Inside: > PLU plays Benaroya Hall, 4 > Norm Forness ’58, 21 > Athletic Hall of Fame, 22

CLASSACTSThe everyday triumphs, joys andchallenges of eight dedicatededucators – all Lutes – at a singlebustling middle school.

Page 14

calendar

SEPTEMBER

September 4, NoonFaculty Library Liaison LuncheonUniversity Center, Room 201

September 7, 1 p.m.Common Reading Program Kick-Off:“Persepolis” by Marjane SatrapiA reception, followed by a facultypanel and discussionUniversity Center, CK

September 8, 9 a.m.Opening ConvocationOlson Auditorium

Sept. 9, 8 p.m.Norwegian pianist Knut Erik Jensen pres-ents “Nordic Elegance,” featuring pianomusic by Norwegian composers from1900-1950Lagerquist Concert Hall

September 10, 5:30 p.m.KPLU Art of JazzSeattle Art Museum

September 11, 3 p.m.Division of Social Sciences LectureXavier Hall, Nordquist Lecture Hall

September 11, 6 p.m.Night of Musical Theatre2009 Vocal AuditionsUniversity Center, Scan Center

September 12, 6:30 p.m.Night of Musical Theatre2009 Dance AuditionsEast Campus Gym

September 15, 11:30 a.m.Lutheran Public Policy Office LuncheonPaul Benz discusses the ministry and thelegislatureUniversity Center, 201

Students take advantage of the sunshine outside of Xavier Hall. Photo by Jordan Hartman ’02

continued on inside back cover

September 15, 6 p.m.Semester Away Returner WelcomeHong Hall, Main Lounge

September 17, 7 p.m.Film screening: “Sin by Silence”University Center, CK

September 22, 4 p.m.Natural Sciences Division Summer 2009Undergraduate Research Program Poster &Oral Presentation SessionMorken Center, Public Events Room andAtrium

September 23, 9 a.m.Study Away FairUniversity Center, Regency Roomand Room 206

September 24, 7 p.m.Faith and Reason DialogueUniversity Center, Scan Center

OCTOBER

October 1-4Homecoming 2009: “Live from PLU”www.plualumni.org

October 4, 1-5 p.m.Neeb Center (KPLU) Dedicationand Open HousePLU campus

October 5, 7 p.m.Brian Norman PresentationXavier, 150

October 8, 5:30 p.m.KPLU Art of JazzSeattle Art Museum

October 9, 3 p.m.Division of Social Sciences LectureXavier, Nordquist Lecture Hall

October 11, 3 p.mThe Lyric Brass Quintet performs KarinRehnqvist’s “Valv-Vaults” for Brass QuintetLagerquist Concert Hall

October 12, 7 p.m.The Fifth Annual Dale E. Benson Lecture inBusiness and Economic HistoryUniversity Center, Scan Center

Pacific Lutheran University Scene Fall 2009 Volume 40 Issue 1

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Greg Brewis

EDITOR

Steve Hansen

MANAGING EDITOR

Barbara Clements

WRITERSGreg BrewisSteve HansenBarbara ClementsJoshua Reiman ’03Tina Reindl ’07Chris AlbertNick Dawson

PHOTOGRAPHER

Jordan Hartman ’02

ART DIRECTOR

Simon Sung

ONLINE MANAGER

Toby Beal

CLASS NOTES

Mari Peterson

EDITORIAL OFFICES

Hauge AdministrationBuilding #207253-535-8410scene@plu.eduwww.plu.edu/scene

PLU OFFICERS

Loren J. AndersonPresident

Steven P. StarkovichActing Provost and Deanof Graduate 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

Sumerlin Larsen ‘01Associate Director forAlumni and ParentRelations

G Lee Kluth ‘69Director,Congregation Relations

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

Volume 40, Issue 1Scene (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,deveops@plu.edu.© 2009 by PacificLutheran University

ADDRESS CHANGESPlease direct anyaddress changes toalumni@plu.edu or800-ALUM-PLU

ON THE COVERPrincipal Isaiah Johnson’96 hugs one of his middleschool students. Photo byJordan Hartman ’02

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 FALL 2009 3

Scene

inside

Alethea Dozier ’02 at the door of her classroom at Cascade Middle School.

4 Here & Now

8 Life of the Mind

10 Why uncertainty anddiscomfort are notalways bad thingsA PLU grad reflects on his timeabroad and how it has changedthe way he engages the world

COVER STORY:

14 Class ActsThe everyday triumphs, joys andchallenges of eight dedicatededucators – all Lutes – at a singlebustling middle school

20 The ArtsPLU musicians tour China likerock stars 30 Alumni Class Notes

40 Perspective

A young girl whom Joshua Reiman met duringhis travels in India. See page 10

Norm Forness,see page 21

21 Giving BackThe generous spirit ofNorm Forness

22 Attaway Lutes2009 PLU Athletic Hall ofFame inductees

24 Alumni News& EventsHomecoming 2009: Live from PLU!

28 Alumni Profiles

here & now

4 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > HERE & NOW

Big changes forChristmas Concertschedule

For the first time, PLU’s annualChristmas Concerts will have aSeattle venue that is as inspiring

as the music: Benaroya Hall.On Monday night, Dec. 7, the Choir

of the West, University Chorale andmembers of the University SymphonyOrchestra will present joyous anthems,processionals, carols, narration and

audience participation in Seattle’s pre-miere musical venue, home of theSeattle Symphony. Not only is the larg-er, acoustically brilliant hall a fittingstage to showcase the talents of PLU’sfinest student-musicians, it will be amarvelous opportunity to introducegreater Seattle to PLU’s signature musi-cal event. Friends and alumni of PLU,save the date – and be sure to bringsome friends.In Tacoma and Portland, the

Christmas Concert is also moving. Oncampus, performances will take place

in PLU’s Lagerquist Concert Hall, itself amagnificent venue. To ensure that moreconcertgoers can enjoy the smaller, moreintimate venue, the concert will takeplace on three dates, Dec. 6, 10 and 11.In Portland, the concert will shift to

the beautiful Newmark Theater on Dec.5. The change in venue will allow morefriends and alumni in the greaterPortland area to begin their holiday sea-son in the PLU spirit.More details, including ticket infor-

mation will be available soon atwww.plu.edu/christmas.

PLU’s annual ChristmasConcert celebration is setto play Seattle’s BenaroyaHall on Dec. 7.

PLU honored for itsinternational programs,new magazine, fundraising and more

It’s been a year for heady accolades atPLU – all on a national level. Theawards included recognition for envi-

ronmental sustainability, global educa-tion programs, publication programimprovement and fund raising.In March, the university received an

award from the EPA for purchasingmore green power than any other schoolin the Northwest Conference of theCollege & University Green PowerChallenge Championship program.PLU’s purchase of nearly 8 million

kilowatt-hours of green power is theequivalent amount of electricity needed

Mortvedt Library. The next phase of theproject includes filming in China andan international search for related his-torical material.PLU is serving as the fiscal home for

the project. Initial fund-raising effortshave been led by Tacoma philanthropistGeorge Russell and PLU PresidentLoren Anderson. To date, more than$200,000 has been raised toward a totalproject goal of $700,000.“To put it simply,” Anderson said,

“Sidney Rittenberg’s story is totallyunique, and it needs to be told. Thearchival materials already produced area research treasure for students and fac-ulty who seek to understand the emer-gence of modern China.”For more information, to view clips or

make a donation to this project, visitwww.stourwater.com/development.html.

Sidney Rittenberg ‘TheRevolutionary’

S idney Rittenberg never plannedto go to China. But PLU’s visit-ing professor of Chinese studies

ended up living there for 35 years,becoming the only American thoughtto personally know every Chineseleader from Mao Zedong to PresidentJiang Zemin. Even after being wrong-fully jailed by the Chinese governmentfor 16 years, Rittenberg remains dedi-cated to fostering cooperation betweenChina and the U.S.

Rittenberg has been asked by morethan a dozen filmmakers to tell hisstory. Now he has granted documen-tary filmmakers Lucy Ostrander andDon Sellers of Stourwater Pictures theright to produce a film on his life.Along with veteran CBS and PBS

Frontline producer Irv Drasnin, theyare producing “The Revolutionary,” afeature-length theatrical documentaryabout Rittenberg’s life.“This film is very much about China

and the American experience in Chinaand from a depth and perspective werarely have the opportunity to experi-ence,” Drasnin said. “It doesn’t oftenget this personal or insightful or reveal-ing.”Phase one of research for “The

Revolutionary” has been completedand includes more than 20 hours ofinterviews with Rittenberg and hiswife, Yulin Rittenberg. Complete tran-scripts and the recordings of theseinterviews are now available in

of Scandinavia AT PLUA unique series of concerts and lectures will takeplace this fall with noted Scandinavian musiciansperforming and discussing their work.

MUSIC

SEPTEMBER 98 p.m. - Lagerquist Concert HallNorwegian pianist Knut ErikJensen presents “NordicElegance,” featuring pianomusic by Norwegian composersrarely performed in the UnitedStates.

OCTOBER 113 p.m. - Lagerquist Concert HallThe Lyric Brass Quintet willperform Karin Rehnqvist’s“Valv-Vaults” for Brass Quintet

OCTOBER 138 p.m. - Lagerquist Concert HallPLU’s University SymphonyOrchestra and conductor JeffreyBell-Hanson will perform KarinRehnqvist’s “Arktis-Arktis!” inan all-Nordic program to alsoinclude Sibelius' Violin Concertoperformed by faculty violinistSvend Rønning.

NOVEMBER 108 p.m. - Lagerquist Concert HallPLU’s University SymphonyOrchestra and faculty flutistJennifer Rhyne will perform EgilHovland’s “Concerto for Piccoloand Orchestra.” Also on the pro-gram is a world premiere perform-ance of “Glaciers” by James Romigconducted by Jeffrey Bell-Hanson.

KARIN

REH

NQVISTBYES

TERSO

RRI

FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION, VISIT

www.plu.edu/music

HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 5

PhotobyFred

Housel

80here & nowcontinued

6 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > HERE & NOW

to power 800 homes in the U.S.Just two weeks later, PLU received the

2009 Senator Paul Simon Award forCampus Internationalization, a presti-gious award that honors outstandingefforts on and off campus to engage theworld and the international community.PLU was the first and only private col-lege in the West to receive this honor. A variety of programs brought PLU

into consideration for this award. Theuniversity has focused on global schol-arship for 30 years, and more than 40percent of its students participate in atleast one study-away program beforethey graduate. With the support of theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a $2million endowment was set up to helplow-income students study away.Finally, more than 35 Fulbright studentscholarships have been awarded in thepast decade to PLU scholars.

In May, the Council for Advancementof Education, CASE, awarded PLU’snew U magazine, which is sent toprospective students, a gold medal forbest improved publication in the nationthis year.Finally there was the extraordinary

June announcement that PLU has beenawarded a 2009 Council for theAdvancement and Support ofEducation-WealthEngine Awards forEducational Fundraising. This award

honors superior fund raising programsin the United States. PLU was selectedto receive the overall performanceaward, based on an analysis by CASE ofthree years of fundraising by the univer-sity. The CASE award covered the fundraising years spanning 2006 through2008 totalling more than $45 millionand more than 50,000 gifts.In considering the programs, CASE

judges used several factors to recognizeinstitutions including those that showsolid program growth, breadth in thebase of support and other indicationsof a mature, well-maintained program.Some of the gifts during that timeincluded funds earmarked for theMorken Center, the Wang Center, PLU’snursing program, Eastvold renovations,international studies and an endowedchair for Holocaust studies.

Curricular reformensures continued educational excellence

W hat it means to be a well-educated person may seemimmutable. It’s not.

General education programs evolveslowly, punctuated occasionally bymoments of significant revision. One ofthose moments bore fruit this fall atPLU when the faculty introduced newstudents to the revised general educa-tion program of coursework that isrequired for every student to graduate.“It always strengthens a university,

and the educational experience of stu-dents, when the faculty pauses to lookat the purposes and strategies for pro-viding high-quality education,” saidProvost Patricia O’Connell Killen.Rather than core requirements or

general university requirements, thenew standards have been conceived ofand owned by the faculty as a fullyintegrated program.“With our new General Education

Program, students will better appreciatethe importance of this coursework totheir education and their overall goalfor university study,” Killen said.One major change in the program is

that each academic unit responsible for

an element of general education hasprovided a clear description of the pur-pose of that element.“Students will more readily see how

general education integrally relates totheir majors and minors, their particu-lar educational goals and their careergoals,” Killen said.Surveys of alumni over decades have

shown that, a few years after gradua-tion, PLU alumni report that they wishthey had taken more general educationcourses.“Through general education, students

gain capacities for critical analysis, ver-bal and written expression, approach-ing problems from multiple perspec-tives and argumentation,” Killen said. “That gives them imaginative capaci-

ty, skills in questioning and the abilityto be able to make sense of the rapidlychanging situations in which they findthemselves, whatever their life or careerchoices.”For complete background on the

General Education Program, visitwww.plu.edu/~gened/.

Make it 80 Fulbrights

This fall, Abigail Fagan ’09, willmake her way to Germany toteach English as the 80th

Fulbright Student Fellow from PLU.“I wanted to pursue this for two huge

reasons,” Fagan said. “One – I want tospeak better German and what betterway to do that than to celebrate lan-guage with German students of English.“The second reason is – I’m really bad

at change. I don’t like change, but Ialways learn so much about myselfthrough new experiences. I’m reallyexcited to learn about Germany throughthose sorts of changes in environmentand experiences.”PLU graduates have gained the repu-

tation of strong placement and partici-pation in the U.S. Fulbright StudentFellowship – in 2007 PLU was one ofthe top four masters-level institutionswith regard to the number of studentscurrently participating in the presti-gious fellowship. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of

State and named for U.S. Senator J.

PLU’s new magazine for prospective students, ‘U.’

80ACCOLADES

the University of North CarolinaPress, it will be released Nov. 15,2009.

Doug Page, sen-ior developmentdirector of giftplanning, has beennamed Presidentof the Associationof Lutheran

Development Officers (ALDE), oneof the nation's leading organiza-tions of Christian fund raising pro-fessionals with membership of morethan 900 throughout the US andCanada.

Paul Ingram,professor emeritusof Religion, pub-lished a new booktitled “The Processof Buddhist-Christian

Dialogue.” It is published byCascade Books. Ingram’s 2008 book,Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in anAge of Science, will be the subject ofa panel discussion at the annualmeeting of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies in November.John Moritsugu, professor of psy-

chology, co-authored “CommunityPsychology, 4th Edition,” with F.Wong and K. Duffy. The text, published by Boston, Allyn andBacon, was released in the spring of 2009.

A researchpaper co-authored byChung Shing-Lee, associateprofessor of busi-ness, has been

selected as one of the 50 best arti-cles of the 15,000 reviewedthroughout 2008 by the EmeraldManagement Reviews. The paper,titled “The DNA of IndustrialCompetitors” and published in theResearch TechnologyManagement, earned an EmeraldManagement Reviews Citation ofExcellence.Maria Chavez, assistant profes-

sor of political science, co-authored “Should I Stay or ShouldI Go? Explaining why mostMexican immigrants are choosingto remain permanently in the U.S.”The article was published in thejournal Latino Studies. It is thefourth article she has co-authoredsince joining PLU in 2006.

