THEY ARE
WILSON First male residential students look back on their Wilson experience
Commencement | London Bound | Wilson, HACC Expand Agreement “My Vagabond Life” | Summer Campus Stays Busy | Reunion Weekend volume 91 | SUMMER 2018 | number 2
HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND OCT. 19 & 20
Don't miss our "BBQ and Brew" celebration, cheer on the Phoenix and even get onto the field yourself! Families and alumnae/i welcome.
For the full schedule of events and registration, visit
www.wilson.edu/homecoming
FALL WEEKEND — SEPT. 28-30 Activities include alumnae/i-student networking, Fulton Farm fundraising dinner, Reunion 2019 planning session and more. Watch for additional schedule and registration information in the alumnae/i monthly e-newsletter and at
www.wilson.edu/fallweekend
Contact the Office of Alumnae/i Relations at ARoffice@wilson.edu or 717-262-2010.
volume 91 | SUMMER 2018 | number 2
FEATURES
16
10 Wilson Holds 2018 Commencement Comedian and author Jane Condon delivers light-hearted keynote address.
22 A Matter of Degree(s) Assistant Professor of Business and Economics Joseph Crouse finds a career that combines his many interests.
12 They are Wilson By Coleen Dee Berry The first male residential students look back on their Wilson experience.
24 “My Vagabond Life” A lifelong traveler, Cathie McIntyre ’68 savors the international life.
16 Greetings from Wilson It may be summertime, but there’s still a lot going on around campus.
AROUND THE GREEN 20 London Bound Determination, study abroad and the science of beer-making land Kirstin Lehman ’18 at Royal Veterinary College.
26 Phoenix Sports Wrap Wilson softball, volleyball and golf teams close out seasons.
ALUMNAE/I 27 Alumnae Association Reunion Weekend; President’s Report; Annual Trustees Report; AAWC awards; bulletin board. 36 Class Notes 61 In Memoriam
10 DEPARTMENTS 02 Letter from the Editor
27
03 Wilson News Wilson enters agreement with HACC; H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest dies at age 88; tuition to increase in 2019-20; work begins on Henninger Field; Master of Special Education program receives state autism endorsement approval; Wilson offers three teacher certification pathways; nursing program holds first Hustle for Health fundraiser; College announces student awards; College receives Newcombe Grant for mature students; students present research at Pennsylvania Academy of Science;
Nursing Honors Society welcomes new inductees. 08 Alumnae/i News Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55 receives honor; Wilson MFA graduate premieres dance show; advancement vice president meets Midwest supporter. 09 Hidden History: "Magic Lantern" Slides By Kieran McGhee, College Archivist 64 Last Word: Making an Impact By Evan Hoke ’19
STAFF Coleen Dee Berry Managing Editor Kendra Tidd Design Cathy Mentzer College Editor Brie Burdge ’16 Class Notes Coordinator Contributing Writers Coleen Dee Berry, Evan Hoke�19, Kieran McGhee, Cathy Mentzer, Noel Robinson�19 Contributing Photographers Jenny Cisney, Terry Clark, Lisa Helfert, Cathy Mentzer, Dave Sinclair, Ryan Smith, Bob Stoler, Kendra Tidd, Travis Tosten �10, Courtney D. Wolfe �12 Cover Photo by: Lisa Helfert
WILSON MAGAZINE COMMITTEE Coleen Dee Berry, Managing Editor Mary F. Cramer ’91, Alumnae Association President Amy Ensley, Director of the Hankey Center Marybeth Famulare, Director of Alumnae/i Relations Lisbeth Sheppard Luka ’69, Alumnae Association Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations and College Editor Camilla B. Rawleigh, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kendra Tidd, Graphic Designer Courtney D. Wolfe ’12, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Judy Kreutz Young ’63, Alumnae Association Wilson Magazine is published quarterly by the Office of Marketing and Communications and the Alumnae Association of Wilson College. Send address changes to: Wilson College Alumnae/i Relations, 1015 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, Pa. 17201-1279, 717-262-2010 or mag@wilson.edu. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors or the editor and do not represent the official positions of Wilson College or the Alumnae Association of Wilson College.
CONTACT US: Wilson Magazine mag@wilson.edu 717-262-2790 www.wilson.edu/magazine Alumnae Association aawc@wilson.edu 717-262-2010 www.wilson.edu/aawc Office of Alumnae/i Relations ARoffice@wilson.edu 717-262-2010 www.wilson.edu/alumnae
— letter from the —
editor
The end of the academic year and the beginning of summer bring two of the College’s biggest events to campus— Commencement and Reunion Weekend. This year’s Commencement marked a milestone in Wilson’s history—members of the first cohort of undergraduate men to live on campus were among the 99 traditional undergraduates to receive their degrees. While the 2013 decision to expand coeducation may have changed the College—perhaps in some unexpected ways—the fundamental Wilson student experience still endures, as both men and women students testify in this issue’s feature, “They Are Wilson.” As the magazine was going to press, we were saddened to hear of the passing of H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest. Together with his wife, Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55, the two were the College’s greatest supporters. Turn to page 5 for more on his remarkable life of philanthropy. Reunion Weekend brought more than 260 alumnae/i and their guests to campus to celebrate anniversaries for those with class years ending in 3 and 8. It was striking to note how many of the attendees had lived and worked—and made contributions—abroad. Read about the “vagabond life” of one such alumna, Cathie McIntyre ’68, in this issue. There is also a full report on Reunion events in the Alumnae Association of Wilson College section. I would be remiss not to thank now-former AAWC President Mary F. Cramer ’91 for all her hard work and dedication during her term. We also welcome new AAWC President Lynne E. DiStasio ’74 as she takes office. In this issue, you can find a story about one of Wilson’s newest alumnae, Kirstin Lehman ’18, and her plans to attend graduate school in London, and a profile of one of Wilson’s remarkable new faculty members, Assistant Professor of Business and Economics Joseph Crouse. And if you think summer is a time when Wilson all but shuts down, then turn to “Greetings from Wilson” and discover just how busy the College can be during June, July and August. Hope you are enjoying your summer! Read on, and enjoy! Coleen Dee Berry Managing Editor
Editor’s Note: In the winter 2018 “Last Word,” the full name of UMCOR was incorrect. It is United Methodist Committee on Relief.
You can read Wilson Magazine online at:
www.wilson.edu/wilsonmag Class notes are not published online for privacy reasons. If you would like to receive a PDF of the class notes, please email Wilson Magazine at mag@wilson.edu.
WILSON NEWS WILSON ENTERS AGREEMENT WITH HACC
I
n May, Wilson College and Harrisburg Area Community Col-
“This creates a template for us that we think is replicable with oth-
lege signed an expanded agreement allowing HACC associ-
er community colleges,” she said.
ate degree graduates to seamlessly enter Wilson, bringing with them all of their credits earned with a grade of C or better. The agreement is a win for both institutions and their students, while contributing to efforts to increase educational attainment
A national and state movement to increase postsecondary educational attainment—the number of Americans who hold degrees and other high-quality credentials—is underway. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf has set a goal of 60 percent of the state’s residents
in Pennsylvania, according to Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. She said the agreement with HACC is a step toward improving access to Wilson’s bachelor’s degree offerings for community college graduates. “It’s a way for us to partner with the community college to create pathways for students who want to come to Wilson,” Mistick said. “We want to make it easy.” PHOTO BY LISA HELFERT
Under Wilson’s articulation agreement with HACC, qualified associate degree graduates are guaranteed admission to Wilson with full junior status. Students who identify their desire to continue at Wilson while working toward their associate degree at HACC will be connected with Wilson’s advising resources and have their application fee waived.
earning an associate or bachelor’s degree, or high-value certif-
The two colleges have shared their curricula and academic
icate, by 2025. In 2014, the most recent year for which data are
requirements, and are working to strengthen organization and
available, only 43.8 percent of Pennsylvanians had reached that
planning between the institutions to ensure a smooth transition
level of attainment, a report from the Lumina Foundation states.
and positive student experience. A scholarship for HACC students enrolling at Wilson is also in the works, officials said. Wilson is looking to forge similar agreements with other com-
Meanwhile, the demand for workers with degrees or advanced training is growing, even in times of low unemployment. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Work-
munity colleges to improve access to Wilson’s bachelor’s degree
force, two-thirds of all jobs created in this decade will require some
offerings for those colleges’ graduates, according to Mistick.
form of postsecondary education, while only about 40 percent of adults in the U.S. currently have achieved that level of education.
It's a way for us to partner with the community college to create pathways for students who want to come to Wilson.” Barbara K. Mistick, President
“Jobs are getting more complicated and that’s why Pennsylvania is working toward a goal of 60 percent with a postsecondary degree by 2025,” Mistick said. “With these kinds of partnerships with other institutions, Wilson College is responding to workforce needs while helping more students create a path to a bachelor’s degree, knowing that degree is going to deliver to them (a higher income over their lifetimes).” According to The College Payoff: Education, Occupations Lifetime Earnings, a report on lifetime earnings by level of education published by the Georgetown center, someone with an associate degree earns over a lifetime an average of $423,000 more than a person with only a high school diploma, and a person with a bachelor’s degree earns an average of $541,000 more than someone with an associate degree. — Cathy Mentzer
summer 2018 03
WILSON NEWS COLLEGE TO INCREASE TUITION BY 3 PERCENT IN 2019-20 After holding tuition for traditional undergraduates without an increase for the past eight years—a span that included a 17 percent tuition reduction in 2014—Wilson recently announced that it will increase tuition for traditional undergraduates and adult degree program students by 3 percent for the 2019-20 academic year. Room, board and fees for 2019-20 will remain at current levels. The last time the College increased tuition for traditional undergraduates was in 2011-12. “The time has come for a modest increase to keep up with rising expenses and inflation,” said President Barbara K. Mistick. “The College remains committed to value and affordability, but we can no longer avoid a modest tuition increase. We believe that after eight years, a 3 percent adjustment for 2019-20 is fair.” The tuition adjustment translates to an additional $712 in tuition for full-time traditional students. With the increase, tuition and fees for traditional students living on campus will rise from $36,189 to $36,901 in 2019-20.
