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UARTERLY Q WHEATONWINTER 2010 LOOKING BACK, MOVING AHEAD The Year in Review Inside Ready for his close-up 18 Ken Kristensen ’92, a Nicholl Fellow, has created a successful career as a screenwriter, TV director-producer and graphic novelist. By Sandy Coleman Cover story: The year in review 22 Wheaton has faced challenges this year, but has much to celebrate, including a bright future. By Ronald A. Crutcher Into Africa 28 Sarah Metzger-Traber ’06, who has redefined “safari,” draws upon her business savvy and passion to help others in Tanzania. By Sandy Coleman DEPartMENTS Between the Lines 2 Convergence 3 Around the Dimple 4 Panorama 12 Field Report 14 Calendar 16 Alumnae/i News 32 From the Alumnae/i Association Class Notes 36 Up Close with Carole Mahoney ’80, co-founder of Project Grace End Page 64 How to outsmart a scorpion By Kate Cronin ’11 On this page Wheaton Dance Company Photo by Annie Laurie Malarkey ’09 Cover Photo by Nicki Pardo WHEATON QUARTERLY VOL . XCVIII, NO. 1 Editor Sandy Coleman Assistant Editor/Class Notes Karen Mateer Senior Writer Hannah Benoit Art Director Barbara Dill P’92 Designer Michael Kurgansky Staff Writers Scott Dietz, Josh Kessler, Lisa Nelson Assistant Vice President for Communications Michael Graca The Quarterly (ISSN 1068-1558) is published four times a year (summer, fall, winter and spring) by Wheaton College and printed by Lane Press of Burlington, Vermont. Periodicals postage paid at Norton, Mass., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766. Wheaton College © 2010 BETWEEN THE LINES BY SANDY COLEMAN, EDITOR Will you be my friend? Click confirm or ignore ically storm into my dorm room à la Kramer Sometimes there is both: It was good to “talk” Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about from Seinfeld with his neurosis du jour. Both with my college friend and know that he is Facebook. That’s partly because Wheaton of them could always make me laugh—my still as ridiculously funny as he had been, now has a presence on the social network, No. 1 friendship requirement. For the life of but not so good to hear about his personal partly because I recently interviewed me, I can’t remember why we lost touch. But struggles in abbreviated form in a Facebook Associate Professor of Film Studies and we did, neither side feeling compelled to chat box: English Josh Stenger (via Facebook) about his reconnect by phone or in person as life took “Almost died last year. Was in a coma for a First Year Seminar on new media, but mostly us in different directions. month and in intensive care for 2 months. My because within the past two months I have But enter Facebook, a search engine and, lungs collapsed and then I got every oppor- received Facebook requests from one friend likely, boredom at the office, and here come tunistic disease and infection ever invented. I that I haven’t seen since high school and one “friend” invitations from each of them. I have am bald, fat and old.” that I haven’t seen since college. to admit that I hesitated for days before click- But I guess that is what the new media are I was close to both of them. I would spend ing on the “confirm” button. Against my will all about, accepting the good as well as the my lunch hours with the high school friend I was yanked right back to my school days bad—just like friendships, even ones that are sitting on the edge of the football field eating with all of the angst and drama. I don’t think more than two decades old. I’m still ambiva- peanut butter crackers and drinking Fresca I liked the intrusion. But I did put up a public lent about my feelings on this new relation- (zero calories), not wanting to face the pres- profile on Facebook, after all. ship vehicle. It’s assuring to know that faculty sure of finding acceptance at a lunchroom That’s the nature of Facebook. There is and students are exploring this exact issue table. And the college friend used to dramat- good—connecting with Wheaton alums and and all the implications of new media. students; finding out what friends Take a look at what Stenger has to say are doing and thinking every day, on the subject on page 12 in this issue of sometimes every minute, of the week; the Quarterly. Also check out the profile of being able to share wedding photos Ken Kristensen ’92, who has created a very right away the way new bride and successful life in Los Angeles as a screen- professional photographer Katie Hall writer, producer and graphic novelist; the ’06 did (see story on page 32). And story by President Ronald A. Crutcher about there is the bad, like knowing way Wheaton’s year in review and what’s ahead; too much information: an acquain- and