Kohawks around the world

Transcription

Kohawks around the world
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Kohawks around
the world
Efforts highlighted in
Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra
Leone, Afghanistan
and Swaziland
Study abroad pictorial
Student entries featured
in ACM contest
Contemporary Issues Forum
Sir Salman Rushdie
on modern literature
Faculty Profile
Terry Heller reflects on
38 years at Coe
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UPPER GAGE MAKES WAY FOR PHIFER COMMONS
T
he upper lobby of
Gage Memorial
Union was
transformed over the winter
into the Jim and Linnie
Phifer Commons. Student
Senate unanimously voted
to designate $225,000 over
a three-year period toward
the project, using unspent
funds returned by clubs and
organizations. An additional
$25,000 was contributed by
Sodexo Dining Services.
The project resulted from
brainstorming between
Career Services, Admission
and student groups that
use the space for their
meetings. In response to
concerns raised by students
about the lack of functional
space for group use, upper
Gage has been transformed
into a student-friendly
environment.
“We wanted prospective
and current students to be
excited about the space,”
said Student Body President
Anna Barton ’14. “We had
heard enough from students
that we wanted to give Coe
the union it deserves.”
The cold, industrial and
uninviting space has been
transformed into one
that features a fireplace,
comfortable seating and
tables, and computer
stations and a printer. The
remodeling included flat
screen televisions and a
drop-down projector screen.
“This renovation presents
an opportunity to thank
President Phifer and his
wife, Linnie, for their years
of service to the college,”
Barton said.
James Phifer is retiring
in June after serving 18
years as Coe’s president.
David McInally has been
selected as the 15th president
in the 160-year history of
the college. McInally, who
currently serves as executive
vice president and treasurer
at Allegheny College in
Meadville, Pa., will take
office on July 1.
In advance of an official
open house, the Phifer
Commons hosted the
appetizer portion of the 39th
annual International Club
banquet on Feb. 24. Cuisine
from around the world was
featured at the popular
community event.
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Student Body President
Anna Barton ’14 and Vice
President Max Stanford
’14 announce the project
to remodel the upper
lobby of Gage Memorial
Union in honor of Coe
President Jim Phifer and
his wife, Linnie.
The newly remodeled
Jim and Linnie Phifer
Commons hosted a large
crowd of International
Club banquet attendees
on Feb. 24.
The refurbished Gage
lobby offers computer
stations and printer for
student use.
Comfortable furnishings
and flat-screen televisions
are among the modern
features of Phifer
Commons.
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DeAnna Marguglio ’13 won third place in the people category of the 2012-13 Associated Colleges of
the Midwest study abroad photo contest with her May photo from a Swaziland primary school. More
study abroad photo contest entries, and information on the Swaziland trip and efforts by Kohawks
around the world are featured in this issue of the Courier.
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Vol. 112 No. 3 Winter 2013
F E AT U R ES
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EDITOR
Lonnie Zingula
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Christina Kroemer
PHOTOGRAPHERS
George Henry ’49
Dan Kempf
Celebrated author Sir Salman Rushdie asserted that
literature has a place in bringing the truths of the world
to light. He also encouraged Coe students to write if
they feel their stories must be told.
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SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR
Ryan Workman
WEBMASTER
Andy Molison ’03
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND
PUBLIC RELATIONS
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Orphanage business knows no recession
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Educating Afghanistan now full-time
work for Kharoti
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI PROGRAMS
Jean Johnson
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
Heather Daniels ’95
COE COLLEGE PRESIDENT
James Phifer
Address changes and inquiries
regarding alumni records
may be addressed to Amber Oritz,
Office of Advancement,
phone (319) 399-8542, or email:
advancementservices@coe.edu.
Visit the Courier online at:
http://coe.edu/courier
Many alumni have added their
email addresses to Coe’s home
page. To add yours, write the
Office of Alumni Programs or
visit Coe’s website.
Contact the Courier editor at:
courier@coe.edu or (319) 399-8613.
The Coe Courier is published for
alumni of the college, parents of
current and former students, and
recent contributors to Coe’s Annual
Fund. The magazine is published in
the spring, summer and winter by
Coe College, 1220 First Avenue NE,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402.
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Entrepreneur and businessman Kevin McGuire ’89 has
endured the Great Recession and struggling economy
of recent years even as his orphan rescue efforts have
thrived in Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
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A decade after first realizing his dream to educate girls
and boys in his native Afghanistan village, the quest
continues for Mohammad Khan Kharoti ’75.
Rod Pritchard
VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT
Dick Meisterling
Retired Korir champions hometown
health clinic
After 32 years in management, Kip Korir ’74 could
have chosen to retire in urban Kenya, where essential
amenities are readily available. Instead, the Kohawk
Athletic Hall of Famer stayed in rural Kericho and has
worked to improve the lives of 10,000 people served by
the Kebeneti Health Center.
CLASS NOTES ASSISTANT
Courtney Steinford ’14
PROOFREADER
James Larkin
Contemporary Issues Forum with
Sir Salman Rushdie
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Coe service in Swaziland grows
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Photos from study abroad
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Faculty Profile: Terry Heller
Groundwork laid in in 2006 has resulted in biennial
opportunities for Coe students to lend a hand in
impoverished Swaziland.
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From 72 photos submitted by 18 students in the annual
Coe off-campus study photo contest, 10 were entered
in the 2012-13 ACM study abroad photo contest.
Howard Hall Professor of English Terry Heller feels lucky
to have found his teaching career at Coe College. Now,
as he prepares for retirement 38 years later, he is glad he
was able to serve this small liberal arts college and the
many students he has helped discover a bigger world.
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D EPA RTM EN TS
2 SLINGA DA INK/
PUSHA DA PEN
5 CAMPUS
BRIEFS
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8 SPORT
SHORTS
24 CLASS
NOTES
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FIELD STATION MEMORIES
PRE-DATE COE
Long before I had heard of Coe College,
I had heard of the Wilderness Field
Station. My family had a cabin on the
South Kawishawi River near Birch Lake.
A group of university women had North
Woods Night every Wednesday during
the summer at the Ely Junior College.
Dr. R.V. Drexler and others working
and learning at the station would come
and make a presentation at least once a
summer. The first one I remember was
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an evening of leeches. Too many
species of leeches to count, but some
good soul at the station was doing a
study on them. It kept me out of the
lake for a couple of weeks. We loved
the information from the Wilderness
Field Station and I am so glad that
it is still going strong. After I joined
the Coe family, it was fun to see Dr.
Drexler out of the lab and enjoying
the north woods.
Anne Murphy Worth ’70
Kansas City, Mo.
R
The Courier invites letters on its contents or topics related to the college. Letters may be edited for style,
length and clarity. Send letters to: Courier@coe.edu or Coe Courier 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
GETTING TO ELLEN: A
MEMOIR ABOUT LOVE,
HONESTY AND GENDER
CHANGE
By Ellen Krug ’79
A March 28 reading and book signing
is scheduled at Coe for the memoir of
Minneapolis attorney Ellen Krug ’79.
“Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about
Love, Honesty and Gender Change”
was published by Stepladder Press.
“Getting to Ellen” tells the story of
Krug’s start in life as a boy named Ed,
who grew up in an alcoholic household
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in New Jersey, and then later, in Cedar
Rapids. When he was 15, Ed fell in love
with Lydia, a kind and loving 16-yearold. Soul mates, Ed and Lydia planned
out a life done right, a Grand Plan
which eventually came to fruition –
Ed’s successful career as a trial lawyer,
a house in the best neighborhood, two
beautiful and adoring daughters, and
money in the bank.
that Ed loved, including Lydia.
Against this backdrop, Ed struggled
with the legacy of Tom Terrific, his
alcoholic father, who later committed
suicide when Ed was an adult. Secrets
revealed after Tom Terrific’s death, as
One Christmas, Lydia surprised Ed
with a pastel drawing of their daughters
drawing in chalk, “Welcome Home
Daddy!” The drawing was symbolic of
Ed’s picture-perfect life.
All was perfect except for one thing:
Ed lived in the wrong gender. For
much of his life, he fought an internal
battle “with bare knuckles in the mud”
resisting an inner voice that told him
he was actually female. Giving into that
voice would mean losing everything
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THE INHABITANTS
well as the national tragedy of Sept. 11,
forced Ed to honestly understand who
– and which gender – he really was.
By Jason Bradford ’10
The debut poetry collection by Jason
Bradford ’10 highlights the strangeness
that can be found in familiar
environments. “The Inhabitants”
features poems based on close
observations of the way individuals
interact with flora and fauna.
Eventually, Ed transitioned to Ellen.
Her transition was possible only
through grit, determination and
tremendous luck. Along the way,
Ellen was helped by Thap, a friend
since middle school, and Mark,
Ellen’s brother. A therapist, Sam “the
Hammer,” played a crucial role in
helping Ellen to understand that above
all else, loving yourself as who you
truly are is key to finding inner peace.
“Getting to Ellen” helps remind us of
the need to be authentic and true to
one’s self, regardless of the costs. It is
much more than a unique story about
some things lost and others gained.
Krug’s memoir offers perspective on
the life challenges that all of us face –
transgender or not.
Krug is a freelance writer for several
publications and frequent lecturer
on the life lessons learned during her
gender journey. She presently serves
as executive director of a Twin Citiesbased nonprofit organization.
“Getting to Ellen: A Memoir
about Love, Honesty and Gender
Change,” 326 pages, is available
through Stepladder Press, Amazon.
com, eBooks, and select bookstores.
Visit www.gettingtoellen.com for
information about readings, including
one scheduled for 4:30 p.m. March 28
in Kesler Lecture Hall at Coe.
DECLARING WAR:
CONGRESS, THE
PRESIDENT, AND WHAT
THE CONSTITUTION
DOES NOT SAY
By Brien Hallett ’66
“Declaring War” directly challenges
the 200-year-old belief that Congress
can and should declare war. By
offering a detailed analysis of the
declarations of 1812, 1898 and the
War Powers Resolution of 1973, the
book demonstrates the extent of the
organizational and moral incapacity of
Congress to declare war.
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“To exist is to affect the existence of
another, positively and negatively,”
notes Bradford. “These poems are
the result of my close consideration
of broad concepts: being, the animal,
the human, and the environment they
share, and their relations.”
This book invokes Carl von Clausewitz’s
dictum that “war is policy” to explain
why declarations of war are an integral
part of war and proposes two possible
remedies – a constitutional amendment
or, alternatively, a significant
reorganization of Congress. It offers
a comprehensive historical, legal,
constitutional, moral and philosophical
analysis of why Congress has failed to
check an imperial presidency.
The book draws on Roman history and
international law to clarify the form,
function and language of declarations
of war, and John Austin’s speech act
theory to investigate why and how a
“public announcement” is essential for
the social construction of both war and
the rule of law.
Brien Hallett ’66 is an associate
professor at the Matsunaga Institute
for Peace at the University of HawaiiManoa, where he teaches courses
in peace and conflict resolution.
His primary research interest is the
declaration of war and the historical,
legal, constitutional, moral and
philosophical issues that surround
it. Hallett is the author of “The Lost
Art of Declaring War” (1998). He
previously taught English composition
and language at the University of
Hawaii, and in Taiwan, Japan and
France. After graduating from Coe, he
served four years in the Marines.
The chapbook was released at a Jan.
31 reading at the Hearst Center for the
Arts in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Copies of
“The Inhabitants” are available at the
Hearst Center and University Book
and Supply in Cedar Falls and Red
Cedar Books in Waterloo. It can also be
obtained directly from Final Thursday
Press (www.finalthursdaypress.com)
and online at Amazon.com. The
collection features cover art by Iowa
City artist Mary F. Coats.
This debut collection has been praised
by “Blood Almanac” author Sandy
Longhorn. “‘The Inhabitants’ is a
book concerned with the ephemeral
and fragile nature of life, from the
human to the avian, from the inset to
the ocean-dwellers, from the trees and
the wind to the micro-organisms,”
she said. “In each poem, Bradford
searches, relentlessly and with precise
observation, for what binds the living
together. At one point the speaker
states, ‘Maybe the pang beneath my
ribcage is/connection,’ and it is on
that “maybe” that the entire collection
hinges. These are poems of translucence
and haunting, poems that force us again
“Declaring War,” 287 pages, is
available in paperback for $32.99 from
Cambridge University Press. ISBN
9781107608573.
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Light.” He has published two books, one
of poetry, “The Heretic Hotel,” from
the Laurel Poetry Collective, and one of
nonfiction, “A Season on the Mat: Dan
Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection,”
from Simon & Schuster. Zavoral lives in
St. Paul, Minn.
and again to remember that we inhabit
only this one moment and what we do
with this moment matters.”
J.D. Schraffenberger, author of “Saint
Joe’s Passion,” says “even the animals that
populate these poems appear as though
from the realm of dream, or from a longforgotten mythology we need desperately
to recall – from a hummingbird caught in
the poet’s throat, to a sparrow nested in
his stomach, to the pair of uncannily real
owl statues perched in a field. Here is a
longing for connection to the real, for an
ecological integration humans have never
quite been able to attain...[These poems]
will charm and unsettle you in the most
necessary ways.”
Bradford lives in Center Point. He is a
graduate of both Coe and the University
of Northern Iowa, and he is the blog
editor of Cant Journal.
Final Thursday Press is the awardwinning, Cedar Falls-based literary
publisher of perfect-bound collections and
chapbooks of literary poetry and fiction
released in limited, numbered editions.
The press focuses on works by regional
writers and sponsors public readings at
various locations in the Cedar Valley.
“The Inhabitants,” 32 pages, is available
for $8.95 (plus $1 for shipping) from Final
Thursday Press, 815 State St., Cedar Falls,
IA 50613.
YOU POOR BABY (4)
Don’t bother turning it on. It’s already on.
It’s always on.
Take this blank sheet of paper and slide it behind
the roller and turn this knob and scroll up the
paper. Drop the bar over the paper.
There: an 8 1/2 x11 screen-saver.
Now, start keying in something — typing, we used
to call it. Note the robust, affirmative
thwack sound — first heard 140 years ago in
Kleinsteuber’s Machine Shop
in Milwaukee, where Christopher Latham Sholes
(Home-Row Sholes, as we call him) sat on a work
bench before a contraption he and two friends had
hammered and hair-pinned together, and tapped
out “the quick brown fox,”or its approximation.
O, the beautiful, bountiful progeny! The
first Underwood, heavy and black, reeking
dependability, its strutting oval keys to become
today’s cuff links. And the sleeky, cheeky Blue
Royal, with its rounded-off keys.
And the first Corona, with a fold-away space lever,
midwife of the prose of Pyle, of Hemingway. And
look: I carried this green Olivetti Underwood —
light as a postage stamp, tough as a sewer rat — to
countless press boxes...but why go on? The IBM
Selectric, with its evil silver tumor pivoting to slap
print on the page, begot word processors, which
begot computers.
Computers!
Let us bow toward the West and Bill Gates!
Let us lose our files and our minds in our
misguided march from machines that
never, not once, forced us to do either.
“Sequences Dark and Light,” 36 pages, is
available for $10 from Red Bird Chapbooks
(www.redbirdchapbooks.com).
fails to diminish Buster’s fascination with
felines. When Cat = 100 and Hotdog =
4, there’s little chance that the dog will
simply take his focus off kitty, especially
if he’s not hungry.
In “Dog Algebra,” Tammie Johnson
Rogers ’82 solves the equation by
offering a simple, straightforward,
natural and effective way to overcome
training situations that positive
reinforcement fails to resolve. The
common sense principles described in
this book will help every dog owner
develop a more trusting, confident,
respectful and enjoyable relationship
with their canine companion.
“Dog Algebra” is amazing,
uncomplicated, winning advice all
served up in a concise, easy to read
book authored by a highly experienced
educator of dogs and their people.
Rogers and her husband, Robert, live in
Brownstown, Ill., where they own and
operate DarnFar Ranch, a full-service
professional dog training facility. In
2011, they founded Committed Canine,
a not-for-profit corporation dedicated
to the training and education of service
dogs and their disabled handlers.
Rogers previously authored “4-H Guide:
Dog Training & Dog Tricks” (Voyageur
Press, 2009) and “T.E.A.C.H. Your Own
Service Dog” (www.Lulu.com, 2011). In
“Dog Algebra,” she uses her 25 years of
working with dogs and their people to
continue her discussion on how to forge a
happy, respectful and loyal partnership.
“Dog Algebra,” 122 pages, is available in
paperback for $10.69 from CreateSpace.
ISBN 1479170631.
DOG ALGEBRA:
WHEN POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT FAILS
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
By Tammie Johnson Rogers ’82
SEQUENCES DARK
AND LIGHT
By Nolan Zavoral ’65
After 25 years writing for newspapers,
Nolan Zavoral ’65 quit to write the kind
of poetry found in “Sequences: Dark and
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Sometimes things just don’t add up.
