IO TRIUMPHE!THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ALBION COLLEGE

Albion’s Global Connections Grow 15 Management Interns Make Their Mark 18 Holocaust Studies Trip to Poland Planned 26V

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Ahead of the CurveThree Albion entrepreneurs defy the odds

in these diffi cult economic times.

OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT611 E. PORTER ST.ALBION, MI 49224517/629-0242advancement@albion.eduwww.albion.edu/alumni/giving.asp

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Charles hails from Chattanooga, tennessee and is com-pleting majors in economics/management and political science. a member of both the gerald r. Ford Institute for Public Policy and service and the Carl a. gerstacker liberal arts Institute for Professional Management, he balances academics with athletics, participating in football and track and fi eld.

Your generous support of the annual Fund provides all of our students with the life-changing experience of an albion College education.

Please make your gift to the albion annual Fund today. For more information, go to: www.albion.edu/alumni/giving.asp or call 517/629-0242.

“albion is in MY life because of You.

the support of alumni and friends truly makes it possible for me to attend albion College.”

Charles green, ’10

Features

8Peak PerformanceFrom health care to sports to fi nance, these Albion alumni entrepreneurs are making waves with new products and services.

Staff

E: Sarah Briggs

C W: Morris Arvoy, ’90, Jake Weber, Bobby Lee, Marian Deegan, Dianne Guenin-Lelle

C N W: Nikole Lee,Luann Shepherd

D: Susan Carol Rowe

W M: Nicole Rhoads

Io Triumphe! is published three times annually by the Offi ce of Communications, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224. It is distributed free to alumni and friends of the College.

POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to Offi ce of Communications, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224.

World Wide Web: www.albion.edu

Albion College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability, as protected by law, in all educa-tional programs and activities, admission of students, and conditions of employment.

About Our Name

The unusual name for this publication comes from a yell written by members of the Class of 1900. The beginning words of the yell, “Io Triumphe!,” were probably borrowed from the poems of the Roman writer, Horace. Some phrases were taken from other college yells and others from a Greek play pre-sented on campus during the period.

In 1936, the alumni of Albion College voted to name their magazine after the yell which by then had become a College tradition. For years, Albion’s incoming students have learned these lines by heart:

IO TRIUMPHE!

Io Triumphe! Io Triumphe!Haben swaben rebecca le animorWhoop te whoop te sheller de-vereDe-boom de ral de-i de-pa—Hooneka henaka whack a whackA-hob dob balde bora bolde baraCon slomade hob dob rah!Al-bi-on Rah!

2008 T M A F A C

IO TRIUMPHE!

Cover by Susan Rowe

18Fast Track Interns in Albion’s Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management are already making their mark.

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(Top) Nine geometric sculptures now grace the sci-ence complex atrium. Designed as both artistic and mathematical expressions, the sculptures were fabri-cated by Caster Concepts in Albion and assembled this fall by College and community volunteers.

15European UnionsAlbion’s global connections continue to grow through student exchanges.

Columns

2 Presidential Ponderings

20 Perspectives

21 Your Alumni Association

departments

3 Briton Bits

21 Alumni Association News

28 Albionotes

57 Li’l Brits

Fall 2008 | 1

taught by art history professor Bille Wickre and biology professor Doug White recently created a sculpture on the Environmental House grounds designed as an artistic state-ment on sustainability. Entitled “A New Direction,” it functions as both a compass and a garden. In addition, we now have a SustainabilityCouncil that is working on a climate action plan to help the College become carbon neutral. Lisa Anderson, ’09, and Erica Tauzer, ’10, two student research-ers who recently won National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Fellowships, are assisting the Sustainability Council in formulating the climate action plan. They are also promoting such campus innova-tions as a bicycle library to reduce student dependency on cars and construction of a residential wind turbine for supplemental power generation. At its October meeting, our Board of Trustees approved our Strategic Plan, “Albion 2015,” developed over the past year

Environmentalist Bill McKibben, the Stoffer Lecturer at this fall’s Opening Convocation, put it bluntly: We must change our lifestyle—and do it quickly—for the sake of future generations and for the sake of the planet. He particularly emphasized the urgency of addressing global warming. “Over the past 20 years, global warming has turned from a hypothesis into a consensus,” he said. “The world’s scientists have reached a consensus that human beings, by emitting carbon into the atmosphere, are warming the planet danger-ously.” Of even greater concern, he added, is that global warming seems to be accelerat-ing at a faster rate than earlier predicted. At Albion, we have already taken many steps to address the challenge of sustain-ability, and students, faculty, and staff are continually identifying opportunities to educate the campus community on environmental issues and on strategies to use resources more responsibly. As you know, in 2007, our newly renovated science complex achieved silver certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council. At the time, it was one of only three LEED-certified science facili-ties at a college or university in Michigan. Albion has also signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, which calls for eliminating global warming emissions and integrating sustainability into the curriculum. Our Institute for the Study of the Environment, under the direction of geology professor Tim Lincoln, leads our educational programming in this area. Dr. Lincoln also advises student action groups, including the residents of our Environmental House which is devoted to sustainable living. A first-year seminar class

The Road Ahead

P r e s ! d e n t ! a l P o n d e r ! n g s

with input from the entire campus com-munity as well as alumni and friends. Our aim was to craft a vision for Albion’s future that was bold enough to distinguish Albion among liberal arts colleges, but that still retained those core values that have guided the College from its earliest days. Four major strategic themes are set forth in the plan to help us realize our vision, and one of those is sustainability. “Albion 2015” is a living, breathing plan that is both atten-tive and responsive to societal changes of all kinds. Beginning this year, we will flesh out the plan by implementing specific initiatives, based on the careful work of 11 research teams. You will be hearing much more about all of these initiatives in the coming months. I look forward to working with you—our alumni, parents, and friends—as we put these ideas into action.

Donna RandallPresidentdrandall@albion.edu

Albion’s Facilities Operations Department has introduced this GEM electric vehicle as one of several measures to reduce the College’s use of fossil fuels. Other steps include introduction of a small biodiesel fuel manufacturing facility.

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Students Lisa Anderson, Erica Tauzer, and Kara Sherman are working with Albion’s Sustainability Council on “green” initia-tives. Anderson and Tauzer are involved in formulating a plan to help the College become carbon neutral. Sherman recently chaired Green Day on campus.

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2 | Io Triumphe!

Kellar, Merchant Named to Executive Team

Br !ton B!tsTHe lATeST newS AROund CAMPuS

Albion will continue to enhance programs bringing a more diverse, worldly perspective to campus, while at the same time facilitating more opportunities for students to travel and explore outside of their comfort zones.” Kellar graduated with a B.A. from Muskingum College in 1986, and earned an M.B.A. from Western Michigan University in 2006. Prior to coming to Albion College, he served as Muskingum’s director of admissions from 1996 to 2000. Joshua Merchant, ’96, has been appointed vice president for institutional advancement. In this role, Merchant will lead the areas of alumni/parent relations, major and planned gifts, corporate and foundation relations, the Albion Annual Fund, advancement services, and external communications. He most recently served as assistant vice president of advancement at Interlochen Center for the Arts in northern Michigan. “Josh Merchant’s experience in fundrais-ing and alumni engagement at two major state universities and at Interlochen will serve him well as Albion’s vice president

Green day 2008 in October included environmentally-friendly activities such as a “make your own” nontoxic household cleaner event, bike races with differently-inflated tires, and a “sustainable cookoff” in which chefs received points for using locally-grown and organic ingredients. Sponsored by Albion’s Institute for the Study of the environment and the Sustainability Council, Green day is just one of many initia-tives under way on campus to promote a sustainable lifestyle.

the Rock

President Donna Randall announced two appointments within Albion College’s top administration this summer. Doug Kellar has been named Albion College’s vice president for enrollment, heading the College’s Admission and Financial Aid offices. He had served as the interim vice president during the 2007-08 academic year and was hired as associate vice president for enrollment at Albion in fall 2000. “Doug Kellar has proven that he is the right person to lead our recruitment efforts as we strive to strengthen and diversify future incoming classes,” Randall said. “Colleges across the country are facing extraordinary challenges in recruitment and retention of students,” she continued. “Doug brings the experience, confidence, and know-how that Albion needs in these uncertain times.” Albion will become more of a “global community” in the future, Kellar explained, which will be advantageous in attracting students. “College is about opening minds and creating a better understanding of the world in which we live and the people with whom we interact,” he said. “I believe that

for institutional advancement,” President Randall said. “He will be an energetic and enthusiastic leader for our advancement team.” Merchant joined the Interlochen staff in April 2007, and had primary responsibility for overseeing donor relations and steward-ship, information technology, advancement services, regional major gifts, and the annual fund. Under his leadership, annual fund contributions increased by more than 30 percent, and donor participation increased by 48 percent. “It has been a great pleasure and honor to join Albion College,” Merchant said. “I am enjoying bringing my skills and experi-ence to strengthen a respected college that is rich with tradition and opportunity.” Prior to his appointment at Interlochen, Merchant served as senior director of devel-opment at Central Michigan University’s College of Business Administration, and as director of major gifts at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. In these roles, he was involved in major capital campaigns and coordinated external relations activities. Merchant was a member of the Albion College Alumni Association Board of Directors for five years, serving as president from 2006 until his appointment as vice president for institutional advancement. He holds a master’s degree in extension edu-cation from Michigan State University and is a Ph.D. candidate in higher education leadership at Western Michigan University.