AndrewFinstuen, assis-tant professor ofreligion, has writ-ten “Original Sinand EverydayProtestants: The

Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr,Billy Graham, and Paul Tillich inan Age of Anxiety.” Published by

HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 7

William Fulbright of Arkansas, theFulbright program was established in1946 to “increase mutual understandingbetween the people of the United Statesand the people of other countries.”“The Fulbright Fellowship is an ideal

match with the global focus of this univer-sity,” said Troy Storfjell, assistant professorof languages and literatures, and the uni-versity’s Fulbright program adviser.The first Fulbright Student Fellowship

awarded to a PLU student was in 1975.

What to do with a whale skeleton?

W hat do you do when you suddenly find yourself inpossession of a gray whale

skeleton? When a PLU biology prof anda few students were confronted with theproblem, they went to Amazon.com.And sure enough, there was a bookcalled “How to Clean a Whale.”To find out the whole story – and

what, exactly, they are going to do withall those bones – watch the videowww.plu.edu/whale-bones.

New endowed chair ineducation created

Anew endowed chair has been cre-ated in the School of Educationand Movement Studies – the

Jolita Hylland Benson Endowed Chair inElementary Education. Funded by Dale and Jolita Benson

through The Benson Family Foundationof Portland, Ore., the inaugural appoint-ment to the Jolita Hylland Benson Chair isLeon (Lenny) Reisberg, professor in theDepartment of Instructional Developmentand Leadership in the School of Educationand Movement Studies.Dale and Jolita Benson both attended

PLU and graduated in 1963. Daleearned a BA in history and then a mas-ter's degree and a doctorate from theUniversity of Maine. He has had a longand successful career in the financialindustry. He is a member of the univer-sity’s Board of Regents.Jolita graduated from the School of

Education and has dedicated her life toeducating children. Throughout her

career Jolita exhibited unique gifts forrecognizing the needs of children andproviding them the support and posi-tive regard that allowed them to flour-ish. The Jolita Hylland Benson Chairexists to advance these goals for chil-dren today and into the future.In 2004 a gift from the Benson Family

continued on page 37

Lenny Reisberg

8 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > LIFE OF THE MIND

T urning over barnacle-encrustedrocks, one by one, craning yourneck to catch a glimpse of a

bird, or sloshing through a muddytributary might not seem like hard-core science. But think again.It’s research such as this that

gleaned three assistant professors ofbiology – Michael Behrens, JulieSmith and Jacob Egge – grants total-ing more than $120,000. The support,provided by the Vancouver, Wash.,based M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust,will fund three student-facultyresearch projects.

Each year, the trust funds dozens ofprojects that are intended to enhancethe quality of life in the PacificNorthwest by providing grants andenrichment programs to organiza-tions seeking to strengthen theregion’s educational, spiritual andcultural base in creative and sustain-able ways. In 2009, the trust funded 43scientific projects with $2.9 million ingrants.“The foundation feels it is impor-

tant to support scientific explorationof the natural world, and these grants,including the grants to PacificLutheran University, are an importantpart of that work,” said Dana Miller,senior program director for theMurdock Trust.The grants to PLU will fund two

years of student-faculty research look-ing into the ecology of the PacificNorthwest, as well as species diver-gence in several Mississippi River trib-

utaries. Each professor will work withfour students (two each summer) overthe next two years to both collect andanalyze data.For Behrens, the grant means he

will continue his work researchingprickleback fishes indigenous toWashington’s Olympic Peninsula.Behrens will study the digestive physi-ology of these tidepool fishes, and howtemperature and diet affect growth inthe species. This will further theresearch into why some areas supportfish that are herbivores, while otherparts of the globe support fish that arebasically omnivores. “It’s been recognized since the early

1960s that there are lots of herbivoresin the tropics, but very few at higherlatitudes,” he said. “But it’s not beenaddressed why this might be.”This research may eventually have

links to climate change, and why orhow one species might survive, whileothers may not, Behrens noted.While Behrens will be on the beach,

Egge will be taking his crew up theMississippi River into a series ofembayments and streams that draininto it. Egge’s crew will see if theMississippi acts as a natural barrierthat isolates species along the river.They will be studying the DNA of

different fish – two species of catfishand one minnow – gathered along theMississippi this June. “If you’re in stream A, and you have

all close relatives in stream A, but havesome relatives also in stream B, it indi-cates you might get around stream tostream,” he said.

life of the mindThree biology professors win coveted Murdock grants to support

student-faculty research

The team will also be looking at thecryptic diversity, or how long a speciesof fish might have been in a givenstream. For example, some fish popu-lations may have started developingfive million years ago, when glacia-tions isolated the area, he said.The only one of the three professors

with feet firmly planted on dry land –and neck craned into the air – is JulieSmith.Smith will be researching red cross-

bills, which have developed a uniqueability to pry seeds out of differenttypes of pine cones with theirmoniker – a bill with curving pointsthat cross.Smith is interested to learn if differ-

ent types of crossbills – those thatmay get seeds from the ponderosapine and those from the western hem-lock – breed with each other. There isevidence they do not.She’s also interested in what exactly

contributes to their breeding isola-tion. Do they have different calls?Breeding areas? Seasonal cycles?This first year, Smith’s team will be

driving around Oregon andWashington with recording equip-ment, trying to find populations ofcrossbills.“I’ve heard about a good Douglas

Fir crop in the lower Puget Soundarea,” she mused. She’s probably going to check that

out first, microphone in hand.—Barbara Clements

S

LIFE OF THE MIND > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 9

Each year, the M.J. Murdock

Charitable Trust funds dozens

of projects that are intended to

enhance the quality of life in

the Pacific Northwest by pro-

viding grants and enrichment

programs to organizations

seeking to strengthen the

region’s educational, spiritual

and cultural base in creative

and sustainable ways.

Jacob Egge and Andy McDermott collect fishspecimens on the Homochitto River, a tributary of the Mississippi River.

10 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > FEATURES

Why uncertainty and discomfortare not always bad things

Isat in one of my first classes at the University ofWestminster in London flummoxed. It was days since theterrorist attacks of Sept. 11, and a European student sittingin the back of the lecture hall raised her hand and put forth

to our professor: “What happened in New York and Washington,D.C., is horrible, but didn’t the United States kind of have itcoming?”

In hindsight, I chuckle at how stunned and offended I was tohear such a frank assessment. I would have liked to see my faceat that moment: wide-eyed, jaw hanging open. At the time I wastrying to find my bearings in a foreign land, not to mentiontotally overmatched in my knowledge of U.S. foreign policy. Iwas living in an unfamiliar country for the first time, surroundedby people from all over the globe (to illustrate, I shared a flatwith a Brit, Jamaican, Japanese and two Chinese students). I hadlittle conception of the perspectives my peers held toward theUnited States and, to add complexity to an already green andoverwhelmed boy, I was transitioning in the aftermath ofSept. 11. That moment effectively served as my principle moment of ¨culture shock¨ during my study away experience atPLU.

London led me to Valencia, Spain, following graduation, which

A PLU graduate reflects on his time abroad, and how it has changed the way he engages the world

led me to a job with the American Red Cross and a volunteerposition with the World Affairs Council of Seattle. These experi-ences eventually guided me to India as a consultant on corporatesocial responsibility for the Confederation of Indian Industry.

For my part, the impact of living overseas has been most pro-foundly felt in the recognition that my life – along with itsachievements, disappointments and every day challenges – formsbut a small drop in the ocean of humanity. My time overseas has invariably altered my constitution, leading me to redefinesuccess and failure, distinguish my genuine needs from wants,and identify the liberties I so freely enjoy and often take forgranted.

Possibly the most cherished takeaway I can claim is an enhancedcapacity to empathize. By subjecting myself to a wider array ofnovel human experiences, different standards of living, lifestyles,events, emotions and perspectives, I have increased my chancesof understanding the joys and hardships experienced by othersthroughout the world. This will inherently lead me not onlytoward being a more effective professional, but also a more com-plete human being.

Most people who travel to a foreign country inevitably have astriking moment during that first trip such as my own, where

FEATURES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 11

B Y J O S H U A D . R E I M A N ’ 0 3

they abruptly recognize the differences between their new localeand their homeland. No matter how it occurs, it serves as theprinciple moment, one of hundreds or thousands to come, whichbegin to influence and shape who you are, whom you willbecome and most importantly, how that changing person willinteract with the world.

A friend remarked while visiting me in India that I don’t wearthe same rose-colored glasses anymore. His observation may betrue. A certain harsh reality settles in after seeing dire povertyand brutal social inequity first hand, knowing that there are indi-viduals who take advantage of these situations at others’ expenseand my own seemingly helplessness in the face of it all.

But what these experiences have provided is the opportunity toconnect in a deep, meaningful way with people from every cor-ner of the world, all having walked varied paths in life andshared different stories. I have been forced to take a deeper,nuanced view of humanity.

Nothing embodies this truth more than the family who liveddown the path from my apartment in Arjun Negar, one of NewDelhi’s numerous poor, densely packed communities. It is a fairlytypical Delhi neighborhood. The narrow, dirt roads bustle withmotorcycle and foot traffic about 20 hours a day and you can >>

12 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > FEATURES

find just about anything you need at its countless little family-run shops. This family would have me over for chai whenever Iwas willing to stop by for a few minutes and chat. The fatherwas a driver, or chauffeur, with a big grin, amiable nature, aslight frame and questionable drinking habits. The mother wasextremely reserved and said little. His two sons were also drivers.His lone daughter was 15-years-old, gifted with an infectioussmile and a contagious spirit, but had not been in school for acouple of years. She often made and served the chai I wouldshare with her father. Her father explained to me she had beentaken out of school because there was no need for her to attendanymore.

It is not difficult to read about the challenges facing Indianstoday: a stagnant literacy rate, deficient infrastructure, environ-mental degradation, poor sanitation, malnourishment, repressionof its women and a domineering caste system. It is a much moretangible reality when you are sitting and talking to one of thefamilies where such challenges apply. I cannot fairly describe thehumility I often felt talking with my neighbor’s daughter, whoseEnglish was the best in the family. I came to India excited forthe prospect of adventure, cultural immersion and professionalgrowth, whereas her avenues for a complete education hadalready been scuttled during her adolescence without her input.Her life’s path had most likely already been decided by her maleelders.

I think of this, and then I think of the day I met with the execu-

tive director of an international foundation early on during mytime in India to discuss their development priorities. After acongenial conversation, he looked me straight in the eye andsaid frankly:

“Listen, in truth, nothing is going to really change in India untilyour average Indian, stuck at a traffic light, sees the poor womanon the corner whose naked children are running up to cars andrickshaws begging for food or money, and doesn’t think, ‘At leastmy children are better off than hers.’”

He wasn’t speaking pessimistically, nor did he come across as anelitist who thought his own people were incapable of compas-sion or progress. He simply was telling the honest truth as hesaw it; a truth that was hard for me to swallow. I wondered howlong it took for a society to overcome such repression. Moreover,

Why uncertainty and discomfortare not always bad things

“Listen, in truth, nothing is going to reallychange in India until your average Indian,stuck at a traffic light, sees the poor womanon the corner whose naked children arerunning up to cars and rickshaws beggingfor food or money, and doesn’t think, ‘Atleast my children are better off than hers.’”

FEATURES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 13

I considered that more developed countries like my own maystill be guilty of similarly disdainful attitudes.

These are but a flash of my own experiences. There are manypeople I have encountered who have enriched my life inimmeasurable ways merely through our simple human connec-tions. The rickshaw wallah who has been driving through thesmog-choked streets of Delhi for 15 years, supporting his familyof five; a 42 year-old Valencian businessman who continues towork on his English one night a week because he knows he willneed it increasingly more in the coming years; two Ecuadoriansisters, four years apart, both now single mothers and raisingtheir children with the support of their parents and five siblings.All of them have provided an insight into a slice of the world Idid not know or understand before.

My story is not unique. The dynamic evolution of globalizationhas made this journey increasingly common among both stu-dents and working professionals, all the while becoming anessential component to the functioning of the world’seconomies. In fact, the number of students studying abroadincreased 144 percent between 1995-2005 according to theInstitute for International Education.

When I set out for my semester abroad in London during thefall of 2001, I didn’t have the slightest clue that my experiencewould be the impetus for an adult life focused largely aroundinternational affairs and living overseas. My life has been foreveraltered by that initial experience. A growing number of people,guided by divergent motives and means, are traversing the globefor a wider array of reasons: business meetings, professionaladvancement, volunteer opportunities, vacations, surgeries, uni-versity education – not to mention visiting friends and family.With each experience I have gained slightly more depth and per-spective of the world I inhabit. These experiences have alsoserved to shape the person I am when eventually I resume mylife back in the United States.

In the end, my journeys amidst the often confusing, beautifulmess of an increasingly globalized world have made me moreintrigued by the diversity of humanity and our ways of surviv-ing. While I doubt I'll ever tire from exploring the differencesthat exist between groups of people, I am equally inclined toknow what bridges our differences. One thing I am sure of – Ihave seen it in the eyes and felt it in the affection of people fromIndia to Spain and Peru to Tacoma – there is a human spirit that

we all share, capable of communicating across language barriers,through the walls of history and demographic division we tendto assume separates us.

Of all the anecdotes and perspective-shifting experiences I cameaway with from spending time overseas, I am convinced the onemost responsible for catalyzing globalization is the power ofshared human experience. Not only have most countries foundthat globalization facilitates their economic growth, but theirleaders and ordinary citizens have consistently found friends andpartners in different corners of the globe with whom they sharecommon interests and goals. These human connections haveencouraged further investment and cooperation. It is the gift ofsharing one’s culture and space, being increasingly experiencedby people across our globe that gives me hope. It is this deep,resonating impression on the soul that catches people off guardat first, but which ultimately motivates each of us to continuethe invigorating journey of discovering the intricate dimensionsof our world.

Joshua Reiman recently began his Masters degree in GlobalCommunication and International Development at The GeorgeWashington University in Washington, D.C. He can be reached atjoshreiman@gmail.com.

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14 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > FEATURES

CLASSACTSThe everyday triumphs, joys andchallenges of eight dedicatededucators – all Lutes – at a singlebustling middle school

>>

FEATURES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 15

Story by Chris Albert and Barbara ClementsPhotos by Jordan Hartman

16 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > FEATURES

Who would want to teach hormone-laced,boundary-pushing, in-your-face, preteen andteenage students? The teachers at CascadeMiddle School, that’s who.

CLASSACTS

Severtson ’55, suggested Johnson workas a counselor for a youth basketballcamp.“I had a blast working with kids,”

Johnson says.He was hooked – he had found his

passion.

Mr. Lee’s special education classAaron Lee ’02, has just arrived at his

classroom from his South Hill home inPuyallup, 30 miles away. He has about10 minutes before students in his spe-cial education class begin to wanderin. He usually uses this time to prepare.Or at least think.First, he’d planned to become a

social studies teacher, but the specialeducation position in the district wasthe only one available. So he took it.Now, Lee, 32, doubts he’d want toteach in any other discipline. He getsto know – really know – the 11 stu-dents assigned to his class each year.They range from an autistic young boywho won’t utter a sound to a girl whowill probably be mainstreamed intothe regular classroom soon.At first the pay was tough, he

admits. He was pulling in about $2,200a month, if that. But now that he’s upthe pay scale, it’s better.“My friends might be making more

money than I, but they are not happywith their jobs,” he says.As the students come in, they quickly

focus on Lee, who starts by askingthem to write and talk about theirfavorite food and why. French friesand pizza top the lists. Next, they break into small groups

with aides and start working on mathand reading. Lee takes the two tough-est cases for himself: Sarah and Carlos.Sarah has had a bad night and keeps

THEIR NUMBER INCLUDES EIGHT PLUGRADUATES who have shown anuncommon passion for teaching, formaking a difference in the world and,in some cases, for becoming surrogateparents to students in a school with a43 percent free-lunch rate.Some of these Lutes left high-paying

jobs for this career. For others, teachingat the Auburn, Wash., school was theirfirst choice. Most are up at 5 a.m. dur-ing the school year. Most coach afterschool. Some don’t finish the day untilmidnight, after papers are graded.All of them chose this profession,

these grades and this school.None has any plans to leave.

