Menlo Advantage Winter 2017

WINTER 2017

IN THIS ISSUE | WINTER 2017 Cover Left to Right, Ashley Ayala ‘17, SERV Coordinator Braxton Liddell ‘18, Head Resident Assistant Kalia Gabriel ‘18, Resident Assistant

2 Orientation

3 New Trustees

CONNECTING THE DOTS

8 Diversity 17 Connecting the Dots

9 EpiPencil

15 Ethics

This Special Section proudly speaks to the ways that Menlo College is moving toward a more integrative model of education. This spring, educator Dr. Thomas Ehrlich spoke to the faculty about his book, Rethinking Undergraduate Business Education. Ehrlich described curriculum changes that can help students develop the critical thinking skills they will need as they enter the work environment.

Articles in this section include: Connecting the Dots in Menlo’s Curriculum

by Pamela Gullard Other Voices on Business Education by Pamela Gullard

4 Convocation

10 Branding

16 Counselors

A Productive Collaboration Between Marketing and Politics

by Deborah Brown McCabe and Melissa Michelson Applying Erhlich’s Model to Teaching Operations Management

by Curtis Francis The Menlo Internship Seminar: Breaking Down Silos

by Angela Schmiede

6 Action on Hate 11 Entrepreneur 26 Real Estate

Money, Business, and Culture by Lowell Pratt Many Perspectives on a Single Subject by Melissa Eriko Poulsen Math Art by Erik Bakke and Brandon Johnson

12 Election

28 Management

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Darcy Blake CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Terri Givens, Darcy Blake, Pamela Gullard, Melissa Michelson, Leslie Sekerka, Deborah Brown McCabe, Curtis Francis, Angela Schmiede, Lowell Pratt, Melissa Poulsen, Erik Bakke, Jodie Austin, Aaron Gillespie, Brian Brownfield ’17, Marianne Neuwirth, Jake Kelman, Craig Medlen, Dima Leshchinskii, Soumen De

29 English

40 OAKtoberFest

30 Etiquette

44 Accounting

DESIGN Darcy Blake PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS Darcy Blake, Andrey Poliakov, OaksSports.com, Justine Fiesta ‘19

53 Disability

SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR Pamela Gullard EDITORS Linda Smith, Linda Teutschel, Pamela Gullard, Cheryl Collins CONTRIBUTORS Arjun Devgan ‘01, Massimiliano Genta ‘16, Camille Harris ‘16, Sofia Hoskinson ‘16, Brandon Johnson, Harold Justman, Michael Lilly ‘66, Donna Little, Kyle Lubke ‘16, Ty Lauderdale ‘16, Bob Farkas ‘63, Jay Naidu, Annette Rodriguez ‘17, Shanelle Sebastian ‘17, Rachel Tipton, Arthurlene Towner, Judy Wassman, Jin Zhang COLLEGE PRESIDENT Richard A. Moran BOARD OF TRUSTEES T. Geir Ramleth ‘87, Chair Micah Kane ‘91, Vice Chair Tom Byers Lee Caraher Andrea Cunningham Howard Dallmar ‘74 James A. Davlin Chris Garrett ‘94 Mike Gullard David C. Irmer ‘58 Harry W. Kellogg, Jr. ‘63 Connor Limont ‘75 Jordan Long ‘09 Larry Lopez ‘84 Tom Morehouse ‘62 Sean Mendy William (Bill) Redmon Tom Scannell Laurie Shaw Tyler Edelstein Tuttle

31 Connect Day 46 Gone Pro!

54 Finance

GSAC 32 Pearl Harbor 47 Soccer Win!

55 Gratitude

34 In Memoriam 51 Irish Authors 55 Pokémon Go

37 Entrepreneur 52 Storytelling

56 Art Awe

The Menlo Advantage, published by the Menlo College Office of the President, brings news of the College and its community to alumni, parents, and friends. 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, California 94027-4301 Tel: 650-543-3901, dblake@menlo.edu, www.menlo.edu

Emeriti Trustees John Henry Felix ‘49 Julie Filizetti Charles “Chop” J. Keenan III ’66 MENLO COLLEGE

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Right, President Richard A. Moran chatted with young Menlo guests while he and Dean of Student Affairs Lisa S. Webb and Provost Terri Givens, center, prepared to give their opening welcome speeches at Orientation 2016.

2016 Orientation

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t Orientation 2016, President Richard A. Moran gave students four things to remember as they start their college experience at Menlo:

1. Go to class 2. Get to know your professors 3. Get out and do something (known as extracurricular activity in academic language) 4. Make friends To help students get into the mood, Moran suggested choosing a “walk-up” song (his mother’s advice) to keep in mind–one they can hum to themselves as they make their entrance on campus.

He explained that a walk-up song is a confidence-building song that says you’re going to be someone.

As the parent of four children, his suggestion for parents who were already missing their students was to apply the painful words so hard to face, “Let go.”

In humorous fashion, Moran relayed how he let go of each of his four children as they began their first day of college. He recalled how he and his wife sobbed while dropping off the first child.

They shed some tears for the second child. They checked their watches with the third child. And the fourth? They waved and watched him board an airplane, shouting “so long; good luck!”

On a serious note, he added that the Menlo College community is committed to help students achieve a positive outcome. The goal for students, he concluded, is to be able to say, as many other alumni do, “Menlo College changed my life.”

Students were encouraged to post selfie emails at the event to let the world know their whereabouts.

PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE

Off to a Great Start The student orientation program at Menlo College included a new ambitious six-week program geared to maximize student engagement, and ultimately to promote student success.

The new program reflects national research that consistently points to the first six weeks of college as being the most critical to the success and retention of new students. Dean of Student Affairs Lisa S. Webb developed Menlo’s six-week program. She said, “We are very excited that so many members of the Menlo community are participating in the program.”

Choose a walk-up song—a confidence-building song that says you’re going to be someone.

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FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Welcome New Members of the Board

Charles J. (“Chop”) Keenan III ‘66 Founder, Keenan Land Company

Laurie Shaw

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hop Keenan III ‘66 is retiring from the Menlo College Board of Trustees after serving as a member and chair since 2007. He has been a staunch supporter of many charitable causes in the greater San Francisco Bay community. He has been especially generous to Menlo College, contributing to the general fund and refurbishing campus buildings, including Brawner Hall.

Director of Marketing, Finance and Operations, Citrix

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aurie Shaw is a 20+ year veteran of finance and accounting. After receiving her MBA from Cornell, she joined Hewlett Packard and worked there for 14 years, supporting R&D, supply chain, manufacturing, marketing, sales and support. She then joined Brocade to help guide their sales and marketing teams in changing business practices to succeed in the world of channel distribution for networking. At Citrix, she has a broad focus as director of marketing, finance, and operations. She is a two-time All American in track and cross country, and she enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, running and traveling the world. She earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Management Science) at UC Berkeley.

Heartfelt Thanks for Years of Service

Tyler Edelstein Tuttle Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Ocean Endowment Partners

The road ahead — and our destiny­— is in your hands.

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yler Edelstein Tuttle is Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Ocean Endowment Partners, a firm that provides non-profit endowments, foundations and others access to the investment strategies, processes and managers employed by the largest and most successful university endowments.

She was previously a Managing Director at Stanford Management Company. Ms. Edelstein Tuttle holds a B.A. from Williams College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.

We have been impacted by Chop’s vision for Menlo College, which he described in the Menlo Advantage, as “a stimulating place for scholars of the modern idea set—Silicon Valley thinking,” and “that place where young scholars will grasp the borderless nature of today’s business.”

We’ve been touched by his boundless optimism, his enthusiasm, and his unfailing certainty that Menlo College will achieve prominence in the world of academia.

As Chop departs, he leaves directives described in the Menlo Advantage two years into his service on the board: “Menlo College needs our alumni and friends to invest in its future...in short, the road ahead—and our destiny— is in your hands.”

Chop’s steadfast belief in Menlo College will inspire generations of Oaks to come.

We extend him a heartfelt thank you.

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CONVOCATION ’16

PHOTO: ANDREY POLIAKOV 4 W I N T E R 2 017

President Richard Moran and Trustee Tom Byers Discuss

The Thing About Work

Coming soon...

Prepare yourself for festivities!

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MENLO COLLEG ANNIVERSARY E

resident Richard Moran and Trustee Tom Byers met at Kepler’s Books in downtown Menlo Park recently for a discussion on Moran’s newly published book, The Thing About Work – Showing Up and Other Important Matters. Trustee Byers is a Professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University.

President Moran’s premise is, like it or loath it, we’re addicted to work. Work often defines us and fulfills us. Yet, today’s changing workplace is stressful and sometimes confusing. In The Thing About Work, Moran looks at what is happening at work and how to thrive in the new professional world.

In his short essays based on observations in the workplace, Moran finds the “white space” in the company manual – those issues that you encounter every day at work but which are not covered in employee training.

In the Kepler’s conversation, Byers marveled at Moran’s prolific “accumulation of experiences,” and forewarned the audience to expect emotions to surface as they read the hundreds of essays in the book. “You may identify with some essays and strongly resist other ones,” said Professor Byers, as he recalled his response to reading the book.

In discussing adapting to change, Moran referred to Menlo College as an institution that has been able to embrace change. He cited significant recent changes such as the introduction of an internship program, new faculty and a soaring enrollment. He now calls it the “college where your children want to go.”

Byers thanked the members of the audience, who included several staff and faculty members, for making the community a better place.

President Moran concluded the conversation with advice that work is not a bad thing. If you don’t like your job, change it. If you want to stay at your job, remember that showing up does matter!

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PHOTO: ANDREY POLIAKOV Bruce Paton, Dean of Business and Academic Affairs; Lakiba Pittman, Adjunct Professor; Terri E. Givens, Provost and Professor of Political Science; Melissa R. Michelson, Professor of Political Science, and Thomas G. Plante, writer and professor.

Taking Action on Hate

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message from President Obama resonated with Menlo College Provost Terri Givens when she heard him say in a White House Address, “It’s been a difficult several weeks here in the United States, but the divide that exists is not between races, ethnicity, and religion. It is between people who recognize the common humanity of all people and are willing to build institutions to promote that common humanity, and those who do not.”

Inspired by Obama’s opinion, Provost Givens organized Menlo Dialogue: A Common Humanity, a moderated discussion at Menlo College, with several experts who provided background and different perspectives on social issues. Provost Givens said, “We feel it is important that educational institutions like Menlo College reach out to our communities and find ways to work through these difficult issues with an open dialogue.”

Menlo College President Richard Moran referred to “The List,” a term higher education administrators use to describe the many issues that face us today, including race relations, immigration, law enforcement, sexual assault, international separatism, women’s rights, gender discrimination, election concerns, and more. He observed that each issue deserves to be included in the discussion.

A first inclination toward remedy might have been to draw boundaries around each trouble, and to postpone discussing some of them for another time. But drawing boundaries is exactly what we should not do, argued Thomas G. Plante, internationally acclaimed writer and Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. “As we increase fear, people tend to polarize into tribes of us versus them.” He used the acronym RRICC, standing for respect, responsibility, integrity, 6 W I N T E R 2 017

competence, and compassion, explaining that “respect and compassion, above all, can help in problem solving.”

Melissa R. Michelson, Professor of Political Science at Menlo College, spoke about the power of using shared identities as members of in-groups to change attitudes. She has a forthcoming coauthored book, with Brian F. Harrison, entitled Listen, We Need to Talk: How to Change Attitudes about LGBT Rights. The book explores how to have persuasive conversations with people about contentious issues such as marriage equality, transgender rights, and equal rights for members of the LGBT community. Drawing on that research, Michelson said, “If you have a connection with someone, you can have a conversation. We’ve all been told that we shouldn’t talk in polite company about religion or politics, but if we don’t talk about these issues, then nothing’s going to change. We have to be willing to be uncomfortable. We have to be willing to talk.”

Terri E. Givens, Provost and Professor of Political Science at Menlo College, is an expert on global migration, immigration politics, anti-discrimination policy, and populist radical right parties.

Givens said, “My research on populism showed me that politicians have done a bad job of allowing people to fall through the cracks.

The visceral protest we’re seeing today is reaction to a sense of loss. This reaction was once predominantly seen in the suffering of people of color, but now with Brexit, and the cost of living, it affects white people too.”

Lakiba Pittman, Adjunct Professor at Menlo College and Director for the Office of Diversity at Notre Dame de Namur University, began by noting that it’s important to acknowledge that some of the current problems we are having tie directly to a history; that there are roots that must be examined in order to have a viable

We must open our eyes with a friendly heart. and relevant strategy to deal with and solve the issues of the day.

She researches the efficacy of mindfulness and compassion cultivation training in mitigating trauma, bias, racism and other ‘isms.’

She said, “We have to be mindful of when we’re starting to judge or form bias. A level of compassion can be cultivated.” Her acronym is HERO: honesty, empathy, respect, and open-mindedness.

Bruce Paton, Dean of Business and Academic Affairs at Menlo College, teaches courses on business in society, sustainable business, and business and poverty. His research and work in the community focus on processes for collaboration across differences in skills, perspectives, and values to address social and environmental issues. He noted that Menlo College is stepping up to the plate in recognition of common humanity. “In the past, business schools have been spectators, not part of the discussion. We need to do what we can to make it us and not them and us.” He described how business can play a role in collectively refusing to allow trade in places that restrict human rights.

The audience at Common Humanity was a varied blend of educators, students, parents, and community members. The questions and comments were numerous and insightful. One person lamented that we’re now a culture that requires an acronym to remind us to be respectful and compassionate. Another person suggested that building events with local police could help develop positive attitudes. An African American parent worried about how her children would be treated in her own neighborhood, and a white grandfather worried about the future for his black son-in-law and granddaughter. The audience shared quotes from Dr. Howard Thurman, an influential African American author, educator, and civil rights leader, and James Baldwin, African American essayist, playwright, poet and social critic.

Menlo Park Police Chief Robert Jonsen described the volunteer work his force is doing now with the Boys & Girls Club to acquaint

Professor Lakiba Pittman

both groups on a personal level. He acknowledged that there is “a lot of room for improvement” and that “if law enforcement doesn’t understand the rule of law, that’s when things go bad.” He described the complexities of the law, which is ever-changing, and the tremendous investment of time that goes into keeping policemen up to date on training. He also emphasized the importance of mutual respect.

The evening discussion ended with a moment of introspection led

by Professor Pittman. Professor Pittman said, “Think about what you think and feel and make a commitment to use what you’ve received and learned. Keep this in your soul/spirit. Each of the deaths from recent crimes was a wound on our collective soul and spirit. Every life that dies matters. We must open our eyes with a friendly heart.”

A wall was covered with post-it notes collected by the group with ideas for next steps and further discussion. The crowd departed with a feeling of possibility, uplifted by a quote by Dr. Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

In an opinion piece published in the San Francisco Chronicle shortly after the community forum, Provost Givens and Professor Michelson observed that “we must work with our students, colleagues, and community to find common ground in our pursuit of knowledge and understanding. The first step is acknowledging that these issues exist, and not to sweep them under the rug as just a part of our American history.”

They described their motivation as “looking for ways to take action after the targeted deaths of police officers in our country. As educators and mothers, we have tended to approach these issues around race, guns, and policing as history. But racism and hate aren’t just our past, they are our present.”

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Menlo College Ranks High in Diversity Study

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n a 2016 report on student diversity issued by U.S. News & World Report, Menlo College, a small, private, nonprofit Silicon Valley college, ranked second out of 31 in regional colleges in the West, and fourth in the country. Menlo has embraced diversity throughout its 89-year history, and it is steadfast about preserving this ideal.