MerchantKellar

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fare finds Cascarelli’s at 100!

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A beloved part of the Albion experience for generations, Cascarelli’s celebrates its 100th anniversary next year with a five-month series of historic menu specials, beginning with . . . banana splits? For sure, says third-generation owner Jim Cascarelli, whose basement office still has the web of hooks and ropes used to store the truckloads of bananas sold as produce and used at the soda fountain that once existed in the downtown establishment. Other menu specials, reflecting the evolution of ‘Relli’s, will include roasted nuts, malted milkshakes (made with the same kind of mixer used during Prohibition), buttered-bun burgers, and pizza. “Maybe five-cent beers, too; I’m still working that one out,” Cascarelli adds. Robert Cascarelli, an immigrant from Italy, opened the original fruit/candy/cigar store on Jan. 7, 1909. The bar was added in the 1930s, the full kitchen in the 1960s, a banquet room was created in the 1990s, and the 21st century saw the Albion College Jazz ensemble installed as the “house band” playing monthly to a standing-room-only crowd. Plans for the next 100 years? “we’ll just have to see,” smiles Cascarelli.

Cascarelli’s 100th birthday party takes place Jan. 7, 2009. For more details or to purchase 100th anni-versary memorabilia, contact Cascarelli’s at: 517/629-3675 or cascarellis@yahoo.com . —Jake weber

Vincenza Cascarelli and daughter Sofia in 1910. The wall behind them stood at what today is the end of the bar; behind it was living space.

Richard and Marilyn Young Vitek, both ’56, were presented with the Briton Medallion by President Donna Randall during Albion’s Opening Convocation in September. The award honors those alumni and friends who have made significant and sustained contributions to the College through financial support or volunteer service. The Viteks have established endowed

scholarships in biology and chemistry. They also funded one of the science complex lecture rooms, and a recent gift has added photo analysis equipment and a microcentrifuge for the Biology Department. Richard Vitek founded Fotodyne, a leader in imaging and analy-sis technology for life science research, and Marilyn Vitek is a former science teacher and a community volunteer.

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The Albion BookshelfAsk for a Convertible is the intriguing title of a newly published collec-tion of short stories by Danit Brown, assistant professor of English. The book explores the life of heroine Osnat Greenberg, who has an American father and Israeli mother, and “what it means to be Israeli, to be American, or to be a little bit of both.” The book spans two decades in Osnat’s life, as she maneuvers through two seemingly incompatible places she calls home, the U.S. and Israel. Like her protagonist, a teenaged Brown moved to Michigan from Israel. Critic Julianna Baggott, comparing Brown’s writing to that of novelists Gish Jen and Philip Roth, called Ask for a Convertible “a brilliant debut.” Baggott said, “Danit Brown pushes into new terrain and claims this hybrid land as her own.” The book was published earlier this year by Pantheon.

Deborah Kanter’s study of gender, family, and community in rural Mexico during the 18th and 19th centuries, Hijos del Pueblo, will be published in early 2009 by the University of Texas Press. In conduct-ing her research, Kanter, associate professor of history, drew on the judicial records from central Mexico’s Toluca region which she has studied since 1989. At the national archives in Mexico City, she pored over dusty bundles of civil and criminal cases dating back to the 1740s and containing lively details of everyday life in rural Mexico. She then reconstructed the lives of native women and men, their Spanish neighbors, and others in this agrarian society. Her book considers questions of identity and power in the evolution of Latin America. Hijos del Pueblo is “an exceptionally important contribution to the scholarly literature in Mexican history, culture, and gender studies,” said John Tutino, a historian at Georgetown University.

4 | Io Triumphe!

Briton Basketball’s Mike Turner RetiresAlbion College’s longest-serving coach in any sport, Mike Turner, ’69, announced his retirement as head men’s basketball coach in October. President Donna Randall and Lisa Roschek, athletic director, appointed Briton associate head coach Jody May to the head coaching position beginning with the 2008-09 season. Turner became an assistant coach for men’s basketball in 1970, taking over as head coach in 1974. Since then, the Britons have posted a record of 527-319 (.623 winning percentage) and have competed in four NCAA Division III postseason tournaments.

“Mike Turner has put together an extraor-dinary record,” President Randall said. “Not only has he consistently won on the basket-ball court, but he has served as a consummate mentor to his players, a number of whom have gone on to successful coaching careers themselves. His accomplishments in his sport, as well as his high integrity and devotion to his players, have earned the respect of his peers nationwide.” At President Randall’s request, he will continue to serve the College by provid-ing leadership in developing the fitness and wellness initiatives in Albion College’s new strategic plan. Turner will retire from the College at the end of the academic year. “I knew I was given a great opportunity when I came back to Albion in 1970, but I had no idea how gratifying the next 38 years would be. It has been an unbelievable ride for me and my family. The relationships with the College, our friends, the fans, and, most of all, the players and their families have been my greatest reward. While this was a difficult decision, it was much easier knowing a coach of Jody’s ability and character will lead the program.” Jody May has served as Turner’s assistant since 1997 and was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2002-03 season. May

Veteran men’s basketball coach Mike Turner, ’69, (left) has turned over the reins to associate head coach Jody May (right) beginning with the 2008-09 season.

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also coached the junior varsity program. He came to Albion after two seasons with the men’s basketball program at Hanover College (Indiana). A captain on the 1993 NCAA Division III championship squad at Ohio Northern University, May moved into the coaching ranks immediately upon graduation in 1993, serving as an assistant at Bluffton College (Ohio) for two seasons. Turner’s teams earned five Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball championships, plus NCAA Tournament appearances in basketball in 1978, 1979, 1998, and 2005. The 1978 squad finished third in the nation. The Britons posted four consecutive 20-win seasons from 2003 to 2006, including two league championships. Turner has been active with many national and regional basketball committees, and chaired the NCAA Division III National Basketball Tournament Committee for three years. He has a combined 72 seasons of head coaching experience at Albion, including 30 in men’s golf, four in men’s soccer, and four in men’s tennis.

More coverage on Mike Turner’s coaching career and on the College’s initiatives in fitness and wellness will appear in the next edition of Io Triumphe!

The Keller Lives On!The Keller in the lower level of Baldwin Dining Hall has begun a second life as an upscale coffee bar and dining area (upper photos). The space in its 1970s incarnation was more akin to a German rathskeller complete with student graffiti (lower photos). After a renovation this past summer, it now includes free-trade coffee service, new booths, each equipped with a multi-channel TV, and a sunken lounge area.

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B r ! t o n B ! t s

short takes two Minutes with . . . sam McIlhagga By Morris Arvoy

Sam McIlhagga, assistant professor of music, directs Albion’s British Eighth marching band.

Io Triumphe!: Everyone remarks that the sound and look of the British Eighth has been great in recent years. How do you maintain the quality?

McIlhagga: My first year here I focused on improving the music. ultimately, that’s what the people are going to remember. when you bring back good musicians as upperclassmen, it improves very quickly.

Playing is hard enough, and then you add marching. Have there been moments when something has gone awry?

we always do a perfect show every week! [laughter.] Actually, I guarantee that every week we have something go wrong. It may be someone moving in the wrong direction, or wind blowing the music, but we manage to pull it off regardless. You would be amazed at the conver-sations that go on between the students on the field, which you cannot see. They self-assess as they go.

The band is steeped in traditions. Was it daunting at first?

when I started here, I took a month to watch whatwas happening. It’s amazing all the traditions they have. The “Io Triumphe!” yell was also interesting to learn—we end every practice with that.

Put the band in perspective: Do many small colleges have marching bands?

For a school our size, it is unusual—and a good recruiting tool. we pick up a lot of smart, energetic music students through the march-

ing band. They may come to play in the band, but their primary activities on campus are not musically related. There is no stereotype. They all have one thing in common, though: They really enjoy being outside and doing a show, and get-ting crazy in the stands during football games. what we do on the football field is entertaining, but our main focus is helping the team win.

You love to involve students in all aspects of the band.

Our two drum majors are in charge of calling the shots during the games and at halftime, and they are the “go to” people. Plus, for the past three summers students in FuRSCA [Foundation for undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity] have written the drills, which is usually something done only in larger schools by graduate students.

How do you build the band’s esprit de corps?

It begins at band camp. All first-year students are assigned an upperclassman for mentoring. They do fun things together throughout the

week outside of our rehearsals. we also have special activities all week long, including a bonfire where we teach the band all of the cheers used throughout the season and a Band Olympics day. during the season, various students are always planning events to help keep morale up. At the end of the season, the band, like most other athletic teams, has a banquet where we have a last meal together as the British eighth and pass out annual awards. each band member also receives a dVd of the season that includes all of the halftime shows and a slide show recapping the season.

They love the band, but band members seem to also have great respect for you.

It doesn’t come without offering them the same respect. I appreciate everything they do. I respect them and their time and know that march-ing band is not their life—it is only a portion. we have an understanding, and I have my own tradition of how I praise them. I say, “Hey, Band?” They say, “Hey, what?” And I say, “nice job!” They understand.

