Roanoke College Magazine 2017 Issue 2

ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE ISSUE TWO 2017

Table of Contents

5 D EPARTMEN TS 2

PRESIDENT’S PEN BOARD OF TRUSTEES

3

SNAPSHOTS

4

WE HEARD FROM YOU...

5

COLLEGE NEWS • Roanoke College Choir tours Virginia • Center for Economic Freedom • Faculty books

28 ATHLETICS NEWS • Still running • #ryanstrong 32 ALUMNI NEWS • Class Notes • Weddings, Families • In Memoriam 42 MAROON MUSINGS A message to the Class of 2021 43 FROM THE ARCHIVES Those pesky grades!

12 FEATURES

12 Wonder in the sky How Roanoke College experienced this summer’s rare total solar eclipse.

18 Toy Like Me Creating toys that bring greater diversity to the playroom.

BY JENN Y K IN CAI D B O ONE ’0 1

22 Blueprint Roanoke College keeps pace with strategic plan objectives.

BY K AREN DOS S BO WM AN

44 RELIC Introducing a new feature...

18

26 Campaign News • The Seubert Endowed Scholarship for Honors Students • Monument Club opens membership

AT LEFT: A striking image of the total solar eclipse, captured

by David Matheny ’17 from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

ON THE COVER: Straight Outta Quantum: Members of the Roanoke College Physics Group, who had the rare opportunity to travel to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in August to serve as Solar Eclipse Ambassadors. From left to right: Jacob Hatfield ’17; Dr. Daniel Robb, associate professor of math, computer science and physics; Claire Drummond ’19 (seated); Dr. Matthew Fleenor, associate professor of math, computer science and physics; David Matheny ’17 (kneeling); Khenan Terry ’18 (seated); and Eve Allen ’19. Photo by Sam Dean.

ROANOKE.EDU

1

PRESIDENT’S PEN

Roanoke College Magazine

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt of a letter President Michael C. Maxey shared with the College community on Aug. 17, 2017, a week before the start of the fall semester.

Editor Leslie Taylor Contributing Editor Teresa Gereaux ’87 Alumni News Linda Lindsay

n a few days, Roanoke College will begin its 176th year of educating future leaders for society. We look forward to your presence because we value you individually, but we also value the community that we all create together.

Events in Charlottesville, Virginia this summer cause us to remember how important community is, but also how fragile it can be. Our hearts and sympathies go out to the loved ones of all three Virginians who lost their lives, and to others who were injured or traumatized.

This, too, is a moment to pause and remember what makes communities thrive or falter. The critical bedrock for any successful community is formed when individuals are both respected and affirmed. It is wrong to direct hateful behavior toward particular groups of people. We must affirm that fact, without equivocation.

In times of trial it is helpful to go to our common roots of purpose and mission. The Constitution of the United States and its Bill of Rights have served our nation for 228 years. We can look there now for guidance. We can also look to the Roanoke College mission statement for guidance: “In keeping with its history and mission, the College strives to be a diverse community, nationally and internationally,” it states.

I look forward to welcoming you soon to this wonderful community. I respectfully request that we work together to live our mission, build our community and make our society a better place for all. That is the Roanoke College way.

I

“

The critical bedrock for any successful community is formed when individuals are both respected and affirmed.

”

Archives Linda Miller Contributors Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 Karen Doss Bowman James France Hayley Moe ’18 Sharon Nanz ’09 Photography Sam Dean Carissa Szuch Divant Ashley Eagleson ’20 Pete Emerson ’80 Ryan Hunt ’18 Steve Mason ’91 David Matheny ’17 Design & Production Mikula-Harris Printing Bison Printing

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

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

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

Michael Creed Maxey

2017 – 2018 | board of trustees Mr. Morris M. Cregger, Jr. ’64, chair Ms. Kathryn Snell Harkness ’73, vice chair Mr. James S. Frantz, Jr., secretary Mr. Mark P. Noftsinger, treasurer Mr. Michael C. Maxey, president of the College Mr. Kenneth J. Belton, Sr. ’81 Mr. Kirk Howard Betts Dr. Paris D. Butler ’00 Ms. Pamela L. Cabalka ’76 Dr. M. Paul Capp ’52 Mr. Joseph H. Carpenter, IV ’99

Ms. Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo ’78 Mr. W. Morgan Churchman ’65 Mr. Malon W. Courts ’92 Mr. David L. Guy ’75 Mr. Michael P. Haley ’73 Ms. Judith B. Hall ’69 Mr. Richard S. Hathaway ’73 Ms. Peggy Fintel Horn ’78 The Reverend Robert F. Humphrey Mr. John E. Lang ’73 Mr. Patrick R. Leardo Mr. Michael A. Martino ’79

Ms. Nancy B. Mulheren ’72 Mr. Timothy J. O’Donnell Mr. Roger A. Petersen ’81 Mr. J. Tyler Pugh ’70 Ms. Margaret Lynn Jacobs Reichenbach The Reverend Dr. Theodore F. Schneider ’56 Mr. Thomas A. Stevens ’90 Mr. Andrew K. Teeter ’71 Ms. Helen Twohy Whittemore ’80 Mr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Messick (Wendy M.) (Ex-officio, Co-Chairs of the Parent Leadership Council)

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) 375-4958 Colket Center ...............................................(540) 378-5125 Intercollegiate Athletics .................................(540) 375-2338 Olin Box Office..............................................(540) 375-2333

2 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

© 2017 Roanoke College. All rights reserved. Roanoke College, Classic for Tomorrow and associated logos are trademarks of Roanoke College.

snapshots Riotous colors filled Olin Gallery at the Sept. 8 opening reception of New York-based artist Steve Keene’s exhibition (top left, continuing clockwise).

• “Let’s grab a quick Roanoke College selfie with Rev. Jesse Jackson,” said Del. Sam Rasoul ’02, who accompanied Jackson on a campus visit Sept. 18.

• We pause for this commercial break…RC coffee, a specialty coffee roasted by Red Rooster Coffee Co., based in Floyd, Virginia. • Photographer Carissa Szuch Divant was taking photos at RCity, held on the City Market in downtown Roanoke during orientation weekend, when she came across this jubilant group of freshmen. Perfect! • Dara Goldman ’19 filters a solar eclipse photo using eclipse glasses.

managed Parents Weekend.

Carry on the great work. I look forward to the next magazine.

The Rev. Raymond A. Petrea

wE HEaRD fRoM you LE TT ER S, TW EETS & FAC E BO OK POST S

My family and I were delighted to see a picture of my father’s basketball shorts (Hunter Monroe Painter, class of 1916). However, he was from Haymakertown, not Troutville, which was only his mailing address. The same for his older brother, Ethan, and younger brother Ben, also graduates. My mother, Viola Wiek Painter, finished her degree in the summer of ’49, after attending Ohio University for two and a half years in the early ’20s. My granddaughter, McKinley Goad, and grandson Kyle Allen ’08 also are graduates.

Great idea to feature historical items.

photograph of my grandfather which hung in the treasurer’s office until a couple of years ago. At my 50th reunion last year, President Maxey kindly had it brought out for me to see once again and my friend took the enclosed picture.

Leah McReynolds Chapla ’66

Peggy Painter Davis

SOCIAL MEDIA

LETTERS I have edited a magazine and know how difficult it is. Your latest “Roanoke” may be the best issue I’ve read!

Durward Owen ’55 Executive Director Emeritus Pi Kappa Phi

Your “Marking Milestones” arrived a few days ago and as quickly as I could, I read most of the articles — and felt myself transported back to the campus.

From 1966-74, I was on the second floor of a refurbished house inhabited by the offices for development, alumni and public relations. My second-floor corner office overlooked a heavily-wooded section of the campus. I did the design, writing, photography and production management of the magazine, newsletter admissions materials, catalogs, the Commencement program, building openings and slide shows. I also

I was pleased to see my grandfather’s typewriter chosen as one of the 17 objects from the College Archives to be included in the magazine.

You may be interested in additional information and factual correction for this object. Blickensderfer produced the typewriters from 1893 to about 1919. My grandfather, Leonidas D. McReynolds, was associated with the College from about 1894 until his death in 1916. He was the College treasurer and a professor who taught accounting (perhaps other classes as well). Confusion regarding the date of the typewriter (you noted 1920-1922) may have arisen because my father, Leonidas N. McReynolds, graduated from RC in 1922. When we donated the typewriter in the mid-1990s, we may have neglected to indicate what we knew about its age and when my grandfather used it.

Thank you for including this relic from the RC archives. Also in that repository is a

§ Roanoke!!! My daughter is a freshman and she LOVES it there!!!

We are happy that she chose this school!

Sherrie Koenig Daughtry

Corporal James Cooney ’08 added a little Maroon decor to his truck in Afghanistan. He is an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist with the 761st EOD Company for the Army. Thank you for your service, James!

Roanoke College

BEHIND THE COVER Ah, what magazine cover magic can be created with a camera — and the talents of a photographer, an art director, a photographer’s assistant and a group of faculty and students who possess great patience and senses of humor. “Cross your arms.” “Can you kneel?” “Shift over about a half an inch.” “Chin up, just a bit.” “Give me your best superhero look.” Such was the scene on a grassy knoll at the northwest edge of a soccer field on Roanoke’s Elizabeth Campus the evening of Oct.11. The result? Ethereal.

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

CONNECT WITH uS:

4 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

WEB roanoke.edu/magazine

TWITTER @RoanokeCollege

FACEBOOK facebook.com/roanoke

INSTAGRAM #roanokecollege

SNAPCHAT @roanokecollege

collegenews The Roanoke College Choir performing at the Washington National Cathedral on Oct. 29.

“

We assume Luther would have embraced the ideas behind [these concerts] and would have attended with interest and curiosity.

— Dr. Jeffrey R. Sandborg

”

Choir tour celebrates milestone anniversaries THE ROANOKE COLLEGE CHOIR, under the direction Dr. Jeffrey R. Sandborg, commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a concert tour Oct. 16-21 throughout Virginia.

“The Mighty Fortress: Luther in Music” tour, which also coincided with the 175th anniversary of Roanoke College’s founding, featured text, tunes and musical genres that demonstrated Martin Luther’s influence on music.

Performances of the choir, accompanied by a professional chamber orchestra, focused “both on Luther’s direct influences on musical composition and the chorale as the basis for composition that comprised so much of the work of Reformation composers,” according to Dr. Sandborg.

The tour included concerts at Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America churches in Norfolk, Richmond, Winchester, Staunton and Lynchburg; Second Presbyterian Church in Roanoke; and at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg.

“Additionally, we sang in high schools in Salem, Midlothian, Fredericksburg and Charlottesville — 11 concerts in six days,” Sandborg said.

In addition to the hectic travel schedule, the students spent one morning aboard the new USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier docked in the Norfolk Naval Yard.

The weekend after the tour, the choir was back on the road for an Oct. 29 performance at a Washington National Cathedral service commemorating the Reformation anniversary.

“We assume Luther would have embraced the ideas behind [these concerts] and would have attended with interest and curiosity,” Sandborg wrote in concert program remarks. “Having heard it, we hope he would have been pleased, even uplifted.”

To view a video of the Washington National Cathedral performance, visit https://metrodcelca.org/livestream/.

ROANOKE.EDU

5

collegenews IN VES T I NG W IS E LY

Student-Managed Fund surpasses $1 million THE STUDENT-MANAGED FUND (BUAD 322) has been a course offering at Roanoke College every semester since 2004. Unlike traditional portfolio simulators, which may encourage unrealistic and brash investment strategies, the Student-Managed Fund challenges Roanoke students to use their skills, innovation, and teamwork to responsibly grow a real investment portfolio.

When the class meets in West Hall, a fast-paced review of stocks ensues as students report on the companies placed on the fund’s “Watch List.” While a College business faculty member serves as a resource and guide, the students are responsible for discussing changes they want to make in the fund’s strategy and a student manager runs the class.

To date, the students’ fund has consistently beaten its benchmark (a combination of the S&P 500 and the Barclay’s Aggregate Bond Index). In fact, the initial $500,000 investment has more than doubled and is now worth more than $1,062,723.

Coupled with several distributions, these gains have given the fund a net increase of approximately $600,000 under the leadership of countless student portfolio managers!

— Dr. C. Michael Smith Student portfolio managers at work in BuAD 322.

F RI ED MA N ’ S PASSI ON

New center explores role of economic freedom INSPIRED BY ECONOMIST MILTON FRIEDMAN and his passion for free markets and individual choice, Roanoke College opened the Center for Economic Freedom in September.

The Center’s mission is to educate students and the community on the freedom of markets and individual choice in a liberal arts setting. Founded and directed by Dr. Alice Kassens, John S. Shannon Professor of Economics at the College, the Center is funded by grants from several foundations.

The Center, through its programs, aims to: • Promote an environment of educated discourse and discovery.

• Explore the role of economic freedom and individual rights in prosperous societies.

• Motivate students to actively seek opportunities in classically liberal minded scholarship and service.

• Develop a network of alumni and friends that remain active in the Center for Economic Freedom.

“I have admired Milton Friedman, both his work and style, since I first studied economics,” Kassens said.

“The Center for Economic Freedom is a way to bring his ideas to students and the Roanoke College community to expand the public discourse regarding markets and regulation.”

The Center’s opening on Sept. 1 was observed with a public lecture, the first in what is now known as the Center for Economic Freedom Lecture Series. The lecture featured Dr. Chris Coyne, associate director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

In addition to the annual lecture series, the Center will host a variety of events and activities for students, those majoring in economics and those studying other disciplines. Opportunities for students include an economics reading group, a research assistantship, an economic freedom group and a library of materials related to economic freedom. The center also will have a seminar travel fund to help support student travel, will sponsor a faculty reading group, and will hold Milton Friedman Remembrance Day each year on Nov. 16, the anniversary of his death.

6 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

FACU LT Y W R IT I NG S

Behind the Book A Courageous Fool: Marie Deans and Her Struggle against the Death Penalty

By Dr. Todd Peppers and Margaret A. Anderson A BOOK CO-WRITTEN by Roanoke College Professor Todd Peppers and Roanoke alumna Maggie Anderson ’13, recounts the fight of a tireless but largely unrecognized advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.

Titled “A Courageous Fool,” the book follows Marie Deans’ decades-long fight against capital punishment, a passion that took hold of the South Carolina native following the 1972 murder of her mother-in-law. In addition to founding a group now known as Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation, Deans counseled dozens of deathrow inmates, investigated their cases and cajoled lawyers into representing them on appeals.

“I have never met anyone who believed more in their cause and was willing to give sort of their last full measure than Marie,” said Peppers, the Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs at Roanoke.

Peppers learned of Deans’ extraordinary work while researching his 2009 book “Anatomy of an Execution: The Life and Death of Douglas Christopher Thomas.” Peppers interviewed Deans

for that book, and the two became friends.

Peppers had begun helping Deans write her memoir, but she died of lung cancer at age 70 in 2011, before the memoir could be completed.

