elmhurst college alumni newsspring 2012

HIS CALL TO SERVEAfter surviving the 2010 Haiti earthquake,missionary Patrick Bentrott ’02 vows tocontinue working for humanitarian relief.

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fyi in this issue

02 WHAT’S NEW ON CAMPUSScience in the Spotlight Spring brings the Science Talks

lecture series, the lights go on at

Langhorst and the St. Louis alumni

club is launched.

06 GIVING BACKFor the Greater Good Three alumni dedicate their careers

to serving society, continuing an

Elmhurst tradition that dates to

the College’s origin as a seminary.

08 HOMECOMINGGolden MemoriesMembers of the Fifty-Year Club

and Elmhurst students find common

ground during Homecoming

weekend.

10 COVER STORY

His Call to ServeAfter surviving the 2010 Haiti

earthquake, missionary Patrick

Bentrott ’02 vows to continue

working for humanitarian relief.

14 CLASS NOTESWhere Are They Now?Find out how your classmates are

advancing in their careers and how

they’re serving their communities.

19 WHY I GIVEMeet Vy Hansen ’53, a former nurse

who has used a life insurance policy

to fund the Violet Meyer Hansen

Endowed Scholarship Fund.

20 OFFICE HOURSThe Lessons of JamaicaProfessor Judy Grimes’ popular

January Term music education

course in Jamaica changes lives in

Montego Bay and Elmhurst.

3

2

4

20

10

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A Tradition of ServiceFellow Alumni and Alumnae,

Elmhurst College has a long, proud history of producing graduates who devote their livesand careers to making the world a better place. Starting with Elmhurst’s founding as aseminary, the College has graduated a remarkable number of leaders in service professionssuch as ministry, teaching, nursing and social services.

Today, service remains an integral component of the Elmhurst curriculum. In theChicago area and across the world, our students feed the homeless, build houses instorm-ravaged communities, tutor underserved children, organize worship services and a lot more. For students, these experiences are rewarding, inspiring—and life changing.

This issue of FYI tells the stories of several Elmhurst alumni who have pursued service-oriented careers, including Patrick Bentrott ’02, who was working as a UCC missionary inHaiti when the 2010 earthquake struck, and Rebecca Christiansen ’95, who launched anonprofit that serves children with disabilities. We also bring you recent campus news, aconversation with music professor Judy Grimes about her students’ service in Jamaica andnotes from your classmates.

I hope these stories will inspire you to get involved with your own community, and toreconnect with your alma mater. From mentoring a current student to helping us identifynew students who would benefit from the Elmhurst Experience, there are many ways youcan make a difference at Elmhurst and beyond.

Wishing you the best,

Sara (Douglass) Born ’02 Alumni Association President

PS: Visit elmhurst.edu/alumni to start reconnecting with the College!

Alumni Association President Sara (Douglass) Born ’02 Members of the Board Cathryn Biga ’98, Sarah (Kiefer) Clarin’04, E.J. Donaghey ’88, Tom DuFore ’04, Michael Durnil ’71, Heather Forster ’08, David Jensen ’00 and MPA ’02, Cami(Kreft) Rodriguez MA ’08, Megan (Suess) Selck ’03, Cheryl (Kancer) Tiede ’74, Frank Tuozzo ’72, Rick Veenstra ’00Director of Alumni Relations Samantha Kiley ’07 Assistant Directors of Alumni RelationsMonica Lindblom, Beverley(McNulty) Krohn ’10 Secretary Pam Savino Office of Alumni Relations (630) 617-3600, alumni@elmhurst.eduEditor Judith Crown Contributing EditorMargaret Currie Design DirectorMarcel Maas Creative Manager Sara Ramseth

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2 ELMHURST COLLEGE

Don’t Miss the Spring Cultural Season

what’s new at elmhurst

This spring, Elmhurst College will continue its Science Talks series withlectures on the nature of memory, thehistory of diagnosing and treating cancer,and climate change. Last fall, theCollege kicked off the series with apresentation on the promise of greenchemistry.

The technology to produce environmentally friendly, sustainableproducts exists today, but Americansfirst need to reject the absurd notionthat hazardous materials need be partof their daily lives, Paul Anastas, assistantadministrator for the Office ofResearch and Development at theEnvironmental Protection Agency saidin an October 6 lecture.

“The fact that we accept thisabsurdity when we have the power tochange that reality is something we

need to step back from and reflect on,”Anastas said.

Upcoming Science Talks speakersare journalist Joshua Foer, who willdiscuss the nature of memory onFebruary 16; cancer specialist andresearcher Siddhartha Mukherjee, whowill present his work on the history ofdiagnosing and treating cancer onFebruary 19; and researcher HeidiCullen, who will discuss changingweather patterns on March 1.

As the nation’s presidential contestunfolds this spring, Elmhurst continuesits Democracy Forum series withexaminations of how reform can promoteaccess to higher education and thequest to balance democracy and globalsecurity.

During the fall, the College hostedprofessor and best-selling author

Michael Eric Dyson, legal analystJeffrey Toobin, author Jon Meacham,U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, IllinoisSecretary of State Jesse White andChicago civic leader Gery Chico.

On October 20, social activistNaomi Wolf warned that the nation’spreoccupation with national security is eroding constitutional rights and dispensed practical advice for would-beactivists and protesters.

“It’s all good when citizens start toorganize,” she said. “I am excited to seeAmericans acting like Americans again.That’s how citizens are supposed tobehave, demanding transparency andasking questions.”

Upcoming Democracy Forumspeakers are English professor LouisMenand, who will discuss reform inhigher education on March 15; national

Joshua Foer, Heidi Cullen and Siddhartha Mukherjee will speak as part of the Science Talks lecture series.

We’ll explore memory, weather, cancer and the problems and promise of democracy.

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security analyst KT McFarland, whowill present Democracy and GlobalSecurity on April 12; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward, who will discuss Truth and Justice inAmerica with a longtime friend,William J. Bauer ’49, senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Volunteer, Mercy HomeWin Leadership AwardsOne of Chicago’s oldest service organi-zations for young people and anElmhurst resident who delivers emer-gency aid to global disaster zones willreceive Elmhurst College’s third annualLeadership Awards.The College will present the awards

to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls andto Mark Dyer, a volunteer withShelterBox International, on March 17,during Elmhurst’s annual Evening forScholarships gala, which raises fundsfor student financial aid. The annual Leadership Awards

honor an organization that makes a significant impact on the communityand an individual who embodies thevalues of the College.Mercy Home, founded in 1887,

offers full-time residential care, men-toring and other support for youngpeople suffering from abuse, neglect,abandonment and poverty. It providesacademic, vocational and therapeuticservices for more than 600 young people each year, giving them “theopportunity to rebuild their lives andrealize their dreams.” Dyer began volunteering with

ShelterBox, a disaster relief charityspecializing in providing emergencyshelter, in 2007. ShelterBox deliversemergency supplies to families affectedby natural disasters and other calami-ties. Each of its signature green boxescontains essential equipment—a tent,stove, blankets, water purificationequipment and tools—for people lefthomeless or displaced. Dyer, a businessconsultant and former owner of an

advertising and marketing firm, hasrepresented the organization onhumanitarian missions in Niger,Somalia, Haiti and Colombia.The March 17 event at the Frick

Center begins with a 6:00 p.m. recep-tion and continues with dinner at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at $175per person or $2,000 for a table of 10.Sponsorship opportunities also areavailable. For more information or toreserve tickets, contact the Office ofDevelopment and Alumni Relations at (630) 617-3607.

