Susquehanna Currents Spring 2016

spring 2016 · vol 84 · no 1

FOR EMPATHY AND EDUCATION PAGE 6 A L S O I N T H I S I S S U E T H E P E R P E T U A L P R O P O N E N T S O F W I N T E R | A F A M I LY A F F A I R

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Inside

spring 2016 · vol 84 · no 1

VO I C E S F O R E M PAT H Y A N D E D U C AT I O N Gar re t t Thomps on ’0 0 (show n above) and B ak t ash Ahadi ’05 are using their talent s to inspire a new generation and connec t them to the wider world.

F E AT U R E S

SECTIONS

4 Voices for Empathy and Education

DEPARTMENTS

12 The Perpetual Proponents of Winter

2

18 A Family Affair

22 People & Places

First Word

26 Scoreboard 30 The ’Grove

Q&A · Syllabus · Forward Thinking · Kudos

46 End Notes ALUMNI NEWS

34 Class Notes

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Message Board · Regional Chapter News · Weddings & Gatherings · Deaths

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Chief Communications Officer ANGELA BURROWS

Assistant Vice President, Alumni, Parent and Donor Engagement BECKY BRAMER ’92 DEITRICK

Editor VICTORIA KIDD Associate Director, Advancement Communications

12 T HE PERPETUAL PROPONENTS OF WINTER Austin Royer ‘10 brings his passion for snowboarding home to the Susquehanna Valley.

Class Notes Editor JODI SWARTZ Administrative Assistant, Alumni Relations

Contributing Writers EMILY GIBBS ‘18 KATIE MEIER Director, Athletics Communications AMANDA O’ROURKE Digital Communications and Media Specialist

Graphic Design AMANDA LENIG ’07 Creative Services Manager ERICA HOOVER Graphic Designer

Copy Editors BETSY K. ROBERTSON Director, Digital and Print Communications KATHLEEN LARSON FLORIO

18 A FAMILY AFFAIR Four siblings, one for each class year, find a home away from home at Susquehanna.

SUSQUEHANNA CURRENTS ONLINE: www.susqu.edu/currents

Susquehanna University is a proud member of

THE ANNAPOLIS GROUP

WAYPOINTS The Alumni Connection Check out our new home for alumni online! It’s the Grand Central for alumni on SU’s website.

www.susqu.edu/Currents-Alumni Plan Ahead Develop a legacy at SU with the help of our new planned giving website and its life stage gift planner.

comprising approximately 130 leading national independent liberal arts colleges that have similar interests and concerns centering on the values of liberal arts education that inform their missions. The Annapolis Group provides a forum for member institutions to share best practices, seek higher levels of excellence, and advance the cause of liberal arts education on a national scale.

www.susqu.edu/Currents-Planned-Giving News for You Get the latest Susquehanna news at our online newsroom.

www.susqu.edu/Currents-Newsroom

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Reflections on a “Special Calling”

dear alumni and friends

B

y now, most of you have heard that I will conclude my service as Susquehanna’s 14th president on June 30, 2017, at the end of my current contract. It is a bittersweet decision for Marsha and me. On one hand, we’re excited about adventures that lie ahead. On the other, it pains us to think about leaving this special calling, which we have cherished and loved. We are grateful to the Board of Trustees for creating a continuing connection for us to this place we’ve come to call home, so know that I plan to teach from time to time and to assist wherever possible in advancing the university in the years ahead.

I am proud of the collective efforts of faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends that have led to many accomplishments during the past 16 years. These efforts are powerful expressions of our mission to prepare our students for creative, productive and reflective lives of achievement, leadership and service in a diverse and interconnected world.

“There is no doubt that Susquehanna is preparing students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.” —L. JAY LEMONS

Our recognition by the New York Times in 2014, placing Susquehanna in the top 10 institutions in the country for socio-economic diversity, reflects the very energy and vision that led to our founding in 1858. It is even more impressive that this list contained only colleges and universities that graduated at least 75 percent of their students. Our faculty have prepared more students than nearly every school in the country to present at the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Eight Fulbright Awards in the past five years place Susquehanna among the top producers of U.S. Fulbright recipients. Students in Enactus, formerly Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), have regularly won regional competitions and placed highly in national events. Student-athletes consistently earn recognition as all-conference performers, both athletically and academically. My greatest joy is to have presented more than 7,000 degrees to graduates who have taken flight in amazing ways as alumni.

We have also honed Susquehanna’s identity and taken our place among the national liberal arts colleges. We have increased enrollment, executed capital improvements of more than $125 million, and conceptualized and implemented an innovative and rigorous Central Curriculum, highlighted by our emergence as an international education leader. We completed our largest fundraising campaign, acquired and developed new real estate, and grew our endowment and cash reserves amid a time of great economic challenge and change in higher education. Above all, I am proud that we remain a place where the growth, learning and development of our students are central to all that we do.

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“ I’m grateful that so many people feel passionately about ’03 university, because it ensures our that a bright future lies ahead.”

Progress in the area of diversity and inclusion is among our greatest achievements during this time. While there remains much to do, our community has grown to understand that an ongoing effort to create an environment where all people feel welcome, feel heard, and feel safe depends on each of us.

Our Central Curriculum, with its emphasis on cross-cultural competency, reflects an ambitious commitment to helping our students understand and value difference. There is no doubt that Susquehanna is preparing students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

The last few months have also brought disconnection in the form of a range of emotions and opinions about our new nickname. As I wrote to alumni last November, I know and understand the pain this has caused for some, and I am sorry for those who feel hurt. I also appreciate the encouragement and support others have shared. The Board of Trustees and I made a decision we believe is in our students’ and our university’s best future interests. We respect that there are other viewpoints. As the new River Hawks identity takes

root, we will remain vigilant and true to the legacy of Luther Grossman (Class of 1916 and later leader of athletics at his alma mater), whose commitment to amateurism, integrity, fair play and sportsmanship resulted in our Crusader nickname in the mid-1920s.

The people of Susquehanna—individually and collectively— have been central to all that’s been achieved in the last 16 years.

Faculty and staff, alumni and parents, donors, trustees and friends in the community all have made enormous contributions to further strengthen the quality of the four-year experience and beyond for our students. Graduating seniors with whom I share a meal each year always recognize those who have supported their journey here—a journey that would be unimaginable otherwise.

Next year, our university theme is Passion. It will be examined, expressed and lifted up in different ways. I’m grateful that so many people feel passionately about our university, because it ensures that a bright future lies ahead.

w i t h wa r m r e g a r d s , L. Jay Lemons, President

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Do we want a color-blind society or one in which we acknowledge our differences?

Renowned journalist and human rights activist Charlayne Hunter-Gault asked this question of a packed house in Degenstein Center Theater on Jan. 25. The occasion was her keynote address during Susquehanna’s 2016 winter convocation and Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration. Within a few weeks of her appearance, the university welcomed home Garrett Thompson ’00 and Baktash Ahadi ’05 for lively and thought-provoking interactions with the campus community. Embodying the rich diversity of the Susquehanna family, they are inspiring a new generation and connecting them to the wider world, much like Hunter-Gault has done in her career (see related story, p. 9). spri n g 2 01 6 · Susquehanna Currents · 5

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THOMPSON

Garrett Thompson and Ryan Walker met with students, faculty and staff for classroom and small-group discussions throughout the day before taking the stage at TRAX nightclub on Feb. 16.

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A NEW KIND OF HIP-HOP MOVEMENT Some might say fate played a role in the friendship and professional collaboration that grew between hip-hop artist and media scholar Garrett “EVAN BANE” Thompson and musician-producer Ryan Walker. Others may chalk it up to sheer coincidence. But no matter how you slice it, the pair’s unlikely meeting at Susquehanna changed both of their lives— and now they’re using their talent and tenacity to change young people’s perceptions about what’s possible for them, too.

Thompson, a Harrisburg, Pa., native who calls himself an unapologetic “hip-hop child,” transferred to Susquehanna from the University of Delaware in the spring of 1998 to study broadcast communications. That fall, Walker left his Connecticut home to enroll as a first-year music major at the university. Two years later, Thompson graduated and Walker transferred to Full Sail University in Florida to earn a degree in recording arts. But by then, the seeds for a broader creative collaboration had been planted.

“It’s pretty cool to think about how our time overlapped perfectly,” Walker says. “If it had happened any other way, we may have never met.”

During those two years at Susquehanna, their friendship and creative partnership grew. They met through a mutual friend and Susquehanna student Greg “Show-E” Mark ’01, who set up a recording studio in his off-campus apartment. Mark was making records for Thompson and Shaun James ’03, who had a group called The Foundation. Walker was “playing keys” on some of Mark’s tracks at the time, and eventually he joined Thompson and James in their creative work.

Fast-forward seven years: Thompson is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California (USC) and working on his first solo album with Mark. Walker, now a self-employed DJ and producer, has been brought on board to co-produce a few songs.

One day, Walker gets a call from Mark saying he and Thompson need a song produced quickly. The result is The Zone, the first full production Walker did on one of Thompson’s songs.

After that, Walker started sending his “beats” to Thompson for feedback, and their professional collaboration began to flourish. But at one point, Thompson decided to stop rapping. He was, after all, earning a doctorate

degree from one of the most prestigious film studies programs in the country.

Thompson wanted his music to be more than a hobby, and Walker understood his dilemma. He, too, was serious about a career in music and was willing to do whatever it took to be successful—including a little begging.

“I had always believed Garrett had something of extreme value to offer the world, and I pleaded with him not to stop [rapping],” Walker says.

Eventually Walker’s pleas were heard, and the two men began work on what would become Scholar Ambition, an album specifically intended to inspire young people to reach their fullest potential.

“To say it started at Susquehanna is a magnificent thing,” Thompson told a group of faculty and staff at a lunch discussion while he and Walker were on campus in February. Their visit also included classroom visits and a performance of Scholar Ambition at TRAX, the university nightclub.

RAPPING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT Thompson says the early seeds for the album began gestating while he was working on his dissertation at USC. “During that time, I was engaging a wealth of rich materials—texts, films, television programs and art— representing and addressing the black experience culturally, politically, socially and intellectually,” he says.

“Consuming that material, and understanding the importance of it historically, brought a great deal of inspiration to me, as well as pride in my heritage. I was studying the lives and work of figures like Gordon Parks, Paul Robeson, Nina Simone, Maya Angelou, W.E.B. Dubois, Melvin Van Peebles, Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael and Amiri Baraka … These young, fearless activists and renaissance men and women were literally changing the world around them with their voices, and I wanted to create a piece of art that was built on that legacy.”

And Thompson knew Walker was the perfect partner for the project. “From a creative standpoint, Ryan has a very eclectic and diverse producing style and approach to music. Because he has such a vast musical knowledge base, drawing inspiration from so many different styles, he’s able to bring an incredible bag of tools to the hiphop music that we create,” Thompson says.

“I especially love his ability to make records that are both beautiful and hard-hitting,” he adds. “I call those his

SEEING GARRETT THOMPSON PERFORM

on stage spoke to me as both a performer and a scholar. It was empowering to see a role model on stage speaking his story with truth and conviction.

—Robert Barkley ’17

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‘beauty and the beast’–style records, beautiful piano chords over drums that smack you in the face.”

What hits Scholar Ambition listeners in the face is the album’s message. While mainstream hip-hop largely produces music with explicit, “hood-life” lyrics, Thompson says, Scholar Ambition’s goal is “to inspire young people to strive for their best selves, to achieve their personal definition of success, and to actively chase their dreams and ambitions with no apologies.” In other words, do exactly what Thompson and Walker are doing.

Taking the stage wearing a rapper’s quintessential stage fashion—black ball cap, shirt and pants—Thompson tells the stories behind the music, setting the backdrop for each song before Walker hits the first beat. Once he does, Thompson’s talent on the mic is bringing a new kind of hip-hop to stages across the country.

While Thompson believes even the most graphic “trap music” has a place and serves a purpose in the culture, he acknowledges that “the ‘thug life/gangsta’ side of the equation has often received a disproportionate amount of attention and promotion.” But that’s not exclusive to hip-hop.

