Dickinson Magazine Summer 2017

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DICKINSON MAGAZINE SUMMER 2017 VOLUME 95 NUMBER 1

Published by the Division of Enrollment, Marketing & Communications Publisher and Vice President Stefanie D. Niles Executive Director of Marketing & Communications Connie McNamara Editor Lauren Davidson College Photographer Carl Socolow ’77 Designer Amanda DeLorenzo Contributing Writers MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson Matt Getty Katya Hrichak ’17 Tony Moore Magazine Advisory Board Jim Gerencser ’93 Donna Hughes Patricia van Leeuwaarde Moonsammy Gregory Lockard ’03 David O’Connell Adrienne Su Kirk Swenson Alisa Valudes Whyte ’93 © Dickinson College 2017. Dickinson Magazine (USPS Permit No. 19568, ISSN 2719134) is published four times a year, in January, April, July and October, by Dickinson College, P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, Cumberland County, PA 17013-1773.

Periodicals postage paid at Carlisle, PA, and additional mailing office.

Address changes may be sent to Dickinson Magazine, Dickinson College, P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013-2896. www.dickinson.edu/magazine dsonmag@dickinson.edu 717-245-1289 Printed by Intelligencer (a division of Intellicor Communications) in Lancaster, Pa. SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED

Printed using wind energy and soy-based inks on Finch paper. All Finch papers are produced in Glen Falls, N.Y., using 66% on-site sustainable energy sources: emission-free hydroelectricity from the Hudson River and biomass co-generation from wood waste. Finch sustains natural American forests, supports independently certified fiber sourcing and reduces fossil fuel emissions.

[ contents ] 22 Images from Abroad Students share images and experiences from around the world through the annual Study Abroad Photo Contest. 26 Going the Distance Dickinsonians find challenges, life lessons and meaning in extreme endurance sports.

30 Hats Off Dickinson’s historic hat societies represent a distinctive tradition focused on leadership, friendship and collective excellence.

34 35 In two profiles, On Hope and Liberty / And 34/ Justice for All, you’ll meet two alumni, both former history majors, both working for the common good, but in very different capacities.

FOLLOW US:

dickinson.edu/socialmedia www.facebook.com/DickinsonMagazine

ON THE COVER

“A glimpse of Bologna, Italy,” by Hayley Murdough ’18. See additional images from the 2017 Study Abroad Photo Contest on Pages 22-25.

Simon Aborn ’19

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13 UP FRONT

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Dickinson matters

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useful for the common good

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kudos

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college & west high

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your view

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fine print

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in the game

IN BACK

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beyond the limestone walls

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our Dickinson

54 obituaries 56

closing thoughts

[ Dickinson matters ] A Fitting Close NEIL B. WEISSMAN, PROVOST AND DEAN (AND FORMER INTERIM PRESIDENT)

A

s I neared the close of my year as Dickinson’s interim president, I looked forward to a memorable Commencement weekend. It did not disappoint. From Friday’s senior toast through Sunday’s graduation ceremony, the class of 2017, families, friends and the entire Dickinson community enjoyed a near perfect celebration. It also struck me as a very Dickinson celebration. More than the standard elements one would expect at any college graduation, ours very much embodied many of Dickinson’s distinctive dimensions.

The college’s commitment to global education was certainly in evidence. More than half of the graduating seniors wore patches on their gowns displaying one of the flags of the 28 countries in which they had studied abroad. (Some students had several patches!) These students represented academic majors from across the curriculum, including nearly half of those receiving Bachelor of Science degrees. Similarly, some 40 percent of the seniors graduated with interdisciplinary majors. Forty-six of them had completed one of our relatively new interdisciplinary certificate programs.

Dickinson’s commitment to sustainability was clear in the awarding of the Sam Rose ’58 and Julie Walters Prize at Dickinson College for Global Environmental Activism to Brett Jenks, CEO of Rare, an organization supporting local conservation efforts across the globe. Jenks’ announcement that the prize would be devoted to developing a new program to educate local activists resonated well with Dickinson’s own vision of sustainability education as a combination of learning and action. More than

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90 percent of the seniors had taken at least one sustainabilityrelated course. Based in part on this high rate, one such course is now a requirement for graduation.

The weekend also highlighted Dickinson’s close relationship with the military, a relationship unmatched among liberal-arts colleges. Nine cadets of our Blue Mountain Battalion were commissioned into the United States Army. Indicatively, the commissioning officer was one of our own—Brigadier General Laura Anibal Potter ’89, the first female Dickinson ROTC graduate to achieve general’s rank. She stayed with us through Sunday to help hood our Commencement speaker, retired Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO commander. Potter had served under Stavridis during his tenure at NATO. The college’s deep commitment to our own community was equally obvious. Honorary degree recipients this year included James Gerlach ’77, former Republican Congressman and current president and CEO of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC). And, following our current tradition, the baccalaureate keynote address was delivered by Frank James ’79, member of the Board of Trustees and noted media strategist and former journalist. His remarks, appropriately, centered on events at his own graduation. The family commitment, in this case quite literally, also characterized the class of 2017. Fifty-one seniors—nearly 10 percent of the graduates—were relatives of Dickinson employees or alumni.

Perhaps most importantly, Stavridis’ well-received Commencement address connected powerfully to Dickinson’s mission. His central theme was a call to service—not only in the military but across all careers from teaching and health care to business and science. The theme, of course, evoked Benjamin Rush’s founding vision of Dickinson as a college that would educate leaders for the new American democracy. The same is true of the service in support of the elderly led by honorary degree recipient Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation.

Lastly, even the weather was typically Dickinson. Let’s call it “limestone weather”—days in which the skies reflect the gray of the college’s buildings and create a uniform, cool beauty that is a good omen for Dickinsonians.

Commencement weekend demonstrated that the college has finished its transition year with continued momentum and in a strong position looking forward. We greet our new president, Margee Ensign, with great enthusiasm for what is to come.

[ useful for the common good ] Why Dickinson MARGEE ENSIGN, PRESIDENT

L

et me begin by thanking interim President Neil Weissman and all the senior staff and faculty for their hard and productive work during this transitional year. Under their leadership, Dickinson has gone from strength to strength, and these are the people who have made it possible. I am truly excited to join them, and to join one of America’s great institutions of higher learning.

As I contemplated coming home to the U.S. after seven years in Africa, where we were confronted with the threat of terrorist violence and its aftermath—hunger, disease and trauma—I had to think long and hard about what I wanted to do. It was critically important to find a place to which I could give my passionate support, a place I could truly believe in, a place engaged in forging a better future for us all. I looked for a place that was providing a genuinely useful education and working for the common good. This is a Dickinson education.

At a time of great turbulence and conflict in the U.S. and in the world, it is critically important that those of us in higher education rethink what we are doing, and why. The last few years have shown us that there are few certainties.

Many of the trends we had thought intrinsic to the modern

world—trends such as the growth of democracy, of growing and widely distributed prosperity and security, of greater tolerance and internationalism—are not so certain after all. Instead, we find that we disagree. We disagree about the very nature of our problems. We disagree about policy. We even disagree on what constitutes “fact”!

What we can agree upon, however, is that never in the history of our species have the challenges been greater or the stakes higher.

Dickinson College has been a leader in higher education throughout much of the history of America. Its global approach to education, its emphasis on sustainability, its readiness to innovate, its humane values and its insistence on providing a “useful” education are, I believe, what the United States and the world desperately need. This is why I sought to join you.

Perhaps I am naive—and certainly I am optimistic—but I remain convinced that education is the key to meeting the challenges we face: the challenges of war and peace, of different and often conflicting cultures, of sustainable economic growth and equity, of enormous numbers of people on a small and finite planet. I am convinced that it is only through honest intellectual work that we can understand the nature of our challenges. Only through creative scholarship can we devise and implement solutions to our complex problems, and only through rigorous and applied education can we give our young people the useful skills and insights required to forge the common good.

The visionary founder of Dickinson, Benjamin Rush, knew that education had to be “useful,” and that it had to be inclusive.

He wanted his college to be active in shaping a new and different sort of country, and in educating the citizens to build and govern it. His vision and emphases are as important today as they were in 1783. This is the sort of education to which I have dedicated my life. It is an honor to join with you in the next phase of Dickinson’s development.

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Kudos

[ college & west high ] Publications Neil Leary, director of the Center for Sustainability Education, published “Nitrogen Pollution: An Emerging Focus on Campus Sustainability Efforts” and “Pruitt Earns Failing Science Grade” in The Huffington Post.

Ted Merwin, director of the Asbell

Center for Jewish Life and associate professor of religion & Judaic studies, published “Exit Ramp: The Ghosts That Hold Us Close” in New Jersey Jewish News and “Jews and Vinyl” in Jewish Week.

Professor of Creative Writing Susan Perabo published her second novel, The Fall of Lisa Bellow, and it received numerous accolades, including in People, New York Journal of Books, Washington Book Review, Authorlink, Star-Telegram and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It was a USA Today “New and Noteworthy” pick and Apple “Best Books of March” selection. She also published an essay, “When Mothers Bully Back,” in The New York Times.

Siobhan Phillips, associate professor of English, published an essay, “The Students of Marianne Moore,” through the Poetry Foundation. She also authored “Should You Feel Sad About the Demise of the Handwritten Letter?” in The Wire.

Professor of History Karl Qualls published “De ‘Niños de la Guerra’ a Jóvenes Soviéticos: Educación, Aculturación y Paternalismo, 1939-1945” in Cuadernos de Historia Contemporánea Vol. 38 (2016): 77-101, and “From Hooligans to Disciplined Students: Displacement, Resettlement, and Role Modeling of Spanish Civil War Children in the Soviet Union, 1937-1951” in Nick Baron, ed., Displaced Children in Russia and Eastern Europe, 1915-1953.

Ideologies, Identities, Experiences (Leiden: Brill, 2017).

Crispin Sartwell, associate

professor of philosophy, published Entanglements: A System of Philosophy through SUNY University Press, as well as an op-ed, “The ‘Postmodern’ Intellectual Roots of Today’s Campus Mobs,” in The Wall Street Journal.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Nicholas Soderstrom

published College Smart: How to Succeed in College Using the Science of Learning.

Read more at dson.co/ soderstromtips.

Associate Professor of Philosophy Chauncey Maher was cited in New York magazine for his Brains Blog post.

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Doug Stuart, professor of political science and international studies, published “Restarting the Rebalance to Asia” in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.

Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Poet-in-Residence Adrienne Su published the poem “Substitutions” in Poetry Daily.

Awards and Grants Grant Braught, professor of computer science, was one of 21 higher education instructors recognized by Red Hat Inc., the world’s leading provider of opensource solutions, for continuing efforts to incorporate opensource philosophies, methods and tools into academic work.

Jon Cogliano, assistant professor of economics, received a fellowship award from Duke University’s Center for the History of Political Economy.

Katie Marchetti, assistant professor of political science, received the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics, awarded by the Catt Center at Iowa State University, for a collaborative project, “Gender and Lobbying.”

Head Coach Scott McQuaig was named the 2017 Centennial Conference Women’s Golf Coach of the Year.

Head Coach Don Nichter was named the 2016-17 Centennial Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year and the Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

Stefanie Niles, vice president for enrollment, marketing & communications, received a 2017-18 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant. She is one of 12 individuals who will travel to

France in October to participate in the International Education Administrators seminar. Read more at dson.co/nilesfulbright.

Claire Seiler, associate professor of

English, received a grant to attend the National Endowment for the Humanities 2017 Summer Seminar. Based in the archives at Vassar College, the seminar connects 16 college and university professors interested in the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979).

