Whitworth Today: Spring 2024

I was amused to learn our magazine would feature a slice of food service history at Whitworth. One batch of bad meat forever changed how students would be fed. The legendary academic dean Clem Simpson experienced some lament over the move to Saga and a corporate food service model. During a long season of student protests in the late 1960s, Dr. Simpson yearned for the pre-Saga days. He reportedly said, “At least when the food was bad, it gave students a place to focus their discontent.” No wonder he was beloved.

Every Friday morning, for Why Whitworth visit days, I am privileged to welcome prospective students and their families to campus. In eight short minutes, I paint a picture of what their Whitworth experience will include. Central to this vision is the moment that will signal the closure of their pre-degree days – when their name is called, which I then repeat as they walk across the commencement stage toward me, at which time I think to myself as I lock eyes and grip their hand, “Look who you’ve become.” My internal tone is one of reflection and gratitude. This Christ-centered,

mind-and-heart-equipping experience draws forth the abundance of gifts and talents our students already possess. In partnership with our faculty and staff, they become more of who they’re meant to be. What a gift to see that transformation take place, again and again.

This “becoming” is oftentimes fostered over cups of coffee or (Sodexo-prepared!) dining hall meals. Facing one another, unhurried, in conversation, connecting, bringing something of our blessedness and brokenness to the table. In becoming who we are in Christ, a mode we perpetually inhabit, our students “supper” in relationships, in classrooms and labs, in rehearsal spaces and on fields, seasoned with shalom. The stories in this issue of Whitworth Today highlight current students and graduates who dined at, and were shaped by, this “becoming” sort of place. Taste and enjoy!

Scott McQuilkin ’84, President

From left: Lindsey Short ’27, Jo Thompson ’26 and Rachel Cram ’26 connect in The Pines Cafe on campus.

ON THE COVER: Great Horned Gaze, watercolor, 9 by 12 inches; by science illustrator Marissa Gibson ’20. This piece portrays flora and fauna found on campus: great horned owls, ponderosa pine trees, wolf lichen and tube lichen. Learn more about Gibson’s work and creative process on P. 28 and experience the real-time rescue of a great horned owlet in the Back 40 on P. 31.

FEATURED STORIES

STAFF Julie Riddle ’92 (Editor), Heidi Jantz (Art Director), Megan Jonas (Assistant Editor), Garrett Riddle (Project Manager), Cameron Todd ’21, M.A. ’23 (Photography Coordinator)

CONTRIBUTORS Margaret Albaugh, Nancy Bunker, Chris Caldwell ’09, Katherine Ericsson, Caleb Flegel ’24, Marissa Gibson ’20, Genevieve Gromlich, Melissa Halverson, Denali Herrick ’24, Mark Killian, Frank Lin, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Anthony Parish ’24, Heather (Glady) Ramsey ’14, Lily Reavis ’25, Tayah Siegel ’27, Amy Shahbaz, Phil Shahbaz ’96, Bob Williams/Chronicle1909.com, Tad Wisenor ’89, Friedemann Vogel/Getty Images

EDITORIAL BOARD Ayaka Dohi M.A. ’21, Danika Hatcher ’10, MBA ’20, Heidi Jantz, Megan Jonas, Garrett Riddle, Julie Riddle ’92, Cameron Todd ’21, M.A. ’23, Tad Wisenor ’89

ADMINISTRATION Scott McQuilkin ’84 (President), Stacey Kamm Smith ’86 (Vice President for Institutional Advancement), Garrett Riddle (Interim Chief Marketing & Communications Officer)

We’re Close!

Thanks to generous donors, fundraising is nearly complete for the 20,000-square-foot engineering building. This state-of-the-art facility will support the burgeoning student population in our interdisciplinary engineering program.

This $20 million facility will join three STEMdedicated buildings on the north side of campus, creating a “science neighborhood” for shared learning. Funding is also on hand for most of the building’s key space needs, including a clean room and a metal fabrication shop.

The equipment needs, however, remain extensive.

Together, We’ll Get There

Together, We’ll Get There

The engineering building is only as useful as the equipment it contains. The new facility needs to be outfitted with essential tools including 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics benches and more. To that end, we invite members of the Whitworth community to make a $1,000 gift to the engineering building equipment fund. The name of each donor will be featured on signage in the new building, recognizing their support and generosity.

Please join us in providing the tools our students need to meet the rising demand for engineers nationwide

For more information about the new facility and to make a gift, visit whitworth.edu/engineering-building or email Tad Wisenor ’89 at twisenor@whitworth.edu.

BRINGING GOD’S LIGHT TO OUR CITIES

BY MARK KILLIAN

In Revelation 21, the Apostle John paints a picture of a heavenly city, New Jerusalem, a place of virtue, righteousness and life. The glory of God fills New Jerusalem, providing so much light that there is no room for darkness, uncleanliness or vileness. Given the suffering of the first-century church by Rome (New Jerusalem’s antithesis), Revelation 21 offered a vision to behold, the hope of a world to come.

Christians with a kingdom theology believe that we can fill our modern cities with God’s glory by emulating the vision of New Jerusalem here on earth. Following are three ways Christians can bring God’s glory to cities:

1. Recognize that kingdom work is already happening. There are already churches and ministries bringing the light of God to our cities. All you have to do is join in.

2. Be “eyes on the street.” In her award-winning book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs contends that as more people use the streets, the livelier they will become. Consequently, cities will be safer, more admired and revered. She called this concept “eyes on the street.” If Christians are to bring God’s light to cities, then

we must be present in them. So, engage with the city –shop, eat and play in urban spaces.

3. Seek spiritual formation through the city’s landscape. Kingdom-minded Christians should view the urban environment as an instrument for spiritual formation. For example, conducting a prayer walk through a park is a simple way to use the city’s geography to connect with God. On another scale, reviving an abandoned building can shape one’s theology of restoration while serving as a public witness of the resurrection. And for those who want to make a long-term commitment, move into a city neighborhood that doesn’t have a church presence (this works best with a group of like-minded Christ followers). In this space, offer the light of God through pastoral care to neighborhood residents by humbly attending to their needs and providing them the hope of a heavenly city.

Associate Professor of Sociology Mark Killian, Ph.D., specializes in urban religious ecology, sociology of religion and intentional communities. Given his expertise, Killian is a consultant for the Whitworth Office of Church Engagement’s Resilient Church initiative.

THE POWER OF ONE PERSON

BY CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL ’09

was a sophomore at Whitworth University in fall 2006 when I went to my first-ever study abroad information session. The session was for a class going to South Africa for three weeks, led by professors John Yoder (political science), Andi Saccoccio (associate chaplain) and Ron Pyle (communication studies). My mind lit up as they spoke about the cross-country trek, stopping in faraway places like Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Bantustans, Durban and Johannesburg.

As a first-generation, low-income, young man of color, I had only dreamt of traveling to such distant lands through the Peace Corps or as a member of the U.S. military – never as a civilian and certainly not as a student.

Nevertheless, I was beside myself with excitement. Over the next year and a half, I worked as a barista and on my girlfriend’s (now spouse’s) family farm to raise $5,000 for the trip. I had $2,000 when the bill was due. By the end of that fall, I had applied for a handful of scholarships. My parents chipped in, but I was still short by about $750.

Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies Ron Pyle, left, and Chris Caldwell ’09 reconnect at Homecoming 2019.

I WAS CRUSHED. THERE SEEMED TO BE NOTHING I COULD DO.

I went to Dr. Pyle, my faculty advisor, and told him my circumstances. It’s important to note that Ron Pyle is a kind, generous, thoughtful man. When I had troubles at home, Ron and his late wife, Julie, opened their home to me. When a major milestone in my academic experience occurred, he would show up to congratulate me. The day I talked to Ron, he did not make any promises or grand declarations. He looked at me in the caring way he always would when I faced a challenge. I remember him saying, “Let me look into this.”