In addition to the recognition garnered for its ability to attract a diverse student body, Menlo has been recognized as being among the “Best Colleges in the West” by

community. Nearly a quarter of the faculty are from countries other than the U.S. Among the many cultures represented on campus, Hawaiian students feature prominently. Throughout the past seven decades, a steady stream of Hawaiian students have joined our community, and many Hawaiian families are proud Menlo alumni. Just under 15% of last year’s entering class came to Menlo from one of the Hawaiian Islands.

The Spirit of Ohana at Menlo is vibrant with the Hawaii Club, which brings a slice

The Black Student Union also helped to produce Menlo Dialogue: A Common Humanity, a moderated discussion at Menlo College in the summer of 2016 [page 6].

The Diversity Task Force at Menlo includes students, staff, and faculty, and promotes a transparent and comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of the campus.

The group identifies a variety of ways in which diversity, inclusion, and equity at Menlo College can be enhanced. They encourage individuals to practice cultural humility—to develop an attitude of

Students from Menlo College Student Government, student orientation leaders and Resident Assistants

The Princeton Review eight years running, and as a U.S. News “Best Regional College” for five years.

Student ethnicity includes 30% white, 23% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 7% Black/African American. Fifty-two percent of students are of color. From the 1970s, when Saudi princes were counted among the student body (some are still present today), the diverse community has grown to include international students from more than 30 countries, comprising 17% of the Menlo

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of Hawaii to the campus. The club hosts a dazzling array of activities, including an annual luau every spring, in which most of the Hawaii students participate. The food is authentic, and the event attracts over 750 families, friends, and alumni from Hawaii, the West Coast, and beyond.

The Black Student Union serves as a social, intellectual, and cultural community for Black students and other represented ethnicities through awareness, education, entertainment, and action. Apollo Night, a beloved night of comedy, music, and dancing, is an annual feature event that draws a packed house of fans.

PHOTO: ANDREY POLIAKOV

listening, and to be vocal about potential shortcomings in their knowledge about cultural issues.

The Menlo network reaches across the globe. More than 35 on-campus clubs and organizations reflect the diverse passions of Menlo students. Menlo alumni live and work in more than 88 countries around the world, forming an international network of support and advice. “Being part of the Menlo family has opened doors with other alumni in business and otherwise,” said Ben Efraim ’80. “The Menlo bond goes very deep.”

Mathematician Michael Laufer Shoots to Fame with EpiPencil

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orking on his Ph.D. in mathematics and physics at City University of New York, Michael Laufer would not have known that one day he would shoot to fame for inventing a device to inexpensively self-inject epinephrine.

Before joining Menlo College as a lecturer in mathematics, Laufer had spent time as part of a human rights envoy in El Salvador. He described how he was in a tiny medical clinic in a shanty town with other human rights volunteers. “This country has most of their water contaminated, huge gang problems and drug problems,” he explained. “When I asked the nurse what she needed, she said, ‘We have run out of birth control.’ This is a country where there are methamphetamine and ecstasy labs; the active ingredients in birth control aren’t much more complicated than those. Why weren’t people making their own medicines?”

“People without science backgrounds need a technological stepping stone to get them over their fear of science,” he continued.

“Automated chemical reactors are out there, but they are very expensive, and full of proprietary technology.

So we designed an opensource version, easily built from off-the-shelf parts.”

To accomplish this, he formed a collective named after a recipe for avoiding bubonic plague infection from medieval times.

The Four Thieves Vinegar Collective has a make-yourown-medicine website that shows people how to inexpensively make pharmaceuticals (fourthievesvinegar. org). In the midst of preparing to debut the device at a conference in New York, a job and a new request presented themselves.

He accepted a position at Menlo College where he teaches math. He loves working with the students. “Many students think they can’t learn math. The truth is, most of them have just never been shown the beauty of what math really is.”

The pharmaceutical company Mylan recently made headlines for increasing the price of an EpiPen two-pack beyond $600.

The EpiPen provides a sudden dose of epinephrine, injected either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. It can save the life of someone with food allergies who is going into anaphylactic shock.

EpiPen’s high cost didn’t add up for Laufer.

He kept getting questions about alternatives to the EpiPen device, which inspired him to action.

He decided to give people “the requisite information to empower themselves to manage their own health.” In his spare time, he built an alternative, combining an off-the-shelf automatic injector designed

for diabetics. The injector can include a syringe loaded with the correct dose of epinephrine, the life-saving hormone, in a product he named EpiPencil – at a cost of only $35.

His invention requires the user to measure the correct dose before administering it.

“DIY devices like the EpiPencil don’t fall under the purview of the FDA. As long as the user has a prescription for epinephrine, it’s legal to use the EpiPencil to administer it,” he said.

Press about Laufer’s invention has been overwhelming. Between math classes, he’s fielding calls from CNN, Technology Review, National Geographic, VICE and other major news outlets. He knows he and his idea are edgy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “We need to talk about alternatives to expensive medication regimens.

Building an inexpensive drug delivery device doesn’t have to be more complicated than assembling IKEA furniture.”

PHOTOS: ANDREY POLIAKOV

MENLO COLLEGE

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tudents in Professor Deborah Brown McCabe’s Integrated Marketing Communications class had an opportunity to learn about brand strategy from one of the top design experts in the nation’s leading design capital. David Wisnom III, founder and principal of SightCast Inc., a branding strategy and marketing communications firm, spoke to Menlo College students about the essence of brand strategy.

David Wisnom III on Being Relevant

Wisnom’s background in branding development covers a spectrum of brands, such as Varian Medical Systems, Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Mechanics Bank, Wagner SprayTech, Intuit, McDonald’s, Gatorade, and Coca-Cola.

In the course of his 25-year career, David has worked closely with, among others, industry icons Walter Landor and Primo Angeli, who mentored his professional development.

Don’t build for today, build for the future. Be relevant first. Then be different.

Wisnom began his presentation with a quote from a global leader in brand consulting and design, Walter Landor.

“Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.”

BRANDING

Wisnom pointed out that, “A brand is a promise.” He analyzed what that meant in a series of graphs, using marketing terms such as value proposition, vision, mission, positioning statement, brand essence, core brand truths, ranked value, and audience core desires. He categorized terms under verbal brand, visual brand, and experiential brand. He asked the students, “Can you distill your brand down to one word?” To illustrate his point, he gave examples such as Disney = magic, and Apple = simplicity.

David referred to his work at Huntington Hospital, The Mechanics Bank, and Varian to illustrate their messaging’s evolution from a scattered, inconsistent appearance to an aesthetically pleasing, unified, clear branding strategy. He included the importance of research, focus groups, and reaching out to others to ensure that the idea creates communal value by aligning brand strategy to support business strategy.

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Students had many questions about how long the branding process takes (it varies) and what if the CEO doesn’t like the proposed branding (it sometimes happens). Wisnom’s presentation was a compelling first-hand account of the architecture of messaging and what can be found in the details of text, visuals, and user experience.

Wisnom emphasized that when you plan for brand strategy, make sure you have brand elasticity. “Don’t build for today, build for the future. Be relevant first. Then be different.”

Chris Neider Shares His Passion for Robotics with Students

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hris Neider is all about high-tech delivery. Freshmen in Professor Deborah Brown McCabe’s Management 101 class had an opportunity to learn from his experience as an entrepreneur and cuttingedge delivery provider.

After acquiring experience in search engine optimization and keyword ranking, Neider founded menuMe, a business with a mission to make menus smart and accessible for everyone, everywhere. He launched his menuMe app to show customers the food they love, review the restaurants that provide it, and offer directions on getting it delivered. When that space became highly competitive, he had to evolve the idea; first into Sterling, a company whose drivers delivered menuMe’s listed foods to hotel guests, and then into Sendbot, a hotel ordering and delivery platform powered by robots.

Neider started working in robotics in 2016 when he met up with Savioke, a company that built an amazing robot called “Relay.” He saw a huge opportunity to incorporate the robot into his hotel delivery – and Sendbot was born. The Park Central in San Francisco and the Oakland Marriott are hotels that will be testing out his new service this fall. Neider’s big vision is a “robot revolution” that will make delivery fast, easy, and economical. He said, “I’m passionate about this form of delivery, and think it will change delivery as we know it.”

He offered five points for students at Menlo College.

1. You’re in Silicon Valley, the most fertile soil for building a business. Take advantage of this location to learn as much as you can.

2. Find your passion. Ideas will arise. Write them down when they do. You’ll come across things that resonate.

3. Develop a team from your network. Pick people who are as passionate about their skill area as you are about yours.

4. Develop your skills while you’re in school. Don’t wait until you graduate to learn the foundational skills. Do it now.

5. Enjoy the ride!

Neider inspired the students to ask many questions about how they too could become entrepreneurs. One of their queries was “when do you know if you can launch a business?” Neider explained that “plenty of ideas die. Evolve or die is a personal decision that every entrepreneur must Continued on page 27

PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE

PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE

Below, Chris Neider explained how Relay works with Matthew Ganibi ‘17.

Neider’s advice on bringing a product to market is “innovate or die.” He told students to keep thinking about how to improve and advance ideas, and added “you will not bring your passions to fruition unless you have a great team around you.”

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How I Became a

POLITICAL PUNDIT

By Melissa R. Michelson Ph.D., Political Science Professor

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How did this happen?

In 1995, a year into my professional career, I turned away from my graduate school focus on presidential power and began to research and write about Latino politics. This was inspired by California debates about undocumented immigration, and the vote on Proposition 187, as well as by federallevel attention to Latino politics during the 1995-96 session of Congress. When a Mexican-American television reporter ran as a Republican in the Central Valley’s 20th Congressional district in 2000, against the incumbent white Democrat, my students and I conducted survey experiments to explore predictors of Latino vote choice. In other words, would they vote for their coethnic (the Mexican-American), or for the nominee of their party (the white Democrat). The race was hotly contested, and the media came calling, asking for my expert opinion. Post-election controversy over

the winner of the presidential election, culminating in a decision from the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore, led to additional media inquiries.

In 2001, I conducted the first randomized experiment of how to increase Latino turnout. Many others have done studies that were not randomized experiments. My trusty beagle Bailey and I spent nights and weekends pounding the pavement in Dos Palos, California, a small majority-Latino farming community in the San Joaquin Valley, in advance of that year’s school board election. That effort was successful, and also great fun. And while it provided insight into how to increase Latino turnout, it left many questions unanswered. I conducted several additional “get out the vote” research efforts in a variety of cities in subsequent years hoping to answer those questions.

By 2005, I was a well-known academic in the field of Latino political behavior, including voting, and I was awarded a contract from the James Irvine Foundation to be the lead investigator of their multi-year exploration of how to increase

PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE

ot all academics enjoy talking to the media. I know many colleagues who refuse to respond to media inquiries, either because they feel uncomfortable doing so or because they think it is not worthy of their time. They are, after all, academics, and their job is to teach and to write books and articles. In contrast, I love talking to the media, and have always done my best to be responsive and helpful to reporters. Prior to deciding to pursue a career in academia, I planned on one in journalism. I worked for my junior high, high school, and college newspapers, and completed a summer internship with my hometown paper, the Alameda Times Star. Although I’ve decided that academia is a better fit, I have always had a soft spot for journalism. My impression is that willingness to comment and to provide on-camera analysis has won me a number of friends in the media business, which encourages them to call me for stories and to share my contact information with other reporters. This election year, in particular,

those calls have been quite frequent, allowing me to have a voice in publications as varied as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, and The Fresno Bee.

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In the

2016 ELECTION I n the days and weeks before Election Day, political pundits across the board, with very rare exceptions, were predicting that Hillary Clinton would be the 45th President of the United States.

Instead, Donald J. Trump easily won the Electoral College vote. What happened?

Across the upper Midwest, particularly in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin counties wherewhite voters are more than 85 percent of the population, white voters shifted to the Republican Party.

Latino turnout in heavily Latino precincts was heavier than in 2012, and strongly for the Democratic candidate. Black turnout dipped slightly, but no more than expected given the lack of a Black candidate on the ticket. These changes were expected, and did not swing the election. The credit instead belongs to the white voters in the upper Midwest.

In 2012, Obama won Michigan by 9.5 percentage-points (54.2 percent vs. Mitt Romney’s 44.7%).

In 2016, Trump eked out a narrow victory in the state, 47.6% to Clinton’s 47.3%, a difference of just 12,000 votes. In Wisconsin, by a difference of 27,000 votes, Trump won by one percentage point, 47.9% to Clinton’s 46.9%. Obama won here in 2012 by 6.9 percentage points. In Pennsylvania, Trump’s victory was slightly larger — 1.2 percentage-points — but Obama won here in 2012 by 5.4 percent.

Books will be written about the 2016 election, but it is already clear which voters made the difference. Why they made those vote choices is not yet fully understood.

Continued from page 12 voter turnout in low-propensity communities in California, with a focus on youth, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans, called the California Votes Initiative. In 2012, my co-authored book with Lisa Garcia Bedolla on that project, Mobilizing Inclusion, described findings from 268 get-out-the-vote experiments in those communities. In 2013, Mobilizing Inclusion received two book awards, adding to its visibility and readership among not just academics but also practitioners in the political

arena. As my stature as an expert on Latino voting behavior grew in the academic community, it also increased in the general public, and every election cycle has brought a new flood of media requests.

My ongoing willingness to engage with the media is not just based on my younger self’s love of journalism. It forces me to stay engaged even when I might prefer to turn away, and it enhances my teaching.

Because I know a reporter may call just as a presidential debate ends to ask my opinion, I have to watch. Because I did live commentary on election night this year, I had to make sure to stay up-to-date on all of the local races and propositions; I never knew what

a reporter would ask. The knowledge I gathered in order to be ready to respond to reporters was then available to me in the classroom.

A few years ago, a student told me the story of how he was getting tired of studying for my exam and decided to watch television. But when he turned on his set, who did he see? Me, speaking about politics. After yelling for his housemate to come see, he decided it was a sign that he should get back to work. This was another way in which my engagement with the media enhances my teaching: students often assume that if I am quoted in the newspaper or on television, I must know what I’m talking about. The three degrees from Yale University possibly don’t

Election Bytes Political Science Professor Melissa R. Michelson holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University. Her research includes studies of voter turnout among youth and people of color, the political socialization of Latino immigrants, and LGBT rights.

impress them (or they are not aware of them), but they know that it means something when The New York Times comes calling.

Opposite page, left to right: Professor Melissa R. Michelson,Jeremiah Testa, Ashlee Hunt, Retesh Gupta, Alex Thornton, Maleyah Zataray, crouching in front, Natalie Washington. Left, Denzell Perry with Professor Michelson.

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Professor of Management Leslie E.

Lon Allan Says No Thanks to Mayoral Campaign Funding

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ollowing a 35-year career as a corporate lawyer in Silicon Valley, Mr. Allan now works as an independent director/advisor for a variety of commercial and non-profit entities.

In addition to his board service, Mr. Allan lectures on topics related to business ethics and corporate governance at institutions including the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley, Stanford Law School, and SCU Law School. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and B.A. from the University of Michigan and served as Law Clerk to Chief Judge Robert F. Peckham of the United States District Court in San Francisco. Speaking as the mayor of Monte Sereno, CA, he discussed why he doesn’t take campaign funds in running for office: “It’s impossible to know at what point that becomes a bribe!”

Johnnie Johnson to Support Moving Families Initiative

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ohnnie Johnson of World Class Coaches, below, shared his passion for community service with Menlo students, announcing his Berkshire Hathaway alliance to support the “Moving Families Initiative.”

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THE FOCUS IS ON Ethics Students Take Center Stage with a Stakeholder Case Competition

By Leslie E. Sekerka Ph.D., Marianne Neuwirth Ph.D., Anne Linvill, and Lisa Villarreal

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enlo Business Ethics students took center stage in October, presenting different positions from the classic Nike case study. Professor Sekerka guided students to assume positions from the vantage points of Phil Knight (Nike’s CEO), consumers, and Jeff Ballinger (a social activist bringing attention to egregious overseas practices).

