3 Alumniprofi Les

Alumni awards Alumni Weekend Red Shoes; Janina Ehrlich, music; S.A. Fenwick, psychology; and Dave Hill, philosophy. Lighting the way As the Class of 2004 entered the rolls of the Augustana Alumni Association, the new graduates heralded their arrival with the announcement of a class gift. To date, 111 pledges totaling $12,700 have been made to the initiative, which includes two compo- nents. First is lighted signage for the College’s academic buildings, which will make use of a unifi ed design theme in marking Old Main, Denkmann Memorial Hall, the Science Building and other struc- Commencement at Augustana always coin- Kennedy ’85’85 (Finest Under Forty). tures. cides with Alumni Weekend, during which The latest additions in the Finest Under The second part of the gift is also illumi- the College not only hosts reunion activities Forty category bring to 23 the number of nating, but more in the sense of shining a for classes celebrating fi ve-year reunions of young alumni honored by the award since well-deserved spotlight. The class intends four decades or more, but also extends its inception in 1984. Kennedy and to create a special scholarship award to rec- special recognition for outstanding service Wiegand join recent laureates Kevin Burns ognize leadership on the part of sophomore, and achievements by alumni and friends of ’86 and Jodi Wesemann ’88 from 2002, and junior or senior students in service to both Augustana. Ike Brannon ’87 and Susan Bolek ’92 from the Augustana and Quad Cities communi- Among those honored during the 2004 2003. Classmates and college buddies, ties. Leaders of the class gift effort— Alumni Banquet were: in the photo, seated Kennedy and Weigand were featured in a including co-chairs Erin Priestly, Erin from left, Franz and Esta Helpenstell 2002 Augustana magazinemagazine aarticlerticle fforor theirtheir Rakoczy and Kelly Sabo—say they were (Honorary Alumni); Michelle Tunberg and roles in creating and building up the inspired by President Steve Bahls’ challenge Sue Donstad ’72 Tunberg, who are seated in national chain of Noodles & Co. restau- to students to become engaged in servant- front of their husbands, Jon ’79 and Jeff ’72 rants. [On that delectable note, you can leadership both on- and off-campus. Tunberg (Distinguished Service); others learn more about the Tunbergs by refering Pledges toward the class gift are payable standing, from left, Tom Weigand ’85 to the cover story of the Summer 1998 issue, over a fi ve-year period, with plans to aug- (Finest Under Forty); Richard Nyquist ’51 “The Inside Scoop on Whitey’s.”] ment the funds during future reunions. (Outstanding Achievement); Howard Also honored during the Alumni Rakoczy made the announcement of the Braren (Honorary Alumni); and John Banquet were faculty and staff with 25 years class gift at Commencement. Priestly will Stockner ’62 (Outstanding Achievement). of service to Augustana. This year’s honor- serve as Class Representative. Not pictured are Wayne Fields ’64 ees include Gary Baker, facilities services; (Outstanding Achievement) and Aaron Lou Belby, Spanish; Mary Ellen Curnyn, 30 31 Alumniprofi les Should you read this book? Yes. WhenWhen Dr.Dr. Timothy Johnson ’58 spoke at Augustana’s 1998 Commencement Convocation, hehe toldtold tthehe ggraduatesraduates toto paypay attentionattention toto theirtheir heartshearts asas theythey wentwent forwardforward withwith theirtheir lives…andlives…and withwith thethe publicationpublication ofof a newnew book,book, he’she’s continuingcontinuing toto followfollow hishis ownown advice.advice. WFinding God in the Questions: A Personal Journey (InterVarsity,(InterVarsity, 2004) is the product of a sustained and fruitful conversation between the author’s mind and heart. It is also—true to its title—fi lled with challenging questions. As a physician, Johnson—who is vocative questions designed to stimulate to write and memorize a speech about medical editor for ABC News—might the reader’s own journey. While provid- one of his childhood heroes, Dr. Albert be expected to focus more on providing ing perspective on the most widely-held Schweitzer, which took him—much to answers than questions. But he’s a gradu- answers to the big questions, such as his own surprise—all the way to the 1957 ate of seminary as well as medical school, those on cosmology, Johnson also offers national collegiate championship, which and in addition insight into his own personal answers, he won. to informing the developed over a lifetime of questioning. Johnson has maintained his interest nation on medical For example, rather than taking in the life of Schweitzer, which—in addi- matters, he serves the view that every event in our lives is tion to the medical work in Africa which as assisting pastor part of a pre-ordained plan, Johnson