Wesley Spring 2010

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www.weare.wesley.edu

WESLEY A Magazine for Wesley College Alumni & Friends

SPRING 2010

Sustain! says Mr. Spain Fred Spain ’58 is in the midst of showing the world how it’s done

INSIDE:

HOMECOMING 2010 | ARTS IN THE PARLOR | SERVICE IN MISSISSIPPI

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

“Try to forget yourself in the service of others. For when we think too much of ourselves and our own interests, we easily become despondent. But when we work for others, our efforts return to bless us.” -Sidney Powell DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

Front row, from left: Ervin Johnson (student), Rev. Charlotte Nichols ’73 (District Superintendent of the Salisbury District), John Gula (Director of Food Services, Aramark), Bishop Peggy Johnson, Ashleigh Maser (student), Amberlyn Oldham ’10.

Back row, from left: President Johnston, Rev. Dr. Sandra Steiner Ball, (Director of Connectional Ministries– Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference), Dr. Mark Pruett-Barnett, Rev. Boyd Etter (District Superintendent of the Dover District), Rev. Bill Sterling (District Superintendent of the Easton District), Rev. Dr. Bill Fitzhugh (District Superintendent of the Wilmington District), Rev. Derrick Porter (District Superintendent Designate of the Wilmington District).

An opportunity arose recently in which I was asked to speak to a group of professionals about higher education and the special nature of a Wesley College education. It was easy to articulate the personal experience that is provided at Wesley in which our students gain a rich understanding of the liberal arts and develop their unique talents. Through intentional involvement and nurturing from faculty and staff, the level of engagement among our students continues to grow at Wesley.

Students are engaged in undergraduate research, campus activities, theatre presentations, concerts and athletics. They also are investing their time and energy in assisting with the needs of both the local community and the world. This type of engagement centers on service to others — caring enough to intervene and taking action. It not only allows students to transcend to a new level of academic and social achievement and responsibility, but also helps them form a religious, moral and philosophical foundation that provides a compass for living.

Many experiences this spring provide perfect examples of how our students are engaged and learning to make a difference in the world around them. These include a service trip to rebuild homes in Biloxi, Mississippi; student-led efforts that provided over $1,900 for the United Methodist Committee on Relief to assist in Haiti; and a food drive that secured 2,994 pounds of donated food for the Food Bank of Delaware.

I encourage you to increase your engagement in the life of Wesley. Visit campus, attend athletic and cultural events, volunteer, or provide financial support for a program, major or for student scholarships. I look forward to speaking directly with you about Wesley and how your participation can make a tremendous impact in the educational experience we offer our worthy students.

Very best wishes,

William (Bill) Johnston wnj@wesley.edu

S E N I O R A D M I N I STR ATI O N

B OAR D O F TR U STE E S

Dr. William N. Johnston President Dr. Patricia Dwyer Vice President for Academic Affairs Chris Wood Vice President for Institutional Advancement Eric Nelson ’85 Vice President for Finance William Firman Dean of Enrollment Management Mary-Alice Ozechoski Dean of Students Dr. Mark Pruett-Barnett Chaplain/Director of Church Relations

Charles R. Dashiell, Jr., Chair Ann Burton, Vice-Chair Rev. Dr. James T. Seymour, Secretary Frank Andrews Dr. Basilio Bautista Thomas W. Burn, Jr. ’79 Rev. Boyd B. Etter, ex-officio Robert V.A. Harra, Jr. Rev. Dr. Patricia Bryant Harris D. Wayne Holden Kathleen Jennings Rev. W. LeRoy Jones ’53 Alan B. Levin Donald L. Masten Dorothy McLaughlin

Rev. Dr. Sandra Steiner Ball William J. Strickland Harry D. “Skip” Willis ’70 William H. Willis, Jr. ’66 Dr. Rafael Zaragoza TR U STE E S E M E R ITI

Rev. David A. Baker Rev. Jonathan E. Baker ’70 Hon. Eugene D. Bookhammer Elizabeth M. Barber ’52 Lillian Burris Dr. George V. Kirk Dr. Thomas C. Roe ’31 Mr. Gilbert S. Scarborough, Jr. Bishop Peter D. Weaver

A LU M N I A S S O C IATI O N B OA R D O F D I R E CTO R S

Stephanie Smith Christiano ’98, President Lynn Schmid Knable ’67, Vice President Anne Buckler ’62, Secretary Tamra Antanaitis ’90, Treasurer Richard Bradley ’70 Tad Fox ’95 Barry Hawlk ’72 Kirsten Higgins ’98 Daniel Kimmel ’95 Debra Kubacki ’91 Thomas J. Leary ’70 Matt Lindell ’03 Louisa Jane MacDonald ’60 Chad Robinson ’05

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Contents

President and Mrs. Bill Johnston visit with Bob and Jane (Kearney) MacDonald ’60 (center) at the “Arts in the Parlor” event.

WESLEY SPRING 2010 VOLUME XXXVIII, NO. 2

MANAGING EDITOR

Leigh Ann Coleman ’09

Cathy Anderson

COPY EDITOR

Director of the Wesley Society (302) 736-2410 andersca@wesley.edu

Amanda Downes ’06 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Cathy Anderson Leigh Ann Coleman ’09 Amanda Downes ’06 Emily Ennis ’10 Geoff Goyne Abigail Hill ’12 Jennifer Telles ’09

Dr. William N. Johnston President (302) 736-2508 wnj@wesley.edu Vice President for Institutional Advancement (302) 736-2316 chriswood@wesley.edu

0 2 HIGHLIGHTS

Six intrepid Wesley College students and Chaplain Dr. Mark Pruett-Barnett play a part in the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

18 SPORTS 26 CLASS NOTES 32 ADVANCEMENT

12 ARTS IN THE PARLOR Special event raises funds for scholarships and pays tribute to departed friend and long-time trustee Dr. Joseph S. Bellmeyer.

14 SUSTAIN Fred Spain holds the blueprints for the first of its kind—a 100% sustainable and carbon-free community.

WEARE.WESLEY.EDU CAM PUS U PDATES, CLASS NOTES, EVE NTS AN D MOR E

Director of Publications & Campus Photographer (302) 736-2315 colemale@wesley.edu

Geoff Goyne

Chris Wood

10 BILOXI DUES

Director of the Annual Wesley Fund (302) 736-2317 tellesje@wesley.edu

Leigh Ann Coleman ’09

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT STAFF

Departments

Jennifer Telles ’09

Coordinator of the W Club (302) 736-2330 clarkst@wesley.edu

MSK Partners, Inc.

Features

Director of Alumni Affairs (302) 736-2318 downesam@wesley.edu

Steve Clark

DESIGN + PRODUCTION

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Amanda Downes ’06

Director of News & Sports Information (302) 736-2450 goynegeo@wesley.edu

Amanda Jackson ’09 Administrative Assistant (302) 736-2467 jacksoam@wesley.edu

Wesley is published three times per year by the Office of Institutional Advancement.

POSTMASTER: Send Changes to: Office of Institutional Advancement Wesley College 120 North State Street Dover, DE 19901

WESLEYonline! www.wesleymagazine.wesley.edu Wesley magazine online has all the content of the print edition and gives you as a reader the ability to post comments and view web exclusives like photo albums and reader polls.

Opt to receive email notification when the newest issue is released and help Wesley reduce paper usage and postage costs.

To change your preferences: 1. Log on to We Are Wesley 2. Click “Update my Information” under the “My Community” menu 3. Click the “Home Contact” tab and select your preference 4. Don’t forget to SAVE!

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HIGHLIGHTS |

News and views from Wesley College

Service Abounds at Wesley Founders Day Food Drive FOR WESLEY’S 137th Founders Day celebration, the planning committee integrated a community service project as a demonstration of the College’s Methodist values and history of service to the area.

Grocery bags were distributed around campus to faculty, staff and students as well as area residents so that participants could collect non-perishable food items to donate. Student athletes did their part by filling two campus vans with donations they collected at the Super Fresh and Acme markets in Dover on March 17. By the time the Food Bank picked up the College’s donation, the Wesley community had collected 2,994 pounds of food that would benefit the reported 241,600 people who receive emergency food each year through the Food Bank of Delaware. ■

123 = ABC: In 1 Day, 20 Blocks in Downtown Dover Will Receive Over 300 Hours of Volunteer Service Resulting in A Beautiful Community.

ON AUGUST 21, the incoming Class of 2014 will take to the streets as Wesley College partners up with the Dover Housing Authority, the Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity and the Office of Senator Thomas Carper in one of the biggest clean-up projects the city of Dover has ever seen. The clean-up crew will consist of approximately 500 incoming freshmen, as well as faculty and staff, community members and returning student athletes.

The 123=ABC event is a one day community clean-up project focusing on improving curb appeal and streetscape. Volunteers will work on several streets within a 20 block radius in downtown Dover, picking up trash, painting curbs and planting flowers and shrubs.

Interested in learning more or becoming a volunteer? Visit weare.wesley.edu/123ABC ■

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student life |

HIGHLIGHTS

Helping Haiti IT DID NOT TAKE LONG for an earthquake to change Haiti forever.

It also did not take long for the Wesley College campus to organize. In response to the horrifying catastrophe, the Wesley community came together to demonstrate its compassion and support.

Over a two day period in January, a total of 248 students contributed to the cause by fasting and giving up 342

cafeteria meals. The cost of those meals was donated by Aramark Food Service to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), an agency that is currently on the ground in Haiti, helping in the recovery of the country from its disastrous earthquake.

For several weeks in January and February, the Residence Hall Association (RHA), under the leadership of resident assistant Ashleigh Maser, sold $1 hearts

for display around the campus. These proceeds directly supported the Haiti Plunge Project’s Relief Fund for Haiti, which is helping to create sustainable development through agricultural cooperatives in the mountains of Haiti’s central plateau. The RHA also held a clothing drive and collected new and gently used clothing for the Red Cross in conjunction with Senator Thomas Carper’s office. ■

Residential Living The Residence Hall Association is There to Help

BY EMILY ENNIS ’10

FOR AN INCOMING freshman, adjusting to dorm life can be a scary experience.

The toilet is overflowing. Now what? My roommate is a bully. Who can help me?

