The Olivetian, "All or Nothing," summer 2010 (Digital edition)

VOL . 78, NO. 1 SUMMER 2010 W W W.OLIVET.EDU

O L I V E T N A Z A R E N E U N I V E R S I T Y , B O U R B O N N A I S , I L L I N O I S

SOCIAL WORK BY DAY, SEARCH AND RESCUE BY NIGHTpage 4

WHAT ESPN DIDN’T TELL YOUpage 14

TIGERS DOMINATE NAIApage 13

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pages 8–9Lessons from a gLobaL cLassroom

http://olivet.edu/

PRAYER PREP

Of all the visitors that come to campus over the summer, some of our favorites are those less than 3 feet tall — and made of felt. The International Festival of Christian Puppetry and Ventriloquism is one of the largest conventions held on Olivet’s campus during the summer break.

w w w . o l i v e t . e d u

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

Editor The Olivetian

Olivet Nazarene University One University Ave.

Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345

THE OLIVETIAN (USPS 407-880)

(ISSN 0891-9712)

EditorHeather (Quimby) Day ’02

Contributing WritersNick Birkey ’07

Amanda Jensen ’04/’06 M.O.L. Casey Manes Kate Morgan

DesignerDonnie Johnson

Additional DesignMatthew Moore ’96

Monique (Cartier) Perry ’03

Editorial ConsultantRev. Gordon C. Wickersham ’47

PhotographyImage Group Photography,

or as credited

Class Notes EditorMartha Thompson

Olivet Nazarene University

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

’06 D.Div.

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Gregg Chenoweth ’90

Vice President for Student Development

Dr. Walter “Woody” Webb ’86/ ’89 M.A.R./’08 D.Div.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Dr. Brian Allen ’82/’05 Litt.D.

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

’95 M.B.A., Litt.D.

Vice President for School of Graduate

and Continuing StudiesRyan Spittal ’99/’04 M.B.A.

The Olivetian is published quarterly by the Office of Marketing Communications

under the direction of the vice president for Institutional Advancement.

Reproduction of material without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2010 Olivet Nazarene University

One University Avenue Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345

Cover photo by Tim Stephansen ’11

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The ninth annual Chicago Bears Training camp drew thousands of fans and dozens of sportscasters to the campus in late July and early August. Before, during, and following training camp, “Olivet Nazarene University” becomes a frequently uttered phrase by Chicago media, who work in the second largest media market in the nation.

Zach Boie ’11 races a Baja Jeep he and fellow ONU engineering majors had built for the Baja

SAE Western Washington Competition. The six-member team, overseen by associate professor

Bob Allen ’71/’73 MA, placed 27th out of 103 registered schools in the grand finale “endurance race”

— beating out such schools as University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Wisconsin,

University of Arizona, Kansas State University, Oregon State University and Michigan State University.

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Faculty members gathered in the nearly completed Centennial Cha-pel to pray for the students who will sit within these seats. Plan to join us for a time of prayer, cel-ebration and dedi-cation for Centen-nial Chapel, Friday, October 29, during Homecoming.

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Welcome - Summer 2010 The Olivetian 3perspectives


By John C. Bowling ’71/’72 M.A./’06 D.Div., University President

Jill and I were walking through

Harvard Square, in Cambridge, Mass.,

one afternoon when we first saw it.

It was very clever. I was enrolled at the

time at Harvard University as a post-

doctoral Resident Fellow, and we were just

starting to get the lay of the land. It was

in the late summer; university students

were arriving from all over the world to

study at Harvard or Ratcliff, or down the

street at MIT.

As we walked the square, darting in

and out of bookstores and coffee shops,

taking in the sights and sounds of that

rather eclectic place, it was Jill who spotted

the sign first. “Look at that,” she said.

I turned to see a large, well-lighted sign

in the window of a travel agency. The sign

said, “Welcome – Now Please Go Away.”

now PlEAsE go AwAY! We just stood there for a few moments taking in the message. The unwritten subtext of the sign was twofold. First, the message was a recognition that almost everyone walk-ing those streets was from somewhere else and would be traveling back home at fall-break or at the end of the semester or taking other kinds of trips along the way. The travel agency, of course, wanted to help them “go away” by booking tickets and making travel plans. Second, there was, at least to me, more than an advertising implication to the sign; for in a way it was also say-ing, “We are glad you are here, but we know in reality that you are just pass-ing through. This university town is just one stop on your life-time journey. You are here, but at the same time you are ‘on your way’ to the future, to profes-sions and personal lives that will take you beyond the streets and structures of Harvard Square.” What was true for those students a few years ago is true for our students, as well. They are with us for a brief time. Thus, part of our work at Olivet is to help students prepare for the world that awaits them. One way we do this is to pro-vide a multitude of opportunities for

students to travel, study, and serve internationally during their Olivet years. This provides very real, “hands-on,” educational and cross-cultural experi-ences. Such experiences help students develop a positive and more realistic world view. Just this summer, Olivet students have traveled to Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the Middle East, the Caribbean and nearly all points in-between. A couple of years ago, I was talking with a student who was waiting (rather impatiently) for his girlfriend to return from one of our study abroad programs. I said to him, “When I was in college, I didn’t know anyone who had been out of the country.” He gave me a curious look and said, “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been.” The world has become a much smaller and much bigger place all at once. It is smaller in that nearly anyone can reach distant lands rather easily. It is bigger in that it holds so much more op-portunity for students. So, one of the messages I will deliver to our incoming freshmen this fall is the message of that sign from Harvard Square: “Welcome – Now Please go Away.”

fiRst chAPEl sERvicE of thE fAll sEmEstER

in mchiE AREnA, sEPt. 1, 2010

PHOTOS BY AMY DUERRWAECHTER ’10

EDgE


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SUBMITTED PHOTOS

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alumni feature

livingthE

on

jERRY whAlEY ’93 lEADsA DouBlE lifE. By day, he is a social worker, husband and father, cooking breakfast for his boys and getting them off to school.

