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O L I V E T N A Z A R E N E U N I V E R S I T Y , B O U R B O N N A I S , I L L I N O I SVOL. 74, NO. 2 WINTER 2006 WWW.OLIVET.EDU

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LAUNCHEDCENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

p To commemorate the launch of the Centennial Celebration, students, faculty, staff and alumni released hundreds of balloons following the Homecoming chapel service. (For more on Homecoming 2006, turn to page 4)

p Rev. Nina Gunter, the first female general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, received Olivet’s Maggie Sloan Crawford Award during the October 5 chapel service. In her response, Gunter challenged the ONU community to allow God to use them to make a difference for eternity, as Maggie Sloan Crawford had done.

p U.S. Congressman Jerry Weller visited the campus of Olivet to tour the Reed Hall of Science and speak with students about issues close to them. Last fall, Weller announced a $300,000 federal grant* for Olivet Nazarene University’s science departments.

2 The Olivetian Winter 2006

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

Editor The Olivetian

Olivet Nazarene University One University Ave.

Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345

THE OLIVETIAN (USPS 407-880)

(ISSN 0891-9712)

EditorHeather (Quimby) Day ’02

Design and Editorial ConsultGeorge Andrew Wolff ’93

Contributing WritersDr. Michael Benson

Gary Griffin ’81 Dr. Edward H. Heck ’75

Seth Hurd ’06 Kate Morgan

Marc Shaner ’00/’02 M.A.T. David Caudle ’79

DesignerDonnie Johnson

Additional DesignMatthew Moore ’96

Monique (Cartier) Perry ’03

Class News EditorChristine (Mazzella) Howell ’05

Editorial AdvisersBrian Parker ’93

Susan (Hendley) Wolff ’94

Editorial ConsultantRev. Gordon C. Wickersham ’47

PhotographyImage Group Photography,

or as credited

Sports EditorGary Griffin ’05

Olivet Nazarene University

PresidentDr. John C. Bowling ’71/’72 M.A.

Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Gary W. Streit

Vice President for Student Development

Rev. Walter “Woody” Webb ’86/ ’89 M.A.R.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Dr. Brian Allen ’82/’05 Litt.D.

Vice President for FinanceDr. Douglas E. Perry ’68/

’95 M.B.A., Litt.D.

The Olivetian is published quarterly by the Office of Marketing Communications under the direction of the Vice President

for Institutional Advancement.

Reproduction of material without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2006 Olivet Nazarene University

One University Avenue Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345

*Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy [National Nuclear Security Administration] under Award Number 06CH11385.

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p Olivet students, under the direction of Jerry Cohagan, presented Arthur Miller’s classic The Crucible to sell-out crowds November 16–18. Pictured, from left: Joshua Carman ’09 (Thomas Putnam), Melanie Carroll ’09 (Tituba), Tristan Riddell ’08 (Reverend Hale), Amanda Gossage ’07 (Ann Putnam) and Kenneth Delaney ’09 (Reverend Paris).

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Winter 2006 The Olivetian 3By Dr. John C. Bowling ’71/’72 M.A., University President


Mary Nesbitt

Naomi Larsen

Carl McClain

Lucille and A.L. Parrott

Dwight Strickler

Charles Gibson

Chuck Ide

E.O. Chalfant

Edwin Burke

A.M. Hills

Harold Reed

Selden Kelley

Lawrence Howe

S.T. Ludwig

‘O, Lord, give us a school’

Edward and Minnie Richards

Orla Nesbitt

Walter Larsen

Canaan Hall girl’s dormitory and Administration Building at Olivet, Illinois ca. 1937

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Last June, Jill and I drove to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to visit a wonderful lady named Sara Richards Frank. Sara is the young-est child of the oldest son of Edward and Minnie Richards. It was Sara’s grandfather, Francis Edward Richards, along with his brothers and their friend, Orla Nesbitt, who founded Olivet in the

fall of 1907. At the time, Ed Richards was a prosperous and devout farmer in Vermilion County, Ill.

One of the items Sara showed us during our visit was a copy of the original charter from the State of Illinois for Olivet, originally called Illinois Holiness University. I held it in my hands. Three individuals had signed it. The first name listed was Francis Edward Richards; the second was Orla Nesbitt. The third man to sign the document was Mr. J.F. McCoy, an architect from Danville, Ill., who had been enlisted by the others to help design the campus.

During the course of the first few years of the University, Edward and Minnie Richards contributed thousands of dollars and countless hours to Olivet. On occasion, he would be heard at family prayer time praying, “O Lord, give us a school if it takes the roof from over our heads.” Interestingly, that is just what happened, for through an unfortunate set of circumstances, F.E. Richards lost everything he had in a material way.

He lost his farm, having mortgaged it for the school; he lost his house, and he lost what money he had left. It was a devastating turn of events, which has left its mark across generations. It was all gone; and yet, he left a legacy. He left a heritage of faith and faithfulness to his children and grandchildren, and he left this University. Olivet Nazarene University didn’t just happen. It came into being through great purpose, vision and sacrifice. In the end, it cost Edward Richards nearly everything he had.

In the months since my visit with Sara, I wondered what it would be like if Mr. and Mrs. Richards could walk the campus today … if they could slip into a chapel service, or, somehow, stand at the back of a classroom as a professor opens his or her class with prayer … if they could be here for gradua-tion and see the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of graduates and their families. I don’t know, of course, but I like to think, if that were possible, that Mr. Richards would turn to his wife Minnie and say, “God has been faithful to our sacrifice. As hard as it was, in the end, it was worth it all.”

The University founded by Edward Richards, Orla Nesbitt and others has been passed down gen-eration to generation. Olivet is a tapestry of interwoven strands of influence, sacrifice and leadership — stitched together with threads of purple and gold, across the past century.

At its center, the Olivet story is the story of people investing themselves in lives of service, creat-ing a legacy that is passed along one class of students following the other and one group of faculty and staff members to the next. It is the account of men and women who have poured their lives, their talents, and their resources into this great endeavor — men and women now remembered in brick and mortar, stone and steel.

They are gone, and yet, they are not gone. They are still here as a “cloud of witnesses” — indi-viduals with names such as Mary Nesbitt, the first teacher at Olivet; Walter and Naomi Larsen, Carl McClain, Dr. and Mrs. A.L. Parrott, Dwight Strickler, Charles Gibson, Chuck Ide, E.O. Chalfant, Dr. Edwin Burke, A.M. Hills, Dr. Harold Reed, Dr. Selden Kelley, Dr. Lawrence Howe, Dr. S.T. Ludwig and many, many others.

Those of us who are part of Olivet today are inheritors of their dreams, the benefactors of their labors. We are indeed stewards of a great treasure. We drink from wells we did not

dig and eat from vines we did not plant.

tALL-STARS:The 2006 Olivet All-Stars were recognized for their participation in intramural athletics before intercollegiate sports began at the University.

This year’s honorees were: sitting, left to right: Norma (Blochberger) Mills ’56 (softball, basketball, track & field), Barb (Strong) Gardner ’56 (basketball, softball, track & field); standing: Vernon Fischer ’57 (softball, basketball, football), Wendy Parsons ’56 (track & field, basketball), Rosella (Scott) Fischer ’57 (softball, basketball), Jim Smith ’57 (softball, basketball, baseball, track & field), Bev (Hickler) Carlson ’56 (basketball, softball), John Hanson ’57 (softball, baseball, basketball), David Brown ’56 (softball, basketball, track & field, baseball); not pictured: Jim Mitchell ’56 (softball, basketball, baseball).



