Couples Who Met on Campus Share Their Stories
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THE MAGAZINE OF OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY Fall 2017 Couples who met on campus share their stories Page 12 8 Renaissance 12 Classmates, 22 Dear 26 Music City woman soul mates Future Me manager More than 900 alumni and friends from classes ending in 2 and 7 returned to campus May 19-21 for Reunion Weekend, featuring the all-alumni picnic. Photo: Mark Schmitter ’12 12 34 22 26 Features 12 Meeting their match From pinning to texting, a few of the 3,736 alumni married to alumni share the stories of how they met through OWU. 22 ‘Dear Older Me...’ A quarter century ago, members of the Class of 1992 wrote letters to themselves to be opened at their 25th reunion. In May, they read them. 26 Nashville Q & A Dwight Wiles ’78 sits down with his old fraternity brother Eric Gnezda ’79 to discuss his long career as a business manager for some of the top acts in country music. Departments 02 LEADER’S LETTER 10 COMFORT ZONES 34 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS 04 FROM THE JAYWALK 21 BISHOP BATTLES 36 FACULTY NOTES 07 GIFTS AND GRATITUDE 31 ALUMNI PROFILES 38 CLASS NOTES 08 CLASS ACTS 33 CALENDAR 48 THE FINAL WORD 09 OWU TIMESCAPES ON THE COVER: Thousands of couples have met at OWU, or because of it, including (clockwise from bottom left): Kyle Lemke ’12 and Taurey Overturf ’12, Bill Dunham ’51 and Elva Pickwick Dunham ’52, Kelli McNairy Winston ’93 and Thomas Winston ’92, and Tom Williams ’72 and Nancy Seiwert Williams ’72. Photo: Mark Schmitter ’12, styling by Walker Design & Marketing. 2 | OWU Leader’s Letter JOBS CHANGE BUT VALUE OF EDUCATION ENDURES mong the many things I enjoy benefit of a liberal arts education. While by the Association of American Colleges A about my work as president of we care about the knowledge our & Universities’ Liberal Education & Ohio Wesleyan is the opportunity several students acquire, the more important America’s Promise program what they times a year to visit with prospective benefit of their education is the way it valued most in recent college graduates students and their parents. I often begin cultivates capacities for lifelong learning they would like to hire, the answers these conversations by asking the and for leadership in a rapidly changing included the following: students two questions: world. These capacities include critical Nearly all employers surveyed “If you can imagine 25 years after and analytical thinking, the ability to • (95 percent) say they give hiring preference to college graduates with skills that will enable them to contribute to innovation in the workplace. • Nearly all those surveyed (93 percent) say that “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than (a candidate’s) undergraduate major.” • More than 9 in 10 of those surveyed say it is important that those they hire demonstrate ethical judgment and integrity, intercultural skills, and the capacity for continued new learning. • More than 75% of employers say they want more emphasis on key areas, including: critical thinking, complex problem-solving, written and oral communication, and applied (From left) Provost Chuck Stinemetz, featured speaker Andres Duarte ’65, senior class knowledge in real-world settings. president Lee LeBeouf ’17, and President Rock Jones at the University’s 173rd commencement 80 percent of employers agree that, ceremony May 13. • regardless of their major, all college your college graduation, how many of communicate persuasively in written students should acquire broad you will be in jobs that exist today?” The and oral form, the ability to work in knowledge in the liberal arts and answer to that question is “some.” New teams to develop innovative solutions to sciences. jobs are created every day, and many of complex problems, the ability to explore the jobs our graduates hold today did not big problems from the perspective of It’s hard to fathom today what exist 25 years ago. But then I ask, “If you multiple disciplines, empathy and the members of the Class of 2017 will can imagine 25 years after your college ability to work with individuals from be doing professionally when OWU graduation, how many of you will be in diverse backgrounds and perspectives, celebrates its bicentennial in 2042. But jobs that utilize exclusively knowledge and a moral compass to do things in an I am confident that with the benefits of and technologies that exist today?” And ethical way. These are the hallmarks of a liberal arts education that connects of course the answer to that question is an education that prepares graduates rigorous classroom education with “none.” By some accounts, knowledge for a lifetime of accomplishment and robust practical real-world experiences, now doubles annually. Technologies fulfillment, regardless of their area of our graduates are ready for the world change daily. professional interest. that awaits them. This for me points to the abiding When corporate CEOs were asked When the class that graduated in THE MAGAZINE OF OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY FALL 2017 | Volume 94 Issue N0. 