anaheim.

AT WHITTIER, DOBRZYCKI MAJORED IN ART AND HISTORY. ACCORDING TO HIM, IT WAS THE STRONG CONNECTIONS HE FORMED WITH PROFESSORS AT THE COLLEGE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO DEVELOP HIS ACADEMIC AND ARTISTIC STRENGTHS.

PAGE 37 / WHITTIER.EDU

advancingWHITTIER

PHILADELPHIAN SOCIETY

Michael D. ’75 and Saundra Booker

Philadelphians are generous individuals who have pledged a gift to their favorite cause at Whittier College in their will or estate plan, or have entered into a life-income arrangement through trusts and/or annuity contracts with the College. These vital gifts build Whittier’s endowment and are tremendously important to its continued success as a nationally recognized liberal arts institution. The College gratefully recognizes the charitable intentions of the Philadelphians and their investment in securing a bright future for Whittier’s students and faculty.

James M. ’71 and Joyce (Eakin) Brown ’71

Raymond F. Erickson ’63 and Carole De Saram

Florence (Pickering) Buchanan ’60

Christopher C. Evans ’68

Richard W. ’73 and Nancy Ann Buck

Ann (Dahlstrom) Farmer ’56

Patricia (Cheney) Butler ’52

David J. ’71 and Margaret Firestone

John E. and Sandra (Steele) Butzel ’62

Leslie Horst and E. Louise Forrest ’69

Sherrill R. Cartt ’64

Mr. John Leslie ’55 and Mrs. Sandi Fox

Robert S. ’51 and V. Patricia (Paget) Casjens ’51

Joan D. Francis

The Poet Legacies campaign seeks to see 300 individuals pledge a gift to Whittier. Since the beginning of the campaign, 35 new members joined the Philadelphian Society, bringing the total number of Philadelphians to 248. If you have made a bequest provision for Whittier and don’t see your name listed here, please notify us so that we may thank you.

Contact Kurt Johnson in the Office of Advancement at 562.907.4841.

Robert P. ’65 and Margaret A. Brainerd Eric R. Moormann and Donna J. Brand ’73

Virginia L. Cerello ’63 Harvey ’58 and Janet Charnofsky Thomas M. Chester ’55

Marjorie (Conley) Aikens ’54 John R. Aliberti ’77 Albert W. ’66 and Carliene M. Anderson Fred D. ’66 and Marilyn L. Anderson John H. ’62 and Karen Arens

Adele (Perdew) Enright, MLS, MA ’76

William R. ’64 and Sally Francis Ann (Bauman) Frank ’48 Vincent J. ’69 and Penny (Carns) Fraumeni ’68 Shayne C. ’71 and Novie Beth Gad

Roy E. Clason, Jr. ’84

Lee R. Gardner ’72

Samuel P. ’73 and Barbara T. Clement

Richard Gardner

Kent L. Commons ’61 Roger C. and Shirley (Davis) Conant ’59 Charles W. ’52 and JoAnn (Weinert) Cooper ’52 Nancy S. Cooper Michael A. ’64 and Barbara Cornelius James W. and Marilyn (Kyte) Craft ’66

Barrie F. and Ruth (Stichal) Cruickshank ’67 Mal A. and Santa (Smalley) Crump ’69 Robert W. Curran ’66 Vincent J. ’85 and Jan Daigneault Don and Elaine (Hovey) Davidson ’89

Loretta (Gotch) Armer ’60

William V. and Sandra (Hayden) Davidson ’67

Rhonda (Dahlberg) Askeland ’79

Linda L. de Vries

Carlos A. ’37 and Audrey C. Bailey

Linda (Maine) DeFields ’65

Ann Y. Bamberger ’56

John Curry and Kristine E. Dillon ’73

Patricia (Payne) Barrett ’50

James A. Ehlers ’92

Mill Votteri and Rosa Black Votteri ’62

Deborah J. Ekstrom ’76

Charlotte (Roe) Blalock ’52

Sondra (Nielsen) Elkins ’67

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Phil J. Ellena ’66

LeRoy E. and Doris Christensen

Christopher T. ’62 and Diane D. Cross Steven C. Ai ’76

Carl Walker and Joyanne (Hull) Elkinton-Walker ’48

Richard I. ’68 and Nina (Newsom) Gilchrist ’69

E. Earl ’62 and Betty A. Hays William G. Hayter Gerald E. ’56 and Patricia Hempenius David K. and Sharon D. Herzberger John W. Hole, Jr. Rodli L. Holtan ’63 Terence C. and Jane (Israel) Honikman ’67 Earl and Nancy (Wells) Hooper ’63 Anna (Stanfield) Hunt ’47 Caroline (Patterson) Ireland ’43 Patty P. Jennings Edward D. Jervey Janet (Reese) Johnson ’56 Kathleen L. Kane ’71 John E. Kelly ’51 Mary (Gibson) Kennedy ’43 Betty (Hibbard) Kenworthy ’45 Anne Kiley Connie Kinsey

Susan (Veatch) Golds ’69

William B. Kountz, Jr. ’56

Dominic Adamo and Maura A. Greeley ’70

Richard K. ’54 and Dorine M. Lantz

Kenneth S. ’53 and Betsy E. Greenbaum Dorothy R. Gregory Dr. David E. and Mrs. Barbara (Ondrasik) Groce ’57

Richard and Janice A. Legoza Muriel (Findorff) Lehto ’60 Gary ’62 and Gail Libman

Wayne L. ’60 and Susan (Elliott) Harvey ’67 Charles E. ’51 and Mary (Crouch) Hawley ’52

John A. and Carol (Heinz) Shupek ’63

Christina D. Purcell ’92

Frederick E. ’58 and Mary K. Slater

Ralph R. Ramirez

Douglas M. ’57 and Ardith (Owen) Smith ’57

Gene and Rita (Rolph) Mecherikoff ’62

David L. ’61 and Sandra Adelle (Sorensen) Rhone ’62

Seymour Melnik

Edgar E. Clark and Janet L. Roberts ’64

Victoria Mena

Glenn E. and Missy (Crawford) Rodey ’66

Laurel M. Meyer ’48 G. G. and Jo (Polson) Michel ’50 Susan J. Mickiewicz ’71

Robert H. ’58 and Katherine (Reedall) Roemmele ’58

Deborah L. Middleton ’72

Steve and Lynn (Hutchinson) Rosen-Giordano ’64

Garth A. ’78 and Ann Mills

Boyard Rowe ’56

Mark G. Milton ’78

Richard S. and Linda Ruben

Paul F. ’68 and Connie C. Moore Terry ’68 and Linda Mooschekian

Charles F. Alessi and Alexis A. Ruiz-Alessi ’76

Gene C. ’68 and Nancy Moscovitch

Adele A. Ruxton

Peter J. and Joyce (Johnson) Mullenbach ’77

Craig W. ’68 and Carol Saari

R. Chandler and Becky Myers John H. Neu

William ’53 and Valeri Lee (Vogler) Sandison ’56

W.D. Bert Newman ’59

Chris A. Sasiela ’90

J. Thomas Noble, Jr. ’67

Edward C. Saunders

Frank Olson ‘64

Dr. Patricia R. Sax, Ph.D ’59 and Ms. Kathleen Taylor

Merilyn “Lyn” (Johnson) Sandahl ’53

Elden L. ’62 and Barbara (Whaley) Smith ’63 Gary J. Smith ’69 Larry A. Snyder ’50 Susan Solsby ’62 Bruce and Patti Spencer Williametta Spencer ’49 James E. ’59 and Beverly J. Starkey Alfred W. Stoll ’49 Karin Strasser-Kauffman ’63

