The RECORD, Fall 2012

A LEGACY OF

Academic Excellence

MCALLASTER SCHOLARS

REMEMBERING DR. MAC

CELEBRATING THEwww.greenville.edu FULBRIGHT

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{PRESIDENT’S COLUMN}

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A Legacy of Academic Excellence

took a course taught by Dr. Mac my first semester at Greenville College. Fifteen of us gathered on the fourth floor of Marston Hall several hours a week to work on writing. I was not quite sure what to make of this professor who issued a war cry to start the All College Hike and routinely waxed eloquent about Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper). I knew, however, that she set high standards, and I was afraid to ever disappoint her.

I once worked on a paper for her into the wee hours of a Monday morning. Her feedback on that particular assignment and comments on the last page so affirmed and surprised me that I remember them more than three decades later. I shared some personal challenges on another assignment. She wrote back that she had awakened in the middle of the night and prayed for me. That late night prayer surprised me, too.

None of my previous teachers had prayed for me.

Dr. Mac was a great prof. She challenged students to do better than they thought they could. She supported them so they overcame doubts and fears. It is Greenville College’s honor to name a scholarship and honors program after her. This issue of The RECORD inspires with stories about Dr. Mac and the McAllaster Scholars Program.

Though Dr. Mac’s style puts her in a class by herself, her high standards and loving support for students characterize GC. For 120 years we have helped students grow deep roots of faith and achieve beyond their own self-doubts. The faculty of Greenville College expects excellence and supports students’ stumbles, all in the name of Christ.

This combination of challenge and support provided by followers of Christ makes education at GC a brilliant experience. It is why we produce great alumni like Fulbright winners Josh Cranston and Shannon Nakai. Read their stories starting on page ten.

GC’s outstanding faculty and staff have delivered brilliant education for 120 years. In that time, hundreds of faculty have been hired, left their mark, and then retired. I was saddened this summer by the retirement of long-time professors Cecelia Ulmer, Bob Johnson, and Joe Culumber. Yet God keeps bringing great people here. You can read about two of our newer faculty “stars” in this issue –Kent Dunnington, philosophy professor and McAllaster Scholars advisor, and Alexandria LaFaye, English professor and award-winning author.

One hundred twenty years of history not only brings changes in faculty, it brings challenges imposed on us by happenings in the world. GC, along with all of U.S. higher education, faces significant change driven by government pressures, economic factors, and the Internet. You can read more about current challenges and our commitment to GC’s mission in a time of change in my article starting on page two.

In this time of internal transition and external challenge, GC is obviously blessed by God. New faculty members in the tradition of Dr. Mac are strong and faithful. Our commitment to the transformative power of God-breathed education is unwavering in the midst of change. The quality of people here and our commitment to delivering that education excites me. This 121st year promises to be remarkable.

Randy Bergen, Acting President

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ON THE COVER: Professor Elva McAllaster ’44 (1922-1997) for whom GC’s updated honors program is named. This fall, 58 honors students, now known as McAllaster Scholars, will participate in the program.

THE RECORD (USPS 2292-2000) is published quarterly for alumni and friends of Greenville College by the Office of College Advancement, Greenville College, 315 E. College Ave., Greenville IL 62246. Phone: (618) 664-6500. Email: therecord@ greenville.edu. Non-profit class postage paid at Greenville, IL 62246. Vol. 103, No. 3.

EDITOR: Walter Fenton ’84 MANAGING EDITOR: Carla Morris ’77 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kaity Teer ’10 GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Pancho Eppard ’00 PHOTOGRAPHY: Pancho Eppard ’00, Beky Smith ’12, Logan Shaw ’14 DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Brianne Cook ’05 WRITERS: Kaity Teer ’10, Carla Morris ’77 Views and opinions expressed by individuals in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Greenville College.

Send letters to The RECORD, Greenville College, 315 E. College Ave., Greenville, IL 62246.

Send email correspondence to: therecord@greenville.edu.

{ 4 } MCALLASTER SCHOLARS

{IN THIS ISSUE }

Enriching the Academic Culture at Greenville College Increased scholarship awards, emphasis on service and the legacy of Elva McAllaster put a new face on honors studies at GC.

Fall 2011 inductees into the McAllaster Scholars Program

{ 2 } MISSION IN A TIME OF CHANGE

Higher education faces a tsunami of change, but Greenville College’s Christcentered mission still proves relevant and inspiring.

{ 8 } BEYOND TEA AND CRUMPETS

Students recall Elva McAllaster’s gracious hospitality and unwavering expectation for scholastic excellence.

{ 10 } CELEBRATING THE FULBRIGHT

We applaud the achievements of our most recent Fulbright awardees and cheer the academic community that nurtured their success.

FEATURES

NEWS

What Inquiring Minds Want to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Campus News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A. LaFaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Homecoming Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

In Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

An Insider’s Guide to Homecoming 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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These days, I cannot open my email without reading about major changes in higher education. Headlines say that U.S. colleges and universities are at a “tipping point,” that we are facing a “tsunami,” a “crisis” or a “revolution.” Sometimes the news is more self-evident: “Future of Higher Education…Unclear.” That is a headline I can agree with!

Though the direction that higher education is headed is still murky, there is little doubt that centuries-old methods of “doing college” are changing. Two realities drive this change: (1) many see the high cost of education today as untenable, and (2) the Internet continues to open up new ways of educating.

Mission in a Time of Change

By Randy Bergen

The cost of a college education today is daunting. We do all we can to keep GC’s costs affordable, especially when compared to similar colleges. Still, tuition, room, and board for our full-time undergraduates will exceed $30,000 this year. The vast majority of our students rely on GC-sponsored scholarships and government funds for help. Legislators, however, increasingly scrutinize these government funds. No surprise. The $38.2 billion set aside this year in the Department of Education just for Pell Grants will exceed the entire budget of eight federal cabinet-level agencies.

Outstanding student loans subsidized by taxpayers exceed $1 trillion. People fear that the trillion-dollar debt is an economic bubble about to burst, much like we saw in the housing loan crisis of 2008. Whether that crisis looms is unclear, but we know government subsidies for GC students appear to be at unsustainable levels.

People hope the Internet will reduce college costs. Technological innovation is certainly

KEEPING COLLEGE AFFORDABLE AT GC 96% – Students who receive financial aid $19,978 – Average financial aid package $9.7 million – Budgeted for financial aid this year $12,000 per year – McAllaster Honors Scholarship 19 – Scholarship opportunities based on merit, need, and major

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Additional Reading

changing our conceptions of the classroom.

Last fall Sebastian Thrun, a Stanford professor, offered a massive open online course, or MOOC, that enrolled 160,000 students worldwide. He alone taught more students in one course than all other computer science professors in the world combined. The course was so successful that Thrun quit his tenured position and invested $200,000 to start Udacity, a non-

but the shape of the wave seems to keep changing. It is not clear, for example, that MOOCs will reinvent the concept of universities. It is not clear that technology will inevitably reduce educational costs. In this dynamic period, change in any number of directions seems possible. It is simply too early to tell which, if any, of these technological changes will emerge as genuine alternatives to college as we know it.

We educate the heart for love of God and humanity, the head for wisdom and knowledge, and the body to skillfully serve. profit endeavor that offers free MOOCs to anyone interested. Udacity intends to receive funding, not from students paying tuition, but from corporations willing to pay finders’ fees to the top students in each class.

Udacity is not the only organization intent on moving higher education from physical to virtual classrooms. edX, the result of a partnership between MIT, Harvard, and the University of California-Berkeley, offers free MOOCs mainly in the computer science and engineering fields. Coursera, a startup company backed by millions of dollars in venture capital funding, also offers free courses. It has formed partnerships with 16 universities including Stanford, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Illinois. Coursera offers undergradute courses in GC’s sweet spot - the humanities, science, math, education, and business - and markets its offerings as “The World’s Best Courses. Online. For Free.” The Atlantic called massive open online courses “the big idea that can revolutionize higher education.”

What remains certain for us at Greenville College in the midst of all this change is that a clear and well-articulated mission drives our work: Greenville College empowers students for lives of character and service through a transforming Christ-centered education in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies.

Greenville College is about educating students, primarily through residential, four-year undergraduate education, so that they learn to love God more deeply and serve humanity more effectively. We want God’s love to shape students’ characters. We want students to develop a passion for the unyielding pursuit of truth wherever it leads.