Having witnessed recent events with Wells Fargo Bank, Mylan’s EpiPen, and VW scandals, students were primed to consider a broader view of capitalism: social responsibility en route to making profits. Engaging in a triple perspective case competition allowed them to explore a diverse set of concerns that helped make competing values explicit.

Students highlighted key issues in value chain ethics, such as ethical labor practices and the role of government regulation.

Regardless of their role, they recognized that public perceptions impact business decisions. Much of the discussion focused on how a lack of responsibility can tarnish a brand’s reputation, reducing profitability.

By identifying, reflecting upon, and debating key stakeholder issues, the activity enabled students to hash out concepts and concerns that shape today’s business landscape. Perhaps most importantly, each student was encouraged to realize that their personal role as a consumer has the power to influence and create positive ethical change in industry.

Professor Sekerka began developing the idea for the case competition over the summer, in collaboration with the Bowman Library and the Oral Communication Program. At the start of the fall term, students began preparations with a special session with librarian Anne Linvill.

They were assigned a mini-case and asked to explicate the firm from the stakeholder perspective. In small groups, students explored resources and search strategies to analyze various stakeholder issues.

Later in the term they received oral presentation training from Dr. Marianne Neuwirth and Dr. Lisa Villarreal. Students practiced effective listening, discourse, rebuttals, and reasoning while actively engaged in argumentation. The organizing team worked together to structure the actual case competition, and then watched and judged the students’ presentations.

Students were actively engaged and everyone had a chance to participate.

This was an important and useful endeavor that was truly interdisciplinary. The activity shows how Menlo works to coordinate efforts across departmental services. Such synergistic activities give students the opportunity to stretch, learning how to apply ethics, while also marshalling critical thinking, oratory skills, and group collaboration.

Winners from each section were awarded praise from their peers and the organizing team, and an opportunity to post elements of their argument on Menlo’s website.

Sekerka’s Ethics in Action Speaker Series

BUSINESS ETHICS Cheryl House Helps Adobe Employees & Students Stay Ethical

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global view, a sensitivity for human resources, and a keen understanding of the nuances of ethics have been part of Cheryl House’s job at Adobe for nearly 19 years.

House was an anthropology major in college, which proved to be a great foundation for her in international business. Studying different cultures taught her about social dynamics and the relativity of different approaches for understanding what is “right.”

While taking a class about cultures that studied the legal systems of China, Botswana, and the U.S., she decided she wanted to continue with her education and get a law degree.

After graduating from Hastings Law School, House spent a year as a law clerk in the high court of American Samoa. After returning to California, she started out in a Palo Alto law firm, where she worked for five years as a corporate securities attorney on public offerings, and merger and acquisition deals.

About The Ethics in Action Speaker Series

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heryl House, Johnnie Johnson, Lon Allan, and other speakers recently visited Menlo College, sponsored by the Business Ethics Club, with support from the Student Government Association, and the Ethics in Action Research & Education Center. Each of their presentations were a part of the Business Ethics in Action Speaker Series, a program that welcomes professional experts to share their experiences and insight around ethics and corporate social responsibility with business students, encouraging them to do well and do good.

The Ethics in Action Speaker Series remains viable, given the sustained support from the James Hervey Johnson Charitable Educational Trust and private donations to the Ethics in Action Research & Education Center.

Thank you!

Professor Sekerka’s Scholarship She realized she preferred to focus on understanding individual companies rather than on a variety of companies at a law firm, and soon she found a position that allowed her to move in that direction at Adobe, a software company.

House spent 14 years as the lead employment attorney for Adobe, doing a blend of corporate securities and HR. Her duties soon expanded to anti-piracy enforcement, then privacy efforts and executive compensation. In 2012, Adobe, a company with a high ethical reputation, took on seven acquisitions. After the huge volume of working out the kinks of the new employee changes, House decided to move her focus to compliance.

Since 2013, she has been Chief Compliance Officer at Adobe.

In compliance, she examines potential ethical issues regarding bribery, compensation, conflict of interest, and fraudulent purchase orders, asking “Is it right or is it legal?” She also offers training for commissioned sales employees, who are particularly vulnerable to conflicts of interest, and the antitrust issues that go along with that. A recent example of a sales-related concern is the Wells Fargo incident, in which 5,300 people were fired after creating accounts to meet sales targets without customer permission.

House is guided by company core values, the first of which is being “genuine,” meaning acting with respect and integrity, and following Adobe’s code of conduct training.

“Taking action makes the difference,” she said. “People become disheartened if they report problems and nothing happens.”

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rofessor Leslie E. Sekerka’s scholarship offers practical insights in the realm of business ethics, addressing the challenge of how to stay ethical while striving to achieve performance goals. Her latest research examines what bolsters an employee’s ability to sustain moral strength, when others simply look the other way. Given the ongoing parade of corporate scandals—such as those at Wells Fargo Bank and VW—students need to learn how to stick to the morals they say they hold.

Top left, Professor of Management Leslie E. Sekerka and Cheryl House

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PHOTO: DARCY BLAKE The Menlo College Mental Health Services Clinic includes Dr. Jake Kelman, center, with psychology student therapists Elise Yoshida, left, and Sandra Mikhail

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The Menlo College Mental Health Services Clinic Is Open

irector of Menlo College Mental Health Services Jake Kelman, Psy.D. and his team of doctoral students in clinical psychology, Sandra Mikhail and Elise Yoshida, provide individual psychotherapy and counseling services and mental health and wellness campus outreach programming for Menlo College students.

The Menlo College Mental Health Services Clinic is available for appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Their offices are located in Student Affairs Office in the Administration Building.

Therapy Can Help With a Wide Range of Problems Dr. Kelman said, “I am excited to be part of a vibrant, diverse, and growing community at Menlo College. I am passionate about what I do, and look forward to working with students to help with a range of mental health and personal development goals that they may have.”

Students might present with depression, anxiety (social, general, panic, schoolrelated, other), interpersonal or relationship problems, stress management, anger management, grief and loss issues, adjustment concerns, family of origin issues, trauma history, sexual issues, 16 W I N T E R 2 017

identity concerns, substance problems, behavioral issues, body image concerns, and sleep problems, among others.

Dr. Kelman holds a doctorate in clinical psychology. He trained and worked in a variety of settings, including Stanford University, Vanderbilt University, the Veteran’s Hospital, in schools, and at a community mental health clinic. The interns attend the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium, from which they both currently hold a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology.

Dr. Kelman encourages Menlo College students to visit the Clinic whenever they feel ready. “If it’s something new that just came up, or something longstanding that you’ve been dealing with for a long time, we are happy to help.”

What Happens in an Appointment Appointments last 50 minutes. First sessions include a series of questions to get to know a student and the concerns that bring them in. Future sessions may be more or less “structured,” depending on the student’s needs. Dr. Kelman’s team works collaboratively with students to identify their goals for therapy and evaluate their progress towards those goals. Sessions may include introducing certain coping skills or techniques or may

be more discussion-based. Sometimes students may be asked to practice certain things they are working on in treatment in between sessions.

Students can schedule an appointment by calling 650-543-3798 or e-mailing jake.kelman@menlo.edu. Since e-mail is a non-confidential means of communication, it should be used for scheduling only.

A Good Time for a Clinic Visit Dr. Kelman notes that if students have difficulty participating in their life events in the ways they normally do (e.g., difficulty getting out of bed, going to class, or concentrating), it may be a good time for a clinic visit. Other signs may include: • Frequent tearfulness •H aving a persistently low or high mood for several days on end without apparent cause • F eeling nervous or on edge, with racing thoughts •D ifficulty coping with an external stressor, such as a relationship or change in life circumstance Dr. Kelman said, “We’re excited to have a great team of providers to serve Menlo College.”

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Connecting the Dots in Menlo’s Curriculum

By Pamela Gullard, Instructor, Humanities & Literature

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n his book Rethinking Undergraduate Business Education, Dr. Thomas Ehrlich writes that the traditional approach to business education does not prepare the student for the fast-changing economic environment of the 21st century. This spring, Dr. Ehrlich spoke to the Menlo College faculty about curriculum changes that can help students develop the critical thinking skills they will need as they enter that environment. Business adjunct professor Curtis Francis wrote an excellent summary of Ehrlich’s thoughts, examining the following ideas: In the traditional business model, Ehrlich says, colleges are compartmentalized so that students take courses in various specialties without fully understanding how to integrate those specialties.

This can leave the student with little context for making quick decisions in the heat of battle as real world business situations develop. Ehrlich shows that undergraduate education must adapt to the 21st century to help students assess complex, often murky, global environments and be able to identify key issues.

Instead of the traditional model, Ehrlich shows, among other things, that students develop better business acumen when they experience:

Finance

1. A mix of business classes, dedicated liberal arts and sciences classes, AND hybrid courses designed to require integrative thought; 2. Exposure to globalization, including not only economic facts, but also a deep understanding of the values and perspectives of other cultures; 3. An understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation, including practice identifying important issues in a new situation.

Francis points out that although Menlo College largely follows the traditional paradigm, Menlo faculty have identified three factors that have helped the College move toward the more integrative program recommended by Ehrlich: 1. Deep faculty involvement and caring 2. A diverse student body bringing many perspectives to the classroom 3. Location in Silicon Valley, the hotbed of innovation In this special issue, we will show ways that Menlo College is already using its advantage as a small, diverse college with a deeply involved faculty located in Silicon Valley to move toward a more integrative model of education. A comprehensive plan is in development, but in the meanwhile, we want to highlight some of the progressive innovations that faculty members are taking toward a more integrated program.

Accounting Psychology

Sports Management

Individualized Option

Entrepreneurship

Human Resources

MENLO

COLLEGE

Management

Marketing

International Management

Real Estate

M E N L O C O L L E G E 17

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Other Voices on Business Education

By Pamela Gullard, Instructor, Humanities & Literature

Critical Thinking

n about 500 B.C., the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Nothing endures but change.” He should have come to Silicon Valley, Menlo College’s backyard. Here, even Heraclitus would have trouble keeping up with the innovations in markets and business models, the high-flying successes, and the quick burnouts. The challenge for the College—and other colleges across the country—is how to prepare students for a world in which their skills may quickly become outdated.

One hallmark of the humanities is to ask big, uncomfortable questions. Asking fundamental questions often drives innovation.

Warren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question, writes in a July 2016 article that employers look for new hires who are curious as well as technically competent. He points out that business breakthroughs—including the genesis of start-ups such as Square and Airbnb—began when “some curious soul looked at a current problem and asked insightful questions about why the problem existed and how it might be tackled.”

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Dr. Thomas Ehrlich, author of Rethinking Undergraduate Education, says that colleges should integrate perspectives from both business and the humanities to give graduates the most powerful set of tools for confronting change. Other academics and business leaders echo this message, calling for education that helps students “immerse

Business students can learn skills for questioning the status quo and analyzing change in their humanities courses. The modern world demands such critical thinking. Menlo College students are well aware that they must “contend with rapid change and rising uncertainty,” as Berger says. But they may not fully realize how urgently employers are calling for employees who can find the core of a problem and tackle it. A 2015 study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) showed that nearly all employers (91 percent) agree that for career success, “a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than his or her undergraduate major.”

As a math teacher, people are often shocked when they learn that I require all of my The need for a broad education cuts both ways. Deans students’ assignments to be in essay form. This is Phillips and Hall write, “Just as a business student not an idle exercise to help hone the English language should study humanities, a liberal arts student should be exposed to Excel and accounting.” One skills of the student; rather, it is the other half of any task of task for the modern college, according to Phillips quantitative analysis: the communication of understanding. and Hall, is to create integrated degree programs One must first understand, but then that understanding must be that “wed technical perspectives and broader transferred to others. Understanding is of no value if you cannot context.”

Broad-mindedness share it. Computers can calculate very well, but they can never Menlo College students are lucky to live and study explain why an idea works the way it does. This is what our in a diverse environment. Minority students make students can do that machines cannot. We honor the up over 50 percent of the student body and almost 17 percent come from other countries. Menlo students humanity of the students when we ask them are accustomed to participating in discussions with what they are thinking. people who have different perspectives. Such experience Michael Laufer, Ph.D., Mathematics themselves in disciplines that challenge the silos of their declared majors,” as Georgette Chapman Phillips and Donald E. Hall write in a Washington Post article.

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is prized by employers. The AAC&U study shows that 96% of employers agree that “all college students should have experiences that teach them how to solve problems with people whose views are different from their own.”

Faculty as well as students should exhibit such broad-mindedness.

Charles Iacovou, Dean of the School of Business at Wake Forest University, warns against isolating one group’s opinion, saying,

CONNECTING THE DOTS

“We have become so myopic in solving business problems that we don’t think about those problems from the perspective of other disciplines.” He and others joined together at a recent panel of educators during the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss how business majors can receive a “more robust education.” He and other panelists remarked on the trend for schools to shake up their curricula to ensure that business students benefit from multi-layered perspectives.

Like most if not all humanities courses, my English classes focus on asking open-ended questions that lack simple answers.

Businesses are looking for students with real world experience confronting different perspectives. According to the AAC&U study, a whopping 87 percent of employers are “somewhat or much more likely to consider a graduate as a job candidate if she or he has completed a senior project.” Menlo College students agree that their internships fulfill a need for real world, cross-discipline experience. See page 22 for their perspectives.

Lisa Mendelman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of English

The Complete Student Many researchers advocating a more integrated curriculum emphasize the long view in education. Graduates need jobs, but they also need the skills to lead a fulfilling life. As Dean Iacovou explains, “We as educational institutions have two jobs: to prepare [students] to enter the profession but also to prepare them as human beings and as citizens.” At Menlo College, we are creating an environment for students to gain an education but also to know themselves well enough to find joy in whatever they do.

Sources: Appelbaum, Yoni. “Why America’s Business Majors Are in Desperate Need of a Liberal-Arts Education.”

The Atlantic, 28 June 2016.

Association of American Colleges and Universities. “Falling Short?

College Learning and Career Success.” AAC&U Newsletter, 2015. https://www.aacu.org/leap/publicopinion-research/2015-survey-fallingshort Berger, Warren. “The Power of ‘Why?’ and ‘What If’.” New York Times, 3 July 2016.

Our English instructors work hard to foster a love for literature, a keen eye for good writing wherever it may appear, and the ability to speak about such things with analytical precision and critical savvy.

Jodie Austin, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of English

Phillips, Georgette Chapman and Donald E. Hall. “Liberal Arts or Business Education? Both, Deans Say.” Washington Post, 21 July 2016.

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CONNECTING THE DOTS

A Productive Collaboration Between

MARKETING & POLITICS The business of vote winning is essentially a marketing problem.

David Reid, author, Marketing the Political Product

By Deborah Brown McCabe Ph.D., and Melissa R. Michelson Ph.D.

a Local Housing Referendum,” is forthcoming at the same journal.

n August of 2010, transitioning from decades of teaching at other institutions, Dr. McCabe and Dr. Michelson joined the Menlo College faculty. Their collaboration began almost immediately.

We are delighted that our friendship has generated these contributions to the literature. We are even more delighted with our proposal earlier this fall to the Curriculum Committee of the Menlo College Academic Senate to add a course on Political Marketing for our students. The course is grounded in marketing principles and shows how those principles are actualized in the political arena. Observers of the current political cycle are surely aware that marketing plays a large role in elections – on each side, billions of dollars are spent to mobilize voter (consumer) behavior and to influence their vote choices. Sharing that insight with students can help them to apply their marketing knowledge in a real world context, thereby understanding politics better, and it opens up a variety of potential careers in political consulting.

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Over hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine at that fall’s opening of the Menlo faculty and staff art exhibit, we began talking about possible synergies between Michelson’s expertise in political science, specifically on methods of increasing voter turnout, and McCabe’s expertise in marketing, specifically on the cognitive and affective factors that influence consumer decision-making. That brief talk almost immediately led to a proposal to collaborate. As others have observed of the political arena, selling candidates is much like selling consumer products. Motivating voter behavior often resembles motivating consumer behavior. Why not combine our expertise into new scholarly explorations of how to use marketing theories to mobilize voters?