Carolyn (Crowell) Warner ’66 Raymond Watje William L. Westling ’71 Janet L. Wheeler ’89 James Q. Whitaker, MD ’65 Robert C. ’59 and Sandy White Douglas M. and Faith (Campbell) Whitley ’62 Stanley A. ’51 and Rita Wiklund Richard S. and Kate K. Wiley George L. Wilson, IV ’83 Montgomery K. ’54 and Mary Maio Winkler Marcella (Peters) Woehrmann ’52

Kazuko (Suzuki) Sugisaki ’60

Mahlon A. and Gwen (Vaden) Woirhaye ’60

Wayne C. and Mary (Ross) Swanson ’66

Jonathan Allen and Bonnie (Orenchak) Wolin ’69

Keith Swayne

Jeanette C. Wong ’81

Marvin J. Suomi

Donald E. and Joanne S. (Lopez) Wood

E. Guy ’63 and Janet Talbott

Victor L. ’74 and Monique Woodward

Theodore R. ’60 and Huntley (Goldsmith) Thatcher ’62

Stephen M. Wright ’76

Lynne (Klein) Therriault ’62

Richard L. Wulfsberg ’66

John H. ’56 and Harriet Ann (Utley) Schultz ’56

Raye V. Thomas ’08

Anonymous (8)

Mary (Blossom) Owen ’63 Erika Owens

Donald and Ruby M. Schulze ’84

Roger C. Thompson ’71

Gabriel K. ’11 and Ortensia Papa

Richard A. ’59 and Judy Schweitzer

Amy Townsend

Ernie Z. Park, Esq.

Lynne (Uhlig) Scott ’65

Brian and Kimberly A. Treacy ’97

Leslie and Linda (Davison) Park ’63

Terry J. Scott ’65

O. James ’65 and Robin E. Treat

Frederick E. Parker, Jr.

Keristofer D. Seryani ’98

Jeannette (Gill) Tregoe

David M. ’64 and Barbara Mann

James R. Parks

Alan R. Sewell

Theodore F. ’51 and Mary (Delkin)

John L. and Laurie (Welsh) Peel ’84

Mrs. Ruth B. Shannon

Arthur D. ’53 and Genevieve (White) Turman ’56

Nicholas M. Pentecost ’66

C. Joel ’64 and Toshimi Shapiro

Marjorie (Towle) Tussing ’62

John R. Martineau ’66

Mr. Robert E. Perry ’58

David A. ’93 and Lynne Shapiro

Michael E. ’60 and Linda M. Uhler

Jean (Morishige) Marumoto ’59

Patricia (Gallagher) Petterson ’51

Phil Sheehan

Annette L. Van Wagner

Dr. Richard K. Mastain ’49 and Mrs. Mary Steele Mastain ’49

Mrs. Vicky Pion ’66

Thomas O. Manig and Bonnie J. MacEwan ’72

Margaret Hartman

Amy L. Pulver ’72

Willliam Younis ’75

Janie (Jones) Harding ’66

Eric S. Hartman ’66

Natalie McWhinney

Geoffrey C. ’66 and Saundra Carlton Shepard

L.M. Walter ’64

Gene and Nancy (Koehler) Preston ’56

Lorrie K. Thomas ’67

Stephen N. Livingston

Alan H. ’71 and Irene Lund

Willard V. ’55 and Harriet A. Harris

Paul D. ’76 and Kathleen McNulty

C. Wayne and Sydna (Ellis) Wallace ’57

Bernard E. ’68 and Janet Schneider

Grant B. ’81 and Nancy Linsky

A. W. Hanson

Ben C. ’55 and Barbara Harris

Daniel McMillan ’82 and Theresa A. Rivas ’99 Bernadette A. McNulty ’66

Robert E. Shelton ’61

Vincent J. ’91 and Deborah (Hansen) Yasaki ’91

Elizabeth (Buse) Lucas ’58

Thomas B. ’57 and Freeda Harper

Mike ’70 and Sharon Cathy (Clayton) Plummer ’70

James K. Thomann ’60

John E. Hall ’67

Gregory B. ’66 and Susan (Sellers) Hardy ’67

THANK YOU

Donald A. and Nancy (Nordstrom) McIntyre ’53

Austin E. ’84 and Tamara Major Dorothy (Crookshank) Mamula Ivey, MS ’48

Marshburn ’53

B. L. Orullian James Ott

William H. ’57 and Pat Thomas

PAGE 39 / WHITTIER.EDU

GO POETS! PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN UPDATE

advancingWHITTIER

AN ENDURING CONNECTION TO WHITTIER INSPIRES BEQUEST With the help of a scholarship that covered all of his costs while attending Whittier College, Kenneth “Ken” Florence ’65 took full advantage of all the opportunities available to him on campus. He was a member of the Lancer Society, the Poet baseball team, and took his studies seriously, double-majoring in political science and history.

“He loved Whittier College,” recalls Bill Pate ’65, a life-long friend of Florence. “He had such a great time here. Ken was also a great athlete and one of the smartest people I’ve ever come in contact with.” After graduating from Whittier, Florence joined the Navy and served in Vietnam. During one of his travels while in service, he visited the Mediterranean and met

his future wife, Verena, who was on vacation from Switzerland at the time. They married in the United States after a brief courtship consisting mostly of mail correspondence and a brief 30hour encounter.

After the Navy, Florence attended law school and Verena pursued her education in the U.S., eventually earning a Ph.D. in pharmacology.

Both were very successful in their careers and stayed connected to Whittier and the Lancer society. Once retired, they settled in Morro Bay, Calif. and maintained a very athletic lifestyle, participating in outdoor activities. Upon Florence’s passing in 2002, the Lancers made Verena an honorary society member and she stayed close to the group until her passing.