Principal Johnson’soffice. 45 minutes until first periodIsaiah Johnson ’96 is at his desk,

weeding through e-mails that havegrown exponentially since the 37-year-old walked out the school doors at 7p.m. the night before.“There are just never enough hours

in the day,” he says, as the first soundsof students arriving can be heard.Behind Johnson on the wall is a

poster of President Barack Obamawith his familiar campaign slogan,“Yes We Can.” The image and themessage resonate with Johnson formultiple reasons. Like Obama, he’s afirst: the first African-American princi-pal in the Auburn School District. Thisis also his first year as a principal.He says “Yes We Can” also resonates

because, “It reminds me, ‘Yes I Can’and ‘Yes We Can’ build this school.”It was on a basketball court that

Johnson first felt his calling. He hadbeen bouncing around differentmajors while a PLU student, unsurewhat he wanted to do with his life.The dean of students at the time, Erv

7:15 A.M.

7 A.M.

7:15 A.M.Special Education teacher Aaron Lee ’02works with a student on how to makechange from a $10 bill.

FEATURES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 17

falling asleep on the desk. Lee said hefeels the girl has some medical issuesthat need tending, but they can’t gether mother to show up for the doctor’sappointments.Carlos is awake and quick to help Lee

make change for an imaginary $10 bill.But this is the first time he’s shown upfor class in awhile. Lee never knowswhether he’ll disrupt the entire class orbe the star pupil.

Cascade Middle School hallwaysJohnson is out and about, two-way

radio in hand, roaming the hallwaysand courtyards of Cascade, keeping awatchful eye on his students.“I like to be visible in the hallway,”

he says. “I haven’t been able to doenough of that this year.”He high-fives students as they pass

by and once the class bell rings, hechecks to make sure the hallways areempty. He likes it that way – it meansthe students are in class.“This is what it’s supposed to be

like,” Johnson says. “Quiet.”

Ms. Dozier’s eighthgrade literature classMost of the 21 students in the class

of Alethea Dozier ’02 are interested intoday’s lesson on the Holocaust, aswell as the Japanese internment campsduring World War II. Others are asleepon their desks, heads on crossed arms. Others are eating breakfast, which

Dozier allows. She knows many facean empty fridge at home. Dozier, 32, is responsible for more

than 100 eighth graders each year.She’s also raising, as a single mother,five children of her own, ages 4through 14. Budgets are tight, time iseven tighter, but she makes it work.She even finds time to lead a YoungLife group. She’s up around 5 a.m. andhome about 8 p.m. She then gradespapers once the youngest are in bed,until around 11 p.m.When the bell rings the students

head out the door. Dozier standsthere, allowing the students out whilelooking for strays from her next class.“They’ll get to right there,” she says,

pointing about five feet away. “Andthen turn around if I don’t catch them.She eyes one last student, loitering

before the bell rings, and calls to him.She then shuts the door.

7 A.M.Principal Isaiah Johnson ’96 goes throughhis mountain of morning e-mails beforestudents arrive for the day.

8 A.M.

8:05 A.M.Language Arts teacher Alethea Dozier ’02guides students as they read about theJapanese Internment during WWII.

8:05 A.M.

>>

18 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > FEATURES

Assistant PrincipalHeinen’s officeTad Heinen ’96 spends plenty of his

time disciplining students. That’s partof the job. Not the part he enjoys, buthe sees himself as what troubled stu-dents need to get through anotheryear.

Although many students have heardhis message over and over again, formany, it just hasn’t clicked yet.“We don’t want you to go down the

wrong path,” he tells those students. In his office, Heinen tries to display

pieces of his personality. There’s half ofan old engine piston on his desk actingas a pencil-and-pen holder. It camefrom his father’s automotive shop. Ithad been his grandfather’s beforethat, but his father always told him hedid that work so Heinen wouldn’thave to.He shares the story with the stu-

dents, if they ask.

Mr. Homfeldt’s eighthgrade history class“No, no and no,” Steve Homfeldt ’89

barks out to the group of students sur-rounding him. “And whatever you’regoing to ask: no.”

The 35 eighth-graders know he’s kid-ding, so they continue to pepper himwith questions.Homfeldt, has asked his class to

chronicle a road trip of sorts, askingthem to plot a course to EasternWashington and back, estimating gasmileage and the cost for hotels, foodand entertainment. He also wants anessay written. Due by next Tuesday.The class groans.Hanging on the walls are football

and baseball memorabilia. There is alife-size, signed, Ichiro Suzuki cutoutthat seems to be staring at Homfeldt’scollections of barf bags hanging onanother wall.“Instead of post cards, I ask me stu-

dents to send me these,” he says. He’sgoing for the world record of 3,307.“When people find out what I do,

they think I have a bit of a screw looseto teach this age,” he says. Homfeldt,42, completed his 17th year in teach-ing, 16 of them at Cascade. He alsoteaches band and coaches the footballteam.

Mr. MacDougall’s seventh grade language arts class“I can wait.”With those three words, silence

drops on the class of Joel MacDougall’97.The 25 students know that for every

second they continue to jabber, thattime will be taken from lunch break oradded to the last hour of the day.When they quiet, MacDougall, 34,

reviews the basic concepts of “Wherethe Red Fern Grows.” What is thename of the two dogs? The main char-acter? What gave Billie the idea to buydogs in the first place?One student points out a typo on

the handout.“Great, I’ll change that next year,”

MacDougall responds.This is MacDougall’s fourth year of

teaching, after a seven-year career inbroadcast journalism. Though the joband the money was good, MacDougallstarted to chafe. What difference washe making by giving the sports reporteach night?So he decided to go back to school to

get his masters and start teaching. Hiswife is supportive, he said. His friendsare another matter. Just then he’sinterrupted, for about the fourth time.“Mr. MacDougall, I’ve got Brian’s spit

on me!”

Not everyone is cut out to be a mid-dle school teacher, he admits. But heabsolutely loves the age. His secondyear of teaching, he remembersabsolutely hating the profession. Buthe pushed through and, by the fourthyear, it all began to click.

Cascade Middle School cafeteriaScott Weide ’00 sticks out in the

lunchroom. As students fill the largecafeteria, Weide wanders into theschool wearing shorts and a PLU T-shirt. On his back in a toddler carrier is10-month old Zoe. She has dad’s smile.She couldn’t be happier to make anappearance at school. Although the biology teacher is on

paternity leave, Weide and his daugh-ter make the trip to school for luncheveryday. They have a recycling pro-gram to run.The students enjoy seeing Zoe and

wave to her as they line-up to separatetheir lunch recyclables. Zoe waves backwith a smile.Weide doesn’t have to do this. But,

he started the program. And he enjoysgetting the students excited about“green” efforts, such as salmonrestoration and water-quality testingnear the school.“Education has to be relevant to

their community,” Weide says. “Showthem and not just teach out of abook.”

Cascade Middle School courtyardAaron Lee is looking for Carlos.About 15 minutes ago, an aide invit-

ed the eighth-grader to go for a walkwith her around the track to burn offsome energy. That lasted about twominutes.For Carlos, who is finishing up his

time at Cascade in special education,sometimes it’s like that. Sometimes it’stake a stroll. Other times it’s hide-and-seek.Lee’s frustration sparks through his

brown eyes. He honestly doesn’t knowwhat’s to become of Carlos when heleaves Cascade. His family is homelessnow, living in a hotel. Carlos admiresan older brother, who is now in prison.The tolerance here for his sometimesviolent outbursts may be a thing ofthe past next year. Lee finds Carlos strolling toward the

400 building.

CLASSACTS

9 A.M.

9 A.M.Assistant Principal Tad Heinen ’96 looksover the shoulder of seventh-grader EricLeota in the computer lab.

9:52 A.M.

11:15 A.M.

11:20 A.M.

11:25 A.M.

FEATURES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 19

“Carlos, come talk with me and let’sdiscuss what you need from us overthe next nine days,” he tells the boy,whose height allows him to look Leestraight in the eye.

Mr. McNeese’s gym classThe eighth-grade PE class taught

by Dan McNeese ’06 is short oneplayer for a game of pickleball, soMcNeese, 26, joins a team and startsswatting at the ball.McNeese says that, as a beginning

teacher, he doesn’t get much in pay.But he absolutely has the best job hecan think of.On the way back into the gym,

McNeese greets Steve Holmfeldt,who was his football coach whenMcNeese attended Cascade.“At first thought I wanted to teach

high school,” he said, herding thestudents into the locker room. “Butonce I got here, I didn’t want toleave.”

Cascade MiddleSchool courtyard, next to the gymIsaiah Johnson is watching Dan

McNeese take his last class out onthe field. The courtyard is clear, and most of the school is on a fieldtrip to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. It is a rare moment of quiet at Cascade Middle School.Johnson is tired, but it’s a content-

ed tired.He talks about his goal of building

a school where every staff member,student and parent takes an investedinterest in the school’s success. “We’re getting there slowly, but

surely,” he says.They aren’t there yet and Johnson

says he’s made his share of mistakes.But he thinks they are on theright track. “I’ve learned a lot thisyear,” he says. “It has not beeneasy.”He says even the bad days are

worth it, since he firmly believes thatmiddle school is the last best chanceto reach kids. Especially studentsdealing with troubled home life,gangs and poverty.“I think this is our last chance

with them, not that it can’t happenat high school. But it’s a lot less likely.”

9:52 A.M.History teacher Steve Homfeldt ’89 workswith students on their final project of theyear – a road trip across the Northwest.

11:15 A.M.Language Arts teacher Joel MacDougall’97 uses trivia to get students to answerquestions about “Where the Red FernGrows.”

11:20 A.M.Even while on paternity leave, biologyteacher Scott Weide ’00 stops by thecafeteria daily to help students run arecycling program.

1:05 P.M.P.E. teacher Dan McNeese ’06 showseighth-graders Andrew Carson andMorgan Warren the finer points of pickleball.

1:05 P.M.

1:20 P.M.

2:15 P.M. CLASS DISMISSED S

the artsTour like a rock star

W hile touring China this June,Luke Peterson ’10 felt some-thing a jazz drummer does-

n’t normally get to experience. He wastreated like a rock star.Actually, it’s something more than 60

PLU wind and jazz ensemble studentsfelt at every one of their five official con-cert stops and a number of collaborativeworkshops. From performances atChina’s most prestigious music schoolslike the Beijing Central Conservatory ofMusic and the Shanghai Conservatory ofMusic, to a gig on The Great Wall, audi-ences would “explode with cheers andapplause,” Peterson recalled, once thefinal note sounded.“The people were really friendly and

just welcomed all the Americans withopen arms,” Peterson added.

Often PLU performers would be askedfor autographs after a concert. The stu-dents were only too happy to oblige.Sometimes that excitement would carryover to the tour bus – Peterson once hadto exit the bus to sign more autographsand to pose with his new fans.“It was very unexpected,” he said. “We def-

initely don’t get that in the states. It madethe whole jazz band feel like rocks stars.”Even with obvious language barriers,

music was one clear connection. Whiletouring the PLU students had a chance toperform with Chinese musicians. “Wecouldn’t speak to each other, but we couldplay music together,” Peterson said.It’s that value in the simple things, like

playing music and connecting with oth-ers, that Peterson will take away from theexperience.

In one instance they stopped inDujiangyan in Sichuan Province to per-form an informal concert in a tent citythat houses 10,000 people. They were stillrecovering from the devastating earth-quake that ravaged the region a year ago. After the concert, the PLU students

played with the children and were sad-dened to see more than 1,000 childrenonly had one soccer ball. So the studentsstarted a collection amongst themselves –nothing big, just more than $200 – andwent and bought all the sports suppliesthey could find, from jump ropes to bas-ketballs.It was a small gesture that meant a lot.“It’s a great country,” Peterson said.

“You can go over there and spend very lit-tle and come back with a lot.”

—Chris Albert

20 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > THE ARTS

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giving back

W ith some books you don'thave anything like the com-plete story until you finish

the final chapter. So it was with the lifeof Norm Forness, who passed away lastApril.After graduating from Pacific

Lutheran College in 1958, Forness pur-sued graduate studies, culminatingwith the Ph.D. in history from PennState. He joined the history departmentat Gettysburg College in 1964 andtaught there for 36 years.He was remembered by a colleague as

a teacher, scholar, administrator, men-tor, faithful church attendee and loverof historical architecture who wasmeticulous in his approach toacademics.Forness was born in Minot, N.D., but

spent most of his youth in Puyallupand Sumner, Wash. He came from afamily of modest means. His brotheronce described the family home as achicken coop, and said Norm wasknown to break gum in two and savehalf a stick to make it go further.A fellow 1958 PLC alumnus, Dave

Berntsen, knew Forness well. Berntsenretired in 1999 after a career in the uni-versity’s office of development and wasa founder of Q Club.Berntsen said Forness loved the

Northwest and PLU, and returned tovisit often. He was a regular at home-coming, a longtime member of Q Cluband tried to stay involved with the uni-versity in spite of living at such a dis-tance.Not long ago Forness called Berntsen

and said, “Why don’t we get our class togive $100,000 to PLU? I’ll give $10,000if you will.” In addition to their owngifts, the two organized a campaign toraise the $100,000 for the occasion ofthe 50th anniversary of their gradua-tion in the fall of 2008.“The whole thing was Norm’s idea

and it all came from his generous spirit.No one knows this, but he was so deter-mined to succeed that he put up ananonymous gift – an additional

The generous spirit of Norm Forness

$10,000 – to be the last money raisedshould we get within striking distanceof our goal,” Berntsen said.At the reunion, 130 of their 200 class-

mates were in attendance, includingcurrent PLU regents Neal Arntson andCarol Quigg. The class had raisedalmost $70,000.Berntsen described Forness as a cau-

tious, quiet professor type who tookgreat care of himself after having aheart problem in early 2008. By thetime of the reunion, his classmatesnoticed that he seemed to look healthi-er than he did when he was a student.Then everything changed. In mid-

February Forness had a heart attack. Itwas severe enough that his heart couldnot be completely repaired. Then, inquick succession hehad a stroke, devel-oped pneumonia andwas diagnosed with pancreatic can-cer that had spread to other organs.“Norm called me up to tell me it did-

n’t look good. He asked me to do twothings for him that were typical Norm,”Berntsen said. “He said, ‘Let’s turn badnews into good news. Get ahold of theguy who does my finances and get thatfinal $10,000 for our class gift. Andthen call back some of our classmatesand tell them that Norm is in bad shapeand he wants you to increase your giftto PLU.’”Shortly after Forness died, the Class

of 1958 reunion gift total reached$100,000.Then came the final chapter.Later in the spring the university was

notified that Norm Forness had left hisestate to PLU. His house, pension fundand savings were all directed to theendowment fund. He had requestedthat income from the endowment beused to enhance connections betweenthe university and alumni who live onthe East Coast.It was a gift of more than $1 million.

—Greg Brewis

To learn more about investment options andensuring the legacy of PLU, please contact theOffice of Development at 253-535-7177 orvisit www.plu.edu and click on “Make aGift.”