Before her death, Peppers assured Deans he would tell her story.

Peppers contacted Anderson — a former student of Peppers and currently a graduate student at the University of Virginia — and asked if she could assist with research, intending initially to write only an article about Deans.

Research was difficult because many of the people who could speak about Deans’ efforts were death-row inmates who had been executed.

And Peppers regularly lamented he couldn’t go to his old friend Deans and ask her to fill the gaps of missing information.

Anderson conducted research at the Library of Congress, hunted online for people who might have worked with Deans and researched old newspapers in Fintel Library at the College, looking for mentions of the abolitionist. Ultimately, Anderson and Peppers interviewed over 70 people.

Along the way, the pair realized the story they wanted to tell was too big to for an article. They decided to write a book.

Peppers and Anderson weren’t the only ones who found Deans’ story compelling. Screenwriter and director Claudia Myers recently finished a screenplay based on the book. Peppers said he hopes that with the book, and possibly one day a movie about Deans’ work, she will receive the recognition that evaded her in life.

“I think she’d be proud, not just of the book,” Peppers says of Deans. “But proud looking back at her body of work.” — Beth JoJack

Most Scandalous Woman: Magda Portal and the Dream of Revolution in Peru

By Dr. M. Ivonne Wallace Fuentes DR. M. IVONNE WALLACE FUENTES, associate professor of history at Roanoke College, spent nearly 20 years researching the life of Magda Portal, a central figure in Peru’s political front during the first half of the 20th century. Portal — a poet, journalist and activist — was a founding member of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), which Wallace Fuentes describes as “uncontestably, the most important political part in Peru in the 20th century.”

But Wallace Fuentes discovered that while Portal “seemed so incredibly interesting,” her role in the establishment of APRA was “completely written out,” essentially absent from historical accounts of the party’s founding and emergence.

“I started analyzing why she became a revolutionary, which was a fascinating journey in itself,” Wallace Fuentes said in an October interview with WFIR radio in Roanoke.

APRA was important to Peru, one of the most conservative countries in Latin America, because

azines and leading an editorial publishing effort that distributed ideas throughout the population, was absolutely key to spreading ideas about APRA,” Wallace Fuentes said.

it “challenged the notion that the majority indigenous population was an impediment to progress.

Magda Portal was the only woman in APRA’s national leadership from the beginning. Her role in organizing and producing one of the key mag-

FROM THE PUBLISHER: “An early member of bohemian circles in Lima, La Paz, and Mexico City, Magda Portal distinguished herself as the sole female founder of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA). A leftist but nonCommunist movement, APRA would dominate Peru’s politics for five decades. Through close analysis of primary sources, including Portal’s own poetry, correspondence, and other writings, “Most Scandalous Woman” illuminates Portal’s pivotal work in creating and leading APRA during its first 20 years. Despite her successes, Portal broke with APRA in 1950 under bitter circumstances. Wallace Fuentes analyzes how sexism in politics interfered with Portal’s political ambitions, explores her relationships with family members and male peers, and discusses the ramifications of her scandalous love life.”

ROANOKE.EDU

7

collegenews ART IN V ES T M ENT

Center for Art aims to create, educate JOANNE LEONHARDT CASSULLO ’78 is helping Roanoke College take art to a new level.

In October, President Michael C. Maxey announced that Cassullo had made a $1 million gift to Roanoke to establish the Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo Center for Art. The Center will bring regional and global art to the College, and to Virginia, to create experiences that challenge, entertain and educate. The center also will support internship opportunities throughout the United States for Roanoke students, and be a place where students and artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advanced and multifaceted.

Cassullo, who discovered her love for the arts as a student at Roanoke, already has significantly influenced the growth of art at the College. In 2004, she established the Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo Professorship in Art History, which allowed the College to offer a major in art history.

She has made contributions to the College’s permanent collection and also has arranged for numerous artists to come to Roanoke to exhibit their work and present lectures.

In 2010, she oversaw the restoration of “The Solar Wind,” a sculpture at the Life Science Plaza

Joanne Cassullo at the Oct. 26 announcement of her gift establishing the Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo Center for Art.

created by American sculptor Alice Aycock.

Most recently, she has been instrumental in bringing two creative, public “horticultural” art projects to campus. One is the Tree of 40 Fruit,

dedicated in October in honor of President Maxey’s 10th anniversary as College president.

The second is this summer’s planting of the 14foot-tall Rooney topiary at the Maroon Athletic Quad.

“Joanne invests financial resources, personal connections in the art world and much of her personal time into so many wonderful art projects on campus, and for that we are grateful,” Maxey said.

Cassullo is a member of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees and a former Helena Rubinstein Fellow in Museum Studies at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. She is the founder, president, and director of the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation Inc., a private philanthropic foundation. She was awarded the Aperture Foundation Award in 2007.

A recent exhibit in the Olin Galleries, which celebrates the College’s 175th anniversary, was “Legacy: Highlights from the Roanoke College Permanent Collection.” Cassullo has funded a limited edition commemorative book for the Legacy exhibit, which includes works that have been donated by Cassullo or purchased with a grant from the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation, Inc.

AC C OL A D ES

Kendig Awards recognize excellence in arts THE GRANDIN THEATRE FOUNDATION, arts patrons Judy and Joel Tenzer, and the late artist John Sailer, were honored with this year’s Perry F. Kendig Arts and Culture Awards on Sept. 28.

Co-sponsored by Roanoke College and Hollins University, the Kendig Awards program has recognized distinction in arts and culture in the Roanoke Valley for more than 30 years. Awards are presented in the categories of Individual Artist, Arts and Cultural Organization, and Individual

From left to right, Rachel Sailer, wife of the late John Sailer; Judy and Joel Tenzer; Roanoke College President Mike Maxey; Ian Fortier, executive director of The Grandin Theatre; and Pareena Lawrence, president of Hollins university.

8 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

or Business Arts Supporter.

The Grandin Theatre Foundation received the Kendig Award in the Arts and Cultural Organization category. In addition to its role as a neighborhood economic and cultural anchor offering a movie theater, art gallery and gathering place, the Grandin has been successful in supporting educational outreach within the community at large.

The Kendig Award in the Individual or Business Arts Supporter category was presented to Judy and Joel Tenzer. For more than four decades, the Tenzers have distinguished themselves as devoted patrons of the arts in the Roanoke Valley, serving on the boards of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the Taubman Museum of Art, the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, and Mill Mountain Theatre, among others.

Sailer, who died in 2015, was the recipient of the Individual Artist award.

With an M.F.A. in scene and lighting design from the University of Oklahoma, he first came to Roanoke in 1981 to work at what was then called Mill Mountain Playhouse. Sailer soon became the “go to” set and lighting designer in the Roanoke Valley.

The Kendig Awards program is named for the late Perry F. Kendig, who served as president of Roanoke College from 1963 to 1975 and was an avid supporter and patron of the arts. The program was established in 1985 and presented annually by the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge through 2012.

Roanoke College and Hollins University first partnered the following year to bestow the honors.

“

QUOTABLE

”

“This almost sounds like a bad joke.

A Baptist preacher and a Muslim legislator walk into a Lutheran college...”

— Quip delivered by Virginia Del. Sam Rasoul ’02 during his visit to campus with the Rev. Jesse Jackson on Sept. 18.

“Rulers in a free society derive their power from the consent of those that live within the society, not the other way around. Even in a society like America, those in charge act as if somehow we should be grateful for their service. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I would like to suggest, nothing is more dangerous to a free society.”

— Dr. Christopher Coyne, associate professor of economics at George Mason University, who presented “The Rule of Law and Economic Development at Home and Abroad” at the inaugural lecture for the new Center for Economic Freedom Lecture Series.

“Many of the things that concerned me about the years of my youth were concerning me about america in the present. I didn’t feel like I could persuade anybody to understand the full magnitude of the damage the 1960s did to our country by simply shouting out or writing a screed. But I thought I might be able to persuade some good folks to talk a little bit with me if I put down my view of the 1960s by being very personal and in as intimate a story as I could make.”

— The Hon. J. Harvie Wilkinson III, associate justice of the Fourth U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, giving the Constitution Day address about his memoir “All Falling Faiths: Reflections on the Promise and Failure of the 1960s”.

“ I’d like to thank my mom and dad, who are no longer here but who gave me the fundamental guidance to make me what I am. I’d also like to thank my wife. Teaching and coaching take an immeasurable amount of time; my wife deserves this award probably more than I do.”

— David Turk, a coach and teacher who was one of four recipients of the 2017 Roanoke College Charles Brown Award.

“In a country as polarized as it is, I don’t know that there is anything that you could say that would make the other side happy. You are not going to make the other side happy unless you completely and totally cave in on your positions.”

— Dr. Harry Wilson, director of the Roanoke College Institute for Policy and Opinion Research and the author of several books on the gun control, quoted in a “Roll Call” article on political messaging and the gun debate.

“I could hear the thrumming of the guitars as they brought to our ears “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. The entire audience rose to their feet, dancing, clapping and singing their hearts out…

You could feel the joy swelling like a great river, None of us wanted the night to end so we provided [the band] with two well-deserved standing ovations, and they played again.”

— Jacqueline Hull, of Bedford, Virginia, who wrote in The Roanoke Times’ “Cornershot” about the Quantico Marine Corps Band performance on Aug. 28 at the Cregger Center, commemorating Roanoke College’s 175th anniversary.

ROANOKE.EDU

9

collegenews

“Be willing to move forward and find out what happens next.”

— Frank Shorter, former American long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Photo of runner on the Cregger Center track by Sam Dean

W NDER I N T H E S K Y Equipped with knowledge and a desire to share it, a group of Roanoke faculty, students and alumni helped Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors safely view this summer’s rare total solar eclipse. On the Roanoke campus, the College community paused to revel in the amazing spectacle.

12 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE DRUMMOND ’18

2017 Eclipse Ambassadors at Oconaluftee Visitors Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, comprised of Roanoke College students, alumni, faculty, friends and family. Front row, left to right: Eve Allen ’19 with “Ronny” (Dr. Dan Robb’s dog). Second row, left to right: Claire Drummond ’18, Jacob Barfield ’17, Johann Dayle Pecson, Khenan Terry ’18. Third row, left to right: Dr. Matt Fleenor, Carlos Iraheta, Andre Schneider ’19, David Matheny ’17, Dr. Dan Robb, Eddie Iraheta, Daniel Matheny.

onths before total solar eclipse fever swept North America, weeks before digital downloads of Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 “Total Eclipse of the Heart” began to soar, Dr. Matthew Fleenor was making plans to witness one of the true splendors of nature.

In May, Fleenor, associate professor of physics at Roanoke College, responded to an invitation from the education office of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to become an eclipse ambassador. The western half of the park, which straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, was located within the path of a total solar eclipse. The park was hosting a series of public events and was recruiting college faculty and students to help visitors safely view the total eclipse.

“Because there were not a significant number of universities and professional astronomers within the totality region of western North Carolina, an invitation was extended to other astronomers and institutions within the local region,” Fleenor said.

He wasn’t completely sure what serving as an “eclipse ambassador” involved, but went ahead and contacted the park’s education office. He was completely sure, however, that he and students wanted to view a total solar eclipse, and that the Roanoke Physics Group — composed of physics faculty, majors and minors — has a strong record of science outreach for the public. The group, for example, has an ongoing partnership with an elementary school in Salem and regularly holds Elementary STEM Nights at three elementary schools in the Roanoke Valley.

On Aug. 18, a group that included two Roanoke College faculty members; six students, including physics majors; and one recent physics graduate, piled into a

M

“For everyone in the group, it was our first total solar eclipse and our first eclipse outreach event.”

— Dr. Matthew Fleenor

ROANOKE.EDU

13

Image sequence of eclipse from C1 (first contact) until C2 (totality). Image taken by David Matheny ’17 with a Nikon D3100 at approximately 10-minute intervals.

College van and headed for the Ocanaluftee Visitors Center entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just outside of Cherokee, N.C. Each group member had been designated an “eclipse ambassador,” having completed the required training, conducted by Fleenor.

The group spent the night of Aug. 20 in tents pitched at the maintenance field across the river from the visitor’s center, where they had access to refrigeration, showers and bathroom facilities.

“For everyone in the group, it was our first total solar eclipse and our first eclipse outreach event,” Fleenor said.

The group set up six telescopes, outfitted with solar filters and aligned to the sun’s path through the daytime sky. Roanoke students and faculty helped the public locate the sun through the telescopes and assisted them in understanding the features of the sun and the eclipse dynamics.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., approximately 300 people viewed the eclipse at various stages before, during and after totality.

“The [Greater Smoky Mountains National Park] staff was courteous and helpful throughout the entire event, and we were all given ‘staff’ T-shirts in order to officially identify us,” Fleenor said. “We had complete access to store our equipment prior to the event. Our equipment worked flawlessly and the hours of planning beforehand paid huge dividends.”

Fleenor noted that all of the students worked diligently to set up and break down the equipment, and helped the public understand eclipse dynamics and solar phenomena.

“It was a historic day for the Roanoke College physics program, as it was for many of the people who visited our telescope observation of the eclipse,” he said.

The day of the eclipse, Fleenor blogged from the awe-inspiring event. What follows is his account of how the day of the Total Solar Eclipse progressed:

5:30 a.m.

I awoke to a beautiful clear morning with Venus clearly visible as a “morning star” in the East. I couldn’t believe that we had planned to arrive on this morning more than three months ago, and it was finally here. And, it was a clear morning in the Smokies in August.

6:30 a.m.

Set-up for positioning of telescope stands near the Apple Barn at Oconaluftee Visitor Center, where over 1,000 public viewers were scheduled to arrive. Six Roanoke College telescopes (Celestron NexStar 5” and 6”) were arranged before I went back to ready the students.

9:00 a.m.

“It was a historic day for the Roanoke College physics program, as it was for many of the people who visited our telescope observation of the eclipse.”

— Dr. Matthew Fleenor

14 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

Alignment process of telescopes initiated to track the sun through the sky. Solar filters were fitted, default settings were overrode, and tracking of the sun commenced. It took us over two hours to properly align all six scopes for tracking. During alignment of one of the telescopes, I actually saw the International Space Station pass across the surface of the sun. (I originally saw it merely as a “satellite” and only realized later that it was in fact the ISS.)

11:15 a.m.

As I was walking to a final bathroom break before the truly amazing events began, I heard my name “Fleenor … Matt Fleenor!”

It was Marwood and Wendy Larson-Harris, both faculty friends from Roanoke College, and their family. How exciting that part of our community had traveled independently to share in the eclipse event with us. It was fun to share in the event with folks that I see on campus.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE DRUMMOND ’18

Mother and daughter get an unsupervised look at the C1 partial stage of the total eclipse. They were one of several hundred visitors who benefited from the filter-fitted telescopes provided by the Roanoke College Physics Group.

12:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Two distinct sets of sunspots were visible on the sun’s surface.

We were able to begin to show the public the different sunspots and discuss with them the nature of the sunspots and their size.