New Development Chief in GearJoseph R. Emmick has started in hisnew position as vice president fordevelopment and alumni relations atthe College. An accomplished seniordevelopment officer, Emmick launchedand led record-setting campaigns dur-ing a 14-year career at Wabash Collegein Crawfordsville, Indiana.At Elmhurst, Emmick will lead a

team of 22 advancement professionalswho are responsible for generatingever-increasing levels of philanthropicsupport for the College, a crucial taskas Elmhurst pursues its ambitious

Science and Health Initiative and seeksscholarship and other funds to supportits students and advance its academicenterprise. During Emmick’s tenure as dean

for college advancement at Wabash,the college recorded its four highest-ever annual fund totals. A comprehensivecapital initiative, the Campaign forLeadership, raised $136 million forscholarships, programs and facilities. Asubsequent initiative, the Challenge ofExcellence, raised nearly $43 million ingifts and pledges for scholarships, facultydevelopment and career developmentprograms. “Our Strategic Plan calls on us to

accomplish ambitious financial goalsand extend our network of alumni andalumnae throughout the country,” saidPresident S. Alan Ray. “Joe Emmick hasthe personal and professional qualitiesand experience to achieve those goalsand more.”Meg Howes, who served as the

College’s interim chief developmentand alumni relations officer sinceMarch 2011, has been promoted toexecutive director of individual andprincipal gifts.

ALUMNI NEWS 3

Catch the latest media coverage of our alumni, students and faculty atwww.elmhurst.edu/news.

Joseph R. Emmick led record-setting campaigns during 14 years at Wabash College.

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4 ELMHURST COLLEGE

what’s new at elmhurst

The Lights Go On at LanghorstThe Bluejay football and soccer teamsplayed their first games under the lights at Langhorst Field during the fall.Along with new field turf, the lightsalso pave the way for the start of varsitymen’s and women’s lacrosse over thenext few years.

The College’s new men’s lacrossecoach, Andrew Geison, has begunrecruiting for the new team, which willbegin its first season in spring 2013.The women’s team is slated to debut in2015. Geison was hired from DeSalesUniversity in Pennsylvania, where hespent four seasons as head coach. AtDeSales, his players garnered seven all-conference and two all-region awards,and his teams hold five single-seasoninstitutional records. In his second season, Geison guided the Bulldogs totheir first Middle Atlantic ConferencePlayoff appearance.

The Bluejays will compete in theMidwest Lacrosse Conference, whichcomprises nine schools from Illinois,Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio andWisconsin. The league will expand to14 members in the 2013 season.

Paul Krohn, director of intercolle-giate athletics, knew that fieldimprovements were needed before thelacrosse team could play a varsity con-test, and the College was quick to act.The permanent lights, a gift of the late

Hal Pendexter, a longtime member ofthe Board of Trustees, were installedduring the summer. The old artificialplaying surface, which dated to 2002,was replaced with state-of-the-artFieldTurf, which is used by 21 NFLteams for games, practices or both. Thenew turf is expected to last 10 years.

“The permanent lights and newplaying surface make Langhorst Fieldan even greater asset to our athleticteams,” Krohn said. “We have a lot ofopportunities to accommodate ourteams at new times, and we have a fieldready for the start of lacrosse.”

LGBT Guestship NamedFor Alumnus Bill JohnsonWilliam R. Johnson ’68, who made his-tory as the first openly gay person to beordained by a mainstream Christianchurch, was honored on October 11 asthe College inaugurated the William R.Johnson Guestship, formerly called theLGBT Guestship.

President S. Alan Ray presentedJohnson, vice president of the Councilfor Health and Human ServiceMinistries of the United Church ofChrist, with an honorary plaque. Thetwo men then conducted a conversa-tion on Christian theology and theLGBT community with Rev. Dr. AliceHunt, president of the ChicagoTheological Seminary, and Dr. RiessPotterveld, president of Pacific School

of Religion in Berkeley, California,where Johnson attended seminary aftergraduating from Elmhurst. TheGuestship lecture was delivered the following afternoon by author MichaelSchiavi, who discussed the life of thegay activist Vito Russo.

The lecture came as the Collegedrew national attention for being the first academic institution in thenation to ask an optional question onsexual identity on its application. Thequestion reflects the College’s commit-ment to diversity and is meant to letLGBT students know that they willfind the resources and welcoming environment at Elmhurst that willenable them to succeed.

Founders Medal Awardedto Three AlumniElmhurst College awarded one of itshighest honors to three alumni whoseacademic lives at Elmhurst preparedthem to dedicate their professionallives to helping others.

During the President’s AppreciationDinner on December 4, the Collegeawarded the 2011 Founders Medal to lifelong educators Dr. William F.Fraccaro ’70 and Joyce (Ferlazzo)Fraccaro ’70, and to Dr. Richard Nyako ’67, a neurologist who establisheda medical clinic in his native Ghana to serve people with limited access to care.

Langhorst Field boasts new lights and fieldturf, and the LGBT Guestship is named inhonor of William R. Johnson ’68.

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ALUMNI NEWS 5

The Founders Medal was estab-lished in 1978 to recognize individualswho have distinguished themselvesthrough service to the College.William Fraccaro had a distinguished

career as a teacher and administrator,specializing in math and science. Sincehis retirement in 2004, he has workedas an educational consultant and servesas a guest lecturer and adjunct facultymember at the College. He receivedthe College’s Alumni Merit Award in2009. Joyce Fraccaro majored in speechpathology at Elmhurst and continues towork as an elementary school speech-language pathologist.The Fraccaros are members of the

President’s Society and Meusch Societyand have contributed to the Health and Science Initiative, which supportsthe new science center. They haveestablished two Light of Knowledgescholarships for Elmhurst students.After practicing in clinics and hos-

pitals around Chicago, Nyako estab-lished a neurology practice in Tampa,Florida, where he also supported freeclinics and treated elderly and low-income patients. In 1992, he returnedto Ghana and launched a foundationthat supports hospitals in Ghana andTampa, and later opened a neurologyclinic.Nyako has extended his generosity

to the College as well, creating theForeign Student Scholarship Fund tosupport students majoring in math andscience. He received an honorary

doctor of science degree fromElmhurst in 2008.

Alumni Office LaunchesSt. Louis Club The Office of Alumni Relations recentlystarted the Elmhurst Club of St. Louis,the first of a series of regional clubs to be established around the country.More than 40 alumni joined

President S. Alan Ray and members ofthe College’s development and alumnirelations team for the inaugural recep-tion on November 2 at the Hilton St.Louis Airport hotel. The ElmhurstCollege Jazz Band and the vocal jazzensemble Late Night Blues performedsome of their most popular numbers.During the past two years, mem-

bers of the Office of Development andAlumni Relations have hosted events in cities that have a high concentrationof Elmhurst graduates. The office plansto start regional clubs in a number ofcities that will be led by alumni volun-teers. The second regional organiza-tion, the Elmhurst Club of Chicago,will hold its inaugural event this fall.

College Begins Partnership in Journalism EducationNewspapers and other traditional newsorganizations should embrace socialmedia as a valuable resource, but theyneed to find a new business model that

will ensure their financial stability andfuture, media experts concluded in apanel discussion at the College onOctober 24.Panelists from two start-up, non-

profit news organizations discussedjournalism in the 21st century, paintinga bleak picture of the current state oftraditional print media. But they told a Frick Center audience of more than100 that good journalism is essential in order for society to make informeddecisions.The panel discussion was the kick-

off event of a two-year partnershipbetween the College and the PulitzerCenter on Crisis Reporting inWashington, D.C., to explore and teachnew communication technologies andin-depth international reporting. Thepanelists were James O’Shea, editor andco-founder of the Chicago NewsCooperative, former editor of the LosAngeles Times and former managing editor of the Chicago Tribune; TomHundley, senior editor at the PulitzerCenter; and Maura Youngman, thePulitzer Center’s new media strategist.Journalism students and professors

from Elmhurst and a half dozen otherChicago-area colleges participated in two days of workshops, seminars and lectures.

The Elmhurst Club of St. Louis is launched; and Alumni Richard Nyako ’67, left and WilliamFraccaro ’70 and Joyce (Ferlazzo) Fraccaro ’70are awarded the Founders Medal.

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6 ELMHURST COLLEGE

ebecca Christiansen ’95 longthought that her mission washelping people through nursing,

but found another calling that hasproved even more satisfying.

Christiansen is the founder ofCelebrate Differences, a nonprofitorganization based in Oswego, Illinois,that helps families of children with disabilities.

Dan Zarlenga ’10 had his sights set on a lucrative Wall Street careerwhen he arrived at Elmhurst, but nowhe helps raise money for economicdevelopment in poor countries.

Ruth (Nickelson) Dalenberg ’61enjoyed school from the time she startedfirst grade, but it took a nudge from anElmhurst dean for her to realize she wasdestined to be a teacher.