“Within American culture, stories about gangsters and criminal underworld figures have long been popular,” Thompson says, citing films and TV series like The Godfather, Scarface, Boyz n The Hood, Breaking Bad and The Sopranos.

“It makes sense,” he says. “Most gangster narratives deal with themes of social mobility and capitalism, which ties into ideas surrounding the American Dream. So whether you’ve lived a gangster lifestyle or not, people relate to those stories and are intrigued by them.

“Scholar Ambition simply ties ideas of social and cultural mobility to the pursuit of higher education and knowledge. … So the way some rappers like Rick Ross will give shout-outs to gangster figures like Big Meech and Larry Hoover, I shout out DuBois, Woodson, Huey P., Van Peebles and Boyd because those are my influences.”

And while the “lane” Scholar Ambition seeks to forge in the industry is far less traveled than the gangster narrative, Thompson believes the album holds enormous potential, just like the young people receiving its message. “I think people will appreciate what we are bringing to the table, and I have faith that the Scholar Ambition movement will grow into something truly influential.”

RENOWNED JOURNALIST, HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE CHALLENGES A NEW GENERATION

By Angela Burrows Quoting Afro-Caribbean psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and writer Frantz Fanon, Charlayne Hunter-Gault said, “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”

Hunter-Gault, a celebrated journalist, author and civil rights activist, keynoted Susquehanna’s 2016 winter convocation and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration in January. As one of two African-American students to break racial barriers at the all-white University of Georgia in 1961, she fought to gain a seat at the table, although she admits she did not see herself as a pioneer at the time.

Raised largely by her mother and grandmother because her father, a military chaplain, was often far from home, Hunter-Gault was brought up with a strong sense of self. And having grown up reading a comic strip about the adventure-filled life of reporter Brenda Starr, she wanted to be a journalist and knew a higher education was her way of getting there.

Now a 74-year-old, award-winning journalist, whose career path started at the New Yorker and led to the New York Times, NPR, PBS and

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CNN, she shrugs off claims that she was a courageous 19-year-old. Yet in retrospect, those times were much more stressful than she realized. She recalls frequent visits to the infirmary because of “stomach problems” and noted that Hamilton Holmes, the high school classmate who entered the university with her, was always the first to visit. She suspects that Hamilton, who died at 54, suffered from health issues related to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Thinking back on Brenda Starr, Hunter-Gault said she never really considered that her role model was a woman, and a white woman at that.

“I mean, this was during the time of segregation. But when I told my mother that was what I wanted to be when I grew up, she didn’t tell me that it was not something open to black girls. Rather, she said, ‘If that’s what you want to do,’ because I think, instinctively, my mother knew that dreams propel ambition.”

Hunter-Gault’s ambition has led her to cover every kind of story imaginable, in many places around the world. “What I am most gratified

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TRANSLATING COMPASSION FOR “THE OTHER” Baktash Ahadi, an Afghan-American from Carlisle, Pa., was only weeks into his first semester on campus when 9-11 changed the trajectory of his life. “It made me really want to understand my roots and everything that came along with that,” Ahadi says.

“Think about it: A war was declared by my adopted country on my home country after 9-11,” he says. “In that light, I became more and more interested in subjects, topics and people that would give me a greater understanding of that reality.”

That reality includes decades of war and instability in his homeland, a place his family fled when he was just 3 years old—far too young to remember their treacherous journey by horseback across the Hindu Kush mountain range. They fled Kabul for their lives in 1984 after his father, a government employee, refused to join the communist regime that rose to power after the Soviet invasion.

The family spent about 18 months in Pakistan, waiting for a Western country to grant them asylum. Desperate to leave there, Ahadi’s parents tried everywhere—Canada, Germany, the U.K., even Australia. Ultimately, they found refuge in the United States. It’s the only home Ahadi knew until that fateful day in September 2001 when he and the rest of the world were changed forever.

Following his undergraduate study in sociology and anthropology at Susquehanna, Ahadi began a master’s degree program in international relations at Johns Hopkins University. A year into the program, he was approached about serving as a translator for U.S. interests in Afghanistan.

Intrigued by the opportunity to serve his adopted country in his ancestral homeland, Ahadi interrupted his graduate studies to return to the home he never knew.

As both a U.S. citizen and an Afghan national who speaks the Dari language, he was uniquely positioned to help the counterinsurgency efforts. Initially he worked with a U.S. and NATO Afghan advisory group to “win the hearts and minds” of the Afghan people. He later served with the U.S. Special Operations Task Force, working as

… But it is my hope that this generation will embrace the goals that those in the movement embraced … freedom, justice and equality for all …

by is having the opportunity and instruments to present people in ways that are honest portrayals of themselves, as well as giving voice to the voiceless,” she said.

So what does this generation of young people need to know about the civil rights movement and their role in “giving voice to the voiceless” in today’s society? “I would say that the Freedom Fighters of the ’60s were so committed to what they were trying to achieve that they were willing to die pursuing it,” Hunter-Gault said. And there were those—both black and white—who did, indeed, die for the cause.

Moreover, she said: “I would hope they would allow the timeless and transcendent lessons of history help to guide them.

Not everyone was involved in the civil rights movement, so not everyone has to be an activist. But it is my hope that this generation will embrace the goals that those in the movement embraced … freedom, justice and equality for all, including the newest arrivals to our shores.”

Angela Burrows is chief communications officer at Susquehanna University.

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a liaison between the Special Forces, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the local population.

He spent three years in country, getting to know the place and the people he had only heard about in stories.

“Reuniting with my family … was an incredible experience,” Ahadi says. “Seeing them brought me full circle.”

Prior to going to Afghanistan, Ahadi says he was confused about his identity in many ways. Going back, meeting his family and learning about the country gave him a greater understanding of his own identity.

“I was no longer lost about my upbringing,” he says.

“Afghanistan gave me a true sense of who I was—that being an Afghan-American, someone who holds values of both cultures and both worlds, an identity that I am grateful for.”

Ahadi says the job gave him a strong sense of purpose.

“As an interpreter, I not only conveyed messages from one person to another, but, in truth, I was the voice that shared meaning, experience and feeling.”

In that capacity, he was able to tap into the psychology of war on both sides, which gave him a greater appreciation for “the other.”

“I became really immersed in my work and in my contribution to any situation where I was bringing two very different perspectives together in one world,” Ahadi says.

REALITY REELS After Ahadi returned to the States and earned his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins, a friend recommended him to documentary filmmakers looking for a translator. It was an opportunity to again help bring together the countries he loves. The project: FRAME BY FRAME, an intimate look at the lives and work of four Afghan photojournalists.

“They are real heroes,” Ahadi says. “They put their lives in danger every day to capture the truth.”

Under the Taliban’s rule, photography was forbidden in Afghanistan. The U.S.-led offensive in the country ousted the Taliban, but as the troops withdraw and the world’s news cameras go away, the Taliban is making its comeback.

“Journalists are messengers of truth,” Ahadi explains.

“And in the case of Afghanistan, the Taliban and other insurgents are attacking journalists because they believe

that journalists are ‘misrepresenting’ them to the Afghan population and the rest of the world.”

The tactic is used to instill fear in the population and to increase the groups’ legitimacy in the country, he adds.

And as Massoud Hossaini, one of the photojournalists featured in the film, says, “There’s a big possibility that the world forgets us again.”

Ahadi’s work on the film evolved from translator to storyteller, making him a co-producer. “Having recently returned to the States after spending three years in Afghanistan, I was able to explain the intricacies of the language, as well as provide linguistic, cultural and political insight,” he says.

FRAME BY FRAME was released in November 2015. It’s been screened by the U.S. Department of State and the Afghan president. Now Ahadi is bringing the film to American audiences across the country. “When I’m not in D.C. working, I’m doing this,” he told a group of alumni and students during a screening at Susquehanna’s annual Break Through conference in February.

By humanizing the conflict in Afghanistan, Ahadi says, the film “gives viewers an understanding of how devastating decades of war have been on the Afghan people, their lives, their society, their culture and their sense of identity.”

Moreover, he hopes the film gives people a “greater sense of empathy for those caught in the middle of this conflict.”

People everywhere in the world want peace, security, stability and hope for a better tomorrow. “But with the insurgency gaining momentum and people’s lives growing more insecure, it’s hard for people to rest assured that their lives will get better,” Ahadi says. “That sense of not knowing is hard. People aren’t able to build their lives when they can’t count on tomorrow.

“As the old adage goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’ but in the case of FRAME BY FRAME, the most important word is empathy.”

And between this message of empathy and Thompson’s message of encouragement, these two Susquehannans are out to empower the world.

Victoria Kidd is associate director of advancement communications and editor of Susquehanna Currents.

THE FILM BROUGHT TO LIGHT A WORLD THAT A PERSON WHO HASN’T LIVED THERE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND. The way the film was executed gave me a better

understanding of not just their circumstances, but how beautiful and powerful the people truly are. —Christian Coleman ’19 10 · Susquehanna Currents · spri n g 2 0 1 6

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A H A DI

Baktash Ahadi incorporated two screenings of FRAME BY FRAME into his participation at the Break Through student-alumni networking conference on Feb. 6.

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SU GRAD BRINGS SNOWBOARDS TO THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY ALL YEAR LONG spri n g 2 01 6 · Susquehanna Currents · 13

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POWDER BOARDS ALL MOUNTAIN TWIN PARK BOARDS DIRECTIONALS

)

yer ’10 (right ft) Austin Ro

(le Nick Gilson

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PRING IS IN FULL FORCE HERE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, WHERE THE WINTER BLAHS HAVE GIVEN WAY TO BRIGHTER DAYS AND A LIGHTER STEP TO OUR WALKS. BUT FOR THE GILSON BOARDS (GB) “TRIBE,” AS THEY CALL THEMSELVES, THE WARMER TEMPERATURES MARK A TIME OF MOURNING.

Winter is long gone in the Susquehanna River Valley where they make their home, leaving the tribe to “struggle for survival” in a land devoid of snow. Or so says the documentary-style “wildlife” video that the snowboard manufacturer created to poke fun at their location.

It is only their “kinship and love for each other” that allows them to survive, says the video’s narrator in a faux British accent. “They may wait all year to ride their mythical boards, but they must work together as one tribe, as one family, if they are to see those snows and lofty peaks one more time.”

WHO NEEDS LOCATION WHEN YOU’VE GOT INNOVATION? Driving north along Route 204, a 10-mile stretch of a Pennsylvania two-lane road between Selinsgrove and New Berlin, you encounter something unexpected amid the farmlands and forest. That something is innovation, and the name of innovation in these parts is “Gilson,” painted in broad, black strokes across the gray, pitched roof of a former auto body and tire shop.

That’s how Austin Royer ’10 sees it, anyway. His purpose and his vision for the company are simple: “finding a different way to do it better.”

Royer is GB’s head of manufacturing, and for years, the building that houses the company was a garage owned and operated by his grandfather. Royer, an earth and environmental sciences grad who grew up on the adjoining farm, and his business partner, Nicholas Gilson, moved their fledgling manufacturing business into the building in 2014. But Gilson Boards is anything but your typical central Pennsylvania manufacturer.

For one, Royer and Gilson live and breathe snowboarding and the culture that’s emerged around it, even though the rural river towns surrounding them don’t offer the best terrain for “shreddin’ the gnar.”

Yes, like any self-respecting snowboarder, they are wellversed in the culture’s lingo, lifestyle and grunge-inspired fashion. But these young entrepreneurs are not your stereotypical snowboarders.

UNLIKELY BEGINNINGS The marketing-savvy millennials started out as middle school science teachers at a charter school in Nashville, Tenn. Royer says his plan was to teach science and perhaps do some environmental consulting work—that is, until he met Gilson and discovered their mutual love for snowboarding and shared propensity for invention.

During their second year of teaching together, the duo decided to have a science fair. Their students were not impressed by the idea. To encourage them, Gilson says, they decided to “practice what we preach and take on our own project.”