In the News

President Margee Ensign spoke at Kwibuka 23, the 23rd commemoration of the Rwandan genocide, in Washington, D.C., on April 7. Ensign has written extensively on Rwanda, and her talk was titled “Rwanda’s Reconstruction and Progress: Hope for the Future.”

A New York magazine article, “Maybe Plants Remember Stuff,” cited a post at the Brains Blog by Associate Professor of Philosophy Chauncey Maher. Read more about Maher’s theories at dson.co/ maherquestion.

Jeff McCausland, visiting professor of international security studies, contributed to a Daily Mail article, “Special Forces Raid, Missile Strike, Cyber Warfare Or MORE Negotiations: Trump’s Choices For Dealing With Kim JongUn—But Experts Say There Are NO Good Options.”

David O’Connell, assistant professor of political science, was quoted in a Christian Science Monitor article, “From Caricature to Man of Character: How Time and Art Change Image of Bush.”

Associate Professor of History Matthew Pinsker helped inaugurate the History Channel’s new series, Sound Smart, which offers concise ways to think

BRAGGING RIGHTS about topics in U.S. history.

Pinsker was in seven episodes related to the antebellum and Civil War era. Pinsker was also on C-SPAN discussing misconceptions about the Underground Railroad and ways to make history more engaging in the classroom.

Cindy Samet, professor of

chemistry, was quoted in a Live Science article, “Thyroid Gland: Facts, Functions & Diseases.”

Katie Schweighofer, visiting

assistant professor of women’s, gender & sexuality studies, was quoted in “Rural Film Festivals Are the Next Frontier of LGBTQ Tolerace” in Vice.

A feature on the successful coaching career of men’s basketball Head Coach Alan Seretti ran in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy James Sias was quoted in “On Not Saying His Name,” an article in The Atlantic on why many of the president’s critics talk about him without using the words “Donald Trump.”

Promotions

The following faculty members were promoted to the rank of full professor in March: Teresa Barber, psychology; Robert Boyle, physics & astronomy; Dan Cozort, religion; Doug Edlin, political science; Steve Erfle, international business & management; Dick Forrester, math & computer science; Adrienne Su, creative writing; Chuck Zwemer, biology.

Dickinson became the first liberal-arts college to join the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, which promotes research on and study of the impacts of community-campus partnerships, educates the public on effective programs for community change and conducts national and international meetings, workshops, institutes, symposia and conferences to discuss future goals and challenges of moving initiatives forward.

In 2016-17, Dickinson students completed and raised

The DICKINSON-IN-SPAIN study abroad program received a Medal of Honor from the Málaga Athenaeum.

30,740 hours of community service

$87,697 for charitable causes.

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Dickinson joins of the nation’s top colleges and universities in the AMERICAN TALENT INITIATIVE, which seeks to help more talented lower-income students enroll in and graduate from college.

Dickinson is the ONLY COLLEGE IN THE WORLD with a Writing Center that offers writing tutoring in

11 languages.

The Carlisle, Pa., chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) honored Dickinson’s AAUW chapter with the organization’s annual Gateway to Equity Award, recognizing exceptional work throughout the student organization’s inaugural year.

What other Dickinson distinctions do you brag about? Email dsonmag@dickinson.edu.

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[ scene ] CAMPUS

Aug. 24-27 Carlisle Events: Corvettes at Carlisle

Events lectures art forums Calendar of Arts: dickinson.edu/coa

Oct. 6-8 Homecoming & Family Weekend

AUG. 7-10

Carlisle Restaurant Week AUG. 28

First Day of Classes SEPT. 8

Charter Day SEPT. 18

The Clarke Forum Constitution Day Address: “The Future of Civil Discourse”

The Clarke Forum: clarke.dickinson.edu

Alexander Heffner

(includes event podcasts)

Harvest of the Arts

Carlisle Happenings: lovecarlisle.com

SEPT. 23

SEPT. 26

The Clarke Forum Joseph Priestley Award Celebration Lecture

Richard Alley OCT. 3

The Clarke Forum “Everything Is Connected”

Peterson Tuscano OCT. 6-9

Theatre & Dance The Grapes of Wrath Oct. 9-12 Rose-Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism Residency

Brett Jenks, president and CEO of Rare

directed by Karen Lordi-Kirkham OCT. 7

Inauguration of Dickinson’s 29th President, Margee Ensign OCT. 26

The Clarke Forum Wesley Lecture

Rev. Franklyn Schaefer

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[ college & west high ]

[ connections ] Carlisle

Sarah Sheriff

Extending from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail spans 2,190 miles, with several of those miles meandering right through Carlisle. The local stretch includes the trail’s midpoint, located in nearby Boiling Springs, and 13 consecutive miles considered the lowest and flattest section of the entire trail, making it great for day trips.

Take a Hike

“[The trail] is very convenient to campus at several points as it winds through the Cumberland Valley,” says Head Softball Coach Matt Richwine. One of the instructors for the PE class, Richwine says the group targets a different section of the trail each week, typically hiking areas within 30 minutes of campus.

The Outing Club similarly uses the 30-minute guideline to choose its trails. “[The Appalachian Trail is] a resource that we value greatly and are fortunate to have close to campus,” says Jared Markovsky ’18, a member of the club. As someone who grew up hiking the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire, Markovsky says having a section of the trail near Dickinson was an added bonus. “Even though I was going to a new section of the country [for college], it felt like an old friend would always be close.”

For recent grad Caitlin Doak ’16 (pictured, bottom right), who hails from Illinois, being close to places to hike was also a factor she considered when deciding to attend Dickinson. After taking advantage of the proximity as a student, Doak hiked the entire trail after graduation. “I think going to Dickinson made me feel more confident in hiking the Appalachian Trail later,” she says. “It was really exciting when I finally got to the Pennsylvania section and hiked the parts I had already done in gym class and with the Outing Club.”

Sarah Sheriff

Students, faculty and staff alike frequently step outside of Dickinson’s limestone walls and drive or bike the short distance from campus to the trail, whether with the Outing Club, through a physical education (PE) class called Appalachian Trail Hiking or with friends.

And while hiking with Dickinson programs guarantees spending time with other students, Doak wasn’t expecting to run into any Dickinsonians while hiking the trail as an alum, but she saw four alumni belonging to graduating classes spanning 20 years.

The Appalachian Trail sees 3 million visitors each year, and some of those are definitely Dickinsonians.

Next time you’re in the Cumberland Valley, grab your hiking shoes and hit the trail—you never know who you’ll meet while you’re out there.

—Katya Hrichak ’17

For directions and details, check out visitcumberlandvalley.com.

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[ college & west high ] Culminating

Heather Shelley

Heather Shelley

Experiences

For college seniors, the path toward completing the requirements for a major may seem long and daunting, with years of classes, projects and exams. At Dickinson, those paths are more varied than at many other institutions, given that the culminating experience for each major is not the same. According to Senior Associate Provost of Academic Affairs Brenda Bretz, the reason for the variation is simple: Dickinson’s approach to academics is different.

“At Dickinson, we really value and honor the discipline itself and whatever makes the most sense for that particular program as determined by our faculty. However they want to deliver that program in this environment, we usually grant them that pathway,” she says. “As more departments have done it and students have really benefited from it, other departments have picked up on that.”

From capstone courses to theses, symposiums to performances, here is a sampling of the different approaches to senior year across campus.

In Writing or in Person The senior thesis is one of the most talkedabout topics leading up to an English major’s final year at Dickinson. From the first year onward, students muse on the required number of words and worry that reaching it is an impossible task. Not all students feel

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prepared at the beginning of their senior year, but the process of continually workshopping with peers makes the impossible possible.

“It’s independent research, but not lonely,” says David Ball, associate professor of English.

“We don’t kick kids off in a boat in the middle of the ocean and say, ‘Good luck writing the senior thesis! Let us know when you’re done!’ ” So after months of research, revision and peer and professor review, for English majors “done” is turning in roughly 35-50 pages of carefully crafted writing that will pull together their years of preparation and count toward 60 percent of their final grade.

The American studies department also requires seniors to participate in a yearlong process of conducting research and compiling a thesis, but it requires an additional component: In the middle of the spring semester, majors come together to formally present their research at the department’s annual symposium and gain feedback that informs their final theses.

“It is an opportunity for them to put together all the things that they’ve learned in American studies and other departments,” says Jerry Philogene, associate professor of American studies. “It’s a culmination of their time at Dickinson and as American studies majors.”

The music department’s colloquium has been a part of the senior experience for the past 15 years. Students complete an assignment that corresponds with their chosen concentration within the major, often taking the

form of a composition, score analysis, essay or performance with program notes.

A formal presentation is not required for seniors in the studio art major, but they participate in the senior exhibition, which showcases the works of all students in the yearlong seminar. Additionally, studio art majors create a catalog that discusses in detail the art present in the exhibition.

“I have really enjoyed the sense of community among the studio art majors and members of the art department,” says Talia Amorosano ’17 of completing the exhibition and catalog. “It has been so rewarding to get to know so many talented people and to go through the ups and downs of the creative process with supportive and helpfully critical people by my side.”

“The senior studio seminar … challenges students to develop an artistic identity,” says Todd Arsenault, associate professor of studio art in the Department of Art & Art History.

“The catalog and exhibition help students understand how their work is perceived by a larger audience.”

Extra, Extra … or Not! Although it is common for majors to require an extra project of some sort, many seniors participate in a capstone course without an accompanying project. In the economics department, the senior seminar is required, but nothing additional is. According to Associate Professor of Economics Andrew Farrant, with the amount of students enrolled

Outside the Box While presentations and theses are the most common senior capstone approaches, several departments have a different approach that better fits their program. Three years ago, international business & management began engaging seniors in a semesterlong consulting project. The project connects current students to alumni and allows them the chance to consult with companies such as Google, Procter & Gamble, McCormick & Company and Colgate-Palmolive, among others.

International studies takes a different route and requires seniors to complete independent research in the fall and take two examinations, one written and one oral, in the spring. The written exam assesses their knowledge in the four areas of international studies and serves as a prerequisite to the oral exam, during which students sit in front of a panel of professors and answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge.

Although the pre-examination worry for international studies students parallels the pre-thesis worry for English students, Associate Professor of International Studies (and department chair) and Political Studies Kristine Mitchell says it’s a part of the curriculum the faculty highly values.

“Preparing for and completing the exam gives students the chance to pull together all the various parts of their interdisciplinary major—the economics, the history, the political science, the concentration—and think about how these different parts link up with one another,” she says. “It’s really a culminating experience for the students.” This is a sentiment expressed by many other department chairs in relation to their senior experiences.

No Square Pegs Here Professors are also in agreement over how fortunate they are to be at an institution where individual departments are allowed to assign these requirements as they see fit. “For the college to have a blanket policy about what the capstone is would be like fitting a

Heather Shelley

Carl Socolow ’77

in the major, there are not enough professors to make adding a senior thesis or similar project plausible. But he says this by no means makes this major easier than any other. “[Economics] is highly vertical in terms of prerequisites, so it is near impossible to get to be a senior econ major without already having been through econ boot camp.”

Like economics, the Spanish department requires a senior seminar without formal presentations or lengthy papers. And earth sciences used to require a senior seminar but developed a new model several years ago that allows students to choose a capstone experience that best prepares them for life after graduation. The course offerings of independent research, student/faculty collaborative research or participation in an internship aim to prepare students for graduate school or work in the industry, as well as synthesizing their undergraduate education.

square peg in a round hole all the time; sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn’t,” says Helen Takacs, associate professor of international business & management. “I think one of the beauties of Dickinson is the recognition that all areas of knowledge are important, but they’re unique.”