That conversation launched us into a productive, interdisciplinary collaboration, much of which has involved students at Menlo College, exposing them firsthand to academic research that affects the real world. Specifically, we have conducted a series of get-out-the-vote experiments that combine Cialdini’s theories (foot-inthe-door, door-in-the-face) as GOTV messages, embedding his ideas into scripts

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The proposed course will encourage Menlo students to stretch their understanding, to apply knowledge in new ways, and to think in an interdisciplinary, collaborative and integrative way. We look forward to used to reach out to local voters and encourproviding our students with a set of skills age their participation in local elections. that are more and more in demand in our Those collaborative experiments have fast-changing, entrepreneurial society. generated two scholarly papers. The first, entitled “Pushing Too Hard: Using Door-inSource: the-Face to Get Voters out the Door,” was Reid, David M. 1988. “Marketing the Political published in October 2015 in the Journal of Product.” European Journal of Marketing 22, 9: Political Marketing. A second paper, “Calling 34-47. all Neighbors: Mobilizing Turnout for

q

q

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Applying Ehrlich’s Model to Teaching Operations Management

By Curtis Francis, Lecturer, Business Management

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perations Management is a class at Menlo College designed to teach students several facets of running a manufacturing or service delivery operation, including forecasting, capacity analysis, inventory management, quality, decision-making under uncertainty, and lean production. It’s what the students refer to as “the really fun stuff.”

Ehrlich that both are most effectively taught when taught together. Case studies are an excellent vehicle for this.

I find five main benefits from weaving case studies into coursework: 1. The written analysis exercises their written communication skills 2. The students discover much of the solution themselves 3. It strengthens their critical thinking

As important as these tools are, the research done by Thomas Ehrlich and his colleagues shows that functional tools are seldom sufficient for job success. To better prepare my students for the world of business, I have for several years integrated two other factors into my teaching: effective communication and case studies.

4. T hey look at the problem from multiple perspectives (something Ehrlich is keen on), and

Spreadsheets That Really Communicate (and make you look smart)

6. Almost anything is better than more “death by PowerPoint.”

Many graduates will probably create more spreadsheets than Word documents early in their careers, yet no school really teaches how to communicate numbers effectively. Since we do a lot of Excel in my course, I have chosen to integrate the communications aspect with the calculations.

Just as a photographer or a painter directs his viewer’s eye where he wants it with the clever use of light, color and composition, so too, can you guide your audience with just a few formatting tricks in Excel.

Why bother? If the audience doesn’t get the message, and spends time picking through the data rather than the conclusions, all is wasted. The more time they spend looking at the data trying to understand them, the less time they are paying attention to you.

We have all been in those meetings. For added motivation, I also tell my students that they will not look particularly smart either.

Case Studies: The Cold Shower of Reality Ehrlich’s research also makes it clear that students must learn the soft skills that are as necessary for success as the “hard” skills we teach them in finance, marketing, and operations. I agree with

5. They are forced to deal not just with the theory being taught, but the reality of how they would implement it in practice There is also a sixth, very valuable reason:

Before I teach the chapter on quality, my class reads a case study about a newly hired Director of QA who comes into a company where the only goal seems to be to make the production numbers. His task is to fix the “quality attitude” which only the GM who hired him seems to care about. The students read the case study and do a written analysis before we discuss it in class.

As we discuss the case, they propose their own ideas about what factors contribute to the quality problem. My role is not to give the answer, but to ask questions that guide them through their own discovery. As they approach the problem from their own perspective, they gain an understanding of the multiple facets that are at work here. More importantly, they begin to appreciate how the roots of a business problem are often so deeply ingrained in the company’s culture and values, that making change will take much more than just telling people what should be done. They also begin to understand the importance of making short term fixes, gaining credibility and converts, while still heading towards the long term solution. Faced with such complexity, they soon learn the importance of making and communicating a plan for change, getting support for it, and executing it step by step.

Continued on page 24 M EN LO CO LLEG E 21

CONNECTING THE DOTS

The Menlo Internship Seminar: Breaking Down Silos

By Angela Schmiede Ph.D., Dean of Academic and Professional Success

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ummer 2016 marked Menlo College’s third successful year of required academic internships for all of its business majors. One of the unique aspects of the internship program is the concurrent internship seminar, in which students participate and earn academic credit. Why is an internship seminar important? As the noted educator and philosopher John Dewey stated, “We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience.” Menlo students from all majors interning in a range of industries learn together in small faculty-led seminar sections, which are intentionally interdisciplinary by nature.

We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience.

Menlo internship professor and former CFO Bob Mulvey discusses the importance of breaking down disciplinary and functional silos through the internship seminar: “Increasingly, innovation is driven by small cross-functional teams. Employees are expected to work together, across all departmental borders to identify new concepts and revenue streams. To be successful, you Robert Mulvey, Adjunct Professor, checked his must have an appreciation of class room number on the first day of class. the key issues from different viewpoints.” Fellow internship professor and strategy consultant, Curt Francis, elaborates: “The ability to look at an organization from multiple points of view, what we teach as reframing, helps students make sense of what is likely a confusing environment. It will serve them even better when they start managing their own organizations.” Professor Francis adds, “I wish I had the benefit of this in my first job as a naive young engineer.”

The internship seminar culminates with each intern presenting a recommendation regarding an organizational issue or opportunity they analyzed using the perspective of the four frames and the external environment.

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PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE

How is interdisciplinary and cross-functional thinking facilitated through the internship seminar? Interns from different majors working in different functional areas engage in weekly classroom discussions about their work and any challenges they are facing. Using Lee Bolman’s and Terry Deal’s concept of reframing organizations, students in the seminar analyze their organizations using four different lenses or frames: structural, human resource, political, and symbolic. The four frames draw on multiple disciplines, including economics, psychology, sociology, political science, and cultural anthropology.

Luyao Wang ‘17 interned at Tagove, a software service company. Her recommendation that the company expand is being considered in China.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Money, Business, & Culture

By Lowell Pratt, Lecturer, Literature and Humanities representing the conflict between avarice and salvation. Students will be invited to reflect on both the universal characteristics of greed as well as its particular meaning for different eras and cultures.

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created the integrative humanities class Money, Business, and Culture to examine the influence of money and business issues on culture. Students look closely at examples from literature, film, art, and photography to see how the arts reflect social values regarding money and business. It is a class I developed to support Menlo’s business focus as well as to reinforce the significance of the liberal arts for a management education.

The idea for the class came years ago when I read about a seminar entitled The Business World: Moral and Social Inquiry through Fiction that distinguished child psychologist Robert Coles taught at Harvard Business School in the 1980s. At that time Coles was asked by a Harvard Business School dean to teach a course like one of the humanities seminars Coles had been teaching at the Harvard Medical School using literature “to help other students think about life, about what they’ll be doing later on, and why, and to what effect.”

Money, Business, and Culture also aims to stimulate our students to consider questions of value about their lives and careers but uses a cross-disciplinary approach to do so. For instance, in examining a theme such as greed and miserliness, I will assign a novel by Balzac, a 19th century French author noted for his depiction of a money-obsessed society; the film Wall Street from 1980s “greed-isgood” era; and the 15th century Flemish painter H. Bosch’s Death and the Miser

Given the global nature of business, an important goal of Money, Business, and Culture is to promote a broader perspective on the diversity of world culture. To that end, students will read Ha Jin’s comic piece “When Cowboy Chicken Came to Town” about the introduction of an American style fast-food restaurant to rural China in the 1980s during the early years of free market economy or Petina Gappah’s story “In the Golden Triangle” depicting the anguish of a wealthy but unhappily married woman living in a gated community in Zimbabwe. Additionally, students will study works such as Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, each reflecting the multicultural nature of American society.

Like other liberal arts classes, Money, Business, and Culture develops writing, critical thinking, and oral communication skills so vital to success in business. As well as writing analytical essays, students are required to give a PowerPoint presentation on a work of art, film, or literature of their choosing. Topics have ranged from Theodore Dreiser’s novel The Financier, chosen by a finance major, to works of Andy Warhol, to current films like The Wolf of Wall Street and Arbitrage.

Money, Business, and Culture has been an enriching experience for me and, I believe, for my students as well, who have a context in which “to think about life, about what they’ll be doing later on, and why, and to what effect.” It is encouraging to know that Dr. Ehrlich, who spoke to the faculty last spring, also sees the value of hybrid courses like mine for a business education.

Breaking Down Silos Continued from page 22 For her final presentation, Menlo College senior Luyao Wang, an intern with Tagove, recommended that the company expand their live chat software services into the Chinese market. She was able to analyze the implications of expanding internationally from a variety of organizational and external perspectives. Based on the ideas she initiated during her internship, Luyao is continuing to work with Tagove as they create a separate entity in China.

As senior Brian Brownfield finished his internship with the Menlo Park Legends baseball team, he analyzed game attendance using reframing, and created a set of innovative recommendations to increase ticket sales.

Stanford professor and business author Tina Seelig notes, “Mastering the ability to reframe problems is an important tool for increasing your imagination because it unlocks a vast array of solutions.”

Teaching students the skill of reframing gives them a more holistic and creative approach to problem-solving in a world that does not exist in disciplinary silos.

As Luyao and Brian learned, those skills also helped them develop as leaders and achieve success in their careers.

Sources for Breaking Down Silos: Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2008). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Print.

Seelig, Tina. “How Reframing a Problem Unlocks Innovation.” CoDesign.com. 19 April 2013. Online. https://www.fastcodesign. com/1672354/how-reframing-a-problemunlocks-innovation

Source for Money, Business, Culture: Coles, Robert. Preface. Minding the Store: Great Writing About Business from Tolstoy to Now, Coles, Robert, and Albert LaFarge, eds. New York: The New Press, 2008. Print.

Top left, detail from “Untitled” by Alisha Vegas ‘10

MENLO COLLEGE 23

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Many Perspectives on a Single Subject

By Melissa Eriko Poulsen Ph.D., English Instructor

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t the beginning of the semester, I show students in my English classes the TED talk given by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “The Danger of a Single Story.” Adichie, a 2008 MacArthur Fellow, is a Nigerian author known for her many award-winning short stories and novels. In her talk, she reflects on her journey as a writer and her struggles to confront pervasive stereotypes.

Cautioning against the “single stories” of stereotypes, Adichie emphasizes the power of language and our responsibility as writers and readers to voice and recognize diverse perspectives.

Saybah Biawogi ’19 reads Chiminanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. PHOTO: DARCY BLAKE

Through this eloquent talk, our class begins a conversation about how to write and read without being confined to a single story. We think about not only what we read and write – the content – but also how we read and write – the form and style.

Like Adichie, we imagine the many ways a topic, such as immigration or poverty, can be understood and conveyed. Framed this way, our class delves into assignments with an emphasis on thinking analytically and ethically. My aim is thus to make the work we do in the classroom transportable: on the one hand, helping students sharpen writing skills for the multitude of contexts in which they write on a daily basis, and, on the other, encouraging students to thoughtfully contemplate a variety of approaches to a given topic or problem. Throughout the class, Adichie’s talk serves as a touchstone, her idea of single and multiple stories reminding us to consider the power and potential of every piece of writing we create, read, or disseminate.

Source: Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The Danger of a Single Story.” TED. Oct. 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

Applying Ehrlich’s Model Continued from page 21 They typically start off thinking the solution is quite simple. They then come to the frustrating realization that it is quite complex, but ultimately they learn how to deal successfully with such a complex problem. All before we have taught anything about the text’s approach to quality.

This is broadly applicable to any job our students will face, be they financial analysts or digital marketing specialists, or any position where they are tasked with using their skills to improve how a company does something.

Concluding Thoughts Supplementing our functional teaching with other requisites for success is at once a better learning experience, better preparation for real-world success, more engaging for the student, and frankly, much more fun to deliver.

Even a course consisting mostly of quantitative problem-solving techniques can benefit. Students learn to communicate effectively with numbers as well with words. Case studies not only let students discover more of the solution themselves, but they also put a real-world edge on what we are teaching to better engage the students and to better equip them for being successful in applying the hard skills they learn in the classroom.

Both of the techniques I have highlighted can be applied in most of our Menlo courses. My advice to all teachers? Experiment to see what works for your students.

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CONNECTING THE DOTS Top row, left to right, Hills, Victor Ge Dog, Russell Perkins Middle row, left to right, Lines, Stephanie Sanchez , student from Michael Pauker’s class Circles, Yvette Shen, student from Michael Pauker’s class Bottom row, left to right, Flowers, Jessica Valenzuela Flower with Butterfly, Lahi Kanakanui (student from Michael Pauker’s class) Young Man, Precious Bell PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE

Math Art

By Erik Bakke, Writing Center and Intensive English Program Director

students learned how basic math can help them render a complex drawing.

his fall, art students exhibited their works in the Math Center. Why the Math Center? For Art 121, I am collaborating with the Director of the Math Center, Dr. Brandon Johnson, on a series of exhibitions and presentations to help students embrace the idea that the disciplines of math, science and art are easily related. For the first Math Center exhibition in October, students used a proportional grid system to translate a photograph into a larger drawing – students drew a grid over a photograph and then a larger but proportional grid over a piece of blank paper and then redrew each section of the gridded photograph into the matching section of the grid on paper. In this way

The focus of the next exhibition was color.

Students focused on a single color and variations of that color to create images of their choosing. During the opening reception for the event in November, I gave a talk on how artists have, over the last 30,000 years, looked for painting pigments in nature and have created other pigments through science.

T

Dr. Johnson presented on the physics of color as well as on the biology of color perception. In his summary, he said, “While we think of color as an intrinsic property of an object or material or painting, other factors are essential for perceiving this phenomenon. Color begins its journey as white light, which is composed of a broad

range of wavelengths of light that span the breadth of the visible light spectrum.

Objects selectively absorb light of specific wavelengths, while reflecting others. Human photoreceptors lining the retina of the eye are optimally tuned to detect only three colors of light--red, green and blue.

The colors that we perceive are the wavelengths of light that are reflected from an object’s surface. Through the combinatorial activation of these three photoreceptors, humans can perceive millions of colors.

Our perception of color is rounded out by the context with which we view an object.

A particular color hue may appear very differently depending on the background illumination. We rely on this context in order to construct a visual field from a limited amount of sensory information.”

MENLO COLLEGE 25

HAROLD JUSTMAN | STEPHEN ROULAC MICHAEL REPKA | ROGER HONEY STEVE SAUTER | ZACHARY LAPPING

The Menlo College Real Estate Symposium included moderator Harold Justman with panelists Steve Sauter, Zachary Lapping, and Stephen Roulac

Experts Discuss Silicon Valley Real Estate at Menlo College Symposium

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he Real Estate Symposium in November was a winning opportunity for students, alumni, and professionals to learn the inside scoop on real estate practices in Silicon Valley.

The event offered key tips on real estate transactions that would take years to learn in the work setting. Four experts, Stephen Roulac, PhD, Michael Repka, JD, Roger Honey, JD, and Harold Justman, JD, contributed to the four-hour program.

Panelists Steve Sauter, from Marcus & Millichap, and Zachary Lapping, from Prometheus Real Estate Group, also joined the concluding presentation.

Stephen Roulac | Roulac Global Stephen Roulac, founder of Roulac Global, was the opening keynote speaker on “Seven Technologies that Drive and Transform Property Markets.” Menlo College Real Estate Professor Harold Justman introduced Roulac as “the man who invented global real estate strategy.” Roulac predicted that those who understand cap rates will perform better in the 21st century. He referred to George Washington as the first real estate mogul and largest landowner to lead our nation, and someone who realized that his investments would be better served if there was different governing.