Luckily, the newly instated Residence Hall Association (RHA) exists to help with these problems and other issues that students commonly face when learning to live away from home. The RHA serves all residents at the College, providing representation and programming opportunities for students living in Wesley’s various residence halls, including the Joseph S. Bellmeyer Honors House.

The RHA has been approved by the Student Government Association to become an official student organization in the fall, and it will be composed of a campus-wide executive board with an executive director, executive business manager, special programs chair and executive secretary. The executive board was elected this spring and each residence hall will hold elections in the fall for its individual hall council, consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, program coordinator and secretary. “The RHA is there to represent the voices of the students,” said Director of Residence Life Kevin Hansbury ’00. He explained how the

organization can address any concerns or suggestions the residents might have to improve student life and the residential atmosphere.

Although the organization was not officially approved until recently, the RHA has already From left: Megan Varga, Amber Bell, Tanner Polce, RHA developed a following and has Advisor Kevin Hansbury ’00, Ladonna De’Souza, Bryan begun to make its mark on the Zarou, Devon Reynolds and Jessica Barranco.

College’s campus. Since represented through RHA,” said community service is a priority for the Hansbury.

RHA, the group has already helped with Involvement in the RHA not only food drives and other charity causes such enhances the living experiences for the as the Giving Tree program this past students but also those of fellow local December. As part of this program, the residents. Students can become familiar members purchased Christmas gifts for with their new Dover home by volunteerfoster children and held an event on ing and helping to shape their campus and campus in which they gave each child a the community into an even better place. bag of gifts and provided dinner and The program currently has 14 members, activities for the participants. The night but with a new semester this fall and a concluded with a visit from Santa Claus. new incoming class, the group expects its The RHA also has donated clothing and membership to grow significantly. food for the Haiti relief efforts.

“RHA is a great tool, for first-year The RHA looks forward to students in particular, to have an easy collaborating with other student entry to engagement at Wesley,” said organizations for community projects.

Hansbury. It is a welcome addition among “The RHA is a great way for students who Wesley student organizations and one that live on campus to get involved with the will further strengthen residence life at the local and greater communities, and College and make Wesley even more quickly engage with other students. community-oriented. ■ Students know that their interests are

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| student life

Wellness Takes Off in 2010

BY ABIGAIL HILL ’12

THE WELLNESS CENTER at Wesley is new and improved in 2010. Its purpose has always been to provide free, quality healthcare services on campus so students don’t have to outsource their medical needs. Now however, having recently relocated to the basement of Carpenter Hall, the Center is much better equipped to meet the demands of a growing student population. In addition, wellness at Wesley now means both physical and mental well-being in one convenient location.

Before the move, the College nurse’s office was located on the first floor of Carpenter Hall and needed a keycard for entry. Since the move, health services have become keycard free, meaning no IDs are necessary. Convenience in terms of services offered is the most significant advantage, as both the counseling Director of Counseling Services Ann Rogge, Director of Health Services Jill Maser and Nursing student Brandon Hoskins in the new Wellness Center.

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services and healthcare are now in the same location for the first time in Wesley’s recent history. The central location in Carpenter Hall is still beneficial for all students, since it is in close proximity for commuters coming to and from classrooms and is surrounded by residence halls so it is easily accessible for on-campus students.

But location isn’t everything. Jill Maser, director of health services, appreciates all the square footage they have gained with the move to the ground floor. “We love the space. It’s nice because we now have a triage room, a treatment room, a check-in area, and client inter-office space,” Maser said.

The additional space has been a much needed improvement and will allow for increased functionality of the Wellness

Center. It now offers six separate rooms for evaluation, compared to the four dispersed dorm rooms that were previously used. Each of the new evaluation rooms is also larger in size and can more comfortably accommodate patients.

The move also has created added benefits for patient confidentiality and practicality. With the space to now serve dual purposes for medical and mental healthcare, having students in one general waiting room provides anonymity of their awaiting services among fellow patients. Ann Rogge, director of counseling services, explained, “The increase in confidentiality has been a really positive thing. The move has been terrific in reserving that confidentiality.” The counseling office was previously located

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around campus | in the Office of Student Life, a very public environment near the main lobby area in the College Center. Rogge feels her clients appreciate the change of scenery and improved sense of privacy. Combining the resources of the counseling center and the health center also makes good sense for treatment purposes, since often times, students with certain medical conditions are struggling with stress and anxiety surrounding that. Now they can seek counseling at the same time and in the same location.

Aside from the new Wellness Center area being a more comfortable and convenient environment for students, the improvements also have changed the way students at Wesley are thinking about wellness as part of their lifestyle. “It is moving students away from just going to see the nurse or the doctor, or the counselor. They are really starting to think about what they are doing to keep themselves healthy, because it is a multidimensional thing,” stated Mary-Alice Ozechoski, dean of students. “So, to us this feels like an opportunity to say to students that as you graduate from college and you think about adulthood, and as you get older, wellness becomes more and more important.”

The Wellness Center has introduced new programming and wellness lifestyle sessions to go hand in hand with the new outlook among students. One new program is a weight loss support group, in which individuals are coming together once a week to talk about what is working for them in terms of dieting and fitness.

They are getting more regular exercise, weighing in, and gaining valuable nutritional information as a result.

“These are the types of programs that we think this Center will allow us to continue to do,” Ozechoski explained. The Wellness Center staff hopes its expanded services will engage more students and help them to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle one step at a time.

For more information on the Wellness Center, go to wesley.edu, click on “Student Life” and then select “Counseling and Health Services.” ■

HIGHLIGHTS

New Members on the Board of Trustees

BY LEIGH ANN COLEMAN ’09

ALUMNUS WILLIAM “BILL” WILLIS, JR. ’66 and proud Wesley parent Kathleen Jennings became the newest members of the Wesley College Board of Trustees in March. “I am elated that Ms. Jennings and Mr. Willis have joined Wesley’s Trustees. They bring talents and experience that will complement our Board as we continue to grow as an institution. Each is articulate, energetic, actively involved in the life of Delaware, and shares a vision for Wesley College. Their perspectives and expertise will be helpful as we shape Wesley for the future,” said President Bill Johnston.

Willis is president of Willis Chevrolet, with dealerships in both Smyrna and Middletown, Delaware. After graduating from Wesley College and West Virginia Wesleyan College and then serving two years in the U.S. Army, Willis returned to work for the family business and make an impact in his community. He serves on the Board of Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware and is an active member of Asbury United Methodist Church. He has 40 years of service in the automobile industry and is a former president of the Delaware Automobile and Truck Dealers Association (DATDA). He also represents Delaware as a member of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

Jennings is an attorney and partner at Biddle & Reath, LLP in Wilmington, Delaware, practicing criminal defense and regulatory enforcement, among other fields of law. She was previously a partner at WolfBlock, LLP as well as Oberly, Jennings & Rhodunda P.A., both in Wilmington. From 1993 to 1995, she served as chief deputy attorney general. Prior to that position, Jennings was acting state prosecutor in the criminal division and deputy attorney general. An alumnus of the University of Delaware and Villanova University School of Law, Jennings is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Her daughter Rebecca is a current sophomore at Wesley.

“Personally, I have always valued education for its ability to enrich our intellectual awareness of the world and to open doors for success in America.

The future of our youth, and for that matter this country, resides in the success of our educational system. There is no higher priority,” said Jennings. ■

Each is articulate, energetic, actively involved in the life of Delaware, and shares a vision for Wesley College.

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| student profile

Feels Like Home Veronica Conte

BY EMILY ENNIS ’10

ALTHOUGH SHE easily blends in with her fellow students at the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting or when she’s assisting with Orientation programming for next year’s freshman class, Veronica Conte is not your ordinary coed. Not only is she an adult learner with a family of her own, but she also has been on enough college campuses to know what she wants in a higher education institution. And she knew immediately when she found that in Dover, Delaware.

Conte is a first-year nursing student at Wesley College working towards her second bachelor’s degree. She received her first undergraduate degree—a Bachelor of Science in psychology— from Northwestern University. She earned this in only two years, sometimes taking 32 credits a semester. Since Northwestern allowed at most 22 credits a semester with special permission, Conte was enrolled at

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three different schools at once, including Central Texas University and St. Leo University, in order to fulfill her goal.

Despite the heavy course load, Conte was a Dean’s list student and a member of the honor society in psychology.

After beginning her next pursuit for a degree from an accelerated nursing program, Conte attended Drexel University, but then transferred to Wesley. She explained, “I live in Middletown, Delaware and Drexel is about an hour’s drive. It’s a lot of traffic and the commute was not working out for me, particularly in an accelerated program.” Conte felt that not living near campus put her at a disadvantage academically. “With my family demands and two hours a day being eaten up by travel, I was not readily available to study after classes in the lab or work on group projects as the students living on or near campus could.”

As a non-traditional student, the fact

that Conte is married with two teenage children has not stopped her from being highly active with campus life at Wesley.

She is a member of the Student Nurses Association, an SGA representative for the International Student Association and serves on both the Student Activities Board and the Orientation Panel. She was even asked to sit in on an employment interview for a professor who could potentially become one of her teachers.

“Wesley is extremely transparent, like with town meetings. They don’t do that at other schools. I was so astonished when I went to this meeting and they started talking about what’s going on in my department of study. Wesley has made itself more student-oriented than other schools. Even though it’s a smaller school, I believe that in the long run it’s going to help with the satisfaction and retention.”

Conte’s family is very supportive of her educational endeavors and they help her juggle the roles of wife, mother, volunteer and student. This gives her a chance to attend to her studies. In her time away from the classroom, Conte also does extensive volunteer work. Her husband of 18 years was in the military for 10 years and during that time, Conte volunteered for various programs. Now she is in the process of becoming a Red Cross certified disaster relief volunteer and is scheduled to help with a Habitat for Humanity project in her hometown.

She also participated in Wesley's Relay for Life program to support the American Cancer Society.

Although Wesley College is the smallest institution that Conte has attended, she is most proud to be a Wesley student.