Professor of Music Jennifer Blyth agrees.

“It’s totally Dickinson,” she says. “It’s really a sign of respect, I think, to everyone’s individual field, that they know best how students can be pushed, how far they can be pushed and what they would glean from that process.

It’s one of the reasons why we’re all still here— because we have a say in how we manage our curriculum.”—Katya Hrichak ’17

The idea for this story came while Katya Hrichak ’17 (English, music) was working on her English thesis as well as her music colloquium. Along with noticing how different her two capstone projects were, she saw her classmates each undergoing very different assignments for their majors. As she started to explore further, the wealth of information got richer and vaster. This story is the culmination of 10 interviews and countless hours of transcribing, list-making and revision. It is a fitting end to her year as our student writer, during which she accrued more than 20 bylines! Congratulations, Katya!

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Heather Shelley

2017 Commencement “In the gorgeous trajectories of your lives, find time to serve. Because one day I want to be able to say to you—the class of 2017—‘thank you for your service.’ ” —Admiral James Stavridis, 2017 Commencement speaker (joined by wife Laura Hall Stavridis ’81)

530 graduates representing 33 states and the District of Columbia and 13 foreign countries

56% studied abroad in 28 countries on six continents

This is the first year that both food studies (1) and social innovation & entrepreneurship (4) certificates were awarded.

WHERE THEY’RE HEADING: • two have been awarded Fulbright scholarships (to teach in Jordan and Bulgaria) • one has accepted a position with AmeriCorps • two have accepted positions with City Year

39% majored in an interdisciplinary field, and 26% majored in an international area.

(alumni parent/s) and another 36 have relatives (sibling, aunt/uncle, grandparent) who graduated from Dickinson.

• four seniors will join the Peace Corps • four have accepted positions with Teach for America • nine members received their commission into the United States Army as second lieutenants

“Each of you has made Dickinson a better place for those who will follow you … and in all you do and all you accomplish in your lives, Dickinson will remain a part of you.” —Neil Weissman (then interim president) Visit dson.co/dson2017commencement for full coverage.

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Heather Shelley

10 are direct legacies

Carl Socolow ’77

[ your view ] Kudos on the Issue The current issue (spring 2017) excels in substance, layout, photos, the range of alumni featured, the rightful featuring of Steve Smith [’92], introduction of Margee Ensign early in the edition, the “military” piece on McDonough, Potter and Fickel, plus an enhanced class notes now as “Our Dickinson”! So many welcomed enhancements merit praise and compliments for you and your team! Articles are crisp and entice reading. Well-done indeed! True quality! Go Dickinson!

SHERWOOD “WOODY” GOLDBERG ’63

A New (but Familiar) View

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

L AU R E N DAV I D S ON, E DI T OR

I

still remember the first time I saw my name printed in the masthead of Dickinson Magazine. It was in the fall 2005 issue, and I had three bylines to go along with my first issue as a staff writer. I was fresh out of college, and seeing that first issue featuring my work in print was invigorating.

A few years after that, my name moved up in the masthead when I took on the role of assistant editor. For nearly 10 years I served in that capacity under two talented and tenacious editors, Sherri Kimmel and Michelle Simmons. I grew tremendously, taking on larger stories—like my first cover story in 2011 (“Saddle Up,” a piece on the equestrian team that kicked off an animalthemed issue)—and greater responsibilities—like managing the class correspondents, an incredible group of alumni committed to filling the class notes section with news from their peers. It’s been a fantastic journey, and working on this publication, telling the stories of Dickinsonians past and present, has been a true honor. And the journey continues as I step into the role of editor.

You’ll see some changes in the magazine—some places where we adjust or infuse a new approach. In fact, you may have noticed a change in paper stock with this issue—a shift that’s been discussed for some time. (Learn more about the paper on the inside front cover.) But maintaining the integrity of Dickinson’s award-winning flagship publication is a top priority, for me and for the entire magazine team.

And we want to know what you think! Email or call any time with your thoughts, or draft a letter with pen and paper if that’s your style. And watch for a magazine survey to be making the rounds in August. This is your magazine, so we want to hear from you!

Military Mentions As a four-year Army ROTC scholarship recipient and class of 1984 alumnus, I was pleased to see the two-page feature on the military in the magazine.

For as many years as it has been since I have graduated, I believe there have been very few articles on graduates/alumni who are serving or have served. I wish Dickinson would better appreciate those who serve, as well as the government’s payment of tuition dollars for scholarship cadets at Dickinson. I applaud the feature in the [spring] issue!

MARK MCCRARY ’84

DOYLESTOWN, PA.

Response to “Boots on the Ground”

Great article! Wondered if you have seen all the recent New York Times ads for the new boots they are unveiling in next few months? A huge investment in advertising.

Will be interested to see how Steve [Smith ’92] evolves L.L.Bean into an innovative company.

PATRICIA VAN ALLEN VOIGT ’66

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

We want to hear from you! Send letters via email to dsonmag@dickinson.edu or mail to: Dickinson Magazine, P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013-1773. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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SAV E T H E DAT E

Homecoming

& Family Weekend OCTOBER 6–8, 2017

featuring the inauguration of M A R G E E E N S I G N as the 29th president of Dickinson College on Oct. 7

Useful

EDUCATION

for the

common good

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Dickinson.edu/29thpresident

[ college & west high ] Carl Socolow ’77

Learning From the

Masters There may be no more combustible contemporary issue than immigration, and few can offer a more multidimensional perspective on it than David Oyelowo. The award-winning actor-activist sparked campuswide discussions around that hot button issue when he visited Dickinson in March.

Oyelowo is one of the distinguished scholars and public figures who came to Dickinson during the spring semester to accept a named lectureship award. While on campus, honorees deliver public addresses and work closely with students in small group settings, offering professional advice to those interested in similar career paths.

Oyelowo (Selma, Nightingale, The Butler, A United Kingdom) came to Dickinson through the Poitras-Gleim program, endowed by a gift from Ted and Kay Gleim Poitras ’53 and held in conjunction with the Student Senate-led Public Affairs Symposium. As this year’s Poitras-Gleim lecturer, he joins a stable of luminaries, each tasked with promoting cross-disciplinary learning by speaking outside of their widely known area of expertise. These include writer/activist Betty Friedan, former NFL player Wade Davis and Star Trek icon George Takei.

Also in March, Dickinson welcomed a highprofile environmental activist to campus to share expert views on grassroots strategies for mitigating climate change. Native American activist and

former vice presidential candidate Winona LaDuke was the recipient of the 2017 Morgan Lectureship, named for James Henry Morgan, a class of 1878 graduate and former Dickinson professor, dean and president. Fellow Morgan Lecture honorees include Samantha Power, Art Spiegelman and Kay Redfield Jamison.

Speaking with students in environmentally minded majors and clubs, LaDuke shared lessons learned from her long career on the front lines of environmental justice advocacy. She added firstperson perspective to a national conversation about current events when she related her experiences joining the Dakota Access Pipeline protestors at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota. LaDuke also delivered a public address on a new energy economy.

And, as Dickinson’s food studies program marks its first year, two scholars served up different flavors of this far-reaching topic.

Leading food historian Jeffrey Pilcher of the University of Toronto delivered the Pflaum Lecture on the history of taste, as both a sensory perception and a social category. Supported by a fund established in memory of John Pflaum, a Dickinson professor, the program has brought noted historians to campus, including Conrad Crane, Daniel Walker Howe and Donna Gabaccia.

Kelly Brownell, an obesity expert who’s advised Congress, the White House, governorships and media leaders, spoke about how scientists and social scientists can use their work to help alleviate social problems at the policy level. Brownell was the recipient of this year’s Joseph Priestley Award, presented in honor of the discoverer of oxygen—a close friend of Benjamin Rush—to a distinguished scientist whose work has contributed to the welfare of humanity. Previous recipients include 15 Nobel Laureates and the dual Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus C. Pauling, as well as famed astronomer Carl Sagan and anthropologist Margaret Mead.

Meghan Shippe ’18, a varsity squash player and double major in psychology and philosophy, was one of many students who seized the chance to meet with and learn from visiting experts this year.

After reading Brownell’s research while studying treatments for disordered eating, she got to meet with him in small groups, in and out of class.

“I cannot imagine that many of my friends who go to other colleges or universities get to have this kind of experience,” said Shippe, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. “That is something that is so special about Dickinson.”

—MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

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ONE WEEKEND Many were eager to meet President Margee Ensign, and they were not disappointed.

Weeks before taking the reins as Dickinson’s 29th president, Ensign attended a variety of events throughout the weekend, including the President’s Breakfast, where alumni like Danielle Goonan ’07 had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Dickinson’s future while also thanking interim President Neil Weissman for his service during the past year.

Celebrating her 10th reunion, Goonan also attended the collegewide dinner and brunch and took a guided, six-mile canoe trip down the Susquehanna River.

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Artrese Morrison ’92, who attended her 25th reunion with wife Alice Jordan, connected with classmates at the class of ’92 dinner, attended the Alumni of Color Reception and Sunday Brunch and had several chances to connect with President Ensign. “As an Alumni Council member, I’m excited to work with her,” she said. She also got her history on during a guided group tour of Gettysburg, Pa., landmarks with experts Matthew Pinsker, associate professor of history and Brian C. Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History, and Cooper Wingert ’20, author of several history books.

Roberta Zmuda Greenspan ’77 enjoyed that seven-hour Friday excursion to the nearby Civil War site as well, but a major weekend highlight for her was cheering on classmates— the class of 1977 broke a college record for the highest amount donated by a 40th-reunion class and achieved the secondhighest class turnout. The celebrations continued at the Old West Society reception in the House Divided building (“It’s a cool addition to campus!”), her class dinner in the Rector Science Complex atrium and during the Distinguished Alumni and Volunteer Awards Ceremony.

[ college & west high ] History buff, outdoor adventurer or life of the party? Alumni Weekend 2017 had something for you.

Do you wedge in as many Alumni Weekend events you can muster? Or do you prefer a free-range approach, heavy on smellthe-roses downtime? Maybe you blend big celebrations, cozy get-togethers and special events, like outdoorsy adventures or Alumni College workshops. Whatever your style, Dickinson has got you covered—along with the more than 1,500 Dickinsonians who created memories uniquely their own during Alumni Weekend 2017.

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

Greenspan was especially proud to applaud classmate and chair of the Board of Trustees Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77 who received the Walter E. Beach Distinguished Alumni Award for Service, and fellow Delta Nu alumnae, as the organization’s advisory board accepted the 1783 Award and announced the creation of a new Dickinson scholarship.

Rick Raymond ’07 welcomed the full Dickinson experience during Alumni Weekend, reliving his residence-hall days by staying in Adams Hall. After checking in on Friday with wife Ivana—a first-time Alumni Weekender, though she’s been to campus several times for other festivities—they enjoyed an evening of dessert and live music under the stars on Britton Plaza and got to bed too late to make it to the early-Saturday-morning yoga hike as planned. By Saturday noon, however, they were back on track, enjoying local food and music at the College Farm.

After hitting the sale at the College Bookstore—where they snapped up Dickinson gear including a yoga mat— the Raymonds rounded out the day with the class of ’07 reunion, a whiskey tasting with organic distiller Adam Spiegel ’06, dinner on Morgan Field and an impromptu party at Adams, lasting into the wee hours of Sunday. “Catching up with everyone was an amazing experience,” Raymond said.

The award for Alumni Weekend’s most social alum, however, belongs to Carl Socolow ’77. As college photographer, he spent his 40th reunion weekend covering no less than 20 official events—and capturing scores of candid shots in between (including all those seen here!), chatting with old and new friends along the way.

—MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

See additional coverage, including photos and video, at dson.co/dsonalum2017.

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First Person Singular: An Imagined Memoir

By R. Lee Holz ’57 CreateSpace In his 11th novel, R. Lee Holz ’57 tells the story of Rob Stuart, who came of age in middle class America in the 1950s. Living and working in the U.S. and Europe in the 1960s and ’70s, he had to deal with a revolution in attitudes, expectations and behaviors relating to women and relationships. In this memoir written for his therapist, Stuart tells of his struggle to find meaning and to understand himself and those he loves.

90 percent of Greece’s Jews perished in the Holocaust—the highest percentage lost in any country. Odyssey of Chaos was inspired by the true story of Alan Fleishman ’61’s Greek cousins who survived hidden in a cellar by a shepherd. Other cousins joined the partisan resistance, and others died in Auschwitz. The main story is followed by six contemporary short stories, which cover dramatic events and choices that alter the course of lives and form who we are.

Dead of Spring

By Sherry Knowlton ’72 Sunbury Press, Inc.

Odyssey of Chaos: and other stories

By Alan Fleishman ’61 B. Bennett Press With the Gestapo pounding on every door, no Jew in Athens is safe. Theo Kantos, a dress shop owner, has a desperate choice to make if he is to save his family. Does he trust the most despicable man he knows to hide them? Or does he place the lives of those he loves in the hands of a communist? Nearly

fine

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When a beloved state senator plunges to his death at Alexa Williams’ feet in the Capitol Rotunda, the authorities suspect suicide. Alexa later learns that she was the witness to the senator’s murder, not suicide. Concentrating on her work, she leads a senate commission on sex trafficking, while also helping an old college roommate sue a natural gas company for their role in causing her daughter’s rare cancer. In researching the lawsuit, Alexa becomes embroiled in the high-stakes politics of fracking where she is drawn to a charismatic state legislator who’s leading an anti-fracking crusade. When Alexa narrowly escapes a sniper’s bullet, she must discover why she’s a target and whom can she trust.

This is the third book in Sherry Knowlton ’72’s Alexa Williams suspense series.

The Book That Was Destroyed

By Kathy J. Phillips ’72 CreateSpace Combining a sense of urgency with the uniting theme of friendship, The Book That Was Destroyed tells a cautionary and inspiring tale of politics and rallying for your beliefs. Teacher Ginn McGonagle finds pieces of a manuscript in an old Pennsylvania farmhouse written by Lydie, a 19th-century Shaker woman. The old scraps reveal a pacifist and socialist woman concerned with community and the environment. Ginn reaches out to Honolulu librarian Van Carreira, who may hold the historical records that will shed light on Lydie’s life. Why did Lydie’s brother try to destroy the manuscript? And how do Lydie’s beliefs relate to concerns of fracking and global warming in the 21st century? This is the fifth book published by Kathy Phillips ’72, a professor of English at the University of Hawaii who has lived in Honolulu for 40 years.

BOOKSTORE FINDS A MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE DEAL! Use promo code dsonmag717 for online purchases between July 15 and August 20 to receive 20% off. Great for getting new Dickinson gear in time for Homecoming & Family Weekend!

LEGACY LAKE BLUE MERMAID HAT (adjustable, with “Dickinson” on back) “Only true Dickinsonians understand the mermaid logo.”

WOVEN RIBBON PET LEASH (6 ft.)

CHAMPION REVERSE WEAVE CREW SWEATSHIRT “My personal favorite sweatshirt of all time.”

NIKE DRI-FIT WOMEN’S SHORTS

CELL PHONE ID CASE CARD HOLDER “Perfect for carrying around just the essentials.”

“Essential for showing Dickinson pride while working out.”

STEMLESS WINE GLASS (15 oz.) & ROCKS GLASS

CAMELBAK WATER BOTTLE (.75 liter, BPA free, spill proof)

(14 oz.)

Cassie Masciale ’17, an international studies and Spanish major from Westfield, N.J., selected these items to be featured. She was a student worker in the Bookstore and after graduation started working for BAE Systems, a company that she interned for as a student.

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[ in the game ] This spring and throughout the year, Red Devils proved successful in competition and in the classroom. On Commencement weekend, 12 student-athletes were inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society, recognizing the top 1 percent of college graduates nationally.

joined Lauren Altschuler ’18 on the All-CC squad, while Nunes was named the CC women’s tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. Parks earned four All-CC honors in her career, while Nunes was a three-time All-CC selection. The Red Devils finished the season 6-9 overall and 5-5 in the CC.

Baseball and Softball The baseball team (20-20) produced 20 wins for the third time in the past four seasons. The pitching staff combined for a school record eight saves, while Billy O’Neil ’18 earned AllRegion honors and was named first-team AllCentennial Conference (CC). Max Matilsky ’20 was a first-team All-CC selection, while Rick Hopkins ’17 received the Gold Glove Award and broke conference records for both career and single-season runners caught stealing, throwing out 54 and 24, respectively.

The softball team (10-26) battled injuries, forcing multiple lineup changes throughout the year. Nicole Torlincasi ’17 made her second straight appearance on the All-CC first team, while Madison Milaszewski ’19 was named second-team, moving into the program’s top 10 with more than 200 strikeouts in her first two seasons.

Lacrosse Men’s lacrosse (12-4) advanced to the CC semifinals for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. The Red Devils had nine players earn All-CC honors and had three All-America

Chris Knight

Jenn Hopkins

Golf Women’s golf set a program record with the lowest one-day round at the conference championship. They made a great run to place third in the team standings, just one stroke out of second place. Head Coach Scott McQuaig was voted the CC Coach of the Year, and Stephanie Heiring ’17 was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

selections. Anton Grabis ’17 played in the Senior All-Star Game, while Chase Phillips ’17 (Phi Beta Kappa) received the Lloyd W. Hughes Senior Scholar-Athlete Award.

The women’s lacrosse team (10-8) had a great year as well, earning a program record six All-CC selections. Maddy Siebold ’17 received All-America honors, joining Tara Cuddihy ’17 as a three-time All-Conference selection. Both earned first-team recognition for the past two seasons, and Talene Bush ’17 was named Phi Beta Kappa. Dickinson endured one of the toughest schedules in the country, facing eight nationally ranked opponents.

Tennis Captain Samuel Loring ’18 led the men’s tennis team, earning All-CC honors this spring. He had a great finish, claiming six straight conference singles matches, including wins over a pair of regionally ranked opponents. The Red Devils finished 3-6 in the CC and 4-11 overall.

Joana Nunes ’17 and Madison Parks ’17 capped

great careers in women’s tennis with strong senior seasons (read more, next page). They

Need more Red Devil sports?

Charlie Zane ’20 led the men’s golf team with

three rounds in the 70s at the conference championship. He was just one stroke away from tying for Rookie of the Year and posted a season average of just over 78. Stephen Hoefer ’17 sank a hole in one to cap his senior season, while the Red Devils placed sixth in the conference standings, finishing in the top three in six events, including three first-place showings.

Track and Field In men’s track and field, Mason Hepner ’17 was named CC Track Performer of the Year for the outdoor season. He qualified for nationals in both indoor and outdoor, breaking a number of school records. He joined Eric Herrmann ’19 to earn All-Region honors, while Cole Rinehart ’17 joined the list of Phi Beta Kappa inductees.

The women’s outdoor track and field team made another great run at the conference championships, placing second for the fourth-straight season. Sofia Canning ’18, Sarah House ’20 and Naji Thompson ’19 earned All-Region honors and led a strong contingent of performers to earn All-CC. Head Coach Don Nichter was named the CC Coach of the Year for the second straight outdoor season, while Jamie George ’17 and Amanda Jimcosky ’17 added Phi Beta Kappa honors.

Check out all the stats, scores, schedules and highlights at www.dickinsonathletics.com. Information about live streaming and radio broadcasts is available on a game-by-game basis, so check the website regularly or follow @DsonRedDevils on Twitter for the latest updates.

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Carl Socolow ’77

Equal Footing M

adison Parks ’17 and Joana Nunes ’17 have a “sixth sense-like communication” while on the court, according to Head Women’s Tennis Coach David Bojalad. “One always knows where the other is positioned and which way they will move even before the play develops,” he says. Never having seen a tighter bond between players, he credits their dynamic for much of their success. “You cannot teach this,” he says.

As doubles partners, Parks and Nunes spent several years improving their game alongside one another. “I developed my doubles game a lot through Dickinson tennis and partnered with Madison from my sophomore season onward,” says Nunes. “We had some very memorable matches, including beating Swarthmore and Franklin & Marshall during my junior season.”

Parks recalls the same match against F&M as being her most memorable as a Red Devil. “Joana and I had previously beaten the team we were playing in doubles in the regular season, but it was such an intense match during the playoffs, we were fighting for every point,” she says. “I am so lucky to have been able to play side by side with one of my best friends for four years.”

In 2015-16, the duo earned Parks her third All-Centennial Conference (CC) honor with a secondteam selection, and Nunes earned a second-team selection in both singles and doubles as well as the CC Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Nunes went 12-6 on the year in singles, with a 7-2 mark in conference play. She finished the regular season with seven consecutive wins, and with the Red Devil’s first-round victory in the conference playoffs, extended the streak to eight. Parks finished the year 10-5 overall in singles and 6-4 in conference matches. Parks and Nunes finished the season with an 8-2 run in doubles, winning five straight during that stretch. And they aced the role of co-captains in their senior year.

Off the court, Parks and Nunes’ intense attitudes carried into their lives as students. “They are the epitome of the student-athlete at Dickinson,” says Bojalad. “They go all out in both athletics and academics and are committed to both equally.”

During graduation weekend, Nunes’ commitment to academics was recognized when she won the Lloyd W. Hughes Senior Scholar-Athlete Award, was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and earned the James Fowler Rusling Prize.

Nunes, an economics major and mathematics minor, credits Dickinson for shaping the journey that led her to her postgraduation plans. When she was searching for internships junior year, the Career Center connected her with an alumnus from Deutsche Bank who helped her acquire an internship there last summer. Since graduating, she has returned to Deutsche Bank in New York City to work in their Global Transaction Banking department.

In addition to playing tennis, Parks majored in neuroscience and completed an independent research project titled “Functional Development of Central Chemo-receptors, Onset of Fetal Breathing Movements and C-fos Expression in Embryonic Mice.”

She similarly credits Dickinson for giving her this opportunity and fostering her competitive spirit, both of which prepared her for the application process that earned her a position as a research assistant at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, where she is studying genome similarities in patients with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

“Dickinson has really been incredible in helping me to achieve my goals,” Parks says. “It is possible to be involved in so many different areas, really tailoring your experience to exactly what you want, and I honestly could not be happier with my experience.”

—Katya Hrichak ’17

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Questions for

Head Football Coach Brad Fordyce

Brad Fordyce has been tapped to lead the Red Devils onto the gridiron as the new head football coach, and he’s solidifying his approach as he looks to 2017-18 to be a turnaround season.

—Tony Moore 1. What do you say to recruits to make them see what a great program they’ll be joining? We talk about tradition and the success Dickinson has had.

We refer to the school as it relates to cultivating successful people, and we speak about our players and the commitment they have to each other.

2. The Red Devils are coming off a tough 1-9 season.

As the new head coach, do you have a philosophy for turning the page and working toward a winning season? Success is a choice. Our players must understand that they make decisions daily that move us closer to success as it relates to the preparation. If we are consistent in our approach and decisionmaking and hold true to the process, we’ll be able to expect success. It’ll become a mentality.