Weeks went by and my uncertainty grew. Just before Thanksgiving Break, I received a boarding pass to South Africa via campus mail. Ron said nothing; he let the boarding pass speak for itself. “Get on the plane, Caldwell,” the boarding pass seemed to say. “Your presence on this trip is essential.” At the beginning of January 2008, my classmates and I boarded our plane at Sea-Tac airport. Twelve hours later I was in London for the first time. A few hours later we departed for the 14-hour flight to Cape Town, South Africa. Over the next three weeks I met a wide array of people. Folks from different religious traditions. Folks who lived in wealth and in dire poverty. Folks who lived in lavish health. Folks who were in their final days of life, HIV/AIDS siphoning their last breaths. I was introduced, quite viscerally, to the horrors of Robben Island, the Soweto Uprising, the Jim Crow era funhouse mirror of apartheid, and the de jure/de facto racism that the African National Congress has sought to dismantle to mixed results, just like in the United States.

THIS TRIP EXPANDED MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AND ALTERED THE TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE.

Had I not gone to South Africa, I would never have developed the global contexts of race, poverty, law, corruption, kindness, mercy and so much more. If Ron had not stepped in and advocated for me, I would have never had these experiences. He worked behind the scenes to muster the funds to send me on an adventure that changed my life. I am happy I have had the opportunity to tell him this myself.

MY GOAL IS TO MAINTAIN THIS CYCLE OF KINDNESS AND EXPERIENCES FOR OTHERS.

Last summer, I had the privilege to take 17 students to Japan for a three-week study abroad course. The class focused on how Japanese animators encode social values into their cartoons and export said values to the world. Ten students in the group identified as first-generation, low income and/or students of color. Over the year and a half that we prepared for the trip, their challenges, fears, frustrations and doubts reminded me of my own from 16 years earlier.

On more than one occasion, I heard their concerns: finances, family challenges, academics, overbooked summer schedules, professional relevancies and much more. Just like Ron, I did not always have the “right” answer, but I was always able to say, “Get on the plane. Your presence on this trip is essential.”

South Africa and my experiences there often pop into my head, providing a new insight or frame of reference to help me see the world more completely. I am so thankful that Ron Pyle diverted my life. His efforts were like a great boulder in a river, disrupting a complacent flow and preventing debris from hindering my growth.

Chris Caldwell is the senior director for international, intercultural and service engagement at the University of Findlay, in Ohio. This essay is adapted from the original, which was published in the December 2023 issue of International Educator.

A NEW LANE BLAZING

BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92

From a young age, Chelsea McClammer OTD, MBA ’25 competed in just about every sport, except those involving ice. When ParaSport Spokane, an adaptive sports program for athletes with disabilities, started a sled hockey program three years ago, McClammer decided to give ice a try. At her second practice, a coach checked her into the boards. Hard. “It was the best,” she says. “I made it my goal to do that to somebody else.”

Going after goals and competing to win have taken McClammer around the world as a professional track and field athlete. She started her career early. At 14, McClammer

became the youngest member of the 2008 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field team; she competed in the 800 meters in Beijing, placing eighth in the world.

Across her 14-year career, McClammer won serious hardware including two silver medals and a bronze at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro; four bronzes and a silver at the World Championships; and seven gold medals at the Parapan American Games. She retired from professional competition in 2022 to take on a new challenge: earning her occupational therapy doctorate and master of business administration at Whitworth.

III

McClammer is blazing a new lane as the first student to enroll in Whitworth’s newly offered OTD/MBA dual degree

“ I WANT OTHERS TO HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE AND DRIVE TO CONTINUE ON AND DO GREAT THINGS WITH THEIR LIVES. ”

As a member of the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field team, Chelsea McClammer OTD, MBA ’25 competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, winning two silver medals and a bronze.

program and as a member of the university’s first cohort of OTD students. Learning the business of healthcare through online MBA courses, while concurrently learning the practice of occupational therapy through in-person classes and offcampus field and clinical experiences, will equip McClammer to achieve her goal to open her own OT clinic. She’s on track to complete the three-year program in August 2025.

“Throughout my life, especially playing adaptive sports and being on the Paralympic teams, I have always been with people with disabilities,” McClammer says. While rooming with athletes at competitions, she observed the variety of ways people manage mobility modalities and common tasks.

“I love the process of how people live their everyday lives and the amazing adaptations they do,” she says.

As an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, McClammer earned a B.S. in human development and considered a career as a rehabilitation counselor. (She also competed on the university’s wheelchair basketball and track teams.) Back in Spokane, she interned at Providence St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Medical Center. During her off days she job-shadowed occupational therapist Teresa Skinner, founder of ParaSport Spokane. That experience and Skinner’s mentorship made an impact. McClammer shifted her career goal to OT and became an athlete, coach and board member for the nonprofit.

III

In fall 2022, Whitworth welcomed its first cohorts in the new doctoral programs in occupational therapy and physical therapy. McClammer and her six OTD classmates soon gelled into a supportive team. “We’re super tight,” she says. “We love hearing about each other’s fieldwork and what we’re learning. And it’s nice to support each other in classes.” The neuroscience course, she says, was especially tough.

McClammer started her online MBA courses in January. “I feel more a part of the Whitworth community now,” she says. “I’ve made new friends and even did a team project with a professor from the philosophy department who’s [a student] in the program.”

This summer, for her first 12-week OT clinical experience, McClammer will manage her own caseload working full time at a hand-therapy

clinic in Spokane. In the fall she’ll work at a neurorehabilitation clinic. As demanding as her professional pursuits are, sports will continue to be a part of McClammer’s life: She plans for her future OT clinic to include an adaptive sports team.

“I want to show people that having a disability does not change you,” she says. “It can definitely be a part of you – I embrace mine. I want others to have that confidence and drive to continue on and do great things with their lives.”

demonstrates teaching a shoulder strengthening exercise to classmate Hailey Somerday OTD ’25 in the Dornsife Health Sciences Building’s rehabilitation clinic. Above: McClammer demonstrates teaching an ulnar/radial deviation strengthening exercise to Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Katie Ericsson.

“ I LOVE THE PROCESS OF HOW PEOPLE LIVE THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES AND THE AMAZING ADAPTATIONS THEY DO.”

Left: Chelsea McClammer OTD, MBA ’25, at left,

R ESEARCHING STRATEGIES TO PREVENT PRESSURE ULCERS

When McClammer was 6 years old, she was paralyzed from a spinal cord injury in a car accident. During rehabilitation, she learned brief “pressure release” techniques to avoid skin injuries that occur from prolonged sitting in a wheelchair.

For her OTD capstone project at Whitworth, McClammer is researching more effective “assistive technology” strategies to prevent pressure ulcers. “Thirty-second pressure releases versus sitting the rest of your day are not enough,” she says. Her early research identifies improved wheelchair cushions, proper wheelchair fit, and increased hydration and protein intake as practices that can help reduce ulcers. “Someone with a spinal cord injury should already consume two times the recommended amount of protein, to reinforce the skin matrix,” McClammer says.

“A dietician I talked to said that someone with a pressure sore should consume four times the recommended protein.”

After earning her Whitworth degrees, McClammer plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh on a postdoctoral fellowship in assistive technology. Her career goals encompass both occupational therapy and assistive technology to improve outcomes for adults with spinal cord injuries.

Left: McClammer is the first student to enroll in Whitworth’s new OTD/MBA dual degree program.

Community Chorale Bursts Onto Scene , Into Song

BY MEGAN JONAS

From left: Altos Karen Meyers, Wendy Olson (retired Whitworth director of institutional research) and Sharon Smith review sheet music during a rehearsal.

Assign-ups for the new Whitworth Community Chorale rolled in early last fall, one thing quickly became clear: More chairs would need to be ordered.

Drawn by the opportunity for an artistic outlet and community connection, over 120 singers of all experience levels and ages – from 12 to the late 80s – registered for the chorale’s inaugural season.

“The interest surpassed even our most optimistic expectations,” says Professor Ben Brody ’98, music department chair.

Directed by Joshua Chism, assistant professor and associate director of choral activities, the chorale’s goal is ambitious: to learn a large-scale choral masterwork each semester and perform it in concert. Among those who signed up for the challenge were Whitworth faculty and staff, retirees, current students, and alumni, including several family groupings; and 10 residents of the Rockwood at Whitworth retirement community and their van driver. Dozens of community members with no university connection also joined, including doctors, music educators and church worship musicians.

Renee’ Schoening, a director and assistant professor for Graduate Studies in Education, arrived in Spokane and at Whitworth in fall 2022 and says the chorale has been a great way for her to get to know people.

