scene magazine - summer 2009

Inside: > Probing the Atom, 8 > PLU Wins Simon Award, 10 > Alumni Recognition Awards, 24

Seven students consider the nature of spirituality, page 12

calendar

JUNE

June 1-2Charting Your Course 2009University Center, Regency Room

June 5, 8 p.m.An Evening with Terry GrossParamount Theatre, SeattleSponsored by KPLU

June 6, 7 a.m.National Board forProfessional TeachingStandards OrientationUniversity Center, CK

June 8-9Charting Your Course 2009University CenterRegency Room

A student makes a big splash at the annual Foss Games event on lower campus. Photo by Ted Charles ’12.

June 9, 10:30 a.m.An Hour with Woody GuthrieGarfield Book Company, Community Room

June 10, 4:45 p.m.Scan Center Executive Board MeetingsUniversity Center, Scan Center

June 11, 5:30 p.m.Scan Center Council MeetingsUniversity Center, Scan Center

continued on inside back cover

Pacific Lutheran University Scene Summer 2009 Volume 39 Issue 4

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Greg Brewis

EDITOR

Steve Hansen

MANAGING EDITOR

Barbara Clements

WRITERSGreg BrewisSteve HansenBarbara ClementsTina Reindl ’07Chris AlbertNick Dawson

PHOTOGRAPHER

Jordan Hartman ’02

ART DIRECTOR

Simon Sung

ONLINE MANAGER

Toby Beal

CLASS NOTES

Mari Peterson

EDITORIAL OFFICES

Hauge AdministrationBuilding #[email protected]/scene

PLU OFFICERS

Loren J. AndersonPresident

Patricia O’Connell KillenProvost and Dean ofGraduate Studies

Laura F. MajovskiVice President,Student Life andDean of Students

Karl StumoVice President,Admission andEnrollment Services

Steve OlsonVice President,Development andUniversity Relations

Sheri J. TonnVice President,Finance and Operations

OFFICE OF CONSTITUENTRELATIONSLauralee Hagen ‘75, ‘78Executive Director

Jacob Himmelman ‘03Associate Director forAlumni and ParentRelations

G Lee Kluth ‘69Director,Congregation Relations

Nesvig Alumni CenterTacoma, WA 98447-0003253-535-7415800-ALUM-PLUwww.plualumni.org

Volume 39, Issue 4Scene (SSN 0886-3369)is published quarterlyby Pacific LutheranUniversity, S. 121st andPark Ave., Tacoma, WA.,98447-0003. Periodicalspostage paid at Tacoma,WA, and additionalmailing offices. Addressservice requested.Postmaster: Sendchanges to DevelopmentOperations, Office ofDevelopment, PLU,Tacoma, WA, 98447-0003,[email protected].© 2009 by PacificLutheran University

ADDRESS CHANGESPlease direct anyaddress changes [email protected] or800-ALUM-PLU

ON THE COVERIllustration byAngel Matamoroswww.angelmatamoros.com

Scene is printed on10 percent post-con-

sumer recycled paper usingsoy-based sustainable inks.The paper was manufacturedat a Forest StewardshipCouncil-certified plant.

PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 3

Scene

inside

Jay Jones is poised to become the best swimmer to ever compete at PLU. See page 22.

4 Here & Now

8 Life of the Mind

10 PLU wins SimonAwardPrestigious honor confirmsrole as a leading-edge globallyfocused university

COVER STORY:

12 Matters of FaithSeven students considerthe nature of spirituality

22 Attaway LutesSophomore swimmer Jay Jonesrewrites the record books

24 Alumni News& Events2009 Alumni Recognition Awards

28 Alumni Profiles

30 Alumni Class Notes

37 Giving BackScholarship program helpsstudents through challengingeconomic times

40 Perspective

here & now

4 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > HERE & NOW

Raising money forchildren’s health,one doodle at a time

What do you get when you puttogether more than 30 shirt-less PLU students and a

bunch of permanent markers? Forstarters, more than $2,300 in donationsfor the Free Care Fund at Tacoma’s

Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Andyou get a bunch of drawn-on students.“It’s visual, engaging and gets peopleto give money,” said Harold Leraas,Progress Club president. The club seeksto raise awareness about child health-care, as well as other healthcare issuesin the United States. The Free CareFund ensures children without cover-age receive the health care they need.The event works like this – for one

day shirtless students stand in places likeRed Square and, for a donation of at least$1, anyone can write their name or draw apicture on the students with a permanentmarker. Donate extra, and you might getto write on someone’s face.“I definitely don’t mind getting drawnor written on when I know that themoney is going to somewhere worth-while,” said Marta Behling, ProgressClub treasurer.

HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 5

Nanjing Atrocity in Chinese HistoricalMemory.”The Schnackenberg lecture began in1974 in honor of his frequentlyexpressed wish to establish a lectureshipthat would regularly bring distin-guished members of the world academiccommunity to PLU to discuss signifi-cant topics of historical interest.Walter C. Schnackenberg was a 1937graduate of PLU (then called PacificLutheran College) and then began a life-time relationship with the university. Hetaught at the college from 1942-1944,leaving to travel until returning in 1952.

the PLU MBA Invest in Your Future

Founded on the cornerstones of leadership, innovation,global awareness and ethical responsibility, the PLU MBA is atransformational academic experience that can be completed injust 20 to 22 months.

Choose from:• MBA• MBA Technology & Innovation

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Visit www.plu.edu/mbaor call 253-535-7330

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professor of English; and Luann Corso,program coordinator of continuingeducation in the School of Education.

35 years of discussingimportant historicalissues

For the 35th year, the annualWalter C. SchnackenbergMemorial Lecture took place on

the PLU campus. Sponsored by theDepartment of History, guest speakerJoshua Fogel discussed the topic “The

Robinson travels toRome to perform onEaster Sunday

Solveig Robinson, associate profes-sor of English, was one of 150singers and full orchestra who per-

formed Andrew T. Miller’s cantata “TheBirth of Christ” at the Basilica SantaMaria Ara Copeli – on Easter Sunday.Robinson heard about the ensembleauditions through her regular choir, theNorthwest Repertory Singers, withwhom she has performed since thegroup’s founding in 2001. She alsostudied voice with PLU’s MarciaBaldwin one year before she retired. “Ifit hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t havehad the courage to audition for this per-formance.”For Robinson, the opportunity to singin a world historic site was too great topass up. “The music is so beautiful thatI am equally excited about performingthe cantata,” she said, “and performingat the center of Western Christendomon the major feast day of the liturgicalyear is also pretty amazing.”

‘Bold and brazen’women of PLU honored

At the 13th annual InspirationalWomen’s Banquet this spring,52 women – students, staff and

faculty – were recognized as 2009Inspirational Women.“We received a record number ofnominations of women who are inspir-ing our community,” said BobbiHughes, Women’s Center director, tolda crowd of more than 100 people. Thewomen were described as shiningexamples of leadership at PLU.Three of the women were singled outfor special recognition for the positiveimpact they have made at PLU. Theyincluded Angie Hambrick, director ofmulticultural affairs; Sharon Jansen,

here & nowcontinued

6 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > HERE & NOW

Brian LowesGeosciences

John MainBiology

Chris MeyerMath

Faculty Retirement: Phased and Full

Roberta BrownLanguages &Literatures

Michele CraytonBiology

Bruce FinnieSchool of Business

Greg GuldinAnthropology

Sandra KnappSenior Lecturer inMusic

Five trees were planted on lower campus to honor Elvi Nukk Urv ’53 (left), who, along with her family, came to Parkland from a displaced personscamp in Estonia in 1949. They arrived thanks to Lutheran World Relief and a sponsorship by then-President Seth Eastvold. Urv, her sister and herparents lived for a time in the basement of Old Main (now Harstad Hall), and Urv’s father, Kuno Nukk, planted many of the birch trees – common inEstonia – still located near Harstad Hall. The event marked the 60th anniversary of Urv and her family coming to the United States, a “blessed gestureof generosity and kindness by President Eastvold, (which) set the generations of my family on the road to higher education and to makingcontributions to their communities,” said Kristi Urv-Wong, Urv’s daughter.

Taking root in the community

PhotosbyJasonCommerford’09

Duane SwankChemistry

ACCOLADES

Rick Barot,assistant professorof English, is oneof five finalists inthe Best GayPoetry category ofthis year’s Lambda

Literary Awards. His book, titled“Want,” is published by SarabandePress.Eas Easwaran, assistant professorof computer science and computerengineering, has been elevated to asenior Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers member. IEEEis the main professional organiza-tion in his field and is a worldwidewell known professional and techni-cal organization.

Rose McKenney,associate professorof geosciences andenvironmentalstudies, has beenselected to be oneof four Franklin

Fellows, July 6-24, in Lugano,Switzerland. McKenney will teachthe course “Sustainable Living andWorld Citizenship.”David Ward, assistant professorof marriage and family therapy, wasnamed educator of the year at theWashington Association forMarriage and Family Therapyannual awards banquet.

MichelleCeynar, associateprofessor of psy-chology andJoanna Gregson,associate professorof sociology, wrote

“Finding Me Again: Women’s Post-Divorce Identity Shifts” forthcom-ing in Journal of Divorce andRemarriage.Assistant Professor of Music

Zachary Lyman’s interview withLarry Austin regarding Charles Ives’“Universal Symphony,” part of hisdoctoral paper, was published inthe recent edition of AmericanMusic.Assistant professors of biology

Julie Smith, Michael Behrens, andJacob Egge each receivedformal notice of approval of threegrants from Murdock in supportof research projects. Together,the grants total $123,500.

RobertEricksen ’67,professor of histo-ry, has written thechapter on Germanprotestant church-es and the holo-

caust, “Protagonists: Protestants,”in “The Oxford Handbook ofHolocaust Studies,” OxfordUniversity Press.

HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 7

He then became an associate professorof history and political science, andbecame professor of history in 1958.Schnackenberg also served as chair ofthe Department of History from 1963-1973, and as faculty representative tothe Board of Regents during the 1972-1973 academic year.

Westering familyhonored by local sportshall of fame

The family of longtime PLU Footballcoach Frosty and DonnaWesteringwas honored June 4 as the 2009

“First Family of Sports” by the Tacoma/Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame.TheWestering family – Frosty, Donna,Holly, Sue ’77, Brad ’80, Scott ’82 andStacey ’83 – join three other families thathave been so honored: Dick and SylviaHannula, Scott and Sis Names, and Joeand CleoWilliams.During a 40-year college coaching career,Frosty Westering compiled a 305-96-7overall record. His record at PLU was 261-70-5 (.784 winning percentage), and noPLU team under his guidance had a losingseason. He coached the Lutes to NAIAnational championships in 1980, 1987and 1993, with national runner-up finish-es in 1983, 1985, 1991 and 1994. AfterPLU switched to NCAADivision III affilia-tion, Frosty led the Lutes to four consecu-tive national playoff berths, including anational championship season in 1999.Scott Westering, Frosty’s son, will beginhis fifth year as PLU’s head football coachthis fall.

Poet David Whyteaddresses class of 2009

Renowned poet and author DavidWhyte gave the keynote addressat Spring Commencement, held

at the Tacoma Dome on May 24. MaritBarkve was nominated by faculty andstaff to be the student speaker.An associate fellow of the SaidBusiness School at the University ofOxford, Whyte is one of the few poetsto take his perspectives on creativityinto the field of organizational develop-ment, where he works with a wide anddiverse international clientele. In orga-nizational settings, Whyte illustrateshow we can foster qualities of courage

and engagement, qualities needed if weare to respond to today’s call forincreased creativity and adaptability inthe workplace.This year marks the fourth time com-mencement has been held off campusat the Tacoma Dome, allowing studentsto bring an unlimited number offriends and family to the ceremony. Thegraduating class of 2009 includedapproximately 650 undergraduate andgraduate students. S

life of the mind

8 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > LIFE OF THE MIND

New chemistry department instrument will help studentsand profs probe world of the atom

It looks like a rather fat, squat waterheater.But to the students and professors

gathered around it – or, more accurately,the computer that transmits readoutsfrom it – the machine is pure magic.It is called a nuclear magnetic reso-nance spectrometer, or NMR. Today,the students from Professor NealYakelis’ organic chemistry lab are trying

to figure out the structure of anunknown substance. Yakelis gives thestudents a rundown on how to orderthe machine to drop the sample intothe depths of the NMR, and then awaittest results on how protons are orientedin the unknown liquid.The machine works by an electronicarm plucking out a sample from arotating tray and slowly lowering it into

a tube, which then goes down on a col-umn of air into the machine. There, apowerful magnet that is 200,000 timesas strong as the Earth’s magnetic fieldspins the compound at super-fastspeeds. As the machine analyzes thesample, information starts appearingon the computer.To an untrained eye, the readoutsseem like random squiggles and blobs.

Professor Neal Yakelis, student Erin Johnson and professor Craig Fryhle (from left) study readouts from PLU’s new magnetic resonance spectrometer.

But the frequencies mean quite a bit tothe chemists and the students. It tellsthem – on a molecular level – howatoms comprising a molecule are bond-ed together and what parts of the mole-cule are in motion with respect to theother parts of the molecule. On a morebasic scale, it will help them decipherthe compound they are looking at.Some solid samples need to spin insidethe magnet at nearly the speed of soundto get the best data.The spectrometer contains a series ofchambers, with the outside chamberforming a vacuum jacket. The outerchamber is then filled with liquid nitro-gen, which is at a temperature of minus321 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside thechamber, a superconducting magnetsits in a broth of liquid helium, which iseven colder, at minus 452 degreesFahrenheit, or just a few degrees above

the lowest known temperature in theuniverse. The magnet is charged withelectricity, which aligns the spins of thenuclei in a sample, thereby allowing itto be studied.After watching their sample drop intothe NMR, the students focus theirattention back on their computer infront of them.A few clicks of the keyboard and

chemistry majors Erin Johnson andJessica Dottl return to the lab to awaittheir results, which will be e-mailed tothem.Johnson said the automation of the$700,000 machine is amazing. She’sbeen waiting eagerly since thebeginning of the year to use themachine. With good reason.Undergraduate students like Dottland Johnson usually do not haveaccess to such a powerful instrument.They know full well that having usedthe spectrometer – one of the first ofits kind located in a West Coastundergrad institution – will help themland future jobs.“You can say (on your resume) thatthis is another piece of equipmentyou’re familiar with,” Dottl said.Not only for the students, but forthe professors of PLU’s chemistrydepartment as well, the nuclearmagnetic resonance spectrometer is adream come true. It’s easy to see theystill can’t quite believe, after two yearsof waiting and receiving a NationalScience Foundation grant theydidn’t expect to get, that it is finallyhere.“When the crates came,” said Yakelis,“we were very excited.”The grant to purchase the NMRwas a collaborative effort by chemistryfaculty led by Professor Craig Fryle.The machine is now in full display onthe north side of a glass-walledlaboratory at the Rieke Science Centeron lower campus. Rebuilding thenorth side of Rieke to support theunique device – including ProfessorDean Waldow’s “science on display”glass enclosure – brought the NMRcost to more than $1 million, all ofwhich was paid for by sources outsidethe university.Eventually, the group sees not onlystudents using the machine forstudent-faculty research, but localcommunity and four-year collegesbringing samples over as well. Thechemistry faculty members plan tohave Webcasts from the NMR lab toteach local college and high schoolstudents about NMR spectrometry.“This is really going to be the crownjewel of the instruments in ourdepartment,” Waldow said.