the feature story on the devotion that tance lamented the passing of an- Sarah Metzger-Traber ’06 has to opening other acquaintance just hours after eyes, minds and hearts in Tanzania, East the fact without regard to whether Africa, through her safari company and phil- friends even knew of his death yet. anthropic efforts. Q LETTERS Speaking of good work Feature builds excitement I read with interest the recent Opera is a passion of our family. Gardner’s story compelling winter 2009 Quarterly article about Subscribers and supporters of the What’s on I read with great interest and sad- children’s author Susan Meddaugh Seattle Opera since the beginning your mind ness the story of Gardner McFall ’66. I am a kindergarten teacher in in the ’60s, we were excited about The Quarterly welcomes letters? ’74 and her dad. I visited Vietnam Framingham, Mass., and I work with Amelia, for which Gardner McFall to the editor on topics you’ve recently for the second time and an ESL population of Spanish speak- ’74 wrote the libretto. Your article in- read in these pages or on other saw veterans from the war revisiting ers. I have read Susan’s “Martha” creased our anticipation! Thank you, topics concerning the Wheaton battle sites. I think that there is so books to my students and they have Gardner, for sharing your life for this community. Please address your much that people have to resolve been enthralled. In previous teach- world premiere in Seattle. letters to: with themselves about the war in ing jobs I also used her books and Jean Manwaring ‘51 general, but for Gardner’s personal my students have always recognized Sandy Coleman, editor, battle to reach her long-departed the books, and they adore the Brava Gardner! Wheaton Quarterly character of Martha, the talking dog. Wheaton College pilot dad, that resolution has got to The fall 2009 Wheaton Quarterly More recently, they identify with 26 E. Main St. be elusive. article about Gardner McFall, whom the TV show Martha Speaks on PBS Norton, MA 02766 I love Gardner’s writing and sat I have admired since our days KIDS on WGBH Boston. It is excit- next to her in class at NYU. We together as French majors, is beauti- You can also e-mail us: ing for them to make a connection were working toward our Ph.D.s, fully written and is a wonderful [email protected] that there is a person who wrote the hers in British literature, mine in testament to Gardner’s life and art. American literature. books before the TV show started. Bryna Greenwald Pomp ’74 Elizabeth Weston ’72 Sarah Bingiel Smith ’98 2 WHeatON Quarterly CONVERGENCE BY RONALD A. CRUTCHER, PRESIDENT Defining value More than 80 percent of Wheaton graduates surveyed have Engagement (NSSE), which mea- sures the extent to which our pursued or are pursuing advanced study—from MBAs and students participate in learning medical degrees to graduate and doctoral programs. activities that contribute to intel- lectual and personal growth. Our performance on that survey has been exemplary. In fact, philanthropic support for this and substantive scholarship Wheaton was chosen as one of vital form of education, particu- is just one example. Faculty- a handful of schools that were larly through the Mars Student- student research partnerships studied more closely through Faculty Research Fellowship reflect a distinctive aspect of Project DEEP (Documenting Wheaton. More than 100 stu- program, which makes it pos- Keith Nordstrom Keith Effective Educational Practice) sible for research to continue dents work in close partnership to learn how the college creates through the summer. Galileo discovered Ganymede with faculty members in every its rich learning environment. On another level, Wheaton and three other moons circling discipline imaginable. Our pro- The research from Project DEEP faculty members’ involvement Jupiter nearly 400 years ago, fessors recognize that ongoing resulted in a book, Student of students in scholarship and and it has been a focus for won- scholarship both enriches their Success in College, which research efforts reflects their der and study ever since. courses and creates opportuni- featured Wheaton along with 19 broader emphasis on teaching This fall, Scientific American ties for students to engage in other colleges with exemplary that is personal, challenging and published an article about powerful learning experiences. learning environments. encouraging. This has long been the work of Wheaton’s own And the college actively More recently, the Collegiate a hallmark of the college, and I Geoffrey Collins, associate supports faculty-student col- Results Instrument, a survey believe that we will find it pays professor of geology, with a laboration.