Summer 2006

THE EXPERIENCEW a r n e r P a c i f i c C o l l e g e

Shelter from the StormCombat veteran and Developmental Psychology professor Dr. John Fazio is an expert in delivering crisis mental health services at home and abroad. | Page 8

• WPC wins Ethics Bowl | 6 • Student studies science of blood clots | 7 • Track Team grows by leaps and bounds | 10

from our president...The ExperienceEditor / Photographer / Designer:Scott A. Thompsonsthompson@warnerpacific.edu

Contributors:Jay A. Barber, Jr. ’64Nina (Hertzog) Horn ‘04

Printing:Good Impressions Printing

College AdministrationPresidentJay A. Barber, Jr. ‘64

Vice President of Academic AffairsDr. Cole Dawson

Vice President for Institutional AdvancementDr. Andrea Cook

Vice President, Treasurer, and COOWayne Pederson

“The Experience” is produced three times a year by the Office of College Communications for alumni and friends of Warner Pacific College.

Warner Pacific is an urban Christian liberal arts college dedicated to providing students from diverse backgrounds an education that prepares them for the spiritual, moral, social, vocational, and technological challenges of the 21st Century. WPC is affiliated with the Church of God, Anderson, Ind.

Warner Pacific College2219 SE 68th AvePortland, OR 97215503-517-1000www.warnerpacific.edu

How to contact us:

Please send comments or story suggestions via e-mail to sthompson@warnerpacific.edu

by mail to the above address c/o Editor, “The Experience Magazine”

or by phone at 503-517-1123.

You can view current and archived issues of The Experience at www.warnerpacific.edu.

Earlier this year, Warner Pacific College asked alumni and church leaders to complete a mail-in survey in order to identify their perceptions of the College. We are grateful to the many alumni who responded. One of the messages we heard loud and clear is that we need to do a better

job of engaging our alumni and friends across the western region. For the last sixteen years, our primary fund-raising events have been the Har-

vest Banquets in Portland and Seattle. They have been wonderful opportunities for alumni, church members, donors and friends to fellowship and to sup-port the College. All told, the banquets have raised $1,684,646 for student scholarships.

However, the ban-quets have not served our important friends and alumni in other cities. As a result, we are bringing the message of Warner Pacific College to a city near you.

While we wil l con-tinue to have gatherings in Portland and Seattle, we have also tentatively

scheduled dinners in Southern California, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, and in the southern, central, and eastern regions of Washington and Oregon. We want to hear from you—your questions, your hopes, and your dreams for Warner Pacific College.

You will find a calendar of the proposed dates and locations in this edition of “The Experience.” We are also interested in hearing from friends in other areas. Please contact Andrea Cook, Vice President for Institutional Advance-ment (503-517-1246 / acook@warnerpacific.edu), if you would like to help organize a dinner near you.

Warner Pacific College is in the midst of a time of many blessings, and we anticipate exciting days ahead. As we embrace the opportunities before us, we trust that this change will be welcomed and will provide greater opportunity for interaction and renewing of relationships.

With appreciation,

Jay A. Barber, Jr.President

Change is in the Air

Cover photo by Scott A. Thompson

President Jay A. Barber Jr.

One of the messages we

heard loud and clear is that

we need to do a better job of engaging our

alumni and friends across

the western region.

The Experience2

Summer 2006

THE EXPERIENCEW a r n e r P a c i f i c C o l l e g e

Cover photo by Scott A. Thompson

Departments 2 From the President

4 Community News

6 Student Life

12 Alumni News

14 Class Notes

15 En Memoriam

Inside

5

6

7

8

Not Right Now?Professor Jerry Hickson’s new book examines ways in whichthe Church of God differs from its Evangelical neighbors.

WPC team wins inaugural OICF Ethics Bowl CompetitionStudents triumph in a modifi ed debate competition sponsoredby the Oregon Independent College Foundation.

A Little Blood WorkWPC Biology major Cassie Johnson ‘06 delves into the science of blood clots at Oregon Health Sciences University.

Shelter from the StormCombat veteran and Developmental Psychology professor Dr. John Fazio is an expert in delivering crisis mental health services at home and abroad.

Growing by Leaps and BoundsThe WPC Track and Field Team enjoys a record year.

Giving Sir Duke His DueBattle Ground High School jazz director Greg McKelvey ‘77 leads his jazz band to a second place fi nish in the elite Essential Ellington Band Competition in New York City.

10

6

7

13

Courtesy N

orthwest M

edical Teams International

10

WPC psychology professor Dr. John Fazio (left in baseball cap) and fellow volunteers with NW Medical Teams carry an elderly woman across the border from Montenegro into Albania during a 1999 medical mission trip. (Photo courtesy Northwest Medical Teams International).

8

3Summer 2006

COMMUNITY NEWS

Humanities story strikes chord I just finished reading “The Experi-

ence” [and] I wish I was young again and college-bound. The Humanities Core Curriculum especially struck a note. I think I have always—and more so as I grow older—struggled for answers to these kinds of questions. Finally, Chris-tian colleges are addressing these issues. I attended Anderson College from 1947 to 1949. It was good, but I wanted to dig deeper.

Faith (Walker) DaviePleasant Hill, Ore.

College on the right trackI was particularly stirred by the recent

[Spring 2006] issue of “The Experience.” Scott Thompson’s article, “Core Knowl-edge” and Joel Kelly’s “Guilt, redemption, and mashed potatoes,” brought me up to date with the present approach to learn-ing at Warner Pacific. I feel confident Warner Pacific College is on the right track by inspiring the students to become students of life, not just students of in-formation. God is in the process, not just a seeker’s conclusion. Rachel Spencer ‘58Oakridge, Ore.

Letters

Recording artist Gloria Gaither (right) greets senior Joia Cherrington ‘06 during the 2006 Western Area Regional Ministerium (WARM) conference, held on campus April 25-27.

The annual Western Area Regional Ministerium welcomed approximately

200 ministers on campus April 25-27 for three days of conferences concerning how to create more effective church ministry. According to WARM planners, the confer-ence went far beyond expectations.

“This has been the best experience I’ve had in ministry up to this point,” said conference chairman Dave Dougherty ‘66, senior pastor of Hoodview Church of God, in Woodburn, Ore. “I sense personally a renewed cooperation in the Church. We need each other.”

Recording artist and composer Gloria Gaither headlined the conference, which also featured WPC president Jay A. Barber and Anderson University president Jim Edwards. Gaither spoke on how conflicts over worship styles are splitting churches. She said that praise and worship is far more than a discussion over music or instrumen-

We welcome your feedback. Please send comments by e-mail to sthompson@warnerpacific.edu or by mail to Editor, “The Experience,” Warner Pacific College, 2219 SE 69th Ave, Portland, OR 97215. Letters may be edited for publication.

Distinguished alumni praise visitWe appreciate the honor of receiv-

ing the 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award for Service. Our years at WPC were ones of emotional maturing and spiritual growth. Professors such as Joe Gilmore, Dr. Wilma Perry, and Charles Nielsen affirmed us as we pushed beyond our closely set boundaries. Classmates turned into life-long friends whose encouragement and support has never ended.