Sunspots are due to the convective nature of the sun (think, hot blobs rise while cool blobs sink), and when a blob rises it actually appears dark on the surface. Sunspots are approximately the size of the earth (some smaller and some larger) so that was exciting to relay to the public.

As the setting was certainly turning darker and cooler, it was certainly a surreal experience. I had seen a video on the atmospheric phenomena called “shadow bands.” We set out a white sheet in order to observe and hopefully capture these shadow bands.

1:06 p.m. = C1 C1 is the first point of contact between the moon and the sun. It was absolutely exhilarating to observe through our telescopes the black silhouette of the moon occluding the sun’s bright disk. The temperature at C1 was 88 degrees F. It was a “normal” hot and sunny afternoon.

2:34 p.m.

Just a few minutes before C2, when the moon’s disk totally occludes (blocks) the disk of the sun. Shadow bands were visible even though they couldn’t be captured on video. Park rangers reported the sounds of crickets as the dimming of sunlight was definitely visible, and the chickens on the farm actually bedded down because they thought the sun was setting. It was definitely getting dark and we were preparing for our first total solar eclipse.

The excitement was palpable.

2:35:50 p.m. = C2 2:00 p.m.

Visibly, the brightness was beginning to change and the temperature was noticeably falling. Many families and students would visit and revisit the telescopes. One of our biggest goals for the group was to attach David Matheny’s Nikon camera to a telescope in order to get full resolution images of the eclipse. After troubleshooting some minor issues, it was a great pleasure to see David’s images of the eclipse on the laptop screen that was connected to the camera.

In some ways it was just like what you see and read about, yet I was actually experiencing it and so it was unlike anything I had ever seen or read about. As I looked up into the sky without my glasses, I saw Venus once again visible in the day sky just to the west of the sun, as it had been that morning prior to sunrise. Then I did something one should never do at any other time than totality: We removed the solar filter from the telescopes and looked through the eyepiece. Solar flares and prominences (large protrusions from the sun’s surface) were visible with the naked eye ROANOKE.EDU

15

through the telescope. It was absolutely breathtaking. The large white coronal ejections (wispy and cloud-like) were clearly visible with the naked eye and the telescope.

2:36:52 p.m. = C3 Solar filters back on our telescopes, and again we began to see the shadow bands. I looked up to watch Venus again disappear as the sun’s brightness drowned out all other light. I had just experienced my first total solar eclipse. The temperature was now 75 degrees F, 13 degrees cooler than it was prior to C1, and approximately 20 degrees cooler than it would be normally at that time.

3:00 p.m.

We continued to get some more visitors with discussion from a variety of ages — elderly, parents and youth. Although a few

I must have clapped my hands audibly 10 times within the next two hours as we rode in the car.

My reflection on the eclipse was so vivid that it was worthy of response.

A group of students watch from the Sutton Patio.

16 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

telescopes were packed, it was still exciting to observe the moon’s path across the sun’s surface and to reflect on what had just happened. It was extremely gratifying to hear many of the park staff show their appreciation for the outreach event. One family with two small children from Pittsburgh thanked us several times for making the eclipse experience meaningful for their family.

4:00 p.m. = C4 At this time, the sun continued its uninterrupted path across the daytime sky. The eclipse was officially over as David took the last picture with the camera-attached telescope. We loaded up the van and began our journey back to Salem. I must have clapped my hands audibly 10 times within the next two hours as we rode in the car. My reflection on the eclipse was so vivid that it was worthy of response. RC

President Mike Maxey, center, views the eclipse on the steps of the Administration Building with Dr. Jesse Bucher, assistant professor of history, and Tracy Lively, administrative assistant to the president, on the right.

I N T H E PAT H Editor’s note: Dr. Tom Carter, associate professor of communication studies at Roanoke College, traveled to Tennessee on Aug. 21 to view the total solar eclipse. Carter, who witnessed the annular eclipse in Georgia on May 30, 1984, shared his most recent eclipse encounter with Roanoke magazine.

or the 2017 total eclipse, I inadvertently became the resident visiting astronomer for Notchey Creek Baptist Church near Madisonville, Tennessee. I had known for decades I wanted to watch the eclipse in southeast Tennessee just north of my hometown and very near the spot where my dad grew up.

So early this year, looking along the centerline of the path of totality, I noticed a likely spot: a church across the street from a convenience store. In May, I wrote to the church asking for permission to set up on their property. They liked the idea so much they planned their own eclipse party around my visit: They said they would grill hot dogs and pulled pork, and open up their grounds to the public.

Our group consisted of my wife and daughter, my two brothers and a professional photographer my oldest brother knew. On the morning of the eclipse, we got to the church by 8:30 a.m. and began setting up my telescope (a 4-inch refractor that my dad and I bought in 1978) and a battery of camera tripods.

As the morning went on, some 400 people gathered, most of them visitors to the area. The pastor, Gale Miller, asked me to give a little talk during lunch. I stressed eye safety and told people to look for Venus and Jupiter during the eclipse, then took a few questions.

After that, it was time to begin watching for first contact.

My telescope came with an aluminum square that attached behind the eyepiece, allowing several people to see the projected image of the sun.

During the initial stages, a steady stream of people came by to check on the progress of the eclipse. A couple of sunspot groups made easy reference points as the edge of the moon covered more and more of the sun’s surface, spurring more questions from the people who came by.

As totality neared, the scene took on an odd light — not like twilight, but more like tinted glasses. Then a woman called our attention to the sound of cicadas that had begun chirping. At that point, the crescent of the sun quickly melted away into totality — the shortest two and a half minutes of my life. I was trying to see as much as possible — Venus and Jupiter were obvious — but I was also trying to get my camera to ignore its automatic settings (of the seven photos of totality I snapped, only two were in focus).

When the sun started reappearing from behind the moon, I was puzzled by the number of people who came by to thank me, as if I had something to do with arranging the eclipse. Clearly, many people had responded emotionally or even, given our venue, spiritually to the event they had just witnessed. Under those circumstances, I can understand why many of them would feel compelled to thank someone.

F

Tom Carter and his telescope, near the end of the eclipse when most people had departed.

As totality neared, the scene took on an odd light — not like twilight, but more like tinted glasses.

Carter’s wife, Catherine, snapped this shot of her husband and their daughter, Julia, looking up at the eclipsed sun. Note how the streetlights at the church have come on.

ROANOKE.EDU

17

ToyBox Beth Shearer wanted to give her granddaughter, Beatrice, a doll. But not just any doll. She wanted one that looked like the 6-year-old.

Beatrice was born with cerebral palsy, among several other disabilities. She has a feeding tube, uses a gait trainer and cannot talk.

One evening Shearer saw a Facebook video about a program called Toy Like Me, which modifies toys for children with disabilities. The program, based at Roanoke College, was accepting nominations for new toys.

Shearer, who lives in Salem, said she was flabbergasted.

“It’s so hard to believe that this happened in my backyard,” she said.

She immediately entered her nomination for Toy Like Me to create a doll for her granddaughter. Within 20 minutes, Frances Bosch ’99, a biology lecturer at Roanoke College who founded and leads Toy Like Me at the College, responded. “We would be delighted,” she wrote to Shearer.

Shearer’s request is one of nearly 135 nominations for toys that Bosch has received since December 2016, when she and several Roanoke College students delivered toys to hearing-impaired children at the Roanoke Valley Regional Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Virginia Heights Elementary School in the city of Roanoke. Their visit generated significant local media attention. Word about these unique toys continues to spread.

How it started Bosch first learned about Toy Like Me, a non-profit organization in the United Kingdom, while doing research in 2015 for a College May Term course she teaches called “Differ-ability or Disability: Experiences of individuals with disabilities.” In the class, students learn about disabilities and how people live with them.

Disabilities have had a direct impact on Bosch’s own life.

Her mother is dyslexic and her brother suffered from autism. Bosch, before surgery last year, had a compressed spinal cord that impacted the way she used her hands.

18 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

R E V o L u T I o N

by Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01

Frances Bosch ’99, a biology lecturer at Roanoke College, assists with a toy modification.

Before coming to Roanoke, Bosch worked in school systems, clinics and home settings with children with special needs in Canada.

Eight years ago, Bosch, who had been a professor at Roanoke for seven years at the time, proposed offering a May Term course that would help students learn about disabilities and relate to people who have them.

Understanding disabilities “is something that we don’t have in our repertoire,” Bosch says.

Now, several years later, her May Term course is one of the first to fill up each year.

“It’s one of those courses that changes the way students think about themselves and the world,” says Dr. Gail Steehler, associate dean for academic affairs and general education at Roanoke.

Students don’t only sit at desks for lectures in Bosch’s class. They have wheelchair races. They comb Roanoke’s campus to evaluate accessibility challenges.

For one day, students take on a disability themselves while maneuvering campus wearing a blindfold or using a wheelchair.

After researching Toy Like Me in the

community of Roanoke students with the mindset of inclusion.

Modifying toys In May 2016, students in Bosch’s Differability class tried their hands at modifying toys. They attached casts, feeding tubes, cochlear implants, amputations, and more, to Barbie and Ken dolls, stuffed animals and plastic baby dolls. The toys were delivered to about 30 children at Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital in Roanoke.

Students used everything from earring loops to jelly cords and fabric patches to reconfigure toys with different disabilities.

A gel-like cord served as a feeding tube for a toy lion, while a small button-like piece became a hearing aid for a Barbie.

Bosch didn’t stop there.

In September 2016, she organized a Santa Claus Toy Drive. With donations from the Roanoke College chapter of Delta Gamma Fraternity, a women’s organization, the College’s faculty and staff, and the community, the Toy Like Me chapter bought $1,600 worth of toys for the drive, which took place during the week before Thanksgiving.

“It’s one of those courses that changes the way students think about themselves and the world.”

U.K., founded by former journalist Rebecca Atkinson, modifying toys for disabled children seemed to Bosch the perfect challenge for her class. The organization advocates for toy manufacturers globally to create toys that represent children with disabilities.

“I couldn’t imagine toymakers who mass-produce toys being able to properly reflect all disabilities,” Bosch says.

“Additionally, I wasn’t willing to sit around and wait for the toymakers to decide to make toys when I believed I have the imagination it would take to modify toys.”

With Atkinson’s blessing, Bosch established Roanoke College as a chapter of Toy Like Me with several goals: to include children in society by helping them see themselves reflected in toys; to provide support for families, and toys for therapists and medical teams to help children learn about their condition; and to create a 20 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

Other campaigns have followed, with toys distributed not only to hospitals, such as Carilion Clinic and the University of Virginia Medical Center, but also to schools and individual classrooms.

Since 2016, the chapter has given children 400 modified toys, worth about $4,000. The chapter, which is 100 percent charitable, relies on donations for toys.

Donations are made through Roanoke College and are tax deductible.

“We never charge for a toy, because a smile and inclusion should not come at a price,” says Bosch, who many on campus often consult about disability topics. She regularly talks with college administrators. Earlier this year, the College added several new handicapped-accessible areas on campus, including a video intercom system in Roanoke’s mailroom, as a result of suggestions from students in Bosch’s Differ-ability class.

A student modifies footwear for a Barbie doll during Bosch’s Differ-ability May Term class this spring.

When Bosch isn’t organizing a specific Toy Like Me campaign, she works with a group of volunteers, largely Roanoke students, to fulfill individual toy requests such as Shearer’s. Bosch researches each disability and syndrome, and determines how it can be reflected in a specific toy modification.

Those who request toys, typically family members, submit basic information about the child, such as age, gender, race, skin color, and hair and eye color.

They also indicate the medical devices or modifications necessary to depict the child’s disability, along with the child’s toy preference.

For each request, Bosch prepares a toy kit — complete with all items needed for the modification work — assigns it a tracking number and hands it off to volunteers. Mostly hand-sewing or gluing work is involved, she said.

The toy comes back to Bosch, who checks the work before arranging for delivery to the child.

The toy work typically occurs during the academic year, though Bosch said she is beginning to receive nominations when school isn’t in session.

“We foresee community volunteers assisting to make this a year-round effort,” she said.

Naomi Hogan, a rising junior at Roanoke, helped modify toys to give to children at the University of Virginia’s pediatric oncology ward as part of Bosch’s May Term class this year. She said she was

Students at Roanoke Valley Regional Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Virginia Heights Elementary School in Roanoke pose with their new toys, distributed during the 2016 Toy Like Me Santa Claus toy drive.

“We never charge for a toy, because a smile and inclusion should not come at a price.” interested in taking the course because of its work with Toy Like Me. She’d also seen a video of children receiving toys during the 2016 Santa Claus drive.

“It’s enough to bring anyone to tears,” she said of the video. “Most children want a toy like them.”

Some doctors and nurses also are using the modified toys as a guide to talk with children about their disability.

Bosch and her volunteers, mostly Roanoke students, delivered 87 toys with various modifications to the UVA Children’s Hospital in June. Staff members are using the toys as needed with different children.

Tina Berg, a child life specialist for the hospital’s hematology and oncology unit, gave Bosch information about the types of modifications that would match best with

children at UVA before the toy delivery.

Berg’s job involves helping children cope with and understand a hospitalization or treatment.

She recently gave a young girl an Elsa Barbie Toy Like Me doll, complete with a pic-line, an NG tube and scars from several surgeries to resemble the girl’s medical challenges.

“It’s a great opportunity to have a toy that can mimic what they have,” Berg said.

“Toys are just not made like that. It’s such an amazing program.”

Work on the 2017 Toy Like Me Santa Claus toy drive kicked off immediately after this year’s Fall Break. Donated toys were modified by students and volunteers then delivered to homes, schools and hospitals.

A doll for Beatrice In April, Shearer traveled to New Jersey, where Beatrice lives, with the newly modified My Life As doll as a birthday gift.

The doll has a button and a tube to represent the way through which Beatrice gets food. The doll also has dark hair, pigtails, glasses, a knee pad and a small gait trainer, all features of the 6-year-old.

Shearer cried when she first saw the doll, which Bosch modified herself.

“Frances gets it,” Shearer said. “To have someone understand is important, because the disability world is hard.”

After giving Beatrice the doll, Shearer saw her granddaughter brushing the doll’s hair. On another visit, Shearer spotted Beatrice’s doll dressed in different clothes and sitting in a playroom that Beatrice and her older sister share.

That meant the world to their grandmother.

“I know they are playing together,” Shearer said. “That is important.” RC

• To donate or volunteer with Toy Like Me, visit its Facebook page or contact Frances Bosch at bosch@roanoke.edu • To view a video of Toy Like Me, Roanoke College, visit https://www.roanoke.edu/videos/toys_like_me

ROANOKE.EDU

21

BY KAREN DOSS BOWMAN

ON TRACK Roanoke College keeps pace with strategic plan objectives.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series describing key objectives in Roanoke College’s strategic plan, and how the College has succeeded in accomplishing those objectives. In part one: enhancing academic programs; creating internship and career opportunities; experiential learning; and athletic opportunities.