—Barbara Clements

It tells – on a molecular level –

how atoms comprising a mole-

cule are bonded together and

what parts of the molecule are

in motion with respect to the

other parts of the molecule.

LIFE OF THE MIND > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 9

S

Erin Johnson prepares samples to be analyzed in the NMR.

10 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > FEATURES

This spring, PLU received apowerful acknowledgementthat it continues to be seenas a leader in globallyfocused education. The

university was awarded the 2009Senator Paul Simon Award for CampusInternationalization, a prestigiousaward that honors outstanding effortson and off campus to engage the worldand the international community.PLU is the first and only private col-lege in the West to have received thishonor.“This kind of recognition confirms afocus and mission we have had fordecades,” said PLU President Loren J.Anderson. “Our university is one thatstresses how small a world we havebecome, and the necessity to see andengage the world in thoughtful scholar-ship and a passion for service and care.”Neal Sobania, executive director ofthe Wang Center for InternationalPrograms, agrees. “For me, it’s a signifi-cant validation of the work that peoplehave been doing on campus for a longtime,” he said. “And that’s to increas-ingly make PLU a globally focused uni-versity.”Sobania noted the focus on globalscholarship began more than 30 yearsago, when PLU became one of the firstuniversities to establish a GlobalStudies Program in 1977. Now, morethan 40 percent of the students partici-pate in at least one study-abroad pro-

gram before they graduate. This com-pares to the national average of 3 per-cent, and puts PLU among the topcomprehensive masters-level universi-ties in the country with the percentageof students studying abroad. When stu-dents involved in near-campus or in-state J-Term programs are included, thepercentage jumps to over 50 percent.The prestigious 2009 Senator PaulSimon Award for CampusInternationalization – named for theIllinois senator, a strong supporter ofinternational efforts throughout his life– will also undoubtedly enhance PLU’sstature as a globally focused university.The honor was awarded by NAFSA:Association of International Educators,the world’s largest nonprofit associa-tion dedicated to international educa-tion. Along with PLU, four other col-leges and universities were honored. Allfive will be featured in the NAFSAreport “Internationalizing the Campus2009: Profiles of the Success at Collegesand Universities,” which will be pub-

lished later this fall. The report recog-nizes institutions that are leaders in thegrowing effort across higher educationto better prepare students for a globaleconomy and an interconnected world.Sobania notes that it wasn’t simplyPLU’s successful study-away programsthat earned the university its honor.In general, “PLU has made a con-scious decision to talk about “studyaway” rather than “study abroad,”Sobania said. “We do so because thesouth Puget Sound is so richly diversethat one does not need to travel morethan a few blocks to have a cross-cultur-al experience.”Many of those cross-cultural experi-ences happen right on campus. Forinstance, more than 230 internationalstudents study on-campus, representing24 countries. On-campus groups alsofocus on international issues, such as

the Invisible Children Club, whichlooks at issues facing children inUganda. Even The Mast, the student

Prestigious honor confirms university’s role as a leading globally focused university

PLU wins Simon Award

S

FEATURES > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 11

newspaper, has an international editor.And, every other year, the WangInternational Symposium brings majorspeakers who focus on pressing interna-tional issues.Additionally, the university has devel-oped an International Honors Programand 36 Fulbright student scholarshipshave been awarded in the past decade toPLU scholars, with more than half ofthose in research areas. Faculty mem-bers have also received Senior FulbrightScholar Lecturing Awards in such coun-tries as China, Korea, Estonia, Finland,Norway and Uganda.The Simon Award wasn’t the only sig-nificant announcement acknowledgingPLU’s emphasis on global education.Friends of the university met a $1 mil-lion challenge grant from the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, establish-ing a $2 million scholarship fund thatwill enable up to 70 Global ScholarGrants for low-income students, whootherwise might be unable to partici-pate in PLU’s study-away programs.The fact that PLU is able to engage inpartnerships with the Bill & MelindaGates Foundation underscores the uni-versity’s leadership on global educationissues, and is certainly the type of thingthat NAFSA: Association ofInternational Educators would havebeen looking for when considering uni-versities for the Simon Award.The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationgave the university the $1 million chal-

lenge grant to initiate the endowmentfund a year ago. Since then, the match-ing $1 million was raised from donors,including the estate of Arthur H.Hansen, Loren and MaryAnn Anderson,Charles Bergman and Susan Mann, andIver ’54 and Ginny ’56 Haugen.

Earnings from theendowment will provideapproximately $100,000a year to fund up to 70Global Scholar Grantsfor students who other-wise might be unable

to participate in PLU’s study-away pro-grams.Given that PLU admits moreWashington Achiever Scholars than anyother independent university in thestate, as well as 800 Pell Grant and 700State Need Grant recipients, the GlobalScholar Grants program will enable theuniversity to further its commitment tomaking study-away opportunities avail-able to all of its students.“This new endowment will provide asignificant boost to many deservingPLU students for generations to come,”said Sobania. “The Global ScholarGrants program and the many accom-plishments of these students also willcontinue to enhance PLU’s stature as aglobally focused university.”

Barbara Clements, Greg Brewis and SteveHansen contributed to this report.

The prestigious Simon Award for Campus Internationalization honors out-standing efforts on and off campus to engage the world and theinternational community.

S

At PLU, students talk about spirituality. They think about the meaning of life –human experiences of love, joy, creativity, success, suffering, death, of making andkeeping commitments, of extending oneself on behalf of others. Students grapple withthe meaning of integrity. They seek to find a purpose, something that is, in the wordsof some of my former students, “worth giving your life for.”

PLU students search for, and articulate to themselves and to each other, convictionsthat provide steadiness and inspiration. They test their aspirations and convictionsagainst the ideas, concepts and theories they engage in class. They search out facultywho will converse with them about how what they are learning in their courses con-nects to who they are becoming. They spend time with mentors who listen as they givevoice to their developing senses of themselves and their vocations in the world.

Seven students consider the nature of spirituality


The vignettes that follow provide a glimpse into the spiritualityof PLU students – each one’s whole, integral, embodiedresponse to life. These spiritualities are diverse. Some are theis-tic, others humanistic or naturalistic. Some are rooted in his-toric faith heritages, others emerge more from improvisation.Some reflect a connection with recognizable faith communities.Others are more solitary.

PLU students’ conversations about spirituality continue a two-century tradition that is part of the transition into full adult-hood in a nation where religion is voluntary. Their conversa-tions also reflect a decade-plus intensification of students’ inter-est in open exploration of spirituality as part of their education-al journeys. PLU students’ spiritual quests exemplify thosefound in a large-scale study of students who entered 236 diversecolleges and universities in the United States in the fall of 2004.In 2007 UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute publishedthe findings in The Spiritual Life of College Students:

A National Study of College Students’ Search for Meaning andPurpose (www.spirituality.ucla.edu).

Today, more than ever, students seek an educational experiencethat challenges them to think, not just about the disciplinesthey are studying, but also about themselves and their world.Centered in the Lutheran tradition of higher education, benefit-ing from the Wild Hope project’s work encouraging discussionof “big-enough questions” and implementing a revitalized gen-eral education program this fall, PLU is well prepared to wel-come seeking students. Here they will find that the pursuit ofacademic and professional excellence, the discernment of a lifepath or vocation, and the identification of a worthy purpose areintertwined.

—Patricia O’Connell Killen, Ph.D.Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Professor of Religion

I L LU S T R AT I ON B Y ANG E L MATAMORO S | PHOTO S B Y J O RD AN HARTMAN ’ 0 2


KATIE GARROW GREW upLutheran, and has always consideredherself Lutheran.

But as she continues her spiritual jour-ney, she has found herself supportingissues that sometimes run contrary towhat she grew up believing. She sup-ports gay, lesbian and transgenderrights, and women’s rights, includingthe right to choose an abortion. She isvery involved in social justice issues.Theologically, she’s not convinced thereis an afterlife – and such uncertaintydoesn’t bother her.

Garrow might now consider herself ahumanist-agnostic.

She thinks about her best friend sincehigh school, an evangelical Christian,with whom she remains close. It is a tes-tament to tolerance on both sides.

“For her, there’s a clear right andwrong,” Garrow said. “For me, I’m notso sure that we can always decide that –we live in a morally ambiguous world.That’s not to say she’s always wrong andI’m always right, but that we see theissue of morality very differently.”

Garrow likes to ask questions that manypeople might not consider, or alreadyfeel are settled, such as: Who is God?

Why has God been used as a tactic tooppress people? How can more thanone religious tradition claim to havetruth when others claim the same thing?Who’s right?

Asking question like these led her tobecome the Religious Relations Directorfor ASPLU. “I appreciate and am inter-ested in people’s spirituality,” Garrowsaid. “I want to explore various faithtraditions with other students and sup-port and explore with them on theirown spiritual journeys.”

In the end, Garrow believes that thepath to spiritual wholeness can operateon different levels – it might be thepath she’s taken, or that of her bestfriend from high school.

The key, of course, is the exploration.

Katie Garrow takes a moment to meditate onPLU’s upper campus lawn. She believes peoplecan find ‘spiritual wholeness’ in many differentways.

Exploring faith traditions throughexploring challenging questions

Katie Garrow ’11Major: Global Studies and SpanishHometown: Hoquiam, Wash.

B Y B A R B A R A C L E M E N T S

>>


“I appreciate and aminterested in people’sspirituality. I want toexplore various faithtraditions with otherstudents, and supportand explore with themon their own spiritualjourneys.”–KATIE GARROW


CALLING ANY UNDERGRADUATEan expert in spirituality might be anoverstatement. But in speaking withTimothy Siburg, it is abundantly clearthat he has done some deep thinkingabout the nature of spirituality at PLU.

And he has some serious credibility.

Last summer, he was one of only 50undergraduates in the nation invited toattend the annual conference of theFund for Theological Education, anorganization dedicated to supportyoung people as they explore andrespond to God’s calling in their lives.

Siburg graduated in May with a doublemajor in religion and economics. Heplans to attend graduate school andcontinue his research on the effective-ness of the service that religious, non-governmental organizations provide inless-developed regions of the world.

“The overall spirituality of the PLUcampus comes out of our focus on voca-tion,” Siburg said. “It’s the veryLutheran concept of looking at your

“The campus community modelsthe tradition quietly – not in anevangelical way – but rather ideallyliving by example and serving byexample with a true sense of joyand an understanding of grace.”

–TIMOTHY SIBURG

passions and finding your life’s calling.”

For Siburg it is all part of the idea ofanswering a call to be part of somethingthat is bigger than ourselves, trying toengage questions of service, findingwhat we hold most dear and learninghow we can most effectively contributeto the social contract.

“Spiritual growth or exploration isunique to each individual,” Siburg said.

He said many students take immediate-ly to the ideas that are proposed at PLUduring the First Year Experience pro-gram. These are the “bigger questions”in life that fully engage these studentsthroughout their college careers.

“The best place to have deep spiritualconversations is in the residence hallslate at night,” Siburg said. “The deepesttheological and philosophical conversa-tions in my life occurred after 11 atnight. That’s part of the growth experi-ence at PLU.”

Siburg said many students at PLU gain

a broad understanding of the Lutherantradition of a values-based education justby watching others on campus live outtheir lives.

“The campus community models thetradition quietly – not in an evangelicalway in the sense of going around preach-ing what they believe – but rather ideallyliving by example and serving by exam-ple with a true sense of joy and anunderstanding of grace,” he said.

He said some students will not under-stand how the Lutheran tradition hasinfluenced their education until afterthey gradate. “It may take them untillater in life to realize that the concept ofvocation that PLU is focused on is some-thing that is inherently connected to theLutheran heritage and tradition,” Siburgsaid.

A four-year resident of Stuen, TimothySiburg says sitting down to the piano witha hymnal helps him reconnect and regainhis personal focus.

Embracing the ‘bigger questions’ and living with a true sense of joy

Timothy Siburg ’09Major: Religion and EconomicsHometown: Poulsbo, Wash.

B Y G R E G B R E W I S

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WHEN SHE CAME to PLU as a first-year student, one might excuse BashairAlazadi for being slightly more anxiousthan most students. Alazadi is Shi’iteMuslim.

There might have been a few butterflies,she said, but that had more to do withgoing to college than on matters of faith.On that account, she says she has feltcomfortable since the moment she firstset foot on campus. “Everything just feltso nice – everyone was so welcoming,”she said.

Alazadi values community – it is anessential component of her family lifeand her Muslim faith. Her family fledNasiriyah, Iraq, in 1990 after a faileduprising and a subsequent crackdownfrom dictator Saddam Hussein. Afterfour years in a refugee camp in Saudi

Bashair Alazadi ’12Major: BusinessHometown: Everett, Wash.

“It is so cool seeingstudents go to chapel,that they too value thatcommunity. It is a nicetime to remember Godin your own way.”

–BASHAIR ALAZADI

Finding strength through community

Arabia, she and her family landed inEverett, Wash. She was only four.The tight-knit Iraqi community of 100-or-so families has sustained her eversince.

Alazadi’s personal journey and faithtraditions may be nothing like most ofthose at PLU, but she does find amongstudents a common reliance incommunity. And there, she finds greatcomfort. She sees herself no differentthan so many other PLU students –thoughtful and curious, and genuinelyinterested in matters of faith.

She loves the fact that so many peopleare willing to ask her about her faith,and she loves to talk about it. And indoing so, she feels a strengthening of theconnection both to her Muslim faith andto her fellow students.

“It is so cool seeing students go tochapel, that they too value thatcommunity,” she said. Alazadi typicallydoesn’t attend chapel herself – she does,however, use that time to pray. “It is anice time to remember God in your ownway,” she said.

For Alazadi, being spiritual meansobserving and maintaining the traditionsof her faith community. She wears thetraditional Iraqi head covering and dress,and she finds time to pray every day.“Spirituality means, even though I’m atPLU, I maintain the structure of mylife.”

Every day, Bashair Alazadi will find aquiet place on campus to take part in herdaily prayers, something that helps keepstructure in her life.

B Y S T E V E H A N S E N


Daniel Baker ’09Major: Recreation and ReligionHometown: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Celebrating God’screation and bringingothers along


B Y C H R I S A L B E R T

“All it takes is that onekid who is just awe-struck. It can totallybe worth it. It canmake somethingmundane seem totallyextraordinary.”