“I think everyone is hungry for a collective experience, especially after enduring the pandemic,” Schoening says. “It is wonderful to see people from all walks of life sharing the love of music and creating beautiful sound together.”

Community building “is an astronomically important part of what we do in the chorale,” Chism says. Although making music together is by nature an active group experience, the “hidden gems” occur during rehearsal downtime.

“ I think everyone is hungry for a collective experience, especially after enduring the pandemic. ”

“Some of our members show up a half-hour early and just sit and talk with each other,” he says. “I love when it’s 6:30 p.m. and I have to quiet down over 100 people so we can begin.”

At the chorale’s fall concert, given downtown at a packed First Presbyterian Church of Spokane, the joy from both the singers and the audience was palpable. The chorale delivered a performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria that Chism says rivals any community chorale performance from larger universities in terms of quality.

Toward the end of the program, Chism turned to face the captivated audience and urged anyone interested to join the chorale’s spring season, which would culminate in a concert at the Fox Theater.

“No experience, some experience, a ton of experience, and everything in between [are welcome],” he said. “If you want to experience community, do it with us.”

Joshua Chism directs a chorale rehearsal in Cowles Music Center, spring 2024.

Making an Eternal Impact

BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92

Duke DeGaetano ’17 hit an all-time low in his junior year of high school. The toll of longtime family conflict had left him feeling empty and lost. “I was looking for a higher purpose,” he says. One day, he kneeled and prayed, “Lord, I need you. I don’t know you, but I want to follow you.”

DeGaetano discovered Whitworth his senior year. After visiting campus, “I remember telling my dad, ‘If I come to Whitworth, I’ll become a better man,’” he says.

At Whitworth, DeGaetano developed into a standout running back, playing under Head Coach Rod Sandberg. He also chose to follow Christ. “[Coach Sandberg’s] vision is for our program to be a life-changing experience,” DeGaetano says. “Faith is a pillar of the program – he takes the time to have guys know about opportunities to grow.”

Soon after graduating, DeGaetano joined the program’s coaching staff; he’s now the defensive pass game coordinator and director of strength and conditioning. “I wanted to try to give that life-changing experience I had to every player we come into contact with.”

Two of those players are defensive backs Tiliti Adams ’24 and Atticus “AJ” Templeton ’23, MBA ’24.

Adams, from Maui, says faith was not a prevalent part of his life at home. “My freshman and sophomore year [at Whitworth], I was still struggling,” he says. “I needed to take advantage of opportunities to get to know Christ.”

“ I wanted to try to give that lifechanging experience I had to every player we come in contact with .”

Defensive back Tiliti Adams ’24 (facing page) covers a wide receiver and defensive pass game coordinator Duke DeGaetano ’17 (left) coaches the Pirates on game day.

Adams connected with opportunities through the football program. “There’s never a day where faith isn’t brought up,” he says. “Even if players don’t have faith, the fact that it’s always there keeps it in our heads.”

According to DeGaetano, about half of the current team doesn’t have a faith background or is searching. “We believe that’s good for everybody,” he says. “If we all thought the same way, then there’s no growth.”

Across the past four years, DeGaetano has seen significant growth in Adams. This year, as an intern for strength and conditioning, Adams shared his weekly schedule with DeGaetano. “There were blocks of time in there with Jesus,” DeGaetano says. “It’s been awesome to see him set an example for the other guys. He has led the way in how he lives out his faith and sets aside time for his faith.”

Templeton’s background represents the other half of the current team’s faith composition: He grew up in the church, in Richland, Wash. Even so, Templeton came to a tipping point during his senior year of high school: “Do I want to be a man of faith, or do I want to pursue other things?” He chose faith.

Then Coach Sandberg came calling. “The other people who recruited me handed me a pamphlet and talked about their program,” Templeton says. “The first thing Coach Sandberg talked about was faith.”

At Whitworth, Sandberg and DeGaetano have set a lasting example for Templeton. “Despite being so busy, they still find time to read their Bible and pray and talk to people about their faith,” he says. “That inspires me.”

Likewise, DeGaetano notes that Templeton has made an impact on his peers: “AJ has been the reason why countless guys on our team have chosen to follow Jesus,” he says. “He attends other guys’ baptisms and [visits] churches with them, and he invites people to his house for Bible studies.”

The prediction DeGaetano made to his father has proved more than true: He has become not only a better man but also a role model. “The way Coach Duke carries himself, his attitude, and just knowing his testimony,” Adams says, “he’s somebody I want to be like.”

“Coach Duke” would say the same. “The goal of a coach is to leave a lasting or eternal impact on their players,” he says. “But what is really special is when your players end up leaving an eternal impact on you. Both AJ and Tiliti have made me a better person, a better coach and a better friend, just by being who they are.”

After a 2022 season-ending loss to George Fox University, Coach Duke DeGaetano ’17 consoles Atticus Templeton ’23, MBA ’24 (above, jersey #4) and Tiliti Adams ’24 (left, holding helmet).

Faith First

What a stellar season. After going 10-0, Whitworth football won the 2023 Northwest Conference Championship and the first round of the NCAA DIII playoffs, and Head Coach Rod Sandberg was named NWC Coach of the Year.

A key component of Sandberg’s program is the “Four F’s”: faith, family, future and fun. Faith opportunities available to players include:

› Weekly Bible study (started in 2015 by Duke DeGaetano ’17) led by team members

› Iron Sharpens Iron speaker series

› Chosen to Lead ministry

› Weekly football chapel, fall

› Bible reading plan and discussion, training camp

› Attending church together, spring

› Practices and team meetings that close with prayer requests and prayer

› Support by Spiritual Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach

Todd Green and de facto team chaplain the Rev. Forrest Buckner, Whitworth campus pastor

› A committee of players and coaches that meets quarterly to pray for the team and plan activities

faith family future fun

Tiliti Adams ’24, left, and Atticus Templeton ’23, MBA ’24 pause on the sideline of Puryear Field before the Pirates rout Pacific Lutheran University, Sept. 30, 2023.

A Class of Their Own

BY MEGAN JONAS

When this year’s Whitworth seniors began their studies in fall 2020, the nation was five months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitworth had reopened campus after a spring shutdown, debuting a flexible, mostly online learning model that would last a year. “Protect the Crew” was the mantra on campus, with restrictions in place to ensure public health.

During their first year of college, the Class of 2024 persevered through the challenges of social limitations, altered extracurriculars and virtual classes. This May, our 2024 graduates finally crossed a commencement stage after having their high school graduations canceled.

Following, Whitworth’s seniors reflect on this historic chapter of their lives. Well done, Class of 2024!

First-year students cross under the traditional pinecone arch during Orientation Weekend, fall 2020.

Navigating a difficult first year…

“I chose Whitworth because of the community I experienced when I visited, and when we arrived in fall 2020, that community was stifled by social restrictions. I remember feeling a sense of sadness and loneliness and compensating by becoming super focused on school and involved in activities.”

– Isaac (Dornubari) Price, political science and Spanish double major (graduating in 2025)

“I spent hours in my room during and between class times. I felt like I was missing out, between not having in-person classes or a cross country season. I also was worried about getting sick and felt uncertain about when things would be back to normal.”

– Madelyn Buckley, elementary education major

“I decided to stay home, in Hawai‘i. All my classes were remote, and I am immensely grateful for that accommodation. However, I was overwhelmed and felt confined. It was difficult to be a college student while I was still at home playing my roles as a daughter and sister.”

– Myna Keleb, health science major

“A key memory is the plastic dividers that were on the tables in the dining hall. We typically ate in silence because it was impossible to hear each other. Even our social lives had a solitary nature to them.”

– Mira Wibel, English major

Myna Keleb ’24 (foreground) and a friend study in the Whitworth Library.

“It was difficult to be a college student while I was still at home playing my roles as a daughter and sister.”

Above: Isaac (Dornubari) Price ’25, second from left, gathers with fellow resident assistants, spring 2021.

Left: Price and classmates Abigail Wooster ’24 (left) and Jasmine Arevalo-Amaya ’26 travel in Guatemala on the Central America Study & Service Program, January 2024.