N O V E M B E R 9 – 1 2 , 2 0 0 6

tCORONATION:Erin Hall ’07, an elementary education major from Plainfield, Ind., was crowned Olivet’s 2006 Homecoming queen during the annual coronation ceremony. Gary Bishir ’07 escorted her. Other members of the court included: Lindsey Bailey ’07, escorted by Christian Sanchez ’07; Sarah McDevitt ’07, escorted by Chris Sanders ’07; Dana Scheller ’07, escorted by Jason Athialy ’07; and Katie Zurcher ’07, escorted by McCartha McKenzie ’07.

tu “O” AWARDS:Dr. Mark Quanstrom ’77, president of the alumni association, and President John C.

Bowling presented Les ’84 and Leslie (Young) ’84 Parrott and Rev. Robert Collins ’57/’69

M.A. with the 2006 “O” Awards.

Les ’84 and Leslie (Young) ’84 Parrott

Frances and Rev. Robert Collins ’57/’69 M.A.

Erin Hall ’07 and Gary Bishir ’07

uFOOTBALL HALF-TIME PRESENTATION:Members of the 1976 Olivet football team, the University’s first, honored former head coach and Olivet’s first athletic director Butch Ward during halftime of the Homecoming football game. During the ceremony, former coach Ken Richardson presented Mrs. Lil Ward ’72, the widow of Butch Ward with a signed football from the members of the inaugural team. Current coach Gary Newsome presented a signed football helmet from current team members; and Athletic Director Jeff Schimmelpfennig

’86/’91 M.B.A. presented a scholarship plaque commemorating the

establishment of the C.W. “Butch” Ward Scholarship. Frank Wright, Mrs. Lil Ward

’72 and Larry Ward

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Winter 2006 The Olivetian 5


For more on these and other ONU news stories, go to www.olivet.edu and click on “News & Events.”

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ONUStudentsin the News

onu Insider

Conservation Internship: Robert Hegna ’07 was se-lected by the Student Conservation Association to partici-pate in a summer internship at Canaveral National Park. During the term, his main responsibilities included nest protection and management for the various types of sea turtles that nest along the coastline. He also developed and initiated usage of GIS technology to track the turtles and had the unique opportunity to observe a Kemp’s Ridley — one of the world’s rarest sea turtles — in its natural habitat.

Lobbying for peace: Fifteen Olivet students (Lindsey Bailey ’07, Elizabeth Brown ’10, Andy Carretto ’10, Laura Feldman ’09, Melissa Harper ’07, Loren Hoek-stra ’09, Sara Horvath ’09, Elizabeth Marriett ’09, Maggie Martin ’09, Alex McGrath ’10, Megan Mc-Grath ’07, Christie Moreland ’07, Jenna Prejna ’08, Keri Shay ’07, and Conrad Wineland ’09) traveled to Washington, D.C. during their fall break to attend Peace Within Reach, the first Northern Uganda Lobby Day and Symposium. The event was to coincide with peace talks taking place between representatives from the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army. The war between the two has devastated the people of Uganda, but has been almost unnoticed for nearly 20 years. Stu-dents spoke with representatives from the offices of Sens. Barack Obama and Dick Durbin and Rep. Jerry Weller. Not only did they lobby for the U.S. to support peace talks, but also to increase humanitarian aid for the hundreds of thousands who have been forced from their homes into internally displaced persons camps.

Top singing at state: The Olivet Department of Music had one of its finest showings at this year’s Illinois State Student Auditions for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, held this year on Olivet’s campus. Ashlie McIn-tire ’10 and Jerrod Covert ’08 received honorable men-tion recognition in their divisions. Jenna Dickey ’10 and Reuben Lillie ’10 advanced to the division finals, while Jasper Taylor ’10, Kathryn Hendrix ’09 and Stephen Dalton ’09 advanced to the division semifinals.

Among Ivy Leaguers: Christopher Allison ’06 re-ceived an honorable mention award in the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest 2006. Allison submitted his piece titled “The Ethical Role of History: Towards a Proper Understanding of the Role of History in Human Life,” dur-ing his senior year at Olivet. The competition received more than 500 essays, with awards handed out to the top five essayists. Dr. Kevin Lowery, Allison’s faculty sponsor says the competition “draws a lot of participation from Ivy League schools; and I was told personally by one of the contest organizers that the 2006 entries were the best to date in the contest overall. This is truly a great honor for Chris, for me and for Olivet.”

Olivet recognized for community support: Olivet Nazarene Uni-versity is the recipient of the Pledge for Life Partnership’s first-ever Community Collaboration Award. The award was created this year to recognize businesses and organizations that have provided gener-ous support to the Partnership’s programs and initiatives. Olivet has hosted the Partnership’s annual Family Fun-a-thon for 11 years at the

Leslie Parrott Center involving activities like cheerleading clinics, basketball tournaments, talent showcases and more. “The staff is exceptional to work with, and ONU truly has reached outside its institution to embrace a local program,” says Deb Baron, director of the Partnership. “They are making a positive difference to children and families in the community.”

In a surprise ceremony during the 2006 Homecoming concert, Olivet Nazarene University presented President John C. Bowling ’71/’72 M.A. and Mrs. Jill (Cheeseman) Bowling ’70 with honorary degrees. “The Board of Trustees wanted to do something significant to honor Dr. and Mrs. Bowling to begin Olivet’s Centennial Celebration,” says Dr. Ted Lee

’68, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “During our annual meeting of the Board of Trustees in October, we voted unanimously to confer honorary degrees upon both — the Doctor of Divinity to President Bowling and the Doctor of Letters to Mrs. Bowling.” During his 16-year tenure at Olivet, Bowling’s accomplishments have included 10-straight years of record student enrollments, successful capital campaigns, expanded academic pro-grams, campus upgrades and improvements, and increased community support of and involve-ment with the University. In 2007, under President Bowling’s leadership, Olivet will begin its first doctoral program, the Doctor of Education degree in ethical leadership, and start construction of a new 3,000-seat chapel. Also an active civic leader, President Bowling cur-rently serves as vice chairman of the Riverside Health System Board in Kankakee, trustee of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and board member of Kankakee’s Peoples Bank. The University recognized Mrs. Bowling for her tireless efforts on behalf of the University. “You can’t walk across campus without seeing the imprint of Jill,” says Rev. John Seaman ’69, featured Homecoming speaker and superintendent of the Michigan District. She has ac-cepted major responsibilities for the renovation of several buildings including Ludwig Center, Common Grounds Coffee Shop, the Red Room and the Harlow E. Hopkins Alumni Center. She also superintends numerous campus events, including the annual President’s Dinner for faculty and staff, Board of Trustee meetings, Christmas Gathering for faculty and staff and the ONU Ladies Day. “John and Jill Bowling have invested their lives in Olivet since the time they were students,” says Seaman. “As we start our second century, what better way to honor their commitment and passion for Olivet than to confer on them the highest honor the University offers?”

Pictured, from left: Dr. Gary W. Streit, Dr. John C. Bowling ’71/’72 M.A., Mrs. Jill (Cheeseman) Bowling ’70, and Dr. Ted R. Lee ’68.