–DANIEL BAKER

STANDING ATOP a mountain withunobstructed views and seeing thecontours of valleys below is an awe-inspiring event for Dan Baker.

In fact, it is where he relates to God.

It is something Baker wants to share.He hopes to inspire youth by helpingthem explore the same things thatinspire him – a chance to see God’screation in all its glory.

One place Baker has found what he’safter is at Camp Lutherhaven, anELCA camp near Coeur d’Alene,Idaho. It’s a place where the outdoorsis the setting for ministry for youth.

“When you get [young people] ontop of a mountain, they get that awe-some outdoor experience,” he said.

“All it takes is that one kid who is justawestruck,” Baker, religion and recre-ation major, said. “It can totally beworth it. It can make somethingmundane seem totally extraordinary.”

Having those mountaintop experi-ences and sharing those momentswith youth are what make ministry innature so valuable. And the more heputs into it, the more fulfilling itbecomes.

“You get filled as you pour out,”Baker said. “There’s a spiritual highyou get out of that.”

Daniel Baker wants to inspire others toexplore the outdoors, what he calls ‘God’screation.’

FOR KATIE BRAY, going to churchand being part of a religious community– namely, St. Mark’s Lutheran Churchin her hometown of Spokane, Wash. –has always been an integral part of herlife. Spirituality is fed from faith – afaith in God. For Bray, that hasn’tchanged.

However, her time at PLU has made herre-think the way she defines andexpresses her spirituality. “It has defi-nitely become broader,” she said. “I feelthat I have discovered that I best expressand live out my faith through service toothers.”

This really became apparent to Brayafter spending two months of her sum-mer break at Miracle Ranch Children’s

“Affirming this passionto serve others as partof my life’s vocation. Atthe same time I feel agreat responsibility. Ithas been a challenge totransfer this desire andcalling to serve othersinto my normaleveryday routine.”

–KATIE BRAY

Home in Valle de las Palmas, Mexico,just southeast of San Diego. The homeis for children who have been aban-doned, neglected and abused.

The experience was incredible – for thesimple reason that Bray was able to livefaith at its most fundamental: By lovingchildren who simply weren’t receiving it.

Bray attributes the focus PLU places onbeing globally minded, thinking of othersand emphasizing personal growth as keyto preparing her for such an experience.

“Affirming this passion to serve othersas part of my life’s vocation has beenvery powerful,” said Bray. “At the sametime I feel a great responsibility. It hasbeen a challenge to transfer this desire

and calling to serve others into my nor-mal everyday routine.”

Working as a Campus Ministry internhas given Bray the opportunity to planand lead various service projectsthroughout the year.

“It is a small way that I can help othersdiscover their callings and where theirgifts can be put to best use in service toothers,” she said.

Katie Bray holds a photograph of Malinaand Darina, two girls who live at theMiracle Ranch Children’s Home in Mexico.Bray finds working with children like thesea great way to put her faith into practice.

Living a life of faith focused through service to others

Katie Bray ’09Major: Physical EducationHometown: Spokane, Wash.




WHEN SHE ARRIVED on campus asa first-year student, Lauren Eaton setout looking for the Alijah Jewish Clubthat she had read about. She didn’t findit. There hadn’t been any members fortwo years.

“I cried during my first Shabbat,because without my family it seemedvery empty to celebrate by myself. Ithad always been a mark of solidarity inmy family that we would always betogether on Friday nights to do ourprayers together,” Eaton said.

Four years later all that has changed.Thanks to Eaton, the Alijah JewishClub has been rebuilt. Having graduat-ed with an undergraduate degree innursing last month, Eaton leaves behinda club with a healthy membership base.

“Now, there are six Jews on our leader-ship team and about 20 others who reg-ularly attend Shabbats and other meet-ings and activities,” she said. “We alsohave big events at Hanukkah in the falland Passover in the spring when wehave between 50 and 75 people attend.”

“There are many different reasons whypeople come to Jewish club. Some ofthem want to keep their traditions alive.Many of them are in a religion class andthey are interested in learning more.Many of them are just friends of ours,”Eaton said. “I think some of them onlycome for my freshly baked bread.”

“For me spirituality is a sense of onenessand a sense of community. You are partof something larger than yourself.Whether you are in Outdoor Rec andyou see it in nature, or whether you arein University Congregation or in AlijahJewish Club, certainly you see yourself

Lauren Eaton ’09Major: NursingHometown: Portland, Ore.

Celebrating Shabbat with the PLU family

B Y G R E G B R E W I S

to be part of something that is muchlarger than you can understand. There isa comfort and a strength in that.

“Spirituality is connection, it’s singingfor me. It’s enjoying yourself and yourfaith. It’s discussing God with otherpeople,” she said.

“I pray and end every Shabbat with ‘Odyavo shalom aleinu’ of ‘Let there bepeace.’ Peace is important in the worldand also in the lives of every PLU stu-dent. Whatever stresses we go through,whatever difficulties we have as a minor-ity group, we always have this solidarity.Let there be peace in this life and inyour world.”

Lauren Eaton regularly bakes Challah forthe Friday Shabbat of the Alijah JewishClub.

“For me spirituality is asense of oneness and asense of community.You are part of some-thing larger than your-self. There is a comfortand a strength in that.”

–LAUREN EATON

GIVING BACK > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 21

When Mycal Ford discusses his faith, hisstory is that of a classic Christian conver-sion. He was an all-star athlete. He was,and remains, handsome and popular. Inhigh school, success came easy. And withit, so did other things – like alcohol, drugsand women. Of this, he’s not proud. Andthrough it all, he remained unfulfilled.

One Sunday, he was invited to a churchservice during his senior year. He was cap-tivated. He made a commitment to followChrist, and has been dedicated ever since.

That said, ask him if he’s religious and hebristles. “I do not like that term,” he said.

Ford prefers to talk about spirituality and,in particular, his “relationship with God” –emphasis on relationship.

As he looks back, part of what kept himfrom considering a religious life was what

Mycal Ford ’12Major: Business and CommunicationHometown: Tukwilla, Wash.

Building a relationship with God based on opennessand communication

he saw as the requirements of such beliefs.“It was assumed that, to be Christian, youhad to be against this or for that. Againstabortion. Against gay rights. My religionwas not going to be contingent on socialissues.”

When he stepped into that Sunday-morningchurch service, he came to understand thatliving a spiritual life did not require stump-ing for a set of predetermined social issues.

“God is more concerned about our heartthan those social issues,” Ford said. “Whathe’s after is our heart.”

Ford now attends church every Sunday, butit is clear what is most valuable to him isthat relationship – something that goesboth ways. He always carries his Bible,along with a journal in which he keepstrack of his thoughts as he reads it. “It is

prayer or a love letter to God. It helps meconnect with Him,” he said.

Ford hasn’t forgotten his life before thatSunday morning. In some ways, it is whatkeeps his faith real. “Christians are dis-gusting creatures, just like everyone else,”he said with a laugh.

His point? We all have different thingsthat make us tick – some good, othersnot. Ford’s been there. Because of that, hedoesn’t dare judge others. And he doesn’twant anything like that to stand in theway of a relationship that he has found sofulfilling.

Mycal Ford carries his Bible and a journalwith him wherever he goes. The journalallows him to carry on a conversation withGod – a “love letter to God,” as he calls it.


“It was assumed that,to be Christian, youhad to be against thisor for that. My religionwas not going to becontingent on socialissues.”

–MYCAL FORD

S

With a natural talent and a great work ethic,Jay Jones is poised to become the bestswimmer to ever compete at PLU.

22 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > ATTAWAY LUTES

attaway lutes

When PLU swimming headcoach Jim Johnson recruitedJay Jones out of Mt. View High

School in Vancouver, Wash., during the2006-07 school year, he knew that theyoung man with an ordinary last namecould be an extraordinary swimmer forhis Lutes.“In (swimming) recruiting you go bytimes, not like other sports such as bas-ketball and football where it is more sub-jective,” Johnson said. “He had goodtimes, so we knew he was good, but I did-n’t know he was this good.”Indeed, what Jones accomplished dur-ing his sophomore season has alreadypushed his name onto the list of all-timegreat male swimmers at PLU.Jones showed hints of his potentialgreatness during his freshman year, cap-ping off his season by winning the 200-yard butterfly at the 2008 NorthwestConference Championships. Jones racedto the victory with a time of 1:56.61, win-ning by 1.38 seconds. The victory earnedPLU its first NWCmen’s individual eventtitle since Mike Simmons won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1999. Earlier in themeet, he established a new school recordof 1:57.05 while finishing fourth in the200-yard individual medley.This season, Jones shattered all expecta-tions, even his own, when he won threeindividual event championships at theconference meet and also obliterated fourPLU men’s swimming records.Jones broke school records and gainednational meet provisional qualifyingtimes by winning the 200-yard butterfly,200-yard individual medley and 400-yardindividual medley at the NorthwestConference Championships in February.Jones became the first PLU swimmer towin three events at a conference meetsince Marc LeMaster took the 50-, 100-and 200-yard freestyles at the 1990 cham-

pionships. Jones also became the first-ever PLU swimmer, male or female, towin an outstanding swimmer award atthe conference meet.By the end of the meet, the man withthe ordinary last name had done theextraordinary, setting new school recordsin the 100-yard butterfly (51.38), 200-yard butterfly (1:54.38), 200-yard individ-ual medley (1:55.01), and 400-yard indi-vidual medley (4:07.74).“Starting this season, I was planning onjust breaking my own record in the 200IM,” Jones said. “In the back of my mindI also wanted to snatch the 200 fly and400 IM records as well, but I wasn’t sureif I’d be successful in pulling it off. I sur-prised myself with how much I accom-plished this season. I gained more confi-dence as the season progressed and, inthe end, at conference, I felt I had a goodchance.”“Jay came in this year after a strong firstseason, and continued training in the offseason,” said Allison Kolp, who served asPLU’s interim head coach while Johnsontook a year off because of illness. “Wewere able to push Jay in practice furtherthan we did last year and increased hisdistance in the pool significantly. Jayknew what he needed to do this year, andhe was able to swim smarter races, whichcomes from experience.”Despite establishing those four swim-ming records, Jones did not receive aninvitation to compete in the NCAADivision III Swimming and DivingChampionships held in Minneapolis,Minn. His provisional qualifying times inthe 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard individ-ual medley and 400-yard individual med-ley all were more than a second slowerthan the cutoff for entry. The NCAADivision III national meet qualifyingstandards have become so fast that eventhe most successful swim programs in

the Northwest Conference – Whitworthand Puget Sound – get few athletes intothe national meet. You would have to goall the way back to Mike Simmons in1999 to find the last time that a PLUswimmer competed at the Division IIInational meet.Qualifying standards, already stringent,will plummet next year because mostDivision III national caliber swimmers aretaking advantage of the latest technologyin competition equipment – full-bodysuits. The suits have dramatically reducedtimes at every level. In fact, nearly everyworld record now on the books was set bya swimmer wearing the new suit.Jones, for his part, did not wear the newfull-body suit at the conference meet – yetstill set four school records. It is reason-able to assume that unless Jones gets oneof those expensive suits, he may nevercompete at the national meet.For his part, Johnson thinks that Joneshas the talent and work ethic necessary,even without the competitive body suit, totake the next step. “I’m confident thathe’ll get there the next two years, andwhen he gets there he’ll place (in the top16).”Jones, too, believes that he can qualifyfor the national meet in his two remain-ing years at PLU. “If I show the sameimprovement next season as I did this sea-son, then I definitely will find a spot atnationals. But the faster my swims get,the harder it gets to drop time off myraces. My primary focus next season willprobably be the same as this past season,which is just to beat my personal besttimes.”“He’s probably the most naturally giftedswimmer we have, and he has not reachedhis full potential,” Johnson said. “If hestays and swims four years he’ll be thebest swimmer we’ve ever had.”

—Nick Dawson

Swimmer Jay Jones rewrites the record books.And he’s only a sophomore.

S

ATTAWAY LUTES > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 23

PhotobyJordan

Hartm

an’02

24 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

alumni news and events

Alumni Recognition 2009

DistinguishedAlumnus Award

Through years of dedication andservice, this alumnus has achieved

professional or vocational distinction.

For his achievements within the pro-fessional organ community and hissupport of music at Pacific LutheranUniversity, David Dahl ’60 receives theDistinguished Alumnus Award.An accomplished performer andleader among his peers, David hasplayed recitals across the United States,Europe and Japan. During his 30 yearsof service as a faculty member and uni-versity organist, he encouraged eachstudent to develop his or her full poten-tial. David’s students have earned repu-tations not only as performers, but alsoas church musicians who understandthe value that fine music has for con-gregational worship.David earned his bachelor’s degree inmusic from PLU in 1960 and master’sdegree from the University ofWashington in 1962, followed byadvanced training in Europe. A studentof David’s identified him as a mentorwho possesses the “wisdom of a scholar

With NEARLY 40,000 active alumni, there is always a reason toapplaud and celebrate the accomplishments of our remarkablealumni and friends. Congratulations to all of our nomineesand to this year’s list of awardees.

and the humanity that puts it to servicefor others.” This is evidenced by hiscareer as a teacher, as achurch musicianfor Christ Episcopal Church, Tacoma,and his role in PLU’s acquisition of theacclaimed Gottfried & Mary FuchsOrgan in Lagerquist Hall.

OutstandingAlumnus Award

Awarded to an alumnus, beyond 15years of graduation, who has excelled in

a special area of life.

For her contributions to the field ofneonatal nursing, Jeanette Zaichkin ’78receives the Outstanding AlumnusAward.During her 30-year career in neonatalnursing, Jeanette has been a bedsidenurse, an educator and an author.Jeanette received her nursing degree fromPLU in 1978 and her master’s degreefrom the University of Washington in1986. She has served as a clinical nursespecialist in a variety of settings andserves as an editor and consultant for theAmerican Academy of PediatricsNeonatal Resuscitation Program.In 1996, Jeanette wrote “Newborn

Intensive Care: What Every ParentNeeds to Know,” a reference book forparents coping with the NICU experi-ence. This first edition received a SmallPress Book Award in 1997. TheAmerican Academy of Pediatrics recent-ly acquired the book, and this third edi-tion will be the first AAP publicationwith a nurse as the editor-in chief.Jeanette was named a DistinguishedAlumnus by the PLU School of Nursingin 1999. She currently works at SeattleChildren’s Hospital as the NeonatalOutreach Coordinator.

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Outstanding RecentAlumnus Award

Awarded to an alumnus, within 15years of graduation, who has excelled in

a special area of life.