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In a whirlwind review of the origins of real estate, Roulac transported the audience from a nomadic economy, through the industrial revolution, to modern capitalism. His seven technologies covered transportation, information, communication, manufacturing (he called it “making”), energy, education (he termed it “wording”) and money.

“Those of us in Silicon Valley are in the epicenter of the 21st century renaissance,” Roulac said, explaining choice of place as a preference which has evolved over recent modern times. To illustrate, he polled the audience to find out how many people still lived in their hometowns. Over half of the audience had moved from their birthplace.

Michael Repka | DeLeon Realty Michael Repka, CEO of DeLeon Realty, talked about Real Property Tax issues.

Repka, also a Real Estate Professor at Menlo College, presented “tax talk” on why owning modest property in a popular area is better than owning higherscale property in a marginal area.

He explained current capital gains, which can be as high as 37.1%, and tax treatments for proceeds covering stepped-up bases; Section 121, the

exclusion of gain on foreign primary residents; 1031 exchanges; deferred sale trusts; and more. His humorous real estate slogans, such as “swap until you drop” entertained the audience through the complicated tax option discussion.

Roger Honey | Law Offices of Roger G. Honey Roger Honey, from the Law Offices of Roger G. Honey and Justman, thoroughly reviewed the pitfalls of using electronic signatures. After explaining legalese in the signature transaction act, Honey emphasized the importance of getting a valid and binding signature before using electronic signatures by joining in a theatrical enactment of a business transaction.

Steve Sauter | Marcus & Millichap and Zachary Lapping | Prometheus Real Estate Group Justman, and a panel that included Roulac, Steve Sauter, and Zachary Lapping, discussed “Cap Rate Compression in Silicon Valley.”

The capitalization rate (cap rate) is a real estate valuation measure used to compare real estate investments.

A cap rate is often calculated as the ratio of net operating income (NOI) to

Real Estate Symposium speakers Michael Repka, JD; Roger Honey, JD; Stephen Roulac, PhD; Harold Justman, JD

property asset value. For example, if a property was listed for $1,000,000 and generated an NOI of $100,000, then the cap rate would be $100,000/$1,000,000, or 10%.

Harold Justman | Justman & Associates Justman summed it up succinctly: “Cap rate tells you the yield you get on your investment.” Sauter added “a high cap rate means higher return.” Justman reviewed the period of the 80s and 90s when “cap rates went up, crushing real estate values.

In the 90s cap rates fell, and the value of real estate went up.”

Discussing the concept of risk, Roulac said, “We live risk—a condition which is even reflected now in our political candidates. The central banks have hoped that rates would rise and interest rates would come up. With the manipulation of the rates by the federal bank, the rates are in an artificial position in the system. Like

the California Hotel, we’re checked in and we don’t check out because people are addicted to low rates. A lot of real estate trades like tech stocks. There’s great risk in the capital market, which poses an economic risk.”

“What will we do when we’ve shot yield rates?” Justman mused. “There is a massive uncertainty in the market for cap rates.”

Roulac concurred, “this is one of the most exciting and terrifying times.” Both he and Justman agreed that one has to think globally and have a strategy.

At the conclusion of the program, Menlo College President Moran summed up the robust real estate problem for many in the audience, remarking that “real estate is on my mind all the time.”

PHOTOS: ANDREY POLIAKOV

A. J. Morgan & Company in Beverly Hills.

“I gained a lot of connections and the possibility for a couple of internships.”

Rachna Giandni ’16 agreed, “Such an amazing symposium. I met investors, brokers, and CEOs. It was one of the best learning experiences I’ve had.”

The event was part of the week-long Silicon Valley San Francisco Disrupts Real Estate Symposium (SVSFDRE), facilitated

by Roulac, which included field trips to Twitter, Facebook, Runway, Galvanize, and affordable housing developments in Oakland. Scholarships for Menlo students and recent alumni to attend SVSFDRE were generously sponsored by Blake Hajek, Victor Kasik, ’16, Chop Keenan, ’66, DeLeon Realty, Maya Sewald, ’73, Howie Dallmar, ’74, and Gap Global Real Estate.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Anthony Pitani ’16, who is currently interning with

Chris Neider Shares His Passion for Robotics Continued from page 11

make in the pursuit of their dream. In our case, we were fortunate to have the capital to keep building and evolving our idea, so we could turn it into a viable business.”

“From my network, I chose my team by their passions. My first employees were engineers and product people, and needs for other employees continue to grow.

When you wonder if your idea is worth pursuing, you’ll find that talking and getting feedback is very important. It is also important to do a lot of market analysis to understand the landscape you’re planning to operate in.”

With Sendbot, Neider must address the needs of three distinct customer groups: management who want to keep guests happy, property owners who are profitoriented, and hotel brands that set the standard. “Our mission is to get robots into every hotel,” he stated. “Robots empower hotel staff to do more, and it is also a new exciting experience for hotel guests to order more than ever before. We think this is the future of delivery at hotels.”

Art from Michael Pauker’s art class.

MENLO COLLEGE 27

Stellar Solutions Founder and CEO Celeste Ford Offers Students a Countdown on Management

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eleste Ford, Founder and CEO of Stellar Solutions, recently shared her experience with Professor Jin Zhang’s management class. Stellar Solutions, founded in 1995, works on defense-related intelligence projects, international telecommunications programs, commercial imagery, and NASA’s planetary and earth science missions.

Based on three companies Ford built, she offered a countdown of 10 suggestions for management students.

She explained that going from engineer to entrepreneur is not rocket science. Her valuable countdown of 10 points to help management students includes: 10. Establish a vision.

9. I dentify your strengths and play to them. What do you know and who wants it? View yourself as a product. How do you sell yourself? What is your value added?

8. Identify your customers and their critical needs.

Above, Celeste Ford, Stellar Solutions Founder Left, Management Professor Jin Zhang.

PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE

ance and control engineer for COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corporation) in 1978.

She became a project manager at the Aerospace Corporation, where her work with NASA on the Space Shuttle Program led to recognition as “Woman of the Year” in 1984. Ford then joined Scitor Corporation, where she successfully started and grew a satellite launch business area. In 1995, she founded Stellar Solutions, which she has guided to a position of international prominence.

5. G ive back to the community. Provide your staff with an opportunity to do that.

Ford has served on congressional commissions, as well as on panels focused on entrepreneurship and women in business. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame, Fortune Small Business Magazine Best Bosses, and Women in Aerospace Leadership Award. She explained that life is “networks and opportunities.”

4. Nurture relationships. Do what you say you will do.

In addition to Stellar, Ford’s other ventures include:

3. Close the deal.

QuakeFinder, the humanitarian R&D division of Stellar Solutions was founded in 2001. It is the world’s leading private earthquake forecasting research organization, dedicated to the discovery of methods for warning communities of imminent destructive earthquakes.

7. S urround yourself with people who have a passion for what you do. Hire for attitude.

6. Create a stellar work environment. Provide incentive to your staff and empower them with flex benefits.

2. Balance your life with a positive outlook.

1. Be ready to take risks.

If you heed the advice of these points, you’ll be prepared for a business blast-off!

Ford holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Science from Stanford University, both in Aerospace Engineering. She began her career as a guid-

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Stellar Solutions Aerospace Limited, based in the United Kingdom and founded in 2004, provides engineering services to overseas markets.

Stellar Solutions Foundation, established in 1998, supports community-based organizations and charities.

Diary of an English Inst ructor

By Jodie Austin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English

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nglish Departments often have the reputation for being the confession booths of the humanities.

Despite its small size, Menlo College’s English Program certainly sees its fair share of penitents. I have personally stopped counting the number of times that people have spontaneously blurted out half-jokes about not fully understanding an independent clause or that Shakespeare puts them to sleep.

I enjoy the kidding, but also see the opportunity for explaining what Menlo College English professors do. In the past, English instructors were often seen as grammar enforcers who hold the power to dash one’s hope in a stroke of red ink.

However, considerable evidence indicates that grammar-centric lessons taught in isolation can be ineffective. They can also turn students away from writing. Time and time again my students have told me that their writing choices stem largely from the desire to “not make mistakes” rather than from the wish to advance a novel argument or find their own writer’s voice. At Menlo, we want students to understand

Above, Thomas Johnson and Professor Jodie Austin

that the joy of writing lies in the ability to make oneself heard.

Our English instructors work hard to foster a love for literature, a keen eye for good writing wherever it may appear, and the ability to speak about such things with analytical precision and critical savvy. So when my students confess to me that they never read their books in high school — only online plot summaries in order to pass their reading quizzes — a part of me resists the urge to assign blame. Instead, I encourage my students to be attuned to the power of language as an appeal to their humanity. I remind them that the language choices made by the authors they read are often made with scientific deliberateness, and that they should employ the same precision in their own writing. I have asked them to read things because, rather than despite, the fact that they are difficult.

One year ago I joined Menlo College’s esteemed faculty as a full-time English instructor and in a single year I have seen inspiring things happen. Students have told me they no longer hate poetry. Students have asked me for book recommendations and reading lists. Students have told me that they were no longer afraid to walk into a room full of “smart people” and engage in conversation. One student told me that she put aside an evening of watching YouTube to read for fun; another proudly showed me a tattoo that she’d gotten of a quote from a novel I cited in class.

These are the small but worthwhile moments that keep us in the classroom.

Rather than hasten to correct someone on their assumption that we “teach grammar” or throw hard books at people, I will simply listen. At some point the fear of judgment will invariably give way to the desire to start again; at that point, we can turn to a new page.

PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE MENLO COLLEGE 29

with Menlo College Trustee Lee McEnany Caraher

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Thank you to our lunch sponsor, Enterprise Holdings Foundation.

he familiar idiom, don’t bite off more than you can chew is a warning about taking on a task that is way too big, and it was a literal command to students who were brave enough to attend the Menlo Connect Day etiquette luncheon. Menlo trustee Lee McEnany Caraher led an instructional session on the dos and don’ts for a business luncheon that would have most guests yearning for a bag of fast food.

Can you unfold it? Why isn’t anyone eating bread? Close up your butter packet! Don’t slurp your soup! These orders were just the tip of the iceberg for students who had come to learn how to impress possible employers.

Caraher is the founder and CEO of Double Forte, a public relations and digital marketing firm. Prior to starting Double Forte, she served as president and founder of Red Whistle Communications and EVP at Weber Shandwick. She is the author of Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide to Making it Work at Work.

Caraher noticed after years of working with hundreds of employees and clients that interviews can flop because the candidates “don’t have it put together.” Employers want to bring in new blood, but many candidates don’t know simple rules about social etiquette.

To fix the dilemma, she created EverythingSpeaks, a desktop guide to manners that matter in the workplace. “I realized that people get in their own way at work simply because they don’t know how to put their best foot forward.”

When Caraher became a trustee at Menlo College, she knew she could help students prior to beginning the interview process with a dress rehearsal on the rules of dining.

At the etiquette luncheon, she found plenty to critique as she judged students’ personal presentation skills in eating and dressing.

She emphasized, “Be professional and be engaged.”

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On eating~ Fold your napkin in a triangle and place it on your lap before eating.

A roll of bread is meant to be torn, not cut. Take just one at a time.

Remove the pat of butter from the packet and put it on the butter plate.

Don’t slurp soup and knock the bowl with your spoon.

Spoon soup away from yourself.

Silence your phone and put it away (and not on the table!).

After you have finished eating, put your fork and knife at the 4:00 position on your plate, not on the table.

Don’t push your plate away from you at the end of the meal.

On dressing~ Women, limit heel size to 2.5”, no higher Guys, if you can see skin on your legs when you sit, your socks are too short.

Both genders, keep your earring posts small and discreet.

Don’t wear white socks.

Man buns aren’t appropriate for most interviews.

Below, Menlo College Trustee Lee McEnany Caraher takes charge of a practice business lunch.

PHOTO: ANDREY POLIAKOV

DOING LUNCH

Etiquette Standouts

Menlo Connect Day

M

enlo College upheld its tradition of presenting an annual day to prepare students for a career in business with Menlo Connect Day 2016. Attended by alumni, students, and parents, the agenda focused on personal presentation and branding skills for future business leaders.

The event kicked off with an etiquette class on the dos and don’ts for navigating a business luncheon, guided by Menlo College Trustee Lee McEnany Caraher. It was followed with a presentation by Ryan Zervakos, Relationship Manager at LinkedIn. His workshop on networking and personal brand enhancement included professional headshots and great branding tips for LinkedIn profiles. He also described the benefits of Lynda.com, a leading online learning platform, as a way to bridge skills gaps.

An alumni and student panel that included Melissa Blankenship ’92, Alicia Young ’14, and David LaFlamme ’17 reflected on life in the Menlo College community.

Peter Moore, Chief Competition Officer of Electronic Arts (EA) shared his experience on the power of effective networking.

Freshmen students participated in the Innovation Challenge, where they competed for the winning business poster. Speed networking gave students a fast-paced format to hone their networking skills with alumni and corporate partners.

The classes of 1966 and 1976 hosted reunions at the President’s home, and afterwards, all alumni were invited to dance with Bay Area’s top party band Pride & Joy at Club Fox. The day’s festivities were a memorable start to the OAKtoberFest weekend celebration that continued until the following day.

Innovation Challenge contestants, top middle, speaker Peter Moore, Speed Networking, and student-alumni panel at Menlo Connect Day

PHOTOS BY JUSTINE FIESTA ‘19 AND ANDREY POLIAKOV

MENLO COLLEGE

31

Pearl Harbor HD, 0.42 Mb, Linnea Danziger

Michael Lilly ’66 Shares a Story About His Mother in a Commemorative Video for the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

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ichael Lilly was recently filmed by Hawaii News Now in a video marking the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

In the video, he tells a story about a true life experience of his mother Ginger Lilly.

On December 6th, 1941, Ginger, a Hawaii Red Cross Motor Corps volunteer was assigned to a task that brought her to an ominous realization. She was giving a tour of Pearl Harbor to a group of Australian pilots who had never heard of the landmark, when they noticed a panorama of all the battleships at rest in the harbor.

They realized that all those ships were sitting ducks to the enemy if they chose to block the harbor. The group worried about it all day, and after she had dropped them off, that night over a bridge game with a Navy pilot, she shared their concerns with him.

Her friend, exasperated by her fretting, assured her that the enemy could not get within a thousand miles of Hawaii without the being discovered by the U.S. military. Eight to ten hours later, the war started. Later on, his mother received a letter from the visiting pilots saying “Yes, Ginger, we did hear about Pearl Harbor.”

Opposite page, Hector Salas-Selem, Timothy Burke and Jaagriti Sharma enjoy OAKtoberFest 3 2 W I N T E R 2 017

WE IGNITE POTENTIAL

Please support our commitment to develop our students. www.menlo.edu/advancement

MENLO COLLEGE

33

In Memoriam

Walter Howard Girdlestone ‘40, 1921 - 2016 Walter Howard Girdlestone, a loyal alumnus passed away on July 26 at his San Carlos home.

Girdlestone attended Menlo College and graduated from University of Oregon in 1942 with a B.A. in economics. Seven days after graduation, Howard reported for military duty in Hollywood, FL. He became a pilot in the United States Marine Corps and for nearly two years, flew transport missions in Northern China. He was proud of his service to his country as a Marine and shared countless stories of his adventures here and abroad.

In 1945 he married his college sweetheart, Lorraine Davidson.

They had two children, Lester and Wendy. The family moved to San Carlos where he spent the remainder of his life. After 53 years of marriage and working together on their real estate investments, Lorraine passed away in 1999. In January 2002, Howard married Martha Miller of Los Altos Hills, an interior designer and educator with whom he shared the last 15 years of his life.

Following in his father's career path, Howard worked for 37 years in the financial district in San Francisco as an insurance executive, first with the American Home Assurance Company, then American International Group and Cravens Dargan, retiring in 1985.