We want them to develop compassionate impulses and learn how to convert them into meaningful actions. We educate the heart for love of God and humanity, the head for wisdom and knowledge, and the body to skillfully serve.

stories about this place, I was repeatedly reminded that our work is life-changing, not only for our students, but for thousands who will never attend GC. Each teacher education graduate can shape the lives of hundreds or thousands of students. Each art, digital media, music, and theater graduate has the potential to bend popular culture toward Christ. Each psychology or social work graduate can ameliorate mental health issues. Each premed grad can go on to facilitate healing. The list of our graduates’ positive contributions is long. All, we pray, will meet the needs of society and act as Christ’s hands and feet.

The work of Greenville College is truly breathtaking and profound. This is the work that we will preserve as we face change.

Continued focus on our central identity of transforming lives will determine our direction.

In a recent address, N. T. Wright, a New Testament scholar, compared life today with that of 7th century English monks, who, when attacked by Vikings, set out to find God in a new place. They wandered about for two hundred years, but remained true to their faith. According to Wright, “Their task was not to look nostalgically over their shoulders at more stable days, but to go with [God] and see what he would do next.” We, at GC, are on that journey. We believe that change is upon us. We feel it daily. But, centered on God and on our profound mission of shaping lives through Christian liberal arts education, we remain optimistic about the future.

We who deliver higher education may now stand squarely in the path of a tsunami,

In my first month as acting president, I visited with staff throughout campus. As I listened to questions about GC and heard

“The Campus Tsunami” by David Brooks – New York Times (May 3, 2012)

“Faulty Towers: The Crisis in Higher Education”

by William Deresiewicz – The Nation (May 4, 2011)

We cannot deny the popularity of online education, but “people learn from people they love and remember the things that arouse emotion.” Brooks shares why institutions of higher learning can be optimistic about the future.

The strength of our economy, public policy, and culture depend on work done in the academy, but the academy is ailing. Higher education today is a microcosm of the American economy as a whole and reflects the same troublesome trends like widespread deference to market forces and the shift from good secure, wellpaid positions to temporary, low-wage employment.

Sadly, observes Deresiewicz, some institutions have jettisoned the liberal arts, a grave error.

“The Big Idea That Can Revolutionize Higher Education: MOOC” by Laura McKenna – The Atlantic (May 11, 2012) Massive open online courses combine the best of college, exceptional instruction, with the best of technology, online interactive learning. “Is this the future of efficient, effective education?” asks McKenna.

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McAllaster Scholars Enriching the Academic Culture at Greenville College

By Kaity Teer

F

orty-eight years ago Professor of Literature Elva McAllaster created the first honors course – Honors Composition – at Greenville College. Nineteen students enrolled. She saved the typed course roster of their names, and the rosters for subsequent honors composition classes, using it to keep a record of her former students by writing in the names of their spouses and children as they married and started families.

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In 1984, “Dr. Mac” invited these students back to campus for an honors composition reunion to celebrate the course’s twentieth year. Along with her invitation, she encouraged alumni to offer an update on “jobs, children, awards, hopes, and dreams.” She carefully preserved these handwritten updates and family photographs. They are now included in the Elva McAllaster Papers in the Greenville College archives.

Professor McAllaster earned a reputation for holding her students to high academic standards. Paging through the notes and pictures from honors composition alumni, it is also evident how deeply she cared for them. Her legacy of scholarship and service extends to today’s Honors Program.

Greenville College has offered the Honors Program for seventeen years. In 1995, the Academic Affairs Committee formally launched it as an expansion of honors opportunities already available to students in the form of departmental thesis projects and select honors courses.

In fact, the earliest departmental honors projects predate the Honors Program by about 70 years, and McAllaster’s course predates the program by about 30 years.

Initially, the Honors Program focused on “enrichment opportunities for academic challenge, social interaction, and mentor relationships with faculty for students who have demonstrated exceptional performance.” Four directors have led the program through the years, including Gene Kamp ’53, who faithfully served for over a decade.

The program has experienced growth in recent years. The 2011-2012 academic year saw a near record number of departmental honors theses completed, with two of the eleven projects completed by students who also received prestigious Fulbright Scholarships.

Greenville College Honors Program Highlights

Just last month, alumni of the program received a letter from Director Kent Dunnington, who recently assumed leadership. Dunnington, an assistant professor of philosophy and religion, introduced himself, encouraged honors alumni to join the program’s Facebook group and offer an update, and outlined several important changes to the program. These changes are the result of efforts that were initiated by the program’s previous director S. Bradley Shaw ’83 and continued by Dunnington.

Foremost, the program has been renamed the “McAllaster Scholars Program” in honor of Professor McAllaster.

Dunnington likes that the name change communicates how participants ought to view themselves as part of the broader academic community. He explains, “One of the worries about ‘honors programs’ is that they are elitist.

Especially at a place like Greenville College, which has a strong egalitarian Christian ethos, it seems odd to select a group of smart students and ‘honor’ them with accolades and special opportunities.”

Instead, Dunnington calls on McAllaster Scholars to follow Dr. Mac’s example by serving the College. He tells them, “We expect you to enrich the whole College with your minds, and we want to provide you with the permission and training to do that really well.”

When casting his vision for the program, Dunnington often works with two culinary images: the image of cream, which rises to the top, and the image of leaven. Rather than referring to honors students as “the cream of the crop,” he prefers the biblical image of leaven. He encourages the scholars to think of themselves as a “leavening presence” within the GC community. “Jesus uses the image

Leslie R. Marston, future GC president, completes an early honors thesis, entitled “Mysticism’s Message to Our Age.”

Professor Elva McAllaster creates GC’s first honors course, Honors Composition.

1917

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frequently to talk about how the Kingdom is spread. It’s spread by consistent, small acts of faithfulness in the midst of God’s children,” he says. “We recognize that some of our students are especially blessed with intellectual gifts and desires, so we ask: how can we position these students to serve the College best, and by extension, serve the church of Christ.”

This year, Dunnington will introduce two new components of the program: the McAllaster Lecture and the McAllaster Foundations Seminar. The McAllaster Scholars will sponsor the first McAllaster Lecture this fall. Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at the Duke Divinity School, will visit campus on Monday, November 26, to speak in chapel and give a public lecture. Dunnington hopes that this annual event will give the McAllaster Scholars an opportunity to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus. The Foundations Seminar is an interdisciplinary, writing intensive, team-taught, six-credit course that will introduce all incoming Scholars to the liberal arts tradition and set the tone for the remainder of their honors experience.

In the future, Dunnington hopes to develop a signature course for the sophomore and junior years as part of the honors curricular sequence.

Also new to the program is the McAllaster Scholarship, one of the most generous scholarships Greenville College has ever offered. Vice President of Enrollment Michael Ritter ’99 explains the award’s function, “We wanted to draw highly motivated students to the College. It’s been exciting to see a good response from prospective students and their families. That’s the kind of thing that can help to shape the academic culture of the College.”

By early December 2011, the maximum number of incoming freshmen had already been accepted to the program for the 2012-2013 academic year. Students who enroll in the program must meet several requirements to graduate as a McAllaster Scholar. They must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, earn 25 credits of honors coursework, and complete a departmental honors thesis.

Graduates of the Honors Program often say the experience prepared them for later success. Mailee (Harris ’00) Smith credits her honors work with helping her gain acceptance to the honors program at Valparaiso University School of Law, where she received a full tuition waiver and stipend.

She now serves as the staff counsel for Americans United for Life (AUL). She has been involved in over 40 cases through the AUL, including filing briefs in several U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Smith says, “I joined the Honors Program because I wanted the most robust and challenging academic experience I could get. It was exactly that! While the time commitment was at times challenging, I knew that it was providing an even richer academic experience. I knew it was stretching me to attain a higher level of learning.”

With Dunnington at the helm, the newly minted McAllaster Scholars Program continues to provide a robust honors curriculum for its participants and enhance the academic environment on campus. Professor McAllaster’s legacy of creating rich academic experiences and challenging her students endures through a new generation of scholars who will enrich both Greenville College and the Kingdom.

Honors Council formed to examine potential formats for program.

Alumni of Honors Composition celebrate the course’s twentieth year at Homecoming.

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Official launch of GC Honors Program. Two honors general education courses are offered, and 28 students are inducted.

1994

1995

Dr. Gene Kamp becomes program director. An Honors Council of faculty and students assist with leadership.

1998

What Inquiring Minds Want to Know

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t first glance it appears that the student-authors of last year’s senior theses took their topics from a game of Trivial Pursuit – Rwandan genocide, salmonella, Revelation’s message to the American church, heavy metal contamination of a lake near St. Louis. There is nothing trivial about writing a thesis, though. It is a major undertaking that introduces students to the rigors of graduate level work and the challenges of independent study.