Ken and Verena Florence made their bequest to Whittier with fondness and gratitude for the type of education the College provides. The generous bequest of more than $2 million has already had a great impact on the campus and includes a leadership contribution to the Science & Learning Center—the Florence Laboratory and Study Area; support for the baseball program and the renovation of the batting area; and a gift to the Lancer Society Endowed Scholarship, the first society to award an endowed scholarship.

Pate, who oversees the estate, notes it was always the Florences’ intention to “give back to the good people who do good work at Whittier.”

Induction of C. Wright Mills Chair

D

PAGE 40 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

Over the course of the campaign, over 1,500 alumni, parents, and friends participated with gifts of all sizes. Notably, 17 new endowed scholarship funds were established by generous individuals or groups. Many individuals also made scholarship commitments through their estates. These funds will make scholarship awards in perpetuity in honor of the individuals for whom they were named.

In reflecting upon the response to the campaign, Herzberger said, “I am delighted and humbled, but not at all surprised. The generosity of the Poet family has been integral to the College’s success since its founding. The same was true throughout my presidency and, if this campaign was any indication, the same will be true well into the future.”

In addition to raising money for students, the Go Poets! Campaign also resulted in many touching notes for Herzberger from alumni and friends.

onning academic regalia, President Sharon D. Herzberger and Vice President of Academic Affairs Darrin Good presided over the official induction of Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies Sal Johnston as the inaugural C. Wright Mills Chair in Sociology.

brightest minds to focus on something he found very important,” said Herzberger.

THE ENDOWED CHAIR WAS CREATED THROUGH A GENEROUS BEQUEST FROM LATE PROFESSOR EMERITUS LES HOWARD ’62.

During his remarks, Johnston thanked Howard for his dedication to students and teaching social justice.

“By endowing this chair, Les has done something extraordinary—through this legacy, in perpetuity, he will convene the best and

Launched in parallel with President Sharon D. Herzberger’s final year at the College, the Go Poets! Presidential Scholarship Campaign faced an ambitious goal of raising $8 million in a single year. As expected, the Whittier community rose to the occasion. The campaign goal has been exceeded, ensuring that Herzberger’s legacy of keeping the Whittier experience accessible and affordable will continue.

Endowed chairs are the highest academic honor that Whittier bestows on faculty. Chairs support professors’ salaries and research and are crucial for recruiting and retaining the highest quality faculty.

“Les Howard’s practice of sociology changed the lives of countless students who rode the bus through Los Angeles in January, collaborated on projects with community partners, met him for coffee in Uptown, or convened for firstyear mentoring meetings in his living room,” said Johnston. “This chair, and his legacy, is designed to sustain our commitment to doing the Quakerly work of social justice, building community, and nurturing the light of learning.”

“ CONGRATULATIONS ON A VERY SUCCESSFUL TENURE AS PRESIDENT OF WHITTIER COLLEGE.”

The Generosity of Poets Honored Four new plaques have recently been added to the Poet Laureates wall honoring a group of the College’s most ardent supporters. The new Laureates include Richard I. Gilchrist ’68 and Nina (Newsom) Gilchrist ’69, James R. and Jennifer Parks, Kenneth J. ’65 and Verena M. Florence, and the Yao Yuan Sze Foundation.

These new Poet Laureates join an extraordinary group of alumni, parents, friends, foundations, and other organizations that have completed charitable commitments totaling at least $1,000,000 to Whittier College. This honor recognizes the transformational nature of philanthropy on the Whittier campus and its role in maintaining the College’s unique position in higher education.

Rick Gilchrist is senior advisor at The Irvine Company and previously served as president of Irvine’s Investment Properties Group (IPG) from 2006 to 2011. He has served as a Whittier Trustee since 1996 and is a member of the Orthogonian Society. Nina Gilchrist earned a B.A. in political science and a master’s in education from Whittier. She is a member of the Metaphonian Society.

James Parks is executive director of CBIZ MHM, LLC, a financial services company that includes accounting and tax services. Parks has served on the College’s Board of Trustees since 2007 and honored his late wife by naming the first floor lobby of the Science & Learning Center, the Jennifer Parks Lobby.

Before his death in 2013, Yao Yuan Sze—a successful businessman, aerospace engineer, and philanthropist—came to appreciate Whittier and its positive impact on students.

He wished to support the College’s work in providing transformative education in the areas of health and science.

Read more about Ken and Verena Florence on page 40.

Rita Hays ’62

“ SHARON, YOU IGNITED AND INSPIRED COMMITMENT TO WHITTIER COLLEGE AND ITS VISION OF EXCELLENCE. THANK YOU!” Joyce Mullenbach ’77

“ THANK YOU PRESIDENT HERZBERGER FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE TO CREATE SUCH A RIVETING AND INSPIRING ACADEMIC COMMUNITY, WHERE SO MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. I CAN SAY THAT I AM PROUD TO BE A POET FROM WHITTIER COLLEGE AND THAT YOU PLAYED A PART IN IT!” Brandon T. Rista ’14 ▲D uring their last visit to campus, Richard “Dick” H. Pickup ‘55 and wife Donna (flanked by

Read more of these tributes at

whittier.edu/GoPoets

President Sharon D. Herzberger and Executive Director of Athletics Robert Coleman) visited the newly renovated Wallace “Chief” Newman Field and Aubrey-Bonham Track. A $1 million leadership commitment from Dick and Carole Pickup ’57 supported the renovations, and will enable Whittier to make other strategic investments in its athletic programs.

PAGE 41 / WHITTIER.EDU

CLASS REUNION

POET LOVE

poetNATION

2018 POET LOVE CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH Whether they met in biology 101, the first-year dorm, a school dance, or the Campus Inn – couples who met at Whittier College share a special history and connection. A number of these Poet sweethearts recently gathered at the president’s house to celebrate this special love.

AN UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL CLASS REUNION The year was 1967, Paul Smith was president of Whittier College, Ball women’s residence hall had recently opened, construction on the new science building was underway, Professor Harry Nerhood was chairman of the history department, and a very spirited class of students was getting ready to graduate.

“Whittier College was the beginning of our time of independence; of searching for what we wanted to do in life, and finding friendships that many of us have had for the last 50 years,” said Ann (Hansen) Burge ’67. “We were fortunate to be with outstanding professors who really cared about who we were and what we wanted to be.”

It is this cherished connection to Whittier that inspired Burge to bring together her former classmates to organize a truly successful reunion. Under her leadership, more than 80 members of the class of 1967 attended the various reunion events held on Whittier Weekend 2017. And, although 50 years had passed, the members of the class of 1967 had a blast reminiscing about the old days and catching up with each other.

But, as Burge will attest, a successful reunion does not happen overnight—in fact, it was four years in the making. First off, Burge met with the Office of Alumni Programs and Giving to coordinate efforts. She then recruited a superb co-chair, retired information services specialist John Hall ’67. It was a multi-faceted effort that involved everything from handwritten letters to over 400 alumni, recruitment of a talented 15-member reunion committee, posting several notices in The Rock, coordinating venues, and PAGE 42 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

even allowing room for co-events to surface, such as the Copenhagen reunion. Along the way, Burge and Hall developed a certain expertise.