The Wilson Board of Trustees, whose members voted on tuition and fees at their May 11-12 meeting, decided to hold the line on tuition for graduate students, as well as students in the Teacher Intern Program (TIP), for 2019-20. Wilson’s traditional undergraduate enrollment provides the single largest source of revenue to the institution. The 3 percent tuition hike for traditional undergraduates and adult degree students is expected to bring in an additional $470,000 in revenue for fiscal 2020. Wilson, which was ranked as 5th best value school among regional colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report for 2018, awards nearly $19 million in aid annually. The College also offers a Student Loan Buyback plan that pays up to $10,000 toward qualified students’ federal Stafford Loans debt upon graduation. —CM
Students Present Research at Pennsylvania Academy of Science Four Wilson College seniors presented the results of their research and one was recognized for her oral presentation at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PAS), held March 23 to 25 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa. Karis Daniel placed second in the oral presentation category for her research project. Amanda Haase, Kirstin Lehman and Deborah Rifflard also presented research at the PAS meeting, which was the award competition’s seventh year. Daniel, who is majoring in biology, presented her research project, Validating Fecal DNA Technologies for Ungulate Conservation. Daniel completed the research during the fall 2017 semester while participating in the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation semester program at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. Her research assessed the validity and integrity of fecal DNA used for conservation of two critically endangered ungulate species – the scimitar-horned oryx and Dama gazelle. Daniel was assisted in her project by biology professor Dana Harriger and Budhan Pukazhenthi of SCBI.
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Rifflard, this year’s Margaret Criswell Disert Honors Scholar, presented research on The Effects of Probiotics on Canine Weight and Fecal Fat Content. Haase’s research project was entitled Comparison of Factors that Affect the Karis Daniel �18, left, at SCBI. Ethanol Concentration in Blood during Putrefaction and Lehman, who did her research project in collaboration with Chambersburg’s Roy Pitz Brewing Co., presented Investigation of Possible Points of Contamination by Lactobacillus and Pediococcus in a Microbrewery. The students were accompanied to PAS by faculty members and advisers Deb Austin, Abigail Berkey, Brad Engle, Dana Harriger, Tonia Hess-Kling, Katie Sarachan and Brad Stiles. Students shared the results of their research with the campus during the annual Student Research Day on April 27. —CM
COLLEGE MOURNS LONGTIME SUPPORTER GERRY LENFEST H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, who together with wife Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55, made a number of transformational gifts to Wilson that both changed the face of campus and supported key educational programs and scholarships, died Aug. 5 at the age of 88. “We all know well the impact that Gerry and Marguerite have had on Wilson College,” said President Barbara K. Mistick. “It would be difficult to spend any time on campus, or even walk from one space to another, and not experience an area untouched by their generosity. From the Brooks science center and Lenfest Commons to the Lenfest Learning Commons in the John Stewart Memorial Library, their love and support for Wilson is evident.” The Lenfests made their fortune by selling their cable television company, Lenfest Communications, to Comcast Corp. in 2000—then making the extraordinary decision to give it all away. Individually and through the Lenfest Foundation, the Huntingdon Valley, Pa., couple donated more than $1.3 billion to more than 1,100 organizations, supporting causes ranging from the arts to environmental programs and independent journalism. But their highest priority was building self-sufficiency through education, and Wilson is one of the top 10 beneficiaries of their philanthropy. During Wilson’s “Leading with Confidence” capital campaign, the Lenfests pledged a total of $20 million toward the College’s endowment. Over the years, they have supported the Wilson Fund and unrestricted endowment, student scholarships, faculty development, the Single Parent Scholar Program and facilities renovations—including a 2013 gift of $3.6 million to the Reimaging the John Stewart Memorial Library renovation project that created Lenfest Learning Commons, a student gathering and study space. “We had a wonderful campus visit with Gerry and Marguerite during the campaign to reimagine the JSML,” Mistick said. “We sat and chatted up on the second floor of the library, which gave a great view over our academic quad and toward the Harry R. Brooks Science Complex, named in honor of Marguerite’s father. Their vision for and generosity to Wilson over many decades has been truly extraordinary—and their legacy will always be apparent.” Born in Jacksonville, Fla., and christened Harold FitzGerald, Lenfest was raised in Scarsdale, N.Y., and Hunterdon County, N.J. He
Marguerite Lenfest Brooks '55 and husband H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest at the dedication of the Harry R. Brooks Science Center in 2009.
graduated from Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy, earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington and Lee University in Virginia and then served in the Navy before receiving his law degree from Columbia Law School. In 1965, Lenfest went to work for media powerhouse Walter Annenberg and Triangle Publications Inc., and eventually ended up owning his own cable company, which became the basis for his fortune. Despite his wealth, Lenfest had a habit of flying coach and using public transit in order to converse with fellow travelers. Often those conversations led to Lenfest learning about a local charity— and later writing a check to support it. Besides Wilson, he gave to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation and Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, among many others, and championed the new Museum of the American Revolution, which opened in April 2017. He also rejuvenated the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News, gave $109 million to Mercersburg Academy and formed the Lenfest Scholars Foundation to create opportunities for rural Pennsylvania students. In recognition of the Lenfests’ outstanding and innovative leadership in philanthropy, the couple were awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in October 2017, and were honored at a ceremony held at the New York Public Library —Coleen Dee Berry
summer 2018 05
WILSON NEWS
PHOTO BY COURTNEY D. WOLFE �12
WILSON EXPANDS TEACHER CERTIFICATION PATHWAYS
FIRST HUSTLE FOR HEALTH EVENT DRAWS 65 PARTICIPANTS The first annual Hustle for Health race held Saturday, April 28, raised $7,465 to support future medical mission trips for Wilson students. Sixty-five people participated in the event, which was held on campus and featured 5-, 2.5- and 1-mile walk/ run events. Wilson’s first medical mission, held during the 2018 January-Term, sent 14 students and faculty members to the Dominican Republic to assist healthcare volunteers in migrant work camps. The College’s Division of Nursing and Health Sciences, along with partner Summit Health, plans to sponsor another medical mission in 2020. Hustle for Health will be held every year to raise money for a mission trip. The 2019 race is scheduled for Saturday, April 27. —CDB
As of July 1, Wilson’s education division began offering post-baccalaureate students three pathways to gain teacher certification. The College’s Teacher Intern Program (TIP), now known as Teacher Certification Pathways (TCP), includes the following certification methods: • TIP—The Teacher Intern Pathway is the new name of the Teacher Intern Program, but remains essentially the same, with courses taught in the classroom. • FLIP—Wilson began its Foreign Language Intern Pathway last year in order to certify candidates who are already teaching a foreign language. Students in this pathway can take courses either face to face or online. • TOP—The newest certification offering, the Teacher Online Pathway, is designed to serve the market beyond Wilson’s current 80-mile commuter radius. TOP is for students seeking to earn certification in secondary education subjects (biology, chemistry, English, mathematics and social studies) and in two pre-K to grade 12 areas (business, computers and information technology, and Spanish). Courses are offered online and participants must perform an internship or complete their student teaching in Pennsylvania. For more information, go to www.wilson.edu/teacher-onlinepathway. —CDB
WORK ON HENNINGER FIELD GETS UNDERWAY
Work at the field, which is owned by the Borough of Chambersburg, included leveling and re-sodding the infield, improving drainage and installing a warning track, according to Vice President for Finance and Administration Brian Ecker. He said the improvements in the first phase of upgrades are necessary to get Henninger Field into compliance with NCAA specifications for baseball play. Wilson’s share of the cost is approximately $250,000. In exchange, the College has a 10-year agreement for the exclusive use of the field, Ecker said. He said the borough is also making improvements at Henninger, including making public restrooms handicap accessible, moving electric lines and ensuring that the lights and scoreboard are
06 wilson magazine
operational, removing trees and providing cleaning services for the facility on an ongoing basis. A second phase of work could include things like concession and press box upgrades and a new gate for the ballpark. “There are some ideas for Phase II, but those are really future things we might want to do to the field. We have no definite plans at this point,” Ecker said. Wilson’s new NCAA Division III baseball team, which will compete in the Colonial States Athletic Conference, will launch its official season in spring 2019, but NCAA rules allow the team to hold practice sessions this fall. Team officials plan to end the fall season with a scrimmage against another team. —CM
PHOTO BY CATHY MENTZER
The first phase of work to upgrade Chambersburg’s historic Henninger Field, which will be the home of Wilson College baseball, began in June and is expected to be completed by the end of August, just in time for the inaugural team to start practicing for the unofficial “fall ball” season.
WILSON MSE GETS AUTISM ENDORSEMENT APPROVAL
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Wilson’s Master of Special Education (MSE) program has received approval of an autism endorsement curriculum from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, a credential that will benefit teachers and others who work with people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Wilson will begin offering the new autism-focused courses—all of which can be taken online—this fall. The courses will allow students to increase their knowledge about autism, including characteristics, assessment, instruction and behavior interventions. Although the autism endorsement courses are being offered through Wilson’s Master of Special Education program, students don’t have to be enrolled in it to take the graduate-level courses, according to Associate Professor of Education Lynn Newman, who chairs Wilson’s Division of Education. However, students must have a bachelor’s degree to take the courses.
STUDENTS, FACULTY RECOGNIZED AT 9TH ANNUAL ACADEMIC AWARDS
Only Pennsylvania-certified teachers are eligible for the autism endorsement–for which they can apply to PDE after successfully completing the course requirements–but those working in other occupations could take the courses as professional development activity, Newman said.
Wilson College held its annual academic awards ceremony on Friday, April 27, in the Brooks Science Center, concluding a day of recognizing academic excellence. Student Research Day was held earlier in the day. The Margaret Criswell Disert Honors Scholarship was awarded to Elen Harutyunyan ’19 and the Donald F. Bletz teaching awards were also presented to three faculty members. For a full list of awards, go online to www.wilson. edu/2018awards.
The autism endorsement requires the completion of four courses, two of which are already required for the MSE degree, so MSE students only need to take two additional courses to be eligible for the endorsement. More information on the new autism-focused courses is available at www.wilson. edu/autism-endorsement. —CM
The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation has awarded Wilson College a $25,000 grant to support students age 25 and older who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree and need financial assistance. The Newcombe Foundation, a Princeton, N.J.based charitable organization, has supported mature students at Wilson College since 1986. The Newcombe Scholarships for Mature Students enroll students through two programs: the Single Parent Scholar Program and the Adult Degree Program. The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation is an independent foundation that began in 1979 as the result of a bequest from its namesake, a Philadelphia philanthropist. The foundation continues Newcombe’s support of students as they pursue degrees in higher education through scholarships and fellowships.