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Under Sam McIlhagga’s direction, the British Eighth has now grown to over 80 members and the Symphonic Band to 75. One of his most effective recruiting tools is an annual high school honors band program that brings upwards of 60 students to campus for clinics and instruction, capped off by an honors band concert at Goodrich Chapel.

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g o B r ! t s !

“If I’m on the far side of Alumni Field I can see the scoreboard of the football game so I’m always tuned in to what’s going on. “My mom will come over for the first half of women’s soccer, and at halftime she will go to football and then she will come back later or stand between both,” she adds. When schedule conflicts prevent the fam-ily from following both games, Nancy often videotapes Sarah’s soccer match so father and daughter can relive the contest. Sports has held the Polnaseks together through several cross-country moves. Greg’s first tour of duty at Albion spanned from 1983 to 1987. He left to become adminis-trative assistant to the head football coach, recruiting coordinator, and linebackers coach at Illinois State University, and he later held head coaching positions at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Colorado College before returning to Albion in 2003. Even though the Polnasek children did not grow up in Michigan, the family ties to Albion were strong. “As far as Division III, Albion was definitely my first choice,” Brad says. “I also looked at Xavier University. My choice was to go to Xavier and not participate in collegiate

sports or come to Albion, be able to play sports, and have the academics, too.” Greg recalls that when he asked Sarah about her college plans, she replied, “Dad, I’m not going to go to one of those schools we play against all the time.” Not only have Brad and Sarah competed successfully on the field, but they were named to the 2007-08 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll. Another sign of the family bond is the career choices the children are making. Kevin teaches in nearby Jackson and races back to campus each day to coach for the Britons. Brad, a physical education major who also pitches for the baseball team, will complete his student teaching next fall. He already harbors the ambition of a coaching career. Sarah also plans a career in education, as an elementary school teacher. “Coaching gives you the opportunity to change people’s lives and make them a better person through the opportunity of partici-pating in sport,” Brad says. Clearly, that’s a philosophy the Polnasek family puts into practice every day.

Sports-CenteredBy Bobby LeeSports Information Director

If you’ve ever followed your children as they have competed on traveling sports teams, then you can certainly identify with the Polnasek family. Greg Polnasek serves as Albion’s associate athletic director and as defensive coordinator for the football team. His oldest son, Kevin, ’06, is also on the football coaching staff overseeing the wide receivers, while Brad, ’09, just finished his senior season as a receiver for the Britons, and Sarah, ’11, is a midfielder for the women’s soccer team. Greg’s wife, Nancy, an elementary school teacher in Albion, is the family’s biggest fan and “master scheduler.” You can only imagine what a day for this close-knit family must be like as they try to concentrate on the sport being played on the field before them but also keep tabs on how their other family members are doing in their respective activities. It’s especially challenging when a women’s soccer match is on at the same time a football game is in progress. “During a Saturday game I try to stay focused while I’m between the lines,” Sarah says, but she admits she gets a lift when she hears a cheer go up from the football stands.

Briton athletics are truly a family affair for Greg Polnasek, his wife, Nancy, and their children, Kevin, ’06, Sarah, ’11, and Brad, ’09. On any given fall Saturday, it’s likely you’ll find all five of them somewhere in the sports complex—whether on the sidelines coaching, on the field competing, or in the stands cheering.

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Briton sports on the Webdid you know that you can find all of the following on the Albion College sports web site?

• Sportsnewsandresults

• Schedulesandrosters

To receive regular sports

updates, sign up for

Briton Sportsnews at:

www.albion.edu/sports/

or e-mail Bobby lee at

blee@albion.edu.

• SportsNetbroadcastschedules

• Sportsarchives

Follow the Britons at: www.albion.edu/sports/.

It’s the next best thing to being here!

amplifying Caredennis Wahr, ’74

By Sarah Briggs and Bobby Lee

“I always believe you can do more,” says Dennis Wahr, ’74. That credo has led him from a success-ful cardiology practice treating the likes of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler to his current role as co-founder and CEO of a company developing a new generation of lifesaving medical devices. In spring 2009, Wahr’s fi rm, Lutonix, hopes to begin human trials with a drug-coated balloon that will imbed the drug in the blood vessel wall during an angioplasty procedure. This new approach could negate the need for using a metal stent to keep the blood vessel open and thus reduce the long-term complications sometimes associated with stents. In late September Wahr and the Lutonix team met with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offi -cials to present the results of their pre-clinical research, the fi rst step in the approval process required to initi-ate human trials. Two physician-scientists in Berlin, Germany, have published encouraging results with a drug-coated balloon and are also developing a similar product at the moment. Wahr believes the German results demonstrate that there is signifi cant potential for success with this product concept. “If the initial human trials go well, Lutonix will grow rapidly after that,” he says. Lutonix is actually Wahr’s second entrepreneurial venture. He founded his fi rst company, Velocimed, in 2001, and led it through the invention, development, and marketing of several devices that make angioplasty safer and more effective. He sold Velocimed to St. Jude Medical Inc. in 2005.

Peak PerformanceFrom health care

to sports to fi nance,

these albion alumni entrepreneurs are

making waves

with new products and services.

8 | Io Triumphe!

His business ventures today have their roots in his early training as a physician some 30 years ago. Wahr says he was in the right place at the right time when he landed a cardiology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco after graduating from medical school at Wayne State University in 1978 and then completing a residency at the University of Michigan. UC San Francisco had a vibrant research program under way at the time, and was one of the pioneering medical centers for coronary angioplasty in the United States in the early 1980s. Wahr was among the first physicians in the country trained in what was, at the time, a revolutionary procedure for treating atheroscle-rosis and heart defects. On completing his fellowship, he was recruited by St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor to launch its interventional cardiology program, and he spent the next 15 years there in various capaci-ties, including as chief of cardiology. While advances in cardiovascular medicine were rapid during this time, Wahr often saw a need for devices that did not yet exist. Through his research, he aimed to fill those gaps. “As innovations went forward, I was fortunate to be involved in the development process as a physician-investigator in FDA-approved clinical trials,” he explains. “We had an active research program, studying and testing new medical devices. After doing that for 15 years, I had some of my own patentable ideas and decided to try and make them real.” He eventually resigned from his medical group and founded Velocimed to begin product development. “My practice was at its peak. On the other hand, I knew that this was going to be a real adventure. I saw

Peak Performance

myself at the midway point of my career, and I thought it was time to do something else for the second half of my career. From my personal perspective, I would like to believe that I am still doing medicine. It’s just that instead of helping patients one at a time—as I was doing—I am making tools that hopefully make it possi-ble for many physicians to deliver more effective care.” Building the company, he says, was “a way of amplify-ing my contribution to better patient care.” So he teamed up with several venture capitalists and moved his family to Minneapolis where he found the biomedical engineers and clinical experts he needed to advance his work. “I was 48 years old when I made the transition,” he says. “It was a very big risk, but I always knew if I failed I could come back and practice medicine.” Dennis Wahr came to Albion intent on pursuing a career in medicine, and found plenty of encouragement from faculty including biology professor Ken Ballou, who at the time was coordinator of the premedical program. Despite a rigorous academic load, the biology major earned athletic honors as the league’s most valu-able performer in golf as he propelled the Britons to the 1972 conference title. And he was named Briton MVP in basketball after ranking second in the league in free throw percentage and fifth in field goal percentage dur-ing the 1973-74 season. For these achievements, Wahr was inducted into Albion’s Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s Homecoming. He also graduated magna cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa honors. “Dennis was the smartest guy I have ever met (to this day),” notes his former roommate and fellow

One of the early practitioners of coronary angioplasty in the U.S., cardiologist Dennis Wahr, ’74, now develops products that make the procedure safer and more effective.

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physician-turned-businessman Bill Dobbins, ’74. “Not only was he smart, he was a great problem-solver. He had the tenacity to dig into whatever he did not under-stand and work until he understood it fully. He also had the talent to turn around and teach it to the rest of us. He singlehandedly got me through physics and for that I will be forever grateful.” Dobbins remembers too that Wahr always had a competitive streak, especially evident in some fierce after-dinner pinball contests. For his part, Wahr says competition, whether it’s in sports or in the lab, is healthy when it causes everyone to strive for peak performance. “I get tremendous satisfaction out of this work,” he reflects, “because it’s not entirely about whether you’re successful or not. Even if you personally are not successful, you will still have driven your competitors to a higher level of quality. That’s good for everybody—most importantly the patient.”

taking on the Big Boysandy Krafsur, ’83

By Marian Deegan

Launching a running shoe in the shadow of giants like Nike and Adidas is not for the faint of heart. But Spira Footwear founder Andy Krafsur, ’83, has never been daunted by a challenge. Of course, it helps that Spira’s patented shock-absorbing spring technology has held up under scientific testing and has been lauded by Runner’s World magazine. Being on the feet of winning marathoners and Olympic athletes doesn’t hurt either. And a whiff of controversy can be a publicity bonanza. When Spiras were banned by the national governing body USA Track & Field for violating rules prohibit-ing springs in shoes, a national media spotlight landed squarely on Krafsur’s El Paso-based company. The buzz hasn’t quit since; neither have Spira sales. Krafsur’s future as a shoe innovator was foreshad-owed by his collegiate passion for track and field. Under Coach Dave Egnatuk, ’71, he ran distance events for Albion, and held the 1,500-meter school record for 20 years. “In a very real sense,” Krafsur reflects, “Spira started at Albion with my love of run-ning and track and field. That experience instilled in me a deep respect for teamwork and relationships—that’s a big part of why my company is where it is.”

