judson today - summer 2013

JUDSON todayJUDSON todayA Magazine for Friends and Alumni of Judson University

Summer 2013

Judson’s 50th Anniversary: A Legacy of Challenge and Change

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair Speaks at World Leaders Forum School of Education Launches Judson’s First Doctoral Program

Judson Establishes New Film and Digital Media Department

Dear Judson Community, I would like to share my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to serve as the

University’s sixth president. I feel very blessed and humbled by the invitation to join the Judson community. My family and I have a home just a couple of miles from campus. Moving and building new relationships and rhythms of life is challenging, but that has been eased so much by the gracious welcome we have received. Thanks to each of you for your prayers, support and encouragement.

It is an exciting time to be a part of the Judson family. We are celebrating our Golden Centennial: 50 successful years since we were established in Elgin, 100 years since our parent institution, Northern Seminary, opened in 1913; 200 years since our namesake Adoniram Judson set sail for Burma. The parallel between Judson’s founders and each of us as we face opportunities, transitions and challenges is important. It requires an enormous amount of faith and trust needed to go where God leads us.

I am reminded of the similar experience our students have when they select Judson. That first day they step foot onto campus as college freshmen, knowing perhaps just a few people, is a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. The day they graduate, full of knowledge yet unsure of where their career will lead them, brings back those same feelings. Each step forward is an act of faith. And slowly but surely, God helps us discover where we are going and why we need to be there.

For Judson, pursuing God’s vision for our future is dependent on strong community relationships. I believe that our University is strategically prepared for another successful 50 years because of its strong community of faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors that are working together to make Judson flourish in its calling to equip students as future leaders.Together, we can shape lives that shape the world.

In the upcoming year, you will be invited to connect with the Judson community in numerous ways. These invitations may include events on campus, functions in your geographic location or via social media. You will also be invited to participate in our strategic planning process this fall, which will establish our goals and direction for the foreseeable future. The success of Judson, as it always has been, will be determined by you and your support. Thank you for your support in the past, and now, more than ever, you should be excited about supporting Judson as we establish the vision for our next 50 years.

Sincerely,

Dr. Gene C. Crume Jr. Judson University President

F R O M T H E D E S K O F T H E P R E S I D E N T

F O L L O W D R . C R U M E O N S O C I A L M E D I A !

F A C E B O O K :www.facebook.com/gcrumejr

L I N K E D I N :www.linkedin.com/pub/gene-crume/10/b07/3b1

T W I T T E R :www.twitter.com/gcrumejr

J U D S O N T O D A Y E D I T O R I A L S T A F F

EDITORMary DulabaumDirector of Communications and Marketing

ASSOCIATE EDITORBethany Suckrow ‘09Writer/Social Media Manager

LAYOUT AND PRODUCTIONCeleste TorresLayout and Production Specialist

PHOTOGRAPHYEric Secker Web Projects Specialist

Christina Malik ‘16Student Photographer

ALUMNOTES EDITORBonnie BienertDirector of Alumni Relations

J U D S O N U N I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R S H I P T E A M

PRESIDENTDr. Gene C. Crume, Jr.

PROVOST & CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERDr. Wilbert Friesen

INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRSJohn Potter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT SERVICESNancy Binger ’97

UNIVERSITY REGISTRARGinny Guth

DEAN OF STUDENTSLisa Jarot ’03

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORBrent Richardson

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THEPRESIDENTTena Robotham ’78

Judson Today is a bi-annual magazine published by the Communications and Marketing Office at Judson University. Please send address changes and correspondence to Judson Today c/o Advancement Office, 1151 North State St., Elgin, IL 60123 or email [email protected].

F E A T U R E S

Relearning Short Term Missions in Sierra Leone ............................ 4Christian ministries students travel to Sierra Leone for their missions trip.

Judson Life ............................................................................ 6A collection of the memories and events at Judson from 2013.

A Legacy of Challenge and Change ............................................. 8Judson celebrates its Golden Centennial.

World Leaders Forum 2013 .......................................................16Tony Blair speaks at Judson University.

Worship in Our Everyday, Ordinary Life ......................................21Dr. Warren Anderson teaches students to worship God with their whole lives.

Celebrating a Multi-Generation Legacy .......................................22Three generations of the Rojas family choose a Judson education.

I N E V E R Y I S S U E

Faculty accomplishments .........................................................20

Alumnotes ............................................................................24

Athletics ...............................................................................28Season Wrap-ups on Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Golf Teams, Baseball, Softball, Men’s Lacrosse, and Track and Field.

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Christian ministries students gather with new friends made on their short-term missions trip to Sierra Leone this spring.

by Bethany Suckrow ‘09

Like all short-term missions, the trip to Sierra Leone was over in the blink of an eye, but it’s clear that the experience will have a lasting influence on the group of Judson students that travelled there this spring.

The group of 12 participated in a yearlong, two-part course titled Short-Term Missions: Principles and Practices, co-taught by Christian Ministries Professors Dr. David Sanders and Kimberly Budd. Students in the course not only explore questions about how and why short-term missions are significant, but they also plan their own short-term missions experience together. The students coordinate all the logistical details of the trip, from choosing where to go and how to get there, to which organizations to partner with and how they will spend their time.

After months of planning, fundraising and learning, the class travelled to Sierra Leone during their spring break in March, where they met with ministries on local college campuses.

“It was a chance to build up each other as leaders in the world,” explains Miranda Jones, a sophomore Christian Ministries major.

“How capable are we of making disciples in one week?” Dr. Sanders asks skeptically. “But what we can do is encourage the leaders that are doing long-term ministry, and this has a long-lasting effect. We build relationships and learn from them about ministry.”

While the focus of the trip was to build relationships with the communities they visited, the class also thought of some practical ways to help the people of Sierra Leone. They purchased 25 solar lights and 12 clean water straws and gave them to some of their friends in the villages where electricity and safe water are scarce.

“It’s part of our philosophy that short-term missions won’t fix the issues in impoverished areas, but we can lend a helping hand,” explains Sanders.

The group also met with local faith communities and spent time in some of the more remote villages of Sierra Leone.

Relearning Short Term Missions in Sierra Leone

“Experiences like this really force us to ask what the Gospel means in different cultures,” says student Molly Moore. “Each culture has its own emphasis on the Gospel, and connecting with those different cultures help us see the Gospel from a new perspective. Sierra Leone has a very spiritually immersed culture. They believe that the physical world is a manifestation of the spiritual world.”

Miranda chimes in with Molly on this point, “Learning from that totally changes the way you worship. Their belief in God’s presence is so literal, and they proclaimed His power in a way that I’ve never experienced before.”

The trip gave them the opportunity to examine short-term missions from every angle, the students say, in terms of the practical and how ministry leaders choose to work with different organizations in different parts of the world, and in terms of the theological, and why short-term missions is even necessary. Experiences like the trip to Sierra Leone are transforming their understanding of ministry leadership, says Sanders.

“We’re really just learners in the short-term, so you have to come at it with a spirit of openness,” explains Miranda. “But it has totally transformed how I see missions and service and intercultural relationships.”

J U D S O N N E W S

“We’re really just learners in the short term, so you have to come at it with a

spirit of openness. It totally transformed how I see

missions and service and intercultural relationships.”

– Miranda Jones, Christian Ministry Major ‘15

Judson Establishes New Film and Digital Media Department

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Judson has established a new Film and Digital Media Department for fall 2013. Building on the media majors that had been part of the department of Communication Arts, the new program offers majors in film and video production, media business, and media writing.

In addition to being one of the few Christian universities to offer these types of majors, the program has many distinctive aspects such as: the Imago Film Festival held every spring, which will celebrate its tenth year in 2014; the Media Experience field trips that introduce students to cutting edge media developments in the Chicago area; and Wanderlust Productions, a working film company housed in Judson’s Thompson Center and founded by Judson’s Artist-In-Residence Darren Wilson ’98.