Wilfred (Bill) Davis Fletcher ‘42, 1922– 2016 Bill Fletcher ‘42, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, passed away on June 22, 2016. After graduating from Menlo College, Bill attended Stanford University, and volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps.

He was especially supportive of San Carlos youth, education, civic improvement and Peninsula environmental issues. He was a board member of The Sequoia Hospital Foundation, the San Carlos Youth Center Foundation and Youth & Family Enrichment Services and the San Carlos Parks and Recreation Foundation. He was honored as San Carlos Citizen of the Year in 2001 and Silicon Valley Community Foundation's Philanthropy Citizen of the Year in 2008, jointly nominated by the Alzheimer's Association and Sequoia Hospital.

After school and military service, Bill joined the family business in Los Angeles, Fletcher Oil and Refinery, and became the purchasing agent and secretary-treasurer of the company.

In the late ‘70s, Bill began what was to become a lifelong passion of collecting art. Bill’s love of art came from his childhood experiences with his artistic mother and his grandmother who was a painter. Bill focused on acquiring abstract and contemporary works from the 1960s into the 21st century and his collection eventually grew to hundreds of pieces. He has donated much of his collection to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Long Beach Museum of Art, and the Boise Art Museum.

Bill included a donation of rare books as part of his gift to Menlo, to pay tribute to the education and guidance he received as a student beginning his visionary development. He said in an article in the Spring 2010 Menlo Advantage, that he hopes that other students may follow in his footsteps and gain inspiration from the books and the story of his personal quest for the greatest finds in art.

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Above and below, Wilfred (Bill) Davis Fletcher ‘42 with his art.

In Memoriam

Jorge Kalb ‘01 from Mexico City, was the fourth member of his family to attend Menlo College— his father graduated from the SBA in 1967,his older brother Eduardo in 1995, and a second brother Enrique in 1997.

By the time Jorge Kalb arrived for his internship with CIBC World Markets Corp., a Wall Street financial house in New York City, he already had several years of business experience under his belt thanks to the caring mentorship of his father, Daniel Kalb, SBA ‘67.

International students met Earle M. Chiles ‘56 at a reception in 2011.

Earle M. Chiles ‘56, 1930–2016 Menlo College mourns the loss of Earle M. Chiles ’56, a past Trustee, a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the College, and a lifetime member of the Menlo College President’s Club. Mr. Chiles passed away on June 23, 2016.

This work experience was different, “life-changing,” said Jorge at the time, because it propelled him to the “heart of the financial world. “My attitude was to be a sponge: learn, learn, and learn.

I learned more in two months than in my whole life-time of studying.” Valedictorian, Student Body President, member of the varsity golf team, Founder of the Finance Club, Cofounder of the Menlo 2000 club, and the Latino Student Union— Jorge left an incredible legacy at Menlo College.

Mr. Chiles was president of Earle Chiles and Affiliated Companies, a Portland-based property investment, management, and development firm with holdings throughout Oregon and in other parts of the country. He was also president of the Chiles Foundation.

Mr. Chiles received his undergraduate degree from Menlo College, and held a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University. His father established the Chiles Foundation in 1949, and the younger Chiles was executive director from 1968 until 1983, when he became president.

The Chiles name is recognized in the higher education and medical communities for the foundation’s support of building projects, research, scholarships, and athletes.

Mr. Chiles was a recipient of numerous honors and awards from educational and health-related institutions. In addition to his philanthropic ties with Menlo College, University of Portland, Boston University, University of Oregon, Lewis and Clark College, and Portland State University, he was also an honorary member of the advisory board of the Institute of International Education in San Francisco, a past advisory board member of the Graduate Schools of Business at Stanford University and Harvard University.

Over the years, Chiles was a strong supporter of Menlo College students. An example of his involvement with students was in 2011, when he was the guest of honor at a reception for international students at Menlo College. The occasion was recalled

by Philippos Tsangrides ’12 in the fall 2011 issue of the Menlo Advantage Magazine. Mr. Chiles, discovering that Pascal Niggli ’12 was interested in graduate work, spontaneously invited him to a Stanford reception to meet the dean of the MBA program. “Earle Chiles was one of the most generous and kind guys I ever met,” said Niggli. “He did so much for me without even really knowing me, just because he loved to help and support young students such as myself. I will never forget that he helped me.”

I met Jorge outside Bowman library on my first day on campus in 1997, and we formed a deep friendship that I shall treasure even more now that he is gone.

It was immediately evident to me that he was one of the crown jewels of our class. He was intelligent and hard-working, and it was amazing how clearly he saw his future as a finance executive even at that age. He was an inspiring leader and an infectiously funny guy packaged into one.

– Arjun Devgan (Jorge’s friend, classmate and Student Body President ‘01) Jorge was in the investment and securities business. At the time of his death, Jorge was President (and Cofounder) of Atlas One Financial Group in Miami. He was a licensed broker of bonds, stocks, mutual funds and other investment related products.

He is survived by his wife Arlett and son Emiliano. His friends will surely miss him.

MENLO COLLEGE

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In Memoriam

in developing new real estate clients. From 1968 to 1972, John was a principal in a Boston based mortgage banking company.

Ron Olmstead ‘56, a fifth generation Californian from one of Santa Clara Valley’s pioneer farm families, passed away in 2015.

He was on the Menlo College football team in 1954. After graduating from CAL Poly San Luis Obispo, he worked for many years Ron Olmstead and George Read, Menlo College as an engineer in the football players aero-space industry before joining his family’s summer training camp business, the United Spirit Association. He directed camps for thousands of young people throughout the Western U.S. He was one of the founders of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in the Bay Area.

Ron’s teammate, George Read ‘56 said, “Ron and I played football next to each other (he being left tackle and I being left end) for four years , two at Palo Alto high school, one year as freshmen at Cal Poly, and one year at Menlo. We were good buddies and sat next to each other in our classes and since then, caroused together until he died. Aloha, Ron, your old pal, George.”

John Curtis Shenk ‘61 1942 – 2016 John, a member of the Board of Trustees in 2010, recently passed away. Shenk was the President of Argus Financial Corporation, a mortgage banking company that he purchased in 1982.

After his acquisition, Argus Financial transitioned into a traditional income property mortgage banking/brokerage company representing the financial interests of many of the larger San Francisco Bay Area real estate developers and investors. John managed the company's mortgage loan production team and the business operation. Argus' primary business was the placement of conventional permanent mortgages, forward loan commitments on build-to-suit developments, institutional investment sales and joint ventures. Over the years, several billions of dollars worth of mortgages and sales were successfully completed.

Prior to 1982, John was a vice president of Union Bank for six years, responsible for new business production for the bank, specializing 3 6 W I N T E R 2 017

Born and raised in San Francisco, John graduated in 1960 from Lick-Wilmerding High School. He played football at Menlo College from 1960-1961, thinking he could solidify a football scholarship to Stanford. Later on, he decided to go to the University of California at Berkeley and graduated there in 1964.

In addition to serving on the Menlo Board of Trustees, John proudly served on the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley NAIOP. He resided in Atherton, California with his wife Sheri, and has four sons, John R., Geoffrey, Andrew and Peter.

Howard E. Mason, Jr. ‘57 1932 – 2016

Howard E. Mason, Jr. ‘57 at the 85th Anniversary dinner

Howard was a lifelong Californian, born in Glendale, California. After he graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1950, he proudly served in the U.S. Army as part of the Signal Corps. Howard earned a degree in Business from Menlo College in 1957 and attended Golden Gate University to prepare for the CPA exam. He earned his MBA at San Francisco State.

Howard was married to Catherine Dewey Mason from 1959 until her death in 1995. A resident of Belmont, Howard was actively involved with the bond measure that purchased Twin Pines Park in 1972 and was a member of the Belmont City Finance Commission from 1978 – 1995. In 1995, Howard was elected Belmont City Treasurer and served two terms. He was recognized as the William Ralston Citizen of the Year by the Belmont Chamber of Commerce in 1995 and by Menlo College in 1999 for his long time service to the Alumni Association. More recently, Howard greatly enjoyed the Road Runner's Square Dancing organization.

Howard loved accounting and finance and worked in those fields all his life. Highlights of his business career include helping to found Bank America Real Estate Investments as their CFO in 1970.

Howard helped the company go public as BRE Properties (recently acquired by Essex.) He retired in 1996. In 2000, Howard joined the Doelger Trust in Daly City. He was extremely proud to be a Trustee.

Howard Mason was a major participant in Menlo College alumni and College functions such as the 85th alumni reunion weekend and Menlo Connect Day. He was a President’s Club Member since 1997. In addition to being a major donor, he tirelessly volunteered his time researching data for the alumni association, serving on finance and budget committees.

The Menlo College community will miss him. Donations to Menlo College can be made in his honor.

Massimiliano Genta ’16 Climbs to the Top in Korea’s K-Challenge called K-Startup Grand Challenge, conducted and financed by the Government of the Republic of Korea. The ultimate objective of the challenge is to promote entrepreneurship in Asia and to assist in South Korea’s evolution into a prominent hub of global start-ups.

duces highly accurate, durable, low cost, flexible, compact and easy-to-integrate sensor platforms for human, animal, and agricultural applications. The sensors took ten years to make, and were developed by University of Texas-Arlington Professor JC Chiao and his PhD students.

The first three rounds of the competition took place in Redwood City, and the final took place in Seoul, Korea. Genta’s team passed two rounds and traveled to Korea in August to compete in the final against 80 other start-ups.

Genta’s team will engage with Korean partners, large and medium-sized, in wearable products, and consumer electronic companies for direction of product and possible strategic partnership.

His team scored in Korea, and for the next three and a half months, they will be competing for a place in the top forty start-ups.

At this stage, the government has begun to directly invest in his start-up. Genta is receiving $5,000 a month from the government, office space, and the assistance of an accelerator who is helping them secure additional funding.

SmartpHlex, founded in collaboration with SVA and University of Texas Arlington, pro-

Genta’s team passed two rounds and traveled to Korea in August to compete in the final against 80 other start-ups.

His team scored in Korea, and for the next three and a half months, they will be competing for a place in the top forty start-ups.

Massimiliano Genta ‘16 competing in Korea’s K-Challenge

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enlo College recent alumnus Massimiliano Genta ‘16 went to Seoul, Korea as a CEO. His leap to CEO came when Genta was selected by Silicon Valley Advantage (SVA), the start-up company where he was interning, to help form SmartpHlex.

“The main reason I was selected as CEO, despite my beginner’s experience, is that I have worked on the project since inception,” explained Genta. I participated and organized meetings with potential clients, developed the business plan, logo, company name, and I prepared the pitch for the investors.”

After he helped form SmartpHlex, Genta and his supervisor Gloria Maceiko, Director of SVA, entered a start-up competition MENLO COLLEGE

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Ryan Zervakos, Relationship Manager at LinkedIn

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PHOTO BY ANDREY POLIAKOV

LinkedIn & Lynda Help Students Prepare for Employment

yan Zervakos, Relationship Manager at LinkedIn, spoke at Menlo Connect Day in a workshop on networking and personal brand enhancement. At the workshop, Menlo College students received a professional headshot for LinkedIn profiles and great branding advice.

According to Zervakos, seven million jobs are now available on LinkedIn, a social media recruitment channel. This is far more jobs than listings on the competitor, Indeed. He explained that the significant number of jobs and the recruiters who help to place them make it imperative that students and alumni learn how to fine-tune their personal brands on the LinkedIn site.

Lynda.com is the leading online learning platform for developing business, software, technology, and creative skills. Use of Lynda is free for all enrolled students at Menlo College. When students complete a Lynda course, they can post the certificate of completion on their LinkedIn page.

Zervakos described Lynda as a way to bridge skills gaps. “Using Lynda, students can strengthen skills they’ll need to be competitive.”

LinkedIn offers a free app specifically for students which Zervakos recommends using, specifying that it has great options for networking with alumni. For those students interested in global business, he suggested creating profiles in more than one language.

Zervakos offered ideas for brand enhancement:

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•C omplete 100% of your profile. Complete profiles are forty times more likely to receive opportunities.

• Maintain your profile on a regular basis.

•A profile photo will get you 14 times more views than a profile without a photo.

• Write an attention-grabbling headline.

• Write a compelling summary statement.

•A dd examples of your work through photos, presentations, videos, and blogposts.

• Give dynamic appeal.

• Include volunteer experiences and causes.

• Add skills and get them endorsed.

• T ry to get your own name in your LinkedIn URL to create recognition in your profile.

•G et the inMail upgrade so you can contact people through LinkedIn. • Look up alumni data to identify contacts and mentors.

•U se LinkedIn’s Career Paths and learning programs that offer a certificate of completion.

With a completed LinkedIn profile and Lynda to strengthen your skills, you’ll be ready to interview!

OAKtoberFest Speaker Series

Fantasy Football

by Nate Jackson ‘01 Nate Jackson ‘01, The New York Times bestselling author of Slow Getting Up chronicles his descent into the madness of early retirement and fantasy football.

In Slow Getting Up—hailed by Rolling Stone as “the best football memoir of all time”— Nate Jackson told his story face down on the field. Now, in Fantasy Man, he’s flat on his back.

Six years have passed since the former Denver Broncos tight end wore a helmet, and every day he drifts further from the NFL Guy, the sanctioned-violence guy, the psychopath who ran head first into other psychos for money. But Nate hasn’t quite left the game. Bed-ridden by a recent surgery to remove bone fragments in his ankle, he’s trying to defend his title in one of the millions of leagues captivating America through modern fantasy football, the interactive human poker game started

by Rotisserie leagues, boosted by ESPN and Yahoo!, and now elevated to that rarefied world of vaguely-legal Internet gambling

by FanDuel and DraftKings.com.

And this time it isn’t a 300-pound wall of flesh rushing to crunch his spine. It’s worse.

Exploring the fantasy—and the reality—of football after you’ve left the field, Fantasy Man is as funny, self-deprecating, and shockingly honest as Slow Getting Up.

Piketty’s Paradox, Capital Spillage and Inequality

Silicon Valley Unicorns – Magic, Myth or Mirage?

by Craig Medlen Ph.D., Professor, Economics

by Dima Leshchinskii Ph.D., Associate Professor, Economics

“In his Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty advances a thesis contending that inequality of wealth and income is critically dependent on the Capital/Income ratio that tends to expand through time.

Empirically, he shows that for the long haul the rate of growth of capital exceeds the rate of growth of the economy. He hypothesizes that the most recent expansion of inequality might well be rooted in this long term tendency.

I take issue with this hypothesis in reference to corporate capital. Piketty roots his understanding of the Capital/Income ratio in productive capital, yet measures corporate capital by its stock value.

Recent deficit spending by the U.S. government and private parties—mainly homeowners—allows for the spillage of free cash (cash in excess of new investment) in the form of dividends, merger acquisitions and stock repurchases. Such capital spillage drives up the stock value of capital relative to capital values as measured by accumulated net investments.

In my talk, we discussed the shared economy, including some specific unicorns and their valuations.

In recent years we witnessed the appearance in Silicon Valley of previously unknown creatures – unicorns. Unicorns are start-up private companies that have an implied valuation of more than 1 billion dollars.

They were named unicorns, because originally they were so rare and unique.

However, now we have a herd of unicorns – more than 200 unicorns can be found around the globe with about 100 of them located in Silicon Valley alone.

Why are there so many unicorns these days? Why do their founders not rush to make their companies public? What makes the valuation of these start-ups so high? Are these valuations justified by a special magical power of economic disruption brought by some of these companies in the so-called shared economy (think Uber, Airbnb) or we are witnessing the second “new technology” bubble which can burst any time and these unicorns will disappear like a mirage?