PHOTO BY JENNY CISNEY
NEWCOMBE GRANT FOR MATURE STUDENTS
SOCIETY INDUCTS NEW MEMBERS The college nursing division inducted 17 students and community members into its Nursing Honor Society during a campus ceremony held April 19. Members were welcomed into the society by the organization’s president, Sherri Stahl, senior vice president of hospital services and chief nursing officer at Chambersburg Hospital. To become a member of Wilson’s honor society, nurses from the community must be invited and hold a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in nursing. Students in Wilson’s bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in nursing who have completed at least three-quarters of their education and have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher are also eligible for membership. —CDB
summer 2018 07
WILSON NEWS ALUMNAE/I NEWS WILSON MFA GRADUATE PREMIERES NYC DANCE SHOW Wilson Master of Fine Arts graduate Anabella Lenzu ’18 premiered her dance-theater piece, No More Beautiful Dances, at the La Mama Experimental Theater in New York City on May 30 and 31. Originally from Argentina, Lenzu is a dancer, choreographer and teacher with more than 25 years of experience working in Argentina, Chile, Italy and the United States, and currently is the artistic director of the dance theater company Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama. She graduated in May with an MFA with a concentration in choreography. No More Beautiful Dances wrestles with the ideas of being an immigrant and the exploration, introspection and reframing of a woman after becoming a mother. The dance-theater piece uses drawings, spoken word and video projections to tell a personal vision of femininity, and what it means to be a woman today. Classically trained at the renowned Teatro Colòn in Buenos Aires, Lenzu studied the modern dance techniques of Humphrey/Limòn and Martha Graham in New York. Her studies of tango and the folk dances of Argentina, Spain and Italy, further inform her work. Her choreography has been commissioned all over the world, for opera, television, theatre productions and by many dance companies, including Anna Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble (New York) and Movimento Danza (Naples, Italy). Lenzu founded her own dance school, L’Atelier Centro Creativo de Danza, in 1994 in Argentina, and has maintained an active teaching career ever since. Currently, she conducts classes at Peridance Capezio Center and is artist-in-residence at New York University-Gallatin and Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. Lenzu has also written for various dance and arts magazines. She published her first book in 2013, Unveiling Motion and Emotion. The book received an honorable mention from the International Latino Book Awards in San Francisco as part of the American Library Association Conference in June 2015.
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MARGUERITE BROOKS LENFEST ’55 HONORED In recognition of her exceptional service to Wilson College, Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55 was conferred with trustee emerita status at a ceremony held at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa. President Barbara K. Mistick and Trustee Margaret Hamilton Duprey hosted the April 25 event, where Board of Trustees President Barbara L. Tenney ’67 presented Lenfest with an emerita certificate. Among the Wilson former and current Trustees attending the event were, from left: James A. Orsini, current trustee; Margaret Duprey; Carolyn Smithson Burger ’62, former trustee; Pamela Francis Kiehl ’66, current trustee; Betty Jane Weller Lee ’57, former trustee; Betty Lou Leedom Thompson ’60, trustee emerita; Robin J. Bernstein, current trustee; Mary F. Cramer ’91, current trustee; Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55; Jane Everhart Murray ’67, trustee emerita; Patricia A.W. Bennett ’68, former trustee; Lisbeth Sheppard Luka ’69, current trustee; Barbara L. Tenney ’67; Lucinda Sandford Landreth ’69, former trustee; and President Mistick.
MIDWEST MEETING While in the Midwest this spring, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Camilla B. Rawleigh, left, met with Selma "Sunny" Nelson Duvick '48 of West Des Moines, Iowa. Duvick has been a generous supporter of Wilson for many years.
summer 2018 08
— hidden —
history
'MAGIC LANTERN' SLIDES By Kieran McGhee
T
he Hankey Center and C. Elizabeth Boyd ’33 Archives receive a steady stream of donations from alumnae/i and their families throughout the year. Just as exciting are the transfers and donations that come from various offices and departments across Wilson’s campus. A few months ago, a delivery arrived from Physical Plant. It was a large cabinet that looked like a long-defunct card catalog one would find in the corner of a library. Along with it came a large slide projector that was as long as the cabinet itself. Inside the cabinet drawers, we did not find catalog cards or the simple paper slides everyone might remember from the 1970s and 80s. Instead, we uncovered hundreds of glass plate lantern slides. In the mid-1800s, Philadelphia-based daguerreotypists Frederick and William Langenheim introduced the lantern slide and projector to the world. This invention came to Wilson College in the early 1900s. The technology of the lantern projector—also called a “magic lantern”—allowed for photographic images to be viewed and studied by a large audience. These slides were used by artists, teachers, lecturers and museum curators to supplement and enhance their lessons and speeches. With these slides, Wilson students were able to study objects and sights from around the world in greater detail than ever before.
The slides are made of thick glass about the size of a credit card and are comprised of thin prints sandwiched between two 3 1/4-inch glass rectangles and held together with binding tape. The images on the slides are stellar, high-quality photographs of architecture and sculpture throughout Europe, covering time periods from medieval times and ancient Rome to the Victorian era. Apparently the College’s fine arts department used the lantern slide projector frequently. Wilson’s long history of being committed to the arts is reflected in the quality and breadth of this collection of slides. The magic lantern projector itself is quite cumbersome and it’s difficult to imagine this mammoth machine in the middle of a Wilson classroom. The machine clicks as the instructor adjusts the focus for each and every slide through a shining beam of steady light. When compared to the seamless and silent transition of a modern computer-based slide show, it is clear why these slides—while in wonderful condition—have not been used in quite some time. The provenance of these slides is unknown, but these information-rich images will allow the Hankey Center, and by extension the Wilson community, to enhance our already extensive collection of photography from the late 19th and early 20th century. These images will be useful to not only architecture and photography scholars, but also to any members of the greater Wilson community interested in travel, anthropology and beyond. — For more information on the Hankey Center’s C. Elizabeth Boyd ’33 Archives, please send email to hankeycenter@wilson.edu or call 717-262-2562.
summer 2018 09
R
Wilson Holds 2018 Commencement
ain forced the 148th annual Wilson College commencement ceremony indoors on May 13, but it didn’t dampen the mood of the assembled graduates, guests and speakers, thanks in large part to the address delivered by comedian and author Jane Condon.
Condon also shared advice that she has given to her own two sons: “You can’t always control the world, but you can choose your attitude—whether to be positive or negative. You can make a zone of kindness wherever you go … Kindness is contagious, like laughter.”
True to form, Condon kept the audience assembled in Laird Hall laughing throughout her speech. She used some of her favorite quotations as a way to dispense pithy advice to the Class of 2018, mixing quotes from historical icons such as Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare and Margaret Mead with observations from comedians, including Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin and Wendy Liebman.
In introducing Condon, President Barbara K. Mistick said the Class of 2018 describes itself as a “happy class, one with a great sense of humor.” Condon—who was named “Audience Favorite, New York” on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and won the nationwide “Ladies of Laughter” contest— was a natural choice for commencement speaker. Mistick also presented Condon with an honorary degree from the College.
“Enthusiasm colors
the world” The Alumnae Association's Blue and Silver Line, headed by marshal Patricia Westervelt Bennett ’68, led the graduates into the ceremony, during which 214 degrees were presented. For the first time in the College's history, there were more graduate students—113—than the 101 who received bachelor's and associate degrees.
Class of 2018 President Cierra Valentine, who is also a Single Parent Scholar, talked about overcoming obstacles in her address. “In life, there are challenges that can break you. But in attempting to break you, they also mold you into the best version of you. College is a perfect example of one of those life challenges. For me, it took six cars, five colleges, one child and
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an innumerable number of tears for me to make it here to commencement today. It was not easy and it did not come free … but it was always worth it.” Adult Degree Program speaker Francesca Giustini, who overcame a serious concussion that delayed her college studies, told her classmates to be fearless and embrace their passions. “Don’t be embarrassed by what brings you joy, strengthens your compassion or inspires you,” Giustini said. “Enthusiasm colors the world.” While Wilson as an institution has continued to adapt to the interests of today’s students, the College’s core mission remains unchanged, Mistick told the commencement audience. “Our commitment is to the importance of a liberal arts education that expands hearts and minds in pursuit of truth, equity and equality,” she said. During the ceremony, Wilson Trustee Robin J. Bernstein conferred trustee emerita status in absentia on Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55. Lenfest, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa.—a former Trustee and, with her late husband Gerry, generous donor to her alma mater—was unable to attend commencement, but was honored at an event in April at Longwood Gardens. Associate Professor of Computer Science Donald Kelley, who is retiring after nearly 20 years of service, was recognized with professor emeritus status.
Clockwise from top: comedian and author Jane Condon reacts to the crowd after her commencement speech; President Barbara K. Mistick, left, with Class of 2018 president Cierra Valentine and her son, Jeremiah; a group of graduate students await their diplomas; Adult Degree Program speaker Francesca Giustini.
THEY ARE WILSON 12 wilson magazine
The College’s first male residential students look back on their Wilson experience by Coleen Dee Berry
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ommencement this May marked a milestone for Wilson’s Class of 2018, as members of the first cohort of undergraduate men to live on campus crossed the stage and received their diplomas. The moment passed without fanfare—unlike at the beginning of the fall 2014 semester, when those first traditional residential male undergraduates arrived on campus in the wake of the College’s decision to become fully coeducational. Despite initial controversy and concerns about the future of women-centered education, the men of the Class of 2018 have high praise for the same student experience cherished by alumnae/i through the years. “If I would have gone anywhere else other than Wilson College, I would not be who I am right now, both socially and scholarly,” said Cody Dunlap ’18, who is the first man to become president of the Wilson College Government Association. At one point during his course of study, Dunlap had to take a course at another, larger university. “I realized rather quickly I would not have done well there,” he said. “They just didn’t care as much as they do here at Wilson. People care here, they invest time in you, they will sit down with you and work with you and through any problems you may have.” Daniel Glazier ’18 chose Wilson because of the College’s low faculty-to-student ratio. One of his fondest class experiences was his international marketing course, “with a class size of two, myself, (adjunct) Professor (Alan) Rock and another student,” he said.
Daniel Glazier �18, right, with Ashley Horn �18 at the student center in Lenfest Commons.
They were able to spend the semester doing case studies and other projects, and discussing various course topics. “This would not have been possible with a class of 700 in an auditorium, nor would we have covered so much material and in such great depth,” Glazier said. Tim Horn ’18, who transferred from the University of Pittsburgh, said Wilson’s small size gave him opportunities he never would have had at Pitt, such as being asked to join the men’s golf team and writing for the student newspaper. “There’s more opportunity to connect with people vs. a big school, where it’s harder to get involved in extracurricular activities,” he said. “You’re not just a number. You get to know the advisers and the professors, and it’s not like a big school where you just get lost in the shuffle.”
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Twins Marquise and Martez Beckett (both ’18) were attracted to Wilson because of the chance to play for Wilson’s inaugural basketball team. “It didn’t hit me until I went to orientation that the school had been all women,” said Martez. But he came to appreciate the Wilson learning experience. “You see it’s a completely different type of college,” he said. “Most colleges are male-dominated, so the fact that Wilson is the exact opposite is pretty cool.”