“Everything in technology has changed with the digital media and we are responding to that change,” explains Professor Paul Mouw, who has taught several classes in media communications.

“Due to the explosion in the production of media arts such as video, website and computer application design, we are positioning ourselves to offer students skills they need to compete in today’s marketplace,” states Professor Terrence Wandtke, who will chair the department. He has directed the Imago Film Festival and several of the film classes offered to students while the program was still managed by the Communication Arts Division.

by Terrence Wandtke, Chair of Film and Digital Media

Film and Digital Media students put their education to work at this year’s World Leaders Forum.

Stay tuned for upcoming issues of Judson Today, which will feature other new programs that have branched out from the Communication Arts Division, including Speech Communication and Performing Arts, and English.


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Students on the Dominican Republic Missions Team play with children in Bani during Judson’s spring break.

Sophomore Architecture Studio students construct prototype of their disas-ter shelter before taking it to a competition at John Brown University in April.

Elgin’s Independence Day Parade is always a fun opportunity for Judson to connect with the community. This year Judson’s parade float highlighted the school’s Golden Centennial.

Dustin Turner ‘15 performs in Judson Theatre’s spring production of Shake-speare’s Comedy of Errors.

An East St. Louis Missions student plays with underprivileged children at a city park.

Tyler Creek flooded after heavy rains in early April. Martin Hitch ’14 performs with the Judson Community Orchestra. Citizen Way celebrated their new album “Love is the Evidence” at a CD

release party on April 24 in Judson’s Marjorie Thulin Performance Hall. Judson University Choir raises the roof at their spring concert in Herrick

Chapel. Mississippi Missions Team gathers outside a church in Jackson.

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J u d s o n C e l e b r a t e s 5 0 Ye a r s

CENTENNIAL

GOL DEN

JUDS

ON UNIVERSITY

1913 · ELGIN 1963 · 2013

A L E G A C Y O F C H A L L E N G E A N D C HA N G E

In 2013, the Judson community is celebrating the school’s 50th anniversary as an independent, Christian liberal-arts institution. Yet the school was truly born 50 years earlier, as the undergraduate arm of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1913 until 1963, the two schools shared a campus, staff and faculty, even the name Northern Seminary. Now, as we celebrate the anniversary, it makes sense to reflect on the school’s beginnings and inspiration.

by Bob Bittner ‘82

In 1913, a college education was a rarity for many men – and almost unheard-of for women. While pastors, evangelists, and mis-sionaries weren’t required to have a college or even a high-school diploma, a growing number were beginning to desire better educa-tional preparation in order to meet the needs of a changing world.

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary opened Sept. 23, 1913, overseen by President John Marvin Dean. There were only 12 stu-dents enrolled that fall, but they came from Illinois, Kansas, Michi-gan, Minnesota, and even Canada, England, Norway, and Scotland.

Originally, the school relied on the Second Baptist Church build-ing for its campus in the city of Chicago. While it was not a “real” campus by any means – Northern would move to a second Chicago location in just six years – a city presence was vital to the founders’ vision. Northern would be devoted to meeting the spiritual needs of the surrounding urban population.

For most of the next 50 years, Northern’s graduate and under-graduate schools would thrive in that calling. But as the 1950s ended, a dark new reality was taking hold.

The school’s once-desirable inner-city location had become an area marred by high crime and violence. Several professors were mugged at gunpoint on campus. Two students were raped. Police cars stopped visitors and warned them not to walk in the area; cam-pus security made the rounds with attack dogs. There was serious talk of building a wall around the campus just to keep students safe.

As a result, the school’s future was bleak. Prospective students took one look and decided to get their educations elsewhere. Cur-rent students were giving up and moving out. Enrollment had fallen to fewer than 100 students in the college and 70 in the seminary. Some Northern faculty and staff believed that, if the situation continued, the school itself would disappear completely in only a couple of years. The obvious solution was to move the school. Yet the thought of leaving the city was painful to some administrators, unthinkable to others.

At the same time, the current seminary president, Dr. Charles W. Koller, was planning his retirement, and the search for a new leader was underway. The vision for Northern’s future would need to come from the new president, Dr. Benjamin P. Browne.

A Singular VisionIt is impossible to overstate Dr. Browne’s impact on Northern

Seminary and the school that would become Judson College. His vi-sion for the seminary led to the purchase of property in Oak Brook, Ill., where he oversaw the building of a new campus, dedicated in September 1962. His vision for the undergraduate school led to long debates with those who thought the best solution was to close down the program or sell it off to another larger school. So he formed a Board of Trustees for the undergraduate school that



focused on fundraising. He guided the team that found suitable property in the suburb of Elgin. He even rounded up current Northern students to spend a day on the property cutting back dense bushes, clearing out an overgrown creek, and preparing the few existing buildings for the first wave of students.

Despite the cleanup, the Elgin campus still looked more like a forgotten campground than a college. It was one mansion and one carriage house, situated on nineteen-and-a-half undeveloped acres. The mansion (now the Administration Building) had a dining room that could seat 60, as well as an “adequate” kitchen, along with of-

fice space, and several bedrooms and bathrooms. “Of course,” as Dr. Browne wrote in his memoirs, “there remained the little problem of where the students would live and sleep and where and how we could get a dormitory, chapel, classrooms, library, laboratory, etc. without money – and how we could begin school in September 1963 unless we solved the problem. We were at an impasse and God must deliver us.”

God did deliver them. Despite all of the challenges, in faith the leadership pressed on. Their efforts were rewarded: On Jan. 4, 1963, Judson College received its official charter as a nonprofit educational institution from the State of Illinois. In September, the school wel-comed its first students to campus.

1963: Mrs. Deuterman and the Judson committee on the day she signed over the property, which is now known as Judson University.

We were at an impasse and God must deliver us.

– Dr. Benjamin P. Browne

“” 1963: Students and faculty worked as one to clean the mansion, now

known as the Administration Building. Windows were washed and polished and floors scrubbed.

1963: Students from Northern Seminary’s campus came to Elgin for a cleanup day. They cleared out debris, and carried rocks to build the dam by the concrete bridge in Tyler Creek.

Dr. Browne’s legacy did not end there. He created the school’s motto (Christus Lux Mundi, Christ, the Light of the World), penned the alma mater, and played a fundamental role in shaping the school’s curriculum as well as its spiritual life over the next few years. It seems safe to say that there would have been no Judson College – let alone today’s Judson University – if it had not been for the godly vision and dedication of Dr. Benjamin P. Browne.

A Growing CommunityIn the years since Dr. Browne’s tenure, the school has changed

dramatically. From a 19-acre private estate, Judson has expanded to 90 acres of woods and lawns. Nearly two-dozen buildings now dot

C E L E BR AT I NG OU R H I STORY

1963 Founding

of Judson College in Elgin, Ill.

1973Judson receives

accreditation from the North Central

Association of Colleges and

Schools for the first time

1966 First appearance of the Judson Eagle mascot at

a basketball game

1986Enrollment exceeds 500

1999Extension campus

is launched in Rockford, Ill.

1966 First honorary degree offered to James Roach, president of General

Motors Corp.