Public Health Major Strategic Plan: Enhance existing academic programs and add new ones that make a Roanoke education nationally competitive and regionally distinctive. mma Duff ’19 is intrigued by the broader issues of health care, beyond the clinical diagnosis and treatment of disease. A scribe in the Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and a certified emergency medical technician, Duff aspires to a health care career focused on education and outreach to promote better health within communities.

Duff is among the first group of students to pursue Roanoke’s new Public Health Studies major. Classes began this fall, and she will add an extra semester to her Roanoke experience just so she can complete a double major in public health studies and chemistry.

“I like the aspect of thinking outside of

E

22 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

the box in health care and thinking about environmental or social factors that affect a person’s health,” says Duff, who is from the Roanoke Valley. “Public health is a field where there are so many ways to approach the same problem.”

The Public Health Studies program offers an interdisciplinary approach to health care, emphasizing how health is related to all aspects of human life and how societies serve the health care needs of their people.

With the health care industry facing multiple challenges and a greater demand for well-rounded health professionals, the program seemed like a good fit for the College, says the program’s coordinator, Dr. Shannon Anderson, an associate professor of sociology. The Roanoke Valley is home to numerous health care facilities, including hospitals, non-profits and clinics, providing ample opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships between the College and the community.

“We felt like this was a great way to stay true to our liberal arts focus and encourage students to step outside of themselves, try new things and think broadly within the health care framework,” Anderson says. “We will get them engaged with the community throughout the program.”

Students enrolled in the program will take core courses such as global health and epidemiology, along with exploring

subjects of their own interest. They are required to complete independent research projects or internships. As seniors, they will work in small groups to help local nonprofits with grant writing.

The program can prepare students for a variety of careers, including physician, hospital administrator, social worker or health care analytics.

“Within the liberal arts framework, this program allows us to draw on the skills of many different disciplines, and it allows students to have homes in many different areas,” Anderson says. “There are wonderful ways of incorporating unexpected courses from the humanities, general education, the arts and other disciplines.

That’s the exciting thing about doing this type of program within a liberal arts context. We’re thinking about public health from lots of different angles and preparing students for basically any kind of future.”

Maroon Mentors Strategic Plan: Connect alumni, parents, and corporations to career options and internships for students. computer science major, Frankchesco Leveratto ’20 hopes to become a software engineer. The opportunity to receive guidance from a Roanoke alumnus successful in that field has given him a realistic, insider’s view of the job and a chance

A

Students in Public Health Studies’ introductory course.

“WE’RE THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT ANGLES AND PREPARING STUDENTS FOR BASICALLY ANY KIND OF FUTURE.” — DR . SH AN N O N A N D ER SO N to develop his own professional skills.

Leveratto, of Springfield, Virginia, was paired with Matt Cleveland ’06, through Maroon Mentors. The program matches current Roanoke students with alumni willing to offer career advice, review resumes, provide networking opportunities and allow job shadowing. In some cases, the pairings may lead to internships or job interviews. Cleveland — a software engineer at Rackspace, a Texas-based cloud computing giant with an office in Blacksburg, Virginia — has offered Leveratto career advice and guidance on interview preparation.

“Matt has guided me on things that can’t really be taught in class, and it’s put into perspective the things I can achieve

once I graduate,” Leveratto says. “After graduation, there can be a lot of uncertainty as to what direction to go with your career. This program exposed me to my career path, and it helped confirm that software engineering is something I really want to do. The value added from this program is the certainty and ability to step forward knowing that I’ll have a direction to go.”

Maroon Mentors began in 2013 as the Alumni Mentoring Program, a pilot program offered to sophomores who were declared business or economics majors that matched them with alumni working in business careers and living in areas near the College. Since its inception, the program has expanded to include students of all

majors and alumni from all geographic regions, including large cities such as Washington, D.C. More than 500 alumni and over 100 students have volunteered to participate, says Jonathan Lee ’95, Roanoke’s director of alumni and family relations.

“Alumni want to give back to the College in a way that directly impacts the students,” Lee says. “They loved their experiences here, and they want to make sure the students who are here now have the same quality experience.”

Cleveland hasn’t forgotten the support of faculty and staff who helped him succeed. He participates in Maroon Mentors as an expression of gratitude.

“My professors and some staff spent a lot of time helping me succeed,” Cleveland says. “I went to graduate school at a large university, and it was there I really gained an appreciation for the value of my education. I was well-prepared by my liberal arts background. It’s always daunting to start a ROANOKE.EDU

23

The Maroon Mentors program has paired computer science major Frankchesco Leveratto ’20 with Matt Cleveland ’06, a software engineer at Rackspace, a Cloud computing company.

career straight out of college. I have the time, so I wanted to help someone else the same way I was helped as a student.”

Experiential Learning Strategic Plan: Increase the number of students involved in research, artistic endeavors, independent study, study abroad, internships, service learning, and leadership experiences to the highest levels in Roanoke’s history. osef Simme ’18 is passionate about wildlife and conservation biology.

Throughout his time at Roanoke, the senior biology major has pursued a variety of field research and study abroad experiences to complement what he’s learned in the classroom.

A May Term study trip to India in 2016 sparked Simme’s interest in traveling abroad and learning about other cultures.

Supported by a stipend from the Roanoke College Honors Program, Simme studied at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, from February to June. While there, he worked closely in a research lab with graduate students, collecting preliminary data for a larger research project on geckos. He will use the data for his Honors Distinction Project.

“I’ve learned so much at Roanoke, and it was a great experience to see how I can take that knowledge and see how it applies

J

Josef Simme ’18, left, is working with Dr. Rachel Collins, right, on a biology research project to determine how coyotes affect other carnivores and omnivores.

24 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

in different areas around the world,” says Simme, of Raleigh, N.C. “That experience of doing field research and making connections with other scientists will set me apart when applying to graduate schools.”

At Roanoke, learning happens in many places beyond the classroom: in the lab, through internships, or through servicelearning and study abroad experiences.

These opportunities bring theory to life,

helping students further develop skills in critical thinking, oral and written communication, and problem solving.

In addition to his Honors Distinction Project, Simme is working with Dr. Rachel Collins, associate professor of biology, on a research project to earn honors in the biology major. He is studying coyote habitat use and how coyotes affect other carnivores and omnivores. The project involves the use of wildlife cameras to collect data on animal behavior. Last year, Simme worked with Collins on a short project on the red-billed blue magpie at the Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke.

For Collins, it has been rewarding to watch Simme’s development as a scientist.

He’s learned to find and interpret research articles, and develop his own research study. He’s also experienced first-hand the challenges and pitfalls of field research.

“Joe is interested in studying wildlife for a living, so he’s gotten a really unique set of experiences that he can stitch together on his path to being in the field of

“THESE REAL-WORLD, IN-DEPTH EXPERIENCES COMPLEMENT WHAT HE’S LEARNED IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN THE LABS.” — DR. R AC HE L C OLLINS

“THE STUDENT ATHLETES HERE AT ROANOKE ARE VERY DEDICATED TO THEIR SPORTS. AND THE PROFESSORS ARE INTERESTED IN THE STUDENTS AND IN THEIR SPORTS. IT HELPS TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT.” — RE ILLY B IR D ’ 21

Francisca Cifuentes ’21, at a swim team practice, held at the Salem YMCA, located on the College’s Elizabeth Campus.

wildlife biology,” Collins says. “These realworld, in-depth experiences complement what he’s learned in the classroom and in the labs. Now he has a really good idea of what the field of wildlife involves. He’s also just really matured as a scientist, and all these skills he’s learned will help him to succeed in graduate school and in his career.”

Creating, Expanding Athletics Programs Strategic Plan: Provide opportunities for athletics to ensure regional and national competitiveness. or Reilly Bird ’21, of Ontario, Canada, swimming is everything. An Olympic hopeful who earned a bronze medal in last year’s trials, Bird is one spot away from a qualifying place for the 2020 games. As a high school senior, Bird was looking for a college that offered superb academics along with the opportunity to continue swimming competitively.

At the same time Bird was conducting her college search, Roanoke’s newly hired swim coach, Scott Thacker, was starting up the College’s new women’s and men’s Division III swimming programs. He connected with Bird through a recruiting website and invited her to visit campus.

“I fell in love with the school the instant I stepped off the plane,” says Bird, a premed major who recently was named Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women’s Swimmer of the Week. “The student athletes here at Roanoke are very dedicated to their sports. And the professors are interested in the students and in their sports. It helps to have that support.”

The two programs will swim at the

F

Salem YMCA, located on Roanoke’s Elizabeth Campus. The YMCA features an eight-lane, 25-yard pool that includes a scoreboard and accommodations for fans, officials and timers. With the addition of men’s and women’s swimming to the Maroons’ NCAA Division III-sponsored sports, Roanoke now has 21 athletic programs.

“I am thrilled to not only have the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level, but to also embark on the challenge to start and build a complete men’s and women’s swimming program,” Thacker says.

The track and field program has become more and more popular, with more than 80 students participating. The College recently expanded the program’s personnel to include two full-time staffers and one part-time staff member.

Roanoke’s athletic facilities, including the Cregger Center and the Donald J. Kerr Stadium, provide superb workout and training spaces for over 400 student athletes. These spaces make an excellent first impression on prospective students, providing evidence of the College’s commitment to top-notch, competitive athletics, says Director of Athletics Scott Allison ’79.

“From the standpoint of recruiting quality student athletes, these students are looking for a good education, and they want to compete with other students and coaches who are committed to being successful,” Allison says. “When they show up on campus and see a facility like the Cregger Center or Kerr Stadium, their impression is, ‘Wow! These people really care about quality.’ That helps us attract outstanding student athletes.” RC

A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ROANOKE COLLEGE By its 175th year in 2017, Roanoke College will increase the national prominence and reputation of the institution, a vision shared by all members of the Roanoke College community.

Our pursuit is rooted in our commitment to liberal learning. We refer to that tradition in our document on the liberal arts at Roanoke called “Freedom with Purpose,” which best describes the intentions of what we offer to students. Our strategic plan is designed to realize this vision of educating students for “freedom with purpose” and will make a Roanoke College education nationally distinctive.

The Roanoke strategic plan has five overarching themes, with objectives under each theme. The objectives, those identified here as well as those that will emerge during the realization of our strategic plan, are designed to establish Roanoke as a top liberal arts college. An annual planning process across all divisions of the College will enable the campus community to set and monitor our progress on an on-going basis.

• Theme #1: To provide broad, deep and experiential education programs that advance our vision of “Freedom with Purpose.”

• Theme #2: To link the academic, co-curricular and residential experience in ways that embody the “Freedom with Purpose” vision.

• Theme #3: To Embrace Our Leadership Role in and Relationship with the Roanoke Valley • Theme #4: To Affirm that People Make the Difference • Theme #5: To Support our Ambitions: Enrollment, Financial Operation and Resources, Property, Align Reputation with Reality, and Provide an Active and Engaged Process To read the full Roanoke College Strategic Plan, visit roanoke.edu/2017plan To see a video of Strategic Plan successes, featuring members of the Roanoke College community, visit roanoke.edu/believe

ROANOKE.EDU

25

campaignnews

GIVING WITH PURPOSE

An Honors class at Roanoke. Seated at far left is Dr. Chad Morris, director of the College’s Honors Program.

S U P P O RT

“

It’s the first of its kind at Roanoke College.

— Dr. Brenda P. Poggendorf, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

” 26

Donor establishes scholarship for exceptional students A

retired professor has established a new student scholarship at Roanoke College that places it among the most generous financial aid packages in the country. Structured to ensure that exceptionally motivated and talented students will graduate virtually debt free, this scholarship will provide the full cost of recipients’ tuition, room, board, books and mandatory fees, as well as expenses related to an Honors Distinction Project, an independent project that builds a graduate-level portfolio of practical experience in research or creative works.

On condition of anonymity, the donor established the scholarship in honor of his grandmother, who influenced his intellectual pursuits. The Seubert Endowed Scholarship for Honors Students will be awarded based upon a student’s demonstrated academic record and scholarly potential. “In my career, I was privileged to work with many great minds,” says the benefactor, “and I believed that truly meritorious academic achievement deserved an extraordinary reward.”

“It’s the first of its kind at Roanoke College,” says Dr. Brenda P. Poggendorf, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. “In my experience, few colleges or universities offer a merit-based award this generous and allencompassing.” The renewable, endowed scholarship will fully fund one or more students who maintain their Honors Program

status for the duration of their Roanoke academic career, regardless of their families’ ability to pay for college.

“The scholarship will be a powerful resource for recruiting exceptional students and providing them with remarkable experiences that lead to personal and professional success,” affirms Dr. Chad T. Morris, Director of the Honors Program.

At present, approximately 9 percent of the College’s 2,000 students participate in its selective Honors Program. Roanoke’s Honors Program has its own general education curriculum designed to provide enhanced academic rigor, heightened intellectual discourse, and significant engagement with communities beyond the classroom. Program participants pursue independent research and fields of study that have placed them among the most prepared college graduates in the U.S. “Families recognize the value and distinctiveness of a private higher education. This scholarship places Roanoke within reach of anyone willing to work hard enough to be the best,” says Dr. Richard A. Smith, Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Shirley C. and Donald E. Morel Dean of the College.

For more information about the Honors program or other scholarship programs at Roanoke College, please contact the Admissions Office at (540) 375-2270 or admissions@roanoke.edu.

campaignnews

Monument Club opens membership The Monument Club wants you — all of you! he Monument Club was established in 2016 to support the Roanoke Rising Campaign and to acknowledge the connection many 1970s-era alumni have with the Monument — the 10-foottall concrete pylon on the Back Quad, now known as “The Rock.”

The initiative was a central pillar of the 2017 alumni reunion of the Class of 1972, with a goal of gaining 100 participants from the classes of 1969 to 1979 by the end of June of this year. That goal was met and Founding Membership has been established!

Now it is time to move on to the next phase.

Due to continued interest from donors outside of the 1969-1979 classes, the co-creators want to open membership to anyone who has a special bond with the iconic Monument. All alumni and friends of the College who make a donation of $25,000 or more in cash, deferred gifts or a blended cash and deferred gift, to the Roanoke Rising

T

Campaign and specifically request membership to the Monument Club, are welcome.

“When it was built, the Monument represented youthful revolution, rebellion, and change,” said Patsy Stevens ’72, co-creator of the Monument Club. “The late ’60s and early ’70s were turbulent times, but Roanoke College remained a safe haven for students to develop and grow.”

“Over the years, the Monument has probably meant many things to many students, but I suspect that through its usage, it has continued to epitomize the powerful bonds of friendship and love that are made through those wonderful college years.”

For more information about the Monument Club, please contact: Mary Grace Theodore, Assistant Vice President, Resource Development and Campaign Director, at theodore@roanoke.edu or (540) 375-2487.