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Andy Krafsur, ’83, shows his trademark running shoes at the Detroit Marathon Expo in October.Krafsur’s company has generated a lot of buzz since his shoes were worn by several 2008 Summer Olympians.

10 | Io Triumphe!

Krafsur went on to law school at Wake Forest University and then relocated to El Paso, where he founded a law firm that rapidly grew to 20 attorneys. When his brother, an aerospace engineer, brought him the steel spring technology at the heart of the Spiro brand, Krafsur recognized its potential. After patenting the spring, Krafsur contacted athletic shoe companies to explore licensing possibilities. “Our technology was better,” he recalls, “but the companies I spoke with weren’t in a position to license from us. They’d built their brands around their own technologies.” During these negotiations, Krafsur was struck by parallels between his shoe design and innovations in other sports such as the metal tennis racket, aluminum baseball bat, and oversized driver in golf. Each had to overcome initial resistance before becoming broadly accepted. “I’ve always been a marketer,” Krafsur reflects. “I like finding solutions to problems. A liberal arts edu-cation gives you an ability to adapt, and an understand-ing of your own skills. I knew I had a rare opportunity to build a revolutionary brand, and unlike many entre-preneurs with a great idea, I had a legal background that provided the relationships and credibility to raise the necessary financial capital.” When Krafsur launched Spira Footwear, brand building was his biggest challenge. “When you start out, you don’t have credibility with anybody,” he says.“You can have the greatest idea in the world, but retailers don’t buy into ideas. They buy into brands. We had to transform our idea into something that was really meaningful to people.” Krafsur took his shoes to Michigan State University. Testing there showed that Spira’s spring technology returned 96 percent of the energy from each step to the wearer as propulsive energy. During the trip to Michigan, Krafsur reconnected with Albion track teammate Keith Roberts, ’81, and

gave him a pair of Spiras. “I’ll be honest,” Roberts chuckles. “I wasn’t very impressed with the first Spira shoe. But every new version has improved. The Spiras I am wearing now are the best shoes I’ve ever had. I’ve been running since eighth grade, and I’ve literally gone through hundreds of shoes, so that’s saying something. After I hit 40, my times slipped, and I wasn’t bouncing back from workouts the way I used to. In Spiras, I recover faster, and I’m back to the times I had in my late 30s.” Krafsur recognized that the medical benefits of his technology could have far-reaching applications. “We promote running shoes to prove performance, but running isn’t our focus,” he explains. “At the 2008 Detroit Free Press Marathon, the men’s winner and the top two women were in our shoe. Winning athletes demonstrate what our shoes can do, and open the door to other footwear categories. We want to make Spira technology available to everyone.” The Spira walking shoe is the highest selling item in the 2008 Hammacher Schlemmer catalog. Krafsur has a work boot, a hiking boot, a basketball shoe, and two nursing shoes in the works. Physicians are beginning to prescribe the shoes for post-surgical recovery. The Miami Dolphins’ physician alone has prescribed Spiras for more than 3,000 of his patients. “Andy is in a very tough industry,” Roberts observes. “You have to have an incredible marketing mind and financial strength. Andy has no problem thinking out-side the box, and he sees things in the marketplace that his competitors don’t—he’s looking beyond running for a wide variety of market applications.” Ironically, the 2005 USA Track & Field ban pro-vided Spira with exactly the brand visibility Krafsur wanted. Reuter’s report of the controversy prompted a CNBC piece and multiple television interviews. A pro-file in the Fort Worth Star led to a front-page story in the San Francisco Chronicle and a New York Times piece. The coverage brought Spira to the attention of Disney executives.

Fall 2008 | 11

“We would never have had the temerity to call Disney,” Krafsur says. “They called us. When my wife and I met with Disney World’s marketing team, our first question to them was ‘Why are we here?’ They told us that they’d been watching the races won in our shoes, and they thought we were on to something. They explained that Walt Disney valued innovation and believed in partnering with innovators. For us, that said it all.” Spira was named the official footwear spon-sor for all Disney races in Orlando. When asked if the Disney collaboration was a branding turning point, Krafsur laughs. “You never turn the corner,” he declares. “We’ve been in busi-ness for six years, and there’s always another challenge. We’ve created a brand, but now we have to expand the business and fulfill our potential. The challenges never end.” But the challenges aren’t without rewards. “While I was at Disney World,” Krafsur recalls, “I saw a couple walking around with their kids. They were wearing Spiras. That made my day. I see exactly what this brand can be, and I am doing exactly what I want to do.”

Marian Deegan is a freelance writer based in St. Paul, Minn.

Attorney-turned-entrepreneur Moose Scheib, ’02, currently shuttles between Detroit, New York, Washington, D.C., and the Middle East, run-ning his business ventures. Scheib’s loan modification firm has seen explosive growth recently.

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Creating a lifeline for HomeownersMoose scheib, ’02

By Morris Arvoy

Not every legal eagle turns his back on a career at one of the world’s premier law firms, only to launch a start-up venture that involves plunging into today’s troubled financial markets. But not every legal eagle has the entrepreneurial instincts of Moose Scheib, ’02. The company that Scheib founded in 2006—while at the international law firm Proskauer Rose LLP—is LoanMod.com, which serves as a lifeline for desperate homeowners facing foreclosure. LoanMod.com works with lenders and mortgage-holders to restructure loans and allow owners to keep their houses. Lenders and mortgage servicers also use LoanMod.com to reach out to borrowers to extensively modify underperform-ing loan portfolios. LoanMod.com was an idea born of necessity—in this case, to assist Scheib’s uncle, who was about to lose his house. Scheib intervened with the lender for his uncle, and, in the process, founded a new industry.

12 | Io Triumphe!

Creating what Scheib believes is the country’s fi rst loan modifi cation fi rm could not have come at a better time—for both Scheib and his customers. Foreclosures across the country are at epidemic levels, and the col-lapse of several U.S. and international fi nancial institu-tions has brought more uncertainty to an economy that has been ailing for months. By renegotiating loans that homeowners can afford, Scheib helps to restore his clients’ fi nancial stability and, in some communi-ties, mitigate the impact of mass foreclosures. To date, LoanMod.com has assisted over 5,000 homeowners, and Scheib expects that number could exceed 50,000 by the end of 2009. Scheib’s progression from his childhood in war-torn Lebanon to young adulthood as a successful entrepre-neur was chronicled in September on the U.S. State Department Web site, www.America.gov (“Telling America’s Story”). “I remember bombings and seeing bodies in the street,” he recalls. “Then, the next day, it was quiet and business as usual.” When Scheib was 7, he and his fam-ily emigrated to the U.S., to his grandparents’ house in Toledo, Ohio. They eventually landed in Dearborn. Scheib’s fi nancial prowess was developed at an early age. He was in his early teens when his father suffered his fi rst stroke and Scheib’s mother was forced to take a minimum wage job as a cook to support the family. It was the fi rst time she had ever worked outside the home. Scheib also found a job, in addition to assuming responsibility for the family fi nances.

With scholarships, loans, and money he had saved, Scheib attended Albion College. “Moose,” as he was and still is known, thrived at Albion. He co-founded the College’s Muslim Student Association, mentored elementary school students, played Briton football for four years, and was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. His entrepreneurial bent became evident as he used his savings to buy a house in Albion that had gone into foreclosure. Scheib renovated it and rented it to students for extra income. It was his years on the Briton football squad that gave Scheib some needed relief from the demands of school, jobs, and society. “On the fi eld,” he wrote in his law school application, “I shed barriers that language, poverty, and race had previously imposed on me.” An economics and management major, Scheib also was a member of the Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management. “Of the several hundred students I have had in my summer business ethics course,” says Albion philosophy professor Gene Cline, “I consider Moose one of the most insightful read-ers of our real-life case studies that I have ever had. His analyti-cal skills, and ability to

Fall 2008 | 13

quickly see several plausible interpretations of a case, made him an ideal student of the law, and serve him well now in his business career.” “Albion gave me so much and truly helped me become who I am today,” Scheib says. “A liberal arts education is invaluable—it allows you to think creatively in all facets of life.” Scheib later encouraged his brother, Hassan, to enroll at Albion, and Hassan, now a junior, has also become engaged in campus life as president of the Arab Club, member of Sigma Chi, and volunteer tutor. After graduating with honors from the College in 2002, Scheib moved to Manhattan to enter Columbia University Law School, which proved to be an enormous challenge at first. “The combination of law school and the big city was a big shock,” he says. “And Columbia was the most competitive environ-ment I’d ever been in.” Determined to excel, Scheib was named to the editorial staff of the Columbia Business Law Review, served as a legal intern in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, and clerked for a New York State Supreme Court justice. He earned a public service award from the Arab American Institute in 2004 and served as a research assistant to Professor Zohar Goshen, the current head of the Israeli Securities and Exchange Commission. Upon earning his law degree in 2005, Scheib was hired by Proskauer Rose in its New York office, where he worked on corporate mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, and initial public offerings (IPOs). It was a good experience, but he knew his calling lay else-

where. After two years with the firm, he returned to Michigan and focused on building LoanMod.com. Others have taken notice of his success. LoanMod.com was featured in the July 21 issue of Forbes magazine, and there have been numerous reports in Detroit area media. Clients—and revenue—are increasing rapidly, and Scheib now has more than 50 employees at branches in Michigan, Florida, and California. He predicts the staff will grow to more than 100 by early 2009 and to over 300 by 2010. And Scheib hasn’t stopped creating new busi-nesses. He recently founded Aleph Advisors, a boutique advisory firm focused on helping companies expand their reach within the Middle East and North Africa through the identification of strategic partner-ships and investment opportunities, and providing counsel in structuring those relationships and invest-ments. Aleph Advisors currently has offices in New York and Cairo. “I’ve been through tough times,” Scheib says. “But hard times have made me better not bitter.” His main goal at the moment, he says, is to help people stay in their homes by working closely with lenders. “Helping people save their homes is the best reward of all. It helps the neighborhood, the commu-nity, and ultimately the entire country.”