Warner Pacific College was a place that helped us know God better, increased our skill in listening to God’s voice, and nurtured our desire to follow His leading. We look forward to what the future holds for WPC.

Amelia (Schmidt) ‘75 Chuck Patrie ‘74Henderson, Nebraska

A fun read“The Experience” looks great and is fun

to read. Joel Kelly’s thoughts made us laugh and we were very blessed to read about Brent Goulet.

Bethany (Bakken) ‘89 and Allen Larson ’90Vancouver, Wash.

tation, and should be seen in the larger context of God’s work in people’s lives.

“We’re fighting over something that isn’t the point,” Gaither said. “When God’s work is accomplishing what He [intended],

the results will be praise. When we experi-ence the life-altering encounter with God, we will praise Him. You can’t stop it.”WARM 2007 will be held in Palo Alto, Calif. April 17-19.

WARM conference fosters camaraderie among West Coast ministers

Magazine content impressiveI got my copy of “The Experience” a few

days ago and I have to tell you, it is just terrific. I don’t often write compliments or criticisms of products, but [the Spring 2006] issue was truly superlative. I recall from my time at Warner how deeply I’d wished we could put out a document as attractive and substantial as this.

The writing is excellent and the pho-tographs first-rate. Your cover story on the Humanities core curriculum was the anchor of an issue that presented the strengths and benefits of a liberal arts education in a compelling way—not just any liberal arts education, but a Warner Pacific education. Way to go! It cannot help but elevate the College in the minds and hearts of its readers.

Bill Stenberg(Director of Admissions, 1994-1996) Tigard, Ore.

The Experience4

COMMUNITY NEWS

Globe-trekking missionary lands in professor’s chair

Dr. Jerry Hickson believes the Church of God has become too much like its neighbors. In his

new book “Are you Sure You’re Right: Evangelicals and the Church of God” (Anderson, Ind., Warner Press, 2006), the WPC Religion and Christian Min-istries professor argues that while the Church of God Movement shares much in common with American Evangelical Christianity, the two diff er on key theological issues. And as Evangelicalism has become a major cultural and political infl uence, Hickson fears the Church of God is forgetting its own heritage.

“We [both] believe that Jesus is the Christ and we believe salvation is only through Him, but in the most narrow way, Evangelicals are very reformed, very Calvinist,” said Hickson. “Th e Church of God is really diff erent from all of that.”

Referencing early Church of God writ-ers like Frederick G. Smith, R.R. Byrum, and A.F. Gray, Hickson argues that the Church of God has never preached the inerrancy of scripture, nor the “end times” eschatology fi ctionalized in the widely

popular “Lef t Behind” books. He adds that the Church of God historically sup-ports women in ministry and has a clear pacifis-tic heritage that stands in contrast to conservative po l i t i c s o f ten associated with

Evangelicals.Additionally, Hickson weighs in on the

debate surrounding the use of medical technology to prolong life, a topic about

which he has personal experience. Hickson believes Evangelicals put too great an emphasis

on prolonging life at all cost. Hickson’s fi rst daughter, Me-

lissa, died in 1999 at the age of 14 due to an infection following surgery. Hickson remembers well

the pain of watching Melissa die, but says there is a promise for a bet-

ter life beyond. “Death is a part of life,” Hickson

said. “Shouldn’t we allow death to come and celebrate life and the passing, with all of the pain and the grief?”

Hickson expects some readers to take issue with his book, but he says he set out to speak prophetically to the Church of God.

“I’m concerned [that] the Church of God is losing its focus.”

Not Right Now?Professor’s new book examines ways in which the Church of God differs from its Evangelical neighbors.

Dr. Jerry Hickson

Steding, Valentine named 2006 CascadeConference Coaches of the Year

Interim Vice President of Academic Aff airs Dr. Cole Dawson has accepted the position on a permanent basis. Dawson’s predeces-sor, Dr. John Hawthorne, who served in the role from 1995 to 2005, has become the new provost of Point Loma Nazarene University, in San Diego, Calif.

Hofer resigns as Alumni DirectorCiting a desire to spend more time with her family, Director of Alumni Rela-tions Sherry Hofer ‘81 has resigned. She held the position for six years.

“I will be forever grateful to the Lord for allowing me to be a part of this commu-nity,” Hofer said.

NEWS notes

WPC women’s and men’s basketball coaches Katy Steding and Bart Val-entine ‘75 were named 2006 Cascade Conference Coaches of the Year. Each led their teams to their fi rst Cascade Conference regular season champi-onships, which brought automatic births into the 2006 NAIA Div. II Na-tional Tournaments.

Steding is a former Olympian and profes-sional basketball player in her fi fth year at Warner Pacifi c. Valentine, in his seventh year as the men’s coach, also serves as the College’s Athletic Director. It was the fi rst such honor for either coach.

Steding

Valentine

Hofer

After spending 24 years as a Church of God missionary

in the Middle East and Asia, incoming Religion and Christian Ministries professor Dr. John Johnson sees his upcoming role at Warner Pacific as an extension of his missionary work. He will be teaching missions, spiritual formation, and Biblical studies at the College.

“We might be able to raise up a new generation of missionaries and pastors who have a ‘missions heart,’ but who also might really service the church in the Asia / Pacific region,” Johnson said.

The son of former Church of God missionaries Don ’51 and Betty Jo (Hyman) Johnson ’50,

John son comp l e t ed field assignments in Sou th Korea and Egypt before serv-ing first as Dean

and then as P r e s i -dent of M e d i -t e r -r a n e a n B i b l e

C o l l e g e (MBC), in

Beirut, Leba-non, from 1996

to 2002. Along with his

wife of 27 years, G we n , Jo h n s o n m o s t r e c e n t l y w o r k e d a s r e -gional coordina-tor for Church of

G o d M i s s i o n s throughout Asia and the Pacif-ic. Now with

their daughter Jonni in college

and son James almost out of high school, the Johnsons felt the tim-ing was right to make the move to Warner Pacific, where, John-son says, his view of discipleship training will translate well to the college classroom.

“The church is crying out for leadership,” Johnson said.

Pho

tos

by S

cott

A. T

hom

pson

Dr. John Johnson

Dawson accepts permanent role as Vice President of Academic Affairs

Summer 2006 5

STUDENT LIFEP

hoto submitted

A team of five WPC students captured the inaugural 2006 Oregon

Independent Foundation Ethics Bowl, on Saturday, March 11, at the University of Portland. Teams from independent Oregon colleges and universi-ties competed head-to-head as they responded to case studies involving business ethics.

The WPC team of captain Heather Phillips ‘06, Heather McClendon ‘08, Aaron Walton ‘06, Mary Hall ‘06, and Justin Ammons ‘09 won seven of eight cases against teams from Willamette, University of Portland, Concordia, and Reed, earning a place in the final round against an undefeated Marylhurst University team.

“Each college attempted to send its highest caliber students

to this event,” said Ethics and Religion professor Bryan Wil-liams, the team’s coach. “They worked incredibly hard as a team to represent the ethic of Warner Pacific College.”