GIVING BACK > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 21

S

Photo by Greg Youtz

Norm Forness

22 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > ATTAWAY LUTES

attaway lutes

T he 20th class to enter the PacificLutheran University AthleticHall of Fame will be its biggest –

by any measure – as four nationalchampionship football teams will beinducted at a dinner scheduled forFriday, Oct. 2, in Olson Auditorium.The 1980 Lutes won the school’s first-

ever national title, the first of threeNational Association of IntercollegiateAthletics (NAIA) Division II footballcrowns. The 1999 PLU football teamwon the school’s only NCAA DivisionIII championship.There were several common denomi-

nators on those title teams – longtimePLU football head coach FrostyWestering; Scott Westering, Frosty’sson, who played on the 1980 title teambefore serving as offensive coordinator;and Paul Hoseth, the defensive coordi-nator for the first three title winnersand PLU’s athletic director in 1999.

1980After falling short in a sub-freezing

national semifinal the year before, theLutes entered the 1980 season at thetop of the NAIA Division II nationalrankings. Led by the “Great Scott” duoof senior All-Americans, safety ScottKessler and tight end Scott Westering,the Lutes fell two points short of a per-fect season and “settled” for an 11-1record and the first national champi-onship in PLU athletic history.The Lutes left little doubt about their

claim to the top spot in NAIA DivisionII, outscoring their three postseasonopponents by a 105-30 margin. In thechampionship game againstWilmington (Ohio) at Tacoma’sLincoln Bowl, PLU scored 21 unan-swered points in six minutes and led31-3 at halftime. With the 38-10 victoryin hand, head coach Frosty Westeringwas able to give every member of histeam a chance to play in the champi-onship game.

2008-2009 Hall of Fame Inductees

The “Great Scotts” became the firstpair of Lutes to earn first team All-American honors. Fellow seniors andco-captains Guy Ellison (running back)and John Bley (offensive line) earnedsecond team honors, as did junior line-backer Scott McKay. For the season, theLutes outscored their opponents 397-132, and shut out four teams on theirway to the championship.

1987After years of preaching the “Double

Win Philosophy,” Frosty Westering’s1987 team experienced it in a wholenew way when it tied Wisconsin-StevensPoint 16-16 for the NAIA Division IInational championship. Frosty’s“Double Win Philosophy” teaches that

playing to one’s potential is equallyimportant to victory on the scoreboard,and that there are no losers when every-one plays to his potential.“What a tremendous game,”

Westering said at the time. “We knewthere was no overtime. A tie was a win.”Although the final score revealed a

co-championship and the NAIA recordbooks show a shared title, Wisconsin-Stevens Point vacated its share on May7, 1988, after it was discovered that theteam had played two ineligible playersthroughout the season. With the finaltie changed to a win, the 1987 champi-onship capped an 11-1-1 season forEMAL football.Senior linebacker Keith Krassin led

the Lutes with 116 tackles and earnedthe Columbia Football League

1980

1987

ATTAWAY LUTES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 23

Northern Division’s Defensive MVP aswell as NAIA first team All-Americahonors. Defensive end Jon Kral anddefensive back Craig Mathiasen earnedsecond team selections, while offensivelineman Sam Kurle and place kickerEric Cultum were named to the honor-able mention offensive squad.

1993The 1993 PLU football team finished

with a 12-0-1 record and won theschool’s third NAIA Division II nationalchampionship.The Lutes opened the season ranked

No. 5 in the NAIA Division II Top 25National Poll and squared off againstNo. 2-ranked Linfield College in theTacoma Dome. The only blemish onwhat was an otherwise perfect seasoncame that night, when the Lutes andWildcats battled to a 20-20 standoff.PLU rolled to an 8-0-1 regular season

record and a Mt. Rainier League crown.

Once in the playoffs, the Lutes were vir-tually unstoppable. A title-game show-down with Westminster (Penn.) atPortland’s Civic Stadium was never indoubt, as Weekly passed for 441 yardsand four touchdowns to carry PLU toan easy 50-20 victory.The Lutes’ “Big Play” offense was led

by the record-setting All-America quar-terback Marc Weekly, talented all-pur-pose back Chad Barnett and sure-hand-ed tight end Gavin Stanley. An experi-enced offensive line was anchored bycenter Brian Flattum and guard JeffDouglass. The 1993 team still holdsschool records for total points (573),average points per game (44.1), totaloffensive yards (6,105), yards per game(469.6), total passing yards (3,829) andpassing yards per game (294.5).Head coach Frosty Westering earned

NAIA and league Coach of the Yearhonors and Weekly was picked as the league’s Offensive Player of theYear.

1999The 1999 Pacific Lutheran football

team accomplished a first in NCAAfootball, winning five playoff games onthe road to garner the Division IIInational championship. The Lutes fin-ished the season with 13 wins – aschool record for victories in a season –against just one defeat.After finishing the regular season

with an 8-1 record, the Lutes earned anat-large berth in the national playoffs,where they faced Willamette in a play-off-opening rematch. The Lutes scoredthree touchdowns late in the finalquarter for a 28-24 victory, and theywere on their way to playoff airplaneand bus trips that totaled about 16,000miles during the five weeks of the post-season. PLU proved victorious against

unbeaten Wartburg (Iowa), SaintJohn’s (Minn.) and 12-0 Trinity (Texas).In the national title game againstRowan (N.J.) the Lutes raced out to a27-7 halftime lead on the way to a 42-13 victory. Fullback Anthony Hicks established

school records with 1,633 rushingyards, 27 touchdowns and 164 totalpoints, and he also set a NCAA playoffmark with 11 touchdowns.Quarterback Chad Johnson averagedmore than 200 passing yards pergame and finished the season with22 touchdown passes.Head coach Frosty Westering

earned Division III Coach of theYear honors from the AmericanFootball Coaches Association.

1993

1999S

alumni news & events

1920sThe staff of PLU’sstudent newspaper,The Mooring Mast

In its earliest days, Norwegian students came to Pacific Lutheran

University to master their English – to learn, at its most fundamental,

how to communicate. PLU was always a place where students could

uncover their passions and interests, get involved, and apply those

passions in the world. But no matter what their ultimate interest,

students knew that the only way to be successful was to know how to

effectively broadcast their message.

That was certainly true for the many students who, over the years, have

become involved in student media – from the first student journalists with

the Mooring Mast to the students who currently broadcast audio and video

over the Internet. It is also true for the students who started Saga in the ’30s,

or KPLU in the ’60s – yes, KPLU was first a student station – or the many

talented students who have channeled their talents into opportunities like

KCNS or Saxifrage or MediaLab. The means of delivery may change over

the years, but the sentiment has not – the students show a level of interest

and enthusiasm about learning, their life’s mission and about their home,

PLU.

To that point, look no further than the first edition of the Mooring Mast,

dated October 29, 1924. A short article highlights an address given to

students by the Rev. George Henriksen, with the theme “Have a Purpose in

Life.”

Some 85 years later, that sentiment remains front-and-center in the lives of

PLU students. When students talk about “what they will do with their one

wild and precious life” as part to the university’s highly regarded Wild Hope

project, it is though nothing has changed.

And, indeed, when it comes to creating a sense of purpose, nothing has

changed.

To honor the many students who, over the years, have developed their sense

of purpose through the numerous opportunities in student media – from the

Mooring Mast to the Matrix to K-103 – we take a look back at how student

media has changed. And to the many student-media affinity groups that will

be joining us Oct. 2-4, 2009, at Homecoming, we looks forward to seeing

you “Live from PLU!”

Special thanks to PLU Archives and Special Collections for their help in collecting these images.

24 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS> PLU SCENE FALL 2009 25

1960At KPLU Spinning tunes.

1924The first edition of the MooringMast. The paperis named afterthe dirigibleShenandoah'slarge mooringstructure nearFort Lewis.

1950-51Saga staff

chronicles the year.

1947-48The Mooring Mast staff lookingsharp!

2009DJ Emily Algire

in the

KCCR student radio

station.

1982Lute TV

:

Lights, camera,

action!

For more information or to register, visit us online at www.plualumni.org

or call 800-ALUM-PLU

Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4

Family Fun, Entertainment, Exciting Events for All PLU Lutes.

More than a Reunion!

Wear your school colors proudly and plan to bring some friends and family back

to campus for Homecoming 2009: LIVE FROM PLU. In addition to this year’s class reunions of 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 there will also be a special affinity reunion honoring all those who have participated in STUDENT MEDIA!

But remember, Homecoming 2009: LIVE FROM PLU, should not be missed by anyone—there is something happening that YOU will enjoy—This is a sampling of the weekend’s activities and events. Please jump on the website to learn more and to register OR request a copy of the registration material (All class reunion members and past participants in student media will receive a copy of the registration material automatically).

THURSDAYOctober 1, 2009

Songfest

FRIDAYOctober 2, 2009

Classes Without QuizzesHomecoming ChapelRetro Dinner in the University CommonsAthletic Hall of Fame Dinner1959 50th Reunion ReceptionFriday Night Lights – Pep Rally

SATURDAYOctober 3, 2009Homecoming Lute Fest

Alumni UniversityAlumni PanelsCampus and Special ToursClasses for kids!Fun RunStudent Entertainment

Family Fun at Sparks StadiumChili FeedFootball game

Archives ToursCampus Activities during the gameBlack and Gold Bash

Music by Daryl and the DiptonesSpecial appearances by well known

personalitiesStudent Media ReunionPLU GOLD

SUNDAYOctober 4, 2009

Homecoming WorshipHomecoming Celebration Brunch

Honoring Alumni Award RecipientsHonoring the Golden Club

Martin J. Neeb Center (KPLU) dedication

26 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

alumni news & eventscontinued

Come see us on Facebook

R egistered members of the PLUOnline Community can access toall of the community's features

while logged in to a Facebook account:searching for classmates, establishing apermanent forwarding e-mail addressand updating alumni profile informa-tion.Finding us is easy. Log into Facebook,

search for "PLU" within "Applications,"and find "PLU Alumni CommunityConnections Application."It works like any other Facebook appli-

cation. Once you add it, you are able totake full advantage of its features.Through the "Share +" button on theapplication, you can post a message onyour Facebook profile or send a messageto a group of your friends. And if you arenot a registered member, the PLUAlumni Community Connections application is the place to learn more.

Pencil Us In

UPCOMING EVENTSSeptember 3-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New Student Orientation, PLU

September 19 . . . .Tailgate at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

October 1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Homecoming Weekend, PLU

October 2-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alumni Board Fall Meeting, PLU

October 10 . . . . . . . . . .Tailgate at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.

October 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tailgate at Whitworth University, Spokane, Wash.

November 6-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Family Weekend, PLU

November 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parents Council, PLU

For more information: www.plualumni.org or call 800-ALUM-PLU.

Picture Perfect

PLU School of Nursing graduates Lori BlachowskiHarrison ’93 (left) and Jenny Johnston Sullivan ’01(right) pose with a young cardiac patient at NhiDong 1 Children’s Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam. Lori and Jenny joined a team of doctorsand nurses from Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital inTacoma, April 18-29, 2009, as part of a pediatriccardiothoracic medical mission.

In February 2009, a group of Lutes met at AmericanHistory Museum in Washington, D.C. – some wholive there, others who were visiting. Back row:Doug Prindle, Leena (Heaton) Prindle, MonicaCardella, Philip Cardella ’98 (holding IsabelCardella), Mike Strasburg ’98, Anneke (Gaballe)Geel ’99 (holding Sasha Geel) and Peter Geel.Front row: Ellie and Katie Prindle, and Jana(Steiner ’98) Strasburg (holding Emma Strasburg).

S

For more information or to register, visit us online at www.plualumni.org

or call 800-ALUM-PLU

Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4

Family Fun, Entertainment, Exciting Events for All PLU Lutes.

More than a Reunion!

Wear your school colors proudly and plan to bring some friends and family back

to campus for Homecoming 2009: LIVE FROM PLU. In addition to this year’s class reunions of 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 there will also be a special affinity reunion honoring all those who have participated in STUDENT MEDIA!

But remember, Homecoming 2009: LIVE FROM PLU, should not be missed by anyone—there is something happening that YOU will enjoy—This is a sampling of the weekend’s activities and events. Please jump on the website to learn more and to register OR request a copy of the registration material (All class reunion members and past participants in student media will receive a copy of the registration material automatically).

THURSDAYOctober 1, 2009

Songfest

FRIDAYOctober 2, 2009

Classes Without QuizzesHomecoming ChapelRetro Dinner in the University CommonsAthletic Hall of Fame Dinner1959 50th Reunion ReceptionFriday Night Lights – Pep Rally

SATURDAYOctober 3, 2009Homecoming Lute Fest

Alumni UniversityAlumni PanelsCampus and Special ToursClasses for kids!Fun RunStudent Entertainment

Family Fun at Sparks StadiumChili FeedFootball game

Archives ToursCampus Activities during the gameBlack and Gold Bash

Music by Daryl and the DiptonesSpecial appearances by well known

personalitiesStudent Media ReunionPLU GOLD

SUNDAYOctober 4, 2009

Homecoming WorshipHomecoming Celebration Brunch

Honoring Alumni Award RecipientsHonoring the Golden Club

Martin J. Neeb Center (KPLU) dedication

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS> PLU SCENE FALL 2009 27

28 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > ALUMNI PROFILES

alumni profiles

Melinda Cox ’71 in her studio at TacomaCommunity College.

“Art was really just so much a

part of me that it comes out

wherever I am – whether that

be in traditional arts, sewing,

gardening or whatever else I

might be interested in.”

—Melinda Cox ’71

Making an art out of giving of oneself

Melinda Cox ’71, has neverbeen shy about volunteeringher time to help others.

As an art professor at TacomaCommunity College and PierceCollege, Cox regularly juggles teachingand volunteer work.“I have always volunteered my time,”

said Cox, who graduated from PLUwith a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. “Ispent many years with the WashingtonState University/Pierce CountyClothing and Textile advisors teachingkids to sew, among other activities.”Cox specifically worked with incar-

cerated youth at Remann Hall, aTacoma juvenile detention facility, byhelping them use their time in produc-tive ways.“Working at Remann Hall was an eye

opening and very rewarding experi-ence,” Cox said.Cox also volunteers for the Forgotten

Children’s Fund, a nonprofit organiza-tion that helps working families in needduring the holiday season. The GigHarbor, Wash., resident is also trainingher 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever,Lola, to become a therapy dog.“I am a cancer survivor,” Cox said.

“And when I was going through treat-ment, I was impressed by the therapydogs comforting patients. Eventually,I’d like to be able to officially take Lolato visit hospitals and nursing homes.”So far, Lola has only visited patients

unofficially. But as soon as Cox and Lolahave finished their Canine Good Citizencertification and therapy dog certifica-tion, Lola will join Cox in her efforts toserve others in the community.Meanwhile, Cox spends a large por-

tion of her time teaching students howto excel in and appreciate art.Cox has taught art courses at TCC

for 10 years, and at Pierce College forone. She encourages all potential artmajors, and college students in gener-al, to study hard and keep pushingtoward their goals.“Take advantage of every opportuni-

ty that might come your way,” Coxsaid. “Because you never know whatconnections you will make, what youwill learn or how it will be of benefit.”

—Hillary Fazzari ’11

A s a member of the FifthAvenue Theater acting compa-ny in Seattle, Louis Hobson

’00, once played the part of Tony in“West Side Story” which, of course,places Romeo and Juliet in New YorkCity.Now, Hobson, 33, is actually in New

York, appearing in a different show,and has another kind of Tony associat-ed with his name. He is featured in aBroadway musical that was nominatedfor an impressive 11 Tony Awards.Although Hobson himself did not winany awards, the production came awaywith three.Hobson plays the roles of Dr.