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hile Wilson was founded in 1869 as a women’s college, men have studied on campus—first under the G.I. Bill created for World War II veterans and then when the College’s Adult Degree Program began in 1982. But it wasn’t until the College’s Board of Trustees voted in 2013 to expand coeducation across all programs that traditional undergraduate men were allowed to live on campus. A group of alumnae challenged the 2013 decision and when the first male undergraduates moved into their dorm rooms to start the fall 2014 semester, the Pennsylvania State Department of Education had not yet issued a final ruling on the challenge. There was still much anxiety on campus. Then, during Convocation in September, Professor of English Michael Cornelius delivered a speech that brought cheers from the audience when he pointedly told the incoming male students that not only were they welcome, but also that, “You are Wilson.” Looking back on that moment, Cornelius said he felt the tension over the coed decision needed to be addressed. “Any time there is a change, there is an inhalation—everyone is holding their breath to see what happens, what changes will
From left, Martez Beckett (#3) and Marquise Beckett (#12) on the court against Goucher College.
The first few weeks were not without some anxiety for the new men on campus. Marquise Beckett said he felt “scared and welcomed, all at the same time.” Roger Schaffer ’18, who transferred to Wilson from Penn State, said, “It was a little odd being, like, one of two guys in a class of 30, but I got used to it pretty quickly.” Many of the male undergraduates said they did not know when they applied to Wilson that the College had recently become coed. But once here, the men became aware of the controversy surrounding that decision, according to Glazier. “From the beginning, I knew that the tension (I experienced) was due to the coed decision and not necessarily me,” he said. “Therefore, I did not take any hostility or animosity personally.” For the most part, the female members of the Class of 2018 wholeheartedly welcomed their male counterparts. Ashley Horn ’18 said she was aware of the coed decision when she first applied. “That was actually a deciding factor for me,” she said. “I did not want to attend an all-women’s college. I was not disappointed (by the College’s decision) because I’ve always gone to school with men. It would have felt unnatural not to have men on campus. “I think it was a good change,” Horn continued, “because it’s added more diversity to the campus and it’s attracted more students to the college.”
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THE COLLEGE FUNDAMENTALLY HAS NOT CHANGED … THE WILSON EXPERIENCE HAS NOT CHANGED.
Michael Cornelius, Professor of English
take place. I just wanted to get everyone to exhale,” he said. “I wanted to tell everyone, ‘Coeducation is going to be good. It’s going to be great. Everything will be normal. It’s not going to change what Wilson is.’” In fall 2014, Associate Professor of Sociology Julie Raulli chaired a committee studying how to retain the best aspects of women-centered education as the College moved to coeducation. Despite initial concerns, Raulli said she feels going coed has not meant the end of women-centered education. “It’s still going strong,” she said. “Since women-centered education is institutionalized here—in the curriculum, in
the Hankey Center and in adopting aspects of female pedagogy—I think we’ve kept that spirit alive.” All undergraduate students, male and female, must take a women’s studies course at Wilson. Many of those courses are taught by Associate Professor of Spanish Amanda McMenamin, who said she has always had some men in her women’s studies classes, since ADP students are also required to take them. The men have contributed noticeably to the classroom discussion, McMenamin said. “In fact, some of my male students have become the most deeply involved and vocal participators in class, perhaps, for the first time having a place—a safe space, let’s call it—to discuss these issues of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, class, etc.,” she said. “If you are a feminist practitioner of inclusive education, bringing men to campus does not change your drive for equality. If anything, it only heightens it.” Amy Ensley, director of the Hankey Center for the History of Women’s Education, said she is most impressed by the number of male students who have come to the center for research and then become fascinated with the history of the
ident. “Each semester brought new waves of students from different backgrounds, with different life experiences. Each semester I watched the College grow and expand.” Wilson’s growth in the past four years is the College’s real test, according to Vice President for Student Development Mary Beth Williams. “The challenge is in the number of students, not their gender,” she said. Williams joined Wilson as dean of students and vice president in fall of 2014 and since that time, total enrollment has increased by 60 percent, from 759 students in fall 2014 to 1,216 students in fall 2017. “When I started, Wilson had 20 international students. Now this fall, we may have 40,” Williams said. “More students means we have to have more support services, more programming, more opportunities for engagement with the community—and all these also have to reflect the diversity on campus, not just gender.” Despite the growth brought by coeducation, “The College fundamentally has not changed … the Wilson experience has not changed,” Cornelius said. His point is underscored when recent graduate Dunlap describes the closeness of the campus community.
From left: Cody Dunlap �18 on campus; a study session in the Lenfest Learning Commons; Evan Hoke �18 and Amanda Wimmer �19 in the dining hall.
College and women’s education. “I think there’s a tremendous value in educating men in an environment of strong women,” Ensley said. “I think our society will be better for that.” Coeducation has made the current campus “more diverse and international, which is a good thing,” Raulli said. The increased diversity has made an impact on the student experience. “Student life has changed tremendously since I first came on campus,” said Cierra Valentine, Class of 2018 pres-
“Right around the end of my first fall semester, walking around campus, people started greeting me, ‘Hi Cody, how are ya?’ And it started to become more and more people doing it,” he recalled. “Eventually, by the end of freshman year, everybody knew who I was. Like, how does this happen? That is one of my favorite Wilson experiences. That really helped me come out of my shell.” W — Noel Robinson �19 contributed to this story.
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ummertime is here—Commencement is over, Reunion Weekend has come and gone, so not much is happening on campus until classes start in August, right?
Oh, so wrong! The Wilson campus bustles all summer long, with 25 graduate and undergraduate classes, ongoing research projects and events for new and prospective students. Check out some of the highlights for Wilson summer 2018.
Childbearing/Families Clinical Lab: “It’s a girl (or a boy)!” In a typical lab session for this Division of Nursing and Health Sciences course, nursing students gather around a high-fidelity mannequin called Lucina to assist her in giving birth. Lucina can exhibit signs of labor, go into contractions and give birth to a tiny mannequin. But Lucina isn’t the only “patient.” For example, students can work on Leopold maneuvers using another mannequin to feel the position of a baby in the mother’s womb. Each weekly, eight-hour lab session for the course is directed by clinical adjunct instructor Monica Diehl and lecturer Alaina Smelko. There are 27 students in the 5-credit course, which runs from May 14 to Aug. 17 and includes two weekly lecture sessions as well.
Environmental field research: The 12 Wilson students participating in the weeklong Stewardship of Watershed Ecosystems course travel every day to different area locations—such as Kings Gap Hollow in Dickinson and the Ridge Warehouse site in Penn Township—and take part in chemical, physical and biological research surveys. The focus of the course this summer is on the pros and cons of the use of injection wells and detention basins for storm water management, according to Christine Mayer, director of the Fulton Center for Sustainability Studies. Students give formal presentations at Brooks Science Center on their findings.
Farm Stand: Every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m., the Fulton Farm sets up its produce stand on the academic quad in front of the Brooks Science Center. Wilson students, faculty and staff—as well as community residents—can stop by to choose from the fresh picks of week: assorted greens and herbs, summer squash, carrots, tomatoes and more.
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LEAP (Learning, Exploring, Achieving and Participating): This free, two-week residential program gives incoming first-year students extra academic support—focusing on mathematics, reading and writing—and helps them successfully transition to college life. The program marks the beginning of the students’ Wilson orientation, with daily discussions on topics such as the Honor Principle, gender relations, leadership opportunities and community development. In addition to the academic work, the 23 first-year students and two sophomore mentors toured Washington, D.C., and Gettysburg; hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail; and created an interactive performance piece with MFA Director Joshua Legg.
Master of Fine Arts low-residency program: In July, 15 Master of Fine Arts students assembled on campus for a four-week, summer intensive residency program. Students in this year’s program come from as far away as Texas. This summer, the MFA students partnered with the Coyle Free Library in Chambersburg to create a site-specific art project that will celebrate the history of the library and all the ways it serves the community, according to Joshua Legg, director of the MFA program. Each student contributed a piece for the project, with mediums ranging from visual art to dance and performance art. The MFA students will also hold an exhibit of their work at the Bogigian Gallery on campus at the end of their session.
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USDA research: A group of Wilson students, staff and faculty are out daily along the Conococheague Creek to collect water samples, assess water flow and download data from positioned weather stations and underwater probes at monitoring stations along the creek. It’s all part of a longterm study of the Conococheague watershed, in association with a research lab from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, parallel studies are ongoing at the Fulton Farm on special plots reserved for the USDA research.
Summer Preview Days: Welcome to Wilson! The College hosted four Preview Days this summer for first-year students and their families—with 180 students and their families attending, the largest group since the program began. These previews are mini-orientations designed to help students prepare for their Wilson adventure when they return for MoveIn Day in August. Students can meet some of their fellow classmates in advance (because it’s nice to have a friendly face to look forward to seeing again!), pre-register for fall classes, take care of parking permits and photo IDs, and meet with financial aid counselors. With all of that crossed off their to-do lists, students can focus on having fun during new student orientation in August.
Layout by Jenny Cisney
LONDON
PHOTO BY TRAVIS TOSTEN
BOUND
Determination, study abroad and the science of beer-making land Kirstin Lehman ’18 at Royal Veterinary College By Coleen Dee Berry
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y the time she was 14, Kirstin Lehman ’18 owned her first horse and knew she wanted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Her determined pursuit of that goal led her to Wilson, and after graduation this May, earned her a spot at the Royal Veterinary College in London, the oldest English-speaking veterinary college in the world. The inspiration for her application to the Royal Veterinary College came from veterinarian Jessica Rexroth, with whom Lehman interned in 2017 in the Allentown, Pa., area. “We had a lot of discussions about veterinary school in the car as we were going from appointment to appointment,” Lehman said. ”She graduated from there about 10 years ago and recommended it highly.” While the prospect of becoming a veterinarian excites Lehman, her experience at Wilson—including her Student Research Day project—opened up another possibility.
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“Before I was interested in solely becoming a vet and being able to perform surgery, but I’m thinking now about going into the research field,” Lehman said. “That could change, but it’s something I’m definitely going to explore.” Lehman, who grew up in Coopersburg, Pa., said Wilson was her early choice for college. “When I was a sophomore in high school I plugged all my college requirements into a college search engine and the answer came up Wilson,” Lehman said. “It’s the only fouryear VMT (veterinary medical technology) college in the area. I wanted a four-year program and also wanted a college that offered riding programs, particularly dressage, and Wilson was it.” She began her studies at Wilson as a VMT major, but then decided to double major in VMT and biology in order to complete the required courses for veterinary school. “Most vet schools want a full year of physics,
a full year of biochemistry—courses I might not have taken if I just stuck to the VMT course of study,” she said. She took classes every summer while at Wilson, traveled to Costa Rica for a three-week internship in a spay-neuter clinic and participated in the 2017 study-abroad trip to South Africa, where she helped conduct research into the pros and cons of fencing game preserves. “The South African trip was amazing,” Lehman said. “Ideally I would have loved to go back there to do more research, but that wasn’t possible.” Switching gears for her Student Research Day project, she told her advisers—Adjunct Instructor of Biology Brad Stiles and Professor of Biology Dana Harriger—that she wanted to create a study concerning food safety and microbiology. That led her to the Roy Pitz Brewing Co. in Chambersburg and Chris Collier, the company’s head brewmaster.