Using positive reinforcement to train
a dog can be a fun, rewarding and
successful endeavor... until a cat saunters
into the room. Using food to redirect
Buster’s attention away from Miss Kitty
is often recommended, and as often it
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FELLER HONORED WITH
PRESTIGIOUS WORTH
SEAGONDOLLAR PHYSICS
AWARD
as the Outstanding Chapter Advisor
nationally in 2000, serving two terms
as SPS Zone 11 Councilor, providing
leadership for SPS’s program to study
the effectiveness of the Undergraduate
Research Experience in Physics,
serving two terms as Sigma Pi Sigma
President, and having led the planning
for both the 2008 and 2012 Sigma Pi
Sigma Congresses, to great acclaim.
In every way, he has served the Physics
Community, Sigma Pi Sigma, and
the Society of Physics Students with
distinction.”
Feller earned his Ph.D. at Brown
University and has taught at Coe since
1979. His research in physics centers
on the atomic structure and physical
properties of glass. Working with Coe
Physics Professor Mario Affatigato ’89
and more than 200 student colleagues,
he has published nearly 140 papers in
the refereed literature of the field. Also,
Feller has edited a number of books on
glass science. He and his students have
given more than 200 presentations at
well over 100 national and international
conferences.
B.D. Silliman Professor of Physics Steve Feller
B.D. Silliman Professor of Physics
Steve Feller was recently presented
with the prestigious Sigma Pi Sigma
Worth Seagondollar Award at the 2012
Quadrennial Physics Congress, held
in Orlando, Fla. Presented only once
every four years, the award recognizes
extraordinary levels of service and
commitment to Sigma Pi Sigma - the
National Honor Society in Physics – as
well as the Society of Physics Students
(SPS).
During the award presentation, it
was noted that Feller “has been both
an exemplary researcher in the area
of glass physics and an extraordinary
mentor of young scientists at
Coe College, directing both his
own research group as well as the
college Research Experiences for
Undergraduates program, and has been
an inspirational leader for its Society
of Physics (SPS) Chapter, recognized
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Since 1983, Feller and his colleagues
have garnered more than $7 million
from a large number of foundations,
including the National Science
Foundation, to support physics research
at Coe. He has been the recipient of
numerous awards and honors, including
being named as a Fulbright Scholar,
a Distinguished Iowa Scientist by the
Iowa Academy of Sciences, and the Iowa
Professor of the Year by the Carnegie
Foundation. He is an active member
in several professional associations,
including The American Ceramic
Society, the American Physical Society
and the Society of Glass Technology
in the United Kingdom. He is a past
national president of Sigma Pi Sigma.
Feller also has a research-level interest
in numismatics, the study of the history
of money. In this area, he has published
over 50 articles, parts of several books,
and in 2007 he co-authored (with his
daughter, Ray) “Silent Witnesses:
Civilian Camp Money of World War
II,” – now the standard in the field.
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CONE PAINTING SETS
SOTHEBY’S RECORD
Marvin Cone ’14 just took a giant step
out from Grant Wood’s shadow.
Cone’s 1936 oil painting, “Stone City
Landscape,” has sold at auction for
$752,500 — a record for the Cedar
Rapids native who has not enjoyed the
worldwide fame of Wood, his lifelong
friend, colleague and collaborator in the
Stone City Art Colony of 1932 and ’33.
Sotheby’s New York sold the Cone
work Nov. 29 during its American Art
Auction, which tallied $27.6 million,
exceeding expected sales of $24.2
million. The Cone piece, privately held
for 25 years, far exceeded its expected
selling range of $120,000 to $180,000.
Multiple bidders drove up the price,
but Sotheby’s officials said they cannot
divulge the buyer’s identity.
“It seems as if collectors are paying
more attention to his work,” Cedar
Rapids Museum of Art Curator Sean
Ulmer told the Gazette. “He’s had
other strong sales in the past, but this
piece is particularly stunning.”
Sotheby’s also sold Cone’s “The
Appointed Room” for $80,500 on
Sept. 28. Other recent sales range
Marvin Cone ’14 in his studio in Old
Main in 1948.
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from $4,740 for “In a Paris Park” and
$34,160 for “Cloud Patterns,” both in
September, to $186,000 for his “Farm
Silhouette,” sold at Jackson’s in 2011.
Known as a Regionalist painter, Cone
(1891-1965) explored various subjects
during his prolific career. The Cedar
Rapids Museum of Art holds more
than 500 of his works, ranging from
landscapes, clouds and circus scenes to
architecture, doors and stairs.
Cone returned to his alma mater as a
French instructor in 1919 and started
Coe’s Art Department in 1934. He
taught for more than four decades at
Coe, retiring in 1960 and remaining
as artist-in-residence until 1963. A
gallery named in honor of his wife,
Winnifred, in Stewart Memorial
Library contains more than 60 of his
paintings and drawings. The Coe
holdings are particularly noteworthy
in that the majority of the pieces were
personally selected by Cone himself,
as representative of major stylistic
watersheds in his career
Bathing birds was one of 21 thematic displays in the 25th anniversary exhibit of Third Grade Clay.
“THIRD GRADE CLAY”
CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN
COE ART GALLERIES
Nearly 1,200 third graders from 21
area elementary schools displayed
their artwork at Coe as part of a
quarter century collaboration between
the college and the Cedar Rapids
Community School District. “Third
Grade Clay” ran Jan. 18 through Feb. 3
in the Marvin Cone and Eaton-Buchan
Galleries of Sinclair Auditorium.
In its 25th year, “Third Grade
Clay” provides young artists with
the opportunity to show threedimensional work in a professional
environment. Generally, the young
artists from each elementary craft an
individual piece of clay in conjunction
with the theme selected by the school,
yielding nearly two dozen creative
displays.
The program was initially organized
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by Coe Art Professor John Beckelman
to give young students an outlet
to display their three-dimensional
work. While elementary schools
typically have lots of wall space to
display paintings and drawings,
Beckelman says it’s more challenging
for elementary school art teachers to
find places to showcase clay creations.
In the mid-1980s, Beckelman and local
elementary art instructors began a
dialogue about creating a show at Coe,
and the third grade level was believed
to be ideal for the young artists to
display their work. As a result, the
“Third Grade Clay” art show was
created and has become a community
tradition.
COE’S CHAPTER OF THE
AMERICAN CHEMICAL
SOCIETY HONORED
The American Chemical Society
(ACS) has awarded the Coe College
student chapter with an Honorable
Mention Award for the 2011-12
academic year. The Coe chapter was
selected from more than 350 ACS
student chapters around the country.
In addition, Chemistry Professor
Martin St. Clair, who serves as faculty
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advisor to the chapter, received special
commendation for his work to make it
a successful organization.
“Few faculty members are willing to
make the great commitment of time
and energy that a successful chapter
requires,” said ACS President Bassam
Shakhashiri. “Professor St. Clair’s
efforts certainly represent the best in
undergraduate science education and
mentoring around the country.”
In all, the Society Committee on
Education of the ACS presented 46
outstanding, 81 commendable and
114 honorable mention awards. Lists
of award-winning chapters were
published in Chemical & Engineering
News and in the November/December
issue of inChemistry. The awardwinning chapters will also be honored
at the 245th ASC National Meeting in
New Orleans on April 7.
COE FACULTY TO
PARTICIPATE IN ACM’S
MEDITERRANEAN
TRIVIUM SEMINAR
A dozen faculty from an eclectic set of
disciplines in the Associated Colleges
of the Midwest (ACM) – geology to
art to political science, to name a few
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from a variety of disciplinary
perspectives. In the months leading
up to the trip to Italy, the seminar
leaders will refine the syllabus to
integrate the particular expertise of the
participating faculty, who will share in
leading discussions.
– have been selected to participate in
the Mediterranean Trivium: Earth,
Sea, and Culture, a seminar exploring
the interplay between humans and the
natural world over time.
This is the second of the ACMMellon Seminars in Advanced
Interdisciplinary Learning (SAIL), a
five-year program aimed at supporting
faculty as they develop innovative,
multi-disciplinary curricula for upperlevel students. The series of seminars,
two at international sites and three at
locations in the U.S., is funded by a
generous grant from The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation.
At each location, according to the
leaders, the seminar will focus on
the interrelation between natural
and cultural environments, and how
the specific conditions at the sites
have inspired efforts by people over
the centuries to shape, alter and
manipulate their surroundings.
The faculty have outlined multidisciplinary curricular projects they
plan to develop as a result of their
participation in the seminar, such
as creating new courses or course
modules, or adding interdisciplinary
materials and depth to courses they
currently teach. Informed by the
experience in Italy, they will work on
those projects throughout the 2013-14
academic year.
The three Coe faculty members who
were selected for this seminar are
Assistant Professor of Art Andrea
Kann, Professor of Chemistry Marty
St. Clair and Assistant Professor of
History Angela Ziskowski. Other
seminar participants, who applied as
teams of three, are from Carleton,
Luther, and St. Olaf Colleges. They
will be led by the trio of Colorado
College professors who proposed the
topic and developed the preliminary
syllabus for the seminar.
Juniors Anna Barton ’14 and Max
Stanford ’14 were reelected president
and vice president in January’s Student
Senate elections.
The Mediterranean Trivium will
include an intensive, 11-day onsite
portion in Italy this summer. Based in
Florence, the group will take day and
overnight trips to Rome, Pisa, Pompeii
and Mt. Vesuvius, and other areas. The
itinerary is built around a series of case
studies, all of which can be approached
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Barton and Stanford both received a
Clark Merit Scholarship for the 201213 school year. Their platform focused
on finishing what they started with
initiatives targeting the environment,
student life, campus dining,
accessibility and campus safety.
STUDENT SENATE
LEADERS REELECTED
“We’re particularly pleased with
the broad range of disciplinary
and regional expertise among the
participants,” said ACM Senior
Program Officer David Schodt “Along
with their depth of knowledge, the
group as a whole has a lot of experience
in creating innovative curriculum
and, in turn, implementing new
curricular models. That’s clear from
their accomplishments as teachers and
scholars, as well as from the potential
projects they proposed in applying to
participate in this seminar.”
W I N T E R
member of Student Affairs Committee
and has twice represented Coe at
NCAA-sponsored conferences. A
guard for the Kohawk men’s basketball
team, he has been named to the
Academic All-Iowa Conference Team.
Stanford also served as a student
representative on the Presidential
Search Committee.
Barton, from St. Paul, Minn., is a
business administration and economics
major and a member of the College
Scholars Program. She is vice president
of administration for Delta Delta Delta
sorority. She participates in Religious
Life activities, serves on the Student
Affairs Committee and is a member of
the Sustainability Council. She works
in the Writing Center and gives back
to Coe by working for Phonathon.
Student body leaders Max Stanford ’14 and Anna Barton ’14
Stanford, of Superior, Colo., is an
elementary education major and a
member of the College Scholars
Program. He is a member of the
Student Athletic Advisory Committee
and works as a tour guide for
Admissions. He also serves as a
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FIRST OUTRIGHT
IIAC TITLE FOR COE
FOOTBALL
It was another record-breaking
season for the Kohawk football team
in 2012. Coe won the outright Iowa
Conference title, while finishing the
season 10-0. Coe put together an
11-game winning streak, the third
longest in the country at the time,
dating back to last season. Coe’s
league title was the fourth in school
history, while they completed the
10th undefeated season in school
history, the first since 1993.
Coe opened the season with
defending Midwest Conference
champion Monmouth. The Fighting
Scots advanced to the second
round of the playoffs last year and
looked to provide an early test for
the Kohawks. Gage Mohs ’14
rushed for 173 yards and three
touchdowns, while being named to
the D3football.com National Team
of the Week, in Coe’s 33-3 victory.
Week two brought the first football
game between Coe and Cornell as
members of different conferences.
While it was the closest game
between the rivals in five years, Coe
beat the Rams 34-14 for the 13th
straight win in the series.
The Kohawks’ final non-conference
game was at Washington University
in St. Louis. Coe led from start to
finish in the 20-14 victory that saw
quarterback Mark Atwater ’16 rush
for two scores.
Coe opened Iowa Conference play
with a pair of blowouts, as it shutout
Buena Vista 51-0 on Homecoming
and beat Loras 69-7.
Coe’s first road league game was
in Dubuque, as the Kohawks faced
the defending Iowa Conference
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Defensive end Frank Weymiller ’13 became the first three-time football All-American in Iowa
Conference history.
champions. It was a back-and-forth
affair, but a Mohs’ touchdown with
:48 to play, followed by a twopoint conversion, sent the game to
overtime. Jared McNutt ’13 found
Jared Kuehner ’13 for the gamewinning touchdown, as Coe won
41-38 in double overtime.
selected to host an NCAA
Division III Playoff game, but
17th-ranked Elmhurst came out on
top 27-24. The Bluejays featured
Gagliardi Trophy Winner Scottie
Williams, the third winner of the
national player of the year award Coe
has faced the last four years.
The Kohawks traveled to Simpson
the following week in a game
featuring the only two remaining
unbeaten teams in the league.
It was all Coe, as McNutt
was 28-of-30 passing in the 47-7
victory. McNutt’s passing
percentage was the
second highest in NCAA
history.
The Kohawks finished the season
ranked 15th in both the D3football.com
Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches Top
25 poll.
Coe locked up the league
title with back-to-back
35-7 victories over
Wartburg and Luther. In
the final regular season
game of the year, the
Kohawks turned the ball
over the first two times
they touched it, but
overcame that for a 34-13
victory against Central.
For the second time in
school history, Coe was
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Wide receiver Jared Kuehner ’13 leaves Coe with five school records.
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VOLLEYBALL WINS 15
STRAIGHT IN IIAC
The defending Iowa Conference
champion Kohawk volleyball team
was picked to finish second by the
league coaches in the 2012 preseason
poll. Coe finished the year 20-13
and 6-1 in league play to take second
place behind Wartburg.
Coe opened the season at the
Augustana Tournament, where the
Kohawks went 3-1 with wins over
Clarke, Knox and Blackburn. After
a rough tournament at Augsburg,
Emily Ryan ’13 earned All-Iowa Conference honors for the
third time in her career.
where the Kohawks dropped four
straight matches, Coe bounced back
to beat Luther in five games in the
Iowa Conference opener for both
teams.
After splitting its matches on the
first day, Coe finished second at the
Simpson Invite with a 3-1 record.
Coe then hosted Central in its home
opener and hit .319 to sweep the
Dutch 3-0. It was the first shutout of
Central in school history.
The Kohawks ran their winning
streak to five, as they won the
Grinnell Invite. The Kohawks
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opened the tournament with a 3-0
win over Central for Coe’s second
shutout victory over the Dutch in
the same week. The Kohawks then
picked up a 3-1 win over Grinnell
before ending the tournament with
a 3-0 win over Rockford.
Coe recorded nine straight wins
going into the first week of October
as they beat Loras 3-0. The win
over the Duhawks was the seventh
shutout in Coe’s nine-match
winning streak.
After dropping their final two
matches of the WisconsinPlatteville Invite to
St. Catherine and
Wisconsin-Platteville,
the Kohawks picked up
two Iowa Conference
wins over Dubuque
and Simpson. The
win over Simpson
was the 15th straight
in league play and
clinched a berth in the
IIAC Tournament. In
between the league
wins, Cornell downed
the Kohawks 3-0 in a
Bremner Cup Series
match.
Coe saw its streak
of 15-straight
regular season
Iowa Conference
victories come to an end, as 11thranked Wartburg beat Coe 3-0
for the regular season conference
championship. Third-seeded Loras
knocked off the second-seeded
Kohawks 3-1 in the semifinals of
the Iowa Conference Tournament.
Rachel Schaefer ’15 had a matchhigh 27 kills, the most by an Iowa
Conference player this year and a
new school record. She hit .362 in
the match on 58 attempts.
Alissa Wittenburg ’15 was named to the All-Iowa
Conference team after leading the league in digs
with 111.
with 114 and ranked second in kills
with 93. Schaefer was also fourth in
aces with 12, while ranking seventh
with a .278 hitting percentage.
Rachel Bosworth ’15 ranked fifth
in the conference with a .315 hitting
percentage. Alissa Wittenburg ’15
led the league in digs with 111.
The Kohawks return five of six
starters next year. Coe also has
three All-Iowa Conference players
returning to the lineup.
Emily Ryan ’13 led the Iowa
Conference with 266 assists, while
Schaefer led the league in points
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Truth in
storytelling
Rushdie makes the case for literature
at Contemporary Issues Forum
by Rod Pritchard
Speaking at the 10th Coe College
Contemporary Issues Forum, celebrated
author Sir Salman Rushdie asserted that
even in the modern information age,
literature has a place in bringing the truths
of the world to light. He also encouraged
Coe students to write if they feel their
stories must be told.