Although each has taken a differentpath, the three share a common goal ofserving society, an Elmhurst traditionthat dates to the College’s beginnings in1871 as a seminary. Over the years, anextraordinary number of Elmhurst

graduates have pursued service-orientedcareers such as teaching, ministry, nursing and social work.

“I want to make a difference,”Christiansen says. “My husband tells me I can’t change the world. But I say, ‘I’mgoing to try.’”

Christiansen has a 7-year-old sonwith Down syndrome, a condition thatput her in contact with parents of otherchildren with disabilities. In 2007, shelaunched Celebrate Differences to provide a strong support network forthat community.

“Society has come a long way inaccepting those with disabilities, butthere still are people out there whoaren’t really accepting,” Christiansensays.

Celebrate Differences provides freeprograms for families, including monthlyworkshops for parents on how to ensuretheir children receive the services theyneed in the public school system, suchas physical therapy, counseling and special equipment.

The organization raises moneythrough donations, grants and fund-raising events, such as a 5K run/walk.

Christiansen, who has worked as anurse for 15 years, has continued her dayjob to help support her family. But shedevotes an increasing amount of timeand energy to her volunteer role atCelebrate Differences. Her reward, she says, is seeing how the organizationimpacts the lives of children with disabilities and their families.

“Just to see the smile on a kid’s face is a huge reward for me,” Christiansensays. “I can see that we’re making a difference.”

Unlike Christiansen, Zarlenga didn’tstart college with a service career inmind. He transferred to Elmhurst as afinance major after completing his firsttwo years at Oakton CommunityCollege.

“My aspiration was to go into thefinancial world, be a stock broker orportfolio manager and makes lots ofmoney,” he says.

Meet alumni who have made an impact in technology, economicdevelopment and helping families with disabled children.

For the Greater Good

alumni pursuits

R

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ALUMNI NEWS 7

But that started to change in themiddle of his junior year. “I started torealize I didn’t go to college just tomake more money. I was looking for acareer that would make me happy,” hesays.What he terms “a pivotal moment”

occurred in fall 2008, when afterattending a speech on economic devel-opment and poverty, Zarlenga heardanother student say that she wished she could do something but didn’tthink she could have much impact as a college student. That, Zarlenga recalls, inspired him

to start the Global Poverty Club atElmhurst, first by recruiting friends andthen spreading the word around campusto attract more than 20 members. Thegroup, which is still active, focuses onfinding solutions to poverty at the locallevel and beyond. For example, the group raised

money to make small loans of as little as$25 through the micro-lending web siteKiva.org, which connects individuallenders to low-income entrepreneursaround the world. The group raisednearly $15,000 for various causes during Zarlenga’s last year and a half at Elmhurst. Since graduation, Zarlenga has

worked as a researcher identifyingpotential donors for OpportunityInternational, an Oak Brook nonprofitthat provides funding and financialservices for entrepreneurs in under-developed countries.Zarlenga says he doesn’t know his

ultimate destination, but he believeswherever he goes he will continue toserve others. “Many people eventually

realize that they get the most fulfill-ment out of doing things that they arepassionate about and enable them togive back,” he says. “I feel fortunate andblessed that I came to that realizationearly in my life.”Like Zarlenga, Dalenberg didn’t

plan a service career when she startedat Elmhurst. In fact, she didn’t givemuch thought to careers at all until hersophomore year when a dean,Genevieve Staudt, asked her about hercareer path. That gentle probe got herthinking about how much she enjoyedEnglish courses and being in the class-room as a student. A career in teachingseemed a natural fit.“I always found joy in thinking,

reasoning and questioning. I loved language, and that pushed me towardteaching,” she said. “Once I was in it, Iknew it was where I wanted to be. I had no desire to be an administrator.There’s too much distance from thestudents, and I wanted to be in theclassroom.”Dalenberg taught high school

English and Advanced Placement liter-ature and composition classes at MaineWest High School in Des Plaines andAntioch Community High School inAntioch, Illinois. She also evaluatedessays from Advanced Placement testsfor the College Board for more than 20 years. In 1987 she won a Golden Apple

Award, a prestigious honor given annually to 10 outstanding teachers inthe Chicago area by what is now theGolden Apple Foundation. She alsowon an Outstanding Teacher Awardfrom the Jaycees and two similar

awards from the University of Chicago after being nominated by former students.Though she appreciated such

recognition, Dalenberg said her highestreward came from the growth and development she saw in her students, anumber of whom went on to becomedoctors, teachers and engineers. “You’realways dealing with an unfinished product when students move on, butsometimes you get to see what theybecome,” she said. “It is a true profession,and it is going to grab your whole mind,heart and soul. The rewards are goingto be with the people who sit in frontof you every day.” She retired from teaching high

school English in 1994, but Dalenbergcouldn’t stay away from the classroom.She taught as an adjunct professor atElmhurst and at Concordia College inRiver Forest for seven years. “I loved it,and I still miss it,” she said. “It’s thehighest calling. Doctors, policemen andfiremen save lives. Teachers changethem.”

by Rick Popely

From left, Rebecca Christiansen with herchildren Isabelle and Kyle; Dan Zarlenga;and Ruth Dalenberg.

To find out how you can volunteer,go to www.elmhurst.edu/alumni and click on Get Involved.

Although each has taken a different path, thethree alumni share a common goal of servingsociety, an Elmhurst tradition that dates to theCollege’s beginnings in 1871 as a seminary.

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8 ELMHURST COLLEGE

t was a classic, yet creative collegeprank. George Tormohlen, TomSawyer, both Class of ’61, and two of

their dorm mates decided to hijack amannequin from the local Grant’sdepartment store and place it in the bedof an unsuspecting friend as a bedtimesurprise.

The foursome successfully snatchedthe mannequin from Grant’s, but theywere caught by the Elmhurst policebefore making it back to campus intheir getaway car. Hauled off to thelocal jail, they awaited their fate behindbars for three hours. The Elmhurst deanwho was called to the station to retrievethe students said for all he cared, thepolice could keep them there. But thepowers-that-be at the department storeintervened, granting the miscreants areprieve.

“We had some great times,” Sawyerrecalled during a tea for members of theClass of 1961 celebrating their 50-yearreunion on the Friday afternoon ofHomecoming 2011 in October. “We

were a close-knit group of guys, andthere was a lot of razzing going on. Allgood natured, of course.”

Sawyer, a retired professor of socialwork who lives in Pueblo, Colorado, wasno stranger to on-campus teasing, givenhis literary namesake. (He is no relationto Elmhurst psychology professor TomSawyer.) Tormohlen, his partner in mis-chief, is a retired minister from PrairieVillage, Kansas.

The weekend’s festivities brought40 members of the Class of ’61 to cam-pus. Nine members of the class organ-ized the program: John Bock of Elmore,Ohio; Joyce Chum Carey of Oak Park;David Kniker of Kewanee; Ron Koepplof Geneva; Charlie Kreichelt ofLombard; Richard Lammert of Enfield,New Hampshire; Marlene DettmerPeaslee of Lombard; Richard Schnelleof Louisville, Kentucky; and GailSchreiber of San Diego, California.

Hearing tales from the pastimpressed Elmhurst students at the tea,which was held at the home of Chaplain

H. Scott Matheney. “It makes you real-ize that you’re part of this rich traditionand how important it is to stay tied tothis college, to stay connected,” saidChris Poulakos ’12, a psychology majorfrom Glen Ellyn.

To ensure that current and futuregenerations of Elmhurst students con-tinue to stay connected, Poulakos and afew other undergraduates are workingwith the Office of Alumni Relations tolaunch the Student Alumni Association.The group aims to generate school spiritamong today’s students in the hope thatthe ties forged with Elmhurst will con-tinue after graduation.

“Elmhurst is a small school whereeveryone reaches out to make sure youfeel comfortable and at home,”Poulakos said. “That happens whileyou’re here and should continue afteryou leave.”

Beverley (McNulty) Krohn ’10, assis-tant director of alumni relations, saidthe time is right for such a group. “ThisCollege has such rich traditions and a

Members of the Fifty-Year Club and Elmhurst students find common ground.