Change in the air

Though previously not so sure about Jerry entering the military due to the risks involved, his wife, Beth (Abraham) ’92, said she was ready for him to sign up. After all, he was already feeling the adrenaline rush by backpacking, downhill skiing and competing in Ironman-length triathlons and motor cross competitions. Jerry recalls, “I swore in with the Ohio military reserve. I was trained as a military policeman. I am E6, staff sergeant squad leader with the 1st Civil Service Support Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon.” He entered the Search and Rescue realm of the National guard, eventually becoming a SAR technician. Jerry is the guy you want nearby in the case of a national disaster. Discovering this arm of the military has been like finding the perfect drink to quench his thirst after many years. “With my love of backpacking and my calling to help others as a social worker, SAR is helping others in the wilderness! How sweet is that?!” he quips. After several years of intensive training, Jerry now teaches others

But when free time rolls around, Jerry is bounding after extreme adventure and rescuing others as a trained Search and Rescue military man.

how to rescue in 21 states. As the world climate has shifted since 9/11, Jerry also became specially trained in bomb searches, HAZMAT, high angle rope rescue, k9 units, under-water recovery and fixed wing aircraft, among several other risky disciplines. From the looks of his success since enlisting, Jerry is somewhat of a natural. He was honored as the Army’s Surgeon general Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year in 2010. “To be selected by my superiors and peers to receive this honor is extremely humbling with no words to describe,” shares Jerry.

new Venture

To add to his already-active schedule, Jerry is in the midst of a new business venture that could help save many lives around the world. He and fellow co-workers trained in high angle rope rescue are months away from patenting and unveiling a rope system that will assist in difficult rescues. Jerry’s also been busy with new ventures with the family. When they’re not at home together, the Whaleys travel together and all sample some of their dad’s love for adventure. For spring break this year, they headed to gatlinburg, Tenn. –– and of course Jerry brought the bikes and backpacks. “Backpacking is where I escape to hear god, see god, find myself and learn how simply I can live again. My boys are starting to like it and it gives us time together too. They look forward to doing the big trip with me each year,” explains Jerry, on the annual week-long hike he takes every year, as he works his way through the length of the Appalachian Trail. And it appears Jerry won’t be slowing down anytime in the near future. “I also take time to ski with my buddies. Recently, one of them gave me a computer from one of the bikes and I put it in my pocket. It clocked at 78.8 MPH! “Sweet!”

On the behalf of the students of Olivet Nazarene University, I would like to thank you for the generous monetary help that you provide for us. I know of several people, myself included, who would not be able to attend Olivet without your help.

Summer 2010 The Olivetian 5


gIVE TODAY. CHANgE TOMORROW.815-939-5171 | www.olivet.edu | [email protected]

‘I wouldnot be

here,were it not

for you.’

friends of olivet

— JOY MACDONALD ’13

“I have met many people on this campus who truly have made a difference in my life. From my roommate who has shown me how to be friendly to everyone, to my new best friend who has shown me how to be humble in everything I do, to the upperclassman who has been a spiritual mentor to me. My professors are all amazing people and supportive of me, even when I struggle. I love that they all know my name, and I can have conversa-tions with them.

“Olivet Nazarene University is truly a god-ordained place. It is a place where spiritual and academic growth co-exists peacefully. I am so glad that god has brought me here, and I know that this was only possible through the generous scholar-ship that was offered to me.

“So again, I offer you my heart-felt thanks for your support of me and my friends. We truly are appreciative and thank god for what you do for us.”

Joy MacDonald ’13, youth ministry major from Danforth, Ill.

ONUInsiderNURSING EXCELLENCE | Deborah Raley, adjunct nursing professor for the School of

graduate and Continuing Studies, was recently se-lected as one of five finalists for the greater Chicago Nursing Spectrum Nursing Excellence Award. Her nomination reads, “Deborah Raley is known for her unwavering pursuit of creating a culture of inquiry and learning.” Her major educational accomplishments have included chairing the development of a system-wide (eight hospitals) critical care course and basic arrhythmia education program.

STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP | Olivet faculty and staff continue to be named to top posi-

tions for the State of Illinois. Jonathan Bartling ’99, associate professor for the School of Education and di-rector of assessment and accreditation for the School of graduate and Continuing Studies was elected sec-retary of the Illinois Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Dale Hathaway, chair of the Department of Mathematics, was named chair elect for the Illinois Section of the Mathematical Association of America. Mary D. Anderson ’87, director of Career Services, was elected president of the Illinois Small College Placement Association (ISCPA).

PROJECT NExT | Justin Brown, professor with Olivet’s Department of Mathematics, was

appointed a Project NExT Fellow for 2010–2013. Proj-ect NExT addresses all aspects of an academic career: improving the teaching and learning of mathematics, engaging in research and scholarship, and participat-ing in professional activities. To be eligible to apply a faculty member must be entering their first or second year of full-time teaching at the college/university level (after receiving the Ph.D.). Each year 100 to 150 ap-plications are received, but only 70–85 are accepted as Fellows.

TOP HONORS | An Olivet team consisting of Mark Lockwood ’11, Carl Trank ’12 and

Mark Lynn ’13 placed first out of 40 teams from 16 schools at the annual ACCA (Association of Colleges of the Chicago Area) calculus tournament. graduate and Continuing Studies students Sherri Caffey ’10 and Robert Day ’10 tied for 21st best overall game-to-date score in the international gLO-BUS competition for the week ending July 18.

FULBRIGHT-HAYS | Kashama Mulamba, professor for the Department of English and

Modern Languages will join fifteen other educators from across the country in the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program focusing on China’s history, culture, changing society and rapid economic growth. During the month-long seminar in June and July, the group will visit Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing and Shanghai, with an option to continue to Hong kong for four days. READ MORE ABOUT DR. MULAMBA’S EXPERIENCE ON PAgE 15.

GEOLOGY HONORS | This past graduation saw the first two departmental honors gradu-

ates in geology: Susan Leib ’10 and Jamie Fearon ’10. Both have received full-ride graduate financial packages to, respectively, University of kentucky and Montana State University.


6 onu news

Williamsonto lead

SGCS academics to new levels

OBy Kate morgan

Olivet Nazarene University has named Jeff Williamson dean of the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. A 1984 graduate of Olivet, Williamson’s career includes 20 years of experience in Nazarene higher education. “Jeff brings an extensive background in Nazarene higher education,” says Ryan Spittal, vice president for graduate and continuing education. “His prior experience in a variety of administrative positions provides him the depth of knowledge to help lead the academic unit of the School of graduate and Continuing Studies to new levels.” Most recently, Williamson served as associate dean of the School of Business at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. In this role, he developed a corporate and alumni relations program as a way to advance collaboration, support and academic program development opportunities. During this time, he was also a professor of organizational leadership for the university. Previous roles at MVNU include Master of Science in Management coordinator, dean of enrollment services and director of retention. Before serving at MVNU, Williamson was assistant director of admissions at Manchester College and then director of admissions at Southern Nazarene University. “With experience in many facets of higher education, along with an extensive experi-ence in adult learning, Jeff will provide a critical leadership role in the School of gradu-ate and Continuing Studies as we continue to look for ways to support the mission of Olivet,” Spittal says. After graduating from Olivet with a degree in speech communication in 1984, Williamson earned an M.A. in communication from Ball State University and an Ed.D. in leadership from University of Sarasota. He completed post-doctoral studies at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. Active in the Lakeholm Church of the Nazarene, Williamson has served as board member, Sunday school superintendent, teacher and men’s ministry coordinator. He volunteered as SIFE business advisory board member at MVNU, Heritage Centre Asso-ciation executive committee board member, and on several committees for the Mount Vernon/knox County Chamber of Commerce.

