Roanoke College Magazine 2016 (Issue 1)

ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE ISSUE ONE 2016

Table of Contents

5 D ePartMeN ts 2

PRESIDENT’S PEN BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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SNAPSHOTS

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WE HEARD FROM YOU...

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COLLEGE NEWS • RC’s burgeoning Screen Studies concentration • Fulbright, JET: Educational exchange awards • Roanoke to lead community health initiative.

30 SPORTS NEWS • Major moves in men’s basketball • Bast Finale 34 ALUMNI NEWS • Catching up with...Benton Morgan ’06 • An alumnus reflects on the life of a lacrosse teammate.

12 f eature s

12 Gauging Public Opinion How the Roanoke College Institute for Policy and Opinion Research became an important player in the world of measuring how and what the public thinks.

BY MA S ON ADAM S

20 Learning inside the Beltway The Lutheran College Washington Semester program offers Roanoke students a taste of work and life in the nation’s capital.

BY JENN Y K IN CAI D B O ONE ’0 1

42 MAROON MUSINGS “Thank You, Roanoke” 43 FROM THE ARCHIVES And the band played on...

44 ROANOTES Roanoke College, by the numbers

22 Medical Mission Dr. Jonathan Maher ’97 returns to his Southwest Virginia roots after years of military service and a stint as a team doctor in the NBA.

BY S ARA H C OX

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26 Campaign News • Love of cross-cultural studies inspires an endowed scholarship for study abroad.

• The Monument Club: Commemorating classes from the 1970s while giving back.

AT LEFT: Maroons at the mountaintip: Hiking to McAfee Knob, one of the most photographed spots on the Appalachian Trail as it winds through Virginia. Photo by Anna Holley ’18.

ON THE COVER: For nearly 35 years, within the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Roanoke College Institute for Public Opinion Research has conducted polls on electoral politics and social issues, and measured consumer sentiment and real estate outlook in Virginia. Directing IPOR (initially called the Center for Community Research) since the late 1980s has been Dr. Harry Wilson, pictured at left. Dr. Alice Kassens, center, and Dr. David Taylor, right, joined the institute in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Photo by Sam Dean.

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PRESIDENT’S PEN

Roanoke College Magazine

arlier this year, the College rented out our Bast Center to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who was on the presidential campaign trail in Virginia in advance of Super Tuesday.

Because we aim to produce great citizens as the outcome of a Roanoke College education, we agreed to the event.

It was one of the few times in the College’s history that a presidential candidate has visited campus during an active campaign, and there was a lot of excitement.

Students who supported the candidate jumped in and helped organize the event. Other students, who opposed the candidate’s positions, and perhaps other candidates, planned peaceful and educational demonstrations. It was a great day for discourse and an opportunity to engage our students in national politics.

Politics has a solid presence here at Roanoke — in the classroom, in student-led organizations, in experiential learning opportunities, but also as a founding focus of the College’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research.

For nearly 35 years, the polling center has taken the political pulse of Virginia and more recently, gauged public sentiment about the economy, home-buying and mortgage rates.

The Institute for Policy and Opinion Research is the subject of the cover story of this issue of Roanoke magazine — appropriately during this robust political campaign season, a time when the work of the institute will be worth watching more than ever.

I, most certainly, will be watching. Will you?

Go Maroons!

E

“

It was a great day for discourse and an opportunity to engage our students in national politics.

”

Editor Leslie Taylor Contributing Editors Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 Teresa Gereaux ’87 Alumni News Linda Lindsay Archives Linda Miller Contributors Mason Adams Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 Sarah Cox Nan Johnson Brian Hoffman ’74 Bethany Montrose ’17 Emily Sorenson ’16 Photography Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 Sam Dean Pete Emerson ’80 Anna Holley ’18 Griffin Pivarunas ’16 Carissa Szuch Divant Natalee Waters Design & Production Mikula-Harris Printing Bison Printing

Roanoke College does not discriminate against students, employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status.

Roanoke College Magazine is published twice a year by the Office of Public Relations for alumni, students, parents, staff and friends of Roanoke College. Editorial rights are reserved.

Michael Creed Maxey

Questions, comments and corrections may be sent to: Magazine Editor Roanoke College Public Relations Office 221 College Lane Salem, VA 24153-3794 rcmagazine@roanoke.edu

2016 – 2017 | board of trustees Mr. Morris M. Cregger, Jr. ’64, chairman Ms. Kathryn Snell Harkness ’73, vice chair The Reverend James F. Mauney, D.D., secretary Mr. Mark P. Noftsinger, treasurer Mr. Michael C. Maxey, president of the College Mr. Kenneth J. Belton, Sr. ’81 Mr. Kirk Howard Betts Dr. Paris D. Butler ’00 Ms. Pamela L. Cabalka ’76 Dr. M. Paul Capp ’52 Mr. Joseph H. Carpenter, IV ’99

Ms. Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo ’78 Mr. W. Morgan Churchman ’65 Mr. Malon W. Courts ’92 Mr. James Spencer Frantz, Jr. Mr. David L. Guy ’75 Mr. Michael P. Haley ’73 Ms. Judith B. Hall ’69 Mr. Richard S. Hathaway ’73 Ms. Peggy Fintel Horn ’78 Mr. Donald J. Kerr ’60 Mr. John E. Lang ’73 Mr. Patrick R. Leardo

Ms. Nancy B. Mulheren ’72 Mr. Roger A. Petersen ’81 The Reverend J. Christopher Price ’75 Mr. J. Tyler Pugh ’70 Ms. Margaret Lynn Jacobs Reichenbach The Reverend Dr. Theodore F. Schneider ’56 Mr. Andrew K. Teeter ’71 Ms. Helen Twohy Whittemore ’80 Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. McCartin (Ann K.)

College Switchboard ....................................(540) 375-2500

(Ex-officio, Co-Chairs of the Parent Leadership Council)

Church Relations ..........................................(540) 375-2547

221 College Lane | Salem, VA 24153-3794 | www.roanoke.edu

Admissions Local .........................................(540) 375-2270 Admissions Toll-free......................................(800) 388-2276 Alumni/Parent Relations................................(540) 375-2238 Alumni E-mail .......................................alumni@roanoke.edu Colket Center ...............................................(540) 378-5125 Intercollegiate Athletics .................................(540) 375-2338 Olin Box Office..............................................(540) 375-2333

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© 2016 Roanoke College. All rights reserved. Roanoke College, Classic for Tomorrow and associated logos are trademarks of Roanoke College.

snapshots Capturing the candidate at the Feb. 28 rally in Bast Gym for presidential hopeful Marco Rubio (top left, continuing clockwise). • Dr. Robert Stauffer, retired Roanoke College economics professor (on right), discussed inflation on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” • Andrew Dittmar ’16 creatively promoted the work of Habitat for Humanity at an Activities Fair. • The real snow blowers: Megan Curbelo ’19, Alex Wegly ’18, Anita Lane ’18 and Taryn Thompson ’18 enjoying a mid-winter snowfall.

• R-Glow, a glow-in-the-dark audio and visual experience, held in Alumni Gym in November 2015.

Our men’s basketball teamed scored 156 points last night!!! But even that wasn’t enough in the end as Lynchburg scored 160 points after double OT. Hard loss, but what a great effort! http://bit.ly/1PTsJOv Roanoke College

WE HEARD fROM yOu

A Roanoke College favorite, Mac and Bob’s, helped out today by providing 16 feet of submarine sandwiches to feed the city’s snow removal workers.

Sarah Ahlbrand @seahlbrand

@FromPhDtoLife Had wonderful mentors at @RoanokeCollege, but struggled to find ones in #gradschool Roanoke College CAB @RoanokeCAB

Congratulations to the winner of Roanoke’s Got Talent. Sabrina [McIntyre ’16], you blew the audience away! #roanokecollege

Roanoke College

LE TT ER S, TW EETS & PO S TS

Roanoke College @RoanokeCollege

LETTERS Happy New Year (Hau’oli Makahiki Hou). Thank you for the great article in the magazine. I have gotten some nice emails from people I haven’t heard from in a while.

Our students got to vote for who they wanted to pie for Pi Day and they chose Dr. Anil [Shende]… https://www.instagram.com/p/BC_MtJ_K4 Wk/

[Virginia State Del.] Greg Habeeb @GregHabeeb

I want to meet the obnoxious college kids I see on TV. Every time I speak at @RoanokeCollege, the kids are polite, thoughtful and engaged.

Thank you again and all the best in 2016.

Aloha, Alan Friedlander, Ph.D.’80 Kailua, Hawaii

Zahava Urecki @ZahavaUrecki

Glad I could represent @RoanokeCollege in Jerusalem as part of the @SchustermanFoun REALITY Scholars trip to Israel!

SOCIAL MEDIA First Dun [Women’s Basketball Coach Susan Dunagan] and now Moir. As they were around during my tenure in the mid ’90s, though, it’s been quite a run with the two coaching staffs. Great years. Great coaches.

Lori Schantz

RC campus is still my favorite place on earth. Gorgeous and full of memories. Can’t wait for Alumni Weekend!

Joy Walker

Roanoke College students are made up of a large, diverse group from all around, and yet when there is a need, they can come together for a cause. Our likeminded politicians should learn from them, and be able to come together, decide who is most capable, with help from the others, and form a cabinet among themselves.

Such a good mix of minds, if they are willing. THAT is what our country needs!

Sheree Duggan

Paul Hanstedt@curriculargeek

That moment when the quietest kid stands up & reads a story that ends with a song. & he sings the song. & the whole class cheers & cheers.

BEHIND THE COVER… Task: Compose and shoot a cover photo that illustrates the work of Roanoke College’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research. Ingredients: One room, three faculty members, three student and staff volunteers, at least 10 rows of computers, one photographer, one art director, one photo assistant — and one hour. Challenges: Time constraints, an IPOR call center with deep, narrow dimensions.

Final product: See cover. Thankful for: The keen eyes and artistic talents of photographer Sam Dean and art director David Harris; and the patience of Dr. Harry Wilson,IPOR director; his colleagues, Dr. Alice Kassens and Dr. David Taylor; Public Affairs staffer Judi Pinckney; and students Holly Belcher ’16 and Emily Sorenson ’16.

We want to hear from you! Roanoke magazine welcomes letters and emails about what you read in this publication. Mail letters to: Magazine Editor, Department of Public Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153, or send an email to: rcmagazine@roanoke.edu. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and may be edited for content.

CONNECT WITH US:

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FACEBOOK facebook.com/roanoke

INSTAGRAM #roanokecollege

SNAPCHAT @roanokecollege

collegenews

“

I learned a lot through this experience.

I grew to appreciate what people in Hollywood do.

— Stephanie Spector ’16

”

Stephanie Spector ’16 at the April 21 screening of “Daylily Day,” a feature film she wrote and produced.

screen dreams Screen Studies finds audience at Roanoke ROANOKE COLLEGE’S EMERGING Screen Studies concentration took center stage in April, with on- and off-campus screenings of four student-produced films.

The screenings capped an active first year for Screen Studies, culminating with the College’s first film contest, wittily named “Basically Tarantino”— an homage to filmmaker and actor Quentin Tarantino — and the filming of a student-written and produced feature film.

Three short films that won Tarantino festival awards were screened for the public at Roanoke’s historic Grandin Theatre on April 21. They included “No Excuse,” produced by Alisa Bidwell ’17 and Jaclynn Frost ’17; “The Mkay Pierce Story,” produced by David Hall ’17; and the Nicholas Wolf ’16 -produced “The Pay Up.” Featured at the Grandin screening was “Daylily Day,” a film produced by Stephanie Spector ’16. Last year, Spector penned her first screenplay and entered it in a College screenwriting contest. After the screenplay was selected as one of three winners, Spector applied for and received a $5,000 student project grant from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.

The result of Spector’s yearlong project was a 12-minute feature film, shot at several on-campus spots and at a local hospital. The cast and crew consisted primarily of College students and faculty.

“I was lucky to have such talented people,” said Spector, a creative writing major. “I learned a lot through this experience.

I grew to appreciate what people in Hollywood do.”

Asked if the experience clarified her career direction, she said “Heck yeah. I love this. I had a blast.”

Spector credited Joe Boucher ’87, a former Hollywood producer who now is the College’s director of student activities and the Colket Center. Boucher served as the film’s advisor.

“I was confident in her vision,” said Boucher, who noted that the screenplay was better than 90 percent of what he had seen in Hollywood. “The storytelling and narrative were really good. I was struck by how extraordinary it was.”

“You can’t make a good movie from a bad screenplay.”

Stephanie Spector ’16, and Joe Boucher ’87 during filming of “Daylily Day.”

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collegenews AC C OL A D ES

RC students win Fulbright, JET awards

Tessa Sydnor ’16

THREE ROANOKE COLLEGE STUDENTS have received prestigious educational exchange awards.

Tessa Sydnor ’16, a Literary Studies major, has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant to South Korea.

Hannah Bear ’18, a Communications major, will spend three weeks in July at King’s College in London as a Fulbright Summer Institute awardee.

Sarah Morris ’16, an International Relations major, has earned a position in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. (Japan does not offer Fulbright ETAs, preferring to use their self-directed JET program.)

Sydnor, who will depart for South Korea in late July, will represent the United States as a cultural ambassador while overseas, helping to enhance mutual understanding between Americans and South Koreans. She joins more than 100,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumni who have undertaken grants since the program began in 1948.

This is Sydnor’s second opportunity to live in South Korea and pursue her passion for the culture and art of the region. In 2013, the Literary Studies major studied in South Korea with the Gilman Scholarship program.

Bear is one of only five U.S. students selected for the highly competitive Fulbright Summer Institute program and the fifth Roanoke College student in four years to receive one of these awards. She will attend a three-week assessed module —“Wonderland: 100 years of children’s literature”— at King’s College.

Morris is the first Roanoke student to be accepted into the JET program, an initiative sponsored by the Japanese government to pro6 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

Hannah Bear ’18

mote internationalization at the grassroots level by bringing young, college-educated individuals to work in communities throughout Japan.

She will work full time for a year as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in the public school system. In the JET Program, participants gain

Sarah Morris ’16

valuable work experience abroad and explore a rich and historical culture.

Roanoke is now listed among the Fulbright program’s top producers, an honor earned by Roanoke and Roanoke students for three consecutive years.

Kuchar receives second Fulbright DR. MARTHA KUCHAR, chair of the Roanoke College English department, has won a Fulbright Fellowship to support her sabbatical work in Moldova in the 2016-17 academic year.

Kuchar will teach in Moldova, a small Eastern European country bordered by Ukraine and Romania. Once part of the Russian Empire, it was also one of the republics of the USSR and declared its independence in 1991.

“I’m proud to be named a Fulbright Scholar to Moldova,” Kuchar said. “Emerging from the dark cloud of the recent Soviet past, Moldova and other parts of Eastern Europe are in a period of reconstruction and reinvention. Americans have much to learn about Eastern Europe, and people there are eager to learn about us, too.

I’m honored to be part of the dialogue.”

This is Kuchar’s second Fulbright award. In “Americans have much to learn 2009, she was selected as a Fulbright scholar grantee to Ukraine. about Eastern Europe, and Kuchar holds a B.A. in English from University at Albany-SUNY an M.A. and a Ph.D. in people there are eager to learn Russian Literatureandfrom Cornell University. Her research and teaching interests include the about us, too. I’m honored to literature of Russia and Eastern Europe, world be part of the dialogue.” literature and women’s writing.