14 | Io Triumphe!

International PartnersIn today’s globalized marketplace, nearly every business is international to some degree, says Mike Frandsen, director of Albion College’s Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management. “Virtually everyone is now involved in international business. It may only mean they need to be aware of foreign competition or of global supply sources—but no matter what business people are in, they have to think globally and work with people from different cultures.” What better way to prepare for that reality than to do it, to work with students from other countries to develop a business plan. Five Albion students had the chance to do that in March 2008 as the fi rst step in what is hoped will become an ongoing relationship between Albion; ESCIA, an international business school sponsored by the Versailles (France) Chamber of Commerce; and other partners. The students traveled to ESCIA with Frandsen and Perry Myers, associate professor of German at Albion, for a week of learning, work, and fun with students from the French host school and from schools in Croatia and Hungary.

Albion College students are currently working on a global marketing project with a student team from ESCIA, a business school in Pontoise, France. After their initial meeting last March in France (pictured), they have continued to develop their business plan via e-mail and videoconferencing.

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European UnionsFrom immigration to foreign trade to climate change, we are constantly

reminded of our global interconnections—indeed interdependence. Here are two accounts of how Albion—city and college—has benefi ted

from exchanges with our European counterparts.

Fall 2008 | 15

During the week at ESCIA, bi-national teams were asked to develop a business plan that would incorporate the resources and culture of each country. Despite the language barrier, the Albion-ESCIA team got right to work. “I don’t think it was any more awkward than if they’d all been Americans,” says Jen Daly, a junior economics/management and French major, of her French teammates. Joe Seikel, a junior economics/management major and one of three non-French-speaking members of the team, agrees. “I didn’t know how different from us they might be,” he refl ects, “but as soon as we started the icebreakers, they were laughing just like we were.” The team set out to develop a venture to assist small French companies in selling directly to American consumers. Seikel explains, “Right now we’re working on using a Web site to match the French companies with buyers.” Daly notes that every change, every new idea, requires extra effort just to be added to the plan. “We’ve had to research FDA

Sister ActBy Dianne Guenin-Lelle

The City of Albion this year has celebrated the 10th anniversary of its sister city relationship with Noisy-le-Roi, a small town in the western suburbs of Paris near Versailles. The fi rst celebra-tions occurred in December 2007, when there was a weekend of festivities in Noisy-le-Roi to commemorate this anniversary, and then in September 2008, on this side of the Atlantic, a delegation from Noisy-le-Roi participated in Albion’s Festival of the Forks Parade, met with community members and Albion College faculty and students, and enjoyed a gala dinner, with President Donna Randall serving as the honorary chair. The seed of this relationship began with talks between Albion native Sue Marcos, who lived for many years in the Noisy area and is now president of the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce, and Alain Frêne, who with Sue’s help participated in

regulations and import taxes, Web site development, things like that,” she says. “We have to learn about so many things just to do our part of the plan.” Befi tting the idea of a 21st-century multinational business, the teams keep in touch via a Yahoo! group and videoconferencing. The ESCIA team will visit Albion this coming January so the team can do a fi nal presentation of their business plan, a visit that Seikel and Daly say the whole group is looking forward to. “I know this is for business, but the personal relationship we’ve formed beyond our work, that has been really neat,” Daly explains. “It’s one thing to sit in a class and talk about international business and being aware of other cultures,” Seikel concludes. “When you actually interact with people, it’s different. I think that has been the most valuable part of this for me, to interact with people from another country and do something business-related.”

Jake Weber was a contributing writer for this story.

a high school exchange program in Michigan and later became a member of the Noisy-le-Roi City Council. Their idea became a reality in 1997, when the two cities were formally united as sister cities. Further support came from Albion’s mayor, William Wheaton, who was stationed in the Noisy area when working at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe, and from Albion College’s Department of Modern Languages and Cultures.

Albion College’s department

of Modern languages

and Cultures has recently

introduced new programs

to further encourage inter-

cultural understanding—and

to help students prepare for

careers in the global mar-

ketplace. A “language and

Culture for the Professions”

track has been developed

in French, German, and

Spanish that combines

language study with pre-

professional course work

and an overseas internship.

And a “TransAmerican

latino/a Studies” track

focuses on the interaction

among the united States

and Spanish-speaking

nations of the western

hemisphere through the

study of language, history,

literature, public policy, and

other fi elds.

while learning another

language is important in

today’s global society, notes

Perry Myers, associate pro-

fessor of German, “cultural

competence” is essential as

well. “what employers are

looking for are people who

know how to deal with differ-

ence . . . with ‘otherness’.

They want students who can

think creatively when con-

fronted with different ways

of doing things. . . . That’s

what the study of foreign

languages and study-abroad

experiences do.”

These initiatives under-

score Albion’s continuing

commitment to preparing

students to become global

citizens—and leaders.

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The accompanying photos show scenes in and around Albion’s sister city, Noisy-le-Roi, France.

16 | Io Triumphe!

these years. The past 10 years have been transforma-tional for hundreds of individuals in our two commu-nities, and the future of this relationship promises to be even more dynamic, ambitious, and engaging.

Dianne Guenin-Lelle is a professor of French at Albion.

This fall, Albion professor Dianne Guenin-Lelle (right) visited sister city Noisy-le-Roi with her students in a fi rst-year seminar on our cultural ties with France. They are shown at the nearby ruins of Marly Chateau reading the historical marker explain-ing the history of Louis XIV’s leisure palace. It was the seventh time Guenin-Lelle has taken a fi rst-year seminar group to France. The seminar explores French culture and French-American intercultural understanding through interviews, cultural readings, literature, fi lm, the news media, and the Internet.

Since the beginning of this relationship there have been at least 400 exchanges between Albion and Noisy, including exchanges among offi cials of both cities, public school children, college students, and professionals. There are biennial exchanges between Albion Public School students and the middle school in Noisy, as well as annual visits of children in the summer. In addition, each summer, French interns work in Albion, typically at the District Library and Kids ’n’ Stuff Children’s Museum. Albion College students have interned in Noisy, most often in the business sector. One surprising result of the lat-ter internships was the marriage of Albion College graduate Stephanie Oosterhouse, ’05, to Lucien Wind, himself a former intern in Albion. They now live in the city of Versailles. Stephanie has a job at the automotive market research fi rm, JATO, in the same offi ce where she worked as an intern several years ago. Noisy-le-Roi also hosts students participating in various Albion College off-campus programs. Normally students studying in France begin their semester abroad with Noisy home stays to get accli-mated to the language and the country. Noisy fami-lies also host students enrolled in a fi rst-year seminar, “Cultures, Communities, and Connections—From Albion to France and Back,” during their weeklong visit and truly integrate these students into the community. Besides exchanges and visits, there have been dozens of projects this relationship has made possible. A recent example is Albion College’s connection with ESCIA, a business school affi liated with the Versailles Chamber of Commerce, that was facilitated by mem-bers of the Noisy Sister City Committee. In March 2008 fi ve students from Albion and two professors participated in an international workshop focusing on entrepreneurship and collaborative business plans (see previous story). Albion was the only American institution invited to be a part of this initiative. In the speech delivered by Mayor Wheaton for the 10th anniversary sister city celebration in Noisy, he stated, “The joy and enlightenment we have experienced because of the sister city relationship will forever remain in our hearts. The tiny steps taken in 1997 have turned into long continuous strides in 2007.” No one imagined that these two very different communities would have formed such a strong bond, sustained such a robust program of initiatives, and developed such lasting personal friendships through

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lia Cronenwett, ’09Employer: Stryker Corporation, a global leader in medical technology based in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Chief responsibilities: During her internship with Stryker, Lia Cronenwett was assigned to the internal audit group at the corporate offices in Kalamazoo, but she didn’t spend much time there. Instead she logged thousands of air miles en route to performing audits at Stryker’s offices in San Jose, California; London, England; Paris, France; and Düsseldorf, Germany. She mainly focused on Stryker’s compli-ance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) financial reporting requirements. “During the audits we conducted, I learned an array of things that will help me grow as an auditor post-graduation. I also helped out on process improvement projects to enable the internal audit team at Stryker to run more smoothly.”

Lessons learned: In addition to becoming a proficient international traveler, Cronenwett says she learned how to function in the corporate work environment and developed a better understanding of effective management strategies by seeing them in practice. “This internship has not only taught me knowledge that I can use in my professional career, but it has opened up many opportunities for me, including networking with key executives within Stryker and at public accounting firms.”