Bowlings receive honorary degrees

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CHAPLAIN’S NOTEBOOKSeeking fresh spiritual inspiration and bibli-cal insight? University Chaplain Michael Ben-son, noted author and evangelist, has a regular blog on Olivet’s Web site. Go to www.olivet.edu and select “Chaplain’s Notebook” from the drop-down menu.

FEATURED POSTING:

“Quenching Your Thirst: Confession” (Nov. 30, 2006) In this posting, Dr. Benson concludes the “Quench-ing Your Thirst” series with some practical notes about the spiritual discipline of confession: “Yes, confession is, in part, a very private matter between you and God. Yet, confession is a corporate discipline, for we are a fellowship of sinners before we are a fellowship of saints. We are not alone in our sin. It is only pride that keeps us from acknowledging our need. In mu-tual confession, we release the power that heals.”

PODCASTSFree, downloadable broadcasts of weekly chapel ser-vices and other ONU events are now available online. Go to www.olivet.edu and select “Podcasts — Listen Now!” from the drop down menu.

FEATURED PODCASTS:

“Give Your Life Away” (Oct. 18, 2006)Paul Borthwick, Development Associates International Borthwick tells students if they make themselves available to God, determine what they have to offer and expand their global prayers, they can be prepared to give their lives away.

“Does still water really run deep?” (Nov. 1, 2006)Dr. Michael Benson, University Chaplain Speaking about the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude, Benson asks, “Are you quiet enough in your daily living to hear the still small voice of God?”

“What about God moves you to worship?”(Nov. 15, 2006)Dr. Henry Blackaby, Blackaby Ministries

Blackaby describes the biblical understanding of worship as a transforming encounter with God.

Pastor Appreciation Days 2006(Oct. 16 & 17, 2006)

Six-part series featuring Dr. Frank Moore, noted author and speaker

Additional Podcasts include chapel addresses byn Dr. Ron Sider of Palmer Theological Seminary and

author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hungern Dr. Nina Gunter, General Superintendent,

Church of the Nazarenen Dr. Robert Mulholland, Asbury Theological Seminaryn Dr. Carl Leth, Dean of the School of Theology and

Christian Educationn Dr. John C. Bowling, University President

Join us!

Second time aroundBy Kate Morgan

After Greg ’88 and Tina (Collings) Bruner ’90 adopted daughter Lily from China, they believed they were done having children. “I got off the plane and said, ‘Whew, that’s over,’” Tina remembers with a laugh. With three children and jobs at Olivet — Greg as director of financial aid and Tina

as secretary to the Reed Hall of Science — neither believed they had the energy for another child. But one Sunday in church, while Greg was away on business, Tina felt the presence of the Lord surround her. “I swear someone said, ‘Adoption: I want you to adopt,’” she says. Later that evening, Tina spoke with Greg on the phone. She asked if he ever thought of adopting another baby. “It’s so odd that she would even ask me,” Greg says. “Adopting again had been weighing heavy on my heart for a couple of months.” Although thrilled by the possibility, doubts plagued the family. Tina especially remembers grappling with what to do. “Adopting Lily has been an awesome experience, but will we have the energy and drive needed for another baby? I kept praying, ‘Lord, no. Please don’t ask me to do this,” she recalls, her voice cracking. She struggled to believe God could use her in this way. “But one day [assistant biology professor] Aggie Posthumus said to me, ‘Maybe you should change your prayer. Instead of praying to take this away, pray that God will change your heart.’” With that prayer, God began to show the Bruners they needed this yet unknown daughter as much as she needed them, and an excitement began to grow. Greg and Tina realized the love they could give another daughter and the joy she would bring to the family, and a peace settled their hearts. In April 2006, they began the process to adopt another baby girl from China. Financially, the burden was great. They had to start from scratch again, raising $20,000–23,000. But to Greg and Tina’s amazement, the Olivet community rallied around them. This past summer, science professors offered to hold a science camp to raise money. Faculty and staff members have also collected cell phones and ink cartridges for funds; and the yard sale for which they donated goods raised about $1,000. “You feel so ridiculously unworthy,” says Greg. “Unworthy to even ask — but people just really want to help.” Future fundraisers could include an auction and a benefit concert. For now, as the Bruners look forward to the day they meet their daughter, they can envision no other path for lives. “God has a way. You think it is going to be straight,” Tina reflects. “And then there is a fork in the road: my way or His way. It is such an awesome, awesome feeling to go His way.”

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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONAt the turn of twentieth century, a small group of Illinois men and women had a big dream: Christian education for their children. They had little, save some farm land and a vision. But they gave all they had, and 100 years later, Olivet Nazarene University stands as a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness to their sacrifice.

The road has not been easy. Our history is filled with trials and heartache: bankruptcy, fire, tornado and the tragic loss of a few friends along the way. But outshining all the losses are the countless stories of joy, triumph and lives forever changed.

Today Olivet Nazarene University has a reach that literally spans the globe. Thousands of ONU students and alumni live out the Olivet experience in their homes, their jobs, their churches. We’ve come a long way, but we’ve never forsaken that original dream: “Education With a Christian Purpose.”

Join us in celebrating the Centennial anniversary of Olivet Nazarene University. In the next few pages, we will reflect on where God has taken us, and dream of the possibilities yet to come. >>>

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August 1900 — Orla Nesbitt attends camp-meeting in Danville, Ill., where E.F. Walker speaks passionately about the need for Christian education.

k September 1907 — Convinced by her brother Orla, Mary Nesbitt opens private Christian grade school in Georgetown, Ill.

1908 — School moves to new site, later named “Olivet” for the mount where Christ ascended to heaven.

1909 — First board of trustees receives charter from the State of Illinois as “Illinois Holiness University;” Dr. A.M. Hills named first president

1912 — Board of trustees transfers ownership to the Church of the Nazarene

1915 — Trustees vote to change name to “Olivet University”

k 1923 — Name again changed to “Olivet College”

1926 — Board of Trustees declares bankruptcy; Dr. T.W. Willingham bids on school and that same night is elected president.

1938 – Dr. A.L. Parrott elected president

1939 — Student Byron Carmony composes “Alma Mater, Olivet”

k November 19, 1939 — Devastating fire destroys administration building containing chapel, library, science labs, administration offices and classrooms

1939 — Olivet receives formal recognition and accreditation by the University of Illinois

1940 — Olivet College acquires the school formerly known as St. Viator’s College, then officially makes the move to Bourbonnais, Ill.

k 1940 — Name changed to “Olivet Nazarene College”

k 1947 — College’s radio station WONC (later to be renamed WONU) has first broadcast

. 1949 — Dr. Harold W. Reed elected president

1954 —College Church of the Nazarene

1956 — Olivet obtains regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities

1959 — Nesbitt Hall

1962 — Hills Hall

. April 16, 1963 — Tornado sweeps through campus, leveling “Trailerville,” destroying Walker Hall, flattening the fourth floor of Burke and severely dam-aging “Ol’ Smokey”

1963 — Chalfant Hall

áá “In May 1963, I was coming out of the chemistry department, housed over the boiler plant … I noticed the sky was all brown and someone hollered that a tornado was coming. I immediately ran for the basement of Chapman Hall, dove under a table, covered my head and prayed. … The next thing I could hear sounded like a train going through the building, and everything just shook.