FAITH

Roanoke establishes teen theology institute ROANOKE COLLEGE HAS RECEIVED a $102,374 grant to establish Theology for Teens, a weeklong residential summer program to introduce high school students to biblical and theological scholarship, and help them engage in contemporary challenges. The program is designed to cultivate future leaders and give students the opportunity to discuss current cultural and social problems from the perspective of their faith.

Theology for Teens — or “T4Teens”— is a partnership with the Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and is funded as part of the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s High School Youth Theology Institutes initiative.

“Our students will encounter the thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who engaged momentous problems of his time from the Lutheran tradition, grapple with current social issues, as well as engage with other faith communities,” said Dr. Ned Wisnefske, Schumann Professor of Lutheran Theology at Roanoke and director of T4Teens.

Scheduled for July 24-31, the program will be led by faculty members of Roanoke’s religion department, as well as the Rev. Chris Bowen, Roanoke’s Dean of the Chapel, in partnership with the Virginia Synod’s Assistant to the Bishop for Youth Ministry. Roanoke College students also will serve as student leaders in the program.

Roanoke is one of 82 schools in 29 states and Washington, D.C. participating in this initiative.

LA NG UA GE A ND CULT U RE INVE ST HE ALTH

LCI English Center opens at Roanoke ROANOKE COLLEGE IS EXPANDING opportunities for international students through a new partnership with LCI (Language Consultants International) Language Centers. An LCI English language school is now open on the Roanoke College campus. The first full term for international students began in January 2016.

LCI English schools provide students from all over the world with the language skills and cultural experience needed to succeed at U.S. colleges and universities. LCI Roanoke students receive the rigorous English instruction required for a productive academic career, while also participating in all the cultural, recreational and social experiences the College and the Roanoke Valley have to offer.

Students studying at LCI have the opportunity to live on campus as well as full access to Roanoke College’s Fintel Library, recreation facilities, dining options, computer labs and other amenities.

Jacob Krueger, a Wisconsin native, is the new center director of LCI Roanoke. Krueger is the former education director at LCI Houston.

LCI Language Centers currently operates five English schools nationwide. LCI is accredited by CEA, the ComJacob Krueger, center director mission on English Language Program Accreditation. of LCI Roanoke.

College will lead community health initiative ROANOKE COLLEGE WILL LEAD A TEAM of city of Roanoke partners in an initiative that aims to help low-income neighborhoods thrive by addressing issues related to health inequity.

Roanoke is one of 50 cities selected to take part in the new “Invest Health” initiative, funded by the Reinvestment Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Invest Health has a goal of transforming how leaders from mid-size American cities work together to help low-income communities thrive, with specific attention to health-driven community features such as access to safe and affordable housing, places to play and exercise, and quality jobs.

Roanoke’s Invest Health team, which will receive a $60,000 grant, was selected from more than 180 teams that applied to the initiative.

Dr. Liz Ackley-Holbrook, associate professor of Health and Human Performance at Roanoke College, will lead a team that includes representatives from the City of Roanoke; Freedom First Credit Union; United Way of Roanoke Valley, Healthy Roanoke Valley; and the Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP). Invest Health will seek to leverage Roanoke’s civic infrastructure to guide investment and redevelopment planning efforts in the city’s Northwest quadrant to improve health outcomes and neighborhood-level access to healthy Ackley-Holbrook living resources.

“Roanoke is a fantastic city with incredible resources, yet too many of our residents experience poverty, lack access to healthy foods, and report poor health status,” Holbrook said. “Through our participation in Invest Health, our cross-sector team will learn how to better address issues of health inequity in our city and will actively seek solutions to improve access to healthy living in neighborhoods that need it most.”

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collegenews DIA LO GU E

Teach-in sheds light on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Leah Weinstein ‘17, one of the student organizers of Israel-Palestine Peace Month, speaks at the teach-in.

THE HOPE AND VICTORY OF ONE NATION often results in the displacement of another.

Roanoke College faculty, students and staff discussed this international dilemma involving Israel and Palestine, during an on-campus teach-in this spring.

The event, which drew a crowd that filled one side of the Colket Center Atrium, was part of Israel-Palestine Peace Month, a group of student-organized activities held in March and April to promote peace relations.

The teach-in featured a panel of three Roanoke faculty members — Dr. Robert Willingham, associate professor of “As a dichotomy it’s hopeless, history, Dr. Jonathan Snow, visiting assistant professor of public affairs, but to look past that and break and Holly Jordan, visiting instructor of religion/philosophy. it down, there is an enormous Willingham started the talk by discussing a brief history of Israel, well of positivity.”

Jewish refugees and the ideology of Zionism. Snow touched on political moments that defined and displaced refugees, and the struggle of giving justice to the opposing sides. Jordan addressed the diversity of international Jewish communities by focusing on Ethiopian Jews and the refugee narrative.

The panel drew attention to the relationship between identity and religion, and the struggle to seek justice for each nation.

“There is no way to give total justice to one side without being unfair to the other side,” Snow said.

“As a dichotomy it’s hopeless, but to look past that and break it down, there is an enormous well of positivity,” Willingham added.

Several students asked the faculty panelists questions related to U.S. involvement, Arab-Jewish dialogue and peace talks, and the construction of a Palestinian identity.

— Emily Sorenson ’16

N UM BE R - CRUNCHE R S

Maroon stat Crew collects, analyzes sports data A MUTUAL LOVE OF THE MOVIE “MONEYBALL” led to the creation of a new student group at Roanoke College dedicated to providing statistical analyses to Roanoke sports teams.

Dr. Roland Minton, a math professor at Roanoke, said he got his students interested in the new group, the Maroon Stat Crew, by comparing it to “Moneyball,” which stars Brad Pitt, as the general manager for the Oakland A’s, who develops a roster of baseball misfits with the help of a number-crunching economist.

Minton founded the stat crew in the fall of 2015 with seven students of various majors. Since then, it has nearly doubled in size, with 13 students by February of this year. Stat crew members attend Roanoke College sporting events to collect and analyze data for the teams. At basketball games, for example, the crew tracks and records statistics reflecting the locations of shots and rebounds, a variety of hustle statistics, and offensive and defensive efficiency.

The crew has worked with the men’s and women’s soccer and basketball teams. This spring, it kept statistics for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

Andrew Feeney ’16, a lacrosse player and stat crew member, said the statistics not only help the crew connect the classroom to the sports community, but they also help “hold the athletes accountable.”

The stat crew uses an app created by Dr. Adam Childers — a math professor at Roanoke — that shows a diagram of the field or court and allows the students to input data on their laptops, creating statistics in real time. The stat crew hopes to provide coaches access to the app in the future, which 8 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

would allow them to see the stats as they are created during the games.

The crew attends home games in groups of threes. At the basketball games, one person records the shots, another person records rebounds, and a third person calls out the action on the court as the other two are recording.

Feeney said the stat crew has been a great way for students to try their hand at something that may spark a career interest.

“It is cool to start something new — my little stamp on Roanoke College,” he said. — Emily Sorenson ’16

Stat Crew members at work during a live match.

H ONO RI N G O UR O W N

Pilon, Martino receive College Medal MARY CLAUDIA BELK PILON ’96 AND MICHAEL A. MARTINO ’79 are recipients of this year’s Roanoke College Medal. They were honored during Alumni Weekend, in April, for strong contributions to their communities and in their career fields.

The medal recognizes Roanoke alumni who have demonstrated leadership, intellectual integrity, and a dedication to serving their communities.

After graduating from Roanoke, Pilon worked as the College’s assistant alumni director. Later, she spent 12 years in retail management for Belk, Inc., in North Carolina and five years with The Belk Foundation, a family foundation that focuses on improving early childhood education, teaching and leadership in public schools.

In 2012, she became chair of the John M. Belk Endowment. She now leads the endowment on its mission to create a stronger North Carolina by providing postsecondary education to underrepresented students. In 2015, the endowment gave more than $13 million to organizations and institutions.

Pilon and her husband, Jeffrey Pilon, have three children.

Martino earned an MBA at Virginia Tech after graduating from Roanoke, and in 1983, began a career in the pharmaceutical industry at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, where he held positions in planning, business development, marketing and general management. Martino later became vice president and general manager of Mallinckrodt’s global nuclear medicine business and has been CEO at several medical and biosciences companies.

In 2015, Martino became president, CEO, and a member of the Board of Directors of Hemaflo Therapeutics. Martino is the father of two grown sons.

2016 Roanoke College Medalists Michael Martino, at left, and M.C. Belk Pilon, at right, with Roanoke College President Michael Maxey.

— Emily Sorenson ’16

C ARP ENT E R NA M ED A EC C H AI R

Four appointed to Roanoke Board of Trustees NEW TRUSTEES HAVE BEEN APPOINTED to the Roanoke College Board of Trustees. They include Kirk Howard Betts, of Bethesda, Md., James Spencer Frantz Jr., of Salem, Va., and Helen Twohy Whittemore ’80, of Virginia Beach, Va. Joseph H. Carpenter IV ’99 of Norfolk, Va., will assume the Alumni Executive Council presidency and as such, will serve as an ex-officio board member. He succeeds Rick Oglesbee ’95, who had served as AEC president since 2010.

Betts is managing partner with Betts & Holt LLP in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University in 1973 and a Juris Doctor from American University in 1979. A member of the American Bar Association, D.C. Bar Association, Maryland Bar Association and Energy Bar Association, Betts also holds membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Attorneys Association and is former chairman of the Board of Directors of Lutheran World Relief.

Frantz is CEO and president of Graham-White Manufacturing Co. in Salem. He earned a

Bachelor of Science degree from Washington and Lee University and an MBA from Wake Forest University. Frantz serves on the Board of Directors of Valley Financial Corp. and has been involved in a number of non-profit organizations including Boy Scouts of American, the Virginia Museum of Transportation and Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, Inc. He is the great-grandson of James Frantz ’1898.

Whittemore, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Roanoke in 1980, is vice president/ secretary of Capital Concrete. Her Roanoke involvement, since graduation, includes serving on the Campaign Steering Committee, Hampton Roads Regional Campaign Committee and the

President’s Advisory Board. Her community involvement includes serving on the board of Bon Secours DePaul Health Foundation.

Carpenter earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Roanoke in 1999 and a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University in 2002. He is general attorney and E-Discovery counsel for Norfolk Southern Corp. He has served on the President’s Advisory Board at Roanoke, the Alumni Executive Council and Campaign Steering Committee. He is son, husband, brother and brother-in-law of Roanoke alumni.

Joining the board as ex-officio members are Parent Leadership Council Co-chairs Michael and Ann McCartin, of Ashton, Md. Their daughter is a senior at Roanoke.

Three new members have been appointed to the Community Advisory Group. They include Nicholas C. Conte, chairman of Woods Rogers PLC; Quinn Graeff, associate general counsel, Medical Facility of America, Inc.; and Cynthia Morgan Shelor, president and CEO of John T. Morgan Roofing and Sheet Metal.

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collegenews C OMME NCE ME NT 2 0 16

“

I have never believed there is something called “the real world”…Your world will be exactly what you make of it.

The problem is that many people don’t make anything of it, because they have a mental block, a block that allows them to assume that they can’t. Well today, we, your parents and teachers, are here to remove that block.

Because we believe you can be the difference…

Never has a generation had more opportunity to change the world.

”

— 2016 Commencement speaker Michael Rhodin, senior vice president of IBM Watson and father of 2016 graduate Olivia Rhodin.

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CARISSA SZUCH

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GAUGING PUBLIC

OPINION Roanoke College’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research has kept an impressively accurate finger on the political pulse of Virginia and has emerged as a national source for how Virginians feel about the economy, home-buying and mortgage rates.

BY MASON ADAMS

O

n Super Tuesday 2016, Democrats and Republicans in Virginia and 10 other states headed to the election polls to cast a ballot with their choice for a party nominee.

Dr. Harry Wilson, a professor in Roanoke College’s Department of Public Affairs, watched the results closely, for two reasons.

First, Wilson is a senior political analyst at the Roanoke Valley’s CBS affiliate, WDBJ7, and would be called upon that evening to provide punditry about what it all meant. Second, the Virginia primary marked the first test of 2016 polls conducted by the College’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research (IPOR).

This election year is shaping up to be IPOR’s biggest so far in its history, and Wilson, who serves as the institute’s director, appears to be bubbling with excitement.

“So many things in this election I am not happy about, so it’s difficult for me to say I’m excited; ‘fascinated’ is a better word,” Wilson says.

Along with IPOR’s primary poll, which showed Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with substantial leads in the Democratic and Republican primaries, the institute plans to conduct five general election polls: one in August and two each in September and October.

Additionally, IPOR conducts quarterly consumer sen-

For nearly 30 years, Dr. Harry Wilson has directed what is now known as the Roanoke College Institute for Policy and Opinion Research. His IPOR colleagues now include Dr. Alice Kassens, the College’s John S. Shannon Professor of Economics, and Dr. David Taylor, associate professor and chairman of the department of mathematics, computer science and physics.

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Roanoke College polls became an institution following its first year of political polling in 1994, tracking Virginia as it moved closer to the center of the national conversation.

timent and real estate polls of Virginia, delivering index numbers that measure confidence in the economy compared to in the past.

As political observers and economists continue to increasingly rely on a steady diet of polls showing how people feel about the world, Roanoke College and IPOR have taken on a crucial role in Virginia and beyond.

1983: BEGINNINGS IPOR began as the Center for Community Research in 1983, when it was run by sociology Professor Gregory Weiss. Each fall, the center 14 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

partnered with what was then The Roanoke Times & World-News for an annual community survey. Each spring, it took on service-oriented research projects, working with government agencies and non-profit organizations on program analyses and surveys.

The community survey was offered as a fall class for students, who spent three months in the field going door to door to speak to Roanoke Valley residents. The Roanoke Times & World-News devoted the front page of its Sunday Horizon section to publishing the results, presented as a snapshot of the valley’s life.

Wilson arrived at Roanoke College in the fall of 1986, three years into the life of the polling center. “Dr. Weiss was moving

onto other things and I was interested in this work,” says Wilson, who earned his doctorate at Rutgers University, which maintained a polling operation. Intrigued by the idea of directing a polling center, “it was a great opportunity that I may not have had at another institution,” he says.

By the early 1990s, The Roanoke Times (by then, the paper had dropped “WorldNews”) had re-thought its arrangement with the Center for Community Research and discontinued its partnership. Wilson took the loss of the center’s sponsor as an opportunity to try its hand at something new: political polling.

In 1994, when Col. Oliver North, a Republican, challenged former governor and incumbent U.S. Sen. Charles Robb, Wilson moved to make his idea a reality.

That first year of political polling ran on a shoestring.

The Roanoke College center conducted only one poll that year, and Wilson was not pleased when he saw the results, which showed Robb with a lead over North, though it fell within the margin of error. Every other poll showed North with a lead. Wilson suggested to his research partner, John Keyser, that perhaps they shouldn’t release their results.

“John sat me down and said, ‘Can you tell me any single thing that we did wrong? Tell me logically. Where did we screw up?’” Wilson says. “I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t think we did screw up.’ He looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Well, then let’s release it.’”