3. What do you see as something every athlete must have to succeed? Dedication, commitment, passion.

They have to love what they do and embrace the work.

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4. Do you have any coaching heroes from football’s long history that you look to for inspiration? Both my parents were born and raised in Pittsburgh, and I loved Chuck Noll’s [Steelers, 1969-91] straightforward and intense approach to coaching. I would also say my dad, Dick Fordyce. I grew up on the sideline while he was coaching in college and then had the experience of playing for him in high school. He was intense but always did so much for his players off the field. I think he had great balance with demanding what was necessary and taking care of them. The last would be Al Thomas. I worked with him at Western Maryland (now McDaniel) College. His intelligence and work ethic were unmatched.

5. What are your early impressions of Dickinson’s athletics facilities? I believe we provide some of the best facilities in our region. We have a great locker room [in the Durden Athletic Training Center] that houses our players all year, and the varsity weight room is a great space to help our athletes develop.

6. Dickinson is a place where the student-athletes focus equally on the classroom and the field. How will you foster that balance as head coach? We emphasize time management as it relates to both football and school. Our players need to be aware of the time demands they have and manage them, so they can succeed in both.

7. Your two sons (Tate and Nash) might be too young to suit up and hit the gridiron, but when they’re ready, what lessons about the game do you want them to know? I think teamwork and accountability are big ones. You have to learn to work as one unit with the same focus. The ability to rely on others and hold yourself to the same standard is important. You must be accountable to yourself and how you affect the team, and you must also evaluate your teammates to ensure that you can count on them.

8. What do you think it is about football generally that makes it so overwhelmingly popular? Each play has the ability to change the game or create a huge momentum swing.

9. What do you think is the greatest football game ever played, either college or NFL? I would have to go with Alabama vs. LSU back in 2011. LSU won 9-6 in overtime. I’m a defensive guy, so seeing those two teams get after each other on defense was awesome. The common fan would have thought it was boring game.

10. If you could have any NFL player put on the Red Devil football gear and play with the team for a season, who would it be? Tom Brady. He is a straight-up winner and competitor.

Carl Socolow ’77

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DAY OF GIVING 2017 New Coaches Bring New Energy Dickinson has hired some talented new coaches to help take the Red Devils to the next level.

Ted Zingman takes the helm of the women’s soccer program after 10 seasons at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. He is credited with rebuilding the women’s soccer program there while producing the highest winning percentage in Hamline’s history. In addition to producing the most wins, his team’s combined GPA never dropped below a 3.0 and was over 3.5 for three of the past four years, earning them the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award for five straight seasons and a rank of second in the nation in 2013-14. Prior to Hamline, Zingman was an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins University where he led the team to its first top-10 national ranking.

Zingman holds a Premier Diploma from the NSCAA and a B License from the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

David Bojalad spent 12 years as head tennis coach at two Division III institutions in California prior to coming to Dickinson as head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis programs. During his time at Whittier and Occidental colleges, he was a proven recruiter who developed nationally ranked teams. After five years of coaching at Whittier, Bojalad was promoted to director of tennis while continuing to coach the men’s program. The men’s team finished 15th in the nation in 2012 and was ranked 17th by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Bojalad is U.S. Professional Tennis Association Certified Pro Level I. Find more information on the coaches and the Dickinson athletics department at dickinsonathletics.com.

ONE MISSION: 24 hours.

3,000 Dickinsonians.

3,277

For Dickinson’s third-annual Day of Giving, Tuesday, April 25, Dickinsonians around the world stepped up, tapped into our shared Dickinson pride and came together to make 3,277 gifts totaling $877,835—in a single day!

Throughout the historic day, Dickinsonians unlocked $100,000 in challenge funding thanks to several generous donors: • RUSH HOUR CHALLENGE: 500+ gifts, 7-9 a.m. = $10,000 from Kevin Holleran ’73.

• POWER LUNCH CHALLENGE: 400+ gifts, noon-2 p.m. = $10,000 from Abbegayle and Michael Morrow ’05.

• REUNION ALUMNI CHALLENGE: 400+ reunion alumni gifts = $50,000 from George and Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77.

• YOUNG ALUMNI CHALLENGE: 500+ young alumni gifts = $20,000 from the Class of 2007 Reunion Committee.

• PARENT CHALLENGE: 500+ parent gifts = $10,000 from an anonymous current parent.

This record-breaking effort sets a new standard for Dickinson pride.

More importantly, the nearly $900,000 raised will impact every aspect of the Dickinson experience. THANK YOU for illustrating what can happen when Dickinsonians come together!

Learn more at dickinson.edu/dayofgiving.

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[ feature ]

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IMAGES FROM

abroad Students share images and experience from around the world through the annual Study Abroad Photo Contest.

By Lauren Davidson Dickinsonians have incredible experiences while abroad—academic, of course, but also cultural, social, personal experiences. And they share those experiences with their family, friends and fellow Dickinsonians in a number of ways, including by entering images in the Study Abroad Photo Contest. Held annually by the Center for Global Study & Engagement for more than 10 years, the contest is a visual opportunity for returning study-abroad students to reveal glimpses of their time off campus and also provides international students with a venue for highlighting their perspectives in the United States.

This year, 32 students submitted 164 photos in six categories. The images were displayed in the library, and members of the campus community voted for their favorites.

The images show the stunning views and pictureperfect architecture the students witnessed. They capture moments of camaraderie, connectivity and chance encounters. They give glimpses into life in these far-flung places and show how Dickinsonians immerse themselves meaningfully in these diverse cultures.

And that immersion, joined with other experiences— in and out of the classroom, on and off campus— shapes these students into global citizens who are comfortable with being uncomfortable, prepared to engage as useful members of any community, near or far.

View all of this year’s winning images at dson.co/photocontest17.

L E A S T T OU R I S T Y T R AV E L P HO T O

“50 shades of blue,” Mount Cook, New Zealand,

by Jamey Harman ’18 23

3.

1.

4.

2.

1.

ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE

“Via Indipendenza,” Bologna,

Italy, by Maxwell Lio ’17 2.

C U LT U R E , L O C A L L I F E A N D L O C A L P E OP L E

“Brekky in

Brisbane.” Brisbane, Australia, by Emily Rosenberg ’18 3.

C U LT U R E , L O C A L L I F E A N D L O C A L P E OP L E ( W I N N E R )

“Rhotia,” in Rhotia, Tanzania, by Kayla Simpson ’18 4.

ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE (WINNER)

5.

L E A S T T OU R I S T Y T R AV E L P HO T O ( W I N N E R )

“Edge of the World,” Roy’s Peak, New Zealand, by Jamey Harman ’18

“Ame Amekko-Ichi (Rainy Candy Market Festival),” Odate, Akita, Japan,

by Jasmine Gatten ’17

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5.

6.

7.

8.

6.

S H A R E YOU R S T OR Y ( W I N N E R )

7.

L E A S T T OU R I S T Y T R AV E L P HO T O

Mycenae, Greece, by Henry Rincavage ’17

8.

C U LT U R E , L O C A L L I F E A N D L O C A L P E OP L E

“A Safe and Welcoming Harbor: A refugee’s dream,” Island of Lampedusa, Sicily, by Nidia Werner ’19 “Aboriginal students commuting to school,” Uluru, Australia, by Marguerite Adams ’18

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GOING THE DISTANCE DICKINSONIANS FIND CHALLENGES, LIFE LESSONS AND MEANING IN EXTREME ENDURANCE SPORTS.—BY MATT GETTY KIRSTEN NIXA SABIA ’92 RUNS THROUGH THE DARK, HUMID FLORIDA NIGHT ON A LONG STRETCH OF HIGHWAY KNOWN AS ALLIGATOR ALLEY. THE STEADY RHYTHM OF HER SNEAKERS HITTING THE PAVEMENT PULLS HER FORWARD. HER HEADLAMP BEAM CUTS THROUGH THE PITCH BLACK, SPOTLIGHTING THE ROAD, SHOWING HER THE WAY FORWARD. SHE HOPES THE LIGHT DOESN’T CATCH A TAIL, A SNOUT, A PAIR OF REPTILIAN EYES. Then it happens. She’s on mile two of a 12-mile leg of her first Ragnar—an overnight relay race combining long-distance running, sleep deprivation and exotic locations—when that headlamp goes out. Now there’s only darkness.

Only darkness and 10 miles to go. Only darkness and those unseen tails, snouts and eyes.

MAGGIE PEEKE ’11 BRACES HERSELF AGAINST A WIND THAT FEELS LIKE IT’S GOT TEETH. SHE’S HALFWAY TO THE PEAK OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S MOUNT WASHINGTON, KNOWN FOR HAVING THE WORST WEATHER ON THE PLANET. IT’S FEBRUARY, AND THE WIND IS LIVING UP TO ITS REPUTATION, PROVING ITS POINT, TELLING HER TO TURN BACK. It’s minus 70 with the wind chill, and that last gust was so strong, she knows if she wasn’t weighed down by her pack, it would have swept her right off the mountain.

But that’s not the problem. The problem is her goggles. Or rather that her breath has frozen over on her goggles. Or rather that she can’t see past the thick sheet of ice, inches in front of her eyes.

Still, Peeke didn’t come out here to get halfway to the summit. Lifting her leg tentatively, she feels for a foothold in front of her, takes a deep breath, steps forward.

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[ feature ]

RICHARD GOLDBERG ’59 STANDS IN THE ASSEMBLY AREA FOR THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON, WAITING FOR THE BUS THAT WILL TAKE HIM TO THE STARTING LINE. NEXT TO HIM, HIS WIFE IS CRYING. HE LOOKS HER IN HER TEAR-SLICKED EYES, TAKES HER BY THE HAND AND TELLS HER IT’S GOING TO BE OK. But he knows she isn’t being ridiculous. He is 55 years old.

When he turned 50, he was in such poor shape he couldn’t run 100 yards. Now he’s running his first marathon, and as the bus lurches to a stop before them, his wife is convinced that she will never see him alive again.

Goldberg walks toward the bus, adjusting the number pinned to his shirt. He gives his wife a wave, takes a deep breath and prepares for the race.

As extreme endurance events such as marathons, triathlons, Tough Mudders, mountain climbing and ultra-marathons have proliferated over the past decade, more and more people from all walks of life are lacing up their sneakers and boots to push themselves to their limits. And Dickinsonians have been on the forefront. But looking over the previous scenarios, it’s hard not to come back to one central question—why?

For ALBIE MASLAND ’06, who did the equivalent of a marathon a day when he ran 3,025 miles across the country to raise money for veterans through the Travis Manion Foundation in 2012, it’s all about the “edge.”

“I think everyone has an edge,” says Masland, who enjoyed that run so much he ran across half the country two years later. “It just depends on whether that edge is a butter knife or something you sharpen on a regular basis.

You can sit back and keep a dull edge, just be complacent where you are, but I know I’m at my best when I’m finding new ways to push myself, new ways to sharpen that edge.”

ALEX FORTE ’03 knows that edge well. A former AllAmerican Red Devil cross country runner who’s taken up competitive bicycling, she’s earned several podium finishes in the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships.

“It’s the craziest coolest thing you’re ever going to do—like doing an obstacle course on a bike,” she says of the cross-country biking sport that requires you to ascend

vertical mud slopes, carry your bike over logs and jockey for position on narrow mud trails, your tires inches from your competitors’. “It’s like being a kid again, when you would just hop on your bike and go splashing through mud puddles.”

Only in this case being a kid again requires tons of serious training. That means five days of riding 30 to 50 miles a day, coupled with distance running to build endurance. Then as she gets closer to cyclocross season, it’s shorter, more intense rides, strength training and a lot of planning for the courses, which can be as mentally grueling as they are physically.