Based on a concept Gilson developed while he was still in middle school, they set out to make a radically different kind of snowboard—a board that can cut through the snow like a boat through water. At first, it was just for fun, a way of setting an example for their students. But before long, the possibilities began to take shape.

Although their first attempt failed, they forged ahead with a second and then a third prototype, ultimately developing a board that can travel 26 percent faster than the standard board on the market.

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THE “SILENT” PARTNER The board’s design was Gilson’s brain child, but as he says in a slick, high-quality product video on Vimeo, “It turns out that’s actually a really difficult thing to build.”

That’s where Royer comes in. “I’m the general knowledge kind of guy,” he says, noting that he “comes from a long line of tinkerers.”

THEIR SECRET? A PATENTED

“PRECISION CONTOURED BASE TECHNOLOGY” CREATED WITH THE COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION IN MIND, MUCH LIKE THEIR LOGO. ROYER SAYS THE LOGO SHOWS OFF THEIR “GEEK SIDE.” What looks like two mountain peaks is actually a stretched script of the Greek letter Mu, the scientific symbol for the coefficient of friction. And, as Royer explains, the 3-D base design lowers the coefficient of friction, allowing for a controlled drift and more fluid motion.

Armed with this innovative design and a new career path in mind, the duo returned to Royer’s hometown to begin production. Since then they’ve been crafting their allAmerican-made snowboards with materials and services found in the central Susquehanna Valley.

In his “WeBeGB” video, part of a Vimeo series introducing the Gilson team, Royer describes himself as someone passionate about “anything that gets me moving, that I can explore and check out what’s underneath the surface.”

It’s a passion he perfected at Susquehanna, where, he says, his experiences doing scientific research taught him the art of learning, of “constantly adjusting what you know” and using that newfound knowledge to find solutions to problems.

This mindset and a knack for engineering and mechanics helped Royer create a proprietary pressing system for the company that, Gilson says, is safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly than anything on the market.

So while Gilson, the company’s CEO, concentrates on things like concept development and marketing, Royer, its head of manufacturing, spends his time in the shop, quietly building boards and the equipment that produces

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them. It’s where he seems happiest—at least when he can’t be on the slopes.

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR Fortunately, winter comes back every year, unleashing the Gilson “tribe” on mountaintops across the country where they build their brand from the back of an Airstream™ travel trailer.

“We’re not able to reach people with an intangible product like an app on the Internet,” says Danny Jones, ride team manager and board developer, in the product video.

“We need to be able to go out there and tangibly hand somebody something. We need to physically share it, and well, it’s really special.”

As in any sport, there’s a certain camaraderie among snowboarders, a collaborative spirit that is exemplified

by Gilson’s staff of board developers, team riders and designers. It’s a workspace where titles mean little, and the team works in concert to make a successful product.

“We’ve got a group here that has put literally everything we’ve got into making this board as perfect as it can possibly be,” Gilson says in the product video. “We’ve got a product now that I guarantee you are going to love.”

And the more adventurous among us can see for ourselves on mountaintops across the country next (dare I say) winter.

“ WE’VE GOT A GROUP HERE THAT HAS PUT LITERALLY EVERYTHING WE’VE GOT INTO MAKING THIS BOARD AS PERFECT AS IT CAN POSSIBLY BE.” —NICK GILSON

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JESS ’19

THEY EACH CHOSE SUSQUEHANNA FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. THE SMALL-SCHOOL ATMOSPHERE, AN ACADEMIC TRACK WITH CLOSE GUIDANCE FOR UNDECLARED STUDENTS, AN AACSB-ACCREDITED BUSINESS PROGRAM IN THE TOP 5 PERCENT WORLDWIDE, AND A DIVISION III SCHOOL WITH A GORGEOUS CAMPUS AND A GREAT SOCCER PROGRAM. 18 · Susquehanna Currents · spri n g 2 0 1 6

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PAT ’17

ALYSSA ’18

MIKE ’16

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IT WAS JUST AN ADDED BONUS THAT BY SELECTING SUSQUEHANNA, THE FOUR BOLGER SIBLINGS FROM HOPATCONG, N.J., WOULD SPEND THEIR COLLEGE YEARS TOGETHER. “I had visited about seven other colleges and universities,” says Mike Bolger, a senior information systems major and the oldest of the four Bolger children. “The small atmosphere, beautiful campus and a program with my desired major convinced me that Susquehanna was the right place for me.”

Mike’s siblings followed, each finding at Susquehanna what they were searching for in a college experience. Pat, who entered undeclared, found his passion with the help of faculty mentors and is double-majoring in international studies and economics.

“Dr. Kesgin has been my official advisor for about a year, but he has been guiding me since Day One,” says Pat. “I’m not sure I’d be in the fields I am studying now without his help.”

Alyssa, a sophomore, is a biology major who dreams of becoming a pediatric orthopedist. In addition to playing soccer, receiving a scholarship to study in a science field played a big role in her choice, and she’s pleased with the decision. “I feel like the biology courses are preparing me very well for the MCAT (medical school entry exam).”

Jess, a first-year student, is majoring in accounting and is finding her way with the help of her professors, newfound friends, and, of course, her siblings. A younger sister, Megan, is still at home, and while there is no pressure for her to attend Susquehanna, the Bolgers agree it will be fun if she carries on the tradition.

“SU is teaching the skills they need to succeed in life. All four have different career paths, and all will be well prepared to enter the workforce or continue their schooling. SU is a small school that offers something for everyone,” says their mother, Karen Bolger.

Because their children have always been in school together, Karen and her husband, John, don’t think too much about having four in college at the same time. But when people learn that they’re all at Susquehanna, “they really get incredulous … for us, it’s just the next step of their lives.”

Often busy with friends and classes, the four siblings’ oncampus activities give them an excuse to spend time together, attending Alyssa’s home soccer games and supporting Pat and Mike with their involvement in the Student Government Association. Jess and Mike play on an intramural soccer team together, and the four try to have a family dinner at least once a week.

The university’s GO Program has helped the siblings forge a new tradition. While Mike was studying in London last year, not only did he have an opportunity to travel throughout Europe, but Patrick visited. Last semester, while Patrick was studying in Barcelona, Spain, his siblings traveled there over break. And when Alyssa and Jess travel on their GO programs, they expect that their siblings will visit them, too.

While the four are best friends, Jess says the best part of her college experience so far has been meeting so many great people. “Everyone I talk to is genuinely nice, and I have made some friendships that I already know will last a lifetime.”

As a result of an internship with Franklin Mutual Insurance, Mike already has a job offer beginning in June, right after commencement.

While there are many pluses to four children attending the same college, the Bolgers say that knowing their children are there to help one another is most reassuring. “They definitely look after one another,” Karen says.

“The faculty and staff are fantastic. We love that the president of the university knows our kids’ names,” John adds. “We have met many of the kids’ professors and have left every conversation with them knowing that they truly have an interest in our kids’ success. Pat has had lunch with his professors a few times, and they reached out to him in Spain just to check in on him. It’s a warm and nurturing environment, and we couldn’t be prouder that they all will be graduating from SU.” Betse Humphrey is a contributing writer from Selinsgrove, Pa.

Left to right: Megan, the youngest of the five Bolger siblings, Alyssa, parents John and Karen, Mike and Jess on campus last fall. Pat was studying in Barcelona, Spain, at the time.

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Departments PEOPLE & PLACES

SCOREBOARD

THE ’GROVE

The crowd erupts following a winning play by men’s basketball during a home game in Orlando W. Houts Gymnasium.The team opened the season with 15 straight wins and went 24–5 overall, with a 13–3 finish in Landmark play.

MORE ON MEN’S BASKETBALL, PAGE 29

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PEOPLE & PLACES

the who, what and where for all things susquehanna

Going the Distance Despite the Challenge Arden Lee ’17 was surprised by her friends’ reaction when they learned of her decision to spend a semester in Australia on her Global Opportunities (GO) experience—they encouraged Lee to stay closer to home.

“I knew that wouldn’t have been the most fulfilling,” she says. “With enough planning, anyone should be able to travel.”

Arden Lee ’17

Lee, a sophomore creative writing and chemistry major from Livingston, N.J., has a condition called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic neuromuscular disease that affects the control of voluntary muscle movement. Friends feared her condition might make traveling difficult, but Lee persisted.

The Institute for Study Abroad, Butler University (IFSA-Butler), which facilitated Lee’s trip, worked with local hotels and Murduch University in Perth, Australia, where Lee attended classes, to ensure

she had handicapped access throughout her trip.

“We try to remove the barriers to studying abroad, physically or otherwise, so that our students may be exposed to different cultures while learning valuable things about themselves,” says Scott Manning, Susquehanna’s dean of global programs.

This allowed Lee to seize every opportunity that came her way in the land down under, despite her disability.

“I learned that people in wheelchairs don’t need to take the easy route,” she says. “It’s really possible as long as there’s plenty of planning beforehand and an open mind for change.”

In addition to taking classes in Australia, Lee experienced the Blue Mountains, went whale watching, visited with wild kangaroos on Heirisson Island, and spent Halloween on the beaches of Rottnest Island.

“I LEARNED THAT PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS DON’T NEED TO TAKE THE EASY ROUTE. IT’S REALLY POSSIBLE AS LONG AS THERE’S PLENT Y OF PLANNING BEFOREHAND AND AN OPEN MIND FOR CHANGE.” —ARDEN LEE ’17 Right: Jeffrey K. Mann visits with Joanna and her friend Roberto several years ago in Manila’s Smokey Mountain trash dump, where the children made their home.

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Sharing the Gift of Education When a small group of Susquehanna students left for what is now an annual Global Opportunities (GO) trip to the Philippines in 2010, they had no way of knowing they would change the trajectory of several young lives.

Six students, under the leadership of Jeffrey K. Mann, associate professor of religious studies, traveled to Manila’s Smokey Mountain trash dump, which at the time was home to more than 3,000 people who lived and worked in the dump. The students distributed vitamins, clothing, toiletries and firstaid materials among the community, and spent time getting to know some of the young residents.

With $750 in their pockets from Susquehanna’s Alice Pope Shade Fund, the group discussed the best way to invest the money. They chose education.

Two of the Susquehanna students were Karen Ward ’11 Telyea and Katherine Sowers ’12, who both majored in religious studies.

“I remember saying in the airport during our travels home, that one year of school doesn’t matter if they can’t afford to pay for it next year,” Telyea says. “I felt very strongly that if we were going to support their education, then we needed to commit to the full process.”

As Mann explains, there are public schools in the Philippines, but families are still responsible for basic expenses. “If your family is living on $1 or less, per person per day, you may not be able to meet these costs,” he says. “Money went to school uniforms, school supplies, shoes, transportation—there are no buses and the school is far away—lunch money and medical needs.”

The group invested their initial $750 to help three Filipino students. Five of the six alumni continue to assist the students to this day, including Telyea, Sowers, David Huss ’10, and 2012 graduates Kelly Miller and Sarah Johnson.

Last spring, the effort reached an important milestone: the oldest Filipino student they’ve been supporting, Joanna, graduated from high school. She has since finished her first year of college at Navotas Polytechnic College in Manila.

“My wish for Joanna is that she never stops learning and growing,” Sowers says. “I hope she continues to push herself to be the best that she can be and to always remember that no matter what, her life and voice matter.”

Kelly Miller ’12 with one of Smokey Mountain’s young residents

Swapping Faces Brings New Perspective on Race and Identity As part of an ongoing effort to increase dialogue around issues of race and identity, Susquehanna brought the interactive Race Experience Kiosk to campus this spring. The kiosk encourages users to reflect on the factors in our society that perpetuate racism and discrimination by enabling them to literally see themselves in a different skin. The hope is that users will realize that there is only one race—the human race.

The museum-quality exhibit uses a face-detection and morphing algorithm to change one’s face on a video screen to black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Indian.

Students, faculty and staff could then share their favorite pictures via email.

The Race Experience Kiosk has been used by more than 300 colleges, universities, corporations, museums and government agencies throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Watch students react to seeing themselves in a new skin at WWW.SUSQU.EDU/RACE-EXPERIENCE.