The poll’s release was met with skepticism from the campaigns of North and independent Marshall Coleman. The North campaign spokesman said it didn’t match the GOP’s internal polls, and Coleman’s camp dismissed it altogether, with his spokesman telling The Roanoke Times, “I don’t think any of that is true.

There’s nothing to show that kind of movement. It just isn’t there.”

Roanoke College was vindicated by a series of polls that followed it, however, as well as the final result, when Robb narrowly won re-election with 46 percent of the vote to North’s 43 percent.

“There were raised eyebrows, but we were correct,” Wilson says. “Other polls fell

“I was on a local political show and was asked about a poll for the Republican presidential candidates. I was able to give some insight into this poll. It seemed like suddenly, everything had come full circle. Here I was talking about a poll in the same way Dr. Wilson talks about polls.”

— Sara Gubala ’98, former IPOR student volunteer who now teaches political science at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas

in line behind us afterward. I was really pleased. It told me we really did know what we were doing.”

Roanoke College polls became an institution over the following years, tracking Virginia as it moved closer and closer to the center of the national conversation.

Sara Gubala ’98, a political science/Spanish major, while at Roanoke, got involved with the center through a class. She joined during the 1997 gubernatorial race.

“Initially, it was frightening,” Gubala says. “Calling people was not something I enjoyed doing. I distinctly remember Dr. Wilson telling me, ‘Either call and complete surveys or your grade will suffer,’ so that made it very real to me. Once I got past the initial awkwardness, it was OK.” Gubala participated in several more surveys. Her involvement at the center led her to become more involved in politics, attending the Virginia Republican convention and interning with U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Roanoke County. Today, she teaches political science at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and she still carries her experience at Roanoke College with her.

Recently, “I was on a local political show. I was asked about a poll for the Republican presidential candidates, and I was able to give some insight into this poll,

which had been incorrect in another state,” Gubala says. “It seemed like suddenly, everything had come full circle. Here I was talking about a poll in the same way Dr. Wilson talks about polls.”

2008: EXPANSION The Center for Community Research dabbled in the 2004 presidential election, but in 2008 it jumped in with both feet. That presidential election completed Virginia’s transformation into a much-coveted battleground state, where either party can win. Victory there may mean winning nationally, so candidates devote considerable time, money and energy into courting voters. Battleground states also command the attention of national media outlets, which crave polls.

With the growth of Virginia’s influence and the subsequent growth in the number of polling operations watching the state, Wilson decided that the Center needed to scale up and branch out. He approached Roanoke College President Michael C. Maxey and Dr. Richard Smith, vice president and dean of the College.

Maxey “had always seen the value of polling and of IPOR, so when he became president I went to him with a proposal to expand,” Wilson says. “Dean Smith was

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also supportive. It fit in well with his philosophy of what a liberal arts college could do. Both were and continue to be very strong supporters.”

President Maxey says he recalls that meeting as a moment where we saw clearly Roanoke’s role in adding value and insight into national affairs.

“IPOR gave us the outlet for relevant value in that arena,” he says. “Of course, we had great confidence in Dr. Wilson and other faculty here to deliver a high quality, nonpartisan polling endeavor.”

With a beefed-up budget, Wilson began expansion in 2009. The following year, he hired Dr. David Taylor, associate professor and chairman of the College’s department of mathematics, computer science and physics, to become the center’s associate director for systems support and analysis.

Taylor came on board for his mathematical prowess, but as the center scaled up its software, his programming expertise played an important role as well. The strengths of Wilson and Taylor complemented one another, adding a new dimension.

“We work together well,” Taylor says.

“He’s been doing political science for years.

He’s got books out there, and he knows issues and how to talk about issues well.

He has the connections and the name to go along. What I bring is not any of that; it’s the opposite. I have a strong math background, I know enough stats that I can work with the numbers and not worry about them.”

The center hired a call center supervisor, and the call center was moved from a room in West Hall to the former Farmer’s National Bank Building down the street, where it was outfitted with 20 stations, computers and automatic dialers.

With all of the changes, a new name seemed in order, too, and in 2010, the Center for Community Research thus became the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, or IPOR for short.

“It’s dramatically different today than it was from where we were back in ’89,” Wilson says. “It’s a very different operation. Today, it’s more like a small business.”

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Directing a polling center, has been “a great opportunity that I may not have had at another institution.”

— Dr. Harry Wilson, IPOR director

2011: ECONOMICS “Business” not only describes how the institute functions, but a whole new focus of its survey operations.

As part of his expansion planning, Wilson cold-called Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute (SRI) in Loudonville, N.Y. Both Roanoke College and Siena College are small, religiously affiliated liberal arts colleges, so Wilson saw a kinship and similarity in mission.

Siena is positioned in a much different atmosphere, given its geographic proximity to Marist College and Quinnipiac University, both of which are known for their polling operations.

Wilson visited Siena College on an overnight trip, gathering ideas and information. Levy suggested that Roanoke College might begin measuring consumer sentiment in Virginia. Thus began a relationship that also includes Rutgers University in New Jersey.

“Our relationship with Roanoke College and Rutgers is really an exciting academic relationship,” Levy says. “We’re fully transparent with each other. We share questionnaire development. In many ways, it’s the best of what the academy [higher education] ought to offer — peers working with one another to enhance each other’s work and generate important information not only for the academy but the general public.”

To launch that survey at Roanoke College, however, Wilson needed an economics expert. He turned to Dr. Alice Kassens, Roanoke College’s John S. Shannon Professor of Economics.

Starting in November of 2011, IPOR

conducted twice-a-year consumer sentiment and real estate surveys using a real estate index developed by Siena College and a national consumer sentiment model created by the University of Michigan.

Over a series of 50 standardized questions, respondents are asked how they feel about their economic status in the present and how they anticipate it will change in the future. Their responses generate an index number that is used by economics and market analysts around the country.

Kassens remembers that, like Wilson, she felt nervous during that first run in 2011. “I was worried we’d make a mistake and get wacky numbers, but we didn’t,” she says.

To double-check her accuracy, Kassens later ran an analysis of those who took the longest to respond, concerned that they may have answered differently from those who responded immediately. To her relief, she found no statistical difference between the two, lending evidence that the methodology was sound.

In 2013, IPOR expanded its consumer sentiment and real estate surveys from twice-a-year to quarterly, with the eventual goal to run them monthly.

Additionally, IPOR works with its partners at Siena College and Rutgers University to take coordinated consumer sentiment polls in Virginia, New York and New Jersey, respectively.

Every October, Kassens presents results from the consumer sentiment surveys to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s Joint Advisory Board of Economists, of which she is a member, to help the state administration begin the process of building a budget.

Kassens has taken on a bigger role in

2016: THE FUTURE

A poll in action, in 2012.

regional media, too, appearing on WVTF radio and elsewhere to discuss the state of the economy. That, in turn, has led her to hone her public relations and communications skills.

“I find myself always thinking about what questions people will ask me,”

Kassens says. “I try to have an answer for them. They’re usually simple but excellent questions, things like ‘What does this mean for me?’ You need to get away from all the economic jargon, and just get down to basics. It’s been fun, and it’s certainly made me a better writer and economist.”

As IPOR heads into 2016, its economic surveys have become a crucial component of its work. Its political polls continue to drive media interest, however, particularly in an atmosphere where analysts and observers crave up-tothe-moment information on how voters are responding to candidates. Unlike the economic surveys, the political campaigns eventually do result in a final, definitive figure, measured on Election Day. Although the polls capture a moment in time prior to the election, observers often measure them against that final figure.

Wilson and IPOR suffered a bump in the road during the 2012 election, when its modeling showed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney with a lead over Barack Obama. When Obama won Virginia and the presidency, critics came down on the institute. Wilson acknowledges that he made a couple of mistaken assumptions about the shape of the electorate that year.

For 2016, Wilson and Taylor have tweaked their approach to incorporate political parties—a challenge, though not impossible, since there is no party registration in Virginia.

“We don’t just sit back and do the same things over and over again,” Taylor says.

“It’s not just about calibrating results.”

The changes seemed to work. IPOR’s Super Tuesday poll showed Clinton and Trump with leads, and each finished first in their respective primaries. As candidates move through primary season toward the party nominations and general election, IPOR continued to refine its approach.

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The polling process provides real-time, hands-on education for student workers such as Marie Brown ’18, a political science major. “I love hearing what the people in my state think about presidential candidates or different policies that are being debated,” she says.

The process provides a real-time, hands-on education for student workers such as Marie Brown ’18, a political science major.

“I participate in both the consumer sentiment and political polls,” Brown says, but “I prefer to survey people with the political poll because I love hearing what the people in my state think about presidential candidates or different policies that are being debated.”

“I am a Republican, so it makes me happy to find other Republicans out there who think like me,” Brown adds. “However, there have been several times when I have interviewed someone who identifies as a Democrat that makes me think about an issue in a way I have never thought about before.”

Kassens uses the results from her polling surveys in the classroom, pushing her students to not just dissect the index numbers, but to think critically about what they mean. It adds a real-time element to Wilson’s political science classes as well.

Today, IPOR is fulfilling President Maxey’s vision, operating as an increasingly important player in measuring public opinion in Virginia, while also engaging and building critical thinking skills in the students who pass through its doors. It

directly engages in developing students as whole persons and in propelling Roanoke College.

“Roanoke College has a voice on the national stage in many ways. Our students and faculty are conducting research and offering important contributions to public discourse,” Maxey says.

“IPOR is our best entry and insight into important national and state political affairs,” he adds. “Liberal arts colleges like Roanoke are not detached, sterile institutions. On the contrary, our work to educate students to become outstanding citizens is at the heart of what we do. IPOR and its work is a prime example of Roanoke fulfilling its mission to educate students for citizenship.” RC

“IPOR and its work makes a contribution to the citizens of Virginia and their understanding of civic affairs. With the 2016 presidential election and Virginia’s role as a swing state, IPOR’s work will be worth watching more than ever.”

— President Michael C. Maxey

National media refer to the Roanoke College poll as they analyze Virginia in its role as a political swing state.

18 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

THE

POLLSTER Journalists view Dr. Harry Wilson, IPOR director, as a reliable source for explaining political developments.

s the nation’s eyes turned to Virginia for its presidential primary, Roanoke College Professor Harry Wilson provided local media with a glimpse of how voters felt before the election, as well as analysis of what happened as the results were announced.

Since arriving at Roanoke College in 1986, Wilson has built a reputation as an important voice in Virginia politics. His political polling with the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research is closely watched by state and national media outlets looking for insight into a crucial swing state in presidential contests, and his occasional appearance as senior political analyst at WDBJ-7 gives him visibility on the Roanoke Valley’s most-watched news broadcast.

WDBJ journalist Joe Dashiell says that Wilson has served as a reliable source for explaining political developments. “Harry’s office in West Hall has become a regular stop in my coverage of state and national politics,” Dashiell says. “We often turn to him for the story behind the story, when there’s a significant development on the political front.”

Dashiell says that Wilson’s analysis complements that of his co-analyst, Robert Denton, the W. Thomas Rice Chair and head of Virginia

A

Tech’s Department of Communication.

“I appreciate Harry’s ability to explain things simply, without being simplistic,” Dashiell says.

“I often come away from our conversations with a fresh perspective on the issue we’re discussing. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s also one heck of a nice guy.”

Wilson grew up in southeast Pennsylvania, in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He grew up loving sports, especially baseball and football. He attended Penn State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in journalism. He went on to earn a master’s degree in political science. Wilson worked for a newspaper outside Philadelphia, but was profoundly impacted by an experience in which he had to try to speak to a family after their 15-year-old daughter killed herself.

“I walked away saying, ‘I don’t want to do this for a living’,” Wilson says.

Instead, he pursued his interest in politics, going on to earn a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. His dissertation focused on sentencing reform in New Jersey.

Wilson applied for a faculty position at Roanoke College in the fall of 1985 and was called for an interview the following spring.

He was charmed by the College campus, the

community and the chair of the Public Affairs Department, with whom he shared a workingclass background.

“It turned out to be a good fit,” Wilson said.

In addition to his work developing and growing the Center for Community Research into IPOR, Wilson has developed a reputation as a national expert on guns in American politics. In 2007, his first book, “Guns, Gun Control, and Elections: The Politics and Policy of Firearms,” was published by Rowman and Littlefield Publishing.

In early 2015, Wilson followed it up with “The Triumph of the Gun-Rights Argument: Why the Gun Control Debate Is Over,” which analyzed response to 2012’s Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, during which 20 children and six adults were killed, and a pair of decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court that definitively affirmed the right of individuals to bear arms.

Wilson also edited a two-volume reference set, “Gun Politics in America: Historical and Modern Documents in Context,” which tracks the history of guns as a political issue within the United States. — Mason Adams

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Cassandra Balosos

Nolan Webb

Erin Keating

Emily Crane

Bridget Reardon

Wes Knowles

INSIDE THEBELTWAY From the White House to the Department of Justice, the Smithsonian to the State Department, Roanoke College students filled important roles as interns in the nation’s capital this spring semester.

They were part of the Lutheran College Washington Semester. Since 1986, the program has offered students the opportunity to live and study in Washington, D.C., with internships and semester-long courses. The program is open to 13 Lutheran-affiliated private institutions, including Roanoke.

Six students shared details of their time spent on the front lines of some of the country’s most powerful offices.

by Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 For more information about LCWS, visit http://tinyurl.com/h9svuvb.

20 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

Emily Crane ’17 Washington Semester Internship: U.S. State Department Emily Crane ’17 got an up-close look at U.S. relations with Syria as an intern at the U.S. State Department.

Several times she worked a 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift with the Syrian Cessation of Hostilities team, which monitors events in Syria by tracking peace agreement violations. Crane, who speaks some Arabic, was a translator.

It was one of many unique jobs for Crane in the State Department’s Office of Emergencies, which coordinates donations and works with domestic representation,

evacuations and other emergencies.

Crane’s other tasks included working on a fund to support emergency needs of State Department staff and coordinating projects with department bureaus.

After Roanoke, Crane, an international relations major, wants to enroll in a master’s degree program in international development, focusing on women’s studies. Eventually, she hopes to do nonprofit work.

Sontanna Cremins ’17 Washington Semester Internship: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, U.S. Department of Justice A reality check. That was one of Sontanna Cremins ’17’s biggest takeaways as an intern in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, U.S. Department of Justice.

Cremins interned in the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence division, where she worked with what she described as numerous intense cases.

“It’s not a minor crime division,” says Cremins, a literary studies major at Roanoke who plans to become a lawyer.

“Whenever there are kids involved, that kind of makes you cringe.”

During her internship, Cremins helped attorneys prepare for trials, met with victims and monitored police body cam footage, which records police activity from a camera attached to an officer’s body. Her experience validated her interest in going to law school.

“I want to be able to do work like this,” Cremins says. “The exposure is the biggest thing. It’s all going to be a huge help moving forward.”

Erin Keating ’17 Washington Semester Internship: Smithsonian Discovery Theater Erin Keating ’17 directed a tot rock concert for preschoolers one day, while the next, worked with actors who were rehearsing for an Earth Month science show.

As an intern at the Smithsonian Discovery Theater, Keating took more than a front-row seat at the world of youth educational theater this past spring semester.