D E D I C AT I O N CAMPAIGN PROGRESS

GOAL:

$200,000,000 $189,688,982*

Aaron Fetrow, Vice President – Resource Development and Student Affairs, makes a sweeping gesture toward the 14-foot-tall Rooney topiary, dedicated Sept. 1 on the Maroon Athletic Quad. The topiary was presented by Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo ’78, a member of the Board of Trustees, and her sister, Andrea Cassullo Harkins, in memory of their mother, Dorothea L. Leonhardt, and in honor of the 1977 and 1978 lacrosse teams and their coach, Paul S. Griffin. At right: The plaque, unveiled at the dedication, that now sits beside at the base of the Rooney Topiary.

* As of Nov. 10, 2017.

ROANOKE.EDU

27

athleticsnews David Angell finished first in the Masters 10K National Championship in Dedham, Massachusetts in April.

“

No matter what I’m doing, there is some kind of goal that I’m focused on.

— David Angell ’99

”

Off and running

Two star runners continue athletic quests FROM THE U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS to national masters championships, two Roanoke College alumni — both former cross country, and track and field runners — are excelling in their running careers post-graduation.

Carmen Graves ’13, a five-time Division III All-American in the 800-meters while at Roanoke, and now a professional runner, has her sights set on competing in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

David Angell ’99, a five-time ODAC champion in cross country and track, and 1999 male Athlete of the Year for Roanoke, is becoming known among the nation’s masters runners, after winning two national masters championships this year.

For Graves, 26, the drive to not only compete but compete well in the U.S. Olympic Trials stems from disappointment during her college career. Graves hoped to win a national championship in the 800-meters, but that didn’t happen. Her senior year, she placed second in the indoor championships for the 800-meters and fifth in the outdoor meet.

“I’ve always wanted to get to a point to where I don’t think I can get any faster,” Graves says. “Now it kind of drives me that I just want to reach my full potential.”

After Roanoke, Graves began competing in the steeplechase. It was an event that Graves competed in once, for fun, while at Roanoke, and she ended up breaking the College’s steeplechase record.

A year later, Graves moved to Pennsylvania, where she trained under former Roanoke assistant track coach, Carl Blickle. Later, she joined the Adidas Garden State Track Club and continued training, with one goal — competing in the 2016 Olympic Trials.

Carmen Graves races in the uSA Track & Field Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, last December.

28

MIKE SCOTT

“I’ve always wanted to get to a point to where I don’t think I can get any faster.

Now it kind of drives me that I just want to reach my full potential.”

— Carmen Graves ’13

— Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01

MIzUNO USA

Carmen Graves appeared in this recent Mizuno Running ad.

Graves’ running is sponsored

by Mizuno, an equipment and sports apparel company.

MIKE SCOTT

Graves qualified for the 2016 trials in the steeplechase, but a foot injury hampered her performance. Still, she decided training for the next Olympic Trials was worth the effort.

Now, Graves lives in Atlanta, where she runs for the prestigious Atlanta Track Club. In February, Atlanta Track Club officials announced that they had expanded their Elite Olympic Development Team by seven athletes with the ambitious goal of qualifying at least one athlete for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. One of those seven is Graves.

Graves’ running is sponsored by Mizuno, an equipment and sports apparel company. (She recently appeared in a Mizuno Running advertisement.) Eventually, she hopes to land a large enough contract with the company that she can run and compete full time.

As for Angell, he didn’t stop running after graduating from Roanoke, but it took him a few years to find a new racing focus.

After injuries from several marathons, Angell says he learned, “I’m not a marathon guy.”

He began chasing shorter distance goals, from the 5K (3.1 miles) to half marathon, and placing at the top of races in Virginia and in other states.

Among many, Angell qualified for the USA Track & Field Half Marathon once and twice for the USA Track & Field 10-Mile Championships. Also, he won the Run for the Dream Half Marathon in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 2014 and 2015.

In the past year, Angell, 41, has made a name for himself in the masters racing division, which is for runners 40 and older. He won two USATF National Masters Championships in the 8K and 10K in March and April. Both races were part of the 2017 USATF National Masters Grand Prix Series, which involves competing in races across the country and earning points for placing.

In late October, Angell finished 3rd overall at the Masters 15K in Tulsa, which gave him enough points to clinch the series win for the 40-44 age division.

Running and racing give the goal-driven Angell — a software engineer who lives with his wife, Allison Dlugos ’00, in Blue Ridge — a game plan.

“No matter what I’m doing, there is some kind of goal that I’m focused on,” Angell says.

David Angell placed fourth in the uSA Track & Field Master’s 8K Cross Country Championships in Bend, Oregon, in February.

ROANOKE.EDU

29

athleticsnews # RYANS T R O NG

RC rallies in support of student-athlete RYAN HEDGPETH ’18, a member of the Roanoke College volleyball team, has received an outpouring of support after she sustained severe injuries in a car accident on Oct. 19.

Hedgpeth was returning to the Roanoke campus after visiting friends at the University of Pittsburgh during fall break when the accident occurred in West Virginia.

She and her dog, Blue, were the only passengers.

After spending a week and half at Charleston General Hospital in West Virginia, Hedgpeth was flown to the Shepherd Center, a rehabilitation facility in Atlanta, Georgia. Hedgpeth’s dog sustained a broken leg and currently is in a volunteer’s care.

Support for Hedgpeth, of Altavista, Virginia, has been tremendous, according to Blair Trail, head volleyball coach at Roanoke.

“So many teams and coaches have reached out to my team over the last couple of days after one of our players, Ryan Hedgpeth, was injured in a car accident,” she wrote in a message posted on social media and on the College’s website. “Roanoke College coaches and staff have stepped in from the first second and supported all of us. Your calls, texts, emails and acts of kindness are greatly appreciated. I am sharing everything with Ryan’s family. Please keep the positive thoughts and prayers coming. #ryanstrong.”

Ryan Hedgpeth executes a dig during a Sept. 25 match against Southern Virginia university.

Friends and family have set up several ways to help Ryan Hedgpeth and her family: https://www.gofundme.com/4lpcvls https://www.customink.com/fundraising/ryanandbluestrong

K UDO S

Roanoke earns ODAC Sports Information Award ROANOKE COLLEGE Director of Athletic Communications Chris Kilcoyne ’02 and Kelly Higbie ’15, assistant director of athletic communications, received the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s Sports Information Director of the Year award in August. The award was presented at the annual meeting of ODAC sports information directors.

The award recognized the pair’s work in disseminating achievements of Roanoke College student-athletes, coaches and teams, in addition to their work with media to further the College’s footprint with local, regional and national outlets.

During the 2016-17 academic year, Kilcoyne and Higbie conducted much of the work that publicized the opening the Cregger Center. They served as stewards of the facility, and the College in general, as co-hosts (with the ODAC and City of Salem) of the 2016 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, in addition to the 2017 NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship.

Their work continued during the Maroons’ run to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships.

In addition to general sports information duties, 30 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

Kelly Higbie, left, and Chris Kilcoyne

Higbie traveled with the team to Appleton, Wisconsin, to provide first-hand documentation of the squad’s experience in the eight-team event. That included publicizing a pair of victories, which were the first for any ODAC member at the Division III baseball championship site.

Kilcoyne, a native of Holden, Massachusetts, is

in his third year back at his alma mater after previous stays at the Atlantic-10 Conference, Randolph-Macon College and at the ODAC office.

He has been integral in the reorganization of all of Roanoke’s athletic communications, including a robust streaming platform and new Internet home for Maroons athletics with PrestoSports.

He has overseen increased visibility and branding for the athletics department with several local vendors in addition to conducting operations for the Maroon Club.

Higbie, who hails from Midlothian, Virginia, is a former Roanoke Female Athlete of the Year and record-holder of five all-time standards for the Maroons’ softball program. Higbie got her start in athletic communications as an undergraduate.

She also served as an intern with the Salem Red Sox and gained experience with Virginia Amateur Sports. Following graduation, she spent a year on the sports information staff at James Madison University. Higbie’s responsibilities at Roanoke include oversight of the Maroons’ social media platforms, which saw a spike of 800 increased followers on Instagram over the past calendar year.

S CO R EB OA R D

RC|highlights

WOMEN’S SOCCER 11-7-2 (7-2-1 ODAC) Laura Sullivan ’18 named to 2017 United Soccer Coaches NCAA DIII Women’s All-South Atlantic Region Team.

MEN’S SOCCER 13-5-1 (8-1 ODAC)

FIELD HOCKEY 14-5 (5-2 ODAC) Kaylin Stenson ’19 named to 2017 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association DIII All-Region squad.

VOLLEYBALL 9-16 (5-6 ODAC) Defender Sam Rauf during men’s soccer Oct. 7 win against Washington & Lee university.

Kaylin Stenson, one of three players who headed the Maroon defense, at a Sept. 3 field hockey win over Sewanee.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY 6th in the ODAC Championships

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY 4th in the ODAC Championships

NOTE: As of Nov. 30, 2017

• Eight Roanoke Men’s Soccer standouts have been named to the 2017 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Conference Team. Sam Rauf ’18 was named First-Team All-ODAC. Marshall Hodge ’18, Fortune Sibanda ’18, Marc Hoppler ’20, Tim Mahabir ’18 and Nick Tadros ’18 were all second-team selections, while Cole Thornton ’18 and Brandon Bauer ’18 were named to the third team.

• Five Roanoke standouts have been named to the 2017 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team. Emily Whitaker ’18, Laura Sullivan ’18 and Chris Martin ’20 were first-team selections, while Ellie Schad ’21 and Lucy Perry ’21 were named to the third-team.

• Roanoke Field Hockey placed six players on the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Conference team the league announced Tuesday afternoon. Emma Clark ’20 and Kaylin Stenson ’19 earned first-team honors, Stacey Staley ’19 and Emilee Wooten ’21 were named second-team and Lauren Heffron ’21 and Rebecca Schmidt ’18 earned third-team nods.

• Devyn Heron ’21 earned all-conference honors after finishing 13th at the ODAC Men’s Cross Country Championships. The men finished 14th at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Cross Championships with Howard Daniels ’18 finishing a team-best 55th. The women finished 15th with Alexis Mattson ’21 finishing 72nd.

For the latest scores, go to

• Kylah Blackmore ’18 and Ryan Hedgpeth ’18 were named to the 2017 ODAC Volleyball All-Conference Team on Nov. 4. The announcement followed the conclusion of the league championship match. Blackmore earns her second straight all-league accolade, while Hedgpeth receives her second consecutive third-team honor. Blackmore ranks third in the ODAC with 3.14 kills per game and fifth in the league with 295 kills.

Defensively, her 368 digs ranks 13th most in the ODAC, while her 3.91 digs per set are 11th highest in the league. Hedgpeth’s 5.19 digs per set is fourth best in the ODAC, while her 384 total digs are the ninth highest total in the league. She also had 26 service aces on the season as well.

roanokemaroons.com ROANOKE.EDU

31

alumninews

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

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

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

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

Family and friends gathered on Nov. 20, 2016, to wish Thelma Garst Naff ’37 a happy 100th birthday. The luncheon, at Oakwood Country Club in Lynchburg, Virginia, was hosted by her daughter, Carolyn Fuller, and included her five grandsons, five great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, friends and children of friends. Grandsons came from Guatemala, Florida and Illinois to help celebrate. Two special highlights were a selection of songs from “The Sound of Music” and a display of photographs and memorabilia. Jerry Naff, her nephew who appeared in the musical some 20 years ago in Lynchburg, assembled several of the cast to present a medley. Her niece, Elaine Powers, prepared an exhibit that included the dress that Thelma Naff wore as May Queen in 1937, the year she graduated from Roanoke College. Naff continues to enjoy luncheons and activities with friends and traveled to Alexandria, Virginia in June to visit with her great-grandchildren and celebrate the christening of her youngest great-grandchild. Thelma celebrated her 101st birthday this fall.

class notes 1960s Dr. Joseph Chicurel ’66, of Naples, Florida, was re-elected to a four-year term on the Collier County Pelican Bay Services Division Board.

Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers gathered for a photo during the April 2017 Alumni Weekend: Row 1 (l-r): Donald Pyles ’67, Gary Trageser ’67, Mike Fray ’65; Row 2 (l-r): Skip McNomee ’67, Terry Smith ’67, Bill Wittell ’67, Joe Bounds ’65, Joe Chicurel ’66; Row 3 (l-r): Randy Shannon ’66, Pete Hill ’65 and Terry Purvis ’67.

Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. Previously, he was comptroller for Navy Region Northwest for six years, and chief financial officer for the commandant, Naval District Washington, D.C., for over two years. The region in his current position encompasses 12 states as well as Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The region also manages and oversees shore installation management and support for 18 separate installations, 39 Naval Operational Support Centers (Reserve Centers) and numerous other U.S. Navy properties.

G. Paull Torrence, Ph.D. ’72 lives in Woodland Park, Colorado, and recently retired as senior research assistant with Celanese Ltd. An inventor and co-inventor, he holds over 50 U.S. patents in basic and applied process chemistry.

Douglas Keith ’74 runs a K-5 extended-day program at a public school near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is active in a local Quaker Meeting and serves on the board of a Friend’s School associated with this Meeting. He and his wife spend summers at their home in western Maine. Previously, Douglas taught history at various independent schools in the Northeast.

1970s Doris V. Paige ’71 has retired from LabCorp in Burlington, North Carolina, where she was employed for 28 years.

David Slusher ’72 is chief financial officer for commander, Navy Region Southeast with headquarters located on Naval

32

Douglas Keith, seated at top, with children from his extended-day program.

Cristina Brescia Michta ’74 and her family have moved to Garmisch, Germany, where her husband is dean of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

1980s Mary Sine Clark ’81 has been appointed to the Depository Library Council for a three-year term.

The Council advises the director and the superintendent of documents of the U.S. Government Publishing Office on matters and issues facing the Federal Depository Library Program, sustaining and improving public access to government information.

Mary holds a Master of Science degree in library science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and is currently director, Acquisitions and Access Management, at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

Julie Ison Haley ’82, of Alpharetta, Georgia, is the CEO and founder of Edge Solutions, a technology sales and services company that specializes in data storage, protection and the Cloud. The company has been in operation for nearly 10 years.

Dr. Carol M. Swain ’83 was honored with Virginia Western Community College’s 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award. Swain graduated from Virginia Western with an associate degree in business merchandising, then attended Roanoke for her bachelor’s degree. She has advanced degrees from Virginia Tech, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yale University.

Earlier this year, she retired as professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University.

Kimberly Hagood ’84 is now serving as principal of Free Home Elementary School in Canton, Georgia. Hagood, who began her career in Franklin County Schools as an educational consultant, taught in Salem City Schools for 12 years before moving to Cherokee County, Ga., where she has taught and served as assistant principal at several elementary schools. Kimberly holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Virginia.

1990s Thomas D. Mays ’90 is a history professor at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. He also taught history for five years at Quincy University and retired from the military after serving 26 years on active duty and in the reserves.

He holds a Ph.D. from Texas Christian University, and an M.A. from Virginia Tech. His most recent book, “American Guerrillas,” spans America’s unconventional warfare from the French and Indian Wars through current-day Iraq and Afghanistan.