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PEOPLE & PLACES

Running Like a Girl In 2010, Cheryl Stumpf combined her passion for running and her commitment to empowering young women to form a small but enthusiastic council of Girls on the Run (GOTR). A national nonprofit organization, GOTR partners with school districts to provide after-school youth development programs, integrating physical activity, to girls ages 8 to 14.

“Girls are hungry for something like this,” Stumpf says. “They want to feel valued and connected, and Girls on the Run helps them realize their greatest potential by stepping outside the ‘girl box.’”

From its modest beginning at a single elementary school in western Snyder County, the Greater Susquehanna Valley Girls on the Run has grown to include 25 school districts in six counties, as well as several middle school programs called Girls on Track.

Stumpf, a counselor and outreach coordinator in the university’s Counseling Center, even brought the program to Susquehanna.

Working with students from across campus, she’s seen a GOTR Club formed by Susquehanna students, and internships have been established for students interested in working for the regional council.

Lucy Moan, daughter of Laura B. Moan, head women’s lacrosse coach, and her running partner Ellie Rosenblum ’15, a former lacrosse player, hit the finish line in Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium during a recent Girls on the Run 5K race.

“THE BONDS GIRLS MAKE AND THE FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT THEY EARN FROM PARTICIPATING IN A GOTR PROGRAM IS AMAZING. IT BUILDS THEIR SELF-CONFIDENCE A LOT. I KNOW IT DID MINE.” —TAYLOR SECOR ’16

Seema Tailor ’18, a communication arts major from Roanoke, Va., is president of the GOTR Club. A member of the women’s cross country and track & field teams, she has been coaching a local team of girls since her first year on campus. She says it’s a perfect match for someone like her who loves to run and work with kids.

Senior Taylor Secor, a neuroscience major from Stroudsburg, Pa., agrees. As someone who participated in GOTR in elementary school and middle school, she jumped at the chance to get involved with the organization. “When I heard it was here, I was so surprised,” Secor says. The bonds girls make and the feeling of accomplishment they earn from participating in a GOTR program is amazing,” she adds. “It builds their self-confidence a lot. I know it did mine.”

Secor and Tailor are among about a dozen students who serve as coaches for local teams. Even more participate through internships and volunteer for the 5K races that mark the culmination of the program each semester. In all, about 100 Susquehanna students are involved in the program to one extent or another during the fall and spring seasons.

Ali Stevens, program director of the Greater Susquehanna Valley council, says she could not run the program without them. “I’m so impressed with SU college students,” Stevens says. The student coaches are particularly impressive, she adds. “They are so inspirational to me, to take time out of their busy schedules to work with these girls.”

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Professor David Richard (third from left), along with Kathy Dalton, assistant professor and reference librarian (second from left), led students on a GO trip to Nepal in January.

Revisiting Nepal The earthquake that struck Nepal last spring hit close to home for some in the Susquehanna community, particularly Nirvana Thakur ’18, who was born and raised in the country until the age of 13. Even before the earthquake, Thakur knew she wanted to work in Nepal someday. The earthquake just bumped up her plans.

“I wanted to go help my family and my community,” says the Elmhurst, N.Y., resident, who took a three-month internship with the nongovernmental organization Saathi last summer.

Thakur helped in the recovery efforts, working in camps that Saathi set up. She also created brochures and case studies about victims of gender-based violence, led stress-relieving exercises for kids in several camps, and worked with women who had lost their homes.

David Richard, professor of biology, associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and facilitator of the Sherpa Life and Culture Global Opportunities (GO) trip to Nepal, was also moved to action following the April 25 earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people. He led a fundraising effort that brought

Thakur

Richard

in about $8,000, which was evenly divided between the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Red Cross.

Fortunately, when Richard and six students returned to Nepal in January for the 2016 GO trip, they found the country in a state of recovery. “The media reports of total devastation have been exaggerated,” says Richard. “The damage is not trivial, but it’s not the disaster zone people said it was.”

Richard and the students spent three weeks in and around Kathmandu and trekking to the South Base Camp at Mount Everest. People in that region are suffering most from a decline in tourism, as evidenced by their guide’s heartfelt welcome.

“He said, ‘Thank you for coming and not listening to all of the scare talk. We’re functioning and it will be OK,’” Richard recalls.

In other words, he says, “Nepal is open for business.”

The news is encouraging for Thakur, who, following graduate school, plans to return to her homeland and work in the nonprofit sector, focusing on gender equality. spri n g 2 01 6 · Susquehanna Currents · 25

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SC OR E B OARD

news from susquehanna athletics

NEW ADDITION TO COACHING STAFF BENEFITS ALL STUDENT-ATHLETES Susquehanna University’s new head strength and conditioning coach, Tony Decker, has made a lot of progress since starting the position last fall. But Decker, the entire athletics department and the student-athletes are most excited for what the future holds.

In this Q&A, Decker talks about the job, and a fellow coach and two current studentathletes reflect on the impact and future of the strength program under his direction.

TONY DECKER What brought you to Susquehanna?

“OUR GOAL IS TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN THEIR BODIES AS SPECIFICALLY AS WE CAN TO MEET THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS OF THEIR CHOSEN SPORT.” — TONY DECKER

Susquehanna University has always been and continues to be an excellent academic institution with a successful and storied athletic reputation. I also was drawn to the opportunity to implement a strength and conditioning program from scratch and on a full-time basis. Finally, the people I met during my interview were awesome, and I really liked the fact that a number of coaches have been here a long time. It says something about a place when people want to stay and are grateful to be a part of such a special university.

Where do you see the strength and conditioning program in one year? Five years?

I see a program that will continue to grow with state-of-the-art equipment and using the most advanced and scientific concepts available. With the plans for the weight room renovation, this will be possible. Our plan and vision with the renovations will allow for unrestricted programs, better traffic flow, and more quality and time-efficient workouts.

Five years down the road, my goal and our department’s goal is to be a leader and model for other strength and conditioning programs.

What will it take to realize that vision?

First and foremost, the facility renovation will set the foundation. However, more than anything, I believe it starts with education. It is imperative that our student-athletes understand the reasons we will be doing things a certain way. Our goal is to educate and train their bodies as specifically as we can to meet the needs and demands of their chosen sport. There is a lot of science that goes into training the body because the body in itself is a science. Facility, philosophy, education and a commitment to excellence will see the vision become reality.

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X’s and O’s Women’s swimming & diving won its sixthstraight Landmark Conference title. Katie

HEAD FIELD HOCKEY COACH KAITLYN WAHILA

Willis ’19 was named Rookie of the Year.

Kelsey Lessard ’16 was named Swimmer of the Year, and Jerry Foley and his assistants

What does having Coach Decker mean to your program and the department as a whole?

were named Coaching Staff of the Year.

Coach Decker has brought an excitement to the atmosphere in the weight room during our team strength and conditioning sessions. Our team is looking forward to developing a knowledge of what it means to be a strong female student-athlete at the Division III level. Our hope is that players will improve their strength and speed, and limit injuries with the work they put in with Coach Decker. He has done a great job at setting a competitive atmosphere where our team feels confident challenging one another to be better.

FOOTBALL PLAYER KYLE MICIK ’18

Former Susquehanna football player Bill Muir ’65 was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports

Why is having Coach Decker on the athletics staff so important for all student-athletes?

Hall of Fame on April 23.

Coach Decker is going to help create a new culture here for all the athletic programs. The knowledge that he brings to the table is unbelievable. He has trained many players at the Division I level and implements the same type of training with us, which will give all sports an edge over the top competitors in our conferences.

Sixty student-athletes were named to the 2015 Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll, and 59 were named to the Winter Academic Honor Roll.

Director of Athletics Pam Samuelson was

FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER COURTNEY PURNELL ’18

elected to a leadership position in the

Why is it important for a student-athlete to buy into Coach Decker’s training for all four years of his/her playing career?

We’re now getting personalized workouts specific for our sport and our needs.

Having Coach Decker available to all of the student-athletes will help prevent a lot of the injuries that sideline many of us throughout our careers.

National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA). She joins the NADIIIAA Executive Committee as one of two at-large members.

Senior football players Pat Cutillo, Jim Barry and Tom McLoughlin competed in various postseason senior bowl games following the conclusion of the regular season.

Volleyball player Erin Byrne ’17 was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Honorable Mention for the 2015 season.

Wahila

Micik

Purnell

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S C O R E B OA R D

FOOTBALL WELCOMES HOME TWO RIVALRY TROPHIES It had been 15 years since the Susquehanna football program accomplished what it did this past fall—that is, winning both of its rivalry games in one season. Not a bad way for first-year head coach Tom Perkovich to start his tenure.

Susquehanna’s two traditional football rivalries are against Lycoming College and Juniata College. In the battle between Susquehanna and the Warriors, the winner claims the Stagg Hat Trophy. In the match-up between the Crusaders and the Eagles, the victor takes home the Goal Post Trophy.

The Stagg Hat Trophy rivalry began in 1993 and continued every year until 2009, when Susquehanna left the MidAtlantic Conference to join the Liberty League and then the

“ G etting both trophies back to Susquehanna’s campus meant everything to me … ” —JIM BARRY ‘16

Centennial Conference. The rivalry was renewed in 2014 as each team’s lone regular season, non-conference game.

Lycoming captured the 2014 game before Susquehanna defeated the Warriors 28–13 at Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium in the 2015 season opener.

Meanwhile, the Goal Post Trophy game was first held in 1953, and the trophy is literally a piece of goal post taken from SU’s field by Juniata fans following the Eagles’ 12–7 upset of Susquehanna on Nov. 1, 1952. This fall, Susquehanna traveled to Huntingdon and brought home the Goal Post with its 24–17 victory in the season finale for both squads.

“Getting both trophies back to Susquehanna’s campus meant everything to me, my teammates and the program,” says team captain Jim Barry ’16. “Playing for the Stagg Hat and Goal Post Trophy meant we were playing for all the alumni who have fought to keep the trophies where they belong: at Susquehanna. Many alumni have helped me through my journey at school. The only way I could have truly thanked them was to get back what belonged to them. This will be the momentum that will send Susquehanna University’s football team to the top of the Centennial Conference.”

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Team-First Attitude Leads To Success on the Court The 2015–16 men’s basketball season started out with a win.

And then another. And another. In fact, the season opened with 15 straight wins, marking the best start in program history.

Susquehanna broke into the national poll for the first time in modern NCAA history on Dec. 15 with a No. 17 ranking in the D3hoops.com poll. Since that time, Susquehanna has risen as high as 12th in the rankings.

The team beat three squads that were nationally ranked at the time of competition, including two Landmark Conference rivals in The Catholic University of America and the University of Scranton. SU’s season-long success helped earn the program the right to host first- and second-round games in the NCAA Tournament. The Crusaders defeated SUNY Old Westbury in first-round action before falling to 16th-ranked Babson College.

Susquehanna went 24–5 overall, finished 13–3 in Landmark play and suffered just two losses at home in Orlando W. Houts Gymnasium.

What might be just as impressive as the number of wins is the fact that Susquehanna spent most of the season winning without a top-five scorer in the conference, and instead with anywhere from two to three players in the top six in assists. But according to junior captain Steven Weidlich, that is precisely why the team is winning.

“It has always been our focus to share the ball as much as possible,” Weidlich says. “It is not easy for guys to go from being the best player on a high school team to taking a back seat on our team.

And although it’s hard, our guys have bought into the team-first mentality more this year than I have ever experienced.

“Not only is sharing the ball contagious, but it definitely creates a selfless team-first atmosphere and makes the game more fun for all of us.”

“ O ur guys have bought into the team-first mentality more this year than I have ever experienced.” —STEVEN WEIDLICH ’17 (Top) Fans cheer on men’s basketball during a stellar 2015–16 season.

(Bottom) Brandon Hedley ’16 goes for a basket during the NCAA first-round game against SUNY–Old Westbury on March 4.