Finding bright spots through extracurriculars…

“If it weren’t for the debate team, I might have changed majors or chosen to leave college until COVID restrictions were lifted. Because of our practices, I found a group of close to 20 people from many backgrounds that I still had something in common with. This group was smart and funny and brought a bright light to my freshman year.”

– Nathan Cooper, engineering major

“I remember feeling incredibly grateful to have baseball in my life. Coach [CJ] Perry did an excellent job bringing our team together throughout the year. Despite all the obstacles the pandemic put in front of us, that team is one of the closest teams I have been a part of.”

– Aidan Morrison, health science major

“I was in the fall 2020 theatre production, Hindsight It was a strange production, rehearsed and performed entirely over Zoom. However, it was so cool to see how it came together and gave me a new appreciation for the arts. The arts cannot be confined to any specific medium and will continue to adapt and evolve, making beauty in surprising spaces.”

– Mira Wibel

CLASS OF 2024

At a glance

474 20 11

Full-time undergraduates

States represented

Countries represented

Left: Aidan Morrison ’24 with his sister Sofia at Merkel Field during his first baseball season, spring 2021. Below: Morrison, unmasked, at Merkel Field, spring 2024.

The Whitworth Choir, under the direction of now-Professor Emeritus of Music Mark Hafsø, rehearses in the Pine Bowl in observance of health precautions, October 2020.

Returning to the classroom…

“By the time in-person classes resumed, it had been a year since I had been in a classroom setting. This made the transition difficult, but Whitworth has some of the most supportive professors who were dedicated to getting their students back on track.”

– Aidan Morrison

“In-person classes were a very positive change. It was easier to develop friendships, and school was much more engaging. We could do more interactive assignments and projects, which is important for elementary education classes. I was excited to have a real track season and get to compete against other schools.”

– Madelyn Buckley

“The first day we attended without masks was shocking and exciting. I had imagined the lower halves of people’s faces all wrong.”

– Mira Wibel

Embracing senior year and graduation…

“Although I missed a traditional senior year of high school, it has made me that much more grateful for my senior year experience at Whitworth. I appreciate being fully present and enjoying each day as this chapter of my life comes to an end and another begins.”

Mira Wibel ’24 on the Hello Walk the first day of her first year at Whitworth, fall 2020 (above), and on her “last first day” her senior year, fall 2023 (left).

– Aidan Morrison

“I am so excited to cheer on my friends and peers as we finally get to walk across a stage and flip our tassels together at commencement. I hope all the attendees will fully embrace how exciting and long-awaited this event is for us.”

– Mira Wibel

“I did not get to experience the emotions that come with graduating in high school. I appreciate now feeling the emotions that come with acknowledging my journey and realizing that I made it. We made it.”

– Myna Keleb

Madelyn Buckley ’24 hangs out with teammates at Boppell Track during her first year (top, second from right) and junior year (bottom, center).

Connecting, two cups at a time

BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92 RESEARCH AND INTERVIEWS BY DENALI HERRICK ’24

Campus Pastor for Discipleship Lauren Taylor, left, and Briele Mongrain ’26 enjoy coffee and conversation in Taylor ’s office in the Beeksma Family Theology Center.

The first time I met Professor Emeritus of Theology Roger Mohrlang, he made tea. As we sipped from mugs in his cozy office, I shared how my growing faith was causing a relationship crisis. What should I do? Dr. Mohrlang’s gentle wisdom and hospitality eased my troubled 18-year-old heart and helped me take an important step toward the person I was becoming.

That was back in 1989. Today, meaningful conversations over cups and mugs still take place across campus. “I offer tea or coffee to students as a signal that this space can be different than other meetings,” says Lauren Taylor, campus pastor for discipleship. “It’s less formal and more focused on personal lives and spiritual lives. Having a warm, yummy drink in your hand can help set the tone.”

Professor of Communication Studies Alan Mikkelson ’00 says doing an activity together helps build relationships. “Saying, ‘Hey, let’s go talk,’ has a negative connotation culturally and socially. Grabbing coffee allows us to have something to do, but with the primary purpose of getting to know each other.” Mikkelson’s conversations with his students “go where they go,” he says. “Sometimes there is advice and life lessons sprinkled in, but a lot of times students just want to hang out, which is really fun. The coffee aspect changes the nature of those conversations.”

On these pages we delve into the Whitworth community coffee scene. enjoy!

The big three

CAMPUS COFFEE SHOPS, THAT IS…

› the pines cafe

› mind & hearth coffee house in hixson union building

› coffee bar in robinson science hall

(where students in the know order the secret drink!)

Chet Hunt, Operations Manager for Sodexo, Spills the Beans

Q. What brands of coffee does Whitworth serve?

A . We serve Starbucks and Indaba Coffee Roasters – both are fair trade.

Q. How many drinks are sold on average each day during the academic year?

A . A lot. Mind & Hearth is busiest, with 315 drinks. The Pines Cafe averages 155 drinks, and Robinson Science Hall averages 107.

Q. How many gallons of drip coffee are served daily?

A. Around 30 gallons at the three coffee shops combined. The majority of everything we sell is some sort of espresso drink, hands down.

Students place their orders at The Pines Cafe, which includes a Starbucks coffee stand.

Whitworth’s Dine with a Mind program aims to deepen relationships through unhurried conversation. The program provides vouchers for students to meet with a faculty or staff member in a campus coffee shop for a drink or in the dining hall for a meal. “I recently met with one of my professors and we talked about questions I had about faith and how to live life,” says Brenden Cochran ’24. “[Our conversation] really enriched me spiritually and mentally.”

Nathan King, professor of philosophy and Edward B. Lindaman Chair, says Dine with a Mind is one of Whitworth’s best programs. “It fosters the kind of one-on-one interaction between students and professors that makes Whitworth a friendly place,” he says. “An initial Dine with a Mind conversation often leads to further good conversations. My sense is that students and faculty often finish their initial conversation and decide, ‘We should do this again.’”

“ we should do this again..."

Top faves students crave

› white chocolate mocha

› latte with flavored syrup pumpkin spice reigns each fall

› caramel macchiato

› chai tea latte

› london fog tea latte

› red bull italian soda with raspberry, strawberry or peach syrup

want more coffee? See the alum profile of professional coffee roaster Andrew Coe ’04 on P. 34. Then invite someone to grab a cup!

Josh Orozco, vice president for diversity, equity & inclusion, left, and Chris Holt ’27 get to the heart of the matter at Mind & Hearth Coffee House in the HUB.

Mended, mixed media by Lily Reavis ’25, art major and 2023-24 visual arts coordinator for campus ministry

Artist’s statement: The Lord is always ready and able to heal the hurt in our lives. We can hold fast to God’s promise that all will be made new. For his salvation, goodness and mercy are ever-sufficient, continually molding each of us into a beautiful masterpiece.

REMEMBER ASAGA TO I

BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92

In fall 1963, a student protest erupted outside Leavitt Dining Hall. The campus outcry made national news but in the years since has been widely unknown. Until now. Here two alumni, one anonymous source, and Whitworth’s first corporate food service manager piece together the events of that fateful day and their unexpected outcome.

Well before the 1963 uprising, students share a meal in Leavitt Dining Hall in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

CHUCK BOPPELL ’65: “I cleaned pots for the food service to help put myself through college. It was a traditional food service for colleges at the time: one entree, one vegetable, one dessert, one drink. If you wanted more of something, you had to trade.

“If we were going to have roast beef on Wednesday, [Mrs. Jeanne Greene and her staff] would cook it on Monday and slice it the morning of the meal and heat it before serving it. That was the typical style of the time. I don’t think they cooled the meat fast enough. We had two food poisonings in two weeks.”

DAVID SHICK ’67: “The event that really cooked the goose was a lamb stew they served one Sunday. The whole campus just went down [with food poisoning].”

BOPPELL: “Everybody said enough was enough. A group from Westminster Hall chained the dining room doors closed.”

SHICK: “It being the ’60s, we had been looking for any kind of revolution we could cause. We called the local press, and we made picket signs and led a protest outside.”

ANONYMOUS: “The protestors would increase or decrease as people ran for the bathrooms.”

SHICK: “Whitworth’s president was in New York at the time, and the story hit the national news.”

BOPPELL: “Soon after, President Frank Warren announced that a new food service would be coming.”

