contents ISSUE ONE | 2014
S P E C I A L 2 4
E D I T I O N
President’s Pen Special Feature: Doing Great Things Roanoke College alumni are living testaments to the College’s emphasis on responsibility to serve the human community.
26
36 40 50
In a tiny village in Nicaragua, Nick Varrell ’14 finds his calling.
28 30 35
Alumni News Archives Service through the years
52
Planting Seeds of Service
Sports News
Maroon Musings Who inspired you?
Campaign News College News
http://tinyurl.com/lzhdora
• Watch an interview with “Ultimate Survival Alaska” competitor Sean Burch ’93.
Snapshots
CONTACT US: Questions, comments and corrections may be sent to: Magazine Editor, Roanoke College Public Relations Office, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153, or email rcmagazine@roanoke.edu
Roanoke College Magazine Editor Leslie Taylor Contributing Editors Teresa Gereaux ’87 Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 Alumni News Linda Lindsay Archives Linda Miller Contributing Writers Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 Kayla Fuller ’14 Allison Shannon ’15 James Shell ’79 Dan Smith David Treadwell
Photography Jeff Amberg Brendan Bush David Cornwell Sam Dean Zach Gibson Gidon Holtz Holly Hopson David Seaver Natalee Waters Ben Williams Mark Wilson 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 by the Office of Public Relations for alumni, students, parents, staff and friends of Roanoke College. Editorial rights are reserved. Please address correspondence to: Editor, Roanoke College Magazine Roanoke College 221 College Lane Salem, VA 24153-3794 rcmagazine@roanoke.edu
221 College Lane | Salem, VA 24153-3794 | www.roanoke.edu
College Switchboard ..........................(540) 375-2500 Admissions Local ................................(540) 375-2270 Admissions Toll-free..........................(800) 388-2276 Alumni/Parent Relations...................(540) 375-2238 Alumni E-mail ..........................alumni@roanoke.edu Church Relations .................................(540) 375-2547 Colket Center.........................................(540) 378-5125 Intercollegiate Athletics .....................(540) 375-2338 Olin Box Office......................................(540) 375-2333 © 2014 Roanoke College. All rights reserved. Roanoke College, Classic for Tomorrow and associated logos are trademarks of Roanoke College.
president’spen The call, selflessly answered Hanging above a desk in my office is a framed giving back. They bring to life a passion sparked quote, an excerpt from a poem by Dr. Melanie during their years at Roanoke, a passion that placed Almeder, an English professor here at Roanoke. She them on a path toward serving the human comshared the poem on the occasion of my inauguramunity. tion as the College’s 11th president in 2007. They are proud to be defined by the fruits of “Do your best,” it says, referring to one of my their labor. I am proud that they are Maroons servmother’s frequent instructions for my brother, sising society in their compelling ways. ter, and me. “Do your best” applies wonderfully to Sheltering the homeless. what we wish for our students at Roanoke. Helping low-income individuals establish their Three words; simple, but weightier than most own businesses. paragraphs. Those three words set Empowering environmentally atvery basic expectations of anyone in Roanoke is more risk communities. pursuit of a goal — professional or Giving disadvantaged students than a utilitarian access to a college education. personal. When new students arrive at place. It is a place of In doing their best, these alumni Roanoke, we begin their orientation are “Doing Great Things.” reminding them of the basic values values and virtues “I received the call to aspire to of Roanoke, including the idea of the highest standards possible loud that serve society, and clear during my college years,” serving the broader community in which we live. It is one of the “Four said John Hummel ’91, an attorney exemplified in Pillars of a Roanoke Experience” that in Oregon who works for a nonthe graduates we profit that operates community we promote to our new Maroons. “Do your best,” is about excelhealth clinics caring for underserved produce. lence in pursuing academic work individuals. “What did the caller here, and it is about excellence in the pursuit of say? That if I worked hard, asked for help when making the world a better place for others. needed, and pushed myself out of my comfort Late last year, inspired by the many altruistic, zone I would be rewarded by being well-prepared humanitarian, philanthropic acts of Roanoke for the next chapter of my life. The caller was right. alumni, I considered the impact of compiling their I’m glad I answered the call.” stories in the same printed space. What a powerJohn is not alone. Many Roanoke alumni have ful way to illustrate how the Roanoke experience answered that call — in very diverse ways, none — moreover, the Four Pillars — is carried out in greater than the other. the world and what happens when students are enJohn’s story and those of nine other alumni apcouraged to aspire to do something greater than pear on the following pages. Told in their own themselves. words, the stories movingly show that seeds firmly Roanoke is more than a utilitarian place. It is a planted at Roanoke do indeed take root and flourplace of values and virtues that serve society, exish. It is very affirming to know that there are emplified in the graduates we produce. thousands of similar stories in the Maroon Nation. The result is this special issue of Roanoke magazine. Its theme, simply, is “Doing Great Things,” an extension of the three words plucked from Dr. Almeder’s poem and my mother’s voice. In this Michael Creed Maxey magazine are the stories of people fully engaged in
ROANOKE.EDU 3
“
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
”
— Anatole France
4 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
Doing Great Things From freshman orientation, Maroons hear the call to serve others, and to imagine what dreams they might fulfill. In the years that follow, the words ring, over and over: Aspire to the highest standards possible. And in doing so, discover how to be engaged in making a difference in the lives of others. Great things then happen. Roanoke magazine profiled 10 alumni who are just a few of the many living testaments to what is central to Roanoke College’s mission and purpose.
ROANOKE.EDU 5
John Hummel ’91 BEND, OREGON State and Federal Policy Director, Oregon Primary Care Association
HOW HE SERVES: John works with Oregon Primary Care Association, a non-profit membership association comprised of Oregon’s 31 community health centers that operate 202 community health clinics caring for underserved Oregonians. His previous work includes director of the Oregon Consensus Program, the state’s public policy dispute resolution program. An attorney and former member of the Bend City Council, John previously served as the Liberia, Africa country representative for the Carter Center, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s non-profit organization. John led the Carter Center’s efforts to assist Liberians in improving the justice and mental health systems for a country recovering from a 14-year civil war. He also is a co-founder and treasurer of Boost, a non-profit micro-finance organization that supports individuals, organizations, communities and small businesses that need a small amount of assistance to overcome an immediate challenge.
“ W
e all deserve to be heard. My raison d’etre is ensuring that the least among us have opportunities to provide input into decisions that impact their lives. As an attorney for the poor, an elected official, a community health advocate and a conflict resolution professional, I experience on a daily basis the positive impact that empowerment has on marginalized individuals. I have come to also appreciate the benefit to society that is realized when we add voices to community deliberations that have heretofore been missing.
Service was an inseparable part of the Roanoke experience. The low-key, lead-by-example ministry of [the Rev. Paul] Henrickson was omnipresent and impactful. Dean Mac Johnson’s emphasis on student service contributed to a campus culture of mutual respect. And sociology professor Eberle Smith’s passion for the plight of incarcerated youth was palpable as our class toured juvenile detention facilities. By modeling how to live a life of service, Roanoke faculty, administrators and staff impacted me outside of the classroom as much as in. I received the call to aspire to the highest standards possible loud and clear during my college years. What did the caller say? That…if I worked hard, asked for help when needed, and pushed myself out of my comfort zone I would be rewarded by being well-prepared for the next chapter of my life. The caller was right. I’m glad I answered the call.
”
ROANOKE.EDU 7
Cheryl Evans ’83 ROANOKE, VIRGINIA Project Manager, Total Action for Progress Transitional Living Center
HOW SHE SERVES: Cheryl has championed the homeless as project manager of TAP Transitional Living Center. For 25 years, the center, known as TLC, has offered transitional housing for homeless individuals and families, providing intensive case management, life skills and other comprehensive services that move residents toward selfsufficiency. Prior to her work at TLC, Cheryl served as a public housing manager for the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority, as a volunteer with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and as a member of the City of Roanoke Youth Advisory Board. She is a graduate of the City of Roanoke Leadership College and the United Way Minority Leadership Enhancement Program.
8 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
“ I
’ve worked at TAP for the past eight years, overseeing a transitional homeless facility for individuals and families. TAP, the second largest community action agency in Virginia, provides services to help individuals and families at every stage of life. My daily duties operating the facility are varied, multifaceted and immense. I work with participants who have multiple issues in addition to being homeless. Because of the longevity of their stay, I have an opportunity to impact the lives of these individuals. My life experiences allow me to show them, through my leadership, that hope is real, second chances do happen and one can overcome obstacles through perseverance, faith and love. Roanoke College influenced my life by providing a broad range of challenging classes and opportunities to interact with students from various backgrounds. Looking back on my years as a Roanoke student, I believe that experience has allowed me to become, through practice, a resourceful, informed and responsible citizen.
”
Alex Tuck ’05 FAIRFAX, VERMONT President & Executive Director, People Helping People Global
HOW HE SERVES: Alex is one of the founders of People Helping People Global (PHPG), a Vermont-based organization that provides individuals with the tools necessary to eliminate the suffering that they and their families are experiencing due to extreme poverty. PHPG partners with locals and their communities to reduce poverty in their impoverished regions. Alex oversees the organization’s overall operation in the United States and Nicaragua.
“ I
n 2009, I partnered with a small team of individuals to start a non-profit that focused on international development. After many months of research and planning, we decided to make micro-lending in Central America our primary focus. We work with families where the members live on less than two U.S. dollars per day. The leaders of the families — typically single mothers — submit simple business plans and form lending groups. In April, we distributed our 500th business loan. After five years of service, we have seen significant changes in the lives of individuals who have received loans and the communities where we work.
One of the major reasons that I chose to attend Roanoke was the strong focus on service and community building. I’ll never forget [Center for Civic Engagement Director] Jesse Griffin’s Potato Drop during my first week at Roanoke. I still wear the bright orange shirt that we got at orientation. The constant focus and opportunity to serve the community at Roanoke is a huge reason why I chose the path that I did with PHPG. While all of my professors at Roanoke pressed for high quality, Dr. Robert Stauffer and the late Dr. Darryl Lowry of the economics department really embodied this aspect of the College for me. They demanded the highest standards in all of the work we did. I’ve taken that influence and applied it to my daily life. PHPG wouldn’t be where it is today if it weren’t for the lessons that I learned back in those hallowed halls.
”
ROANOKE.EDU 11
Ellen Stroud ’95 KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE Co-founder, Pinnacle Ranch
HOW SHE SERVES: In 2008, Ellen co-founded Pinnacle Ranch, which provides mental health services, personal growth, learning opportunities and organizational development using equine-assisted activities, also known as “horse therapy.” Before entering the mental health field, Ellen advocated for people on social justice issues concerning hunger and food insecurity. She consulted with Feeding America to advocate for feeding the hungry and served as public affairs officer at the San Francisco Food Bank. Ellen was recognized by the Tri-Cities Business Journal with an “Outstanding 40 under 40” award for her commitment to community.
“ D
uring my freshman year at Roanoke I spent spring break in Washington, D.C. with a group from the Chaplain’s Office, working in soup kitchens and clothes closets that served the homeless. We were encouraged to join individuals as they waited in line or as they ate their meal. Spending time talking and listening to the stories was uncomfortable but inspiring. I learned that I was one big medical bill or accident away from sitting in their chair. The gentleman who had a master’s degree, a wife and children went through a tough time and lost everything. He said that he didn’t want me to feel sorry for him; he wanted me to do something. It took me a few years but I did. I had the chance to advocate for and obtain $610 million over 10 years in additional funding that would provide more food for those in need and would provide needed resources for the soup kitchen that was serving the man I met. After years of advocating for groups of people who do not always have a voice in public policy, I switched from being an entrepreneur to working with individuals. My business partner and I started Pinnacle Ranch, which offers growth and learning opportunities that enable clients to discover new strategies for changing problematic patterns and behaviors in their lives. As I spent time as the equine specialist — part of the treatment team with a counselor — I found myself wanting to know more about the change process. So I went to graduate school and am about to graduate with a counseling degree. I remember at Roanoke hearing that learning is a lifelong process and at a liberal arts school you learn to learn. I am the product of that philosophy. I learn every day. Having a commitment to continual learning helps me strive to meet the highest standards possible so that I can make a difference.
”
12 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
Scott Segerstrom ’02 DENVER, COLORADO Associate Director, Colorado Youth Corps Association
HOW HE SERVES: Scott’s work positions him to serve thousands of young people across Colorado. He works with legislators, land management agencies and other stakeholders to put young people to work on public lands, where they perform conservation projects across the state while learning about the environment and themselves. While the association’s measurable outcome is conservation of natural resources, its primary impact is to provide meaningful service opportunities that create the spark of leadership in young people.
“ M
y path through Roanoke College made a career in service inevitable. Prior to freshman orientation I participated on a service trip with the Rev. Paul Henrickson, which laid the groundwork for four years of mentorship in striving to be a better person each day. Later, Dr. Melanie Almeder’s ‘Literature of the Witness’ course reinforced the importance of compassion and awareness. Dr. Paul Hanstedt and Dr. Mike Heller’s personal investment in the success of their students, not just intellectually but emotionally, modeled a humanity that taught me the value of inspirational leadership.
Roanoke College led me to aspire to the highest standards possible by directing me to numerous lifechanging mentors who embodied those standards: Cynthia Overton, administrative assistant for Residence Life, taught me about courage and humor in the face of adversity; Patrick Paradzinski, area coordinator, taught me about integrity; Mac Johnson taught me about finding peace and equilibrium in the natural world; and there were many, many additional mentors who kindly took interest in me and recognized the potential for achievements I did not believe possible.