WT



DeDication Servicefor tHe

Betty and Kenneth Hawkins

centennial chapel Friday, October 29

HoMecoMinG

concert Saturday, October 30 fea t ur in g

Taylor Mason

Larnelle Harris

and the comedy of

Selah

Register today by calling

815-939-5258 or www.olivet.edu

f e a t u r i n g

J o i n u s !

homEcoming 2010Oct. 28–31,

By casey manes

“When I stop to think about my life, it still amazes me that god, in His infinite wisdom, would choose me to be a bold witness for Him. Me? Mary Walker? Painfully shy Mary Walker?” So begins “Ready and Willing,” the book penned by the late Mary Walker. Mary J. Walker didn’t have a natural inclination to talk to people she didn’t know. She was described as naturally introverted, but she chose to not let that stop her from sharing Christ with those around her. Her husband and high school sweet-heart, Skip, remembers how often she stepped outside her comfort zone and introduced herself to people in everyday life – on airplanes, at the store, to those in the local neighborhood. Often, she would exchange addresses with these casual acquaintances in order to begin correspondence with them. In her own words, “I have come to know that is god’s way. He takes ordinary people and empowers them with the extraordinary power and love of the Holy Spirit and sends them throughout the earth to draw men unto Himself and into His kingdom. I realize now

that god does not necessarily need our ability. What He needs is our avail-ability!” And available she was. Even in the face of life’s trials, Mary continued to live out her faith to those around her. In 1982, Mary was diag-nosed with breast cancer. Reflecting on this experience in her book, Mary wrote, “My cancer experience has al-lowed me to witness to people I other-wise would not have met.” Throughout her lifetime, Mary had a tangible impact in the lives of thousands of people. At the time of her death from Alzheimer’s disease in 2009, Mary had been corresponding with about 1500 of these peo-ple who she had already won to Christ or others she was continu-ing to reach out to and disciple. Mary met many of these people travelling with her husband who, at the time, was a businessman and CEO of a major corporation. Skip wanted to honor his wife’s mem-ory and devotion to her Lord by assisting young people on their own journeys of faith. So he gave $500,000 to the ONU

Foundation in Mary’s honor to provide two annual $10,000 scholarships to worthy female students who exemplify her heart for Christ. “Out of his great love and respect for Mary, Skip established this scholar-ship in order to honor two outstanding female students at the University each year,” explains Dan Ferris, Olivet’s ex-ecutive director of development and the ONU foundation.

The first two Mary J. Walker scholarships were granted this year to Amanda Mazzaro ’12 and Paige Watson ’11.

“These women [were] selected because they demonstrate positive qualities similar to Mary. Such quali-ties include: outstanding academic performance, strong character qualities and a deep commitment to spiritual values.” Amanda’s passions are working with children and serving in ministries to the homeless. Majoring in housing and environmental design, her goal is to one day renovate abandoned inner city buildings and turn them into low in-come housing and homeless shelters. “This scholarship was important be-cause I was starting to doubt the vision god gave me. I am reassured god will provide even when I least expect it,” shares Amanda. Paige is a corporate communica-tions major, minoring in business. “Re-ceiving the Mary J. Walker scholarship is a huge honor. I am extremely grate-ful for Mr. Walker’s generosity which allows me to enjoy Olivet’s incredible opportunities!” Mary’s faith and relationship with her Savior live on through her family and the relationships she built with thousands who were searching spiri-

tually. Through the Mary J. Walker scholarship, her legacy will also continue to be lived out through generations of ONU students who exhibit her character and love for Christ.

living A lEgAcY

marY J. WaLKer


8 cover story

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NOTHINGALL OR

my journal smells of leather, and not at all as if it spent a month in Africa. the only evidence that

it has been anywhere is the water stain running through the bottom halves of its pages from the time we were caught in a downpour in the rainforests of ghana. i probably smell vaguely of the body wash i used this morning, or perhaps the lingering aroma from my encoun-ter with Reed hall’s bearded dragon has overwritten that by now. the only physi-cal evidence i bear of Africa is red dust on the inside collars of shirts i no longer wear and a half-faded livestrong-style bracelet made in the colors of ghana.

The funny thing is, when people ask me “how was Africa?” I always tell them that the trip was “wonder-ful” and “life-changing.” But now, I find myself hard-pressed to find any actual changes taking place. It’s not as if I have forgotten. I remember spending a solid month with ten other people: professors Dr. Rebecca Belcher-Rankin ’69, Prof. kristi Ingram ’01, and Dr. kashama Mulamba; and seven other Olivet students — Jessica Brown ’11, Brittany Frost ’10, Jadon Huddleston ’11, kayla koury ’11, Rebecca Lankford ’12, Laura Messenger ’11, and Emily Spunaugle ’12.

Spending every waking moment with the same ten people should lead to over familiarity, but we never had even the slightest problem with group dynamics. I remember spending entire mornings, every week day for two solid weeks, in two small rooms at the University of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso’s capital of the same name, helping the senior-level stu-dents organize and brainstorm for their thesis papers. Each morning was a mixture of emotions. Each of us would help up to four students a day, and their top-ics were not catered to our interests. In the same day I could have a high point helping a student with a paper examining the role of satire in char-acterization, and then turn around to feel like I crashed and burned on a political science topic on which I am horribly unlearned. In the afternoons, we would split off to different high schools and teach ESL classes, while in the evenings we would work with adults. I remember when the adults killed me inside. I was alone one night with a class of fairly advanced learners who were given an hour’s time to ask any sort of question of me that they desired. Those that I was asked were heartbreaking. “How can I get to your univer-sity?” “If I give you the shipping cost, can you send me a car?” “How can I get to the U.S.?” “What help can you give me?” These were questions for which I had not mentally prepared myself

above: Children from the villages quickly befriended Dr. Mulamba and other ONU team members.

opposite page, top: Jadon Huddleston ’11 assists a student with her paper.

opposite page, bottom: Prof. Ingram, pictured with Jadon Huddleston and Laura Messenger ’11, demonstrates proper formatting for a Works Cited page.