Rushdie is best known for writing “The
Satanic Verses,” which became a center
of controversy in the Islamic world.
Consequently, the spiritual leader of Iran,
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, called the
book “blasphemous against Islam” and
issued a fatwā calling for Rushdie’s death
on Valentine’s Day in 1989 – 24 years to the
week before the author’s appearance in
Sinclair Auditorium. In response, Rushdie
lived in hiding under police protection in
the United Kingdom for several years. A
native of India, he has lived in New York
City since 2000.
An eclectic writer and noted public
intellectual, Rushdie has been awarded
many of the world’s top literary prizes.
For his masterwork of magic realism,
“Midnight’s Children,” Rushdie won the
prestigious Booker Prize, and later, the
Best of the Booker. His memoir “Joseph
Anton” (his secret alias while in hiding)
was published in September. Rushdie was
named by Foreign Policy magazine as one
of “2012’s Top 100 Global Thinkers.”
In terms of his conflict with the Ayatollah,
Rushdie quipped, “One of us is dead – do
not mess with novelists.” In fact, Rushdie
explained that several of the dictators
he portrayed in his novels were either
assassinated or died under mysterious
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circumstances, confirming that “the pen is
mightier than the sword.”
“Dictator elimination appears to be a
service that I can perform,” deadpanned
Rushdie to the delighted audience.
During his presentation, Rushie compared
the private acts of imagination that
manifest themselves in literature to the
public, political business of the world. He
recalled that throughout the history of
novels, literature was expected to bring
people news. For example, he explained
that when Charles Dickens wrote “The Life
and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,” it
conveyed important information about
the dreadful conditions of poor children
in substandard schools in the north of
England to the rest of the country.
“His novel literally brought that information
to large parts of the country which didn’t
know it was happening, and it was partly
instrumental in changes in the law in
England that made those kinds of abuses
illegal,” said Rushdie. Another example
Rushdie cited was when President
Abraham Lincoln reportedly said, “So,
you’re the little woman who started this big
war” to Harriet Beecher Stowe, reflecting
the enormous impact she had with the
publication of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
“You would think that this informational
function of literature is less important
now that we have so many other ways
of getting the news, with so many other
media to tell us what’s going on, but I have
a feeling that the more ways there are for
us to find out what’s happening, the less
we find out,” said Rushdie. “Literature can
still, in fact, fulfill a very important role
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10
C O U R I E R
in this area of bringing information. I’ve
always felt, as a reader, that the literature
of the world can bring us, as nothing else
can, the experience of what it is to live in
countries and societies which are not our
own, and thus to understand what the
world is like.”
The author discussed the frequent conflict
between writers and the people in power –
the conflict between literature and politics
– which he became caught up in after the
publication of “The Satanic Verses.”
“I’ve often thought that this may be
because both writers and politicians are in
a way engaged in the same business. Both
of them are trying to make portraits of the
world and encouraging you to buy them.
The difference is that when writers do this,
they put on the title pages of their books
‘a novel’ so that you know it is made up.
Politicians neglect to mention that they’re
making it up,” said Rushdie.
The author expressed concern that many
people today are being defined more
narrowly, based on a subset of their
political views, which he believes inevitably
leads to conflict.
“These days, identity politics seems to ask
us to define ourselves not by the things we
love, but by the things we hate,” observed
Rushdie.
According to Rushdie, literature provides
a vehicle to find compromise in people. He
encouraged audience members to seek
commonality rather than differences with
others.
“The more broadly we understand
ourselves as human beings, the easier it is
to find common ground. This is the thing
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regimes usually shut down that discourse
to create their own realities, which he called
“unfreedom.” Given his own experience, it
is not surprising that Rushdie has become
a strong advocate for freedom of speech,
which provides the foundation for people
to tell their stories. He believes that
writers and artists should take the lead in
pushing the boundaries to expand human
understanding, even when powerful forces
push back.
that literature has always known. Each of
us is 100 people; we are not one. And each
of us, when we meet another person, is
meeting another 100 people,” said Rushdie.
“I think one of the things literature can
do is to encourage a world view which in
turn encourages tolerance and civilization,
and sets itself up against this other view,
identity defined by hostility, which leads to
extremism and bigotry and conflict.”
Rushdie contended that the storytelling
conveyed through literature is essential and
unique to our humanism.
When asked his advice for young writers,
Rushdie replied, “Everybody who I’ve
known who is a real writer has just had this
thing eating at them. It’s not a choice. It’s a
necessity. You write the book because it’s
necessary (for you as the author), not for
the world, but for you. And then if you’re
lucky, the world might agree. Write the
books you have to write.”
“Man is the storytelling animal. We are
the only animal in the world that does this
strange thing of telling itself stories in order
to understand what kind of an animal it is,”
said Rushdie.
Noting that families are defined in part
by family stories, Rushdie noted that
the familiarity with these stories draws
everyone more closely into their families.
Conversely, an individual who doesn’t know
the family stories really doesn’t belong to
the family.
Below, Left to Right
“Stories are how we tell ourselves who we
are,” said Rushdie. “We live in what have
come to be called grand narratives – the big
stories.” He cited history, religion and nation
as examples of grand narratives.
Living in a free society, Rushdie asserted
that we have the ability to take those stories
and remake them, to argue about them
and to discard them, to satirize them, to
poke fun at them or to revere and defend
them. He affirmed that authoritarian
Celebrated author Sir Salman Rushdie was
greeted by Howard Hall Professor of English Terry
Heller and his wife, Linda, and Vice President
for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
Marie Baehr and her husband, Mark Timko, at a
reception and dinner preceding the Contemporary
Issues Forum.
As the 10th Contemporary Issues Forum speaker,
Sir Salman Rushdie encouraged Coe students
among the Sinclair Auditorium crowd to write the
stories they feel must be told.
Sir Salman Rushdie signs autographs for students
following his Feb. 12 appearance at Coe.
Established by the late K. Raymond Clark '30, the Contemporary Issues Forum presents the views of distinguished leaders whose work has received national or
international recognition. The forum has featured former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, former Poland President Lech Walesa, deep-sea oceanographer Robert
Ballard, civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau, ecological expert Jared Diamond,
award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts.
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RETIRED KORIR
CHAMPIONS HOMETOWN
HEALTH CLINIC
BY LONNIE ZINGULA
After 32 years in management with international tea trader
Finlays, Kip Korir ’74 could have chosen to retire in urban
Kenya, where essential amenities are readily available.
Instead, the Kohawk Athletic Hall of Famer stayed in rural
Kericho and has worked to improve the lives of 10,000
people served by the Kebeneti Health Center.
“I felt I needed to contribute to the livelihood of the
community,” he said.
The clinic was started in 1965 in a two-room mud
building. It was initially sponsored by a mission hospital
100 miles away and was staffed by a nurse. A doctor was
sent once a month to examine patients and transport
serious cases for hospital treatment. The service was
discontinued in 1982, and the clinic – now consisting of
seven rooms and a staff house for the nurse – was left to
a local church to manage. Between 1985 and 1990, the
clinic was not operational because the church was unable
to purchase drugs or employ staff.
In 1992, Korir bought land adjacent to the clinic and
began building the home he shares with his wife, Linner.
With no running water, they rely on roof water to meet
their household needs. “We don’t use much,” he said.
Meetings were held with church members with a goal of
reviving the clinic for residents who otherwise traveled on
foot over 15 miles to the nearest clinic or waited for one
of the few available vehicles to take them to a hospital 35
miles away. The church group raised funds which were
used to build a three observation rooms. Finlays donated
15 beds for the clinic and Korir bought mattresses
himself. He also organized the purchase of drugs on
credit from the store that supplied drugs to the
company hospital.
“WE GAVE THE
MONEY AND WE
SAW THE RESULTS.
WE KNOW IT
WASN’T WASTED.”
The government also started supplying vaccines to be
used on clinic days to immunize children. However, the
clinic continued to employ its staff from funds generated
from the small fees charged for treatment of those who
could afford to pay. At times, clinic staff was not paid for
months until adequate funds were generated. The low
^HNLZSLK[VOPNOZ[HMM[\YUV]LYHUKTHKLP[KPMÄJ\S[[V
H[[YHJ[X\HSPÄLKWLYZVUULS
After graduation from Coe, Korir returned to his native
Kenya and went to work as a junior manager for Finlays,
the world’s largest independent tea trader with extensive
tea and horticultural interests in Kenya, South Africa,
Sri Lanka and China with primary markets in the United
Kingdom, United States, Asia and Europe. “As a biology
major at Coe, my botany knowledge and liberal arts
education was useful in the operations and enabled me to
progress through the ranks of employment to the position
of corporate affairs director and deputy to the CEO of
the company in Kenya,” Korir said.
He retired in December 2007 after 32 years of service,
having put his six children through college; Pamela
and Mike in Kenya and Cindy Korir ’96, Diane Korir
’01, Karen Korir ’02 and Dan Korir ’07 at Coe.
Since retiring, Korir has served as chairman of the
clinic’s management committee. “I use my lawn
mower to cut grass at the clinic and, during dry
seasons, I use my pickup to transport water from a
nearby river for use at the clinic since we still rely on
roof water,” he said.
The clinic employs a nurse, two patient attendants,
a lab technician and a watchman who doubles as a
custodian. Twenty patients are seen on an average
KH`^P[OHZTHU`HZ]PZP[PUNVUVMÄJPHSJSPUPJKH`Z
each Tuesday and Thursday.
The prevalent diseases in the area are malaria,
dysentery, diarrhea and typhoid. Upper respiratory
tract infections are also frequently reported. Emerging
health concerns include diabetes, cancer and high
blood pressure, due to the rapid changes in people’s
lifestyles. Also, unprotected handling of pesticides is
causing unnecessary but preventable ailments.
Former Coe Cross Country Coach Dick Landis, who
was also an assistant track coach while Korir was
winning team and individual Midwest Conference
[YHJR[P[SLZH[*VLZH^[OLJSPUPJ»ZULLKZÄYZ[OHUK
during one of his frequent visits to Kenya, where
he works in a children’s home about 70 miles from
Kericho. Landis, from Big Sky, Mont., raised nearly
$5,000 from people who knew Korir at Coe and got
it matched by the charity Bread and Water for Africa.
The money was donated toward construction of a
permanent water supply for the clinic along with a
microscope Landis was able to acquire.
On a return visit last spring, Landis cut the tape on a
new delivery room named in his honor. “They’ve done
wonderful things with very limited resources,” he said.
Landis envisions Coe students traveling to Kenya
and volunteering at the clinic for “an international
experience of a lifetime.”
Anamosa, Iowa, veterinarian Brian Darrow, an Iowa
State track teammate of Korir’s brother, Dave, has
also assisted the clinic since launching a rabies
program in Kenya. After the clinic received a grant to
pay for a water line, his $5,000 donation was used
PUZ[LHK[V[PSLÅVVYZWHPU[HUKI\`H[HUR[VJVSSLJ[
rain water.
“I felt really, really good when we visited there (in
2012),” Darrow said. “We gave the money and we
saw the results. We know it wasn’t wasted.”
Despite the improvements, Korir said the clinic still
lacks essential equipment, such as refrigerators for
vaccines and lab materials, wheelchairs, baby cots,
ward beds, electronic centrifuge, a hemoglobin
machine, measuring cylinders, baby weighing scales,
and sterilizing equipment. The drug supply is limited
and funds are lacking to employ and house
X\HSPÄLKZ[HMM
“As a resident of this community, I try my best to get
PU[V\JO^P[ONV]LYUTLU[VMÄJPHSZMYPLUKZHUKKVUVYZ
who can come forward to assist to improve the health
of the needy local population who suffer or lose their
lives from preventable diseases,” Korir said.
)LJH\ZLVM[OLKPMÄJ\S[`JSLHYPUNKVUH[LKNVVKZ[OYV\NOJ\Z[VTZ2VYPYYLJVTTLUKZTVUL[HY`KVUH[PVUZHYL
the best way to assist the clinic. Tax deductible donations for the Kebeneti SPA Dispensary can be sent to Bread
and Water for Africa, 2550 Huntington Ave. Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22303 or online at www.africanrelief.org.
Note on checks or through the website that gifts are intended for “Kebeneti clinic.” Gifts totaling $5,000 or more
will be matched dollar for dollar by Bread and Water for Africa.
S Kenya is a country in East
Africa that lies on the equator.
With the Indian Ocean to its
southeast, it is bordered by
Tanzania to the south, Uganda
to the west, South Sudan to
the northwest, Ethiopia to
the north and Somalia to the
northeast.
e LEFT TO RIGHT:
Patients wait outside
Kebeneti Health Center in
Kericho, Kenya.
Coe Athletic Hall of Famer
Kip Korir ’74 (left) with
members of the Kebeneti
Health Center Board of
Directors.
Former Coe Cross Country
Coach and assistant track
coach Dick Landis of Big
Sky, Mont., cut the ribbon
in May on a delivery room
named in his honor at the
Kebeneti Health Center in
Kericho, Kenya.
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E
ntrepreneur and businessman
Kevin McGuire ’89 has endured
the Great Recession and
struggling economy of recent
years even as his orphan rescue efforts
have thrived.
McGuire and his wife, Phoelisa, of
Urbandale, Iowa, are co-owners of ABC
Herrington Sign and Display, Kindy’s
Promotional Apparel and McGuire
Properties. “Business is tough,” he said.
“We’re adjusting everything we do.”
The businesses support their personal
dedication to orphan causes.
In 2006, McGuire helped launch the
Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage at
the childhood home of co-founder Eric
Idehen in Benin City, Nigeria. Six years
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later, the Des Moines-based non-profit
has opened a second orphanage in
Sierra Leone and planning is underway
for a third in Senegal.
“It’s a great organization,” said McGuire,
who visited Sierra Leone in September
for the opening of the orphanage in
Pujehun. “Everybody works really hard.”
Located near the border with Liberia
in a former military barracks used by
both sides in a civil war, the Sierra Leone
facility opened with three orphaned
children and a capacity to house 20.
Bullet marks on the rented building
provide a lasting reminder of its history.
“It’s a neat justification that a place
where people waged war is now a place
to care for children,” McGuire said.
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After partnering with the government
to undertake the strenuous verification
process, more than 100 orphaned
children have been identified within
a 10-mile radius of Pujehun. Land
purchased on the edge of town
is where the orphanage plans to
establish a permanent presence
under the leadership of Jeff Corneh, a
Pujehun native who joined forces with
Cornerstone of Hope after moving to
Des Moines from Atlanta in 2010.
“We heavily believe education is the
way for these children to get out of
the poverty they’ve been striken with,”
McGuire said.
The Benin City orphanage provides
housing for up to 50 children, with some
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staying for six months or less before being
adopted, mostly by Nigerian parents. “We
almost can’t keep kids in the orphanage,
which is probably the best thing that could
happen,” McGuire said.
A girl currently in the process of being
adopted by a Des Moines couple will mark
the organization’s fourth international
adoption into an American family. “The
hardest government to deal with is the
United States,” noted McGuire, who
credited U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley for his
involvement as an advocate for adoptive
Iowa couples.
With three children of his own, McGuire
takes personal satisfaction in being part
of an organization that provides love and
shelter for orphans while paving the way
for them to join new families.
“I look at these kids like they’re my own
kids in my own house,” McGuire said. “I get
more out of it than I probably am giving.”
As for Sean, 14, Kyle, 13, and Megan, 7,
they chip in helping to lick envelopes and
mail newsletters for Cornerstone of Hope.
“I think it’s a great witness for them,”
McGuire said. “I hope they want to help
people too.”
For more information on the Cornerstone
of Hope Orphanage or to arrange
for a group presentation, visit www.
thehopeorphans.org. The non-profit
organization also has a page on Facebook
and will host the fifth annual Night Under
the African Stars fundraiser in West Des
Moines on Oct. 12.
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PHOTOS, LEFT TO RIGHT:
Pujehun native Jeff Corneh
(center) with Kevin McGuire ’89,
the orphanage manager and
children in Sierra Leone.
Kevin McGuire ’89 (left) with a
volunteer and Cornerstone of
Hope co-founder Eric Idehen
at the orphanage in Benin City,
Nigeria.
Kevin McGuire ’89 with
Elijah and Patrick, two of the
first children brought to the
orphanage in Benin City, Nigeria
after it opened in 2006.
Cornerstone of Hope
co-founders Eric Idehen and
Kevin McGuire ’89 on land
purchased for construction
of a permanent orphanage in
Pujehun, Sierra Leone.
Eric Idehen and Kevin McGuire
’89 visit a school in Sierra Leone.