Madden and Dr. Fine in the criticallyacclaimed production “Next toNormal,” which opened in April onBroadway. A rock musical that featuresa cast of six, “Normal” centers on afamily, whose mother suffers frombipolar disorder.“It’s been a long journey to get to

this point,” Hobson said, but “to be onBroadway, honestly, when I got here, Ithought I would be waiting tables, hit-ting the pavement for a couple ofyears.”But despite his especially good for-

tune, Hobson doesn’t attribute hisbreak to sheer luck.“I believe in destiny,” Hobson said.

“I’m supposed to be here right now.”When Hobson entered PLU back in

the late 90s, his plan was to be a musiceducation major. But by the time hereached his junior year, he hadswitched to theater.“I realized I wanted to act, to do

music,” he said. “Life is a little shortnot to do what you love.”As a PLU student, Hobson was

involved in the then newly createdNight of Musical Theater. He also par-ticipated in the opera program, theChoir of the West and, of course, manyplays. Hobson directed, acted, andworked on lighting and technicaldesign for several shows. He graduatedwith a bachelor’s degree in music andtheater.“Because PLU is the way it is, we all

got to do a little of everything,”Hobson recalled. “I got to understandthe mechanics of theater.”

Hobson’s professional theater careeractually began while he was still a PLUjunior. He auditioned for a role in“Camelot” at the Fifth Avenue Theaterin Seattle, and subsequently won a partin the ensemble.After graduation from PLU, Hobson

performed in shows in Olympia andIssaquah’s Village Theater. Soon, hebegan landing leading roles at theFifth Avenue, where he ultimately par-ticipated in more than three dozenshows.Broadway became interested during a

reading of an in–progress musicalcalled “Feeling Electric.” Two yearslater it was finished and re-vampedinto “Next to Normal.”Hobson, his wife Noreen (McEntee

’99), and their 2-year-old daughterGwen moved to New York inSeptember 2008.As luck – or destiny – would have it,

Hobson’s agent learned auditionswould be held for “Next to Normal.”Hobson auditioned for the show andsoon thereafter, was cast as the doctor. The night of June 7, Hobson found

himself in the audience at the Tonys,in a spot reserved for central cast mem-bers of nominated shows. But amid allthis extra New York glitz and glamour,for Hobson, it is still theater.“It’s the same stuff...it’s the same

process I would do at the Fifth Avenueor Village Theater,” he said of his craft.But he admits that on Broadway, “ittakes on a different context.” If current success is any indicator,

Hobson’s runs on Broadway just mightbecome next to normal for him.

—Bryanna Plog ’10

Theater grad takes talent from Seattle to Broadway

ALUMNI PROFILES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 29

S

30 PLU SCENE FALL 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.

1936 Class Representative – Volly (Norby)Grande

1938 Melba (Fenney) Sovde died Mar. 22. Shemet her husband, Obert, at PLC. Theyboth had a love for education and pur-sued teaching careers in the PugetSound area. Melba taught in the FederalWay School District until Obert’s death in1977. She then satisfied her love ofteaching by leading Bible study classes.Melba is survived by her son, DavidSovde ’70; daughter, Susan Hubert ’87and grandchildren, Angelica Howell,Jessamyn Carleton and Julian; anddaughter Kristine Sovde, grandchildrenSadie and Natalie Beauregard.

1940Class Representative – Luella (Toso)Johnson

1945 Class Representative – AnnabelleBirkestol

1946 Doris (Jurgerson) Brokaw died on Apr.17. She resided in Sun City, Ariz.

1947 Class Representative – Gerry Lider

1948 Class Representative – Norene (Skilbred)Gulhaugen

Wallace N. Elefson died May 17. Wallaceserved in the U.S. Navy and was stationedin the South Pacific during World War II.He married Charlotte and made their homein Seattle, where they raised six children.Wallace retired from Boeing after 33years. He is survived by his six children,Sandra, Diane, Gayle, Thomas, Susanna,Caroline, and nine grandchildren.

1949Gene Upton died Mar. 28. Gene served asan Army medic in the Pacific duringWorld War II. He was awarded theBronze Star Medal for heroism. He thengraduated from PLU and the SanFrancisco Theological Seminary. His firstchurch was Fife Presbyterian. He retiredin 1986. Gene is survived by his wifeShirley (Folsom ’51), five sons, 13 grand-children, two great-grandchildren, a sis-ter and two brothers.

1950 Class Representative – DickWeathermon

Sharon (Kinzer) Parton died Mar. 27. Shegraduated from PLU with a BA inSecretarial Services. In the 1970s shewas a member of Child Hearing League,then became a very active member inher local Beta Sigma Phi chapter. Whatshe cherished most were her friends.Sharon is survived by her son, Jerrald R.Parton; daughter, Susan Rogers ’06;daughter-in-law, Lynn; son-in-law PaulRogers; grandchildren Alison Parton andMaddilyn Rogers.

John Reay married Sarah Jacobson Apr.12. The two share three big interests inlife: music (they met through theBellingham Music Club), church and aca-demics. In addition, they enjoy hiking.They have the support and acceptanceof their combined families, eight childrenand seven grandchildren.

Stewart Morton has married StellaRosenquist. The couple met at the Lordof Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West,Ariz. Stella is on staff at the church. Theservice was conducted after the eveningworship. The couple plans to live in theSurprise, Ariz., area.

Barbara (MacDonald) Spinney died Apr.21. She spent her childhood in PortAngeles, Wash., and lived her adult life inSeattle. She was a dedicated teacherand supporter of organizations that bene-fited youth. Barbara loved to travel withfamily and friends. She is survived by herhusband, Tom; daughters, Traci ’90 andJanna; son-in-law Jeff; sister, Bette;brother, Mike; and many friends andextended family.

1957Class Representative – Marilyn (Hefty)Katz

1958 Class Representative – Don Cornell

Don and JoAnn (Hanson ’59) Cornell cel-ebrated their 50th wedding anniversaryin June 2008 with a Saturday eveningfamily dinner sponsored by their fourchildren. The event took place atRobinhood Inn on Hood Canal, Wash.,where Don and JoAnn had honey-mooned. There also was a Sunday after-noon open house at Trinity LutheranChurch in Parkland, where they weremarried. The Cornell children are CathiZunigha, Jenni (Cornell ’85) Hayes, JeffCornell ’86 and Pam Bless. Their cele-bration culminated in July, with aRussian Waterways Cruise from St.Petersburg to Moscow, with friends fromWestern Washington, Turkey and France.

Norman O. Forness died Apr. 2. Normangraduated from PLU with a BA in history,ultimately earning a Ph.D. from

Pennsylvania State University. He beganhis career at Gettysburg College, where hetaught in the Department of History andserved as assistant dean of the college. Heretired in 2000. He was a member ofAugustana Lutheran Church inWashington, D.C., and he wrote a hymn“Rise Up, O Saints of God!” that appears inthe Lutheran Book of Worship. Norm is sur-vived by a brother, Bruce Forness and hiswife Marla, of Tacoma. (For more on NormForness, see “Giving Back” on page 21.)

Karen Misenhimer Monson died Jan. 21,2008. Karen met her husband StanleyMonson ’51 while at PLU. The Monsonswere blessed with three children. Karenspent most of her professional career asan educator – a career that took her fromWashington to Saudi Arabia, and finallydirecting her own Montessori school inOrange County, Calif. She loved children.Karen’s Christian faith was the centralforce throughout her life. A lifelongLutheran, she was active in each parishof which she was a member, serving inmany leadership roles including that ofchurch organist. An accomplished musi-cian, Karen found a special sense of ful-fillment when surrounded by music.

1959 JoAnn (Hanson) Cornell spent a three-gen-eration spring break during Holy Week,April 2009, in Granada and Malaga, Spain.Joining her were her oldest daughter, CathiZunigha, who teaches in Dhahran, SaudiArabia; granddaughter, Connie Zunigha, ahigh school senior at the American Schoolin Lugano, Switzerland; and granddaughterKatie Zunigha, who attends SeattleUniversity and was spending her semesterabroad in Spain. Granada’s Alhambra, theIslamic/Moorish site, was of special inter-est to the group since three generationsrepresenting the Cornell family have livedin Saudi Arabia continuously for the past 35years. JoAnn and her husband Don Cornell’58 live in Union, Wash.

1960 Class Representative – Marilu (Miller)Person

1961Class Representative – Ron Lerch

1962 Class Representative – Leo Eliason andDixie (Likkel) Matthias

Dr. James Beckner has been named 2008Man of the Year – the best of Stanwoodand Camano Island – by theStanwood/Camano News.

1964 Class Representative – Jon and Jean(Riggers) Malmin

Beth (Gottwald) and husband LawrencePeterson were selected as Volunteers ofthe Year by the San Luis Coastal UnifiedSchool District for their efforts to helpyoung people and promoting public edu-cation in the community.

Michael Harry McLaughlin died Jan. 29.After spending several years in the mili-tary, Harry attended PLU. He enjoyedplaying basketball, where he brokegame, season and career records. In1994 he was inducted into the PLUAthletic Hall of Fame. Harry is survivedby his wife, Renee; his stepson, Corey“Stevie” Traversie; granddaughter,Oliviah “Missy” Traversie; sister,Maurine; nephew, Melvyn McLaughlin;and niece, Cathey “Zel” Payne.

1951Jack L. Conrad died Apr. 28. Jack lived,went to school and worked his whole lifein Tacoma. He was a World War II veter-an, serving in the U.S. Navy in the SouthPacific. At the end of his naval duties, hecompleted his education at PLC. Jackworked for Sears and Roebuck for over40 years. He enjoyed his retirement;especially the time he spent at his beachcabin, playing golf and the late winters inPalm Springs, Calif. Jack is survived byhis wife, Shirley; son, Mark; daughter,Patti; granddaughters, Amy Smith andShannon Taylor.

Stanley Dale Monson died May 17. Hewas preceded in death by Karen(Misenhimer ’58), his wife of 51 years.Stan was a devoted husband and father,a veteran of the Korean War and a life-long educator. He spent time throughouthis career as a teacher, counselor,administrator and private school owner.Active in the Lutheran Church community,Stan loved to sing and was involved invarious choirs throughout his life. He issurvived by his two daughters, Cheri andStefanie; son, David; brother, Merritt;three granddaughters, Kirsten, Zoey andAvery.

Bob Anderson and his wife Gerry havemoved to Madera, Calif., to be near theirson Brian Anderson ’72 and his wifeKristy (Johnson ’72). They now reside atCedar Creek Senior Assisted Living andhave great support services close by.

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

1955 Class Representative – Phyllis (Grahn)Pejsa

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

1965 Class Representative – Dave Wytko

Sherril (Carlson) Miller lost her husbandGeorge on May 8, 2007. She continues tospend her winters in Yuma, Ariz. Sherrildivides the rest of her time betweenArizona, Alaska and Oregon, visiting fam-ily and friends.

1966 Class Representative – Frank Johnson

1967 Class Representative – Craig Bjorklund

1969Class Representative – Rick Nelson

1970 Class Representative – Bill Allen

1971 Class Representative – Joe Hustad, Jr.

John Lutton died May 10. John graduat-ed with a B.S. in chemistry and went onto Purdue University, receiving a doctor-ate in biochemistry. In 1980 he joinedKenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, as aprofessor of chemistry where he co-founded the college’s neuroscience pro-gram. He is remembered by his studentsfor his infectious smile, his words ofencouragement and his tremendousfaith in their ability to master difficultmaterial. His love of kids, and especiallyhis son Michael, led him to coach youthsoccer and chaperone high schoolevents. He attended Faith LutheranChurch in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. John wasmarried to his college sweetheart atTrinity Lutheran Church in Parkland bythe campus minister. Their receptionwas in Hong Hall. Attending PLU wasspecial to both John and Roberta. Johnwas preceded in death by his mother,Olive Lutton. He is survived by his wife of38 years, Roberta (Beck) Lutton; son,John “Michael” (Kristy) Lutton, grand-daughter, Mary Elizabeth Lutton; father,John B. Lutton; two brothers, a step-brother, a stepsister, nieces, nephews,and great nieces and nephews.

1972 Class Representative – Molly Stuen

Helen (Huetzenroeder) Melland hasbeen named dean of the College ofNursing at Montana State University.Most recently she served as the interimdean at the University of North Dakota’sCollege of Nursing. Helen earned a doc-torate in higher education administrationfrom the University of Minnesota and amaster’s in nursing from the University ofPortland.

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

1974 Class Representative – David Johnson

1975 Class Representative – Helen Pohlig

1976 Class Representative – Gary Powell

1977 Class Representatives – Leigh Erie andJoan (Nelson) Mattich

Ruth (Berntson) Stenson died Mar. 30.Ruth graduated with a degree ineducation and taught elementary musicand served as organist, music director,choir director and accompanist. Shehad a strong faith and lived her faith asan example to others. Ruth loved hertime at the family cabin where she couldcanoe, hike, swim and bird watch. Sheenjoyed traveling, camping by carthroughout the U.S. and Canada, andexploring the Boundary Waters. She issurvived by her husband, Robert; children, Andrea, Robert and David; par-ents, Rev. Gordon and Norma Berntson;brothers, Paul, Dan, Jim, Mark andSteve.

Frank Miller has been appointed avia-tion director for San Antonio, Tex.Previously, Frank spent two decades asthe head of the Pensacola RegionalAirport in Pensacola, Fla. He is currentlythe second vice president for theAirports Council International NorthAmerica and has served on its board ofdirectors. In addition, Frank is on the ACIWorld Governing Board.

Ken Flajole has been named defensivecoordinator of the St. Louis Rams foot-ball team. Ken spent the last six seasonson the Carolina Panthers staff and mostrecently was the linebackers coach.

1978 Class Representative – Pete Mattich

1979 Class Representatives – Dave andTeresa (Hausken) Sharkey

Dianne (Van Dyk) Ohnstad retired in Mayas a captain in the U.S. Navy. She servedsix years active duty, then joined theNavy Reserves. She had a total of 27years of service. She is presently livingin Memphis, Tenn., with her husband,Bradley Ohnstad ’80, and son, Sander.Diane works at her son’s classicalChristian school.

1981 Class Representative – Dean and Susan(Lee) Phillips

David L. Perry published a book called“Partly Cloudy: Ethics in War, Espionage,Covert Action and Interrogation.” Davidis a professor of applied ethics, anddirector of the Vann Center at DavidsonCollege in Davidson, N.C.

Daniel Turlington is celebrating the 35thanniversary of his service in the U.S. AirGuard. He earned the rank of sergeant in

Air Rescue and, upon completion of hiscommitment, he enrolled in PLU’s busi-ness administration undergraduate pro-gram. Dan has been with the BoeingCompany since 1988 and is now a con-tracts auditor for SSG. He is also a FAArated instructor pilot and teaches flyingpart time at the Boeing Employees FlyingAssociation. He would like to hear fromclassmates at danturlington@msn.com.

Janet (Hagen) Dahle recently returnedfrom deployment in Iraq, where sheserved as public affairs officer forCombined Joint Special Operations TaskForce, Arabian Peninsula. Janet is acommander in the U.S. Navy Reserves.As a civilian, she is a partner and execu-tive vice president of Loma Media in SanDiego, Calif., a firm specializing in creat-ing, producing, and distributing motionmedia.