“In an instant, every-thing was quiet and still. I looked up and there was Ted Lemke ’64 folded up beside me under the ta-ble. We quickly got up and ran out of the building and

looked around. … There were trees knocked down all over, especially on top of a car in front of the library. … I thanked God for an answer to my prayer: to take my life in His hands and do as He saw fit. He spared my life that day, as well

as every other student on campus. There were no casualties and very few injuries. … It sure made us all do some serious thinking for the next few days and beyond how we serve such a wonderful Heavenly Father who has promised to never ‘leave us nor forsake us.’”— LARRY LOOMIS ’65

áá “I went to class after a morning chapel where

there was an altar call. The professor was probably 20 to 30 minutes late getting to class because he was helping a student at the altar. That really made an impression on me to think that a professor would take the time with a stu-dent to make sure he was right with the Lord when he knew he had a class full of students waiting for him.”

— BARB (BAKER) JONES ’87

áá “Those of us who were here in 1966 can never forget the excitement of the approval of intercollegiate sports.”

— CAROL (MOORE) WATSON ’66

áá “I remember the giant snowfall during the spring revival of 1967 that led to the cancella-tion of classes for a day and allowed students to jump out from windows on fourth floor Hills Hall into deep drifts.”

— GEORGE LYONS ’70

áá “During the chapel service before our fall 1994 revival … a student named Cory walked down the side aisle, up the stairs, stood on stage near Chaplain Bray and waited. … Chaplain Bray finished his thought, turned and asked Cory if he had something he needed to say. I honestly don’t remember the words Cory spoke. But I do remember his sincerity, and that whatever he said opened the floodgates to a time of great repentance, prayer, testimo-nies, praise, forgiveness and grace being freely offered. Dr. Bowling announced that we would be excused from classes for the day, and that chapel service continued for eight hours!”

— CINDY KING ’96

áá “I was studying in my room in 1998. All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like elephants stampeding past McLain Hall. I even felt the dorm shaking. I looked out my window and

In a recent e-mail to ONU students and alumni, we asked you, “What events or moments occurred during your time at Olivet that stand out as particularly meaningful or significant?” Here’s how some of you responded:

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saw a mass of people swarming past McLain and into the quad. They were carrying the yel-low goal post! Our football team had won the game that would take us to the NAIA national championship and the tree of knowledge was getting decorated as the fans rushed to place the goal post up against it. It has always stuck with me.”

— SHEILA V. (MILLER) RICE ’01

áá “I’ll never forget 9/11. I was a junior that year and an R.A. in Williams. … What a sensa-tion to walk into a freshman girls’ dorm and hear nothing but the same station playing on

every TV available. What a job to comfort and ease worry for so many girls away from home for the first time in their lives for such a mile-stone in history. We prayed and cried and then … went to Chalfant for prayer with the larger community. While there, we got word of a bus that would be taking students to the blood drive at the hospital. Fourth floor South went en mass to offer blood, but more to offer a sense of action in a tangible way … I think we all learned a lot about life that day.”

— MINDY SPENCER ’03

áá “At the 2005 General Assembly in India-napolis, Dr. Bowling had [to decide] if he would accept [the position of general superintendent] or if he would continue his presidency at Olivet. I was with Orpheus … for a special luncheon for Olivet’s staff and alumni. Dr. Bowling was seated at the very first table right in front. There were many songs that we sang that day, but our last song, ‘May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,’ has never meant the same since. … Dr. Bowling had tears rolling down his face. After

we finished, he got up to speak, but words were unable to come from his mouth. ... Those may have been tears of joy for God revealing His path for Dr. Bowling and his wife.”

— EMILY FELGENHAUR ’07

áá “I certainly feel both blessed and honored to have been able to be one of the first on-air personalities … to broadcast after the power increase. … The radio station [went] from 420 watts to 35,000 [and] … from using 33s and 45s and reel-to-reel audio tape … to all digital compact disc! [This] has opened a lot of op-portunities for ministry both for their listeners and student workers!”

— STEVE KRAMPITZ ’89

áá “Our first marching band performance was an experience I’ll never forget. We marched out to the field, stepping smartly, the cadence of the drums pulsing excitement through our veins. … [The crowd’s] applause at each num-ber in our pre-game show thundered with en-thusiasm. We had a surprise for them as well,

and before we left the field … President Bowl-ing [ran] out from between the ranks of swirling purple and gold capes [to] blow a few notes

from his baritone. Nerves mounted as half time ap-proached. … Final-ly that moment ar-rived when we once again marched to our positions on the field. ... What a road we had taken — through summer camps and late evening rehears-

als, rigorous training and grueling sectional practice. But as we snapped our horns down and lifted our eyes to the stands, banners wav-ing proudly in the afternoon breeze, I knew ex-altation — it had been worth it all.”

— HAHNAH JACKSON ’08

Do you have a special memor y of Olivet? We ’d love to hear from you. E-mail us at alumni@olivet .edu.

1966 — First intercollegiate sports team, basketball, established

k 1966 — Strickler Planetarium, Ludwig Center and Reed Hall of Science

1967 — McClain, Howe and Gibson residence halls

1969 — Brodien Power Plant

1970 — A.L. Parrott Residence Hall

1971 — Wisner Hall for Nursing Education

1972 — Milby Clock Tower

. 1975 — Dr. Leslie Parrott elected president

k 1975 — Benner Library and Resource Center

September 11, 1976 — First intercollegiate football game

1980 — Kelley Prayer Chapel

k 1982 — Larsen Fine Arts Center, Hardy C. Powers President’s House, Snowbarger Athletic Park and Ward Field

1983 — Decker Quadrangle

1984 — Mary Scott House for Missionaries

1985 — Warming House

1986 — Board of Trustees unanimously votes to change name to “Olivet Nazarene University”

1986 — WONU radio tower and new transmitter built

1987 — Gibson-Ide Athletic Service Center

1988 — Marquart House, Purinton House and Tripp Maintenance Center

k 1990 — Leslie Parrott Convocation Center and McHie Arena

k 1991 — Dr. John C. Bowling elected president

1996 — Renovation of Milby Clock Tower

k 2001 — Weber Center

2003 — Acquisition of the Provena Fortin Villa property

. 2004 — Olivet establishes the Broadcast/Learning Center, home of Shine.fm, WONU

2005 — Renovation of the top three floors of Burke

Summer 2007 — Launch of first doctoral degree program: The Doctor of Education in ethical leadership

2007

DR. BOWLING, FALL 2004

GOAL POST IN THE QUAD, 1998

1957 1967 1977 1987 1997

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CENTENNIAL INITIATIVES

o Strengthen the University’s ability to provide strong scholarship support by increasing the ONU Foundation to $30 million

o Establish a Research and Writing Endowment for Faculty Development

o The Center for Student Success: The Center seeks to provide programs and practices that will enhance student achievement throughout one’s college career, beginning with the Freshman Year Experience

o The renovation of Reed Hall of Science

o The construction of a new Centennial Chapel so that once again, the Olivet community may worship together in one setting.

The chapel experience will be used to transform the lives

of Olivet students, and their spouses, and their children, and their workplace, and their churches, and their community, and the long

reach of all the places they have touched.

o Launching of the Doctor of Education program in ethical leadership this summer

o The ONU China Initiative: The University’s first graduate program in Hong Kong began fall 2006 and a group of undergraduate Chinese students is being recruited to study on the Bourbonnais campus

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Watch your mail for information on a new book commemorating the Centennial, To Alma Mater, Olivet. A collection of historical pictures and essays written by ONU staff and alumni, this book is sure to be a special keepsake for you and your family.