EARL ROYSE: “Saga food service got the contract to serve Whitworth. I arrived on campus the Monday after Easter [1964] and had one week to get ready. We interviewed and hired many of Mrs. Greene’s staff and trained them quickly – they embraced Saga’s philosophy and methods and helped us be successful.”

BOPPELL: “Mrs. Greene was distraught over what happened.”

ROYSE: “Mrs. Greene lived on campus across from the dining hall. She stayed there some time after Saga came in, and she became a good friend and advocate.”

BOPPELL: “Saga was a dramatic difference. There were multiple entrees and desserts, a salad bar, all you could eat.”

SHICK: “There were milk machines, juice machines. The coup de grâce was the sirloin steaks served on Saturday nights. We thought we’d died and gone to heaven.”

BOPPELL: “We couldn’t believe it.”

EPILOGUE: Chuck Boppell and David Shick both worked in the dining hall to defray the cost of college. After they graduated, Earl Royse hired them at Saga Corp.; all three went on to prominent business careers. Saga was sold to Marriott in 1986; in 1998 Marriott merged with Sodexo, Whitworth’s current food service provider. Leavitt Dining Hall was torn down in 2000 to make way for Weyerhaeuser Hall. Since then, dining services has been housed in Hixson Union Building.

Southwest view of Leavitt Dining Hall, built in 1944.

1970s-era students dine in the basement of Leavitt. (Is that juice in their cups?)

Telling Stories –Bird by Bird

BY JULIE RIDDLE

’92

Marissa Gibson ’20 was out birding when the call came that they had won the 2023 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s stamp competition. Gibson’s winning painting, in the Upland Game Bird category, was the annual competition’s first watercolor entry. Their vivid rendering of three mountain quail now appears on collector stamps and prints, with sales supporting bird conservation.

Gibson, of Lacey, Wash., is a restoration technician for Ecostudies Institute, a nonprofit that conserves natural habitats in the Pacific Northwest. Gibson’s daily fieldwork provides useful observations for their artwork.

Here, Gibson shares about the value of science illustration and their creative process.

Q. You consider yourself an illustrator more than a painter. What is the difference?

A. Illustrators tell a story through images that can be understood without text. For science illustration, I’m describing an observation or a behavior I’ve seen or would expect based on what I’ve researched. Almost everybody learns through visual information now. Having science be accessible through images is incredibly important.

Q. As a double major in art and biology, what are some Whitworth experiences that have been instrumental to your work as an illustrator?

A. I came to Whitworth knowing I wanted to pursue a career in scientific illustration. Michael Sardinia [associate professor of biology] invited me to shadow an animal physiology lab. That experience informed how important it is to have in-person experiences with what I’m drawing and painting.

Gordon Wilson [professor emeritus of art & design] gave me assignments to help me accomplish my goals and encouraged me to learn skills like observational drawing, which is important for science illustration. He didn’t try to alter what I was doing to fit the course description, which I’m super grateful for.

Q. How do your illustrations support conservation?

A. We tend to stop seeing and appreciating what’s around us. A goal I have for my artwork is to get people to think about the wildlife they see on a daily basis, prompting awareness and a connection. I hope it can start a conversation.

Gibson’s Creative Process

Choose a subject and sketch different poses, backgrounds and lighting.

1 2

Gather references from Macaulay Library, iNaturalist, Flickr (with creative rights selected), and sometimes my own photos.

Refine composition, test at scale, establish values. Develop a color thumbnail, plot paint mixtures, practice blending tones.

The rest is all about technique and massive amounts of patience.

Gibson’s watercolor of mountain quail won the 2023 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stamp competition in the Upland Game Bird category.

This issue’s cover art by Marissa Gibson ’20 pays tribute to the great horned owls inhabiting the forested Back 40 of campus and to the rescue of an owlet there in March 2022.

Great Horned Owlet Rescue Report

BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92

A walker discovers a baby owl on the ground, uninjured but vulnerable to predators. Gusting spring winds had blown the 1.5-ounce owlet from its nest high in a ponderosa pine tree.

Spokane Audubon Society’s new volunteer Save-a-Bird Team initiates its inaugural rescue operation.

Whitworth Grounds deploys a maintenance lift to the scene.

The Audubon volunteer and owlet, tucked in a reusable grocery bag, rise 30 feet skyward. The volunteer discovers a healthy sibling in the nest and determines the shelter is too small for rehoming the wayward owlet. (Great horned owls scavenge homes from other creatures, which can result in ill-suited accommodations.)

A milk crate is padded with Douglas fir branches and strapped to the tree, just below the sibling’s nest. The owlet settles in happily.

Follow-Up Report

WHITWORTH GROUNDS MANAGER BRANDON PYLE ’05, MBL ’25, OWLET RESCUE PARTICIPANT

Over the following months, the fledglings grew out of their downy fluff and into their juvenile plumage. They perched on the edges of their respective nests like siblings in bunk beds, staring out from beady eyes in puffball faces. Their parents roosted just above them or in a nearby tree. The milk-crate nest continues to be used today, possibly by the same owl parents.

Concluding Assessment:

Stewardship is cool.

CLASS NOTES

Let us know what you’re up to! Update us at whitworth.edu/alumni-update, email us at alumni@whitworth.edu, or write us at Alumni & Parent Engagement Team, Whitworth University, 300 W. Hawthorne Road, Spokane, WA 99251.

Submissions received Oct. 1, 2023-Feb. 29, 2024, appear in this issue of Whitworth Today. All cities listed are located in Washington state unless otherwise noted.

2020s-10s

2023

Emily (Reidt) Sonneland and Andrew Sonneland were married in August 2023. The couple lives in Seattle.

2021

Josie Ledbeter MIT is a special education teacher at Kettle Falls Middle School, serving students in a resource room, self-contained classroom and general education setting.

2020

Ashley Vasquez and Felix Acevedo were married in May 2023. The couple lives in Spokane Valley. Marianne (Stowell) Bracke M.A., of Detroit, Mich., is the research data management librarian at Wayne State University.

2019

Jonathan Hammerstrom, of London, England, is the international council and patrons administrator at Tate, a network of four art museums. Nick Healey is a software account executive for HP in Seattle. Miriam Nokes is a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital in Spokane.

2018

Lawrence Maher earned his M.A. in psychology from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He is a mental health counselor in Buffalo, N.Y., and is earning his Ph.D. in comparative literature at the University of Buffalo.

2017

Jessica (Thoens) Sederstrom and Ryan Sederstrom were married on Sept. 2, 2023, and live in Post Falls, Idaho. Jessica is a project manager for True North General Contracting. Lauren (Noonan) Thurston and her spouse, Devin Thurston, welcomed their first living child in 2023. Lauren also accepted her first pastoral call, in Mekoryuk, Alaska, and earned her master of divinity degree at North Park Theological Seminary in 2023. Jill (Keller) Walling M.A. in MFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist and owns Rooted in Hope Counseling in Spokane.

2016

Chana M. Fox has worked for a Spokane-area school district since 2016, starting her career as a paraprofessional in a special education classroom immediately after graduating from Whitworth with her social services degree. Kierstie (Shellman) Renninger is director of family ministry for First Presbyterian Church of Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Braden Stepp and Courtney Stepp were married in June 2023. The couple lives in Spokane.

2015

Kyrstin (Harper) Desjardins M.Ed. ’20 teaches social studies for Central Valley School District. Michael Lindahl is a software engineer for Apple Inc. in Cupertino, Calif.

2014

Dan Olsen lives in Bend, Ore., with his spouse, Brooke Olsen, and their daughter. He is a criminal defense

attorney for a local law firm, and Brooke is an assistant city attorney for the city of Bend. Tara Rogers is the practice and healthcare informatics administrator for the student health center at the University of San Diego. Chaune Schafer, of Portland, Ore., is the mission developer for Queer Enough PDX.

2013

Kalli Watson and Mark Moseley were married in October 2023. The couple lives in Cleveland, S.C.

2012

Stephen Jansons is a math teacher at Abbotsford Christian Secondary School in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

2011

Nicole (DeSart) Clute M.Ed. and Cale Clute were married on July 29, 2023. The couple lives in Spokane. Hayley Pullin is director of global demand planning at KEEN Footwear in Portland, Ore. Sophie Sestero has launched a public relations agency, Lunation Communications, in Boise, Idaho.