Below are some of the tips they’d like to offer other class reunion committees.

1. DON’T PROCRASTINATE “Start planning the event as soon as you possibly can. You have to realize it’s going to take time, resources, and it’s going to take a lot of enthusiastic and talented people to put it together,” advised Burge.

2. BE PATIENT AND USE TEAMWORK At the beginning, Burge and Hall had a list of contacts, but not all were current. They began sending notes via snail mail and received numerous returned letters. This, along with bounced emails, helped them fine tune the list.

Moreover, as Whittier Weekend approached, members of the reunion committee each took on different tasks—lending their talent and enthusiasm.

3. ORGANIZE MULTIPLE REUNION EVENTS DURING WHITTIER WEEKEND Burge and Hall wanted to build excitement for the reunion during Whittier Weekend. So, in addition to the Golden Anniversary Brunch, Society brunches, and reunion dinner at the President’s House, they hosted events every day of Whittier Weekend including a poolside cocktail party at the DoubleTree Hotel, an informal dinner in Uptown Whittier, a photoshoot at the Rock, and the Copenhagen reunion gathering.

4. DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO THE EXTRA MILE Special touches make the reunion memorable.

“You know what John did? He did a memorial on each person who had passed away. We had a book on every table so we could read about what they had done with their lives instead of just looking at pictures,” said Burge. Committee member, Hedges Capers ’67, gathered photos from Facebook and his own collection and created a slideshow set to music from the ’60s.

Billie (Beane) ’50, and Dick Deihl ’49 (pictured with Sharon and David Herzberger) became engaged while Billie was a senior at Whittier. They celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary on March 24, 2018.

Stu ’56 and Jane (Soderberg) Gothold ’55 met in the Whittier College Choir in 1953 and have been married since July 1955.

Jamie ’95 and Michelle (Payne) Hamilton ’93 met while in college and were married in Whittier’s Memorial Chapel on March 27, 1994.

Richard ’49 and Mary (Steele) Mastain ’49 met in 1947 and were married two years later. They recently celebrated their 68th anniversary with their four children and their families.

John ’78 & Anita (Boudinot) Pilkington’s ’78 love story began in 1976. They have been married for 35 years and have three daughters.

Nadine Barragan ’09 and Zach Stecklein ’03— met on October 31, 2015 at an Ionian Halloween party. Earlier this year Barragan said “Yes!” And the rest is Poet history.

5. SO WHY HAVE A REUNION? “In order to make people think about the reunion, you have to reach out, rebuild friendships, and remind people how close we were for those four years in college. We had a shared experience and for me Whittier made it possible to have the life I have,” said Hall. “Some people told us, ’I wasn’t looking forward to coming, but I am really glad I came.’ That kind of feedback made it worthwhile.”

Visit the website that Hall created to see photos and more updates from the Class of 1967: www.whittier67golden.myevent.com

6. HAVE A LASTING IMPACT Raising more than $100,000, the Class of 1967 created an endowed scholarship that will serve as a permanent legacy by forever supporting deserving and talented Whittier students in its name.

For more information on organizing a class reunion, reach out to the Office of Alumni Programs and Giving, alumni@whittier.edu or (562) 907-4222.

See more Sweetheart photos at whittier.edu/morerock.

Email your own Poet love story and photos to alumni@whittier.edu.

PAGE 43 / WHITTIER.EDU

POET NATION

classNOTES 1963

1950s 1953 After an incredible river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Sunya Felburg, her daughter, and son-in-law, spent three days in Finland.

Dorothy Garrett said “life is good.” She proudly reports that all of eight of her grandchildren are now college graduates.

1956 After a 62-year career as an active educator Stu Gothold hooded his final cohort of Ed.D. candidates at USC in May. Jackie Hanson is keeping busy, traveling, and enjoying life after the passing of her husband, Lou Hanson ’53.

1958 Irving Hendrick is currently serving as interim president for Riverside City College.

1960s

Carol Anne Converse is living in a small ranch in Utah with her husband. She sees her five children and grandchildren as often as possible. She would love to get in touch with former classmates.

1964 Bill Francis is serving on the Whittier College Alumni Association Board of Directors this year.

He recently attended the ribbon cutting for the refurbished Memorial Stadium and at the ceremony was invited to reprise his position as “football game announcer “ for the Occidental game. Go Poets!

1965 Sandra Hemphill and Harvey Hemphill ’64 are enjoying retirement. She volunteers as a guide at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and he gives tours of North Beach for City Guides.

In 2017, Alice L. (Martin) Goodson Johnson welcomed a new grandson and great grandson and celebrated the wedding of her granddaughter.

Capping off her year, she traveled to Australia and New Zealand.

1966 After a long career as a teacher and a special education resource specialist, Pat (Neilson) Walworth has retired in Aromas, Calif. Walworth and her husband John enjoy raising horses on their ranch and traveling around the world—sometimes with their good friends from Whittier.

1962

1967 Class Agents: Ann Hansen Burge and John Hall wish to thank members of the Class of ’67 for attending the 50th Homecoming Reunion. “Our reunion was extremely successful because of you, the alumni, who so generously gave of your time to put this great event together,” said Burge. (See page 42 for more.) ▲ Whittier College Class of 1962

◄ Lynne Therriault on South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic, “teaching” a seal to Fear the Poet!

PAGE 44 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

Reports from reunion attendees: Bill Demmin said, “I especially enjoyed seeing folks who were on the Copenhagen trip where Dot (Hodge) Demmin ’66 and I met—on a bus in London; 51 years later we are still together and loving each other and life.”

Richard Hodson said, “The reunion dinner at the President’s residence was a highlight of the reunion.

Sandra Loman said, “My favorite memory of the reunion involved comparing scars from total knee replacements with Jim Colborn and Greg Hardy ’66. Mary O’Brien said, “The 50th reunion was so well organized with such diverse activities, that I

can’t imagine that each ’67 participant didn’t come away thinking it was time and travel extremely well spent.”

Michelle Kimball reports that the Copenhagen alumni are active and recently gathered in Solvang for a mini-reunion. Contact her (denmark6566@icloud.com) to connect.

Renee (Norrblom) Montgelas retired from 30 years in the public sector at all levels of government.

These days she enjoys traveling and organizing garden tours for the NW Horticultural Society in Seattle.