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T H E ’G R O V E

stories from around campus and around town

Q&A

Last fall, Christie Kräcker stepped into a new role leading a new campus life structure that is reimagining the student experience. Susquehanna Currents recently caught up with Kräcker and asked her to reflect on her first year at SU. SC: Your appointment coincided with a new structure for the Division of Student Life. Can you talk a little about that reorganization and how it is leading to stronger student engagement?

Christie Kräcker Dean of Students and Campus Life

CK: The dean of students and campus life position was created for this academic year.

One of the goals of the position is to create a campus-life model wherein the Department of Residence Life and the Center for Leadership and Engagement, along with the Johnson Center for Civic Engagement and the conduct process, all come together as a seamless experience for students. The dean’s role is also to support the vice president for student engagement and success (Lisa Scott) in her responsibilities and in the overall Student Life Division objectives. Another piece

“THE PACE HAS BEEN FAST AND THE LEARNING CURVE STEEP AT TIMES, BUT I THRIVE ON CHALLENGES. ”—CHRISTIE KRÄCKER

of my portfolio is that I advise the Student Government Association, which has been a wonderful addition.

SC: How have you handled the challenge of relocating, starting a new job and implementing an entirely new division structure?

CK: The pace has been fast and the learning curve steep at times, but I thrive on challenges.

This is the fifth campus for me to transition to as a professional. The bigger challenge for this relocation was moving my family to a new state this time. My last position was a similar structure, so I believe I came with a wealth of experience that can be applied to this new role here at SU. SC: What do you personally hope to accomplish in your first year on the job?

CK: I personally want to make a difference in how students experience campus life. I want the students to feel like they can reach out to me and have a positive experience. Moreover, I want to bring a student-centered model to all processes, policies and decisions we make.

Robert Williams Jr.

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SYLLABUS

FORWARD THINKING

Marketing Analysis for the Real World

Accounting for Environmental Performance

The managerial aspects of marketing require a surprising amount of innovation. Just ask students taking Marketing Strategy and Management, the capstone course for the newly created marketing major taught by Robert Williams Jr., assistant professor of marketing in the Sigmund Weis School of Business.

Susquehanna University Associate Professor of Accounting John Pendley has created a formula to rank the nation’s oil and gas companies based on their environmental impact. The formula was unveiled in an article, titled “Using Inspection Violations as an Environmental Performance Indicator for Natural Gas Companies,” recently published in Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly.

Pendley created the formula after seeing the need for objective research on Marcellus shale drilling.

Business is fundamentally concerned with the customer, which basically involves both innovation, listening to the voice of the market to create an offering the customer needs and wants; and marketing, making the full target market aware of the offering.

“Innovation is fostered by learning how to ask questions to find out what we don’t know. I feel strongly that if my students can learn to adapt and to keep learning, they will continue to grow and improve the world,” Williams says.

To a large extent, the class is organized around case studies that students use to solve marketing problems. “In this class, as with marketing in general, there might not be concrete right or wrong answers. Things depend on the context of the situation, and students learn how to make decisions based on judgment,” Williams says. “If the class, or a marketing department itself, is too rigid, it’s ineffective. There needs to be a certain level of controlled variability.”

A case study in point: leading Chinese whitegoods manufacturing company Haier. Despite a failed attempt to buy Maytag in 2004, Haier recently signed a contract to acquire General Electric’s appliance business, in a deal that gives the company rights to use the GE logo for an unprecedented 40 years. Students who took the course this year studied the companies’ markets and branding, and analyzed the deal, so that when it closes, they can see how their analysis and predictions hold merit in the real business world.

“There’s a level of maturity in this class, which really allows students to show what they have learned throughout their college career,” Williams says.

“It seems logical and reasonable that some gas companies are more careful than others,” Pendley says. “But despite that, there has been little substantive work on the topic.”

“IT COULD BE IMMEDIATELY VALUABLE TO LOCAL LANDOWNERS ... WHEN DECIDING WHETHER TO LEASE THEIR PROPERTY TO OIL AND GAS COMPANIES.”—JOHN PENDLEY Early on, Pendley decided that a simple list of the top violators would be an insufficient indicator because it would stack the deck, so to speak, against larger companies engaged in more work.

Pendley’s formula accounts for a company’s operating activity by dividing the amount of hydrocarbon (fuel) the company produces by the number of violations assessed against it.

Using data publically available from the state Department of Environmental Protection, Pendley ranked 20 companies from best to worst, with CONSOL Energy topping the list and ExxonMobile coming in last.

“The smaller, independent companies tend to do a better job environmentally than the larger companies,” Pendley says.

“That could be because the smaller companies are more specialized in the work they are doing in Pennsylvania, and the larger companies direct their environmental efforts to their offshore operations and may find it more expeditious to simply pay a fine when levied than try to avoid it.”

Pendley says the rankings may be useful to the groups most affected by Marcellus shale operations. “It could be immediately valuable to local landowners, who could use the environmental performance data when deciding whether to lease their property to oil and gas companies, or for individuals trying to decide what company to work for, or for communities making zoning decisions.”

John Pendley

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T H E ’G R O V E

KUDOS Big Finish in International Investment Competition Two seniors in the Sigmund Weis School of Business finished in the top 25 in a worldwide investment competition sponsored by ETF Global, placing Susquehanna University among the top 25 universities in the competition.

Eric White, an economics major from Acton, Mass., and Chris Ryan, a finance major from Toms River, N.J., realized a 5.14 percent and 4.5 percent return, respectively, on their virtual investment in the ETF Global Portfolio Challenge.

The challenge was a Web-based simulated investment exercise designed to serve as a fun and educational tool to help teach students about investing in exchangetraded products (ETPs).

Their results earned them complimentary tickets to the Spring 2016 ETP Forum in New York City, where they had the opportunity to network with 500 business professionals. The symposium convenes widely recognized experts in exchangetraded products and capital management.

SU Tops National Rankings for Study Abroad Susquehanna University ranks among the best in the nation for undergraduate participation in study abroad, according to the Open Doors 2015 annual report on student mobility, released last November by the Institute for International Education (IIE).

According to the report, which uses data from the 2013–14 academic year, Susquehanna ranked 12th for the total number of students at baccalaureate colleges who studied abroad. The university ranked 13th for the percentage of students at baccalaureate schools studying abroad. Susquehanna is one of only a very small number of schools requiring a study-away experience for all students, as preparation for success in a global economy. Through its Global Opportunities (GO) program, students study off campus in a culture different from their own, either in the U.S. or abroad.

In February, U.S. News & World Report also ranked Susquehanna among the top universities with the highest percentage of students who study abroad. With 78

percent of its 2014 graduates having studied abroad, Susquehanna was ranked 8th nationally among the more than 300 colleges and universities that submitted data to U.S. News.

Graphic Design Students Dominate ADDYs Graphic design students walked away with the majority of awards during the American Advertising Federation’s Greater Frederick (Md.) ADDY Awards ceremony in February. Twenty-two of the 33 ADDYs awarded, including the coveted Judges’ Choice and Best of Show awards, were won by Susquehanna students.

Elizabeth Regan ’17, of McLean, Va., won a gold ADDY and Best of Show, which includes a $500 prize, for a packaging campaign she developed.

Miranda Walters ’17, a junior from Richfield, Pa., won a gold ADDY and the Judge’s Choice Award for her packaging campaign. She also walked away with a silver ADDY for a logo and stationery package she designed.

Nine other Susquehanna students also earned gold and silver ADDYs for their work.

Chris Ryan (left), Eric White (right)

Contributing writers to the departments are Emily Gibbs ’18, a creative writing major from Hanover, Pa.; Victoria Kidd, associate director of advancement communications; Katie Meier, director of athletics communications; and Amanda O’Rourke, digital communications and media specialist.

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Jennifer Canavan ’16, a business administration– marketing major from Hopewell Junction, N.Y., was among the more than 400 students who attended Break Through 2016 to hear career advice and net w ork w ith alumni.

Alumni News MESSAGE BOARD

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CLASS NOTES

REGIONAL CHAPTER NEWS

DEATHS

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CLASSNOTES Message Board

a time for healing

One of my dad’s go-to jokes is: “What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?”

The punchline: “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Well, at Susquehanna we care—deeply. And we know. And right now, what we know and what we care about is the end of the nickname Crusaders.

On all sides of the decision—for, against or neutral—alumni are uncomfortable. Many are upset.

Collectively, we have spoken up and spoken out, lobbied and petitioned, cheered, scratched our heads and shrugged. We have voted and we have boycotted. We have been involved, because we care. We screamed, because we care. We are frustrated, because we care. We are excited, because we care. We care because of what this place means to us and because of the fingerprint it has left on us and continues to leave on us.

I have spoken to many non-SU friends and colleagues about what we are going through, and they are surprised at the fervor this change has caused among our alumni body. They really don’t get it, and the reason they don’t get it is they don’t have that kind of connection to their school. They don’t feel the bond to fellow alumni, the school, the traditions and the legacy.

“I hope our SU family stays together and stays strong.”

—LUKE EDDINGER ’00

I feel bad for them. Their takeaway from their years at college is a degree on the wall and not much more. Everyone reading this understands it is more than that at Susquehanna.

For us, it’s almost like family.

I know some of us have given up. Frustrated to the point of apathy, we’ve surrendered, choosing to not care any longer. I wish there was something I could write or say that would fix this, but there isn’t.

To those of you who feel that way, all I can say is, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you are hurt. I’m sorry that you are frustrated. I’m sorry that you feel like no one has listened from the beginning of the process. I’m sorry that you are disappointed in a school you care deeply about. I’m sorry you feel like a piece of your identity was taken from you.

I’m most sorry that you may go away.

I do view Susquehanna like a family—broad, diverse, even dysfunctional in ways, but a family nonetheless. And I never want my family to go away. Even in my own family, I don’t expect to like everyone at all times. I know I don’t always agree with everyone, but we sort it out and stick together, and we are stronger because of it.

My hope is that time will heal the wounds that this decision has created. I hope our SU family stays together and stays strong. I hope that you continue to care, because we need people who care.

I would welcome hearing from you at LukeSU2000@gmail.com, and I will respond if you write.

S i n c e r e ly, Luke Eddinger ’00 President, Susquehanna University Alumni Association

Look to End Notes for comments from several members of the committee charged with engaging the Susquehanna community in the work of identifying a new nickname for the university.

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1973 Joyce Brown ’73 graduated from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Leadership Development program in October.

1974

Paul Hinsch ’74, vice president of marketing for Henry Schein Dental, was honored with a Trudi Birger Memorial Award at the DVI 35th Anniversary Gala on Nov. 29 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.

1979

John Oglesby ’78 released his latest CD for Native American–style flutes, The Old Ones, on the Spirit Wind Records label Nov. 6.

1980

James Moyer ’80 released the solo marimba CD Something Old, Something New on iTunes in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the album’s release. Other major music downloading services will also be selling the album or separate tracks.

These include CD Baby, 24-7, Amazon, GreatIndie Music, Shazam, SoundExchange, Tradebit and the Google Music Store. The CD features three of Moyer’s guitar transcriptions for marimba, as well as solo works by David Maslanka and Donald Chamberlain.

Moyer is director of bands and percussion studies at Texas A&M International University.

1984

Thomas Banks ’84 was recently named head of school for The West Nottingham Academy in Harrisburg, Pa.

1992

Tom Dodd ’92 graduated with a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Penn State University in August, just a few weeks after presenting on assessment and reporting at the International Baccalaureate (IB) Conference of the Americas in Chicago. He is in his 11th year as the principal of Lesher Middle School,

an IB World School in Fort Collins, Colo. He is also serving a three-year term as the Region 2a director of the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals (CASSP) Board, representing the school districts in the counties of Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson and Larimer.

1993

Heather Smith ’93 Dunn was elected in November to serve on the Cumberland Valley School District School Board for a four-year term as a school director.

The Cumberland Valley School District, located in Mechanicsburg, Pa., is composed of more than 8,300 students in seven elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

Born to Renea Gummo ’93 and Brandt Robertson, a son, Ian, Nov. 6, 2014.

1994

Jim McKinley ’94 moved from his tenured position at Sophia University in Tokyo, where he has been for the past 11 years, to a new position as lecturer in the MA TESOL program at the University of Bath in Somerset, England.