John ’91 and Heather Davis Coiro ’89 live in Princeton, New Jersey. Their son, Michael, graduated from the Peddie School and attends Columbia University.

Forest I. Jones, Ph.D. ’95, was promoted to director of administrative services with Salem City Schools. He also is an adjunct professor of education at Hollins University. Forest previously was principal of Andrew Lewis Middle School.

2000s Suzanne Webb Lothes ’01 is now serving as the new assistant principal at W.E. Cundiff Elementary School in Roanoke

Stanley Meador ’96, of Wilmington, North Carolina, received a National Association of Police Organization “Top Cop” honorable mention award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in May. Meador, the Supervisory Senior Resident Agent with the FBI in Wilmington, was recognized for his role in locating a girl who was abducted from her home last September. Working with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s office, Meador played a crucial role in helping locate the 6-year-old, who was found alive chained to a tree in the woods. Meador majored in criminal justice at Roanoke.

County, Virginia. Suzanne joined Roanoke County Public Schools in 2002 as a teacher at Cundiff, then taught at two other elementary schools and one high school. Suzanne holds master’s degrees in early childhood education and in educational leadership from Radford University.

Danny McNamara ’01 has completed 16 years of teaching and is the lead teacher/math teacher with the Commonwealth Governor’s School site at King

Scott Segerstrom ’02 recently traveled to Sweden and snapped this photo in RC swag while in front of the Swedish Parliament. Scott recently announced his engagement to Katie Navin.

George High School in Virginia. He was named 2013 Fredericksburg Area STEM Teacher of the Year and 2015 King George High School Teacher of the Year. Danny also is the assistant director of the King George High School Drama Department.

Joshua E. Bailey ’03 is a board-certified genetic pharmacist with the American Academy of HIV Medicine Pharmacists. He resides in Arlington, Virginia.

Jen Ralsten ’03 received state licen-

Ginny Lefler ’14, Deanna Bracken ’19, Shannon Baker ’21 and Pastor Charlene Barnes ’97 at Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp in Jefferson, Maryland, where Barnes served as pastor of the week.

sure as a clinical social worker and has worked various jobs in social services management. A recent position with a mental health facility for children and teens led her to find her niche in direct therapy to individuals and families. She currently works at a private group practice in Richmond, where she provides outpatient therapy. Jen also has started a business providing consultation and training services in mental health settings.

College ties Ryan Nunley ’02, an elementary and middle school science teacher who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, has spearheaded the design and production of Heritage Walk bow ties, currently sold at the Roanoke College bookstore. The maroon-and-gray-patterned bow tie resembles Roanoke’s Heritage Walk, the pathway leading to the Administration Building. The bow tie has “RC” and “1842,” the College’s founding year, printed in gray, serving as a recognition of Roanoke’s 175th anniversary this year. Nunley worked with a friend at Knotty Tie Co., in Colorado, to design and produce the bow ties. He decided on the Heritage Walk name and design because the walkway is a campus landmark. “There are a lot of incredible people who have walked the sidewalks, a lot of history and tradition that is important to me,” Nunley says.

The Heritage Walk bow ties sell for $50. To order, visit bookstore.roanoke.edu or call the store at (540) 375-2317.

ROANOKE.EDU

33

alumninews

Millard-Walsh wedding

Clifford-Somero wedding

Hodges-Flamburis wedding

Record-Shriver wedding

Kendig-Adkins wedding

Meghan Stanton Segien ’03 is an investor relations associate with Calare, a private Massachusetts-based real estate investment firm and operator. Her duties include providing day-to-day service and reporting to the firm’s investor base. Before joining Calare, Meghan spent five years as a marketing specialist with a Boston-based CPA and business consulting firm. She also was a marketing and business development professional with a global law firm.

She holds a Master of Arts degree from Emerson College.

Jameson Jones ’10 is a middle school Spanish teacher and a Virginia Tech Ph.D. student in education curriculum and instruction. He holds a master’s degree from Appalachian State University and is committed to community advocacy and development, as well as engaging in dialogue that bridges cross-cultural differences. Jameson lives in Tazewell, Virginia.

Lauren Price Martin ’10 received her Master of Social Work degree from Radford University. She plans to become a licensed clinical social worker while continuing to work in the mental health field.

Daniel DeVault ’11 is a co-founder of The Humanity Project, a Nashville, Tennessee-based organization designed to

spread, teach and model empathy in today’s society. The project’s initial launch, “One Night of Empathy,” created empathyfocused discussions at arts performances, pop-up events, and in libraries and community centers. The organization has received interest from New York City, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta

and San Francisco.

Ben Amos ’12 has been named head coach of the Glenvar High School baseball team. Amos, who had been assistant coach at Glenvar, was a member of the Maroons baseball team during his years at Roanoke.

Stephanie Whitecross ’17 is employed with Carilion Clinic.

Picture perfect

marriages

Jaina Lanum ’17 was a finalist in the Sister Cities International’s 2017 Young Artists and Authors Showcase Photography Challenge. Jaina, an art major, had received a first-place prize in photography in the annual Roanoke Valley Sister Cities Young Photographers Showcase. Her winning photo, called “Universal Language” was taken in Uganda, where she traveled with family and friends.

Jaina Lanum with her photo, “universal Language.”

34 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

Jessica Hench ’04 was married to Patrick Dollar on Dec. 11, 2016, at the Mill at Fine Creek, Powhatan, Virginia.

The Dollars live in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Steven Corbicz ’09 and Rebecca Dallas ’11 became husband and wife on April 1, 2017, at Decatur First United Methodist Church in Decatur, Georgia.

Alumni in attendance included Megan Semmelman Irvin ’11, Margot McDonald ’11, Elizabeth McSorley ’12, Jane Slusher ’11, Alexander Tarasidis ’13, Matthew Corbicz ’13, Joe Bauer ’09, Jim Cunningham

Corbicz-Dallas wedding

Emily Blair Lynch

’10, Patrick Dibert ’12, Stephen Simmons ’10, Aaron Gentilucci ’10, Ben Sultze ’09, Katie Davis-Ross Sultze ’09, Andrew King ’10, Megan Rhodes Litteral ’11, Lauren Boblett ’11, Matthew Connell ’09, Richard Montoni ’09, Kirby Davis ’12 and Alicia Clem ’11. The newlyweds live in Tampa, Florida.

Elizabeth “Callie” Millard ’09, wed Bradford Walsh on Aug. 6, 2016 in their hometown of Jackson, Wyoming. Elizabeth is an office manager at Trust Assistant with Hawks & Associates, LC. Her husband is a partner at Long Lane Partners, LLC. Samantha Clifford ’10 joined hands in marriage with Troy Somero on June 17, 2017, at First Presbyterian Church in Rumson, New Jersey. RC alumni celebrating with the couple were Joseph Bauer ’09, Will Hoffman ’10, Katie Malone ’11 (bridesmaid), Robert O’Connor ’09, Lauren Camac O’Connor ’10, Lauren Schwabe ’12, Allison Strickler ’10 and Vesna zeljkovic ’10. The bride and groom honeymooned in French Polynesia before settling in their residence in Manhattan, New York.

Bell-Perhac wedding

Ashley Pierce Thorsen ’06 and her RC roommate, Keri Johnson ’06, were recently featured on Good Morning America’s “Deals and Steals” segment with their daughters, Ryan Thorsen and Madilyn Johnson. The children were asked to be guest models for Headbands of Hope, a company that donates a headband to a child with cancer with each headband purchased.

Lily and Virginia Sayers

Louisa Kendig ’10 and Jason Adkins celebrated their wedding day April 29, 2017. Friends attending included Caitlin Ware ’09, Lulu zahringer Coan ’10, M’Lissa Levitt ’09, Catherine Overington Sturtevant ’10, John Kendig, Kris Perkins ’10, Braden Wagner ’10, Bryant Mortimer ’10, Daniel Thomas’10, Kristin Santella Hlavka ’09, Alexis Perry Hodnett ’10 and Bill Kendig ’80.

Greg Record ’10 was married to Emma Shriver ’13 on May 13, 2017, at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Over 40 Roanoke alumni attended the wedding. The Records live in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Greg is a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch and Emma is with PassportParking, a technology startup.

Kaitlyn Bell ’14 and Corey Perhac ’14 wed on June 25, 2017 in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. The couple reside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Corey works for UPMC and Kaitlyn is working on his master’s degree in TESOL at CarnegieMellon University. Alumni who attended the wedding included Ryan Feather ’13, Tayler

Kiser ’14 (bridesmaid), Kimberly Mazzola ’14, Timaria Hammond-Downing ’14, Christopher Mazzola ’13, Darlene Harris ’14, Abby Knapp ’13, Eli Harrison ’14 and Emily Johnson ’13.

Ryan Hodges ’15 married his college sweetheart, Charis Flamburis ’15, on Sept. 24, 2016, at Smith Mountain Lake.

The two met their first day at Roanoke and were engaged during spring break of their senior year. They live in Winchester, Virginia, where Ryan is a parts specialist at Taylors and Company Firearms and Charis is a preschool teacher at Heritage Child Development Center.

families Shelli Stevens Sayers ’00 and her husband, Andy Sayers ’00, live in the New River Valley with their daughters, Lily and Virginia. Shelli completed her second season as Radford University’s assistant coach for women’s track and field. In 2016, she was inducted into the Blacks-

burg High School Hall of Fame. Andy teaches social studies at Floyd County High School and also coaches cross country. In his first season coaching, the Floyd County girls’ team finished fourth overall at the state championships.

Allyson Ridgway Lynch ’07 and her husband, Adam, are the proud parents of Emily Blair Lynch, who was born March 6, 2017. The family lives in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

in memoriam Ernest B. Thrasher Jr. ’39, age 98, died April 29, 2017, in Roanoke, Virginia.

As a commissioned U.S. Army officer, he commanded a B-24 Liberator during World War II and completed 50 combat missions in Europe. After the war, he was employed with the Veterans Administration for over 25 years before retiring. Thrasher loved gardening, golf, travel and spending time with his family.

William R. Motz ’43 passed away

ROANOKE.EDU

35

alumninews

Sabine O’Hara, then president of Roanoke College, presented the Roanoke College Medal to Lewis Minter during a special luncheon in Richmond in 2006.

April 23, 2017, in Oxford, New York. He was 95. An infantryman in the Battle of the Bulge, he won many citations, including the Army Combat Infantryman Badge. As a civilian, he pursued a career in investment and mutual funds. Motz was a member of the Masonic Order for 70 years and received the Distinguished Service Award for his dedicated years of service in Masonry.

He also was a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed volunteering in his community and local schools.

Anne Tondreau Hughes ’45, a lifelong New Yorker, passed away Jan. 2, 2017, at age 92. She enjoyed a long and productive career as a translator at the United Nations. During retirement, she devoted her time to portrait painting and travel. She belonged to The Circumnavigators Club and had circumnavigated the globe many times from east to west as well as from north to south.

Dreama Dillon Dunn ’48, a 90 yearold resident of Sebring, Florida, died April 20, 2017. She had careers in teaching and public relations. She also was a buyer at a major department store in North Carolina. Dunn was a member of Atonement Lutheran Church and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Anita Jane Munsey ’48 died Dec. 1, 2016, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She was a teacher at Pine Crest School for 37 years.

Betty Andrews Bradshaw ’49 passed away Jan. 31, 2017, in Roanoke, Virginia. She was 91. A Roanoke debutante, she later was a member of the Roanoke Assembly. In 1941, she was selected as a Shenandoah Apple Blossom Princess.

Bradshaw volunteered with many organizations, including Roanoke hospitals, the American Cancer Society, Diabetes

Lewis S. Minter, Jr. ’49 died Aug. 1, 2017 at his home in Richmond, Virginia.

Minter received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Roanoke, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity and was noted for winning the state oratory contest for two years. Minter’s speaking skills were employed in his early career as an announcer and in sales for Roanoke radio stations. He held other jobs in sales and advertising before entering the Washington & Lee University School of Law. After graduating in 1957, Minter remained at W&L to serve as an assistant professor of law before becoming a partner in the law firm of Woodrum & Gregory in Roanoke, Virginia. In 1962, Lewis joined the legal department of the C&O Railway for 10 years in Richmond, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. His distinguished legal career continued when he became a member of the legal staff of the Virginia State Corporation Commission in 1972. He served as General Counsel and was elevated to SCC Solicitor General in 1988, before retiring in 1991. Minter, a member of the Roanoke College Presidents Society and Society of 1842, received the Roanoke College Medal in 2006. Minter was instrumental in the donation of the Boehm porcelain bird collection to the College in 1991. The collection — which belonged to his aunt, Josephine Minter Almond, wife of J. Lindsay Almond, the 56th governor of Virginia — is housed in the Fintel Library. Minter is survived by his wife, Annabelle, and their two sons.

Association, the Art Museum at Cherry Hill and the Children’s Theater. She was recognized as the first volunteer recipient of Lewis-Gale Hospital’s Humanitarian Award in 1994. A loyal member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, she taught Sunday school for many years. Bradshaw was devoted to her family.

Shirley McGuire Rhees ’49, a resident of Suffolk, Virginia, died Feb. 24, 2017, at age 90. She began working as a receptionist with the American Consulate in Geneva, Switzerland. After marrying, she and her husband lived in Maryland and Ohio before settling in North Carolina where she worked with the PasquotankCamden library system and as a manager of the College of the Albermarle bookstore.

The couple enjoyed travel and led many tours abroad. Rhees was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chuckatuck, Virginia, and served as president of the W.E. McGuire Charitable Foundation.

James “Bailey” Henderson Sr. ’50 passed away on May 11, 2017. He lived in Chesapeake, Virginia. A math and physics major at Roanoke, he attended on a basketball scholarship, and even played against the Harlem Globetrotters. As a civil engineer, he worked in the construction industry for over 50 years. He was owner of Henderson, Inc., and also worked with Blair Construction in Gretna, Virginia.

A lifelong athlete, Henderson was a swimmer and played football, basketball and tennis. His other interests were music and singing.

Ruth Sharp Keller ’50, of Petersburg, Virginia, died March 6, 2017. The daughter of an Army veteran, she later married a career Army man. When her husband transitioned to civilian life, they founded a real estate brokerage. Keller also took on lead-

36 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

ership roles in many community organizations, including the Ft. Hayes Condominium Board, Cockade City Garden Club, and St. Mark’s United Methodist Women. She enjoyed playing bridge and reading.

Charles G. Sisler ’50, age 90, passed away June 4, 2017, in Daleville, Virginia.

He served in the U.S. Air Force and worked

with photography teams in Guam. His long career in financial services began with CIT Financial, then Farmers National Bank and First Virginia Bank where he retired as vice president. Sisler’s natural interests found their expression in collecting and dealing antiques, traveling and gardening.

Norman Blam ’51 died March 30, 2017, in Colorado. He was 94.