Nigeria is situated at the
extreme inner corner of the Gulf
of Guinea on the west coast
of Africa. It borders with Chad
to the northeast, Cameroon to
the east, Benin to the west, and
Niger to the northwest.
Sierra Leone is a country in
West Africa that is bordered
by Guinea to the northeast,
Liberia to the southeast, and the
Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.
C O L L E G E
15
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
Educating Afghanistan now
full-time work for Kharoti
The school in Shin Kalay, Afghanistan is being
rebuilt with bricks salvaged from the original
school that was destroyed by rebels in 2008.
A
400 girls and 800 boys, ages 6 to 22
– attended Green Village Schools. By
October 2008, none did.
Enrollment totals about 700 boys, while
170 girls are schooled in private homes
because of continued unrest in the area.
Since retiring from his job in nuclear
medicine in 2011, Kharoti has been
working full time in support of Green
Village Schools, the Portland, Ore.-based
nonprofit organization he founded in 2002.
Rebels from north of Helmand province
descended on Shin Kalay, razing the
compound and making off with every
donated pencil, textbook, ream of paper,
chair, desk, computer, and even metal
support structures.
In 2010, Green Village Schools partnered
with New Mexico’s PeacePal and Afghan
Sister Village Project to receive a grant
to start an advanced education center in
Lashkar Gah. Kharoti retired from Kaiser
Permanente and spent five months in
Afghanistan setting up the project. The
center is equipped with 30 computers and
Internet access. Four university graduates
were interviewed via Skype and hired
to teach computer science, Internet and
English to 116 boys and 132 girls.
decade after first realizing his dream
to educate girls and boys in his native
Afghanistan village, the quest continues
for Mohammad Khan Kharoti ’75.
Kharoti first opened a school in Shin Kalay
(or, “Green Village”), in 2001, while the
Taliban still controlled Afghanistan. Six
female and 10 male first-grade students
grew quickly to 15 girls and 60 boys split
into two grades. Through the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks and the subsequent war,
Kharoti continued to develop the school.
By 2007, roughly 1,200 students – about
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The school has since been replaced by
mud brick classrooms built adjacent to the
central mosque. Construction was financed
by Afghan Appeal, a London-based NGO,
and teacher salaries were paid by Green
Village Schools through June 2011. Now,
the village elders are responsible for
arranging with the Afghanistan Ministry
of Education to pay teacher salaries.
C O L L E G E
16
C O U R I E R
Kharoti proudly notes that three young
women from the original school in Shin
Kalay have enrolled in medical school.
w w w . c o e . e d u
Mohammad Khan Karoti
’75 has dedicated his life
to building schools in his
native Afghanistan.
Workers have begun rebuilding the school in
Shin Kalay, Afghanistan.
Their tuition is being paid by the LBW
Trust, an Australia-based charity that
supports needy students in countries
where cricket is played. Nearly 100 boys
from Shin Kalay have also gone on to
college, and dozens have found jobs and a
better life because of their education.
Born in Afghanistan’s Zabul Province in
1943, Kharoti lived in a nomadic caravan
until he was seven. In 1950, his parents
settled for the first time on land in the
Nada Alie District of Helmand Province
that was made suitable for farming by an
American Foreign Aid project. At age 12
he started primary school – something no
one in his village had ever done – attending
school in the morning and working the
family farm in the afternoon.
He finished primary and nursing school in
Afghanistan and, through the sponsorship
of an American physician, attended middle
school and high school in Lebanon. He
came to Coe via Clinton, Iowa, where he
attended community college and lived
with the family of an American student
he had met in Lebanon. After receiving
his bachelor’s in general science in 1975,
he returned to Afghanistan and entered
medical school in Jalalabad. He practiced
general surgery until he was forced to flee
to Pakistan with his family in 1987.
In 1989, assisted again by the Dean
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McGinty family of Clinton, Kharoti and his
family immigrated to the United States and
he began working at Kaiser Permanente
in Portland. In appreciation for those who
helped him rise above a childhood as an
illiterate nomad, he has devoted his life to
the creation and expansion of schools in
rural Afghanistan.
With rebuilding the school in Shin Kalay
his top priority, Kharoti has become
something of a celebrity, giving talks
across the U.S. and in England. He was
a house guest of Gen. David Richards,
chief of the British Defense Staff, gave a
presentation to the U.S. Peace Institute in
Washington, D.C., and will be a speaker
March 23 at the 2013 TEDx conference at
Concordia University in Portland.
the school in Shin Kalay and is planning
another in Sarkar, a village east of Lashkar
Gah. Construction is slated to begin when
he returns to Afghanistan in April.
“I’m greedy,” Kharoti said. “When I build
one school, I want to do another. That’s my
style in life.”
For more information on Green Village
Schools visit www.greenvillageschools.org.
While he supports the U.S. troop
withdrawal from his homeland, Kharoti
maintains that education is the path to
peace for Afghanistan. Only then, he
said, can Afghans take responsibility for
themselves and better understand the
international community.
“I think education is the main thing
for Afghanistan, particularly in the
countryside,” he said. “I think it’s very
important that Afghans discuss their
problems with Afghans.”
Which is why he won’t stop at rebuilding
C O L L E G E
17
C O U R I E R
Afghanistan is a landlocked sovereign state forming
part of South Asia, Central Asia, and to some extent
Western Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan in the
south and the east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China in
the far northeast.
w w w . c o e . e d u
“The students thought they
were going to go over and
change lives, but it was their
lives that were changed.”
A landlocked country in southern Africa, Swaziland is bordered by Mozambique to the
northeast and by South Africa to the southeast, south, west and north.
COE SERVICE IN
SWAZILAND
GROWS
Groundwork laid in 2006 has resulted in biennial opportunities
for Coe students to lend a hand in impoverished Swaziland.
M
ay Term in Southern Africa is the brainchild of Henry and
Margaret Haegg Professor of Biology Paula Sanchini,
who first accompanied three Coe students on a trip to
Swaziland in 2006. While assisting the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
with the construction of a school, the Coe group also brought Iowamade chlorinators to Swaziland, where 77 percent of the population
lives in rural homesteads and only 40 percent of the rural population
has access to safe drinking water. Pathogen-free drinking water is
especially important in the southern Africa country where more than
a quarter of adults between ages 15-50 and almost 40 percent of
women are HIV positive.
Sanchini invited Associate Professor of Nursing Anita Nicholson to
join the effort in support of a parish nursing program, and a May
Term course was born in 2010. A dozen Coe nursing and biology
students accompanied Sanchini and Nicholson to Swaziland, where
they provided training in the use of chlorinators to purify drinking
water and observed an important network of rural health providers.
The students also worked side-by-side with parish nurses.
Students traversed mountainous dirt roads unlike anything they
would encounter in the U.S. to spend a night in the home of a parish
nurse while visiting patients in communities miles apart. “These
students slept in homes where there was no running water, they ate
with their hands on dishes that here in the U.S. would probably be
thrown away, and got to experience just a wrinkle of time that these
people live in every day,” said Christina Grimm ’13.
The care points provided many children with their only meal of
the day, consisting of mealie-meal and beans. “These kids had
mismatched clothing, boys would be seen in little girls bright pink
jumpsuits, and sometimes genders were difficult to determine
because most of the kids had shaved heads or very short hair due
to the lack of water access they had to bathe themselves,” Grimm
observed.
The experience has motivated Nicholson to begin selling handcrafted earrings to raise funds to train a replacement for the
72-year-old Dlamini. For more information, email anichols@coe.edu.
The Swaziland Parish Nurse Program started in 2001 to assist in
the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Under the direction of
Thandiwe Dlamini, the only accredited trainer in southern Africa,
50 parish nurses have been trained since 2001.
Most of the parish nurses are retired and living in the rural
communities they serve. They walk long distances on rural
mountainous roads to provide health care to clients suffering acute
and chronic illnesses. They play a major role in supporting families
with prayer, counseling and educating clients and their families on
adherence to medications, and training caregivers.
In May 2012, students spent 10 days alongside parish nurses. They
visited neighborhood care points and first grade classrooms with
teams of nurses and a dental hygienist. “We saw global health
on the front line through this experience,” said Nicholson. “The
students thought they were going to go over and change lives, but
it was their lives that were changed.”
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C O L L E G E
19
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
Associate Professor of Nursing Anita Nicholson and
Coe students discuss child care techniques with
Swaziland women. — Photo by Christina Grimm ’13.
Children entertain themselves while waiting in the lunch
line at a Swaziland care center. — Photo by DeAnna
Marguglio ’13.
DeAnna Marguglio ’13 and Barb Anderson ’13 return
from an overnight stay at the home of a parish nurse in
Swaziland. — Photo by Christina Grimm ’13.
Associate Professor of Nursing Anita Nicholson with
Swaziland Parish Nurse Program director Thandiwe
Dlamini. At age 72, Dlamini is the only accredited parish
nurse trainer in southern Africa. Since visiting in 2010
and 2012, Nicholson has been raising funds for the
program and, more recently, to train Dlamini’s successor.
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
AROUND
THE
W RLD
S
PHOTOS FROM
STUDY ABROAD
From 72 photos submitted
by 18 students in the annual
Coe off-campus study photo
contest, 10 were entered
in the 2012-13 Associated
Colleges of the Midwest
study abroad photo contest.
See more of the Coe student
submissions on the Web at
coe.studyabroad.weebly.com
DeAnna Marguglio ’13 won third place in the people category – and a spot on the cover of this issue of the Courier – with her May photo from a
Swaziland primary school. “At lunch time, the teacher brought out a storage bin of washed dishes and shouted, ‘Everybody find your number, make
sure you have your number.’ The students immediately crowded around the storage bin to receive their dishes. This photo captured the excitement of
the students who retrieved their dishes first and were excited to head to the lunch line,” Marguglio said.
W
IRELAND by Amanda Kohn ’13: “Muiredach’s High Cross, one of the tallest
high crosses in Ireland and sculpted in the 10th century. The tower behind
was part of the monastery community that once lived at Monasterboice.”
T
ITALY by Aaron Oppegard ’14: “In 2012, the term YOLO became a cultural
phenomenon. It stands for ‘You Only Live Once’ and its message is similar to
‘Carpe Diem.’ It is used as a reminder that people should seize the day because
they only have one life to live. I took this photo in Cinque Terre, Italy, while
staring out at the sea in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It was
the embodiment of a YOLO moment and it was a fitting time to see that the
phrase had been scrawled onto a post by another traveler.”
Ting Wang ’13 received honorable mention with her September photo of a
bullfighting stadium in Seville, Spain. “Bullfighting, as a traditional Spanish
sport, attracts numerous foreign visitors every year. As a result, a bullfighting
stadium is one of the must-see tourist destinations,” she said. “Since I was
a little girl, I was always fascinated by bullfighting and, therefore, insisted
on visiting this stadium during my Seville trip. Not surprisingly, I was
immediately drawn by the scene and all the imageries from the old times.
It was absolutely beautiful and splendid!”
TURKEY by Anna Barton ’14: “Looking over the walls of the Knights of St. John Castle in Bodrum.
My breath was taken away by this beautiful sea bay with sailboats anchored, floating peacefully in
the warm breeze. Traveling through the Turkish countryside seemed to always take my breath away.
I love how the blue color changes with the depth of the water and the contrast of the white homes
and green hills surrounding the bay.”
S
FRANCE by Hannah Foss ’13: “It was late March, sunny, and nice enough to lay down
on the grass in a local park and write letters to family and friends back home. The winter
was a low time for me in my study abroad year, and my communication with people back
in the U.S. was a huge help in maintaining sanity and happiness. Here, finally, the sun is
starting to come out. Using my coat as a blanket, I’m rereading what I’ve written.”
TURKEY by Anna
Barton ’14: “Reality
hit when I saw this
little boy walking
the streets of
Istanbul trying
to peddle food
around 7 p.m. My
trip to Turkey made
me realize how
incredibly fortunate
and blessed I am.
To me, this photo
symbolizes reality.
Now I don’t take
for granted all the
blessings in my life.
Seeing this little
boy, with his drawn
expression made
poverty real. I gave
him some lyra and
he walked away, but
he is a part of my
lasting memory, and
my reality. He won’t
be forgotten.”
X
ITALY by Lauren Dubay ’13: “In Italy, thousands of padlocks
are attached to a multitude of landmarks. This image shows a
unique ‘love lock’ I found. After World War II, a trail reopened
between two cities in Cinque Terre and it became a lovers’
meeting point. Today the trail between Riomaggiora and
Manarola is called ‘Via dell’Amor’ or ‘Pathway of Love.’ To
symbolize a couples’ everlasting love, a padlock is placed. In one
area, there may be thousands of locks signifying a bond we all
share… the ability to love and be loved.”
T
JAPAN by Katelyn Marshall ’13: “Cherry-blossom viewing on
a Kyoto mountain in early April. I had just arrived in Japan, and I
was fascinated by the trees that made it look like the mountain
was covered in snow — but spring was just beginning!”
JAPAN by Helvia Garcia,
foreign exchange
student from Nagoya
Gakuin University in
Kyoto, Japan.
’49
Mary Bowlsby
McCall and her husband, Jim,
of Santa Rosa, Calif., celebrated
their 65th wedding anniversary.
’50
H
A
V
E
N
E
W
S
?
Information compiled in “Class Notes” comes from a
variety of sources, including direct correspondence from
alumni, clipping services and news releases. The college
received these class notes by Jan. 5. The deadline for the
Spring issue is April 1. Announcements older than one
year at the time they are submitted will not be published.
Please follow these basic guidelines when
submitting information:
NEWS – At least the following basic information
should be provided with any submission: name
and class year, spouse name and class year if Coe
alum, city and state of residence, and your news.
Please spell out acronyms.
MARRIAGES AND ANNIVERSARIES – Include
both spouses’ full names (including birth/maiden
names, where applicable) and complete date.
Please notify us after your wedding; we cannot
publish based on an engagement announcement.
Anniversaries will be noted only in five-year
increments (25th, 30th, etc.).
BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS – Include child’s first
name, legal names of parents (mother’s birth/
maiden name will be published if Coe alumna) and
complete date.
DEATHS – Include full name, complete
date and city/state of residence at time of death.
Please include a newspaper obituary, if possible.
PHOTOS – Digital photos must be at least
300 dpi when sized to 3.75 inches wide. Please
save the file as a TIFF or JPEG file. We must
have the photographer’s permission to print a
copyrighted photo. Please indicate if you would
like prints returned.
Submit information to:
Courier editor at courier@coe.edu or phone
(319) 399-8613 or fax (319) 399-8210.
Mail to 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.
Information may also be submitted online at
www.coe.edu/alumniupdate.
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C O E
C O L L E G E
Melvin Collins of
Downers Grove, Ill., participated
in “Honor Flight Chicago” to
Washington D.C. on Aug. 1.
’51
James Ka’upena
Wong Jr. of Waianae, Hawaii,
received the Kukui o Lota award
from the Moanalua Gardens
Foundation in recognition of his
contributions to the perpetuation
of hula. One of Hawaii’s most
revered chanters and master of
ancient Hawaiian instruments,
James still has a voice that is clear
and strong.
’56
Jerry Henderson
and his wife, Pat, of Ocean Ridge,
Fla., won the silver “right angle”
(second place) in the Atlanta
Sectional of the Seniors Division
of the International Boomerang
Association.
’58
Jerry Thompson of
Fairfield, Iowa, has retired after
51 years in the financial planning
business.
’60
Anne Clayton
Sereda and her husband, Donald,
of Kansas City, Mo., celebrated
their 50th wedding anniversary
on June 30.
John Wilcox and his wife,
Sandra, of Batavia, Ill., celebrated
their 55th wedding anniversary on
Nov. 2.
’62
Robert Haddad and
his wife, Crystal, of Freeport, Ill.,
celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary Oct. 6 by taking
an Alaskan cruise and having
a family get-away to Lake
Nebagamon, Wis.
24
C O U R I E R
John Havick of Stone
Mountain, Ga., had a paper,
“The impact of the internet
on television-based society,”
published in the June issue of
Technology in Society. It was one
of the top 25 downloaded articles
over the past 12 years of the
journal.
’65
Don Dempsey of
Highland Park, Ill., finished
a 17-month interim pastor
assignment (his fourth) at the
Presbyterian Church of Palatine
on Dec. 31. He began a new
interim head of staff position at
the Kenilworth Union Church on
Jan. 2.
Kenneth Hach of Alta, Iowa, is
listed in Stanford Who’s Who for
his work in the renewable energy
industry in the United States
for the past four decades. He is
president of Wind on Rails Inc., a
corporation dedicated to funding,
designing and constructing a
5000 MW HVDC transmission
line from central South Dakota
to eastern Illinois in order to
transport wind generated energy
to the East Coast market.