Lessons from a gLobaL cLassroom BY TIMOTHY STEPHANSEN ’11



THE TRAVELING CLASSROOMDuring the summer, many students stick close to campus, taking classes through the break. But a growing number of students are venturing out to discover new classrooms –– clear across to the other side of the world. Here’s a snapshot of some of our other summer classrooms.

cOsta Rica | Dr. Leo Finkenbinder led students from across the sciences — from biology to zoology — on a two-week ecology excursion to Costa Rica. The group traveled around the country, including the Osa Peninsula, the Pacific coast and the cloud forest, studying the diversity of life in the tropics. The enhanced classroom: “Noth-ing can replace seeing the flora and fauna firsthand,” says Kevin Burke ’10. “The opportunity to go to the cloud forest and observe the behavior of a quet-zal, for example, made me a lot more excited about learning about the tropics and made me further appreciate its uniqueness.”

euROpe, including geRmany, england and switzeRland | In what has become a yearly tradition, students from Olivet’s Department of Busi-ness racked up some international experience through the International Business Institute. Traveling across Europe, students completed classwork and gained hands-on experience, visiting several corporations along the way. Eye-opening experience: “Olivet students who have participated in IBI tes-tify that the experience makes international business and economic issues more relevant,” says Dr. Paul Koch, Olivet business professor and IBI instructor. “More than one participant has used the phrase, ‘It opened my eyes to the world.’”

sOuth kORea and hOng kOng | Members of Olivet’s Concert Singers honed their performance skills while trekking across South Korea and Hong Kong. Led by Dr. Neal Woodruff, students sang at Korea Nazarene University, during church services and at local schools, where they also taught English.

Spontaneous singing: “On our last day in Hong Kong, we were asked to give

an impromptu performance in the middle of town,” says Jenna Dickey ’10. “It just

so happened to be Buddha’s birthday, so all of the locals had school and work off.

There we were, singing praises to God and proclaiming His name during Buddha’s

birthday celebration!”

GLOBAL SCHOLARSHIPAbout 20 percent of full-time faculty members have had an international experience over the past five years.

Katy Van Donselaar and Zach Martin

Concert Singers

PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY STEPHANSEN ’11

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these peOple had

nOthing, and they weRe

singing, dancing, and

pRaising gOd with

eveRything they had —

which tRuly was eveRything,

because all they had was gOd.

and am quite certain failed to answer in the best manner. These people had nothing, and I was sitting in front of them with, in their eyes, everything. I remember seeing that so many of the Burkinabes truly did have noth-ing — and yet now I am the one try-ing to make something out of nothing, even though I have everything. But that’s not true at all; I don’t have everything. The first people I saw who actually had everything had nothing at all. On May 16, we attended the morn-ing service at a diminutive Nazarene church clear on the other side of Ouagadougou, back in a segment of town that, like so many other villages in Burkina Faso, was made entirely of clay brick. Maybe thirty adults were in atten-dance, and not one of them was by any means wealthy. Yet these people possessed a pulse and a spirit that de-fied financial, social, and all other bar-

We under no circumstances drank out of the sink. Things I still take for granted: Solid roofs. Reliable air condition-ing. Vehicles with adequate airflow. Fast Internet speeds (or the Internet at all). A steady income. In Burkina, saying “No merci” to buying that random item I did not need may very well have been saying “I’m sorry; I don’t want to pay for your kid’s dinner tonight.” I don’t have to worry about that. What I have to deal with is showing that I have been in Africa; that I have been amongst those who have nothing but showed me the all-encompassing nothingness in myself. That I’ve learned that the last per-son my life is about is myself. That I’ve idolized all the wrong things, at the expense of so much. That I too can sing and dance and

riers that stood to suppress them. Watching them made me realize just how half-hearted many Americans behave at church: we have everything, and we are merely attending. These people had nothing, and they were singing, dancing, and prais-ing god with everything they had — which truly was everything, because all they had was god. I would like to say that I was never the same after that service, that my experience thrust me into a life wholly devoted to god and devoid of waste. But I still linger in the shower. In Burkina, water was precious; showers were short and water came in bottles.

revel in my god with as much gusto as do my brothers and sisters in Burkina every Sunday, because He is all that I have. We went to Burkina Faso to teach students to organize and format thesis papers. In Burkina Faso, I was taught how to organize and format my life. I should get to that. Merci, Burkina Faso. Merci.

To view more of Timothy’s photos, visit www.olivet.edu and select “The Olivetian” from the “Quick Links” drop-down menu.


10 centennial chapel

oneOne chapel. one seat. One moment. changes everything.

TO SPONSOR A SEAT IN CENTENNIAL CHAPEL, contact the Office of Development at 815-939-5171 or by e-mailing [email protected].

Every person who makes a gift of any size to this project will be recognized on the Wall of Thanksgiving.

Friend. Scholar. Man of God.

“Our time spent at Olivet was an amazing and impactful experience on both of our lives. Since graduating from Olivet, we have

JASON MONROE ’03 AND CHRIS MILLER ’03

spent the last several years experiencing and adjust-ing to ‘real life.’ Soon after graduation we learned that this ‘real life,’ while exciting, came with many chal-lenges. One constant throughout these challenges was God’s providence in our lives. No matter the adversity surrounding our circumstances, we found that God was there to provide for our every need.

“On June 9, 2009, we faced an especially challenging day. We received a call that Jason’s roommate from Olivet, Chris Miller ’03, and his older brother, Chad, were involved in a kayaking accident, and both had passed away. Over the last year, we have grieved and questioned this tragedy daily, trying to reason why these two special individuals were taken from this earth so prematurely. While we believe that God is certainly in control, it does not distract from the pain and sadness that come with missing our friend.

“We decided very early on that we wanted to do some-thing tangible to remember Chris. Chris was truly one of a kind — a gifted athlete, an outstanding scholar, a great friend and a passionate man of God. Chris was driven to pursue higher education and, in turn, was

committed to educat-ing others through his profession. For this reason, we felt that making a gift to Olivet, an institution committed to higher education, would tru-ly embody the spirit Chris possessed. Together we decided to sponsor a seat in memory of him.

“Our reliance on God’s providence

in our lives has given us the oppor-tunity to remember Chris in this way, and for that we are forever grateful.”

— JaSON ’03 aNd MeGaN (VidT) ’02 MONrOe

PHOTO OF JASON AND MEGAN MONROE BY LEMAY PHOTOGRAPHY

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onu alumni Summer 2010 The Olivetian 11


Class Notes

19 70s

Marcella (Hunter) Davis ’71 was installed as president of the Na-tional Association for De-velopmental Education in March 2010. This orga-nization of 3,000 mem-bers in 31 state/regional chapters across the U.S. is dedicated to equality of access to the opportunity of college for all students including those who face academic, social, and physical barriers. Marcella has taught English at the high school and college level for 34 years. She and her husband live in Madisonville, ky.

Ralph ’78 and Cindy (Prior) ’78 Osborne have moved to Neenah, Wis., where Ralph is rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Menasha, Wis. Cindy is working as a nurse at Theda Clark Medical Center.