“The process allows students to experience all the emotions associated with scholarly in-depth research,” says Professor of English Sandra Schmidt. “Excitement, frustration, disappointment, and delight.

Once the project is completed, they feel a sense of self-confidence and satisfaction only intelligent hard work can provide.”

Although any student who meets certain requirements may write a thesis, all McAllaster Scholars are required to write them. GC’s 2012 President’s Citation awardees, Amber Brown and Amanda DiMiele, were among the Class of 2012 McAllaster Scholars to author theses.

Before beginning graduate studies this fall, each provided a “nutshell version” of her work.

Brown, majoring in biology, math and chemistry, explored the mathematics of the body. “I described a specific aspect of each structural tier of development – cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and

The Honors Society is organized.

Members draft a Constitution and elect 4 student officers. The group facilitates fellowship through service projects and social activities like ballgames, theater, and “Night at the Symphony.”

2000

Amber Brown

Amanda DiMiele

the organism – biologically, and then I presented and described a mathematical idea and explained how it related to the specific aspect of the tier of development.”

She concluded that the mathematical description does not substitute for the biological description, but it provides a valuable perspective nonetheless.

for loving.” DiMiele developed a Christian alternative that argues our bodies’ only moral meaning is to engage in worship practices, which better enable us to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves.

DiMiele, majoring in philosophy and minoring in English, critiqued today’s popular healthy living movement from a Christian perspective. “I focused on the deeply-ingrained moral meanings that ‘healthy living’ carries. For example, daily exercise establishes not only health, but also a strong, responsible personality. These meanings present a model of the body as an object whose sole purpose is to be healthy - a rival model to the Christian one, which understands, simply put, that bodies are

Honors curriculum consists of nine courses.

Participant eligibility requirements for ACT/SAT scores rise from 25 and 1100 to 27 and 1200, respectively.

2006

The thesis opportunity invites students to spend significant time on questions they deem important. It acknowledges the natural progress of a scholar to want to be free of the requirements of day-today coursework to pursue something in depth. “Those who do theses find out how rewarding the process can be,” says Assistant Professor Kent Dunnington, one of more than 20 professors who guided students through the process last year.

“They begin to understand why someone might find scholarship intrinsically rewarding. Many of them will find out that they want to be scholars for life.”

Professor S. Bradley Shaw, program director, announces new name – “McAllaster Scholars Program” – and generous, annually renewable scholarship for members.

Professor Kent Dunnington assumes leadership and envisions student service as central to the honors program.

2011

GREENVILLE COLLEGE

McAllaster Scholars McAllaster Scholars for the 2012-13 school year number 58.

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Beyond Tea and Crumpets Remembering Dr. Mac

By Carla Morris

“Come in, come in!” Bone china teacups, cozy living room, polished woodwork, classical music – Elva McAllaster found dozens of ways to graciously welcome students. Ever observant, she tailored her response to the need – a handwritten note, the gift of a book or poem, a magazine article earmarked “just for you,” a promised prayer. Along with the warmth, however, came her expectation for rigorous scholarship.

As one student put it, “She cared enough to confront.”

P

oet, scholar, and author Eugene Peterson recalls arriving as a freshman at Seattle Pacific College (SPC) in 1950 knowing nothing about the arts. “We didn’t have many books,” he said of his small town upbringing in Montana. “The town itself was totally devoid of anything that had to do with art.”

Peterson wrote for the student newspaper at SPC, however, and majored in English – pursuits that put him in the path of a young professor named Elva McAllaster.

Professor of English and advisor to the newspaper staff, McAllaster embraced English literature with zest. She saw literature as life transposed to an art form and delighted in helping others see it that way, too. She arrived at SPC just two years before Peterson, a newly earned Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in hand.

More than 50 years later, Peterson vividly recalls McAllaster’s pause as she read a sentence he composed for his newspaper column. The sentence said, “This was duller than calculus and Chaucer.”

“Eugene,” she said, “Have you ever read Chaucer?”

“No,” he replied, “But I just kind of liked the sound – ‘calculus and Chaucer.’”

McAllaster sent Peterson selections of Chaucer. He dug in, only to discover that “dull” did not apply.

The experience yielded two pleasures for Peterson: (1) Chaucer’s engaging and artful use of language, and (2) McAllaster’s

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enduring interest in his pursuits. “She kept in touch with me for another 20 years,” he said. “Every time I would write something, she would comment on it.” Peterson went on to author more than 30 books, including his translation, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. McAllaster’s faithful correspondence upon each publication kept their shared dialogue alive.

In 1956, at the call of then Greenville College President H.J. Long, McAllaster left Seattle to teach at GC, her undergraduate alma mater. A member of the Class of 1944, McAllaster valued the prospect of rejoining her mentor and friend, Dr. Mary Tenney.

She admired Tenney as “tough-minded,

but gentle; quick to challenge shoddy thought in a classroom or conversation; quick to notice the needs and moods of other human beings.” McAllaster valued Tenney’s approach and learned from it.

Years later, former GC President Robert Smith used Tenney-like descriptions to recall Dr. Mac’s unwavering dedication to good scholarship. “Elva McAllaster brought her own commitment to academic excellence that made academic administrators like presidents and deans unnecessary. There was no place for mediocrity in her classroom.”

Elva McAllaster, or “Dr. Mac” as she was known on campus, taught at Greenville College for more than three decades. She

I w yo w an O be w

retired in 1988, but continued to serve the College as poet-in-residence until her death in 1997. She published more than 300 poems and short stories in magazines and newspapers worldwide, and six books including three of poetry, two nonfiction volumes, and one novel.

None of her published work falls in the category of love story, yet it is all a love story.

Her written words were born of her love for asking questions, imagining possibilities, and articulating ideas with vivid word pictures that help others learn, too. “Learning is a joyous enterprise,” she reminded her students, whom she treated as fellow companions on an adventure. The staff of the 1964 Vista yearbook dedicated the volume to Dr. Mac, calling her “contagiously enthusiastic as a teacher” and “herself, a continual student.”

“I very seldom lecture for many consecutive minutes,” she observed. “For good or for ill, my classrooms are cooperative enterprises; I toss out the questions and coordinate the responses . . . I’m more like the conductor of a symphony than the solo pianist.”

If literature is life transposed to an art form then Dr. Mac was a professor of life. Scores of letters stored in the GC archives give evidence that her students regarded her so.

Upon hearing of her retirement, Dr. Edward

Knox ’62 penned, “She may have had the title of professor of English, but she was really an inadequately disguised professor of the human heart. I give thanks for her love of literature, her tender heart and her keen interest in the whole student.”

Envy Went to Church

Elva McAllaster treasured a rural Kansas upbringing, the glorious beauty of a western sunset, and warm memories of a family homestead where she was blessed with precious lessons in gratitude, faith, and joy.

Yet, she is buried not far from the College in Montrose Cemetery, very near the grave of her mentor and friend, Mary Tenney. The place is fitting for one who so cherished GC that she chose again and again to make it her home.

Envy paced through the parking lot

Today, the honors program at GC bears McAllaster’s name, and each year in her name a new class of students embraces the rigors of academic excellence. If Dr. Mac stood amongst them to launch this adventure, she might start with table linens, crumpets, and a steaming teakettle. Then again, she might let loose a jubilant “war whoop,” the kind she was known to vigorously release at the start of an All College Hike. Learning, after all, is a joyous enterprise.

Comments from Eugene Peterson originally appeared in Seattle Pacific University’s Response, [Autumn] 2011.

Envy went to church this morning.

Being Legion, he sat in every other pew.

Envy fingered wool and silk fabrics, Hung price tags on suits and neckties.

Scrutinizing chrome and paint.

Envy marched to the chancel with the choir During the processional...

Envy prodded plain-jane wives And bright wives married to milquetoast dullards, And kind men married to knife-tongued shrews.

Envy thumped at widows and widowers, Jabbed and kicked college girls without escorts, Lighted invisible fires inside khaki jackets.

Envy conferred often this morning With all of his brothers; He liked his Sunday score today But not enough: Some of his intended clients Had sipped an antidote marked Grace, And wore a holy flower named Love.

—Elva McAllaster

Reprinted with permission from Christian Life, [January] 1970 and Charisma. Copyright Charisma Media, USA. All rights reserved. charismamag.com

I wasWithforever cured of this misuse and that of to sit and to set, as Gratitude well. On a returned Fine Arts written exam paper, “How can ou be so verbose with the spoken word and so sparse with the written word?” The awareness of my intellectual laziness was awakened nd has served as a faithful prod in many subsequent endeavors.