O F F I C E O F A L U M N I R E L A T I O N S


From the Director…


Dear Friends,

Homecoming 2006 witnessed the official launch of ONU’s Centennial Celebration. What a wonderful year we have ahead of us!

Following Homecoming, I was on the receiving end of many kind words regarding the event. Here are two examples that I share with the permission of the ladies who wrote them:

We had such a nice time at the 1956 class reunion yesterday. Everything worked out so well. The room looked beautiful; the food was very good; it was great to have Dr. Bowling start the reunion with his warm greetings. The President’s Breakfast today was so inspiring. Dr. Bowling is a super president. I am so proud of Olivet.

Ruth (Peters) Wegforth ’56Palos Park, Illinois

I was privileged to be at Olivet for this past Homecoming event a couple weeks ago. It was my first time to return to our campus after I left forty years ago. So much has changed; it was hard to get my bearings. Olivet has truly become a beautiful place. As we walked around, many old memories began to surface.

I brought my youngest daughter with my husband so I could show her my alma mater. She was impressed with Olivet. This was truly a family event for us as it was also my uncle’s 45th reunion and my cousin’s 25th reunion. We all had a wonderful time getting together there for the weekend. The ballgame was fun and the concert was incredible! I doubt that I will have the opportunity in the future to return, as this was a “once in a lifetime event,” but one never knows. Thank you kindly. I am proud to be an alumna of Olivet.

Marilyn (Ochs) Sweeney ’66Nampa, Idaho

Two very important things come to mind as I read these.

First, ONU Homecomings are the events they are because of the good work done by so many dedicated Olivet staff.

Second, good things happen when alumni and friends stay connected and reconnect with Olivet. Let’s do just that throughout this centennial year!

Sincerely,

David W. Caudle ’79Director of Alumni Relations

Class Notes

Kenneth Southerland ’74 has been hired as Mid-America Christian University’s vice president for university advancement. He has served for several years as the director of development at Travecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn.

Steve Butler ’75 was selected for an executive position with the Department of Defense as direc-tor of financial reporting and analysis. There was a formal ceremony in the Pentagon.

Brenda (McCorkle) Nixon ’76 is published at CBN.com. Her article, “Am I a ‘Normal’ Parent?” appears at www.cbn.com/family/parenting/Nixon-Normal.aspx. Also, every weekend in November, excerpts of her interview on understanding child-hood temperament and personality aired on Focus on the Family’s “Weekend Magazine” radio pro-gram. It can also be heard online at www.oneplace.com/ministries/Weekend_Magazine.

Moya (Sheirbon) Peterson ’76 completed her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Kansas. Moya is married to Larry ’75 and they have two children, Brandon and Amanda. Moya is an assis-tant clinical professor in the Schools of Medicine and Nursing at the University of Kansas Medical Center and also is a practitioner in the Family Medicine Clinic and teaches in the family nurse practitioner graduate program.

Ed Jordan ’77 received the Department Life Saving Award from the Indianapolis International Airport Police after resuscitating an infant girl. While on duty, a motorist flagged him down, and he immediately began life-saving CPR.

Cyndi Frame ’84 has released her second CD project entitled “Waiting for Christmas.” This jazzy rendition of the season’s most popular tunes are available online at www.cyndiframe.com. She and her husband Tony ’84 reside in Centreville, Va.

C. Christopher Jones ’91 recently became the senior pastor of Arnold Church of the Nazarene in Arnold, Mo., along with his wife Denise and children Brannon, 12, Brianna, 6 and Braleigh, 3.

Jennifer (Lebert) ’93 and Brad Ayers: A boy, Luke Lorence, May 24, 2006. He joins sister Vivienne Rose, 3. Brad is a film director/producer and Jennifer is a writer and a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Palisades, Calif.

Kimberly (Balsley) ’93 and David Starkey ’93: A girl, Anna Joy, Jan. 18, 2006. Kim is a first-grade teacher, and David is a software developer in Uni-versity Park, Ill. They reside in Bourbonnais.

Aaron ’93 and Beth Glass: Twins, a girl, Meghan Elizabeth, and a boy, Max David, born April 20, 2006. They join big brother Caleb Thomas. Aaron is the weekday mid-day on-air personal-

ity at 97.5 WAMZ and also the Web content manager for Clear Channel Louisville. Beth is an RN at Norton Suburban Hospital. They reside in Lou-isville, Ky.

Kerry Robinson ’94 received the Master of Arts degree in Christian leadership in April 2006 from Indiana Wesleyan University. He currently pastors the First Church of the Nazarene in Lowell, Ind. He and his wife Hope and their three children, Benja-min, Kristen and Jonathan reside in Lowell.

Matt ’95 and Beth (Hammond) Foor ’97: A girl, Noelle Kaylee, Sept. 16, 2006. She joins brother Nathan. Matt works in the accounting depart-ment at Olivet, and they reside in Bourbonnais.

Darrell ’96 and Paula (Walter) Krohe ’97: A girl, Leah Ruth, Oct. 15, 2006. She joins brother Warren, 6, and sister Lana, 3. Darrell is a Streator,

Ill., police officer, and Pau-la is a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Streator. They reside in Streator.

Amy (McQuilling) ’97 and Jason Graves: A girl, Kady Jo, March 24, 2006. She joins brother Garrett, 4. Jason is an au-ditor for DaimlerChrysler and a cattle farmer. Amy is a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Kokomo, Ind.

Jim ’97 and Emily Pilat: A girl, Allison Emma, born March 26, 2006. They reside in Novi, Mich.

Marci (Foor) ’97 and Adam Reynolds ’98: A girl, Addison Lynn, Oct. 1, 2006. She joins brother Trey. Adam serves as ONU’s as-sistant golf coach, and they reside in Bourbonnais.

Paul ’98 and Jamilee (Cook) Green ’00: A girl, Joanna Kathleen, Aug. 27, 2006. She joins sister Jennifer, 19 months. Jamilee is an OR nurse at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. Paul is a computer engineer for the Department of Defense and is involved with the aircraft systems developed by Boeing in Seattle, Wash. They reside in Seattle.

Dawn (Murphy) ’01 and Rene Vega: A boy, Timoteo Rafael was born May 24, 2005 in Esteli, Nicaragua and adopted July 3, 2006. Dawn is a stay-at-home mom, and Rene works at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Mich. They reside in Portage, Mich.

Erika (Willis) ’01 and Garrett West: A boy, Matthew Garrett, on August 2, 2006. Erika is a mother/baby nurse, and Garrett is technical di-rector at Shellpoint Village Church. They currently reside near Fort Myers, Fla.

Heather (Quimby) ’02 and Robert Day ’10: A girl, Emma Danielle, Oc-tober 12, 2006. Heather serves in the Office of Mar-keting Communications at Olivet. Robert works for Lowe’s Home Improvement store while working toward his bachelor’s in business through ONU’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. They reside in Momence, Ill.

Allyssa (Cleveland) ’02 and Greg Monroe: A boy, Matthew Allen, March 12, 2006. Allyssa is a paramedic for Manatee County EMS, and Greg is a commercial inspections coordinator. They reside in Ellenton, Fla.

Two outstandinggolf outings!

FEBRUARY 15–18, 2007Fourth Annual

Winter Golf OutingOrlando, Fla. • Marriott’s Hawk’s Landing

• Disney’s Palm and Magnolia • Celebration

APRIL 27, 2007Olivet Open • Bourbonnais, Ill.