Judging the teams were top executives from some of the most influential companies in Oregon, including Weyer-haeuser, Intel, Schnitzer Steel Industries, and Portland Gen-eral Electric. Teams received the case studies in advance, but could bring no notes. Judges were also free to ask impromptu questions.

“In each case, we tried to put in the relevant Christian ethic,” said Hall. “To the judges, it seemed very important that we identified the key ethical issue.”

In the tournament final, Warner Pacific and Marylhurst

WPC team wins inaugural OICF Ethics Bowl CompetitionWarner Pacific triumphs in a modified debate competition that features teams from private Oregon colleges and universities.

addressed case studies involv-ing an employee backdating important documents and a chain store squeezing out small businesses. In a tight match, Warner Pacific won 103 to 91.

ETHICS EXPERTS The WPC Ethics Bowl team formally receives its championship trophy. Pictured left to right are faculty advisor Dr. Bryan Williams, Aaron Walton ‘06, Justin Ammons ‘09, Mary Hall ‘06, team captain Heather Phillips ‘06, OICF Chair Robert Maloney, Jr., Heather McClendon ‘08, and Andrea Cook, WPC’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

“For us, it was being able to walk away and say this is what our school has prepared us for,” said Phillips, a Social Work major. “That was very exciting.”

Students see face of poverty on San Francisco trip

Senior Alina Croall thought she was merely escaping a rainstorm when she stepped inside St. Boniface

Catholic Church, in San Francisco, Calif., during a missions trip last March. Instead, she found approximately 70 homeless people lying on pews, escaping the same wet weather she was.

“I thought, ‘This is what church is,’” said Croall. “The people of St. Boniface didn’t have an agenda. They just wanted to be an extension of God’s grace and give these people a safe place to stay dur-ing the day.”

Croall was one of 13 WPC students who spent spring break in San Francisco hanging out with youth at an inner city ministry, serving food at a soup kitchen, stacking boxes at a food bank, and, otherwise, getting a closer look at the poverty that exists mere blocks from trendy sections of town. The students spent most of their time at City Crossroads Ministry (CCM), an inner-city ministry affiliated with the Church of God. CCM is equipped with basketball hoops, Ping-Pong and Foosball tables, and areas for kids to socialize in a safe environment.

“They come in and they can be kids,” said junior Brynn Otness. “When they’re out in the city, they have to watch their backs. They have to make sure their siblings get home safely. They have to make sure that their siblings can eat. They have hard lives. But when they come to City Crossroads, we could give the gift of having fun.”

Junior Matt Hawthorne saw the city in a totally new light by the end of the week. “You can walk down the street and see 40,000 tourists in Union Square and buy some-

thing in a shop, but if you walk two or three blocks, you can walk into one of the poorest neighborhoods in all of America,” Hawthorne said. “The fact that there are 2000 people living in one block in some of these residences is staggering to me.”

INNER-CITY VIEW A team of WPC students spent spring break serving the poor in inner city San Francisco.

Photo subm

itted

Oboist handles spotlight with Oregon Symphony

Music Education major Rebec-ca Nederhiser ’08 played principal oboe during a joint performance of Mahler’s 1st Symphony by the Portland Youth Philharmonic and the Oregon Symphony, May 26, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Nederhiser, who plays first oboe with PYP, studies with Oregon Symphony oboist Karen Wagner. For the special concert, Wagner handed the demanding first oboe part to her student, and Neder-hiser more than held her own.

“It was a combination of being ready for the opportunity and the Lord [helping] bring it all together.”

Scott A

. Thompson

The Experience6

STUDENT LIFE

WPC team wins inaugural OICF Ethics Bowl Competition

Family history played a major role in senior Cassie Johnson’s decision to research blood clotting at Oregon

Health Sciences University (OHSU) over the past year as part of the Murdock Scholar Undergraduate Research Program. The pro-gram allows undergraduate students from eight Portland-area colleges and universities to compete for internships in labs affiliated with OHSU.

A member of Johnson’s im-mediate family has survived two blood clots, so when the Biology major from Grand Forks, B.C. learned about OHSU researcher Dr. David Farrell’s work in the area of blood coagulation, the deci-sion seemed obvious.

“I had heard a little bit about blood clots and blood disorders,” said Johnson, who was the recipient of the 2006 Marshall K. Christensen Award for Scholarship, WPC’s top academic award. “I wanted to learn a bit more about blood and the clotting process.”

The role of fibrinogenJohnson’s project involved using blood

samples taken from patients with sclerosis of the liver to look for defects in the main protein that causes blood clotting, fibrino-gen. Patients with sclerosis of the liver often experience bleeding disorders, and Johnson wanted to see if a defect in fibrinogen may be involved. Johnson said her science studies at Warner Pacific proved an asset as she set about her research.

STUDENT RESEARCHER Cassie Johnson ‘06 looked for defects in the blood-clotting protein fibrinogen as a Murdock Scholar at Oregon Health Sciences University.

“I think Microbiology was the biggest help,” Johnson said. “Genetics was also help-ful because we learned about proteins and their structure and how they worked.”

Minute detailsJohnson put 17 blood samples through a

series of chemical treatments and centrifuge spins in order to isolate the fibrinogen in

each. Once she had derived pure samples of fibrinogen, Johnson used chemicals to create and then break down blood clots, measuring the time involved with each step. She had to be precise, as she had to work with as little as 500 microliters of fibrinogen at a time.

“I was probably pretty annoying to every-one in the lab because I was asking a lot of questions to make sure I was doing it right,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s research suggested there were genetic defects in the fibrinogen she sampled, but exactly what they are and what caused them are not yet known.

“Cassie has been a jewel,” Dr. Farrell said. “Cassie is exactly the kind of student we are

Doing a little

Blood Work

WPC Biology major Cassie Johnson ‘06 delves into the science of blood clots as a Murdock Scholar at Oregon Health Sciences University.

trying to recruit into the Murdock Scholar Program.”

Future nurseDespite her notable lab skills, Johnson has

her sights set on a career as a nurse practi-tioner. She will attend nursing school at the University of Portland this fall and hopes to someday do medical mission work overseas. She says that even though she doesn’t plan to pursue a career in medical research, the Murdock internship was invaluable.

“I think the experience will help me in my future career in the medical field because it taught me to have attention to detail,” John-son said. “It taught me to be very focused.”

National tournament play, conference honors cap record hoop seasonsThey may not have come home with trophies, but the Warner

Pacific women’s and men’s basketball teams were the pride of the College community when they competed at their respective national NAIA Division II basketball tournaments in March. The women lost in the first round, March 8, to a taller and well-seasoned Indiana Wesleyan team, 81-53, in Sioux City, Iowa. The men, play-ing in Point Lookout, Mo., beat Holy Names University (Calif.) in the opening round, 83-73, March 9. However, the team stumbled the next night versus Morningside College (Iowa), losing 71-68.