’67
Michael Mead is
editor of Captive Insurance
Company Reports after many
years as a columnist for the
leading thought leadership
magazine in the insurance
industry. He remains president of
M.R. Mead & Co. Michael and
Marjorie Wolf Mead ’68 live in
Crivitz, Wis.
’68
John Johnson Jr.
of Highland, Ill., retired after
practicing law for 30 years.
’69
Edwin Cochran of
Grinnell, Iowa, retired after
practicing dentistry for 39 years.
Tim Mauldin of Norman, Okla.,
completed membership on the
American Cancer Society High
Plains Division board of directors
after nine years of service.
w w w . c o e . e d u
Artis VanRoekel Reis of Des
Moines, Iowa, retired in July after
17 years as a judge. She continues
working part-time as a senior
judge and as an adjunct professor
at Drake University Law School.
’70
Alexander “Pat”
Julien of Carrboro, N.C., is
“mostly” retired from a career
in psychology and law. He now
spends his time acting and
screenwriting.
’71
Roger Thomas of
Ottumwa, Iowa, has retired from
teaching and is now a sports
correspondent for the Ottumwa
Courier.
’74
Yvette Leung Wong
of West Des Moines, Iowa, retired
from teaching and is an academic
assistant at Des Moines Area
Community College.
Thomas Millen of Lilburn,
Ga., retired Sept. 1 as registrar at
Emory University after 37 years.
’75
Honee Hess of
Worcester, Mass., is executive
director of the Worcester Center
for Crafts. She previously served
nearly 27 years as education
director at the Worcester Art
Museum.
Michael Vance is a senior
analyst at Cape Cod Community
College. He previously served
Coe for 17 years, resigning
in October as manager of
administrative computer services
and programmer/analyst. He and
Candy Freeman Vance ’77 live
in Yarmouth, Mass.
’78
Steven Kennedy
was honored in October by the
Houston Audubon Society for
his role as archivist and editor of
books containing the works of
his late uncle Charles Kennedy,
which were instrumental in the
award-winning documentary
films “Pale Male” and “The
Legend of Pale Male.” Steven
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
inherited the unpublished
photographs, essays, haiku poems
and papers of his late uncle, the
New York City naturalist and
photographer known for his
passion for birds and especially
Pale Male. Steven’s charge
from his uncle is to “make my
life’s work available to anyone
who might enjoy them when
I’m gone.” Steven subsequently
produced two books, “Owls of
Central Park” and “Pale Male and
Family.” An adjunct professor of
special education at the University
of Northern Colorado, Steven and
Debra LaPour Kennedy ’77
live in Aurora, Colo.
’84
John Kruger of
Hayfield, Minn., was 2011-12
Minnesota State High School
Coaches Association assistant
boys’ basketball coach of the year.
Eric Wolfe of Marion, Iowa is a
psychiatric technician at the Abbe
Center for Community Care.
’86
Erika Linden of Des
Moines, Iowa, is chief compliance
officer at Des Moines University.
’80
Amy Peterson Case
of Vancouver, Wash., received
her Ph.D. in public health policy
Aug. 3 from the University of
Texas Health Science Center in
Houston.
Janet BoxSteffensmeier of Columbus, Ohio,
was named a 2012 distinguished
scholar at Ohio State University.
Over the next several issues of the
Courier, this column will be dedicated
to ways that you can get involved or
stay involved with Coe College. One of
the easiest ways to stay involved with
Coe is through alumni gatherings. You
don’t need to live in Cedar Rapids to
attend Coe events. Coe College may
be visiting a location near you. Watch
for invitations to events in your area
through the mail and via e-mail. These
events often involve the Coe president
and other college administrators
updating you on exciting events at the
college from athletics to new buildings to admissions. These events
are where you can learn the latest Coe news and ask questions.
Alumni may also sponsor an event in your area. The Alumni Office
will work with you to plan and organize the event.
Susan Norval Nisan
is the new principal of Valley
Charter High School in Modesto,
Calif., the oldest early college
high school in California. Bellos
Nisan is nearing completion of a
multi-lingual Assyrian dictionary
for Hewlett-Packard. They live in
Turlock, Calif.
’83
Dr. Kelly Clark of
Glenview, Ky., joined Behavioral
Health Group (BHG) as chief
medical officer in July. BHG
is a leading provider of opioid
addiction treatment services.
Kelly serves as president of the
Kentucky Society of Addiction
Medicine, where she has practiced
medicine for several years and
served as medical director of
a number of opioid treatment
programs. She is on the faculty
of the Virginia Tech Carillion
School of Medicine; a fellow
of the American Society of
Addiction Medicine, where
she serves as a director; and
a distinguished fellow of the
American Psychiatric Association.
C O L L E G E
’88
Alumni Council update
’81
C O E
’87
Kristen CrabtreeGroff of Sioux City, Iowa, is an
associate professor of education
and chair of the Division
of Education at Briar Cliff
University.
If you prefer, visiting campus is another great way to stay involved
with Coe. The annual Homecoming festivities bring a large number
of alumni back to Coe every fall. Watch for details in your mailbox
toward the end of every summer. The Coe campus also hosts events
like the Contemporary Issues Forum, Thursday Forum and Marquis
Series that alumni are welcome to attend. Alumni basketball games,
golf outings, dinner and theater and other special events also bring
alumni to campus. Watch the Courier, your mail or e-mail, and visit
the Coe website under alumni gatherings (www.coe.edu/alumni/
alumnigatherings) for event dates.
As always, feel free to reach out to any members of the Coe College
Alumni Council if you have questions or comments. We all enjoy
hearing from alumni and are here to represent you. You can find
a current list of alumni council members at www.coe.edu/alumni/
volunteerforcoe/alumnicouncil. And, remember to keep your
information up to date at www.coe.edu/alumniupdate.
Go Coe!
Heather Daniels ’95
President, Coe College Alumni Council
25
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
’89
Carl Bloom of Cape
Girardeau, Mo., received his
Ph.D. in English (American
cultural studies) in May from
Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale. He has since
accepted a one-year position
in the English Department
at Southeast Missouri State
University.
Zainal Ahmad-Mokhtar of
Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia,
received his master’s in human
resource management from
Northern University of Malaysia
in October. He is on assignment
to the Malaysian government
as strategic vice president of
human capital management at the
Ministry of International Trade
and Industry.
’94
Laurie Arbore
Granner of Kansas City, Mo.,
is a producer for the nationally
syndicated “A Night on the
Town” radio series. The show
celebrates the history of the
Broadway musical and is heard on
a variety of public and commercial
radio stations. Laurie spends her
spare time singing, volunteering
as a guest co-host during pledge
drives on Kansas City Public
Television, and is a part-time
announcer on KCUR 89.3 FM,
Kansas City’s flagship NPR
station.
Jennifer Haldeman Doak
of Freeport, Ill., opened JLD
Marketing Consultants, a
marketing firm specializing in
helping small- and mid-sized
businesses create cost-effective
marketing strategies.
Jason Hess of Omaha, Neb.,
is vice president of the Union
Pacific’s National Customer
Service Center.
Julia Samuels of Ashburn, Va.,
is a program manager with PCS.
’95
Dan Delaney of
Minneapolis is operations analyst
in the Registrar’s Office at the
University of Minnesota.
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2 0 1 3
Vicki Pingel Wittenberg of
New Ulm, Minn., is associate
director of alumni relations and
special events at Minnesota State
University.
Wesley Hilleshiem of Cedar
Rapids was recognized by the
Society of Financial Service
Professionals as a Top Leader in
FSP’s 40 and Under Program. A
trust officer at BankIowa, he is
past president of the Eastern Iowa
chapter of the Financial Planning
Association.
’96
Emily Vrabac
Mulligan of Lawrence, Kan., is a
freelance marketing consultant
and writer.
’97
Brad Hoyt of Quincy,
Ill., is manager of athletics
and intramurals at John Wood
Community College, where
he also serves as head men’s
basketball coach.
Joanna Woepking Settles of
Mount Pleasant, Iowa, received
her Ph.D. in educational sociology
from the University of Iowa in
May.
’00
Angelia Bowman of
Alexandria, Va., is pursuing her
master’s in project management at
George Washington University.
Susanne Ebacher-Grier of
Greenwood, Ind., is an adjunct
professor of baking pastry arts at
Ivy Tech Community College.
Jeremy Shipley is a
postdoctoral fellow researching
the history and philosophy of
mathematics at the University of
Lorraine in Nancy, France.
Nancy Williams Sebast
of Cedar Rapids is a stay-athome wife and mother. She is
homeschooling her kindergartenage son.
’01
Matthew Hemesath
of New York, N.Y., was a costume
designer on season seven of
“America’s Got Talent.” This
fall was his fifth season on the
wardrobe staff of “Saturday
Night Live.” He regularly works
on “The View,” “30 Rock,”
“Sesame Street,” “Good Morning
America” and “The Today Show.”
C O E
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26
Seth Wallace is co-defensive
coordinator/defensive backs coach
for the 2012 Division II Football
National Champion Valdosta
State Blazers. He and Erica
Severson Wallace ’02 live in
Valdosta, Ga.
’04
Dr. Masumi Fottrall
of Gering, Neb., specializes
in physical medicine and
rehabilitation at Regional West
Physicians Clinic-Rehabilitation
Medicine in Scottsbluff. She
completed her residency in June
at the University of Texas Health
Science Center in San Antonio.
Mary Schlaphoff of Seattle
is a healthcare management
consultant with Milliman. She
received her MBA in June from
the Foster School of Business at
the University of Washington.
Katie Utter Sarchett and
Brian Sarchett ’05 of Berrien
Center, Mich., celebrated their
fifth wedding anniversary. Katie
works for the retail trade partner
support team at Whirlpool, where
Brian is a senior merchandising
manager. He led Lake Michigan
Catholic to an undefeated division
championship in his first year as
head boys’ varsity soccer coach.
’04
Hallie ClodfelterMoyer of Fort Campbell, Ky., is a
member service representative at
the Navy Federal Credit Union.
She’s returning to school this
spring to finish her master’s in
special education.
Angela Johnson of Madison,
Wis., is arts coordinator for
Madison Children’s Museum.
C O U R I E R
’07
Kelsey Dieckbernd
of Machesney Park, Ill., is a nurse
at Swedish American Hospital in
Rockford.
Jase Jensen is an attorney with
Steve Howes ’83 at Howes
Law Firm in Cedar Rapids. Jase
received his J.D. from Drake
University in 2012. He published
an article, “First Americans
and the Federal Government:
Tribal Consultation, Agriculture,
and a New Government-toGovernment Relationship at
the Start of the Twenty-First
Century” in the summer edition
of Drake Journal of Agriculture
Law.
Luke Johnson of Omaha, Neb.,
is director of vocal activities
at Iowa Western Community
College in Council Bluffs. He
completed his master’s in music
education at VanderCook College
of Music in July.
Kaija Straumanis of Rochester,
N.Y., was featured in a New York
Times article about the annual
meeting of the American Literary
Translators Association. One of
the conference organizers, Kaija is
a Latvian translator and editorial
director of Open Letter Books,
the University of Rochester’s
literature in translation press.
’08
Daniel Luethke of
Englewood, Colo., is a substitute
teacher and accepted his first role
in a student film at the Colorado
Film School.
Sarah Taucher of Chicago is a
nurse at Ann & Robert H. Lurie
Children’s Hospital.
Margaret Welchhance of
Coralville, Iowa, is an overnight
shift leader at Integrated DNA
Technologies.
’09
Sarah Beck Wondra
of Washington, D.C., received her
Master of Philosophy in education
from University of Cambridge in
October.
w w w . c o e . e d u
Gold swept Crimson in 2013 alumni basketball Feb. 9
in Eby Fieldhouse.
Abby Frick of Denver is
a Neuro ICU nurse at the
University of Colorado.
In the women’s game, Kohawks from the last four years topped less-recent alumnae 6352. Sarah Anciaux ’11 scored a game-high 22 points and Kayla Lincoln ’11 chipped
in 19 for Gold. Crimson was led by Cassidy Brandt Wolfe ’07 with 17 points and Lisa
Thornburg ’08 with 11.
Katherine Mraz of Allston,
Mass., is pursuing her master’s in
social work at Boston College.
Johanna Schnell of Grand
Rapids, Minn., is studying for
doula certification with Birth Arts
International in order to provide
professional labor support for
mothers during childbirth. She
previously converted a school
bus into a kitchen and traveled
across the country serving free
vegetarian and vegan meals to the
hungry and the curious.
It was Gold 73, Crimson 72 in the men’s game. The Dunkerton duo was up to their
old tricks, as Brian Brungard ’08 scored a game-high 20 points for Gold and Kyle
Kuenstling ’08 led Crimson with 15. Brad Axdahl ’06 and Dan Borngraeber ’11
rounded out a balanced scoring attack for Gold with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Chris Kehe ’08 also scored in double figures with 10 points for Crimson.
Wiletta Waisath of Los
Angeles is pursuing her master’s
in public health at UCLA.
’10
Hillary Allen of
Denver is in grad school getting
her Ph.D. in neuroscience.
Kari Oldfield of St. Paul, Minn.,
is a law student at Hamline
University.
’11
Front row, left to right – Cassidy Brandt Wolfe ’07, Amber Karkosh Bolen ’08, Erica Langland
Nosbisch ’07, Sarah Dolan Meyer ’07, Jamie Dalbey Schadt ’02, Dougie Peters ’81, Abbey
Biedenfeld ’10, Kaitlin Breitbach ’11 and Leslie Ware ’12. Back row – Jessica Lincoln Shaffer
’02, Lisa Thornburg ’08, Morgan Bailey Burbach ’06, Shanon Nelson ’08, Erin Jones ’08,
Head Women’s Basketball Coach Randi Peterson, Sarah Anciaux ’11, Sarah Waskow ’12, Calie
Sobaski ’09, Kayla Lincoln ’11 and Steve Wise ’87.
Danielle Jamison
Gathers is a neonatal ICU nurse
at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas
City, Mo., where she and Tyler
Gathers ’09 live.
Ankit Rana of Lalitpur, Nepal,
is a business manager at Biruwa
Ventures.
Tyler Weeda of Lincoln, Neb.,
is a trainer for the University of
Nebraska wrestling team.
’12
Amanda Hanson of
Riverside, Iowa, is a nurse at the
University of Iowa.
Josh Kleinmeyer of Iowa City,
Iowa, is a sales associate at CRST
Logistics.
Front row, left to right – Steve Wise ’87, Brandon Yansky ’07, Scott Jackson ’88, Brian
Brungard ’08, Nat Tagtow ’04, Dougie Peters ’81, Brad Axdahl ’06, Cory DeShaw ’06, Ryan
Baade ’12 and Nate Clapham ’06. Back row – Jake Raney ’12, Jeff Hrubes ’88, Jeff Schwarting
’90, Chris Kehe ’08, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bryan Martin, Zach Dillon ’07, Nick Palmer
’05, Kyle Kuenstling ’08, Fred Rose ’11, Doug Showalter ’76, John Raley ’81 and Dan
Borngraeber ’11.
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
C O E
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27
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
MARRIAGES
’74
Peggy Hoffman
and Leonard “Buddy” White of
Colleyville, Texas, on Nov. 20.
’96
Lisa Daily and David
Koch of Belle Plane, Iowa, on
June 9.
’98
Barry Smith and
Amy Schoen ’07 of Cedar
Rapids on Oct. 6.
’00
Jill Grinstead and
T.J. Mathis of Wever, Iowa, on
June 2. Jill is the human resources
leader at General Electric in West
Burlington.
Tanner Pump and Sara
Stewart of Dallas on June 30 in
Iowa City, Iowa.
’01
Michelle Smothers
and David Omar of Mount
Vernon, Iowa, on Sept. 15.
’04
Isaac Young and
Steffany Zabokrtsky of Des
Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 22.
’05
Jill Drummond and
Joe Rydell of Cedar Rapids on
Aug. 18. Jill is a customer program
consultant at Alliant Energy.
’06
Andrea Pignotti and
Joe Fallat of Danvers, Ill., on
June 2.
’08
Cori Duffus and
Allen Hare of Rossville, Kan., on
June 16, in Grinnell, Iowa. Cori
received her master’s in special
education from the University of
Kansas in May.
Andrew Machacek and Katie
Noonan of Winthrop, Iowa, on
July 21.
’09
Zach Huitink and
Chelsea Cushing ’10 of
Syracuse, N.Y., on July 28, in
Lexington, Ky.