She directed rehearsals, learned light-

ing and sound design, analyzed play text, prepared a show for the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, and more.

Keating, who is majoring in literary studies and creative writing at Roanoke, says her favorite part of the work was analyzing the text of theater.

“I love the emphasis on the language of the play and how going through text analysis helps shape the production,” says Keating, who wants to teach Shakespearean literature as a college professor.

Wes Knowles ’17 Washington Semester Internship: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Belgium. France. Slovakia. Monaco.

These countries make up the portfolio that Wes Knowles ’17 built as an intern with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Visa Waiver Program. Each day, Knowles was responsible for tracking news in these countries and observing various factors, such as passport security, terrorism, immigration policy, border security and law enforcement.

He also reviewed policies for the European Union institutions weekly and helped prepare briefings for U.S. ambassadors and foreign dignitaries.

Most challenging, Knowles says, was writing short.

“When you are writing a briefing memo for the secretary of Homeland Security’s trip to Turkey, brevity is crucial,” says Knowles, an international relations major at Roanoke who is interested in a Foreign Service or government career.

Bridget Reardon ’17 Washington Semester Internship: Feminist Majority Foundation An internship with a national nonprofit gave Bridget Reardon ’17 the needed push to finally feel comfortable about public speaking.

As an intern with the Feminist Majority Foundation in Arlington, Va., she had to adjust quickly to roles that included talking about the foundation’s message in public panel discussions. The non-profit foundation advocates for women’s equality, safety and reproductive health.

Reardon participated in panel discus-

sions, attended rallies, protests and press conferences, worked with social media platforms and researched candidates as potential endorsements for the foundation’s political action committee.

“I loved going to work every day,” says Reardon, a political science major who plans to go to law school. “I loved getting to help raise awareness and lobby about issues that I actually care about.”

Nolan Webb ’17 Washington Semester Internship: Office of U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte After a spring semester interning on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Nolan Webb ’17 says politics is his career calling.

Webb, a political science major at Roanoke, interned in the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). Webb spent his days talking with constituents by phone and assisting staff with research.

Webb says he most enjoyed working among lawmakers every day.

“I was at the heart of it all,” he says.

“There is nothing in the classroom that can prepare you for working at the crucible of American democracy.” RC

Bridget Rose ’17, Cassandra Balosos ’17 Washington Semester Internship: White House Bridget Rose ’17, a double-major in political science and philosophy, and Cassandra Balosos ’17, a political science major, interned at the White House this past spring semester.

White House policy prohibited their participation in interviews during their internships, but look for their stories this summer on www.roanoke.edu./news

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DR. JON MAHER ’97, A BASKETBALL STANDOUT AT ROANOKE IN THE LATE 1990S, RETURNS TO SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AFTER YEARS AS A MILITARY SURGEON, AND AS A TEAM DOCTOR FOR THE NBA’S BOSTON CELTICS.

BY SAR AH CO X

s a standout basketball player at Blacksburg High School in Virginia, Jonathan Maher ’97 was recruited to play ball at numerous colleges around the country.

Maher decided on Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. A fan of math and science, he was drawn to chemical engineering but left Hopkins after two years.

“I was sitting in a lab somewhere, and realized I was headed for a job staring at a computer screen or monitoring gauges at a chemical factory,” Maher says. “I wanted to have more interaction with people for my career. That got me thinking about going into medicine, specifically orthopaedic surgery, which would allow me to stay involved with sports.”

Maher has made orthopaedics his life’s work, from his years as a military surgeon to a high-profile stint as a team doctor for the NBA’s Boston Celtics. In 2015, Maher returned to Southwest Virginia, joining Carilion Clinic as an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine.

ROANOKE ROOTS

Jon Maher in OR Tent training in Afghanistan in 2012.

Coming out of high school, Maher had already narrowed his choices to Roanoke College and Johns Hopkins. When he thought of transferring schools, Roanoke was the first to come to mind.

The decision to transfer to Roanoke was a good one, Maher says. He played basketball at the College his junior and senior years, making the Academic AllAmerica district first team and serving as the varsity team captain in 1996 and

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1997. He led the team to consecutive NCAA tournaments, including a trip to the Sweet 16. Moreover, he got to know the College faculty, had the opportunity to do research as an undergraduate and attended classes with a student-teacher ratio that better suited him.

“My [Johns Hopkins] freshman year’s chemistry class had over 700 people in it, versus Roanoke College, where my chemistry class had about 18 students,” Maher says. He did research under Dr. Darwin Jorgensen, Brian H. Thornhill Professor of Biology, and took from that, lessons in the scientific method, how to construct a research project and how to write proposals and evaluate research.

“I handed Jon a very difficult project and he pushed forward on it independently, figuring things out as he went,” Jorgensen says. “He finished a really fine

project in the end that not many students I’ve had work for me could have done.

When Jon left Roanoke for medical school, I knew he would figure out what to do and would move forward on making a professional life for himself with the kind of independence he had shown me while he was at Roanoke.

“He certainly has done that. Nothing he has done since Roanoke surprises me. In fact, I expected nothing less.”

Maher says Roanoke College provided a great foundation, not just through participation in research, but through relationships he developed with faculty and peer students. “My best connection was undoubtedly meeting my wife Jill Catanese Maher ’97. She has provided inspiration and support for me since the day we met on campus,” he says.

“SITTING ON THE BENCH WITH THE CELTICS WAS CERTAINLY A DREAM COME TRUE. I AM VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH AND TAKE CARE OF SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE.” 24 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

Photos left to right: Jon Maher and son Josh, courtside at a Boston Celtics game. Maher served as a team doctor for the NBA team. Dr. Jon Maher ’97, his wife, Jill Catanese Maher ’97, and their three children. Jon Maher, who captained the men’s basketball team that won the 1996 ODAC Championship, waves to the crowd during a 20th anniversary celebration in February.

CAREER PURSUITS At Roanoke in 1994, Maher met Dr. Bill Schrantz, a naval orthopaedic surgeon and father of his basketball teammate Joe Schrantz ’95. Maher shadowed Dr. Schrantz in his clinics and operating room, confirming that orthopaedic surgery was the right career path.

With the rigors of playing basketball in college, Maher didn’t have additional time to volunteer in other medical clinics. He realized that he would need to gain more clinical experience and likely go to graduate school to improve his chances of gaining admission to medical school.

Maher had taken several business classes at Roanoke College, which prepared him for the GMATs and applying to business schools. After graduating from Roanoke in 1997, Maher attended Virginia Tech, earning a master’s degree in accounting and information systems.

“MY EXPERIENCE AT ROANOKE COLLEGE PROVIDED AN INVALUABLE FOUNDATION FOR MY CAREER AS AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON. I LEARNED TO THINK CRITICALLY AND SCIENTIFICALLY, FOSTERING THE VALUES AND ETHICS THAT ULTIMATELY SHAPED MY WORLD VIEW.” In the fall of 1999, he entered Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia on a Navy scholarship, effectively beginning his military service. He was commissioned into the Reserves at the recruiting district in Richmond, Va., and was re-commissioned to full-time active duty in June 2004 when he graduated from medical school.

Maher did his surgical internship training at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (Va.), then was sent out into the fleet as a battalion surgeon with the Marines in Okinawa. “I was able to take care of patients independently for a year before returning to my residency training,” Maher says.

After finishing his residency at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in 2010, he served as an orthopaedic surgeon at

Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune (N.C.) for four years. During that time, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and served at the combat outpost Shukvani, in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, as part of a surgical team. His honors for service to country include several Navy Commendation medals, Navy Achievement medals, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for meritorious service in Afghanistan and his time at Camp Lejeune.

A TASTE OF THE NBA In 2014, after a 14-year career in the Navy, Maher completed additional fellowship training in sports medicine and arthroscopy at New England Baptist

Hospital in Boston, Mass. New England Baptist happens to be the official hospital of the Boston Celtics, and Maher served as one of the Celtics’ team doctors, as well as a team doctor for Harvard University Athletics.

“Growing up and playing ball, I always dreamed of making it to the NBA,” says Maher, who is over 6’6” tall. “Being a former hoops player gave me instant legitimacy with the players because I could relate to the rigors of competition that they faced every day.”

Maher says his time in Boston was a tremendous experience personally and professionally.

“Sitting on the bench with the Celtics was certainly a dream come true,” he says. “I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with and take care of so many great people.”

That continues for Maher since moving home to Blacksburg last fall with his wife and their three children. He is an attending surgeon in Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Carilion Clinic’s Institute for Orthopaedics and Neuroscience in the New River Valley and in Roanoke.

He is board certified in orthopaedic surgery, an instructor in advanced trauma life support, an assistant professor in orthopaedics at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and an assistant professor of surgery at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Maher continues his involvement in research, writing book chapters and participating in clinical trials on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions.

He remains intimately involved in sports, serving as a team doctor for several high school and college teams in the New River Valley and coaching his son in basketball on local recreational and AAU teams.

Maher is certain that coming to Roanoke College was one of the best decisions he has ever made.

“My experience at Roanoke College provided an invaluable foundation for my career as an orthopaedic surgeon,” he says.

“I learned to think critically and scientifically, fostering the values and ethics that ultimately shaped my world view.

“I have been around the globe and I cannot think of a better place to pursue an undergraduate education.” RC

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campaignnews

GIVING WITH PURPOSE

Dr. Janice Saunders, center, with Masai women and children.

C A M PA IG N L EA D E RS H IP

“

You’ve got to be there. It’s totally different from seeing something on television.

— Dr. Janice Saunders

” 26

Love of cross-cultural studies inspires endowed scholarship uring her tenure at Roanoke College, Dr. Janice Saunders, a professor of African, Environmental and World Civilization, took great joy in introducing students to cultures outside of their comfort zones.

“As part of our study abroad short-term program, I took students many times to developing countries,” Saunders says.

“Even when I taught sociology I didn’t limit focus to Western societies. I’ve always been interested in cross-cultural studies.”

Her interest in Africa stems from an experience she had as a child in summer Bible school in Roanoke.

“A missionary from Africa visited our class and brought photos of the children and exotic artifacts to share. I’ve been intrigued by Africa ever since,” she says.

Thanks to her husband, Mike Saunders, even more Roanoke students will have the opportunity to experience a life-changing trip abroad. In 2015, he established the Janice M. Saunders Endowed Student Scholarship for International Study to recognize and celebrate his wife’s work at Roanoke College.

“We were in the car going to the beach and I asked her if she’d be interested [in creating a scholarship] and she was in shock for about five miles,” he says.

Janice Saunders was overwhelmed at his generosity.

“There are a lot of students who’d like to travel but can’t afford it,” she says. “This scholarship helps provide opportunities for all students. Through international travel, especially to developing countries, they gain a better perspective of their own lives. They realize the richness of life here in the United States. They see that we have plenty of food, plenty of shelter and freedom of speech. They find out very dramatically that in large areas of the world people don’t have those things. Not

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even potable water. When I landed in Liberia, it was traumatic.

It was a culture shock.”

“Culture shock provides a learning experience like no other,” she adds. “You’ve got to be there. It’s totally different from seeing something on television.”

The Janice M. Saunders Endowed Student Scholarship for International Study is expected to be awarded for the first time in Fall 2017.

The scholarship provides financial assistance for a student’s participation in either a May Term or Semester Abroad, with a preference for those interested in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Saunders’ gift will impact generations of students whose view of life will help shape their future world.

And that, Janice Saunders says, “is as wonderful an education as you can get.” — Nan Johnson

Dr. Saunders during her teaching years at Roanoke.

campaignnews

SA L UT E T O “ T HE R O C K ”

New giving club pays homage to ’70s-era classes he 1970s was a decade of revolution and reflection at colleges and universities across the United States. Campus activism reached new heights during the era distinguished by the Kent State tragedy, the Watergate scandal, and the escalation and eventual end of the Vietnam War. At Roanoke College, the 1970s was the decade that saw the first co-ed dorm, the end of the Miss Roanoke College pageant, the College’s first NCAA title — and construction of a 10-foot-tall concrete pylon on the Back Quad.

That student monument, now known as “The Rock,” still stands, primarily as a means of publicizing campus events, but moreover, as a symbol of the free expression that characterized the ’70s.

The Class of 1972 — which will celebrate its 45th reunion in 2017, the College’s 175th anniversary year — is making plans to commemorate that exceptional era during Alumni Weekend 2017. As part of the “Revolution #45” reunion, a new giving group sponsored by the 1969-1976 alumni — called The Monument Club — is being developed in support of the Roanoke Rising campaign.

“The purpose of establishing The Monument

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Club is to acknowledge the connection many classmates have with building the monument on campus in the ’70s,” says Patsy Stevens ’72, co-chair of Revolution #45.“The building of the monument signaled a time of revolution and of enormous change for Roanoke College.

The monument represents our youth; bringing up powerful memories and forming a common bond for those of us who were there during that era.”

Monument Club membership would be open to anyone in the 1969-1976 class years who makes a donation, either a monetary amount or “planned giving” commitment of $25,000 or more to the College prior to April 9, 2017, the conclusion of “Revolution #45” reunion. Part of the reunion planning focus is to raise awareness about planned giving, making sure that everyone knows how these gifts contribute to the Roanoke Rising campaign.

“We need to ensure that students attending the College now and in the future can make the same connections and enjoy the lasting bonds of friendship as we have,” says Doug Clark ’72, who is co-chairing Revolution #45 with Stevens.

Maroon Ribbons

Alumni Weekend through April 15, maroon ribbons were placed around campus by current students to highlight many of the spaces, programs and projects made possible thanks to generous and thoughtful gifts from donors. These ribbons represented the tangible ways that philanthropic dollars support our campus. The ribbons, however, did not begin to recognize all of the people affected by gifts — students receiving scholarships, professorships funded by donors, the endowment, and operating funds that support every aspect of college life year after year.

CAMPAIGN PROGRESS

GOAL:

$200,000,000 $172,400,000*

Janet Sarjeant ‘73, Ann Guzewicz (wife of Robert Guzewicz ‘73), Sarah Waters Southard ‘77, Nancy Baird Mulheren ‘73, Wendi Spicer Beaver ‘73, Dale Sarjeant ‘74, Kathy Hoback Bauman ‘73, Betsy Garrison Krut ‘72 pose at “The Rock” during the 2012 Alumni Weekend.

For more information, please contact: Mary Grace Theodore, Assistant Vice President, Resource Development and Campaign Director, at theodore@roanoke.edu or (540) 375-2487; Patsy Stevens ’72, patsystevens@att.net; or Doug Clark ’72, dougfhhs@gmail.com.

* As of May 3, 2016.

Includes $30.13 million for the Cregger Center.

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campaignnews

Fraternities launch President’s Fund initiatives College campus are contributing to the Roanoke Rising campaign,” says Dale Sarjeant ’74, a development consultant at the College and a Kappa Alpha member. “We, as brothers of Beta Rho, want to make sure that our contributions and history are honored.”

In March, the Xi Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity kicked off an effort to raise $150,000 to mark not only the College’s 175th anniversary, but also to honor the 100th anniversary of the chapter’s founding.