”
ROANOKE.EDU 15
William Beroza ’77 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Head coach, Israel Lacrosse
HOW HE SERVES: William was instrumental in the founding of Israel Lacrosse, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of lacrosse in Israel. The organization was officially recognized by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) in 2011 and has both a men’s team and a women’s team. The organization has also conducted summer youth clinics across Israel, getting lacrosse sticks into the hands of more than 500 Israeli children. William — whose full-time work is in strategic embedded software sales at IBM — will serve as head coach of the Israel Men’s Lacrosse team competing at the 2014 Men’s World Championship in Colorado in July.
“ I
n the spring of 2011, I was approached by a young man who had just gotten back from a trip to Israel. His name was Scott Neiss. He grew up on Long Island, and did not have a close tie to his Judaism or to the State of Israel. But upon his return to the States, he contacted me and asked if I would be the head coach for the Israeli National Lacrosse Team. I met with him, accepted that position and almost three years later, I have been able to change hundreds of lives, including my own. As a college All American at Roanoke, the sport of lacrosse has afforded me some amazing opportunities. One of them was the invitation to head up the Israeli team. The truth is, the head coach does much more than coach. Since we were starting a lacrosse program in Israel, which is an 11-hour plane ride from Boston, it wasn’t easy to comprehend the commitment or the impact this journey would have on my life and those I have met since. The chance to work with youth in Israel, and grow not only the sport of lacrosse but help nurture and influence the lives of young men and women there, has made it even more satisfying. This opportunity did not come about simply because I was Jewish, or a lacrosse player at a great program, but because of the many mentors and role models I had in my life. When I think about the work I’m doing with Team Israel, it is no different than coming to Roanoke College in 1973 to be a part of something bigger and unknown. Roanoke College has been a place that changed my life, and is allowing me to change the lives of so many others in Israel, through the sport I love.
”
16 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
Claire Catlett ’08 SILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO Program Associate, Gila Conservation Coalition and Gila Resources Information Project
HOW SHE SERVES: Claire works for two small nonprofits in rural New Mexico — the Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP) and the Gila Conservation Coalition (GCC). Together, the organizations work to protect the environment that serves the communities of southwest New Mexico, including the water, air, land and wildlife. Working first as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, and now hired as a program associate, Claire’s role is to expand the organizations’ outreach and education efforts within the local community and statewide, with particular interest in protection of the Gila River, New Mexico’s last free-flowing river. Claire — who holds an M.A. in International Development from the University of Denver, with a concentration in Sustainable Development and the Environment — also serves as business associate with Stream Dynamics. The Silver City-based company provides stream and wetland restoration services.
“ W
hile at Roanoke College, I was taught by my peers and professors to take an active role in the local community to make a difference. I can say now, stronger than ever, that all change begins at home, in your own backyard, and within your own community. I call my line of work “grassroots to grasstops” organizing, because by working to mobilize communities and empower local politics, there is huge opportunity for change to have a ripple effect and succeed in influencing state and national politics as well.
My work with Gila Resources Information Project and Gila Conservation Coalition requires great passion and sincere commitment to goals, because in being an environmentalist, there are a lot of lost battles —including the ongoing one to protect the Gila River. Many people ask me how I can stay so optimistic or so energetic in my work. My mantra that keeps me moving forward is: ‘There are no lost battles, but just more battles to fight in the end.’ Communities now, more than ever, across America need strong, smart and young leadership. I don’t pretend that I am someone who can change the world overnight, but I do plan on helping empower my community to be a better place in the end, and I will not give up ‘fighting the good fight’ until I see those changes become real.
”
ROANOKE.EDU 19
George Kegley ’49 ROANOKE, VIRGINIA Community volunteer, retired journalist
HOW HE SERVES: George does everything from delivering Meals on Wheels to giving blood (he has donated 57 gallons over 50 years). Through the Lutheran Cooperative Ministry, he rounds up inner-city children each summer, outfits them with camping supplies and takes them to a week-long camp near Luray, Va. For years, he has worked with refugees, including families from Vietnam, Hungary, Afghanistan and Liberia. He is chairman of the Endangered Sites Committee of the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation. He has served on the boards of the Roanoke Rescue Mission, Pastoral Counseling Center, Western Virginia Land Trust, the Brandon Oaks Advisory Board and more. George edits the Journal of the Historical Society (he has worked for the Historical Society of Western Virginia for more than 30 years), as well as the monthly Virginia Lutheran and the quarterly insert for The Lutheran national magazine.
“ I
n the 20+ years since I retired, I have become increasingly aware of the many needs facing less fortunate people in our community. As I work with refugees, people at our church food pantry and those on my Meals on Wheels route, I see so many elderly and disabled folks who for many different reasons are barely getting by with little or no hope of a comfortable future. If I can make their lives a little brighter, I hope I have helped the community and I have a sense of fulfillment. In helping others, I am influenced by my mother, who was a very compassionate person.
Although the College did not have a great emphasis on community service in my time, 60 years ago, I began to seriously consider such traits as responsibility and the College’s great traditions through our president, Dr. Charlie Smith, and senior faculty members. I thought about my forefathers — my grandfather, Rev. James A. Brown, served on the College’s first board of trustees. My father and four uncles, a great-uncle and a half-dozen cousins were Roanoke students. Could I contribute as much to society as they have? There must be a legacy there somewhere. Coming from a small-town high school in post-World War II days, I was impressed by the high quality of scholarship I found at Roanoke. I was an English major and many of my friends worked in the sciences and math but we all met high standards which led to successful, professional careers for many in the Class of ’49.
”
20 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
Talisha Beha ’12 COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA Volunteer Projects Manager, Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity
HOW SHE SERVES: Talisha develops, manages and sustains programs administered by Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity. She is responsible for not only recruiting volunteers but engaging them in the Habitat mission. Moreover, she ensures that volunteers become advocates for affordable housing and become citizens who are engaged in the well-being of their community. She says developing those relationships and seeing them grow through volunteer work is one of the most rewarding aspects of her job.
“ I
n the most direct manner, Roanoke introduced me to Habitat for Humanity as a freshman. From that initial introduction, I spent four years building a relationship that led me to the Habitat I work with now. Prior to attending Roanoke, I had been involved with service, but it was really the community and the conversations I had with fellow students and staff members that helped me see the bigger picture of service and community involvement. The College’s devotion to service and providing opportunities to students to become active citizens within their community was a significant building block in my journey toward making community-based nonprofits my long-term career path.
Roanoke College provided me with a community both on and off campus that challenged my abilities to serve while providing the tools to succeed. Working alongside Jesse Griffin, director of the Center for Civic Engagement, I learned that it’s not about the short-term impact we make, it’s about creating long-term, sustainable changes in our communities. In the non-profit world, it is easy to lose sight of the long-term goals and the long-term impact your organization is having on a community; but this knowledge has provided me with the ability to look beyond my organization’s immediate needs and see how I, and my organization, can impact our community in a positive and sustainable way.
”
ROANOKE.EDU 23
M.C. Belk Pilon ’96 CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA Chair, John M. Belk Endowment
HOW SHE SERVES: Mary Claudia “M.C.” Belk Pilon chairs an endowment whose mission is to empower the 21st century workforce by creating pathways to prosperity for underrepresented students. In January, M.C. represented the John M. Belk Endowment at the White House College Opportunity Summit, hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. There, the Belk Endowment announced that it will provide $10 million to the College Advising Corps to increase access to higher education for lowincome students in rural North Carolina high schools. In April, the Belk Endowment announced a gift of $825,000 to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. The gift will increase access to JCSU by providing scholarships to deserving students. An estimated 85 percent of JCSU students receive some form of financial aid; 45 percent are first-generation college students, and 70 percent come from low-income households. In photo at right: M.C., left, with JCSU President Ronald L. Carter.
“ T
hese are my dad’s shoes I am stepping into, and they are truly big ones to fill. Almost 20 years ago he created the John M. Belk Endowment, which funded a National Merit Scholarship program, the “John M Belk Scholarship,” at Davidson College, his alma mater. In his day jobs, he led Belk, Inc. for over 50 years and was Charlotte’s first-ever, four-term mayor in the early 1970s. He was known for getting things done. Before he died in 2007, he asked me to lead this endowment into the future by identifying the most pressing needs in education and work toward true solutions. Over the past seven years, I have come to understand that he handed me the reins because we had a shared vision for equity in education and could help perpetuate what he started. In 2014, the John M. Belk Endowment hired its first director, Kristy Teskey, and announced our new funding strategy to help North Carolina clear the education pathways for all students — regardless of their income, ethnicity or geography — and prepare them for gainful employment. I am excited about the opportunity we have to make a difference in the lives of individuals, in the capacity of institutions and in the economic empowerment of communities. Roanoke College was and continues to be a positive influence in all aspects of my life. The Roanoke experience allowed me the space to combine my past and present experiences and prepare me to make a positive contribution in my personal and professional life.
”
24 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
COURTESY OF JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY
PLANTING SEEDS OF SERVICE
BY KAYLA FULLER ’14 AND ALLISON SHANNON ’15
During a spring break trip to Nicaragua with a Roanoke College volunteer group in 2012, Nick Varrell ’15 was approached by a group of women who lived in the small, rural community of La Enramada. The women explained that to get to church they had to walk three miles each way and cross a river twice. They told Varrell they had heard about his dedicated service with a Christian organization in Costa Rica. Could he build a church in their community, they asked? Humbled and overwhelmed with the desire to help, Varrell told the women that he would see what he could do when he got back to the United States. Later, when a representative from Nicaragua contacted Varrell and told him that the church had acquired land for a new building, he thought, “This is going to happen.” Varrell, of Holliston, Mass., is a seasoned overseas volunteer. He has spent the past two summers in Costa Rica as an intern with Strong Missions, a Christian organization that seeks to help Costa Ricans gain the basic resources necessary for a healthy life. He has also taken several alternative break trips to Nicaragua with Roanoke College groups led by Jesse Griffin, the College’s director of the Center for Civic Engagement. Varrell felt a strong calling to help build a church in La Enramada. Helping others has been a constant goal for Varrell, and his experiences at Roanoke College have only solidified his desire to serve. Roanoke “has deeply increased my knowledge of the issues facing people in our world and what kinds of things people who come from privilege can do to help,” Varrell said.
“Roanoke has deeply increased my knowledge of the issues facing people in our world and what kinds
He spent months communicating with contacts in Nicaragua to plan the trip. He spent countless hours tackling challenges such as fundraising, designing the church building, purchasing supplies and planning where the team would stay. (They would stay with the same families that Griffin’s group stays with during official Roanoke College trips.) During the planning process, two other RC students, Lauren Harris ’16 and Mollie Gleason ’14, joined the project alongside Varrell. The three-person team needed approximately $900 per person; Church construction in January. expenses for the building project were estimated at $4,500. Within the projected budget, Varrell planned for the cost of building supplies and a salary to hire a local foreman to oversee the project. Varrell was resolute in making the project happen, as he carries a particular passion for the people of La Enramada. “I love the community, and I want to serve them,” Varrell said before the
Nick Varrell, with a Nicaraguan child in his lap, and Mollie Gleason at the well.
of things people who come from privilege can do to help.” 26 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
The church in early March.
“I love the community, and I want to serve them. The success of this project is really important for my long-term work there.” trip. “The success of this project is really important for my long-term work there. I am hoping on this trip to convey my vision for the impact that I want to try to have on the area.” “I feel like I owe Jesse [Griffin] a lot for opening my eyes to that community. The people are amazing there.” Griffin was fully confident in Varrell’s ability to bring the project to fruition. “Nick doesn’t get rattled. When it comes to leading groups that is a real advantage,” Griffin said. “He is a consistent, stable guy, and he can roll with any punches that are thrown his way.” On Jan. 1 — during the latter half of winter break 2013-14 — Varrell, Harris and Gleason traveled to Nicaragua to begin the church construction project. Before breaking ground, the congregation anointed the land by burying a jar containing a Bible and a story about the
church-building project. During the team’s nearly two-week stay in La Enramada, two-thirds of the walls were installed by a five-person local team hired by Varrell, Harris and Gleason. The remaining walls were to be completed at the end of January. But “there was a blip in communication and the construction crew built the walls too high,” Varrell said. “We still need about $2,000 for supplies for the roof, door, insulation and labor.” The team was able to raise additional funds, with church construction scheduled for completion at the end of April. While in La Enramada, a well was dug on site to secure a water source for the community. “The water was actually clean and not mixed with volcanic minerals like in most other wells. It was a blessing for the community,” Varrell said. The church — about 26 feet by 43 feet
— is located in the center of the La Enramada community and within reasonable walking distance. Varrell expects the church to accommodate more than 50 people at one time. “The construction in itself was not too difficult” Lauren Harris said. “I mostly helped mix cement and mortar, but it was a terrific experience.” This summer, Varrell hopes to return to La Enramada to see the final product. After graduating in December 2014, Varrell, who is majoring in Spanish and criminal justice, plans to work with Strong Missions in Costa Rica for a year, then return to Nicaragua in early 2016. He also plans to continue his missionary and volunteer work in Nicaragua and has acquired a potential location to build his own permanent residence. “The big point for me is sharing God’s love with the people of the community and making them understand that there are people and forces that care for them and that they are not alone,” he said. RC ROANOKE.EDU 27
campaignnews
Giving with Purpose CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP
Lasting Connections
“It’s enlightening to work alongside such wonderful people of many generations as we wrestle with the future challenges and opportunities facing liberal arts colleges.” — Dale Sarjeant
“
Dale and Janet Sarjeant at the 2012 Associates Evening.