helped earn him the Nobel Peace Prize of a church in the holds that moments of providence occur in 1952—included a spiritual pursuit of Boston area. This in which we have free choice; these Christology that resulted in Schweitzer’s combination of choices, and the extent to which they book, The Quest for the Historical Jesus. callings results in are informed by one’s faith, add up over Johnson says Schweitzer’s life illustrates an engaging writ- time. As he told graduates six years ago, his own book’s main thesis: “that even in ing style. As the it was a sequence of such decisions which the midst of many diffi cult intellectual Wall Street Journal led him, along with his wife, Nancy, to and spiritual questions, it is possible to said in its review, Indonesia on a medical service mission, fi nd enough answers to get on with our Johnson’s probing where they met and adopted their son, spiritual life.” of deep theological Nolden, in the mid-1960s. “In my experience, fi nding God questions contains Another series of decisions—this one in the questions does not mean fi nding “the sophistication spread out over fi ve decades—provides a complete answers,” Johnson writes. “In of thoughts examined with honesty and fundamental theme for Johnson’s book. fact, you may discover that along the great thoroughness.” Entering his junior year at Augustana, path of faith, you pick up more questions Each section and chapter in the book Johnson was asked by the debate coach to than you started with. But you might is built around a question—from “Does join the College’s storied team. Unsure of also discover that you need fewer God exist?” and “Where do we come the time commitment, Johnson instead answers, and those you do fi nd are from?” to “Who was Jesus?” and “Is God took the coach’s back-up suggestion enough to live on.” in control?”—and each is fi lled with pro- of doing oratory. He then proceeded In the book’s preface, Johnson notes 32 Augustana Magazine | Summer 2004 33 that “some who admire my secular achievements will be turned off by this spiritual exploration—and some who admire my spiritual stance will be disap- pointed in my conclusions.” Interviewed shortly after the book’s release in May, Johnson reported, “So far, all of the responses have been positive, even from Cardinalia agnostic or atheistic friends. I am sure If you fancy yourself a St. Louis Keeping such stories alive is the job there will be negative reactions from Cardinals fan, there are three women of the third woman, Paula Stinson those who think any religiousreligious faithfaith isis whose stories you ought to get to know. ’75 Homan, curator of the St. Louis intellectually soft and indefensible.” The fi rst is a woman whose name is lost Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum. The But at the same time, Johnson con- to history, but who gets the credit for offi cial repository of more than a century cedes those aren’t the people for whom the team’s name. In 1899, the St. Louis of St. Louis baseball history, the museum he wrote Finding God in the Questions. Perfectos took the fi eld in brand new is located right next to Busch Stadium. “Right from the start, I had two groups uniforms boasting brash red trim. Willie Begun as the brainchild of August A. especially in mind: those turned off by McHale, a sportswriter covering open- Busch, Jr., the museum evolved from a bad intellectual and emotional experienc- ing day, overheard the lady say, “What a catch-all compendium of St. Louis sports es with the church growing up, and those lovely shade of cardinal,” and soon began history to a baseball-only format fol- whose only knowledge of the church referring to the team by a name which lowing a major gift of memorabilia from comes from media reports suggesting has stood the test of time, perhaps better one of the all-time Cardinal greats, Stan that all the church seems to care about than “Perfectos” might have done. Musial. Fed by numerous contributions these days are issues like abortion and The second is Allie May Schmidt, from Cardinals players, player families homosexuality and far-out faith-healing. whose church hosted a dinner in and devoted fans, as well as members Part of my reason for writing the book February 1922 featuring a speech by of the current ownership group—which was to give an account of my own faith Cardinals manager and baseball legend includes inveterate collectors Bill DeWitt, development, which has always started Branch Rickey. Schmidt was in charge Jr., and Bill DeWitt III—the museum with the evidence for a Creator God of table decorations and—inspired by has a rich mix of memories not just of versus a totally accidental universe.” the sight of cardinals against a snowy the Cardinals, but of the old St.

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