On a returned Fine Arts written exam paper, “How can you e so verbose with the spoken word and so sparse with the written word?” The a Upon her retirement, Dr. Mac received dozens of well wishes from former students. Here are excerpts from two letters.

You became for me a major ingredient in my

Two examples of efficient teaching come to mind:

developing idea of what it means to be an

During a Scriblerus meeting, “Larry, a college

academic and to live the life of the mind.

scholar and you don’t know the proper usage of

It continues to be so today, even though I am

the verbs to lie and to lay?” During those few

an ocean and half a continent removed, and in

seconds I was forever cured of this misuse and

an academic and cultural tradition even more

that of to sit and to set, as well. On a returned

distant from Christian liberal arts ideals and

Fine Arts written exam paper, “How can you be

values. You showed us that one’s academic work

so verbose with the spoken word and so sparse

becomes part of one’s life. We saw, by your

with the written word?” The awareness of my

example, that the world of ideas transcended

intellectual laziness was awakened and has served

national boundaries, and you showed us the

as a faithful prod in many subsequent endeavors.

liberating effects of an open-minded exploration of cultural life abroad.

—Dr. Lawrence A. Juhlin Jr. ’59 (deceased)

Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and

—Dr. Robert Joseph ’61, Professor

Enrollment Management

Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

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Celebrating the Fulbright Five Reasons to Cheer When Students Win

By Carla Morris

L

ike a miracle weight loss pill or overnight cure for baldness, study abroad courtesy of the Fulbright Program may sound too good to be true: “One-year opportunity to teach or conduct primary research overseas in the subject area of your choice. Expenses paid.”

Expenses paid? Overseas? My choice? Really?

Really. For more than 60 years, federal funds have powered the Fulbright Program, the “flagship” scholarship opportunity for international study. One observer sized up its generous benefits and called it “the cross-cultural Holy Grail.” Perks for the prized

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award include round-trip transportation to the host country, room, board, incidental costs for the year, health benefits, and in some cases, tuition, books, and language study.

Two Greenville College graduates from the Class of 2012, Shannon Nakai and Joshua Cranston, embraced their Fulbright treasures last spring and began unpacking them this fall in Turkey and Norway, respectively. Nakai’s work includes teaching English and exploring Turkish literature. Cranston’s studies focus on environmental sustainability. They are in good company. Fortythree Nobel Prize winners and 78 Pulitzer Prize winners are among the scholars to benefit from the Fulbright program since its

Undergraduate experiences that include studies abroad, research, and independent study all contribute to Fulbright success. Joshua Cranston (left) studied and worked planting trees in Kigali, Rwanda. Shannon Nakai (right) spent a semester at Oxford. Both students completed honors theses. Nakai’s project addressed feminism and Islam in two contemporary works of Afghan fiction. Cranston’s work explored Christianity and vegetarianism.

inception in 1946. Familiar “Fulbrighters” include Joseph Heller, author of Catch 22; Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, soprano Renee Fleming, composers Aaron Copland and Philip Glass, and radio host of NPR’s All Things Considered Melissa Block.

Three current GC professors have also gained distinction as Fulbright scholars - Biology Department Chair Eugene Dunkley; Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs S. Bradley Shaw, a two-time awardee; and History and Political Science Department Chair Richard Huston, a three-time awardee.

Fulbright distinctions deserve celebration especially when they occur in our midst. Here are five reasons to cheer our most recent Fulbright awardees and GC’s role in their success.

New Opportunities for Dialogue – Fulbright opportunities provide a unique platform for Christian students to dialogue with other scholars. “They are designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” notes Shaw. “As Christian scholars we should embrace these sorts of opportunities to engage and shape our culture.” Nakai clearly projects this desire. Her Fulbright application tells a story of her interest in the Muslim community and contemporary Muslim women in particular. “I am fascinated by scholarship about women in Islam carving out niches of power within the guidelines of the Qur’an,” she says. Nakai’s undergraduate experience prepared her well for this exploration.

She has participated in classroom discussions of faith and learning and observed professors who demonstrate a meld of scholarship and faith.

A Winning Proposal – Winning a Fulbright award is the result of a great sales effort. Applicants propose their plans for study to a governing body of academics and officials who hold the Fulbright purse strings. Selling the proposal is tough on two counts. One, the decision-makers remain distant strangers to the applicants.

Two, by application rules, applicants rely only on written words to persuade. For example, Cranston needed to convince reviewers that Oslo was the prime location for his comparative study of rural and urban environments. He concisely detailed half a dozen reasons including Oslo’s rich rural culture, its acclaimed effort to

reduce its footprint, and its distinction as a “European Sustainable City.” He then named a research fellow at the university with whom he had already established contact and cited the welcome already extended to him by the university. His winning proposal reflects the work of GC professors who show students how to transform fledgling ideas into compelling written presentations.

Good Work Affirmed – Fulbright distinction puts the good work accomplished at Greenville College on a world stage. It reminds us that world-class instruction takes place down the hall in Marston and across the way in Snyder. It also reminds us that gifts from alumni and friends of the College equip classrooms and labs that help instructors deliver first-rate learning experiences typically associated with large universities of renown. As part of their Fulbright applications, Nakai and Cranston submitted recommendations from their GC professors. By virtue of winning, they now know that top scholars from other institutions also endorse the caliber of their thought and work.

Praise From Multiple Experts – U.S. scholars review Fulbright applications, assess their merits, and forward only the best efforts to international scholars for further review. Nakai and Cranston presented ideas that earned the favor of national and international scholars. Their work stood up to the scrutiny of many eyes, thanks in part to instruction at GC that develops critical thinking and sharpens analytical skills.

Good Scholarship Attracts Good Scholars – Important awards like Fulbright scholarships attract prospective students who value academic excellence. By offering study opportunities that resemble parts of the Fulbright experience, GC improves its appeal to such students. These opportunities include the College’s Best Semester and Go ED study abroad programs, independent study, and the honors thesis.

The Fulbright award is not too good to be true. It is a golden opportunity that GC graduates like Nakai and Cranston have already embraced. We celebrate their achievements and cheer the academic community that nurtured their success. And, keeping an eye on the future, we welcome the prospect of more Fulbright celebrations to come. www.greenville.edu FALL 2012

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A. LaFaye

Reflections on Creativity, Early Success, and Inspiring Students to Tell Stories

By Kaity Teer

If you’re a teacher, librarian, or a parent, and you scanned this year’s summer reading lists for young readers, chances are you may have encountered the latest work by a recent addition to the faculty of Greenville College’s Language, Literature, and Culture (LLC) Department. Author A. LaFaye’s debut picture book, Walking Home to Rosie Lee, published last year, has earned a warm reception both internationally and nationally in the children’s literature community. It was included in the Teachers’ Choices 2012 Reading List compiled by the International Reading Association (IRA). Skipping Stones, a magazine that promotes multicultural literature for children, selected it as an honors book, and it was also nominated for the Kentucky Blue Grass Award, a student choice program sponsored in part by the Kentucky Reading Association.

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LaFaye’s picture book, which is set in the years following the Civil War, casts light on the largely untold story of the struggle for family reunification experienced by African Americans who had been enslaved. Her protagonist, a freed child named Gabe, sets off after the Civil War to find his mother, Rosie Lee. LaFaye lends her lyrical talent to Gabe’s first-person narration: Come morning, the folks take to the road again, singing songs, telling stories, and dream-talking of the lives they’re gonna live in freedom. And I follow, keeping my eyes open for my mama.

LaFaye hopes that her story will inspire others to celebrate the heroic efforts of African Americans from this era by writing their own children’s stories. “Reconstruction is

one of the most heart-wrenching chapters in American history,” LaFaye says, “AfricanAmerican fortitude and strength were tested over and over again.”

This is not the first book written by LaFaye to receive critical acclaim. Worth, a novel she wrote to tell the story of a young boy who is adopted through the late nineteenth century orphan trains, earned the prestigious Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. In all, she has published eleven novels that include eight historical fiction, two fantasy, and one supernatural novel. Simon and Schuster, Viking, and Milkweed Editions are among her publishers.

A. LaFaye, also known as Associate Professor of English Alexandria LaFaye, joined the LLC faculty last year. She holds an M.F.A.

in creative writing from the University of Memphis, an M.A. in children’s literature from Hollins University, and an M.A. in English from Minnesota State University at Mankato. “As you can tell from my curriculum vitae, I was a little degree crazy,” she says, “I just kept going with the graduate degrees for a while. Each of my master’s theses were creative, and I was able to publish all three of them.”