’12
’05
Among those attending the Aug. 25 wedding of Liz
Nicklos ’05 and Mike Stephenson were (front row, left to
right) Michele Goddard ’04, Jenn Streck Doxsey ’05,
Liz, Emily Dussault ’06 and Cassie Schoon ’03. (Back
row) Kristy Goodfellow ’05, Heather Petsche ’05, Lizzie
Schoon ’05, Bree Graczyk ’07, Megan Gilligan ’05, Lindsey
Bowen Vajpeyi ’05, Fatma Zahra ’04, Lisa Piskor ’06 and
Tanner Curl ’07. Also attending but not pictured were Rishi
Vajpeyi ’04, Kayla Goodfellow ’05, Eugenides Hermes ’07,
Andrea Roeger ’07 and Sarah Small ’08. The couple lives
in Minneapolis, where Liz is a marketing communications
consultant with Health Partners.
Matthew Ferlitsch
and Rebecca Lampe of Riverside,
Iowa, on Aug. 18.
’09 Among those attending the July 14 wedding of Brittni
’03
Among those attending the June 23 wedding of Zach Fromm
’03 and Stephanie Sutton were (front row, left to right) Kevin
Eisenmann ’03, Jason Schwass ’03 and Julian West (Grinnell ’07).
(Back row) Ryan Keller ’04, Carly Gates ’04, Kat Hudson Poshusta
’04, Katie Wiedemann Schwass ’03, Sean Pearl ’76, Emily Wall
’03, Stephanie and Zach, Jacob McCandless ’04, Erin Redmon
McCandless ’04 and April Elsbernd ’03. The couple lives on the
Mississippi River north of Dubuque, Iowa, where Zach teaches
seventh grade social studies.
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
C O E
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28
Hamdorf ’09 and Chad Reifschneider ’09 were (front row, left
to right) Liz Rizzi ’09, Jeremy Squires ’08, Rebecca Reedy
’09, Chad and Brittni, Josh Hennings ’10, Kelvin Lee ’09,
and Jenni Duff Archibald ’89. (Second row) Emily Behrens
’12, Skylar Price ’09, Katie Flores ’09, Jaimie Lynch ’09,
Elizabeth Reedy ’09, Ashley Axdahl ’09, Adleigh Schwager
’09, Susan Gilmer Nordmeyer ’09, Cami Reifschneider
’12, Chelsie Reifschneider Stensland ’06, and Vicki Dewell
Hamdorf ’84, mother of the bride. (Back row) Ross Clapham
’06, Jordan Wilkens ’10, Sam Hammes ’10, Zach Brugman
’09, Landon Nordmeyer ’09, Andrew Durham ’10, and Matt
Walter ’09.
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
’63
Frank Nakamura
and his wife, Eva, of Honolulu,
twins, Warren and Cindy, on
June 10.
’91
Noelle Lange
Davidson and her husband,
Michael, of Glendale, Calif.,
a son, Jacob, on Aug. 5.
’96
Carlyn Watkinson
McGreal and her husband,
Michael, of Chicago, a son,
Duncan, on July 13.
’99
Angie Huitink
Fuentes of Fairfax, Va., a
daughter, Kate, on Aug. 26.
Stacie Otte Holden and her
husband, Nick, of Lakeville,
Minn., a daughter, Ava, on
Oct. 18.
’00
’02
Ellie Jensen and
her husband, Jeffrey Stine, of
Mountain View, Calif., a son,
Oliver, on July 19. Ellie has
begun a fellowship in hospice
and palliative medicine at
Stanford Hospital.
Sara Simmons Griffith
and her husband, Sky, of
Wapello, Iowa, a daughter,
Ava, on June 16.
Teresa Ford
Hansen and her husband, Jeff,
of Omaha, Neb., a son, Austin,
on Sept. 24.
Mari Steele Wilson and her
husband, Chad, of De Soto,
Iowa, a son, Henry, on Oct. 15.
’06
’03
Shannon Heindel
Salazar and her husband, Todd,
of Columbus Junction, Iowa,
a daughter, Peyton, on June 9.
Shannon teaches junior high
reading and coaches seventh
grade volleyball and high
school softball in Wapello.
’04
’05
Emily Zeller
Gotto and Ryan Gotto ’06
of Marion, Iowa, a daughter,
Jensen, on April 20.
Stephen Clingman
and his wife, Amanda, of New
Virginia, Iowa, a son, Kinnick,
on Aug. 20.
Elizabeth McNaught
Gicquel and her husband,
Nicolas, of Seattle, a daughter,
Juliette, on Aug. 19.
’07
Vicki Lamos
Trueg and her husband, Scott,
of Jesup, Iowa, a son, Declan,
on Feb. 6.
Matt Stoner and his wife,
Amy, of Cedar Rapids, a son,
Weston, on July 9. Paternal
grandparents are Dan Stoner
’74 and Cathy Humphries
Stoner ’74 of Mount Vernon,
Iowa.
’08
Hayley Bright
Hegland and Sam Hegland
of Cedar Rapids, a daughter,
Sienna, on July 16.
Jill Steffen Scanlan and her
husband, Steve, of Grinnell,
Iowa, a son, Liam, on June 22.
Amanda Stegeman Sonntag
and Matthew Sonntag
of Chicago, a daughter,
Genevieve, on Oct. 18.
’09
Melissa Andersen
Morris and her husband, Tyler,
of Tekamah, Neb., twin girls,
Elliot and Finnley, on Sept. 26.
Emily Jungk
Cortez and her husband, Rod,
of Chicago, a daughter, Abigail,
on Aug. 20.
’01
Wendy Andrews
Nielsen and Nick Nielsen of
Marion, Iowa, a son, Connor,
on Nov. 2.
Heather Baum Plucar and
Chris Plucar ’02 of Huxley,
Iowa, a son, Parker, on Dec. 11.
Kirsten Weeks Markwell
and her husband, Scott,
of Chicago, a daughter,
Genevieve, on July 17.
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
C O E
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29
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
DEATHS
indicates decedent was a member
of the Coe College Heritage Club.
For information, contact Heritage
Club Director Kelly Allen at
(319) 399-8582 or kallen@coe.edu.
’34
Janet Murray Fiske,
99 of Vashon, Wash., on Nov. 13.
She traveled and worked in France
and Greece before earning her
master’s from Columbia University.
A longtime resident of Moscow,
Idaho, she helped build its first
recycling center, reclaim Paradise
Creek as “the city’s waterfront,”
and develop bicycle and walking
trails. She helped preserve the old
post office that now houses City
Hall, the Carnegie Library and
the 1912 Center with its Fiske
Family Meeting Room. In 2006,
Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney
declared a day in Janet’s honor, in
recognition of her contributions
to the community over the years.
She and her husband, John, also
received the city’s civil rights
award, and were crowned king and
queen of the annual Renaissance
Fair. Janet co-authored two books
with her mother, “Hurrah for
Bonnie Iowa” and “Bonnie Iowa
Farm Folk,” about the early days
of her Iowa pioneer forebears.
She is survived by four children,
Jonathan Fiske ’66, 2319
Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201,
Lindsay Hofman of Vashon, Anne
of Newport, N.C., and Fred of
Syracuse, N.Y.; a sister, Winifred
Murray Kelley ’40 of Des Moines,
Iowa; 10 grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren.
’35
Nedra Arendts Niles
Snouffer, 98, of Santa Monica,
Calif., on Nov. 1. She lived in
Dallas for 64 years and was the first
director of The St. Michael School
from 1950-68. She was active in
Episcopal School organizations,
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
both in the state and nationally.
From 1968-79, she was head of the
Hockaday Lower-Middle School.
She is survived by a son, John Niles;
two grandsons; and three greatgrandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made
to Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.
’39
Cleo Byers, 96 of
Parker, Colo., on Nov. 27. He was
an infantry captain in World War
II. He received his master’s from
Oregon State University in 1948
and moved to the Los Alamos
(N.M.) National Laboratory in
1951 to do research for his doctoral
thesis. He received his Ph.D. in
physics in 1955 and remained at Los
Alamos until his retirement in 1980.
After retirement, he continued to
work at Los Alamos as a consultant
in criticality safety until 1992. He
is survived by two sisters, Darlene
Nevins and Carol Slach; four
children, Bruce, Sharon Caskey,
Loren and Julie; six grandchildren;
and two great-grandchildren.
Lucile Ryan Wesson, 95, of
Garner, Iowa, on Nov. 18. She
worked in banking until retiring in
1972.
Elsie Stone Gable, 95, of Cedar
Rapids, on Dec. 5. She worked
in truck sales for over 40 years.
She is survived by a son, Robert
Gable of Avon, Ind.; a sister, Doris
Loeff of Littleton, Colo.; three
grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren.
Dolores Storrs Blomquist, 98, of
Fort Myers, Fla. on Sept. 28.
’40
Joyce Dollman
Hoover, 94, of Dubuque, Iowa, on
Oct. 28. She was a teacher in Clear
Lake, Oelwein and Dubuque until
1969.
Ellsworth Eye, 92, of Ft.
Lauderdale, FL, on Nov. 21.
C O E
C O L L E G E
30
’41
Margaret Cowguill
Brust, 93, of Fairfield, Iowa, on
Nov. 15. She was an active member
of the National Beta Sigma Phi
Sorority and worked at one time as
a secretary to the Dean of Medicine
at the University of Southern
California in Los Angeles and
later worked in the administration
department at Pasadena City
College for several years. She is
survived by two children, Gretchen
and Sam.; a brother, Jay; a sister,
Ruth Gross; a granddaughter; and a
great-grandson.
’42
Robert Dudycha, 92,
of Wheaton, Ill. on Sept. 15. He
was a chemical technician for Swift
and Co. (ConArgra). He is survived
by his wife, June, 200 Wyndemere
Circle Apt. E313, Wheaton, IL
60187; two sons, Donald and Alan;
four grandchildren; and three
great-grandchildren.
’43
Donald Berry, 94,
of Seattle, on Aug. 10. He is
survived by a brother, Vaughn;
three children, Vaughn, Roxianne
Morris, and Sheilah Harlow;
five grandchildren; and a greatgranddaughter.
Bernice Brandau Sweeney, 90,
of Orlando, Fla, on Dec 21. She is
survived by four children, Daniel
Sweeney Jr. of Alexandria, Va.,
Peggy Forbes of Evanston, Ill.,
Tricia Sweeney of Seekonk, Mass.,
and Joel Sweeney of Longwood;
seven grandchildren; and four
great-grandchildren.
David Connell, 91, of Perry
Township, Ohio, on Aug. 11. He
served in the Army during World
War II. He received his master’s
from the University of Iowa in
1947. After 37 years of service, he
retired as controller of the Ohio
operations of Ekco Housewares. He
was preceded in death by his wife,
Naomi Hall Connell ’41. He is
survived by three children, David
H. of Los Altos, Calif., John of
C O U R I E R
Akron, and Cathy of Perrysburg; a
grandson; and a brother, Robert of
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
’44
Retired Air Force
Col. Don Ford, 90, of Medford,
Ore., on Dec. 29. He was a member
of the Army ROTC at Coe when
orders to active duty were received.
He graduated early as part of “The
Coe 22.” He spent 32 years in the
military, having enlisted in the
Army in 1942, then the Air Force
and serving until his retirement
in 1974. He served in the 2nd
Armored Division in Europe
during World War II, then the
Korean conflict. He earned three
Meritorious Service Medals and a
Bronze Star. Upon his retirement,
he worked for the state of Oregon
in various positions until his
second retirement in 1980. He
received his master’s in education
and psychology from Washington
University in St. Louis, Mo., in
1958. He earned his Ph.D. in
education and Latin American
studies from St. Louis University
in 1966. Finally, he completed a
post doctorate fellowship at the
University of Oregon in 1974.
He worked extensively for the
Latino Center in Eugene, where
he regularly practiced his Spanish.
He is survived by a brother,
Robert Ford ’50, 155 Alwine
Ct., Hiawatha, IA 52233; five
children, Dan of Seoul, South
Korea, Chris of Keller, Texas, Jim
of Ashland, Steve of Medford, and
Leslie Sully of Columbia, S.C.;
eight grandchildren; and a greatgranddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made
to Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402; or Jesuit
Association, 4511 W. Pine Blvd., St.
Louis, MO 63108.
G. Audrey Gunnison Williams,
90, of Walker, Iowa, on Nov.
30. She was a farmer, the office
manager of the Iowa State
University Extension office in
Cedar Rapids for nearly a decade,
and worked in the loan department
at First Trust and Savings Bank
w w w . c o e . e d u
for three years. She is survived by
her husband of 69 years, Lynn,
2221 320th St., Walker, IA 52352;
a son, James Williams of Walker;
a daughter, Jeanne Dudley of Troy
Mills; three grandchildren; and five
great-grandchildren.
’45
Elaine Eklind Dreier,
88, of Arlington Heights, Ill., on
Dec. 15. She is survived by four
children, Don, Ken, Chris and
Greg Dreier ’75, 2200 Patriot
Blvd. #217, Glenview, IL 60026; two
grandsons; and a brother, Howard
Eklind.
Dorothy Kucera Niebes, 89
of Fairborn, Ohio, on Oct. 20.
She worked for the Fairborn City
Schools for 21 years, retiring
in 1989. She is survived by her
husband of 67 years, Oscar
“Flash” Niebes, 1004 Adams St.
Fairborn, OH 45324; three sons,
David of Atlanta, Alan of Houston
and William of Fairborn; five
grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren.
’46
Mary Sayles Blaida,
87, of Homestead, Fla., on May 30.
She is survived by a brother, John
Sayles; two sons, Terrence and
Phillip; a daughter, Janet Buchanan;
seven grandchildren; and seven
great-grandchildren.
’47
Phyllis Larsen,
87, of San Francisco, on Nov. 9.
She was the author of “Ghirardelli
Original Chocolate Cookbook,”
which sold 200,000 copies, a food
consultant and artist.
Robert Roth, 85, of Washington
D.C., on July 16. After graduating
in 1951 from the University of
Illinois with a Ph.D. in geology,
he worked at the National Bureau
of Standards (later known as the
National Institute of Standards
and Technology) from 1951-91
as a supervisory research chemist
in the Microstructure Section,
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
Mineral Products Division and
then as chief of the Solid State
Chemistry Section, Ceramics/
Inorganic Materials Division.
Following his retirement, he
served as scientist emeritus to the
NIST Ceramics Division as well
as a consultant to the Structure
Determination Methods Group
of the American Ceramic Society.
He served as a senior editor for
numerous volumes of Phase
Diagrams for Ceramists and Phase
Equilibria Diagrams, which serve as
resources for industry in the design
and processing of technological
ceramics. His publications include
over 200 technical papers in the
fields of x-ray crystallography,
crystal chemistry and phase
equilibria of ceramic materials.
Some of the materials he helped
develop have been utilized
for: increasing the fidelity of
phonograph needles used in record
players; improving sonar during the
Korean War; fuel rods of modern
nuclear reactors; containment
of nuclear waste; the solid-state
electronic chip; cubic zirconium;
fire retardant ceramic tiles used to
surround the Space Shuttle; and
counterfeit-proof ink used in new
American currency. His awards
include: Spriggs Phase Equilibria
Award, Lifetime achievement in
the field of experimental ceramic
phase equilibria, American
Ceramic Society, 2003; Wilhelm R.
Buessem Award, Pennsylvania State
University, 2001; John Jeppson
Award, American Ceramic Society,
1995; Sosman Award, American
Ceramic Society, 1991; Gold Medal,
U.S. Department of Commerce,
1986; NBS Special Service Award,
Meritorious Publication, 1963; and
the Silver Medal, U.S. Department
of Commerce, 1962. Patents
include: US-4,606,906 Aug. 19,
1986 for “Process of Synthesizing
Mixed BaO-TiO2 Based Powders
for Ceramic Applications” and
US-2,849,404 Aug. 26, 1958 for
“Morphotropic Piezoelectric
Ceramics.” He is survived by his
wife of 58 years, Audrey, 804 Amber
Tree Ct. #201, Gaithersburg, MD
20878; three children, Stanley, Gail
and Diana Roth Lazar; and five
grandchildren.
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’48
Dr. Alfred Brendel,
96, of Cedar Rapids, on Nov. 20. He
served in the Navy as a pharmacist
mate during World War II. He
earned his medical degree from
the University of Iowa in 1951. He
was a family practitioner, serving
communities in the Central City
area for 33 years and a deputy
medical examiner for 36 years.
He served as attending physician
for the Linn County Home from
1959-84. He was preceded in
death by his wife, Louise Gage
Brendel ’46. He is survived by four
children, Chris of Minneapolis,
Nancy Meggers of Roscoe, Ill.,
Jon of Center Point, and Peter of
Tiffin; six grandchildren, including
Sara Meggers Carey ’99,
9S155 Chandelle Dr., Naperville,
IL 60564; and four greatgrandchildren.
Evelyn Thompson Pratt, 85,
of Cedar Rapids, on Nov. 26.