The College enriched our lives in so many ways, and it keeps on giving, so it’s a joy to give back. — Janet Sarjeant
28
”
ome people just have a knack for connecting. Consider Dale and Janet Sarjeant ’74 ’73. They met at Roanoke and became partners for life. They bonded with their Roanoke professors so well that, years later, they established the Wise-Walter English Major Endowed Scholarship to honor English professors Matthew Wise and Robert Walter. The Sarjeants set down roots in Charlotte, N.C., more than 30 years ago and never left. Today, they’re doing everything possible to encourage younger Roanoke alumni in the Charlotte area to maintain their ties to the College. In the early 1990s the Sarjeants started the Charlotte Alumni Chapter. They’ve been chapter chairs, but most of all they’ve served as guiding lights, hosting meetings of the chapter steering committee four times a year. To that end, they’ve helped plan events that attract younger graduates. “We need to find out what they’re looking for to keep them involved,” Dale Sarjeant explains. In addition to hosting events appealing to all ages, such as Charlotte Panther Tailgate parties, Charlotte Summer Pops gatherings and Charlotte Knight nights, the Chapter has created unusual events springing from what Dale terms the “HOG” (“habit of giving”) philosophy. Football Fantasy gettogethers, for example, feature a 50-50 from which half the proceeds go to the College. The Chapter also sells Roanoke
S
T-shirts and Roanoke cup cozies, which instill spirit and benefit the College. These creative efforts have paid big dividends. For three straight years, the Roanoke Alumni Chapter has won the annual Henry Hill Alumni Chapter Challenge, awarded to the alumni chapter with the highest giving percentage. Why do the Sarjeants feel so tied to their alma mater? “We really got to know our professors at Roanoke,” says Janet Sarjeant. “The College enriched our lives in so many ways, and it keeps on giving, so it’s a joy to give back.” Dale’s enthusiasm for the College was further enhanced when he joined the Board of Trustees in 2009. “It’s enlightening to work alongside such wonderful people of many generations as we wrestle with the future challenges and opportunities facing liberal arts colleges, he says. And it’s fascinating to walk across campus with [President] Mike Maxey and see him interacting with everyone he meets.” “Mike Maxey has a strong vision for Roanoke,” says Janet, “and we buy into that vision.” The Sarjeants are very involved in the Roanoke Rising campaign as Charlotte regional chairs, and as donors. Based on their history, it’s a safe bet they’ll be working on behalf of the College for many more years to come. — David Treadwell
campaignnews
PHILANTHROPY
Friends make joint gift to Cregger Center
A rendering of the Kerr-Cregger Field House.
wo Roanoke College Hall of Famers — both businessmen, Board of Trustees members and strong supporters of the College — made the surprise announcement during Alumni Weekend of a joint $5 million gift toward construction of the new Cregger Center. The gift, from Donald Kerr ’60 and Morris Cregger ’64, will be used specifically for construction of the Cregger Center Field House. The multi-purpose structure — to be named the Kerr-Cregger Field House — will include a 200meter indoor track and event seating for 3,500. Kerr and Cregger are close friends and continue to support athletic programs at Roanoke and support the College at other levels. Cregger, Board of Trustees chair, is CEO of Cregger Company Inc., headquartered in Columbia, S.C. He is a charter member of Roanoke College’s Hall of Fame and remains one of Roanoke’s top 20 scorers of all time. He lettered in basketball, soccer, track and tennis. Kerr, chairman and CEO of Kerr Industries, Inc., was one of the top athletes at Roanoke during his years at the College. A two-sport athlete, he was a member of the men’s track team and was a member of the men’s soccer team from 1956-59, serving as a two-year team captain. He set the Virginia State Tournament scoring record as a senior and led Roanoke to the Virginia State Championship in 1957. Kerr was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. Cregger Center work is officially underway. Utility work began in May, soon after Commencement and after students moved out of Bowman Hall. In June, Bowman will be demolished to further prepare the campus site for Cregger construction. Construction is expected to be completed in 2016.
T
Morris Cregger, left and Donald Kerr, right, announce their joint gift at the Board of Trustees Dinner, held during Alumni Weekend in April.
The Roanoke College Parent Leadership Council held its annual spring meeting on March 22. The day’s events concluded with an evening reception at the visually stunning Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke. In photo (above) President Michael Maxey and wife Terri with PLC Co-chairs Lynn Dale and Frank Wisneski, and their daughter, Sarah Dale ’15.
CAMPAIGN PROGRESS
GOAL:
$200,000,000
$143,700,000*
* As of May 12, 2014
ROANOKE.EDU 29
collegenews Robert and Mary Wortmann at the April dedication ceremony.
“
Bob and Mary have certainly made a wonderful mark
on Roanoke
College, and on me. — Michael C. Maxey
30
”
Market Street Complex renamed in honor of Wortmanns ROANOKE COLLEGE’S student residential Market Street Complex was renamed the Robert E. and Mary J. Wortmann Complex on April 10, paying tribute to two of Roanoke’s most devoted supporters. The Wortmanns, of Upper Saddle River, N.J., have long been committed to Roanoke. Robert Wortmann ’60 served on the College’s Board of Trustees for 22 years. He chaired the board from 2003 to 2011, overseeing significant growth and improvements at the College. Mary Wortmann, an alumna of Seton Hall University and Fairleigh Dickenson University, has been as involved in Roanoke College as her husband. During Robert Wortmann’s tenure on the Board of Trustees, the couple attended hundreds of College events, including those sponsored by every alumni chapter. “Bob and Mary have certainly made a wonderful mark on Roanoke College, and on me,” President Michael Maxey said before unveiling a sign at the dedication ceremony. “[Robert] Wortmann led the board … in the most gracious and generous way possible.” “He and Mary...were active participants who added to the life of the College — a vitality brought by their interest in
other people.” During Wortmann’s tenure as board chair, the College added 687 beds on campus, completed a new four-lane entrance at Peery Drive, built the 1,400-seat Donald J. Kerr Stadium, and renovated academic buildings Trout Hall, Miller Hall and Lucas Hall. The Lucas renovation was Roanoke’s first green project and Salem’s first LEED certified building. Also during that time, Roanoke’s faculty introduced an innovative new academic core curriculum, Intellectual Inquiry. The College became one of fewer than 300 schools nationwide with a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Roanoke also was honored as the 2009 Campus Activities Magazine “Campus of the Year,” was recognized as a national up-and-comer in U.S. News & World Report’s Best College Rankings for 2011 and debuted in The Princeton Review’s “Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition,” released in 2011. In brief remarks at the dedication ceremony, Mary Wortmann said because of her husband’s deep love for Roanoke, “it was not difficult for me to have that love for the College.” That was evident in the remarks Robert Wortmann shared at the ceremony. “Roanoke College is my first love,” he said.
collegenews STUDY, TEACH ABROAD
RC students win Fulbright awards TWO ROANOKE COLLEGE STUDENTS have received prestigious Fulbright awards. Kaitlyn Bell ’14, a Spanish major with an education minor, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. An ETA places a Fulbrighter in a classroom abroad to provide assistance to teachers of English to non-native English-speakers. Bell, of Howell, N.J., is headed to Peru. Of 32 applicants, five ETAs in Peru were awarded for 2014-15, according to the Fulbright program. Bell, an Honors Program student at Roanoke, wrote and illustrated her first bilingual children’s book last summer. Erin Keating ’17, a Literary Studies major, has received a Fulbright Summer Institute award. Keating will participate in a three-week cultural and academic program at the Globe Theatre in London from June 16 to July 4. The American Institute for Foreign Study Summer Institute at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is the most competitive of the nine Fulbright Institute Summer Programs. Last year, only six U.S. applicants were invited to interview, and only three earned an award, according to Jennifer Rosti, Roanoke College’s director of major scholarships and fellowships. Keating, of Whippany, N.J., is the second Roanoke College student to receive a Fulbright Summer Institute award. Patrick Dowling ’16 received an award to the University of Bristol last summer.
International Signpost In March, President Michael Maxey and Dr. Pamela Serota Cote, director of international education, announced a new addition to the Back Quad: an international signpost highlighting some of the capital cities around the world. The signpost symbolizes the commitment Roanoke College has to international education and the College’s intention of educating students to be global citizens. The countries represent the homes of the College’s international students and popular study abroad destinations for Roanoke students.
FACULTY BOOKS
Egyptologist Leslie Warden authors first book DR. LESLIE WARDEN, assistant professor of art history and archaeology at Roanoke College and one of few Egyptologists in Virginia, recently wrote and released her first book, “Pottery and Economy in Old Kingdom Egypt.” The academic book, published by Brill, explores the economy of the Egyptian old kingdom, known as the Pyramid Age, and the ways in which ordinary people lived and made money. Warden, whose book is a revised version of her dissertation, set out to learn how the pharaoh and members of the royal house impacted people’s lives and income in Egypt. She discovered that people relied on relationships, not the pharaoh, to make money. But the system was a non-monetary exchange, and people bartered for goods, such as bread molds and beer jars. Ultimately, Warden hopes her book will help students better understand Egyptian society. She plans to use it to teach advanced students and those who do independent study work. “Economy is not a scary word in the humanities,” she said. “It’s a way to look at how different levels of society interact.” — Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01
THE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
Shaping executives for 25 years
THE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE at Roanoke College, which provides the Roanoke Valley business community with a timely, competitive and informative management education program, marks its 25th anniversary this year. The goal of the institute has changed little
For more information about The Management Institute, call (540) 375-2217, fax (540) 375-2577 or send an e-mail to nazemi@roanoke.edu or dpoore@roanoke.edu.
over those years, though its classes are in a constant state of evolution. “We want to keep it current and fresh,” said Dr. Ali Nazemi, the institute’s fourth program director. “If you took the class 10 years ago, it would be 80 percent different than this year’s classes.” The institute has graduated 460 executives in its quarter century. Students are nominated by their employers to participate; they don’t apply in the traditional manner. The pool of institute sponsors changes regularly and those sponsors bring a new dynamic. “Several of the sponsor companies send people consistently” to the institute, Nazemi said. “There is something of a legacy: Yokohoma Tire, Allstate, Roanoke Gas, Carilion, Member One, Branch Highways, Davidsons,
Lanford Brothers, Richfield, Xpedx and so forth. There are a number of them.” Participants range from CEOs to directors and managers. Smaller organizations often send mid- level managers, who are “people being groomed for higher positions,” Nazemi said. Classes have had as many as 22 students and as few as 14. The teaching staff this year has 13 people, comprised mostly of Roanoke College professors and others from the community. The program is “professional advancement, almost at an MBA level,” Nazemi said. “We identify areas of need and develop curricula around that. There is a lot of work experience in these classes and they have to be relevant. I think we have done a good job connecting the theoretical with the practical.” — Dan Smith
ROANOKE.EDU 31
collegenews DESERVED RECOGNITION
Garren, Weiss receive Roanoke College Medal DR. KENNETH R. GARREN ’62 AND DR. LUCY programs. He also served in the Army National CLINE WEISS ’72 are the 2013-14 recipients of the Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve, achieving the Roanoke College Medal. The medal, the highest distinguished rank of Colonel, Infantry, U.S. Army honor given to alumni of the College, recognizes Reserve. Roanoke graduates who have demonstrated leadWeiss, who holds a doctorate in physical ership, intellectual integrity and a dedication to chemistry from the University of Virginia and did serving their communities. postdoctoral research at Iowa State University, Garren, of Lynchburg, and Weiss, of Roanoke, taught chemistry as an assistant professor at Carreceived their medals at the annual Society of leton College in Minnesota. 1842 luncheon during the College’s Alumni WeekWeiss eventually worked as a patent liaison end festivities in April. at 3M, a Minnesota-based company formerly Garren, who holds a master’s degree in mathknown as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacematics from William & Mary and a doctorate turing Co. She later attended the William Mitchell from Virginia Tech, is president of Lynchburg College of Law, earned a law degree and became College, a position he has held since 2001. Prior Dr. Kenneth Garren and Dr. Lucy Weiss, Roanoke an intellectual property and patent attorney at 3M. to that, he worked at Roanoke College for 34 College Medalists. Weiss graduated from Roanoke in 1972 with a years, initially as a mathematics professor and eventually becoming a vice degree in chemistry. She was valedictorian of her class. president and dean of the College. “Thank you both for your service to your communities, your professions After graduating from Roanoke in 1962 with a degree in mathematics, and especially to Roanoke College and its students,” President Michael Garren was employed as an aerospace engineer at NASA Langley Research Maxey told Garren and Weiss after they were presented with their medals. Center, working on such notable projects as the Gemini and Apollo space “We are all very proud of you.” REMEMBERING COPEY GONE GREEN
Roanoke lauded for environmental efforts ROANOKE COLLEGE HAS JOINED the ranks of the “greenest” colleges in North America. The Princeton Review has included the College in its “Guide to 332 Green Colleges,” released in April. The guide profiles 330 institutions of higher education in the United States and two in Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. To produce the book, The Princeton Review partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council, a national non-profit organization best known for developing the LEED green building certification program. Roanoke was recognized for its conservation of water, gasoline, oil, kilowatt hours of electricity, cubic yards of landfill space and mature trees. The Princeton Review also recognized the College’s green building projects (including the LEED-certified Lucas Hall), recycling efforts, bike-sharing program, environmental studies major and “Party for a Purpose,” a campus event that raises environmental awareness through free organic food, art tables with recyclables, and biodegradable products. “With such huge contributions, you might be surprised to hear that the private Virginian college is made up of only a few thousand students,” The Princeton Review wrote. “Yet what’s expected at Roanoke is to ‘out-do, out-smart, out-solve,’ and its efforts toward sustainability are no exception.”