[Lehman] is an example of what we look for in Wilson students—someone who, besides the academics, is engaged in activities on campus and beyond. — Dana Harriger Professor of Biology Collier, who is also a business partner in the microbrewery, had worked with Stiles in the past, giving brewery tours to the instructor’s microbiology classes to demonstrate the science behind beer-making. Since brewing beer involves microbial activity at every stage, Collier said he and Stiles would often discuss microbiology. ‘We really can geek out over what microbes go into making a good brew,” Collier said. When Stiles mentioned one of his students was interested in doing a research project relating to the brewing process, “we were excited about the opportunity,” Collier said. Lehman’s project illustrates “how the College can interact with local businesses and be part of the greater community,” said Harriger. “It’s a way for Wilson to show support for our local businesses.” Microbreweries must guard against contamination by the wrong kind of microbes, so Lehman proposed a project testing for two kinds of bacteria—lactobacillus and pediococcus—at the points of transfer in the brewing equipment (such as moving a brew from one fermenting tank to another). “We set her up to look at process in two different brews (ale and lager) and showed her the points of transfer in equipment,” Collier said. At her Student Research Day presentation, Lehman reported that her test results did not show any contamination. She also pre-
sented her findings at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. For Collier, those negative results were a big positive. “The study was confirmation that our brewing process is sound,” he said. “It gave us peace of mind that we were doing things correctly.” Harriger, who describes Lehman as At left, Kirstin Lehman �18 on campus. Above: Lehman conducts “very inquisitive and tests for her Student Research Day project at the Roy Pitz Brewing s u p e r- m o t i v a t e d,” Co. in Chambersburg. added, “she is an example of what we look for in Wilson students— someone who, besides fered by the school. “You can do things like the academics, is engaged in activities on go to India to work in a spay-neuter clinic or campus and beyond.” Lehman participated do research in Africa,” she said. “I would love in the Wilson College Government Asso- to go back to do research again in Africa.” W ciation, was chair of the Campus Activities Board and president of the dressage club, tutored students through the academic support center, and worked as a Wilson tour guide and as a work-study student, helping prep labs in the Brooks Science Complex. Lehman is looking forward to studying in London and plans to take full advantage of the travel and research opportunities of-
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DEGREE(S) Assistant Professor of Business and Economics Joseph Crouse finds a career that combines his many interests By Cathy Mentzer
“He is insanely smart.” That observation from recent graduate Roger Shaffer ’18 about one of his professors, Joseph Crouse, seems undeniable. The 24-year-old assistant professor of business and economics has a slew of degrees and career achievements more befitting of someone much older. But suggest he is a genius and Crouse will politely, but firmly, disagree. “No, I don’t think so,” said Crouse, who has never had his IQ formally tested. “I think it has a lot to do with work ethic. I have a really strong work ethic. That’s really what propelled me.” Crouse, who joined the Wilson College faculty in fall 2017, graduated from high school
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in 2011 and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology online from Charter Oak State College in Connecticut at the same time. Three months later he had his MBA from Frostburg State University in Maryland and by the time he was 20, he had completed his doctorate in economics. Crouse began expediting his educational path in high school. “In 10th grade, I found out about the advanced placement program, and when I found out I could earn all of these college credits taking a test based on my learning, and that I could teach myself, I guess I put my foot on the pedal,” he said. In total, Crouse has an associate degree,
bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees— in human sciences from Hood College, rehabilitation counseling from the University of Alabama and business administration— and a Ph.D from the University of Nevada, Reno. “I think if you count, I actually have around 200 undergraduate credits,” Crouse said. “I just really enjoy learning.” Earning degrees is not all he’s been up to: Crouse, who has worked in academia as a college professor, instructor, teaching assistant and research assistant, also has been employed as a vocational economic analyst and labor economist. He continues the latter as an independent consultant, testifying in court cases about the lifetime economic losses sustained by clients who have been injured or wrongfully terminated from their jobs.
PHOTO BY KENDRA TIDD
A MATTER OF
Oh and by the way, he’s also a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. “My educational history is a little complex, as well as my work history,” said Crouse in typical understated fashion. “I did a lot in a very short period of time.” At Wilson, Crouse teaches management and economics. His down-to-earth, easygoing manner and healthy sense of humor make him popular with students, some of whom are older than he is. Natasha Goessel ’19, who was on the search committee that helped bring Crouse to Wilson, took his Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics classes this past year. “Professor Crouse's strength is listening,” said Goessel. “He has a calm and understanding presence and is very receptive to student feedback. Economics is a tough field with many abstract ideas, but he presents material in a way that is easy to consume.” Shaffer, who also took Crouse’s micro and macroeconomics courses, particularly likes Crouse’s unpretentious personality. “I have actually gone to lunch with him a few times after class because he is a cool guy to hang out with,” Shaffer said. Crouse arrived at Wilson after initiating a job search to bring him closer to his family home in Taneytown, Md. When he began the search, he was working as an adjunct economics instructor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as a labor economist and vocational economic analyst for a private company. After four or five interviews with a number of colleges, Crouse had several offers, but accepted the position at Wilson. One of the things that attracted him was Wilson’s small
class sizes. “I thought it would be exciting to teach in that kind of environment,” he said. “I had taught larger classes at the major state universities. My classes in Nevada were usually 50 to 100 students.” Crouse, who has been interested in teaching since he was a young boy, said he didn’t realize just how much he would like teaching at the college level. “I enjoy the dialogue with students. I like seeing the ‘a-ha moments’,” he said. “I enjoy the integration of what they’re learning in the classroom
His sideline as a labor economist takes Crouse all over the country to testify in anywhere from 50 to 100 cases a year. “In most of the cases I work in, it’s personal injury or wrongful death and the question that I have to answer is, ‘What is this person’s future loss of earning capacity as a result of their injuries?’” said Crouse. One of his cases involved a 3-year-old girl whose fingers were severed by a falling sign. Another centered on a transplant surgeon who had been wrongfully terminated
He has a calm and understanding presence and is very receptive to student feedback. Economics is a tough field with many abstract ideas, but he presents material in a way that is easy to consume. — Natasha Goessel ’19 to what they’re doing at work, or what they hope to do at work.” Growing up, Crouse was a pretty typical kid with a lot of interests. “When I was very young, I wanted to be a teacher for quite a few years,” he said. “And then I wanted to be a psychiatrist. And then after psychiatrist, I wanted to be a judge. And then eventually I settled on, really, I think a career that combines all three of those desires, as I’m teaching at Wilson and I’m also consulting in cases that combine economics, teaching, legal and medical (issues).”
by a hospital. At times, his degrees in human sciences and counseling come in handy. “There are times in the process, when people are talking with you and they get very upset, that you have to step away from being a contractor talking about numbers and become a counselor to the way they are feeling,” Crouse said. “I see parallels in teaching with that. There are times you have to step away from being a lecturer and be more of a counselor to a student who might be having problems.” W
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PHOTO BY KENDRA TIDD
“ MY VAGABOND ” LIFE
A lifelong traveler, Cathie McIntyre ’68 savors life abroad By Coleen Dee Berry
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fter a job overseas and a trip around world, Cathie McIntyre ’68 decided it was time to settle down and return to her roots—and chose Cambodia for her new home. From a young age, McIntyre was a world traveler. Her father was a medical doctor working for the State Department to provide medical care for Americans stationed abroad, and “wherever he went, he took all of us (family members) along with him,” she said. In 1959, when McIntyre was 13, her father was stationed in Vietnam. “We spent two years there, from when I was 13 to 15 years old. Those are very formative years and I consider Vietnam where I grew up,” McIntyre said. While living there, the family visited Cambodia several times. When McIntyre decided to return to Southeast Asia in 2014, she chose Cambodia “because Vietnam is still Communist and it’s easier to be an ex-pat in Cambodia.”
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McIntyre lives in the capital, Phnom Penh, and works for the nonprofit Open Institute. As the only native-English speaker there, she serves as an editor and writer of curriculum projects for the Cambodian Ministry of Education. In addition, she volunteers for the Center for Khmer Studies, working as an editor and also acting as the center’s U.S. university liaison.
“Her parents invited me to visit, I went and we just hit it off,” McIntyre said. “I became a regular visitor, and have stayed in touch with Milena,” who now teaches English in Belgrade. After recently attending Reunion Weekend at Wilson, McIntyre traveled back to Serbia in time for Milena’s wedding.
“I love Cambodia,” she said. “The food is wonderful and the people are friendly. I can walk almost everywhere in Phnom Pehn and if I need a ride, I just get a tuk-tuk (a twowheeled taxi pulled by a motorbike).”
McIntyre and her friend, Inda Marjonovic, work with a British charity group called Serbia’s Forgotten Paws. The two friends rescue street dogs, as well as dogs abandoned by their owners, and help support three private shelters, including one which regularly cares for 800 dogs.
But Cambodia is not the only place McIntyre calls home. During Cambodia’s monsoon season in summer to early fall, she moves to Jagodina, Serbia, where she keeps busy with dog rescue work. She has a personal connection to Serbia through Milena Radojkovic, who McIntyre hosted as an 11thgrade exchange student when she taught at Riverside High School in Durham, N.C.
“My main focus in dog rescue work is sterilization in order to stop the cycle of overpopulation,” McIntyre said. “Through Serbia’s Forgotten Paws, we try to find them a forever home in England. Even with all of our work, we find forever homes for only about 40 dogs a year, and there are thousands left to fend for themselves.” She said she does not rescue dogs in Cambodia because of
the high rate of rabies there. McIntyre’s interest in animal rescue began as a teenager in Vietnam. “We took care of several baby elephants because we had a large yard,” she said. “We also took in two monkeys and a dog.” After graduating from college, she became active in dog rescue, volunteering at shelters in California, North Carolina and Saudi Arabia before she began her work in Serbia in 2014. McIntyre’s journey from Vietnam to Wilson took her through the Middle East. After Vietnam, her father was stationed in Iraq, and McIntyre was sent to attend high school in Beirut, Lebanon. But for college, her parents wanted her to choose a school in Pennsylvania “because that’s where they were originally from,” McIntyre said. She applied to Dickinson College in Carlisle, her father’s alma mater, but then “I fell in love sight unseen with Wilson, thanks to a wonderful admissions officer”—director of admissions, Ruth Redding “Book” Leitch ‘28. After graduating from Wilson with a bachelor’s degree in French, McIntyre worked in the College’s admissions office for a year before deciding to join classmate Jolene Young Lichtenwalner ’68, who had received a fellowship to teach at the University of Lyon in France. “We traveled around France and Spain and had a great time,” McIntyre said. When McIntyre returned to the States, she received master’s degrees in education administration and special education, and taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District before deciding to “go the corporate route,” becoming a training specialist. In 1993, she moved to Durham, N.C., to be closer to family and opened her own business, Lifelong Learning Associates, before returning to teach in the Durham school district. Then in 2009, she was “ready for an adventure,” McIntyre said. Through the nonprofit International Schools Service, she was sent to the Dhahran British Grammar School in Saudi Arabia. She worked as a learning support coordinator, helped with English as a Second Language classes and assisted stu-
At left, Cathie McIntyre �68 at Wilson during Reunion Weekend in June. Above: McIntyre, along with furry friends, ready for adventure onboard a Cambodian tuk-tuk (a two-wheeled taxi pulled by a motorbike).
dents with learning disabilities. “The job was fantastic, but being a single woman there could be hard. When I was not at work, I had to have a male escort everywhere I went.” In 2014, as her job ended, “I thought it was time to take a ’round-the-world trip,” she said. “I’d traveled to many countries, but never went around the world.” After visiting 10 different places, she decided on her move to Cambodia.