Brenda K. (Muncie) Bowman ’79 was named one of the six 2010 Nursing Excellence Award win-ners at Reid Memorial Hospi-tal, Richmond, Ind., in April. Brenda is cancer care coordi-nator for the hospital, where she has worked since 2006. Brenda and her husband Bob reside in Williamsburg, Ind.

19 90s

Susan (Gary) ’92 and Bill Ortell: A girl, Josie Mikayla, Oct. 18, 2009. She joins sister Ab-bie, 7, and brother Evan, 4. Susan is a stay-at-home mom and Bill is self-employed. They reside in Dear-born Heights, Mich.

Paul and Dawn (McKendrick) ’93 Kurek: A boy, Blake Ryan, June 1, 2009. He joins big brother Brennan.

Susan (Skinner) ’96 and Sean Henry: A girl, Erica Nicole, May 2, 2010. Erica has two big brothers, Thomas and Luke. Susan is a stay-at-home mom and Sean is co-owner of Calabash Animation. They reside in Morton grove, Ill.

Alison Haynes ’97 recently released a new piano solo album. Renaissance: a Rebirth of Classic Melodies fea-tures Alison’s arrange-ments and performances of well-known melodies such as Memory and Send in the Clowns, as well as themes from several movies such as Schindler’s List, Pearl Harbor, and Man from Snowy River.

Aaron ’97 and Dawn Thompson: A girl, Leah Ruby, July 20, 2009. She joins her sister Emi-lee, 4. Aaron is an as-sistant professor at ONU and Dawn teaches fourth grade at MBVM grade school. They reside in Bradley, Ill.

David Menendez ’98 has been elected to serve as vice president during the 2010–11 season, and then as choir president during the 2011–12 season of The National Chris-tian Choir in Washington, D.C. The NCC is made up of between 150–200 auditioned Christian singers from the nation’s capital and four surrounding states, representing over 100 churches of different denominations.

20 00s

Adam ’01 and Kristin (Amato) ’05 Asher: A boy, David Robert, Oct. 28, 2009. The family resides in Manteno, Ill.

Amy Beckett ’02 and Stephen Garri-son were married June 5, 2010, in Hot Springs, Ark. Amy is currently a fourth grade teacher at Lakeside Intermediate School and Stephen is a manager of a local res-taurant. They reside in Hot Springs, Ark.

Sarah (Mastroianni) ’03 and Joshua Luff: A boy, Nathan James, March 5, 2010. Nathan joins his sister Madison, 2. Josh is an ac-count manager at CDW and Sarah is a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Wheaton Ill.

Lisa (Lockwood) ’03 and Scott Hewitt: Twins, Lillian and Noah, May 22, 2009. Lisa is a school psycholo-gist and Scott is a state trooper. The family resides in Fort Worth, Texas.

Colleen (Baker) ’03 and Tony Mason ’02: A girl, Isla Norine, March 18, 2010. She joins big sister, Ruby. Colleen is an instructor of the Bradley method of husband-coached childbirth. Isla was born at home. The family currently re-sides in Clifton, Ill.

Kyle and Brittany (Jackson) ’04 Thom-as: A boy, Ivan William, March 14, 2010. kyle works for Moraine Val-ley Church while finish-ing his Master’s degree in church history from Trinity Evangelical Divin-ity School. Brittany is a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Palos Heights, Ill.

Nick ’04 and Melanie Griffin: A girl, Makiyah Esther, May 30, 2010. Nick is the head volleyball coach at georgetown College. They reside in georgetown, ky.

Joshua ’06 and Kara (Pusey) ’06 Gress: A girl, katelyn Nicole, Feb. 5, 2010. Joshua is a quality supervisor at Swagelok Company and kara is a stay-at-home mom. The family resides in Twinsburg, Ohio.

Marcella Davis

David Asher

Stephen and Amy Garrison

Blake Kurek

Alison Haynes

Leah Thompson

Ivan Thomas

Katelyn Gress

Brenda Bowman

Josie Ortell

Nathan Luff

Lillian and Noah Hewitt

Ruby and Isla Mason

UPCOMINg events

February 24–27, 2011

FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other events, visit www.olivet.edu or call 815-939-5258.

WINTER

Orlando, FloridaGOLF OUTING

September 24, 2010Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, Ill. $23 per person

FEATURING:

Allison Durham SpeerAND

Ben Speerof the gaither Homecoming videos

Dr. Chuck Millhuff,evangelist for the Church of the Nazarene

Primetime DayF R I D AY

september

242010

Join us for Grandparents Day, immediately follow-ing the PrimeTime Day scheduled events. There will be free time for you to spend time with your grandchild and then a special dinner hosted by Dr. John C. Bowling.

Prime Time + Grandparents Day = Only $30 per person!

INCLUDES: registration, continental breakfast, buffet lunch, dinner buffet with your grandchild (ONU grandchildren eat free) and a special music CD!

in conjunction with

PRimE timE DAY

Grandparents Day Are YOU THe GrANDpAreNT

Of A CUrreNT ONU STUDeNT?

CONTINUED, NEXT PAGE

Ladies DayApril 16, 2011Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, Ill.

WITH Patsy Clairmont

12 onu alumni


Landon ’06 and Kara (Klinger) ’05 DeCrastos have joined the staff at Castleton Church of the Naza- rene in Indianapo-lis, Ind. They were brought on staff to start a new church in Fishers, Ind. The church is sched-uled to open in September 2010.

Michael Gibb and Megan McGrath ’07 were married on March 8, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. Michael is sta-tioned at the Pentagon as a 2Lt. in the U.S. Air Force. Megan works for google, Inc. as an ads quality rater. They reside in Washington, D.C.

Megan (McGrath) ’07 and Michael Gibb: A boy, kellyn Paul, March 31, 2010. He joins sister Sara, 8.

Mathew Gerhard ’08 recently earned his Master’s in Music, with an emphasis in choral conducting, from California Baptist University in Riverside, Calif. He cur-rently serves as minister of worship and organist at First Baptist Church in glen-dale, Calif.

Stephen Berry ’09 and Meaghan Ross-berg were married June 26, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn. Both Stephen and Meaghan are working as science teachers at Mc-gavock High School in Nashville and working to earn their Master’s in Teaching from Belmont University.