Golden Memories

I

campus focus homecoming

I

For more coverage of Homecoming 2011,go to www.elmhurst.edu/memories.

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ALUMNI NEWS 9

strong culture of pride,” she said. “At theend of your freshman year, you’re con-sidered an alum and you forever belongto the Elmhurst College community.This group aims to foster that sense ofbelonging.”

For the moment, the Office ofAlumni Relations is gauging interest inthe group among current students andorganizing events such as on-campusSpirit Days. In the future, Krohn wouldlike the group to expand its scope anddevelop a philanthropic arm. “Many students here benefit from the philan-thropy of others,” she said. “For this tocontinue, we must pay it forward tofuture generations of students, just asthose who graduated some 50 years agoare doing.”

Back at the tea, Tormohlen andSawyer recalled that as part of the plot,they had planned to somehow send themannequin up a flagpole, although theyhad never nailed down how they wouldpull that off. After hearing the reasonfor the mannequin’s abduction, theGrant’s representative said the studentscould keep it for the weekend. By then,however, the four undergrads had tiredof the escapade. Besides, the BackwardsDance (where women invited men) wasthat evening, and each had a date wait-ing on campus.

by Deborah Silver

David Kniker ’61, longtime minister of the United Church of Christ inKewanee, Illinois, said Elmhurst sethim on the path that would becomehis lifelong career and passion.

In an interview at the reunion teaduring Homecoming weekend, Knikersaid that initially he had no interest in following in the footsteps of hisfather and grandfather, both ministers.He entered Elmhurst planning to stayonly two years, obtain a liberal artseducation and then head to an Illinoisstate school to earn a degree in electrical engineering.

But his experience at Elmhurst changed everything. “The influenceof the culture and values here changed my mind, and I began to realizethat the ministry was where I wanted to be,” he recalled. “I creditElmhurst with giving me a new perspective on my life. How wonderful it would be to be able to do that for future generations.”

A New Perspective on My Life

John Sallstrom ’61, retired professorof philosophy and religion at GeorgiaCollege & State University, recalledhis stint as editor of the studentnewspaper, The Elm Bark (now TheLeader), where he was given free rein to write a column, “The Gadfly.”

The column was inspired by theGreek philosopher Socrates, who considered himself a gadfly, or someone who liked to stir the pot.Sallstrom said in an interview at theHomecoming tea that he aimed to dojust that. In one column, “Let Mediocrity Triumph,” he extolled thevirtue of being unexceptional, a tongue-in-cheek attempt to push hisfellow students toward excellence. Sallstrom, a history major who gothooked on philosophy, also had the opportunity to lead chapel services.“You didn’t have to have your talk approved,” he said. “The only criteriawere to speak openly, thoughtfully and honestly.”

An Opportunity to Stir the Pot

Above left, members of the Class of 1961 gatheredfor their 50th reunion during Homecomingweekend in October.

Top, David Kniker ’61 with his wife Carolyn; below, John Sallstrom ’61 talks withChristopher Poulakos ’12, a member of the newly formed Student Alumni Association.

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10 ELMHURST COLLEGE

cover story

A Lesson in

Photo credit: Chris Schneider

Patrick Bentrott's years at Elmhurst cementedhis commitment to help the needy.

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ALUMNI NEWS 11

Missionary Patrick Bentrott ’02 witnessed deathand destruction during the 2010 earthquake inHaiti, but found a loving and resilient people.

By Jonathan Black

the Fragility of Life

career devoted to service rarely forms in one fellswoop. Invariably it’s a process, developing overtime. For many, the crucible of college plays acritical role in the direction and passion thatshape such a life. This was true for Patrick

Bentrott ’02, who first considered Elmhurst after high schoolbut opted for Illinois State University.

As an underclassman, Bentrott recalls himself as “shallowand superficial,” with little direction. “Shockingly,” he sayswith a laugh, “this ended up being less than fulfilling.”

Abandoning Illinois State after two years, he visitedElmhurst and interviewed with Professor Paul Parker, chairof the Department of Religious Studies, who was notimpressed. “He was a dropout, unfocused, an unformed personwho worshipped at Lord Mattress,” remembers Parker withcharacteristic bluntness, referring to Bentrott’s penchant forsleeping late.

Unwilling to waste more time at college, Bentrott took ayear off and found a job in Washington, D.C., at ChristHouse, a 32-bed medical facility for the homeless. The notionof service had been percolating since high school, when hisUnited Church of Christ youth group traveled to Biloxi,Mississippi, to serve the poor in soup kitchens. Working atChrist House reawakened that sense of purpose.

“My time in D.C. was phenomenal. I discovered I wasreally comfortable with people from radically different backgrounds than myself,” he says. “I felt my call to the ministry—not to Christianity or the church, but to being insolidarity with populations who have struggled for a voice in an unjust world.”

He returned to Elmhurst to pursue a degree in theologyand the ministry—and this time Parker saw a changed man:

“He’d found a way to provide succor to the world’s needs, away to have theology help the world.”

Bentrott, for his part, singles out Parker as a key influenceon campus: “He was an amazing person, he rocked my boat.”Parker, he adds, encouraged him to focus on his studies andhelped him find opportunities for service.

He found those opportunities in Chicago, where he wasgranted course credit for an internship at The NightMinistry, a non-denominational, faith-based outreach groupfor the city’s most vulnerable populations. He found them inIndia, thanks to Elmhurst connections, where he spent a senior term at Mother Teresa’s hospice in Calcutta. Bentrottreturned to Elmhurst committed to service, and joined in theplanning for the Niebuhr Center, which offers internshipsand programs for students exploring a career in service orministry. Nancy Lee, professor of religious studies and theCenter’s founding director, remembers Bentrott at meetings as “an inspiration. He had great ideas and wanted to find new opportunities.”

Seven years after he graduated, he found those opportuni-ties again in Haiti. Hugely rewarding in some ways, his timethere turned traumatic, because he was working as a mission-ary at a Port-au-Prince school when the island nation was hitby a massive earthquake on January 12, 2010.

“It’s something I’ll process my entire life,” he says. “The amount of death and damage and injury that can takeplace in 45 seconds is simply mind-boggling. I saw tens ofthousands of people crushed like ants. It drove home howfragile life is. I don’t say every moment’s a blessing—some-thing flowery like that. But we need to live every moment, be intentional with our lives. Because profound tragedy ispossible any time.”

A

To see a video of Patrick Bentrott’s work in Haiti, go to http://tiny.cc/bentrott

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The amount of death and damage and injury that can take place in 45seconds is simply mind-boggling.

12 ELMHURST COLLEGE

is path to Haiti and his subsequent commitment tohelping that nation recover say a great deal aboutBentrott’s devotion to service, especially since hewas not born into missionary work. He grew up ina tiny town, population 6,000, in rural Iowa.

His father was a banker, his mother a school nurse. Bothwere members of the UCC, though Bentrott’s own ties aremore philosophical than Sunday-morning religious. Heremains drawn to the church, he says, for its “commitment tosocial justice, its lack of dogma and its recognition of ministrybeyond parish ministry.” Elmhurst cemented those ties to the UCC—and more. He remembers with delight a basicchemistry class in which students went to elementaryschools to help with science experiments: “I hated scienceand was horrible at it—but I loved that class!”

After graduating from Elmhurst, he joined his fiancéeKim Dunback in Kansas City, where she was attending med-ical school. They married the following year, and he found ajob working with children suffering from mental illness andbehavioral problems. The couple subsequently moved toDenver, where Bentrott earned a master of divinity at theIliff School of Theology while Dunback finished her residency.

Before settling down, they decided to spend a year work-ing on a service project, and Bentrott contacted the UCC tofind a temporary posting. The only opportunity that suitedtheir backgrounds, however, was a long-term placement inHaiti sponsored by Global Ministries, a joint effort run bythe UCC and the Disciples of Christ. Domestic plans onhold, they signed a four-year contract and took off, saysBentrott, with “idealistic notions of what we could do in thecountry.”

Even his time in India had not prepared Bentrott forwhat he found in Haiti.

“Haiti,” Bentrott says, “is a microcosm of everythingthat’s wrong with the world. It exemplifies what happens to acountry that’s not fully recovered from its horrific history ofcolonization and suppressed people. On the positive side,these are the most loving, resilient, beautiful people I’ve everencountered. It was an absolute privilege to live there andlearn from them.”