PHOTOS: ANDREY POLIAKOV

PHOTO BY JUSTINE FIESTA ‘19

Menlo faculty and alumni shared their expertise and experiences in business

The recent rise of the Capital/Income ratio has not been due to a continuation of long term trend, but rather to government deficit rescue efforts and the private deficits whose accumulation blew up in the Great Recession of 2008.”

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OAKtoberFest 2016

AKtoberFest was a weekend for faculty, students, parents, coaches, and staff to share the feeling of Menlo College Ohana, which is the Hawaiian way of saying family.

The day started with a community 5k Run/Walk that started off at Cartan Field.

Prospective Menlo College students were then hosted on campus for the annual Discovery Fair. Next on the agenda was the opening of the Menlo family and alumni event, that included live dance and music performances, student and alumni sports competitions, faculty lectures, and an array of food trucks that offered tempting food and drinks.

The autumn sunshine created the perfect environment for the Annual Señor Carlos López Soccer Tournament, and other alumni games. Several Menlo College varsity games were also on the agenda, including Women’s Volleyball (versus San Diego Christian College), Women’s Soccer (versus Hope International), and Men’s Soccer (versus Hope International). While

all the games were huge draws, the latter generated the most excitement, as the 2-1 double-overtime victory by the Menlo College Oaks culminated in one of the best seasons in program history, and the GSAC regular season championship!

President Richard Moran officially welcomed the entire Menlo family to campus while artists created plein air works on-site. Guests viewed a blue-tape art exhibit, and enjoyed musical tunes from the Livewire Cover Band.

A book signing of Fantasy Man, the latest book by Nate Jackson ’01 drew a huge crowd. Talks by Professors Craig Medlen and Dima Leshchinskii inspired financiers and entrepreneurs alike.

The weekend events also included alumni reunions for the classes of 1966 and 1976. They had lots of company to help their celebrations, as nearly 1,000 people joined in for the fun. In all, it was a fabulous chance to connect and relive Menlo College Ohana once again.

PHOTOS BY ANDREY POLIAKOV

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PHOTOS BY JUSTINE FIESTA ‘19 AND ANDREY POLIAKOV MENLO COLLEGE

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Deloitte-Bound from the Class of ’16: Kyle Lubke, Sofia Hoskinson, Camille Harris

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hen Kyle Lubke was finishing high school in Hamilton, Montana (population 4,348), he knew he was headed to a small college. Figuring he’d be a finance major, and he’d play golf, Menlo College offered him the perfect choice.

That was before he met Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance, Donna Little. Lubke recalled that at first he and his classmates assumed it would be smooth-sailing in her class, and they didn’t prepare like they should have. Quickly, they realized that there was no messing around in accounting class. After her resounding shake up in a class where most of the students performed poorly on a quiz, the class got the picture. Everyone was expected to be the best they could be.

As Professor Little is known for doing, she also convinced Lubke to double-major in finance and accounting.

He interned twice, first at Boston Private, and then at Deloitte.

Having been offered full-time employment after graduation, Lubke starts work at Deloitte early next year. He will be working in audits after he works on his CPA license in the spring.

Professor Little said, “It has been wonderful having Kyle on our campus. He is a double major in Accounting and Finance and a standout in both programs. His calm demeanor, great sense of humor, and absolute dependability have made him a leader in class and in student life. He is very well-liked and respected; when Kyle speaks, we all listen.”

As an outstanding tutor in the Academic Success Center, Lubke has worked tirelessly to support students in their studies, not only in accounting, but in other subjects as well. At Deloitte, he will be working for one of the “Big 4” largest accounting firms in the world. Professor Little added that “Kyle will be greatly missed by all of us, but we are very excited about his future.”

Lubke, a stand-out Resident Assistant for two years, is also a tutor in accounting and finance. When asked about his experience at Menlo College, he noted, “Menlo College is great at offering students opportunities. They set you up to succeed.”

SOFIA HOSKINSON ’16

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mong Menlo College’s upcoming graduates will be Sofia Hoskinson, who came to Menlo as a transfer student from Dominguez Hills. Sofia (Fia) is very excited about her full time position that begins in June as a tax consultant at Deloitte.

PHOTO: DARCY BLAKE

Fia said, “Professor Little definitely helped me realize my potential. She gave me confidence to pursue a challenging career path. She has been right by my side, assisting me whenever I’ve needed it, any hour of the day. She is truly a wonderful person who does so much for not only me but all her students!”

Kyle Lubke ‘16 prepares to work at Deloitte in audits.

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“Fia impressed me from her first day in my class, and has been an exemplary account-

ing major,” said Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance Donna Little. “She has the intellect, drive, focus, and sense of humor that elevates the classroom experience. After completing a sophomore and junior internship with Deloitte (one of the Big Four accounting firms), she has a full-time position awaiting her in their San Jose office. She will be missed on the basketball court and in the classroom; however, we are very proud of her and look forward to her future success as a CPA.” Fia has company: Her former teammate Camille Harris was also a standout student-athlete at Menlo College, and is also poised for a successful accounting career.

PHOTO BY ANDREY POLIAKOV

Ty Lauderdale ‘16 Awarded FEI Scholarship

F C AMILLE HARRIS ’16 Women’s Basketball Coach Shannon Osborne described how senior guard Fia Hoskinson and her teammate Camille Harris were honored by the GSAC conference and nationally for their success in the classroom. They also earned a spot on the GSAC and Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete teams for maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better.

Harris, who appeared in 21 games as a senior, holds a cumulative GPA of 3.68. Hoskinson appeared in a career-high 23 games as a senior, averaging 7.3 points per game. She holds a 3.64 GPA. “Camille, who is now a tax consultant at Deloitte, and Fia were outstanding student-athletes here at Menlo, in large part due to their work ethic,” said Osborne. “They are driven to be successful both on the court and in the classroom, and put

in many long hours to make sure that happens. They have been great to have in the program and a pleasure to coach.

I have no doubt these two will be successful in the workplace, and I am excited to see what they do next.”

Reminiscing about her experience at Menlo, Fia also has a personal tribute to share about Ron Kovas, a management professor at Menlo College who passed away last spring: “Professor Kovas was a huge mentor to me. He asked me to work with him on Menlo Connect Day, so we spent a lot of time together. He was instrumental in mentoring me on the importance of my future and my career. He helped to get me where I am today. I wish I was able to tell him about my job offer from Deloitte, and how he made it possible for me.”

inancial Executives International – Silicon Valley Chapter (FEI) is a financial organization for CFOs and senior financial executives with more than 10,000 members in the US.

One of FEI’s noteworthy community service projects is a scholarship program that honors Bay Area accounting students. Four Menlo College students were nominated as future finance leaders: Hunter Dupee, Ty Lauderdale, Kyle Lubke, and Destiny Serna. All four of the students will be considered FEI scholarship alumni, and they will be invited to all of the FEI professional development events and other FEI events. They’ll also have an opportunity to serve on FEI’s Junior Board of Directors. This year, the annual FEI scholarship was awarded to Menlo College senior Ty Lauderdale.

Bob Farkas ‘63, First Vice President, FEI, Silicon Valley Chapter said “It was a very difficult decision, because each student made a powerful presentation and a good impression in an interview with several FEI members. This year, I was struck by the excellence of the Menlo candidates.”

Ty said, “I would like to thank Mr. Farkas. I am very thankful for this opportunity and honored to be awarded the FEI scholarship.

This will improve my motivation, and will drive me throughout my career.”

“Menlo College has offered many opportunities to me and other students in pursuit of our career endeavors. I am thankful for my amazing accounting professors and the enthusiasm they bring to both the classroom and their guidance of our plans for the future.”

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I

n recent years, Menlo College Athletics has seen its fair share of athletes make their mark on the professional ranks.

You can find recent Menlo grads competing professionally in baseball, soccer and basketball as they continue to pursue a career in athletics after leaving their mark at Menlo. In the past three years alone, Menlo College has seen seven different athletes continue their playing careers professionally including: Keith Bowman (Men’s basketball), Daniel Comstock (baseball), Lucas Erceg (baseball), Max Dutto (baseball), Garrett Gemgnani (baseball), Sebastian Bosch (soccer) and Sean Kane (soccer).

A 2015 graduate of Menlo College, Bowman was a two-year basketball standout and even competed for a season as a tight end on the football team. Following graduation, Bowman played professional basketball in Bosnia for KK Radnicki where he was the second leading scorer on the team and helped his squad to a championship. This season, Bowman took a step forward and will continue his professional career with Costa d’Orlando of the Italy-Series C Silver division.

“Menlo helped me develop and take playing professionally from a dream to a real possibility,” Bowman stated. “Seeing Eastern Europe and getting my professional career jump started was part of making my time in Bosnia such a great experience.”

In addition to Bowman making the professional ranks, Men’s Soccer saw two standout players in recent years play professionally overseas. Both 2015 graduates, forward Sebastian Bosch and midfielder Sean Kane earned the right to continue playing professionally in their native countries. Bosch has spent the last two seasons as a member of Antigua GFC in Guatemala while Kane competed for Kaya FC in the Philippines in 2016. Bosch was one of the most prolific goal scorers in Menlo history and currently ranks fourth in career goals, fifth in total points and third in game winning goals. Kane battled through injuries during his career and finished his two-year stint as an Oak as a stellar midfielder and returned for a season as an assistant coach for Head Coach Eric Bucchere.

The influx of Menlo baseball talent entering the professional ranks has been equally impressive of late. Last year alone, Menlo saw Lucas Erceg selected in the second round, 46th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers and was the highest selection of any baseball player in the NAIA. In that same draft, shortstop Max Dutto went in the 9th round to the Chicago White Sox, marking the first time ever the Oaks have had two players selected in the top 10 rounds of the MLB draft. In addition to these two, since 2011 Menlo has seen four others selected in the MLB draft including: Chris Mazza (2011, 27th round), Jimmy Bosco (2013, 13th round), Joey Webb (2013, 28th round) and Daniel Comstock (2015, 18th round).

PHOTO: OAKSSPORTS.COM

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Men’s Soccer Wins First GSAC Regular Season and Conference Title

By Brian Brownfield ‘17

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he Men’s Soccer team recorded one of the best seasons in program history that culminated in a share of the GSAC regular season championship with Westmont College, ranked 22nd in the nation. The team finished 13-4-1, tying the program record for most wins in a season. The team played exceptionally well at home, with an 8-1-1 record at the friendly confines of Wunderlich Field. Scoring differential was a strength of this team all season long, outscoring their opposition 48-19. Earning a share of the regular season title in the Golden State Athletic Conference does not happen without the help of some outstanding play on the team. They featured three players in the All-GSAC team for 2016: Efrain Bonilla, Eli Bunton, and Alex Coates-McDowall.

Bonilla also received the GSAC Newcomer of the Year award while Bunton and Coates-McDowall were named to the All-GSAC team for the second consecutive year.

Efrain Bonilla made an instant impact for the Oaks in his first season in Navy and White. A junior transfer from Las Positas College, Bonilla was one of the most involved midfielders for Menlo all year long. He appeared in 15 games, made 14 starts, and registered an assist. His biggest contributions came off the stat sheet, being a leader in passing efficiency, defense, and ball control. Eli Bunton ended his senior season in a big way, finishing with the second highest goal total of any player on Menlo (7). He also added 6 assists to tie for the team lead in that category, and his 20 points put him in third on the team. Alex Coates-McDowall recorded one of the best seasons of any Menlo College goalkeeper in recent history. The senior from York, England set the single-season record

for most shutouts with 7 and allowed 0.905 goals per game, earning himself an 11-2-1 record.

For the second time in program history, with both nominations coming this season, Men’s Soccer is in the NAIA top 25 coaches’ poll. In the Nov. 1 edition of the poll, Menlo College snuck in at the 25th position after receiving a 20th place position in the Oct. 18 version of the polls. Menlo dropped out in the one poll between the two but finished the season strong and received enough national attention to reenter the rankings.

The regular season concluded with Menlo picking up a pair of conference wins in overtime against teams that qualified for the playoffs. On Oct. 27th, Menlo played one of its most physical matches of the year against Biola and had to play a man down after receiving a red card. This did not deter the Oaks as David Beary notched the game-winner in overtime to secure the 3-2 win. On October 29th, Menlo clinched a first-round bye in the GSAC playoffs and a share of the regular season title with a 2-1 double-overtime victory against #19 Hope International. Jonny Ensch hit the winning goal with 3:35 left in the second overtime to finish off the regular season in style for Menlo. They carried that momentum into the postseason where they defeated Vanguard in the opening round of the conference tournament 3-2 in overtime then claimed the GSAC tournament title two days later with a 2-1 win over #20 Westmont. The Oaks historic run came to a close on Nov. 19th with a hard-fought 0-1 loss at the hands of #12 Corban in the NAIA National Championships opening round. The team’s 15 wins marks the most in a single season in program history.

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Menlo College to Host 2017 GSAC Baseball Tournament

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olden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Commissioner Mike Daniels and The Master's University Athletic Director and GSAC Administrative Chair Steve Waldeck released the site locations for GSAC championships over the next three years in August, and Menlo College was chosen as the 2017 Baseball Tournament host. This marks the first time in program history the Oaks have hosted the GSAC conference tournament. It is also the first time they have hosted a conference tournament of any sort since they earned the right to host the NAIA West Group tournament in 2011.

The tournament was previously hosted by the highest finisher following the regular season, but the shift in identifying sites in advance of the championship was a direct result of a study by the GSAC Administrative Committee over the summer months. The complete schedule is listed below.

2016-17 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

William Jessup (Rocklin, CA)

Men’s and Women’s Soccer 1st Round

Highest Seeds

Men’s and Women’s Soccer

Biola (La Mirada, CA)

Women’s Basketball 1st Round and Semis

The Master’s (Santa Clarita, CA)

Men’s Basketball 1st Round and Semis

Westmont (Santa Barbara, CA)

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Finals

Hope International (Fullerton, CA)

Men’s and Women’s Tennis

Indian Wells Tennis Garden (Indian Wells, CA)

Men’s Golf

Carlton Oaks Country Club (Santee, CA)

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field

Westmont (Santa Barbara, CA)

Softball

Vanguard (Costa Mesa, CA)

Baseball

Menlo (Atherton, CA)

November 4

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

Vanguard (Costa Mesa, CA)

November 3-4

Men’s and Women’s Soccer 1st Round

Highest Seeds

November 8-11

Men’s and Women’s Soccer

Westmont & Vanguard

November 8-11

Women’s Volleyball

The Master’s (Santa Clarita, CA)

March 2-3

Women’s Basketball 1st Round and Semis

Arizona Christian (Phoenix, AZ)

March 2-3

Men’s Basketball 1st Round and Semis

Arizona Christian (Phoenix, AZ)

March 6

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Finals

Arizona Christian (Phoenix, AZ)

TBD

Men’s and Women’s Tennis

Indian Wells Tennis Garden (Indian Wells, CA)

TBD

Men’s Golf

TBD

April 26-27

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field

Westmont

TBD

Softball

Arizona Christian (Phoenix, AZ)

TBD

Baseball

Vanguard (Costa Mesa, CA)

November 3

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

The Master’s (Santa Clarita, CA)

November 2-3

Men’s and Women’s Soccer 1st Round

Highest Seeds

November 7-10

Men’s and Women’s Soccer

Arizona Christian (Phoenix, AZ)

November 7-10

Women’s Volleyball

Hope International (Fullerton, CA)

March 1-2

Women’s Basketball 1st Round and Semis

Menlo (Atherton, CA)

March 1-2

Men’s Basketball 1st Round and Semis

William Jessup (Rocklin, CA)

March 5

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Finals

Menlo (Atherton, CA)

TBD

Men’s and Women’s Tennis

Indian Wells Tennis Garden (Indian Wells, CA)

TBD

Men’s Golf

TBD

April 25-26

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field

Westmont (Santa Barbara, CA)

TBD

Softball

San Diego Christian (Santee, CA)

TBD

Baseball

The Master’s (Santa Clarita, CA)

November 5 November 4-5 November 9-12 March 3-4 March 3-4 March 7 April 18-20 April 26-27 April 27-28 TBD May 7-10

2017-18

2018-19

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PHOTO: DANE FUJINAKA

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Fall Sport Athletes Give Back in Variety of Ways

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enlo College Athletics prides itself on complementing the college experience by developing future leaders through athletics. A big component to that is its servant leadership efforts that have, in part, netted the department the honor of being an NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution for each of the last seven seasons. Fall sport studentathletes volunteered in both the local community in California and even abroad and made a big difference in each location.