1995

Craig Dyer ’95 was recognized as one of the top 10 Division I women’s volleyball assistant coaches in the country by Volleyball Monthly.

Hetty Irmer ’95, a psychotherapist and owner of Four Corners Counseling in Washington, D.C., recently won a Maryland Women’s Business Plan competition.

1998

Andrew Hardy ’98 was promoted to the rank of first sergeant (E-8) of C Troop, 1-104th Calvary, of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard at Ft. Indiantown Gap. He is employed by Pennsylvania American Water as the lead storage administrator in their Information Technology Bureau in Hershey, Pa.

Ingrid Kloss ’98 earned a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

She graduated magna cum laude in December.

1999

Emily Goodling ’99 Guldborg obtained a Master of Science in resource conservation from the University of Montana at Missoula in 2003. She is currently CEO of McCone County Federal Credit Union in Circle, Mont.

2001

Abigail Myers ’01 Legrow was nominated by Gov. Jack Markell to become a Superior Court judge in Delaware and was sworn in in March. She had been serving as a master in the Court of Chancery since her appointment in 2012.

Born to Dana Chipko ’02 and Andrew ’01 Jacob, a daughter, Amy, on Aug. 24.

2002

Beth Sullivan ’02 married Christian Daconta at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Smithtown, N.Y., with a reception at the Venetian Yacht Club in Babylon, N.Y. Katie Pasek ’02 married Tom Wertman July 25 in Nashua, N.H.

2004

Born to Tara Heydenreich ’04 and Timothy Figard, a daughter, Evelyn Grace, Oct. 4.

2006

Born to Bill ’06 and Christina Grove ’06 Furman, a daughter, Katelyn Marie, Feb. 25, 2015.

2008

Krista Sechler ’08 Gardner was named a principal at Stambaugh Ness with responsibility for directing the firm’s governmental and not-for-profit practice.

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Kappa Delta sisters (pictured left to right) Margo Simcox ’04 VanHeusden, Tara Heydenreich ’04 Figard, Jennifer Walden ’04 Barone and Jacqueline DeLorbe ’05 Condon reunited in North Carolina in August to celebrate a baby shower.

Miranda Quarticelli ’13 married Matthew Getz ’12 on Aug. 1.

Pamela Weeks ’07 married Frank Hennings on Sept. 6.

Jessica Mangus ’07 married Daniel Ricker on Oct. 9 at Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester, Pa.

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Mallory Oliver ’09 married Tyler Stampone on Oct. 10 in a beach ceremony in Strathmere, N.J.

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CLASSNOTES

2009

Matt Trimble ’09 and Amber Welborn ’09 were married Oct. 2.

2011

Fiona Wilkes ’11 received a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in international business from Washington State University in August.

2012

Kristina Lang ’12 works for Temple University as a department program specialist. She was offered a full-time administrative position with Temple’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in November. There she works with the marketing team to schedule, manage and develop programs for concerts, student recitals and master classes.

2014

Marni Horton ’14 received her master’s degree in literacy education from Canisius College.

Robert Caulfield ’12 works for GlaxoSmithKline as a market analytics analyst.

UPCOMING EVENTS Homecoming–Reunion Weekend

SEPT. 9–11 Family Weekend

OCT. 28–30 ALUMNI CHAPTER EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR (Museums, wineries, breweries, tours, baseball games, brunch, and so much more!)

PLEASE SEND YOUR ALUMNI NEWS AND CLASS UPDATES TO THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI, PARENT AND DONOR ENGAGEMENT: SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY

Visit www.susqu.edu/alumni-home/alumni-events for a list of events near you.

In October, for the first time ever, both the

514 University Ave. • Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1025 • Fax: 570-372-2777 • Email: swartzj@susqu.edu

Susquehanna University men’s and women’s crew

OR SUBMIT YOUR NOTES ONLINE, AT WWW.SUALUM.COM.

Charles Regatta in Boston, and the New England

Material received on campus by July 31 will be included in the fall issue.

Susquehanna Currents reserves the right to edit class notes for space and clarity, and to select the alumnisubmitted photos that appear in each issue. Preference will be given to print-quality photos of weddings and other gatherings that include the most alumni.

teams qualified for the prestigious Head of the Alumni Chapter was there to cheer them on.

The chapter sponsored a tent in Reunion Village, where they celebrated both teams’ impressive accomplishments. They cheered on the rowing teams, connected with fellow alumni, students and parents, ate delicious food, and enjoyed an afternoon along the beautiful Charles River. Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Orange and Maroon!

CORRECTION The 2015 Milestones booklet, honoring our 2014–15 donors, did not list the following donors in the category 10–24 Consecutive Years of Giving: Robert C. Zalewski ’80 Deborah Gaydosh ’76 Zalonis Christopher P. ’03 and Elizabeth Beltzner ’03 Zangara Gail Graham ’68 Zorr and Paul Zorr Our deepest apologies for the omission. Thank you to these and all of our generous donors for supporting Susquehanna and our students.

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ALUMNIPROFILE An Arctic Tale

ben kopec ’10

G

rowing up on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Rochester, N.Y., Ben Kopec ’10 always loved the water. But it wasn’t until he was a Susquehanna University student in Kathy Straub’s course, Climate and Global Change, that he decided to study climate change.

Kopec is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., but his graduate studies have taken him far outside New England. His research into the effects of melting Arctic sea ice on precipitation was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and reported by the Christian Science Monitor and The Huffington Post.

Kopec and his fellow researchers examined the measurements and chemical composition of the precipitation at six sites across the Arctic between 1990 and 2012. That data was compared with information on how the sea ice changed during the same period.

“I was able to jump into the work when I first got here, already having had the knowledge background.”

—BEN KOPEC ’10

They found that as sea ice diminished, more precipitation fell and that the precipitation came from Arctic sources. In other words, their findings indicated that less sea ice increased evaporation from water bodies in the Arctic and thus increased precipitation.

Final tallies found that as sea ice shrinks by 38,610 square miles (100,000 square kilometers), the percentage of precipitation sourced from the Arctic increases by 18.2 percent in the Canadian Arctic and 10.8 percent in the Greenland Sea regions.

Future implications of this trend are not yet clear, and temperature will play a major role, Kopec said. His future research will be an effort to predict if future precipitation in the Arctic is more likely to be rain or snow.

Prior to arriving at Dartmouth, Kopec spent his undergraduate years conducting research at Susquehanna under the mentorship of Ahmed Lachhab, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences. With Lachhab, Kopec studied the water quality of the Susquehanna River and Middle Creek, Snyder County, and the hydrology of the Montandon Marsh, Union County.

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When Jen McGonigle ’95 was creating her estate plans, she refused to sign the document unless it included a scholarship at Susquehanna University to benefit students.

“My goal in life is to fund a scholarship and make a difference for someone else. It is my way of thanking the person who made a difference for me.”

BUT WHY, WITH A FAMILY LEFT TO RAISE, WOULD SHE INSIST ON A PROVISION FOR SUSQUEHANNA IN HER WILL? “I see the scholarship as helping to forge a path for someone else. …The most important thing in your life is your education. SU really and truly provided a place for me to lay the platform that I needed. That’s a debt I can’t repay.”

Susquehanna University is grateful to ever yone who considers sharing their values with others and empowering future students to experience the lifelong benefits of a Susquehanna education.

Find out how you can make a difference by visiting w w w.susqu.edu/pg, or contac ting Kimberly Andretta at andretta@susqu.edu or 570-372-4042.

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ALUMNIPROFILE From History to Hollywood

mellissa betts ’02 hedges

Y

ou could say that the seeds of Mellissa Betts ’02 Hedges’ career as a producer for the television series Who Do You Think You Are? were planted in the fall of 1998, when, as a first-year student, she received her assigned list of courses from Susquehanna’s registrar. It included one class she was unsure of: African History. She decided to stick with it.

The rest, as they say, is history.

That class influenced Hedges to eventually pursue a double major in history and philosophy. When it came time to decide where to study abroad, she knew she wanted to go to Namibia to continue what she learned in that course.

After graduating from Susquehanna, Hedges earned a Ph.D. in African history from UCLA and received a Fulbright grant to continue research in Namibia, work she credits with preparing her for her current role.

“If I had not thought outside the box, I would never have thought it was possible to be a TV historian.”

—MELLISSA BETTS ’02 HEDGES

“I hadn’t had any previous interest in Africa, but I met with the professor teaching the course at the time, Dwayne Williams, and he intrigued me,” Hedges says. “I took that first class and never looked back.”

About to graduate into an unfavorable academic job market, in 2010 she took a chance and applied for a job as a researcher for Who Do You Think You Are? She uses her research skills to track down celebrities’ family histories. Once, she was even able to trace actor Rob Lowe’s family tree to Germany, based on a baptismal record she found in an eastern Pennsylvania church.

“While I ended up leaving academia, my love of history and my move across the country to Hollywood would never have happened if it weren’t for the SU history department,” says Hedges, who encourages students to keep an open mind.

“I love my job and would not trade it for anything in the world. But if I had not thought outside the box, I would never have thought it was possible to be a TV historian.”

Hedges says her liberal arts education prepared her for her role in many ways—most importantly the critical thinking and analysis.

“As far as I’m concerned, ‘how’ you think is just as, if not more, important than what you know,” Hedges says. “Being able to tackle information and problems with critical thinking can get you incredibly far.”

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On Nov. 7, the New Jersey Alumni Chapter visited marine life at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J. This family-friendly event started with lunch, surrounded by swimming sharks, rays and multitudes of colorful fish. The afternoon progressed into a leisurely tour of the aquarium, where the group interacted with rays, coral and many more of the ocean’s inhabitants. The event brought out the child in everyone and was a mesmerizing reminder of the true beauty of our oceans.

Megan Goeller ’08 and Erik Blades ’06 were married Oct. 10.

On Dec. 5, the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter took a break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays to spend time with their fellow Susquehannans at Longwood Gardens. An incredible lunch was served prior to an afternoon tour of the gardens, adorned with Christmas decorations that were a joy to behold.

Class of 1975 friends Molly Cochran, Susan Gordon Johnson, Carol Graybosch LaCorte and Susan Holt Delp had their annual get-together in Stroudsburg, Pa., last July.

Elena Malatack ’09 and Isaac Laubach ’09 were married on May 2, 2015, in Narberth, Pa.

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In October and March, alumni and current students and parents showed up in record numbers at the Cricket Club in Philadelphia, the Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater, N.J., and Hotel Monaco in Baltimore to meet prospective students and their families. They showed the next generation of Susquehanna alumni the possibilities that await them on campus, talked about what life could be like after graduation, and helped them get to know what it means to be a part of the Susquehanna family. By demonstrating their enthusiasm for their alma mater, the alumni, current students and their parents helped us get the “yes” from prospective families attending each of the events. Thank you!

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DE AT H S Anne Miller ’46 Boyer, Zephyrhills, Fla., July 21.

Robert Brenner Jr. ’62, Deltona, Fla., July 2. He was a U.S. Navy officer and served in Vietnam. Brenner settled in Florida and started a financial planning business in Stewart. He eventually moved to Deltona, and as a devoted son, cared for his father and mother during their lengthy illnesses. Brenner worked for more than 20 years at Casa Del Mar Hotel in Ormond Beach, Fla. Harry “Bucky” Clark ’59, Hatboro, Pa., Sept. 29. A lifelong resident of Hatboro, Clark was so beloved in the community and the Centennial School District that a street was named after him. Clark spent 55 years in education, including more than four decades as principal of Log College Middle School.

Under his leadership Log College was named a National Blue Ribbon School.

Clark has been described as a Renaissance man. He worked in television and radio as a child, and was a musician on Paul Whiteman’s TV Teen Club, a predecessor to American Bandstand and Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour.

The only child of Harry and Lillian Clark, he turned down a career as a TV weatherman to pursue a career in education after graduating

from Hatboro-Horsham High School.