Her professors’ accessibility is a welcome change for her, and she has great respect in particular for her advisor, Dr. Robert Contino. She also praises the administration, especially President Johnston and Dean Mary-Alice Ozechoski, who always have time to stop and chat with her and ask about her family. “I am happy to have found a place that feels like home.” ■

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student profile |

HIGHLIGHTS

Proud to Be A Wolverine Tanner Polce

BY EMILY ENNIS ’10

AS AN 18-year-old rising sophomore at Wesley, Tanner Polce has already experienced more than many middle aged adults have in their lifetimes. He is a double major in political science and international affairs, with a minor in history. He is also president-elect of the Student Government Association (SGA) for the 2010-2011 school year. Polce is equally at home on the soccer field with his fellow Wolverines or in Washington D.C. working as a Senatorial intern. And although his effusive energy and optimism give no indication, he has battled Crohn’s disease for the past 10 years.

Polce attended Southern Garrett High School in Oakland, Maryland and then Easton High School in Easton, Maryland, where he graduated in the top five percent of his class.

Academically, he is considered a Wesley junior, having attended Chesapeake Community College during his senior year in high school. Polce was very active in student organizations and played varsity soccer at the high school level, and he has continued to pursue his interests at Wesley. He is treasurer for the Lincoln-Jackson club, a member of the Wesley Democrats, a student ambassador, a player on the men’s soccer team, former vice president of the SGA and president of the Williams Hall Residence Association.

Given his past high school involvement in the Model United Nations club and Junior Statesmen of America as well as his leadership roles in student government and political groups on Wesley’s campus, it is not surprising that Polce aspires to be a politician. He likes to work as a problem-solver with the students and “give voices to those who don’t have voices.” After his expected college graduation at age 20, Polce plans to attend law school to study constitutional law and then get involved with politics, hoping to run for Congress or the Senate “years down the road.”

Polce is already becoming well-prepared for a Senatorial position, as he is an intern for Delaware Senator Thomas Carper and works at the Senator’s office in Dover. In his internship, he fields calls from constituents and relays messages to the Senator, among other duties.“There’s never a dull moment in the office,” he said. He enjoys doing “whatever he is asked to do” and sees his position in assisting the Senator as a tremendous opportunity.

The can-do attitude and ambitious spirit that Polce exhibits

are even more impressive considering the health challenges he has had to overcome. Polce suffers from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He now has had chemotherapy every 6 weeks for the past 8 years. “That really made me mature and age, and put life into perspective.” He is fortunate to have a strong family support system behind him, including his mother and stepfather, Rebecca and Mike Kilgus, and his father, Fred Polce, whom he describes as his “hero.” “I have the greatest family ever,” he said, explaining how supportive they have been of him, and why he considers himself very family-oriented.

Polce’s maturity and seasoned point of view have influenced his abilities as a student leader and made him an effective public speaker. He recently addressed the College’s Legal Society in Wells Theater on campus. He spoke about life’s struggles and the themes of self-definition, self-motivation and inspiration. He freely shares his talents on campus as well as within the local area. Believing in the importance of working together for the community and for the people, he is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. In addition, he plans to take his fellow residents of Williams Hall to volunteer in the organization’s central Delaware ReStore, which provides affordable building and home goods to needy families and has saved tons of usable materials that would otherwise litter landfills. He also has participated in the Curbside Cleanup program.

Polce’s love for life and Wesley College shines through in all the activities in which he participates. He fits the mold for the perfect Wesley student ambassador to lead campus tours and market the College to prospective students and their parents.

“I love open houses, tours and everything else. It’s great because I get to speak volumes about how much I love Wesley.” The College community is smitten with the charisma, drive and incredible perseverance of new student body president Tanner Polce. And fortunately, the affection is mutual. Polce expressed, “I’m proud to say I’m a Wolverine. I’m proud to say I go to Wesley. I never doubt that this was the right decision for me.” ■

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The Road to Success Project Success offers personalized learning atmosphere to students BY: ABIGAIL HILL ’12

FOR MANY STUDENTS the transition from high school to college academics can be a very difficult one. Students are often thrust into a world of higher education with little to no idea of what to expect. The fast pace of classes and the differences in assignments and grading scales can leave new students at a loss. Towards the end of the semester, many often find themselves with a plummeting GPA and are unsure where to turn for help.

This particular scenario is where Project Success found its purpose. Part of a mandatory, one semester long academic recovery plan for Wesley students on academic probation, the program’s primary goal is to motivate students to raise their GPA and to increase the overall number of students returning the following semester.

“The goal of Project Success is to work with freshmen who, after their first semester, are on academic probation,” Mary-Alice Ozechoski, dean of students, explained. “It is to provide them some structure and some resources to get themselves off probation.” The program hopes to help students early in their college career while it is easiest to repair a wounded GPA. The Academic Recovery Program (ARP) involves a mandatory meeting on the Sunday before spring semester classes begin, during which a PowerPoint presentation provides students with information to help them improve their study habits and strengthen their academic standing. The students then meet with their academic advisor within the next two days in order to schedule repeat courses in which they received a letter grade F or D. If the student participants pass the course the following semester, their previous scores will be exchanged with the new ones.

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“Typically freshmen coming in are not prepared for the great disparity between high school and college study requirements,” said Director of Academic Support Services Charlene Stephens. “In high school you spend inordinate amounts of time in class and very little time in prepara-

tion, and in college it’s just the opposite.”

Project Success was designed to address the common lack of preparation and various other challenges that present themselves in this time of transition.

The ARP requirements specify that the students complete 10 hours of weekly

Thomas Vaccaro '10 serves as a peer facilitator for freshman Elisa Fermin.

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study time in the Academic Resource Center (ARC), where their studying is monitored by the TutorTrac software.

The students also must attend weekly Project Success workshops and seek tutoring when needed. In addition, they are required to attend six academic skills seminars between January and February, along with five mandatory professor meetings and evaluations, all followed by personal reflection.

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The Project Success workshops are run by staff or faculty members and include upperclassmen volunteers who serve as peer facilitators. “As a freshman, I felt the struggle and there was no program for me,” said Thomas Vaccaro ’10, one of the Project Success peer facilitators. “The program has rewarded me because I am able to help somebody and have a successful feeling knowing that now there is something to help the incoming freshmen.”

“Even though I am still not 100 percent at the level where I should be, I’m not going to stop until I reach that level and beyond. As Mrs. Stephens said, ‘I am worth more than an F.’ Those words touched me because shesaw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.”

— Freshman Elisa Fermin

The participants also have seen the benefits of Project Success. Annette Bookman, a student who participated in the program, expressed, “It has taught me better time management. By planning in advance, I have found I have more time for myself and have a lot more time to do my work.”

Students in the Project Success workshop series initially are provided with a collegiate planner to help them develop organizational skills and keep track of assignments, as well as a reflective journal so they can write about their academic shortcomings and the ways they have learned to overcome them. The various weekly workshops cover topics such as time management, goal-setting and study skills. In general, the courses help college freshmen to understand the unfamiliar aspects of higher education and how academics in college differ from high school in regards to work load as well as the nature of assignments and instructions. The workshops also aim to equip student participants with the self motivation needed to succeed in a collegian atmosphere.

ARP has only been in effect for one academic year and has already yielded impressive results. “We had students last year who went from a 1.3 to a 2.8 GPA,” Ozechoski said.

Instrumental to the program’s success has been student attendance tracking through the ARC, which has helped in significantly shrinking the number of missed classes. ARP and the Project Success workshops are just one of the many ways that Wesley College is offering a personalized learning atmosphere to meet its students’ needs.

Increased student retention rates would be an added benefit as a result of the program. “I think it’s the right thing to do,” Ozechoski expressed. “If we know of someone who has not done well academically, as a small institution we reach out and say, ‘how can we help you?’ ” ■

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Biloxi Dues A Service Trip to Mississippi Chaplain Dr. Mark Pruett-Barnett gives a firsthand account of the Wesley College Spring Break Service Project Trip to Mississippi from March 1–4 that he coordinated and then had the joy of experiencing with a crew of six Wesley students.

If you were to drive on Route 90 around Biloxi, Mississippi, you would find it hard to believe that Hurricane Katrina had mauled the businesses, homes and lives of so many people just 4 1/2 years ago. Everything now is brand new—the shopping malls, the casinos, beautiful upscale homes—all within easy walking distance of the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches. However, when you go just a couple of blocks inland, it is hard to believe that so little has been done in the same time frame. People’s homes and businesses stand in dire need of repair. A different kind of flood—that of volunteers—has been in Mississippi since 2005 helping people get back on their feet.

Over spring break, six intrepid Wesley College students— Yong Duan, Amanda Fetterolf, Amanda Hudson, Sydney Kahan, Nicole Oyola, Bryn Warner—and I were privileged to go and play a part in the ever-ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina. We met the Volunteer in Mission leaders for our trip, the Rev. Dr. Richard Vance and Linda Culp, at Baltimore Washington International Airport for our flight down to New Orleans. After a pleasant flight, we took a van to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi where we would stay.

“I became close to this small group and I understand everyone better now. This trip has changed my views of the damage of the hurricane—the loss damage was to the people, not the land.”

—Amanda Hudson

Yong Duan

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For four days, the Wesley crew worked on people’s homes.

The first day, Monday, March 1, the crew worked at spreading pesticide on studs and beams of a Katrina-devastated house in order to get rid of mold. What a stench! Everyone wore respirators in order to keep the smell down. On the second day, the crew had a very “concrete” experience—literally! While wearing

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special suits to keep in body heat (it was very cold in Biloxi for most of the trip), we hauled bags of concrete, drilled holes and placed rebars and then mixed, poured and smoothed out the concrete. Wednesday saw us back at the first house, painting the studs and beams. That was all there was to paint, since the entire inside of the house had to be gutted after Katrina.

Eventually, future crews will put on new siding and finish the inside of the home. Thursday saw us at a house owned by Frank. Frank is a waterman who we got to know very well as the crew painted the exterior of his house. He had many stories of his family and life in Biloxi.

Sydney Kahan, Amanda Fetterolf and Yong Duan apply a fresh coat of paint.

“The event that touched my heart the most was when a woman by the name of Phyllis came and talked to us while we were eating lunch. She asked where we were going to be working the rest of the day and we told her, not thinking anything of it. The next thing we know, Phyllis is standing before us with a huge cake, just for us.” —Amanda Fetterolf We had a chance to do more than work. We also ate! We had the opportunity to eat at D’vine’s, a wonderful BBQ place.