This summer, men’s soccer traveled throughout Costa Rica on a team-training trip. In addition to playing a number of matches against local teams and enjoying the sights and sounds of the area, the Oaks took a day off from soccer and travel and volunteered at a local care center for impoverished youth. The team spent time playing various games, and naturally, soccer with the youth and helped brighten their day.

"It was great seeing the excitement that these kids showed towards us," senior Track athlete Joe Alvarez commented.

"They might not know us personally, but because we are college athletes they idolized us. It reminds us of how we need to set a good example for the kids so they can follow in our footsteps and be great people in the future. It makes you take a step back and remember the times when

you were that age and what you did to get where you are today. Then we are able to give advice and pointers to these kids so they can one day be like us or accomplish even more."

This December, Menlo Athletics completed a department-wide Toy and Book Drive sponsored by the Redwood City Police and Fire Departments during the holiday season. Building on the momentum of last year’s Operation Christmas Child Drive that saw the department donate over 500 gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children around the world, this year attention was focused on the local community. Toys and books were collected on campus and Menlo Athletics helped bag toys and even participated in a wrapping party to prepare the gifts that will be delivered to local families in need of help during the holiday season. This effort served as Menlo’s yearly department-wide holiday community service effort and was once again a great success.

PHOTO: IKE ARINZE

“The experience at the orphanage was so beautiful and I had a great time,” said freshman Noa Kerr. “The biggest impact it had on me was realizing how much we have and how we take everything for granted. The little kids don’t have much but had a blast and wore the biggest smiles during the time we were with them.”

Later in the year, the fall sport athletes joined together to volunteer with the Redwood City REACH program. Five different teams sent athletes to the after school program including volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, track and field and cross country. The REACH program identifies children who are in need of academic support or who could benefit from recreational enrichment programs. The teams spent time with children working on homework, playing games and presenting to them on the NAIA Five Core Values which are: Servant Leadership, Integrity, Respect, Sportsmanship and Responsibility.

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PHOTOS: ANDREY POLIAKOV Irish crime fiction writers Claire McGowan, Niamh O’Connor and Louise Phillips

Irish Crime Fiction Writers Bring Murder in the Morning to Menlo College

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hree women writers of Irish crime fiction, Louise Phillips, Niamh O’Connor, and Claire McGowan were guests at a literary discussion “Murder in the Morning,” presented by the Bowman Library and the Writing & Oral Communication Center of Menlo College.

Director of the Writing Center Erik Bakke moderated the discussion with the acclaimed trio, who recently appeared at the Los Gatos Writers Erik Bakke, moderator Festival.

Bakke started the discussion with a quote from author Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Endings” that dismissed endings. “Beginnings are always more fun. True connoisseurs, however, are known to favor the stretch in between, since it's the hardest to do anything with. That's about all that can be said for plots, which anyway are just one thing after another, a what and a what and a what. Now try how and why.”

Claire McGowan admitted she was rattled when she once met Margaret Atwood. She recalled “I dropped a glass of wine!” When asked about the role of humor in her work, McGowan, from Northern Ireland, spoke of her country’s penchant for black humor.

“Gallows humor,” as she termed it, is a way to deal with political troubles.

Her first novel, The Fall, was published by Headline in 2012. She has also written a series of novels about the forensic psychologist Paula Maguire, which currently consists of The Lost (2013), The Dead Ground (2014), The Silent Dead (2015) and the novella Controlled Explosions (2015). There are three more novels to follow in the series.

This crime series has been optioned by BBC Drama. Her newest book is A Savage Hunger.

McGowan read an excerpt from one of her short stories from Belfast Noir. Her selection, “Rosie Grant’s Finger” is an offbeat comic tale featuring an 18-year-old private eye in Belfast. As a genre writer, McGowan says you “have to deliver a happy ending.”

Based in County Wicklow in Ireland, writer Niamh O'Connor was a journalist for the Irish newspaper Sunday World, where she was the True Crime editor. She has also produced best-selling books of highprofile crimes as well as detective fiction with the central character of DI Jo Birmingham. Her most recent book is Blink. She described crime writing as, “there’s always a body in there.”

O’Connor writes, “Personally, I’ve turned from true crime writing to fiction to get around the restrictions of libel law, while highlighting the shortcomings in the justice system.”

Louise Phillips is an author of four bestselling psychological crime thrillers, each short-listed for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year. She noted that “a story starts with characters. Someone once told me there’s a limit to how good your good guy can be, but there are no limits to how bad your bad guy can be, as long as you’re not writing just for shock value. Voice is the key thing. Remember, if you can place your character in a situation, then you know them well. One of the best parts of the job is the slow disclosure of knowing what your readers don’t.”

When researching The Doll’s House, Phillips was fascinated with learning about how our brains are wired. “The more times we recall memories, the more compromised they become, and the less we can trust them. Somewhere in our minds, the truth is there.”

Phillips, who describes a story as “a journey,” read from Red Ribbons, her book that comes out in the U.S. in November.

The book is about the murder of missing schoolgirls found buried in the Dublin Mountains.

All three writers agreed that to crystallize their characters, it helps to be peoplewatchers, sponges and observers, and to write, as Phillips quipped, “as long as something sinister is going on.”

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Two unique events organized

by Director of Oral Communication Marianne Neuwirth, Ph.D.

Progressive Office Crawl

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s a way to meet and welcome new faculty, staff and athletic coaches, the 20162017 Academic Year began auspiciously with a friendly Progressive Office Crawl.

It was inspired by the idea of having an Open House to inaugurate the freshly reorganized Writing and Oral Communication Center, and expanded to include visits to 9 reorganized spaces on campus with over 32 participants.

At the beginning of fall semester various faculty, staff and athletic coaches wound their way around campus, starting at the Academic Success Center, and progressing to the Writing and Oral Communication Center, the Library, the Internship and Career Center, the English Offices Suite, Academic Affairs, the Business office, Athletics, and culminating at the Admissions office. People joined as their schedule permitted, and each location provided greetings and refreshments.

New hires on campus as well as long established individuals met one another and viewed where some offices had moved. Starting the year with this interactive and friendly event greased the wheels for a successful 2016-2017 academic year.

Open Mic Storytelling event 5 2 W I N T E R 2 017

Open Mic Storytelling Event

By Marianne Neuwirth Ph.D.

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n the evening of Sept. 15, storytellers, singers, sages and poets of the Menlo College community gathered in the Fireside Room to share personal tales of trial and triumph. Thirty students and three staff members attended the event, telling tales of travel, friendship, close calls, and brushes with death.

One participant shared the time she was ensnared in jellyfish tentacles, leaving her nearly unconscious with pain. Another recounted a story of sibling rivalry – of when she put Nair in her brother’s shampoo bottle, with the expected results. . . Others sang spectacular songs, read personal poems, and revealed heartbreak now healed through perspective. Listeners were engrossed, focused, moved and responsive throughout the evening.

The intent of these gatherings is to provide a space where members of the Menlo community have an opportunity for creative self-expression in a receptive, non-judgmental forum. All are welcome to attend future Open Mics planned for spring semester.

Menlo College Named Safest California College by Independent Safety Organization

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new report by BackgroundCheck.org called “Safest Colleges in California 2016” ranked over 140 universities and colleges in the Golden State. The rankings are based on combined data from recent Department of Education Reports, natural language analysis, social media sentiment analysis, and independent research. Menlo College, based in Atherton in the Silicon Valley, ranked first among the 50 universities and colleges in California that made the list.

rate than 90% of the communities in California, according to NeighborhoodScout’s analysis of FBI crime data.”

In addition to 24-hour campus security and surveillance, Menlo also has a mobile safety app called “LiveSafe” which provides a fast and efficient communications tool between students and campus safety officials.

The city of Atherton, home to Menlo College, also maintains a comparatively low crime rate for Silicon Valley. NeighborhoodScout, an online database of U.S. neighborhood analytics, notes that “Atherton is considered to be safer than the majority of cities, towns, and villages in America (69%), and also has a lower crime

PHOTO BY JUSTINE FIESTA ‘19

“Menlo College views campus safety and security as an important responsibility shared by the campus community,” said Richard A. Moran, President of Menlo College. “Our campus security officers work 24×7, offering fast emergency and safety responses to our students at all hours. Together, we have created an incredibly safe environment for our community.”

Puppy love at OAKtoberFest

Arthurlene Tower, Adjunct Professor, and her class honored disability awareness In September, Arthurlene Towner’s Understanding Disabilities class gathered for a Paralympics viewing.

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The Finance Club Welcomes Businesses at The Professional Networking Event

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he Menlo College Finance Club sponsored a professional networking event at the Russell Center in November.

Representatives from eight companies and institutions were in attendance and students moved from table to table to familiarize themselves with the opportunities offered by these firms. The event was a great success and proved to be extremely beneficial for all students, from freshmen to seniors in all majors.

Representatives from eight companies included: Bridge Bank

Waddell & Reed

Menlo College helped me understand finance and Bridge Bank showed me how I could use finance.

John Hancock

Vince Tran, Intern at Bridge Bank

Golden Gate Financial Northwestern Mutual Orchard Commercial

Merrill Lynch U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The Finance Club, in cooperation with the finance faculty and the Office of Academic and Professional Success, intends to host additional networking events in the spring semester to build stronger ties with the community at large and open up new career-enhancing opportunities for continuing and graduating students.

PHOTOS BY JUSTINE FIESTA ‘19

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Above, The Finance Club Professional Networking Event, Inset, Braxton Liddell, Raymond Gipson, Professor Soumen De and Vince Tran prepare for the Finance Club’s professional networking event.

Research News from Professor Soumen De

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rofessor Soumen De coauthored four papers this year with his departmental colleagues, finance faculty at other institutions in the United States and other international coauthors.

“Overtaking the U.S. Economy by China and India: How Sound Are the Expectations?” co-authored with Dilip Ghosh and Dipasri Ghosh, has been accepted for publication in International Journal of Business. Another paper, “Ownership Structure and Post Acquisition Performance: Evidence from India” coauthored with Pradip Banerjee and Dima Leshchinskii was presented at the World Finance Conference, New York, 2016 in July, and is being prepared for submission to a journal. A third paper, “Valuation Effects of Cultural Disparity on Cross Border Mergers: The evidence from India” coauthored with Pradip Banerjee and Manish Tewari has been accepted for presentation at the Sixth Annual Indian Finance Conference at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India, in December 2016, and will be submitted to a journal soon. Another paper, “Alliances and Stock Market Response 2016: A Comparative Analysis Across Industries” coauthored with Rajesh Kumar and Manish Tewari is in progress and will be ready for submission to conference presentations by the end of December 2016.

Asian Research Center Dr. Raj Aggarwal, Emeritus Professor and ex-Dean of Akron, University in Ohio, an expert in international banking and finance, delivered the inaugural lecture for the Asian Research Center in October. The Asia Research Center, which fosters collaborative research between Menlo College faculty and renowned scholars in Asia will develop a working paper series and invite Asian scholars to the Menlo campus in the months ahead.

PHOTO: DARCY BLAKE

Sending Postcards of Gratitude

All of us have someone in our lives who has helped us get to where we are today. In recognition of that special support, academic advisors at Menlo College arranged for new students to begin their college experience with a gratitude project during orientation. New advisees wrote postcards of thanks to those who helped them on the path to college. Regan Acharya, Pierre-Louis Dantoine-Fischmeister, Judy Wassman, Rachel Tipton, and Robin Haegele looked at some of the postcards that were sent in gratitude.

Pokémon Go at Menlo!

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okémon Go is a free-to-play, location-based reality game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android devices. It was initially released in July 2016. Menlo College is already in the heart of it, according to Annette Rodriguez ’17, an accounting and MIS major from San Francisco. Rodriguez ought to know these details since she is already a Level 21 player in the game. She has been playing ever since the app was released. The ultimate goal of the game is to complete the entries in the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by obtaining the original 151 Pokémon.

Rodriguez, who watched Pokémon shows while growing up, loves the game because she feels like it is part of her childhood. “It’s pretty cool,” she smiled.

After establishing a game account, the player creates an avatar by selecting facial features, along with an outfit. Once created, the avatar is displayed on a map that uses the player’s current geographical location.

Features on the map include PokéStops and Pokémon gyms.

PokéStops provide players with items, such as Poké Balls.

Annette Rodriguez ’17, and Shanelle Sebastian '17 play Pokémon at Menlo.

Players get acquainted with geographical landmarks that they visit to grab items such as Poké Balls. At Menlo, those landmarks may include the statue near the Academic Success Center, or the sign at the front of campus. While walking around campus for this interview, Rodriguez ran into Pokémon aficionado Shanelle Sebastian ‘17, and within minutes, six more students became part of the pursuit.

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Art Awe

Forgotten Paper–A Collection of Paper Left Behind

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orgotten Paper – A Collection of Paper Left Behind is an exhibit composed of a fraction of the forgotten paper collected at and around Menlo College printers during fall finals week.

Instead of recycling the unclaimed printer paper at the Bowman Library, the Menlo College librarians decided to display some of it in order to remind the campus community that we can do better.

The concept for Forgotten Paper originated through the team efforts of the librarians.

Cheryl Collins, Technical Services Librarian and College Archivist, suggested that an exhibit or display using the collected paper would be a way to raise awareness of the problem, and serve as a reminder to students to print only what is necessary – and that when they print, to retrieve their documents from the printers.

Melissa Pincus, then a Menlo Information Services librarian, agreed and drew on her previous experience in retail to conceptualize the idea. Pincus, the paper crumpler and stringer, worked with Dave Chavez from facilities to install the paper garlands from the ceiling in the lobby of Menlo’s library.

Forgotten Paper inspires creative thought about how society can reduce waste, paper, and otherwise build a more sustainable existence.

The 2016 Faculty, Staff, Friends, Alumni, and Student Art Exhibition

The 2016 Faculty, Staff, Friends, Alumni, and Student Art Exhibition included a vibrant selection of photographs, digital prints, paintings, textiles, sculptural wall hangings, and a variety of two-dimensional, mixed-media works. Artists include Terri Givens, Judy Wasmann, Lowell Pratt, Lynne Auld, Nadine Zellner, Jodie Austin, Tricia Soto, Calvin Choi, Michael Pauker, Kristian Hagen, Ryan McJunkin, Felicia Ann, Peggy Crovetto, Mario Navasero, Chaves, David Polka, and Erik Bakke.

Above left, Artist Jodie Austin, right, artist Ryan McJunkin and his wife Carly were awed by art at the opening reception.

Right, Marianne Neuwirth and Director of the Menlo College Art Committee Erik Bakke with Michael Pauker’s art work.

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PHOTO BY ANDREY POLIAKOV

2017

arks the 90th Anniversary of Menlo College. There will m be a year-long celebration of events. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months.

January 9

First Day of Instruction Winter ’17

January 28 Apollo Night March 2

Save-the-Date Annual Fundraiser Devil’s Canyon Brewery

March 25

Hawaii Club Luau

April 8

Vegas Night for Menlo Athletics

May 6

Commencement

Top left, Apollo Night Top right, Athletes take a break Middle left, Hula Middle, Members of the women’s basketball team at Convocation Middle right, Saybah Biawogi ‘19 and Blake Barbre ‘18 at OAKtoberFest

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