What’s next: Cronenwett recently accepted a full-time auditing position in public accounting. She plans to earn her CPA license, gain further experience in public accounting, and perhaps bring that experience back to Stryker someday.

Craig stangland, ’09Employer: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada

Chief responsibilities: Craig Stangland got an inside look at management of the AAA 4-Star MGM Grand as a member of the hotel’s highly selective Hospitality Internship Program. His five-week stint with the Group Reservations office was eye-opening. “The most interesting thing about working with Reservations,” he says, “was the sheer volume that the MGM Grand handles. With 5,044 rooms, including over 600 suites, three condo towers, and an all-inclusive mansion com-prised of 30 extreme luxury rooms, things can get hectic. Within five minutes, Reservations can book over 500 rooms.” Stangland also worked on a viral market-ing project, incorporating blogging and social networking Web sites to attract increased traffic to the hotel.

Lessons learned: “This internship was a great introduction to the hospitality industry as a whole,” Stangland says. “I particularly learned that it is all about ‘heads in beds.’ If you don’t have guests in the rooms, it has an immediate effect on the business in the hotel’s restaurants, clubs, and other areas. The skills I brought with me from Albion allowed me to gain the most from this experience.”

What’s next: Stangland’s goal following graduation is to be accepted into the MGM Mirage Management Associate Program, a six-month training program for future managers within the organization, and pursue a career in the hospitality industry.

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As Lia Cronenwett traveled worldwide with Stryker Corporation’s audit team last summer, she was intro-duced not only to other cultures, but also to other work environments—gaining insights she can continue to use in a career in public accounting.

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Craig Stangland was one of 48 interns chosen this past summer from more than 1,000 applicants for the Las Vegas MGM Grand’s Hospitality Internship Program. Stangland was the only economics and management major in the group of mostly hospitality- and hotel-management students.

Fast Track

18 | Io Triumphe!

While finishing his senior year, Nate De Winkle continues to consult with his former internship sponsor, Maysteel, advancing the market research and cost-accounting work he began as an intern.

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Heather Freeland, ’09Employer: EMI Music Publishing/Evangelene Music, Nashville, Tennessee

Chief responsibilities: From her seat on Nashville’s “music row,” Heather Freeland witnessed firsthand the “make it or break it” world of the country music industry. Considered the global leader in its field, EMI Music Publishing is owned by EMI Group, one of the world’s “big four” record companies. (EMI’s labels include Angel, Capitol, and Blue Note). During her time in Nashville, Freeland says she gained a new appreciation for the complexity of the music industry as an assistant for an A&R (artists and repertoire) representative and also as a staff member at EMI. As she worked on upcoming albums, she was involved in the process of getting a song from the songwriter to the recording artist. “I learned what to listen for, who to pitch the songs to, and what gets on the radio. Just to get one song on an album or on the radio today requires an amazing effort.” She also learned about the broader music environment by assessing what was ranked on the Top 100 music charts. “I tracked the progress of songs on the charts, and then my boss and I would discuss what worked and what didn’t.”

Lessons learned: “Many people do not realize how many players are involved in getting a song recorded,” Freeland observes. “During my internship, I was able to see a song go from a thought in a songwriter’s head to a demo being pitched for an album. It is a tough and closely-knit industry.”

What’s next: Freeland says her internship solidified her career plan. “I want to do something in the music industry more than ever now,” she concludes.

nate de Winkle, ’09Employer: Maysteel, a manufacturer of electric power products and custom metal enclosures for commercial uses, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

Chief responsibilities: Together with Gerstacker intern Adam Brown, ’09, Nate De Winkle completed a market research project under the supervision of Maysteel’s CEO to identify companies that Maysteel might acquire to gain geographic diversification and improved market reach. “When we had finished this project,” he explains, “we had looked at over 1,700 companies and pared them down to 50 strong candidates for acquisition.” De Winkle’s most challeng-ing assignment, he says, was a study of manufacturing overhead costs. Based on this work, directed by the chief financial officer, he created a new cost-accounting model that is now being implemented company-wide. One of the most reward-ing aspects of the experience was seeing how the problems he helped identify are being dealt with and overcome.

Lessons learned: De Winkle discovered he especially liked the fast pace of the manufacturing environment. He also gained valuable insights about the complex-ity of managerial decision-making.

What’s next: De Winkle continues to work for Maysteel in a consulting capacity, advancing the market research and cost-accounting project. After Albion, he is planning a career in consulting and business process improvement.

Fast Track these interns in albion’s Carl a. gerstacker liberal arts Institute for Professional Management are already making their mark.

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As a music business intern in Nashville, Heather Freeland rubbed shoulders with a number of top record-ing artists including Faith Hill (right). Freeland also worked on Tim McGraw’s upcoming album.

Gerstacker Institute students complete up to two full-time professional internships. From accounting and financial services to marketing and manufacturing, they land placements with some of the nation’s—and the world’s—top companies. To learn more about the off-campus experiences and other special opportunities available for Gerstacker Institute students, please visit: www.albion.edu/gerstacker.

Fall 2008 | 19

Fowler’s goal is to help her clients get the counseling they need and develop some marketable skills, and then to assist with their reentry into independent living. To that end, she has launched several ventures that provide skills training and, at the same time, generate revenue to support the orga-nization’s programs. Among these is a novel program that collects discarded tires and recycles them into “mud mats” that are sold across Michigan. CCSS utilizes over 5,000 volunteers annually—among them are faculty, staff, and students from Albion College, which has recently signed a covenant agreement with CCSS to encourage regular involve-ment in service-learning. Interestingly, Fowler has built on a legacy that began with former Cass Community United Methodist Church pastors including Lewis Redmond, ’50, who served there from 1953 to 1979. And there

When Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) purchased a rundown apartment building on Detroit’s west side, the building residents were living amid piles of vermin-infested trash. There was no heat, no run-ning water. Electrical services were erratic at best. Vandals roamed the hallways at will. On the day that CCSS finally took pos-session of the property, Rev. Faith Fowler, ’81, CCSS’ executive director, moved the residents into a nearby hotel while work-ing to transition them into safe, affordable housing. “That night,” she recalls, “I went to bed knowing that, for the first time in a long while, these individuals could take a hot shower and sleep in a warm bed.” The apartment building, once renovated, will house homeless men, women, and children. CCSS began as an outreach program of Cass Community United Methodist Church, for which Fowler currently serves as senior pastor. Operating in Detroit’s Cass Corridor, one of the city’s poorest neighbor-hoods, CCSS provides shelters and medical services for the homeless and persons with substance abuse problems, as well as programs for seniors, at-risk youth, the mentally ill, and adults with developmental disabilities. Today the organization has 100 employees and an operating budget of $6-million. “We’re looking to fill the gaps in the system,” Fowler says. Her organization takes in those who have nowhere else to go. As just one example, CCSS operates the only shelter for homeless men with AIDS in southeast Michigan.

P e r s P e C t ! v e s

Inspiration and Perspiration

are other alumni connections: Susan Bath Thomasson, ’82, is a former chair of the CCSS board, and Tom Talbert, ’82, cur-rently sits on the board. Those who know her best describe Faith Fowler as “relentless.” Driven by her convic-tions, she is utterly tireless in serving those who are in desperate need. Just as impor-tant, however, is her unflagging enthusiasm and her remarkable ability to convince others to join her in this work. Hers quickly becomes a shared passion. That’s a powerful combination.

Sarah Briggs, Editorsbriggs@albion.edu517/629-0244

If you are looking for a way to exercise your body, mind, and spirit—and to help those in need—look no further than Cass Community Social Services. To learn more about CCSS, and to sign up as a volunteer, go to: www.casscommunity.org.

During a day of service at Cass Community Social Services in July, Albion faculty and staff volunteers painted and set up shelving in a room to house a document-shredding business that CCSS has recently begun.

Gerstacker Institute director Mike Frandsen learns how to make a mud mat, one of CCSS’ fundraisers. The mats are made from discarded tires and are being sold all over Michigan.

20 | Io Triumphe!

Fall 2008 | 21

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It’s Time to Network!By Sarah Cooper, ’03Alumni Association Board of Directors

The Alumni Association Board of Directors meets three times a year for the purpose of promoting an excellent liberal arts education.This mission can be realized bythe Board of Directors as we: (1) encourage communication between alumni and the College, (2) engage alumni to assist the College, and (3) promote the achievements of Albion’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni. These three actions are the inspiration for the recent development of the new committees described below. By grounding the committees in the Albion College mission statement, the Board of Directors has a clear focus and will be increasing efforts to involve all alumni, including young alumni, in the life of the College and to keep them informed about new devel-opments on campus. We understand that people are in different

stages of their lives, are attracted to different types of events, want different things from the College, and are prepared to support the College differently. For many of us young alumni, meeting infor-mally at a local restaurant or in conjunction with a community event, a sports contest, or a service project might be a way to stay connected to the College and network within our career fi elds. I am excited to be a part of the Off-Campus Activities Committee that will pilot regional Alumni Chapters in Grand Rapids and Detroit. We will apply refreshing new ways of thinking within the context of these two cities in order to make connec-tions and build relationships. Other committees include Career Development, Admission, On-Campus Activities, Scholarships and Fundraising, Communications, and Awards. Our course of action is still being refi ned, and I urge you to contact me (sec10@albion.edu) or others on the Board of Directors to share how you’d like to stay connected to Albion College. I look forward to taking your input back to my committee when we meet again in 2009!