1984Christian Ministries Program

is launched

1969Judson’s first baseball team takes the field

1994The AIM

adult-education program is launched

2003 Judson awards its

first Master of Architecture degree

to four recipients

Ch e c k o u t a f u l l t i m e l i n e at J u d s o nU. e d u /An ni ve r s a r y

2004Master of Education program opens

2008 Master of Education in Literacy Program

opens

2006 Master of

Arts in Organizational

Leadership opens

2010 Master of

Education with Bilingual/ESL Endorsement

opens 2013 Gene C. Crume, Jr.

becomes sixth president

2004 First annual

Imago Film Festival, celebrating independent

productions from Christian filmmakers

2010 Dancing is officially

permitted on campus for the first time

2007 Judson College

becomes a university

2011George W. Bush speaks at the first

World Leaders Forum

2013 Doctorate

Program in Literacy Education launches



GOLDEN CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY SCHEDULE

AUGUST 26 President’s Convocation - First Chapel

SEPTEMBER 7 Elgin House Walk featuring the

Harm Weber Administration BuildingSEPTEMBER 26-28

HomecomingOCTOBER 24

Presidential InstallationOCTOBER 25 Founders’ Day

50th anniversary of 1963 Dedication DayOCTOBER 28

Friends of Judson LuncheonDECEMBER 14

Winter CommencementMAY 3, 2014

Commencement marking 50 years since Judson’s first Commencement in Elgin

H O M E C O M I N G 2 0 1 3SEPTEMBER 26-28

JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE OUR GOLDEN CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

For registration and a full List of events visit JudsonU.edu/Homecoming

Friends, Family, Laughter and Memories. All in one weekend.

CENTENNIAL

GOL DEN

JUDS

ON UNIVERSITY

1913 · ELGIN 1963 · 2013

Paint the Town

GOLD

the grounds, including four residence halls, a campus apartment building, a fine arts center, a fitness center, a student center, and a 600-seat chapel.

Academically, it has grown too: from “college” to “university,” from primarily serving the needs of future pastors and missionar-ies to becoming a full-fledged evangelical Christian university of the liberal arts and sciences – offering a wide range of undergradu-ate programs, adult professional studies, and graduate programs in architecture, education, organizational leadership, and literacy.

Ongoing growth means that today’s campus has evolved for a large student body, the course catalog has expanded dramatically, and many traditions have come and gone. Yet through every decade of challenge and change, one thing has remained virtually unaltered: There remains a deep spirit of community at Judson University.

Such an environment doesn’t just happen. It has been shaped and strengthened by all of the founders and leaders of the school, from Dr. Browne to his distinguished successors: Dr. Amos B. Barton, Dr. Harm A. Weber, Dr. James W. Didier, Dr. Jerry B. Cain, Dr. William C. Crothers, and now Dr. Gene C. Crume Jr., Judson’s newest president.

Each of these Judson leaders has recognized the power of aca-demic education combined with a strong faith community that fosters spiritual growth, lifelong friendships, mentoring relation-ships with faculty, and the personal qualities needed to follow God’s call wherever life may take you – whether that’s the inner city, the mission field, or the world at large. It is a legacy worth remembering from Judson’s first 50 years and worth celebrating as the next era of Judson history begins.


As the university celebrates its Golden Centennial, one of our alumni is celebrating her own centennial. Bernice Borzeka turns 100 years old this August 2013, making her our oldest living alumna.

Bernice was born in Billet, Ill., on Aug. 27, 1913. She was raised on a farm with her two brothers, Ivis and

Melvin. She graduated from Hammond High School in Hammond, Ind., in 1930, and went on to serve as a lieutenant for the Salvation Army. There she met another Salvation Army member, Peter Borzeka. They married in 1948 and the happy couple later adopted two children, Pete and Chris.

Bernice was not a typical student when she attended Judson in the mid 1970s. She was in her sixties when she decided to earn her college education, and yet she had witnessed things that her fellow Judson students had only read about in text books. She remembers looking out her window one night at a mysterious golden light shimmering in the sky, and later discovered that she had seen the Aurora Borealis! When she was living in Chicago, she glimpsed President Franklin D. Roosevelt riding in a car down her street.

Though she was nearly half a century older than the rest of her classmates, Bernice believed that she was never too old to learn something new or achieve a dream. When her husband Peter joined Judson’s Advancement Office as director after serving as a trustee for 12 years, Bernice took advantage of the opportunity to earn her bachelor’s degree in English literature and writing. She graduated in 1978 at the age of 65.

Bernice says she remembers her time at Judson with great fondness. She enjoyed learning and connecting with her professors, and she loved the Christian atmosphere that Judson provided.

Bernice and Peter continued to support Judson well after their time at the university ended by establishing an Endowment Scholarship for incoming students with financial need. In July 2011, Judson honored Peter by bestowing him with the Golden Eagle Award for his excellent service as the Advancement Director from 1973 to 1985.

“Appreciate the opportunity while you have the privilege of going there,” Bernice says when asked what advice she can give to current Judson students. “It is easy to take it for granted, but Judson has great Christian values!”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Alumna Bernice Borzeka Turns 100by Bethany Suckrow ‘09

Judson Launches First Ever Doctoral Program in Literacy Education

In the past 50 years since Judson University settled in Elgin, Ill., the strength and depth of the school’s academics have grown into an evangelical Christian university

of the liberal arts, sciences and professions offering more than 60 majors and minors to traditional undergraduate, graduate and adult professionals. Now, as the university celebrates its Golden Centennial, it is launching its first-ever doctoral program, a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Literacy.

The formal announcement was made on June 17 at the opening session of the annual “Literacy in Motion” conference, a four-day seminar by the School of Education that invites literacy experts to speak to more than 200 educators annually.

“Judson’s first doctoral program is responding to both a need our data has evidenced and a request our constituency has made,” explains Dr. Steven Layne, who co-directs the program with Dr. Gillian Stewart-Wells.

The EdD in Literacy grows out of the university’s Master of Education in Literacy program, which launched in 2008. Building on the strength of its bachelor’s program, the School of Education established the master’s program to provide certified teachers with extensive experience and research in reading and writing methodology. Along with the Masters of Education in Literacy program, Judson offers graduate degrees in Architecture and Organizational Leadership.

The EdD spent three years in the hands of a design team led by Layne and Stewart-Wells, with a goal of creating a doctoral program in literacy education that is totally unique. Layne says the

committee was intentional about their decision not to model the doctorate after other institutions’ literacy programs.

“Our EdD in literacy was designed to blend best practice and scholarly proficiency,” says Layne. “Our purpose is to graduate literacy leaders who are equipped to serve their schools and communities and who are interested in contributing to the profession in significant ways. Judson has the people, the plan, and the reputation in literacy to make it all happen in a way that honors God.”

Candidates accepted into the three-year EdD will be part of distinct cohorts made up of only seven to nine participants.

The dissertation component will be faculty and peer-supported throughout the duration of the program to encourage a robust and pragmatic research experience, says Stewart-Wells. Other highlights of the program are trips to the International Reading Association and the Literacy Research Association’s national conferences, a nearly-weeklong “writer’s retreat” with published authors, and Skyping sessions with authors and experts in the field of literacy.

“Candidates can expect a great deal from the courses as well, each one designed by a scholar who has remained current in the field and who is a gifted teacher in his or her own right,” explains Stewart-Wells. “Graduates will complete this program, not only as leaders in the field of literacy, but confident in their writing, speaking, and research practice as well.”

JUDSON LIFE


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Co-directors Dr. Steven Layne and Dr. Gillian Stewart-Wells announce the new doctorate program to Literacy in Motion Conference attendees.

“I could not be more pleased to hear that Judson University is offering a doctoral degree in

literacy education. The Master of Education in Literacy Program is exceptional... it has shaped

the practice of Central teachers who have completed the program.”

– Dr. Todd Stirn, Superintendent Central Community Unit District 301, Kane County, Ill.

Please consider joining Judson University’s Scholarship Fund.For more information, call 847.628.2080 or go to www.JudsonU.edu/give.


“Judson University’s call is to shape those who shape the world,” said Dr. Gene C. Crume Jr., Judson University’s President Elect, in his opening remarks for the World Leaders Forum on April 12. Dr. Crume introduced the event’s keynote speaker, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to a crowd of more than 600 gathered in Herrick Chapel.