“It’s all about pushing my body to the limit, but it’s not just about being prepared physically—you also have to be prepared mentally,” explains the Dickinson Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. “You have to know the terrain, but then the terrain changes each lap. One lap might be smooth, but the next there could be ruts carved in the mud from the other riders. It’s like constantly solving a puzzle—at high speed.”

Like Forte, NICK KARWOSKI ’10 knows a lot about pushing his body and mind to the limit. Also an All-American runner at Dickinson, Karwoski was tapped by the USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Program six years after graduating to compete for the U.S. national triathlon team. That meant competing in nearly 20 triathlons around the world from 2014 to 2016 as well as three training sessions each day for the better part of three years.

“You know it’s going to hurt, but you have to keep going,” says Karwoski, who rose to be ranked ninth in the sport, just missing the cut for the 2016 Olympics. “You have to know how to manage the pain, and at this level, it’s all very data driven. You have all these metrics for your resting heart rate, your max heart rate, your power on the bike.

You have to know what your 90 percent is, what your 100 percent is, because you can push it at 100 percent at some points, but you have to know what’s left in the tank. The most fit athlete doesn’t always win—the smartest one does.”

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A GRUELING HOBBY

DM Photography

Courtesy of fANNEtasticfood.com

You don’t have to compete at the professional level to become obsessed with sharpening that edge. ROB RAUB ’96 and TY SAINI ’93 have trained for and competed in numerous Ironman triathlons while managing successful careers as a medical marketing professional and orthodontist, respectively.

And the time commitment goes well beyond the 10 to 13 hours it takes to complete each race, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride followed by a full marathon (26.2 miles).

Being a recreational “ironman” also means waking up in the middle of the night to down an Ensure you keep in a bedside cooler, setting your alarm for 5:30 a.m. to dive into the pool for dozens of laps and hopping onto your bike for three hours after a full day of work.

“I’m always intrigued by what people are really capable of—not just setting a goal, but stretching yourself,” says Saini. “You start off thinking, ‘I’ll never be able to go this distance,’ but then you train and you accomplish it, and it’s like, ‘Wow, what else can I do?’ ” For Raub, there’s something very Dickinsonian about the process. “There’s a lot that goes into that eight-month training program,” he explains. “In a way, it’s a lot like the Dickinson education. There’s endurance training, strength training, mechanics on the bike, technique in the pool, nutrition and recovery—all these disciplines coming together … and then you reach these goals, and you can see that you’re accomplishing something that never seemed possible before.”

The same is true for ANNE MAUNEY ’04 and LAYLA BUDIN ’17, who’ve teamed with other Dickinsonians on Tough Mudders—10- to 12-mile obstacle races that force you to climb walls, wade through ice baths and crawl under exposed wires.

“You literally just push past these obstacles, and at the end you just feel like, if I can do this, I can do anything,” says Budin, who has also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, gone bungee jumping and skydiving and completed several sprint-distance triathlons.

That feeling isn’t limited to younger alumni. In addition to Goldberg taking on his first marathon in his 50s, there’s SARAH NICKERSON ’91, who

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started competing in triathlons after having her second child and recently used the confidence she gained from the events to complete a six-month backpacking trip around the world in her 40s.

Or take BETH SANDBOWER HARBINSON ’81, who’s competed in several triathlons a year in her 50s and loves the way the sport’s competitors are becoming increasingly diverse. “One Iron Girl triathlon I went to, there were 2,000 women, every age, every race, every body type—just descending on this park to compete,” she recalls. “I still get goosebumps just thinking about it.”

The most impressive example is HARRIETTE LINE THOMPSON ’45, who—at 94—recently made national news by becoming the oldest person to finish a half-marathon. Just two years ago, the two-time cancer survivor, who runs to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, became the oldest person to finish a full marathon.

TREND OR CULTURAL MOVEMENT It wasn’t always like this. As recently as the 1960s the sight of an adult running without being chased was so jarring that early participants in this new fitness trend called “jogging” were often stopped and questioned by police. Now there are hundreds of extreme endurance races each year.

As Associate Professor of American Studies Cotten Seiler sees it, the trend is deeply entwined in American culture. Comparing it to the “backto-nature” movement that emerged in response to the growth of industrialization and assembly lines at the turn of the 20th century, he sees the growth in extreme athletics as part of “a long series of rethinking the body” in response to cultural, political and economic developments.

“It’s sports as a means of individual empowerment—this idea of turning yourself into the most highly developed commodity you can be,” he explains, noting that the increasingly isolated nature of the contemporary life, combined with anxiety over the environment, may be reigniting that back-to-nature impulse as well. “Most of our time is spent behind a computer or cellphone screen, so there’s this impulse to get out into nature in these Tough Mudders and triathlons that give you

Courtesy of fANNEtasticfood.com

Jason Calderon

a chance to connect with these disappearing environments.”

Harbinson would agree. “The world feels more insular to me the older I get, or maybe just as the times change,” she says. “I spend an inordinate amount of time in my workday on the computer or communicating through email or social media rather than face-to-face. This just takes fitness to that next level. I find it so incredibly enriching to participate in something bigger.”

SUNNIE KO ’11, who ran her first triathlon to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and is currently training for her first Ironman in September, has a slightly different perspective. “I realize that I’m super lucky and blessed that I can do this,” she says, noting that during training she uses the hashtag #moveforstjude to dedicate each workout to a child too sick to run, swim or bike. “So I feel it’s almost like a responsibility to make the most of what I have.”

RISKY FITNESS? Yet experiences like Peeke’s, half blind on a snow-covered mountain, or Sabia’s, running through the dark potentially surrounded by alligators, hint at a darker side to these events. There’s also Raub, who despite completing numerous Ironman races and marathons, was forced out of two events due to severe dehydration and a pulmonary edema brought on by 53-degree waters that nearly forced his organs to shut down. Not to mention the flames, electric shocks and potential falls from great heights Mauney

and Budin faced in their Tough Mudders.

“When you’re climbing, you have to make decisions that are life and death,” says Peeke, who has run many half-marathons, gone sky-diving and zip lining and taken on five of the Seven Summits—the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents.

“It’s a fine line to dance, but it’s definitely a valuable experience.”

(Full disclosure: Sabia finished her 12-mile leg without encountering any reptilian spectators. Shortly after that half-blind step on Mount Washington, however, Peeke made the call to turn back and live to climb another day.)

Still, many might ask the same question Peeke’s mother asks her—“Is it worth the risk?”

For most outsiders, the answer is a simple “no way,” but Professor of Psychology Marie Helweg-Larsen, who studies the psychology of risk, has a more complex answer.

“Our attitude toward risk often has a lot more to do with what we see as normal or necessary,” she says. “Most people don’t worry about the risks of driving because it seems ordinary, but if you look at the number of casualties each year, it’s definitely a risky activity. So from the outside these events might seem more risky because we don’t participate in them, but if you’re part of a community competing in these events, you have a completely different perspective.”

Perhaps that’s why so many of the competitors highlight the communal aspect of what appears on the surface to be highly individualized sports.

“I thought the idea of a Tough Mudder sounded crazy at first,” says Mauney. “Then I saw how much fun my husband had and more of my friends started to get involved, so I thought, ‘Why not embrace the challenge?’ ” Budin agrees. “The social aspect is very important,” she says. “You should do it with at least one friend. It’s comforting to go through it with someone you can lean on and encourage—and then celebrate with!”

But perhaps the best answer to the question of whether these sports are worth the risk comes from Goldberg. After leaving his distressed wife to head to the starting line, he finished the New York City Marathon alive and well, the culmination of years of training since Goldberg—an officer in the Army Reserves—discovered he was unable to complete the 2-mile run portion of the reserves’ physical fitness test. Since then, he has completed two other marathons, several 10-milers and the Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon, and today, he’s training for a fourth marathon to celebrate an upcoming milestone birthday.

“I’ve had people tell me this is not a wise thing to do,” he says. “But I’ve gotten a lot out of it. To go from literally not being able to run 100 yards to this—it has given me a feeling of accomplishment and confidence, but it’s also a great way to stay physically fit, and that’s the best way to prevent a lot of these diseases and conditions that come with getting older. So when people ask me if this is really a smart thing to do, I say, ‘I really don’t know. Ask me in 30 years, and I’ll let you know.’ ”

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[ feature ]

Hats Off! DICKINSON’S HISTORIC HAT SOCIETIES REPRESENT A DISTINCTIVE TRADITION FOCUSED ON LEADERSHIP, FRIENDSHIP AND COLLECTIVE EXCELLENCE.

By John Heath ’71 (SKULL AND KEY)

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E

Carl Socolow ’77

ach spring at Dickinson brings members of the community together for a series of distinctive “tapping” ceremonies, during which new members are inducted into the college’s honorary societies—known as “hat societies” due to their distinguishing white, blue and gray hats—Raven’s Claw, Wheel and Chain and the Order of Scroll and Key. An additional society, Skull and Key (designated by black hats) is no longer active on campus but has an active alumni association.

The hat societies are steeped in tradition and, occasionally, secrecy. New members of the three groups are selected each year primarily on the basis of academics and campus leadership, and these students, though small in numbers, make significant contributions to the college and local community. Alumni remain steadfastly dedicated to their societies, often returning to campus for tappings, mentoring new members, celebrating society milestones, giving back to the college through special scholarship funds and maintaining strong connections with their hat-mates.

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F

rom interviews with more than a dozen hat society alumni members from several decades and some archival research, here is a glimpse into this distinctively Dickinson tradition.

RAVEN’S CLAW (WHITE HATS) Founded in 1896, Raven’s Claw is Dickinson’s oldest men’s honorary society that, each year, taps seven rising seniors for membership. Through their involvement with the society, members provide positive leadership on campus, become involved in service projects and participate in alumni networking events.

A historical ledger stored in the college’s Archives & Special Collections contains the signature of every member dating back to the founders. The names of many White Hats grace campus buildings, such as Boyd Lee Spahr, class of 1900, and Robert M. Waidner ’32, of the Waidner-Spahr Library. John “Jack” R. Stafford ’59 and his wife, Inge Paul Stafford ’58 (Wheel and Chain), helped transform the college through Inge’s service on the Board of Trustees and their financial generosity, including a scholarship, an endowed chair in bioinformatics, a teaching laboratory in Dana Hall, the Stafford Reading Room in the library and the Stafford Greenhouse for Teaching and Research.

In the 1990s, Raven’s Claw members founded two generous funds, the Raven’s Claw Scholarship, which bestows an annual award on a rising male or female senior with demonstrated academic achievement and campus leadership (read more at dson.co/rcscholarship), and the McAndrew’s Fund for Athletics, which supports Dickinson’s athletics programs in myriad ways.

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WHEEL AND CHAIN (BLUE HATS) Founded in 1924, Wheel and Chain, the women’s society known as the Blue Hats, inducts 10 new members from the rising senior class each year, chosen by the previous year’s inductees. Their tapping takes place on Old West’s old stone steps, and the new class rings the bell in Denny Hall during Commencement ceremonies.

A very diverse group, the Blue Hats are selected for displaying leadership and character in campus activities and for service to the college and community. Members originally hosted a tea for incoming students and their parents, participated in first-year orientation and served as ushers at campus events. In 1965, they began tapping honorary members, starting with Dean of Women Barbara Wishmeyer. Since then more than 100 honorary members (faculty, administrators and alumnae) have joined Wheel and Chain.