32 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
Founder of Copenhaver Institute dies HELEN “COPEY” COPENHAVER HANES, who established an annual summer workshop for teachers and administrators at Roanoke College, died Dec. 28, 2013 at the age of 96. In 1999, Hanes, a graduate of Marion College, founded the Margaret Sue Copenhaver Institute for Teaching and Learning in honor of her sister, a public school librarian and graduate of Marion who was committed to education. For each of the past 14 years, the institute has attracted more than 100 educators. A resident of Winston-Salem, N.C., Hanes remained involved in the institute. She also attended the institute’s closing lunch banquet for several years, including that in June of 2013. “She was spunky,” said Dr. Leslie Murrill, a professor in Roanoke’s Education Department and co-director of the institute. “She lived humbly so that she could use her means to do great things.” In 2003, the College began giving an award to a noteworthy educator in memory of Margaret Sue Copenhaver during the institute’s closing banquet. At this year’s institute, June 23-25, a new award will be presented. The Helen C. Hanes Friend of Education Award will be given to a recipient who is not a full-time teacher but who has contributed to education in important ways. The award will be given every other year, as a reflection of Copey Hanes and her impact on the institute. — Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01
The institute has created the Helen C. Hanes Friend of Education Award.
collegenews “SUPERHUMAN”
THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR RARELY HAS SEAN BURCH ’92 met a challenge he wasn’t willing to tackle head-on. North Pole Marathon? Placed first in 2004. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? Set record in 2005 for what was then the fastest ascent. The Great Himalayan Trail? Hiked 1,150 miles from east to west in a record 49 days, 6 hours and 8 minutes in 2010. Burch’s latest feat? Competing in — and winning — National Geographic Channel’s “Ultimate Survival Alaska” challenge. The show, filmed last summer, premiered in December and concluded in March of this year. For a man once described as “superhuman,” Burch, 43, does indeed appear to push the limits of human possibility. What would reduce many of us into quivering piles of pulp only lights his fire. When the National Geographic Channel contacted Burch last spring and asked if he’d be interested in interviewing for the second season of their “Ultimate Survival Alaska” show, Burch was game. One Skype interview later, he was selected to spend three months in the middle of the Alaska wilderness with 11 other rugged explorers. Burch, who lives in Northern Virginia, said he was honored by the invitation to compete, as National Geographic had covered some of his earlier expeditions. But “I knew I was way out of my element; I don’t go out hunting or paddling,” he said. “This was a different world for me, but I liked that. [“Ultimate Survival”] lets you know who you are, what you are made of.” The unexpected — the bears, the icy crevasses, the sheer near-death nature of the challenge — only heightened the experience, Burch said. It was, without question, physically and mentally challenging, said the man who climbed Mount Everest solo in 2003. “But all expeditions are like that,” Burch said. “This just happened to be for a long time. I didn’t shower or change clothes for three months. But you get through it.” “For everyone on this expedition, we were all there for a reason. And we knew that if we died, well, that was part of the gig.” Competitors, divided into four teams, were required to complete nearly
Photos courtesy of National Geographic Channel
Sean Burch competed on National Geographic Channel’s “Ultimate Survival Alaska.”
a dozen four-day expeditions — not for a grand prize, “just the well-fought pride of having conquered the grueling challenges that Mother Nature can throw at them,” according to the show’s website. Burch, an extreme athlete, motivational speaker and adventure lifestyle fitness consultant, was paired with two Alaska residents — Dallas Seavey, world-class athlete, dog musher, and 2012 and 2014 winner of the Iditarod, and Eddie Ahyakak, an outdoorsman and vice president of a multimillion dollar corporation — on The Endurance Athletes team. Other teams were The Military, The Woodsmen and The Mountaineers. After lagging behind early in the competition, Team Endurance emerged victorious. Burch, who is accustomed to solo expeditions, enjoyed the team aspect of “Ultimate Survival.” Everyone had mutual respect for one another, he said, and they were the “real deal” — an ex-Navy SEAL, “heavy duty” mountaineers, a comRead more about the show on bat diver. That authenticity was part nationalgeographic.com of what attracted him to the show. “I hope fellow alumni and students...are motivated to go out and Watch a video interview purposely look for goals to achieve of Sean Burch at they previously may have been http://tinyurl.com/lzhdora scared of trying.” Burch said. “Face or click to it on your fears. That is when you really www.roanoke.edu. learn what you’re made of inside.” — Leslie Taylor
Sean Burch, far right, with Endurance teammates Eddie Ahyakak, far left, and Dallas Seavey, center.
ROANOKE.EDU 33
collegenews FUTURE IN POLITICS
Roanoke lays groundwork for new Virginia delegate
ON JAN. 7, SAM RASOUL ’02 was elected to the 11th House District seat in the Virginia General Assembly, becoming the 32nd Roanoke College graduate to serve in the state House of Delegates since the start of the 20th century — and the first since 1979. Rasoul won a squeaker of a Democratic primary in the fall of 2013 before he emerged victorious from the general election with 70 percent of the vote. The 32-year-old freshman delegate, now occupying the seat that represents much of the city of Roanoke, has been on a fast track ever since. His first bill — HB 1128, focusing on cooperative career and technical education — emerged during his first week of the 2014 General Assembly session. He followed that quickly by joining the Rural Caucus and carrying a bill for the National Organization for Women that redefines stalking. Rasoul may be a newbie in the state capital of Richmond, but there’s not much green about his approach. “Most important to me has been building relationships on both sides of the aisle so as to try to get things done,” he says. That was evident with his first bill, which had broad Republican and Democratic support. The politicization of Sam Rasoul is something of a recent phenomenon. When he was at Roanoke College at the turn of this century, he was mostly apolitical, though he was class 34 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
“I never thought about running for public office, never took a political science class, but my professors gave me a very well-rounded liberal arts education that has allowed me to take a holistic view of the world around me.” president as a junior. “I never thought about running for public office,” he says, “never took a political science class, but my professors gave me a very well-rounded liberal arts educa-
tion that has allowed me to take a holistic view of the world around me.” Ideas stuck to Rasoul like Velcro. “Most important was the significant impact that my wonderful professors had on my development,” he says now. “My professors were excellent in every field. Great humanities teachers taught me to be a better communicator. [Roanoke College’s] top-notch business department can go up against many MBA programs.” “Many professors had a profound impact on my ethical development and thought process as I searched to conceptualize and organize ideas and thoughts I picked up growing up in a working class family,” he says. “Never had a bad teacher or a bad class, just a bad grade every once in a while.” He smiles with that thought. Rasoul is the man with the smile, the brightest guy in the room, a Muslim in a Christian society who finds no handicap in that fact. His family immigrated to the United States in the late 1960s to avoid war. Even though his general election opponent tried to make a negative of his religion, Rasoul simply ignored the implication and ran as Sam Rasoul, Virginian with a plan. At Roanoke College, he says, “I learned how to learn ... I figured how my mind best processes different types of information. More important, I was able to learn how others process different types of information, which in turn helped me to learn how to communicate. I experienced a broad spectrum of perspectives on life.” That’s where his penchant for building coalitions began, he believes. With that positive outlook comes youth. “Being young helps because I have the energy to invest in helping craft good public policy. I have not yet forgotten the experiences that helped to shape me, but I still appreciate the need to learn and grow every single day.” — Dan Smith
Roanoke College alumni who have served or are serving in the Virginia House of Delegates* Berkley D. Adams (D) – 1904; 1908-18; 1932-39 Willis M. Anderson (D) – 1964-71 Charles B. Andrews (D) – 1962-65 Henry M. Bandy (D) – 1932-39; 1942-47 James A. Bear (D) – 1924-30; 1946-47 D. Woodrow Bird (D) – 1948-1955 Henry P. Burnett (R) – 1938-39 Eber A. Carpenter (D) – 1920-23 William B. Cassell (D) – 1938-39 Benjamin E. Chapman (D) – 1936-43 Russell L. Davis (R) – 1966-71
W. T. Doosing (D) – 1924-28 Ulysses G. Flanagan (R) – 1912-20 Edmund T. Ferguson (D) – 1946-47 Andrew J. Francis (D) – 1928-30 Ray L. Garland (R) – 1968-79 Marvin G. Graham (D) – 1948-47 Bentley Hite (R) – 1930-31; 1948-51 C. N. Hoover (D) – 1922-23 H. L. Keen (D) – 1922-23 Russell L. Lewis (R) – 1966-68 John L. Melnick (D) – 1972-77
Joseph H. Poff (R) – 1958-65 Sam Rasoul (D) – 2014-present Ernest Robertson (D) – 1948-55 Julian H. Rutherfoord Jr. (D) – 1948-61 Basil P. Simpson (R) – 1948-51 John W. Stephenson (D) – 1910-20 Samuel J. Thompson (D) – 1932-33 Kyle M. Weeks (D) – 1924-27 Furman B. Whitescarver (D) – 1944-47 John W. Wright (D) – 1924-27 *Reflects only 20th and 21st centuries.
snapshots Snow blanketed the campus on Feb. 12, offering students a perfect opportunity to make snow angels. Almost 2 feet of snow fell Feb. 12 and 13, closing the College for two days. (top, continuing clockwise). • Theatre Roanoke College presented “Two Rooms,” a play by Lee Knowlton Blessing, on Feb. 22. • The Henry H. Fowler Program presented Dr. Robert P. George on Jan. 27 for the College’s (delayed) 2013 Constitution Day address. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University. • Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., chats with students after speaking Feb. 10 at the College in celebration of Black History Month. • The Media Mosaic wall in the foyer of National Public Radio headquarters in Washington, D.C. greets Roanoke alumni who attended a March 5 event hosted by the D.C. Alumni Chapter.
sportsnews The women’s lacrosse team cheers at the Special Olympics basketball tournament in March.
GIVING BACK
Service enriches RC athletic experience AS ONE OF THE FOUR PILLARS OF ROANOKE COLLEGE, the responsibility to serve others historically has been part of the College ethos. Students are encouraged to give back — through volunteer work, through charitable efforts and through humanitarian acts. But many students, athletes included, have arrived on campus with no need for instruction or further encouragement. For them, service already is a way of life. Maroons men’s soccer captain Dionys Beck ’15 delighted in pitching in with teammates from the powerhouse Blacksburg High School program to help Special Olympics. Lauren Hurley ’15, who anchors the defensive back line in field hockey, grew up joining in one good deed after another with members of her Pennsylvania church. Men’s lacrosse player Dylan Torey ’15 came from a long tradition of service in the worldwide lacrosse community. Most every team he has ever been part of volunteered for something. “There are so many opportunities out there to help other people,” Beck said. “If you can do that, you’re making yourself happy as well. It’s good for everybody involved.” The men’s soccer team, Beck included, called in members of its extensive alumni network to help with a March fundraiser on behalf of Micah’s Backpack, a child hunger-fighting effort conducted with local schools. Soccer players participated in a Goal-A-Thon in which sponsorships were secured as team members attempted to 36
“There are so many opportunities out there to help other people. If you can do that, you’re making yourself happy as well. It’s good for everybody involved.” — Dionys Beck ’15
sportsnews score 100 goals in a series of five-on-five contests on abbreviated fields. Ryan Pflugrad, head men’s soccer coach, said it took players 1 hour and 46 minutes. The event raised more than $2,500. Not only did the event benefit a worthy cause, “it was a lot of fun,” Pflugrad said. This spring, Torey, a junior lacrosse goalkeeper, initiated a project with teammates and others to donate lacrosse equipment to be included in a silent auction benefiting a scholarship in memory of Adam Pomper. A member of Loyola University’s championship lacrosse team, Pomper was a friend of Torey’s who died in 2012. His father, Bruce Pomper ’80, played for Roanoke’s 1978 national championship lacrosse team. The donation drive is called “A Bag for Adam,” a larger effort among a number of lacrosse teams to raise money to fund a scholarship at St. Anthony’s High School on Long Island, N.Y. in the name of Adam Pomper, who was an alumnus of the school. “We’re getting various teams to donate a bag of their apparel — helmets, gloves, sticks,” Torey said. Hurley was among a group of Roanoke College student athletes who organized a Christmas toy drive last year. Toys were collected at basketball games and later donated to children at area hospitals. “I’ve always been involved in community service,” Hurley said. “I just like helping those who are less fortunate than I am. It makes me a lot more grateful for the things I do have.” Lauren Silva, an assistant field hockey coach, is co-chair of Roanoke College’s Student
A partial list of how Roanoke College student athletes have given back in 2013-14:
Special Olympics www.specialolympics.org Year-round training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Micah’s Backpack http://micahsbackpack.org Volunteers partnering with local schools to battle childhood hunger. Maroons raised more than $2,500 this year.
Color Me Rad Lauren Silva
www.colormerad.com A 5K race to benefit Special Olympics took place last fall with members of Roanoke College’s volleyball and women’s basketball teams partnering with athletes from Emory & Henry College and Hollins University to assist at the event. The two Roanoke squads raised $1,700.
Athlete Advisory Committee, along with Women’s Basketball Coach Susan Dunagan. Community service projects are part of what SAAC does. One example is a volunteer cheer event for a local Special Olympics’ basketball tournament hosted by Roanoke at the Bast Center. Several teams — including men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s soccer — showed up this year to cheer on the Special Olympians. Silva organized various RC teams to commit to a time slot in which members could come and root like crazy for the competing athletes. Other Maroons athletes helped and cheered at similar events at additional venues. “Coach Silva has done a great job making more of the athletic teams a part of community service,” Hurley said. — Ray Cox
Lacrosse Clinic Conducted by Maroons players and coaches for about 150 youth players in Frisco, Texas during spring break in March. The sport, with traditionally East Coast roots, is finding a new constituency in the Lone Star State. “Those young kids really enjoyed being with those big lacrosse players,” Maroons coach Bill Pilat said. “Our guys did a great job.”
Relay for Life www.cancer.org Lacrosse and other teams and individuals at Roanoke have been involved in Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society’s annual community based fundraising event.
A Bag for Adam
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN SILVA
Lacrosse gear collection from multiple college teams and silent auction to fund a scholarship at St. Anthony’s High School on Long Island, N.Y. in honor of Loyola University lacrosse player Adam Pomper, who died in 2012. Pomper was the son of former Roanoke lacrosse player Bruce Pomper ’80 and friend of lacrosse player Dylan Torrey ’15.