When she is in the United States, McIntyre stays in Durham near family and intends to retire there when “I quit my vagabond life.” She is now on her fifth world trip and plans to visit one place she has never been—Greece. “I love studying history and cannot believe I have never been there,” she said. “It’s time to see it!” W
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PHOTO BY DAVID SINCLAIR
The softball team during a group huddle after a match against Penn State Harrisburg in March.
PHOENIX SPORTS WRAP The 2017-18 spring season has come to a close—as has Wilson’s relationship with the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC). The Phoenix will open play in fall 2018 as a member of the Colonial States Athletic Conference.
and became just the fourth Phoenix softball player to earn All-NEAC honors for four consecutive years. Freshman Jenna Carty ’21 earned Second-Team honors after leading the Phoenix in home runs (5) and RBIs (24) for the season.
SOFTBALL finished the 2018 season with the team making
After a strong start during which the MEN’S VOLLEYBALL team won six of its first seven games, the team closed out the 2018 season with a 6-12 record overall. Junior Evan Hoke ’19 became just the second player in program history to earn All-NEAC honors when he was chosen for the Third-Team AllNEAC for his outstanding play as a defensive specialist. Hoke ranked first in the NEAC with 111 digs and 3.8 digs per set.
its 10th consecutive appearance in the NEAC tournament and advancing to the final four. The Phoenix hosted a first-round game on campus, defeating the College of Saint Elizabeth by a score of 6-0 behind a stellar pitching performance by FirstTeam All-NEAC honoree Megan Potter ’20. A heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Keuka College followed, but the Phoenix responded by defeating Penn College 5-2 and advanced to face No. 1 seed Penn State Berks. The Phoenix fell to the Nittany Lions to end the season at 17-13 overall and an outstanding 12-2 in conference play. Three softball players earned All-NEAC honors. Potter earned First-Team accolades for the second consecutive year. Senior Jennifer Hornberger ’18 was named a Second-Team selection
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The MEN’S GOLF team took on a challenging schedule this season and claimed its first-ever victory at the Wilson College Invitational. Sam Ritter ’20 earned medalist honors at the event by carding a 99. The team competed in eight events over the season and qualified for the NEAC championships, where it finished in ninth place.
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Flat Phoenix Sighting!
Flat Phoenix and I (Clara ”Madge“ Allison Rankin ‘86) toured London and Edinburgh together. She was the easiest touring companion ever!
Announcing 2019 Trips April 25-29 Long Weekend Getaway in Iceland Board Iceland Air from New York City or Boston, arrive in Iceland early Friday morning and stay through Monday. Tour Old Town Reykjavik and the Icelandic countryside, view the Northern Lights, relax in a hot spring bath and see a volcanic crater. Trip also includes a visit to the exotic, moonlike Reykjanes peninsula and a walk on the North American Ridge. Contact: Discover Europe Ltd. at discovereuropeltd.com or 603-563-7077. June 13-21 Flavors of Chianti Tour the hill country in and out of Florence, Italy, with a seven-night stay at a first-class hilltop Tuscan villa, complete with views of San Gimignano and the towers of Siena. Contact: Orbridge at orbridge.com or 800-639-0079.
Dear fellow alums, For the first time, I am addressing you as the former president of the Alumnae Association of Wilson College, as we welcome Lynne E. DiStasio ’74 as our new president. Being AAWC president has played an integral role in my life for the past six years. It has been a time and an experience filled with excitement and yes, some challenges. We have shared together the effort that each of you has brought to bear for the mission of the association. Together, collectively, we have seen a lot happen. Our success is a testimony to each and every one of you. We worked together, disagreed together, shared problems and hopes together. It was a time well spent. I am honored to have had the presence of so many who walked with me through the past several years. I count myself most fortunate. I have come to see you all not only as fellow alums, but as friends too. Thank you for the memories that I take with me, thank you for the opportunities afforded to me and thank you for the friendships forged over these years. This is not so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen or goodbye. I will remain an active alum—and enjoy being with students and interacting with faculty and staff. And, as I’ve been told, they know where to find me. Go well … my thanks to you … one and all.
Mary F. Cramer '91
AAWC President
August 3-14 Celtic Kingdoms Cruise Sail on Oceania’s Marina for 10 nights, starting in London (Southampton), then to Edinburgh, Invergordon, Glasgow, Dublin, Cork and Portland, and concluding in London (Southampton). Contact: Go Next at gonext.com or 800-842-9023. September 16-25 Symphony on the Blue Danube Board the exclusively chartered river ship MS Amadeus Silver II for a custom-designed 10-day journey showcasing the musical heritage of the European Masters. Enjoy three nights in Prague followed by a five-night river cruise, including overnight in Vienna. Attend concerts and performances ashore. Disembark in Budapest. Contact: Gohagan at gohagantravel.com or 800-922-3088. For more information, visit:
www.wilson.edu/alumnaei-tours-and-travel
RING-IT-FORWARD PRESENTATION: MAY 2018
President At the Ring-It-Forward ceremony, from left, AAWC e Grimes Marge ’18, Ortiz Aurora ’16, e Burdg Brie ’91, r Mary Crame ’18, Bilger n Kirste ’63, on Iddings ’61, Linda Huebenthal Woolst Jeremiah. son, her with ’18 ine Valent Cierra and ’19 Katie Shank
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AAWC PRESIDENT'S REPORT
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t’s that time of the year—time to reflect on the past year’s events and accomplishments. The Alumnae Association of Wilson College, in conjunction with the Office of Alumnae/i Relations, is pleased to share the following with you: ALUMNAE/I RELATIONS OFFICE We work heavily on building relationships, maintaining rapport and creating lifelong connections. Alumnae/i are volunteers, partners, advocates and donors. By increasing the capacity for alumnae/i involvement, we also increase the capacity for alumnae/i to contribute in meaningful ways. The association would like to thank Marybeth Famulare for her devotion and commitment to our organization and Wilson College. Marybeth and I have continued our weekly meetings to coordinate activities and keep lines of communication open. This year we welcomed Brie Burdge ’16 as the new alumnae/i relations associate. Her enthusiasm and energy are contagious. She will be an asset to all of us. Check out our monthly e-newsletter, website and the Wilson Magazine for upcoming events, updates and volunteer opportunities. Both the newsletter and website serve as communication vehicles to foster outreach to alumnae/i, students, faculty and staff. ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE The Engagement Committee provides outreach to all alumnae/i. The committee gives insight and feedback through social media and the magazine, and through events such as Reunion, Fall Weekend and regional and club activities. Connected alums give back time, talent and treasure to the College. To this point, 349 alumnae are currently serving as class officers/representatives. We encourage you to keep us informed of your contact information so that we can keep in contact with you. Regular meetings with the Office of Marketing and Communications serve to determine the content of each issue of the magazine. Patricia Bennett ’68, celebrating her 50th reunion, was the marshal of the Blue and Silver Line leading in the 2018 graduating class at Commencement on May 13. Twenty alums formed the line this year. Each year, the Franklin County Club presents a scholarship to a local high school senior who will be attending Wilson College. This year, 14 alumnae represented Wilson College at college presidential inaugurations across the country. Alums volunteered at Chambersburg’s Ice Fest Frozen Flicks session at the Capitol Theatre in January. During Winter Retreat, the association hosted a reception for faculty and staff. During Fall Weekend,
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a session was held on revising our bylaws. Other sessions included a campus focus discussion led by Wilson Board of Trustees Chair Barbara Tenney ’67 and College President Barbara Mistick, a philanthropic talk by the Office of Institutional Advancement, a discussion of the College’s social media platforms and a session on the work of the class representatives. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. The Facebook group is called Alumnae Association of Wilson College. The Instagram page is called aawcsocialmedia. We also have a gmail account if anyone would like to email photos for us to upload to the Facebook or Instagram accounts. FINANCE A compilation of our books produced no issues, as we received a clean review by Schultheiss & Associates, CPAs. As of June 30, 2018, assets total $111,345. Of that figure, there are restricted assets: class treasuries, $68,451; alumnae/i-student activities, $1,167; internship/seminar gift program, $4,695; preservation and restoration, $3,663; Silver Lining Fund, $3,887 and Tift College Awards, $567. Operating funds for the association total approximately $28,914. Income earned from travel was $3,340; from interest $407; from sale of merchandise $238 and from the 2018 raffle $790. We also received an unrestricted bequest in the amount of $3,019. HERITAGE COMMITTEE The Heritage Committee is working with the Office of Admissions to be available to them as needed and to participate in on-campus events to educate prospective students and their families about the role the AAWC plays in college life. We had a display and distributed giveaways on Accepted Students Day in April. The committee is also working with the 150th Anniversary Committee. Activities are scheduled to begin March 2019. Watch for information. The association donated $2,500 toward the restoration of the Memorial Fountain located near the Hankey Center. The committee’s Ring-It-Forward program is still going strong. Seven rings were “forwarded” this year, bringing our total to 32 rings. NOMINATING COMMITTEE The Nominating Committee works diligently to ensure that our AAWC board membership consists of highly qualified and committed individuals. They maintain talent inventories of our current leaders to assist in identifying candidates with the experience and skills needed for a well-rounded board. Each year at our annual meeting, a slate representing a wide cross section of alumnae/i is presented for election.