Notable members of Wheel and Chain include Ann Conser Curley ’63, a journalist and former president of Dickinson’s Alumni Council who co-established multiple faculty chairs at Dickinson (along with husband John Curley ’60); Louise Hauer Greenberg ’54, trustee emerita who led a long career combining research and music; and Barb Stauch Slusher ’86, P’16, director of the NeuroTranslational Drug Discovery Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Brain Science Institute and a professor of neurology, medicine, psychiatry and neuroscience at Hopkins’ School of Medicine.

For its 75th anniversary in 1998, the group endowed the Wheel and Chain Leadership Award, which is a scholarship given annually to an outstanding rising junior who maintains a high GPA and demonstrates the characteristics of a great leader.

Fun fact: The Blue Hats weren’t always blue—during the World War II era, blue dye was considered essential to the war effort, so several iterations of the hats were produced in gray.

SKULL AND KEY (BLACK HATS) Skull and Key was a junior men’s honorary society established in 1908 to help foster communication between fraternities and the college community and to promote campus customs and spirit. (The Black Hats pre-dated the InterFraternity Council, which is responsible for continuing to foster these relationships.) There was one member from each fraternity, and they had specific tasks including organizing first-year orientation, supervising rush activities and escorting female students to school dances.

Tapped during the spring, they also chose an outstanding first-year male student.

Because Skull and Key was a junior organization, members were eligible to join Raven’s Claw in their senior year, and well over 100 Dickinsonians hold the distinction of representing both groups, including Mr. Dickinson himself, Ben James ’34.

In the 1960s, after most of its official duties were reassigned to the InterFraternity Council, the group maintained more of a social presence while still contributing to fraternity events. The Black Hats experienced some disciplinary issues in the ’70s, and the group was suspended and then officially disbanded in the fall of 1983.

In 2001, Black Hat alumni formed the Skull and Key Alumni Club to rebuild the society’s connection to the college. A commemorative plaque was unveiled along Dickinson Walk, and the Skull and Key Scholarship, which is awarded to a rising junior student based on leadership, service and campus involvement, was announced.

There was also a 100th anniversary reunion dinner, and there is a festive gathering each year at Alumni Weekend. Black Hat members retain their enduring bond of fellowship and still enjoy regional gettogethers. They also maintain a website with a comprehensive overview of their history featuring Microcosm pictures and Dickinsonian articles at skullandkey.org.

THE ORDER OF SCROLL AND KEY (GRAY HATS) The Order of Scroll and Key was established in fall 2001 to restore a third hat society (in place of Skull and Key, which was disbanded in 1983) with a mission of diversity and dedication to philanthropy and volunteerism in the Dickinson and Carlisle communities. Its membership includes fraternity presidents, college advisors and community-service leaders.

Additionally, the Gray Hats (also known as the Scrollmen) followed the example set

by Wheel and Chain and chose honorary members, including well-regarded faculty members and administrators.

Alumni of the Order of Scroll and Key are making their presence felt in critical ways, from federal service to international business and finance to notable philanthropic efforts, while remaining committed to their organization’s founding principle (and the motto of John Dickinson himself) that in all of their endeavors, they have a lifelong requirement “to be rather than to seem.”

Learn more about how members of Dickinson’s historic hat societies have made an impact on campus and in the wider world, plus view additional photos, at Dickinson.edu/magazine.

QUEER CAPS In 2008, the Queer Caps were established to encourage visibility of queer activists on campus. At the time, many students felt there wasn’t enough visibility of, and recognition for, the value of queer programming. The founders described the students selected as individuals who advocated for queer rights and consistently worked to make positive change. Each spring, new members are tapped during a ceremony on Old West’s old stone steps, and members don distinctive rainbowcolored hats.

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ON HOPE and Liberty

Marketing superstar/activist Anastasia Pfarr Khoo ’97 keeps the faith —By MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

Pantone 1797

T

he image was simple—parallel lines inside a square—but it packed an ideological punch. Uploaded from Washington, D.C., it spread quickly on social media, and soon it was clear: A singular social sensation was born.

Today, that red equals-sign logo is the stuff of marketing legend and a symbol of the ways social media can build community and conversation around meaningful issues. It’s the brainchild of Anastasia Pfarr Khoo ’97, a nonprofit-sector superstar who harnesses her powers to help effect social change.

Khoo became interested in social justice as a teenager, watching her mother fight gender discrimination and advocate for equal pay. “Being a working mother in those days was difficult, but she always stood up for what was right,” says Khoo.

At Dickinson, Khoo learned to think creatively and critically—crucial skills for a future marketing maven—and graduated with a degree in history. She worked for two years at an educational organization before joining Greenpeace, one of the world’s largest environmental nongovernmental organizations.

After several years as communications manager of its U.S. division (“a boot camp for me, in terms of working with the media”), she moved up the ranks to brand manager.

In 2005, Khoo took on a new cause as chief marketing officer at the Human Rights

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Pantone 1775

Campaign (HRC), the largest civil-rights organization devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. During the next 11 years, she stood on the front lines of LGBT advocacy at key moments, including the 2008 and 2010 federal decisions on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, the 2008 “Proposition 8” vote and the 2011 repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy. She also saw sea changes in her industry, as social media revolutionized the way people communicate and connect.

Fast-forward to 2013: The Supreme Court was about to hear its first two marriage-equality cases, and as part of an awareness-raising campaign, Khoo altered the HRC logo—defying a cardinal rule in the world of professional marketing—by swapping out its yellow equals sign for a pink one and its blue background for red.

“Red is the color of love, and that’s what these cases were about,” she explains, “and I felt that this historic moment advocated trying something new.”

The risk paid off big: Millions of socialmedia users supplanted their profile pictures with the logo, according to Khoo (Star Trek actor/activist and 1997 Poitras-Gleim lecturer at Dickinson George Takei alone generated some three million likes).

She later followed this success with the 2015 #LoveWins hashtag, which was tweeted

seven million times worldwide. According to Facebook, it was the biggest campaign in that platform’s history, and it caught on in every U.S. county—a major win. The victory was made even sweeter when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality.

“It was amazing to create an echo chamber and start a conversation for good, and it was also a very beautiful experience, because our work not only helped to change hearts and minds—we were also changing lives through acceptance,” Khoo says, adding that hundreds of people contacted her office to thank the HRC for the campaign, some saying it gave them the courage to come out.

The work drew high honors, including PRWeek’s “Best Digital Campaign,” Mashable’s “Best Social Media Campaign,” and South by Southwest’s “Best Digital Campaign” and “Best in Show.” Khoo was named a PRWeek “Champion of PR,” an Ad Women of NY “Digital Innovator of the Year” and one of PR News’ “Top Women in PR.” She’s contributed to The Today Show, The Washington Post, The New Yorker and Stanford Social Innovation Review.

In April, Khoo returned to her environmentalactivism roots, accepting a position as chief marketing officer at Conservation International, a global communications and marketing organization devoted to environmental causes.

She’s also on the advisory board of BlueSky Investment Management LLC, a sustainably minded firm founded by Bud Sturmak ’95.

Speaking in late March, Khoo admits it’s an interesting time for campaigners as the nation and world adjust to a new presidential administration, but she’s encouraged by the renewed sense of energy and commitment she sees in Washington and beyond. She and husband Michael are also delighted to discover a budding progressive spirit in their young son, Dax. “I have a lot of hope for the country and future generations,” Khoo says, noting that Dax has never known a world without a U.S. president of color, nor one where his parents’ gay and lesbian friends cannot be legal spouses.

“This generation doesn’t have the same hangups or prejudices. It’s wonderful to see.”

Paul Drake ’84

I

t was July 1976, in Needham, Mass. Celebrating the bicentennial, a group of kids were riding around in a Jeep, blowing horns—trumpets and trombones. Zipping by parking meters, they reached out and grabbed one American flag after another, out for the milestone anniversary, and drove around waving them. Not exactly serious business. But …

“The police had no sense of humor, and they arrested the kids and charged them with larceny, disturbing the peace, open and gross rudeness—a whole bunch of things,” says Henry Sorett ’68, the teens’ lawyer, who’s now been practicing for more than 40 years. “And the prosecutor wanted jail time.” The case was presented as a test for Sorett, an opportunity provided him by a law firm that had their eye on the young lawyer. So Sorett tried the case for a full day in court, and at the end of the trial, the judge reduced the charges to parading without a permit and fined each kid a symbolic $17.76.

And with that, the firm decided Sorett had passed the test, and they asked him to join the practice.

Now, Sorett is a principal at Boston’s Brickley, Sears & Sorett, where he specializes in a slightly more complicated area: litigating complex gas- and electric-related fires and explosion cases

And Justice FOR ALL

Henry Sorett ’68 has spent his life in the courtroom, defending all comers, big and small —By Tony Moore

on behalf of electric and gas utilities in major catastrophe litigation. Since 1983, he has served as appellate counsel in over 100 lawsuits, and he’s litigated gas- and electric-related incidents in 40 states across the country, while he and his firm saved clients literally billions in settlement costs.

“I have a facility with the experts, in that I understand the physics concepts, and that’s made it very easy for me to work on these cases,” says Sorett, an intellectual leader in the field who gives annual presentations to the likes of the American Gas Association Legal Counsel Forum and the National Claims and Litigation Association. And he looks back at Dickinson as the foundation of his deeper understanding of the science behind these cases, despite being a history major.

“I took some physics and math courses and a couple of biology courses,” he explains. “And the physics material has formed the basis for my being able to understand fluid dynamics, heat transfer, mechanical engineering,” all integral to his field. But the educational backdrop wasn’t alone in preparing Sorett for a career in law, and he might not have gone into law at all if it weren’t for the tumultuous times in which he attended Dickinson—and if he hadn’t met such influential people there.

“I show up at Dickinson as a freshman [in the 1960s], and here’s Chaplain [ Joseph] Washington talking about civil rights, and President [Howard] Rubendall ’31 doing real civil rights stuff and talking about racial integration of the campus,” Sorett recalls, noting how that open, progressive tone, in contrast to his experiences growing up in an often segregated Harrisburg, set the tone for him politically. “That was a large lightbulb going off in my head, and I decided to go to law school while working on civil rights issues.”

That light bulb is still burning bright, and Sorett’s early work opposing the draft—and taking part in 1960s antiwar protests in Washington, D.C.—led to current pro bono work as an activist serving on the platform steering committee for the Democratic state party in Massachusetts and as mentor counsel to “bright, young, enthusiastic lawyers” working for legal nonprofits.

In the end, it all comes down to looking at an issue, figuring out what’s really going on and finding the truth.

“President Rubendall told me, ‘Challenge assumptions—they’re not always right,’ ” Sorett says. And he’s been doing just that for 40 years and counting.

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[ beyond the limestone walls ]

From theory to action

Carl Socolow ’77

M I C H A E L D O N N E L LY ’ 0 2 , A L U M N I C O U N C I L P R E S I D E N T

A

s I sit here to pen my final column for Dickinson Magazine, I cannot help but beam with pride. No, not about me or anything I have done. Actually, quite the contrary. There has been so much good on behalf of Dickinson that so many of you have been part of throughout this year. I cannot be more proud to be a Dickinsonian! This magazine edition is a memento, as it chronicles the very first column by President Margee Ensign, as well as the final column by interim President Neil Weissman in that role. We are coming off of a year that was nothing short of fantastic, thanks in large part to the outstanding leadership and dedication of Weissman.

What else makes this past year so remarkable? Two things stick out in my mind. First, the presidential search committee of the Board of Trustees was successful in finding (and hiring!) President Ensign. Having had a number of opportunities to attend events with her, I can honestly say that she is genuinely interested in getting to know members of the Dickinson community, no matter one’s title or affiliation.