James Scott ’51 passed away Feb. 11, 2017, in Rockville, Maryland. He was a U.S. Army veteran and spent his career in the defense industry. His undergraduate degree from Roanoke and his Master of Science degree from Virginia Tech were in physics. During his retirement, Scott served as a tutor of students learning English as a second language. He enjoyed travel, bridge and spending time with his family.

Marie Fennie Beck ’52, of Covington, Louisiana, died June 20, 2017. Originally from Scotland, her interests included reading, genealogy, graphic design, writing, gardening and photography.

Edward L. Gates ’52 died June 26, 2017, in Renwick, Iowa. He started his career with Equitable Life Insurance Company in Washington, D.C., and stayed in the insurance business until he and his family moved to Iowa where they purchased

Dr. Thomas L. Robertson Jr. ’57 passed away May 22, 2017, in Potomac, Maryland.

After initially obtaining a theology degree from Holmes Theological Seminary, South Carolina, he made a career choice change and received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Roanoke. He then matriculated at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and spent his medical residency at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in San Francisco, California. He was further trained in cardiology at the same hospital. Dr. Robertson devoted his life to clinical research and patient care. For almost a decade he engaged as a research doctor in assisting the survivors of the two Atomic Bombs that destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His understanding of Japanese culture and commitment to bridging the United States and Japan through medical service was a life mission for him. During his professional career, he served in many positions in various cities in the United States as well as Japan. He had been special assistant to the Director of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health (1982-83), when he drafted U.S. Surgeon General Everett Koop’s Report on Smoking and Health. Following his years at NIH, Robertson served as director of Clinical Research of the Thrombolytics Venture, Abbott Laboratories. From 1990-94, Robertson served at the University of Pittsburgh as associate vice chancellor for health sciences, associate dean of the School of Medicine, professor of medicine, and director of the Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences. He also served as consultant for the Graduate School of Public Health at the university from 1990-1997. From 1998 to 2007, Robertson lived in Tokyo as Special Consultant for Research and Development at Headquarters for Daiichi Pharmaceutical Company, Tokyo, Japan. A member of numerous professional organizations and societies, Robertson’s pastime enjoyments included playing the violin, guitar, Japanese flute, world travel and theater.

I N

M E M O R I A M

Turk remembered for his love for Roanoke

“The decision to name our pre-law program after James and Maynard Turk was an easy one.”

— Dr. Todd C. Peppers

Maynard Turk, second from left, with Dr. Todd Peppers, far left, brother James C. Turk, second from the right, and, at far right, Morgan Scott, far right, a former assistant u.S. attorney who is now an adjunct senior lecturer in the Department of Public Affairs at Roanoke. The photo was taken at the Turk Pre-Law Program ceremony in 2010.

Maynard Turk ’49, retired vice president and general counsel of Hercules, Inc., died July 29, 2017. He was 92.

Turk served in the Army twice, once during World War II and again during the Korean Conflict. The G.I. Bill allowed him to attend Roanoke College, and scholarships took him through Washington & Lee University Law School.

Turk worked for Hercules for 36 years and retired in 1990 as general counsel, vice-president, and a member of its Board of Directors. He volunteered his time on the boards of George Mason University, Radford University, Washington and Lee University, and the Wilmington Public Library.

In 2010, Roanoke College’s pre-law program was named in honor of Turk and his brother, the Honorable James C. Turk ’49, who served for more than 40 years as a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Virginia before his death in 2014. In naming the program — which offers law-related courses and pre-law advising in addition to courses in the academic major — after the brothers, the College honored two of its most distin-

S.

a family farm. He retired from Meredith Corporation as personnel manager. Gates was involved in many community organizations including the Rotary Club and Clarion Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of Lake Lutheran Church, where he served as Sunday school superintendent and teacher, church trustee, treasurer, secretary, and cemetery sexton.

Dr. William A. Thurman Jr. ’52 passed away March 6, 2017. He earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia and completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Thurman practiced radiology at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and also at Richmond Memorial Hospital. He enjoyed history and was a

guished graduates. Both men majored in economics and were members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

“The decision to name our pre-law program after James and Maynard Turk was an easy one,” says Dr. Todd C. Peppers, Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Chair in Public Affairs at Roanoke College and Turk Pre-Law Program coordinator.

“The two brothers enjoyed remarkable success in their legal careers; James Turk became a highly respected federal judge and Maynard became general counsel to the board of directors of a Fortune 500 company,” Peppers says. “Although the brothers took different professional paths, what linked them together was their love and support for Roanoke College and its students.”

In addition to his family, Turk had many interests, including a lifelong love of politics, gardening, church and his pets. Among his survivors, including his wife of 60 years, Patricia Tucker, are nephews James Turk Jr. ’79, and the Honorable Robert Turk ’80, and niece Mary Turk Lapitino ’81.

member and commander of the Lee-Davis Camp of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, the Sons of the American Revolution and the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. His greatest passion was his family.

Dr. Thomas P. Davis ’53, a graduate of Officer Candidate School and veteran of the U.S. Navy, passed away March 20, 2017, in Lewisville, North Carolina. He received

his medical degree from the University of Virginia and was a private practice family physician. He served as president of the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians and was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder and Sunday school teacher. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Charlotte Vinten Davis ’53, and a son and daughter.

ROANOKE.EDU

37

alumninews Dr. Richard K. Green ’53, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, died in Richmond, Virginia, on March 28, 2017. After graduating from Roanoke, he served in the U.S. Army. He continued with his education and graduated from the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) School of Dentistry, completing his residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery in 1964. For much of his career, he was a part-time faculty member at the MCV School of Dentistry. In 1967, as a short-term medical missionary on the Hope Ship in Nicaragua, he treated many patients with facial deformities. Dr. Green was a past president of the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church.

David F. Long ’54 died on Jan. 28, 2017. He was president of Big Spring Mill, a four-generation family business in Elliston, Virginia. A loyal family man, he served on the board of directors finance committee of Hope Tree Family Services and was a member of the Masonic Lodge.

Marian Montague Chapman Minnix ’55, a resident of Lexington, Virginia, passed away March 5, 2017. She began her career teaching math at Natural Bridge High School before taking a hiatus to raise her children. She later taught at Lexington High School. Minnix served in various capacities with Lexington Presbyterian Church and was the recipient of the Lexington Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding community service. Her husband, Richard B. Minnix ’54 and three children survive her.

Donald E. Wallace ’55, of WinstonSalem, North Carolina, died May 29, 2017.

A Korean Conflict veteran, he served with the U.S. Marines and earned the Purple

Heart and other combat medals. After military service, he taught school, then joined the IBM sales force, and later the Carolina Ribbon Corp. sales force, where he retired.

Wallace was a charter member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart where he served as an officer. He also was president of the Piedmont Civitan Club.

Christian D. Rittman Sr. ’57 died March 19, 2017, in Riviera Beach, Florida.

While at Roanoke, he scored records in track and cross country. During his career in banking, he was vice president of the Mortgage Department at Keystone Savings and Loan in Asbury Park, New Jersey. He later went into the mortgage loan origination business. Rittman was a member of the Elks Club and his natural outlets were fishing, boating, skiing and traveling.

Kennith N. Grimes ’58 died Feb. 22, 2017. A resident of Roanoke, he was a faithful Christian devoted to his family.

Grimes was a computer programmer with General Electric.

Robert B. Huddleston Jr. ’58, a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War, died March 20, 2017. After retiring from Eli Lilly, he started a new career at ARC (Goodwill). After a second retirement, he went to work at Orvis. Huddleston, a Roanoke Valley, Virginia resident, was a volunteer with Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church and enjoyed driving youth to conferences and conventions.

John Jacovitch ’58, of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, died on May 9, 2016. The youngest of 11 children, Jacovitch served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge, he began a career as a nuclear physicist. He retired in 1989.

George I. Carr ’60, of Vinton, Virginia,

Susan Schumacher ’66, died in Julian, North Carolina, on June 23, 2017. She was awarded an M.A. in experimental and comparative psychology from Hollins College (now Hollins University) and a Ph.D. in psychological psychology with concentrations in comparative animal behavior, electrophysiology and experimental analysis of behavior from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She completed post-doctoral studies at Bowman Gray School of Medicine. As a licensed psychologist, Schumacher taught at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She Schumacher in 1983. also owned Five Gaits Farm, a small saddlebred breeding farm in Julian, where she bred horses for 10 years. For many years, she and her husband rescued Irish Setters and other dogs from hurricane disasters. Schumacher was recognized among Roanoke College’s Sesquicentennial Distinguished Alumni in 1992 for her achievements and service. Among her survivors is a stepsister, Kathy Worley Dunaway ’70.

passed away Feb. 21, 2017. He was employed many years at Clover Creamery, Double Envelope and Rental Uniform.

Throughout the years, he worked various weekend jobs at Johnny’s Tavern, Polumbo’s Restaurant and Holiday Inn-Airport.

He also operated a small lawn-mowing business and was an independent subcontractor with Siemens Medical. Carr’s hobbies included gardening and trout fishing.

Jimmy D. Edwards ’60, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, died Jan. 29, 2017. A longtime resident of Brentwood, Tennessee, he earned a master’s degree in theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and served in a variety of pastoral positions before joining

Raymond E. Davis ’65, a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve, passed away April 8, 2017, in Richmond, Virginia. At Roanoke, he was archon of Pi Kappa Phi, editor of the college newspaper, member of the Blue Key National Honor Society and named to Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges. He received a Juris Doctorate degree from the T.C. Williams School of law at the University of Richmond, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wake Forest University. In addition, he was a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute and also earned his Certified Public Accountant designation.

Davis spent his early career practicing law before beginning his corporate counsel career in the coal industry representing three coal companies in Southwest Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. After his corporate experience, he returned to private practice law in the Roanoke area and also taught accounting, economics and business law in both undergraduate and graduate programs. In 1994, Davis joined the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries as director of administration and chief financial officer where he worked until his retirement in 2010. Gov. Jim Gilmore appointed him to the Council on Technology Services for two terms serving on its Executive Committee. Davis was a statutory administrative hearing officer for the Virginia Supreme Court for nearly three decades.

Davis during his days as editor of the Brackety-Ack.

38 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

the Baptist Sunday School Board in 1969.

He also served a number of church and publishing leadership positions, including distributing Christian literature around the world. During his lifetime, Pastor Edwards served more than 20 churches in a fulltime or interim capacity.

Teresa Sando Waters ’61 died in Fairfax City, Virginia, on June 15, 2017.

She taught in the Fairfax County school system before becoming a legal secretary for her husband and daughter. While a student at Roanoke, she was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority, Gamma Eta Chapter and was the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, Tau Chapter. Waters, an artist, was devoted to her family and friends.

Charles K. Francis III ’63 died Aug. 22, 2016, in Washington, D.C. James E. Kemper ’63 passed away on Feb. 27, 2017, in Rock Hill, South Carolina. After graduating from Roanoke, he served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era. In civilian life, Kemper was an executive human resources manager in the manufacturing industry, and later, an executive recruiter in his small business. He served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Hickory Grove Baptist Church, and enjoyed Bible studies and golf with family and friends. Kemper also volunteered at the Billy Graham Library.

Judith Swart Steiner ’63, a resident of Walker, Michigan, and Bonita Springs, Florida, died Jan. 21, 2017. She worked as an X-ray technician for many years.

Tommy L. Sink ’64 died June 26, 2017, in Kingsport, Tennessee. An invetercontinued on page 40

I N

M E M O R I A M

R C FA C U LT Y & F R I E N D S

College loses respected sociology professor Dunn had critical role in establishing College’s PBK chapter. r. M. Gilbert Dunn, a revered member of the Roanoke College faculty, died Aug. 18, 2017.

Dunn was a member of the Department of Sociology at the College. He joined the Roanoke faculty in 1993, after teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Southern Mississippi and in Iceland, Italy and Germany with the University of Maryland University College Europe.

Dunn’s interests included religion, theory and mass communication. At Roanoke, he taught Introduction to Sociology, Sociology of Religion, Popular Culture, The Information Society, Social Theory, Senior Sympo-

D

sium and Senior Seminar, and served as the coordinator of the Information Analysis concentration. Dunn also co-authored a monograph on media research, and had been awarded grant support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Dunn graduated in 1971 from Ohio Wesleyan University and earned an M.A. from Tulane University and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Nu chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Roanoke College in 2004, co-writing the final, successful application.

Founding member of Elderscholar leaves legacy of learning grow almost immediately, and then 17 turned irginia S. Habeck, one of the first memto 80... Suddenly we needed another space, bers of the College’s Elderscholar Proa bigger space, and we grew to two sessions gram, passed away on May 16, 2017. “Ginny,” as per week.” she was known to family and friends, was 97.

Habeck “missed only two series in over 30 In recognition of her longtime involveyears of Elderscholars — an impressive feat,” ment with and service to the Elderscholar Program, Habeck was honored with the inausaid Stephanie Garst, director of US Play gural Virginia S. Habeck Lifelong Learning ExCoalition at Clemson University who served emplar Award by the Roanoke College Board as director of community programs and of Trustees on the occasion of the program’s special events at Roanoke from 2001 to 2014.

30th year celebration in 2014. Elderscholar is a Habeck, a Wisconsin native, was married lunch and lecture series for those 55 and older. to Harold A. Habeck, who died in 1999. The “I met Ginny Habeck at my first Eldercouple had four children. Habek was an active scholar program in the fall of 2014,” said Tanya Girl Scout and Boy Scout volunteer and an Ridpath, director of community programs at officer and member of Toast Mistress InternaRoanoke. “As a new employee to Roanoke tional. In Roanoke, when her children were College, overseeing the Elderscholar program, Virginia Habeck beams after receiving with the grown and left for college, she became a buyer I didn’t know what to expect from this group. Virginia S. Habeck Lifelong Learning Exemplar for Heironimus Fabrics and Art Needlework.

Award in 2014.

Ginny welcomed me with a huge smile and Habeck also was an officer and member equally warm handshake as if I were her dearest friend.” of the Athenian Society for the Arts and Sciences. She remained During Habeck’s last semester at Elderscholar, in the spring of active until her sight diminished. She also volunteered at 2017, she was interviewed by a student for a senior project called Roanoke Area Ministries.

“People of Roanoke.”

Habeck’s surviving family members include four children, six “The Elderscholar Program began in 1984 and there were 17 of grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one sister. us that year,” Habeck said during the interview. “We started to

V

ROANOKE.EDU

39

alumninews ate fan of trains, he was owner of Sink’s Model Shop in Weaverville, North Carolina, where he sold model trains and other train memorabilia. He also co-authored “Southern Railway: A Motive Power Pictorial, 1968-1982,” and was a volunteer conductor on SAM Short Line excursion train, a favorite of President Jimmy Carter.

Douglas W. Powell ’66, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, died in Talcott, West Virginia, on Feb. 18, 2017. He was a retired licensed hearing aid dealer and his interests were hunting, tennis and his mountain home. Powell held a tae kwon do black belt designation.