1982 Class Representative – Paul Collard

Katrina Ann (Heard) Smith died May 17.She grew up in Tacoma and attendedLincoln High School where she was thefirst female member of the cross-countryteam. She also earned her black belt.Trina graduated from PLU and workedmany years as a financial analyst for thecity of Tacoma, later becoming a realestate agent. She had an extreme pas-sion for volunteering, especially for theTacoma Special Olympics. She is sur-vived by her husband, Tony; two children,Tahjiere and Travonte; her parents, Frankand Claudia Heard; sisters, Sonya, Ella,Francesca; and brother, Frank.

Lynn Isaacson died April 2. Lynn wasborn in Red Oak, Iowa. He received hisBA degree from Luther College inDecorah, Iowa, and MBA from PLU. Lynnwas a bookstore manager at LutherCollege, PLU and at Illinois StateUniversity. He started Innova Marketingafter leaving the bookstore, which heoperated for several years before joiningState Farm Insurance as a systems ana-lyst. Lynn enjoyed hiking, bicycling, com-puters and singing. He sang in his col-lege choirs and more recently in CantusNovus, J-108 Vocal Jazz Ensemble andSt. John’s Lutheran Church Choir. He issurvived by his wife, Nancy; son, Lee;daughter, Karla Hammerel; grandsons,Chase and Brady Hammerel; motherEmma Isaacson; and sister JanellStewart

1983Class Representative – Dave Olson

Nancy Lee Peterson died July 24, 2008.Nancy earned a BA in English from PLU,an MA in English, and a Ph.D. in rhetoricand composition from the University ofTexas. She worked as an assistant pro-fessor of English at Morehead StateUniversity, director of the GeneralEducation Writing Program and laterdirector of the Morehead WritingProject. She also served as director of

the Rural Sites Network for the NationalWriting Project. She loved writing, teach-ing writing, reading and conversing.Nancy’s deepest conviction was that Godhad given her life so that she could loveand be loved. Nancy is survived by herhusband, Glen Colburn; their son Henryand step-son Maxwell; her mother, MaryPeterson; her sisters, April (Peterson)Kampa and husband Jan; Barbara(Peterson ’86) Yusufzai and husbandSohail; her brother Peter ChristianPeterson’86 and wife Danelle (Grady ’86).

Bessie Young-Mielcarek is studying whyAfrican-Americans and other minoritiesare more likely to get kidney disease. Dr.Young has devoted much of her researchto answering this question at the SeattleVeterans Affairs health system and theUniversity of Washington. Her next goalis to find a way to help educate at-riskpopulations on ways to avoid getting thedisease. Bessie hopes to see many com-munity members attend the KidneyHealth Fest in Seattle, to get tested forkidney disease, and to learn about livinga healthy lifestyle.

1984 Class Representative – MarkChristofferson

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

1986Class Representative – Stacey (Kindred)Hesterly

Ron Cook is currently the vice presidentand global controller for SDI Media inLos Angeles. SDI is the world’s leader invoice-over and subtitling services. SDItranslates movies, TV shows, DVDs andvideo games into nearly any language.Ron will travel to many of the 25 officesworldwide to coordinate staff andaccounting policies. Ron has lived in LAfor three years.

1987 Class Representatives – Lisa Ottoson andJohn Carr

Hannah Brice Smith has a new role asbreast cancer patient navigator for newlydiagnosed patients at the FairbanksMemorial Hospital Cancer TreatmentCenter. Hannah and her husband Don areliving with the rest of their family on afarm in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Pete Vanderwarker was promoted fromsenior attorney to corporate counsel withthe Kansas City Power & Light Company.Pete is also on the board of directors ofthe company’s Employee Relief Fund. Heresides in Overland Park, Kan., withDiana and daughter Taylor.

Anna Elizabeth Ayers died Apr. 27. Annagraduated from Wilson High School inTacoma, received her BA from WesternWashington University and earned her

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 31

master’s degree from PLU. She spent hercareer as an educator and worked formany years in the Bethel School District.Her love of reading and writing led her toparticipate in reading education at thenational level. In addition, she loved herfamily, gardening and the beach. She issurvived by her husband, Loyd “Ray”Ayers; father, Neal Gainer; son, Chris;daughter, Katie; and brother, BruceGainer.

Craig Provost, a member of Union Bank’scommercial lending team serving in theStowe (Vt.) office, recently completed thetwo-year New England School forFinancial Studies program at BabsonCollege. He holds an MBA from PLU.

1988 Class Representative – Brenda Ray Scott

1989 Class Representative – Lisa (Hussey)Ferraro

1990 Class Representative – Sean Neely

Peter Gradwohl along with his wife,Andrea, launched their own company,Fantazimo, to help busy parents feedtheir children nutritious meals. Fantazimodelivers school lunches to more than 500families in the Everett, Wash., area.

1991 Jeremy Desel continues to have successreporting at KHOU-TV in Houston. Thisyear he was named Best Reporter inTexas by the Texas Associated PressBroadcasters. He also received theregional Edward R. Murrow Award fornews writing. All this, while taking fourmonths off to recover from open-heartsurgery to repair his mitral valve. Jeremy,his wife Jamie, three-year-old Avery, andone-year-old Kai live in Spring, Tex.

1992 Class Representative – Darcy (Pattee)Andrews

Nelson Hamre has just finished his thirdyear in Singapore at United WorldCollege of Southeast Asia as a teacher ofmiddle and high school English andhumanities. He has served many roles atthe school such as coaching basketball,climbing wall, NYAA and going on expedi-tions with the students. His spare time isspent traveling, being adventurous andstaying fit. He would love to get into con-tact with any Lutes in Southeast Asia atnha@uwcsea.edu.sg.

1993 Class Representative – Barbara (Murphy)Hesner

1994Class Representatives – Dan Lysne andCatherine (Overland) Hauck

Sandra (Wilson) Wainwright is anaward-winning physician and medical

director of the Wound Care andHyperbaric Medicine Center at NorwalkHospital in Norwalk, Conn. The hospitalis a leading referral center for compre-hensive wound care management.Sandra recently spoke on “ChronicWounds: causes, prevention and treat-ment” during the Norwalk Hospital lec-ture series. She received her M.D. fromSt. George’s University School ofMedicine.

1995Class Representative – Christi Rupp

Angela Otto is an equity partner atStewart Sokol & Gray LLC, a mid size,Portland (Ore.) law firm focused on con-struction law. She was recently featuredin the Portland Business Journal.

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

Christine Haffey was promoted to therank of major in the U.S. Army. Christineearned a master’s degree in militarylogistics from North Dakota StateUniversity. After a year assigned to themultinational force in the Suez CanalZone, she was assigned to Bagram AirForce Base in Bagram, Afghanistan.

1997 Class Representatives – Andy andStephanie (Merle) Tomlinson

Keith Dussell received his MS degree inproject management from the Universityof Alaska, Anchorage. He also has anew title at Alaska Airlines: specialist,and airport services-projects supervisor.Keith lives in Seattle.

Mary Forslund, a registered nurse, hasbeen appointed to the Allied Health Staffof Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Wausau,Wis., with privileges as a psychiatricnurse practitioner. She will provide psy-chiatric assessments, mental statusexams, psychiatric consultations onmedical units, and diagnosis and recom-mendations for treatment. Mary has aMS degree in nursing from theUniversity of Wisconsin.

1998 Class Representative – Shannon(Herlocker) Stewart

Jesse (Gardner) Michener has beenappointed the director of development atthe Seattle Waldorf School. Jesse andher husband, Mikel ’97, live in Olympia,Wash.

Karl Lerum is in his fourth season as thetrack-and-field coach at Seattle PacificUniversity. This spring he took a smallgroup of women to the NCAA Division IIchampionships in Texas. Karl and hiswife Yvonne make their home in Seattle.

Kourtney (Goldsmith) and KennethJohns are relocating to Valencia, Calif.

Kenneth has received a promotion andwill serve as national chiropractic direc-tor with US Healthworks. Kourtney willstay home with their two beautiful chil-dren, Katelyn, 5, and Kellen, 2.

Brandon VanDyke has just completed hisseventh year as the director of bandsand orchestra at Tualatin High School, inTualatin, Ore. This spring the orchestraplaced second at the Pacific ConferenceOrchestra Festival and qualified for thestate orchestra championships for thefifth time. The Tualatin Wind Ensemblewon the Pacific Conference BandFestival, and went on to perform at theOregon State 6A Band Championships. Inaddition, the Tualatin High School march-ing band performed in the Portland RoseFestival Starlight Parade, where theyplaced third in Class A.

1999 Class Representative – Julie (Johnston)Bulow von Dennewitz

2000 Class Representative – Ashley Orr

Karl Lund was awarded 2008 Speaker ofthe Year by the Norwegian AdvertisingAssociation. He lives in Stockholm,Sweden.

Wendy Joy Garrigues married DamonJenkins on Apr. 25 in Roseville, Calif. Thecouple makes their home in BatonRouge, La.

Kaj and Janelle (Wagenblast ’99) Martinwere hired by Christian Life Fellowship inAberdeen, Wash., as senior associatepastors. In addition, Kaj was alsoappointed to be the district missions rep-resentative for the Northwest FoursquareDistrict supporting churches inWashington and Idaho.

BirgittaHillesland mar-ried Ilir DubovaAug. 16, 2008, inSan Diego,Calif., atTierrasanta

Lutheran Church. The bride is the daugh-ter of Linnea (Eger ’64) and DavidHillesland ’58. Other Lutes in participa-tion included Ivar Hillesland ’02, whoprovided original music, Karl Hillesland’93, Kristina (Hillesland ’98) and JasonStredwick ’98. The couple honeymoonedin Venice, Florence, and Rome, Italy. Ilir,a doctor born and raised in Turkey, cur-rently researches genetics at the Salkinstitute in La Jolla, Calif. Birgitta earnedher master’s degree in library sciencefrom San Jose State University in May2008. They live in San Diego.

Andrea White married Joseph CallisonMay 4 in Salem, Ore. Andrea is a soft-ware engineer and Joseph works withthe Oregon Army National Guard.

Louis Hobson made his Broadway debut

in the musical “Next to Normal.” Themusical, centered around a mother whosuffers from bipolar disorder and theeffects on her suburban family, starsLouis as the mother’s two doctors. “Nextto Normal” received 11 Tony nominationsand won 3 Tony Awards. Louis and hiswife Noreen (McEntree) live in New York.

2001 Class Representatives – KeithPranghofer

Mettie Burrismarried DamienFoglio Feb. 7 atthe BeavertonChristian Churchin Beaverton,Ore. Despite thesnow and rain,God brought the

sunshine for the most beautiful Februaryday they could have asked for. Lutebridesmaids included Mandy (Holt)Drysdale, Heather Dooley ’99 and Suzy(Hooper) Hanson ’99. Damien is the sen-ior director of services and Seattlebranch manager of First Response, Inc.Mettie just moved to Seattle and issearching for a job in marketing or mer-chandising.

Jason Hulen started an organizationL.I.F.E. classes aimed at helping youthachieve skills and self-expressionthrough all hip-hop art forms. The class-es happen every Saturday at downtownTacoma dance venue Brick City. Youthfrom 8 to 24 years are grouped accordingto age and ability, with about 30 partici-pating each day. WHERE?

2002 Class Representatives – Nicholas Gorneand Brian Riehs

Phil Price has joined SiteCrafting ofTacoma as part of their Web develop-ment team. His responsibilities includesite development as well as support forsite design and maintenance.

Heather (Bidwell) Clarke was featuredin Tacoma’s News Tribune. She teachescoupon clipping classes at the OlympiaCommunity Center and advises con-sumers via her blog, rainydaysav-ings.wordpress.com. Heather and herhusband Jeremy Clarke ’01 live inOlympia, Wash.

2003 Class Representative – Elisabeth PynnHimmelman

Jacob and Elisabeth Pynn Himmelmanrelocated to Milwaukee, Wis., this sum-mer. After four years of working in theOffice of Constituent Relations at PLU,Jacob will be pursuing his master’sdegree in architecture at the Universityof Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In June,Elisabeth completed her master of socialwork degree from the University ofWashington, Tacoma. She will be pursu-

32 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

1938 Melba I (Fenney) Sovde on Mar. 22. 1946Doris (Jurgerson) Brokaw on Apr. 17.1949Gene Upton on Mar. 28. 1950Michael Harry McLaughlin on Jan. 29.1951 Jack L. Conrad on Apr. 28. Stanley Dale Monson on May 17. 1956 Sharon (Kinzer) Parton on Mar. 27.Barbara (MacDonald) Spinney on Apr.21.1958Norman O. Forness on Apr. 2.Karen Misenhimer Monson on Jan. 21,20081971John Lutton on May 10. 1977Ruth (Berntson) Stenson on Mar. 30.1982Katrina Ann (Heard) Smith on May 17.Lynn Isaacson on April 2.1983Nancy Lee Peterson on Jul. 24, 2008.1987 Anna Elizabeth Ayers on Apr. 27. 2004 Dan Walling on Apr. 3.2007Brian Bradshaw on June 18.

Friends and Family

Lewis (Lew) Eugene Dibble died Apr.7. Lew was a pioneer in student finan-cial aid for students in higher educa-tion. During his career he wasemployed by the University of PugetSound, Council for PostsecondaryEducation, Knapp College of Businessand Pacific Lutheran University. He issurvived by his wife Clara Mae; broth-er, Steve; sister-in-law, Linda; andnieces, nephews and grandchildren.

Loleta Espeseth died Apr. 20. Loletacame to PLU in 1964. During her 24years at PLU she served first as assis-tant registrar and then as associateregistrar. Loleta’s professional workwas devoted to maintaining officialtranscripts, grades, and certifications,and required meticulous attention to

In Memoriamdetail. Throughout her career shewitnessed many changes, from post-ing grades with a fountain pen toimplementing a fully computerizedtranscript system. Loleta was alsoknown for her great compassion forcolleagues, students and friends. Sheis survived by brother Paul Solem;daughters, Margaret (Espeseth ’71)Nugent and Miriam Espeseth; sonJon Espeseth ’73; grandson, TylerNugent ’05; and granddaughtersMackenzie Nugent, and Whiney andJane Espeseth.

Brian “Buff” Woolstenhulme diedApr. 23. Buff was known as the veryfriendly and personable campuspainter. Buff loved his work at PLU,and the highlight was working withhis team of student painters. Mostimportantly, Buff valued the relation-ships he built with students; this isevident by the lifelong relationshipshe cherished.

David H. Hansen died May 13. Davidwas professor emeritus of biologyand longtime faculty member. Duringhis 32 years at PLU, Dave was credit-ed as being the heart of the emer-gence of a strong ecological thrustwithin the Department of Biology.Early in his tenure, Dave collaboratedwith Don Ryan on a project thatinvolved identification of plantsancient Egyptians used to providefibers for the making of rope. Manystudents participated in undergradu-ate research under his direction thatfocused on plant ecophysiology, andseveral of those students went on toPh.D. programs in ecology and plantbiology. Dave is survived by his wife of 41 years, Idell (Emery ’83); and daughters, Helen ’95 and Marcia.

Ji Zeng, a student in the PLU MBAprogram, died May 6. Ji came to PLUfrom her home in Guangzhou, China,in the summer of 2008. She held amasters degree in economics fromWest Virginia University and was ateacher at Guangdong University ofTechnology with scholarly interests inreal estate, market and finance, andproperty management.

ing a social work career in Milwaukee.

Robert A Wargacki entered nursingschool and graduated from WhatcomCommunity College in Bellingham, Wash.,with an associate registered nursedegree. He works as a registered nursefor the Department of Veterans Affairs atMadigan Army Medical Center inTacoma.

Chris Anderson graduated from theUniversity of Denver’s Josef KorbelSchool of International Studies with aMA in comparative politics. He is work-ing at Occidental College in Los Angelesas the assistant dean of admission.