Norma is the owner who has been on The Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible.” She told us about her TV adventures as well as her Christian testimony about how she obtained her restaurant. Her sister Brenda shared her harrowing story about how her family narrowly escaped death in Katrina by going up through the roof of their house and getting into a tree. Before we left, we had a chance to go by Brenda’s house and see the famous tree. It was gigantic—a true tree of life for her family.

We had a rollicking time at The Shed, which also had been on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” The wonderful congregation of Prince of Peace Baptist Church also fed us some “down home Mississippi cookin’” one evening. Even better were the times of fellowship and worship we had with this congregation. The work this congregation has done in the area after Katrina could not be matched by churches many times its size.

“Mississippi was an incredible, life-changing experience.

Not only do the people of Mississippi inspire you, they help you believe and have faith in good.”

—Sydney Kahan

Sydney Kahan and Yong Duan

We left on Friday for a short visit to New Orleans before our flight left for home. We were tired and ready to go, but we would miss the people we met and we were happy with the work we had done. Pastor Darrell Taylor of Prince of Peace had told us he thought that the volunteers, which now included us, who gave their time, energy and skills in the 4 1/2 years since Katrina, had done more than all of the government agencies combined. One of the things that really gratified me was a comment made by Jimmy Travino, our site supervisor. He said that out of all the groups with which he had worked (and there have been a lot), the Wesley crew was his favorite. I could not have asked for any better than that. ■ “I grew so much from this experience and if I had the chance, I’d do it over and over again. I guess I know where I’m going every Spring Break from here on out...I can’t wait to go back!”

—Bryn Warner

Back row, from left: Sydney Kahan, Amanda Hudson, Bryn Warner and mission leader Linda Culp. Front row, from left: Yong Duan, Amanda Fetterolf, Nicole Oyola and mission leader Rev. Dr. Richard Vance.

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| special event Dr. and Mrs. Johnston chat with Dr. R. Jervis Cooke and Mae (McCabe) Dukes ’31.

Wesley Dessesow (far left) sings to the guests gathered at “Arts in the Parlor.”

BY CATHY ANDERSON

A Celebration of the Arts in Support of Student Scholarships

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THE WESLEY COLLEGE Board of Trustees with Wesley President Bill Johnston and his wife Susan hosted an elegant evening affair on Saturday, April 10 to raise funds for Wesley College scholarships and pay tribute to departed friend and long-time trustee Dr. Joseph S. Bellmeyer. Over 80 guests, including community leaders, alumni and friends of the College, enjoyed the first ever “Arts in the Parlor” at the president’s beautiful historic home, the Annie Jump Cannon House.

Attendees enjoyed a unique event highlighted by performances and displays from talented musicians and visual artists from the College and the surrounding community. Harpist and faculty member Mike Nielsen played beautiful music as guests first arrived, and a captivating monologue was delivered by Jeff

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Mike Sandy and David Laganella

Wesley Society President Bill Strickland addresses the crowd.

Jeff Mask, Ivey Mask, Mike Nielsen and Joseph Mullan

Mask, professor of religion, philosophy and American studies.

During the course of the evening, musicians performed in different rooms throughout the house. Pieces included piano selections by Jonathan Emmons, instructor of music and director of choirs and College organist, and several stirring guitar duets by Associate Professor of Music David Laganella and talented Wesley students Nick Hancock and Mike Sandy.

Two soloists, staff member Amy Kellen ’08 and freshman Wesley Dessesow, and a quartet of Emmons, Kellen, Dessesow and Advancement staff member Jennifer Telles ’09 entertained guests with enchanting vocal performances.

Throughout the Cannon House, visual art was exhibited by Debra Stelling, a noted Delaware Valley artist. Photographer and Wesley instructor Joseph Mullan shared his talents through the display of three black and white photographs, and Connie Imboden exhibited her unique photography. And to the delight

of everyone, Susan Johnston presented several of her original watercolors throughout her home.

“Arts in the Parlor” also provided a creative dining experience. The menu featured delicious tapas, common to Spanish cuisine, which Chef Pete Buoncristiano was on hand to describe. The serving of tapas allowed everyone to eat, mingle and enjoy the artists throughout the house at the same time.

Ann Horsey served as the “wine artist,” informing guests about the various wines offered with dinner. The food was generously donated by Aramark Corporation, who provides food services for Wesley College.

During the evening’s program, President and Mrs. Johnston and Board of Trustee Chair Charles “Chip” Dashiell, Jr. each thanked attendees for their friendship and collaborations with the College. They shared that “Arts in the Parlor” was designed as a special occasion to bring individuals closer to Wesley and embrace community involvement, while also celebrating the arts. Bill Strickland, trustee and president of the Wesley Society, eloquently expressed why Wesley, with its prominent social and economic presence in the area and mission in educating tomorrow’s leaders, is so deserving of support. He asked guests to consider joining the newly formed Wesley Society, which recognizes individuals and organizations committed as partners with Wesley through financial gifts of $1,000 or more annually.

There are currently 119 charter members of the Wesley Society.

Due to the combined generosity of Aramark and several other businesses and individuals, 100 percent of the proceeds provided needed scholarship funds, and each guest’s ticket price was fully tax-deductible. Given the success of this year’s “Arts in the Parlor,” there are plans to continue this as an annual fundraising function to increase support for students attending Wesley College and showcase the artistic talent within the College community and beyond. ■

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| alumni profile

I

t is near impossible to get a nation, let alone the world, to commit to a new lifestyle unless it has been done before and proven to be successful. After over 50 years in real estate and development, Fred Spain ’58 is in the midst of showing the nation how it’s done. Along with his partner, world renowned LEEDS architect Douglas H. Carter, Spain has acquired the land and is acquiring the funds to develop an entire town that addresses the realities that lie ahead: global warming, rising energy costs and scarcity of resources. In the near future, Ranson, West Virginia will be a shining example of how Americans can live a new lifestyle that is eco-friendly and attainable.

Attainable+ Sustainable

BY LEIGH ANN COLEMAN ’09

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| alumni profile

Attainable+Sustainable SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES NOT ONLY CONSERVE BUT PRODUCE POWER BY EMBRACING THE LATEST WIND, SOLAR, HYDROGEN AND BIOMASS TECHNOLOGIES. THE DESIGN OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURES SUCH AS STORM WATER MANAGEMENT HELP AVOID MASSIVE , POWER AND RESOURCE CONSUMING TREATMENT PLANTS IN FAVOR OF GENTLER, MORE NATURAL AND YET MORE EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS.

Spain has had an appreciation for natural life since he was a boy. Just after World War II, his parents bought a 50 acre apple and peach farm in Delanco, New Jersey, right on the Delaware River. As Spain grew up, his memories broadened from life on the farm to life on the river.

During that time, he hunted ducks and geese, trapped muskrats and fished the rivers and creeks in New Jersey. He has owned several boats during his life and now is captain of "Reel Easy," a 55-foot sport fishing boat. This easily explains the nickname of “Mark Trail” listed under his class photo in the Eukairia, Wesley’s yearbook.

Although he was a natural guide when it came to exploring the outdoors, Spain was on the receiving end when a high school friend named Al Snow led him to discover Wesley Junior College, where he would begin his higher education. Snow was going into the Seminary, a path Spain also had entertained, so the United Methodist institution had a unique draw. After a meeting with President Slaybaugh and

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some convincing of Spain’s parents, the 18-year-old from Delanco officially became a Wolverine.

passed since his days at Wesley, Spain can still recall a course assignment that has forever shaped his perspective. He

“I think I can say without hesitation, that all of us from the Class of 1958 believe that without Wesley, we would never have seen the bright light of day and what the world truly offered.”

“My two years at Wesley were my growing up years,” said Spain. Wesley was a new beginning where he found lifelong friends by joining the Student Council and the football team. He also found strong mentors like Dean Sterling and Lewis “Uncle Louie” Wells. “I think I can say without hesitation, that all of us from the Class of 1958 believe that without Wesley, we would never have seen the bright light of day and what the world truly offered.”

Even though more than 50 years have

reminisced, “My most memorable experience of ‘awakening’ my spirit happened when Professor Wells gave us an assignment to write about what we experienced when we read ‘Seeing Life’

by Alexander Baron. I have been trying to see life every day since.”

Spain became interested in real estate when he transferred to American University after Wesley. In 1959 he landed his first real estate job and obtained his license. Almost 20 years later, Spain, with his wife Barbara, bought the Better

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From left: Fred’s yearbook portrait, football pose and Student Council photo for the yearbook (Fred is in the back row, far right). Below: Fred and Barbara Spain pose with Wally, Wesley’s mascot, at Homecoming.

Homes and Gardens real estate franchise for the Washington metropolitan area. In addition to operating his realty business, he developed numerous commercial and residential projects covering more than 3,000 acres in Prince William, Fairfax, Culpeper and Loudoun counties in Virginia. He later sold his real estate offices to the broker managers so that he could focus exclusively on land acquisition and development. In 1988 the Spains purchased a 200 acre apple farm in Fauquier County, Virginia, which the couple owned for about 10 years before moving back to Washington to a house on the Potomac River.

Among the many posts throughout his career, Spain is a past first vice president of the Northern Virginia Board of Realtors and past chairman of its Fair Housing Committee. He is a member of Jefferson County Citizens for Economic Preservation and National Association of Realtors and earned the distinction of being named among the “Oustanding Young Men in America” in 1976.

The Spains are now the principal brokers for American Realty and Management in Maryland and Virginia.

He and Barbara also own the West End Group Investors, LLC, ADS Developers, LLC and Grand Vista, LLC, which serve Martinsburg and Ranson in West Virginia.

The West End Group and Grand Vista are currently developing over 1,300 acres of residential and commercial land to eventually become “RansonGreen: A West Virginia Community for a Carbon Free Future.”

For the past five years, Spain has worked tirelessly to obtain properties and research the latest technologies that are required to create a sustainable city.

“With the economy so stressed these days, we have found that the investors and manufacturers of green products need a place to display them — in a true world working environment where these new products can be seen and tweaked,”

said Spain. “There is no better place to do this than in homes and commercial buildings that are using them in their daily routines.”

Situated in one of the most historic areas of the country and neighboring Charles Town and Harper’s Ferry, the town of Ranson could not be a more ideal location to “build the future on the best of

the past.” The land boasts beautiful fields, mountains and rivers, yet is close enough for residents to commute to Washington, D.C. while enjoying a 33 percent lower cost of living. With business already thriving in its surrounding area, Ranson has all the potential needed to set the new standard. “We are set to prove that our project can produce enough pure energy, with electric and hydrogen being the power supply and reserve, to run our houses, transportation and businesses from the utilization of wind, solar and biological degeneration of waste.”