Upon completion of the campaign, the Xi Chapter will dedicate the Pi Kappa Phi Centennial Plaza at the entrance to Chesapeake Hall on North Market Street, the on-campus home to current members of Xi Chapter. The Pi Kappa Phi Centennial Plaza will incorporate the Star Shield logo design in pavers and a remembrance plaque recognizing the chapter’s place in the history of Roanoke College.

“In the one hundred years since Pi Kappa Phi’s chartering at Roanoke College, Xi Chapter brothers have been exceptional leaders for Roanoke College,” says Stephen Esworthy ’91, associate director of development at Roanoke and member of Pi Kappa Phi. “Recognizing Xi Chapter’s history of leadership, the time is now to remember our fraternity’s past and help ensure Roanoke College’s future. Through this effort, Xi Chapter brothers will continue to offer leadership to Roanoke College at this important time in the College’s history.”

he Roanoke College chapters of two national fraternities are commemorating the College’s 175th anniversary with special giving initiatives for The President’s Fund for Excellence.

The President’s Fund, one priority of the Roanoke Rising campaign, is an unrestricted, discretionary endowment that supports beneficial, unexpected opportunities for the College. Gifts to the fund allow the College to act quickly and decisively when great ideas emerge.

Last fall, the Beta Rho Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order launched plans to raise $175,000 from its members for The President’s Fund.

The gift will honor: the presidents of Roanoke College; the President’s House on North Market Street, former home of John P. For additional information or questions about the Kappa Alpha initiative, please Fishwick ’37, a member of Kappa Alpha; and the many Sweetcontact Dale Sarjeant ’74 at sarjeant@roanoke.edu or at (704) 905-3746. heart Roses of Kappa Alpha by establishing a garden focal point For additional information or questions about the Pi Kappa Phi initiative, please at the President’s House. The chapter was founded in 1924. contact Stephen Esworthy ’91 at esworthy@roanoke.edu or at (540) 375-2028.

“Most historically established organizations on the Roanoke

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Operation BookSwitch, then and now n September 1962, nearly 400 students and 100 faculty, staff, and members of the Roanoke College community moved 30,000 books from Bittle Memorial Hall to the College’s newly constructed library. Just 2 hours and 13 minutes — and 756 cups of Coca-Cola — after the starting bullhorn sounded, 7 tons of books were placed in their new home.

The Class of 1966 Reunion Committee thought it would be appropriate, 50-plus years later, to support the library again by helping it secure and maintain the technology and resources needed by students. Today, Fintel Library Through the Class of 1966’s vision, resources are as likely to be virtual as they are physical — from the library will be as relevant and vital accessing professional journals out a book. to current and future students as it to checking Immediately following the Honor has been to alumni through the years. Guard Induction ceremony during Alumni Weekend in April, class members again carried books from Bittle Memorial to Fintel Library — this time to announce the Operation TechSwitch giving initiative. The first goal of raising $100,000 to secure critical technology and resources for current students will be complemented through a second goal of a $2 million endowment, comprised of many smaller named funds, to ensure that the library can also serve future generations of students.

Barbara “Bobbie” Haney Irvine ’66 and her husband, Geoffrey Irvine, launched the endowment effort, funding more than 10 percent of the goal by naming the College as a future beneficiary of her retirement plan.

Through the Class of 1966’s vision, the library will be as relevant and vital to current and future students as it has been to alumni through the years.

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28 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

Bookswitch then, and now.

sportsnews

“

I have always had great respect and appreciation for the strong academic reputation and caring community that are at the heart of Roanoke College.

— Clay Nunley

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”

Clay Nunley, left, with Director of Athletics Scott Allison at the April 25 news conference announcing Nunley’s hiring as the College’s 10th head men’s basketball coach.

Nunley named head men’s basketball coach Joins coaching staff after nine seasons at Randolph.

ROANOKE COLLEGE DIDN’T GO TOO FAR to find a new coach for its men’s basketball team.

In April, Director of Athletics Scott Allison ’79 announced that Randolph College’s Clay Nunley, had been hired as the Roanoke’s 10th head men’s basketball coach.

No stranger to the ODAC, Nunley comes to Salem after nine seasons at the helm of the men’s basketball program at Randolph, in Lynchburg, Va., where he guided the WildCats from the program’s inception in 2007.

Nunley becomes just the fifth head coach of the Roanoke program since 1967 and follows the likes of RC Hall of Famers Charlie Moir (1967-73), Ed Green (1977-89) and Page Moir (1989-2016), the all-time winningest coach who stepped down in March after 428 victories.

“My family and I are extremely excited and humbled to join the Roanoke College community and become part of the Maroons basketball program, which has such a rich tradition of success,” Nunley said. “I have always had great respect and appreciation for the strong academic reputation and caring community that are at the heart of Roanoke College.”

Nunley inherits a team that last season, went 19-6 overall, 11-5 in ODAC play and was ranked both nationally and regionally.

“Coach Page Moir had a remarkable run of accomplishments...and I’m honored to follow in his footsteps,” Nunley

said. “I’m eager to begin working with our administrators, athletic staff, alums and supporters — and most importantly our student-athletes — to build on the impressive history of Roanoke College Men’s Basketball, invest in and develop highcharacter young men, and create a program of excellence of which our community can be proud, on and off the court.”

In less than a decade, Nunley led Randolph to the NCAA Tournament and to three appearances in the ODAC Championship game, including this past season as the WildCats advanced to the title game as the sixth-seed. Nunley’s squads have posted winning records in five of the last six seasons as well.

“As with all searches, simply put, our challenge was to find the best person out there that would enroll the best studentathletes who fit Roanoke College’s profile, and then organize them to take advantage of their special talents,” said Allison.

“Clay’s leadership and accomplishments at Randolph College are evidence of his ability to do just that. We couldn’t be more excited to have Clay Nunley join our staff.”

Nunley’s coaching background includes stints at the United States Military Academy and Wright State University. Prior to arriving at Randolph, Nunley served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the U.S. Military Academy for five years.

Nunley graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore, Md., with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was a four-year letter-winner at Goucher

“... our challenge was to find the best person out there that would enroll the best student-athletes who fit Roanoke College’s profile, and then organize them to take advantage of their special talents.”

OLD DOMINION ATHLETIC CONFERENCE – PETE EMERSON ’79

— Scott Allison, RC Director of Athletics

when the Gophers captured two Capital Athletic Conference Championships and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Nunley and his wife, Tara, have two children.

Nunley has a brother, Ryan, a 2002 Roanoke graduate who played lacrosse and ran track at the College.

Nunley coaching Randolph at the 2016 ODAC Basketball Tournament, held in February at the Salem Civic Center.

END Of AN ERA IN MARCH, PAGE MOIR ANNOUNCED that he was stepping down after 27 seasons as the College’s head men’s basketball coach to pursue other opportunities.

During his tenure in Salem, Moir led the Maroons to 428 wins, which is tops among current ODAC coaches. Moir’s teams won three ODAC Championships, made six trips to the

NCAA Tournament and had five seasons with 20 or more wins.

“Twenty-seven years in one place is more than enough, especially in this profession. I was blessed to be surrounded by incredible studentathletes and assistant coaches,” Moir said.

Moir was honored by his peers as the ODAC Coach of the Year in 1994 and again this past

“Twenty-seven years in one place is more than enough, especially in this profession.

I was blessed to be surrounded by incredible student-athletes and assistant coaches.” season when he led Roanoke to its best season since 2008-09 with 19 wins, and both regional and national rankings during the year. In addition, D3hoops.com named Moir the 2016 South Region Coach of the Year Just one of two coaches in the history of the ODAC to reach 300 wins, Moir became the all-time winningest head coach in RC history, passing Maroons Hall of Famer Ed Green in 2003. Moir notched his 400th win in 2014.

A fixture in the basketball community, Moir was appointed to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Board of Directors in 2002, becoming one of just two Division III coaches on the board. Moir was elected president of the NABC and served from 2014-15 in that role.

Coach Moir during a Dec, 10, 2015 game against Shenandoah University. Roanoke rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit and scored a thrilling 108-97 double-overtime win.

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sportsnews 1 982 – 2 0 1 6

Bast Center Finale “It was like a palace to us.

We had been playing in Alumni Gym prior to that and it was like going from the outhouse to the penthouse. It was the best gym in the ODAC.” — Gerald Holmes ’83

Members of the first men’s basketball team to play in the Bast Center pose with their coach, Ed Green, during Bast Finale ceremonies. From left to right: Dwayne Evans, Jeff Rakes, Green, Gerald Holmes and Donnie Morris.

MAROONS BASKETBALL PLAYERS from years gone by gathered at Roanoke College on Feb. 13 for the final regular season doubleheader at the C. Homer Bast Center. A near-capacity crowd watched the RC men and women take on Old Dominion Athletic Conference opponents and reminisce about the many wins on the Bast Center floor.

“It was an electric atmosphere,” said Ed Green, who coached the men’s basketball team for 12 seasons, including the first eight years of the Bast Center. “It was a crowd like we used to get years ago.”

The College pep band was on hand for the big day and had the place jumping as the Maroons and Bridgewater College warmed up for the first game of the doubleheader. Maroons alumni enjoyed a social in the Athletic Hall of Fame room and swapped stories about their exciting moments in the Bast Center over the years.

Gerald Holmes ’83 and Donnie Morris ’83 sat in the front row for the game. Holmes and Morris were on the very first Roanoke College team to play in the Bast Center in the fall of 1982, when Roanoke christened the new facility with an 84-75 win over Virginia Wesleyan.

Holmes scored 17 points in that game and had the very first dunk in the Bast Center.

“It was like a palace to us,” Holmes said. “We had been playing in Alumni Gym prior to that and 32 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2016

it was like going from the outhouse to the penthouse. It was the best gym in the ODAC.” The 1982-83 team finished third in the nation in Division III that year, and the returning team members were honored at halftime of the Feb.13 game. Holmes played on teams that won 107 games in four years.

“When the Bast Center opened not only did we win, but we had something to show for it,” he said. “We only lost one home game that year, to Catholic, and they were so excited to beat us they cut the nets down.”

The 2016 Maroons didn’t disappoint, winning their game over Bridgewater, 104-67. It was the 19th win of the season, the most for the RC men since 2009.

“The guys were really fired up to win that game,” said Page Moir, who coached 27 seasons in the Bast Center, becoming RC’s all-time winningest basketball coach. “They wanted to win in front of the former players. There’s only one last game at the Bast Center.”

Former Women’s Basketball Coach Susan Dunagan, second from left, and Director of Athletics Scott Allison with former women’s basketball players at the Bast Finale.

The women were defeated by Washington and Lee, 73-63, in the second game of the doubleheader, but that didn’t take the shine off a big day. The 1992 women’s team that reached the second round of the NCAA was honored on the floor.

“I bet we had over 50 former players,” said Tracey Driscoll ’89. “After the game everyone went down to Mac and Bob’s and talked about the old times. It was a thrill for me when I played at the Bast Center and I’m sad to see it end.”

The new state-of-the-art Cregger Center will open later this year and be the home of future Maroons champions. It was announced at the last Bast Center games that the men’s and women’s basketball offices in the Cregger Center would be named after Green and Susan Dunagan, who coached 32 years in the Bast Center and won 611 games as RC women’s coach.

“Bast was my home and my life,” Dunagan said. “The offices held my family and friends.

That floor holds the blood, sweat, tears and joy of all the athletes who played basketball and volleyball at Roanoke College.” — Brian Hoffman ’74

s CO r eB Oar D H O N O RE E S

Five inducted into Hall of Fame A CELEBRATION held during the 2016 Alumni Weekend honored alumni who have made history in the athletic programs at Roanoke College. Five outstanding athletes, including one U.S. Olympian, were inducted into the Roanoke College Hall of Fame.

BASEBALL *23-17 (10-10 ODAC)

SOFTBALL 19-22 (9-9 ODAC)

MEN’S LACROSSE

Chris Keating ’06 | Men’s Soccer and Lacrosse Keating was a standout on both the lacrosse and soccer fields during his time at Roanoke. He led RC to back-to-back ODAC Championship games and NCAA Final Four appearances in 2005 and 2006. On the soccer pitch, Keating was named NSCAA All-Atlantic Region as a senior in 2005 and a two-time First-Team All-ODAC selection during his career. He helped the Maroons to the 2004 ODAC Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

13-5 (8-1 ODAC)

WOMEN’S LACROSSE 9-9 (6-3 ODAC)

MEN’S BASKETBALL 19-6 (11-5 ODAC)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Ben Love ’06 | Men’s Lacrosse Love anchored a Maroons defense to the 2006 ODAC Championship and NCAA Final Four appearances in 2005 and 2006. Following his senior season, Love was named the USILA National Defenseman of the Year and was selected to the prestigious USILA North/South All-Star Game.

Upon his graduation, his 310 groundballs ranked third most in Roanoke Lacrosse history.

13-13 (8-8 ODAC)

MEN’S TENNIS 8-8 (6-4 ODAC)

WOMEN’S TENNIS 12-11 (8-2 ODAC)

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK Fifth at ODAC Championships

Robin O’Connor McConnell ’05 | Softball A member of three ODAC Championship teams, McConnell was an NFCA Division III Third-Team All-America and a First-Team NFCA All-Region selection in 2003. She was a two-time ODAC AllTournament team selection in 2004 and 2005, helping RC to back-to-back league championships and spots in the NCAA Tournament. Upon her graduation, McConnell ranked among the top-10 in eight offensive categories including career hits (179), doubles (35) and RBI (114).

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK Third at ODAC Championships

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD Eighth at ODAC Championships Harrison Toney ’16 qualifies for NCAA National Championship Meet in the 300M Steeplechase.

Shelley Olds ’03 | Women’s Soccer A star on the soccer pitch, Olds was a two-time NSCAA All-South Region selection and the 2002 ODAC Player of the Year. Olds was a four-time All-ODAC selection, including three first-team honors to close her career. Olds left the program as the all-time leader in scoring (98 pts.) and assists (26) and second in career goals (36). Following graduation, Olds became a world class cyclist, representing the United States in the 2012 London Olympics after winning the UCI Road World Cup in China and a stage of the women’s Giro d’Italia.

WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD Third at ODAC Championships

GOLF Tenth at ODAC Championships NOTE: As of May 21, 2016 *School Record

Donny Smith ’06 | Men’s Soccer A three-time First-Team All-ODAC selection, Smith capped his career with an NSCAA AllAmerican honor in 2005. That same season he was named the 2005 ODAC Player of the Year to go along with a First-Team NSCAA All-South Region nod. As a junior, Smith was a Second-Team NSCAA All-South Region in 2004. Smith led the Maroons to 48 wins over his four years in Salem, which included the 2002 and 2004 ODAC Championships.

For the latest scores, go to

maroons.roanoke.edu ROANOKE.EDU

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alumninews

Roanoke College magazine welcomes news of your recent accomplishments and/or transitions.

You can write to us at: Office of Alumni Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153-3794; call us toll-free at 1-866-RCAlums; fax us at 540-375-2398; email us at alumni@roanoke.edu or update your record online at www.roanoke.edu/maroonsonline.

Due to space constraints and time between issues, submissions might appear in an upcoming issue.