Just prior to the tournament, the Cascade Conference recognized six WPC hoopsters for their landmark seasons, in which both teams claimed regular season conference championships. All-Conference honors went to seniors Becky VanTine (pictured left) and Angie Sun for the women, and senior Donny Woods (pic-tured right) and freshman Nate Menefee for the men. (Menefee was also named Freshman of the Year). Freshman Jacque Barton made the women’s All-Freshman Team, and junior guard Nicole Brown received All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Student Profile©

2006

Cre

ativ

e Im

ages

Pho

togr

aphy

©2006 C

reative Images P

hotography

Scott A

. Thompson

Summer 2006 7

COVER STORY

Th e year was 1968, and Fazio was a 20-year-old Vietnam combat veteran recuperating in a military hospital in Tokyo, Japan from severe bullet and shrapnel wounds. Even though he had all the time in the world to ponder his future, Fazio didn’t have an answer for the chaplain. He would eventually fi nd his answer in a most unexpected way.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Fazio recalled. “I didn’t know what I could do.”

Now, as a psychology professor at Warner Pacifi c College, Dr. John Fazio can look back on his 34-year teaching career, knowing that his ultimate answer to the chaplain’s question was to give away to others the new life granted to him.

“When we try to determine God’s will, I wish we knew then what we know now,” Fazio said. “It would make it easier.”

Th e Lessons of WarFazio grew up in the small Minnesota town of St. Paul Park, and

attended the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis. He worked part-time as an operating room tech at a local hospital, and dove into college life – all except the studying part, that is.

Fazio’s grades bottomed out and he lost his college deferment. Drafted in November 1966, Fazio was fi rst sent to Fort Polk, La, for basic training, followed by advanced training in special long range reconnaissance at Fort Carson, Colo.

He arrived in Vietnam in January of 1968, just as the Tet Of-fensive was erupting across the country. Fazio’s unit, the Co. C, 2nd

Battalion/12th Cavalry, was in the northern part of the country, making its way to the former French colonial city of Hue (pronounced-WAY). When Fazio fi nally reached command headquarters at Camp Evans, he learned his battalion was in deep trouble. A sergeant promptly volunteered himself and Fazio to fl y in on the next supply helicopter. Fazio knew that meant a one-way ticket.

“Th ey had a helicopter which was loaded with ammunition and medical supplies and an all-volunteer crew,” Fazio said. “I thought, ‘Th is is not good.’ Th ey couldn’t legitimately order people to fl y into this situation because of the danger. We fl ew [to the war zone] and literally got dropped in the middle of this battle.”

Th e Lost BattalionFazio’s battalion was in a hornet’s nest of enemy troops guarding the

command center for the North Vietnamese Army’s attack on Hue. Th e combination of poor weather and ineptitude within U.S. command left the battalion without air support or artillery backup.

After two days of intense fi ghting, the Americans were completely surrounded and outnumbered three to one. Th ey had no packs, food, or water, and were nearly out of ammunition. Daring helicopter pilots evacuated some wounded, but the surviving soldiers were on their own. Disobeying orders to stay put, the battalion’s leader decided to make a break for it. Fazio and 190 other soldiers escaped at night, trudging through mud, mere feet from enemy guns.

Injured Army specialist John Fazio could only lie still in his hospital bed – a captive audience, as it were – as a chaplain confronted him with the last question he wanted to hear.

“Now that you have survived this ordeal, what are you going to do with the rest of the life that you have been granted?” the chaplain asked.

Photo courtesy John Fazio

Combat veteran and Developmental Psychology professor Dr. John Fazio is an expert in delivering crisis mental health services at home and abroad. | By Scott A. Thompson

Shelter from the Storm

WPC professor Dr. John Fazio (center) traveled twice to Albania in 1999 with Northwest Medical Teams International to conduct mental health assessments of Kosovar refugees.

The Experience88

COVER STORY

“It was the scariest thing in the world,” Fazio said.The soldiers made their way to higher ground where they were

able to fend off enemy attacks until reinforcements arrived. All told, during the first two months of 1968, the 2nd Battalion/12th Cavalry experienced 60 killed and 251 wounded, a 60 percent casualty rate. This fact was such an embarrassment to the Army that the many mis-steps of higher command were covered up until the 1993 book “Lost Battalion,” an eyewitness account by Battalion Intelligence Officer Charles A. Krohn, set the record straight.

“I don’t remember replacements getting there for a long time,” Fazio said. “Then the artillery caught up with us. After that, Vietnam was a cakewalk”

A New Life to LiveCompared to the intensity of that first month in Vietnam, the

wounds that put Fazio out of the war came almost as a fluke. Later that May, Fazio was on a hilltop radioing some incoming Chinook helicopters. Rather than wait for the real prizes to land, the enemy decided to fire at Fazio, instead. A bullet splintered his right pelvis, and artillery rounds sent shrapnel into much of his body.

Weeks later, lying in his hospital bed in Tokyo, Fazio wrestled with the chaplain’s question. Then an unexpected visitor came to the ward looking for volunteers to help Japanese college students practice their English. Fazio would soon find the direction he was looking for. Talk-ing with the students proved remarkable therapy for the soldiers. It also was Fazio’s first experience teaching others.

“The students were bright people, energetic, inquisitive,” said Fazio. “We talked about all sorts of things. I had never thought of myself as a teacher before, [but] that’s when the point turned. I thought, ‘This is something I can do, something I could be good at.’”

Back to SchoolAfter recovering well enough from his injuries, Fazio received his

discharge papers in late 1968 and returned to the University of Min-nesota with renewed focus. He landed one of 32 coveted spots in the university’s teacher education program. Less than a year out of his combat experience, Fazio wasn’t sure how he would get along with the other students in the program. As it turned out, he was not only the youngest one in the cohort, but there were plenty of other personal battle scars to go around.

“We were all older,” Fazio said. “Life had not been kind to anybody in that room. There were cancer survivors [for example]. I thought, ‘Okay, this cohort I can get along with.’”

Fazio graduated in 1971 with a degree in Sociology with a concen-tration in secondary and special education. He taught special educa-tion and AP courses at Apollo High School, in St. Cloud, Minn. for six years, while working on his master’s degree in counseling psychology at St. Cloud State University.

Imminent job layoffs in 1978 prompted Fazio to look for teaching jobs out of state. He drove to Portland, Ore. to interview with two area colleges. While there, an acquaintance suggested he apply at Warner Pacific College. Fazio wasn’t familiar with the school. However, during the interview process, Fazio learned that a former high school buddy, Merle Strege, taught at the College.

“That was pretty bizarre,” said Fazio. “That made me feel con-nected. Plus, the teaching load was definitely more exciting.”

Staying Engaged During the past 28 years at WPC, Fazio has remained commit-

ted to the classroom, even while he has become a highly sought after expert in the area of crisis mental health. The courses he teaches range from general psychology and counseling theory to neuroscience and abnormal psychology. In 1994, he completed his doctorate in Human Development from the Fielding Gradu-ate Institute, in Pasadena, Calif. He then became instrumental in designing a new Developmental Psychology major at Warner Pacific that was a hybrid of psychology, human development, and biological science. He has twice been elected faculty person of the year, and in 1999 received the Kendall Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Scholarship.

“Clinical psychology assumes something is wrong [that] we must fix,” said Fazio. “A developmental approach says given normative development, how do we handle it when something bad happens? That seemed more consistent with how I felt and how I taught the subject matter.”