ALUMNUS HELPING TO HEAL AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS A. David Feinstein ’68 and his wife of 40 years, Donna Eden, are the founders of Innersource, the world’s largest organization for teaching “energy medicine,” with some 1,400 certified practitioners around the world. According to Feinstein, energy medicine is the science and art of optimizing energy to help the body and mind function at their best. The pair’s books on consciousness and healing have yielded nine national awards, and their latest, The Energies of Love, was a New York Times bestseller. Since earning his Ph.D. in psychology, Feinstein has served on the faculties of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Antioch College, and the California School of Professional Psychology. He has made over 100 scholarly contributions to his field, and earned numerous awards for his work.

1968

1971

1968 50th Reunion Celebration begins on August 24-25 with a reception and dinner (Mona Kai Revisited) and continues during Whittier Weekend, October 12-13. For more information visit whittier. edu/whittierweekend.

Roger Thompson retired from his long career as a semi-conductor engineer and lives in Menlo Park, Calif. He fills his time with golfing, ushering football games, and volunteering for several local organizations.

Since retiring, Gordon D. Calac has been assisting his tribe—Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians—in implementing various economic growth strategies.

1972

1970s 1970 David H. and Virginia M. Edinger ’72 represented Whittier College at the inauguration of Earlham College’s new president, Alan Price, in Richmond, VA. ◄ Bill Jones retired as the Executive Director of the Surfer’s Medical Association in 2017. He is now traveling the world looking for surf and old Whittier friends.

Robert H. Fish was appointed chairman of the board of directors of Genesis Healthcare, Inc., the largest national provider of post-acute healthcare services, in April 2017. He has extensive experience in the health care industry, having served as chairman, president or CEO of a number of healthcare companies.

1980s 1980 Michael Vacchio joined the ADLI Law Group as the senior counsel.

1984 Steven Miller was named chief human resources officer for the Pasadena Unified School District.

He was previously the deputy superintendent of human resources for the Lawndale Unified School District.

1975 Sue (Sioux) Thompson retired from her position as the head of the talent management and leadership development at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. She plans to go into private practice as a consultant and executive coach as well as train her new puppy for therapy dog work.

1978 Bill Qualls began work on a Ph.D. in Mathematics at Central Michigan University.

▲ Mark Peter married Li Xiao Hong in August 2017 at the Chinese Christian Church of Columbia, SC. The couple is back in East Asia teaching English to university students.

ALUMNA RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN NUTRITION AND HEALTH Iowa State University Emeritus Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition Diane Feickert Birt ’71 was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in October 2015. Birt’s induction into the Academy, considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, is a testament to her professional achievements and commitment to service.

New members are elected by current active members through a selective process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. “The expertise they bring to the organization will help us respond to today’s most pressing health-related challenges and inform the future of health, science, and medicine,” said NAM President Victor J. Dzau.

During her 40-year career, Birt has made numerous contributions to human nutrition.

She investigated plant components that help prevent cancer, and her research helped show links between dietary practices and cancer prevention. She has also investigated the health benefits and adverse effects of botanical supplements. Birt continues her professional involvement with a partial appointment at Iowa State University, Ames.

PAGE 45 / WHITTIER.EDU

POET NATION

classNOTES 1999

1986

2002

Brandon Valeriano published his sixth book, Cyber Strategy: The Evolving Character of Power and Coercion. His ongoing research explores documenting cyber events, biological examinations of cyber threat, and repression in cyberspace.

Ronald F. Lopez, M.D. was named senior medical director for Missouri Care, Inc. Prior to joining Missouri Care, Lopez served as the chief medical officer for Molina Healthcare of Utah and president/ CEO of Hidden Valley Family Medicine, Inc., in Draper, Utah, which he founded.

2000s

1987

2000 After 28 years in the classroom, Janet Wheeler took a well-deserved sabbatical to work on academic projects, play tennis, and do some traveling to French-speaking destinations: seven weeks in the South Pacific, two weeks in Morocco, jaunts to New Orleans and Quebec, Canada, and a month in France. Check out her travel blog, comfyshoestravel.com.

Mary C. J. Butterly, Mihael Herrera, and Julie (Curtis) Kline had a reunion encounter during Whittier Weekend.

◄ Kent Gilbert married Diana Hultgren August 5, 2017 in Berea, KY where Kent is pastor of historic Union Church.

1989 Jack Rosenhan and Sheri Solomon Rosenhan ’88 married in 2013, 27 years after having met at Whittier. They reside in Mountain View, Calif. with their three children. Jack works for Cushman & Wakefield in facilities management and has been coaching soccer for over 32 years. Sheri is an outspoken advocate for her 16-year-old son Zachary, who has and autism, and works as a preschool teacher at Children’s Learning Cottage.

Andrew Scofield married Lauren Scofield in 2012, they have a new baby, Juliet, and he is fighting MS full-time.

Marla Wolsky-Proctor retired from the criminal justice field after almost 30 years. She is currently completing a master’s degree in clinical mental health to become a licensed professional counselor. Her oldest daughter is a first-year student at Whittier.

1990s 1992

Martin A. Stuart, a partner of McDermott Stuart & Ward LLP in Colorado, was named a Top Criminal Defense Lawyer by 5280 Magazine in 2018.

Kathleen Johnson has worked for the Walt Disney Company, American Red Cross and other nonprofits. She married in 2014, had a daughter in 2015, and resides in Orange County, Calif.

1993

Alicia M. Rodriguez is a bilingual outreach librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library. She’s pictured here in the Sahara where she rode Dromedaries (a camel) at 4 a.m. to watch the sunrise­—one of her many adventures while in Morocco.

Amanda J. Shallcross ‘00 and Pallavi D. Visvanathan ► are celebrating their six-year wedding anniversary in 2018. Shallcross is an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU School of Medicine. Visvanathan has a busy private psychotherapy practice in Manhattan. She also consults on mindfulness-based intervention development at NYU School of Medicine. After five You can find them on iTunes, Google Play and other years in New York, the couple has visited nearly platforms as well as on Facebook and Instagram. all of the city’s museums and enjoy sampling food from around the globe and are regulars at the Marcello Sawyer is currently the talent acquisition annual NYC International Dumpling Festival. manager at American Public Media Group (APMG), one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio shows and podcasts. He was recently on the Whittier campus to recruit for APMG at the career and internship fair. Living in the Long Beach area with his wife and two young sons, Sawyer is not too far from campus and is always open to connect with students and alumni about job opportunities.

2003 ▲Dana (Fitchett) Jacques and Vincent Vigil created a pop culture podcast, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, which originated as a radio show they hosted during their time at Whittier College. The podcast features their comedic slant on various topics in pop culture and musings on love, life and whatever comes up.

Message from Hale LaBore: “Mark your calendars now and makes plans to spend Whittier Weekend, October 12-13, with the Class of 1993. I am looking for a few fellow alumni to form a reunion committee so we can put on a really great weekend for all of us and our families. Please contact me, if you are interested in helping out.”