In order to facilitate a smooth transition to board service, each new board member is given a handbook and is assigned a current board member as a mentor. The committee fulfills all governance responsibilities for a nonprofit organization. It is, therefore, responsible for updating and revising association policies. STUDENT CONNECTIONS COMMITTEE The Aunt Sarah Program is going strong. There were 163 volunteers who were involved in the program this year, with 145 pairings. This program has been an avenue for the building of friendships and bonds between former and current students. The association added to the collection of Adirondack chairs around campus. Seven chairs were purchased and donated to the College for the enjoyment of students, faculty and staff. With the funds raised through our link on Amazon.com, we were able to help with the cost of alumnae/i-student opportunities—Halloween treats in October, a WCGA Phoenix Friday event, a day for Food for Finals each semester and participation in Senior Bash. The association took part in the College’s graduation fair with a display, information table and giveaways. The association granted six requests for internship monies in the amount of $2,400. The Silver Lining Fund provides relief to students when an emergency occurs. In addition to providing $750 to students in such situations this year, we donated $100 per month (September-April) to Sarah’s Cupboard, the on-campus food pantry. Giant grocery store gift cards ($375) were given to the food pantry to support students residing on campus over summer 2017, since the dining hall is closed. We also sponsored a dinner for summer students on June 27, 2017. Alumnae attended and brought desserts to share. Food donations continue to be given throughout the year by alumnae/i. We maintain our collaboration with WCGA, interacting to discuss concerns or make suggestions to foster alumnae/i student opportunities. We are also continuing our collaboration with the Office of Career Development to connect students or academic departments with appropriate alumnae/i for specific career networking. Student workers provide assistance for Reunion Weekend and other programs. RECOGNITION AND STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE This committee is responsible for the selection of the association award recipients. Again this year, our awards are going to worthy individuals whose endeavors are to be given high praise and celebrated.
Each chose their own path and succeeded in their personal and professional endeavors. We also awarded two $550 legacy awards—one to Amber Wenschhof ’19, daughter of Deanna Wenschhof ’91; and one to Katelin Mowen ’18, daughter of Susan Mowen ’97. TOURS AND TRAVEL COMMITTEE Contact the AAWC Travel Desk at AAWCTravelDesk@gmail.com for travel advice. Seasoned travelers who are members of the AAWC Tours and Travel Committee will assist you. Follow this link to see our Wilson sponsored trips: www.wilson.edu/ alumnae-tours-and-travel. Whenever you travel with a partner company, be sure to mention you are a Wilson graduate. Your mention will prompt the companies to make a donation to the alumnae association. This offer includes any trip, regardless whether it is sponsored by Wilson, from hundreds of educational tours they offer around the world. Our 2019 travel opportunities are listed on page 27. BYLAWS COMMITTEE Thank you to Lynne DiStasio ’74, Nancy Kostas ’64, Jenni Rodda ’78, Sarah Weikert Wilson ’10 and Sue Ann Morin Cook ’81 for their work on revising our bylaws. Members of the alumnae association give back. We support students in a variety of ways—celebrating their achievements, facilitating mentoring relationships, contributing to Sarah’s Cupboard, helping in an emergency and awarding internship gift funds. Wilson produces much of the social capital required for a healthy, functioning society. Supporting students means we ensure high standards among the next generation of professionals, social leaders and problem-solvers. The association cultivates lifelong interactions between the College and its alumnae/i. We also support the College through our time, talent and treasure. Successful alums equate to post-college achievements that come back to this institution. Thank you for your interest, thank you for caring about the College and thank you for believing in the importance of your alumnae association. Regards, Mary F. Cramer ’91 President
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ALUMNAE TRUSTEES REPORT — JUNE 2, 2018 The Wilson College Board of Trustees met this past academic year on Oct. 20-21, 2017, and Feb. 16-17 and May 11-12, 2018. This academic year represented our first opportunity to view the progress of the Wilson Today plan measured over a full four-year cohort. It was also our initial opportunity to assess the efforts aligned with Wilson’s new strategic plan, “Setting the Balance—Prioritizing the Student Experience.” The following are highlights of the College’s progress and activities, as reported to the Board of Trustees: This past year, Wilson welcomed its largest incoming class since 1966. The traditional undergraduate program had 553 students, the ADP program had 273, the graduate program had 258 and 132 students participated in Eduspire, an online program. With total enrollment at 1,216 (we also use a “full-time equivalent” measure and the FTE was 873), Wilson now has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, well on its way to the goal of 13:1. We are seeing higher-quality applicants, as well. Factors that are contributing to the improved recruitment and enrollment include our nursing and veterinary medical technology programs, as well as the availability of an expanded athletics program. Wilson offered a Rowland LEAP (Learning, Exploring, Achieving and Participating) program last summer, a bridge program funded by a Title III grant to assist at-risk students in making the transition to college. It was a great success, as the 15 students who participated all completed their first year. This summer, it will be offered to up to 30 students. The College launched a One-Stop Student Services Center designed to provide quick and efficient services to students for everything from applying for financial aid and obtaining transcripts to paying bills. The College will also switch athletic conferences in fall 2018, moving from the North Eastern Athletic Conference to the Colonial States Athletic Conference. The move will mean less time traveling for our student-athletes and more games in areas in which the College actively recruits. ACADEMIC AFFAIRS: The College is continuing accreditation preparation work for the Middle States review. It has also formed a Liberal Arts Review Committee to revisit our general education requirements, with a continual focus on providing a pathway for students to complete their Wilson degrees in four years. Wilson has also pursued articulation and dual enrollment agreements with a number of area high schools (allowing high school students to take college-level courses here) and recently renewed an agreement with Harrisburg Area Community College to ease the transfer of
HACC graduates to Wilson if they wish to complete four-year degrees. The new nursing skills and simulation labs (in the old Rosenkrans lower-level lounge and first floor) replicate an intensive care unit and is populated by high-fidelity and medium-fidelity patient mannequins, for whom nursing students can provide monitored care. BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS: Plans are moving forward to begin work on a new veterinary education center. This is a critical initiative, one necessary to maintain accreditation of a key program. We are also in the process of securing permits and approvals for the vehicular bridge project that will connect the two parts of the campus and make the fields beyond the current small bridge more accessible and useable by the college community. There was a burst pipe this past winter that severely damaged the board room adjacent to Patterson Lounge. None of the furniture, paintings or rugs in Patterson Lounge were damaged, although that space did incur some damage. Insurance will cover some of the costs of repair, but the College decided that this was an opportunity to upgrade these rooms as well. Work is ongoing to assess what we can do and at what cost. The College has leased Henninger Field from the Borough of Chambersburg and is making some upgrades that are needed to enable it to meet NCAA standards. The field will be used by Wilson’s new baseball team. INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT: Giving to the Wilson Fund is down in 2018, the first year in a while without a Lenfest Challenge. The current giving total is approximately $658,000. Most of the funding for the veterinary education center is secured or pledged. We are hopeful that the remaining $700,000 (of the $2.8 million cost) can be secured through donors. FINANCE: Revenue and endowment returns are up, but so are expenses. On balance, financials are improving. We will be looking to replace a letter of credit that the College currently has with the Bank of America. The College got a clear audit on its financials. Compliance initiatives underway at the College include: assessing and taking steps to meet the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (which apply to all residents of the European Union, including students from the EU studying here, students studying abroad in the EU and alumnae/i who live in the EU); assessing whether appropriate cyber risk controls are in place and appropriate liability insurance is maintained by the College in case of a breach; and preparation for an overall re-
view and assessment of the College’s policies and procedures in the employment area. Following are highlights of the actions taken by the board over this past year: • The board approved a new Master of Education program: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), which will prepare students with skills that will be needed by an expanding swath of our community. • The board approved the FY19 budget and the FY19 capital budget, as well as the funding for the veterinary education center. The board also authorized the College to replace the letter of credit that it has with the Bank of America. • For the school year that will begin in the fall of 2018, the board approved maintaining the current tuition rates for the eighth straight year and approved a 2 percent increase in the charges for housing and board. For the school year that will begin in the fall of 2019, the board approved a 3 percent increase in tuition with no increase in housing or board charges. Currently, the tuition for a full-time traditional student is $23,745 (it will increase to $24,457 in fall 2019), housing is $5,500 and board is $6,094. • A lumnae Trustee Sarah Weikert Wilson ’10 resigned from service in that capacity because she accepted a teaching position at Wilson College. Sue Ann Morin Cook ’81 replaced her for the remainder of her term. Lynne E. DiStasio ’74 concluded her service as alumna trustee. Upon her election by the alumnae association, Maxine Lesher Gindlesperger ’98 will join the board as an alumna trustee. • Retiring from the Board of Trustees are Sheldon Goettel, James A. Smeltzer and Pamela Francis Kiehl ’66. Nirmal Joshi resigned from the board. The board re-elected incumbent trustees Christopher Gable, Lisbeth Sheppard Luka ’69 and James Orsini. The board elected Linda E. Krach ’74 and William P. Kiehl (Pamela’s husband) as Trustees. • The board elected Barbara L. Tenney ’67 as chair, J. Samuel Houser as vice chair, Lisbeth Sheppard Luka ’69 as secretary and Mary Jo Maydew as treasurer for the upcoming year. • The board named Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55 as a trustee emerita. • Most importantly, the board approved the conferring of degrees on May 13, 2018, at the College’s 148th annual commencement, including 113 graduate degrees, 99 bachelor’s degrees and two associate degrees. Respectfully submitted, Alumnae Trustees Lynne E. DiStasio ’74 Sue Ann Morin Cook ’81 Judith Coen Grove ’74
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNAE Patricia Vail ’63 has spent most of her life seeking justice for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. After graduating from Wilson, she volunteered to be a civil rights worker in Mississippi during the 1964 Freedom Summer. She spent a year helping register African-American voters and set up schools to teach black history and good citizenship. She then earned her law degree from the Cleveland Marshall Law School in Ohio and began her legal career with Office of the Attorney General in Columbus, Ohio. In 1996, she traveled to Kazakhstan as a member of the American Bar Association and helped that country’s supreme court justices establish an independent judiciary. She also worked with Kazak female attorneys to provide training and resources. After returning to the United States, Vail served as the pro bono coordinator of Florida’s legal services. Before retirement, she became the senior advocacy attorney for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. In 2016, she received the Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award, which recognized her as a “volunteer with indisputable impact” on behalf of low-income, underserved and vulnerable people of Florida.
PHOTO BY TRAVIS TOSTEN
ALUMNAE AWARDS
Alumnae award recipients, seated from left: Nancy Adams Besch '48, Becky H. Morgenthal '90, Patricia Vail '63, Alice DeNormandie '68 and Kari L. Herchelroth '03. Standing from left: AAWC President Mary F. Cramer '91 and Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick.