“Blair embodies this idea and has shaped the world as a better place for all people.”

Mr. Blair spoke in two separate events for the Forum, first to a VIP Reception for 150 sponsors and entrepreneurs, and then to the crowd of 600 Judson community members, including current students, alumni, faculty and staff. He shared a wealth of insights related to his leadership as Britain’s head of state for the private Christian university’s third annual event, which brings recognized world leaders to the Fox Valley every year. In previous years, the World Leaders Forum has had the privilege of hosting former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev in 2012, and former U.S. President George W. Bush in 2011.

At the VIP Reception he gave a keynote address titled, “Leadership Insights: Faith, Power and the Postmodern World,” a theme that pervaded his answers to the many questions asked of him throughout the evening. He touched on current events and issues facing world leaders today, as well as questions about his personal career and his faith.

When asked about how his Christian faith influenced his political leadership, Mr. Blair acknowledged the cultural differences between how Americans and the British express their personal religious beliefs.

“One big difference between the United States and the United Kingdom, is that in the U.S. it’s okay to talk about faith openly. In the U.K. we’re a little more…British about that,” he said, much to the crowd’s amusement, recollecting the time that he asked his staff about adding “God bless Great Britain” to the end of his public speeches in the same manner that U.S. presidents are accustomed to saying “God bless America.”

“They told me, ‘No, you can’t do that, Prime Minister,’” he recalled. “They even formed a committee to talk about it. ‘This

isn’t America, Prime Minister,’ they told me. So I had to leave it at that.”

The guests laughed and clapped in understanding at his jovial response.

“Here’s the thing,” he said, choosing to answer the question more seriously. “Your faith doesn’t tell you the right answer to everything. I can’t go off and pray about the inflation rate and return with an answer for parliament so that I can say, ‘See? In a year, you’ll have nothing to worry about!’ What faith does is give you strength to do what you think is right. Once I came to a certain view, it gave me strength to make a difficult decision by doing what I believed to be right, and then let people do with it what they will.”

Despite his very “British” sensibilities of expressing his personal faith as a world leader, Mr. Blair has invested a majority of his time since leaving office promoting faith as a force for good in the world. He established the Tony Blair Faith Foundation in May 2008, to promote respect of and between the major world religions.

“The reason I started my foundation was to educate each other about different faiths,” Mr. Blair explained. “Today, globalization is pushing the world together, and people of different faiths are living alongside each other. If we don’t create situations to learn from each other, there will be tension; we see it everywhere right now. The real point — and this makes people uncomfortable — is that we all have a responsibility to work across the faith divide.”

Judson Alumnus Nate Adams ’80, who acted as the Q&A moderator for the Community Event, asked Blair several questions about current events including North Korean nuclear threats, the civil conflict in Syria, and the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on April 8. Blair took the questions in stride, choosing to reflect on Thatcher’s leadership and also speaking to dilemmas facing today’s world leaders.

“Thatcher really was a great supporter of the alliance between the United States and United Kingdom,” he recalled. “The big challenge during her time was the collapse of communism. Now, we deal with rogue states that don’t abide by norms. It’s all very hard to grapple with, and similar to communism, it is a long

TONY BL AIR SP E A K S AT J U D S O N UNIVERSIT Y

W RLDLEADERSFORUM

2013

Photos by Eric Secker, Corey Bienert ’10 and John Starksby Bethany Suckrow ‘09


struggle that will last a generation. The thing we have to take from Thatcher’s leadership is that free nations such as the U.S. and U.K. should stand and stick together.”

Mr. Blair was asked many questions about his own relationship with U.S. presidents, specifically Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who both held office while Mr. Blair served as

Prime Minister. He shared humorous personal memories of both leaders, and spoke about the necessity of personal relationships for successful leadership.

“One thing that always surprises the general public about top level leadership is that personal relationships really matter, just as they do in other parts of life and levels of leadership,” said Mr. Blair. “It’s based in part on shared values, but also based on close personal understanding of each other.”

Rebekah Hagstrom, parent of Judson student Nils Hagstrom, asked how Mr. Blair managed to have such rapport with President Bush at a time when political leadership seems so partisan and ideologically divided. Mr. Blair didn’t speak to his ideological differences from Bush or Clinton, but spoke to the common problem for all government leaders, no matter their party or their country.

“The paradox in politics — and this is not just limited to the United States — is that the public wants more peace, but the political parties want more partisanship,” Mr. Blair explained. “When your party becomes more partisan, you are faced with hard choices. You could choose to say one thing to your party base and another to the public, which is a bad idea, or you can be prepared to toe the party line. But do you have courage to stand up to the party base? At several points in my leadership, I had to stand up to my own party and say, ‘Now that I’m Prime Minister, I am here to represent all the country, not just my party.’”

His responses depicted a series of one hard decision after another during his time as Prime Minister. When asked about the highlights of his years in British government, Blair responded

that there are few joyful moments in being a world leader, but he considers the Good Friday Peace Agreement and the bid for the London 2012 Olympic games among his fondest memories. No matter the subject in question, Mr. Blair’s tone remained positive and compassionate, even as he highlighted some of the ironies that come with the opportunity to lead people.

“Sometimes I think that the great irony of leadership is that you start out at your most popular and least capable, and at the end you’re at your least popular and most capable,” he joked.

“Your faith doesn’t tell you the right answer to everything. What faith does is give you strength to do what you think is right.” – Prime Minister Tony Blair


JUDSON THANKS DR. WILLIAM CROTHERS

Judson University is deeply grateful for the leadership of Dr. William Clark Crothers, who served as Judson’s interim president from July 2012 to May 2013.

Dr. Crothers came to Judson with more than 30 years of experience in higher education leadership for universities such as Roberts Wesleyan College and Asbury University. During his time as president, Dr. Crothers helped Judson conduct right-sizing initiatives to boost the university’s growth while they looked for a permanent leader to follow Dr. Jerry Cain, the university’s fifth president.

At his farewell party in May, Dr. Crothers assured faculty and staff that because of the right-sizing measures taken this year, the university is strategically situated to grow in the coming years.

Joseph Cory, Assoc. Professor, Art and Design, was recently appointed by the Elgin City Council to serve as a Cultural Arts Commissioner for the City of Elgin for a three-year term. Cory also had two drawings on display in the “Drawing From Perception VII” Exhibition at the Stein Galleries of Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, from January to February.

Darrell Cosden, Ph.D. Professor, Biblical and Theological Studies, was keynote speaker for a Trinity International University Faculty Retreat and Workshop, Lake Geneva, Wisc., February 7-9. Dr. Cosden gave presentations on ‘The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work.’ He was one of three keynote speakers for the faculty workshop funded by the

Kern Foundation: Faith, Work and Economics Project.

G.E. Colpitts, Professor, Art and Design, had work included in several exhibitions this year. “Cenotaph Drawing #1” at the 55th Annual Beloit and Vicinity Exhibition at the Wright Museum of Art of Beloit College in Beloit, Wisc., from June 9 – July 20, 2012. “Cenotaph Study #8” was displayed at the Vicinity 2012 Juried Regional All Media

Exhibition at the Delora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles, Ill. From Sept. 15 - Nov. 3, 2012. “Vessel Form #125” and “Vessel Form #130” were displayed at the 2012 National All Media Juried Exhibition at the Petersburg Regional Art Center in Petersburg, Va., from Oct. 12 – Nov. 3, 2012.

Lynn Hammerlund, Assoc. Professor and Acquisitions Librarian, was inducted on February 8 as the 27th member of the Illinois Library Luminaries of the Illinois Library Association. She was nominated and sponsored by the Algonquin Area Public Library, Friends of the Algonquin Area Public Library, and her colleagues at the Benjamin

P. Browne Library at Judson University. Professor Hammerlund just celebrated her 25th anniversary of joining the Algonquin Area Public Library Board, and was recently elected to her fifth six-year term as a board member, as well as another term as Board President, an office which she has held for 20 years.