Linda Harter Vaughan ’66, a resident of Okatie, South Carolina, died May 28, 2017. Her survivors include a sister, Marie Harter Stephens ’60.

David W. Davis II ’67 passed away March 30, 2017. The Salem, Virginia, resident retired in 2009 after 43 years as the director of the 23rd Court Service Unit, Virginia Department of Juvenile Service, serving Roanoke County and the City of Salem. He held a master’s degree from the former Radford College (now Radford University). Davis had a zest for life and adventure and took pleasure in hiking, biking and hunting.

Richard S. Feller ’68, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, passed away May 16, 2017, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. During his senior year at Roanoke, he served as class president. Feller began his career with Marriott and worked his way up to become general manager for hotels across the country. His career spanned over two decades, during which time he traveled around the world teaching courses and opening hotels. Upon his retirement in 1992, he and his wife operated Silvermine Farm, known for its dressage barn.

George W. Hager ’70, of Herndon, Virginia, died April 7, 2017. As a cryptologic officer with the U.S. Navy, he provided direct support to air, surface and submarine operations in Asia, Europe and at the National Security Agency. After his military career, he obtained certification in Microsoft networking and was awarded an M.B.A. from George Mason University.

He founded and became sole proprietor of several businesses and also invested in rental properties. Hager also operated a vending machine route under the auspices of the National Federation for the Blind. He enjoyed country swing dancing and was active in the McLean Bible Church.

Richard L. Genter ’71 passed away April 21, 2017, in Henrico, Virginia. He retired from The Doctors Company in 2016, and was a lifelong avid HAM radio operator.

Jim M. MacAvoy ’72, of Flagstaff, Arizona, passed away April 14, 2016. He

Diane Drury Hyatt ’75 died March 5, 2017, in Roanoke, Virginia. She was a Certified Public Accountant and held membership in the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In 1982, Hyatt began a 30-year career with Roanoke County starting as assistant superintendent of fiscal management and was the first CPA in the department. She was promoted to director of finance, then chief finance officer and retired as assistant county administrator. During her time with the county, she served on key regional boards and commissions, which included the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority, Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority, Western Virginia Regional Water Authority and South Peak Community Development Authority. In addition, she was involved with many construction and development projects, including Spring Hollow Reservoir, Roanoke Valley Resource Authority Landfill and Transfer Station, Green Ridge Recreation Center, Public Safety Center and several schools. She also participated in the design process and served as project manager of the new South County Library in Roanoke.

Hyatt during her senior year at Roanoke.

received his Doctor of Education degree from Northern Arizona University and became a licensed psychologist in 1989.

He was employed as a psychologist with the Flagstaff Unified School District for many years before opening his private practice with schools on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. An accomplished mandolin and guitar player, MacAvoy also enjoyed fly fishing and hiking.

Priscilla Mohan Prosser ’72 passed away in Portland, Oregon, on April 16, 2017. She worked in New York City, St. Croix and Connecticut before moving to Portland where she fulfilled her lifelong dream of acting. Friends remember her smile and joyful spirit.

William B. Hume ’74, a resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died June 10, 2017. He had a successful career as a commodities futures broker with Prudential-Bache Securities in Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City.

S.G. Brooke Tucker ’74, founding member of Tucker & Meltzer, a valuation and advisors firm, died June 3, 2016, in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland. An accomplished businessman, he managed and performed over 900 business valuation engagements, beginning in 1995. Considered an expert in his field, he was called upon to provide testimony in financial and business valuation cases. Tucker was a Certified Financial Planner and was a member of the American Society of Appraisers – Accredited Senior Appraiser, the ESOP Association, National Center for Employee Ownership, ASA Maryland Chapter vice president and the Baltimore Estate Planning Council.

Cameron W. West ’77, of Salem, Virginia, died Feb. 3, 2017. He worked in the automobile industry for over 30 years, with most of those years spent with the Berglund Automotive Group. An outdoorsman, he enjoyed deer hunting and was a

40 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

member of the Island Ford Hunt Club for 30 years. Cooking, music and watching and feeding hummingbirds were among his other interests.

Mary Terri Roberts ’78, of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away on May 13, 2017.

She was a medical technologist for 20 years. A lifelong member of St. Andrew’s Parish, she made professions in the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. Roberts was a former member of the American Chemical Society for Medical Technology, St. Andrew’s choir and the Roanoke Choral Society.

Samuel T. Stone ’78 died Feb. 15, 2017, in Veneta, Oregon. His career was devoted to selling veneer, a trade he learned from his father. He was employed with Erath Veneer Company in High Point, North Carolina, before working for several other companies. Eventually he operated his own business, Taylored Woods. A gregarious man, Stone loved his family and his home on the South Carolina coast.

Richard H. Greene ’79, a resident of Hanover, Virginia, passed away March 16, 2017. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity, where he was known as “The Grinder.” Greene was a family man and enjoyed spending time with them.

Terry D. Necessary ’81, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on March 19, 2017. He was a resource nurse with Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Terrel G. Benefield ’85, of Daleville, Virginia, died on Aug. 1, 2017. After graduating from Roanoke, he worked for many years at Allstate Insurance and most recently was an independent insurance representative.

Lisa Gleixner Brown ’88, of Salem, Virginia, died on July 22, 2017. A magna cum laude graduate of Roanoke, she was a beloved teacher with the City of Salem Schools for nearly 30 years. She was a member of the Salem Presbyterian Church

where she was an ordained elder and deacon, clerk of session, Sunday school teacher and youth leader. Her greatest joys were singing in the Chancel Choir and playing in the adult Handbell Choir. Brown, her husband, Alex, and the rest of the church choir sang at Carnegie Hall, an experience she considered to be one of her greatest honors.

Richard A. Cooper ’95 died July 26, 2017. Cooper was a teacher at Desmond T. Doss Junior Academy in Lynchburg.

Andrew D. Jones ’97 passed away March 14, 2017, in Ferrum, Virginia.

During his college career, he was active in the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Richard E. Persinger ’97 passed away in Richmond, Virginia, on Feb. 3, 2017. During the year before his death, he became a certified hypnotist and was planning to open a private practice. RC

Skyler Paderick ’19 discusses thiourea sulfer sources at the Showcase of Experiential Learning.

The Class of 2018 observed Day 18 of their senior year with a fun-filled “Seniors’ 18th Day” event.

FAMILY WEEKEND

The Study Abroad Fair provided a wealth of information about student opportunities for international study.

2017 SEPTEMBER 22–24

Ashley Eagleson ’20, center, hugs sisters Natalie, to her left, and Emily, to her right, at Friday on the Quad.

Poetry reading at the Creative Writing Students’ Poetry & Fiction Reading.

William Goins ’19 and Jazmin Gray ’18 at the Official Ring Ceremony.

ROANOKE.EDU

41

MaRooN MuSINgS B Y H AYLEY M OE ’1 8

A message to the Class of 2021

Hayley Moe speaking at Convocation on Aug. 29, 2017.

EDIToR’s noTE: The following is a portion of remarks Hayley Moe ’18, delivered at the 2017 Convocation.

am a senior from Watford City, North Dakota. Where I’m from is a huge part of who I am. My town has very few trees and does not have a Walmart. Our closest malls are two and three hours away, and I can watch my dogs run away for about 40 miles.

Coming from such a small community, I have always been known as Angie and Terry’s daughter. I came to Roanoke not because I was running away from my home or my state or my family. I came because I was looking for myself, someone who can think and believe on her own. And maybe get to a mall in 15 minutes or less.

I chose Roanoke for a multitude of reasons but the main one was

I

42 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2017

that I wanted to go somewhere I had never lived. There wouldn’t be anyone who knew me or knew my dad from this or my mom from that. This new “me” was starting from scratch. I had to start this new me by asking: “What can I learn and what have I been missing?”

Like choosing Roanoke, half of my time here has been throwing myself into situations where I barely knew what I was doing. I took my most influential class by accident.

Shout out to Dr. [Jesse] Bucher! His Humanitarianism in Africa class

“I came to Roanoke not because I was running away from my home or my state or my family. I came because I was looking for myself, someone who can think and believe on her own.” taught me what humanitarian causes were and about the importance of people. We talked about injustices of humans, and because I decided to stay in this “accidental” class, I realized a passion of mine: to make sure people feel loved and are treated equally. While figuring out my life after this new-found passion and life-changing class, Dr. Bucher and I talked about the possibility of doing the Washington Semester.

Two years later, I was an intern at a D.C. nonprofit educating people about homelessness and poverty.

Later, I took a May Term to Israel to follow Jesus’ footsteps. While there, I watched Christians pray, experienced a Jewish Shabbat service and heard the daily prayer for Muslims. It all continued to mold this new life I was figuring out for myself.

The point of these stories is that life is about opportunities. If you stay in your familiar box, it’s going to be pretty easy to solidify what you already believe. Leaving all I’d ever known meant that whatever new things I was discovering was up to me to understand. There have been many times these past three years that I wanted to drop out and run away and move to Alaska. But here I am, advocating for you to keep learning and to find out who you want to be.

So, for you new Maroons, I have some lessons and tips to share. First, there is only one Chipotle in Roanoke, and they’ve extended their closing time to 10 p.m. Second, the top-floor couches of the Cregger Center double as the best view of the sunset. And third, the puppy store at the mall has a punch card that if you pet 10 puppies, you get one session free.

Next are some important affirmations: You are not alone. You are not alone when you don’t want to go out and party every weekend. You aren’t alone when you DO want to go out and party. You are not the only one who is homesick. It’s OK to not be OK all the time. And if I am the only person in your life to tell you this, listen well: College isn’t only about getting good grades. Your education means more than just academics; it’s about learning how to live. It’s about learning how to handle stress, free time, fun, busy lives, long distance, close living quarters, heartbreak, death, faith, failure and success.

So here I am, Hayley Moe. A 21year-old student at Roanoke College from Watford City, North Dakota, with three years of college and a crazy life story to tell. Life isn’t perfect but we’re not here to make your life easy. We’re here to make life worth it.

Welcome to the family. Make yourself at home. RC

CoLLEgE aRCHIVES

BY LI NDA ANGLE MI LLE R, C O LL EG E A R C H IV IST

Those pesky grades!

A Quarterly Report from 1880.

hen you were in school, did you ever think how nice it would be to read the required books and articles, and not have to take a test later to prove that you understood what you had just read?

Imagine — reading for the love of learning, like those early leaders of America… Abraham Lincoln in front of the fireplace using its light to read by…

Dreams aside, there were tests and assignments, and, therefore,

W

grades — grades that went home to your parents, at least for most of Roanoke’s 175 years.

In the 19th century, there were Quarterly Reports with numerical grades sent home four times throughout the year. To our modern eye, they seem more like high school report cards. Besides the grades, there were spaces for the number of excused and unexcused absences from class and chapel, as well as one’s room during study time and at night.

Demerits were assigned for each unexcused absence and for misconduct. Deportment in class and in general were indicated as: 1-excellent; 2-good; and 3- exceptionable (observe: not exceptional). To ease parents’ minds, there was also a note on the student’s health. Our copies in the College Archives are all designated “good.”

Lastly, there was a space for the chairman of the faculty to mention irregularities, for example, “Student did not stand for examination in [class],” meaning he could not advance to the next level until he took the final. A student had to achieve a 75 minimum to advance to the next class, and was permitted one chance to redeem himself by retaking the exam. (Note: College was all-male at that time, thus, no references to “she” or “herself.”)

We have no definitive date for when in the 20th-century faculty began to use the landscape-style, larger transcript. These had much more information on each student, including high school credits for admission, as well as any requests for transcripts and where they were to be sent.

In 1923, Roanoke abandoned numerical grades for letters, which meant the introduction of the allimportant grade scale to translate grades. I confess that there were times I was baffled by the large number of C’s and D’s on student transcripts in the mid-20th century, until I learned the grade scale. Until

1928, the grade scale was A=95-100; B=90-94; C=80-89; D=70-79; E=Conditioned (needed to retake exam); F=“Character so deficient that the subject must be repeated.” (Ouch!)

After 1928, all but A grades were adjusted: B= 85-94; C=75-84; D=70-74.

One can understand why the dreaded phrase, “There will be only one A in this class” was not just a scare tactic. It was difficult to get an A in those times.

Grades remained on that scale until 1956 when they eliminated number assignments altogether.

Letters meant simply A-Outstanding; B-Excellent; C-Good; D-Poor; and F-Fail. “Quality points” were assigned to each letter — 3, 2 and 1, respectively, with none for D or F. To graduate, a C average was required, that is, students needed a minimum of 88 semester hours/88 quality points.

In the 1982-83 session, Roanoke added plus and minus to letter grades, part of a national trend. It would be interesting to know if this improved or lowered GPAs, or if the averages remained about the same.

There seemed to be no collegewide grade scale then.

According to College Registrar Leah Russell ’79, around 1999, the College converted to Colleague, which includes WebAdvisor, a program that allows faculty to submit grades electronically, among other things. By the following year, students could read their grades as soon as they were entered. The days of instant gratification (or dismay) had arrived.

Currently, there is no campuswide grade scale. Each faculty member must include his or her scale in the course syllabus, one of a plethora of other pieces that are required. I imagine most use the now-normal 90/80/70/60 scale, even though it is not mandatory.

Like it or not, those “pesky grades” remain part of the College landscape — additional incentive for students to do their best. RC

ROANOKE.EDU

43

relic:

noun. an object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest; an artifact having interest by reason of its age or its association with the past.

Carved Walking Stick 1885 The descendants of Frank Lynn Baker, class of 1885, donated his walking stick to the College. During a nature hike with Dr. Simon Carson Wells’ biology class on April 10, 1885, Baker carved the names of his fellow classmates into this walking stick.

The rest of the carvings tell the story of their geological journey.

Roanoke College’s Alumni Association is over 16,000-members strong and gaining momentum.

The Alumni Association’s governing body, the Alumni Executive Council (AEC), serves to support the College through fundraising, student recruitment, alumni engagement and mentorship to future and current young alumni. Our 12 chapters are fully engaged in supporting these directives through annual receptions, social and networking events, and service-directed projects.

As our alumni base grows, we see the need for creative ways to engage younger alumni and alumni who live outside of a chapter area. This year, we have added members to the AEC who live farther west and who represent more recent graduates. Their voices will be valuable in helping the College continue to be successful in all four of our key directives to support Roanoke.

I encourage you to be part of your local chapter by attending its annual reception and participating in its service project. For those living outside of a chapter area, the Office of Alumni Relations can assist you in finding fellow Maroons in your area to hold a social or networking gathering. And, finally, I hope to see all of you at this year’s Alumni Weekend, April 13-15, 2018.

I am excited about the future of the Roanoke College Alumni Association. In the last decade the College has accomplished a great deal. Much of that can be attributed to the commitment and ongoing support of our alumni.

The future looks bright!

— Joe Carpenter ’99 President, Alumni Executive Council

roanoke.edu/alumni

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.