The World Beckons Fazio’s interest in crisis mental health services was piqued in

April of 1999, when Oregon-based Northwest Medical Teams International (NWMTI) asked him to join a medical team dis-patched for a month to a Kosovar refugee camp in Albania. Fazio provided mental health assessment of children and adults that had been displaced due to war in neighboring Kosovo.

He returned that summer to Albania and spent the month of June coordinating medical services for NATO and the United Nations at a repatriation camp, a role that made the best of his military, medical, and psychological training.

“Early in this, I realized that what I had been through [in Vietnam] actually gave me an ability to hear the truth of the pain a person is feeling,” Fazio said. “Whether it’s the quiver in their voice, the way their eyes react, their breathing, or the words they choose to use, I know when the person is really hurting. It just doesn’t scare me.”

In February 2001 Fazio led a team of mental health specialists with NWMTI to Ahmedabad, India in response to a massive earthquake. Later that year, Oregon-based Mercy Corps International asked Fazio to contribute to a booklet that provided guidance in help-ing children process their fear and grief over the events of 9/11. The booklet was distributed in the greater New York and Washington, D.C. areas following the terrorist attacks.

Helping at Home Given family and college commitments, Fazio knew he wasn’t

free to become a full-time international mental health consultant. Instead, he wanted to find similar opportunities locally. That’s when a colleague introduced him to the Trauma Intervention Program, a national organization that dispatches trained volunteers to scenes of trauma – such as fatal car accidents, suicides, and fires – to provide immediate emotional support to those most affected. In November 2001, Fazio and a group of WPC students completed the training. In addition to taking his monthly shifts as a TIP volunteer, Fazio has also become a certified traumatologist and a national TIP trainer.

“Early in this, I realized that what I had been through [in Vietnam] actually gave me an ability to hear the truth of the pain a person is feeling. Whether it’s the quiver in their voice or the way their eyes react or their breathing or the words they choose to use, I know when the person is really hurting. It just doesn’t scare me.”

(Continued on page 13)

Summer 2006 9

Warner Pacifi c’s Track and Field team enjoys a breakout year.

The WPC Track and Field program had its strongest season in its short history,

sending a record six of its 21 ath-letes to the 2006 NAIA National Track and Field Championships, in Fresno, Calif., and setting 21 new school records by season’s end.

Top team finishers in Fresno in-cluded Ni-cole Brown ‘07 racing to 7th in the w o m e n ’ s 100 meters, and Anton Stupnitskiy ‘07 fi nishing 9th in the men’s 800 meter race.

“Our team [looked] the best ever this year,” said Stupnitskiy, a middle-distance runner from Omsk, Russian.

Track coach Dave Lee came to WPC from Oregon City High School six years ago to start the College’s cross country program. He added selective track events as athletes showed interest. Lee says he can off er athletes legitimate opportunities to advance their

skills, even without the bells and whistles of a major program. Th e team practices at nearby high schools and competes at major invitational meets around the Pacifi c Northwest.

Since 2000, three WPC track athletes have won individual

n a t i o n a l champion-ships in the N a t i o n a l Chr i s t i an C o l l e g e A t h l e t i c A s s o c i a -tion, Chris C l a n c y ‘03 (Mile/3 0 0 0 m ) ,

Gavin Shearer ‘04 (Javelin), and Corey Swim ‘05 (Javelin). Clan-cy also captured the College’s only NAIA championship by winning the men’s 3000-meter race at the 2003 NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Cham-pionships.

Additionally, Swim placed second in the javelin at the NAIA national outdoor meet in 2003 and 2004, and Erin Kinney ‘07 took third place in the women’s high jump at the NAIA outdoor

championships in 2004 and 2005.

Lee says WPC is an especially good fi t for students who take academics and leadership as seriously as their track and fi eld events.

“Th ere are a lot of young peo-ple with fragmented academic pasts,” Lee said. “Th ey need a place to pull it together. Th is is a good, healthy, spiritual environ-ment for kids.”

Long distance runner Kalen Abbott ‘06 transferred to WPC in early 2002 from a college in Colorado. In his career at WPC, Abbott competed at six NAIA national Track and Field cham-pionships and was a two-time Academic All-Ameri-can majoring in Biology.

“I didn’t know this at the time, but Warner Pacifi c would present me [with] opportuni-ties that I would not have been able to get anywhere else.”

Pho

tos

by S

cott

A. T

hom

pson

LEAPS

pionships

Academic All-Ameri-can majoring in Biology.

“I didn’t know this at the time, but Warner Pacifi c would present me [with] opportuni-ties that I would not have been able to get anywhere else.”

Another example of a top student looking for a new home was heptathlete Breanna Har-grave ‘06, who transferred last year from a large Midwestern university. An Australian on a short-term visa, Hargrave wanted to graduate in year, as well as compete in track. Warner Pa-cifi c accommodated her on both counts.

Hargrave tied Kinney for fi fth place in the women’s high jump at the 2006 NAIA National Indoor Meet last March.Two months later, she graduated with a de-gree in Health and Hu-

man Kinetics. “Coach Lee’s concerned

you’re doing well academi-cally,” said Hargrave. “He’s

constantly telling his athletes it’s a priority.”

GROWING BY

BOUNDSAND

(Clockwise from top) Breanna Hargrave ‘06; Anton Stupnitskiy ‘07 and Curt Lockard ‘09; Ann-Erica Whitemarsh ‘07; and Coach Dave Lee and Erin Kinney ‘07.

The Experience10

LEAPSGROWING BY

College announces schedule for regional eventsWarner Pacifi c College is coming to a town near you. The College is planning gatherings with alumni, parents, and friends throughout the West. Further details will soon be released.

Contact Andrea Cook at 503-517-1246 or acook@warnerpacifi c.edu to assist with a dinner or to receive more information.

Southern Calif. - Sept. 11-16, 2006

Southern Oregon - Sept. 22, 2006

Central Oregon - Oct. 5, 2006

Casper, Wyo. - Oct. 12, 2006

Bellingham, Wash. - Nov. 7, 2006

North Seattle, Wash. - Nov. 9, 2006

South Sound, Wash. - Nov. 10, 2006

Portland / Vanc. - Nov. 16, 2006

Salem / Albany - Dec. 5, 2006

Tri-Cities, Wash. - Dec. 9, 2006

Phoenix, Ariz. - Jan. 9, 2007

Boise, Idaho - Feb. 3, 2007

Call 503-517-1369 for more information

Warner Pacifi c CollegeSpecial Event Friday, August 25, 20066:00 P.M.

2219 SE 68th (at Division)Portland, OR 97215

• Live Music

• Food

• Prizes

• Carnival for the kids

Join us for an evening of fun, music, entertainment and exciting news about Warner Pacific College.

THE MYSTERY WILL BE REVEALED . . .

Friday, August 25, 2006

(at Division)

• Carnival for the kids

More info at 503-517-1369 www.warnerpacific.edu

Summer 2006 11

ALUMNI NEWS

When Cherrie Carlson-Conklin ‘72 heard a news report about someone

donating a book mobile to a hurricane-rav-aged community along the Gulf Coast, she got an idea. Carlson-Conklin is a county librarian and substitute school teacher in rural Baker City, Ore. She knew the Baker County Public Library had an old 1968 Gerstenslager book mobile that was out of commision and used only for storage.