She received her master’s from
the University of Iowa and was
a teacher in the area for over 30
years. She is survived by a daughter,
Sandra Lippert of Schertz, Texas;
and a brother, James Thompson of
LeGrand.
M. Muriel Van Gorkom Schultz,
86, of Prescott, Ariz., on Sept. 20.
She is survived by her husband of 65
years, La Vern Schultz ’48, 9 S.
Murphy Way, Prescott, AZ 86303;
three daughters, Janet Schultz
’75, Jody of Seattle, and Laurie; a
son, Jeff; six grandchildren; and two
sisters, Evie and Marge.
’49
William Moody,
89, of Park Ridge, Ill., on Aug.
14. He was an Army veteran of
World War II. He is survived by
his wife of 57 years, Jane, 211 Lake
Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068; four
children, John, Ruth Woroch,
Allen and Marjorie McCarthy;
four grandchildren; and a brother,
Eugene.
Marjorie Northrup, 98, of
Venice, Fla., on Feb. 16. She served
in the Marine Corps during World
C O U R I E R
War II. She received her master’s
in education and taught for many
years in Iowa, New Hampshire,
Connecticut and New York. She
is survived by a daughter, Carol
Dubourg of Torrington, Conn.; a
son, Jay of Niantic, Conn.; seven
grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren.
Wayne Northrop, 85, of Egg
Harbor, Wis., on May 17. He
served in the Army from 1945-48
and was a banker with Central
DuPage Federal Savings and Loan
in Wheaton, Ill. He is survived
by his wife Jeri; two sons, Steve of
Fish Creek and Chris of Batavia,
Ill.; six grandchildren; and a greatgranddaughter.
Ken Savel, 86, of Ogden Dunes,
Ind., on Sept. 14. He is survived by
three children, Ann Savel Griffin
’76, 2027 Bever Ave. SE, Cedar
Rapids, IA 52403, Jerry, and Nancy
Ashby; and four grandchildren.
Richard Wallace, 88, of Marion,
Iowa, on Nov. 29. He served in the
Army Air Corps during World War
II. He taught art in Cedar Rapids
schools for over 22 years. He is
survived by four sons, Daniel and
David of Cedar Rapids, Steve of
Marion, and Michael of Lisbon;
a daughter, Julie Zimmerman of
Chicago; and seven grandchildren.
’50
Alfred Cherry, 90,
of LeRoy, Ill., on Aug. 7. He was
a Marine Corps veteran of World
War II. He played fastpitch softball
for the Burlington Bees and the
State Farm Chiefs. He is survived
by his wife of 59 years, Betty
Jean Cole; a son, J. Kevin Cherry
of Watauga, Texas; a daughter,
Barbara Jenkins of LeRoy;
four grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; two brothers, David
of Dallas and Daniel of Marana,
Ariz.; and a sister, Dorre Lin Ray of
Ashland, Ore.
John Reimers, 89, of Crystal
Lake. Ill., on May 7. He served
in the Army, earning the Bronze
Star. He worked for the Chicago
w w w . c o e . e d u
DEATHS
and Northwestern Railway for 44
years. He is survived by a daughter,
Susan, of Crystal Lake; a son, Peter
of Cary; two grandchildren; and a
great-granddaughter.
’51
Marilyn MacKenzie
Threlkeld, 83, of Sweetwater, Texas,
on Sept. 21. She was an elementary
teacher in Abilene before earning
her master’s from Hardin-Simmons
University in 1979 and became a
counselor. She established endowed
scholarships at McMurray College,
Coe College, Texas Tech and Texas
State Technical College. She is
survived by three children, Richard
and Dave, both of Arlington, and
Anne Wright of Norco, Calif.; and
six grandchildren.
’52
Donald Elfstrom, 82,
of West Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 3.
He served in the Air Force and later
received his master’s in education
and journalism at the University
of Iowa. He made his career as a
teacher. He is survived by his wife,
Marjorie, 1235 Thomas Dr., West
Chicago, IL 60185; four children,
Kristin Tiernan of Dubuque, Iowa,
Rebecca Slagell of Hampshire,
and Eric and David, both of West
Chicago; and nine grandchildren.
CORRECTION: Robert Fisher,
85, of Davenport, Fla., on April
28. He is survived by his wife,
Marjorie, 423 Arnold Palmer
Dr., Davenport, FL 33837; a son,
Douglas; a daughter, Nancy; and
two grandchildren.
’53
Richard Brickley, 83,
of Anamosa, Iowa, on Sept. 24. He
served in Korea with the Air Force.
He earned his master’s in trumpet
performance at the University of
Iowa and his principal’s certificate
from Denver University. He was
a music adjudicator and concert
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
band clinician throughout Iowa and
Colorado. He served as director of
bands at Washington High School
in Cedar Rapids from 1968-76.
He is survived by four children,
Carolyn Brickley ’75, P.O. Box
177, New Sharon, IA 50207, Roy,
Del, and Brad; four grandchildren;
a great-granddaughter; a sister,
Rosalie Shada; and a brother, Bud.
Marilyn Mather Lefebure, 81,
of Forsyth, Mo., on Sept. 22. She
retired from Norwest Mortgage
Co. in Cedar Rapids after almost
21 years in 1993. She is survived
by a daughter, Leslie Perkumas of
Tucson, Ariz.; three sons, Steven of
West Chester, Pa., Randall of Big
Pine, Calif., and Brian Lefebure of
Lee’s Summit; nine grandchildren,
and a great-grandson.
’55
H. Tom Griffith, 78, of
Evanston, Ill., on May 22. He was a
longtime investment banker. He is
survived by his wife, Joann, 2 Arbor
Lane Apt. 210, Evanston, IL 60201;
three children, Lydia Morrissey,
Susan Lisheron and Sam; four
grandchildren; and two siblings,
Richard and Jenny Wisniewski.
David Gustafson, 80 of
Milwaukee, on July 31. He served in
the Army during the Korean War
as an anti-aircraft artillery tank
commander. He spent his career in
the food industry and was owner
of J.C. Roeder Co. He is survived
by two children Caroline Ault of
Mequon and Tim of Cedarburg;
five grandchildren; and three
siblings, Warren, Steve and Gail
McCarthy.
’56 Wilbur ‘Bill’ Salzbrenner,
82, of Cedar Rapids, on Oct. 4.
He served in the Army during
the Korean War. He is survived
by his wife of 60 years, Pat, 1124
Clifton St. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA
52402; two sons, Jim of Mount
Vernon and John of Marion;
seven grandchildren; and a greatgrandson.
C O E
C O L L E G E
32
’57
Ann Hasler Bey, 76, of
Cedar Rapids, on Dec. 7. She was
an active member and president
of the Kappa Delta sorority and
was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa
Society. She was a volunteer for the
Cedar Rapids Community Theater,
Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids
Symphony Guild and St. Luke’s
Hospital. She was president of
the Cedar Rapids Children’s
Theater. In 1984, she began a new
career teaching business classes at
Kirkwood. From 1986 to 1997, she
taught business, language arts and
writing classes in the Cedar Rapids
School District. She is survived by
a brother, Jim Sibert; a sister, Faye
Hasler Holm ’61, 659 Garfield
Ave., Lake Bluff, IL 60044; two
daughters, Kathy Bey Towe ’90
of Cedar Rapids and Suzanne
Hilton; a son, Craig; and two
grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made
to Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.
’58
John Barlow, 82, of
Cedar Rapids, on Dec. 31. He was
a member of Sigma Nu fraternity,
participated in the ROTC program,
was manager of the football
team, and a member of the Clan
of ‘C.’ He worked for Merchants
National Bank of Cedar Rapids,
was president of Barlow-Moon Dry
Cleaners, and president of Barlow
Land Co. He is survived by his
wife of 54 years, Mary-Jane, 2035
Foxbourne SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
52403; two daughters, Elizabeth
Barlow Putnam and Susan Barlow
Toll; and four grandchildren.
’59
Barbara Hashagen
Thomas, 75, of Madison, Wis.,
on Sept. 7. She was a high school
teacher. She was the sole staff
person for the American Indian
Language and Culture Education
Board, an advisory body to the
Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction, from 1984-99. She is
survived by her husband, William,
3230 Tallyho Lane, Madison, WI
C O U R I E R
53705; two daughters, Jennifer of
Denver and Sarah of Milwaukee;
a son, William Jr. of O’Fallon, Ill.;
and two grandchildren.
John Vikdal, 75, of Cedar
Rapids, on Nov. 24. He was a music
teacher. He is survived by his wife
of 28 years, Cherie Clark, 3108
Ridgemore Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids,
IA 52403; a son, Mark; three
daughters, Christa, Jina, and Jonna;
several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren; and a sister, Karen
Merick.
Herbert Wakai, 80, of Oakland,
N.J., on Sept. 17. He was a dentist.
’60
Thomas Chirikos,
74, of Tampa, Fla., on Nov.
23. He earned his master’s and
Ph.D. in economics from Ohio
State University, where he was
a professor in the College of
Medicine from 1968-78. He held a
joint appointment in the College
of Administrative Sciences. He
was a professor emeritus in the
Department of Health Policy and
Management at the USF College
of Public Health. He moved
to Tampa in 1985 and became
the founding chairman of the
Department of Health Policy
and Management. Since 1997, he
was also a member-in-residence
(health economics) at Moffitt
Cancer Center and Research
Institute. He was a prolific author
of research publications in the fields
of health economics and of labor
and human resource economics.
He was awarded National Science
Foundation and OECD fellowships
and was inducted into Sigma Xi,
the Scientific Research Society,
and Omicron Delta Epsilon, the
Economics National Honors
Society. He is survived by his
wife, Linda Waddell Chirikos
’60, 12401 N 22nd St. Apt. H403,
Tampa, FL 33612.
Owen Winterberg, 76, of Cedar
Rapids, on Dec. 22 in Fort Myers,
Fla. He was vice president of SCI
Financial Group/Wells Fargo
Bank and spent his last three years
w w w . c o e . e d u
with RBC Wealth Management.
He served with the Army during
Vietnam. He is survived by his
fiancee, Mardene Marquart; a son,
Richard of Marion; a daughter,
Lisa Winterberg Tesar ’89, and
her husband, Terry Tesar ’90,
1820 35th St., Marion, IA 52302; six
grandchildren; and a brother, Ferris
of Colleyville, Texas.
’64
Robert Brecht, 70, of
Silverdale, Wash., on Oct. 13. He
received his master’s in guidance
counseling from the University of
Oklahoma. He served 22 years in
the Air Force, retiring as major in
1986. He is survived by his wife,
Carol, 11730 Brian Lane NW,
Silverdale, WA 98383; two children,
Renee and Scott, both of Spokane;
and three grandchildren.
’67
Jack Wright, 69,
of Belmont, Calif., on May 16.
After retiring from his position at
the San Mateo County Office of
Education, he volunteered with
the Ombudsmen program. He is
survived by his wife Sandra, 2611
Read Ave., Belmont, CA 94002;
two sons, Chris and Kevin; and two
grandchildren.
’71
Marjorie DeSotel
Ongie-Hall, 79, of Cedar Rapids, on
Dec. 16. She received her teaching
degree from Westmar College. She
was an elementary education teacher
in the North-Linn Community
School District until her retirement.
She is survived by four children,
Marcia Burns and Mary DeSotel
of Cedar Rapids, Lorri Ripperda of
Tyndall, S.D. and Brian DeSotel of
Walker; six grandchildren; and four
great-grandchildren.
M. Grant Purdy, 63, of Des
Moines, Iowa, on Dec. 8 of cancer.
She received her master’s in physical
therapy from Des Moines University
in 1991. She worked for 18 years
at Mercy Medical Center. She had
a passion for bagpipe music and
was a long-time member of the
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums.
She is survived by her long-time
companion, Ruth Quinn of Des
Moines; a sister, Sarah of St. Paul,
Minn.; and two brothers, Tom of
Ben Lomond, Calif., and David of
Canby, Ore.
’79
Kerry Ferguson,
55, of Ames, Iowa, on Oct. 2. He
was a financial advisor with AIG.
He is survived by three children,
Stephanie of Marshalltown, Kurtis
of Peoria, Ill., and Rebecca of Ames;
his parents, Robert and Phyllis
of Ames; and a brother, Kevin of
Elmhurst, Ill.
’98
Sarah Thorsen, 37, of
Verona, Ill, on Aug. 19. She worked
for Rosecrance in Rockford, before
moving to Madison, Wis., to begin
her career with TDS MetroCom,
working eight years in customer
service. She is survived by her
parents, Gary and Becky; and two
brothers, Ben and Luke.
’04
Kristina Kye Hee
Roeder, 29, of Cedar Rapids, on
Sept. 2. After working as a cashier at
Econofoods, she took a position in
the office of local attorney Charles
Litow and eventually moved on to
waitressing positions with Buffalo
Wild Wings and Cranky Hank’s
Pizza. Proud of her heritage,
Kristina was a regular youth
attendee at the Korean Culture
KAMP sponsored by Iowans for
International Adoption and moved
on to assist the organization by
serving as an intern and camp
counselor. She is survived by her
parents, Randy Roeder ’86 and
Nancy Kraft, 536 Greenfield St.
NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402; and a
sister, Jennifer Sook Hee Roeder.
C O E
C O L L E G E
33
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
FACULTY
STAFF
For a more complete list of faculty
accomplishments, visit www.coe.
edu/dean and click on “faculty
accomplishments”.
Professors Mario Affatigato
’89 (physics) and Wendy
Dunn (psychology) co-presented
“Nuts and Bolts: How to Create
an Institution-Wide System
for Assessment” at the Annual
Conference of the Higher
Learning Commission of the
North Central Association in
Chicago.
Technical Director and Lighting
Designer and Adjunct Assistant
Professor of Theatre Arts
Jonathan Allender-Zivic
shared “Building scenery for
outdoor theatres” and “Fun
in the Technical Production
Classroom” at the national
conference of the United
States Institute for Theatre
Technology. He performed
professional lighting design work
for more than a dozen of theatre
performances at the Circa 21
Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island,
Ill., Festival 56 in Princeton, Ill.,
and The Old Creamery Theatre
in Amana, Iowa.
Professor of English Charles
Aukema presented two short
flash fictions at Unspeakable
Practices V hosted by Brown
University.
Deb Bahr ’06 was promoted to
associate chief information officer.
Vice President for Academic
Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
Marie Baehr was selected
to serve on the Executive
Committee of Advisory Board
of Deans with the Associated
Colleges of the Midwest. She also
served the ACM as a consultant
evaluator for the Costa Rica Tico
Scholarship program, a member
of the Strategic Planning Task
Force, and a member of the
Steering Committee for Teagle-
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
C O E
funded “Introducing Change:
Introductory Courses and the
Nature of Faculty Work.” She
served the Higher Learning
Commission as a member
of the Institutional Actions
Council, a consultant reviewer,
and a facilitator of Assessment/
Assessment Academy Workshops.
She and Athletics Director
John Chandler co-presented
“Intentional Integration
of Academic and Athletic
Programs” at the ACM Faculty
Career Enhancement Project
(FaCE) conference.
United States and Europe with
the Iowa Ambassadors of Music
and was invited to participate in
the Festival de Musique Française,
where he conducted members
of the National Police Wind
Band of France in a portion
of Stravinsky’s Symphonies of
Wind Instruments. He and
Teaching Artist in Trumpet Alan
Naylor edited “Spoon River” for
concert band which was recorded
professionally by the Dallas Wind
Symphony, the United States
Marine Band, and the Ohio
University Wind Symphony.
Associate Professor of Political
Science Lynda Barrow wrote
a case study, “High Drama in
Honduras: Constitutional Crisis
and the Overthrow of President
Zelaya,” which was accepted for
publication by the Georgetown
Institute for the Study of
Diplomacy. She served as guest
lecturer, presenting “Religion
and Politics in Comparative
Perspective” at Divine Word
University, Madang, Papua New
Guinea.
Assistant Professor of Stead
Department of Business
Administration and Economics
Jia-Yuh “Jay” Chen passed
the Chartered Financial Analyst
(CFA) Level III exam, the final
test requirement to become an
official CFA charter holder.
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Emily Bowman accepted
the position of review editor
for The Information Society:
An International Journal. She
shared “Visible and Invisible
Differences: How Culture Shapes
the Educational Experiences of
International Graduate Students
from Western Countries”
with Sigrun Olafsdottir at the
Midwest Sociological Society
conference.
Assistant Professors Emily
Bowman (sociology),
Evangeline Heiliger (gender
studies), and Steve Shanley
(music) co-presented “Passports
Please: How New Faculty Learn
to Navigate WAC at 4-Year
Colleges” at the International
Writing Across the Curriculum
(WAC) Conference.