She is currently pursuing her doctorate through the University of LouisianaLaFayette. True to her imaginative mind and avid curiosity, LaFaye is exploring new writing forms in her doctoral work through its emphasis in poetry and intertextual fiction for adult readers. “As a writer, I’m always trying to do something new. I’m working on a novel in verse that is a retelling of the myth of Cassandra set in a coal mining community in 1911.”

At Greenville College, LaFaye primarily teaches creative writing and the newspaper and yearbook courses. She has worked to improve curriculum in both areas. Last year, she devoted time to developing curriculum for a concentration in creative writing. It will be available to students for the first time this fall. One of the new creative writing courses she will introduce this year is an advanced course, Topics in Genres, which will be taught at the local minimum-security prison for female offenders. The course will be offered to incarcerated students as well

Books by A. LaFaye

as students from Greenville College and St. Louis University. “This course is significant because it involves service learning. The more diversity in a class,” LaFaye says, “the more we can learn from each other.”

Working with digital media professors Deloy Cole and Jessa Wilcoxen, LaFaye has also initiated improvements to the yearbook and newspaper curriculum. She explains, “Journalism is a convergence media. If we’re going to prepare students for professional development and careers in the field, we really need to do so in a way that is in line with contemporary journalism. We felt that it was very important to develop a convergence journalism approach for our classes.”

This approach will see The Papyrus moved to an online format and changes to the layout and content of the Vista. LaFaye, Cole, and Wilcoxen will bring together journalism and digital media students with the newspaper and yearbook staff to form a dynamic publications team. “Students are exited about the changes,” she says, “especially for what it will mean in terms of professional development. We want to produce work that is relevant without letting go of the essence of what have been wonderful publications for years.”

LaFaye’s passion for teaching shines through when she describes her students in familial terms. “As I see it, God gave me early career success because He intended for me to help

others follow in my footsteps. My literary children are my own publications. I consider my literary grandchildren to be those books that I’ve had some hand in helping the authors bring to publication. It is an extremely great honor to work with student writers.”

After completing her first academic year at the College in May, she summarized her first impressions saying, “Greenville College is a Christ-centered liberal arts college that takes every aspect of that very seriously in a way that makes me honored to be a faculty member. I’ve long been compelled by the life and work of John Wesley. I’m particularly engaged by the commitment to service and the dedication to church family, especially in Wesley’s commitment to the way church was done in Biblical times – meeting in homes, sharing meals, supporting one another in times of need. I really admire that kind of approach to Christianity, and I see that carried out in the behavior of faculty and students.”

This summer, LaFaye traveled to Virginia to teach creative writing in a graduate program in children’s literature offered at Hollins University. She returns this fall to begin her second year at Greenville College and launch the creative writing emphasis. Her curiosity and commitment to innovation will continue to empower students whether they are experimenting with new writing styles or exploring convergence journalism through campus publications.

A. LaFaye has authored 11 books including The Year of the Sawdust Man, Nissa’s Place, and The Strength of Saints.

Walking Home to Rosie Lee (Cinco Punto Press, 2011) Young Gabe’s is a story of heartache and jubilation. A child slave freed after the Civil War, he sets off to reunite with his mother who was sold before the war’s end. Gabe’s odyssey in search for his mother has an epic American quality, and Keith Shepherd’s illustrations—influenced deeply by the narrative work of Thomas Hart Benton— fervently portray the struggle in Gabe’s heroic quest.

Worth (Simon & Schuster, 2004) In 1870s small town Nebraska, nothing is easy for young Nathaniel Peale. His leg is crushed in a farming accident, so he can no longer help his father on the farm. Afraid he’ll lose their homestead, Mr. Peale adopts a young boy named John Worth through the orphan train system.

Nathaniel feels replaced by this young boy and frustrated because he lost the closeness he shared with his father. The boys struggle to find their place in their new family situations.

Winner of the 2005 Scott O’Dell Award.

Water Steps (Milkweed Editions, 2009) Every time Kyna comes near water, she feels the sinister pull of the depths trying to draw her down to a watery grave. Even calm water in the bathtub reminds her of the torrential storm that took the lives of her sailing family when she was just a baby. A summer spent at a beach house on Lake Champlain reveals far more than she ever could have imagined. Inspired by Champ, the legendary monster living in Lake Champlain, Water Steps finds novelist A. LaFaye at her best, expertly interweaving themes of adolescent fears and fantasies, the frustrations and rewards of family, and a world of mystery and magic under the placid surface of nature. LaFaye also read for the audio version of Water Steps (Full Cast Audio).

For a complete list visit alafaye.com. www.greenville.edu FALL 2012

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HOMECOMING HIGHLIGHTS & SCHEDULE

Highlights Something For Everyone Back to School On Friday, you can take a seat with today’s students to hear lectures, join in discussions, and learn something new! This back to school opportunity makes select classes open for alumni participation.

Saturday Tailgate Lunch Tap your feet to GC’s marching band as you lunch with family and friends under tents set up at the John M. Strahl Athletic Complex. After the meal, stay to watch Panther football and soccer teams compete, or return to campus via one of the shuttles that will be available throughout the day.

Take a Field Trip What blends beauty with energy efficiency and showcases innovative recycling like the reuse of old bleachers from H.J. Long Gymnasium? It’s the White Environmental Education Center just minutes north of town. You won’t want to miss this open house on Saturday afternoon.

Familiar Favorites Homecoming Parade Last year’s parade received rave reviews and this year’s promises to be even better! Wear your orange and black on Friday afternoon to applaud the Panther marching band, athletes, alumni honorees and a host of other groups that will step off at 4 p.m. for our Homecoming parade.

Calling All Runners Cheer on students, alumni, faculty, and staff as they race through the streets of Greenville in a show of athletic prowess. The Panther 5K Homecoming tradition will be better than ever this year. The Greenville College mascot and cheerleading squad will cheer on runners, ages seven years and younger, through the Fun Run course on Scott Field. Children ages 8-12 will have the chance to sprint down College Avenue for a Panther prize!

Alumni Dinner Join us in the Eleanor M. Armington Center as we honor three very special recipients of this year’s alumni awards,

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Special Events WGRN 60th Anniversary Reunion Were you a station manager, announcer, or producer? Did you host a show?

If WGRN was part of your GC experience, then this celebration in room 201 of the Dietzman Center is for you! Commemorate WGRN’s 60th Anniversary on the air by joining other WGRN alumni and fans for refreshments, conversation, a look at vintage photos and a tour of the newly refurbished WGRN studio.

Guy Chase Memorial Art Exhibit Friends, colleagues, and former students of the late Guy Chase have drawn from his inspiration to create artwork in his memory. Visit the Maves Art Center beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday to stroll through the exhibit and learn more about Guy’s influence.

Schedule Friday, October 19

9 a.m.

Men’s Alumni Soccer Game – Soccer Field

9:30 a.m. Homecoming Chapel – Whitlock Music Center

9 a.m.

Women’s Alumni Volleyball Game – H.J. Long Gymnasium

10:30 a.m. Back to School – Times and locations vary

9 a.m.

Men’s and Women’s Tennis and Alumni Mixed Doubles Matches – Tennis Courts

4 p.m.

Homecoming Parade – Start at Second St. and College Ave.

Post-Parade Pep Rally – Scott Field

4:30 p.m. Junior Varsity v. Alumni Football – Football Field 6 p.m.

Varsity v. Alumni Baseball Game – Robert E. Smith Field

6:30 p.m. Women’s Alumni Softball Game – Lady Panther Field 7 p.m.

7 p.m.

Open House – Watson & Bonnie Tidball Alumni House & Welcome Center Women’s Volleyball v. Westminster – H.J. Long Gymnasium

7:30 p.m. Greenville College Choir Concert – Whitlock Music Center

Post-concert Reception – Alumni House

Saturday, October 20 6:45 a.m. Panther 5K Registration – Hogue Hall Lawn

Join us for a weekend full of Greenville College fun!

recognize reunion classes, and induct members of the 50th Class Reunion into the Wilson T. Hogue Society.

Fabulous food and great conversation with old friends are always the mainstays of the dinner. Childcare is available.

8 a.m.

Panther 5K Race – College Ave. by Hogue Hall Lawn

8:45 a.m. Children’s Fun Run – Scott Field

9:30 a.m. Reunion Class Coffees – Locations vary 9:30 a.m. Bock Sculpture Museum Open House – Bock Museum 10 a.m.