She spearheaded a project last March to fill the bookmobile with 20,000 pounds of donated books, CDs, and DVDs destined for Cameron Parish, a rural section of Louisiana that took a direct hit from Hurricane Rita last September. Three of the parish’s five small libraries were completely destroyed by the storm. After Baker City’s local news-paper reported on Carlson-Conklin’s vision, the Baker County commu-nity responded in swift order.

“I asked only for good stuff,” Carlson-Conklin said. “In a month’s time [the book-mobile] was full. People would just stop me on the street and ask me what I needed.”

Collecting the library materials was only the first step, however. Carlson-Conklin needed a way to transport the book mobile 2,500 miles south, since it wouldn’t make the trip on its own, and she had no budget for the approximately $10,000 project. Fortu-nately, local businesses donated the use of a long haul truck and a flat bed trailer, while

other donations covered fuel costs. Library officials in Cameron Parish were elated when the bookmobile was finally ready for transport.

“A t f i r s t we couldn’t believe it was actually true,”

said Cameron Parish Library Director Charlotte Trosclair, “but as things started to materialize, I realized it was really going to happen.”

On April 15, Carlson-Conklin and volun-teer driver Vic Endicott set out on the 2,500 mile journey. They arrived without incident three and half days later in Cameron, La., in Cameron Parish. Driving into the area, Carlson-Conklin saw for herself the lingering

damage left in Rita’s wake. Rusty appliances, vehicles, and other debris lay strewn across the landscape, or piled up in a mound nick-named “Mt. Rita,” just outside town.

“There was a house in the middle of a rice field…that had blown for five miles,” Carlson-Conklin. “Everything was a funny brown shade of decay.”

By late May, library officials were still pro-cessing the Baker City materials. They plan to place the bookmobile in the small town of Johnson Bayou, located 28 miles east of Port Arthur, Texas.

In addition to Baker City’s bookmobile, Cameron Parish recently acquired two other bookmobiles, one donated from Ohio and the other purchased by the parish. The three will temporarily replace the destroyed libraries.

“Everybody will have some type of library service again,” said Trosclair.

Oregon librarian brings books to the Louisiana bayou

Baker City, Ore. librarian and teacher Cherrie Carlson-Conklin ‘72 spearheaded a project this spring to fill an unused bookmobile with donated library materials and transport it 2,500 miles to Cameron, La. in rural Cameron Parish (pictured below). Hurricane Rita destroyed three of five libraries in the parish, which borders Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo courtesy the B

aker City H

erald / S. John C

ollins

Photo courtesy of Cherrie Carlson-Conklin.

From insurance desk to firing rangeLast November, insurance investigator and Army reservist Jeff Frenette ’92 learned he was

being deployed to active duty at Fr. Jackson, South Carolina for at least a year. That meant saying goodbye to his wife of fourteen years, Karen (Christensen) ’03, his two daughters, Natalie (13) and Jane (11), and his comfortable Sherwood, Ore. home.

“Our charmed life of ‘8 to5’ jobs and dinner together took a dramatic turn,” wrote Karen, a substitute teacher in the Sherwood School District.

For the previous eleven years, Frenette worked in the special investigations unit for Country Insurance. At Ft. Jackson, he fires machine guns and other weapons to simulate actual combat while recruits crawl low to the ground. It’s a far cry from working at the office.

“Proud does not begin to describe how I feel about him and the duty he (and our family) is fulfilling,” Karen wrote. “I have the best of the worst situation. I am thankful that he is stateside where we can keep in constant contact. After several years of a very happy marriage, this has made us even stronger and closer.” Army Sergeant Jeff Frenette ‘92

Pho

to c

ourte

sy K

aren

Fre

nette

The Experience12

ALUMNI NEWS

Looking AheadFazio isn’t talking about retiring from

the classroom anytime soon, but whenever a major disaster occurs – such as the 2005 Tsunami in Asia or Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Gulf Coast – he feels the yearn-ing to go and help. In fact, six different relief organizations approached him about heading up their mental health operations in the Gulf Coast following Katrina, but he was just starting a new school year.

SHELTER / from page 9 “I was upset I couldn’t go to the Gulf Coast and help coordinate that aspect of the recovery,” Fazio said. “That was a distraction.”

However, Fazio remains passionate about teaching, particularly knowing that he has helped students who now serve in demanding fields like social work, medicine, and counseling.

“I hope I have had an influence on my students,” Fazio concluded.

Serving in Mexico, for the children

Battle Ground (Wash.) High School band director Greg McKelvey ‘77 found out just how good his jazz

band was when the group placed second in the 11th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz and Band Festival at New York City’s Lincoln Center, May 20. It was the highest finish ever for a first-time band in the Ellington competition.

“It was the best festival I’ve ever been to” said McKelvey, who has spent ten years of his 28-year teaching career at Battle Ground. “All of the bands were outstanding.”

Of the 96 bands that applied for the com-petition nationwide, only 15 were selected as finalists. Bands had to submit CD recordings of themselves performing three compositions by legendary jazz composer Duke Ellington. The festival releases six new transcriptions each year, of which each band must play two. The third can be chosen from previous competitions. To get the judges attention, McKelvey selected one of Ellington’s most challenging pieces, “Braggin’ in Brass,” which at points requires musicians to play at differ-ent speeds simultaneously.

Once Battle Ground was selected to com-pete, the band started practicing overtime. McKelvey and the students practiced every school day from 6 to 7:30 a.m., as well as two evenings a week, plus Saturday afternoons. McKelvey also brought in local jazz profes-sionals to serve as guest clinicians who would put the band through its paces.

“When you get to a certain level, every-body has talent,” said McKelvey. “What dis-tinguishes those bands from the great bands is the amount of work you put in.”

In addition to choosing a challenging set, McKelvey remained a purist when inter-preting each composition. He had the band study old recordings to hear the subtleties that gave Ellington’s bands of the 1930s their distinct sound.

“We stuck strictly to how Ellington would have interpreted it,” said McKelvey.

Battle Ground High School jazz director Greg McKelvey ‘77 leads his jazz band to a second place finish in the elite “Essential Ellington” band competition in New York City.

Jazz teacher gives Sir Duke his due

The band’s performance was all the more

remarkable given the adventure it had just getting to New York. The band’s May 17 flight out of Portland had to return when an emergency exit chute deployed just after takeoff. After taking a later flight, the group didn’t arrive in New York until midnight. Then they learned their instruments and suit-cases were in Denver. But McKelvey worked with airlines officials to get everything to New York in time for a morning rehearsal with a Lincoln Center clinician.

The Essential Ellington competition isn’t McKelvey’s first taste at national competi-tion. He previously taught at Jackson, Wilson, and Marshall High Schools, in Portland. His 1990 Wilson band won a national championship at Music Fest USA.

“I’m not a slave driver,” McKelvey said. “You have the most success when you have the kids work with you, not against you. I’m very intense, but music is supposed to be fun.”

Steve ‘86 and Jackie (Mouser) Scott ’70 have embarked on a new adventure to serve children

on the Baja peninsula of Mexico. In June, the Scotts became the full-time American directors of Wel-come Home Outreach Ministries (WHOM), located 100 miles south of Ensenada in the small town of Vicente Guerrero, Mexico.