Dick Leftwich V-Foundation Classic In January, men’s basketball once again hosted the V-Foundation Classic. The tournament raises funds for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society and the V-Foundation for Cancer Research, created in memory of North Carolina State Basketball Coach Jim Valvano.
Roanoke student athletes, left to right, Macey Tyree, Cameron Smith, Sarah Long, Jonathan Smith and Andrew Daniel, volunteer at the Special Olympics basketball tournament.
ROANOKE.EDU 37
sportsnews ACCOLADES
Dunagan picks up 600th career win SUSAN DUNAGAN, head women’s basketball coach at Roanoke College, earned her 600th career victory in the Maroons’ 80-43 victory over York College in the Marriott Classic Nov. 17, 2013. Dunagan has led the Maroons for the past 33 years, picking up 600 victories over that time. At the start of the 2013-14 season, only 45 coaches from NCAA Division I, II and III had surpassed that plateau. She is among the top 10 all-time in career victories in Division III and is the Roanoke College, ODAC and state of Virginia’s all-time wins leader. Dunagan has directed the Maroons to 13 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships, as well as 11 NCAA postseason appearances. Dunagan has been named ODAC Coach of the Year eight times and was inducted to the Roanoke College Hall of Fame in 2001. Susan Dunagan at a game against Lynchburg College in February.
AT THE HELM
Moir leads NABC board
RECORD-SETTING
Women’s tennis savors outstanding season THE ROANOKE COLLEGE WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM set a new single-season wins record for the women’s tennis program with an ODAC tennis tournament quarterfinal match victory over Emory & Henry College on April 19. The team had one of its best seasons in program history, breaking the school record for overall (14) and conference wins (10), both set in 2013. The team closed the season with a record of 16-3, 10-1 ODAC. The team also had its best start in program history, winning the first eight matches to start the season. It also marked the best start by any Roanoke coach in their first year at the helm, a record posted by new coach Daniel Ragsdale. At season’s end, the team ranked No. 16 in the ITA Atlantic South Region and captured the No. 2 seed in the ODAC Tournament. “This team worked hard all year, on and off the court,” Ragsdale said. “All members were able to earn a winning record and have a great student athlete experience.” Ragsdale came to Roanoke after working as head tennis pro at Roanoke Country Club. He is certified under the United States Professional Tennis Association and holds TDM and USTA Tournament Director Certifications. About his first season as coach, Ragsdale said he “had a great year with this team. We were able to break records and take this program to new levels. The players, athletics department, parents, alumni and support staff have made it all I could have asked for — and more.”
“This team worked hard all year, on and off the court. All members were able to earn a winning record and have a great student athlete experience.”
PAGE MOIR, head men’s basketball coach at Roanoke College, has been named president of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Moir, who has served on the board since 2002 — most recently as first vice president — takes the helm of the governing body of the largest professional association of basketball coaches. Moir, who will serve a one-year term, assumed his new post during the NABC Convention at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in Dallas, Texas in April. Founded in 1927, the NABC consists of approximately 5,000 members through the ranks of NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA, junior and community colleges, and high schools. The board is comprised of seven officers and 14 other directors. Its purpose is to further the best interests of the game of basketball, as well as the players and coaches who participate in the sport. The outgoing president of the organization is Phil Martelli, head men’s basketball coach at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa. 38 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
Freshmen Emily Henderson (foreground) and Reed Kegel in a doubles match in March against Virginia Wesleyan University.
sportsnews
SCOREBOARD HALL OF FAME
Roanoke inducts two, honors Charlie Moir
WOMEN’S TENNIS 16-3, 10-1 ODAC
MEN’S TENNIS 8-7, 4-6 ODAC
BASEBALL 16-18, 7-13 ODAC
SOFTBALL 11-26, 6-14 ODAC
MEN’S LACROSSE 12-5, 8-1 ODAC Coach Bill Pilat named ODAC Coach of the Year. Kevin Jackson ’17 named ODAC Rookie of the Year.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE 10-8, 7-3 ODAC
MEN’S BASKETBALL 12-13, 6-10 ODAC
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 13-13, 8-8 ODAC
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD 2nd at ODAC Championships
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ODAC Champions – 10th in program history
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD 5th at ODAC Championships
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD 4th at ODAC Championships
GOLF 6th at ODAC Championships Note: As of May 2, 2014
For the latest scores, go to
maroons.roanoke.edu
Charlie Moir receives a commemorative basketball court at the naming ceremony.
Andy Bonasera with Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Bill Pilat.
LACROSSE STANDOUT Andy Bonasera ’03 and basketball star Mary Beth Harvey ’84 were inducted into the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame during Alumni Weekend in April. Bonasera, a native of Columbus, Ohio, finished his Roanoke career as the program’s all-time leading scorer. In his four seasons in a Maroon uniform he accumulated 264 points, six better than the previous record that had stood since the 1983 season. In his senior year, Bonasera was fifth in the nation in goals per game (3.71) and ninth in points per game (5.29). He had the privilege of being the very first four-year AllAmerican in program history, as he was named First Team All-American in 2003. He was also a four-year, first-team AllODAC member and was the 2003 ODAC Player of the Year. He also played in the North-South All-Star Game in 2003. In his junior season, he was named Third Team All-American, as well as Roanoke College Male Athlete of the Year, an honor he also earned in his senior season. Harvey, originally from Chester, Va., was a First Team AllODAC selection in 1983-84, leading the Maroons in scoring with 16.7 points per game as a senior team captain. She was also a Kodak All-American selection following the 1983-84
Mary Beth Harvey, left, grabs a hug from Head Women’s Basketball Coach Susan Dunagan.
season, in addition to earning All-South Region honors as a senior. Harvey helped take Roanoke to its first two ODAC crowns in 1983 and 1984, leading the Maroons in rebounding both years. She finished her career with 1,155 points, 712 rebounds and a .522 field goal percentage. Harvey also set the single-season record in field goal percentage (60.8%). In 1984, she was honored with the Roanoke College Female Athlete of the Year award. The College also honored Charlie Moir, former Roanoke College head men’s basketball coach, during the ceremony by naming the basketball court in the new Cregger Center after him. Moir coached Roanoke to the College Division National Championship in 1972. He had the distinction of sharing the 1972 Coach of the Year honors with UCLA’s legendary John Wooden. Moir, who is the father of current head coach Page Moir, still ranks as one of the winningest coaches in the nation with 392 collegiate wins and 616 overall coaching wins to his credit. He averaged a remarkable 20 wins per season over 31 years as a head coach. His record at Roanoke was 133-44 with five Mason-Dixon Championships and two NCAA South Atlantic Regional Championships.
MAROON CLUB NEWS Since the official Maroon Club launch in April 2012, support has exceeded expectations. As of April 30 of this year, membership has reached 650 and contributions have not only supported student athletes, but a number of projects, events and initiatives. RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE: • New signage at Donald J. Kerr Stadium to represent team success in field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s lacrosse. • New signage at Moyer Complex to represent softball program success. • Bast Center graphics celebrating men’s and women’s basketball heritage. • New outdoor records display board at Bast Track for the men’s and women’s track and field programs.
EVENTS AND INITIATIVES INCLUDE: • Annual “Alumni Weekend” Golf Outing at Roanoke Country Club • Volleyball Alumni Day – Sept. 14, 2013 • Baseball/Softball Alumni Day – Sept. 28-29, 2013 • Soccer Alumni Day – Oct. 12, 2013 • Men’s and Women’s Basketball Alumni Day – Jan. 11, 2014 • Track & Field Alumni Day – March 22, 2014
In addition to financial support for the 19 RC teams, Maroon Club dollars help fund important annual functions such as the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the Senior Student-Athlete Awards Reception. Maroon Club memberships begin with a minimum gift of $100 dollars. Additional gift levels are available. The goal is to increase active membership to more than 800 by the end of June. To join, or for more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/kp4lbud.
ROANOKE.EDU 39
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
Ambassador Gilbert A. Robinson ’50 won a gold medal in the backstroke in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, held Sept. 7-19, 2013. He also competed in ping pong, placing fourth. Pictured with Ambassador Robinson are grandsons, Justin and Matthew, who cheered on their grandfather. Robinson has held numerous governmental appointments, including his appointment to key positions in the administrations of Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. As special advisor to Secretary of State George Schultz, Robinson was named Ambassador-at-Large in 1983. Robinson served as chairman of the U.S. Government’s International Information Committee of the National Security Council and was appointed deputy director of the U.S. Information Agency by President Reagan in 1981.
issues, submissions to Alumni News might appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine. 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 1940s “Sig Davidson: Reflections on Jewish Roanoke,” a short film featuring Sig Davidson ’43, had its first local screening on Jan. 12 at Mill Mountain Theatre’s Waldron Stage in Roanoke. In the film, shown at the College on Feb. 18, Davidson shares the story of a community’s birth and evolution, decade by decade. Learn more about the film at http://tinyurl.com/k5atqoq.
1950s
Dr. Kenneth Garren ’62 and his wife, Sheila, met Priscilla Moore Kinnamon ’66 and her husband, Jim, in June 2013 on a cruise ship. Ken and Sheila were leading a Lynchburg College alumni group on a cruise that docked in ports in Portugal, Spain, France and England. The Kinnamons live in Colonial Heights, Va., and, like the Garrens, have two sons and a daughter, and eight grandchildren. Ken and Sheila are the parents of Dr. David Garren ’86, who lives in Fairfax, Va., and is a professor of engineering with the Naval Postgraduate School; Dr. Steven Garren ’89, who lives in Harrisonburg, Va., and is a professor of statistics at James Madison University; and Dr. Kristine Snow ’94, who lives in Salem and is a guidance counselor with Salem High School.
40
Evan and Doris Rauti Clay ’54 ’53 celebrated their 60th anniversary on Dec. 12, 2013. They have two daughters, six grandchildren and one great-grandson. The Clays live in Greenwood, S.C., where they ran a soup kitchen for 15 years, and now volunteer there one day a week. They also serve in various capacities in their church. Doris, a cancer survivor, visits cancer patients as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society. Walter S. Barton ’55 has been appointed to a four-year term on the Wytheville Community College Board. Barry Mack ’59 was interviewed on country music station, WCVR, in Ran-
dolph, Vt., to discuss his Christmas album, “Remember Why.” The station played three songs that he wrote for the album. He and his wife, Tina, produced the album on their Starburst label. He also has written a musical play, “The Glourie Ghost.”
1970s Ren Halverson ’71 plays slide and lead guitar in the rock/country song, “Born in Georgia,” written by Crickett Allen. It is being aired currently in the Southeast and can be found on iTunes or at www.amazon.com/Born-GeorgiaCrickett-Allen/dp/B00FASXHLG. Dr. Alex Niemiera ’73, associate professor in horticulture at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been named assistant dean of student programs. He maintains his current faculty position, with additional responsibilities of advising and mentoring students in their academic pursuits and career paths. Alex holds a master’s degree and a doctoral degree from Virginia Tech. continued on page 42
Gene Luna ’71, associate vice president for student affairs and academic support at the University of South Carolina, represented the university at a White House news conference on Feb. 7 that marked 50 years of progress against cigarette smoking. Gene, who was asked to participate by the staff of the National Tobacco Free College Campus Initiative, was the only higher education representative invited. Gene also has a clinical associate professor appointment in USC’s College of Education, teaching in the higher education and student affairs administration graduate programs. Pictured here is Gene, at far right, with Rear Admiral Boris D. Lushniak, M.D., M.P.H., acting U.S. Surgeon General, center; and Gonzaga High School student Ryan Washington, far left.
alumninews ALUMNI PROFILE
A passion for building dreams B
RIAN CLARK ’01 is a testament to the idea that opportunities arise in unexpected places. No day goes as planned for Clark, who is construction director at Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley. “You make plans and show up and it all changes,” says Clark, who spends his time supervising home builds, obtaining permits and planning job site details. It’s a career that he believes fits him, though it wasn’t the route he expected to take. The Bedford County native graduated from Roanoke College with a degree in two majors — environmental science, and religion and philosophy. In his first job, he handled septic and well permitting for the Virginia Department of Health as an environmental health specialist in Covington and Chesterfield County. But the work didn’t excite him. After several years, Clark returned to the College to work as an area coordinator in the Residence Life office. Two years later, Clark heard about an opening for a volunteer coordinator at Habitat. He once took a trip with Roanoke students to Columbia, S.C., to build a Habitat house. He landed the job. Since then, he has been project manager and construction director for this non-profit, ecumenical Christian organization that uses volunteer labor and donations to provide zero-interest mortgage, zero-profit houses for families in need. Typically, there are two to four Habitat houses under construction at a time, but new homes constantly are in the planning process. That’s where Clark comes in. His daily work entails planning for home builds, obtaining approvals from localities, working with subcontractors and handling innumerable details. Clark, who has a Class A contractor’s license and a Master of Arts degree with a concentration in environmental studies from Goddard College, works Tuesdays through Saturdays. Habitat’s build days are Wednesdays and Saturdays. Much of Habitat’s work has been centered in Roanoke’s West End neighborhood,
Brian Clark presents a plaque at an R House dedication in March 2013. The plaque reads: Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley thanks Roanoke College for its generous support of the Kadariya Family House.
where the organization has built 30 homes since 2009, Clark says. “He really cares about the neighborhoods and being in that community and seeing that community thrive,” says Jesse Griffin, director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Roanoke, explaining that people in those neighborhoods recognize Clark when they see him. Griffin, who calls Clark “a detail person,” enlisted him to travel on several Roanoke alternative break trips to Nicaragua as codirector. Clark, who is married to Kate E. Clark ’01, has been involved with the College in other ways. He is the Habitat organizer behind the College’s annual R House project, in which students build a Habitat house on campus during freshmen orientation. Throughout the year, 10 to 15 Roanoke students also work at Habitat building sites on weekends. “It’s kind of fun to be able to provide that opportunity for students to see [the city of] Roanoke,” Clark said.