Presenting GC Summer Research Experience – Snyder Hall

11 a.m.

Women’s Alumni Basketball Game – H.J. Long Gymnasium

11 a.m.

Women’s Alumni Soccer Game – Soccer Field

11:30 a.m. Tailgate Lunch – Strahl Athletic Complex 1 p.m.

Football v. Eureka – Football Field

2 p.m.

White Environmental Center Open House –White Environmental Center

2 p.m.

Men’s Soccer v. Westminster – Soccer Field

4 p.m.

Art Alumni Reunion & Guy Chase Memorial Art Exhibit – Maves Art Center

4 p.m.

Women’s Soccer v. Westminster – Soccer Field

5:30 p.m. Alumni Dinner – Eleanor M. Armington Center

9 a.m.

College Avenue Dash – Hogue Hall Lawn

7 p.m.

Men’s Alumni Basketball Game – H.J. Long Gymnasium

9 a.m.

WGRN Reunion – Room 201, Dietzman Center

8 p.m.

Reunion Class Informal Gatherings – Locations vary

www.greenville.edu

Need a fresh look for Homecoming?

Check out GC alumni wear online.

Visit greenville.edu/alumnigear

An INSIDER’S

Guide to

Homecoming

2012 Director for Alumni Relations Pam Taylor has participated in more Homecoming celebrations than most alumni.

Whether Homecoming 2012 is your first or twenty-first, her tips may enrich your experience.

Listen to the stories – “Year after year I enjoy alumni sharing their stories. A thread of familiarity connects them all – friendship, love of God, kindness, great faculty. I am always touched that over the years, the stories have not changed.”

Applaud the half-century graduates – “During the Alumni Dinner, we formally welcome members of the 50th reunion class into the Wilson T. Hogue Society – alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. As each name is read, a new member comes forward to receive a medallion, honor, and recognition as part of this distinguished body of alumni. We are especially proud and indebted to this loyal group of alumni for many years of service to GC.” Take advantage of early connections – “We are glad to offer an informal coffee hour on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for members of this year’s reunion classes to gather at locations on campus prepared especially for each class.

This opportunity provides a meeting space for classmates to reminisce, look at yearbooks and share memories in a more secluded setting. Shortly after, at 11:30 a.m., the Tailgate Lunch will usher in festivities on a grander scale at the Strahl Athletic Complex.”

If you are undecided about attending – “Come! At Homecoming, there’s a certain vibe in the air. It’s festive, fun and warm. When folks return to their college roots, the sense of coming home is significant. Lifetime friendships began here; often lifetime romances began here; spiritual lives began here.

Alumni return to where something good and wonderful began for them, and it is good to come back!”

www.greenville.edu FALL 2012

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{CAMPUS NEWS }

School of Education Continues Tradition of Excellence Greenville College’s School of Education received notification from the Illinois State Board of Education that it has earned the state’s highest recognition for the seventh year in a row. Areas of strength continue to be high quality programming, high candidate employment records, excellent employment recommendations for student teachers, and highly qualified faculty.

Assistant Professor of Education Mark Lamb begins his second year as director of the School’s clinical practices, which are key to student success. He holds a doctorate in education from Maryville University, plus 28 years experience working in secondary public schools including professional development and improving instruction. According to Lamb, programs that have earned the

Mark Lamb

state’s highest ratings instill confidence on two fronts. “One, prospective students gain confidence they will receive topquality preparation for their pre-K through 12 careers. Two, prospective employers gain confidence that applicants with certification and a GC degree on their resumes are well prepared for success in the classroom.”

Student-Athletes Recognized for Academic Excellence and Sportsmanship

At the conclusion of each school year, the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) recognizes studentathletes for their academic excellence and exemplary sportsmanship. This year Greenville College student-athletes received recognition for 67 All-Academic Honors, more than any other conference school. Webster University received 50, and Principia College followed with 48. Among GC’s honorees, six students received the All-Academic Honors twice, once in the fall and again in the spring.

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SLIAC also announced Greenville College as the winner of its 2011-12 Sportsmanship Award. Member schools cast votes for schools whose players, coaches, and fans best exhibit the qualities of good sportsmanship. GC’s Panthers won the overall sportsmanship award based on their conference-best four team Sportsmanship Awards for men’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s cross country, and women’s tennis.

Presidential Search The search for Greenville College’s next president continues to move forward.

GC’s Board of Trustees has established guidelines for the search process and tapped a search firm, CarterBaldwin, for assistance. Trustee Craig Tidball ’76 heads the newly formed search committee and reports that it is off to a good start. “The eleven-member team features strong representation from alumni, faculty, staff, and the board. I’m pleased to be a part of this important committee that is working to secure Greenville’s leadership for the future.”

In July, the group’s work included identifying institutional needs for the future. To learn more about committee members and skill sets sought for the new president, visit greenville.edu/ about/presidential_search. “In the coming months the search firm and committee members will be seeking individuals as candidates,” explains Tidball. “The site will provide a means for anyone to submit names of potential candidates for the office.” The board hopes to announce Greenville College’s new president by next June.

STAY CONNECTED!

i

Read the full stories at www.greenville.edu/news.

Sign up for our free e-newsletter, For the Record. Visit greenville.edu and click on E-Newsletter at the top of the page.

{CAMPUS NEWS }

Fall Theme for Chapel, The God of Second Chances “Our God is the God of second chances,” observes Lori Gaffner, GC’s dean of chapel and director of spiritual formation.

“The characters we read about in the Old and New Testaments were not perfect, and none of us is perfect. But, God is prepared to work with us, and He knows the process.” Anticipating and preparing ourselves for the process of working with the “God of Second Chances” is the theme for GC’s fall chapel program.

Speakers will include names familiar to our college community like Greg and Rebecca Sparks, Kevin Mannoia, pastors Gerald Coates and Doug Newton, and V. James Mannoia, Jr., former Greenville College president. Students can also look forward to hearing coach and motivational speaker Joe Ehrmann and, on October 10, Marshall Allman, producer of the film “Blue Like Jazz.” A welcome addition to this year’s chapel program is Paul

Sunderland, a new member of GC’s Music Department and worship arts instructor.

Sunderland will work with worship teams to integrate music with chapel messages.

Gaffner says that students will also be encouraged to bring their Bibles and more fully engage God’s Word as part of worship. She desires, above all, for students to know our college community as one of faith based in Christ.

Board of Trustees News The Greenville College Board of Trustees has seen some change in its membership.

After serving on the board for five years, Charles McPherson submitted his resignation this spring. His leadership as chair of the board’s Advancement Committee will be missed. The board’s newest members are Jeffrey Johnson and Rex Bennett. Johnson was elected in May 2011. He currently serves as conference superintendent of the Mid-America Conference of the Free Methodist Church and executive director of Men’s Ministries International. His professional experience includes pastoral ministry, teaching, and education administration. Johnson is the

author of several books including Faith Begins (Light & Life Communications, 2011). Rex Bennett, elected May 2012, graduated from Greenville College in 1975 and received his juris doctorate in 1981 from Southern Methodist University College of Law. Bennett is currently a member of Frost Brown Todd, LLC. He focuses on lending and commercial services and real estate practice areas.

Bennett also serves on the Board of Directors for Overseas Council International and the Board of Governors for Heartland Truly Moving Pictures and Heartland Film Festival.

Rex Bennett

Jeffrey Johnson

www.greenville.edu FALL 2012

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ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni News What’s New With You? Submit your information online at www.greenville.edu/alumni.

60s

Jackson Park Blvd, Wauwatosa, WI 53226. speay@nashotah.edu.

James Howard Wallace ’60 retired from teaching and school administration after 36 years of service. 1070 Ormsby Dr, Xenia, OH 45385. joynhow@ameritech.net.

’62

REUNION YEAR October 19-20, 2012

Ron Christian ’67, founder of Christian Living Ministries, recently supplied the Historical Center of the Free Methodist Church with copies of books he authored and compiled during his long ministerial career. For more information about Christian Living Ministries and Ron’s publications, see www.clmbooks.org. 2724 Garrett Dr, Ft. Collins, CO 80526.

Gary ’68 and Mary Ann (Walden ’74) Tucker retired this past spring. Gary worked nearly 44 years as an engineering manager for two international tire companies, Bridgestone and Continental. MaryAnn retired from the C. E. Brehm Library in Mount Vernon, IL. The Tuckers moved to a house they designed and built in Lyles, TN, about 35 miles west of Nashville.