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In Memoriam19 40s

Rev. D. Morris Chalfant ’42 passed away May 10, 2010. Rev. Chalfant was born March 16, 1921, in Indianapolis, Ind., the son of Everette O. and Eliza B. Watts Chalfant. He grew up in Olivet, Ill., where his father served in the Church of the Nazarene. A consummate athlete, the Rev. Chalfant excelled in basketball, tennis, softball, and track and field, and set many longstanding records in these sports in high school and college. In August 1943, he married Margaret Attebury, and they had four children. In 1946, Rev. Chalfant and his family were assigned as missionaries to Swazi-land, South Africa. They were transferred to Johannesburg, where he served until 1953. After the death of his first wife, Rev. Chalfant married Yvonne Vollman of Evans-ville, Ind., in 1968. They have one son. Throughout his ministry, he mentored many young ministers. Following his re-tirement from pastoral ministry in 1989, Rev. Chalfant served as associate pastor of College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais and was active in the Retired Ministers Fellowship. He served as a chaplain at Provena Heritage Village from 1997–2009.

Roger H. Ward ’45 of Nashport, Ohio, went to be with his Lord on Feb. 3, 2010. He was born Aug. 3, 1922, in Decatur, Ind. He retired after 43 years as a Nazarene minister and was a member of the Coshocton, Ohio, Church of the Nazarene at the time of his death. He pastored churches on the Northeast Indiana District and the East Ohio District (formerly the Akron District).

Esther (Kendall) Leach ’45 went to be with her Lord on Oct. 3, 2009. She was born Feb. 20, 1924, in Dayton, Ohio. She married David Leach on Dec. 15, 1944. During her 66 years of marriage, she taught high school English and did substitute teaching, all while raising five children. She worked in the Amway corporate headquarters and was very active in the Nazarene churches she attended. As a devoted wife and mother, she faithfully served god and loved people. She was an outstanding athlete, loved to teach, play the piano and sing, was a great supporter of world missions in the Nazarene church and was a wonderful hostess to all who visited her home. She epitomized what it is to be a Christian wife and mother.

19 60s

Robert N. “Bob” Stevenson ’62 died June 14, 2009, in his home. Born Feb. 13, 1936, in Chariton, Iowa, Bob was the son of Charles R. and Mildred Duncan Stevenson. He married Roberta R. Claussen on Aug. 4, 1962, in Quincy. Bob was an ac-tive member of Emmanual Church of the Nazarene and enjoyed music and studying American history, especially the Civil War era. Family always came first for Bob, and he loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. He earned his Master’s degree from Northeast Missouri State University (Truman State) in kirksville, Mo., and began his teaching career in 1962 at Mendon Junior High School. In 1964, he began teaching with the Quincy Public Schools and taught sixth grade at Washington School until his retirement in 1984. He later worked at Con Agra Frozen Foods in Macon, Mo., until his retirement in 2001.

19 80s

Mark Heckman ’83 passed away May 6, 2010, following a two-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Mark was an artist who was featured on the pages of both Time and News-week by the age of 27. He turned the billboard canvas into a medium for provocative messages about various social, political and environmental issues. His work covered a wide range of topics including racism, homelessness, recycling and deforesta-tion. In addition to his passion for art, Mark was an enthusiastic skier and bicyclist, a devoted Detroit Red Wings fan and an avid dog lover.

we’d lOve tO heaR FROm yOu! Send us your news and photographs.

Please submit alumni news, less than one year old, in the format printed in this section. Be sure to include all in for mation, including class year. Due to space constraints, not all pictures will be used, and content may be edited. News should be sent via e-mail to [email protected], at www.olivet.edu or through the mail to The Olivetian, Olivet Nazarene University, One University Avenue, Bourbonnais, IL 60914. Pictures must be sent through e-mail or uploaded online. For detailed Class Notes guidelines, visit www.olivet.edu and select “The Olivetian” from the Quick Links menu.

CLASS NOTES, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

TO ESTABLISH A STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP, or to contribute to an existing Foundation scholarship, e-mail the Office of Development at [email protected] or call 815-939-5171.

makes “Education with a christian Purpose”

possible!Students featured in this issue are recipients of the following Foundation scholarships:

ZAch BoiE ’11 terry l. Kochersperger scholarship

KEvin BuRKE ’10 Ethel mueller scholarship

jEnnA DicKEY ’10 Detroit first church of the nazarene scholarship naomi larsen scholarship

jADon huDDlEston ’11 margaret E. Bloom scholarship

REBEccA lAnKfoRD ’12 Better Day scholarship

susAn lEiB ’10 Donald n. and irene l. gustavsen scholarship frank and Elizabeth Kelley scholarship

mARK locKwooD ’11 st. joseph (mich.) church of the nazarene scholarship

AmAnDA mAZZARo ’12 Detroit first church of the nazarene scholarship mary j. walker memorial scholarship

lAuRA mEssEngER ’11 Rev. freeman Brunson scholarship joseph f. and Esther j. nielson scholarship

Megan and Michael Gibb

Stephen and Meaghan Berry

Kellyn Gibb

Rev. Morris Chalfant

Rev. Roger Ward

Esther Leach

Robert Stevenson

Mark Heckman

Landon and Kara DeCrastos

Mathew Gerhard

PAigE wAtson ’11 indianapolis first church of the nazarene scholarship mary j. walker memorial scholarship

Attention Phi Delta lambda members!

Join us for

our annual

homecoming

gathering.

Saturday, October 305:30 to 6:30 p.m.

tickets are $15 each and can be purchased at www.olivet.edu or by calling 815-939-5258.



onu sportsTigers send 11 teams to NAIA national tournaments, capture Commissioner’s Cup By Kate Morgan

For the Olivet Nazarene University Depart-ment of Athletics, “Winning Champion-

ships. Building Champions.” isn’t a trite ex-pression. During a remarkable 2009–2010 season, the Tigers made strides on the nation-al level while dominating conference play. The Tigers continued to launch themselves into the national spotlight, with 11 teams earning trips to their national tourna-ments: basketball (men’s), cross country (men’s), indoor track (men’s and women’s), outdoor track (men’s and women’s), soccer (men’s), tennis (men’s and women’s), softball and volleyball. “Our success comes from our coaches knowing what type of athlete can compete in our league and in the NAIA,” says Gary News-ome, director of athletics. “We have recruited outstanding, talented athletes who have a burning desire to win championships.”

Finding even more success in conference play, the Tigers claimed their third

consecutive Chicagoland Collegiate Ath-letic Conference Commissioner’s Cup. The CCAC annually gives the award to the university that collects the most combined points in relationship to placement in league-sponsored sports. The Tigers claimed first place by capturing the regular season and tournament titles in both volleyball and softball, the men’s cross country championship, the men’s and wom-en’s outdoor track championship, and the men’s soccer tournament championship.