For his outstanding scholarship anddedication to furthering social justice,Brian Norman ’99 receives theOutstanding Recent Alumnus Award.Brian, a PLU Regents’ Scholar, gradu-ated summa cum laude with degrees inenvironmental studies, French andwomen’s studies. His interest in lan-guage as a means of advancing social

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 25

justice led him to focus his career onblack, feminist and protest literature.Since earning his doctorate in Englishin 2004 at Rutgers University, Brian hastaught at both Idaho State University andLoyola College in Maryland, where he alsohelped develop and strengthen women’sstudies and African American studies pro-grams. His courses challenge students torecognize the complexity of past and pres-ent social injustices, and literature’sunique role in addressing them.A model scholar-citizen, Brian balanceshis civic activism around LGBT and otherrights with his publishing efforts. Hisfirst book, The American Protest Essayand National Belonging, has been calledthe “first book of its kind, heralding anew era in the field of protest studies.”

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SpecialRecognition Award

Awarded to an alumnus or friend of theuniversity who has served the university

in a unique or special way.

For their lifelong dedication to PacificLutheran University, Naomi ’53 andDon ’50 Nothstein receive the SpecialRecognition Award.

For more than 50 years, theNothsteins have been dedicated andsupportive Lutes. Their philanthropichand at PLU is evident in the KelmerRoe Fellowship. This research grant inthe humanities is competitive and pop-ular among students and faculty.As advocates for PLU in their churchand the community, the Nothsteins havealways shown a special interest in “futureLutes,” not only identifying qualifiedapplicants but taking the initiative toconnect them with admissions directly.Naomi worked tirelessly on her 50thclass reunion which, in large part to herefforts, was a huge success. Don, one ofthe first PLU graduates to attend med-ical school, served as a pathologist inthe Seattle area from 1961 to 1986.Don and Naomi’s sons, Greg and Phil,both graduated from PLU and theirgrandson, Kyle, will begin at PLU in thefall. Whether at homecoming, Choir ofthe West concerts or student capstones,the Nothsteins’ show a continuedinvestment in the life of PLU.

Heritage AwardAwarded to an alumnus for years ofdistinguished service to the university.

For his extraordinary service to PLUthat spans more than 50 years, Jim VanBeek ’59 receives the Heritage Award.Jim’s name has become synonymouswith PLU. As a student-athlete, Jim andhis teammates took Lute basketball tofour appearances in the NAIA NationalTournament, finishing second in 1959.Both the 1955-1959 team and Jim, as anindividual, have been inducted into thePLU Athletic Hall of Fame.As Dean of Admission and FinancialAid, Jim’s commitment and professional-ism had a positive influence on his col-leagues, many of whom have chosencareers in higher education. He broughthis passion for PLU to the Office ofDevelopment in 1991 and since then hashad responsibility for raising funds formore than 70 named endowed funds forstudent scholarships, athletics and othersupport. He was instrumental in obtain-ing funding for the Names FitnessCenter, the hardwood floor in OlsonAuditorium, renovations to Olson andother major gifts to the university.

celebrating the

accomplishments of

our remarkable

alumni and friends,

continuing PLU’S

long tradition of

giving back to our

communities.

alumni news & events

26 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

Alumni Recognition 2009

Alumni Service AwardAwarded to an alumnus who has

demonstrated outstanding volunteer lead-ership and/or service to the community.

For her long and distinguished recordas an educator and environmentalactivist throughout Pierce County,Thelma Gilmur ’42 ’46 receives theAlumni Service Award.Thelma developed her love of natureat a young age but first began to makeit her career when she was a teacher inthe Tacoma area. Whether in lessons toher children, students or Girl Scouts,Thelma ties environmental educationinto everything she does.Gilmur has played most every rolewithin the Tahoma Audubon chaptersince being a charter member in 1969.For her volunteer work since 2001, theTahoma Audubon Society awarded herLifetime of Service and Leadership inFebruary.In 2008, the Pierce CountyConservation Award, the Helen EngleLifetime Achievement Award, was givento Thelma from the Cascade LandConservancy for her role as an environ-mental advocate in the community.Snake Lake, China Lake, Swan Creekand the Gilmur Forest Preserve donatedby Thelma and her husband in 1998 are

Andy is from Arvada, Colo., and willbegin his master’s degree in appliedmathematics at University of Colorado,Boulder, beginning this fall.

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For being the embodiment of the uni-versity’s mission statement and herintended lifelong dedication to theUniversity,Maren Anderson ’09 receivesthe Brian C. Olson Leadership Award.Maren graduated a member of theprestigious Pinnacle Society and summacum laude in 2009 with a degree inNorwegian. Maren takes advantage ofmost all the opportunities the universityprovides to supplement the academicexperience.Her leadership roles as StudentOrientation Coordinator, StudentAlumni Association Executive Director,Co-Editor of the Mast and ConstituentRelations Intern show Maren as an indi-vidual who is passionate about connect-ing Lutes of all ages and walks of life.To these leadership roles, Maren bringsher ability to communicate and relate toeach person, her vast knowledge of theuniversity, and her gift of seeing poten-tial in every situation.Maren is from Tacoma, Wash., and willbegin her doctorate in Scandinavianstudies at the University of Washingtonthis Fall.

a few pieces of nature Thelma is bestknown for conserving.

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The Brian C. OlsonLeadership AwardPresented to a student who has

demonstrated commitment to the uni-versity and the alumni association. Byrecognizing the importance of connect-ing students and alumni, this studenthas shown a potential for lifelong serv-

ice to the university.

For his leadership, both abroad andon campus, and his intended lifelongdedication to the university, AndyGuinn ’09 receives the Brian C. OlsonLeadership Award.Andy graduated a member of the pres-tigious Pinnacle Society and summacum laude in 2009 with math andphysics degrees. Andy is a model for theliberal arts education, incorporatingideas from multiple disciplines into afour-year search for vocation.Andy took a focus on a global educa-tion to a new level by studying-away fivetimes during his college career. Hisinvolvement in a number of studentorganizations is evidence that Andyaccepts all opportunities to challengehimself academically and in theextracurricular. S

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS> PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 27

BALLOTALUMNI BOARD NOMINATIONS

OFFICIAL BALLOT2009-2010 ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The following candidates are nominated for the 2009-2010 Alumni Board ofDirectors. Please vote for two candidates – two response boxes are provided iftwo alumni live in the same household.

Detach this form and mail before Aug. 1, 2009, to the Office of ConstituentRelations, Nesvig Alumni Center, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA98447. You can also cast your ballot online at www.plualumni.org.

� � Laurie Soine ’87

� � Write-in candidate(s)

Hey, batter batter!

The Office of ConstituentRelations is proud to sponsor anight at Tacoma’s Cheney

Stadium as the Tacoma Rainiers takeon the Omaha Royals. The event willtake place Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m.Admission is $9.50, which includes ahot dog, chips, soda, the ball game anda fireworks show. Tickets can be pur-chased at www.alumni.org or by calling253-535-7415. Please register prior toWednesday, Aug. 12, as all tickets will bedistributed by mail following that date.

Hello from the Office ofCongregation Relations!

We are the newest addition tothe Constituent Relationsteam but, as before, we exist to

nurture the university’s relationship withthe 622 ELCA Region 1 congregations inthe Pacific Northwest. Along with KimKennedy-Tucker (pictured above, right) andour two student teammembers, thisoffice seeks to build relationshipsthrough visitations with congregations,pastors, students and families.Each year we host on campus eventsfor workshops, youth events and confer-ences such as the Summer TheologicalConference. Our office manages thePartner Congregation Program consist-ing of congregations who commit to bedonors to PLU and, in turn, receive a$1,000 scholarship for each of their con-firmands who choose to attend PLU.Congregation Relations also keepscorporation delegates connected to PLUby bringing them together on campusannually and updating them on hap-penings at PLU year-round.To learn more about us, please visitour website at www.plu.edu/~crel, or callus at 253-535-7423. Thank you!—Reverend G. Lee Kluth, Director

28 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > ALUMNI PROFILES

alumni profilesTilden flies high asAlaska Airlines’ newpresident

As a boy, Brad Tilden ’83 wouldlook up from the yard at hishome and see airplanes launch

into the sky from the nearby Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.Someday, he wanted to fly. And whilegoing to PLU and working toward adegree in business administration andaccounting, the high-energy Tilden didjust that – he took what money wasremaining from his summer jobs and

began training for a private pilot’slicense.Never did Tilden, 48, think he wouldone day become president of AlaskaAirlines.Tilden has worked for the Northwesticon for the last 18 years, holding anumber of posts including chief finan-cial officer, rising to the post of presi-dent in December 2008. Prior to joiningAlaska in 1991, he spent eight yearswith the accounting firm PriceWaterhouse at its offices in Seattle andMelbourne, Australia.A self-described geek and math lover,Tilden said he decided to go to PLU

because he thought of becoming ateacher, and the school had a goodreputation.But once at PLU, he changed hismind.“I noticed all the accounting majorshad job offers waiting for them in thefall of their senior years,” Tildenlaughed. Today he serves on PLU’sboard of regents.As he settles into his office, he looksat pictures of family members thatcrowd for space around his computer.They include his three daughtersLauren, 22, Jacquie, 20, and Maria, 17,and his wife, Danielle (Yoakum) Tilden

“To be competitive, you reallyhave to keep innovating andkeep changing.” —Brad Tilden ’83

ALUMNI PROFILES> PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 29

’84. Tilden’s sister, Juli Tilden ’86, is aLute, along with four of his wife’s siblings.When Tilden graduated from PLU in1983, the country was facing a crushingrecession. But then, as now, businesseswere hiring people who will roll up theirsleeves and do the hard work. And thinkcreatively. And be problem solvers, he said.“Every business has a shortage of thistype of employee,” he said.His college job at Amtrak helped himpay for PLU, but also taught him towork hard and be available to do what-ever. In his case, that meant washingdishes on the train. It was because ofthis job, in fact, he had saved enough topay for his pilot training.This do-whatever-needs-to-be-doneattitude has helped Alaska navigate anindustry that has weathered 9/11 andplummeting passenger counts, soaringfuel rates and, of course, today’s reces-sion. Tilden credits Alaska’s success to itspeople. “I don’t think you’d find a teamlike ours anywhere else in the industry.”Despite the recession, the company isin good shape, with $1 billion cash onhand (much higher than other airlines),and the airline has snagged another JDPowers award for customer satisfaction.And as to what keeps him up at nights?There’s the competition of the low-costairlines such as Virgin and Southwestalways nipping at the company’s heels.“To be competitive, you really have tokeep innovating, and keep changing,”he said of business survival in the 21stcentury.The company now has one of themost fuel efficient fleets in the industry(all 737s), was the first to sell tickets onthe Internet, the first to have check-inkiosks, the first to allow check-ins fromhome. After unusual items, Alaskareported a net income of $4.4 million in2008, its fifth consecutive profit. The$3.5 billion company has tripled in sizeduring the last 18 years.Given all the work at the office, andshuttling the one daughter still at hometo and from her events at IssaquahHigh School, there isn’t much time forhobbies – like flying or cycling, anotheractivity he enjoys.But he’s never lost that wonder of thatyoung boy looking up at the planes.He’d like to get back to flying again.“I know it sounds corny, but there’sreally nothing like it,” he said.

—Barbara Clements

Making dreams a reality,and making a realityshow, too

To say Maureen Francisco ’99 is ago-getter would be selling hershort.

A list of her accomplishments runslong and seems to have no end. Shecalls it just a start to her “Things SheWants To Do Before She Dies” list.She’s always wanted to run in amarathon. Now she’s run in four. Shewanted to be a television reporter. She’ssince worked in multiple markets. Shewanted to work for a non-profit. She’scurrently the media director for ChildUnited, which seeks to reduce theeffects of poverty in Third World coun-tries through education.It’s just the way she is, said JoanneLisosky, associate professor of commu-nication, whom Francisco credits asbeing a guiding force for her when shewas at PLU. The two still stay in touch.“It does not surprise me that she wentout and became a very powerful womanin the world,” Lisosky said. “She’sabsolutely charming – just delightful tobe around in every way.”But a recent adventure allowedFrancisco to indulge in something she’swanted to be a part of – reality TV.“I’ve always been fascinated with reali-ty shows,” she said. “But when you’re areporter there’s a conflict of interest.”So she put that dream on hold forawhile to focus on other projects. Thenshe moved on from reporting and

found herself a slot as a contestant onthe Fox Reality Channel’s Solitary 3.0.“I know I have time and there’s noconflict of interest,” Francisco saidwhen the show aired this Spring.The show is a grueling combination ofphysical and emotional challenges.Contestants are isolated in a room andgiven different challenges to complete.“It is a different kind of television,”Francisco said. “This is the only realityshow where you are playing againstyourself, because the only way you loseis if you quit.”It’s a true test of will, she said.Recently Francisco met her breakingpoint in a challenge that had contest-ants drinking a large quantity of milk –which if you’ve ever been part of a resi-dence hall “gallon challenge,” you knowthere’s only so much milk the body canabsorb before it comes back up.Although she didn’t win, Franciscosaid the experience was very positive.She was able to go beyond some of herpersonal thresholds.“Anytime I get to one of my big mile-stones, I realize anything is possible,”she said.“She’s a great role model for youngwomen, I think in many ways, because itwasn’t always easy for Maureen,”Lisosky said. “She always worked at it.”No longer on Solitary 3.0, Franciscohas jumped into other projects.She’s still the media director for ChildUnited and she’s continuing to pursueother media ventures.Oh yeah, and she’s finishing hermemoir.

—Chris Albert

“Anytime I get to oneof my big milestones,I realize anything ispossible.”—Maureen Francisco ’99

S

30 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

alumni class notesClass Representative positions available:1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944,1946, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1959, 1968,1980, 1987 and 1991.

1935Harold M. Dempster died Feb. 11. He issurvived by his wife Ida (Thompson)Dempster.

1936Class Representative – Volly (Norby)Grande

1938Elva Bergman Williams died Dec. 27.Elva attended PLU and the University ofWashington. She taught in Elk Plain,Wash., Ilwaco, Wash., and at StadiumHigh School, Tacoma. She is survived bythree sons, two daughters, severalgrandchildren and great-grandchildren;her brother, Jack Bergman, and sister,Mary Gurney.

1940Class Representative – Luella (Toso)Johnson

1941Evelyn (Knibbe) Elliott and her husbandChalmers celebrated their 65th weddinganniversary Feb. 14 at an eatery inPuyallup with their four children, fivegrandchildren and three great-grandchil-dren.

1942Edith Marie (Gustafson) McDaniel diedDec. 13. She was born Sept. 6, 1921, inTukwila, Wash. Edith loved PLU and washappy to attend the annual alumni break-fast for individuals who had been alumnifor 50 years or more. She was the FosterTukwila School District librarian andnever went anywhere without runninginto a friend or former student. She wasvery proud of her Swedish heritage. Edithis survived by her daughter-in-law, Amy,and two grandchildren, Miles andMelissa McDaniel. Her husband, Bob,and sons, Michael and Steve, precededher in death.