WHOM operates a daycare facility for children of migrant farm workers, who typically live in ramshackled work camps without running water, plumbing or electricity.

“WHOM provides transportation, a full day of care and teaching, spiri-tual guidance, meals and hygiene for the children,” said Jackie.

Steve has worked as Warner Pa-cific’s Director of Facilities Services for more than eighteen years. Jackie most recently worked as an executive associate for the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter.

They sold their home in Fairview, Ore. this spring and moved to Vicente Guerro in June. They will focus on cultivating donor support among churches and individuals in the states, and hosting work teams throughout the year.

To stay up to date on the Scotts’ ministry, visit www.welcomehome-outreach.org or contact them at info@welcomehomeoutreach.org

Battle Ground High School Band director Greg McKelvey ‘77 impressed festival judges by having his band perform one of Duke Ellington’s most difficult works.

“The TIP model is beginning to be recognized around the country as prob-ably the most significant intervention that can be done,” Fazio said. “[Offering] a very quick intensive presence seems to allow for less post traumatic stress. You just get in there and deal with whatever you need to deal with. You reach in and grasp them and let them know they are not alone.”

Scott A

. Thompson

Scott A

. Thompson

Summer 2006 13

ALUMNI NEWS70’sDavid L. Whelchel ’71 edited the book “Ozette Archaeological Project Research Reports Volume III: Ethnobotany and Wood Technology,” for the Washington State Uni-versity Department of Anthropology. The book concerns findings of an archeological dig in Neah Bay, Wash. that uncovered well-preserved wood products used by the Makah Nation. Whelchel is the security coordinator for Information Technology at WSU and a former anthropology student.

80’sTrudi (Cleveland) Sang ’81 will travel to Ro-mania in July as a member of a team from Ti-gard Christian Church, in Tigard, Ore. Trudi will use her skills as a storyteller, puppeteer, and clown as the team conducts children’s ministry in cooperation with Greater Europe Missions. She and her husband, James, have four children.

Michael Kelly ’83 and his wife Joan Whitman welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Paige Whitman Kelly, on January 15, 2006, at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, On-tario. Paige weighed 8 lbs., 3 oz., and was 21 inches long. She joins big sister Harper Rose Kelly, 3. Michael and Joan are both professional editors.

Carrie (Stritenberg) Danchok ‘88 is the new volleyball coach at Eagle Point High School, in Eagle Point, Ore. Danchok was formerly the head girls and boys volleyball coach at Los Angeles’ Garfield High School for 12 years.

90’sColleen (Spohn) Wilde ‘95 gave birth to daughter Grace on August 10, 2005. Grace joins big brother Dylan (21), who is stationed in Germany with the Air Force.

Chris Greenhalgh ’96 is the new principal at Woodland Elementary School, in Fairview, Ore. Chris previously served as assistant principal at H.B. Lee and Walt Morey Middle Schools, and as a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Hartley Elementary School, all in the Reynolds School District.

Marlene (Morris) ‘96 and Shawn Fletcher ‘03 gave birth to their first child, Charles “Charlie” Michael, on October 30, 2005, in Portland. Charlie was 10 lbs., 8 oz., and 22.5 inches long. Shawn teaches in a special education behavioral class at Edgefield Children’s Center in Troutdale, Ore. Marlene works part-time as a secretary at Wilkes Elementary School in SE Portland.

Lindsay (Wesche) ‘99 and Craig Button ‘99 welcomed their third child, Anna Elisabeth, on November 29, 2005. Anna weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz. and was 20 inches long. She joins older brothers Will (5) and Wyatt (3). Craig is an elementary P.E.

In recognition of his career as a chap-lain and as a minister of the Church of God, Warner Pacific College present-

ed Rev. James A. Coleman ’61 with an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree during Commencement, May 6, at New Hope Community Church, in Portland. Rev. Coleman spent 22 years as chaplain at Portland’s Emanuel Hospital.

“That was my calling,” Rev. Coleman said. “I dealt with a lot of emergency room situations.”

Rev. Coleman served in the U.S. Army from 1947 to 1956, and received training as a clinical specialist. He worked in hos-pitals in three states, and in the District of Columbia.

He studied Theology at Pacific Bible College (Warner Pacific College) from 1956 to 1961. He also worked full-time as a licensed practical nurse at the Veter-an’s Administration Hospital, in Portland until 1969. Rev. Coleman then earned a Master of Education and Counseling degree from Oregon State University.

In 1973, he joined the chaplaincy staff at Emanuel. The combination of his med-

Retired chaplain Rev. James Coleman ‘61 honored for hospital, church ministry

Rev. James Coleman ‘61 (right) receives his honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from WPC President Jay A. Barber during Spring Commence-ment, May 6, 2006.

teacher in Dallas, Ore., where the Button family resides.

00’sErik Brink ’01 has graduated from Kirks-ville College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Kirksville, Mo. and will soon begin a five-year surgical residency in Pennsylvania with

the U.S. Navy.

Michael Pollard ‘02 became an official trainee with the Portland Fire Department during ceremonies on April 6, 2006.

Nicole Ramsey ‘02 has earned the degree of Master of Public Health in Global Health from Loma Linda University.

ical, theological, and educational training made him a natural for the role.

“Of yourself, you have nothing to of-fer,” said Rev. Coleman, “but you have a relationship with the Lord and He cares about them. If there is any comfort to be given, He has to give it.”

In addition to his chaplaincy work, Rev. Coleman founded Fellowship Church of God in his home in 1976. In 1978, the church moved into a building in N.E. Portland and Rev. Coleman served there until 1995. His daughter, Aundria (Cole-man) Holt ‘96 and son-in-law, Steven Holt ’91, now lead the church, which has become the International Fellowship Family, in Parkrose, Ore. Rev. Coleman also taught Bible at North Portland Bible College for 22 years.

Rev. Coleman and his wife, Minnie, have been married for 44 years, and have four children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Concerning his honorary doctorate, Rev. Coleman said, “I hadn’t anticipated such an honor. It’s a new thing for me to try to work it into my mind.”

Scott A

. Thompson

The Experience14

ALUMNI NEWS

He later earned a master’s degree in Social Work from Portland State University in 1973. Rodney worked as an investigator for Multnomah County Mental Health Division for more than 20 years, and also attended Portland First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include a son, two siblings one grandchild.

Rev. Marshall E. Holden Jr.Th e Rev. Marshall E. Holden Jr., 75,

passed away October 16, 2005 in Colum-bus, Ind. He was born August 22, 1930 in Olean, N.Y.

Rev. Holden married Hazel R. Piper on November 30, 1950. He attended Pacifi c Bible College, before serving in the Korean War from 1950-1951 with the U.S. Army.

During his ministerial career, he worked in Colorado, Ohio, Oregon, Michigan and Alabama. He is survived by his wife, Hazel Ruth (Piper) Holden; two adult children; a sister; and one granddaughter.