But victory for the Tigers has not been limited to the win column. Olivet has

once again been recognized as an NAIA Champions of Character school. Earning the award, which emphasizes servant lead-ership, integrity, respect, responsibility and sportsmanship, is always a top-three goal for Newsome and the department. The Tigers also averaged a 3.1 GPA in the classroom, with 61 students be-ing named NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes. “Our outstanding grade point average is due to our coaches recruiting quality student-athletes. Our staff looks for outstanding stu-dents who can handle the rigor of an athletic schedule as well as the academic schedule,” Newsome says. “We do an excellent job of recruiting high ACT students combined with an outstanding high school GPA.” Looking forward to the 2010–2011 sea-son, Newsome hopes teams continue to lead the conference while increasing their national presence. “We want to finish in the top 10 in the NAIA Director’s Cup standings,” he says. “To do that, we must win on the field and get back to the national tournaments, winning once we get to that level.”

livE PlAY-BY-PlAY • viDEo fEED of All homE gAmEs AnD sElEct AwAY gAmEs • uP-to-thE-minutE stAts

CAN’T GET ENOUGH OLIVET ATHLETICS?Check out the new live streaming options at www.olivet.edu

Cheering on the defense

But Courtney is ready to put that argument be-hind her to focus on more pressing matters. After graduating with a degree in criminal justice –– in three years, no less –– she’s off to law school to learn to defend more serious claims. This fall, she’ll start at Chicago-Kent College of Law, studying crimi-nal law, specifically criminal defense.

It’s an interesting future juxtaposition: the pe-tite, bright-eyed, blond former cheerleader sitting alongside alleged criminals, defending their rights. So what led her down this path? “I believe too many people automatically chalk criminals up to being societal misfits, when in reality they have and deserve the same rights as the rest of us,” she says. “I want to practice criminal defense to ensure that those individuals receive all of their guaranteed rights.”

m a k i n g p l a n s Courtney realized in high school that she wanted to be an attorney, but it wasn’t until she came to Olivet that she decided on criminal defense. Conver-sations with her advisor and a guest speaker solidi-fied her plans. “Prof. [Brian] Woodruff brought a lot of guest

speakers in for us to hear from during my freshman year,” she says. “Listen-ing to Chris Shepard, a Chicago crimi-nal defense attorney, really helped to shape my decision.”

Continued affirmation came after job shadowing Shepherd several times and helping with cases. “I feel that a law degree gives an individual power to change things,” she reasserts. “Every individual deserves their constitutional rights and should be entitled to fair representation.” After determining the route she wanted to take, she enlisted professor Woodruff’s help to make her plans a reality. “Law school is a hard choice to make, and you have lots of decisions to make on your own, like when to take the LSAT, the best way to study, finding the best school,” she says. “I was very lucky to have Prof. Woodworth as my criminal justice advisor. He is a lawyer and was able to guide me and help me through the process.”

looKing AhEAD While she’d like to start in a defense firm follow-ing law school, Courtney also sees the advantages of working for the public defender’s office: namely, get-ting a lot of trial experience with a myriad of clients. One thing she’s sure of: She’s ready for the long hours it takes to be a top defender. “I’m positive that I want to work 80 hours a week. So I guess I should invest in a cot for my office!” she laughs. As she heads off to law school and beyond, one may wonder if her earlier experiences as a captain of a cheerleading squad will give her a boost at all. Laughing, she makes a resounding closing argu-ment: “If I can organize and handle more than 20 girls in the same room, then I think I can handle a courtroom.”

By Kate Morgan

c ourtney smallwood is used to having to defend her case, at least when it comes to

the court of public opinion. After all, in the world of competitive sports — where even hot dog eating can get props as an athletic achievement — a cheerleader still has to make her case about wheth-er or not her sport is, in fact, a sport.

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14 onu sportsFORMER OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TRACK AND FIELD STANDOUT MARK HOLLIS ’07 TOOK HOME THE POLE VAULT CROWN AT THE 2010 USA OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS ON FRIDAY, JUNE 25. FOLLOWING THIS VICTORY, HOLLIS WILL CONTINUE TO TRAIN TO MAKE THE USA OLYMPIC TRIALS AND OLYMPIC TEAM FOR THE UPCOMING 2012 OLYMPICS HELD IN LONDON, ENGLAND. CURRENTLY, HOLLIS IS IN EUROPE COMPETING IN VARIOUS COMPETITIONS, RECENTLY CLEARING HIS UNOFFICIAL PERSONAL BEST OF 18'10" IN GERMANY. (AP PHOTO/DOUg WELLS)

T I G E R A L U M N I

already headed to Nationals thanks to his team’s score, and Seth and Grant were to shoot it out in a playoff round for the individual title. “At the first tee of the playoff hole, Grant told me that he planned on throwing it. Then he pro-ceeded to hit a ball way into the woods on purpose. Both of our teammates were right there, and we all just laughed. Even though he told me his plans, I didn’t know he was going to do it, or make it so obvious,” laughs Seth at the crazy shot. But not everyone thought it was a laugh-ing matter. Type Seth’s name into your favorite search engine and any number of diverse — often fiery — opinions surface.

HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE Being the recipient of this athletic move land-ed Seth at NAIA Nationals, but also stirred up a small media blitz that still surprises him. His name and the story landed him an interview on ESPN’s Sports Center, amongst a slew of other online sports news outlets. “Both of our teams laughed about it. We’ve played with each other so many times, we are all friends. Grant is such a nice guy, and I would have done the same thing for him. None of his team-mates were upset about it. “I really feel I played good enough to beat him and to earn the position. Reading people’s criti-cism was sort of funny to me because other peo-ple didn’t know the real story or the real people involved,” comments Seth. As the controversy continued to brew and be discussed on talk shows and online, Seth headed to nationals May 18–21 at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. The course was one of the most challenging ever, as it is the site of one of the PGA Tour’s classics.

MORE TO HIS STORY A laid-back, soft-spoken sort of guy, Seth didn’t feel like how he got to Nationals impacted his time there. “This was my first time at Nationals. I didn’t feel any undue pressure. It was a tough course, but I played my best, finishing in the top 49 out of 150 players. That was a good way to go out as a senior,” he shares. “The only comments people made in regard to me were a few, ‘Oh, you’re that guy,’ when they recognized who I was. Overall, it was a great experience.” Though the news is starting to become less juicy, it is still swirling out there. But Seth has definitely moved on. He landed a job shortly after his May gradu-ation as a case manager assistant for One Hope United, where he previously served as a social work intern. He is enjoying life with his wife of one year, and together, they are hopeful about their future. “We feel called to work with kids or orphans. My wife has a passion for Hispanic cultures, and I do too. When I came to Olivet, I wasn’t sure what career would best fit that.” These parts of his life won’t land him on a news show or even be known by the people still sharing their opinions about that golfer guy they read about. But Seth and his wife smile at the moment in the spotlight and look ahead to other goals. “My advisor suggested social work when I be-gan as a freshman at ONU. It has been challeng-ing, but good for my interests. I don’t know ex-actly what our future holds, but we are prayerfully considering whatever God might have in store.”