Catherine Headley, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, Exercise and Sport Science, wrote “The New Sport Management Reader: A Book Review,” which was published in the Sport Management Review, Vol. 15, No. 1.

Ted Hsieh, Assoc. Professor, Psychology and Sociology, wrote an article, “Reaction to the Reactions to Tiger Mom,” which appeared in the National Social Science Journal, Vol. 39: 32-35 (2013).

Sue Larson, Ph.D., Lecturer, School of Education, was named the 2012 Winn Research Award Winner by the Illinois Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development in October 2012.

Eric Mason, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, Biblical and Theological Studies, was elected Regional Coordinator for the Midwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature and directed the 2013 Regional Joint Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, American Oriental Society, and American Schools of Oriental Research on February

8-10 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. Mason edited (along with Quincy Newell) the new book New Directions in Mormon Studies: Creating and Crossing Boundaries (University of Oklahoma Press, 2013).

Michael McKeever, Ph.D., Professor, Biblical and Theological Studies, created a film, “Donny Smartacus: A Space Odyssey” that won the Grand Prize of the Blue Like Jazz Finger Puppet Film Festival, which premiered at the Justice Film Festival in Philadelphia on February 22-24. McKeever’s essay “Law and Grace in Les Misérables”

was published in the January/February 2013 issue of Messenger, a publication on religion, ethics, and culture associated with the Church of the Brethren.

Curtis Sartor, Ph.D., Dean of Art, Design and Architecture, wrote a paper “The Dilemma of an Architectural Education,” which appeared in the January 2013 issue of BLACKLINES of DESIGN.

Kathy Miller, Ph.D., Dean and Associate Professor, School of Education, presented “Partners in Collaboration, A Roadmap for Successful Transition,” with one of Judson’s Special Education adjunct professors, Eleanor Allanson-Donoho, at the International Learning Disabilities Association Conference in San Antonio on February 16.

Kristen Stombres, Assoc. Professor, Education, was chosen to be one of the six ILEAD Conference Leaders at the Kappa Delta Pi Conference, Oak Lawn, Ill., March 31, 2013. Leaders were selected from KDP counselors across the United States. Judson University was recognized for their chapter, Alpha Epsilon Chi. Stombres and Joy

Towner, Assist. Professor, Education, made a presentation titled “Land of Lincoln-Land of Comprehension” at the Illinois Reading Council Conference, Springfield, Ill., March 15, 2012.

David Sanders, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, Christian Ministries, was one of two keynote speakers for the Grace Churches Network church planting conference in Bangladesh on February 7 – 8. The two session messages were titled “Seeing Jesus in God’s Kingdom Drama.” Sanders also presented on biblical leadership principles at

the Christian Service Society Leadership Training Program at the Ava Center in Bangladesh on February 10.

Terrance Wandtke, Ph.D., Professor, Film and Digital Media, wrote an article, “Evangelical Film Festivals: A History,” which was published in Evangelical Christians and Popular Culture: Pop Goes the Gospel, Vol. 3. Ed. Robert Woods. Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2013: 229-243.

F A C U L T Y A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S

On the weekend before this article was due, on a trip home from St. Paul, Minn., I hit a deer on a rural stretch of I-90 in central Wisconsin. It was late at night, and this stretch of highway had no overhead lighting, so I didn’t even see the stupid beast until a split second before impact. To be truthful, I never actually saw a deer, just a furry mass out of the corner of my eye. I suppose it could have been a really big badger.

At times like these, the alarmingly random nature of life looms large. If we had just awakened earlier that morning and gone to the first service instead of opting for the seeker-friendly 11:30 am worship…If I had just ordered the already-made breadsticks instead of waiting for the made-to-order cheese bread at dinner a little earlier… If the deer had just been standing in the center of the road, where my headlights would have picked her out even a few seconds earlier, instead of running at me from the median, where, traveling at 65 mph, my peripheral vision didn’t help me much…

I admit that in the immediate aftermath of the collision, I felt a little like the writer of Ecclesiastes: “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals” (3:18-19, NIV). Bambi is stumbling around the woods of Edgerton, Wisc., with a pretty severe headache; I’ve got a couple of thousand dollars’ worth of front-end damage.

Mercifully, I have been a Christian long enough to recognize God’s sovereignty in the midst of my frustration. (Why, exactly, did we not get comprehensive coverage for this vehicle?) Even as I sat in my office writing this piece, one of my students, a former small-town cop, told me of an accident he witnessed where a woman hit a heavily antlered buck that crashed through her windshield, puncturing her vital organs. She didn’t walk away from that accident; I got a free lift to the next truck stop from one of Wisconsin’s finest and had a tasty slice of apple pie a lá mode while waiting for the tow truck to arrive. To everything there is a season; things certainly could have been much worse.

Judson University’s Center for Worship in the Performing Arts, for which I am privileged to serve as director, cites Romans 12:1 as its theme verse, specifically as rendered via a hybrid of Eugene Peterson’s The Message and the NIV: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. This is your true and proper worship.” One of the true joys of teaching in the CWPA is helping students expand their concept of worship to include their activities outside of the four walls of their local churches—those efforts they initiate on their own and those that come to them unexpectedly in the course of their “everyday, ordinary life.”

I once wrote an article for Worship Leader magazine on the unique relationship between suffering and worship. “Robert Webber famously wrote that worship is a verb,” I noted, “but for those in the throes of painful circumstances, it’s often a verb in the future perfect tense. Like Job, by the time many suffering souls come to the end of their crisis, turmoil, or struggle, they will have, somewhere along the way, found the capacity for worship.”

So thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to be reminded of Your grace and mercy in my life. And bless me and my colleagues as we teach. If we can help students learn to worship in response to the fender-benders of life—from the merely annoying to the truly catastrophic—we will have provided for them an invaluable education where their worship of their God is concerned.

Warren Anderson, D.W.S.Director, Center for Worship in the Performing Arts

and Dean of the ChapelJudson University

Worship in Our Everyday, Ordinary Life by Warren Anderson, D.W.S.

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For an institution of Judson’s age and size, celebrating multi-generation families is a new and rare occurrence. The Rojas family is one of the first to create a three-generation legacy, from Janet Rojas ’72 to her son Eric ’90 and his wife, Rachel (Fenske) ’95, and now to Eric and Rachel’s son Luke, who just finished his first year at Judson.

Eric recalls that his mother Janet often spoke of how much she valued her Judson experience.

“My mom loved the focus on Christ at Judson,” recalls Eric. “She also loved how the professors, especially Professor Hsieh and Dr. Didier built into her life.”

It was Janet’s love for Judson that encouraged Eric to consider enrolling there himself in 1985. The Rojas family still lived in the Elgin area, and Judson offered Eric a chance to play baseball. He had no idea how much choosing Judson would change his own life. A few weeks into his freshman year at Judson, he attended a Benny Hester

concert on campus and recommitted his life to Christ.

“I realized the plan that God had for me at Judson,” recalls Eric. “He wanted to transform my life and call me to ministry. He also wanted me to meet my wife, Rachel, at Judson as well.”

Eric joined the Music Ministry program to pursue his talents in playing piano and singing with the choir, but he also took several Bible classes that paved the way for him to attend seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School after graduating from Judson.

“Judson’s professors, chapels and encouragement really spurred on that call and commitment to serve Jesus,” says Eric.

Eric now serves in church ministry full time as the executive pastor to Christ Community Church of St. Charles, Ill.