Floyd and Sheri Cheung celebrated their twentyfifth anniversary this year. Sheri works as a primary-care physician at Hilltown Community Health Center. Following her interest in cooking, she published an e-book, The Jook Book: Demystifying the Art of Making Asian Rice Porridge. Floyd is an English professor at Smith College who specializes in recovering lost and lesser-known Asian American writings. Two of his recent publications include, John Okada: The Life and Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy and Sadakichi Hartmann: Collected Poems, 1886-1944.

ALUMNA TAKES A TOP POST WITH THE NY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Sanjay Das representing the Poets at the Taj Majal.

Laura Kavanagh ’04 has been named second in command of the largest fire department in the country. She was appointed as first deputy commissioner for the New York Fire Department (FDNY) in January and will report directly to the fire commissioner.

Since joining FDNY in 2014, Kavanagh has made a huge impact.

She has secured funding for the department, worked to pass legislation to protect first responders, directed initiatives to aid

PAGE 46 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

Brendan Maun is CEO of TMG Home Loans. He lives in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. with his wife, Janaee, and their two beautiful girls, Marissa and Chelsea.

Chris Zepeda recently joined the Walt Disney Company working as a regional account manager for the Disney Institute.

families of FDNY employees who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, organized a campaign to distribute and install more than 140,000 smoke alarms in New York City homes, and led a recruitment campaign which yielded the most diverse applicant pool in FDNY history, among other efforts. She is only the second woman to serve in this post in a male-dominated department. Kavanagh is proud of the role she plays in helping to save and improve the lives of New Yorkers.

“It is an honor to advocate for the greatest Fire Department in the world,” said Kavanagh. “Which to me means making the right decision, even when it is not the easy decision, for the Firefighters, EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors who count on us to make those decisions – even when those decisions are difficult.”

Before joining FDNY, Kavanagh served as special assistant to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and senior advisor on his mayoral campaign.

Kavanagh earned a B.A. in political science and international relations from Whittier College.

PAGE 47 / WHITTIER.EDU

POET-TO-POET

POET NATION

classNOTES 2004 Yasmin Jamshed has been working at UNICEF for over 10 years. After two years in Baghdad, Iraq as chief of program planning, Jamshed returned to the New York City UNICEF office at the end of 2017 to take a business analyst position.

Seth Mahler was selected to play for the Israeli men’s national lacrosse team, which will compete in the 2018 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships in Israel this summer.

2014

2011

2015 Sophia Genovese earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2017. She is currently an associate at Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners, PLLC in New York City, a firm which represents corporations and individuals in complex and routine immigration matters.

Ian Slaney was named varsity baseball coach at Sonoma Valley High School (SVHS). Slaney, who played for the Purple and Gold, is also in his third year teaching science at SVHS.

2016

Artie Straus and Kim (Faulkinbury) Straus ’07 welcomed their first child, Carter Michael Straus, on November 3, 2017.

▲ Former Whittier athlete Adam Sandoval posed with one of his kindergarten students showing off his Poet pride. He teaches PE and coaches K-5th grade at an Aspire public school.

2005 Lindsey (Leidy) Jenkins and Jason Jenkins ’07 welcomed their second child, Jonah Philip Jenkins, on January 12, 2018. Mom, dad, and sister Charlotte are in love.

◄ Raquel McLeod and spouse Vincent McLeod IV ’07 made a strong bid for local offices in the City of Whittier, running for mayor and city council respectively.

2006 Rebecca (Wood) Berry is working at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Washington D.C. She and her husband, Kevin, welcomed their third child in December.

2007 Experienced attorney and senior policy analyst with the Council of State Governments Justice Center Deanna Adams was appointed to the City of Sacramento Ethics Commission.

Erin Clancy recently relocated to New York City, where she serves as political adviser to Ambassador Nikki Haley at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

PAGE 48 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

Keith Moebus started a position as a sales sourcer for Facebook.

▲ U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Conny Joel visited campus in the spring to speak with and mentor current students. Joel is in her last semester at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Postgraduation, she will be promoted to captain and begin a surgery residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Ft. Gordon in Augusta, GA.

SHOWING THE SMALL SCREEN SOME LOVE Caitlin McFarland ’05 (left above) is preparing for the seventh annual ATX Television Festival, held in Austin, Texas. The festival, which attracts industry sponsors like Hulu, HBO, Showtime, FX, and NBC, just to name a few, was co-founded by McFarland and Emily Gipson in 2012. The pair have steadily grown ATX – more than tripling attendance in the last seven years.

The four-day event has become well known for bringing together fans and TV executives, showrunners, and others in the industry. According to organizers, ATX’s goal is to serve both the fan community and industry professionals equally, by giving them the opportunity to discuss and celebrate all aspects of TV. ATX has also garnered fame for making TV reunions happen, notably Gilmore Girls in 2015. This year’s festival will feature a reunion of the TV show, Felicity, celebrating 20 years since the series premiere. Cast members Keri Russell, Scott Speedman, Tangi Miller, Amanda Foreman, Amy Jo Johnson, and Ian Gomez are confirmed to participate, along with director/producer Lawrence Trilling.

The festival will also host the world premiere sneak peek of an exclusive clip from FX’s highly anticipated Mayans, a farewell discussion with the cast and crew of The Americans, and a first-look at season three of Syfy’s Wynonna Earp, among other offerings.

McFarland has spent the better part of a decade in a variety of areas of the entertainment industry, as well as being on of both the festival and filmmaker sides of the Tribeca and Doha Tribeca Film Festivals.

2012 ▲ Kelsey (Wuornos) Stommel and husband Noah Stommel welcomed a son, Leo Robert Stommel, on July 29, 2017.

2009

2010 Benjamin Cohon was appointed new media and marketing integration manager for Marvel Entertainment in New York City. This follows nearly three years in digital marketing at ESPN where Cohon worked to identify and create new multimedia revenue opportunities for the company.

2017 Max Kaufman was selected to play for the Israeli lacrosse men’s national team, which will compete in the 2018 Federation of International Lacrosse World Lacrosse Championships.

Deyla Curtis has been working for the Washington D.C. based non-profit Namati: Innovations in Legal Empowerment for nearly four years and was recently appointed global talent operations manager. Curtis has been active in mentoring Whittier students remotely in collaboration with the Weingart Center for Career and Professional Development.

Steve Addezio is a practicing trial attorney serving New Jersey and Pennsylvania. With skills in trial advocacy, his primary areas of focus are workers’ compensation litigation, motion practice, and settlement negotiations. Addezio also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Burlington County Military Affairs Committee and is pursuing an MBA at Rutgers University.

2010s

Former Poet athlete Matt Hernandez was selected to Mexico’s men’s national lacrosse team and will be on the roster for the 2018 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships in Israel this summer. As a first-generation U.S. citizen, Hernandez will represent both the country of his heritage and his hometown, Los Angeles, Calif.