They welcome the chance to meet with other GC alumni in the Nashville area. 10021 Charleston Dr, Lyles, TN 37098. grmt5424@msn.com.

70s Burton Jansen ’70 recently received the Community Service Award for his many years of volunteer service in the North Chicago School System, District 187. 45 Washington Circle, Lake Forest, IL 60045. burtjansen@gmail.com.

’72

REUNION YEAR October 19-20, 2012

Paul Davenport ’73 was named Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida on June 19, 2012. 7728 SW 90th Ln, Gainesville, FL 32608. pdavenpo@ufl.edu.

Rev. Steven Peay ’76 was appointed associate dean for academic affairs at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He also serves as associate professor of homiletics and church history. 8513

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W. Richard Stephens, Jr. ’77 was one of 20 senior college administrators selected by the Council of Independent Colleges to participate in its yearlong Presidential Vocation and Institutional Mission Program for prospective college and university presidents. The seminarbased program helps individuals with the potential to serve as college and university presidents to understand the fit between their personal and professional goals and the missions of institutions they may lead in the future. rstephens@catawba.edu.

Mark DeMoulin ’79 will serve as interim principal of Wheaton Christian Grammar School for the upcoming school year. This assignment follows his retirement from public education where he served more than 30 years as teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Mark and his wife, Karen (Haggerty ’80), are the parents of three adult children.

potential in the field of science education. 4104 Bristol Ln, Edmond, OK 73034. mwinslow@snu.edu.

90s Amy (Starr ’90) Kwilinski qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:40:06 at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN. William Peters ’93 started a biotech company, Chreston LLC, which recently delivered its first product, the Professional Series ITC (isothermal titration calorimeter; micro calorimeter), to market. To learn more, go to www.chreston.com.

William currently serves as primary owner and CEO. 6 York Ct, Baltimore, MD 21218.

Rev. Whitney (Fink ’94) Altopp is the rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ridgefield, CT (www.ststephens-ridgefield.org). Whitney and her husband, Michael Altopp, have four children, Gabriel (14), Vivian (12), Beatrice (9) and Millicent (6). waltopp@ststephens-ridgefield.org.

Jeremy Teran ’95 now works as a systems analyst and developer with HealthSpring, a Cigna Company, in Nashville. 1315 Chapman Ct, Spring Hill, TN 37174. jeremy.teran@gmail.com.

Julie Flanigan ’96 married Michael Dietz on June 2, 2012, in Troy, IL. Julie works for the United States Postal Service and also as a private personal trainer. 9920 Rieder Rd, Lebanon, IL 62254. irishmaillady@aol.com.

Julia Lawrence ’79 has worked with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Legal Services for a year and considers it her “dream job.” Previously, she worked in malpractice defense with the Office of the Attorney General.

Before entering law school, Julia was employed as a forensic scientist for 14 years. She is an ordained elder of Hope Presbyterian Church in Springfield, IL, and also serves as primary caregiver for her disabled younger brother. 72 Brookside Pl, Springfield, IL 62704. jklesq56@gmail.com.

80s Cynthia Ley ’81 participated in missions work overseas with a 16-member team from Valley Forge Baptist Temple in Collegeville, PA. The group reconstructed and renovated a church in Thornton Heath, London, England. Cynthia also assisted the church by providing journalistic and editing services.

’87

REUNION YEAR October 19-20, 2012

Mark Winslow ’87 was recently appointed dean of the College of Natural, Social, and Health Sciences at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, OK. He also received the 2010 National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Outstanding Paper Award for research judged to have the greatest significance and

Rob Clark ’99 serves as executive pastor for Village Church in Surrey, British Columbia.

Village Church held its first public service in January 2010. It has since grown to become one of the larger churches in the greater Vancouver area with weekly attendance topping 1,000. Clark is helping the church expand into a multi-campus church model. 147-2501 161A St, Surrey, BC Canada v3s7y6. rclark@myvillagechurch.org.

Michael ’99 and Stacey (Stohre ’02) Ritter and their daughter, Zoe, announce the arrival of Emma Jill, born May 9, 2012. Emma is happy, healthy, and planning to enroll at GC in fall 2030. Michael is vice president for enrollment at Greenville College. 3110 Alexandria Dr, Glen Carbon, IL 62304. michael.joseph.ritter@gmail.com.

00s Jim ’00 and Catherine Catanzaro, a son, Caden James, born April 26, 2012. Caden arrived three weeks early, weighing 8 lbs. In June, Jim served as host football coach for the 2012 Nike Full Contact Camp for Chicago at Lake Forest College. He was a senior linebacker at Greenville College during its championship season in 19992000. Several former GC coaches from this championship year joined Catanzaro at the Nike camp. Together, they coached about 100 youth.

Tim ’04 and Rachel (Krober ’04) Wayman, a daughter, Alli Nichole, born January 12, 2012. She joins big sister, 3-year-old Brooke.

Tim is a workplace planning consultant with Fidelity Investments, Inc. 106 Quail Hollow Rd, Greenville, IL 62246. rachelwayman6@yahoo.com.

Dan ’08 and Kristi (McKinley ’09) Denner have recently accepted new positions. Dan is the music director at Living Word United Methodist Church in Wildwood, MO. Kristi teaches ESOL at Craig Elementary School in Parkway School District. 73 Forest Garden Dr, Eureka, MO 63025. denners2010@gmail.com.

Eric ‘04 and Cassandra (Johnson ‘04) Weidmann, a daughter, Emmaline Elizabeth Maye, born January 12, 2012. Eric is the new lead creative of the Target Digital Weekly Ad. He is responsible for the creative execution and translation of the ad into various digital media.

He also teaches post-production courses at IFP Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that encourages filmmaking and photography in the Twin Cities. Cassandra earned a master of arts in education at Bethel University in 2009. She is thrilled to be staying home with Emmaline after teaching six years in an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. 3727 Polk St NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421. ecweidmann@gmail.com and ericweidmann.com.

Marissa (Weatherby ’08) Sands received her juris doctor degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale School of Law in May 2012. She will join a law firm in Taylorville, IL, beginning fall 2012. missysands@panthers.greenville.edu.

Rebecca West ’00 married Steven Biel on January 1, 2012, in Westcliffe, CO. Rebecca works as a school counselor, and Steven works for Compassion International. 1419 Imperial Dr, Apt B, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. beccatovienna@yahoo.com.

REUNION YEAR October 19-20, 2012

Timothy ’02 and Julia (Schoenhals ’02) Cohalan were married May 26, 2012. 1912 Pearl St, Eugene, OR 97405. jschoenhals@gmail.com.

Kyle ’02 and Miriam Krober, a daughter, Emma Kate, born April 30, 2012. Emma joins brother Jackson, 18 months old. The Krobers have recently relocated from Baton Rouge to Indiana.

5963 Pine Bluff Dr, Avon, IN 46123.

Jeffrey and Amy (Wilhelm ’02) Ruyle, triplets, born February 21, 2012. They are Malory Lauren, Catherine Anne, and Reeser James Roger Ruyle. 8539 N Schiller St, Dorsey, IL 62021. mrsruler04@yahoo.com.

Chad Bowker ’04 is president and chief executive officer of Chesterfield State Bank in Chesterfield, IL. P.O. Box 105, Chesterfield, IL 62630. cbowker72@hotmail.com.

Eric and Andrea (Sackett ’10) Wills were married May 26, 2012. 3819 W Puget Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051. skitmarie@gmail.com.

Leigh (Crenshaw ’05) Crenshaw-Wells recently relocated to the St. Louis metro area and accepted a position as data manager in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Webster University.

1926 Mustone Ln, St. Louis, MO 63146. lacw61@gmail.com.

Joel Goodman ’06 received his master’s of art degree from The New School for Public Engagement, New York, NY, in May 2012. His thesis was titled “Our Foreign Selves: Mapping Transnational Media in a Real-Time World.” 1601 E. Cesar Chavez St. #306, Austin, TX 78702

Joshua Zink ’10 and Rachel Walters look forward to their wedding, August 18, 2012. Also, Josh will enter the Library and Information Science Program at Kent State University. 575 E SR 18, Apt E-1, Tiffin, OH 44883.

Zink.joshua@gmail.com.

Kelli Burdsall ’11 received her master’s degree in business administration from Anderson University in May 2012. She now works with the Anderson Impact Center (AIC) as office manager. AIC provides education, job training, and placement to low-performance and at-risk students and those who have dropped out of the public school system. 5722 Wiebeck Ct, Indianapolis, IN 46226. kelli.burdsall@gmail.com.