Harold B. Jensen ’01Harold B. Jensen ’01 died March 3,

2006 of illness. He was 53 years old. Mr. Jensen was born July 22, 1952, in Greeley, Colo. He moved to Portland in 1973. He taught graphics at Sabin Skills Center in Clackamas, Ore. for 19 years. Survivors include a son, his parents, fi ve siblings, and one grandchild.

Rev. Charles Kerr ‘54Retired minister Rev. Charles Kerr ’54

died on February 22, 2006, at the age of 85. Rev. Kerr was born in Spangler, Pa. on Jan. 22, 1921. He served in WW II in the Medical Corp. He later entered the ministry after graduating from Pacifi c Bible College.

During his ministerial career, he served as Church of God pastor in Kelso, Wash.; and Stockton and Haywood, Calif. Rev. Kerr was also an employee of Georgia

En Memoriam

31st Annual Torchbearers’ Scholarship Golf Tournament

Calvin Brown ‘53Calvin Brown ‘53 passed away De-

cember 15, 2005. Calvin served pastor-ates in Alaska and Washington. He is survived by his wife, Mary, three sons, one daughter, four step-children, eleven grandchildren, and four siblings.

Rev Kerry Flohr ‘71Rev Kerry Flohr ‘71 died March 11,

2006 at the age of 59. He was born May 7, 1946, in Rochester, Ind. He moved to Portland, Ore. in 1966 and attended Warner Pacifi c, where he met and later married Raynell (Glessner) Flohr ‘68.

During his ministerial career, Kerry served as a pastor at Fruit Valley Church of God, in Vancouver, Wash.; Renton Church of God, in Renton, Wash.; Good News Foursquare Church, in Port-land, Ore.; and Eagle Creek Foursquare Church, in Eagle Creek, Ore. Kerry also spent time as a chaplain and assistant di-rector for Union Rescue Missions in Los Angeles and San Diego Calif.

Survivors include his wife, son, mother, brother, and one grandchild.

Eileen (Keiser) Gottier ’59 Leo Gottier ‘59

Eileen (Keiser) Gottier ’59 died on March 3, 2006, and her husband of 40 years, Leo Gottier ’59, died six days later on March 9, both in Colorado Springs, Colo. Eileen was born May 6, 1931 in Michigan. Leo was born December 6, 1922. Th e couple attended Pacifi c Bible College. Survivors include two sons; two granddaughters; and three great grand-children.

Rodney Harry ‘68Rodney Harry died May 13, 2006, at

the age of 69. Rodney was born March 3, 1937, in Trinidad, West Indies. He im-migrated to Portland, Ore. in 1964, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Warner Pacifi c, minoring in psychology.

Power Company and retired in 1986. Family members in addition to his wife, Rebecca Kerr ’51, a daughter, one grand-son, and a great-grandson. Rev. Kerr had a large extended family across the United States.

Christel E. (Strekies) Naumann ‘53Christel E. (Strekies) Naumann ’53 died on January 7, 2006, in Yakima, Wash. She was 82. Christel was born in Heidekrug, Germany (now part of Lithuania) on February 20, 1923. She worked as a gov-erness, preschool/kindergarten teacher, and as a pediatric nurse in Germany before marrying Dr. Th eodor Naumann ’52 in 1949.

Th e couple attended Pacifi c Bible Col-lege, where Christel studied music and Christian education. Th e family settled in Ellensburg, Wash., where Christel raised her family and also taught German at Central Washington State University and Yakima Valley Community College. She also continued nursing at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.

She is survived by a brother and a sister; three adult children, and fi ve grandchil-dren.

Brent Alden Stubblefi eld ‘00Brent Alden Stubblefi eld ‘00 died March 12, 2006, surrounded by his family in Vancouver, Wash., after a short battle with cancer. He was 47.

Brent was born on Nov. 11, 1958, in Baker, Ore. He lived in Salem, Ore., Juneau and Washington, D.C. during his childhood. He worked for Safeway stores for many years while he attended college in Salem and Portland. He graduated from Warner Pacifi c College in 2000.

Working as a counselor and social work-er, Brent was in the process of completing his master’s degree in psychology when he died. He is survived by his parents of Salem; three siblings, and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Details at 503-517-1028

Friday, August 4 - 1:30 p.m.

Mountain View Golf CourseBoring, Oregon

Save the Date!WPC Alumni & Friends LuncheonOregon State Camp MeetingTuesday, August 8, 200612:00 p.m. (on the lawn)

Homecoming 2007 January 26-27

Summer 2006 15

The Disguise of Loss and Gain

by Nina (Hertzog) Horn ‘04

first person

Return Service Requested

Warner Pacific College

2219 SE 68th AvenuePortland, Oregon 97215503-517-1000800-804-1510FAX: 503-517-1350Web: www.warnerpacific.edu

When I was eight years old, my family decided to be-come a foster family for medically fragile children with handicaps. Caring for these children brought about

significant changes in my parents and three siblings. On one hand, it bonded my family together in a powerful way.

We learned together what it meant to care for orphans, the sick, and the terminally ill. We laughed together when they laughed, we rejoiced when they made progress, and we cried together through struggle and death.

But at the same time, we were experiencing a loss of cohesive-ness. Our foster children were rarely mobile and required much attention. We could not always go places as an entire family. Sometimes I found myself missing the days when it was just the six of us. But at the same time, I knew I would not want life any other way.

When I was nine years old, my foster brother Sean died. Hav-ing been born with encephalitis, Sean never learned to walk or talk, and needed attention for all his basic needs. I could not help but question the contrast of our lives. We were the same age, but why had I been given so much while he had been forfeited the fundamental aspects of life that make it worth living?

This has always been an unanswerable question, but I gained a new appreciation for simple things, like the ability to express myself, to eat, to run, and to laugh. When Sean died, I felt he had been cheated of life a second time. I was forced to face the tran-sience of life – of the people I loved, as well as that of my own.

Human nature is prone to shy away from sorrow, death, and loss, and instead reach for happiness, life, and gain. However, the two extremes are not so extreme at all. They are integrated so closely in the fabric of life that they seem to birth each other.

In Luke 9:23-25, Jesus says to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul?”

I received foster brothers and sisters who were vastly different from my imagination, but who gave me gifts of far more worth. I felt – and will always feel – the tension that exists when I consider how I have been blessed through loss, and how, paradoxically, I have lost through being blessed. I do not know if it all began with losing or receiving; they have simply co-existed.

Of course, the ultimate example of this paradox is the death and resurrection of Christ, and the eternal life offered to all people, as a result. The underlying thread that makes this paradox so signifi-cant is that humans act in accordance to what they perceive will produce the most gain, whether it be an act of selfishness or an act of altruism. Yet, we can never account for, nor even foresee, the loss that is waiting at the door of the gain. And, yet, what can mankind do? We cannot avoid this bittersweet problem, nor can we solve it. We must, in all its complexity, simply live it.

But who shall dareTo measure loss and gain in this wise?Defeat may be victory in disguise;The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide. – Longfellow

Human interaction with a bittersweet paradox

Nina (Hertzog) Horn ‘04 is a children’s treatment specialist at Trillium Family Services, in Portland, Ore. This essay was adapted from her 2004 Humanities 410 senior thesis and used with permission.

Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPhoenix, AZ

Permit N. 1735