Your Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomes your comments. They can be reached by contacting the Offi ce of Alumni and Parent Relations via Marcia Hepler Starkey, ’74, at mstarkey@albion.edu or 517/629-0448, or by accessing the online directory at alumnidirectory@albion.edu.

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Shepherd to Lead BoardAt the Homecoming meeting of the Alumni Association Board of Directors Sept. 27, Douglas Shepherd, ’98, was elected board president. He succeeds Joshua Merchant, ’96, who stepped down in August after being named Albion College’s vice president for institutional advancement. Shepherd is an attorney with Brandt, Fisher, Alward & Roy in Traverse City, and is currently in his second term on the board.

Alumni Association Offi cersPresident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Douglas Shepherd, ’98 Vice President, On-Campus . . . . Timothy Newsted, ’78 Vice President, Off-Campus . . . . . . William Rafaill, ’70 Secretary. . . . . . . . . . Glenna Vander Meer Paukstis, ’59

lend a Helping Hand to students!

You can make a difference in the lives of our students by:

• Being a career resource

• Volunteering to sit on a career panel

• Critiquing a résumé

• Giving advice on career challenges you faced

• Providing job shadowing or internship opportunities

• Doing an informational interview where you answer questions students have about the industry you are in or your position.

to be a career mentor, contact the offi ce of Career development at 517/629-0332 or careers@albion.edu for instructions on how to sign up to be a mentor!

Become an alumni Career Mentor.

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Picture This: ‘Purple and Gold on the Road’Images of alumni, students, and faculty taken around the coun-try—and around the world—created a giant scrapbook on display in the Kellogg Center during Homecoming 2008. The exhibit illustrated “Purple and Gold on the Road,” the theme of the Homecoming photo contest. The contest was just one of many highlights during the weekend, which also included the Twelfth Annual Briton Classic golf tournament; the 80th anniversary cel-ebration for Dean Hall women’s residence; a retrospective exhibit of work by Doug Goering, professor emeritus of art; and class reunions. The Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service cel-ebrated the 30th anniversary of its first entering class with a Friday afternoon reception and an exhibit, “Extraordinary Circumstances:

Gerald R. Ford,” featuring the work of White House photographer David Hume Kennerly. A performance by political impressionist Jim Morris concluded Friday’s events. The weekend also saw the surprise visit of one of the College’s oldest alumni, Edith Bentley Strait, ’28, who observed the 80th anniversary of her Albion graduation. (See photo on page 30) Sunny skies attracted a capacity crowd to Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium for Saturday’s football match-up with Central College (Iowa) and a men’s soccer contest against Trine University (for-merly Tri-State).

Learn more about this year’s Homecoming events by perusing the accompanying photos (through page 25). For more Homecoming and reunion coverage, go to: www.albion.edu/homecoming/ .

Among the entries in the 2008 Homecoming photo contest was this one showing Abby Brown Green, ’02, Meredith Hortop Cameron, ’02, and Janna Muccio Giamuccio, ’00, during a hike up Mt. Elbert in Colorado. They wrote, “We took this picture on the descent when we were exhausted and our legs were jelly, but our enthusiasm still shines through!”

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President Donna Randall (left) converses with Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land during a reception celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service. Donovan Dooley, making his fi rst start at quarterback for the

Britons, completed 19 of 31 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown in the Homecoming football game against Central College (Iowa). Unfortunately for the Britons, Dooley’s effort fell just short as Central engineered two quick scoring drives in the second quarter to eke out a 13-12 victory in the non-league contest.

This year’s Homecoming royalty, seniors Meaghan Walters and Ahmed Chaudhry, celebrate with President Donna Randall and her husband, Paul Hagner, at halftime.

Distinguished Alumni Award winners Tamara (left) and Jim Royle, both ’63, treated the audience to a musical number with their daughter, Megan Royle Carrella, ’95, during their acceptance speech at the Alumni Awards Ceremony.

This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award winners met with students to share their expertise. Here, Janet Welch, ’71, executive director of the State Bar of Michigan, talks about careers in the legal profession.

Michael Light, ’07, a former safety for the Briton football squad, decided this year’s Homecoming game offered the perfect opportunity to propose to his girlfriend, Laura Bodine, ’08. She said yes!

Plan now for Homecoming 2009Oct. 2-4, 2009

Homecoming events will include reunions for class years ending in “4” and “9” (1949-2004). Visit www.albion.edu/homecoming/ for details.

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Alumni Award Winners Excel in Education, Business, and Law

Pictured with President Donna Randall (fourth from left) are Distinguished Alumni Award winners David Neilson, ’66, Kirk Heinze, ’70, Janet Welch, ’71, Tamara Transue Royle, ’63, and James Royle, ’63.

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The Alumni Awards Ceremony was held Sept. 27, 2008, during Homecoming Weekend. The award winners also met with students and faculty during their time on campus.

distinguished alumni award recipients

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes College alumni for their genuine lead-ership and dedicated service to others.

Kirk L. Heinze, ’70Chairperson EmeritusDepartment of Agriculture and Natural Resources Education and Communication SystemsMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan

David L. Neilson, ’66CommissionerMichigan Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationRoyal Oak, Michigan

James G. Royle, ’63Associate Professor, College of EducationSaginaw Valley State UniversityTamara Transue Royle, ’63Archivist and VolunteerSaginaw, Michigan

Janet K. Welch, ’71Executive DirectorState Bar of MichiganEast Lansing, Michigan

Meritorious service award recipient

The Meritorious Service Award recognizes College alumni for their leadership, dedicated service to others, and support of College initiatives.

Audrey K. Wilder, ’18 (deceased)Former Dean of WomenAlbion College

For more information on this year’s honorees, go to: www.albion.edu/iotriumphe/ .

To submit a distinguished Alumni Award nomination, contact Marcia Hepler Starkey, ’74, associate vice president for alumni/parent relations, at 517/629-0284 or via e-mail at mstarkey@albion.edu or go to: www.albion.edu/alumni/nomina-tion_form.asp .

Where Are They Now?Bonacci Knows the score at Comerica Park

Bob Bonacci, ’68, has one of the coolest retirement jobs imagin-able. Retired from the Detroit Public Schools after 33 years as a physical education teacher and guidance counselor, he works as the scoreboard operator for Detroit Tigers’ games at Comerica Park. Bonacci enjoys the perks of the job—parking in the garage next to the stadium, occasionally running into Willie Horton and Al Kaline, working in a booth sandwiched between Tigers’ president/CEO/general manager Dave Dombrowski and the park public address announcer on the third base side of the lower suite level, and staffing the big games such as the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and 2006 postseason contests—but it is the enthusiasm of the large crowds the Tigers have drawn that keeps the 62-year-old young at heart. “You can’t match the excitement at the ballpark,” Bonacci said. “The Tigers have drawn more than three million fans dur-ing the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The excitement for baseball in Detroit is still there. “I’ve seen the whole gamut,” he added. “The only thing I haven’t seen is a World Series championship.” Bonacci earned induction into Albion’s Athletic Hall of Fame in September after playing an integral role in the Britons’ worst-to-first turnaround on the diamond. After they finished last in the MIAA in 1967 and got off to a 2-10 start in 1968, Bonacci sparked the team’s surge to a 9-3 record in league play by win-

ning the MIAA’s batting title with a .500 average. In addition to being named the Britons’ most improved and most valuable player, he was rewarded with All-America, MIAA MVP, and all-league first-team awards. He turned down a minor league contract offer from the Tigers to pursue a teaching career, and remained active in competitive athletics by serving as a varsity baseball umpire in southeastern Detroit. He has worked as an official at some of the state’s biggest events, umpiring the East-West All-Star baseball game four times and the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s baseball finals twice. He has also served as a referee during the MHSAA’s football finals on two occasions. Bonacci got his start with the Tigers in 1981, serving for a year as the bullpen catcher. —Bobby Lee

As the Tigers’ scoreboard keeper, Bob Bonacci, ’68, has one of the best seats in the house.

Hall of Fame Marks 20 YearsAlbion’s Athletic Hall of Fame honored national cham-pion and league MVP athletes among the eight individuals inducted this year. They were joined by four teams. It was the 20th anniversary of the Hall of Fame’s founding. For more on this year’s inductees, go to: www.albion.edu/sports/halloffame/ .

2008 athletic Hall of Fame InducteesIndividualsRobert M. Bonacci, ’68 R. Lance Brown, ’87William J. Dunn, ’82 Richard J. Fabian, Jr., ’83 Sara Kapp Holser, ’95 Tyree O. Minner, ’79

(Clockwise from top left) Inducted into the Hall of Fame with the 1988 and 1989 baseball teams were for-mer head coach Frank Joranko, ’52 (left), his assistant Robert Smith, and Dean Wilking, ’91. Honoree Tom Reason, ’94, won the 1994 NCAA Division III title in the decathlon and was also accorded All-America status in that event in 1992 and

1993. He is pictured with his children Brielle, Dylan, and Brooklyn. Sara Kapp Holser, ’95, the first Albion woman golfer to achieve MIAA All-Conference status, chats with President Donna Randall prior to the Homecoming football game.