He taught in Upper Moreland as a music teacher, was supervisor of music in Abington, and an assistant principal at Upper Perkiomen and Hatboro-Horsham high schools before being hired

by Centennial. Clark also served as a board member for Abington Memorial Hospital, the Industrial Development Authority of Montgomery County and the Warminster Rotary Club. He sat on the Hatboro Borough Council for 28 years, was a graduate school teacher at Drexel University, and taught Sunday school.

Until his recent illness, he was senior organist at Lehman United Methodist Church.

James Cameron Dell ’54, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., Jan. 15.

The son of Esther Eve and Frank Dell, he graduated from New Bloomfield High School in 1949. Dell played linebacker, fullback and halfback at Susquehanna, where he was coached by Amos Alonzo Stagg Sr. and Stagg’s son Amos Alonzo Stagg Jr. He was a proud member of the undefeated team of 1951, and also played left field on the varsity baseball team.

Dell was a veteran of the Korean War. He spent his career at Pennsylvania National Insurance Co., where he worked in the

underwriting department for 36 years. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Moose lodge, and the Free Masons of Pennsylvania.

He is survived by his daughters, Susan Dell ’84 Muma and Gretchen Dell ’88 Hanrahan, granddaughter Bryn Hanrahan ’19 and niece Alexandra Watson ’07 Wutti and her husband, Justin ’07 Wutti.

Uzal Ent ’50, Mechanisburg, Pa., Oct. 9. A veteran of the Korean War, Ent lived his life by the military cadet code of duty, honor and country.

His awards in service to his country included the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars (two for valor and one for meritorious achievement), Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, two U.S. Presidential Unit Citations, one Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Pennsylvania Distinguished Service Medal.

Ent joined the 28th Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard in December 1953.

He retired as a full colonel in November 1980, and was promoted to brigadier general in retirement. In retirement Ent was a prolific writer of military history and authored several books. He was also a talented artist.

Bill Foster ’51, Prairie Village, Kan., Sept. 14. After high

school, Foster spent two years in the Army Air Corps in the Philippines. He moved to Kansas in 1969 to work as the children’s minister at Prairie Village United Presbyterian Church.

Mary Miller ’50 Giovanetti, Steamboat Springs, Colo., July 20. Giovanetti was a talented and accomplished musician who enjoyed performing, as well as teaching the piano. She also loved nature, swimming and attending concerts.

Colleen Hargraves ’87 Guimes, Newtown, Pa., Dec. 9. Guimes was employed as an executive assistant with the Restaurant Associates and the Patina Group.

Nancy Bowman Hatz, Elizabethtown, Pa., Jan. 20.

Born in Lebanon on June 30, 1915, Hatz, who celebrated her 100th birthday in 2015, was the daughter of the late George Stephen and Mary Louise Balsbaugh Bowman.

She was the wife of the late Russell C. Hatz, with whom she shared 60 years immersed in the world of music.

After graduating from Lebanon High School, she received her Bachelor of Science in music education from Lebanon Valley College and her master’s degree from Columbia University. She spent 23 years on the faculty of Susquehanna University,

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teaching piano, French horn and the history of music literature, while her husband taught violin and later chaired the Department of Music.

After moving to Mt. Gretna, Hatz taught piano another 15 years at Elizabethtown College.

She also worked tirelessly for many musical organizations, including four terms as president of the Harmonia Music Association and two terms as president of the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs. In March 2010, she was recognized by the Harrisburg Symphony for playing French horn in their first concert in 1933. Lebanon Valley College awarded her the Dr. June E. Herr ’34 Educator of the Year Award in 2012.

In 2015, she was inducted into the Lebanon County Musicians Hall of Fame.

Mary Emma Yoder ’41 Jones, Duncansville, Pa., Nov. 18.

During WWII, she was a Red Cross volunteer, serving at a burn unit in Tuscaloosa, Ala. During her life, Jones worked as a bank teller, a waitress, a substitute schoolteacher, and bookkeeper and cofounder of Surplus City.

At Susquehanna, she was among the first women to be members of the marching band. As a special education teacher in Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg, she battled for improved facilities for students. As a co-founder of Surplus City, she ignored gender boundaries and pitched in to do whatever was necessary to help build the business. Jones is survived

by her granddaughter, Renea Gummo ’93 Harbert.

Bruce Kirk ’72, Oct. 11. He worked as a salesman in eight different states, twice earning Corning’s highest recognition for providing his clients with service he guaranteed as “second to none.” At Corning, Kirk worked in a number of different divisions and built relationships across the company, ultimately settling into the corporate innovation role that provided him with so much happiness. He is survived by his wife, Karen Ganzer ’73 Kirk.

Mary Klingelhoeffer ’53, Warminster, Pa., June 17. Klingelhoeffer led an extraordinary life, blazing a trail the entire way. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in library science from Drexel University of Technology in 1963. She traveled extensively in Europe and Asia while stationed in Japan and Germany as a civil service librarian for the U.S. Department of Defense. After retiring and moving to Mount Holly, N.J., she cared for her mother and then her sister. In truth, Klingelhoeffer never retired. During her 20 years in Mount Holly, she volunteered for many organizations, including LIFE (Learning Is For Everyone) and RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) at Burlington County Community College.

In addition, she volunteered at the Rancocas Nature Center and Hainesport Township School. After she

moved to Warminster, Pa., Klingelhoeffer continued her volunteer activities by collecting coupons for overseas Air Force bases.

John R. Leach ’47, Little Egg Harbor, N.J., Oct. 23. Born in Snyder County, Pa., on Sept. 23, 1922, Leach was the son of the late Clayton E. and Blanche (Attinger) Leach. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Elizabeth Miller ’47 Leach, and Clayton E. Leach ’56.

He is survived by sisterin-law Lucian Smith ’54 Leach, nephew Clayton E. Leach III ’82, niece Suzanne Leach ’84 Magrowski, and great-nephew Benjamin P. Magrowski ’17.

During World War II he was a member of the 314th U.S. Army Band, serving nearly three years in Africa, Italy, France, Germany and Belgium. Following graduation from SU and prior to completing his doctorate program in music at Columbia University, he taught at public schools in Troy, N.Y. Leach served on the faculties of Susquehanna University from 1950 to 1959, where he was director of bands; Augustana College in Illinois from 1959 to 1965; and Jersey City State College (New Jersey City University) from 1965 to 1985.

He was instrumental in establishing a Master of Arts program at Jersey City State College and served as its graduate music coordinator from 1969 to 1982. He authored a college music

textbook and several articles in professional journals, and served as a member of the board of trustees at Upsala College in East Orange, N.J., from 1970 to 1976.

Throughout his career, Leach also served as choir director or organist at Lutheran churches in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa and New Jersey. He was a member of the American Association of University Professors, Music Educators National Conference and its affiliated state chapters, and the American Guild of Organists (New York City and Atlantic City chapters).

Faye Lewis ’52, Coaldale, Pa., Sept. 5. Lewis began her teaching career in the South Middleton Township School District in Boiling Springs. She then taught mathematics and physics at the former Lansford High School. She served as head of the mathematics department at Marple Newtown School District in Newtown Square for 25 years. During her career, Lewis was awarded prizes to attend the National Science Foundation (NSF) Summer Institute at Case Institute of Technology and the University of Arizona, a Shell Fellowship to the Summer Institute at Cornell University, and an NSF Academic Year Institute at Penn State University.

Neal Markle ’63, Northumberland, Pa., Oct. 28.

He served in the U.S. Coast Guard for three years during the Vietnam War, achieving

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IN MEMORIAM Arlin M. Adams 1921–2015

L

ongtime susquehanna university friend judge arlin m. adams, namesake of the university’s Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society, died at his home in Philadelphia on Dec. 22 at the age of 94.

Adams first became involved with Susquehanna as a Visiting Woodrow Wilson Fellow in 1981. The university awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1985.

In 2001, the family of Sigfried and Janet Weis and the Degenstein Foundation of Sunbury, Pa., established the Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society.

We are indebted to Susquehanna’s longtime friend and the Degenstein Foundation board member Sidney Apfelbaum, a law school classmate of Judge Adams, for helping to strengthen the university’s ties with him in this way.

Adams was born April 16, 1921, in Philadelphia. He came of age during the Great Depression, and at 16 was working a $5-a-week job to help support his family.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Temple University and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Penn Law Review. He also held a master’s degree in economics awarded by both universities. He was a veteran of naval service during World War II and had a long history of public service, including a term as secretary of public welfare of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1963 to 1966.

Between 1969 and 1987, Adams was one of the most highly respected judges of the prestigious U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was considered for the U.S. Supreme Court on three separate occasions during the Nixon, Ford and Reagan years, after which he decided to return to private practice at Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, where he spent a significant amount of time on issues of public interest.

He was close to former Pennsylvania Gov. William W. Scranton and to Walter H. Annenberg, a friend and political supporter of President Ronald Reagan and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom between 1969 and 1974. His relationship with Annenberg led to philanthropic support for Susquehanna.

Adams was well known for his post-judiciary roles in significant legal cases. In 1994, he conducted an investigation of the Pennsylvania attorney general for alleged criminal activity, and investigated allegations of improper medical research at Fox Chase Cancer Center. In 1995, he was appointed to serve as a trustee in the New Era bankruptcy case, at that time the largest nonprofit bankruptcy in history. From 1998 to 2002, he served as independent counsel in an investigation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that uncovered widespread corruption.

For more than 25 years, he lectured at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. During his time as an adjunct professor and lecturer, he created a class on religion and the law, which is now a standard part of legal education. He was on the board of overseers or advisors at a number of schools, including Bryn Mawr College, Columbia University, Penn’s Wharton School of Business and the Fels Institute of Government.

Countless lives have been impacted through Judge Adams’ wisdom, fairness and compassion, including those of Susquehanna students who have benefited from the Adams Center’s networking, internship and research opportunities.

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DE AT H S the rank of lieutenant. As a third mate officer in the merchant marine, he navigated oil tankers for Sun Oil Co., sailing from California to Alaska and through the Panama Canal for nearly 20 years. Markle is survived by his daughter, Sara Markle-Elder ’92.

Jim Peters ’49, Kutztown, Pa., and The Villages, Fla., Aug. 18. Peters was a World War II veteran who served for four years in the U.S. Navy, having enlisted after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Peters was a counselor and teacher in public schools for 19 years, and an associate professor and counselor at Kutztown University for 25 years. He spent 44 years coaching high school and college sports. He also served as a Berks County basketball official for many years. In 1982, Peters was inducted into the Susquehanna University Sports Hall of Fame. While at Susquehanna, he was a threesport star, winning 12 letters and leading the Crusader Grid-Squad in scoring under the direction of legendary Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg and his son.

Peters was a private pilot and enjoyed flying his Piper Tri-Pacer. He was also a member of St. John’s United Church of Christ and the Lyons Senior Softball Team.

He enjoyed motorcycles, playing cards, golfing, softball, tennis, basketball and pool.

He is survived by his daughter, Deborah Mathias ’75 Dagle.

Frank A. Procopio, Dec. 30, 2015. He was born Aug. 26, 1939, in Shamokin, Pa., to Mary and Vincent Procopio.

As a young man, Procopio was a superior academic, athlete and humanitarian. While in high school, he lettered in four sports—football, basketball, baseball and track. While excelling in each, football was his passion. He received multiple college football scholarships, including an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, but he ultimately chose Susquehanna, where he was a star fullback and president of Lambda Chi Alpha. He met his wife of more than 50 years at SU as well.

After graduating with degrees in mathematics and chemistry, Procopio accepted a position as a chemist with Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, Pa. After years of cultivating an awarded career in the textile industry, he joined Mohawk Industries in 1981.

Throughout his 20-year career with the company, Procopio held multiple senior leadership positions in manufacturing, sales and product development.

Ultimately, he became president of Mohawk’s commercial business, executive vice president of the company, and held a seat on the company’s board of directors. He was a member

of the management team that led the LBO of Mohawk Carpet from the Mohasco Corp. in 1988 and the subsequent IPO of Mohawk Industries in 1992.

Procopio also served on the board of directors of ParaChem and Easter Seals of Middle Georgia.

Ronald B. Reed ’66, Johnstown, Pa., Sept. 7.