Editorial contributions are welcome but subject to editing. Photographs may be used as space permits, submitted in print or digital format. Digital photos must be 1 MB in size or larger. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee return of contributed materials. We look forward to hearing from you!

class notes 1960s Marvin Phaup ’62, a lecturer and researcher with the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University, has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He is a co-author of “Budgeting for Fiscal Uncertainty and Bias: A Federal Process Proposal,” published in Public Budgeting & Finance, and served on an international technical assistance mission to the Philippines.

Phaup was named a Sesquicentennial Distinguished Alumnus in 1992 and received the Roanoke College Alumni Medal in 2009. He was awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws from Roanoke College in 2014.

1970s Dr. Ren Halverson ’71, chiropractor and martial arts instructor, was inducted into the U.S.A. International Black Belt Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Pittsburgh, Pa. Prior to opening his own chiropractic

Dale Sarjeant ’74 paid a visit to Southwest Middle School in Charlotte, N.C. in December 2015 at the request of classmate Bruce McKay ’74, a teacher assistant with the Exceptional Children Department at the school. The school was inducting 80 7th- and 8th-graders into the Junior National Honor Society. Dale was keynote speaker at the event, which carried the theme “Being a Gift to the World.” Here, a student presents Dale with a gift.

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practice, he was sports chiropractor for the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons and the U.S. Karate Team, as well as a kickboxing trainer for seven ranked professional fighters. He developed his own program of self-defense and created a DVD tutorial with his techniques. One of his martial arts students was able to successfully thwart an attack as a result of his teaching.

The Hon. Charles M. Honeyman ’71, a New Jersey resident, recently celebrated his 20th anniversary of service as a U.S. immigration judge.

Kristie Smith Polk ’72 has returned to the Roanoke Valley.

Dr. Susan Ford ’74 has served as interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University since August 2014.

Cristina Brescia Michta ’74 and her family have relocated to Newport, R.I. The Rev. Dr. J. Michael Palmer ’74, of Roanoke, began a new ministry of international missions and church revitalization called Mike Palmer Ministries. He is a transitional pastor of Riverdale Baptist Church in Roanoke. Previously, he was pastor of Green Ridge Baptist Church for over 26 years.

Donald B. Howe Jr. ’77 received the Virginia Commonwealth University 2015 Presidential Service Excellence Award for Customer Service. He is senior contract and grant administrator with the university.

Dr. Donna E. West ’77 was promoted to full professor in the Modern Languages Department at S.U.N.Y. Cortland. She is the author of the book “Deictic Imaginings: Semiosis at Work and at Play.”

Douglas Miller ’78 has been appointed city manager of Ocean City, Md. Douglas comes to his new appointment after serving nearly 10 years as city manager of Aberdeen, Md. Prior to that, he served as the town manager of La Plata, Md. and town manager of Snow Hill, Md. A credentialed manager with the International City and County Management Association, Douglas has served as president, vice president and secretary treasurer of the Maryland City and County Management Association. He also served on several committees of the Maryland Municipal League. After graduating from Roanoke, Douglas, earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore. A Maryland native, he and his

wife Anne enjoy their yellow Labrador, Gracie, and being outdoors.

Michael Martino ’79 has been named president and chief executive officer of HemaFlo Therapeutics, Inc., a Carlsbad, Calif.-based company whose primary mission is to develop therapies for diseases characterized by poor blood flow. Michael most recently was president and chief executive officer of Ambit Biosciences. Prior to Ambit, he was a co-founder and CEO of Arzeda, a synthetic biology company.

Michael, who holds an MBA from Virginia Tech, sits on the board of Arzeda and is a former board chair of the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association and the Board of Trustees of Cascadia Community College.

1980s Amanda Black McBreen ’83 is a licensed educational therapist with National Institute for Learning Development and director of the Academy and Brain Bridges Programs in Norfolk, Va. Dr. Matthew Eberhardt ’86, superintendent of Madison County Public Schools, received the 2015 Outstanding Alumni Superintendent Award from the Curry School of Education Foundation. The award is presented to a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education who has a record of excellence in school administration, professional stature beyond the school district, and dedicated community service. Matthew’s career as an educator began in Roanoke Catholic School where he taught Spanish. He also taught in Madison and Clarke counties before serving as an assistant principal at Charlottesville High School. He returned to Clarke County as assistant superintendent before being named superintendent in Madison County. Since his appointment in Madison County, the student dropout rate has been one of the lowest in Virginia, and on-time graduation and college enrollment rates have risen. Matthew is an adjunct instructor for the Curry School, as well as for George Mason University and James Madison University. He holds a master’s and doctorate from the Curry School.

Jan F. Hoen ’86 is owner and managing partner of Hampton Injury Law PLC in Hampton, Va. The firm represents clients in the areas of injury law, workers compen-

A L U M N I

P R O F I L E

Q&A

Catching up with...

What has been the greatest challenge for Jet Partners?

NAME: Benton Morgan ’06 PROFESSION: Co-owner of Jet Partners, a company that specializes in on-demand jet charter service for luxury air travel clients. The company offers empty leg jet charters and point-to-point pricing on private jets and airplanes.

COMPANY NUTS AND BOLTS: Headquarters: New York, N.Y. Number of partners: 2, including Benton and Erik Hocoluk. Number of employees: 7-8. Number of aircraft owners Jet Partners works with: 5,500-7,500 worldwide. Number of pilots Jet Partners works with: upwards of 10,000.

LAUNCHING PAD: After graduation, Benton, a history major, worked as a broker at Robert K. Futterman & Associates, a New York-based retail leasing, investment sales and consulting services real estate firm. He left after one year and joined the pioneering Blue Star Jets, one of the largest brokers of private jets for hire, then worked for Talon Air, Inc. In 2010, he co-founded Jet Partners.

THE ‘NOKE INFLUENCE: “[History Professor] Mark Miller struck a chord with me. We’re still in touch to this day.” Benton says. “When I didn’t know what I would major in, I met him and he was a lifesaver. I learned that being knowledgeable about the past is a positive for your life.”

Raising money to start the business in 2009-2010 was our greatest challenge to date. We were young and relatively new to the business but were ultimately able to source the funds we needed to get started after working with a venture capitalist firm.

What do you like most about your job?

I love being able to connect with interesting, successful people on a daily basis. Our clients include Fortune 500 individuals, celebrities and professional athletes. I’ve learned so much working with them.

What kind of future do you envision for Jet Partners?

We have grown over 30 percent from 2014 into 2015. We were just named to the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies for 2015. Our goal is to reach $10 million in sales by December 2017.

What is the most popular aircra your clients use?

It depends a lot on the season. In the summer we sell a lot of trips on the King Air 350 and the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft for trips from New York City to Nantucket or the Hamptons. In the winter months we do more business from the East Coast to destinations like Mexico and the Caribbean. These longer trips require larger aircraft, typically the Gulfstream G-IV or the Challenger 300.

Where do your clients travel?

We do a bulk of our business from the NYC area down to Florida and the Caribbean. Last year we did a charter flight for a celebrity golf tournament in Haikou, China for an A-list celebrity. We have also done flights all over Europe and even as far as Melbourne, Australia.

“I love being able to connect with interesting, successful people on a daily basis.”

Benton Morgan

What is the most unusual client request you’ve received?

One of the top musicians in the world asked for a very specific type of catering for her trip. She said she would only eat Pizza Hut pizza and the toppings had to be pineapple and pepperoni. She also asked us to make sure there were Outback Steakhouse entrees for her trip from Van Nuys, Calif. to Dubai during her winter tour in 2013.

It was a great trip and made us laugh a little bit at her specific needs for her trip.

any advice for someone who wants to start their own business?

My advice for anyone looking to start their own business would be to make sure you are organized and have realistic expectations of what you want your company to become. If you aren’t focused, you run a higher risk of falling to the many challenges facing a fledgling business. We were humbled many times along the way, however, our team had tunnel vision and never wavered in our focus, staying patient amidst the obstacles we faced. I think that outlining a specific plan allowed us to achieve the success we have today.

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alumninews sation and medical malpractice. Jan earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Richmond.

Rodney Whitlock ’87, a veteran health care policy advisory, has joined ML Strategies as vice president of health policy. Rodney most recently served as health policy director for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) during the senator’s tenure as finance committee chairman.

In this role, Rodney advised on and helped advance health care legislation. He also spent 10 years in the office of the late Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.), working closely with him on legislation including the Patients’ Bill of Rights Act, which passed the House in 1999 and 2001.

Rodney, who is based in Washington, D.C., holds a Master of Arts degree from Appalachian State University and a doctorate in political science from the University of Georgia.

1990s Dianna Board Parrish ’90 is an academic advisor and social work adjunct professor with Mary Baldwin College. She also chairs the Local Human Rights Committee in Catawba, Va. Christy Johnston Jensen ’92 was a recent fellow at RAND Summer Institute on Aging in Santa Monica, Calif. She lives in Williamsburg, Va. Kimberly Perdue Blair ’93 has been named principal gifts officer at Virginia Tech. Her responsibilities include managing a portfolio of principal-gift prospects and also planning and implementing initiatives to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects and donors.

She had previously served as the director of development for the College of Architec-

ture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech.

Kim’s experience also includes planning and implementing Ferrum College’s fundraising and 15 years of progressive positions at Roanoke College, starting as a regional development representative, director of annual giving, and director of alumni, parent and annual programs.

Anthony Hopper ’96 has completed a healthcare-themed book — “Using Data Management Techniques to Modernize Healthcare” — published by CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group. Anthony, who is a healthcare administrator faculty member with ECPI University’s Emerywood campus in Richmond, Va., also has coauthored a healthcare-related article for a peer-reviewed journal. He earned a Master of Arts degree in English from the Universi-

Bolling-Gillenwater wedding

Fender-Spickard wedding

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ty of Virginia and a Master of Health Administration degree from Georgetown University.

Kelly Rooney ’96 has been named district manager of Advanced Disposal’s Michigan and Northern Indiana hauling companies and landfill operations. Kelly has been with Advance Disposal, an integrated environmental services company, for three years. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University.

Charlene Barnes ’97 is pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Essex, Md.

2000s Melissa Paparone ’00 is a corporate trust and public finance attorney for the New York City office of Hinckley Allen, a

Mark and Nancy Gobble with their three children, Brooke, Zach and Sarah.

Semmelman-Taylor wedding

Carter Dubois ’99 (Coach Bill Belichick) and Chris Taffe ’99 (Coach Rex Ryan) flew into Boston to surprise Brian Spellane ’99 (NFL referee) for his 40th birthday on Nov. 23, 2015. Rumor has it that they posed for nearly 500 photos that night as the Patriots routed the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. All three are Sigma Chi brothers.

Northeast regional law firm. Melissa received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Jessica Hench ’04 completed a doctoral degree in higher education administration. Currently, she is working with an educational consulting company and also exploring options for work in higher education or professional development.

Catherine Coleman Emry ’06 was awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy in December 2015 from the University of St. Augustine for Health Science.

Erika Jones ’09, of Boones Mill, Va., is employed with EHS Support Services.

Kelly Fletcher ’09 is a senior food technologist with Perdue Farms. She lives in Delmar, Md. Sarah Storck ’09 is a job coach and benefits analyst for adults with disabilities.

She lives in Boones Mill, Va. Cathleen Gruver Adkins ’11, interior designer with Gruver Cooley, was featured at the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) 30 Under 30 industry show in Las Vegas, Nev., in January 2016. The goal of the NKBA 30 Under 30 Program is to acknowledge outstanding young professionals, while helping them to immerse and apply themselves in new opportunities for growth and development in support of the industry. Cathleen also was featured in the 2015 November/December issue of K+BB Magazine.

Carmen Graves ’13 is an associate track and field/cross country coach, and recruiting coordinator at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. She also is a professional runner for Brooks, a company that specializes in high-performance running shoes, apparel and accessories.

Timothy D. Smith ’13 completed his Master of Arts in teaching and is a special education teacher at Salem High School.

Brandon Craig ’14 is teaching chemistry in Arizona.

Marc Dinkel ’15 is back in Switzerland working at UBS Bank as a financial advisor. He also competes in the third division of Swiss Professional Soccer for a team called FC Black Stars Basil. In addition, he runs two small side businesses — one a Swiss chocolate company.

Elsa Wieboldt ’15 is with The Navigators in Tokyo, Japan, doing Christian leadership development with university students.

marriages Mark L. Gobble ’87 and Nancy Layton Elsam ’87 exchanged wedding vows June 27, 2015, at Smith Mountain Lake, Va. In attendance were retired faculty members, Drs. Larry and Jan Lynch. Others helping the couple celebrate were Ellie Prosser Hammer ’11, Greg Cundiff ’86, Joel Shepherd ’86, Ingo Huemer ’84, Cathy Meckley Huemer ’85 and Caleb Richmond ’17.

Scott Freier ’91 and Fran Duffy celebrated their wedding day on Aug.16, 2015. Scott is an insurance adjuster in Bloomfield, N.J. Ben Wescott ’09 exchanged vows with Kristin C. Wilkinson during their wed-

Vivien Marie Kowtko

ding ceremony on July 25, 2015. Alumni in the wedding included Al Lietzau ’09, Richard Goeres ’06 and Andrew Buck ’07. Ben completed his master’s degree in higher education at Northeastern University and is senior assistant director of admissions at Rhodes College, Memphis, Tenn.

Matt Bolling ’10 and Kelsey Gillenwater ’12 were united in marriage on Oct. 24, 2015, in Fredericksburg, Va. Several alumni were present at the ceremony, including Dave Garrabrant ’11, Brooke Jones ’12 , Elizabeth Narwicz ’12, Katie Corsaro ’12, Weston Hatfield ’10, Maddy Gerald ’12, Anne Fisher ’12, Meghan Brinkley ’12, Andy Eanes ’10, Mackenzie Hermann ’12, Caroline Dakin ’10, Ben Berry ’09, Amy Brittain ’12, Sarah Long ’12, Greg Record ’10, Kat Phrasaveth ’11 and Lauren Schwabe ’12. The couple make their home in Longmont, Colo.

Douglas W. Fender II ’10 married Dena Spickard on July 11, 2015. Doug is a graduate of University of South Carolina School of Law and is assistant solicitor in Lexington County, S.C. Dena is a science and health specialist in the Teaching and Learning Department of the Richland School District Two, Columbia, S.C. Megan Semmelman ’11 and Taylor Irvin were married Oct.17, 2015, in Richmond, Va. Rebecca Dallas ’11, Margot McDonald ’11, Elizabeth McSorley ’12 and Megan Rhodes ’11 were bridesmaids. Many Maroons were in attendance at the ceremony.

families Matthew Miktus ’99 and his wife Alyssa, were blessed with the birth of a second daughter, Kaya. The family resides in South Carolina.

Alexis Bergman ’00 welcomed the arrival of Kai Bergman on May 31, 2015.

The Streng family

Timothy J. Kowtko ’02 and his wife, JoAnn Bennett Kowtko ’05, are thrilled to announce the Aug. 21, 2015, arrival of Vivien Marie. The family lives in Roanoke.

Rebecca Wynne Gathright ’03 and her husband, Travis, celebrated the birth of Gwendolyn Louise on Dec. 18, 2014. They reside in Richmond, Va. Ashley Wylie ’05 and her husband, Chad, of Raleigh, N.C., are happy to announce the July 14, 2015, birth of Vivian Paige.