In addition to finding his calling to ministry, Eric enjoyed his years at Judson playing on the baseball team and singing


ALUMNUS BRAD IMBURGIA’S WORK NOMINATED TO FINAL FOUR FOR WRIGLEY FIELD’S NEW LOGO

Brad Imburgia, a 2006 Judson University alumnus, was nominated as one of four finalists for the Wrigley Field Turns 100 Logo Contest. Imburgia’s work was chosen from more than 1,200 design submissions to create the new logo that will represent the famed Chicago Cubs home.

“Crowd-sourcing is usually a no-no for graphic design professionals, but I made an exception for this contest because I’ve been a Cubs fan ever since I was a little kid,” Imburgia explains. “Wrigley Field holds a lot of sentimental value for me, so I thought it would be great to have a piece of history there.”

He says that he entered his design within the first couple days that it opened, and forgot about it after a few weeks. A friend called to congratulate him, and that’s how he discovered that his design was chosen for the final four. The final design will be chosen by public vote online, which ended on April 23.

Imburgia has worked as a graphic designer since graduating from Judson’s Visual Communications program in 2006, creating visual identities for local brands in the greater Chicago area as well as global brands, including Blistex, the internationally renowned lip balm producer. He currently works as the Senior Designer for Thermos LLC where he handles packaging, branding, collateral, advertising, product development and photography.

“I have a career that is both fulfilling and rewarding,” says Imburgia. “Judson helped me get my foot in the door with some of the coolest agencies around the Chicagoland area. The biggest strength of the Visual Communications degree was the one-on-one attention from skilled professors. If I had a question the professors would patiently take the time to help me fully grasp what I needed to know. This put me ahead of the crowd when it came time to prove myself in the workplace.”

Imburgia and his wife Michelle (Mitchell) Imburgia, who is a 2005 Judson alumna from the Art Education program, live in Algonquin, Ill., with their son Luke. They are expecting a daughter in late July.

in the choir. And just like his mother, Eric says that it was Judson’s emphasis on spiritual growth that had the deepest impact on his life.

“I remember some really significant moments with Jesus. Whether it was all-night worship and prayer times, or learning how to fast or inspirational chapels – those moments catapulted me in my faith.”

He was in his first year of seminary and working as Judson’s Director of Security when he met his wife, Rachel. They married and had their first son while Rachel was still in school, earning her degree in business. She owns her own interior design company, Interior Creations by Rachel.

“The business program equipped me in the big picture dreaming and planning of my business, and in running it with integrity and implementing my Christianity on a daily basis,” says Rachel. “Professor Simpson, Professor Wilson and Coach Rick Wilson helped me get through my education while I was a student athlete, got married and became a mom all before I graduated in five years.”

It’s clear that for Eric and Rachel, Judson played a significant role in building their family and pursuing their life callings. Their son Luke chose differently, though, at least at first. He chose to attend Olivet Nazarene University his freshman year, but decided that it wasn’t a good fit. An accomplished baseball player at St. Charles East High School, Luke was soon recruited by Judson’s Head Baseball Coach Rich Benjamin to be the team’s shortstop.

“I chose to come to Judson mainly because I would have an opportunity to continue playing baseball, and Coach Benjamin really sold me on how good Judson was, not only for baseball, but also for enriching my faith, growing academically, and being in a great environment with inspired students,” explains Luke.

Though Luke has decided to change his major after his first year at Judson, he feels he has found the school and the team that is right for him. His first year at Judson was a great success for Luke and for the baseball program. The team achieved the program’s strongest season ever, becoming the first conference school to win the CCAC regular season title and the conference tournament title. They qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, though they fell to the York College Panthers.

“It is really surreal to see Luke on the Eagles baseball team,” says Eric. “I wasn’t a bad ballplayer, but nothing like the quality of player Luke is. I am so proud of him on the field, and more importantly, the man of God he is off the field.”

Celebrating a Multi-Generation LegacyL to R: Eric Rojas ‘90, son Adam, daughter Chloe, son Luke, Rachel (Fenske) Rojas ‘95


Join the Judson University Alumni Club and you will be helping your alma mater while enjoying savings exclusively for Alumni Club members! Go to JudsonU.edu/Alumni for more information. We want to know what our illustrious alumni are up to, so be sure to notify us of your latest personal and professional achievements. Alumnotes are published in each printed issue of Judson Today. Please submit news and photos for inclusion in the next issue of Judson Today by September 1. Digital photos may be submitted in JPG format and should not exceed 5MB in size. If you would like fellow alumni to be able to contact you, please submit your email address with your alumnote.

Please send your Alumnote to: Judson University Alumni Office | 1151 N. State St. | Elgin, IL 60123 [email protected] | 847.628.2083 | Fax 847.628.2094

ALUMnotes

M a y 2 0 1 3 C o m m e n c e m e n t

Noah Adams with parents Beth ‘81 and Nate ‘80

Rachel Bradley and father Will ‘83

Cherise Glunz with husband Benjamin ‘10/ ‘12

Erik Berger with father Ken ‘96 and sister Brianna ‘12

Patricia May-Wilder ‘73, Sally Ackemann Boscaljon ‘73, Marcy Ann Gloede ‘68, and Donald Ferrell ‘68,

Michael Dickerson with sisters Stephanie ‘04 and Michelle ‘99

Kristin Kress and mother Melissa ‘83

Rebecca Boscaljon with parents Jim ‘85 and Valarie ‘85; Aunt Sally ‘73 and Uncle Bill ‘79

Stephen Drew with father Keith ‘79, faculty member

Sara Brunsting with husband Scott ‘10 and brother-in-law Joshua ‘10

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 3F A M I L Y L E G A C Y G R A D U A T E SMany graduates continued the Judson legacy begun by a parent, sibling or spouse. Photos by Mary Dulabaum.

L E G A C Y G R A D U A T E SAlumni who graduated from Judson College 40-45 years ago were honored as Legacy Graduates.


Albert and Anita (Wiser ‘70) Kunz celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on May 27, 2012. Albert is a fitter/engineer at General Kinematics Corp and Anita is retired from Dominick’s Foods. Anita serves at the president of Volo Homemakers Unit of Home and Community Education and has been a Lake County Election Judge for 27 years. Albert and Anita have two sons and two grandchildren and reside in Lakemoor, Ill.

On May 2, 2013, Tamara (Palm ‘95) and Dean Goodmanson ‘97 celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. They are the proud parents of four boys ages 8, 10, 12 and 14. Tamara is finishing her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science at UW Milwaukee and Dean is a senior software engineer at Renaissance Learning. The Goodmanson family resides in Port Edwards, Wisc.

Colleen (O’Donnell ‘03) and Christopher Catania ‘02 announce the arrival of their baby boy Calvin born on Oct. 2, 2012. Colleen is currently a licensed clinical professional counselor for Barrington Behavioral Health and Wellness. Chris works as an internal community manager for Walgreens. They also have a podcast titled Live Fix which discusses live music and psychology. The Catania family resides in Algonquin, Ill.

Rachel and Brandon Estrada ‘06 welcomed their first son, Caleb Michael, who was born on April 8, 2013, weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz. and measuring 20 ½ inches. The Estradas were married on June 25, 2011 at David Rogers Park in Wolcottville, Ind., and are living in Frankfort, Ill., where Brandon serves as the vice president of operations for Quimex, Inc., the Estrada family business.

A L U M N I W E D D I N G S & B I R T H S

Pastor Ronald Devenport ‘70 was honored at a retirement celebration on June 16 from his position as Pastor at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Ron began serving at Mill Creek in August 1974 and his wife, Rebecca (Wiltheiss ‘71), served the church in music ministry and the Christian Education Board. Ron serves as Fire Department associate chaplain for District 3 in Indiana, is a member of the Mill Creek Lions Club and president of the Lincoln, Kankakee and Wills Township Farm Bureau. Rebecca has taught in the New Prairie United School System as a substitute teacher for 35 years. The Devenports have four children, 14 grandchildren and reside in Walkerton, Ind.