Existing on clean and renewable energy sources, the urban design and architecture of RansonGreen will provide a home to more than 12,000 individuals and families as well as major corporations and small businesses. The vision is an all-encompassing community that offers a variety of shopping and entertainment along with recreational, civic and cultural activities for its residents.

Beyond all the hard work they do every day, the Spains continue to enjoy the life they lead and try to keep up with their 13 grandchildren.

“We appreciate the many opportunities that going green has offered us with new technologies developed by wonderful people who are working toward building an environment that supports and defends planet Earth,” Spain remarked.

While persevering in order to complete the RansonGreen project, he and Barbara see a future filled with green cities “for generations of humans to come forth and enjoy the beautiful planet as we have been able to during our many years of life.” ■

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Wolverine

SPORTS

BY GEOFF GOYNE

For all the latest scores and highlights, visit the athletics website at gowesleyathletics.com

NCAA ELITE Wesley tied a school record with a 13-1 record and finished fourth in Division III in the final national rankings. They also won both the ECAC Team of the Year Award and the distinguished LambertMeadowlands Trophy, the annual award given to the best teams in the East in college football Divisions I-AA, II and III. Aaron Jackson 18

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FOOTBALL

NCAA worthy

No. 4 in Division III, Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, NCAA Semifinalists ENTERING THE 2009 SEASON, only two programs in all of Division III football had won more playoff games since 2005 than Wesley College — perennial powers Mount Union and WisconsinWhitewater. The Wolverines kept pace as one of the nation’s elite programs in 2009, handling each of its first three postseason opponents with ease before the Purple Raiders of Mount Union ended Wesley’s run in the national semifinals.

The groundwork for the postseason run was set during a perfect regular season. The season opener looked to be a tough test for a defense that had lost some valuable parts from the previous year, with nationally ranked Christopher Newport led by preseason All-American running back Tunde Ogun. The new unit was up to the task, however, holding Ogun to just eight yards in the game and trouncing the Captains 34-0.

After a road win against scholarship Division II program North Greenville, Wesley traveled to Delaware Valley, who had handed Wesley its only loss of the 2008 regular season. The story was different in 2009, however, as the Wolverines routed the Aggies, 31-13. A lopsided win over a 2008 playoff team, LaGrange, sent Wesley into a Homecoming matchup with Frostburg State at 4-0. The Wolverines received six touchdown passes from Shane McSweeny against the Bobcats, including three to Ellis Krout, and dismantled their conference rivals 4419. It was back on the road to face another Atlantic Central Football Conference (ACFC) rival in Apprentice, but the Builders fell 39-0 as the Wesley defense pitched its second shutout of the year.

Wesley’s final four games were all scheduled home games at Scott D. Miller Stadium. Another game against a scholarship program opened the homestand as Webber International came to Dover. Aaron Jackson rushed

for four touchdowns in the game and the defense held the Warriors to just one score in a 34-7 win. Arch rival Salisbury followed on Halloween. Two touchdown catches by All-American tight end Sean McAndrew and a 76-yard touchdown run by Jackson built Wesley a 21-6 halftime lead as the Wolverines cruised to a 30-12 victory to claim their fifth straight conference championship.

The regular season came to a close with perhaps the two best teams on the schedule, Lake Erie College and Ohio Dominican, both scholarship programs from Ohio. The Storm played well, but the Wolverines had two goal line stands inside the one yard line and went on to win 28-13.

The Panthers entered Dover with a highpowered offense and for the first time all season, Wesley trailed heading into the fourth quarter. Wesley scored the game’s final two touchdowns, however, to erase a 15-point deficit and win 32-28.

The Wolverines’ 10-0 regular season earned them the top seed in their bracket and a home field advantage in the first three rounds of the NCAA playoffs. In the first round, Wesley turned a close game into a rout with 35 second half points in a 55-23 win over North Carolina Wesleyan. Nationally ranked Mississippi College brought one of Division III’s top offenses to face the Wolverines in the second round. McSweeny tossed three first half touchdown passes to Krout, however, and the defense shut down the Choctaws for a 43-9 victory.

Johns Hopkins, the Cinderella team of the postseason, had already won two playoff games on the road before traveling from Baltimore for the South Region Championship Game. After two weeks of great weather in the first two rounds of the postseason, Dover was slammed with low temperatures, wind, rain and sleet on game day. The weather made the field conditions less than desirable, but the

SPORTS

Wolverines turned it into a game of keep away, holding the ball for over 40 minutes in a 12-0 win.

Wesley then made its third trip to the national semifinals since 2005, heading to top ranked Mount Union College. The Wolverines trailed just 10-7 in the fourth quarter before the Purple Raiders scored twice late in the game to end the Wolverines’ season.

When it was all said and done, Wesley had tied a school record with a 13-1 record and finished fourth in Division III in the final national rankings. They also won both the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Team of the Year Award and the distinguished LambertMeadowlands Trophy, the annual award given to the best teams in the East in college football Divisions I-AA, II and III. “It is a great honor to be recognized with other programs, like Penn State and Villanova,” Wesley Head Coach Mike Drass noted. “We are humbled by the prestige of this award. To be recognized as the best team in the East is a step towards our goal of being the best team in the nation.”

Several Wesley players received accolades as well. Mike Ward, Aaron Benson, Chris Mayes and McAndrew each earned All-America honors. Mayes was named the D3football.com South Region Defensive Player of the Year and teamed with Ward for 23 sacks and 58 tackles for loss on a dominant defensive front.

Benson intercepted seven passes and returned two for touchdowns. Nineteen Wolverines were named to the All-ACFC team, including McSweeny and Ward, who earned Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year Awards. Drass joined them as the circuit’s Coach of the Year.

Long time Offensive Coordinator Chip Knapp coached several offensive players to stellar seasons. McSweeny earned ECAC Player of the Year honors after passing for 29 touchdowns and over 2,900 yards and rushing for nearly 800 more and eight additional touchdowns. Krout set a school record with 20 touchdown receptions and Jackson overcame a midseason injury to rush for over 1,000 yards. ■

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Building Upon Success

ENTERING THE 2009-10 SEASON, several questions faced the Wesley College men’s basketball team. Yes, the Wolverines were coming off a record setting season in which they won their first Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history, but the team lost All-American Rashawn Johnson and All-CAC pick Evan Martin, along with five other players from that team. Would Wesley build upon the success of the previous year? Or, were the Wolverines a one-year wonder?

While the team had lost key players from the previous year, Head Coach Jerry Kobasa’s cupboard was not bare.

Returnees Alphonzo Wright, Rudy Thomas and Kevin Johnson had all started on last year’s team and Jacques Bowe joined Wright as a team captain.

Also returning were steady players Chris Douglas and Sean McAndrew, and Kobasa restocked the roster with five newcomers. On paper, it looked like the Wolverines could be competitive, but how good was anyone’s guess.

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Wesley opened the season with a rematch against a North Carolina Wesleyan program that had defeated the Wolverines the previous year.

But after 29 points from Thomas, the Wolverines opened their season with a win. After the promising win, Wesley was just 4-4 over its next eight games and entered the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Holiday Chris Douglas Festival just a single game above .500. The Wolverines defeated a Ramapo team that would win 18 games and then took out a nationally ranked UMass-Dartmouth squad to capture the Festival Championship.

But it was not until after two more losses that fans saw just how strong the team actually was. The Wolverines won the next eight contests over the span of a month to build momentum and finished the regular season by winning 10 of their last 11 contests. The hot finish tied Wesley for second place in the CAC regular season standings, but the Spartans of York (Pa.) held a tie breaker and received a first round bye in the conference tournament, along with St. Mary’s (Md.), the regular season champions.

Wesley, seeded third in the tournament, hosted sixth-seeded Salisbury in the first round and hit 17 of its first 21 shots to open the game and cruised past the Sea Gulls, 82-64. The win earned the Wolverines a trip to York in the semifinals, where they tied the 2008-09 team’s Division III school record with 18 wins. Wesley kept up the hot shooting,

hitting 55 percent from the floor and won 94-81 to advance to the CAC Championship for the second straight year and set a new Division III school record with the squad’s 19th win.

In the championship, the Wolverines faced a nationally ranked St. Mary’s (Md.) squad. The Seahawks held a 14-point lead with 16 minutes left in the game, but Wesley used a 20-9 run to trim the lead and later took the lead before two buckets in the final minute lifted St. Mary’s to the win, 80-76.

Wesley then awaited word on a potential NCAA bid and when the brackets were announced, the Wolverines were going to the tournament for the second straight year. In the first round, Wesley was sent to Kings Point, New York to face the Merchant Marine Academy. Freshman Paul Reynolds exploded for 32 points and 11 rebounds in the game, but the defensive-minded Mariners limited the chances for the rest of the team and ended Wesley’s season, 67-61.

Reynolds, the former Gatorade High School Player of the Year in Delaware, was named CAC Rookie of the Year and joined Thomas on the All-Conference team. Reynolds also was recognized as an ECAC Division III South All-Star and finished fifth in Division III with a .655 field goal percentage—a school record.

Wright etched his name among the school’s all-time leading scorers and rebounders, and Johnson joined him on the all-time scoring list.

The season also capped a successful five year run for Wesley. The Wolverines .624 winning percentage is the highest among four-year institutions in the state of Delaware. Also, Wesley is the only school to make the NCAAs over that time period. With the return of nine players from this year’s team, including four starters, the Wolverines will look to continue to build the program into one of Division III’s elite. ■

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SPORTS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Finishing Strong EVERY SEASON for every team has a key moment. For Wesley College’s women’s basketball team, that moment came in the Wolverines’ own holiday tournament. Injuries were derailing what looked to be a promising season and the team had lost six of its past seven games entering the second day of the tournament.

Wesley was facing an always tough Widener team and needed a win. The Wolverines came out and never trailed in that game to get momentum going in the right direction. Another win over Rowan kept it going and after six straight conference wins, Wesley was right back in the thick of the playoff hunt in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC).