BrieAnna Balesmarried Pa-Foday JaitehAug. 9, 2008, onthe campus ofPLU. BrieAnna isan executiveassistant of theUniversity of

Washington, Tacoma. Pa-Foday is a CNA.The couple lives in Tacoma.

Wendy Liddlemarried ChaseSkorburg Aug. 8,2008, in Seattle.Fellow Lutes inattendancewere LaineWalters Young’05, as a member

of the wedding party, and Trista Winnie’06. The couple met at Yale DivinitySchool, where Wendy earned her M.Div.in 2007. The couple now resides inDallas.

2004 Class Representative – Tammy LynnSchaps

Dan Walling died Apr. 3. Dan was a highschool English teacher in Republic,Wash. He and a fellow teacher went fish-ing on Lake Roosevelt when their boatstruck a rocky shoreline. Dan graduatedfrom Washington State University andearned his masters at PLU. He started hiscareer in advertising and business. Hethen chose to teach. Dan is survived byhis wife Laura, and three children.

Laney Coyne is certified through theNational Strength and ConditioningAssociation as a strength and condition-ing specialist. She is employed by RipCity Fitness in Portland, Ore. Accordingto Laney, the best part about being a per-sonal trainer is helping people realizetheir own potential. She makes Portlandher home.

Jane Berentson has released her firstnovel “Miss Harper Can Do It.” Janelives in Brooklyn, New York, where sheteaches middle school Spanish. She cov-ets other people’s dogs and dreamsabout fine dining. Her time is spent read-

ing, writing, cooking, training in capoeira,and growing ever fonder of her familyand friends.

Shella Biallas graduated from the DanielJ. Evans School of Public Affairs at theUniversity of Washington with a master’sin public administration. She was award-ed a Presidential ManagementFellowship, which is a federal leadershipdevelopment program through the U.S.government. The highly prestigious two-year fellowship will be in Washington,D.C., at the U.S. Department of Energy inthe Federal Energy ManagementProgram.

Jessie Freesemarried MattWeber inPuyallup, Wash.,Aug. 9, 2008. Thewedding partyincluded; LucHammond,Jason Andrew

’02, and Krister Freese ’03. Patty (Millson’76) and Rev. Paul Freese ’75 are the par-ents of the bride. Matt is a financialassociate for Thrivent Financial forLutherans in Puyallup, Wash. Jessie is afourth grade teacher in the SumnerSchool District.

2005 Class Representative – Micheal Steele

Marisa Kuniko Castello received hermasters of education in psychology with aconcentration in school counseling fromSpringfield College in Springfield, Mass.

Jason Rimkus is leaving his current jobas the online service coordinator in theOffice of Constituent Relations at PLU togo back to school and earn his mastersdegree in athletic administration at theUniversity of Washington. He will bemoving to Seattle.

Garrett Luettgen, Corey Fish and JacobHenderson all graduated with the degreeof medical doctor from the University ofWashington in the Spring.

2006 Class Representative – Jenna(Steffenson) Serr

Aislinn Addington, a doctoral student insociology at Kansas University, receivedthe Morris C Pratt Travel Scholarship andCarroll D Clark Pre-MA Award by theKansas University Department ofSociology Student Awards.

2007 Class Representative – Kaarin PraxelandMaggie Morgan

Brian Bradshaw ’07 died June 18. Brianwas killed while on active duty in Kheyl,Afghanistan, when an improvised bombexploded near his vehicle. Brian graduat-ed from PLU with a BA in political sci-ence and was commissioned as a sec-

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 33

ond lieutenant in the Army on May 26,2007. He was then assigned to the 1stBattalion, 501st Parachute InfantryRegiment, 4th Airborne Brigade CombatTeam, 25th Infantry Division in FortRichardson, Alaska. He was deployed toAfghanistan from there in March 2009.Brian volunteered for the ROTC programat PLU and was in the first class after the9/11 attacks. Brian had said that hejoined the Army not to try to win a warbut to make the lives of people better.

Brian’s family resides in Steilacoom,where he grew up. He was a graduate ofVisitation Catholic School and BellarmineHigh School, both in Tacoma.

Kayla Pendrak married Geoff Arnold May23, on Fox Island, Wash. Geoff is a lawstudent. The Arnolds make their home inTacoma.

Tina Reindl is relocating to Lodi, Calif., topursue her master’s degree in speech

34 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

language pathology. She will be leavingher position as programs and servicescoordinator in the Office of ConstituentRelations at PLU.

Jennifer Henrichsen received a masterof advanced studies in international andEuropean security in Geneva,Switzerland.

2008 Class Representative – Christy OlsenField and Courtney Stringer

Caitlin Stoskopfmarried fellowLute RyanCeresola ’09May 30 at FirstLutheran Churchin Tacoma. Lutesin the weddingparty included

Jamie Rottle, Tabitha Hall, JennaCalhoun, Kathryn Druback, BrockBennett ’11, Sam Chrest ’06, Mike Plotke,and Andrew Harron ’09.

Christy Olsenmarried CarlField at TrinityLutheran Churchin Tacoma June28, 2008. ManyLutes were inthe weddingparty and also in

attendance, including best man JensGilbertson ’07, Dan Rosales ’07, EricSwanson, Jonah Nelson, Lauren Holly’07, Molly Olmstead, RebeccaRichardson ’09, co-maids of honorCaroline Olsen ’11 and future LuteCourtney Olsen. Christy works at theNorwegian American Weekly newspaperwith Tiffanie (Clark ’07) Davis and KimNesselquist ’84, and Carl is a systemsanalyst for Regence BlueShield. Thenewlyweds live in Seattle.

2009 Class Representative – Maren Andersonand Amy Spieker

Future Lutes1987Kathy (Nichols) Love celebrated the birthof her second child, Alexis (Lexie), onNov. 21. Lexie joins big brother Jackson.They reside in Beaverton, Ore.

1991Isle (Saue) andSteve McClaryannounce thebirth of theirthird son, LoganGorden on June28, 2008. Hejoins brothersIan, 5, and

Dylan, 3. Steve has taken a new positionas assistant city manager in Ojai, Calif.

1993Jeff andStephanie (Lund’95) Miller wel-comed theirsecond childinto their family.Sidney NicolMiller was bornMar. 8 and joins

big brother Jacob.

Kristi (Barrons)Quadrato andher husband,Craig, announcethe adoption oftheir son, AlexQilun. He joinedthe family onOct. 6, 2008, at

13 months of age. He was born inYunnan, China. He joins big sister,AnnaMei, 5, who was also adopted fromChina in 2005. The Quadrato’s currentlylive in Austin, Texas, where Craig is com-pleting a Ph.D. in structural engineeringat the University of Texas.

1994Dan andMari(Hoseth ’96)Lysne becameparents of twinsDec. 12. Elsa Joyand Jonas Bjorn

were born three months early and theLysnes ran into countless doctors andnurses that were PLU alumni. Their hoursof work and endless dedication weregreatly appreciated and helpedimmensely during the five months at theNICU and ICN. Dan and Mari are verythankful to all the Lute alumni that helpedwith the twins.

1995Tammy (Huynh)Mandilag andher husband,Romel,announce thebirth of theirfirstborn son,Marcus Huynh,on April 27. Theylive in Hillsboro,Ore.

Krista Sickert-Bush and hus-band, Bill, arepleased toannounce thebirth and adop-tion of their sec-ond daughter,Zara Ruth, onNov. 1, 2008.Zara was bap-tized into God’s

family at Luther Place Memorial Church inWashington, D.C., on Pentecost Sunday,May 31, by her grandfather, Pastor FredSickert and Pastor Karen Brau. Zara joinsbig sister Grace, 3.

What’snewwith you?

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> MAIL TO: Office of Constituent Relations, PLU, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003; FAX: 253-535-8555; E-MAIL: alumni@plu.edu;

Internet: www.plualumni.org. Please limit to 100 words.

> Please fill out as much information below as possible, including city of residence and work. Feel free to use another piece of paper, but please limit your submission to 100 words. Photos are welcome, but only one photo will be used, and on a space available basis. Notes will be edited for content. Photos must be prints or high quality jpegs. Please, no reproductions or copies from other publications.Deadline for the next issue of Scene is Sept. 14, 2009.

1996Anne(Blackwell)Snieg gavebirth to her sec-ond son,ChristoferThomas Sept.23, 2008. TheSnieg family

lives in Greenfield, Wis.

1997Kasie (Scales) and Kelly Pranghoferadded a son to their family on Dec. 27.Keagan Joseph joins Kyla, 6, andKayden, 4. Keagan was born two monthsearly but is now home from the NICUand is doing well.

Jeremie andBeth (Salzman)Lipton arethrilled toannounce thebirth of theirthird child onJan. 19. BeckettHenry joins his

two siblings, Ian, 5, and Elyse, 3. Theylive on Bainbridge Island, Wash.

1998Lindsay(Johnson)Williamson andhusband, Troy,celebrated thebirth of theirdaughter, KateLouise, Feb. 19.Kate joins

brother Jonathan “Jack” Dean, 3. TheWilliamsons live in Bonney Lake, Wash.

Heidi (Ramseth) Hornung and husband,Stuart, became parents of their secondchild, Greta Elizabeth on May 15. Gretajoins her big sister, Maggie.

1999Amy (Pardini) and Aaron Sonnichsenhad their fourth child on Sept. 19, 2008.Sophie May joins Olivia, 7, Gabe, 5 andAnna, 3, at home in Prosser, Wash.

Anneke(Geballe) Geeland husbandPeter celebrat-ed the birth oftheir daughter,SashaRosemary onJan 5. The fami-

ly makes their home in Reston, Va.,where Peter is pursuing a Ph.D. in reli-gious studies at Georgetown University.Anneke is a quality assurance specialistfor the National Cancer Institute’sCancer Information Service.

Jenny (Klumpp) Cramer and her husbandMatt have a new daughter, Siena Grace,born Dec. 23. Matt is now working withthe United States Olympic Committee

with Winter Sports and will be headingto Vancouver for the 2010 games. WithSiena’s arrival, Jenny is now staying athome with their new blessing.

Michele(McGinnis)Shaver and herhusband Johnare the proudparents ofKendal Mary,

born June 14. Madison, 3, is very proudof her baby sister. The Shavers maketheir home in Southern California.

2000Lisa (Drake)Lovely and herhusband Bryancelebrated thebirth of theirdaughter, AvalynMarie, Jan. 17.Avalyn joins her

brother, Jace Charles, 2. Lisa is a fourthgrade teacher in Tacoma.

KevinStokesbary andwife Kelly wel-comed theirsecond childinto their familyon Mar. 5.Parker Noah

joins big brother Payton, 2.

Natalie (Julin’00) and her hus-band, BrianJulin-McCleary,are the happybut tired parents

of Toby Joshua born Dec. 21, 2005, andSophie Elise born Dec. 1, 2007. The Julin-McClearys currently live in CorpusChristi,Tex., where Brian serves as internpastor at St. John Lutheran Church.Natalie is a full time toddler entertain-ment director and family chef. In August,the Julin-McClearys will move back toSt. Paul, so Brian can complete the finalyear of his Master’s of Divinity degree atLuther Seminary.

MichelleMatlockNikisch, hus-band, Arthur,and big sister,Haylee Madisonare happy toannounce thebirth of a sec-

ond child, Bennett Patrick, on Mar. 21.

Mindy (Norris)Sneva and hus-band, Jordan,joyfully wel-comed their newson, AsherEugene, Jan. 23.

The Sneva family lives in Burlington, Wash.

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 35

Rich Kuehn andwife Julie cele-brated the birthof their firstchild, HayliePearl, Feb. 18.They reside inEdmonds, Wash.

2001Jennifer (Hiatt)and AaronJacksonbecame parentsof daughter,Natalie Marlow,

on Apr. 20. The Jacksons make theirhome in Sylvania, Ohio.

Amanda (Stafford) and Jess Nelson cele-brated the birth of their son, HenryJames, on May 28. Amanda is a stay-at-home mom and Jess a teacher and thehead football coach at Stadium HighSchool. The Nelsons reside in Tacoma.

Heather TroliaMueller andhusband,Russell, becameparents of ababy boy, Max,on Jan. 15.

Heather is a school teacher in theSumner School District. The familymakes their home in Puyallup, Wash.

2002Brian and wifeAbby (Schuetze’04) Riehs wereblessed by thearrival of theirdaughter, Emma

Jane, on Nov. 29, 2008. Brian works for aconsulting firm and Abbey is a stay-at-home mom living in Tacoma.

Lorien(Southworth)Maples andhusband Aaronannounce thebirth of theirfirst child,James SleemMaples, on

February 7. The Maples reside inSouthern California.

2004Solveig (Berg) and Pat ’05 Munson cele-brated the birth of their first child,Graham Richard Munson, on May 6.Graham weighed 9 lbs., 6 oz. and was 20inches long. Grandma reports he isalready a football player.

Sara Comstockand her hus-band, JoshuaLivermore, wel-comed their firstchild, AbramComstockLivermore, onMay 17. Theycurrently live inIowa City, Iowa.

2005

Barbara Barnettand husband,Michael, wel-comed theirson, SamuelKristian, Feb. 23.Michael is anelementaryschool teacherfor TacomaPublic Schools

and Barbara works in PLU’s office of stu-dent life.