BRENDAN BUSH
As a college student, Clark was a resident advisor, president of the Student Government Association, a member of Earthbound — a student organization that primarily educates the College community on environmental topics — and he worked for Student Affairs and the tech crew. He deferred his first year of college to hike the Appalachian Trail for six months after graduating from high school. Clark’s Roanoke classes were not step-bystep guides for building a house, but his environmental science instruction molded his interest and understanding of sustainability and environmental practices. “I never stopped asking questions,” Clark said. This knowledge has come in handy at Habitat, where houses are based on EarthCraft and Energy Star standards. Clark said he’d love for Habitat to one day construct solar-powered homes. “His passion is in the right place,” Griffin said. — JENNY KINCAID BOONE ’01 ROANOKE.EDU 41
alumninews
1980s
BOOKS by ALUMNI
Shelly Huffman Roberts ’87 teaches geometry and is also the school testing coordinator at Lord Botetourt High School. Her husband, John, is market manager with Gala Industries, Inc. They have two sons who are Roanoke College students, Justin ’14 and Tanner ’17. Proud grandfather is Luther C. Huffman Jr. ’64.
Dr. Don Martin ’74 recently published his eighth book, “They Call Me Fat Zoe,” a children’s book focusing on childhood obesity. The book chronicles a young girl who brings her overweight dog to the veterinarian because it is overweight. The dog, Zoe, provides an opportunity for the family to examine their health and the young girl’s struggle with her weight. Don, a neuropsychologist in private practice, is director of the graduate program in urban school counseling at Youngstown State University. The graduate program has received the Robert Frank Award as the outstanding counselor training program in the nation. Don and his wife, Magy, live near Pittsburgh, Pa.
1990s Lisa Lewis Ferrell ’92 was named a 2013 Women in Business Awards winner by the Triangle Business Journal. The award recognizes women who have proven to be dynamic and outstanding leaders with established track records of significant accomplishments in business and/or community service. James Guthrie ’98 was deployed to western Afghanistan where he helped establish the only Afghan Air Force-run air base in the country and advised the maintenance group leadership on maintenance production and leadership. During that time, he also served as the maintenance officer for the 802 Air Expeditionary Advising Squadron. His responsibilities included overseeing a fleet of 34 aircraft and all maintenance for the only pilot training program in Afghanistan.
2000s Sally McQuatters Faiella ’00 and her husband, Lou, have left New England’s winters and are currently living in Norfolk, Va., where Lou has been reassigned by the Navy. He was recently promoted to Commander. Mel Paparone ’00 opened the New York City office of Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP, a Northeast regional full service law firm with co-headquarters in Boston, Mass., and Providence, R.I. He is responsible for public finance and corporate trust practice areas as well as hiring new attorneys for the office.
Nida Ansari ’06 is employed with MeadWestvaco in Grandview, Mo. She has an M.B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and recently spoke on innovation at an industry event. Nida manages engineers and is in a product management/marketing position that allows her to use her technical knowledge as well as her graduate degree. Sheena Foy Gillispie ’07 was promoted to assistant vice president of the Rustburg, Va., office of BB&T. Kristen E. Van Stee ’07 was ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, by Bishop James F. Mauney at Reformation Lutheran Church, New Market, Va. Kristen lives in Davenport, Neb., and serves a twopoint parish. She is the great-granddaughter of Alfred Shumate, who, with his twin brother, Albert Shumate, graduated from Roanoke in 1926. Chase Bourdelaise ’08 and Paul Wagner ’08 just launched a new product they have invented and developed over the past three years. Called FiestaFive, the product blasts confetti from peoples’ hands whenever they give a “high-five.” Their video and product information can be found on www.FiestaFive.com.
marriages Gary M. Bassett ’69 was married to Judith Payne at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Naples, Fla., on June 18, 2011. The couple spent several weeks in
Beth and Aaron Cook ’07 ’07 traveled to Tanzania in July 2013 to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. During the first week of their trip, the Cooks climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, where this photo was taken (specifically, Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Kilimanjaro). The couple went on a safari to a variety of national parks in Tanzania the second week of their trip. Beth is a chemistry teacher at Salem High School. Aaron is an attorney with the U.S. Social Security Administration. 42 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
Canada and Alaska after the ceremony. Matthew Schottmiller ’01 and Lottie MacKinnon ’08 tied the knot May 18, 2013 at the Maridor Bed & Breakfast in Roanoke, Va. Roanoke College alumni who joined the celebration included Steve Barnabei-Cooper ’03, Jason McLain ’03, Amanda Mullins ’02, Jan Kepka ’02, Josh Morris ’05, Casey Harman Morris ’05, Iggy Bonham ’06, Forest Wagner ’00, Kara Fitzpatrick ’03, Melissa Henrickson ’01, Jennifer Altizer Underwood ’03, Gina Feazelle ’04, Steve Baker ’01, Travis Carter ’04, Debbie Lindsay Bonham ’02, Meaghan McShane Wagner ’01, John Crigger ’95, Erica Sabol ’01, Sasha Knox Trent ’02, Hal Trent ’02, Holly Jones ’08, Sarah Smallman
’08, Kevin Lord ’02, Tyler Gallimore ’09, Heather Duncan ’08, Daniel Ludwig ’08, Ashleigh Huggard ’08, and D. Matthew Clarke ’08. Matthew, who has recently been admitted as a Virginia attorney, specializing in estate planning, business planning and bankruptcies, opened his own law firm in Salem on Jan. 1. He returned to the Roanoke area after spending nine years in New Mexico, where he served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and earned M.B.A. and J.D. degrees. Lottie, who recently received her M.S. in human resource development from Villanova University, is human resources and organizational development manager at Virginia Premier Health Plan, Inc. in Roanoke.
A special invitation Anna White Bozard ’12 has been a big fan of Peyton Manning since his years with the Indianapolis Colts. She’s still a huge fan, following him now as a Denver Bronco. So last year, when Anna sent an invitation to the Denver Broncos headquarters, inviting Manning to attend her Nov. 9 wedding in Roanoke to James Bozard, it was just for a lark — never with the expectation of actually getting a reply. Manning did reply — belatedly, but he did. About a month after the nuptials, Anna’s parents received an RSVP from Manning in the mail. ‘“Best Wishes” Peyton Manning’,” he wrote on the response card in bright blue ink, adding “18,” his jersey number. In response options — “delighted to attend” or “regretfully decline” — Manning checked the latter. No matter. Anna was thrilled. “I was overjoyed when I received it,” Anna said. “There were no words for how excited I was.” News of the RSVP went viral on the Internet. (Go ahead. Google “Peyton Manning wedding invitation” and see just how many results pop up). It appeared on countless websites, including ESPN.com and the websites of Sporting News, The Huffington Post and People magazine. “I have always thought he was such a wonderful, kindhearted person,” Anna said. “This just proved that.”
alumninews
Nadeau ’07 – Peterson ’07 wedding
Kress ’10 – Wood ’10 wedding
Lucas ’08 – Lindsay ’07 wedding
Smith ’05 – McNeely wedding
Kayce Smith ’05 and Anne McNeely wed on April 13, 2013 in Asheville, N.C. Roanoke College alumnae who joined the celebration were Michelle Ely ’04, Randi Burrell ’05, Jennie Schaefer Zabinsky ’05, Seana Abdelmajid ’02, Sarah Grimes Saffran ’03. Also attending was Jim Robinson, former RC assistant women’s basketball coach. Matthew Scott Lucas ’08 and Jennifer Grace Lindsay ’07 wed on Nov. 10, 2012 in Bryn Athyn, Pa. Alumni in attendance included Sam Pendergast ’09 , Sumenta Paul ’08 , Katie (Suehs) DeCoster ’08 , Cassandra Williams ’09 , Andrew DeCoster ’08 , Tristan Graham ’08 , Meredith Withers ’08 , Catherine Mann ’10 , Kevin Beck ’08 , James Cooney ’08 , Kyle Allen ’08.
Jay Nadeau ’07 and Kerry Peterson ’07 joined hands in marriage on July 27, 2013, at the Linden Place Museum in Bristol, R.I. A total of 28 alumni, from the classes of 1974 to 2010, attended the ceremony. The couple live in Charlotte, N.C. Klayton M. Kress ’10 and Lauren N. Wood ’10 celebrated their wedding day Jan. 12, 2013, in Bedford,Va. D. Matthew Clarke ’08 served as best man. Dan Abel ’13 was the groomsman.
Jordon Sellers ’03 and his wife, Kim, are happy to announce the birth of Imogen Cecilia, who was born March 20, 2013. Matt and Cristina Northcutt Hendrickson ’05 ’05 happily announce the birth of their second son, William Thomas, who arrived May 31, 2013. On hand to welcome William were his brother, Andrew, and proud grandparents, Steve Hendrickson ’73 and his wife, Virginia.
families
in memoriam
Joe and Lori Devine Carpenter ’99 ’99 welcomed their daughter, Emma Rose, on Nov. 23, 2013. Proud grandparents are Joseph H. Carpenter III ’65 and his wife Meriam. Joe, Lori and baby Emma Rose live in Chesapeake, Va.
Andrew and William Hendrickson
Jordan, Kim and Imogen Cecilia Sellers
Katherine Mountcastle Mitchell ’35, age 99, passed away in Roanoke on Aug. 28, 2013. She was employed with her family’s business, Roanoke Concrete Products Co., until her retirement. Her survivors include a brother, Vernon Mountcastle ’38. She was predeceased by a sister, Elizabeth Mountcastle ’36. Jessie Tise Heafner ’37 died in Floyd, Va. Nov. 9, 2013, at age 97. She was one of the first five volunteers at Angels in the Attic, a ministry that relies on the sales of donated goods to provide ongoing support for numerous Floyd County charitable organizations. She was a member of the Floyd County Woman’s Club, Daughters of the American Revolution and Retired Teachers Association. Heafner also was a member
Bassett ’69 – Payne wedding
of a bridge club and very active in the Zion Lutheran Church where her father once pastored. She was predeceased by two sisters, Marguerite I. Tise ’33 and Virginia Tise Kirkwood ’31. Charles G. Steele Jr. ’37, a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army, died at age 98 on Christmas Day, 2013, in Roanoke. He was retired from the U. S. Postal Service and was a 50-year veteran of the National Association of Letter Carriers. He was a co-founder of the Roanoke Postal Employees Federal Credit Union. A lifelong member of Greene Memorial United Methodist Church, Steele was an avid reader and photographer. He was predeceased by his wife, Jimmie Martin Steele ’51. He is survived by a son, Charles G. Steele III ’80, and a daughter, Rosemary Lynn Steele ’82. Robert F. Bondurant ’40, veteran of World War II and the Korean War, died Aug. 4, 2013, in Roanoke. The renowned 94-year-old doctor received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. After both wars, he was a physician at Lewis-Gale Clinic and elected its president numerous times. He sponsored the Lewis-Gale Hospital’s School of Nursing and ended his career at the hospital as medical director. After retiring, he volunteered with the Lewis-Gale Medical Foundation and served as its president. He
ROANOKE.EDU 43
alumninews also was a past president of the Heart Association of Roanoke as well as the Heart Association for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Bondurant was a longtime member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, having served in many capacities. He was named Father of the Year for Religious Activities in the 1970s by the Roanoke Times & World-News. He served on the boards of Virginia Episcopal School, Westminster-Canterbury of Lynchburg, and the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va., where he was awarded its honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. Committed to his Lord and the practice of medicine, Dr. Bondurant modeled generosity and friendship. He took pleasure in playing tennis, woodworking and sailing. Thomas D. Hobart III ’41 passed away Aug. 3, 2013, in Alexandria, Va. He was retired from federal civil service after a 43-year career with positions in many areas of the U.S. Navy. Hobart received the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award and also held the Silver Beaver Award and Wood Badge Award as a volunteer leader with the Boy Scouts of America. In his retirement, he was a volunteer income tax preparer. Victoria Matthews Carden ’42, retired teacher and librarian in Petersburg Public Schools, passed away Dec. 28, 2013, at age 93. A resident of Petersburg, Va., she was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for Teachers, Zeta Chapter. Dorothy Emory Topham ’42 died June 6, 2013, in Westhampton, N.Y. She was 93 and had been married 74 years to her husband, John M. Topham ’42, who died months later on Christmas Day, 2013. Mrs. Topham’s family cherished her sweetness and sense of humor as well as her love of nature and animals. Mr. Topham was a construction engineer and consultant, avid traveler, antique collector and author of “Traditional Arts and Crafts of Saudi Arabia,” based on his collection of Bedouin artifacts. His collections were displayed in museums across the United States. Morton A. Fox ’43, a 91-year-old veteran of World War II, passed away Sept. 25, 2013, in Roanoke. He was owner of Fox Bargain Store in the Roanoke City Market for more than four decades until his retirement in 1986. He was an active member of Beth Israel Synagogue and enjoyed playing tennis and poker. Raymond J. Gardner ’45 passed away Aug. 7, 2013, in Lewisburg, Pa. He received his degree in dentistry from the Medical College of Virginia and practiced in Arlington, Va., and later in