Their plan was to serve the four years, then buy a housein Colorado and start a family. They had never consideredadoption—until they met a 3-month-old boy, Solomon, dur-ing an orphanage visit and immediately fell in love. “We werecaptivated,” Bentrott says. They signed on as foster parentsand took him to their apartment.

When the earthquake struck 18 months after they arrivedon the island, their three-story building was badly damaged,but their third floor apartment was spared. The school whereBentrott had just taught a class was destroyed; all 20 students

cover story

H

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died, and so did their teachers. Throughout Haiti, tens of thousands of children died or

were left without parents. Already approved to adopt twochildren, the Bentrotts found a sick little girl, Valancia, andmade an on-the-spot decision to bring her home asSolomon’s sister. Two weeks after the quake, the U.S. govern-ment agreed to grant “humanitarian parole” to 1,200orphans, and the Bentrotts flew out on a military cargo jet asescorts for 85 children, including Solomon and Valancia.

“We thought we’d go home, get citizenship for our chil-dren, regroup, come back and resume work in Haiti,” he says.

It didn’t happen. Acquiring citizenship—for Bentrott’schildren and other orphans--stretched into a long, tortuousprocess. Unable to return to Haiti with his new family, hetook a job in Denver as branch head of a Haitian adoptionagency. He and his wife started a blog to chronicle their timein Haiti, and Bentrott shared those experiences with theElmhurst College community during an April 2010 campusvisit and also at an Elmhurst-sponsored pizza party for highschool students.

“He absolutely mesmerized them,” says Kim Whisler,coordinator of United Church of Christ relations in theElmhurst Chaplain’s office, who arranged the gathering. “Hehas such a profound knowledge of the country. I was amazedby his ability to engage younger kids and bridge generations.”

One of the high school students who attended the pizzaparty was so impressed that she applied to Elmhurst so shecould get involved in service work. One can only imaginethat Bentrott, had he been exposed to such an influence inhigh school, might have been moved to start his own journeysooner.

But some things just take time.

ALUMNI NEWS 13

Haiti is a microcosm of everythingthat’s wrong with the world. Onthe positive side, these are themost loving, resilient, beautifulpeople I've ever encountered.

At left from top, Bentrott’s neighborhood in Port-au-Prince after theearthquake, with a little girl at an orphanage and with an orphanageworker displaced by the quake. Bottom, an orphanage nanny holdsBentrott’s daughter Valancia in the back of a moving truck. At rightfrom top, a baby sleeps in a laundry basket, a group of orphanagechildren and Bentrott with a little girl. Bottom, the family as theywere being evacuated two weeks after the quake.

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1940sGeorge Sonneborn Jr. ’45 lives in a comfortable retirement community in St.Louis with his wife, Barbara. He is theproud father of George III, Julia and David.

Dorothy (Gabler) Stoerker Peters ’48 iswriting a story about her life and aboutmeeting her first husband, Lewis Stoerker’45, at Elmhurst College. After graduation,she accompanied her husband to YaleUniversity. He later became a teacher andtechnical theater director, and built a statepark in Missouri.

Judge William J. Bauer ’49was honoredby DuPage County with the dedication of ajudicial facility and sculpture at the countycourthouse in Wheaton. Officials namedthe judicial annex after Judge Bauer, whobegan his career as a local prosecutor in 1952and went on to receive federal appoint-ments from presidents Richard Nixon andGerald Ford.

1950sWarren R. Erickson ’50 is retired and living in Ocala, Florida. He attendedHomecoming 2010 with four others fromthe class of 1950.

June Eaton ’51 is enjoying classes in botani-cal art at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle.She continues to teach writing via corre-spondence course, and looks forward to thecollege graduations of her five grandchildren.

Zoltan Z. Morvay ’51 and his wife spendevery winter in Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida.

Myron Sonneborn ’51 has followed in thefootsteps of his father, George Sonneborn’19, by becoming a 33rd degree Scottish RiteMason.

Richard Brueseke ’54 and his wife, Libby,recently celebrated their 55th weddinganniversary.

Don Mayer ’55 and his wife, Lynnea ’56,have retired.

Rev. Jack LaMar ’58 published his firstbook of sermons, Life Just Keeps Coming atUs.

Ruth Baur Willimann ’58 is enjoyingretirement on one of Michigan's lovelyinland lakes.

1960sElsa (Pflug) Abele ’60 and her husband,Reine, will celebrate 52 years of marriage in2012.

Jill (Shirk) Cockrell ’60writes that she wassorry to have missed her 50th ElmhurstCollege reunion. She was at a conference inBudapest, Hungary, where she says she usedthe few Hungarian words she remembersfrom Dr. Molnar’s class at Elmhurst.

Wesley Poor ’62 and Wanda Poor ’75recently celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss.

Joan Yokel Ellis ’63 plans to retire in Aprilfrom her job as vice president of adult out-patient services at ComTrea, a communitymental health center in Jefferson County,Maryland. In retirement she plans to spendher time sewing and doing church work.

Ted Essebaggers ’63 recently retired fromthe University of Oslo, where he worked asan international student advisor in the inter-national education office. Ted still sings in achoir and enjoys photography, gardening,fishing and his four grandchildren.

Richard Hemann ’63 is enjoying retire-ment and catching up on household repairs.

Georgia (Barnes) Jenkins ’63 has a homebusiness with Kooday and is a coach with 4Steps to Success.

Richard ’65 and Linda (Benzel) Kroll ’65are enjoying retirement. Linda continues to

14 ELMHURST COLLEGE

Let us hear from you! Send us a note to alumni@elmhurst.edu, or call us at (630) 617-3600. Better yet, stop by the Office ofAlumni Relations on the first floor of Lehmann Hall.

Class Notes

alumni catching up

A Hip-Hopping PE Teacher

Ronald J. (Rocky) Wagner II ’05 hasreceived abundant publicity for his latest YouTube hit. “They Ask Me,”produced in collaboration with HunterAlexander ’05, is a hip-hop songexplaining Rocky’s annual decision toshave his head on St. Baldrick’s Day toraise money for, and awareness of,childhood cancer. Rocky, a physicaleducation teacher at Summit LearningCenter in Robbins, also wrote theYouTube sensation “Teach Me How toStudy,” set to the beat of “Teach MeHow To Dougie.”

“There are cool teachers, and thenthere’s Ron ‘Rocky’ Wagner, a song-writing, hip-hopping physical educationteacher,” wrote Donna Vickroy in aSouthtown Star story about Rocky’snewest hit. “The kids went nuts lastspring after Wagner wrote ‘Teach MeHow to Study.’ … The video, whichstarred several students, blew up onYouTube.”

The new song speaks to Rocky’scommitment to raising funds to supportresearch into childhood cancers. “This is a very important cause, and I amgrateful for the education that I gotfrom Elmhurst College,” Rocky said.

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celebrate more birthdays after her fight withbreast cancer. They cherish annual gather-ings with old roommates including Dennis’65 and Ruth ’65 Hotle, Joyce ’65 and Jim’66 Driskill, Don ’64 Taylor and AliceTaylor, and Gary ’65 and Beth ’67 Miller.

William Eiler ’66 has retired as a UCCminister in Tustin, California. He was mar-ried to Joanne Drumm on August 15.

Susan Schnell Ford ’66 writes that shedirected a production of Proof for the SantaCruz Shoestring Players recently. “This ismy third project with this new communitytheater company,” she writes. “I also volun-teer at a K-8 school in the library.”

Shirley (Samonek) Briggeman ’67 issemi-retired, working as a volunteerreceptionist at an STD testing clinic for alocal pro-life pregnancy center. Her hus-band, Edgar Briggeman ’65, is pastoring a small congregation at a country churchin northwest Ohio. They enjoy traveling,biking, reading and spending time withtheir 12 grandchildren.

William Johnson ’68 has been namedadministrator of the Nollau Institute, a leadership formation program of the UCCCouncil for Health and Human ServiceMinistries. In October, Elmhurst Collegeofficially named its annual LGBT Guestshipin honor of Bill. Bill writes, “I had the pleasure of hosting Elmhurst junior ColinAshwood during his six-week internshipwith Justice and Witness Ministries of theUnited Church of Christ in Cleveland.”