AsimovTO

Zeus

Kristina Aarsvold – Nancy(Ellertson ’83) Aarsvold

Whitney Adams – Cynthia(Morris ’98) Adams

Nathaniel Allen-Slaba – LindaAllen ’68

Amy Aplin – Paula (Knapp ’85)Aplin

Heyley Barnard – Jill Himlie’78

Sean Boaglio – Dennis ’78 andSusan (Wilcox ’78) Boaglio

Kiersten Bowers – Mark ’81and Elizabeth (Nemeyer ’81)Bowers

Tobias Call – Andrew Call ’80

Michael Campbell – Victoria(Gohsman ’79) Campbell

Taylor Carlisle – Kelly ’83 andNancy (Holm ’83) Carlisle

Robert Casteel – Lori (Hanson’83) Casteel

Tanzy Caulkins – Robert ’79and Lisa (Catterall ’81)Caulkins

John Christensen – AllanChristensen ’74

Jeffrey Collins – John ’76 andSylvia (Negstad ’77) Collins

Megan Corbi – MonikaMcFadden ’73

Rebecca Denning – RobertDenning ’87, Michelle (Cheney’85) Hellwig

Andrew Douglass – Mark ’81and Teresa (Grambo ’83)Douglass

Thomas Farrow – Lori Farrow’86

Brendan Fitzgerald – Theresa(Crowley ’83) Fitzgerald

Michelle Granlund – Karl ’82and Renae (Schiff ’82)Granlund

Andrew Gubsch – Timothy ’82Gubsch, Susan (Dalziel ’84)Gubsch

Jesper Hallberg – Gail(Robinson ’82) Hallberg

Kaaren Hatlen – Mark ’82 andMary (Zitzewitz ’84) Hatlen

Britta Henden – DuaneHenden ’62

Brian Holden – Sheryl (Larsen’74) Holden

Sarah Holliday – Susan (Slater’87) Holliday

Evan Hoover – Jed Hoover ’81

Timothy Hurd – Michael ’83and Calene (Lukin ’83) Hurd

Olivia Inlow – Linda BeattieInlow ’74

Minda Jerde – Dwight ’79 andDebra (Kenagy ’79) Jerde

Rachel Johnson – Mark ’83Johnson, Lynn Bartlett-Johnson’74

Michelle Kalista – Michael ’83and Sherrie ’02 Kalista

Caitlen Kay – Danny Kay ’68

Joanna Kraft – Todd Kraft ’84

McKenzie Kruml – Denise(Crawford ’79) Kruml

Julia Lampson – Kirsten(Pedersen ’87) Lampson

Maryse LaRussa – Marilee(Squires ’87) Lewis

Bradley Lasham – Melissa(Berentson ’85) Lasham

Mark Lee – Robert Lee ’76

Conor Lien – Craig Lien ’76

Megan Lockert – JamesLockert ’76

Christopher Lund – Karyn(Atkins ’90) Lund

Elaina Mathieu – Lauren(Mathieu ’94) Ramey

Steven Mattich – Peter ’78 andJoan (Nelson ’77) Mattich

Paula McFadden – GuyMcFadden ’73

Brooke McIntyre – RobertMcIntyre ’79

Anna Milliren – Janel (Johnson’84) Milliren

Rebecca Miyamura – LyleMiyamura ’84

Jorgina Moore – David ’72 andMirth (Anderson ’72) Moore

Mary Moralez – Sandy (Faye’88) Cassio

Kyle Nothstein – PhilNothstein ’83

Amy Olsen – Linda (Peightel’80) Fender

Suzanne Olsen – Steve ’79 andNancy (Lee ’78) Olsen

Daniel Olson – Brian Olson’83, Mary (Boyd ’81) Olson

Kelsey Olson – Debra Olson’78

Audrey and Dylan O’Neil –Michael James O’Neil ’87

Matthew Peters – James ’70and Stephanie (Irwin ’79) Peters

Ryan Phillips – Dean ’81 andSusan (Lee ’81) Phillips

Anna Rasmussen – Douglas’84 and Jeanine (Case ’86)Rasmussen

Ryan Read – Stephen Read ’91

Kaitlin Reese – Dana Reese ’86

Anna Reinman – Mark Reiman’79

Frank Roberts – Bill Roberts ’04

Jill Rogers – Thomas ’90 andLois (Maier ’81) Rogers

Chiara Rose-Witt – LynnetteRose ’83

Lisette Savin – Jazelle (Budlong’84) Savin

Tara Schaumberg – GeneSchaumberg ’61

Tierney Schofield – ShirleySchofield ’91

Nathan Shoup – John ’87 andDebbie (Mortensen ’87) Shoup

Tamara Siburg – David ’80and Patricia (Tengesdal ’80)Siburg

Jack Sorensen – Evan (Adelson’77) Sorensen

Alicia Stephens – Lisa Berntsen’87

Kelsey Svaren – David Svaren ’78

Rachel Thomas – CarolGabrielson ’83

Elizabeth Tipple – Brian ’80and Traci (Wortley ’82) Tipple

Heather Waetzig – CristalWaetzig ’92

Jennifer Walling – MichaelWalling ’77

Alana Weber – ChristopherWeber ’84

Kara Whitton – RobertWhitton ’83

Christopher Yoder – Joan(Kahny ’79) Yoder

Kelsey Yonce – Michelle Yonce’09

Each fall we welcome new students to our campus. The Office of Constituent Relations extends a special welcome to our “LegacyLutes” – those students whose parent(s) also attended and/or graduated from PLU. We recognize this extra special commitment totheir alma mater and are thrilled to have their sons and daughters carry on their legacy. Please note that only parents who attendedPLU are listed below.

Legacy Lutes

36 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Foundation created the first fully fundedendowed chair at PLU, The Benson FamilyChair in Business and Economic History. Reisberg joined the PLU faculty in

1981 and since 1994 has held the rankof professor. Reisberg has contributed tothe literature in special education byfocusing on topics that can positivelyimpact the lives of students with aca-demic and behavior difficulties, amongthem classroom management, technolo-gy-based instructional methods, andpara-educator training.

MediaLab wins regionalEmmy, national nod

Four student researcher-filmmakersin PLU’s MediaLab program won a2009 College Division Emmy

Award this May at the 46th AnnualNorthwest Regional Emmy Awards.Junior Melissa Campbell and seniors

Julie Olds, Shannon Schrecengost andEmilie Firn were honored for their origi-nally produced “Illicit Exchanges:Canada, the U.S. & Crime,” a 30-minutefilm that explores the effects of crime,drugs and gangs in communities acrossNorth America. The documentary won inthe News Long Form category, competingagainst colleges and universities fromAlaska, Montana, Idaho, Oregon andWashington.Research on “Illicit Exchanges” began in

October 2007, and the team began con-ducting interviews and filming in January2008. Their work premiered at the SeattleMuseum of History and Industry inOctober 2008.“We found that issues of crime, poverty,

gangs and drugs existed in every commu-nity we visited,” said Robert MarshallWells, MediaLab’s faculty adviser andAssistant Professor of Communication atPLU. “This award just exemplifies thehard work and dedication that MediaLabstudents invest.” In addition to the Emmy, “Illicit

Exchanges” has won a national 2009Honorable Mention Award from theBroadcast Education AssociationFestival of Media Arts in the long-formdocumentary category, as well as a FirstPlace Grand Prize Award from theNational Broadcasting Society.

Here and Now continued

HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE FALL 2009 37

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The Wells Fargo Q Club ChallengeBetween Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, Wells Fargowill match new or increased gifts to Q Club, dollar for dollar up to $15,000.

Now your gift to Q Club can go twice asfar to help keep a college education afford-able for all students.

To double your dollars, visit www.plu.eduand click on “Make a Gift” or call 253-535-7177.

GIFTS IN SUPPORT OFQUALITY EDUCATIONP A C I F I C L U T H E R A N U N I V E R S I T YCLUB PLU

QQCLUB PLU

QQCLUB PLU

QQPLU Q CLUB

38 PLU SCENE FALL 2009 > PERSPECTIVE

perspective continued from back page

outside the classroom in these difficulteconomic days ahead.Priorities for the year began to emerge.

The first goal, we said, is that we mustmaintain enrollment and make sure thatall students are ensured full access to aPLU education, even in these difficulteconomic times. So we resolved to livewithin the lowest tuition, room andmeals increase in seven years – with anassociated determination to dedicatemore resources to student financial aid.We launched Project Access, a bold new

initiative undertaken on behalf of stu-dents who are facing unprecedentedfinancial challenges in realizing theirdreams of a college education. As aresult, when the campaign is complete,300 students will have additional Q Clubscholarships of $3,500. This from hun-dreds of donors who have reached out todo more because they care.

Commitment to qualityOur second goal became to continue to

build a stronger and better university, inspite of the financial uncertainty. Wekept pushing our quality agenda for-ward. The results have been both satisfy-ing and impressive:� Last year our faculty adopted a new gen-eral education program to be implement-ed this fall. We could have stoppedprogress on academic reform. But we saidno, we’re going to keep going. Across thecountry colleges and universities suspend-ed hiring faculty. But we said no, we’renot going do that. We are going to replaceour retiring faculty with new tenure-trackfaculty. We know we must maintain theexcellence in teaching and learning thatwe enjoy across the campus, and renew itwith fresh talent as we always have.�We received a $1 million grant fromthe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation tohelp students from all economic back-grounds study abroad. We said that wewould go out and match it, and withinmonths we succeeded. And so we wereable to announce a new $2 millionstudy-away scholarship program toincrease access and opportunity for all.� This year we were the recipient of theSenator Paul Simon Award for CampusInternationalization, an acknowledge-ment that PLU continues to be a nation-

al leader in globally focused education.In fact, we are the first private college oruniversity in the Western United Statesto receive that award.�We have raised $1.6 million toward a$2 million goal to fully fund anendowed faculty chair in Holocauststudies, a program that makes PLUunique among Lutheran institutionsnationally.

�A year ago we received a $750,000National Science Foundation grant topurchase a nuclear magnetic resonancespectrometer, the only such instrumentat a private university in the Northwest.It is only one example of our expandinginvestment in student-faculty researchand creative projects. But we neededmore than $400,000 to remodel RiekeScience Center to install it. We turned toour alumni and friends, and withinweeks that need was fully funded. Certainly we have tightened our belts

in response to challenging economictimes. But at the same time we continueto fulfill a commitment to keep movingour quality agenda forward and you arehelping make that possible.

Focused on the futureThird, we said that we have to keep

our eyes on the future. Even though weare fully occupied dealing with the present, we’ve got to keep looking ahead. So we said we’re going to keeprepairing our roofs. Because we’re notgoing to develop a maintenance deficit.We’re going to keep buying computers.Because we’re not going to develop a technology deficit. We’re going to keep building our endowment. Because

that secures our long-term future.Yes, and now the Board of Regents has

authorized us to begin working on PLU2020: The Long Range Plan for our NextDecade. We believe that the economic sit-uation we’re in is not going to last forev-er. And as it starts to mitigate and westart to gain momentum again, we wantthis university to be positioned to moveforward even faster. And the PLU familyof alumni, friends and donors are helpingus make that possible.This commitment to the future is the

PLU educational promise.It is a promise that is both distinctive

and incredibly powerful: At this Lutheranuniversity we believe that every single stu-dent is a unique, precious child of God.Each student is a kind of heirloom seedof potential and possibility. And we chal-lenge them with the most powerful andprovocative question there is: What isyour vocation and calling?“What will you do with your one wild

and precious life?” It is the question thathas the potential to focus and motivateus for a lifetime. Not everyone answersthat challenge here at PLU. But every stu-dent confronts it here. And, we hope,each student learns to live it here.I have never worked with a more hope-

ful generation of students who haveengaged these “big enough” questionsthan those who are enrolled at PacificLutheran University today. These areyoung people of significant talent. Theseare young people who are serious abouttheir education. These are young peoplewho are fearless about engaging theworld. They believe they can make a dif-ference in the world. They believe thatthey can make a lasting contribution.And they can, with our help.I thank you and all of the alumni and

friends of PLU for believing in the PLUeducational promise, for putting yoursupport behind your belief, for recom-mending us to prospective students, andfor sharing the good word about thework that goes on here. We cannot do itwithout you. We celebrate your partner-ship and our shared dream of the PLUeducational promise.

Loren J. Anderson is president of PacificLutheran University.

“Certainly we have tightened

our belts in response to chal-

lenging economic times. But at

the same time we continue to

fulfill a commitment to keep

moving our quality agenda

forward.”

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CALENDAR > PLU FALL 2009 39

calendarcontinued from inside front cover

November 11, NoonVeterans' Day CelebrationMary Baker Russell Music Center,Lagerquist Concert Hall

November 12, 5:30 p.m.KPLU Art of JazzSeattle Art Museum

November 13, 3 p.m.Division of Social Sciences LectureXavier, Nordquist Lecture Hall

November 14, 10 a.m.Confirmation ClassUniversity Center, 212

November 16, 8 a.m.International Education WeekWang Center

November 16, 7 p.m.3rd Annual Got (Language) Privilege?University Center, Regency Room

November 21, 10 a.m.Nordic Sweater ExchangeScandinavian Cultural Center

December 2, 5:15 p.m.Light Up Red SquareEastvold, Red Square

DECEMBER

December 4, 7:30 p.m.Annual Sankta Lucia Celebration.Mary Baker Russell Music Center,Lagerquist Concert Hall

October 13, 8 p.m.University Symphony Orchestra performsKarin Rehnqvist’s “Arktis-Arktis!” Lagerquist Concert Hall

October 14, 7 p.m.Lecture by Swedish composer Karin RehnqvistUniversity Center, Scan Center

October 15, 6:30 p.m.David and Marilyn Knutson Lecture inTheology: New Testament scholar JohnDominic CrossanUniversity Center, CK

October 20, 5:30 p.m.Faculty Scholarship DinnerUniversity Center, Scan Center

October 24, 9:30 a.m.PLU Women's Club Fall Brunch: KPLU General Manager Paul Stankavichdiscusses KPLU History and current happeningsUniversity Center, CK

October 27, 5 p.m.Spring Semester 2010 Study AwayOrientationUniversity Center, Regency Room

October 30, 11 a.m.ELCA Seminary VisitUniversity Center, 2nd Floor Foyer

NOVEMBER

November 5, 8:30 a.m.Continuing Nursing Education ConferenceUniversity Center, CK

November 6-8Family Weekend 2009www.plu.edu/parents

November 9, 7 p.m.3rd Annual Got (Socio-Economic) Privilege?University Center, Regency Room

November 10, 8 p.m.University Symphony Orchestra and facultyflutist Jennifer Rhyne will perform EgilHovland’s “Concerto for Piccolo andOrchestra.”Lagerquist Concert Hall

December 4, 8 p.m.Sankta Lucia ReceptionUniversity Center, Scan Center

December 9, 7 p.m.Norwegian Christmas ServiceUniversity Center, Scan Center

December 10, NoonKPLU Christmas Jam live concert and broadcast with guest artist Sara GazarekLagerquist Concert Hall

December 10, 5:30 p.m.KPLU Art of JazzSeattle Art Museum

December 11, 3 p.m.Division of Social Sciences LectureXavier, Nordquist Lecture Hall

December 11, 6 p.m.Nordlyset Christmas PartyUniversity Center, Scan Center

December 11, 6 p.m.School of Nursing Recognition and Pinning CeremonyTrinity Lutheran Church

December 12, 10:30 a.m.Fall Commencement 2009Olson Auditorium

December 19, 6 p.m.Nordic Christmas FestUniversity Center, Scan Center

December 5, 7:30 p.m.Newmark Theater, Portland, Ore.

December 6, 3 p.m.Lagerquist Concert Hall, PLU

December 7, 7:30 p.m.Benaroya Concert Hall, Seattle

December 10, 7:30 p.m.Lagerquist Concert Hall, PLU

December 11, 7:30 p.m.Lagerquist Concert Hall, PLU

A Pacific Lutheran University Christmas Celebration

S

FROM HEAVEN ABOVE

continued on page 38

PLU Scene, Tacoma, Washington 98447-0003Address change: If this copy of Scene is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home,please notify the Office of Constituent Relations with his or her new mailing address. You can reach us by phone at 253-535-7415 or 1-800-ALUM-PLU. You can also fax us at 253-535-8555 or e-mail alumni@plu.edu with the new information. Thanks!

By Loren J. Anderson

(An adaptation of an address given at the uni-versity’s Spring Donor Banquet in May.)

T he true nature of a person or anorganization often shinesthrough during times of adversi-

ty. We’re seeing that all around us thesedays as the local, national and globalcommunities face the turbulence of eco-nomic uncertainty. Many are finding itdifficult to persevere. Others are findingin these challenges pathways to newopportunities.There is no doubt that this is also a

remarkable time in the history of PacificLutheran University. We are being tested

in new ways. But the remarkable resultfor us has been a return to the corestrengths and fundamental values thathave served and continue to serve uswell.I call it the PLU educational promise.

Economic crisis and our prioritiesIn the fall of 2008, we began the year

once again celebrating the joys of teach-ing and learning with great new andreturning faculty and a lively spiritacross campus.Little did we know that within a few

days of fall convocation, we would findourselves in the midst of an evolving

global economic crisis. It stopped us inour tracks, much as it did every citizen.Our first reaction was to say, we’ve got

to tighten our belts. We’ve got tobecome more cautious, more defensive,and measure our priorities much morecarefully.But, before long, another deeper real-

ization came to us: No, it’s not aboutretrenching. We now must do muchmore. We need a game plan. We need astrategy. We need to figure out whatgoals are going to inform and drive thework of the university both inside and

President Loren J. Anderson believes these difficult economic times have enabled PLU to focus on the core strengths and fundamental values that haveserved the university well.

perspectiveThe PLU educational promise