Elysburg, Pa. He served in the U.S. Navy at Parris Island, S.C., and the Norfolk Naval Air Station. Virginia Dee Smith Moser ’45, 91, from Montvale, Va., passed away Aug. 21, 2013. She worked in various fields including insurance sales, teaching music and ninth-grade science. When her children were grown, she started a second career as a nurse, working both as a trauma nurse and home health nurse. Talented in music and writing, she made several recordings and also published her poetry. Dorothy Flora Hunter ’46 passed away Dec. 7, 2013, in Roanoke. She was a member of the Lexington Presbyterian Church, Lexington Garden Club, VMI Faculty Women’s Club, The Daughters of the American Revolution and the Colonial Dames of America. Hunter also was active in her community, delivering Meals on Wheels and serving as a docent at the Stonewall Jackson House. Joseph G. Burch ’47 died July 16, 2013, in Port St. Joe, Fla. He was a small business owner in Roanoke before retiring to Florida. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he had many interests, including playing bridge, hunting, fishing, reading, gardening and shell artistry. Reva Carter Kesling ’47 died July 27, 2013, in Salem. She worked many years as a legal secretary while living in Cleveland, Ohio. She was a member of New Life Christian Ministries in Roanoke. Kesling was predeceased by her sister, Frances L. Carter ’49. Her sister, June Carter Canavesio ’51 survives her. Sara Beth Sadler Thacker ’51, of Rock Hill, S.C., passed away Dec. 10, 2013. She was a teacher in Henrico County Schools, Va., for almost three decades and was active in her church, serving as deacon, elder and moderator of several committees. Douglas K. Frith ’52, a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, died Oct. 6, 2013, in Martinsville, Va. He earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University and practiced law for 42 years. During his career, he served his profession in many capacities, including president of the Martinsville-Henry County Bar Association. He was admitted before all Courts of the Commonwealth, including the Supreme Court of Virginia and the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Frith was a member of First Baptist Church and served on many community boards. Ralph Tramposch ’52 passed away Sept. 12, 2013, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Prior to his commencement from Roanoke, he served in the U.S. Navy. He held managerial positions in the electronic
44 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
and defense industry and later worked for Leybold-Heraeus in Connecticut. He enjoyed many interests including music, computers, politics, chess, soccer and travel. Tramposch held a Master of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Ellen Frantz Albertson ’57, of Ashland, Va., died Nov. 15, 2013. A dedicated and caring teacher for over three decades, she taught elementary children in Williamsburg, Va., and in Roanoke. Albertson was involved in the Daughters of the American Revolution and was a deacon in the Ashland Presbyterian Church. During her years at Roanoke, she was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority. George H. Guy Jr. ’57 died in West Point, Va., on Jan. 6, 2014. He received a law degree from Cordell Hull School of Law, Cumberland University in Tennessee, before returning to West Point to practice law. Guy was known as a fierce attorney during his 53-year career. He also devoted time to the West Point Town Council and the Jaycees. Frank W. Burks Sr. ’58 died Aug. 1, 2013. He had been employed with the VA Medical Center in Salem and was a longtime member of Windsor Hills United Methodist Church, Elks Club, American Legion, National Association of Retired Federal Employees and Sons of Confederate Veterans. Charles C. Brown ’59 passed away in Charlotte, N.C., on Aug. 7, 2013. He served in the Army National Guard and enjoyed a banking career in Richmond, Va., and Charlotte, N.C. Jacquelyn Lilly Volk ’59, valedictorian of her Roanoke College class, passed away Aug. 20, 2013, in Bristol, Pa. She taught high school science for five years at her alma mater and also microbiology in the nursing program at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. After receiving a Master of Science degree in medical physiology from James Madison University, she taught high school science until her retirement. A year after her retirement, she completed her Doctorate in Education degree from Temple University. Frank T. Brizzolara ’60, of Salem, died Nov. 20, 2013. A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean conflict, he worked briefly for the Federal Reserve in Richmond, Va., before relocating to Salem where he was a self-employed small business owner. Robert L. DeHaven ’60, a U.S. Army veteran and resident of Pulaski, Va., passed away Oct. 20, 2013. He was a gifted carpenter, enjoyed woodworking and John Deere tractors. He was employed with DeHaven & Sons, Inc., and then retired from Industrial Drives of Radford. DeHaven enjoyed working
with youth and was a bus driver for The Joyful Noise and the Pulaski County High School Band. Richard L. Duncan ’60 died Nov. 10, 2013, in Salem. Described by friends and colleagues as a born teacher, he taught in Roanoke County schools for 36 years, most of that time at Northside Middle School. In 1988, he was honored by the Virginia Education Association as the social studies Teacher of the Year for the entire Commonwealth. He also taught summer school for several years and continued to serve as a substitute teacher and curriculum consultant after his formal retirement in 1996. Duncan held a master’s degree in education from Hollins University. Glynn R. Greer ’61, U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, passed away Jan. 1, 2014. He retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Senior Commander. Greer held a master’s degree from George Washington University and spent his career as a management employee in human resources with four companies, retiring from Collins & Aiken Corporation in 1992. Greer was a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., where his greatest joy was serving his Lord. George C. Minter Sr. ’62, a resident of Salem, passed away Nov. 16, 2013. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Sue Neal Naff ’62, of Huntington, Conn., passed away Sept. 11, 2013. She was an active volunteer, most notably with the Norma F. Pfriem Foundation, Bridgeport Hospital Gift Shop and Six to Six Magnet School in Bridgeport. She owned and operated a floral business, Sue Naff Creations, and many of her arrangements were featured in national magazines. Naff took pleasure in her children and grandchildren and loved to travel. Among her survivors are two daughters, Gentra Naff Curran ’89 and Theodocia Naff Boulin ’95. Judy Woodford Surface ’62 died in Gray, Tenn., on Nov. 14, 2013. She was the valedictorian of her Roanoke class, held a Master of Education degree from the University of Louisville and attended the Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville. She retired as assistant professor of computer information systems at Tusculum College. Surface was active in the First Presbyterian Church, where she sang in the choir and served as an elder. She enjoyed cooking, tennis, bridge, reading and traveling. Trina Body Ramzinsky ’63 died Dec. 23, 2013, in Troutville, Va. She was an avid golfer and traveler and collected Southwestern art and turtles of all kinds. Ramzinsky was a member of Peace Presbyterian Church where she continued on page 46
alumninews IN MEMORIAM
Hall of Famer showed love and pride for Roanoke A
LVIN SMITH ’52 rarely missed a Roanoke College cross country or track and field meet, even if it meant driving to Decatur, Ill., to see a runner compete in the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championship. Smith — a standout runner during his years as a student at Roanoke, a record holder and a Hall of Famer — made it his mission in retirement to follow and support Roanoke runners. Wearing a Roanoke College hat and toting a camera, Smith and his wife, Betty, were on the sidelines of most Maroons’ track and field and cross country competitions from the 1990s through 2013. Alvin Smith, 92, died Feb. 7 in Roanoke. In a fitting tribute, his family asked that donations in his name be made to the College’s track and field program. Smith, a Roanoke native, enrolled at Roanoke College after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for a year and a half. He joined Roanoke’s teams, coached by the legendary C. Homer Bast. Smith became known as one of the Big Four, a group of cross country runners who crossed the finish line holding hands. In the spring of 1949, Smith won the mile at the Virginia AAU championship, with a time of 4:24, one of the fastest times in the country and a school record that stood for 10 years. He also held school records in the 880 meters and two-mile races. Smith was a member of the Maroons’ 1949 undefeated cross country team and that same year, he also won the mile run in the Mason Dixon Championship. He even coached the teams in 1950 when Bast was called to serve in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Smith, who retired from General Electric Co., was inducted into Roanoke College’s Hall of Fame in 1971. Through the years, he has had a major impact on Roanoke’s cross country and track programs, traveling to meets along with his wife, photographing athletes, volunteering as a race timer and helping head coach, Finn Pincus. “In many ways I felt like he and Betty were part of the team,” said Casey Smith ’01 (no relation), an All-American cross country and track athlete at Roanoke and a national track champion in the 10,000-meters. “He came to so many meets and team events that on the occasions when he couldn’t make it, the question was “Where are Alvin and Betty?”’ Alvin Smith paid for two trophy cabinets to display Roanoke’s cross country and track trophies from the 1940s and 1950s. He polished each trophy by hand.
“His support was founded on his love and pride for Roanoke.”
Alvin Smith, left, during his years at Roanoke, running alongside teammate Lawrence “Red” Crockett ’50. Crockett, who died in 2006, and Smith were co-captains in 1949-50.
Starting in the mid-1990s, the Smiths began taking the College’s cross country teams to dinner to celebrate the season. Alvin Smith also would meet the College’s traveling athletes and coaches at the Roanoke Regional Airport when they returned from competition. Smith remained an avid runner through his early 80s, and he was a founding member of the group that organized the Bank of Fincastle’s annual 5K and 10K races. “I still have pictures he took of me as an athlete and the picture he took when we arrived back to Roanoke after finishing fifth at the national meet,” said Shelli Sayers ’00, a former Roanoke runner and coach. “His support was founded on his love and pride for Roanoke.” — JENNY KINCAID BOONE ’01 Editors Note: Betty Smith died on Feb.18, 11 days after her husband’s death.
ROANOKE.EDU 45
alumninews was known as a joyful and creative person. Her survivors include a brother, Vernon W. Body ’54. David Frantz ’64 died in Sarasota, Fla., on Nov. 19, 2013. During his college career at Roanoke, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He enjoyed swimming, playing pool and singing barbershop music. Theodore Scott Roderick III ’66 died in New Jersey on Feb. 10 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, June and his two children, Susan and Stephen. Diane Dickerson Wayman ’66, a resident of Berlin, Md., died Nov. 27, 2013. As a daughter of Foreign Service Officers, she spent part of her childhood in Burma and Hong Kong. After a brief stint at the National Institutes of Health, she began her career as a professional photographer, mostly in the Washington, D.C. area. An activist with social justice and peace organizations, as well as with Democratic Party politics, she served on the boards of the Widowed Persons Program at IONA House and also Edes Home for Elderly Women. Wayman was appointed to the D.C. Commission on Aging. She enjoyed golf and won many tournaments and club championships. Her notable character traits included her generosity and sense of humor. Dr. Richard L. Jones ’67 passed
away July 19, 2012, in McLean, Va. Gary B. Burton ’72, a resident of Richmond, Va., died Sept. 24, 2013, in a bicycling accident. He held a Master of Science degree in urban affairs from Virginia Tech. Burton worked as a community planner for the City of Salem and Prince George County, county administrator for New Kent County, economic developer for Waynesboro and Orange County and most recently, planner for the City of Richmond. A man who had an energetic enthusiasm for life, Burton loved his family and the outdoors. Henry E. Culp Jr. ’74, a U.S. Navy veteran in Hardy, Va., passed away Aug. 14, 2013. He retired from the City of Roanoke after 36 years of service. Donald M. Kinzer ’74, a U.S. Air Force veteran, died in Roanoke on Dec. 21, 2013. He was CFO at Dominion Bankshares and vice president with Shenandoah Life Insurance Co. Alice Williams McCrowell ’77 passed away Oct. 9, 2013. She was a devoted member of Kings Grant Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, Va., and a volunteer for many years with various youth programs. Mary E. Barr ’79, of Roanoke, died Oct. 19, 2013. She worked many years as a radiologic technologist and had recently retired from Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Barr was a longtime
46 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church. Among her survivors is a brother, William M. Barr ’72. James A. Stewart ’79 died Aug. 25, 2013, in Roanoke. He spent the early part of his career in various positions with the lock industry. After his graduation from Roanoke, he began a career in healthcare management and became business manager/administrator for local medical offices. He held an M.B.A. from Virginia Tech. Jay W. Craig ’85, a Salem native, died Sept. 11, 2013. While matriculating at Roanoke, he was president of the Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity. Craig held a J.D. from West Virginia University and practiced law in private practice and for the Public Defender Services for the State of West Virginia. He was assistant attorney general at the time he was taken ill. He also was co-owner of Shamrock Stables and Boarding Kennels, Inc. in Charleston, W.Va. Craig was an outdoorsman who loved to fish, hike, canoe, bike and entertain his friends. His mother, Brenda Craig, is a retired employee of the Roanoke College Alumni, Parent and Church Relations office. Lisa Gutermuth ’86, of Eugene, Ore., died Oct. 6, 2013. Gutermuth loved hiking and backpacking and had a natural compassion for others. She held a master’s degree in social work from Portland State University and en-
joyed a 10-year career as a hospice worker with PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Hospice, where many people were the beneficiaries of her kind spirit. Jill Holter ’92, a resident of Anderson, S.C., died Oct. 24, 2013. Valerie N. Hale ’97, a graduate of Washington and Lee University Law School, died Aug. 29, 2013, in Roanoke. She opened her own law firm and practiced law until the time of her death. Hale was a member of Beta Chi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the Roanoke Chapter of the Links, Inc. She was legal advisor to the Young and Powerful, a national service organization, and also served on the boards of many community organizations including the City of Roanoke Fair Housing Board and Blue Ridge Independent Living Center. Hale also served her church as a ministry leader. Joshua D. Bailey ’09 passed away suddenly in Salem on Jan. 12, 2014. A summa cum laude graduate of Roanoke, he traveled extensively and was looking forward to returning to Europe. At the time of his death, he was a substitute teacher at North Cross School and with Roanoke City Schools and was pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy and humanities at Hollins University. RC
alumninews IN MEMORIAM
Sorority, friends rallied to aid Roanoke alumna EDITOR’S NOTE: Roanoke magazine approached Debra Baker Scheinberg ’89, a classmate, sorority sister and close friend of Betsy Ferguson Hurley ’89, in January about writing a first-person remembrance of Betsy for this issue. Debra accepted without hesitation. Her tender tribute appears below.