Jan Henning ’69 has been named to a two-year term on the Advisory Panel onOutreach and Education of the Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services. Jan is abenefits counseling and special projectscoordinator for the North Central TexasArea Agency on Aging, a program of theNorth Central Texas Council ofGovernments. A doctoral candidate in

applied gerontology at the University ofNorth Texas, Jan is working on researchrelated to Baby Boomers’ knowledge ofretiree health needs and benefits. She alsoserves on the Texas Health Information,Counseling and Advocacy Program AdvisoryCommittee.

1970sBeverly Powell-Hodge ’70 is semi-retiredfrom psychotherapy practice. She writesthat she would love to hear from her fellowstudents from the classes of ’69, ’70 and ’71.

Sandra Hardin ’71 has retired from teach-ing elementary education after 36 years.

Bob Merz ’71 and Sue Merz ’72 are lookingforward to the weddings of two daughters.Bob retired in August, and Sue teaches atHolmes School in Oak Park.

Kathy Bauer ’72 performed in Neil Simon’sThe Good Doctor presented by Summer Place Theatre in Naperville in the summerof 2011.

Janey Dahl Elliott ’71 has retired fromschool social work. She now works part timeas a hospice social worker.

Alan Weiger ’72 directed Neil Simon’s TheGood Doctor for Summer Place Theatre inNaperville during the summer of 2011.Twenty years ago, he directed the same playat Elmhurst College.

Dr. Luther Brown ’73 is the foundingdirector of the Delta Center for Culture andLearning at Delta State University, where healso is associate dean for Delta regionaldevelopment. He also is a founding memberof the Mississippi Blues Commission andformer chairman of the Mississippi BluesFoundation.

John Helt ’73 is pastor of St. Paul’s UCC inErin, Wisconsin. In September 2011 thechurch installed a solar power system in an

ongoing effort to incorporate sustainablepractices.

Charles Bern ’74 has published a book,Complementary Income.

Catherine Tomasik De Matteo ’75 hasbeen named mortgage loan officer for FifthThird Bank and works at the bank’s locationin Olympia Fields. A certified mortgage

ALUMNI NEWS 15

For more class notes, go towww.elmhurst.edu/alumni and click on Class Notes

Author Named toNational Council

Cathy N. Davidson ’70 has beenappointed by President Barack Obamato a six-year term on the NationalCouncil on the Humanities. A professorof English and interdisciplinary studiesat Duke University, Cathy is a distin-guished author whose most recentbook, Now You See It: How the BrainScience of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work , and Learn(Viking), was named to PublishersWeekly’s list of top 10 science books ofthe 2011 fall season. “Davidson is such agood storyteller, and her characters arewell drawn," wrote one New York Timesreviewer about Now You See It. As partof a 30-site book tour, Cathy keynotedthe Chicago Humanities Festival in thefall of 2011.

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specialist, she holds a 203K loan certificationand a reverse mortgage certification.

Wallace Goode ’75 recently was namedexecutive director of the Hyde ParkChamber of Commerce. Wallace attributeshis appointment to his experiences workingfor the Chicago mayor’s office and at theUniversity of Chicago. He said even hisexperiences as a teenager hanging out inHyde Park helped him land the job.

Christopher Kurth ’76 has completed histraining as a lay chaplain with Communityof Hope International. Chris also achievedhis goal of donating 50 pints of blood beforethe 10th anniversary of 9/11, thereby savingas many as 150 lives. He’s completing his20th year as a school psychologist with theSpecial School District of St. Louis County.

Thomas “Tim” Mitchinson ’79 has been a

Christian Science practitioner for 25 yearsand continues to practice in Naperville. Timhas written more than 50 articles aboutmetaphysics for The Christian Science Journal,Sentinel and Monitor. He also serves on the Christian Science Committee onPublication for the State of Illinois.

1980sJanet Bryant ’80was among 213 distin-guished researchers nationwide recognizedby the American Chemical Society (ACS)for “outstanding achievements in and contributions to science and the professionof chemistry.”

Steven A. Zeidler ’82was the producer ofNeil Simon’s The Good Doctor presented bySummer Place Theatre in Naperville duringthe summer of 2011.

Judy McHugh ’84, a nursing qualityimprovement coordinator at LoyolaUniversity Health System in Maywood,received the national Validator Award inOctober at a nursing conference inBaltimore.

Marino Cecchi ’85 has joined SouthCarolina Federal Credit Union as vice president of mortgage.

Miki Nishimura ’87writes, “I’m still in theteaching business, singing and dancing withkids almost every day. I’m also involved inmaking educational materials, such as CDsfor children (including a phonics CD forkids released two years ago) and onlineEnglish learning systems for Japaneseteenagers.”

Karin (Rae) Fox ’88 exhibited two photo-graphs at the Oak Lawn Library in June andJuly. She was also selected to exhibit a photograph, Millennium Park Ice Rink in Fall,at Moraine Valley’s Robert DeCaprio ArtGallery. The photograph won third prize inthe Community Artist Exhibit.

1990sAi Ohara ’90 will represent ElmhurstCollege at America Expo 2011, a college fairand seminar for Japanese students who areinterested in attending college in the UnitedStates.

Teno Geritano ’91 is Bolingbrook HighSchool's new assistant principal for studentservices.

Kelly Duff ’92 recently joined AllstateInsurance in Northbrook as executive assis-tant to the executive vice president of tech-nology and operations. Kelly also recentlycompleted Citizens Police Academy at theElmhurst Police Department. She is work-ing on several books, including a memoirabout her mother.

Paul Onischuk ’93 has published a book,The Perfect, Man Handbook.

Suzanne Taarek-Gudjonis ’94 recentlyearned an education specialist degree ineducational technology from WaldenUniversity. She currently lives with her hus-band and three children in Las Vegas,Nevada, where she teaches second grade.

Shirley Pegenan Basler ’99 spent five yearsserving as the primary caregiver for herfather, who passed away at the age of 98shortly after Thanksgiving 2010.

Vanessa Gronke ’99 has been a decoratorat From Scratch Bakery in LaGrange sinceOctober 2010. She also serves as director ofmusic ministry at St. John’s UCC.

Brian Schultz ’99 has joined CallanderCommercial Real Estate of Portage,Michigan, as a sales associate. Prior to join-ing Callender, he served as an infantry offi-cer in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked insales with Standridge Color Corp.

2000sRick Veenstra ’00 is exploring a campaignfor Congress in Illinois’ reconfigured 8thCongressional District.

Duncan Sprague ’02 recently was ordainedat Grace Lutheran Church in Colorado.

Bill Hillmann ’04 recently was featured asa “Remarkable Person” by the ChicagoTribune. A 2002 Chicago Golden Glovesboxing champion, Bill writes short storiesand is working on a novel. He is the founderof the Windy City Story Slam. Bill travels toSpain every year to run with the bulls.

Ricardo Lamas ’05 recently made his debut with the Ultimate FightingChampionship, a mixed-martial-arts pro-moter, after seven months on the sidelines.He used his time off to do what few 155-pound men do: He went on a diet. Ricardofought at lightweight during a six-week stint

16 ELMHURST COLLEGE

alumni catching up

49ers Reunited at Homecoming

Edith Hagens ’49 and George Langeler’49 reunited on campus in late October2011. Edith, a retired schoolteacher,comes from a large Elmhurst legacyfamily. She attended Homecoming2011, proudly wearing her ElmhurstCollege cheerleading sweater. George,dean of students at Oberlin College for23 years, keeps busy in retirement, traveling and serving on the ElmhurstCollege Board of Trustees. He spendsmost of each winter in Asia. Both Edithand George send greetings to their fellow ’49ers and look forward to seeingthem at the next reunion!

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ALUMNI NEWS 17

for World Extreme Cage fighting. After the WEC merged with the UFC, there was a logjam in the 155-pound division so he dropped to featherweight.

Peter Purin ’05 has completed the require-ments for his Ph.D. in music theory at theUniversity of Kansas in Lawrence.

Joe Alden ’07 earned his Doctor ofAudiology degree in 2010. He currentlyworks as a professional trainer for InSoundMedical in Illinois.