815-928-5455 for reservations

The Larry WatsonMemorial Golf Series

Meghan and Max Glass

Anna Starkey

Nathan and Noelle Foor

Garrett and Kady Graves

Allison Pilat

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NOW’S THE TIME TO CALL!

Amanda (Metz) ’02 and Scott Pittman ’02: A girl, Isabella Rose, June 2, 2005. Scott is the youth pastor at Indianapolis First Church of the Nazarene, and Amanda is a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Indianapolis, Ind.

Dan Rodriguez Schlorff ’02 appeared on Illinois’ statewide ballot as the Green Party’s can-didate for State Treasurer. Schlorff is the first Asian to appear on Illinois’ statewide ballot and the first Green Party candidate for this office.

Michelle (Chapman) ’02 and Ted St. Clair: A boy, Theodore William, Sept. 29, 2006. Ted and Michelle both work as property managers and re-side in Lowell, Mich.

Rachel (Lewandowski) ’03 and Nicholas Cunningham ’04: A girl, Kylee Nichol, Sept. 20 2006. Rachel is the worship arts ministries assistant at Kankakee (Ill.) First Church of the Nazarene, and Nicholas is employed by UPS. They reside in Bourbonnais.

Jenna Hunt ’03 and Ra Kaun were married on April 7, 2006 in Columbus, Ohio. Jenna works as an esthetician at A Spirit’s Touch Spa and Well-ness Center, and Ra works as a financial analyst for Limited Brands. They reside in Columbus.

Michele Williams ’04 and Ryan Blanch were married on June 10, 2006 in Townsend, Tenn. Ryan works as a pastoral administrator, and Michele works as a children’s minister for Church of the Cove. They reside in Townsend, Tenn.

Raechel (Pennington) ’05 and Ryan Myers ’05: A boy, Oliver Wil-liam, born Oct. 15, 2006. Raechel is a stay-at-home mom, and Ryan is an art director at Gish, Sherwood & Friends in Nashville. They reside in Franklin, Tenn.

Travis ’04 and Sarah (Kring) Wasson ’05: A boy, Wyatt Owen, Sept. 11, 2006.

In Memoriam

Doris (Sparrow) McCoy ’37 passed away Aug. 7, 2006. Doris was born August 11, 1917, in Snyder, Colo., the daughter of Orville and Hazel P. (Morrison) Sparrow. She attended Olivet and on Aug. 22, 1937, married Kenneth P. MCoy. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in which she belonged to various women’s organizations. She was also a member of the P.E.O. Chapter CX, the Half Hour Club and the Cedar Crest Country Club. Doris and her husband were the owners of the Columbus Canning Company from 1940–1962. She and Kenneth enjoyed traveling with the Avion Travel Club, and she especially enjoyed sports and following the Iowa Hawkeyes. In 1982, the Mc-Coys established the Kenneth and Doris McCoy

Scholarship for worthy and needy pre-med and nursing students. Doris will be dearly missed by her son, William David McCoy and his wife Dale of Palm City, Fla., seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Kenneth on Dec. 6, 1996; her daughter Margy Kay Smith; two brothers (one in infancy); and two sisters in infancy.

Russell Dickinson ’42 passed away on Aug. 7, 2006 in Cadillac Mich. He was 98. He is survived by his wife Ruth (Noffsinger) Dickinson ’40 and four children: Paul Dickinson, David and Sharon Dickinson, Stephen Dickinson, and Dorcas (Dick-inson) and Nathan Murrell. He pastored churches in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois from 1942 until retirement in 1973, which included starting three churches.

Violet (Philebaum) Wells-Maxwell ’49 passed away Sept. 21, 2006. When Violet was six years old, she heard an Olivet quartet and always dreamed of attending the University. She came to Kankakee, Ill. in 1945, met and married Paul Wells in 1947 and graduated in 1949. The Wells were deeply committed to Christian higher educa-tion, first at Eastern Nazarene College 1955–1969, and then establishing the business department at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 1970. With her unique artistic vision, Violet created many beautiful works of art. Known as “Grandma Vi,” she was devoted to children and taught them the joys of painting and drawing. She will be remem-bered for her free spirit, her generosity and her loving heart. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1975. She is survived by daughters, Carol Parrott and Joy Wells; son Randy Wells; and grandsons, Andrew and Justin Parrott.

John Dennis ’52, minister and retired superin-tendent of the West Virginia North District, passed away Oct. 28, 2006, in his home in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Dennis was born Nov. 6, 1930, in Shelbyville, Ind. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene College and Nazarene Theological Seminary. Dennis was awarded a doctor of divinity from Mount Vernon Nazarene College in 1989 where he had served as a member of the board of trustees from 1979 to 1997. Dennis served as pastor of Nazarene church-es in Gibsonburg, Ohio; Belpre, Ohio; Circleville, Ohio; Weirton, W.V.; and Ashland, Ky. In 1983 he was elected to be the first superintendent of the newly formed West Virginia North District where he served from 14 years. Following his official retire-ment in 1997, Dennis served several churches as interim pastor. He is survived by his wife Dorothy; son, John Dennis (Brenda Anderson); son, James Kevin Dennis (Deborah Houston); and four grandchil-dren.

Fred Stiles ’59 passed away Sept. 30, 2006, following a heart attack. He was 71. He trans-ferred from Eastern Nazarene College in 1957 and graduated from Olivet in 1959 with a Bachelor of Theology degree. In 1964, he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Nazarene Theologi-

cal Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. His pastorates included Twin Falls and Buhl, Idaho; Ojai, Calif.; and Dallas, Milwaukee, and Estacada, Ore. He served for many years on the Board of Ministry on the Oregon Pacific District and in several interim pastorates since retiring in 2001. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Sandra; daughter Jeanne and Jim Curty; son Kenton and Debbie Stiles; and four grandchildren.

James “Jim” O. Kesler ’60, age 70, passed away Oct. 30, 2006. Jim was born Aug. 24, 1936. After graduating from Olivet, he became an or-dained elder of the Church of the Nazarene in 1962. He married Marilyn E. Morehead on June 2, 1962. Jim and Marilyn successfully pastored churches at Ora, Knox, Portage, West Lebanon and State Line, Ind. congregations, giving pastoral care and support to everyone with whom they came in contact. “Dad and Mom Kesler” parented 14 foster children and two biological children. He worked as a truant officer and substitute teacher for At-tica and Seeger schools for 20 years. He was past president of Indiana Attendance Officers Associa-tion. He was also a volunteer on the Potawatomi Board for many years, a member of the Covington Church of the Nazarene where he had been pastor for six years, and served on the NMS District Coun-cil. Jim received the distinguished service award for the Nazarene for Church Mission Society and Par-ish Ministry and the Attendance Officer of the Year Award from the Indiana State Teachers Associa-tion. Surviving are his wife; two daughters, Janice Kesler and Denise Routzahn (husband: Troy); son Phil Jackson (wife: Amy); five grandchildren; and a



Oliver Myers

Kylee Cunningham

large extended family. Jim was preceded in death by his parents; son James O. Kesler I; one brother; and one sister.