B
ETSY FERGUSON HURLEY ’89 lost her two-year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) on Jan. 10, 2014. A hometown girl through and through, she grew up in Salem, majored in elementary education at Roanoke College and taught for 22 years at South Salem Elementary School — the very school she attended as a child. Betsy retired from teaching in 2012 when ALS eventually robbed her of the ability to keep up with her students. Betsy pledged the Chi Omega sorority during the fall of her freshman year and was an active member for the four years she was at Roanoke College. She was delighted and proud when her younger sister, Stacey Ferguson Frye ’93, also became a Roanoke Chi O. I met Betsy on our second day of school. She lived a few doors down from me in Crawford Hall. I was taken by her big grin and overwhelming enthusiasm for all things Roanoke College. It’s no surprise to anyone that the friends she made as a freshman in 1985 remained close to her throughout her life — first as sorority sisters, then as bridesmaids and fellow busy moms, and finally as loving supporters and comforters. She was the glue that held us together for 25 years. When the enormous financial strain of caring for a loved one with a terminal illness took its toll on the Hurley family in late 2013, a group of our Chi O sisters took swift action to quickly create an online fundraiser. In a week’s time, “Betsy’s Army” contributed more than $14,000 to help pay for nursing care. Fellow Chi O’s, Roanoke alumni, colleagues, friends, neighbors and even strangers pulled out their credit cards to help. Betsy delighted in the loving and inspirational notes that poured in with the contri-
Betsy Hurley, center, surrounded by Chi Omega sisters. Debra Baker Scheinberg is kneeling in the front row, third from the right.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBRA BAKER SCHEINBERG
I met Betsy on our second day of school. She lived a few doors down from me in Crawford Hall. I was taken by her big grin and overwhelming enthusiasm for all things Roanoke College. butions. ALS might have taken Betsy’s ability to walk and speak, but she never lost her smile; knowing how much she was loved made her very happy. When she passed away, Chi O sisters from near and far filled the side room of Mac and Bob’s on a chilly Sunday evening to celebrate our sweet friend’s life. It was quite a reunion; many of us had not seen each other since graduation. While there were plenty of tears, it was a night filled
with White Russians (Betsy’s favorite), old photos, tales of cabin parties and rush events, and wonderful memories. Betsy leaves behind her husband Bruce, her children, Blake and Ann Elizabeth, and her beloved dog Ty, as well as her parents, Sarah and Bill Ferguson, her sister, brotherin-law and nephews, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. — DEBRA BAKER SCHEINBERG ’89
ROANOKE.EDU 47
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2014 What a weekend!
Near-perfect weather (mostly sunny, 70s). Great attendance (nearly 2,000). Certainly no shortage of activities (more than 60 events). If only we could squeeze all 1,184 of our AlumniWeekend 2014 photos onto these two pages‌ P H O T O S B Y B R E N D A N B U S H & N A T A L E E WA T E R S
2
8
3
4
5
9
1
6
7
1. A young photographer snaps a shot at the Maroon Club Reception, hosted by Perry and Jessica Downing ’81 ’82. 2. Sun, shades and a stick of ice cream. Does it get any better? 3. The men’s lacrosse game during Alumni Weekend served as Senior Day for eight players, including Michael Packo, of Lutherville, Md., who took to the field before the game with parents William and Jill Packo. The Maroons went on to defeat Bridgewater College 26-5. 4. A bird’s eye view of the All-Alumni Bloodies & Bagels event. 5. Rooney, captured by a caricaturist at the Alumni Picnic. 6. The Class of 1999, celebrating their 15th reunion, received the trophy for the Largest Reunion Class Gift. 7. Jacabone, a groove-rock, funk and blues band featuring Fritz Berry ’89, performs at Friday On The Quad. 8. President Mike Maxey upholds the Bowties & Barbecue theme of the Young Associates Reception. Receiving bow-tying instruction are, left to right, Kaitlyn Bell ’14, Tyler Barnes ’14 and, with President Maxey, Robyn French ’14. 9. Boogeying down at the Class of 1974’s 40th reunion.
Want more? Check out the Alumni Weekend 2014 photo gallery at http://tinyurl.com/n82afsc. ROANOKE.EDU 49
Baughman as Institute principal and Bittle as College president, served not only their institutions but the communities in which they lived. Their faculty did likewise. This focus on service to others became ingrained as part of a Roanoke College education.
collegearchives BY LINDA AN GL E M I L L E R , CO LL EG E AR CH IV I ST
Doing Unto Others
The Student ArmyTraining Corps in
1918.
R
Wartime provided opportunities for service, both in the military and on the home front. During World War I and World War II, a number of students and faculty left the College to join the military service. To prepare, the College offered a course in military drill. When the government
Military recruiters on campus.
elay for Life. Potato Drop. Habitat for Humanity. “R House.” These events represent the ways in which the Roanoke College community — students, faculty and staff — has come together for a higher purpose. Roanoke College has a proud tradition of service to others. In the 19th century, service was considered one of the main duties of a pastor: service to God, to one’s congregation and to the community. The Revs. Christopher Baughman and David Bittle co-founded the Virginia Collegiate Institute, with the support of two Lutheran Synods, to fulfill community needs — providing a high school education in an area where it was needed. The move to Salem and the establishment of Roanoke College continued that mission. Within their communities,
50 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
WARTIME SERVICE
established the Student Army Training Corps at hundreds of colleges across the nation, Roanoke applied for a unit. For three months beginning in the fall of 1918, the College essentially had become a military training school for its 121 students. One of the greatest humanitarian acts was made by John Alfred “Fred” Morehead ’1889, the College’s fourth president. Besides his presidential duties, Morehead had served for four years as president of the United Synod of the South and was subsequently elected to the Executive Board of the newly established United Lutheran Church in America in 1918. The ULCA appointed Morehead chairman of the European Commission of the National Lutheran Council. Taking a leave of absence from the College in 1919, Morehead left for Europe to
begin extensive work in administering war relief in 19 countries. He resigned from Roanoke the following year. Morehead worked tirelessly for five years, until most of the relief work was at an end. For his efforts, Morehead received numerous awards, including several knighthoods. In 1936, he was nominated by four international figures, including former U.S. President Herbert C. Hoover, for a Nobel Peace Prize. If World War I was a test case for military preparedness, World War II was the real thing in terms of length and impact. After the war in Europe began, the College wel-
’67, far right, and Student body president Frankie Lee ted goods. dona with boxes pack ons fellow Maro
comed the Civilian Pilot Training Program to train pilots for the Army or Navy. During the first three years, more than 100 pilots completed the program. In June, 1942, it was reorganized as the full-time War Training Service, with students training as Naval Aviation Cadets. All told, there were six military reserve programs active on campus. In addition, recruiters came to campus to enlist young men; seven of the 29 male faculty and staff took leave to join. At war’s end, approximately 1,120 Roanoke College men and women had served in the military. Civilian students also prepared for war. A seriousness of purpose was ever-present. Emphasis was placed on physical preparedness as well as mental. Even the College curriculum was accelerated to enable students to move through more
quickly. Students wrote to friends in the service to ensure that “mail call” morale boost. Male students helped local orchardists with fall apple picking in a time of labor shortages. Female students sold war savings stamps, attended USO dances and worked for the Red Cross. An amazing service project grew out of the Korean War experience of international student Woong Il “Frankie” Lee ’67, who, as a refugee, remembered receiving a CARE package from the United States. As student body president in 1966, Lee spearheaded a massive project to provide clothing, shoes, school supplies and other gifts to a Catholic orphanage in Vietnam. More than half of the student body participated, collecting from campus people and from locals. Stu-
Spring Break 2002: Habitat home build
in Rockgate, S.C.
dents contacted area churches, women’s clubs, civic organizations, local YMCAs and YWCAs, and area businesses for support. Some students appeared on television and radio to extend their appeal. Others wrote to their hometowns. When the final tally was made after three months of soliciting, the total was somewhere between 2 and 3 tons of gifts and clothing. Roanoke College alumni stationed in the Saigon area were scheduled to visit the orphanage after the gifts arrived.
DANCE-A-THONS, ANGEL TREE GIFTS AND HABITAT BUILDS Campus service also has included the fundraising projects of Greek organizations. “We sold programs at the ice rink … to raise money for [our] cause,” an alumna and member of Phi Mu recalled. Delta Gamma’s philanthropy was sight preservation and aid to the blind. Members of Sigma Chi worked on two projects: raising funds for a
children’s home in Colorado, with money coming through Derby Day and a horse show; and hosting a Christmas party for children at the Baptist Children’s Home. Other Sigs volunteered as Big Brothers. In the early 1980s, members of Pi Kappa Phi held dance-a-thons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. They have also raised funds over the years for their own national philanthropy, Push America, created by former Pi Kappa Phi Executive Director Durwood Owen ’55. In the late 1990s, the fraternity raised $10,000 by standing with donation buckets at two traffic stops. With that and their own manpower, they assisted in building a play units for disabled children at Penn Forest Elementary School in Roanoke County.
Students sort and bag donated sweet potatoes for community agencies and food banks at the Potato Drop in 2007.
Increasingly during the past 50 years, Roanoke’s service opportunities have been more deliberately organized. During the more recent Co-Curricular Learning and Service years, when required service hours were part of the freshman experience, there were ample opportunities for student service that benefited many Roanoke Valley organizations. On “Service Day,” held during orientation, all the freshmen piled into vans that scattered to various organizations around the Valley. Students performed works of service such as cleaning trails, picking up trash along roads, stocking shelves at food pantries and painting. Throughout the year, lists in the Chaplain’s Office offered times for serving food at RAM (Roanoke Area Ministries) House, tutoring at the West End Center for Youth, and more. Since the mid- to late-1990s, faculty and staff have bought “Christmas angel” gifts for children at the West End Center and a mitten/hat/scarf tree sponsored by
Catholic Campus Ministries. The College has had a long-time service connection with Habitat for Humanity. In 1986, the Rev. Paul Henrickson, then College chaplain, received a $1,000 program support grant for college chaplains from the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). His plan was to work with Habitat for Humanity, destination undetermined. A chance phone call from Geneseo University asking for overnight stay at Roanoke for a group on its way to Columbia, S.C., to work for Habitat, sparked a connection. In spring, 1987, an annual migration of about 20 Roanoke students to Columbia began; fall break trips began in about 1999. In total, more than 650 students have participated in 41 trips. A chance conversation in
President Maxey and wife Terri drivin g nails at the 2012 “R House” build.
2005, this time with a local RC parent, brought funding for the first Habitat “R House” build on campus. While this serves as a replacement for freshmen Service Day, the activity also includes volunteer labor from President Maxey, his wife Terri, and other campus employees. The stories are endless — hurricane relief; home improvement projects, including one with Rebuilding Together Inc., for an 83-year-old woman whose Salem home had a dirt floor; and Coach Page Moir’s basketball fundraiser for the Community Christmas Store in Salem. Roanoke College, in numerous ways, has served people locally, nationally and internationally. Through the years, service has increasingly become a part of the College’s focus on educating the “whole person.” The challenge is to carry service beyond one’s own life into that of others, during and after one’s years at Roanoke. RC
ROANOKE.EDU 51
maroonmusings Last December, Roanoke College embarked on an ambitious challenge: 250 gifts from alumni in 48 hours. The response was unprecedented, with the goal of 250 met well before the deadline and a “Victory Lap” added, increasing the goal to 300 gifts. At the 48-hour finish line, more than 400 gifts had been made. As part of the challenge, alumni had the opportunity to recognize someone at Roanoke who’d made a difference in their lives. Alumni were asked: Who inspired you? Who changed your life? The heartfelt replies came pouring in. And what became apparent was something we’ve long known: For the Roanoke College student, very often the path taken is shaped by a professor, a coach or a staff member whose inspiration is lifelong—life lasting.
Blair Trail (my volleyball coach), Dr. Angela Allen (my favorite professor) and James Pennix (my boss as a student assistant) were the three faculty/staff members who truly made an impact on my time spent at “The Noke.” They all believed in me as a student, athlete and employee. They continue to positively impact me and have molded me into the person that I am today. Roanoke College will always hold a special place in my heart. —Heather Cook Hunter ’05 So many made a difference, Catherine Cook, Mark Miller, Dan Larsen, Jan Lynch, Mamie Patterson, and many more! —Alan Liebrecht ’87
Tommy Blair coached me to be a leader. Dr. Paul Hanstedt pushed me to set higher personal expectations. Dr. Jeffrey Sandborg made learning fun (most entertaining teacher award). —Drew Mena ’04
I was fortunate as an English major at Roanoke College to be mentored by Dr. Matthew Wise, chair of the English Department and professor extraordinaire. “Mad Matt,” as we affectionately called this very dignified and professional man, had a major impact on my passion—to become a high school English teacher. He saw beyond the young college student, helping me realize my potential and develop the skills needed to help my students, as he helped me. —Kathy Harkness ’73 Thank you to all the faculty and staff that had a direct impact on my Roanoke Experience! I can’t name you all, but a special thanks to Professors Harris, Gibbs, Hutkin, McCart, Peppers, and Brogan! —Ben DeWitt ’06
—Sammy Frost ’12
John V. Brust, assistant professor of fine arts, had a great influence in my career as a future teacher and studio artist. I learned so much about composition and thinking “outside the box.” His gentle pushing helped me to have confidence and to be a better observer of life in general. Thank you John, for helping me “see the world. —Kathy Duckworth ’75
As an adult student at Roanoke College, I was so appreciative of the encouragement I received, particularly from Dean Freeman Sleeper and faculty members Janice Saunders, Bobbye Au and Eberle Smith. The quality education I received and the confidence I gained in my time there definitely changed my life and opened up doors I had not even dreamed of approaching. Thank you, Roanoke College! —Jenny Hughes Bradley ’84
52 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2014
When I was at Roanoke College, Dr. Mike Smith and Dr. Kevin Baker both made big impacts on my education and my current career path. They believed in me and encouraged me throughout my senior year. I will always be grateful for their positive impact on my life.
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID SALEM, VA PERMIT NO. 11
Office of Public Relations 221 College Lane | Salem, Virginia 24153-3794
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.