Katie Gregory ’07works as an orientationcoordinator at Benedictine University inLisle.

Darrell Mathis Jr. ’08 is pursuing a mas-ter’s degree in school leadership Type 75 at Concordia University.

Laura Mignerone ’08 received a diplomafrom Eden Theological Seminary in St.Louis.

Lisa Panzarella ’08works at LexingtonHealth Care and Rehabilitation inBensenville.

Nina Talge ’08 has worked in customerservice for Wilton Brands in Woodridge,Illinois, since 2008.

Laura L. Yurs ’08 recently began full-timeministry at two churches in Missouri: St.James United Church of Christ and StoneUnited Church of Christ.

Joe Badsing ’09works as a repair techni-cian at Quinlan & Fabish Music Company.

Edward Breitweiser ’09 recently per-formed Sites of Excavation, a composition forimprovising musicians and laptop comput-ers, at the Laptops Meet Musicians Festivalin Venice, Italy. In July, he performed hisinteractive sound installation, A NarrativeContaining Two Narratives About NarrativeOr, How to Become Ought-to-Happen, atThreewalls, a gallery in Chicago. In August,he delivered a keynote presentation, MakingWaves: Creating Interesting ListeningOpportunities at a conference in Sweden.Edward is an MFA candidate at the Schoolof the Art Institute of Chicago.

Bethanie Purin ’09 recently moved toFlorence, Kentucky, with her fiancé, James

Gelement ’08. The couple plans to marryon March 24, 2012. Bethanie recently celebrated her one-year anniversary atCincinnati Children’s Hospital, where sheteaches children with special needs in atherapeutic preschool setting.

2010sAshley Bonk ’10 is in graduate school, pursuing an MBA.

Rebekah Clark ’10 has joined The WorldRace, an 11-month mission trip that immerses participants in service andtraditional lifestyles. Together with seventeam members, she departed in January 2012 for the Philippines, China, India,Nepal, Swaziland, Mozambique, SouthAfrica, Moldova, Romania, Haiti and theDominican Republic.

Alison Colman ’10 is pursuing a master’sdegree in library and information science at Dominican University. Her anticipatedgraduation date is May 2012.

Danny Sabock ’10 is the first-year linebacker coach for Indiana State.

Norma Walker ’10 passed her state boardexams in nursing and returned to her villagein Zimbabwe to support her communityand help others with their education.

Jaren Hillard ’11 works as a substituteteacher in Oak Park and as a productionassistant at the Ravinia Festival.

Gina Kachlic ’11 recently received the PhiKappa Phi Love of Learning award and theOmicron Delta Kappa graduate fellowshipaward. She currently is pursuing a law degreein Michigan.

Marlana Ann McCaigue ’11was commis-sioned as second lieutenant in the U.S. Armyon May 26, 2011. An officer in the NurseCorps, she will attend Officer Basic Courseat Fort Sam Houston, Texas, after she completes her certification testing for nursing. Marlana married 1Lt. CoreyMcCaigue on January 1, 2010.

Anthony Mele ’11 performed in NeilSimon’s The Good Doctor presented bySummer Place Theatre in Naperville duringthe summer of 2011.

Brendan Minardi ’11 has been accepted

into Midwestern Medical School.

Sabrina Zeidler ’11was stage manager forNeil Simon’s The Good Doctor presented bySummer Place Theatre in Naperville in thesummer of 2011.

Chris Mason ’13 has returned to ElmhurstCollege as an adult student.

A Checkoff on Her Bucket List

Ingeborg Turman ’50, who studied atElmhurst as an international studentfrom Germany, returned to campus inSeptember for the first time since graduation. While on campus, she visiteda First-Year Seminar classroom to speakto students about her travels and herexperiences at Elmhurst.

Inge was 17 years old and living in Hessen, Germany, when her fathersuggested that she pursue a study-abroad opportunity through the AFSIntercultural Program. AFS had origi-nally planned for her to attend YorkCommunity High School in Elmhurst,but her intellectual abilities landed herat Elmhurst College instead.

Inge said she has fond memories ofher time on campus, including the timeshe spent with Genevieve Staudt, theCollege’s dean of women at the time.Coming back to campus was on her“bucket list,” she said, since Elmhurstwas such a highlight in her life.Elmhurst College still accepts AFSexchange students during the summer.

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18 ELMHURST COLLEGE

BIRTHSRobert C. Ahrendt ’55 welcomed his fourth great-grandchild in July.

Kenneth Davis ’78 and Carole(Kielbasa) Davis ’79 would like toannounce the birth of their grandson,Ryan Michael Perrine was born on April 20, 2011.

Andrea (DiFatta) Puleo ’01 andChristopher Puleo ’01 welcomed a boy, Daniel Christopher Puleo, on May 7, 2011.

Dena (Schultz) Bonnike ’02 and herhusband, John, welcomed Liam onSeptember 17, 2011. He joins his big sister, Lana.

Megan (Suess) Selck ’03 and AndrewSelck ’03 welcomed a boy, Drew Selck,on October 30, 2011.

Tom DuFore ’04 and Jennifer (Moninger)DuFore ’05 welcomed a boy, MatthewThomas DuFore, on November 22, 2011.

Kyle Bjerga ’08 and his wife, Jackie,welcomed a boy, Carson Joseph Everett,on September 4, 2011.

MARRIAGESDeborah Ripper ’93 was married toStephen M. Silic on July 8, 2011.

Susan Salatino ’96 and Gene Changnonwere married on September 4, 2011.Elmhurst alumni in attendance were Dan andLinda (Kueking) Marshall ’95,Kristen (Carlson) Cecchin ’95, Kevin’94 andKaren (Wix) Brierly ’95,Heather (Dodge) Beck ’98, and Alan’93 and Joanne (Imbrogno) Holtz ’95.

Jamie Maslowski ’01 and Jeff Laski were married on May 28, 2011.

Holley Hanneke ’03 was married inOctober 2011 to Sal Prompol.

Laura DiLillo ’08 married MichaelSimantirakis on August 13, 2010. Thewedding party included Traci Skocik ’08,Katie LaMantia ’08 and Angela Hain’08. Laura completed her master's degreein management at Roosevelt University

in December 2010. She and her husbandwork for Kellogg Co.

John Dahlquist ’09married MichelleGardner in June 2011.

Beverley McNulty ’10, assistant directorof alumni relations and Paul Krohn,director of intercollegiate athletics, were married on December 16, 2011.

DEATHSErnest F. Nolte ’31, of Muenster,Indiana, on January 29, 2011.

Mabel C. (Craig) Christensen ’37, of Glen Ellyn, on March 20, 2011.

Ruth (Klick) Tiemann ’41, of Pittsboro,North Carolina, on July 7, 2011.

Dorothy (Davis) Dosier ’42, of SantaCruz, California, on June 21, 2011.

Walter Goletz ’42, of Brookfield,Wisconsin, on March 8, 2011.

Evelyn (Seybold) Reed ’45, ofEvansville, Indiana, on June 27, 2011.

John O. Simmons ’45, of ColoradoSprings, Colorado, on May 23, 2011.

Janet E. (Mallinson) Egeland ’49, ofPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 21, 2011.

Gloria (Thompson) Gulley ’49, ofElmhurst, on May 28, 2011.

Rev. Harold Potts ’50, of Kansas City,Missouri, on May 30, 2011.

John H. Thomas ’50, of Kailua, Hawaii,on June 16, 2011.

Caryl Morton ’51, of St. Louis, onAugust 22, 2010.

Joseph H. Sebestyen ’51, of Chicago, on July 9, 2011.

Robert E. Grunlund ’52, of Norway,Michigan, on July 12, 2011.

Elizabeth (Wasson) Schumann ’52, of Troy, Ohio, on June 29, 2011.

Helen (Holzkamper) Ritter ’53, of Urbana, on June 19, 2011.

Beatrice D. Pulver ’56, of Homer Glen, on May 20, 2011.

Donald N. Kelly ’57, of Anoka,Minnesota, on April 21, 2011.

Dr. Lyle E. Herness ’60, of Ramona,California, on June 30, 2011.

Nicholas L. Van Hoose ’60, of Venice,Florida, on June 7, 2011.