Overall, Wesley won 15 of its last 18 regular season games and finished third in the CAC. During the impressive finish, Wesley got healthy and the newcomers improved as the year went on, in part due to extra time gained when other players were injured earlier in the year. Junior forward Angie Owens stepped up and earned three Conference Player of the Week awards and a D3hoops.com National Team of the Week accolade during the second half of the season. Classmate Cory Boyd again was ranked among the national leaders and paced the CAC in assists. Freshman Jazmine Miller scored 17 or more points in a game on three occasions.

The Wolverines entered the playoffs facing off with Gallaudet and Conference Player of the Year Easter Faafiti. The Bison kept pace with Wesley in the first half, but the Wolverines opened the second half with a 22-2 run and never looked back to advance to the CAC semifinals for the second straight year.

National power Marymount (Va.) halted Wesley, but the opening round win over Gallaudet was the squad’s 17th of the season. That total was enough to earn the Wolverines a trip to the Eastern College

Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Tournament, where Wesley’s season came to an end with a 17-11 record.

Owens and Boyd were named to the All-CAC team and Owens earned both ECAC All-Star and D3hoops.com AllRegion honors. Boyd became Wesley’s all-time assist leader and ended the year with over 100 more than her nearest competitor. Owens scored her 1,000th point late in the season, becoming the eighth player in the Division III era to do so. She also grabbed 226 defensive rebounds to set Wesley’s single season record and climbed to be among the school’s all-time leaders in rebounds and blocked shots.

Owens also added the three-point field goal to her arsenal. After not hitting

a three in her first two seasons, she shot 42 percent from behind the arc. The team’s lone senior, Michele Mules, finished her career fourth at Wesley with 122 career three-point field goals, and reserve Shavonda Cephas emerged as one of the top long distance shooters in the conference, hitting 40 percent of her attempts.

The year continued the rebuilding of the program under fourth-year Head Coach James Wearden. His two most recent teams have put together 34 total wins and two ECAC bids after his first two tallied just 19 wins. With four starters and nearly every key reserve returning next year, Wesley will look to carry this season’s strong finish into 2010-11. ■

Michele Mules ’10

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| athlete profile

Jacques of All Trades Jacques Bowe ’10

BY GEOFF GOYNE

SOME PEOPLE like to stay busy. Then there’s Jacques Bowe ’10. It’s hard to find an organization in which this 2010 graduate was not involved during his time at Wesley. A captain on the men’s basketball team, Bowe was the president of the Wesley College Student Athlete Advisory Council, the vice president of the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC), a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a resident assistant in Malmberg Hall, a student ambassador for the Admissions Office, a member of the College’s Gospel Choir, an employee in the Office of Student Activities, vice president of the campus Legal Society and a member of the Advisory Committee for Legal Studies. And that’s just on-campus involvement.

Outside of school, Bowe has been active in his church, the Pentecostal Church of God (PCOG) in Lincoln, Delaware; a drummer in both the Pentecostal Highlights and the Future Generation; a member of the National Youth Department Planning Committee for the PCOG; and he volunteers at the Old Manor Nursing Home in Milford, Delaware.

When he first came to Wesley, Bowe had plans to play both football and basketball. After two years of both sports, he gave up football to focus on basketball. “When I became an RA, playing two sports was too much,” he said. “That’s when I became dedicated to improving on the court.”

Head Coach Jerry Kobasa also noticed the hard work. “When Jacques came into our program, he was an outstanding athlete who happened to play basketball,” he recalled. Over the years, he just worked harder and harder to become a better player.”

The move paid off. After averaging only 8.4 minutes per game and just 1.5 points and an equal number of rebounds as a freshman and sophomore, Bowe hit

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the gym. As a junior, he added the threefor the second straight year. Wesley’s win point shot to his arsenal and set career in the CAC Semifinals was the team’s highs in nearly every category as a key 19th—a school record at the Division III reserve on the Wolverines’ run to the level. The Wolverines fell in the CAC Championship and first NCAA conference title game, but still earned Tournament appearance. their second straight NCAA berth.

But Mr. Everything wasn’t done yet.

Among his off-campus activities, After another summer of hard work, Bowe takes great pride in his volunBowe was named one of two team capteerism, knowing it makes a difference tains for his senior year. He also emerged to others. This is particularly true in his as a scoring threat, and his numbers in role at the Old Manor Nursing Home. almost every category across the board “We minister to the residents and also surpassed those of his first three seasons just spend time with them, talking,” he combined. When injuries among teamnoted. “Basically we just try to brighten mates struck and he was given his first someone’s day while we’re there.” career start, he did not disappoint. He “There was never a time that it was hit five threes on his Jacques first, team second. And that’s way to a career high what makes him a successful leader.”

17 points. Bowe — Head Coach Jerry Kobasa remained in the starting lineup for six more games and averaged 10.9 points Now that Bowe has graduated from per game over that time.

Wesley, he plans to attend law school and “Before this year, Coach [Kobasa] told his past endeavors have prepared him for me I’d be a captain,” he said. “We went that path. As president of the Legal Society, over how I would need to take on a he organized different events for students leadership role with the team and develin the program, including workshops to oped a plan with coaches. Come early, prepare for the LSATs. In addition, as a stay late.” student representative on the Advisory The decision to make Bowe a captain Committee for Legal Studies, a group was an easy one for the coaching staff. made up largely of lawyers, judges and “Jacques has always put the team first,” other legal professionals, he has gained Kobasa observed. “There was never a exposure to a professional network in the time that it was Jacques first, team field. In preparation for his future plans, second. And that’s what makes him a Bowe also is doing an internship with the successful leader. The team knew that law firm of Donovan & Hopkins. He when he said something, it had meaning assists in trial preparation, conducts and substance.” research for cases, and aids in formulating “Jacques is the kind of player that if trial strategies. He will spend this summer you had a son, that’s who you’d want him studying for the LSATs and getting ready to be like,” Kobasa continued. “He always for law school. best represented the program and the “Jacques is the kind of worker that is school.” always successful,” Kobasa observed.

In part because of Bowe’s play, the “He is not afraid of challenges or putting Wolverines kept rolling through the in the effort to reach any goal he sets for regular season and into the CAC himself. That’s what will make him Tournament, earning a trip to the finals successful in the real world.” ■

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| athlete profile

Knowing Your Niche Michele Mules ’10

BY ABIGAIL HILL ’12

WHEN MICHELE MULES ’10 came to Wesley College, she came with a mental checklist. She wanted a small school, Division III athletics and professors with heart. She also is a young woman with her eyes set on the prize. After just graduating from Wesley in May, she feels satisfied that her undergraduate goals have been met and she is prepared for her next step in life. This August, she will head to University of Chicago in Illinois with a passion to follow corporate law.

Mules came to Wesley to play basketball, and found that the school had a lot more to offer. Shortly after arriving, she found her niche at Wesley and prospered from her involvement on campus. As a dual-sport athlete in basketball and softball, she learned how difficult it can be to manage being a part of a team while keeping up with academics. However, sports became her saving grace and taught her valuable life lessons. “Sports have kept me on track and taught me time management,” she explained. “I have also learned teamwork, and that it is always okay to ask for help.”

After finding her way on and off the court, Mules began contemplating her future aspirations. She pursued a double major in English and legal studies, hoping to settle on her career path. Mules expressed, “The small classroom sizes and the oneon-ones I have had with my professors have been very important to my education.” She gives credit to the faculty for providing an intellectual and personal college education. “Our professors care,” she stated. Through the efforts of faculty members such as Dr. Linda De Roche, a provider of guidance, and Dr. Flora Hessling, Mules’ inspiration, she found her passion and chose to pursue it.

In addition to allowing her the opportunity to shine in the classroom and among the campus community, the small school environment at Wesley also afforded Mules a chance to shine on the playing field. A three-year starter for both the women’s basketball and softball teams, she improved each season. On the basketball court, she established herself as a strong defender and her 122 career three-point field goals rank her among the school's all-time leaders. On the softball diamond, she emerged to lead the team with a .370 batting average as a junior.

Residence life at Wesley was one of the most meaningful ingredients in Mules’ college experience. It offered her a sense of community of which she will forever feel a part, knowing that many individuals she met will become lifelong friends. In the College’s future, she hopes that residence life programs will continue to reinforce the Wesley community bond and thus help keep more students on campus, active and out of trouble.

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WESLEY COLLEGE :: Spring 2010

“Residence life has taught me about the importance of professionalism,” Mules said. This lesson will serve her well as she moves on to law school and her future career. She may be traveling across the country to pursue her next educational goal, but she will always have a home back at Wesley. ■

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news |

SPORTS

Big Move Wesley Athletics Relocates to ‘Little School’ THE WESLEY COLLEGE Athletics Department recently found a new home, as several offices were relocated to what was formerly the Little School on North Queen Street in Dover. When the Little School moved in 2009 from its old location to a new building on Mont Blanc Boulevard in Dover, Wesley was able to acquire the former site, conveniently located adjacent to Wesley West Fieldhouse and one block away from Scott D. Miller Stadium.

The acquisition of much-needed office space has been an exciting development for the College and the Athletics Department specifically. It has precipitated repositioning of many team and coaches’ offices to consolidate the Department in one central area, making operations more efficient as well as more convenient for prospective students and families.

To fill what is now being called the Wesley Athletics House, the Department’s administrative office, the sports information office and track & field offices were moved from the ground floor of the DuPont College Center. The football offices were repositioned from the Football House on Governors Avenue and the men’s soccer office, formerly located in the International House on State Street, also shifted to the newly acquired space. The women’s lacrosse office also found a new home in the Athletics House, freeing up space for the baseball office to move from the ground floor of

the DuPont College Center to Wesley West. The office space vacated by Athletics has been reassigned to the Nursing Department, another campus program happy to have some extra room.

The Little School is one of the oldest preschools in Delaware, having served over four generations of children in the building on North Queen Street. It was founded in 1954 by Hattye Mae Biddle, who then passed the reins to her handpicked successor, Jane Richter, in 1975.

When it came time for owner and operator Richter to consider the future of the Dover preschool, she decided to join with two local Little School alumni and parents, along with the owners of the popular Kids Cottage in Lewes, Delaware, to form a new partnership and

build a beautiful new facility in town— The Little School at Kids Cottage. The Little School’s administration was glad to see their former home put to good use.

The Wesley administration certainly shares the sentiment.