2 www.owu.edu/alumni Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Online Community Vice President for University Advancement Colleen Garland Chief Communications Officer Will Kopp Editor Molly Vogel [email protected] Director of Alumni Relations Katie Webster Class Notes Editor Amanda Zechiel-Keiber ’09 [email protected] Editorial Assistant WHILE WE CARE ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OUR Anna L. Davies ’19 Copy Editor STUDENTS ACQUIRE, THE MORE IMPORTANT BENEFIT Andrew Sterling OF THEIR EDUCATION IS THE WAY IT CULTIVATES Designer CAPACITIES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING AND FOR Walker Design & Marketing LEADERSHIP IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. Contributing Photographers Lisa DiGiacomo, Mark Schmitter ’12, Paul Vernon, Reilly Wright ’20 1992 gathered for its 25-year reunion in benefit of the education offered at OWU. Contributing Writer the spring, members of the class were At OWU, the enduring values of a liberal Cole Hatcher given letters they wrote to themselves arts education continue to prepare on the occasion of their graduation 25 Editorial Board graduates for lives of leadership and Dale Brugh, Mike Plantholt, Eugene Rutigliano, years ago. The letters had been sealed service in every sector of our society. Nancy Bihl Rutkowski for a quarter of a century until they I am grateful for your role in sustaining Office of University Communications were opened, one by one, as the class this legacy. (740) 368-3335 gathered back on campus. The letters serve as a reminder of how much can Alumni Relations Office (740) 368-3325 change in 25 years. [email protected] You can read the story of those Website: www.owu.edu letters in this issue of the magazine (on Rock Jones OWU Magazine: owu.edu/magazine Page 12). As you read these stories, I President, Ohio Wesleyan University The Ohio Wesleyan Magazine invite you to think about the timeless Twitter: @owu_rockjones ISSN 0030-1221 Printed on recycled paper Share Email us at OWU Magazine Letters may your [email protected], Office of Communications be edited for opinions. tweet to @OhioWesleyan 61 S. Sandusky St. length and or send us a letter: Delaware, OH 43015 clarity. 4 | 4 OWU | OWU From the JAYwalk Doug Zipp named new athletics director Douglas W. Zipp was selected as the in both athletics and higher education, and of residential life. He later was promoted University’s 12th athletics director since he will be a major asset in future strategic to special assistant to the president and 1907, when Branch Rickey held the position. planning for athletics at Ohio Wesleyan,” dean of students, and in 2005 was named Zipp will join Ohio Wesleyan on Aug. 15 to says Chuck Stinemetz, chair of the search associate director of athletics for facilities lead an NCAA Division III program that will committee and OWU provost. “His and operations. be adding its 24th and 25th athletic sports in extensive experience in Division III athletics Previous athletics director Roger Ingles 2018 (women’s rowing and men’s wrestling). and in student life make him uniquely resigned from the position he held for 12 For the past five years, Zipp has served qualified to carry on and enhance OWU’s years to take a similar position at Capital as director of athletics at Shenandoah long tradition of success on the playing University in the Columbus suburb of University in Winchester, Va., where he fields and achievement in the classroom Bexley. Ingles was previously interim AD for oversaw 21 varsity sports with 480 student- and in life after graduation.” one year, associate AD for three years, and athletes and 53 full-time and part-time Before Shenandoah, Zipp worked assistant AD for seven years. Ingles also coaches, administrators, and staff. 16 years at Kenyon College, joining the served as OWU baseball coach for “Doug Zipp brings a strong background Gambier, Ohio, school in 1996 as dean 22 seasons. Doug Zipp A farewell gathering for Ingles was held on May 3 held in the Simpson Querrey Fitness Center, and was attended by the OWU community, as well as his wife, Jo (taking picture) and son Brad ’14 (center), who works in the Office of Alumni Relations. NEW DEGREES OFFERED 1 Psychology 2 Management Economics Microbiology 3 Health & Human Kinetics 4 Politics & Government MAJORS FOR Geology CURRENT Zoology STUDENTS 5 Two new bachelor of science degrees are joining physics and astrophysics. They will be awarded as early as May 2018. From the JAYwalk From the JAYwalk FALL 2017 | 5 House of Black Culture receives leadership gift In recognition of the important role the Adams ’04, a former moderator. House of Black Culture plays at Ohio “Students of all colors need the things Wesleyan and as part of its commitment that 65 Oak Hill Ave.