DEBUTS

Benjamin, to Joshua Miller ’18, M.A. in Theology ’22 and Shelby (Krug) Miller ’20, Oct. 19, 2023

Aurora, to John-Robert Woolley ’18 and Sydney (Weiler) Woolley ’19, Aug. 8, 2022

Ember, to Lauren (Noonan) Thurston ’17 and Devin Thurston, June 2023

Clara, to Justin Botejue ’16, MBA ’22 and Brittany (Boring) Botejue ’17, Nov. 10, 2023

Koen, to Cassidy (Baumgartner)

Peterson ’16 and Vincent Peterson ’16, April 8, 2023

Addison, to Kierstie ShellmanRenninger ’16 and Tyler ShellmanRenninger, June 25, 2022

Truett, to Heather (Lenhardt) Wilks ’15 and Adam Wilks ’15, June 20, 2023

Jane, to Dan Olsen ’14 and Brooke Olsen, Aug. 22, 2021

Avery, to Heather (Glady) Ramsey ’14 and Andrew Ramsey, Jan. 20 (pictured)

Mateo, to Tim Gjefle ’13 and Jessi Ortega-Mendez, Dec. 21, 2023

Liam, to Caitlin Richardson ’11, Feb. 2, 2021

2000s

2009

Christopher Caldwell published an article, “The Power of One Person” in International Educator magazine. (Read the article on P. 6.) He is senior director for international, intercultural and service engagement at the University of Findlay in Ohio. Justine (Hays) Ziegler, of Hood River, Ore., was promoted to associate development director at Outside In, a nonprofit that provides healthcare and other services to the underserved and people experiencing homelessness.

2008

Ann Farrar MIM is a self-employed consultant in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Ashley (Metcalf) Lee is executive assistant to the president for the Punahou School District in Honolulu,

Hawai‘i. Jennifer Pullen received tenure at Ohio Northern University, where she is an associate professor of creative writing. Her book, Fantasy Fiction: A Writer’s Guide and Anthology, was published in 2023.

2004

Adrianne (Tursick) Loetscher is the safe patient handling and mobility program manager at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane. Bryan Tidwell is manager of the Clinton Library on Whidbey Island.

2001

Krista (Kubiak) Crotty is an expert on eating disorders and introduced Temperament-Based Therapy with Support for anorexia in Spokane. She is the owner of Brain Based Therapy NW. Jeremiah Webster MIT ’02, of Kirkland, published his second poetry collection, Notes for a Postlude

2000

Heidi (Bohnett) Blake teaches English for Mckinney Christian Academy. Her husband, Sky Blake ’01, transitioned from a career as a firefighter/ emergency medical technician to pastoring. They live with their four children in Anna, Texas.

1990s

1999

La Ne’ (Brodehl) Powers serves on the advisory council for Foster the City in Hollister, Calif.

1998

Stephanie (Peterson) Miyamoto is an academic intervention educator for the Napa Valley Unified School District in Napa, Calif. Katherine Pavidis-Moyer, of Westminster, Calif., earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Concordia University Irvine in December 2023. She is principal of Fountain Valley School District.

1997

Jeff Bennett served in youth ministry and coached high school soccer until 2021. He is now planting a church and is developing and coaching the men’s

soccer program at Pacific Northwest Christian College and teaching Bible classes there. Ali (Koroknay) Myers is director of nursing education and professional practice at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital in Santa Rosa, Calif. Her spouse, Cory Myers, is a youth pastor, and their son is in high school.

1995

Rich Caldwell MIT, of Seattle, was selected as a Technical Fellow at The Boeing Co. in December 2023. Technical Fellows set company technical direction and design innovative product solutions. Gavin McClements is an instructional designer for DPR Construction in Campbell, Calif.

1991

Greg Orwig is assistant vice president for research & innovation at Whitworth University.

11-13, 2024

All alumni and families of current students are invited to enjoy One Big Whitworth Weekend, Oct. 11-13! This combined Homecoming and Family Weekend will be full of family-friendly activities and opportunities to connect with one another and experience Whitworth. Milestone reunions will be held for the classes of 2014, ’04, 1994, ’84 and ’74. RSVP now at connect. whitworth.edu/obww-24. See you in October!

ALUMNI PROFILE

ANDREW COE ’ 04

OWNER

OF ELEVATOR COFFEE AND COE COFFEE

BASED IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH

Andrew Coe had planned to work in the actuary field, with his Whitworth math degree and master’s in math from Oregon State University. But the appeal of coffee began to percolate, and he took a job managing a Tully’s coffee shop in Seattle. “I fell in love with the community of regulars,” Coe says, “and it was fun to find that coffee is a craft and people roast with intention.”

Coe moved with his spouse to Portland, Ore., and worked in engineering for eight years, building transportation models. He also followed coffee’s aromatic pull: He roasted coffee at home and connected with Portland’s professional roasters at events. “It was fascinating,” he says. “I decided to give it a try.”

In Coe’s first year as roaster and operations lead for Elevator Coffee in Portland, he won the 2016 Cascadia Cup roasting competition. Most recently, he won the 2023 U.S. Coffee Roasters Championship and represented the United States at the World Coffee Roasting Championship in Taipei, Taiwan, finishing third overall.

Coe approaches coffee roasting the same way he solved engineering problems: He isolates variables, records meticulous data and takes detailed notes. But roasting also involves art. “Each roaster has their own flavor expression preferences in terms of how much heat they apply to the coffee,” he says.

Coe graduated from Whitworth with grand ambitions to make a difference in the world. “I’ve learned that our vocation has a large role in affecting our neighborhoods, communities and beyond,” he says. “The original call of humanity in Genesis was to partner with God to bring about the flourishing of the earth. Regardless of your day job, there is a particular beauty in showing up faithfully, in loving your neighbor, and in creating order where it doesn’t exist yet.”

1980s

1987

Jean (Bush) Davis teaches French at Lake Norman Charter School in Huntersville, N.C. The Rev. Dallas Dryburgh, of Utica, Ohio, honorably retired on Dec. 31, 2023.

1986

Nan (Grose) Shotwell is retired and lives in Dumfries, Va., where she takes care of her granddaughter and parents, Vernon Grose ’50 and Phyliss (Heine) Grose

1984

George R. Benson MIT ’94 has taught elementary school at the American School of Warsaw in Poland for 23 years. He and his spouse, Agnieszka, have two daughters, and he recently published a book, A Promise to Great Grandmother.

1983

Lori (Cloninger) Sweeney and her spouse, Jeff Sweeney, moved to High Prairie, where they live on 10-plus acres with plenty of room for visitors. They travel widely, and Lori has ridden horseback throughout the world.

1981

Kelly (Gehrmann) Jennings is an academic intervention paraeducator for Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver. Robert Livingston was promoted to vice president of HomeStreet Bank and branch manager for two offices in Seattle. He serves on the board of directors for the South Sound Chamber of Commerce. In 2023, he enjoyed hiking in Switzerland. Gary Rolf and his spouse, Erika, live in Seward, Neb. He has twice been named Volunteer of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce, operates Nebraska’s Best Kettle Corn and serves as the compliance officer at a local bank.

1980

Dean Warner, of Chehalis, retired from pastoring. He leads a ministry, Living Stones Fellowship, Chehalis, on Facebook, and teaches on Zoom and at a church in Aberdeen. Anne Washburn

Goddard, of Santa Ynez, Calif., retired after a rewarding career with Girl Scouts, Make-A-Wish and State of California Public Health. She celebrated 20 years of marriage with her spouse, Glen Goddard.

1970s

1977

Nancy (Wendlandt) Matthews and her spouse, David Matthews, downsized to an apartment in Kitchener, Canada, after selling their house of 40-plus years. They are also celebrating the birth of their first grandchild.

1976

The Rev. Ken Onstot retired after 44 years in ministry, including at Hamblen Park Presbyterian in Spokane and Southminster Presbyterian in Des Moines, where he and his spouse, Nadine (Mack) Onstot ’76, live near their three children and nine grandchildren. Mark Valeri is the Reverend Priscilla Wood Neaves Distinguished Professor of Religion and Politics and director of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. His latest book was published in 2023.