Emmy Louise (Hoff) Watson died Feb. 12.She taught third grade, worked as a con-sultant to the National Alliance ofBusinessmen and retired from theWashington State Employment SecurityDepartment. In 1945 she married Bill andthey celebrated 60 anniversaries prior tohis death in 2005. Emmy loved dancing,golf, shoes, reading, pretty dresses, poli-tics, cooking, the PLU girls and her fami-ly. She is survived by her daughters,Janice Watson-O’Connor and GayleWatson; son-in-law, Terry O’Connor; hersister, Betty Woodhams, and sister-in-

Jeanne Baird iswaltzing into hereighth decade,teaching aweekly Bibleclass, planningand escorting amonthly trip forseniors, and

working in a couple of volunteer organi-zations. The joy, pride and love of her life,however, is her garden. Drop by 4001 E. FStreet in Tacoma for a cup of tea, a tourof her arboretum and some old-fashionconversation.

1951Inez Irene (Larsen) Allen died Jan. 16.Inez was born Nov. 13, 1928, in Bristol,S.D., to Agnes and Lars Larsen. In 1941,her family moved to Tacoma. Whileattending PLU, Inez met and soon mar-ried Clifford Allen ’50. They moved northto Seattle, where they built a wonderfulhome, raised their family and sharedtheir lives for nearly 60 years. Inezworked for the Shoreline School Districtfor over 20 years, building many lifelongfriendships. Inez is survived by her lovinghusband, Clifford; son, Jeff (Barb) anddaughters, Kathy (Jerry), Debbie (Bob),and Teri (Kara). Grandchildren includeRyan, Amy, Sara, Alex, Sam, Emily andElli. She is also survived by sister, Loisand brother, Curt.

Glenn L. Evanson died Feb. 25. Glenn wasborn Sept. 8, 1924, in Arnegard, N.D., toNorwegian immigrants. He marriedBeverly R. Dodge in 1962 and they hadthree children. Beverly died in 1987.Glenn married Edith Cofer in 1993. Hewas employed for many years as ateacher in the Great Falls (Mont.) PublicSchool system. He retired in 1979 andworked several years as distributionmanager for Consumer’s Press. Hewas a member of St. John LutheranChurch. He is survived by his wife,Edith; sons, Timothy ’87, Jon (Maria) andDaniel; grandson, John; siblings, EleanorWright, Phyllis Hutchinson, Jean Ellenz,Gloria (Evanson ’54) Keller, DeloresPrice, Orvis Evanson and GeraldEvanson ’63.

Richard W. Rupert died Feb. 2. Dick grewup in Tacoma, served in World War II,and then came to PLU. Dick touched somany lives through his teaching. He wasboth a commercial and avid sports fish-erman. Dick enjoyed restoring antiques.He was most pleased working on hisfarm in Gig Harbor with his grand chil-dren and his two Dalmatians.

1953Class Representatives – Naomi (Roe)Nothstein and Carol (Schuler) Karwoski

1954Ernest Elmer Carlson died Jan. 9. In additionto PLU, Ernest graduated from AugustanaSeminary Lutheran School of Theology. Hecontinued to study the Swahili language atSyracuse University and AVCommunications at the University ofMinnesota. Following his ordination into theLutheran Ministry in 1959, he and his wifeNancy served as missionaries inTanganyika, Tanzania. After returning to theUnited States, he served as pastor atCalvary Lutheran Church, Minneapolis,Calvary Lutheran Church, Rush Point, Minn.,and for 20 years at Zion Lutheran Church, St.Paul. Ernest is survived by his wife of 49years, and their three children, Dr. RolphEric Carlson, Birgit Lyn Carlson and BjornEdward (Christin) Carlson; three grandchil-dren, Henry Christopher Croll, GraceElizabeth Carlson and Peter ChristianCarlson; brother, Carl (Sally) Carlson; broth-er-in-law and sister-in-law, Gary andRoberta Boxmeyer; son-in-law, David OttoSimanek and numerous cousins, niecesand nephews as well as many friends inplaces near and far. He will be sorelymissed by the many people whose lives hetouched.

1955Class Representative – Phyllis (Grahn)Pejsa

Richard C. Griswold died Dec. 22. Born inSpokane, Richard played football andobtained his bachelor’s degree from PLU.He married Lois Rae Boan, who precededhim in death. They spent most of their livesin Potlatch, Idaho, where Richard taughtmath and science. His passion was toteach, coach and help kids excel. While atPotlatch, he coached football, basketballand track. He later started the wrestlingprogram. After retiring in 1989 as the guid-ance counselor at Potlatch High School, hereceived a distinguished service awardfrom the Idaho High School ActivitiesAssociation. Survivors include two sons,Michael (Christina) Griswold and Patrick(Becky) Griswold; daughters, Marlee (Hoss)Eaton and Lynn Griswold; one brother,Bernard Griswold; and one sister, FlorenceKingrey; very special close friend, Cleo BellMcKown; and six grandchildren, ScottHolbrook, Derek and Brandi Griswold,Naomi Eaton, Hayley Couture and TrevorGriswold. He was preceded in death by hiswife, Lois, and his sister Evelyn.

Faith (Bueltmann) Stern recently pub-lished the book “Lots of Loy; Descendantsof Hans Jurich Loy.” This family historypublication is included in the Library ofCongress Genealogy Collection.

1956Class Representatives– Ginny (Grahn)Haugen and Clarene (Osterli) Johnson

law, Helen Hay; nieces and nephew,Dianne Hoff, Carolyn Hoff, Mary LouJones, Marcia Costa, Nancy McKibbin,Michael Hay and their families.

1945Class Representative – AnnabelleBirkestol

Fern Harriet Erickson died Jan. 8. Bornin Montana, Fern graduated from PLCand spent most her adult life inCalifornia. A teacher and much more,Fern was a sought after, benevolent,guiding light to three generations of fam-ily. She was adored and admired by all.She was always and simply Fern – con-cerned, interested, enthusiastic, patientand charismatic in the most understatedway. Fern wanted to know what youwere about, yet she never pried orjudged. She made time for everyone.There were no strangers in Fern’s life,just people she hadn’t yet met. She waselegant, gracious, dignified and egalitari-an. She left the world a better place.Three simple ideas guided her: be goodto yourself; stand aside and let lifeunfold, beautifully; this life or somethingbetter.

1947Class Representative – Gerry Lider

1948Class Representative – Norene(Skilbred) Gulhaugen

Mary A. Everson died Dec. 3. Mary wasborn June 4, 1926, in Washburn, N.D.,later moving to Portland. She receivedher nursing degree and served in the AirForce for 20 years. Mary is survived byher sister, Elizabeth Norcross.

1950Class Representative – DickWeathermon

Jess Thompson’s e-mail address [email protected]. He hopes someold schoolmates from the years rightafter World War II will contact him.

Signe (Baker) LaMont retired in June of2008 after spending 57 years as ateacher, beginning her career in Holden,Wash. She has been a member ofOberlin Congregational Church inSteilacoom since the age of two, whereshe has taught Bible school and Sundayschool for years. Her time is now spentvolunteering at the VA Hospital and theOld Soldiers’ Home. Signe is a member ofthe Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans ofForeign Wars and the Alpha Delta Kappa– Zeta chapter, an international sororityfor female teachers. Signe marriedJames LaMont on June 24, 1950.

Dean Warren Hurst died Feb. 25. Hegrew up in California and served in theArmy during the Korean War. He met hiswife, Lorraine while in the state ofWashington. They resided in San Diegofor 53 years, where he was a teacher for24 years. Dean is survived by his wife,Lorrie; daughters, Carla (Mark)Schwartzel, and Lynn and Kyja Hurst;grandsons, Jason (Joanna), Ryan,Brandon and Kevin Schwartzel; great-grandchildren, Daniel, Quinn, Emily andCayden Schwartzel.

1957Class Representative – Marilyn (Hefty)Katz

Mary Ann (Richardson) Pitzler died Jan.21. Mary spent years in service as achild and maternity nurse. After nursingshe embarked on a new career andstarted the Lake Hills MontessoriPreschool. Mary devoted the next 28years to teaching, encouraging andmolding two generations of children.

1958Class Representative – Don Cornell

Janet Laurene (Sveen) Sayers died Feb.12. She was raised in Yakima, Wash., andattended PLC and Central WashingtonCollege of Education. Janet worked forTrans World Airlines as a stewardess,where she met her husband, JosephSayers, also a TWA employee. Joe andJanet raised one son, Michael. A 40-yearresident of the same home, Janet was aneighborhood stalwart, typified by herconstant involvement in the close-knitcommunity. She was an avid and compet-itive Scrabble player and active in TWA’sphilanthropic and social organization.Janet is survived by her son, Michael andhis wife, Kim, their twin sons, Logan andCallum; and brothers Menton, and KermitSveen ’59 and their families.

1959Jon M. Wefald has announced his retire-ment at the end of the 2009 academicyear. Jon currently serves as the 12thPresident of Kansas State University,having held that position since 1986.

1960Class Representative – Marilu (Miller)Person

1961Class Representative – Ron Lerch

1962Class Representative – Leo Eliason andDixie (Likkel) Matthias

Gerald “Jerry” Eugene Mitchell diedMar. 4. He was born in Minneapolis andraised in Lake Oswego, Ore. He attendedPLU and graduated from California StateUniversity Hayward. Jerry served in theVietnam War, earning two Good Conductmedals. He spent his career as an

accountant and was an enrolled agentwith the IRS. He taught classes in realestate, tax preparation, bookkeeping andmath. Jerry enjoyed golfing, fishing,bridge, cooking and reading, and was amember of Christ Church Parish.Survivors include his wife of 41 years,Donna; his daughters, Janna Lee (Eric)Pendergrass and Erika Lynn Budd; hisbrothers, Richard (Caroline) Mitchell andPhilip (Barbara) Mitchell; and his grand-son, Connor Riley Mitchell.

Charles Mays died Mar. 5. He was bornin Colfax, Wash. He received a B.A. fromPLU, a bachelor of divinity from LutherSeminary in St. Paul, Minn., and a doctorof ministry from Pacific LutheranTheological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif.He loved being a pastor. His congrega-tions were in Fairfax, Va., Renton, Wash.,Minneapolis, Minn., and Port Angeles,Wash. Charlie advocated tirelessly for afair society. He was a scholar whoenjoyed learning and teaching. He is sur-vived by his wife, Sandy (Erickson ’83);his twin brother, Tom ’62; and sisters,Linda (Mays ’65) Branae and NancyMays ’73; daughters, Marsha Conces andMaryBeth Ryan; and son, Steve Mays.His grandchildren are Tim and NickConces and Nathan and Zachary Ryan.

1963Class Representative – Merlyn and Joan(Maier) Overland

Stanley Hagen died Jan. 20. He was bornin New Westminster, B.C., on March 11,1940. He was a small businessman, andas hardworking as he was effective,heading up 10 different ministries inBritish Columbia in a political career thatspanned more than two decades. Mostrecently, he was Minister of Agricultureand Lands in Premier Gordon Campbell’scabinet. Stan is survived by his wife,Judy, five children and extended family.

Robert E. “Bob” Johnson died Feb. 16.Bob was born and raised in Seattle,received his B.A. from PLU and his mas-ter’s degree in history from SanFrancisco State University. He taught formany years and designed an environ-mental curriculum. He owned theMoraga Book Company with his wifeMyrtis (Kabeary). Bob is survived by hiswife, Myrtis, daughter, Liv, brother, MarkJohnson and sister, Jacqueline Harris.

Alden Erickson died Feb. 2. He grew upin Tacoma before serving two years inthe army. After graduating from PLU witha degree in education, he spent the next16 years teaching math at Mann Jr. HighSchool. Al returned to school and got hismaster’s degree in accounting, spendingthe next 15 years as a controller. Heloved music, mathematical games, taxesand travel. Al was a good father, brotherand friend with a kind heart, gentle soul,and playful sense of humor. He is sur-vived by his children, Alden Erickson andDour Erickson (Penny Hopkins), and hisgrandchildren, Lauren and Brian

Erickson. He is also survived by hissister, Barbara (Erickson ’64) Edmonds(Ken ’64).

1964Class Representative – Jon and Jean(Riggers) Malmin

1965Class Representative – Dave Wytko

Daniel Jaech died Feb 22. He enjoyedtraveling, reading, golf and good humor.He is survived by his wife Barbara; hissons, Benjamin (Jamie) and Matt(Jessica); brother, John (Annie); anduncle, Emil and aunt Myrtle Jaech.

1966Class Representative – Frank Johnson

Richard Trainer died Jan. 10. Afterreceiving his B.A. from PLU, he contin-ued his studies at Willamette Universityand Eastern Washington University. Richserved his country several years in theArmy Reserve and the Coast Guard. Hewas an active member of AmericanLegion Post 163 and was a MasterMason at the Masonic Lodge, FridayHarbor, Wash. Richard loved the beautyof the outdoors, especially sailing, golf-ing, biking, hiking and camping. His pas-sion for sailing combined with friend-ships brought him to San Juan Islandand “home.” Rich is survived by hisbrother, Phil Trainer ’77 of Graham,Wash.; his sister, Cindy Warrington andbrother-in-law Ken of Calgary, Alberta,Canada. His niece and nephew Jenniferand Jeff Trainer of Wash. and his twonephews, Ryan and Matt Warrington ofCalgary, also survive him.

Ingrid (Otheim) Beard lost her husbandon Apr. 14, 2008. He passed away whileat King Solomon Christian Camp inSolomon, Kan. They were involved in RVministry through their Christian Churchcalled S.O.S. Ingrid makes her home inBrunswick, Ga.

1967Class Representative – Craig Bjorklund

1968Mike and Janet(Estes ’66)Douglas’ twingranddaughterswere exposed toPLU basketballat a PLU vs.CaliforniaLutheran

University game. The girls play on a trav-eling basketball team. Mike and Janet’sson, Rob is the Director of YouthMinistries at their church WestminsterPresbyterian Church in Westlake Village,Calif.

Penny (Johnson) Leake, Ph.D., R.N. haswon an American Journal of Nursing

2008 Book of the Year Award in theElectronic Media category for her projectentitled “Community/Public HealthNursing Online.” Penny wrote and devel-oped over 50 online case studies illus-trating the roles of nurses in communityand public health settings. Her project isbeing marketed to accompany four of theleading community and public healthnursing textbooks published by ElsevierPublishing Company, a leading publisherof health science books. Leake is on thefaculty at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa,in the Department of Nursing.

1969Class Representative – Rick Nelson

Philip Petrasek has been awarded theTom George Award for Man of the Year inhonor of his lifetime of community serv-ice, and recognition as a renowned phi-lanthropist in Ferndale, Wash. Philip andhis wife, Linda (Simundson ’70) havespent their married life reaching out tothe communities and churches in areasthey have adopted as home. Philip ispastor of Christ Lutheran Church, coordi-nator of the Ferndale Community ServiceCooperative, member of the PoliceAdvisory Commission, as well as theCritical Incidence Stress ManagementTeam for Ferndale. He is active in theCommunity Coordinating Association andworks with Mayor Gary Jensen andPolice Chief Michael Knapp on concernsand issues in the community..