◄ Daniel Smith was selected as Assistant United State Attorney for the eastern district of North Carolina.

2013 Gina-Marie DiPierro received the Community Service Award from the Whittier Schools Administrators Association. She is currently the assistant director of Whittier College’s Center for Engagement with Communities.

▲ In early 2018, Alex Perez left his job as editor-inchief of Dodgers Nation—a prominent fan website— to take a post as marketing and communications associate for the New York Mets.

Amer Rashid is in Sacramento as part of the California State Assembly Fellowship Program, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious legislative fellowship programs.

Samantha Vega was selected as a spring 2017 intern for the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute’s Global Leadership Program.

PAGE 49 / WHITTIER.EDU

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

POET NATION

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UPDATE With 30 active members, the Alumni Association Board of Directors works to strengthen the bond between Whittier alumni and their alma mater while supporting the College’s mission to provide students with an educational experience of the highest quality. The board has met twice during the 2017-18 academic year. Recent areas of discussion include College marketing initiatives, admission and enrollment efforts, and new academic program, among others. The group was also instrumental in ensuring the success of the Big Poet Give held in March.

In 2017-18, over 1000 alumni have connected with the Poet community through local and regional events, participating as volunteers, speaking to current students, and more. The Alumni Association supports numerous efforts to increase engagement, below are some ways alumni can give back.

Alumni are among the College’s most dedicated ambassadors and can best speak about the qualities that make a Whittier education special. The Office of Admission invites all alumni to refer prospective students for admission.

To refer a student, complete an Alumni Referral Form found on whittier.edu/referral. An admission counselor will contact the student to introduce themselves and offer assistance during the application process. Students referred via the Alumni Referral Form will have their application fee waived.

While not a guarantee of admission, every student referred to the College will be thoroughly considered. Any questions can be directed to the Office of Admission at (888) 200-0369.

Trustees Emeriti

James M. Brown ’71

Richard H. Deihl ’49, D.B.A. ’84

Secretary

Alfred J. Gobar ’53, M.A. ’55,

Barry M. Blechman P’14 Treasurer James E. Mitchell ’62

L.H.D. ’05, P’88 ’96

Willard V. Harris, Jr. ’55 L.H.D. ’02,

P’80 ’87

Donald J. Herrema ’74 Caroline (Patterson) Ireland ’43

(l-r) R.J. Tolson ’15, Josh Lorton ’94, Bobbi-Marie Mendoza ’15, Henry Priest ’98,

Cody Allman ’16, Emily (Mills) Lamar MA’06, Vincent Vigil ’02, Crystal Zamorano ’06, Brycie Jones ’06, Amanda (Vaughn) Wherritt ’99, Bill Francis ’64, Astrid Bojorge ’07, Robert Duarte ’16

REFER A STUDENT

Chairman

(clockwise l-r) Crystal Zamorano ’06, Brycie Jones ’06, Ellie Maas ’10,

Bill Francis ’64, R.J.Tolson ’15, Bobbi-Marie Mendoza ’15

Albert Anderson ’66

Sharon (Ettinger) McLaughlin

Fred D. Anderson ’66

Christopher G. Caldwell P’13 ’15

R. Chandler Myers, LL.D. ’88

Christopher T. Cross ’62

Ruth B. Shannon, L.H.D. ’92

Vincent J. Daigneault ’85

Elden L. Smith ’62

Peter E. Feinberg ’82

Donald E. Wood, L.H.D. ’98

P’85 ’88 ’90

Raymond “Buck” Ferguson ’67

MENTOR A STUDENT Whittier’s Weingart Center for Career and Professional Development is seeking Poet alumni interested in mentoring current students. The College is now using Handshake, an online career services platform, to facilitate mentor/mentee connections. Alumni are invited to sign up, create a searchable profile, and indicate how many mentees they wish to work with.

Mentorship matches are made when students search Handshake for mentors and initiate contact with the alumni in the system. Every new mentor strengthens the Poet family’s network.

The College encourages student mentees and mentors to take ownership of their mentoring relationships. Activities could include resume reviews, networking advice, mock interviews, shadow opportunities, site visits, and more. Each Poet Alumni Mentor, decides how much involvement they want to have and how. To get started visit whittier.edu/career and click on Handshake. Contact Matthew Aranda at the Career center, (562) 907-4230 or maranda@whittier.edu, for more information.

Gerard P. Forster ‘87, P’08

President Emeritus

Jennifer L. (Landford) Fuller ’82, P’17

Eugene S. Mills, Ph.D., L.L.D., L.H.D.

Richard I. Gilchrist ’68, P’06 ’07 Barbara (Ondrasik) Groce ’57

Senior Administration

Carey (Baker) Halio ’95

Sharon D. Herzberger

Helen Newton Hartung P’13

President

Yukiyasu Hayashi P’10 Kathleen L. Kane ’71 Jascha Kaykas-Wolff ’98 Edwin Y. Keh ’79, P’10 ’15 Maggie Koong L.H.D. ’14

Robert Coleman Executive Director of Athletics and Special Assistant to the President Steve Delgado