He graduated from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in 1970. He celebrated his 45th anniversary of ordination last summer, having served four parishes in Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife, Gloria Downin ’69 Reed.

Douglas Spotts ’63, Feb. 27, 2015. He was director of purchasing and then director of budget at the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Shintay ’64 Spotts, daughter Cheryl Spotts ’94, sister Elizabeth Shintay ’67 LeAnderson and brother Richard D. Spotts ’68.

Betsy Titus ’66, Wilmington, N.C., June 26, 2014.

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End Notes

Reflections from the Nickname/Mascot Special Committee

O

n nov. 7, 2015, president l. jay lemons convened the Nickname/Mascot Special Committee (NMSC), following an Oct. 26 decision by the university’s Board of Trustees to accept a recommendation to change the longstanding Crusaders nickname. Composed of 23 people who broadly reflect the alumni, students, faculty and staff of the SU community, the NMSC was charged with identifying no more than three, but no fewer than two, recommendations for new nicknames capable of generating widespread support by mid-February.

Over the next 80 days, the committee worked to meet its charge.

The three finalists, conveyed via the committee’s report to President Lemons, were: Bobcats, Phoenix and River Hawks. President Lemons chose to forward all three potential nicknames to the Board of Trustees for consideration at its late-February meeting. After reviewing all three names, the board chose to return all three names to alumni, students, faculty and staff for a final vote. The Susquehanna community overwhelmingly chose River Hawks as our new nickname and mascot with a vote of 67.4 percent of the 4,861 votes cast.

Ron Cohen NICKNAME/MASCOT special NickName/mascot SPECIAL committee, COMMITTEE, CHAIR chair

“We appreciate the privilege and opportunity to engage in this important mission, which to our knowledge has never before been undertaken at SU. We cannot predict how future generations will view the name that is selected, but our efforts reflect a sincere hope that the name to be chosen by the community in 2016 will serve the entire SU community well for many years to come.” —From the Final Report and Recommendations of the Nickname/Mascot Special Committee* Committee

the nickname/mascot special committee Brad Brown Brown

Madeleine Rhyneer

Tyrone Croom ’97 ’97

Jerry Habegger Jerry Habegger Karyn Kern ’01 Pinter Karyn Kern ’01 Pinter Angela Burrows Angela Burrows Kate Hastings

Ron Ron Cohen, Cohen, Chair Chair David Imhoof David Imhoof Pam Samuelson Pam Samuelson Keith Costello ’73

Jamie Malachowski ’09 ’09 Jamie Malachowski Caitlin Newman ’09 Thistle Caitlin Newman ’09 Thistle Aminata Diallo ’19 Aminata Diallo’18 ’19 James Norman

Courtney Purnell ’18 Kate Hastings Zach Clinchy ’18 Courtney Purnell ’18 Scott Heller ’82 Zach Clinchy ’18

P’00, Keith P’04 Costello ’73 Emily Leboffe ’17 P’00, P’04 Will Starace ’90 Emily Leboffe ’17

Scott Heller ’82

Will Starace ’90

John Williams ’17 Norman ’18 James“CJ” Tom Dodd ’92 John “CJ” Williams ’17 Brent Papson ’05 Tom Dodd ’92 Brent Papson ’05

*To reference the final report of the Nickname/Mascot Special Committee, go to

www.susqu.edu/nmsc-report.

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Following are reflections shared by some members of the Nickname/Mascot Special Committee. why did you choose to serve on the committee?

“When President Lemons calls you and asks you to do something, you do it, and I was extremely happy, honored and thankful to do so! I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I didn’t realize the amount of due diligence and work that was necessary. However, I wasn’t concerned with that. I was and am willing to do whatever it took/takes and am happy to work as much as needed! I’m honestly incredibly thankful that the committee spent as much time as we did on this task. I feel like we left no rock unturned and covered all our bases.”—Jamie Malachowski ’09 “I wanted to be able to bring the experiences I had as both a student-athlete here at Susquehanna and professionally within intercollegiate athletics to assist in moving the university forward through this process. I knew that it was going to be challenging and it wasn’t going to be easy in bringing the entire university community together under a new nickname; however, I am excited to be part of a new chapter at the university!”

—Karyn Kern ’01 Pinter

w h at h av e yo u l e a r n e d through the process?

“I have learned that many SU alumni continue to feel very much connected with the university and the community well after graduation day. Old friends reached out to me to ask about the process and share their thoughts. Many alumni engaged their networks by asking them to contribute to the process via social media.”—Caitlin Newman ’09 Thistle “I have learned that the Susquehanna community is full of students, alumni and faculty/staff that truly care about the university.It was so great to see people from all eras come together to help move us forward, even in the face of so much negativity.”—Emily Leboffe ’17 “That we are a group of 23 students, alumni, faculty and administrators representing a broad cross-section of the larger SU community. Some supported the change; others opposed it, but the only ‘agenda’ was helping the SU community find a new name everyone can support for many years to come. I got to know people I would not have met at Homecoming—people not from my ‘era’ who are different from me, but who love SU just as much. We proved that to each other by how hard we worked, and by each putting aside personal interests in favor of what is best for the community. It restored my faith that SU still has the kind of people I once knew. I would not have learned that lesson without this process.”—Scott Heller ’82 Below: Members of the Nickname/Mascot Special Committee Please see photo IDs on the next page.

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“ We did our best to serve Susquehannans of the past, present and future, working toward the greatest good for the largest number of people for the longest period of time.”

—kate hastings, asso ciate professor and c ha i r o f t h e d e pa rt m e n t o f c o m m u n i c at i o n s

w h a t d o y o u wa n t o t h e r s t o know ab ou t your experience on the committee?

“That everyone involved truly thought about the university and all of its members, from alumni to faculty to students of the future. I applaud every member as this committee was under a microscope since inception. The time and effort given to this project was a lot, and not one member complained or gave less than full effort.” —Tyrone Croom ’97

included in photo: Emily Leboffe ’18, SU Student Leader Kate Hastings, Chair, SU Communications Department and Associate Professor of Communications Brad Brown, SU Assistant Director of Alumni, Parent, Donor Engagement; Manager, Orange and Maroon Club Keith Costello, ’73 P’00 P’04, Retired, Hershey Corp.; Immediate Past President, SU Alumni Board Courtney Purnell ’18, SU Student Leader Aminata Diallo ’19, SU Student Leader

w h at i s yo u r h o p e f o r t h e f u t u r e re g a rdi n g ou r n ew n i c k na m e a n d h ow the communit y will respond to it?

“That those who can and do use the nickname will get behind the new one and use it aggressively. That those who remain angry about the change can still appreciate the fact that their experience at SU has been about much more than a sports mascot.” —David Imhoof, associate professor of history “ That this new mascot will not take away from the past, but will move the university community forward.”

—Brent Papson ’05

Tom Dodd ’92, Principal, Lesher Middle School, Denver, Colo.

Karyn Pinter ’00, Former Senior Woman Administrator and Director of Student Athlete Services, Keen University, N.J. Will Starace ’90, Executive Vice President and CFO, MWW PR, New York City; President, SU Football Alumni Association Pam Samuelson, SU Director of Athletics Angela Burrows, SU Chief Communications Officer Madeleine Rhyneer, SU Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing John (CJ) Williams ’17, SU Student Leader James Norman ’18, SU Student Leader David Imhoof, SU Associate Professor of History and Faculty Athletic Representative Brent Papson ’05, SU Assistant Dean of Leadership, Engagement and Programming

To reference the Oct. 26, 2015, letter to the campus community from Board of Trustees Chairman John R. Strangfeld, go to

www.susqu.edu/ board-nickname-charge.

To reference the Nov. 10, 2015, letter from President L. Jay Lemons to Susquehanna alumni, students and friends, go to

www.susqu.edu/ nickname-letter.

Ron Cohen, Chair, NMSC, and SU Vice President for University Relations Scott Heller ’82, Attorney, Morris Plains, N.J. Jamie Malachowski ’09, Business Analyst Auditor, DENTSPLY International, York, Pa.

missing from photo: Zachary Clinchy ’18, SU Student Leader Tyrone Croom ’97, CEO, CroART Sports, Falmouth, Mass.

Jerrell Habegger, Chair, SU Accounting Department and Associate Professor of Accounting

Caitlin Thistle ’09, Technical Advisor, USAID, Washington, D.C.; Member, SU Alumni Board

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LINDA KLINE ’72 BUDGEN

ALAN BENNETT ’72

LOWELL LEITZEL ’76

MICHAEL KLING ’80

ANNA MILHEIM ’84 JORDAN

JANET WYLLIE ’86 LAMBERT

CHAD WOZNIAK ’94

ALLISON GREBE ’94

JENNIFER MCGONIGLE ’95

AMY FORTIER ’98

LYNN BURKE ’03

BRENT PAPSON ’05

MIKE OZLANSKI ’05

PATRICK MCELROY ’07

KIRSTIN TAYLOR ’07 MCELROY

KYLE ROBERTSON ’11

B ECOM E A CH A M PION BY SH A R I NG 1 A BUSINESS CARD 2 SERVICE HOURS 3 A GIFT 4 THE NAME OF A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, AND 5 A SPIRIT PHOTO.

I T ’S E A S Y! V ISI T W W W. SUSQU. E DU/CH A M PIONS TO GE T S TA RT E D.

New to the champions ranks since the fall issue of Susquehanna Currents: SHILEEL FOREMAN ’16 · JENNIFER MCGONIGLE ’95 · CASSANDRA KOCH ’12 · CHELLE MCINTYRE-BREWER ’01 · STACY KOPPENHAVER ’92 · BRENT PAPSON ’05 ALLISON GREBE ’94 · CHAD WOZNIAK ’94 · ANNA MILLHEIM ’84 JORDAN · BRITTANY BUNTING-SPECHT ’09 · JENNIFER ROJEK ’98 BARTON · MAGGIE BLEACH ’13 MARTIN KIRSTIN TAYLOR ’07 MCELROY · LISA RYAN ’78 BURKE · MARSHA LEHMAN ’74 · KRISTEN CLARK ’97 RITZMAN · LARRY HUTCHISON ’80 · CHRIS PRAUL ‘94 LYNN BURKE ’03 · MEG PIERCE ’96 FRANTZ · SCOTT MARCINEK ’13 · MIKE OZLANSKI ’05 · TAMMY ERNEY ’06 OZLANSKI · LINDA KLINE ’72 BUGDEN · AMY FORTIER ’98 CHERYL WHITE ’96 · AILEEN CARLSON DREIBELBIS ’06 · JAMIE MALACHOWSKI ’09 · KIM STENMAN ’07 · KELLY O’MARA ’92 WHITES · SHAWN BERKEBILE ’05 DAWNE FRITZ ’86 VEET · L. JAY LEMONS · MARTY PINTER ’98 · KELLY JOCKWER ’16 · SKYLER DEITRICK ’14 Susquehanna Champions will be honored with a special VIP event during Homecoming–Reunion Weekend, Sept. 9–11, andnrecognized SU publications and on the website. 49 spri g 2 01 6 in · Susquehanna Currents ·

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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY 514 University Ave. Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1164

SEPT. 9–11 HOMECOMING– REUNION WEEKEND Celebrating reunions for 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. The weekend will feature these perennial favorites and much more!

REUNION LUNCHES IN THE FIELD HOUSE • HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME KIDS CARNIVAL • ALL-ALUMNI TENT PARTY • EVENING ENTERTAINMENT AT TRAX SUSQUEHANNA CHAMPIONS VIP EVENT • NEW MASCOT IMAGES WILL BE REVEALED, TOO!

OCT. 28–30 FAMILY WEEKEND

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Have a ghoulish good weekend visiting your student!

The weekend will include A WELCOME RECEPTION WITH PRESIDENT AND MRS. L. JAY LEMONS INFORMATION SESSIONS • THE STUDENT MUSICAL SPORTING EVENTS • FAMILY-FUN ACTIVITIES

!

LOOK FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT EACH EVENT IN YOUR MAILBOX THIS SUMMER! 5/5/16 10:04 AM