“The Little School has been an icon in the community for generations and Wesley College is very pleased to be the next generation of caretakers of this property,” President Bill Johnston expressed. “The reputation for care and interest in our youth, which began with Mrs. Biddle and Mrs. Richter, will continue through the college students served on this site.” ■ Head Football Coach Mike Drass, Jane Richter, Hattye Mae Biddle and President Johnston outside the new Athletics House.

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CLASS NOTES To post your latest news, visit the alumni website at weare.wesley.edu/classnotes or include with the return envelope provided.

Congratulations Class of 2010!

On May 8, 235 graduates received their Wesley College diplomas at Spring Commencement. To read the full article and download photos from the graduation events, visit weare.wesley.edu/commencement

Graduate Brad Bivins with sister Caty (Bivins) Beron ’05/’07 and proud parents Mark and Patty Bivins.

Wesley New Castle graduates John Pratt, Todd Lionberger, Carla High and Karla Miller.

Amanda Parisi

President Johnston addresses the 2010 graduates.

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SAVE THE DATES ARTHUR and DR. KATHLEEN JACOBS

celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, April 11 with family, friends and dignitaries at the Dover Downs Liberty Suite in Dover, Delaware. Arthur is director of admissions and Kathleen is professor of business management at the College. Family and friends drove and flew to Delaware to participate in the special event put together by the couple’s three children. The couple received a gold trimmed greeting card from the President of the United States and the first lady—Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. A tribute from Governor Jack Markell and Lt. Governor Matthew Denn of Delaware was also received by the couple and read at the event by their youngest daughter. The CEO of Dover Downs, Denis McGlynn, was also in attendance to join the couple in their celebration.

’48

GABRIEL CHUCHANI wrote in “to inform my unforgettable Wesley and Alumni Association members that I still am active in scientific research works.” His career efforts have been directed toward one goal - to establish a tradition of scientific research in Venezuela, particularly in the field of chemistry. One of his professional achievements was the foundation in 1958 of the Chemistry Center at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Investigations, IVIC, of which he was the head for a period of 16 years. In addition to all his research and innumerable publications, in recent years Gabriel has lectured basic and advanced courses in physical organic chemistry to graduate students of IVIC. He also has lectured topics of his specialties in Venezuelan and foreign institutions.

’51 The Washington Township Chamber of Commerce has selected RALPH “ARKY” OWEN, president of Kiley Owen, as the recipient of the 2010 Rick Zammer Hall of Fame Business Person of the Year Award.

This honor was awarded to Ralph for his efforts and contributions to the Washington Township business community.

’58 The first weekend in March 2010 a small group of classmates from the Class of 1958 gathered at the home of GAIL (HEMHAUSER) VAIN for a “mini-reunion much like our old snackbar sessions,” writes Gail. Lots of laughs, fellowship and

memories of Wesley ensued. The classmates, namely Gail, EUGENE MEREDITH, PHIL SCALI and spouses Ralph, Kathie and Mary, then traveled to the apartment of ROBERT DEVILBISS (known as “Dribbie”) who joined them for an evening of dining, reminiscing and fun at a local restaurant.

Gail writes, “The time we shared together was far too short but a great time was had by all.”

1 Clockwise, from left: GENE MEREDITH, PHIL SCALI, GAIL VAIN and BOB DEVILBISS (seated).

The latest work of BRUCE STORES was published in 2009. Titled “The Isthmus: Stories from Mexico’s Past, 1495-1995,” it is a historical fiction book based on his research of the history and culture of Mexico, specifically the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which is the bottom of the “scorpion’s tail” of the country, over a 500-year period. A book review describes Bruce’s use of storytelling.

“His take on historical fiction paints a human, everyday face on the historian’s cold mask of dates, places, and wars.” To read the full review of his book, visit weare.wesley.edu/classnotes

’62 ANNE (PITTINGER) BUCKLER and husband Lew report that their oldest son, Michael, has completed a two year commitment teaching high school in Malawi Africa for the Peace Corps. Recently, he went to work for the federal government (like his Dad), specifically the National Park Service.

The first year back from his assignment, Michael worked part-time and put together a book about his two years serving in the Peace Corps. He is hoping to find a publisher and get the book printed, with proceeds from the sale of the books to be directed to a scholarship fund. The first three recipients will be the three boys he shared his home with while teaching high school. Anne and Lew’s other son Bob received his MBA from George Washington University in May 2009 and he and his wife Jess and 1-year-old daughter Morgan moved to Huntersville, North Carolina, just north of Charlotte. Anne writes, “Our granddaughter Morgan is the light of our lives.” Anne is now serving in her second term on the Wesley College Alumni Board and in 2009 was elected secretary of the executive committee. “We enjoy traveling back to Wesley to help with the work of the board and enjoy our time with friends.”

2 Morgan Buckler

Phillies Game Alumni Event: Aug. 7 Homecoming 2010: Oct. 15-17 Tampa, FL Area Alumni Event: Nov. 9 Homecoming 2011: Sept. 30-Oct. 2

’64 HARVEY KENTON, JR. has announced his candidacy for Delaware’s 36th Representative District. A lifelong Milford, Delaware resident and businessman, Harvey is campaigning for the Republican nomination to succeed Representative George Carey when he retires at the end of his current term. He spent nearly two decades as an agricultural salesman with the Milford Fertilizer Company. He retired from the Marvel Real Estate and Insurance Agency in 2009 after 16 years. Harvey is president of People’s Place properties board and Felton Bank board of directors. He also sits on the executive board of the Delaware State Fair and is a director for the Greater Milford Boys and Girls Club and the Milford Community Cemetery.

’68 KEN MCWILLIAMS writes, “Still think of

the fun times we had at the little Wesley College. What a strange, different, fun bunch of people thrown together. Had a great time!

I’m not real good at the website, email, Facebook stuff, but still alive and kickin’!”

’69 On March 20, five members of the Class of ’69—SUSAN (CHAMBLISS) DUFFY, DARLENE EASTON, CAROL (SAMWORTH) EWING, SALLY (GREGORY) MAY and SANDY (STREET) SEGRETO—met at Newark Airport to travel to Naples, Florida and visit with SUSAN (CLARKE) and TOM SCANGARELLO. The

group enjoyed four wonderful days visiting, seeing some of the local attractions and enjoying the warm weather.

3 SANDRA (STREET) SEGRETO, SUSAN (CHAMBLISS) DUFFY, SALLY (GREGORY) MAY, SUSAN (CLARKE) SCANGARELLO, CAROL (SAMWORTH) EWING and DARLENE EASTON.

’87

MICHAEL REISMAN is proud to report that he now has three published books out.

His first book is “Incredible Short Stories,” his second book is “Where Angels Tread,” and his third book is entitled “On Loves Path.”

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’95 Attention BSU members past and present!

CHESLEY MCNEIL ’94 and YALONDA (WILKINS) ADAMS are requesting that you be available for Homecoming Weekend 2010. “There will be a memorial dedication for Debbie Evans and scholarship presentation in honor of her and to show appreciation for her many acts of kindness and dedication to many of us throughout our Wesley careers. In addition, there will be networking and social events planned. See you there!”

To stay in touch about the BSU reunion, request Yalonda on Facebook and explain who you are. Her cell # is 443-514-8561.

’99 SANTAE M. (BOYD) COOPER is pleased to announce her marriage to Kris Cooper.

The couple wed on November 21, 2009 at St. Paul UAME Church in Wilmington, Delaware.

4 SANTAE (BOYD) COOPER and KRIS COOPER VANESSA D. NESBIT is pleased to announce the recent release of her new book, “Rivers Running in Desert Places.”

Released by PublishAmerica, the book is a collection of epic poems about the search for life-sustaining sources of refreshing in the often brutal dry-spells of our lives. Mimicking the ebb and flow of a river, the author uses a mixture of itinerant and gushing verse, and vivid imagery to highlight universal themes of love, self-hatred, regret, introspection, triumphant victory and self-realization. The collection celebrates what it is to recall the mantra “where there is water, there is life.”

’03 TOMMI BARRETT-GREENLY reports

that she and her husband Bryan Greenly, a junior physics major at Delaware State University, have been selected as Delaware ambassadors for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After both of them had internships at the company, the two were chosen among 105 NASA ambassadors nationwide. They will do presentations in the Delmarva region, work at job fairs for the agency and conduct other outreach endeavors for the space agency.

Tommi is currently pursuing graduate studies in education technology at the University of Delaware. She also is a teacher at the Morris Early Childhood Center in Lincoln, Delaware, where she has been named the 2010 Milford School District Teacher of the Year.

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LESLEY (KNABLE) LOUDER and her

husband Darrell are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, Ethan Robert Louder, born Tuesday, April 6. He weighed 8 lbs., 3 oz. and was 22 inches long. Ethan joins a family of many Wesley graduates, including Lesley’s mother and father and proud grandparents, LYNN (SCHMID) KNABLE ’67 and GERALD KNABLE ’68, and Aunt ELISE KNABLE ’09.

5 Ethan Robert Louder

’05 DEB PACE has recently formed her own

business. She has paired her writing skills with nearly two decades of writing, editing, marketing, public relations, radio and television broadcasting, and other communications experience and is now president and CEO of BizCom LLC, a fullservice professional business communications firm. Deb was a freelance journalist with The Mergermarket Group and Debtwire, divisions of London-based Financial Times Group, for more than four years. She spent time at The Wall Street Journal Radio Network in Princeton, New Jersey, Texas Radio Network and KRLD radio in Dallas, The Villages News Network television station in central Florida, and was a U.S. Navy Journalist. She is also an editor at EditAvenue.com and EditFast.com and has built and runs her own website www.bizcomllc.com. She has an MBA from Wesley College and a bachelor’s degree in communication management from Wilmington University.

’07 BRENDAN BYRNE, who graduated from Wesley with a master’s degree in teaching, has completed a master’s degree in Renaissance literature at the University of York in Yorkshire, England (2010 graduate).

He is currently in a PhD program in Renaissance literature at the University of Reading, Berkshire, England.