Phillip Eibe Wilken ’65 recently passed away. He was born June 29, 1941 in Milwaukee, Wis., the son of Eibe Switters and Phyllis Margaret Lauermann Wilken. He had been employed by Mid-West Agriculture, Chicago; was overseas division product line manager for International Harvester Company, Chicago; general manager at Channel Master Corporation, Taipei, Taiwan; manager at Midland International Corporation, Seoul, Korea and Taipei; professor at Sung Kyun Kwan Univer-sity; and accountant for Trans-Asia Engineering is Saigon, Vietnam. He held a top-secret security clearance for the U.S. Army and was awarded a certificate of achievement for distinguished service. He was a reserved commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and a Veteran of Foreign Wars, a member of the University of Illinois Alumni Association, the Kankakee County Farm Bureau, Delta Phi Epsilon National Professional, Sigma Iota Epsilon and Delta Sigma Pi. Surviving are his mother of Kankakee; one sister, Susan Louise Wilken of Rochester Hills, Mich.; two nieces and one nephew.

Sharon (VanSchoick) Spires ’66 passed away Oct. 25, 2006, after a long battle with liver failure. Sharon is survived by her husband of over forty years; three sons, Jeffery, Christopher, Derrick; parents, Franklin and Juanita.

Send us your news and pictures. Please submit alumni news, less than one year old, in the format printed in this section. Be sure to include all information, including class year. Due to space constraints, not all pictures will be

used, and content may be edited. Pictures will be accepted only via e-mail to [email protected]. News should be sent via e-mail or through the mail to The Olivetian, Olivet Nazarene University, One University Avenue, Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345.

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Students featured in this issue of The Olivetian are recipients of the following scholarships:Your generosity makes “Education With a Christian Purpose” possible!Your generosity makes “Education With a Christian Purpose” possible!

To establish a student scholarship, or to contribute to an existing foundation scholarship, e-mail the Office of Development at [email protected] or call 815-939-5171.

Robert HegnaRobert Paul Meyer

Scholarship, William D. and Florence

I. Meyer Scholarship

Lindsey BaileyThe Rev. Dr. Victor Eugene Dillman

Scholarship, Joseph F. and Esther J.

Nielson Schoalrship

Laura FeldmanAlumni Scholarship,

Professor Harvey Humble Scholarship

Sarah HorvathONU Foundation Board of Directors Scholarship

Jenna DickeyDetroit, Mich. First

Church of the Nazarene Scholarship

Derek DiehlDonald and Faith Bell

Family Scholarship

Erin HallIndianapolis, Ind. Westside Church

Scholarship

Christian SanchezJesse Brantson and

Mary Hazel Pitts Scholarship

McCartha McKenzieOrpheus Memorial

Scholarship

Jason AthialyIndianapolis, Ind. Westside Church

Scholarship

Katie ZurcherKokomo, Ind. First

Church of the Nazarene Scholarship

from you!

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Tiger basketball pressing forwardBy Gary Griffin ’81

The men’s basketball team is once again defying odds as

they have posted an 8-6 record, most recently beating nationally ranked Union University (Jackson, Tenn.), 88-71. Union is ranked fifth in NAIA Division I. Olivet has won four of its last five, after a 0-3 start. It’s not so much the upset of a nationally ranked team such as Union, as much as it is rallying from losing five players, three of which were starters, since the end of August. Two of the miss-ing, 6-7 center Phil French ’08 is just returning from a knee injury while backup point guard Dustin Rennewanz ’10 is still two weeks away from coming back off a severe ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, the Olivet women’s basketball team fin-ished the first semester por-tion of their schedule with a 6-7 record. The women set an Olivet record for scoring when they posted a 145-52 decision over Calumet Col-lege of St. Joseph (Ind.) on November 28. Coach Porter’s Tigers continue to lead the nation in scoring with 98.4 points a game.



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G A M E T WOIndiana Pacers

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Special appearance byAllison Durham SpeerGospel music record-ing artist, singing the National Anthem and providing a patriotic concert at halftime

of both games.

from you!

Women’s volleyball advances to nationalsBy Gary Griffin ’81

The Olivet Nazarene University volleyball team capped an outstanding season by qualifying for the NAIA national tournament. The Tigers finish the season with a 30-16 overall record. They went 8-1 in conference play, winning

their sixth CCAC Regular Season Championship in seven years. It took three tightly played games to defeat St. Ambrose University (Iowa) 3-0 (30-26, 30-27, 31-29) in the NAIA Region VII Final to advance to the NAIA National Tournament, which took place Nov. 29–Dec. 2, in Columbia, Mo. It was Olivet’s third NAIA Region VII Tournament Championship, but first since 2003. However, this was Olivet’s fifth national playoff birth in the University’s history, having hosted the event twice, as well. Riding the momentum of a 10-match winning streak, the Tigers fell in their opening match of National Tournament play, losing 30-23, 30-23, 30-11 to Houston Baptist University (Texas). Olivet went on to lose its next two matches, 3-1 to Concordia University (Calif.) and 3-0 to Hastings College (Neb.). Megan Gullickson ’07 (Bourbonnais, Ill.) dished out 89 assists in the three national tournament games, setting an Olivet career record of 2,353 assists. “We were just very proud of the team and how they hung together,” said head coach Brenda Williams. “After starting the season 1-7 and having some major injuries, this team could have folded, but instead they stuck by each other and just kept working toward their goals. Great chemistry and perseverance pulled us through. They were just a great group of young women athletes to work with.”

NAIA Region VII championship volleyball team after their Nov. 18 victory over St. Ambrose University (Iowa)

B A S K E T B A L L

MICAH LAVENDER ’08

KELLIE MULLIN ’07

—Compiled by Marc Shaner ’00/’02 M.A.T., Sports Information Director

MEGAN GULLICKSON (No. 9)

I first met Derek Diehl ’08 when he ar-rived on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University for his very first year, on a cold Sunday in January, transferring from a di-vision one football program in the state of Kansas. It was the start of the spring

semester and, like the start of every semes-ter, I was excited to see the students return to campus.

One of Derek’s very first visits to Kankakee First Church was “Vision Sunday,” a critically im-portant service designed to expose the visionary heart of a pastor for the future ministry of his congregation. I was profoundly aware that this particular service was probably not going to be

the most appealing service for our student con-stituency. Nevertheless, one of the things I feel most purposeful in is creating a mission that includes and embraces our university students, but at the same time, models the importance of reaching far beyond them to those with whom we share our community life.

With all the activities planned that day, the service ended nearly twenty minutes later than the customary time. At the normal dismissal time, students gradually started slipping out of the sanctuary, and by the end, only a handful of students had persevered. Derek Diehl was one of those students who stayed.

Derek returned to our Sunday evening ser-

vice, and following the service made sure to greet me and introduce himself to me. I was impressed, but it is what happened next that forever endeared this wonderful young man in my heart. Derek told me of his journey and how he had just arrived at Olivet to play football the following fall. Then, in what I will forever remem-ber as one of those cherished moments of af-firmation a pastor will minister an entire lifetime to experience, Derek held out his hand to shake mine. I felt something in my hand, and when I opened my hand I saw a one hundred dollar bill! With a smile on his face, Derek spoke to me words that I will always remember: “Someone gave this to me as a gift, and I want to give it to you tonight just to say I believe in what you are trying to do at First Church.” Are you kidding me? Talk about a serendipity of grace!

Now maybe you will have a better idea of why I have noth-ing but highest re-gard for this young man. Over the last couple of years I’ve watched with keen interest the way God is using his life, and just smiled. I know God has called Derek and his lovely wife Ket-ly to ministry, and I know the future is indeed bright for them. God is going to use them, I know. How-ever, God is already using Derek! Whether as a quarterback leader on Olivet’s football team, a husband, or a member of my wife’s Sunday school class, Derek Diehl is a winner in my book — first in class!