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To submit a Hall of Fame nomination, contact Marcia Hepler Starkey, ’74, associate vice president for alumni/parent relations, at 517/629-0284 or via e-mail at mstarkey@albion.edu, or go to: www.albion.edu/sports/halloffame/nomination_form.asp .

Thomas A. Reason, ’94Dennis W. Wahr, ’74

Teams1988 & 1989 Baseball Team1993 & 1994 Men’s Track Team

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reclaiming Historyalbion College’s Holocaust studies trip to Poland for alumni and Friends

By Morris Arvoy

It’s hard to imagine a more powerful experience: a return home by a Holocaust survivor to revisit a tragic past and envision a more hopeful future. Albion College alumni and friends will have the opportunity to accompany one such survivor, Miriam Winter, on a specially designed trip to Poland this coming spring. The Albion College trip, planned for May 9-18, 2009, aims to introduce travelers to Poland’s rich cultural and historical heritage, while confronting the horrors of the Holocaust—resulting in an expe-rience far different from most university alumni tours. Geoffrey Cocks, a professor of modern European history at Albion, maintains this trip to Poland comes at an ideal time. Poland has emerged slowly from decades inside the “icebox of communism” and now finds itself on the cusp of European Union membership. Even as Poland reasserts its history as one of the most Catholic countries in the world, Cocks notes that major metropolitan areas also are experiencing the reemergence of Jewish communities. “Which is a miracle,” he adds, “given what happened during the Second World War.” In Adolf Hitler’s attempt for world domination and a “master race,” the solution to what the Nazis termed the “Jewish problem” was the elimination of the Jewish people. Nowhere was the effect of Hitler’s genocide against the Jews as devastating as it was in Poland. Of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, more than half were Polish. Ninety percent of Poland’s Jewish population perished at the hands of the Nazis, and most of the rest emigrated, were drummed out, denied their religious background, or faced harsh conditions during the communist era. Albion College students have been part of a growing international movement to ensure the past is not forgotten by forging a “commu-nity of memory” in areas ravaged by the Holocaust. Since 2001, stu-dents, faculty, and staff have traveled every other spring to Wrocław, Poland, to restore a neglected Jewish cemetery—an overgrown plot

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(From upper right) the colorful rynek (mar-ketplace) in the heart of Kraków. among the historic and architectural gems of Poland is Kraków’s 16th-century Wawel Castle, seat of the Polish monarchy. More than a million people were crammed into trains bound for auschwitz-Birkenau.

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of trees, vines, broken gravestones, and graffiti—and they will do so again in 2009. The alumni and friends will spend a morning at the cemetery, working along-side the students. “For a decade Albion has had a close working relationship with aspects of Poland that most other people have not,” says Cocks, who helped organize the first trip and who is serving as an expert guide on this one, along with Albion history professor Marcy Sacks. Sacks, who is making her first visit to Poland, says she decided to go on this trip only when Winter agreed to go. Winter, who was born Jewish, grew up in Poland as a “hidden child” during the Holocaust, changing her identity until she was allowed to emi-grate to the U.S. in 1969. This is her first trip back to the country where her entire family was murdered during the war. As Cocks puts it, Winter’s pres-ence alone will make the trip experience indelible, “because of the fact that she was there and literally lived to tell about it.” Sacks agrees. “I think that anyone who shares this experience, in part because Miriam is there, becomes a member of a very intimate community. Miriam will help us to have a strong sense of sharing in the heal-ing of a country as we help one woman take back her past.” In addition to learning more about the Holocaust at Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Albion travelers will visit some of Poland’s most beautiful and historic cities and see several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

“Warsaw, Łodz, and Kraków are the crown jewels of Polish architectural and cultural history, and also Jewish history,” says Cocks, an expert on World War II and the Holocaust. Of all areas in Poland affected by the war, Warsaw was the most devastated, Cocks says. The city was destroyed by the Nazis in suppressing a Jewish upris-ing in 1943 and a Polish revolt in 1944. Only a small part of the city has been rebuilt to look the way it did before the devastation. Łodz, Miriam Winter’s birthplace, is a “mag-nificent” city not as badly damaged during the war, according to Cocks. Łodz once had the largest Jewish population outside of Warsaw, and it has preserved many sites that are significant in Polish and Jewish history. Kraków is the cultural and intellectual center of Poland, as it has been for centuries. While Warsaw was “damned by the fates of war,” Kraków was spared, Cocks says. He describes the city as a “won-drous place” with a mix of culture and beauty, and also terror—owing to the many sites there connected with the Holocaust. “Every time I go to Poland I can’t anticipate what it’s going to be like,” Cocks says. “It’s such a part of my area of expertise, yet at the same time you’re confronting things associated with arguably the worst event in history, so you know you will be moved and challenged. “The alumni and friends on this trip will be active in processing this experience and this history, and reclaiming it for those who cannot.”

(above and upper right) trip participants will spend a morning with albion students and staff working on the ongoing restoration of the new Jewish Cemetery in Wrocław. Pictured are Brittany Westbrook, ’08, and larry lloyd, ’02, who partici-pated in the 2007 service-learning trip.

(lower right) Following its destruction during World War II, the Wrocław rynek was painstakingly rebuilt. laura Jordan, ’05, Kerry shagene, ’06, and Michelle Ilitch, ’06, enjoy one of the rynek’s newer additions during albion’s 2005 trip.

trip ItineraryMay 9-18, 2009For a detailed itinerary, and lodging and res-ervation information, go to www.albion.edu/alumni/poland or call Marcia starkey, associ-ate vice president for alumni relations at 517/629-0284. the deposit deadline is Jan. 9, 2009.

May 9depart for Warsaw

May 10afternoon: old town, Warsaw

May 11Morning: treblinkaafternoon: Warsaw ghetto

May 12Łodz

May 13Wrocław

May 14Morning: new Jewish Cemetery, Wrocławafternoon: Kraków

May 15Morning: Kraków afternoon: Kazimierz, Płaszów Concentration Camp, Podgorze ghetto

May 16Morning: auschwitz-Birkenauafternoon: Kraków (on your own)

May 17Morning: departure for Warsaw afternoon: ozarów Jewish Cemetery dinner with “Hidden Children”

May 18return home

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alphabet HuntTo help your children learn to use photog-raphy in novel ways, have them capture letters of the alphabet in the world around them. (They should get close enough to have the letters nearly fill the viewfinder.) While some of the letters may be found on signs and labels, letter forms can also be found elsewhere—a tree branch might be a “Y,” a splash of water might look like a “K,” and so on. For variation, the hunt could involve different colors, shapes, or textures.

discovery WalkTake a walk through your neighborhood and zoom in on objects, plants, architec-ture, or other features that are distinctive or unusual in some way. Allow your children the freedom to capture what they see as worthy of a photo. Another possibility is to plan a mystery photo contest in which the children record an interesting detail of a familiar object or use an unusual angle. Family mem-bers then can guess where the photo was shot. A variation of the discovery walk is a photo scavenger hunt based on a list prepared by an adult in advance.

Fun with Photography: Learning to See in a Different Way

getting CreativeHelp your children find creative applica-tions for their photos. You might start with a neighborhood or friends “daisy chain.” Have people stand for the camera with their hands held out at their sides. Frame them so their hands are right on the edge of the viewfinder. After taking photos of many different indi-viduals, the children can then paste the pho-tos together by matching up their hands to make it look like they are all holding hands. You might also encourage your children to take a series of pictures that tell a story or to create unique greeting cards and stationery with their images.

Source: Our thanks to Gary Wahl, assistant professor of art, for his help with this edition’s activities.

Adobe Digital Kids Clubhttp://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/lessons/Lesson ideas for using photography creatively in the classroom and developing computer skills at the same time.

PC Worldhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/120043/digital_focus_photo_projects_for_kids.htmlProjects for kids that keep photography fresh and entertaining.

Books

Jenni Bidner, The Kids’ Guide to Digital PhotographyWendy Ewald, I Wanna Take Me a Picture: Teaching Photography and Writing to ChildrenThom Gaines, Digital Photo Madness!: 50 Wacky Things to Do with Your Digital CameraNeil Johnson, National Geographic Photography Guide for Kids

Getting StartedWeb Sites

The first piece of advice is to find an inexpensive kid-friendly digital camera and let your children experiment with taking photos on their own and then manipulating and printing them on a home computer. Photography must be hands-on! Here are some additional resources on how to help kids become adept at photography and to build it into other academic or playtime activities.

HP Digital Photographyhttp://www.hp.com/united-states/consumer/digital_photography/take_better_photos/tips/kids-getting-started.htmlAdvice on selecting a camera for kids, getting them started, and encouraging creativity.

Getting Your Kids to Click with Photographyhttp://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2008/09/getting-your-kids-to-click-wit.htmlHelpful tips for parents on how to let children express themselves through photos.

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dining Alfresco at BaldwinThis past summer, a patio for dining under the oak grove canopy behind Baldwin dining Hall was installed, along with new landscaping and lighting. The patio, with seating for 66, is open throughout the warm weather months and has already proven to be a popular alternative to the traditional cafeteria seating.

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