Lindsey Crouch Streng ’11 and her husband, Sean, welcomed the Sept. 24, 2014, arrival of Skyler Bradly. Lindsey is a technical sales representative in the Human Resources Department of Altec Industries in Daleville, Va. The Strengs live in Salem.

in memoriam Sue Tinsley Angle ’38, a lifelong resident of Bent Mountain, Va., died Sept.

29, 2015. She was 99.

Frances Mitchell Coleman ’40, of Vinton, passed away Oct. 11, 2015, at age 96. She was a lifelong member of Vinton Baptist Church.

Gwendolyn Duncan Halsey ’42 died Sept. 11, 2015, in Jacksonville, N.C., at age 92. After graduating from Roanoke, she worked for the FBI in Washington, D.C., translating German to English during World War II. She then started a teaching career, first at Andrew Lewis High School in Salem, Va., then in the Jacksonville, N.C., area. During retirement, she was a devoted volunteer with Onslow Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and was an active member of the Beta Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, where she held many state and local offices. She also held several offices in the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

Capt. Arthur F. Rawson, Jr. ’41, USN

Gwendolyn Louise Gathright

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alumninews Retired, died Nov. 28, 2015. He was 96.

Rawson attended Roanoke but graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy on Dec. 18, 1941, days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Rawson was one of a small number of naval officers who served on ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A commander of a number of submarines, Rawson retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of outstanding service. He was an active member of St. Jane de Chantal Church and a number of organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America – D.C. Council, U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II, the Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Potomac Chrysanthemum Society. He enjoyed golfing, gardening and being the “mayor” of Camberley Avenue.

Beverly Hock Campbell ’43 passed away at age 92 in her Minnetonka, Minn., home, on Jan. 3, 2016. Her long work career started in 1943 as a budget analyst in the executive office of the President of the United States. She retired as a research analyst at Cargill. Campbell loved the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and served as a co-chair in the symphony’s women’s association. She also had a love for the Minnetonka Yacht Club. Friends admired her needlepoint, and will miss her intellect, conversation, wisdom and strength.

Millson S. French Sr. ’45, a 91-yearold resident of Woodstock, Va., passed away Oct. 2, 2015. He was a World War II Navy veteran, business owner and farmer.

French earned his pharmacy degree from Medical College of Virginia and was owner of Walton & Smoot Drugstore. He was a member of the Virginia Pharmacists Association, The Peter Muhlenberg American Legion and the Woodstock United Methodist Church. A devoted family man, he was known for his generosity and loving stewardship of his farmland.

James B. George ’46 passed away Aug. 18, 2015, in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and made his life work as a U.S. Defense Department consultant while working with Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Corporation. George held a Master of Arts degree in government from George Washington University and enjoyed many interests including travel, entertaining, cooking, music and art.

Helen Vaught Aker ’48 died Oct. 26, 2015, in Wytheville, Va. She was a member of Stuart-Wilderness Road Chapter of the D.A.R., Daughters of the Confederacy, Home Extension Co-op and the United Methodist Women.

Riley Broadwater ’48, a resident of Gate City, Va., died Aug. 16, 2015. He was owner and operator of Broadwater Trading Company, having started in the business at age 12 and seeing it through its 100th

year of operation. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and dedicated to serving his community. Broadwater dearly loved his family and spending time on his farm.

Evelyn Stone Beasley ’49 died April 18, 2015.

Lt. Col. Robert E. Goad ’49, a U.S. Army veteran, passed away Dec. 29, 2015, in Salem. During his military service, he was first stationed in Korea and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal with V Device for Valor. He later was assigned to Vietnam and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his actions. Lt. Col. Goad spent three years in Europe, two years in Bangkok, Thailand, and lived in several different countries. When he retired from the Army after 23 years of service, he was chief of security for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.

Louis Jean Mullineaux ’49, a U.S. Navy veteran, died Jan. 21, 2016 at age 93. Mullineaux served in the Navy during World War II and was discharged as a Yeoman First Class. He entered the Naval Reserve in 1949 and was attached to the Roanoke Naval Reserve Intelligence Unit, of which he served as officer-in-charge.

He rose through the ranks and became a Commander in 1967, prior to retiring in 1970. Most of his working career was in the insurance industry. He was a partner in Goodwin-Andrews-Bryan, Inc. in Salem, office manager with Insurance Associates, Inc. in Roanoke and company representative for Central Mutual Insurance Co., Ohio. He was a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, an avid golfer and an ordained Elder at Belmont Presbyterian Church in Roanoke. Survivors include son L. John Mullineaux ’70.

William H. Kavash Jr. ’50, a resident of Philadelphia, Pa., passed away Aug. 23, 2015. Among his survivors is a son, Robert W. Kavash ’78.

Jean Garst Hughes Martin ’50, died Jan. 21, 2016 at the Joseph C. Thomas Center at Richfield Living in Salem, Va. Martin taught school for a few years but her main enjoyment was all types of dance, especially ballroom. She directed the ballroom dance department at the Floyd Ward School of Dance, served on the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Roanoke Valley and was involved in the Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts, where she served as a docent. She was a longtime member of Raleigh Court United Methodist Church in Roanoke. Survivors include brother Claude F. Hughes Jr. ’48 and sister Martha Sue Hughes Wimmer ’60.

Alda S. Gay ’51 died on March 8, 2015 at her home in Arlington, Va. Gay, a physical therapist, was active in her community and a longtime member of Little Falls Presbyterian Church.

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Frances L. (Peggy) Hurt ’51, of Salem, died July 30, 2015. She was 91.

Before matriculating at Roanoke, she proudly served her country in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Hurt held a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Virginia and spent 30 years teaching at Andrew Lewis.

John (Chuck) Marshall Jr. ’52, a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, died Aug. 21, 2015, in Tenafly, N.J. He was a market research director with Glenbrook Labs in New York City. His pastimes included gardening and spending time with his family. His wife, Audrey Schneider Marshall ’52 survives him.

Lucy Smith Stewart ’52 passed away Oct. 24, 2015, in Lynchburg, Va. A first-grade teacher, and later a special education teacher in Amherst County Schools, she loved the arts and was active in arts community groups as well as her church choir. During retirement, Stewart taught water aerobics at the YMCA. She held a Master of Education degree from Lynchburg College.

Roger S. Elmore ’53 passed away July 30, 2015, in Roanoke. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II. During his time at Roanoke, he was called to active duty during the Korean War. Elmore made his life work with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company where he became a distinguished member of the company’s Hall of Fame, the department’s highest recognition. He retired as manager of the Roanoke office in 1987. A lifelong Presbyterian, he served as deacon, elder, Sunday School teacher, youth leader and choir member. He was active in Sertoma Club, Habitat for Humanity, Gideons International, Lay Renewal and Crossroads Bible Institute. Elmore enjoyed travel, sailing and jazz.

Mary “Mitch” Allison Powell ’53, a longtime resident of Elkins, W.Va., died on Jan. 23, 2016. She was 83.

William J. Stevens ’53, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, died Sept. 3, 2015, in Roanoke. He was 91. Stevens entered his career as a banker with Bank of Virginia, then moved to Signet Bank and retired from Salem Bank and Trust. He also was employed with Sears for more than four decades.

Lester E. Hall ’55, longtime school principal in the Botetourt County school system, died Aug. 10, 2015, in Hampton, Va. He also served as a United Methodist pastor throughout the Virginia Conference.

Hall held a master’s degree in education from Radford University.

The Rev. Richard F. Batman ’54 died Feb. 5, 2016 at Rockland Place in Wilmington, Del. After graduating from Roanoke, Batman attended Gettysburg

Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity. He served at churches in Boonsboro, Md. and Damascus, Md. before being called to service in 1970 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Newark, Del., where he remained until his retirement in 1988.

Batman was known for his quick smile and sense of humor. He loved traveling, camping, music, genealogy and computers.

The Rev. Robert Hock ’55 passed away Dec. 9, 2015, in Oviedo, Fla. He was a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C., and received his Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Seminary, Chicago, Ill. During his 38 years of ministry, he was pastor, mentor and friend to the congregations of Grace Lutheran, Waynesboro, Va.; Ebenezer Lutheran, Columbia, S.C.; and St. John Lutheran, Winter Park, Fla. His influence in the three congregations helped establish camps and retreat centers. “Pastor Bob” held many leadership positions and also authored several devotional booklets. Upon his retirement, he preached extensively to raise awareness and support for Food for the Poor, and also served as chaplain of the Smyrna Yacht Club.

The Rev. Charles E. Spraker ’55, an ordained Lutheran minister, died on Jan. 11, 2016. He served pastorates throughout the Shenandoah Valley, as well as Williamsburg, Staunton and Middlebrook, Va. He also served the mentally ill at Western State Hospital, where he focused on patient care. The Rev. Spraker earned a Master of Education degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Virginia and a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.

He was a licensed nursing home administrator, licensed professional counselor, certified psychiatric rehabilitation counselor and preceptor in nursing home administration. The recipient of numerous honors, he led and volunteered in community and professional organizations and served as clinical assistant professor of behavioral medicine and psychiatry at UVa. Jean Henderson Uhl ’56, a resident of Chapel Hill, N.C., passed away Oct. 8, 2015. Shortly after graduating from Roanoke, she worked as a proofreader and French translator for the American Tobacco Company, then as a computer programmer for the Department of Defense, Fort Meade, Md. Later, she was employed with the Orange County Council Department on Aging and shared her talents with other organizations, as well as the University of North Carolina. Uhl was known for her creativity, compassion and fierce love for her family. Among her survivors is a daughter, Jennifer Uhl Zwikker ’86.

Richard Shumate ’57, of Duluth, Ga., passed away Dec. 3, 2015. He worked for

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tribute to a friend and teammate eDitOr’s NOte: Joseph Shields ’95, tennis teammate and fraternity brother of Jonas E. Rosenberg ’94, contacted Roanoke magazine shortly after Rosenberg’s death in August of 2015. Shields asked if he could write a memoriam about his beloved friend. It appears below.

orn in New York City, Jonas e. rosenberg ’94 was raised in Mount Kisco, N.Y., and attended The Gunnery, a boarding school in Connecticut.

He graduated with a B.A. in political science from Roanoke College, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and the men’s tennis team.

Rosenberg, who was well-liked and respected by friends and teammates, enjoyed many activities.

But tennis was his passion. He had a big serve, big heart and big sense of humor. His straight-faced wit made him a very popular person on campus.

He was known by his peers for always stirring up good-natured banter.

Joseph Shields, left, with Jonas Rosenberg, right, in photo taken after a tennis match during Rosenberg's 1993-1994 senior year.

Rosenberg died Aug. 28, 2015. He was 44.

A unique character, Rosenberg’s behavior would bring smiles and oftentimes bewilderment to people’s faces.

For instance, when teammates double-faulted on serve, he would shout, “The Old Friend.” In the rain or middle of winter, Jonas could be seen driving around campus in his Jeep with the top down. While some thought the top was broken, others assumed he didn’t know how to put it up. In truth, he didn’t care about the little things, like getting wet or cold. He had a lifelong fascination with weather. Those the turnout at his memorial service were a testament to the funny, close to him saw the irony in ‘Winter Storm Jonas’ that gentle guy people remember. recently pummeled the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

It is impossible to remember the old friend without smiling.

After graduation, Rosenberg held executive sales positions in the health-care sector. Later, he studied casino To honor Rosenberg, family and friends have created The resort management at Tulane University and worked at Jonas Ethan Rosenberg ’94 Endowment for Tennis Programs.

The Venetian Las Vegas.

If you are interested in supporting this memorial fund, please Rosenberg enjoyed making wagers but never gambled contact the Office of Resource Development at (866) 724-4831 with his friendships. He was kind and wished the best for or RoanokeRising@roanoke.edu. his friends and their families. Remarks in social media and

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A unique character, Rosenberg’s behavior would bring smiles and oftentimes bewilderment to people’s faces.

GE Capital for 30 years and most recently was president of GTE Leasing.

Mary Bruggeman Stevens ’57, wife of the late Phillip Bruggeman ’57, died Sept. 16, 2015, in Downers Grove, Ill. Nancy Moore Conn ’58, of Roanoke, passed away July 12, 2015.

John W. (Bill) Kesler ’59 died Oct. 16, 2015, in Mint Hill, N.C. He was employed with IBM for 33 years before retiring in 1993.

Barbara Gray Armistead Smith ’60,

physical therapist and graduate of Medical College of Virginia, died July 22, 2015, in Winchester, Va. She has been described as a quiet, intelligent woman who was an avid student of history, especially the Civil War. Among her survivors is a brother, Dr. Howard L. Armistead Jr. ’57.

David J. Mercer ’61 died Dec. 7, 2015, in Los Angeles, Calif. He was owner and operator of Horizons International and Performance Labs. He enjoyed golf and spending time with his family and friends.

Among his survivors is his wife, Georgia Kunke Mercer ’63.

Louise Healy Patterson ’63, longtime educator in the Roanoke City school system, died Sept. 16, 2015, in Roanoke.

Her teaching career included positions in Patrick Henry High School, The City School, William Fleming High School, North Cross School and two independent schools in South America. She taught English and Spanish and enjoyed the literature and grammar of both languages. During her

retirement years, Patterson was a volunteer interpreter with the Refugee and Immigration Office and was active in Greene Memorial United Methodist Church.

Judith A. Shipman ’64, of East Berlin, Pa., died Oct. 31, 2015. She was a member of Delta Gamma, the Order of Job, the Eastern Star and former member of Sweet Adelines chapters. A retiree from the Human Resources Department at the U.S. Navy Depot, Mechanicsburg, Va., Shipman enjoyed friends, family and living on her ROANOKE.EDU

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alumninews beloved farm with her horses, donkey and other animals.

Ronald G. McCormack ’66, of Nyack, N.Y., died Oct. 10, 2015. After graduating from Roanoke, he earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee and started his law career with McCormack & Damiani in New City, N.Y. He had been a partner with McCormack & Phillips in Nyack since 1983. He was a member of American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys and Attorney for the Child, and also served on the boards for Hospice of Rockland County and Rockland Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence.

A gifted writer and poet, McCormack loved sailing on the Hudson.

Robert B. O’Brien ’66, a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, died Nov. 27, 2015, in Suwanee, Ga. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp Reserves and was a member of North Woods Country Club.

Mary McCauley Bush ’68, of Salem, passed away Jan. 4, 2016, at the age of 98. A non-traditional student, she graduated from Roanoke at age 50, and taught in the Roanoke County and City of Salem

school systems for 14 years. She also wrote a book, “The World Came to Me,” detailing her experiences tutoring homebound students, children at the Lutheran Children’s Home, and refugees. Bush was involved in many organizations, including DAR, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Junior Women’s Club of Salem. She was an officer of several PTAs and a Girl Scout leader in Virginia Beach and Salem.

David G. Cooper ’68 died in Orange, Va., on Dec. 7, 2015. His 41-year career was devoted to Merchants Grocery Company of Culpeper, Va. He was a former member of the Cave Spring Jaycees and Lakeland Masonic Lodge, in Roanoke. As a resident of Orange, he was active in the Masonic Lodge and Orange Volunteer Fire Company, where he used his business skills in the positions of treasurer, business manager and president. Cooper was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. His survivors include his wife, Janet Pearsall Cooper ’69.