1970Class Representative – Bill Allen

Eric Godfrey now holds the dual title ofvice president and vice provost for stu-dent life at the University of Washington.The joint decision was declared by bothUW President Mark Emmert and Provostand Executive Vice President PhyllisWise. Eric has been working in studentlife positions throughout his career, firstat California State University LongBeach, then at the Pennsylvania StateUniversity, and most recently at PLU. TheDivision of Student Life at the UW con-sists of 2,000 full- and part-time employ-ees responsible for 16 different depart-ments on campus.

Jim Aageson was honored by ConcordiaCollege with the Wije DistinguishedProfessorship, the college’s prestigiousaward for scholarship and teaching.Aageson is chair of the Division for Artsand Humanities at Concordia and hasbeen a model teacher-scholar in the reli-gion department since 1985. He is knownas a challenging teacher who supportsstudents as they begin the serious studyof religion. In the past year, Aageson hashad two books published: “The Future ofLutheranism in a Global Context” and“Paul, the Pastoral Epistles and the EarlyChurch.” His expertise on the ApostlePaul is widely recognized among NewTestament scholars, and his recent bookon Paul is included in the distinguishedLibrary of Pauline Studies.

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 31

Gary Edwin Brandel died Dec. 1. Garytreasured every friend. He had an appre-ciation for fine wines and gourmet cook-ing as well as a passion for gardening,photography, jewelry making and otherartistic endeavors. During the holidays,Gary would create the most amazing gin-gerbread mansions to donate to variouscharities. His early years were spent inthe grocery business at Alameda Foodsin northeast Portland where he devel-oped many friendships. His currentcareer as a learning and developmentconsultant at Wells Fargo brought himgreat satisfaction. Gary was married toJudy (Benson) for 40 years. They wereblessed with three sons, Scott (Tanya),Sean, and Ryan; and two grandchildren,BZ and Haley.

Richard Swenson is now teaching oralEnglish in China after teaching manyplaces in the United States during thepast 40 years. JingDeZhen is the birthplace of porcelain and is a remarkableplace to teach. Richard had a lifelonginterest in ceramics and art, havingtaught for more than 30 years at the uni-versity level. He is enjoying a great life inChina and plans to retire there someday.Feel free to contact him at [email protected].

1971Class Representative – Joe Hustad, Jr.

1972Class Representative – Molly Stuen

1973Class Representative – Karen(Wraalstad) Robbins and Sandy (Dimler)Privett

Alvina (Hauf) Olstead was ordained asan ELCA pastor Oct. 12 in Ferndale,Wash., by Bishop William Chris Boerger’71. She moved to Opheim, Mont., withhusband, Halvar Olstead ’71, where sheis serving as pastor of the First LutheranChurch of Opheim. She is also teachingmusic part time in the Opheim PublicSchools. Halvar and Alvina are bothretired from teaching and have threegrown children and grandchildren.

Jim and Glenda (Ostrem) Donovan bothretired last July from the CentennialSchool District in Portland, Ore. Glendaspent 24 years as an elementary class-room teacher. Jim spent 11 years as anelementary teacher and 24 as an elemen-tary principal. Their daughter, Emily(Donovan ’04) Ehigh is a second gradeteacher in the Federal Way SchoolDistrict. She and her husband, Tommy areexpecting their first child in April.

1974Class Representative – David Johnson

Ann (Balerud) Stump is a full-time NeuroICU charge nurse at Texas HealthResources/Presbyterian Hospital inDallas. Her husband Brian is a professor

of geophysics at Southern MethodistUniversity. They are now proud grand-parents, times two: Kevin and AlishaStump became parents of SawyerWilliam on Sept. 19, 2008, in Plano,Texas; and Julia and David Morrisonbecame parents of Ava Claire Dec. 26,2008, in Richardson, Texas.

1975Class Representative – Helen Pohlig

Hub Walsh was sworn in as MercedCounty Supervisor. He beat out fourother hopefuls to win the District 2 seat.Hub is married to Rita and has two chil-dren and one grandchild. He holds abachelor’s degree in psychology andsociology from UC Berkeley, a master’sdegree in social science from PLU and asecond master’s degree in businessadministration from California StateUniversity Stanislaus.

William E. Powell, General Motors NorthAmerica vice president of industry-dealeraffairs, retired in March. Bill began hiscareer with GM in 1977 at Buick MotorDivision in Flint, Mich. He moved througha span of sales assignments prior tobecoming general manager of the dealernetwork investment and developmentgroup, and later the regional generalmanager of GM’s Southeast region for thevehicle sales, service and marketingorganization. He played a key role in thesuccessful realignment of GM’s channelstructure and dealer network during achallenging period for the industry.Importantly, he was instrumental instrengthening GM’s dealer developmentprogram, which was the first in the indus-try according to GM Chairman and CEORick Wagoner. Bill graduated with abachelor’s degree from Indiana University,and earned a master’s degree fromPLU.

1976Class Representative – Gary Powell

1977Class Representatives – Leigh Erie andJoan (Nelson) Mattich

Jayne (Adams) Clement retired from theYelm School District after teaching 31years. She has remarried and is startingher second career running a drivingrange and mini golf course in Olympia,Wash., with her new husband.

Janice (Ritchey) Jones sang at CarnegieHall with the choir Novum ChamberSingers. Jan serves as the group’s presi-dent. She currently is a music teacherat Westridge Elementary in LakeOswego, Ore.

Kristi (Sagvold) Spohr was honored bythe Greater Othello Chamber ofCommerce as teacher of the year. Kristiis a French teacher at Othello HighSchool. She has accompanied studentsto France eight times and sings in achurch choir.

1978Class Representative – Pete Mattich

Elizabeth James has been promoted todirector of the distance education pro-gram at the Tulane University School ofPublic Health and Tropical Medicine. Inthis capacity she directs one of the old-est and most established programs forstudents getting a masters degree inpublic health entirely online.

1979Class Representatives – Dave and Teresa(Hausken) Sharkey

Jeffrey Allen Craig died Dec. 5. Jeffreygrew up in the Federal Way, Wash., area.He graduated from PLU, where he methis wife of 20 years, Darla (Berg ’86)Craig. Jeff enjoyed outdoor activitieswhich led him to scouting where heearned his rank as Eagle. He had a zestfor learning, humor and cooking, but soc-cer, friends, and family were his passion.He is survived by his wife, Darla and twochildren, Kyra, 10, and Kian, 4. Other sur-vivors are brothers, Brad and Wade ’85;sister, Rachelle Katzman; parents, Jimand Jan Craig; and nieces and nephews,Justin, Kelsi, Tulley, Keely, and KobyCraig and Alison, Kayla, Ben and AnaKautzman.

Leslie Forsberg is the author of a newtravel guidebook “Wanderlust andLipstick: Traveling with Kids,” which canbe found in bookstores. She is writinganother book, “Moon Pacific NorthwestGuidebook,” due to be published in early2010. Leslie also writes about travel forseveral magazines. When not on theroad, she lives in Seattle with her hus-band and 15-year-old daughter.

1981Class Representative – Dean and Susan(Lee) Phillips

Fredi “Edna” (Giesler) Staerkel wasawarded tenure and promoted to associ-ate professor at the University ofWisconsin in Oshkosh.

1982Class Representative – Paul Collard

Andrea(Leuenberger)Slichter hasaccepted a newposition asnational salesmanager forNovelty Hill andJanuik wineries.

Prior to joining Novelty Hill and Januik,Slichter served as a regional sales man-ager overseeing an international portfolioof premium wines. Novelty Hill andJanuik are independently owned winer-ies that share a tasting room and produc-tion facility in Woodinville, Wash. Andreaand her husband Jim make their home inFreeland, Wash., located on WhidbeyIsland.

Susan Caulkins has become an associ-ate at Davies Pearson after having beenin private practice on the KitsapPeninsula for more than 20 years. Shelooks forward to expanding her work tomeet the needs of Davies Pearson’sPierce County clients. Caulkins graduat-ed from Northwestern School of Law atLewis and Clark College in 1985.

1983Class Representative – Dave Olson

1984Class Representative – MarkChristofferson

Rod Nubgaard received the CoastGuard’s Superior Achievement Award –its highest civilian award – for leadingpeople, programs, resources and policiesmanaging the Coast Guard Exchange,morale well-being, and recreation pro-grams.

1985Class Representatives – Janet (Olden)Regge and Carolyn (Plocharsky) Stelling

Karen Calfas will become the new assis-tant vice chancellor in charge of studentwellness at the University of California,San Diego. Her new role includes pro-moting and expanding the existing stu-dent affairs wellness initiative, fundrais-ing for and development of a new stu-dent wellness center, and transformingexisting departments under her oversightinto a more cohesive and collaborativesource of holistic wellness services.Karen has been part of the San DiegoState University faculty as a full profes-sor and has been directing theDepartment of Health Promotion underStudent Health Services since 1992. Shehas been an adjunct professor at theGraduate School of Public Health since2005 and an assistant clinical professorat the Department of Family andPreventive Medicine at UCSD since 1994.Karen received her doctorate in 1990from UCSD and her bachelor’s from PLU.She has been a licensed psychologist inthe state of California since 1993.

Kathleen Martin remembers getting upearly in the morning while living in HongHall to attend her golf classes from Mr.Carlson. While she was learning whichclub to use, her older brother Greg“Piddler” Martin was working as a cad-die on the PGA tour for Dan Forsman.Greg just wrote a book called “CaddieConfidential,” about the life and times ofa caddie on the PGA tour.

1986Class Representative – Stacey (Kindred)Hesterly

Eric Larson joined the U.S. StateDepartment Foreign Service in Januaryof 2008 as an information managementspecialist and is now posted at the U.S.Embassy in Algiers, Algeria. If you areheaded that way or would like to talk

32 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009> ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

1935Harold M. Dempster on Feb. 11.

1938Elva Bergman Williams on Dec 27.

1942Edith Marie McDaniel on Dec. 13.Emma Louise Watson on Feb. 12.

1945Fern Harriet Erickson on Jan. 8.

1948Mary A. Everson on Dec. 3.

1951Inez Irene (Larsen) Allen on Jan. 16.Richard W. Rupert on Feb. 2.Glenn L. Evanson on Feb. 25.

1954Ernest Elmer Carlson on Jan. 9.

1955Richard C Griswold on Dec. 22.

1956Dean Warren Hurst on Feb. 25.

1957Mary Ann (Richardson) Pitzler onJan. 21.1958Janet Laurene (Sveen) Sayers onFeb. 12.Norman Forness on Apr. 2.

1962Gerald “Jerry” Eugene Mitchell onMar. 4.Charles Mays on Mar. 5.

1963Stanley Hagen on Jan.20.Alden Erickson on Feb. 2.Robert E “Bob” Johnson on Feb. 16.

1965Daniel W. Jaech on Feb. 22.

1966Richard Trainer on Jan. 10.

1970Gary Edwin Brandel on Dec. 1.

1979Jeffrey Allen Craig on Dec. 5.

Friends and FacultyCarrol DeBower, professor emeritus ofeducation, and longtime PLU facultymember died Jan. 23. He came to PLUin 1965, remaining here as an educa-tion professor for all but two of thenext 27 years. Carrol believed that stu-dents learn when they are active andengaged, and his teaching mirroredthat philosophy. He was also the driv-ing force behind PLU’s educationaladministration program. His mostimportant and lasting legacies maywell be the hundreds of educators wholearned and improved their craftthrough his tutelage.

John Schiller, professor emeritus ofsociology and longtime PLU facultymember, died Mar. 10. John often saidthat it was out in the community where

In Memoriamhe could test what he was teachingand, through those experiences,teach theories and concepts to hisstudents in a more meaningful way.Schiller became PLU’s second sociol-ogy professor in 1958 after serving asa parish pastor and Protestant chap-lain for 10 years. During his 33-yearcareer at PLU he chaired the sociolo-gy department, served as Dean ofthe Division of Social Sciences,directed the division’s graduate pro-grams, and was instrumental in thecreation of the social work program.He was PLU’s Regency Professor in1976-77.

Charles A. Peterson died Mar. 3. Hiswife, Joanne (Van Lierop ’61)Peterson and daughter, Jennifer(Peterson ’05) Barnett were by hisside. Peterson earned a Ph.D. in busi-ness at the University of Minnesota,and subsequently taught at PLU for20 years. Charlie also started and rannumerous businesses, as well as run-ning the 700 Club Operation Blessingand its counseling center. Charlieplanned to run a mission school inHong Kong, but returned to Puyallup,Wash., after suffering a stroke andcontracting multiple sclerosis.

Margaret Olive Moilien died Nov. 18.Margaret was a second-generationdescendent of Norwegian immigrants.Margaret taught school, marriedJerrold, and moved to Portland, Ore.,when her husband accepted the callto become pastor of Central LutheranChurch. She was widowed in 1971.She served on the Board of Regents atPacific Lutheran University. In 1969she launched a new career in commu-nity service, eventually becomingassociate director of NeighborhoodHouse, providing family, aging andemergency services. During this time,Lutheran Family Services Northwestestablished an award in her namegiven annually to an individual for out-standing community action and volun-teer activities.

Retired Lt. Col. Howard L. Vedell diedMar. 25. Howard came to PLU in 1967,following a 25-year career in the U.S.Army. During his 23 years at PLU,Howard served as the business andpurchasing manager. After retire-ment, he remained active in a num-ber of organizations including theMilitary Order of World Wars, youthleadership programs, ROTC scholar-ships and Rotary scholarships.Howard was an avid bridge playerand could be found playing weekly atFaculty House with the same groupfor more than 30 years.

about a career in the Foreign Service, e-mail him at [email protected] [email protected].

1988Class Representative – Brenda Ray Scott

1989Class Representative – Lisa (Hussey)Ferraro

Whitney Keyes has just published a bookcalled “Media Tips for Authors.” Whitneyis the President/CEO of Whitney KeyesProductions in Seattle.

Michelle (Williams) Bailey and her hus-band, Brad, own Memorial Gallery. Thegallery carries more than 800 items by morethan 40 woodworkers, stone carvers, sculp-tors, painters, metallurgists, glass blowersand other artisans. The urns and jewelrymade to store cremation ash are used forboth humans and pets.

Sandra Cochran has been elected execu-tive vice president and chief financial offi-cer of the Cracker Barrel Old CountryStore, Inc. She will have responsibility forall aspects of the company’s finance,accounting, strategic planning, investorrelations and information services func-tions. Previously, Sandy served as chiefexecutive officer and president at thenation’s third largest book retailer, Books-A-Million.