1973

Tim Lickness, of San Diego, was awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Distinguished Citizen Medal for fulfilling the qualities of honor, service, courage, leadership and patriotism.

1970

Gaylen (Oldenburg) Luher, of Sun City West, Ariz., is retired and enjoys golfing with her spouse, Alan Luher. Her two sons are career U.S. Army officers; one is stationed in Washington, D.C., and the other in Germany.

1960s

1968

Don Baldwin retired from his 42-year teaching career in 2014 and moved to Bellingham to live closer to family. He is active in the Knights of Columbus

and at the local Sacred Heart Catholic Parish.

1965

The Rev. James E. Roghair published a memoir, Home on the Range: Memories of Okaton, South Dakota, about growing up on a wheat farm.

1963

Maren (Sundquist) Stanczak lives in a penthouse at the Plaza Tower in downtown Concord, Calif. She is active again at First Presbyterian Church of Concord, which she first joined in 1956. The Rev. Leon Thompson retired after 60 years of ministry in the Presbyterian Church. He and his spouse, Betty (Kauffman) Thompson, live in Dubuque, Iowa, and are the parents of three children including Katy (Thompson) Perreard ’95 Earnest and Betty have nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

1940s

1949

Glen Ellison M.Ed. ’51 celebrated his 100th birthday in May. He lives at an assisted living complex in north Spokane. Happy centennial to you, Glen!

IN MEMORIAM

Obituaries received Oct. 1, 2023-Feb. 29, 2024, appear in this issue of Whitworth Today. Bolded names without class years indicate those who attended Whitworth but did not graduate. All cities listed are located in Washington state unless otherwise noted.

2020s

Daniel Morris, of Spokane, died Sept. 19, 2023. He was predeceased by his mother, Emily (Ross) Morris ’13

2010s

Michelle (Coutts) Hites ’19, of Spokane, died Dec. 19. Survivors include her spouse, Jess Hites. Irene Eierdam M.Ed. ’14, of Spokane, died Dec. 3, 2023. Corey Zalewski ’13, MBA ’14, of Spokane, died Jan. 11. (See Employees & Friends, P. 36.)

2000s

Brenda (Howell) Ventress ’00, of Spokane, died Jan. 12. Gretchen (Fisher) Naugle ’00, of Dallas, Texas, died Dec. 4, 2023. Survivors include her spouse, Lukas Naugle ’99

1990s

Roger Taylor ’99, of Spokane, died Feb. 10. Dr. Alissa Camden Diehl ’97, of East Wenatchee, died Feb. 16. Jana (Thomas) Christensen ’97, MAT ’04, of Spokane, died Jan. 7. Mary Shore M.Ed. ’95, of Spokane, died Dec. 6, 2023. Justin “A.J.” Chipley ’94, of Spokane, died Sept. 20, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Natalee Chipley. Nadine Miller ’91, of Spokane, died Nov. 12, 2023.

1980s

Joanne (Barnes) Tikker Watts M.A. ’85, of Spokane, died Aug. 23, 2023. Survivors include her sons Paul Tikker ’77 and David Tikker ’76, and daughter Claudia (Tikker) Jurgensen ’81 Stephanie (Porter) Osborn ’84, of Brookings, Ore., died Nov. 15, 2023. Margaret (Hilton) Christian ’83, of Spokane, died Nov. 9, 2023. Greg Moses M.Ed. ’83, of East Wenatchee, died Aug. 30, 2023. Jeffrey Thomas ’83, of Spokane, died Aug. 25, 2023. Roberta Souder ’83, of Santa Cruz, Calif., died Dec. 13, 2023. Danny “Dan” Mellick M.Ed. ’80, of Hayden Lake, Idaho, died Sept. 19, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Linda Mellick. Carol (Hande) Millard MAT ’80, of Hobe Sound, Fla., died Oct. 7, 2023. Survivors include her spouse, James Millard.

1970s

Marilyn Hoerner M.Ed. ’78, of Spokane, died Jan. 12. Douglas Hurd MAT ’78, of Spokane, died Oct. 5, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Jeannie Hurd. Robert “Bob” Stanek M.Ed. ’78, of Spokane, died Dec. 27, 2023. Survivors include his daughter, Anne Stanek ’99 Robert “Bob” Strenge M.Ed. ’77, of Spokane, died Oct. 1, 2023. Stephen “Steve” Sears ’76, of Vashon, died Sept. 22, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Susan Sears. Phyllis (Moreland) Camp ’75, of Gilbert, Ariz., died Nov. 27, 2023. Survivors include her daughter, Linda (Camp) Merchant ’90 Dennis Kuhl ’75, of Spokane, died

Dec. 14. Survivors include his daughter Susan Spencer. The Rev. John Williams ’75, of Spokane, died Dec. 11. Survivors include his spouse, Denise (Skilling) Williams ’76, and daughters Meghan (Williams) Ross ’04 and Marissa Williams ’06. Williams’ classmates have established the John F. Williams Memorial Scholarship at Whitworth in his memory. For information, please contact Dave LejaMeyer in the office of institutional advancement at 509.777.4363 or dlejameyer@ whitworth.edu. Fred Uttke ’74, of Spokane, died Oct. 16, 2023. William “Bill” Converse ’73, of Portland, Ore., died Dec. 31, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, MaryLou (Hurn) Converse ’73; sister-in-law Emily (Hurn) Seeger ’69; son Mark Converse ’01; daughter Katie (Converse) Ihde ’03; and daughter-in-law Joi (Taylor) Converse ’01 Nelson Lynn “Girk” Gurley MAT ’73, of Spokane, died Aug. 18, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Sharon Gurley. Robert “Bob” Hess ’73, of Spokane, died Jan. 22. Survivors include his spouse, Kathleen (Sweet) Hess Cynthia (Heilsberg) Lewis, of Spokane, died Oct. 28, 2023. Janet Voldal MAT ’72, of Vancouver, died Nov. 17, 2023. Letha (Bozarth) Ingham ’70, of Spokane, died Sept. 4, 2023. Joyce Johnson M.Ed. ’70, of Surprise, Ariz., died Oct. 20, 2023.

1960s

Mildred Burt ’69, of Santa Rosa, Calif., died Aug. 14, 2023. Kent Jones ’69, of Lake Crystal, Minn., died Sept. 27, 2023. Albert Toutant MAT ’69, of Spokane, died Sept. 26, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Bernadetta (Smith) Toutant M.Ed. ’70; daughter Kathy (Toutant) Heaps ’86; and son-inlaw Matthew Heaps ’85 Carol (Cox) Peterson ’67, M.Ed. ’74, of Spokane, died Oct. 3, 2023. Ransford “Randy” Berry ’66, of Phoenix, Ariz., died Nov. 2, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Nancy (Corbin) Berry ’65 Marilyn Walli ’66, of Spokane, died Dec. 31, 2023. Brenda Curlee ’63, of Orcutt, Calif., died Feb. 7. She was predeceased by her father, John Curlee Erlene (Eastgard) Grosvenor ’63, of Bothell, died Jan. 22. She was predeceased by her spouse, Walter “Spike” Grosvenor ’63. Survivors include her daughter Heidi (Grosvenor) Hudnut ’94. Sandra (Nelson) Stava ’63, of Tulsa, Okla.,

died Dec. 22, 2023. Survivors include her spouse, William Stava ’61 Helen Foster ’62, M.A. ’62, of Santa Fe, N.M., died Sept. 3, 2023. Stephen Wieting ’62, of Iowa City, Iowa, died July 22, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Margaret (Hicks) Wieting ’61, and nieces Catherine (Powell) Ellis ’82 and Elizabeth Powell ’77 John Habbestad ’60, of Colbert, died Dec. 3, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Karen (Minzel) Habbestad ’62 Wilma Johnson M.Ed. ’61, of Spokane, died Sept. 14, 2023. David “Dave” Morley ’61, M.Ed. ’71, of Santa Barbara, Calif., died Feb. 3. (See Employees & Friends.) Bill Bennett ’60, M.Ed. ’67, of Yakima, died July 27, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Maridean (Flower) Bennett ’60; son Roger Bennett ’86; daughter Laurel (Bennett) Jackson ’89; daughter-in-law Susie Bennett ’90; and granddaughter Mary Gerhardstein ’22 Daisy (Henry) Chapman ’60, of Spokane, died Jan. 20. Survivors include her spouse, Hugh Chapman M.Ed. ’83; daughter Amy (Chapman) Norton ’86; and niece Carolyn (Henry) Cary ’97, M.Ed. ’04 James “Jim” Glennon ’60, M.Ed. ’69, of Des Moines, died Dec. 4. Survivors include his spouse, Lena Glennon. Audrey (Wendlandt) Turner ’60, of Spokane, died Sept. 20, 2023. Survivors include her spouse, Ronald Turner ’61.