Connie (Williamson ‘72) Newton recently retired from the public schools and is now working part time with her husband at Bishop Gorman Catholic School as a dyslexia specialist. She also helps instruct in their Learning Center. The Newtons live in Tyler, Texas.

On August 27, 2012, Karen Randall ‘77 represented Judson University at the Inauguration of John deSteiguer, seventh president of Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, Okla.

Rev. Bryan Hitch ‘80 attended the Inauguration of Dr. Pete Menjares, eleventh president of Fresno Pacific University as the representative of Judson University. Bryan serves as Executive/Worship Pastor at Fresno First Baptist Church in Fresno, Calif.

Dr. Michael Camerer ‘81 was elected to a four-year term as Bartlett Village Trustee beginning on May 7, 2013. Michael is a chiropractor and lives with his family in Bartlett, Ill.

On April 7, 2013, Rev. Dennis Strawn ‘81 was installed as the new Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Mattoon, Ill. Dennis and his wife Melinda (Trimpler ‘82) have two children, Justin and Emily.

Rev. Phyllis Mueller ‘84, a retired Presbyterian minister, was recently named diaper bank director for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in McHenry, Ill. The nonprofit organization distributes about 260,000 diapers to people in need.

In April 2013, Betsy (Wolfe ‘85) Stemple was named the president of Town Square Players, the oldest active Community Theater group in McHenry County, Ill. Betsy also works as a staff writer for the Marengo-Union Times. Her first published fiction book (PSION) is to be released late in the summer of 2013.

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A L U M N I N E W S & A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S

Visit www.bewolfe.com for more information. Betsy resides in Marengo, Ill., with her husband Jim. They have five children ages 17-23.

Rev. Jeorge Holmes ‘89, Rev. Elliott Anderson ‘89 and Dr. Warren Anderson ‘86 accompanied Rev. Huntley Brown ‘88 at Judson’s Spring Concert of Worship in April. Warren Anderson became the Director of Judson’s Center for Worship in the Performing Arts in 2012. Elliott Anderson was recently named as Superintendent of Westminster Christian School in Elgin, Ill.

Rev. Kevin Thomas ‘93, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Canton, Ohio, served as the Judson representative at the inauguration of the thirteenth president of Malone University on October 27, 2012.

Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 appointed Ben Grey ‘00 as chief innovation officer, beginning July 2013. Ben has a Master’s degree in science education from Walden University and a general administrative certificate from Johns Hopkins University. He was also named the Technology Administrator of the Year in Illinois in 2012.

On Nov. 13, 2012, Brandy Harrington ‘03, CFP and senior partner at Trust Company of Illinois (TCI), was appointed to the firm’s leadership team. She is a member of the TCI investment committee as well as a contributor to Interchange, the TCI blog. Brandy lives with her family in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Gail Johnson ‘04 published Waiting in the Wings in 2011 and Waiting in the Wings: The Decision was Made in 72 hours in 2012. The Waiting in the Wings Series is a collection of eight novels following the life of Olivia and Marco. Gail is employed by DCFS as a child protection specialist and resides in Rockford, Ill.

Laura Zimmerman ‘04 recently joined Harvest Bible Fellowship as the director of Short Term Missions. She has been on over 20 short term trips herself and is passionate about seeing people discipled through serving opportunities. Laura resides in Elgin, Ill.

Eva (Pflaum ‘12) and Ryan Reopelle ‘12 welcomed their baby girl Naomi Grace on Mar. 28, 2013, weighing 7 lbs. 1 oz. Ryan is teaching high school math at Aurora Christian School and Eva is a stay-at-home mom. The Reopelle family resides in Carpentersville, Ill.

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Keith Trimble ‘77: October 14, 1956 – February 28, 2012

Brenda Rozema ‘98: August 29, 1975 – November 26, 2012

Brian Comer ‘05: November 16, 1982 – March 7, 2013

Gary Gowler ‘75: December 30, 1953 – April 9, 2013

Jerry Guse ‘69: March 8, 1947 – May 19, 2013

A L U M N I G A T H E R I N G S

I N M E M O R I A M

The Judson Alumni employed at Westminster Christian School gathered for an onsite regional reunion on December 5, 2012. Pictured left to right are Joy Satre, Star Dutcher ‘91, Kelly (Watkins ‘94) Versluys, Fred Versluys ‘94, Erin Clark ‘01, Rick Palmer ‘85, Tory Gum, Elliott Anderson ‘89, Scott Sevey ‘04, Ann Ruvalcaba, Layla Schuld ‘09, Debbie (Dover ‘87) Layne, Sandy Christensen ‘12 and Carol Bristol ‘85.

The Judson University Choir sang at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio on Mar. 11, 2013, and alumni gathered for a regional reunion prior to the choir concert. Pictured are: Tim Lee (att. ’86-’88), Warren Anderson ‘86, Bonnie Bienert, Jim Boscaljon ‘85, Rebecca Boscaljon ‘13, Roger Bingham (att. ’85-’86), Valarie (Hoeksema ‘85) Boscaljon, Mark Cooper ‘76, Dayna (Taylor ‘97) Kinner, Chris Kinner ‘91, Blythe Ann (Hitch ‘75) Cooper, Tori Sintz, Chris (Foster ‘92) Sintz, Glenn Perry ‘85, Antoine Tucker ‘98, Leslie Tucker and the Tucker family.

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CELEBRATE YOUR WINS!

ALUMnotes

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Men’s LacrosseJudson University men’s lacrosse

continued building a winning tradition with a final regular season record of 11-2 and securing its first ever bid to the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (GRLC) tournament. The team was lead by third-year head coach A.J. Collier II who has a rich lacrosse background in the Chicago area, having started two high school programs, playing collegiately at Northern Illinois University, and helping start up both of the professional teams in Chicago. Judson is a part of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association and played in the GRLC in Division II.

After an early season loss to Missouri Baptist, the Eagles then went on a 10-game winning streak. The streak included several lopsided victories including a shutout as well as a one-goal victory over eventual 2013 GRLC DII Champion DePaul University. Judson’s season ended in a three-way tie for the GRLC Northeast Division title and needed the votes of the rest of the GRLC to secure the final at-large bid into the post-season. With seven of 10 starters receiving GRLC All-Conference honors, the Eagles are in good shape to field a competitive squad for the 2013-14 campaign. Josh Elmore, Taylor Stark and Michael Wallace received first team All-Conference honors.

BaseballJudson baseball finished the regular season

at 40-15 and 25-4 in CCAC while winning the CCAC regular season championship. The Eagles then became the first conference school to win both the regular season title and the conference tournament title when they defeated Trinity Christian 13-3 in the conference championship game. Several individual milestones were set during the course of this historic season. Head Coach Rich Benjamin earned his 200th career win and was named CCAC Coach of the year. Senior outfielder Nick Norris set the Judson single season and career stolen bases record. Senior Catcher Johnny Amann set the NAIA career record for hit by pitches (87). Sophomore DH Cameron Balough led the NAIA in runs batted in (70). Sophomore Pitcher Andrew Bergmann was perfect at 6-0 on the season. Sophomore Pitcher Jordan Pemble became Judson’s all-time save leader with 16 saves. Judson qualified for the NAIA National tournament, which was held in Joliet, Ill., at Silver Cross Field. The Eagles 18-game win streak through the conference tournament was a new school record and at 46 wins was just shy of the program record 47 wins that was set by the 2012 team.