Julie (Didier) Frazier works at theUniversity of Puget Sound in the office ofannual giving. Her husband, John, is in his12th year as a real estate agent withColdwell Banker Bain. Their 10-year-olddaughter, Hanna, attends ConcordiaLutheran School. They reside in Tacoma.

1990Class Representative – Sean Neely

Kristen (Bennett) Johanson competedin the Lavaman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii,last April through Team in Training, whichbenefits the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.She did this in honor of her brother, Karl,who has since passed away from leukemia;however, he was alive at the time of theevent. Kristen’s sister, Karen (Bennett ’92)and brother-in-law Alan Herr ’92were veryhelpful in watching her kids while shetrained. Anyone who is interested in becom-ing a bone marrow donor can find out moreinformation atwww.marrow.org.

Erik D. Benson, a partner with the Seattle-based venture capital firm Voyager Capitalfor the last 10 years, recently joined theboard of directors of the Nordic HeritageMuseum in Ballard (www.nordicmuse-um.org). Erik’s family includes wife, Jenny(Moss ’91) Benson and 20-month old son,Soren.

1991Ron Shrum has accepted a yearlongassignment in Grottaglie, Italy, to perform

supply chain recovery lead duties forBoeing at a 787 partner site.

Kauna Ben Shingenge, along with hiswife, Justina and son, Erastus, 14, hasmoved from the United Nations tobecome a diplomat in Tanzania. Heserves in the ministry of foreign affairs inthe Namibian Embassy.

Brenda I. Morris has been named CFO ofIcicle Seafood Inc.

1992ClassRepresentative –Darcy (Pattee)Andrews

Paul Nordquistand MelissaBraisted weremarried Nov. 14

in San Francisco. Paul is with the RossDivision of Abbott Laboratories andMelissa is an architect with JensenArchitects in San Francisco. Alumsattending the festivities were Kevin ’94and Kristi (Osborne ’99) Eager, DavidJerke ’03, Ted ’55 and Alzora (Albrecht’57) Carlstrom, and Paul’s parents, Phil’56 and Helen (Jordanger ’57) Nordquist.

1993Class Representative – Barbara (Murphy)Hesner

Cliff Mills graduates from the Universityof Washington’s School of Social Work inJune with his MSW in clinical socialwork. He is continuing his duties asa supervisor at the King County CrisisLine. He will also be working out ofone of the emergency rooms in KingCounty.

1994Class Representatives – Dan Lysne andCatherine (Overland) Hauck

Shannon Tillyand CraigNorton weremarried in SaltLake City.Immediate familymembers BartTilly ’89 and EarlTilly ’56 were

Included in their wedding party. Shannonand Craig live in Salt Lake City where sheis an OB/GYN and Craig is an E.R. nurse.Both are avid bikers and skiers.

Mai Yang has been promoted to socialservices supervisor in the communityservices division of the aging communityservices division of the Washington StateDepartment of Social and HealthServices.

1995Class Representative – Christi Rupp

Esther Chon married Charles ThomasBohannon Sept. 23. Esther hopes all is



well with her School of Nursing class of1995. She would like to be e-mailed [email protected] with anyinformation on how everyone is doing,especially her friends that are livingoverseas.

Skyler Cobb is now serving as regionalsales manager for Franke CoffeeSystems of Seattle. He resides inMeridian, Idaho.

Karl Hosethreceived aTeacher of theYear award fromthe BethelEducationAssociation. Hewas selected forhis hard work

and dedication to students and theirlearning communities.

1996Class Representatives – Mari (Hoseth)Lysne and Jennifer (Riches) Stegeman

Ed Hrivnak was one of 20 people hon-ored with the Red Cross Real HeroAward by the American Red CrossMount Rainier Chapter. Twice last yearEd was on the Spanaway Lake shore atthe right time. Three people credit himwith saving their lives during two sepa-rate water rescues. Ed credits his wife,two neighbors, and a friend who assistedin the events.

Joseph Paull is a program manager forNorthrop Grumman TASC. He is currentlymanaging a U.S. Department of Defensecounter narco-terrorism program inAfghanistan.

Isaiah Johnson has been appointed asthe first and only African-American prin-cipal in the Auburn School District. Heserves as principal of Cascade MiddleSchool. A pioneer through most of hislife, he assumes his new role with greatpride. Isaiah makes a home with his wifeLeta and three children, Elijah, 11, Azaria,6, and Neviah, 3.

1997Class Representatives – Andy andStephanie (Merle) Tomlinson

Aaron Christian was named Coach of theYear in the Cascade CollegiateConference. Aaron is in his third seasonas Concordia University Women’s bas-ketball coach. He guided his team to a29-4 record, a share of the regular sea-son crown, and a first-ever berth to theNAIA Tournament.

1998Class Representative – Shannon(Herlocker) Stewart

Eric Lowe and Kristen Heath ’04 weremarried March 9, 2008. The weddingparty included Mark Brannfors ’97 andMichele Anderson ’97. Eric is the son of

Tom ’63 andMary Jo (Nelson’64) Lowe.Kristen receivedher master’s ofpublic health atPortland StateUniversity in2006. Currently,

Eric and Kristen live with their two catsand work in information technology atCentral Washington Hospital inWenatchee, Wash.

Raymond Brandt RN BSN just opened anew business: American Rare Coins andCollectables in Tacoma at the FreightHouse Square. He is a professionalnumismatist. He and his wife Rachel livein Tacoma.

Carolyn Benard has moved across thecountry to work at The Corps Networkand continues to support the corpsmovement. She lives in Washington, D.C.,and reports that it is an exciting place tobe right now.

Daniel Bennettmarried AmyVan Der Meulenin March of2007. He is apolice officerwith the city ofBellingham,Wash. She is a

nurse. The couple resides in Noosack,Wash.

1999Class Representative – Julie (Johnston)Bulow von Dennewitz

2000Class Representative – Ashley Orr

David Jaspers was ordained a deaconlast year. In June he became a priest atthe Archdiocese of Portland (Ore.). Davidgrew up at St. Paul Church in Eugene,Ore., attending the parish school. Healways sensed when someone was hurt.He was a regular kid who wanted to be aprofessional football player. While at PLUhe studied Spanish and history, ran track,and played football. It is important toDavid to inspire young men to be open toa religious vocation.

2001Class Representatives – KeithPranghofer

2002Class Representatives – Nicholas Gorneand Brian Riehs

Captain Lee Demotica joined theNational Guard in 2006 after being onactive duty for four years. He is currentlythe Army Medical Department recruiterfor the Hawaii Army National Guard.

Kelly Panem and her husband Daniel

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Hanamoto have recently moved toTucson, Ariz. Their son Camren joinsthem in their home and they are expect-ing twins in June.

Matthew Edminster married NicoleElizabeth Newlands on June 21, 2008.Matthew recently obtained the rank ofcaptain in the U.S. Air Force. He servesas a flight nurse on California ShockTrauma Air Rescue. Nicole is a financialcounselor. They live in Livermore, Calif.

Chuck WoodardmarriedMichelleWesterberg Oct.11 at Our Ladyof the MountainCatholic Churchin Ashland, Ore.The wedding

party included three PLU alumni; ChrisRoden, Jasen Bennie, and Steve Yahns’01. Several EMAL families were in atten-dance for the service and reception.Chuck is a project manager at CascadiaPM, LLC and Michele works for theOregon Tourism Commission. Theyreside in Salem, Ore.

2003Class Representative – Elisabeth PynnHimmelman

Stacey Kreitz received her master’sdegree in social work from the Universityof Wisconsin in Green Bay and isemployed with Brown County, Wisc.,Human Services Child ProtectiveServices.

Angela Hansenmarried PeterOlson ’08 Aug. 3at MountainView LutheranChurch inPuyallup, Wash.They are livingin West Seattle

where Peter is a marketing manager forJobvana.com. Angela teaches sixthgrade in Kent, Wash., and recentlyearned her National Board Certification.Their wedding party included GinaHansen ’00, Nicole (Uken) Carstensen,Kendall Looney, Audrey (Pinning) Miller,Keith Olson ’01, and Erick Hansen ’06.Angela is the daughter of Karen(Henderickson ’71) Hansen.

Captain Brett Phillips is a health carerecruiter with the First MedicalRecruiting Battalion stationed inHuntington, W.V.

Captain Aaron Morrison is currentlydeployed to Afghanistan.

Whitney Kruse married Sam Forck Feb.21 in Bothell, Wash.

2004Class Representative – Tammy LynnSchaps

Elizabeth Stone married Joseph G. Floodin August. She is a science teacher inthe Highline School District. The coupleresides in Tukwila, Wash.

Captain Zachary Nesary is currentlydeployed to Baghdad out of Fort Carson,Colo. This is his second tour in Iraq.

Stephen Blas was awarded the distin-guished Bronze Star for his acts of brav-ery. “When placed in extraordinary cir-cumstance … ordinary people rise to theoccasion, and so, a hero is born,” saidCapt. Cox, the commanding officer at theceremony. Proudly representing Navymedicine, Stephen served as a mentor toAfghan medics during his deployment.

2005Class Representative – Micheal Steele

Bryce Robbert married Sarah Lamb July26, 2008, at the First Presbyterian Churchof Walla Walla, Wash. Lute Colin Suess’04 was part of the wedding party. Bryceis an environmental scientist for WhiteShield Inc. Sarah is a high school mathteacher in the Clover Park SchoolDistrict. The couple makes their home inEdgewood, Wash.

Laine Waltersmarried MichaelYoung Sept. 1.Fellow Lutes inattendancewere Wendy(Liddle ’03)Skorburg andTrista Winnie

’06. Laine is now working as a parishadministrator for Church of theRedeemer, an Episcopal parish inChestnut Hill, Mass. Michael works asdeputy administrator for the town ofNatick, Mass.

Kendall Blair has moved to Des Moines,Iowa after working as a research techni-cian at Children’s Hospital and RegionalMedical Center in Seattle. She startedmedical school at Des Moines Universityin the fall of 2007. Kendall will be movingto Detroit, Mich., in August to completeher last two years. She has both served inand led medical service teams to ElSalvador through the global healthdepartment at Southern MethodistUniversity. Earlier this year, Kendall wasnotified that she was awarded an intern-ship at the World Health Organization.She will be spending six weeks inGeneva, Switzerland, this summer study-ing complications of labor and delivery.

2006Class Representative – Jenna(Steffenson) Serr

Melanie Newport is graduating with amaster’s degree in American history fromthe University of Utah and will pursue aPh.D. at Temple University in the samesubject. She studies conservative socialmovements.


Rachel Hesse married Jason Brown Jan.16, 2007, in Tacoma. Rachel is a familycounselor at Youth Villages in Nashville.The Browns reside in Lebanon, Tenn.

Noah Baetge, a tenor, won the regionalfinals for the Metropolitan OperaNational Council auditions, an annualnational talent-seeking event for NewYork’s Metropolitan Opera Company. Tenfinalists will be chosen to compete forthe grand finals. The biggest reward forwinning the MONC auditions is a career.Many finalists go to the Met’s YoungArtist training program and get roles withthe company.

Kym Pesola got a great job working inthe marketing and communications officeat Fuqua School of Business at DukeUniversity, the eighth-ranked MBA pro-gram in the United States.

Holly Hughes has edited a book “BeyondForgetting: Poetry and Prose aboutAlzheimer’s disease.” Through the powerof poetry, the works written by 100 con-temporary writers enable the reader tomove beyond forgetting, the stereotypi-cal portrayal of Alzheimer’s disease, tohonor and affirm the dignity of thoseafflicted. Holly’s chapbook “Boxing theCompass” was published in 2007 and herpoems and essays have appeared in anumber of literary journals and antholo-gies. She teaches writing at Edmonds(Wash.) Community College, where sheco-directs the Convergence WritersSeries.

First Lieutenant Jennifer Hyatt attendedthe Army’s OB/GYN course in Hawaii.She has been working in thePostpartum/Antepartum unit at WomackArmy Medical Center at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Megan Coughlinis starting off2009 as MeganWinchester. Shewas marriedDec. 28.

Nicole Potts married Joseph Hawe Aug.16 in Puyallup, Wash. PLU alumni thatwere part of the bridal party includedRachael Cook, Stephanie Turner andDona McAlpine. Nicole graduated fromPLU with a B.S. in physical education,and in May earned her master’s degreein occupational therapy from PacificUniversity in Hillsboro, Ore. The groomearned his B.A. in business administra-tion from St. Martin’s University.

2007Class Representative – Kaarin Praxeland Maggie Morgan

Sarah Kirkegaard has signed a deal withPrimary Care Sequim (Wash.) to practicemedicine as a nurse practitioner forthree years. She and her husbandJohn Shelley have an organic gardenand run their home with solarenergy.

Chelsey Elliottmarried KyleMcGuire Nov. 7at the PuyallupPavilion. Sheworks inRocklin, Calif.Her motherRose Elliott ’05

teaches at Collins Elementary school.

2008Class Representative – Christy OlsenField and Courtney Stringer

Chelsea Gorrow recently joined the NCWMedia ranks as the new Leavenworth-Peshastin reporter. Her resume includestime spent blogging for the TacomaNews Tribune, work at a television sta-tion in North Carolina as well as for CNNInternational in Great Britain.

Bonnie Nelson received a GuilfordAward from Psi Chi, the National HonorSociety in Psychology. Her third placeaward was for her submitted paper andresearch on “Working Together or Not;Do Mutual Contributions ImpactRapport?” Bonnie is a summa cum laudegraduate currently serving a year as anAmeriCorps NCCC team leader inColorado. She plans to attend graduateschool in educational psychology.

Elna Himmler was honored with the 2008Steilacoom Historical EducationFoundation Alumnus Award during halftime at the Steilacoom High School alum-ni basketball game. Elna works with 18-to 21-year-old students who have multi-ple learning and living disabilities in aThurston County School.

Future Lutes1990

Kara Hermstad-Buckaloo mar-ried DerekBuckaloo July14, 2007, atCampLutherhaven onLake Coeurd’Alene, Idaho.

They welcomed Matthew DerekBuckaloo on Apr. 7, 2008. Matthew joinshis big brother, Kai, 11, and big sister,Anneli, 8. They and their parents residein Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Kara worksfor Nordstrom and Derek is assistantprofessor of history at Coe College.

1993Mark and Hollie(Jantz ’95)Eastmanannounce thearrival of FinnElijah Eastmanon Oct 2. Hejoins two broth-ers, Haden, 6,

and Liam, 3. Mark is teaching math atFerris High School in Spokane, Wash.Hollie works hard at home and runs theFunky Junk Antique Show twice ayear(www.funkyjunkantiqueshow.com).

Kori (McNary)Dewing andhusband Bobwelcomed theirsecond childinto their family.Alana AnneDewing wasborn Jan. 10 and

joins brother Ciaran, 2.