Ensign wants to work side by side with all stakeholders to ensure that the Dickinson story is told not only a national level but internationally as well. She is committed to excellence and is poised to take our alma mater in the right direction.

Another memorable point of pride from this year is the outstanding success of the Day of Giving. In its third year, the annual event surpassed all goals that were set (check out the numbers on Page 21). I am blown away by the support and dedication of our alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents

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and friends of the college. To each of us, Dickinson means something. Let us carry that momentum forward as we increase the footprint of our Carlisle-based alma mater.

I mentioned it earlier and I will say it again. I could not be more proud to be a Dickinsonian than I am right now. I am proud of everyone who has stepped up and, despite personal debts, given back to Dickinson so that future Dickinsonians can one day join our ranks as alumni.

I am proud that our college continues to attract amazingly talented students, faculty and staff. I am humbled to have had the privilege to serve on the Board of Trustees as an ex officio member for four years. I have learned so much from my fellow alumni in this role and I am excited to remain a part of what is, in my opinion, one of the most, if not the most, dedicated group of volunteers.

I would also like to thank each member of the Alumni Council for their service to, and on behalf of, the college.

It has been my pleasure to serve the college as president of the Alumni Council for the past two years. In total, I will be ending my service after 10 years of involvement. During that time, I have had the distinct privilege of working with incredibly dedicated alumni and I have become a better Dickinsonian because of my partnerships with an amazingly talented group of alumni of all ages.

Last, but not least, I would like to offer my congratulations to incoming Alumni Council President David Carlson ’99. David is an outstanding alum and a dedicated Dickinsonian, as is his wife Genevieve Hopping Carlson ’98. The council is in fantastic hands with David and I am confident that the work we have been doing will continue to not only grow, but expand in directions not yet known. I encourage you to reach out to David, as many of you did to me, throughout his term.

As always, should you have questions, comments or feedback, contact me at profe207@gmail.com. While my term on the council is ending, my dedication to and love for Dickinson does not cease. You will find me attending regional events, engaging fellow alumni for philanthropy and visiting campus regularly. I have been honored to serve as your Alumni Council president and as a voice of alumni to the college.

Photos by Carl Socolow ’77

‘The World is in Your Hands’ How do you thank the people who help Dickinson provide more than $40 million in scholarships and financial aid each year? Who enable the college to enroll the best and brightest students regardless of their financial means? Who change students’ lives by making Dickinson possible?

Simple—you bring them together with those students to see firsthand the impact of their generosity.

That’s exactly what Dickinson does each spring with the Scholarship Luncheon, and this May nearly 250 donors and scholarship recipients gathered for the event. In addition to giving donors a chance to meet the students they support, this year’s luncheon featured speeches from scholarship recipient Joojo Ocran ’17 and Riis Gonzales, president and CEO of the Sandia Foundation, which provides roughly $1.6 million annually in tuition assistance on behalf of Hugh and Helen Kisner Woodward, both of the class of 1908.

“If I went to a large state school ... as student number 1738, I probably would not be able to interact with my professors at a basketball game, or meet them for lunch or make an appointment with them when I really needed a point of clarification,” Ocran said after thanking David Haag ’73, one

Annual luncheon gathers donors and students to celebrate scholarship support

of the alumni who support Ocran’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity Scholarship. “Everyone here has given me the keys and let me in, and that is what makes Dickinson great.”

Gonzales shared the story of how the Woodwards became Dickinson’s most prolific and generous scholarship donors. After meeting at Dickinson, marrying and then relocating to New Mexico when Helen fell ill with tuberculosis, he explained, the couple established the Sandia Foundation in 1948 to support Dickinson, the University of New Mexico and several nonprofits in New Mexico.

The foundation, which has grown steadily over the years, has provided nearly $40 million to scholarships at Dickinson.

Noting that the Woodwards “set up this foundation to ensure that it exists forever,” Gonzales said that he’s working to continue to grow Sandia’s funds so it can provide scholarships to even more Dickinsonians in the future.

To illustrate the true power of the Woodwards’ legacy, Gonzales then asked all the students present to stand. “This is our future,” he told attendees. “The world is in your hands. ... We know you’re going to change this world.” —Matt Getty

Watch a video of Ocran’s speech and learn more about the event at dson.co/scholarshiplunch17.

SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 22-28, 2018

MÁLAGA: Province of Beauty and Taste:

a Feast for the Eyes and the Palate

Join us next spring for an exclusive Dickinson tour of Málaga. Be immersed in cultural and culinary experience.

Our small group experience will allow you to experience an authentically Spanish trip. The trip will be intellectually rewarding— with our Dickinson connections and access to Málaga’s local experts, we can provide these unique opportunities for Dickinson travelers. Visit www.dickinson.edu/malagatour or contact Laura Wills at 717-245-1949 for more information.

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[ closing thoughts ]

Enduring Qualities

BY TY SAINI ’93

I

love spring. As the weather begins to warm, I look forward to waking to the chorus of birds outside our bedroom window and the early sunrise. Both help me mentally and physically begin my day. When my schedule allows, the earlier daylight and comfortable temperature beckon me to go for a run or grab the bicycle and hit the road.

Most weekend mornings this is rather automatic and my family knows that I will be the first one up but back in time for our busy schedules.

Sometimes I find myself thinking I should still be asleep since I didn’t get as much rest as I should have during the week. But I press on, only to return a much happier and fulfilled person.

The first triathlon I ever competed in was the summer I graduated from Dickinson and it seemed like it would be a lot of fun. I knew how to bike and run at a good clip, so the swim was just something I thought shouldn’t be too difficult. When the race director pointed out the course we were to swim and the exit from the river, which I could not see, I knew I had a problem. Once I entered the water and felt the current moving against me, my problem list grew. And unbeknownst to me, I was suddenly swimming alongside about 100 “new friends.”

My father watched from the shoreline and took many pictures—all of which showed me doing the backstroke while the true athletes left me in their wake. I am also certain I swam about twice the distance intended, as I could not maintain a straight line. I would soon learn to respect the sport and the discipline its training demands.

Just a few weeks later, I moved to New York City by myself to begin graduate work. I felt excited, empowered and thought I could achieve anything I wanted to. For the next seven years while I lived and studied there, the confidence that carried me can be attributed to my time at Dickinson and the other endurance races I had the good fortune to complete. For the past 10 years as an engaged, volunteer alumnus, my experiences have only strengthened what I appreciate and perceive as Dickinson’s endurance.

For me, our wonderful college invites, teaches and challenges us to have vision, aspiration and courage. By striving for vision, we learn new things; by aspiring we can achieve the next step, or even something we

thought was impossible; and by having the courage to try, no matter the outcome, we become better and more informed people. I have seen these Dickinson traits embodied by students, demonstrated by faculty and staff and championed by alumni and trustees. Our founder set the example and so many have followed his lead.

I have been part of countless conversations about what makes Dickinson so meaningful in people’s lives. Many alumni have shared that when faced with a challenge, Dickinsonians respond with “I can solve this. I’m not sure how, but I’ll figure it out.” And then do so with success and humility.

I believe their appreciation for our college stems from the enduring values our professors, coaches, administration, staff, alumni and fellow students provided them while on campus and beyond.

I have been fortunate to be around sports for most of my life, that my body still allows me to participate and to have gained many friends along the way who have taught me a great deal. Sometimes they drive me to go farther and faster. Some days we take it slower and pick a new road to see where it takes us and enjoy the beauty of nature. They have pushed my mind and body beyond limits that I thought could not be broken, always leading to a feeling of accomplishment, an appreciation for what we achieved and anticipation for the next time.

However, this May brought something I have never experienced before.

It made it much harder for me to write this column. It made me not want to jog or ride my bike. It left me with many questions and planted a fog in my mind. A very good friend, teacher at my children’s school and training partner thought she had a cold that was taking longer than usual to recover from and sapping her energy. This young mother of two, marathon and Ironman finisher, community volunteer and friend to many was admitted to the hospital for observation and within two weeks was told she would need a heart transplant.

While I shied away from the roads to try and make sense of this (the doctors have no definitive cause) and as my friend went through two major surgeries to save her life and prepare her for the eventual transplant, it took a bike ride through the Carlisle area with a Dickinson professor during Commencement weekend to remind me how precious life is and how important it is to live it. I know my triathlon buddy will make it. I know she will return to racing, perhaps not as a participant but rather a volunteer or coach, and I know that she will inspire others to find the greatness within themselves. That spirit for life is the greatest enduring quality any of us could hope to achieve.

Tarun “Ty” Saini ’93 is an orthodontist in Maryland. He and his wife, Shelly, have two young daughters. He served as president of the Alumni Council from 2013 to 2015 and just completed his term on the Board of Trustees. In his spare time, he enjoys training and participating in endurance sports and has completed more than 40 marathons, bike races and triathlons.

d i ck i n s o n ma gazi ne Summer 2017

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ASK THE PRESIDENT As Margee Ensign begins her tenure as the 29th president of Dickinson College, she has shared insights into her background, her ideals and her vision for the future.

What else do you want to know?

2017-18 PRESIDENTIAL WELCOME TOUR • Atlanta • Baltimore • Boston • Central Pennsylvania • Chicago

In the fall issue, we will dedicate several pages to introducing President Ensign in full, and we want to highlight what you want to know. So send your questions by August 15 to dsonmag@dickinson.edu and we will select as many as we can to pose to President Ensign and print within our pages.

• Denver • Florida • Houston • Los Angeles • New York City • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Pittsburgh

Want to pose your questions in person? Meet President Ensign at one of the stops on her welcome tour! She’ll be traveling the country, hosting meet-and-greets in a variety of venues. Find details and register at Dickinson.edu/alumni.

• San Francisco • Seattle • Washington, D.C.

Keep an eye out for more information in the coming months!

P. O . B O X 1 7 7 3 C A R L I S L E , P A 1 7 0 1 3 - 2 8 9 6 PERIODICAL

W W W. D I C K I N S O N . E D U / M A G A Z I N E

P O S TA G E P A I D AT C A R L I S L E , P A AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICE

[

well-stated

]

As a first-generation college student, I struggled tremendously—socially, academically and financially. It took a lot of resilience to grow into who I am today.

R OB E R T H I L L ’ 1 7 ,

who founded a program called Trendsetters to help fellow first-gens thrive. Read more at dson.co/trendsetters17.

Because there is no Planet B. #marchforscience One of many signs crafted by Dickinsonians for the March for Science in Washington, D.C., in April. Read more at dson.co/ marchforscience17.

AFTER FOUR YEARS OF REFLECTION, I HAVE DEFINED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GLOBAL CITIZEN AND WILL CARRY THESE VALUES WITH ME AFTER I GRADUATE. J E N N I F E R MOR R I S ’ 1 7 ,

who landed a job with Repair the World: Pittsburgh. Read her profile and many more at dickinson.edu/limestone.

Dickinson is not a conservatory, but what’s great about our school is we treat our students like they could be conservatory students, and the reason we do that is because they improve far beyond what they even think is possible, and you can hear it today.

Professor of Music J E N N I F E R B LY T H on spring jazz ensemble and orchestra performances in The Dickinsonian. Read the story at dson.co/performances17.

Let us spread our wings to soar, but let us not forget the platform from which we take off.

J O O J O O C R A N ’ 1 7 , addressing scholarship donors and recipients at Dickinson’s annual Scholarship Luncheon. Read more on Page 37.

I want to thank you, on behalf of this institution, for everything you do. Your contribution is huge.

C OL . R OR Y C R O OK S ,

head of the U.S. Army War College’s International Fellows Program, speaking during a May 8 ceremony in honor of student tutors who lent these scholars a hand. Read more at dson.co/writinghonors.