Former Wesley College All-American defensive end BRYAN ROBINSON from Harrington, Delaware has made the 2010 opening day roster of the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

In the summer of 2008, he was among the final cuts of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL. He played in the United Football League for the New York Sentinals last fall after playing for the Manchester Wolves of arenafootball2 during the summer, finishing ninth in AF2 with 10 sacks for the Wolves. He had

also signed with the Hamilton TigerCats of the Canadian Football league after the AF2 season, before being scooped up by the UFL. MELISSA CAMERON is pleased to announce her engagement to Maurice Tooles, Jr. The couple got engaged on November 15, 2009. Melissa is originally from Jamaica and lived in Baltimore, Maryland, and her fiancé is from New Jersey. Both of them now reside in Delaware, where Melissa is a full-time graduate student at Wilmington University working towards a Master of Science in community counseling and Maurice is in the United States Air Force. The couple is planning a June 2011 wedding.

6 MELISSA CAMERON and Maurice Tooles, Jr.

’08 COLLEEN MCELWEE and her fiancé David Primavera, Jr. are proud to announce the birth of their son, David Primavera, III. David was born on February 19 at 4:54 p.m.

He weighed 8 lbs., 7oz. and was 203/4 inches long.

7 David Primavera CAROL (OLSEN) ’71 and ROBERT NEYLAN ’72 announce the engagement of their daughter, SUSAN MARIE, of Atlanta,

Georgia to Paul Alton Dreher, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama, son of Paul A. and Isabelle K. Dreher of Birmingham. The brideto-be is a 2003 graduate of Dover High School and graduated from Wesley in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in education.

She is employed by the Cobb County School District/Austell Elementary School, Powder Springs, Georgia, as a fourth grade teacher. Her fiancé is a 2004 graduate of Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and is a heavy metal broker for Jefferson Iron and Metal Brokerage of Birmingham. An October 9, 2010 wedding is planned in Chelsea, Alabama.

8 SUSAN NEYLAN and PAUL DREHER, JR.

IN MEMORIAM F. Bryan Bailey Jr. ’47 Richard L. Everett ’51 Frank Vasfailo ’95 Joseph S. Bellmeyer Marian J. Fillman Susan Matusak Lehman R. Tomlin Jr.

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alumni events |

C L A S S N OT E S

ANNUAL GOLF OUTING On May 7 Wesley Football held its annual alumni golf outing at Jonathan’s Landing in Magnolia, Delaware. Front row, from left: Jon Lanouette ’09, Mike Root ’92, Jim Carnival ’93, Jim Steene ’93, Andrew Verlander ’05, Brian Culver ’05, Petie Davis ’67, Mike Mollo ’77, Jon Hardy ’95, Mark Botvinis ’95, Steve Azzanesi ’00, Calvin Griffin ’91, Tim Butler ’94, Coach Bob Andrus, Jerry Kobasa ’69. Second row, from left: Bryan Robinson, Tim Daut ’02, Dave Baszkowski ’01, Bryan Sorenson ’06, Chris Sfamurri ’10, Sean Dunn ’00, Chris Becker ’01, Coach Chip Knapp, Coach Mike Drass, Joe Broccoli ’94, Ken Pippin ’92, Coach Jason Bowen, Rob Stiles ’96, Jimmy Connolley ’95, Ryan Yakabosky ’96, Frank Edwards ’94, Rob Dobak ’92, Rick Vogel ’92, Bernie Nowakowski ’95, Glenn Courtney ’75. Third Row, from left: Matt Ferguson ’09, Jason Schatz ’09, Joe Mangano ’97, Pat Schneider ’03, Tim Bayles ’07, Jim Newcome ’01, Forrley Gunby ’02, Bill Laphen ’99, Bob Scittina ’99, Jamie DeAngelo ’75, Tom Trento ’75, Jim Binder ’93, Coach Jack Fisher, Craig Stephenson ’72. Fourth row, from left: Matt Sellitto ’67, Don Diblasi ’67, Mike Shockley ’99, Mike Haly ’74. Back row, from left: Tom Parker ’66, John Araneo ’67, Bill Emrich ’69, Mike Simmons ’75, Jason Gareau ’99, Tom Hodnett ’98.

GOLDEN GRADUATES A beautiful spring afternoon over Dover Days weekend in

Delaware’s capital city was a perfect time for graduates of Wesley Junior College to reunite and reminisce with one another. The College’s “Golden Graduates” — alumni from the class of 1960 and all classes prior – were invited to a luncheon on Sunday, May 2 at President Bill Johnston’s home, the historic Annie Jump Cannon House. Front row, from left: VP for Institutional Advancement Chris Wood, Joanne Bassett, Carla-Donna Martin, Doris (Wyatt) Boys ’45, Kate (Bishop) Breeding ’51, Nancy (Powell) Kinnamon ’45, President Bill Johnston. Second row, from left: Clarence Martin ’60, Marie Reynolds ’54, Frances (Stubbs) Conley ’45, Anna Wright ’45. Third row, from left: Frank Boys, Russ Bassett ’57, Allan Rusten, Muriel “Terri” (Bacon) Rusten ’54. Back row, from left: Alumni Director Amanda Downes, Bill Hufnal ’60, William Kinnamon and Ray Breeding.

NYC ALUMNI EVENT Wesley College held its first ever alumni event in New York City on Friday, April 23. A group of graduates, hailing from different parts of the New York metro area and representing classes ranging from ’71 to ’04, gathered in a private room at the Heartland Brewery in Manhattan’s Times Square. Pictured, from left: Alumni Director Amanda Downes, Tom Pergola ’71, Rob Gebhardt ’00, Kelli (Geary) Gebhardt ’02, Alicia (Sohn) Ellis ’86, Jeff Ellis ’88, Tom Trento ’75, Saboor Kelley ’04 and VP for Institutional Advancement Chris Wood.

In an effort to be more cost-efficient and green, the College has begun reducing numbers of print event invitations via U.S. mail, only sending to segments of alumni within a small radius of the event location. However, we welcome all Wesley alumni at events, which are posted online at weare.wesley.edu/events and announced through our alumni newsletter via email. Please make sure we have your current email address so you can be on the lookout for details on upcoming Wesley alumni activities in which to participate!

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| Wesley Society

Solid Relationships Enthusiasm and Dedication Drive Partnership for Success AS PRESIDENT of one of Delaware’s largest independent insurance agencies, L & W Insurance, Board of Trustee member and dedicated Wesley dad William J. Strickland has already proven to be a natural fit to lead Wesley’s most dedicated constituents.

He was recently appointed the first president of the Wesley Society, a cultivation group for annual donors of $1,000 or more who have pledged to become instrumental partners in Wesley’s advancement efforts. The enthusiasm Strickland has shown through his involvement with the local community and his dedication to the College thus far have set the stage for a prosperous new beginning for the Wesley Society under his leadership.

Strickland first became involved with Wesley College through his son Justin, who earned both a bachelor’s degree and master’s in business administration at Wesley.

“While at Wesley, Justin gained a great education, played football and baseball and grew as a person. His Wesley experience was firstrate and as a parent, I am very appreciative of the significant role that Wesley played in his development,” said Strickland.

He and his wife Okemah have always felt a tremendous sense of gratitude toward the College for the impact it has had on their son, and they see their contributions as small tokens of their appreciation.

Strickland expressed, “It is my desire to help Wesley College ascend to a higher level as an institution and frankly speaking, it takes money to do so.”

Strickland is equally quick to point out a community perspective of why giving to Wesley is so important. As a savvy businessman, he knows firsthand the profound economic impact that the College has on the greater Dover area, due to students and staff patronizing local businesses, restaurants and retail stores. “I feel Wesley is going to be a catalyst for the ongoing effort to revitalize the downtown Dover area,” he said.

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As president of the Wesley Society, Strickland sees his role as a facilitator in developing and strengthening the relationships between Wesley and its donors, not only in the context of giving, but in having a sense of ownership in the future of the College.

He will serve as an ambassador for Wesley and work closely with staff member Cathy Anderson, hired in December as director of the Wesley Society, in providing insight to current and potential Society members on the great initiatives going on at the College.

Strickland knows that Wesley cannot accomplish significant campus improvements without stronger financial support from alumni, parents, community members and other donors. He said, “Wesley Society members are partners who share a common goal of helping the College maximize its potential to better serve our growing student body.” He explained that there are many institutional needs that will not be addressed without an ongoing strong financial commitment, and he emphasized that the Wesley Society is the vehicle that will provide that commitment.

Strickland encourages those who have not already done so to spend time with President Bill Johnston. “Bill’s dynamic vision and ‘can do’ attitude are so inspiring and create a high level of confidence about our future,” he expressed.

“Becoming a Wesley Society member will allow alumni, parents and friends to support Bill’s vision for our future.

Overall, your membership will solidify your relationship with Wesley College and directly impact what is a most promising future for this institution.”

For more information on how to become a charter member of the Wesley Society, visit weare.wesley.edu/wesleysociety or contact Cathy Anderson, director of the Wesley Society, at 302-736-2410 or andersca@wesley.edu ■

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“I chose Wesley because it is where I knew I could be somebody.”

“Thank you for helping me become the leader I always knew I could be.”

Since his transformation from a shy

Be one of among hundreds of alumni

teenager to the well-rounded campus

and friends whose contributions

leader he is today, Jarrhin Thomas

continue the infinite opportunities for

has wanted to inspire others. With

current Wesley students. Please send

assistance from scholarship funding, he

your gift in no later than June 30 by

soon acquired the skills and knowledge

simply completing and returning the

to fulfill his dreams. Read more about

provided gift envelope, or give online at

Jarrhin’s journey by visiting

weare.wesley.edu/onlinegiving

weare.wesley.edu/JarrhinThomas

Thank you!

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W E S L E Y

Non-Profit Organization

DELAWARE’S OLDEST PRIVATE COLLEGE

U.S. Postage

Founded 1873

PAID 120 North State Street Dover, Delaware 19901-3875

Baltimore, MD Permit No. 0000

A D D R E S S S E R V I C E R E Q U E ST E D

Find your Wesley friends

DID YOU KNOW the We Are Wesley community includes an online directory of Wesley alumni? You can search by name or class year to find your long-lost roommate or the old gang from your dorm and send them a note through the site or an email. Update your information in the directory at the same time because who knows what Wesley friends may be looking for you.

It’s all at your fingertips.

Log on and start clicking.

For first time users, find your login ID # above your mailing address.

Questions? Contact alumni@wesley.edu or 302-736-2467.

w w w . w e a r e . w e s l e y . e d u