1996Annette(Goldstein) andMike Mueller’99 were blessedwith their thirdchild KaiEmersonMueller onThanksgiving

Day, 2007. Kai celebrated his first birth-day in grand style with a turkey dinner.His older siblings Mackenzie, 7, andEvan, 5, provide lots of entertainment forhim and love him tremendously.

Michael Gintz and wife Anne becameparents of a baby girl on Feb. 28. AllisonAnne joins two older sisters at theirhome in Federal Way, Wash.

1999Zach and Heidi(Johnson) Hiattwelcomed a newdaughter, SawyerMarie, to theirfamily on Aug. 6.Sawyer joinsbrother Cameron,2. They live in

Richmond Beach, Wash.

Lori (Johnson) Rogers and husband Paulcelebrated the birth of their daughter Liaon July 27. Lia resides with her sistersJaida and Amaya in Seoul, South Korea,where her mom is an educator with theDepartment of Defense DependentSchools and her father is a business con-sultant.

2000Veronica(Paulson) andhusband JasonKaipainen ’99welcomed theirsecond child onChristmas Eve.Jaron Philip

weighed 8 lbs., 7 oz. and was 20 incheslong. He joins Cameo, 6, who is a wonder-ful sister. Veronica is an elementaryschool counselor in Spanaway and Jasonis a software programmer for TrueBlue,Inc. They reside in Puyallup, Wash.

Micah Warrenand wife Carolwelcomed theirfirst two children,Levi Micah andHenry Aaron, onJan. 27, 2008.

Micah is an instructor of mathematics atPrinceton University.

Crystal (Landers)Burman and hus-band Philip wel-comed their firstchild, LukeWestley Burmanon Sept. 19. Theycurrently live in

Renton, Wash.

Jennifer(Vredenburg)Narciso gavebirth to a babygirl, Nina Grace,on Oct. 14.Jennifer is theathletic secretary

at Franklin Pierce High School inTacoma.

2001Shari (Dodge) and John Schock ’02 cele-brated the birth of Megan Jane on Nov. 3.She joins siblings Grace, 5, and Nathaniel,3. Shari is a stay-at-home mom and Johnis a software engineer at Intel Corporation.They reside in Lakewood, Wash.

Leyna (Oshiro)Okamura andhusband Nathanare introducingthe newest addi-tion to theOkamura ’ohana:

Jordan Makaio, born Oct. 19. Jordanjoins sister Kelcie, 2.

Jennifer (Dickinson) Johnson and hus-band Steve became parents of a babyboy, Jordan Brian, on Oct. 3. Jennifer isthe director at My World Too Childcare.The Johnsons reside in Tacoma.

Adam Atkinsonand Lisa(Dahlgren)Atkinson have anew addition totheir family,Maya MaurineAtkinson, bornSept. 4. She

joins brother Kyle, 3. The family makestheir home in Boise, Idaho.

2002Justine Colomboand MarkHammond cele-brated the birthof their son, BoSpencer, on May26, 2008. His

friends call him “Mohawk.” They live inEverett, Wash. Justine is a part timesocial work discharge planner atProvidence Regional Medical Center.Mark is a program manager/consultantfor DSHS, in the Aging and DisabilityServices Administration.

2003Dana(Rasmussen)Kiehl and hus-band Jake wel-comed daughterSiena Rubyinto their familyon Oct. 3, 2004

Daniel andBreanne (Pautz)Tanzer celebrat-ed the birth of ason, AlexanderJoseph Tanzeron Dec. 15. TheTanzers live in

Sweden where Daniel is a banker andBreanne is a teacher.

2006William Conine and his wife Amandawelcomed son William into their familyon Dec. 24. William is a software engi-neer at General Dynamics C4 Systemsand Amanda is a homemaker. Theyreside in Oviedo, Fla.

Allyce (Doody) Valladres gave birth to ababy boy, Kai, on Mar. 4.


S

1997Brian van Valeyand his wifeKelly welcomeda third child,Baylor John,into their familyon Oct. 22.Baylor joins hissiblings Angus,3, and Finley, 2,at their home in

Snohomish, Wash.

Kim Arendsgave birth to sonSage William onJan. 20.

1998John Aiken andwife Erika(Hedeen ’99)became parentsof a baby girl,AnnabelleGladys, on Oct.13. Annabellejoins brother,Samuel, 3, at

home in Tacoma. John is the dean of stu-dents and the wrestling coach at AuburnHigh School.

BOOKST O

BACKPACKS

giving back

During the first four months ofa special scholarship funddrive, gifts totaling almost

$300,000 have been given to help stu-dents who may have a difficult timefinancing college during this uncertaineconomy.Project Access is a fund-raising initia-tive designed to provide $1 million and300 scholarships of $3,500 each to newand continuing students at PLU.“Last fall, when we were confrontedby what is an unprecedented meltdownof the nation’s economic system, itstruck me that we were heading intoa very difficult time financially formany PLU students and theirfamilies,” said PLU President Loren J.Anderson.“So the question became: What spe-cial initiative might the universityundertake that would help shore upour financial aid program and ensurewe are doing the best job we possiblycan in support of current and prospec-tive students and their families?” hesaid.The answer became Project Access.Since the initiative began in February,more than 750 donors have fundedone or more Project Access Q Clubscholarships, or a portion of a scholar-ship, depending on their ability to give.Fully funded $3,500 scholarships arenamed in the donor’s honor or in thehonor of a loved one. Donors also willreceive a profile of the student whoreceives their support.“One thing that we have learned isthat concern for our students and theirfamilies is shared broadly by PLU grad-uates and friends of the universityalike,” Anderson said. “Donors to thisproject are a remarkable combinationof people. There are those who areamong our lead donors each and everyyear. And there are those who are lessfrequent contributors. Both have seenthe need and stepped up to do a bitmore for students in this unprecedent-ed time.”

Scholarship program helps students throughchallenging economic times

financial aid program. So, in the end,all students will be helped.”

—Greg Brewis

More than 95 percent of students attendingPLU rely on financial aid in the form of grantsand loans. You can help meet the needs of thesestudents by supporting Project Access. Visit usonline atwww.plu.edu/project-access.

GIVING BACK > PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 37

“I’m paying for college

myself, and without the

Q Club scholarship, I simply

wouldn’t be here.”

– Jenna Callaway

Project Access assures that the univer-sity will be able to put together thestrongest package of financial aid foreach and every student. “There will be anew series of named scholarships whichwill link donors to specific students andthat is always exciting and, I think, pos-itive,” Anderson said. “Most of all, itprovides a stronger base for our entire

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38 PLU SCENE SUMMER 2009 > PERSPECTIVE

perspectivecontinued from back page

group through our interaction withthe people who live in these communi-ties. First, the sense of discomfort wefelt when entering these communities,because we belonged to a world eco-nomic order that, for the inhabitantsof these communities, is alwaysbeyond reach.Second, we couldn’t help but noticea basic imbalance in our relation tothe people we encountered there.While we could enter their communi-ties freely, be generously housed andfed, they could not so easily do thesame. They do not travel to “visit” us,but to survive. The stories they told ofcrossing the border, and their experi-ences in the United States were, incontrast to ours in their community,filled with hardship, discriminationand fear.Naturally enough, we wanted to helpand yet the hard lesson we had to learnis that we could not – at least in anydirect way. For we could not change thedynamics of global trade which havecaused a kind of forced migration ofmen from these communities. Norcould we take any action against the vio-lence that these communities have suf-fered at the hands of Mexican nationaltraditions and political structures.Instead, the most productive role wecould play was to bear witness to thestories we heard. That is, our responsi-bility lay in the United States, not inMexico. For the problems besettingthese people, our understanding andrespect was more important thanclothes, shoes or money.It is perhaps an understandablereflex that, when we in industrializednations picture the “global citizen,” we

imagine Americans or Europeansabroad, building water pumps, ordonating money for schools inAfghanistan. While this kind of workcan indeed be important, our experi-ence in rural Mexico brought home theimportance of moving past this reflex-ive understanding of global citizenshipto one that emphasizes, above all, lis-tening and dialogue. —Carmiña PalermCarmiña Palerm is assistant professor of

Spanish at PLU.

PART TWOPacific Lutheran University encour-ages its students to become global citi-zens, priding itself on offering a globaleducation with programs on all sevencontinents. In its most honorable pres-entation, this international perspectiveinspires students to think beyondthemselves as Americans, to look athow the American way of life impactsother cultures and countries. In itsmost respectable form, it promotes a“World of Understanding” that stu-dents can use to learn about culturesand cultural diversity in the UnitedStates and abroad, develop intercultur-al skills and become involved citizens,both locally and globally.However, during my semester inOaxaca and as part of my Kelmer RoeFellowship research project on emigra-tion, I found myself wondering whowas included in the definition of globalcitizen and how the migrants impactedby globalization defined themselves.I discovered the term “global citizen”didn’t translate into a definition theMixteca people could understand. TheMixteca region has the highest migra-tion rate in Oaxaca. Some villages have

as much as a 50 percent decrease intheir population due to migration.Frente Indigena OrganizaciónBinacional (FIOB), is an organizationthat is part of the Mixteca communityboth in Oaxaca and in California, wherethe large Mixteca population has creat-ed their own transnational communitywhich they call Oaxacalifornia.This to me clearly signified a concep-tion of global citizenship. However, aspointed out by Centolia MaldonadoVasquez, regional director of FIOB inJuxtlahuaca, “global citizen” is an aca-demic term that has no meaning to herdaily life. Neither did the term“transnational” have meaning. “We area bi-national organization,” she toldme. “This is because our people are hereor in the United States. Although I amin solidarity with people from CentralAmerica, bi-national represents our truereality, our daily struggle.”I was amazed by the clarity and sim-plicity of the statement. Terms meansomething. The term “global citizen”carries within it an altruistic ideal thatis based on a unity of human equalityand posits peace, justice and sustain-ability for the entire planet. However, itis also a vague term that cannot bedefined by the best way to achieve this.It is also subjective and potentiallyexclusive of more pinpointed activismlike that of the Mixteca.Receiving a global education isundoubtedly important. Hearingdirectly the stories of people’s lives andstruggles is different than reading it ina book. However, multiple realitiesworldwide may not lead to one answeron how to achieve global justice andsustainability. It may even result in per-spectives that are in opposition to oneanother. The importance of conscien-tious action abroad cannot be underes-timated; neither can one neglect thehome component. In this way weinspire an effective and comprehensiveimpact both locally and globally.—Jackal TanelornJackal Tanelorn graduated from PLU in

May with a major in Spanish and minors inNorwegian and religion. He was one ofCarmiña Palerm’s students in the Oaxacagateway program.

GIFTS FROMAROUND THE WORLD

S

CALENDAR > PLU SUMMER 2009 39

calendarcontinued from inside front cover

July 12, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.KPLU Jazz Cruise with the Thomas MarriottQuartet

July 15, 11:30 a.m.Raspberry FestivalRed Square

July 16, 7-9 p.m.Jazz Under the StarsVocalist Dina BladeMBR Amphitheater

July 23, 7-9 p.m.Jazz Under the StarsDan Kramlich Trio (pianist andPLU jazz faculty member)MBR Amphitheater

July 26, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.KPLU Jazz Cruise with Pearl Django

July 30, 7-9 p.m.Jazz Under the StarsIsland Jazz Quintet, featuringvocalist Maggie LairdMBR Amphitheater

June 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m.KPLU Art of JazzSeattle Art Museum

June 12-13Charting Your Course 2009University Center, Regency Room

June 13, 8:30 a.m.HIV Class for SpringAdministration Building, 214

June 15Charting Your Course 2009University Center, Regency Room

June 15, 5:30 p.m.Summer Theology Conference DinnerFaculty House

June 16, 6 p.m.Summer Theology Conference DessertReceptionFaculty House

June 17, 11:30 a.m.Strawberry FestivalRed Square

June 26, 2 p.m.Nordlyset Strawberry FestivalUniversity Center, Scan Center

June 26-July 5Vancouver (British Columbia) InternationalJazz FestivalSponsored by KPLU

June 26-July 5JazzFest International (Victoria, B.C.)Sponsored by KPLU

JULY

July 8, 4:45 p.m.SCC Executive Board MeetingsUniversity Center, Scan Center

July 8, 5:30 p.m.SCC Council MeetingsUniversity Center, Scan Center

July 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m.KPLU Art of JazzSeattle Art Museum

July 9, 7-9 p.m.Jazz Under the StarsKareem Kandi Group (Saxophone)MBR Amphitheater

AUGUST

August 5, 11:30 a.m.Peach FestivalRed Square

August 6, 7-9 p.m.Jazz Under the StarsDavid Joyner Trio (pianist and PLUjazz faculty member)MBR Amphitheater

August 7-9Anacortes Arts FestivalSponsored by KPLU

August 9, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.KPLU Blues Cruise with Lloyd Jones

August 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m.KPLU Art of JazzSeattle Art Museum

August 13, 7-9 p.m.Jazz Under the StarsGary Scott Quartet(saxophone) S

continued on page 38

PLU Scene, Tacoma, Washington 98447-0003Address change: If this copy of Scene is addressed to your son ordaughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home,please notify the Office of Constituent Relations with his or hernew mailing address. You can reach us by phone at 253-535-7415 or1-800-ALUM-PLU. You can also fax us at 253-535-8555 or [email protected] with the new information. Thanks!

By Carmiña Palerm and Jackal Tanelorn

PART ONE

The field of Subaltern Studies cameinto existence to address a per-ceived problem with the way that

existing scholarly paradigms in anthro-pology, Latin American studies, andmany other fields, had understood the“objects” of study: people in culturesother than those of the scholar.Subaltern Studies sought to engage thesubaltern as an ally and participant inthe academic process. The communitiesbeing studied in this way, at least partly,have a voice in describing themselves,rather than always being described as theOthers by the dominant culture.

Subaltern Studies has sometimes beenmisused by scholars, who have used it togive blanket explanations of power rela-tions within a given society, rather thandoing the careful work of examining thecomplexity of these relations in detail.However, it nevertheless proved usefulto me and to my students when, as partof the 2008 PLU Fall Gateway Programin Oaxaca, we partnered with an organi-zation called Witness for Peace to exam-ine the effects of recent trade policies oncommunities of indigenous people inrural areas of Mexico.Witness for Peace argues that, whilefree trade may have benefited con-

sumers in industrialized countries, ithas also decimated many rural commu-nities of Mexico.Our group visited two communitiesin Southern Mexico: the region of theMixteca in Oaxaca and the communityof Tzajalchen in Chiapas. What we wit-nessed in these communities wereindigenous groups who have not onlybeen marginalized from the world eco-nomic order, but from the political andcultural structures of the nation theyreside within.Two things became clear for our

During their time in Oaxaca, Mexico, student Jackal Tanelorn and professor Carmiña Palerm found the term ‘global citizen’ has little meaning to the communitymembers that live there.

perspectiveRethinking the global citizen

scene magazine - summer 2009

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