John P. Yeaman ’68, a resident of Martinsville, Va., passed away Sept. 15, 2015. He served in the Army National

Martha Goode Pasfield with family at the 2008 dedication of the Goode-Pasfield Center for Teaching and Learning.

Martha E. Goode Pasfield ’67, of Charlotte, N.C., died Sept. 8, 2015. She taught at schools in Roanoke, Greensboro, N.C., and Madison, Ind. She then took an entrylevel banking position at Chase Manhattan Bank and worked her way up to a vice president position at Prudential-Bache Securities in Manhattan. She continued her banking career in Roanoke and later in Charlotte, N.C. In 2008, The Goode-Pasfield Center for Learning & Teaching, located in the College’s Fintel Library, was established through gifts from Pasfield’s brother, David Goode — retired president, chairman and CEO of Norfolk Southern Corp. — and his wife, Susan. The Center was named in honor of the late Otto Goode ‘31, father of Martha Pasfield and David Goode, and for Pasfield and her husband, Robert E. Pasfield ’67. The center features programs for students at all levels of academic accomplishment.

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Guard. Yeaman retired from Guardsman Chemicals and became a land developer in Henry County. He was a lifelong member of Christ Episcopal Church where he served in many capacities. An avid outdoorsman, he was a member of Ducks Unlimited, National Rifle Association and National Wild Turkey Federation.

David S. Campbell ’69 died Nov. 11, 2015, in Hancock’s Bridge, N.J. He was employed with the Human Resources Department at Mannington Mills. Campbell was an avid hunter, fisherman and trapper who enjoyed boating and collecting antique duck decoys.

Rebecca Fisher Sowder ’69 passed away Oct. 17, 2015, in Roanoke. She taught at William Byrd Middle School for 15 years before focusing full time on raising her family. She later was a real estate agent, working alongside her husband with his construction company.

Douglas Banks Miller ’71, a Montana resident, died Jan. 23, 2016. An active entrepreneur, Martin worked a short time for an office supply company, then branched out on his own to run a salvage business, residential building business and a computer software business. He enjoyed skiing, sailing and tennis and was an experienced pilot. He was a ski area manager and ski instructor, and won a Virginia Governor’s Cup race at the Massanutten, Va. ski resort. In 2006, he moved to Montana, where he became a frequent skier at Blacktail Mountain.

C. Ray Mollenhoff Jr. ’71 died Nov. 23, 2015, in Silver Spring, Md. During his college career, he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and lettered in soccer. He maintained relationships with his fraternity brothers throughout his life. As a public servant, he was a police officer in Montgomery County for four years, then worked for the U.S. Congress on the U.S. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the House Banking Committee and the Senate Labor Committee. Mollenhoff was a U.S. special agent with the President’s Commission on Organized Crime and was a regional inspector general for the Department of Energy. In 1996, he left public service to pursue a real estate career with Long & Foster in Olney, Md. Jori Cordell Cox ’83, of Salem, died Oct. 24, 2015. She was a dedicated and respected educator, serving the city of Salem for over 30 years, and was active in the Salem Baptist Church.

James P. Akowski ’88 died July 26, 2015, in Fond du Lac, Wis. He earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Virginia and first worked as a research associate in biological chemistry.

He then changed his focus to information technology. His last position was with

Advocap, a private, non-profit Community Action Agency serving low-income people.

John M. Taylor II ’88, of Roanoke, passed away on Nov. 4, 2015. He was devoted to a career in chemistry and worked in rubber extrusion at a local manufacturing company. During this time, he attained the highly regarded Six Sigma certification. Taylor enjoyed golfing, fishing and playing basketball. He played basketball at Virginia Western Community College and Roanoke College and later coached youth basketball teams.

Thomas B. Hunter ’89 passed away Oct. 29, 2015, in Wytheville, Va. Christine Conti McGugan ’89 died Nov. 18, 2015. She was a resident of Stonington, Conn. After graduating from Roanoke, she settled in Mystic, Conn., where she met her future husband.

McGugan worked many years in marketing for the Mystic Seaport. Most recently, she worked with Randall Realtors and as an associate for Financial Security Group, her father’s financial planning firm. She and her husband were fitness enthusiasts and enjoyed running and biking.

Carl V. Peterson Jr. ’89 passed away Nov. 28, 2015, in North Wales, Pa. He held an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Joseph L. Salmon ’90, of Roanoke, died Sept. 26, 2015. An educator in Roanoke City Public Schools for more than 24 years, he was an instructional coach at Roanoke Academy and Hurt Park Elementary School, and was employed as a reading coach at Wasena Elementary School prior to his death. Salmon was named 2005 Teacher of the Year at Roanoke Academy, Roanoke City Public Schools and District VI. His accomplishments with Roanoke City Schools included a 100 percent pass rate for third-grade science SOLS at Roanoke Academy, fifth-grade science SOL achievements at Hurt Park and establishing astronomy and robotics clubs at Hurt Park. Salmon received a master’s degree and doctoral degree from Virginia Tech, and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. His dissertation received the 2012 Virginia Education Research Award. A running enthusiast, he completed 13 marathons.

Jonas E. Rosenberg ’94 died in Mount Kisco, N.Y., on Aug. 28, 2015.

His passion was tennis and he played competitively in high school as well as college. He continued to play at Saw Mill River Club in Mount Kisco as a member of the U.S. Tennis Association team.

James Henderlite ’01, of Roanoke, passed away Oct. 2, 2015. RC

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College loses one of BuaD founders r. John V. Spitz, professor of business administration and economics, emeritus, died in late 2014. Spitz was one of the founders of the business administration and economics department, which he chaired for many years.

Many business majors of his era associate his name with the challenging QM course. Successful completion of Quantitative Methods was akin to making it through the Business Policy course. Some years he even awarded T-shirts to the “QM Survivors.”

Spitz came to Roanoke College in 1969 to teach economics, and retired in 1992 and moved with his wife, Lela, to Bluffton, S.C. Lela Spitz also worked at the College for many years; she died a few months after her husband.

John Spitz was born in Germany and attended schools in Atlanta, Ga. He graduated from Duke University and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee. Spitz, who also served in the U.S. Army, was a member of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs’ Commission.

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Dr. Robert Stauffer, another retired economist at Roanoke, shared some of the Spitz family history: “Theirs is an interesting story involving an escape from Nazi Germany in the 1930s,” he said. “The Spitz family had several businesses in a small German town. When the anti-Jewish laws came out they included a ban on Jewish ownership of movie theaters — a major source of the family income.”

The family moved several times in an effort to get away from the Nazis — to Sudetenland (modern-day Czechoslovakia), then to Prague and then to California.

Spitz once said they got out with a week to spare — one step ahead of the Nazis. Spitz’s family ended up in Atlanta, where he learned to speak English.

The family opened a grocery store; their landlord was Martin Luther King Sr. Spitz and his wife, Lela, left a generous part of their estate to Roanoke College. It will support various aspects of their beloved BUAD.

Lape remembered for teaching style and compassion r. Denis Lape, retired English professor, died Dec. 5, 2015, at age 76.

A member of the Roanoke College faculty for 43 years, Lape was best known for his Shakespeare, Southern Literature, and 19th-Century American Literature classes. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Minnesota, he also cotaught a course on American Humor in Literature and Politics, led senior seminar courses and served for several years as English department chair.

In 1989, he received the College’s first “Dean’s Council Award for Outstanding Teaching.” The year prior, he was named “Outstanding Professor of the Year” by student honor fraternities Blue Key and Cardinal Key. Colleagues and alumni remember Lape’s character, intellect, humor and talent. Former English chair Dr. Anita Turpin described him as a “legend.” His reputation for tough standards and high expectations was equaled by his reputation for caring and compassion.

“He expected a lot, but not without offering the help you

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needed,” said Lindsey Nair ’98, senior writer at Washington and Lee University. “I remember being really intimidated when I learned that I had Dr. Lape for seminar.

Looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way...He cared about students before, during, after and out of class.”

Nair also remembers Lape’s dramatic reading style. “He would pick the best part,” she said. “And if he was supposed to collapse and die at the end of the scene, he would.” Lape was in his late 50s by then.

Nair said two students would have to help him up off the floor, but that he didn’t care because he was having so much fun.

His fun extended to keeping a large cutout of Star Trek’s Captain Kirk in his office. Dr. Martha Kuchar, current English department chair, remembers that she had a similar figure of Spock.

“Our cardboard characters would meet and confer in the hallway...while Denis and I chatted in his office,” she said. “But mostly, I learned from Denis how to be gracious and kind, funny and human. He was a great storyteller and a devoted lover of literature.” — Sharon Nanz ’09

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MAROON MuSINgS

BY KATIE S IMMONS ’18

Thank You, Roanoke College

Katie Simmons

ollege is a place and time in your life where you are constantly tested and pushed to your limits. It is a place of constant change and growth. If you asked me five years ago what I thought college would be like, where I would be, who I would be, my answer would be completely different from my current reality. Things could not have worked out better for me, and I have Roanoke College to thank for that.

Thank you, Roanoke College, for being there when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go in life. Thank you for helping me

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“Thank you for helping me find people who would run across campus to be with me, no matter the time or the weather. Thank you for helping me find people I would run across campus for, regardless of the time or weather.” realize that maybe the career path I had chosen didn’t fit me as well as I thought it would. Thank you for helping me realize that it’s OK to change my career path. Thank you for providing me the guidance I needed to come to this realization, and make new plans for myself.

Thank you, Roanoke College, for providing me with an amazing English department and staff that are constantly inspiring me. Thank you especially to the specific professors I’ve had.

To my Whitman professor: Thank you for helping me find my love and appreciation for a wide range of Whitman’s works. Thank you to my British literature professor for introducing me to writers I would not have found on my own. Thank you for introducing me to women writers like Aphra Behn, and helping me realize that maybe I don’t hate stream-of-consciousness novels.

Thank you to my American literature professor for encouraging me to free write even though I’m a Literary Studies major. Thank you for encouraging me to ask questions and dig deeper into the works I read. Thank you to my Renaissance women writers professor for introducing me to this amazing and interesting topic, and exposing me to works not a lot of people are aware of.

Thank you, Roanoke College, for the opportunities you provide me.

“Thank you for introducing me to women writers like Aphra Behn, and helping me realize that maybe I don’t hate stream-of-consciousness novels.”

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Thank you for giving me the option to live, study and intern in Washington, D.C. for a semester. Thank you for giving me the option to spend six weeks studying history and literature at Oxford in England. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a resident advisor and all of the joys that accompany the job. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to become close with my professors, to form bonds and relationships with them outside of class.

Thank you, Roanoke College, for the people you have helped me find.

Thank you for helping me find lifelong best friends. Thank you for helping me find people who would run across campus to be with me, no matter the time or the weather.

Thank you for helping me find people I would run across campus for, regardless of the time or weather.

Thank you for helping me find an excellent support system of peers and adults.

I have a lot to thank Roanoke College for. Every day I am there, I gain five more things to be thankful for.

Roanoke College has been there for me through my ups and downs.

It has been there for me through my changes and growth. It has never stopped supporting me and providing for me. And for that, I will always be grateful.

Thank you, Roanoke College. RC

Katie Simmons ’18 is a Literary Studies major from Botetourt County, Va. She wrote this essay in January for a website called “Odyssey” at the beginning of the spring semester. “I just really, really love Roanoke [ask any of my friends] and wanted to write a letter showing my love and appreciation for the school,” she says.

five days in early June. The days consisted of numerous speeches by honored visitors, Salem dignitaries, Roanoke College President Thomas W. Dosh, and College faculty and students. The reunion began with Baccalaureate on Sunday, June 9, with Rev. G. W. Bladgen, D.D., of Boston’s Old South Church, preaching.

Throughout the events, audiences were treated to the melodious tunes of the United States Marine Band, which attended “with the permission of [U.S.] President [Ruther-

COLLEgE ARCHIVES B Y L INDA A NGLE MI LLER, C O L L E G E A R C H IV IS T

U.S. MARINE BAND LIBRARY

And the band played on

The U.S. Marine Band in 1882, four years after its performance at Roanoke College.

wo bits…a quarter…25 — not a particularly large number. But for Roanoke College in 1878, it was a grand number, representing the number of years the College had served young men in pursuit of a college education.

The “Collegian” burst with excitement over plans for a 25th-year celebration. Each faculty member—all five of them — served on several committees, along with several prominent Salem men. The four rail companies serving Salem agreed to give free return to alumni, guests and “ex-students” (non-grads) for a full fare ticket. The three hotels offered special rates to the guests— $1.50 at the classy Duval House, $1 at Central and Lake Spring hotels.

Because of 19th-century travel limitations, the reunion blended into commencement exercises, spanning

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“... listening to the perfect strains of the Marine Band, one could not resist the conclusion that Roanoke College had never attracted a more brilliant assemblage.” ford B.] Hayes and the Secretary of the Navy [Richard W.] Thompson.”

Given that the band seldom traveled far from Washington, D.C., this was quite an occasion.

Led by Director Louis Schneider, the Marine Band arrived by train the afternoon of Monday, June 10. They were put to work almost right away.

The evening’s main event was the contest for the Medal in Oratory, held in the Town Hall. At the conclusion of the exercises, the audience began their promenade around a “brilliantly illuminated” campus, and the Marine Band played “delightful music” from the Administration Building front porch.

Similar scenarios occurred the next three days. Tuesday evening’s events included the Alumni Address, the awarding of the Medal in Logic and Metaphysics, and the Welcome

Meeting, with at least four speeches.

Again, the Marine Band “was present, and interspersed the exercise with most excellent music.” Afterward, all moved to campus, and enjoyed themselves with conversation and music until midnight. (And, you thought that back then they all went to bed by dark!)

Day four, June 12, was a day of addresses to the Reunion Association from 10 a.m. on through the day. The highlight was the evening’s address before the Literary Societies by the Hon. Clarkson N. Potter, L.L.D., of New York. As the “Collegian” described the occasion: “On looking over the stage, crowded with distinguished gentlemen, and the Hall filled with the beauty and intelligence of the country, and listening to the perfect strains of the Marine Band, one could not resist the conclusion that Roanoke College had never attracted a more brilliant assemblage.”

By Commencement Day, on June 13, “the U.S. Marine Band, as usual, occupied the gallery [of the Town Hall].” Unlike today’s commencement exercises with one main speaker, 19th-century commencements consisted of brief orations by each graduating senior —a total of 19 in 1878. Between each oration, there was an interlude during which the Marine Band played. In the final conclusion of the description of the Quarto-Centennial, the writer says, in part, “It would be an act of injustice not to say of the U.S. Marine Band, which was in attendance upon all the exercises of a public character, that it furnished music of very superior excellence. By the quality of music as well as by their gentlemanly deportment, the Band gave general satisfaction.” RC

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ROANOTES Think you know a lot about Roanoke College? Chances are you do. But here is a fact that even those most thoroughly versed in all things Maroon probably don’t know.

800,000 Number of bricks in the new Cregger Center, scheduled to open later this year.

(See the Cregger Center come to life at roanoke.edu/creggervideo)

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NOTE TO PARENTS: If this issue of Roanoke College Magazine is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer lives at your address, please provide a change of address to the College. Contact the Alumni Office by mail, e-mail or phone.