FIND THE LATEST NEWS, STATS AND SCORES AT www.olivet.edu

SportsShorts

SportsShorts

C R O S S C O U N T R Y | F O O T B A L L | S O C C E R | V O L L E Y B A L L

Football Team Sets NAIA Record: The Olivet football team set a national record by not being shutout since the 1988 season. The previ-ous record of 187 was held by Pacific Lutheran Univer-sity. The Tigers finished the year with 192 straight games since they were last shutout. The last time that the Tigers failed to get in the end zone was the finale of the 1988 sea-son, when they were lost 7-0 to Wheaton College (Ill.).

Men’s and Women’s Soccer Post Winning Seasons: After a 1-3 start, the men’s soc-cer team finished the season with a 9-7-1 record and a 5-3-1 mark in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The wom-en’s soccer team wound up their season at 10-7-2 record and 5-3-1 in the CCAC, where they advanced to the CCAC Tournament Semifinals.Both Cross Country Teams Qualify for Nationals: The second ranked women’s cross country team qualified for their fifth straight NAIA National Meet, by winning

the NAIA Region VII Champion-ship. They finished with 20 points in the region meet, paced by NAIA Region VII Runner of the Year Bethany McCoy ’08. McCoy then led the Tigers to an eighth-place finish at the NAIA National Meet. After a two-year absence, the men’s cross country qualified for the NAIA National Meet. They

qualified after winning the NAIA Region VII Meet for the first time since 2003.

Sixteen fall athletes named NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes: Olivet Nazarene University had 16* of its stu-dent-athletes named NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes: Kacey Carr ’07, Kerri Cramer ’08, Paul Dawson ’07, Jenny Ellis ’07, Carmin Green ’07, Alison Gremar ’08, Cheri Hoffmann ’08, Chad Houseman ’08, Katie Huffman ’08, Bethany McCoy ’08, Amber McKean ’08, Megan Mosher ’08, Simone Mulieri ’06/’08 M.A, Chris Walker ’08, Andrea Wulff ’07 and Summer Zell ’07. (*At press time, the NAIA had not released the football scholar-athletes.)

BETHANY MCCOY

Gullickson Named Player of the Year: ONU volleyball star, Megan Gullickson ’07, was named the CCAC and NAIA Region VII Player of the Year for the second straight year. Gullickson is a three-time first team all-confer-ence performer.

Leadership on and off the field By Dr. Edward H. Heck ’75, senior pastor, Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene

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QUESTIONS

General Studies — Sports Ministry Bourbonnais, Illinois

With Phillip Howell ’07

❝

❞P H I L L I P H O W E L L ’ 0 7

As for leaving basketball, it was a

decision I knew I had to make.

I want to be a doer of God’s Word.

1. What led you, a resident of Maryland, to study at Olivet Nazarene University? I was looking for a Christian university with a strong academic pro-gram and a good basketball team. Since there were not any schools like that in Maryland, I had to search out of state. My girlfriend (now my wife), Christine, saw Olivet in a Christian magazine, and she told me about the school. I made a visit, and Olivet seemed like the best fit for me. (It didn’t hurt that Christine was going to transfer to Olivet my freshman year!)

2. You played basketball for ONU for the last three years. How have your coaches helped shape who you are on and off the court? The thing that I will probably never forget is that if you want to get stronger, you have to push yourself further than you did before. My coaches pushed me every day in practice, on game day, on the track and in the weight room. Every year, we played the toughest teams, practiced hard, long and often. Coach often said, “If it were easy, than everyone would be doing it.” The same is true with our lives, and especially with our Christian lives. If I want to get stronger in my faith or have a stronger marriage, than I need to push myself and do the things that most people don’t want to do. It is easy to go with the flow and be a follower; ‘but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only few will find it.’ (Matthew 7:14).

3. Tell us a little bit about the camaraderie that you’ve experienced with your teammates. Being on a team is one of the greatest experiences that I’ve ever had. As a freshman, one of my teammates was not a Christian and was only interested in playing basketball. For more than three years, my coaches and teammates prayed for him to put his faith in the Lord, and finally, in the spring of 2006, our prayers were answered. I cannot think of any greater camaraderie than a bunch of guys who pray for each other and care about the eternal destiny of their teammates.

4. This year, you made the difficult decision to leave basket-ball behind. Tell us about that. This summer, I took a job as a student ministries pastor at Calvary Bible Church. When I took that job, I felt that God was leading me to full-time Christian service for the rest of my life. Honestly, it would have been harder for me to play basketball and say no to youth ministry. Leaving my teammates was the really hard part. I try to stay connected with the team and stop by for practices and games. I also lead a small group Bible study with the team once a week. As for leaving basketball, it was a decision I knew I had to make. I want to be a doer of God’s Word. I want my life and my speech to reflect Christ. I believe that we all must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and follow Him wherever He takes us. It is a matter of trust, and I wholeheartedly believe God will give me a full and abundant life when I choose Him (John 10:10).

5. What’s been the most rewarding part about being a youth minister? God is the most rewarding part about youth ministry. I am convinced that expe-riencing God and having an intimate rela-tionship with Him is what I was made for. It is the reason I wake up each day, it is my single greatest passion, and it is the greatest reward for doing youth ministry. When a student’s life is changed, I get to see God. When I’m teaching, I usually learn more about God than my students. Even when I go to a junior high basketball game, I can experience God because He is always with me.

6. Your dad is a pastor, as well. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from his ministry? To live the way you are preaching. To this day, one of my favorite things to do is to talk with my dad about what God is teaching me. I love his passion to grow and the way he depends upon God daily. I do not know if I would be a Christian if my dad did not walk his talk. He loves me a lot, but he really loves Jesus.

7. In June 2005, you married Christine Mazzella ’05. Tell us a little bit about her. Each day I thank God for Christine. She is clearly an intel-ligent, beautiful and amazing woman. I love that we seem to fit so well together because of the way we balance each other out. Most importantly, I have grown closer to God during my mar-

riage than any other time in my life. It is no doubt that she is the woman for me.

8. And now you have a baby girl on the way. What do you look forward to most about being a parent?

The challenge of being a dad. Many people have told me that my life will never be the same again. For me, that is great news, because I always want to be changing, growing and learning. I look

forward to the challenge of being a parent because I want to see where it will take me and my family.

9. What do you like to do in your spare time? Right now there is not a lot of that. But if I had a free day I would play basketball or go for a run, spend a few hours relaxing with a good book

or listening to a sermon. Then I would spend the rest of the day with my family doing anything.

10. What’s your favorite verse? Galatians 5:14 because it sums up the entire Bible. It makes being a

Christian a little easier for me because if I just love God and love others, I will be following every

command in the Bible. Each day, I try to ask myself, “What is the most loving thing I can do today?”

46upcoming events for high school seniors and their parents: Purple & Gold Days on Feb 23–24 and March 23–24.

Zachary | Class of 2009 | Elida, Ohio Mass Communications and Christian Education

Growing TogetherThe college experience is about more than just classrooms and books. In addition to a strong academic program, Olivet Nazarene University offers countless opportunities for spiritual and personal growth. Whether it ’s through planned events or day-to-day l iving, Olivetians are experiencing life to the fullest and building memories to last a l ifetime.

“It’s what happens after class, too.

My friends and I not only kick back

to talk about dating, music and

politics — we debate class topics, too.”

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