SoftballHead Coach Becky Stenning Pearl led her

team to new heights during the 2013 season. Heading into the NCCAA Nationals, Judson Softball had an overall record of 37-17. They finished their conference season with a 13-7 record, which was good enough for third place in the CCAC conference. This season proved to be a success both as a team and individually. Judson’s 37 wins set the school record for most wins in a season. Five players were named to the CCAC All-Conference Teams. Senior Brianna DiGioia, junior Shannon Nevins, and senior standout pitcher, Sarah Boyer, who has dominated the record books at Judson, all received First Team All-CCAC honors. Senior Allison Catlett and freshman pitcher Brianna Tennyson received Second Team All-CCAC honors. Coach Stenning Pearl reached a milestone at Judson by earning her 200th win on March 26 in a 5-4 win against Trinity Christian. Currently, she has 225 wins for her career.

Judson finished the season with a 39-19 record, and finished third in the NCCAA tournament, tying with Judson’s 2008 team for best finish in a NCCAA tournament.

Lucas Mackey was a second team All-Conference selection and Landin Baron, Philip Lindsay, and Frank Falcone were all named third team All-Conference.

Track and FieldThe men’s and women’s track and field

teams had an incredible 2013 season. In total, they had a program record six NAIA Indoor qualifiers including Alisha Barnaby, David Mellado, Gabby Nystrom, Sarah Miller, Marilyn McDougall and Tess Tyton. These athletes competed at the National Championships in Geneva, Ohio. There was also a record number of 25 NCCAA indoor qualifiers who competed at Marion, Ind.

This stellar indoor season was followed by a similar outdoor season. Judson University had three NAIA National qualifiers: Sarah Miller for the 3000m steeplechase; Sarah Dede for the triple jump, and Meaghan Gard-Ciochon for the 1500m steeplechase. Judson hosted and competed in the Outdoor NCCAA National Championships. A program record of 26 NCCAA Qualifiers participated.

The women’s track and field team finished the highest that they have ever place at the CCAC meet as they finished in third place. A total of 23 indoor and 15 outdoor records fell during the year for both teams. Coach Rich Weinhandl had this to say about his final season before retirement, “This was one of the most gratifying years I have ever had in my 47-year career. This team did more with less. They competed superbly against teams three and four times their size. I am so proud of their heart. They represented Judson University very well!”

Men’s Basketball Joel Cotton completed his first year as

head coach of Judson’s men’s basketball program and the Eagles finished the season with a 6-24 record. This season marked the senior campaign for Anthony Ahlers, Jason Roy, Bobby McCarthy and Deon Thomas. Ahlers was named Most Valuable Player for the team as he led in both scoring and rebounding. He will leave Judson in third place on the all-time list for career field goal percentage and third place for career blocked shots. Some season highlights included

Judson going head-to-head with two Division I teams in Northern Illinois and IPFW. The graduating class went out with a bang on senior night, upsetting Roosevelt in the final home game of the season 70-60.

Women’s BasketballIn Head Coach Kristi Cirone’s first year

at the helm of the women’s basketball team, the foundation has been laid and the future is extremely bright. The team faced serious adversity in the 2012-2013 season, including torn ACLs for two starters, yet the girls continued to fight and improve on and off the court. Freshman Diamond Williams had a stellar start to her career that led her to the NCCAA North Central All-Region Team. With a season record of 9-22, the women’s basketball team is eager to take this program to new heights in the future.

Men’s and Women’s TennisJudson’s tennis programs enjoyed a solid

year under the direction of Art Steuber. The men’s team finished 3-2 in the CCAC to finish third in the conference standings. This year marked the final season for seniors Adam Westhauser and Dave Regus. The women’s team went 2-3 in the CCAC, which placed them in fourth at the end of the season. The Eagles were led by four seniors: Brittany Boelter, Kristen Dress, Angela Schultz and Alexa Williams. Both teams made it to the CCAC semi-final round before being knocked out of the conference tournament by nationally-ranked Olivet Nazarene.

Athletes of the YearThe following students were honored for

their excellence in athletics and academics this academic year.

TJ Swank ’13 was named Male Athlete of the Year. A pitcher, Swank was 8-2 this season and ranks No. 43 in the NAIA in wins. In his career at Judson, he posted a record of 18-4 with seven saves, striking out 109 with an ERA of 2.97.

Sarah Boyer and Jenna Schiller were named Co-Female Athletes of the Year. This season, Boyer led the Eagles to a third place finish in the NCCAA National Tournament. Boyer holds the school record for strikeouts, amassing 661 in her four years as an Eagle.

Women’s Soccer defender Jenna Schiller was an honorable mention NAIA All-American (3-time), and honorable mention 2012 NCCAA All-American. In 2012, Schiller won the NCCAA Michelle Akers Award for excellence in academics, athletics and Christian service. She helped her team to a 19-6 record, 9-2 in conference and a trip to the NCCAA National Championships where they placed sixth.

The Male Scholar Athlete of the Year is Cross Country’s Tim Ciochon. Ciochon graduated with a degree in Psychology in December with the highest GPA among the male athletes. He was a three-time recipient of the CCAC All-Academic Team, as well as a two-time winner of the NCCAA Scholar Athlete Award and the NAIA Scholar Athlete. Ciochon now works as an Admissions Representative and as the Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Cross Country for Judson.

Women’s Volleyball player Kirsten Kohlstedt was named Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, with the highest GPA among female athletes. A junior psychology major, Kohlstedt has twice been honored with the CCAC All-Academic Team Award and has also received NAIA Scholar Athlete and NCCAA Scholar Athlete.

Joel Cotton Named New Athletic Director

Joel Cotton is Judson’s new Athletic Director. Prior to taking on this leadership role, Cotton served three years as Judson’s head coach for women’s cross country and track and field, as well as assistant basketball coach. Before coming to Judson, Cotton coached teams at Anderson University and Indiana University Purdue University-Fort Wayne (IPFW).

Cotton graduated earned a degree in Sports Communication from Indiana University in 2003 and his master’s degree in Professional Communication from IPFW in 2005.

He is originally from Huntington, Ind.

JUDSON ATHLETICS

Spring/Summer Sports Wrap-Upby Kristi Cirone


REAL LEARNING. Judson’s professors hold themselves and their

students to the highest academic standards. But their expertise isn’t

limited to ivory-tower theorizing, they have also been practitioners in

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REAL LIFE. At Judson University, classroom excellence doesn’t

stay in the classroom. Through internships, practicums, and student

teaching, 90% of Judson students apply their learning in real-world

settings while they are still in school.

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It is with deep sadness that Judson University announces the passing of longtime staff member Geraldine “Gerry” Craddock, 84. Gerry passed away on July 14 at Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Ill. She was born May 26, 1929, in Towanda, Ill. to Penn and Effie Snodgrass. She was proceeded in death by her husband, John Craddock 2008, and is survived by her three daughters: Cindy (Tim) Muhr of Elgin; Jane Craddock (Michael) Ryan of Algonquin, Ill., and Penny (Seth) Scott of Elgin.

Gerry served the university in a variety of ways for more than 45 years, since former university president Dr. Amos Barton asked her and her husband to join university staff in 1967 as secretary to the president and superintendent of buildings and grounds.

When Dr. Barton resigned four years later, Gerry was asked to stay on as secretary for the incoming president, Dr. Harm Weber. Following Dr. Weber’s retirement 22 years later, Gerry continued to provide dedicated service as secretary for President James Didier for

five years. In 1996, Gerry retired from her role to move to Florida. When she returned to Elgin in 1998, Gerry returned to Judson. She served as assistant to President Jerry Cain’s assistant and filled in often for the president’s office. She served as part-time receptionist until her passing.

“Judson ‘gets in your blood’ and has continued to mean so very much to me and my family,” said Gerry in a recent article about her long service to the University.

Likewise, Gerry Craddock has meant so very much to the Judson community and will be deeply missed.

Judson Mourns Passing of Longtime Staff Member Gerry Craddock

"Judson ‘gets in your blood’ and has continued to mean so very much to me and

my family." – Gerry Craddock


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