Alan Collom ’07 works for The Warranty Group in Champaign, IL, as an information security specialist. 19605E 500N Rd, Georgetown, IL 61846. alan.collom@gmail.com.

Steve Gentry ’07 graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine on Saturday, May 19. He has entered a family medicine residency at University of IllinoisMethodist Medical Center in Peoria, IL.

Andrew ’11 and Shannon (Nakai ’12) Wingert were married on June 10, 2012, in Greenville, IL. In September they will move to Turkey where Shannon will teach English and do research through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

www.greenville.edu FALL 2012

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ALUMNI NEWS

’02

William House ’10 earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Illinois-Springfield. 2225 South College, Springfield, IL 62704. william.house.2@gmail.com.

Emily Williams ’10 graduated this past May from the University of Illinois with a master’s in library and information science. 1206 W Charles St, Champaign, IL 61821-4522. emilywilliams@panthers.greenville.edu.

Pictured from left to right are Brent Becker, Barry Creviston, Catanzaro, Adam Gonzaga, and Brian Boerboom. 1913 Sunshine Ct, Zion, IL 60045. catanzaro@lakeforest.edu.

Joyce Lakes ’01 has authored a book, Justice Delayed vs. Justice Denied (AuthorHouse 2010), which explores racial issues, business ethics, and rights in the modern workplace. For more information visit www.authorhouse.com. Ladyj25@charter.net.

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ALUMNI NEWS

In Memory Neil Edward Pfouts ’41 passed away May 27, 2012. Neil completed his master’s degree in education from the University of Rochester, and his thesis remains one of the most complete histories of Roberts Wesleyan College and the early Free Methodist Church. He married Neva Baker in 1945. Together, they filled a variety of roles over the years serving Roberts Wesleyan College and Pearce Memorial Church. Neil concluded his professional career as director of records and registration at the State University of New York College at Brockport, retiring in 1982.

Grace (Heath ’44) Hollin passed away March 4, 2012. Grace served elementary schools for 30 years as a teacher and librarian, most recently in the Cincinnati area. She and her husband, Felix, were married 61 years and raised four children together. He survives.

Rev. John Henry Hoyt ’46, age 90, died June 2, 2012. John’s studies at Greenville College were interrupted by the draft.

He served overseas during WWII in Africa and Europe, and then returned to marry his college sweetheart, Constance Kerns ’45. After completing his undergraduate studies at GC, he pastored in Belvidere, IL. He also attended Northern Baptist Seminary in Chicago. He was called back into military service during the Korean War as a warrant officer, junior grade. He later transferred to the USAF Chaplaincy. John remained in the reserves until he retired at age 60. He pastored Free Methodist churches in Florida and also served on the faculty at Asuncion Christian Academy. Most recently, John lived in Greenacres, FL. He is survived by his wife, Connie, two sons and three daughters.

William B. Winger ’46 passed away June 29, 2012. He was 90 years old. William worked for Pennzoil Refinery, retiring in 1986 after nearly 40 years of service. In retirement, he enjoyed yard work, woodworking, and model railroads. He is survived by his wife, Gertrude, and five children.

Flora M. Sult ’48 of Fort Mill, SC, went home to be with her Lord on March 26, 2012. She was 86. Flora taught in the Centre Area School District for one year and in the Berwick School District for 30 years. She retired from teaching in 1979. Flora engaged in several church activities and taught Child Evangelism Fellowship classes.

After moving to Fort Mill in 1984, Flora worked for the Heritage Christian Bookstore and Carolina Pottery Store. She was a member of the Lakeshore Christian Fellowship and dearly loved her pastor and church family. She is survived by two sisters, nieces, and nephews.

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William “Earl” Whitlock ’48, age 86, passed away May 8, 2012. During World War II, William served as a member of the Eighth Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1945. The plane he piloted was shot down over Germany during his seventh mission, and he remained in Germany as a prisoner of war until the end of the war. In civilian life, William taught physical education and coached basketball and baseball in Odin, IL, while earning his master’s degree in supervision and administration from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He taught and coached at schools in southern Illinois and established a reputation as a winning coach. He retired from teaching in 1965. William later worked for the Illinois State Board of Education as supervisor of driver’s education and also worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation. Survivors include his wife, Joan (Henderson ’47) Whitlock, two sons and their families.

Esther (Savage ’49) Goodenough, age 91, passed away on November 7, 2011, surrounded by her family. Esther was preceded in death by Robert Goodenough, her husband of 56 years.

Survivors include three children and seven grandchildren, of whom several are Greenville College alumni. Esther was a member of the First Free Methodist Church of Peoria, IL. She also later attended Victorious Life Bible Church of East Peoria with her children and grandchildren.

She loved the Lord Jesus Christ and served Him faithfully for many years, lending generous prayer and financial support to her family, church, Christian higher education, and mission organizations around the world.

Doris A. (Rich ’55) Gingrich, age 78, passed away November 5, 2011. Doris taught grade school in Elkton and Bad Axe, MI, and Glen Ellyn, IL. She is survived by her husband, Richard, two sons and their families.

Richard ’56 and Esther (Crawford ‘57) Congdon died Sunday, June 3, 2012, from injuries sustained in a car accident in Knoxville, TN. They were married June 29, 1963. Both taught elementary school for more than 30 years. They lived in upstate New York until their retirement in 1988. They lived in Venice, FL, for 15 years before relocating to Knoxville, TN, in 2006. Both Richard and Esther were active members of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Charles “Skip” Carroll ’58, age 80, passed away on June 3, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Margaret (Gibbons ’69) Carroll.

Edward LaMarr Griffith ’60 passed away June 4, 2012, at age 73. Shortly after graduating from Greenville College, LaMarr married Lorraine Collier. They lived in Dearborn Heights, MI, and LaMarr taught high school business courses in Garden City. He later trained as a bank manager and studied under the American Institute of Banking (AIB). He eventually served as an instructor for AIB. In 1967, LaMarr went to work for Greenville College as its financial aid director.

In 1976 the Griffith family moved to Dunedin, FL, where LaMarr worked in banking and as a credit manager until his retirement in 2000. He was a member of Palm Harbor United Methodist Church and enjoyed singing with the Chancel Choir and the Harbortones. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, three children and their families.

Susan Doty ’72, age 60, passed away November 22, 2010 in Maryville, IL. She taught 35 years and retired in 2010, from Granite City School District #9.

Mari Ellen Reeser ’81 passed away on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012, in Germany where she had served Black Forest Academy (BFA) for over 20 years. Her roles included educational therapist and counselor. She left BFA to earn a master’s degree in counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary in St Louis, MO, before returning again to the BFA community. Mari Ellen is known for praying for BFA students, encouraging, equipping, and advocating for them in constant demonstration of Christ’s unconditional love. She leaves a legacy steeped in her love for the Savior, of whom she spoke frequently and fervently. One couldn’t know her without discovering Him. She will be remembered by all who knew her for her larger-than-life laugh.

Randy Dean Pifer ’99 of Casa Grande, AZ, went to be with the Lord on June 1, 2012, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 51.

Randy excelled as a quality engineer with several corporations including Hexcel, Tyco, Kimball, and EG&G. He was a member of the American Society for Quality. He also instructed at Frontier College in Fairfield, IL. He is survived by his wife, Margaret (Marge) Robinson Pifer, a daughter, son, and their families.

Stella Rosabel Dillman, 89, of Galesburg and Momence, IL, formerly of Greenville, died February 10, 2012. A resident of Greenville from 1952 to 1967, she worked in the Greenville College Bookstore and was an active member of the Greenville Free Methodist Church. Memorials may be made to the Keith Barker Dillman and wife Rosabel, Endowed Scholarship at Greenville College.

Thank you alumni and friends of Greenville College!

$900,000.00

$863,864

$850,000.00 $800,000.00

$800,000

With your help, we surpassed our goal of raising $800,000 for The Fund For Educational Excellence in fiscal year 2012.

$750,000.00 $700,000.00 $650,000.00

$725,305

2011 Actual Contributions

2012 Goal

2012 Actual Contributions

www.greenville.edu FALL 2012

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the

RECORD

GREENVILLE COLLEGE FALL 2012

GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS 62246

Introducing new online masters degrees designed to complement and enhance your career.

Master of Science in Management Practice Master of Arts in Education

Coaching, Curriculum & Instruction, English as a Second Language, Literacy Same tradition of excellence, new online classroom.

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www.greenville.edu

Quality education. Unmatched experience.

Since 1892.