beyondthe hype

Seth Doran ’10 is that guy. he might have started hitting a golf ball when he was 5, aspires to help kids through social work, hails from a hometown of Bloomington, ill., and be married to his college sweetheart, megan (ochs) ’10. But those are details most people haven’t heard. Mostly, people just know he is that golfer guy. That guy who was on the receiving end of an oppo-nent throwing a golf playoff shot to purposely lose at the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, April 27. It was the final spring golf game that decided who would make it to NAIA Nationals. The University of St. Francis (Ill.) team had already secured their team’s position as victors, and they were all headed to Na-tionals. Opponent Grant Whybark of St. Francis was

By Casey Manes


Summer 2010 The Olivetian 15ten questionsWITH

KAshAmAmulambaProfessor,

DePartment of engLIsH

anD moDern LangUages

So to speak

^ You lead ESL studies at Olivet. Why is this a growing need for graduates? We live in a global society; our students can go anywhere in the world;

and students from any place on the planet earth can be found studying in the U.S. It’s very important that our education majors be prepared to face the chal-lenges of encountering non-native speakers of English in their classrooms. What is true for our education majors also holds true for students in other majors who may have the opportunity to go overseas after completion of their degree. From my own experience, countries where English is taught as a second or foreign language will always ask a native speaker to teach English if he or she happens to live in the country. It is very important for our students to understand the sig-nificance and importance of ESL education in the context of a global society.

& What does it mean to be a globally minded Christian? A globally minded Christian is ecumenical; he or she sees in other reli-

gious denominations the same value of Christianity as he or she sees it in his or her own denomination. A globally minded Christian is a Christian who be-lieves in reconciliation of races, ethnic and cultural groups rather than in their separation. He or she knows Christianity has no borders; it doesn’t belong to a continent, a country or a people.

* What is your favorite course to teach? Understanding Language is my favorite course. I like analyzing languag-

es as well as observing people interacting verbally. And it happens to be one of the required courses by the state of Illinois for ESL education. The field of second/foreign language learning and teaching is my passion.

( You’re also a teacher of world literature. What is a book or author you would recommend to those looking to expand their reading lists?

I always ask my students to read something from a “less-read” culture: Af-rica or Asia, for example. One novel I suggested to the group that Dr. Belcher, Prof. Ingram and I led to Africa was The River Between, by James Ngugi (or Ngugi wa Tshiongo). We had an interesting discussion after our evening devotional one evening. The students liked it a lot, especially from the religious point of view.

You’re originally from Congo. What brought you here? I came back to the U.S. to complete a post-doctoral program at Ball State University. Since the political conditions in the Congo kept deteriorating while I was here, I decided to apply for political asylum. I was granted political asylum, and my wife and my four children joined me later on. Our older daugh-ter is still in the Congo with our three grandchildren. As of the writing of these words from China, I’ve been informed by my wife that finally, after 17 years of separation, my daughter’s case has been ap-proved by the U.S. Naturalization and Immigration Service. She and her family will be able to join us. That’s another chapter of my life, finding the means to get them here.

!

Why did you decide to participate in the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program?Although I consider myself to be a multicultural person, I always felt

the need to visit one of the Asian countries, and this was a great opportunity for me to do so. I teach Understanding Language, World Literature, Studies in Literature and ESL Education courses. All these courses involve cultural, so-cial, political and economical aspects of life. When I teach these courses in the future, I’ll be able to infuse in them my experiences about the Asian continent as I’ve been doing for the continents of Africa, Europe and the Americas.

@ Tell us about your experiences in China so far. The group is composed of professors from different fields: economics,

curriculum design, art history, business ethics, media laws, and a China expert. It is interesting to see how, after listening to the same lecture, all of these col-leagues come up with questions and/or comments with different perspectives. As for my experiences in China so far, I’m amazed by the number of cranes (me-chanical devices not birds) that I see in every city that I have visited so far. China is “a country in a building boom.” There are construction projects everywhere. From a cultural and historical point of view, the Chinese show respect for elders, they have a sense of family and group. It is fascinating to learn about their 5000-year cultural history, about their dynasties and about the Cultural Revolution. I have experienced so many things that I’ll be able to share with my students and colleagues.

# What have you learned from an educational perspective? I have had a chance to visit schools for minorities and migrant children.

It is amazing what the government does to help low income and ethnic minori-ties to have access to both high school and a college education. Also, China wants to export its higher education students. There is not enough room in colleges and universities in China to accommodate high school graduates. As one of the solutions to the problem, China has established with some Ameri-can universities what is called a One-to-One program. The program consists of sending Chinese students to the U.S. to enroll in a number of courses in their field of interest and returning to China to complete the rest of the program of study. At the end of the program, the students receive two degrees, one from the U.S. institution and another from the Chinese home university.

$ What piqued your interest in language and culture? My background explains why I’m interested in language and culture.

Since my father was in the army, and we were moving from one place to an-other, I had the advantage of using different languages in school, depending on the province where the language was spoken. Language and culture interact, and as such, it’s difficult to try to separate them. For instance, each speech community has its own way of expressing ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc. The way an American expresses an apology, a complaint, a compliment, or any other act, is not the same as a Chinese, a French, a Congolese speaker does. This explains why one cannot deal with language without including culture. In order for two individuals or more to inter-act appropriately, they must share the same language and culture; otherwise, there may be a socio-cultural clash.

% How many languages do you speak? I speak Lingala, Ciluba, French, and English, of course, and can con-

verse moderately in Swahili and Kisonge, although I don’t have an opportunity to practice the latter two very often. Code switching is part of my daily life. Depending on the situation, the topic and the place of interaction, I may switch from one language into the other without thinking.


16 admissions

OCTOBER 1–2, 2010

An in-depth look at life on the ONU campus for high school seniors and their parents

GOLDPURPLE AND

DAYScarpetHigh school sophomores and juniors, take an up-close and personal look at Olivet Nazarene University! Sit in on classes, worship with friends, come to

our bonfire, go to a football game and much more!

DAYSred Upcoming Dates:

▶October 15–16▶October 22–23▶November 5–6▶November 19–20▶February 4–5▶February 25–26▶March 18–19

Schedule a visit today! Call 800-648-1463.

Education is about more

than earning a degree.

Just 50 miles from Chicago is

Olivet Nazarene University,

where students focus on

being, becoming, believing —

in the classroom and

around the world.

800-648-1463www.olivet.edu

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The Olivetian, "All or Nothing," summer 2010 (Digital edition)

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Transcript of The Olivetian, "All or Nothing," summer 2010 (Digital edition)