Theodore F. Prange ’61, of WisconsinRapids, Wisconsin, on June 27, 2011.

Bonita E. Hardy ’69, of Eden, NewYork, on May 25, 2011.

Michael Buechin ’70, of Pentwater,Michigan, on July 4, 2011.

David F. Dietle ’70, of Queensland,Australia, on May 19, 2011.

Anthony K. King ’75, of Tucson,Arizona, on July 17, 2011.

Kathy (Knuf) Odean ’75, of RockIsland, on July 3, 2011.

Ellen E. Schade Lambert ’78, ofBourbonnais, on January 9, 2011.

Dale E. Dunning ’82, of McKinney,Texas, on June 9, 2011.

Donald J. Wajda ’82 and ’96, of Hillside,on June 20, 2011.

Thomas S. Ferry ’85, of Grafton,Wisconsin, on April 4, 2011.

Peter E. Johnson ’94, of Round LakeBeach, on July 24, 2011.

Kenneth B. Suwanski ’95, of Cary, on April 6, 2011.

alumni catching up

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lmhurst was a wonderful place to get an education. The scienceclasses were challenging, and I

got involved in all kinds of things—volleyball, basketball, badminton, evena coaching class. Everyone was friendly,and we all shared the same values. Ienjoyed Elmhurst so much that I stayedan extra semester before going on to finish my nursing degree at EvangelicalDeaconess Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri.

I never would have been able toattend Elmhurst if I hadn’t receivedscholarships from the College and frommy church, so I’ve always tried to giveback as much as I could. Elmhurstplayed an enormous role in my life—giving me direction and helping mereach my goals—and now my support is helping other students reach theirs.

Vy Hansen worked as a nurse, raised threechildren and lived all over the world with

her late husband, Brigadier General RichardD. Hansen, a physician in the United StatesAir Force Medical Corps. A 2005 recipient of Elmhurst’s Founders Medal, she also is a member of the College’s Meusch LegacySociety. In appreciation for her education and experiences made possible by scholarships,Vy has used a life insurance policy to designatea gift to Elmhurst to fund the Violet MeyerHansen Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Why I Give

ALUMNI NEWS 19

Vy Hansen ’53, Plano, Texas

E

For more information on alumni giving, go to our giving site at www.elmhurst.edu/giving

Photo credit: Andrew R. Slaton

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20 ELMHURST COLLEGE

very January for the past 20 years,Professor Judy Grimes has takengroups of Elmhurst students on

two-week trips to Jamaica. But this is nomidwinter vacation. Grimes and her students work in financially challengedschools around Montego Bay, teachingmusic to Jamaican children and donatinginstruments and school supplies thathave helped launch and sustain bandprograms there. The trip is part ofGrimes’ popular January Term class,Educational Experiences in Jamaica. Shetold FYI how the annual trips changelives in Montego Bay and in Elmhurst.

Your students tutor Jamaican childrenand work in classrooms alongsideJamaican teachers. But you say your students do more learning than teaching. What do you mean?Any time we work side by side withother teachers, our experience is basedon collaboration. We work with wonder-ful Jamaican teachers, and we shareapproaches to teaching and the way weplay a musical instrument. Musicianspracticing together might exchangeideas on the fingering of passages or the

broader interpretation of a work. Some of our students are studying to be teachers, but they’re not officially teachers yet. So I don’t want our studentsto think they know everything aboutteaching. They also learn that musicreally is an international language, and that teaching music enhances theinternational exchange culturally andacademically.

What’s it like to see your studentsworking with the Jamaican students?It’s a powerful experience. Some of theJamaican students never have had a private music lesson. The Jamaican stu-dents work hard and are excited to havespecific help on an instrument. WhenElmhurst students tutor the youngerJamaican students, there’s a lot of laughingand hugging. In any band, your successdepends on your ability to work as ateam. That’s what this is all about. Ourstudents get the sense that they’ve made a contribution and touched the future.

In addition to helping launch bands in several Jamaican schools, you havesupplied the schools with instruments.

Why is that such a critical piece of the program?Jamaica is an island, and just abouteverything has to be imported exceptthe rum and the sunshine. The hightaxes on imports make it difficult to getthe needed materials. That’s why wedonate a lot of musical instruments andinstructional materials. We work all year,getting used instruments and repairingthem. With a grant from Elmhurst’sService-Learning program, we are able topurchase used instruments. This year, wedonated 30 more instruments, one foreach of the students we took to Jamaica.

Why are the band programs youhelped start so important to theJamaican schools?Tourism is the number one industry inJamaica, and there isn’t a resort or ahotel that doesn’t have a band. So beinga musician means opportunity foremployment. That’s one reason why theschools were so interested in startingband programs. And being part of a bandgives some students a reason to stay inschool. Many band students go on tobecome teachers, lawyers, doctors andleaders in the community. Some of themusic teachers we work with today gottheir start with us when they were 12years old and students in the Jamaicanband programs.

What do you hope your students take away from the experience? My number one goal is that they developa respect for the dignity of another culture and not just think that Americanshave all the answers. And it is fun toshare music and make bonds for a lifetimewith both your Elmhurst teaching teamand the Jamaican teachers and students.

Fun, but not a vacation, right?Sometimes people say, “Enjoy your vacation,” and that annoys me. I’m notsure being responsible for 30 college students is much of a vacation. But it is a joy.

by Andrew Santella

faculty office hours

The Lessons of Jamaica

To hear Judy Grimes talk about her work in Jamaica, go to:http://ecquickstudies.com/podcasts/the-lessons-of-jamaica/

Catching up with Judy Grimes

E

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ALUMNI NEWS 3

The perfect gift: an Elmhurst Paver Brick

It was on a summer evening that Karie Mather ’06 and Scott Friedman ’05stopped by campus to admire the tribute paver bricks in front of HammerschmidtMemorial Chapel. Karie bent down to find a friend’s brick and when she turnedaround, there was Scott, down on one knee, holding a brick that said, “Karie,will you marry me?” When Scott got the answer he was hoping for, he pulled outa second brick inscribed, “yes!” A year later, the couple was married in the chapeland a third brick with the wedding date was added.

Like the Friedmans, you can purchase a Paver Brick to celebrate a marriage,birth or family milestone, or to honor a favorite professor or a colleague.Youalso can pay tributes by dedicating a tree or a bench on campus. Friends andfamily will appreciate your contribution, which supports College programsthrough the Elmhurst College Fund. When you make your donation, you’llreceive a gift certificate that can be presented to the family member, friend orcolleague being honored.

For more information on Honorary and Memorial Gifts, contact the Elmhurst College Fund at annualfund@elmhurst.edu or (866) 794-1075.

A Lasting TributeHonorary & Memorial Gifts

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Lecture: In the Garden of BeastsSunday, April 15In the Holocaust Guestship Lecture, authorErik Larson will discuss his latest book, whichexplores the rise of the Nazis in 1933.

A Conversation: Truth and Justice in AmericaThursday, May 17Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist BobWoodward and his longtime friend JudgeWilliam J. Bauer ’49 will discuss issues at the heart of the American experience.

Commencement 2012Saturday, May 26Help us congratulate the graduates of theClass of 2012. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m.on the College Mall, followed by a reception in Kranz Forum.

Bluejay Backer Golf OutingTuesday, June 12Support Bluejay athletics at the 30th annualgolf outing! And save the date for the KickoffClassic Golf Outing on Friday, August 10, and the Louis’ Invitational Golf Outing onTuesday, August 14.

Summer ExtravaganzaSaturday, June 16Join us for this annual outdoor concert featuringDee Dee Bridgewater accompanied by theElmhurst College Jazz Band.

Homecoming and Family WeekendOctober 11-14Save the date for Homecoming 2012, whenhundreds of alumni return for class reunions,football, theatre performances and more.Watch for the full schedule atwww.elmhurst.edu/homecoming.

For more information visit us at www.elmhurst.edu/events. You alsocan follow us on facebook.com/elmcol or twitter.com/elmhurstcollege.

Non-profit OrganizationU.S. PostagePAIDChicago, IllinoisPermit Number 5525

190 Prospect AvenueElmhurst, Illinois 60126-3296

events coming soon

Mark Your Calendar

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