1950s

Clay Swisher ’58, of Spokane, died Oct. 11. Survivors include his spouse, Elaine (Erickson) Swisher M.Ed. ’57 Byron “Jay” Wernz ’58, of Veradale, died Sept. 30. Survivors include his spouse, Debbie Wernz; brother Gerald Wernz; and niece Elizabeth “Betsy” (Keno) Pletscher ’81 Duane Van Der Werff ’58, of Oak Harbor, died Nov. 29, 2023. He was predeceased by his sister-inlaw Janette (Burkhart) Mills. Survivors include his spouse, Marilyn (Burkhart) Van Der Werff ’58; sister Joanne (Burkhart) Cole; and brother-in-law William Cole ’60 Frederick Cronkhite ’56, of Spokane Valley, died Nov. 16, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Bunny Cronkhite. Carol (Sarchet) Robinson ’54, of Walla Walla, died Nov. 12, 2023. She was predeceased by her spouse, John Robinson ’60 Sylvia (Setters) Buchholtz ’51, of Newcastle, died Nov. 8, 2023. She was predeceased by her spouse, Alvin

Buchholtz ’49, and sister Barbara (Setters) Talsma ’51 Peggy Gazette ’51, M.Ed. ’52, of Spokane, died Jan. 23. Survivors include her spouse, Barbara (Peringer) Augusta ’63

1940s

Patricia “Pat” (Kriens) Gwinn, of Tacoma, died Dec. 13, 2023. She was predeceased by her spouse, G. Bernard “Nobby” Gwinn; sisters-in-law Ruth (Stueckle) Gwinn, Dorothy (Gwinn) Rogers and Barbara “Bunny” (Gwinn) Antes ’50; and brothers-in-law Stanley Gwinn ’47 and the Rev. William “Bill” Gwinn ’50

EMPLOYEES & FRIENDS

Berge Borrevik, of Spokane, died Jan. 26, 2023; athletics director, 1972-76. He was predeceased by his spouse, Julie Borrevik ’75. Survivors include his son, Andrew Borrevik

David “Dave” Morley ’61, M.Ed. ’71, of Santa Barbara, Calif., died Feb. 3; assistant basketball coach, director of student activities, admissions counselor, director of admissions, 1962-76. Survivors include his daughter Dr. Laurel (Morley) Coleman ’84, a former Whitworth trustee.

Camille Peterson, of the Wenatchee Valley, died Feb. 20; adjunct professor of harp, 1994-98 and 2003. She is survived by her spouse, Dale Peterson.

Corey Zalewski ’13, MBA ’14, of Spokane, died Jan. 11; social media specialist, 2014-15. Survivors include his brother Colin Zalewski ’11; sisterin-law Shannon (Eshoff) Zalewski ’11; and former wife, Olivia Carkulis ’16

ART DE JONG

16TH PRESIDENT OF WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY 1988-92

Art De Jong died Jan. 26 in Black Mountain, N.C. He was 89. Known for his administrative success as president of Muskingum College, in Ohio, De Jong immediately went to work on fundraising and securing Whitworth’s financial stability amid a national demographic decline in the college-age population.

“President De Jong deeply encouraged our faculty to take seriously the integration of Christian faith and learning,” Whitworth President Scott McQuilkin says. “His

talent for recruiting exceptional people to the board of trustees is still being felt today, and he worked tirelessly to establish Whitworth’s place in higher education here in the Inland Northwest. Although his tenure at Whitworth was relatively short, his impact remains.”

De Jong was predeceased by his first wife, Joyce. He is survived by his second wife, Alida Grady, five children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

2023-24 RETIREES

Whitworth bids a fond farewell to these staff and faculty members who retired in 2023-24. Their faithful care and significant contributions have made a lasting impact on our campus community and well beyond.

Thank you.

CHARLEY CAHILL

Systems Analyst, Information Systems Years of Service: 12

DAVID CHERRY Professor of Education Years of Service: 29

THE REV. STEPHY NOBLES-BEANS ’03, M.A. ’17

Associate Chaplain for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Ministry Years of Service: 28

DEBBIE TULLY

Associate Professor of Education

Teaching & Learning Program Director

Years of Service: 27

Then & Now: The “Shahbabies”

After Phil Shahbaz ’96 and Amy Shahbaz welcomed quadruplets in spring 2007, Whitworth Today chronicled their joys and challenges in caring for four infants. Friends and family from Whitworth and beyond were critical to helping them make it through the first year. The family lives in Southern California, where the “Shahbabies” are now juniors in high school. Phil, a full-time actor, is a recurring character on the popular television series The Chosen Here, Phil provides a family update:

“Life with 17-year-old quads is very busy. Amy does an incredible job of keeping track, managing, and getting them to all their events and responsibilities. Rather than tracking CCs of formula and 24 diapers per day, we are tracking protein intake and making sure they wear their retainers before bed. Three of the kids have driver’s licenses now and are sharing our minivan to get to practices, youth group and work.

“Jeremiah (left) and Cedar (middle back) run varsity cross country and long-distance track. Jonah (middle front) plays mellophone for the school marching band and bass drum for the school pipe band. Jordan (right)

&

is now five years post-bone marrow transplant. He is working hard, thriving, and we are incredibly proud of him. Each of the kids serves at our church.

“They are very aware of the love from their Whitworth ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles,’ the support of our community, and all the prayers that have covered their lives, especially the life of Jordan through years of epilepsy and leukemia relapses.”

The Shahbaz family in 2008 and 2023 (clockwise, from bottom left): Jeremiah, Amy, Cedar, Phil, Jordan and Jonah.

whitworth retro

BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92

In May, Spokane kicked off a citywide celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Expo ’74. Here, we highlight two dynamos who spearheaded Whitworth’s primary involvement in the world’s fair that transformed downtown Spokane – and Whitworth’s campus.

Five weeks before opening day, Carol (Siler) Rusk ’55 began exploring ways to increase Whitworth’s presence at the fair. She had just joined Whitworth’s public relations office after a one-year stint as director of communications for Expo ’74. Rusk negotiated a contract for one of three spaces left at the fairgrounds and found a solution for a quick-construction building: a 50-foot geodesic dome with a nylon shell.

The Whitworth Pavilion housed a 200-seat children’s theatre and an exhibit space. The theatre, under the direction of Associate Professor of Speech and Theatre Al Gunderson, featured student and alumni actors and technicians who presented performances of original, environment-themed sketches.

More than a year before Expo ’74 opened, enterprising student Craig Grant ’76 began “computing possibilities and forming plans” for the EXPO-on-Campus program, a student-run service that hosted fairgoers in residence halls throughout the summer. By opening day, the program had booked reservations for 35,000 guest nights.

Grant and his management team – Ken Onstot ’76, Dave Brown ’77 and Teresa (Emmons) Camfield ’75 –supervised a large staff of students who provided hosting, housekeeping and janitorial services. The dining hall served meals, and faculty, students and alumni provided frequent entertainment, recreation and learning activities.

Fifty years ago, Rusk’s and Grant’s drive and vision –backed by the campus community – introduced Whitworth to the world and brought the world to Whitworth.

Expo ’74 World’s Fair Snapshot

Theme: “Tomorrow’s Fresh New Environment”

When: May 4-Nov. 3, 1974

Where: Spokane River environs, downtown

Total visitors: 5.2 million

→ The fair was opened by U.S. President Richard Nixon in person and was closed by a recorded message from President Gerald Ford. (Nixon resigned from office on Aug. 9.)

→ Whitworth President Edward Lindaman served on the Expo ’74 board and was the featured presenter at Expo’s final symposium.

→ Whitworth science faculty members served on the fair’s Environmental Symposia Committee

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