Richard P. Lichtenstein P’16

Vice President for Advancement

Alan H. Lund ’71

James Dunkelman

Meghan Morrissey P’16

Vice President for Finance and

James R. Parks

Administration

Pamela “Pam” A. (Horton) Oliva ’73 | January 9, 2018

Bharat Patel P’16

Richard Lee Smith ’74 | February 27, 2017

Janet L. Roberts ’64

Darrin Good

Robert S. Treat, M.D. ’61 | September 15, 2017

Robert “Bob” C. Bacon ’54 | March, 2017

Alice L. Mitchell ’61 | January 10, 2018

Pamela B. Burns ’74 | September 18, 2017

Dori (Wells) Rodi-Shryock ’64

Harriet I. Rayburn ’49 | May 15, 2017

Barbara A. Barnhart ’54 | March 13, 2017

Betsy E. Mencel ’62 | July 13, 2014

Alan T. Bramlett ’75 | October 6, 2016

Richard S. Ruben

Blossom E. Snively ’49 | September 2, 2017

George S. Dibelka ’54 | November 21, 2017

Allan H. MacKenzie ’62 | November 5, 2015

Thomas “Tom” Fullerton, Jr. ’75 | November 11, 2017

Steven Weston ’83

Robert E. Frees ’49 | September 2, 2017

Howard L. Slinkard ’54 | Feburary 12, 2018

Diane E. Knapik ’62 | November 14, 2017

Stephen N. Buckley ’75 | 2017

Kate K. Wiley P’11

Willis H. Boyd ’49 | September 6, 2017

Roberta A. Elledge ’54 | unknown

Virginia Haldan ’64 | January 3, 2018

Nick P. Stupin ’82 | unknown

Richard Zapanta P’13

Joel Pérez

Hugh Douglas Lovik ’49 | October 6, 2017

Joan C. Preston ’55 | August 31, 2017

Kenneth “Ken” A. Burry ’64 | January 26, 2018

Joseph L. Cupp, Jr. ’82 | December 6, 2011

Robert Zemsky ’62

Vice President and Dean of Students

Ann R. Beveridge ’50 | January 4, 2017

Florence L. Dodge ’55 | October 5, 2017

Mr. Michael J. Malecki ’65 | July 10, 2015

Dolores Covarrubias ’83 | October 15, 2015

Theodore R. Anderson ’50 | May 14, 2017

Mr. Frank J. Sekeris ’57 | January 12, 2013

Sylvia Van Gundy ’65 | February 15, 2016

Markham F. Miller, Esq. ’88 | December 12, 2017

Barbara E. Nelson ’50 | September 25, 2017

Barbara J. Cochran ’57 | January 21, 2017

Mrs. Joellen M. Windsor ’65 | December 1, 2016

Robert “Bob” G. Sutherin ’89 | December 4, 2017

Raymond “Ray” W. Kelso ’50 | December 18, 2017

James “Jim” C. Mitchell ’57 | January 10, 2018

Michael “Moose” J. Moran ’67 | October 5, 2016

Darlo Walton ’50 | unknown

Geraldine “Gerry” D. Hargis ’57 | unknown

Bruce R. Kolina ’67 | September 5, 2017

Irma L. Beagle ’51 | July 21, 2016

Frank William “Bill” Patterson, Jr. ’58 September 11, 2017

Mary J. Russell Ghamedi ’67 | January 18, 2018

IN MEMORIAM

Anne. M. Fritz ’52 | November 11, 2017

John C. Donahue, M.A.I. ’58 | December 10, 2017

Michael “Mike” L. Younger, Esq. ’67 | November 19, 2016

Mildred E. Sprague ’52 | January 2, 2018

Geraldine J. Carleton ’60 | September 30, 2017

Ronald “Ron” I. Fukushima ’70 | January 10, 2018

Jane E. Whitehair ’40 | December 19, 2017

Wilson K. Conaway, Ph.D. ’52 | January 11, 2018

Sally Jo Martin ’60 | February 14, 2018

Ynez Garcia ’72 | February 7, 2018

Mary Gertrude Padia ’45 | January 23, 2018

Robert “Bob” E. Fazio ’53 | February 4, 2017

Ruth M. Stanley ’61 | May 15, 2015

Elizabeth “Betsy” B. Slight ’73 | December 12, 2017

Mae “Scottie” G. Mossman ’46 | December 11, 2016

Kenneth “Ken” E. Shaw, Jr. ’53 | November 21, 2017

Charlotte J. Stal ’61 | September 14, 2017

Tayeko “June” K. Durham ’47 | December 3, 2017

Michael Joseph “Joe” Nichols ’53 | December 4, 2017

Barbara J. Nemec ’48 | November 1, 2017

Vern P. Martin ’51 | unknown

PAGE 50 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Kieron Miller Vice President for Enrollment

Kristin Wiberg Trustees Pro Tem

Executive Assistant to the President

John McCarthy ’77 Miguel Santana ’91 Darrell E. Walker ’76 Kenya L. Williams JD ’10

PAGE / WHITTIER.EDU PAGE 5151 / WHITTIER.EDU

SENIOR HIGHLIGHT DaEUN LEE ’18 THE POLITICS OF NUMBERS HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA MAJOR(S): Economics and Political Science ACTIVITIES/INVOLVEMENT: Thalian Society, Asian Student Association, Phonathon, campus internship with the Institutional Research Department MOST UNUSUAL THING I DID AT WHITTIER COLLEGE: My adventures trying to break into different buildings on campus to find a room where I could finish studying for my Econ tests!

BEST PLACE TO STUDY: The fifth floor room in the SLC with the floor to ceiling whiteboards.

FAVORITE CLASS: Intro to Political Science with Professor Bergerson.

MOST CHALLENGING CLASS TAKEN: Intermediate Microeconomics Theory with Professor White, hands down.

WHAT WHITTIER COLLEGE MEANS TO ME: Whittier is where I was able to grow and learn how to push myself to become my best self.

It is also where I met the people who will be my life-long friends.

MOST INTERESTING THING I LEARNED AS A POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS DOUBLE MAJOR: How both political science and economic theory is found everywhere in day-to-day life.

BEST THING ABOUT BEING A THALIAN: Being part of a sisterhood that truly cares about diversity and allows each Thalian to be her genuine self.

MOST INTERESTING THING I LEARNED WORKING AT PHONATHON: How far just having a simple conversation can get you.

OFF-CAMPUS INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE AT GOLDMAN SACHS: My internship experience was a perfect balance of giving me the responsibility of any other full-time employee and still allowing me to have fun with the position. I was able to really understand what “work hard, play hard” meant during my internship experience.

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP? The importance of good leadership. A good manager and a strong upper management system is what makes me want to come to work everyday.

ULTIMATE CAREER GOAL: To make my way to D.C. and work on a political analysis team to see how politics affect our economy and the world’s economy.

PAGE 52 / THE ROCK SPRING 2018

POET LEGACIES: A CAMPAIGN FOR WHITTIER COLLEGE BENEFITS OF A CHARITABLE BEQUEST A charitable bequest is one of the easiest and most flexible ways you can leave a gift to Whittier that will make a lasting impact. It is also a primary driver of endowment growth at the College. Your bequest can be designated to support student scholarships, faculty chairs, or whatever area of the campus matters most to you. Here are some of the benefits of bequest giving:

• It costs you nothing today to make a bequest

• A bequest is free of federal estate tax

• Your bequest can be changed down the road

• You can still benefit your heirs with specific gifts

• A bequest may produce estate tax savings There are two primary ways to leave a bequest to Whittier College: (1) Through Your Will or Trust or (2) Through Your IRA.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF BEQUEST GIVING PLEASE CONTACT US: Kurt Johnson Sr. Director of Development (562) 907-4841 kjohnson@whittier.edu

ASK FOR YOUR FREE WILLS KIT! WWW.WHITTIERLEGACY.ORG

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THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT WHITTIER WEEKEND OCTOBER 12 & 13

POET FESTIVAL REUNIONS BRUNCHES PURPLE & GOLD HALL OF FAME WHITTIER SCHOLARS 40TH ANNIVERSARY OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET PRESIDENT LINDA OUBRÉ CAMPUS TOURS UPTOWN WHITTIER RESTAURANT TOUR DUBSYNC PARADE OF ATHLETES

Register at whittier.edu/whittierweekend