Alma A. Turechek Professor
of Music William Carson
authored an article that was
published in Volume 9 of the
book series Teaching Music
Through Performance in Band.
He performed as a conductor and
clarinet soloist throughout the
C O L L E G E
34
Adjunct Assistant Professor
of Rhetoric Jane Claspy
Nesmith presented a poster,
“How can we use writing to
make service learning projects
successful?” at the International
Writing Across the Curriculum
conference.
position with the Iowa Supreme
Court Grievance Commission.
She also accepted a position
on the governing board of the
Tanager Place Research Center,
which will oversee the creation
of the Research Center and
will work toward the goals of
advancing scholarship in the field
of human services administration
for children and adolescents at
risk and linking that research
to improved, evidence-based
practices for the delivery of
services to this population.
Assistant Professor of
Anthropology Julie Fairbanks
participated in the Central
Eurasian Studies Society
(CESS) Regional Conference
in Tbilisi, Georgia, as presenter
of “Tradition for New Times:
Soviet Ethnographic Literature
and Contemporary Adyg
Discourse” on a panel called
“Soviet Rule in the Caucasus and
Its Enduring Legacy” and also as
discussant on the “Cross-cultural
representations of the Caucasus
from the Middle Ages to the
Early Modern Era” panel.
B.D. Silliman Professor of
Physics Steve Feller presented
Associate Professor of Music
“Glass Forming Limits: A
Joseph Dangerfield served as
Simple Model Based on Shortadjudicator for both the Fulbright
Range Structural Unites” at the
Association, Moscow, and the
Summer Seminar sponsored by
Fulbright Association Peer
Materials Science & Engineering
Review Committee, Washington,
of Iowa State University.
D.C. He was invited to
participate in a broadcast of Iowa Assistant Professor of Religion
Public Radio’s WorldCanvass
Christopher Hatchell signed
Radio Show, during which he
a book contract with Oxford
joined in a discussion about
University Press for his manuscript
Women in Post-Socialist Eastern entitled “Naked Seeing.”
Europe and shared samples
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
of the works of noted Russian
Fellow Assistant Professor of
composers Sofia Gubaidulina
Gender Studies Evangeline
and Irina Dubkova. He was one
Heiliger had the following book
of 100 composers invited from
chapter published by SUNY
throughout the United States
Press: “Ado(red), Abhor(red),
and Germany to collaborate in
Disappea(red): Fashioning Race,
writing the Cage100 Party Piece,
Poverty and Morality Under
a composition commemorating
Product (Red)™” Chapter 9
the 100th birthday of composer
of Fashion Talks: Undressing
John Cage. In addition, his
the Power of Style. She was
composition, Pulse, was
invited to present “EcoBucks
commissioned by the University
and the Gender of ‘Green’” as
of Iowa Symphony Orchestra.
part of the EnviroThursday
series at Macalester College and
James Y. Canfield Professor
“Promiscuous Economies and
of Psychology Wendy Dunn
Everyday Queer Survival” at
accepted a three-year volunteer
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
the National Women’s Studies
Association Conference.
Professor of Teacher Education
Roger Johanson was
selected by Iowa Gov. Terry
Branstad to serve on the STEM
Advisory Council Regional
board, whose goal is to boost
student achievement in Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Math (STEM) education and
promote STEM economic
development. He presented
“Constructivist caution:
concept development with
computers and manipulatives”
at the Iowa Association for
Teachers of Mathematics
conference and “Constructivist
Dilemma: Promoting concept
development with computers
and manipulatives” at the
National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics conference.
Josh Johnson joined Coe as
PC, ResNet and eClassroom
Technician.
Assistant Professor of Art
Andrea Kann presented
“Time After Time: Pilgrimage,
Spectacle, and Cultural Memory
in Contemporary Florence”
at the 2012 Association of
Art Historians conference in
Milton Keynes, England. She
was invited to contribute her
essay, “Strangely Familiar:
Marvin Cone and the Circus,”
to accompany the Cedar Rapids
Museum of Art’s Marvin Cone
retrospective exhibit, available
online at www.crma.org/
Content/Collection/MarvinCone.aspx.
Professor Emeritus of
Mathematics and Music Dean
Karns with Betty Bang Mather
edited and annotated the
Informed Performance Edition
of Bach’s Overture-Suite in B
Minor, BWV1067 for flute and
keyboard, published by Theodore
Presser Company.
Assistant Professor of History
Bethany Keenan was accepted
to be one of 16 summer scholars
in the National Endowment
for the Humanities (NEH)
Summer Seminar for College and
University Teachers “”France’s
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
Haunting Past: Debating 20th
Century History and French
National Identity Since 1990”
held in Paris.
Professor of Philosophy
John Lemos wrote the book
“Freedom, Responsibility, and
Determinism: A Philosophical
Dialogue” which was accepted
for publication by Hackett
Publishing. He also wrote the
article “Libertarianism and the
Wrongness of Prepunishment,”
which was published in The
Public Affairs Quarterly.
Assistant Professor of English
Gordon Mennenga was
invited to participate as a panelist
at the national conference of
Association of Writers and
Writing Programs. He was
invited to share “Shakytown,”
a monologue presented at the
“Walking the Wire: This Will
Never Work” festival held at
Riverside Theatre, Iowa City.
Iowa Public Radio also included
an excerpt of “Shakytown” in a
broadcast prior to the monologue
festival. He also gave a public
reading of Eric Olsen’s book “We
Wanted to Be Writers,” in which
he is a featured writer.
Amber Mulnix ’10 was named
manager of Jenzabar services and
support.
Teaching Artist in Trumpet
Alan Naylor released his album
“Legacy,” his debut recording as
a leader.
Assistant Professor of Music
Steve Shanley composed
musical arrangements for the
Cedar Rapids Municipal Band,
for which he also performed as
conductor and music director.
In addition, he prepared
arrangements of musical
theater, performed by Theatre
Cedar Rapids; arrangements
for orchestra and jazz band,
performed by Linn-Mar High
School; and arrangements for
marching band and show choir,
performed by more than 50 Iowa
middle school and high school
ensembles.
Head Football Coach Steve
Staker was honored with rededication of the Fredericksburg
football field in his name.
Sumner-Fredericksburg opened
its season Aug. 24 with a victory
over Turkey Valley on “Steve
Staker Field.” Steve taught and
coached at Fredericksburg from
1968-2004, leading the Falcons
to state titles in track in 1992 and
football in 2001 and a runner-up
finish in football in 2002.
Adjunct Assistant Professor of
Rhetoric Karla M. SteffensMoran presented her paper,
“Images of Women in Music
Videos: Thirty Year History of
MTV,” at Queens University,
Belfast, Northern Ireland for
the International Women’s Day
Women in Media Conference:
Representations Past and Present.
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Susan Noreuil served as
the state director for the Iowa
Science Olympiad, a competition
during which more than 300
middle and high school students
compete in math, science and
engineering.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Paul Storer and Molly
Schlichenmayer ’13 were
accepted to be part of the
Fostering Undergraduate
Talent – Uniting Research
and Education (FUTURE) in
Biomedicine summer research
program at the University of
Iowa to study the expression
of procalcitonin and CGRP by
microglial cells in the trigeminal
ganglion and cerebral cortex and
to evaluate glial contribution to
the pathophysiology associated
with migraine headache.
Kylee Schmitt Pusteoska
’97 was named director of
advancement services, replacing
Kelly Russell.
National Fellowship Advisor
Ann Struthers was selected to
read Paul Engle’s poem “Song
of the Cedar” for the “City of
Associate Professor of Nursing
Anita Nicholson presented
“Challenges and Rewards:
Pediatric Nursing in South
Africa” at the 2012 Pediatric
Update Nursing Conference.
C O E
C O L L E G E
35
C O U R I E R
Literature” broadcast on Iowa
Public Television.
Assistant Professor of History
Brie Swenson Arnold
was accepted to be one of 30
summer scholars in the National
Endowment for the Humanities
(NEH) Summer Institute “The
Visual Culture of the American
Civil War” at the City University
of New York Graduate Center.
On Dec. 20, she and her husband,
Quinn, celebrated the birth of a
son, Nathan.
Professor of Computer Science
and John F. Yothers Professor
of Mathematics Calvin Van
Niewaal was reappointed to serve
a three-year term on the Province
Governor’s Council of Phi Mu
Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity.
Wanda Wagner, 86, of
Blairstown, Iowa, died June 10.
She was a secretary in the Coe
Admission Office for 20 years.
She is survived by two sons,
Jon of Centerville and Monte
Wagner ’74, 1948 Benton
Iowa Rd., Blairstown, IA 52209;
a daughter, Dana of North
Liberty; four grandchildren; a
great-granddaughter; a brother,
Charles “Bud” Walrod of Des
Moines; and a sister, Carolyn
“Sally” Vedda of Tucson, Ariz.
Associate Professor of Theatre
Arts Steven Marc Weiss
participated in a five-week
advanced training program
in Viewpoints and Suzuki
movement techniques with
members of Anne Bogart’s SITI
Company in New York City.
Associate Professor of
Mathematics Jonathan White
’90 served as chair of the Iowa
Section of the Mathematical
Association of America.
Assistant Professor of History
Angela Ziskowski delivered
“The Development of the
Bellerophon Myth in Early
Corinthian History” for the
Art and Archaeology of the
Mediterranean World (AAMW)
Lecture at the University of
Pennsylvania.
w w w . c o e . e d u
Retirement calls
Jewett-scholar Heller
Given the shrinking job market of the mid1970s, Howard Hall Professor of English
Terry Heller feels lucky to have found his
teaching career at Coe College. Now, as he
prepares for retirement 38 years later, he is
glad he was able to serve this small liberal
arts college and the many students he has
helped discover a bigger world.
“This was a dream job for me,” Heller said.
Growing up on the family farm near
Hooppole, Ill., Heller was a first generation
college student, a background he has
shared with countless students as a First
Year Seminar instructor virtually every year
he’s been at Coe. After undergraduate
studies at North Central College in
Naperville, he went on to earn his master’s
and Ph.D. in English at the University of
Chicago.
After a year
of teaching at
the University
of Missouri in
St. Louis and
another year as
a junior Fulbright
lecturer at the
University of
Turin in Italy, Heller arrived at Coe in the
fall of 1975. While his main role has been
to improve students’ reading and writing
skills and to stimulate their love of literature,
Heller has quietly become part of Coe’s
history.
deprecated his contributions to the WAC
Program, his appreciation and support
of the program have been steadfast and
invaluable. It’s hard to imagine the college
ever finding anyone who will match Terry’s
understanding and commitment to the
WAC Program’s principles and practices.”
With Visiting Professor of English Ann
Struthers, he obtained grants that launched
the series of visits and readings by
Midwestern authors that continues today.
Heller and Struthers founded the Coe
Review Press in 1993, which published the
1996 anthology of Coe faculty and staff
writers, “Holding On & Letting Go,” and the
2001 sesquicentennial collection of alumni
writers, “Turning Up the Leaves.”
He helped develop the creative writing
major at Coe and twice worked to renew
the American studies program. He chaired
Coe’s English Department in academic
1980-81, 1988-89, 1995-96 and from 2005
to 2009.
In 1998, after the computer age arrived at
was very enthusiastic about and interested
in whatever subject he was teaching and
brought a quirky sense of humor and a
tireless energy to his class discussions.”
A summer research project on Jewett’s
historical novel, “The Tory Lover,” launched
Petsche’s senior thesis project, which was
subsequently added to Heller’s online
archive of all things Jewett. Noting that
Heller filled in for her advisor on sabbatical
and then continued in that role, Petsche
said, “Terry took a personal interest in his
students and did everything he could to
help us further our academic success.”
Second behind the pleasure of working
with bright and eager students like Petsche,
Heller lists associating with kind, generous,
enthusiastic and hard-working colleagues
as a career highlight.
“My main mentors at Coe have been Neal
Woodruff, Charles Cannon, David Hay and
Bob Marrs,” he said. “They, especially, have
been important to helping me subvert
the darker aspects of the master/pupil
dynamic that is
always a part
of education.
These four
have helped me
approximate
what I consider
the ideal college
teaching relationship between myself and
my students, in which I am a partner and
assistant in their learning.”
“Love isn’t blind; it’s only love that sees.”
His teaching includes a popular film course
focusing on monsters – his “baby” – and
a creative writing course that annually
results in a new edition of Fantasticoe, a
publication of student fantasy fiction. A
leading Sarah Orne Jewett scholar, Heller’s
main teaching and research area is 19th
century American fiction, but he has taught
American literature from the beginnings
through the 20th century.
— Sarah Orne Jewett
Coe, he launched the Sarah Orne Jewett
Text Project, a labor of considerable love
that will continue well into retirement. For
his efforts, Heller fields occasional emails
every month from all over the world with
questions regarding Jewett and her work.
“What’s gratifying to me is to provide
things others find useful,” he said. “That’s
why I teach.”
Count Heather
Petsche ’05 among
the grateful.
Now a librarian in
Washington, D.C.,
Petsche took several
of Heller’s courses at
Coe, from a J-Term
He was one of the inventers of the once
annual, now historical Shakespeare Birthday class on fantasy
writing, to literary
Party. In the early 1980s, he served on the
analysis at 8 a.m., to
committee that developed the Writing
a class on Russian
Across the Curriculum (WAC) and Writing
literature. “By the
Center programs.
end of the semester,
“Terry helped craft a flexible, theoretically
I was sure that
sound writing program beautifully
everyone in Russia
adapted to the needs of our college
is depressed and
and our students,” said The Esther and
writes exclusively
Robert Armstrong Professor of Rhetoric
depressing things,”
Bob Marrs. “While Terry has always
she said. “But Terry
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
C O E
C O L L E G E
36
Heller also lists Struthers, Stead Family
Professor of English Gina Hausknecht, Coe
President Jim Phifer and former Coe English
Professor Wendy Bashant as people who
have helped him succeed. All are invited to
a retirement party in Heller’s honor at 3 p.m.
Friday, May 3 in Clark Alumni House.
Howard Hall Professor of
English Terry Heller with a
statue of Mark Twain.
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
BY GEORGE
A L O O K B A C K AT C O E T H R O U G H T H E L E N S O F G E O R G E H E N R Y ’4 9
sampling of photos from the George T. Henry College Archives at Stewart Memorial Library, this page is dedicated
to Coe’s history as captured through the lens of George Henry ’49. The collection includes an unparalleled
record of the life of a college over more than half a century by a single photographer.
50 YEARS AGO
Emeritus Professor of
Chemistry Ben Peterson
’18 in 1963, two years
after retiring. Peterson
taught chemistry at
Coe from 1920-61 and
continued to work in his
lab in Carnegie Science
Hall (now Stuart Hall) for
several years thereafter.
YEARS AGO
10 YEARS AGO
Trustees Bill Shuttleworth
and Bill Whipple ’35
discussing photos of the
remodeled library in 1988.
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
C O E
Former President George
H.W. Bush visits with trustee
John Strohm ’79 and his wife
Mary Pat Link in Clark Alumni
House. Bush visited Coe on
Feb. 27, 2003 as the first
Contemporary Issues Forum
speaker.
C O L L E G E
37
C O U R I E R
w w w . c o e . e d u
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Are you worried about rising taxes?
Despite the uncertainty in the economy, you can lessen your tax burden,
increase your future income and support Coe. Here are three ways.
CREATE SECURITY FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES
You can make a gift to Coe while creating security for you and your loved ones
with a charitable gift annuity. It’s as simple as transferring your low performing
investments such as CDs and bonds to Coe in exchange for fixed lifetime
payments. You might be surprised at how much higher your income could be
and the payment you receive will never change.
GROW YOUR NEST EGG NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
If you own appreciated assets such as stock or real estate that are producing
little or no income, one idea is to transfer these assets to fund a charitable
remainder unitrust. The most common unitrust will pay you income each year
based on a percentage (that you set) of the trust assets. Your income has
the potential to increase over time with growth in the trust. This means more
income for you and more remaining assets to help Coe in the future. The
benefits of this trust include a charitable deduction, potential for increased
income paid out for life, and bypass of capital gains tax on the sale of your
appreciated property.
REDUCE TAXES WHILE HELPING COE AND YOUR HEIRS
A bequest of your IRA funds is one of the easiest ways to help Coe while
also reducing taxes for your estate and your heirs. By designating Coe as the
beneficiary of your plan, your estate can enjoy valuable tax savings. Rather than
facing a high tax burden, your heirs may benefit from estate gifts of low taxed
assets such as your home or stock.
Visit coelegacy.org to view an illustration of the benefits of a charitable gift
annuity or a charitable unitrust or contact Kelly Allen, director of the Heritage Club,
at kallen@coe.edu or 1-800-332-8404, ext. 8592 or 319-329-8943.