Alice DeNormandie ’68 graduated from Wilson with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and then spent seven years in Geneva, Switzerland, working as a bank operations officer and business manager. She returned to the United States to earn an MBA from the Simmons Graduate School of Management in Boston. After spending 20 years working in finance in both Switzerland and the United States, her career shifted to religious education in the 1990s. She worked with numerous churches to establish programs for teens and initiated education for parents that included child-rearing skills. In 1997, she undertook her biggest challenge—founding and directing Pelham (N.Y.) Parent and Community Together. This nonprofit, youth-centered community coalition empowered Pelham’s young people to make healthy, safe and substance-free life choices. In 2006, she won the Thomas B. Fenlon Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service to Education in Pelham. OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNA Kari L. Herchelroth ’03 graduated from Wilson with a bachelor’s degree in veterinary medical technology (VMT) and was working as a certified vet tech when a car accident forced her to re-evaluate her career path. She began consulting for the YTI Career Institute in York, Pa., and ultimately was hired as the director of the school’s new veterinary technology program. Herchelroth currently oversees a staff of 11 and a student body of more than 150 students. As director, she led the VMT program through its American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accreditation process in 2014. Her exemplary performance in helping to create and direct YTI’s program earned Herchelroth the 2017 Certified Veterinary Technician of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association. DISTINGUISHED ADULT DEGREE PROGRAM ALUMNA/US Becky H. Morgenthal ’90 has been the executive director of the Cumberland County Bar Association for the past 24 years and has served as the executive director of the Cumberland County Bar Foundation since 1996. She assists the Young Lawyer Division’s Adopt-a-Family program, which delivers holiday gifts to families in shelter with Safe Harbour and the Cumberland County Domestic Violence Shelter. In 2007, she received the Arthur Birdsall award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, in part for putting herself second to the needs of the
bar association. After graduating from Wilson with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, Morgenthal earned her pilot’s license in 1992, flew for 20 years and served on the central Pennsylvania chapter of the 99’s International Women Pilots Association. TIFT COLLEGE AWARDS Nancy Adams Besch ’48 has worked tirelessly as a fundraiser, organizer and administrator for her alma mater and the communities of south-central Pennsylvania. She served as the president of the Alumnae Association of Wilson College from 1973-1976 before chairing the “Save Wilson College” fund drive, which raised $1.3 million by 1980 to prevent the College from closing. She was a member of the Wilson Board of Trustees from 1979-88, first as vice chair and then as chair— becoming one of the few female college board chairs in the 1980s. As leadership chair, she helped raise another $4.3 million for a Wilson capital campaign from 1985-86. In 1987, the board honored her with the Trustee Award for Distinguished Service and she became a Trustee Emerita in 1992. More recently, Besch served on the Reimagining the John Stewart Memorial Library committee. A former president of the Hemlock Girl Scout Council, she has also volunteered with the United Way and served as moderator for the Presbytery of Carlisle, as well as chair of the Presbyterian-related College Committee of the Synod of the Trinity. She has served for 40 years as chancellor of the Mt. Gretna Chautauqua and is also on the board of directors of Mt. Gretna Productions. She also was elected to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, Camp Hill Borough Council and Camp Hill School District Board of Directors. FACULTY AWARD Carl Larson served as associate professor of psychology at Wilson from 1987-2016. He was a faithful faculty donor to the Wilson Fund and made gifts to the Brooks Science Complex and John Stewart Memorial Library. He also contributed to the Dr. Jeannette P. Ward Biopsychology Endowment. Ward was a former University of Memphis professor whom Larson wanted to honor by supporting teaching and research topics relevant to biological psychology. In addition, the AAWC board has named two recipients of the Legacy Scholarship Award: Amber Wenschhof ’19, daughter of Deanna Wenschhof ’91; and Katelin Mowen ’18, daughter of Susan Mowen ’97.
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ore than 260 alumnae/i and guests attended Reunion Weekend 2018. Those attending from the states traveled from as far away as Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota and Texas—and internationally, from Cambodia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.
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The official reunion was for those classes whose graduation years ended in 3 and 8, though other years also attended. The Class of 1968 celebrated its 50th reunion and the Class of 1948 was the earliest class present. Five members of the newly graduated Class of 2018 assisted at the reunion, as well as nine other Wilson students. Sunday’s memorial service honored 95 alumnae/i and friends who have passed away since Reunion 2017 and whose passing was shared with the College. The Class of 1968 presented the College with a class gift of $119,680—the largest class gift in Wilson history—to endow a scholarship for the Single Parents Scholar Program and to create a “Dreamers Den,” an activity room for Single Parent Scholars and their children. At the annual Saturday luncheon, the following awards were presented: • The Silver Cup for the class with the greatest percentage of members registered for Reunion went to the Class of 1968, with 35 percent attending. • The Class of 1968 also won the Reunion Bowl for the class with the largest number of class members—52—registered for Reunion. • The President’s Plaque for the class with the highest five-year participation percentage in the Wilson Fund was awarded to the Class of 1948, with 49 percent contributing. • The Silver Tray for the class with the highest total of restricted and unrestricted giving to the College was awarded to the Class of 1953 for raising $520,004. • The Class Crystal for the class with the highest total Wilson Fund giving for the current fiscal year was awarded to the Class of 1963 for raising $37,562. Save the date for Reunion Weekend 2019, scheduled for May 31-June 2, for members of class years ending in 4 and 9.
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Kari L. Herchelroth ’03, Freya Burnett ’85, professor, director of VMT and division chair. Jacobs, Marilyn Carpenter eline Harrison Mason, Josephine Callanen Class of 1978 – Front row, from left: Jacqu en, Kerry Reilly Schlechter, Wald y Creas a Glend ee, McAt tta from left: Marie Burton and Jenni Rodda Loory. Back row, te Bartlinski Reynolds, Colet ins, Higg ar n Salazar Hickey, Lise-Kirsten Schol Jennifer Pierson, Judith Crossland, Sharo eth Bader. Janet Ver Plank , Suzanne Robert and Elizab
From left: Jessica Collins Daigle ’89, Melissa Torriero ’88, Jennifer George Yaukey ‘87, Della Selner ’95, Mychelle McCullough DeWoolfeson ’86, Jill Roberts ’88 and Deedre Capuano Fuhrman ’88.
Patricia Vail ’63 with Amy Ensley, direc tor
Photos by Kendra Tidd and Travis Tosten �10.
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of the Hankey Center.
Class of 2013– From left: Kathryn Murphy, Hannah DeMoss, Brandy Holtzapple Simms, Sarah McGuckin and Elizabeth Boratenski.
Class of 1968 – Front row, from left: Barbara Hartzell Muller, Pamela Kempf, Sarah Rowland McGowan, Lynn Gutekuns t Rickard, Nancy Huntington Moore-Fu ss, Melody Warke Montgomery, Joan Parsons Tuleya. Second row, from left: Patricia Hoberg, Jolene Young Lichtenwalner, Christina Cressler Morrow, Louise Roseman Miller, Jane Gallagher Cates, Susan Beard Evans, Carol Hardy Folk, Kathryn Moe Ashton-Miller, Mary Behm-Taxis, Barbara Dugan Zulick. Third row, from left: Mary Flournoy, Pamela Cochrane Tisdale, Sara Fowler Nixon, Alice DeNormandie, Anne Vansant, Linda Baker Owen, Gloria Wong Hisamoto, Sandra Ort Glass, Deborah Turner, Louise Robinson Plodinec, Diane Huminik Parente, Suzanne Frith Allen. Fourth row, from left: Kathryn Bliss McGahuey, Margaret Hatch Kauffman, Joanne Irish Knowles, Mary Anne Rowland Clisham, Patricia Bennett, Cathie McIntyre, Salinda Hess, Maribeth Handsman, Diane Jennings. Fifth row, from left: Linda Collenberg Bisaccia-Ammerman, Mary Pohl Tracy, Christina Stoner McCleary, Ann Henninger Trax, Linda Zuryk Loder, Margaret Zarfos, Marie Behler Schleicher, Dorothy Draper Lapinski, Gretchen Sahler Patterson, Elaine Felton Campbell, Suzanne Kothe Loli, Karen Van Brakle Worley, Elizabeth Johnson Fitzpatrick.
for more photos from reunion weekend,, visit www.wilson.edu/reunion-2018 summer 2018 35
— last —
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Making an Impact By Evan Hoke �19
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I was a bit hesitant, though, on hearing that Wilson had recently gone coed. I was concerned that I would be overlooked on campus. I feared that I wouldn’t be included as much as the female students because there would be far fewer residential male students. Now, as a senior, I’ve noticed that throughout my experience at Wilson, the opposite has occurred. I’ve become more of an individual at Wilson due to the size of the campus and the male student population. Every time I leave my dorm building, someone recognizes me, which has been one of the most defining aspects of my Wilson experience. Being so visible on campus has given me the opportunity to meet and become friends with so many other students. In the classroom, because the class sizes are small, there’s a more intimate atmosphere in which professors can remember not only me, but my peers as well. I feel like I’ve made an impact on the College, which is something a lot of students at other schools can’t say. As a student-athlete, a student-athlete mentor, president of the Campus Activities Board and a member of the Allies club, I definitely feel like part of the College.
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PHOTO BY CATHY MENTZER
electing a college can be an overwhelming experience. Many different factors go into the decision-making process and if you’re like me, it’s not a choice to take lightly. That’s why it might be surprising to some that I chose Wilson, a college that had recently gone coed, where I would be a part of only the second class of male undergraduates to live on campus in the school’s history. I was initially attracted to Wilson by the prospect of a men’s volleyball team. I played volleyball in high school and I knew I wanted to continue to play, but I wasn’t sure where or how. I also appreciated the small class sizes at Wilson and how attractive the campus was. Then, when Wilson accepted me as a student and offered me a position on the new team, I decided that I couldn’t turn down the offer.
Being treated as an equal was something I was unsure about when I first decided on Wilson, but I’m relieved that I’ve never had an experience where I felt like an outcast or where I felt outnumbered. Wilson has always been welcoming. I still receive the same treatment as every other student. I’m expected to attend class, study hard, stay involved on campus, and improve the overall college environment and experience. As I progress through my senior year, I can’t help but be grateful for the class of residential male students who came before me. Without their example, and the support of both male and female students, I don’t think my Wilson experience would have been the same. I hope that for future classes, I—along with the rest of the male students in my class—can have the same impact. W
THE WILSON FUND
“Someone cared about me enough to contribute to the Wilson Fund, allowing me the opportunity to create a better life for myself and my child.” Cierra Valentine ’18 Senior class president, hall senator, Black Student Union, orientation leader, WCGA Cierra Valentine ’18 with son Jeremiah
MAKE AN IMPACT TODAY wilson.edu/makeagift
1015 Philadelphia Ave. Chambersburg, PA 17201-1279
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Greencastle, PA Permit No. 10
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Rain fails to dampen Wilson’s 148th Commencement ceremony, as comedian and author Jane Condon delivers light-hearted keynote address. See page 10.