Spring 2003 Wheaton Responding to the AIDS Crisis Our New Community Covenant d ear friends— I think of them as 6:10 endeavors. In Galatians 6:10 the Apostle instructs us that whenever the opportunity arises, God’s people should try to move out. That is, we should seek to use these kairos moments—Paul’s word—to “work the good” toward (or “to the advantage of”) all people, while yet ensuring that we do not neglect our first responsibility to fellow believers (“the household of faith”). What does this instruction, and others like it in God’s Word, require of Wheaton College? Many things, no doubt, some of which you will read about in this issue of Wheaton magazine. For instance, why do our Trustees every year spend thousands of dollars from their own pockets to send new books to alumni missionaries all over the world? Because of their commitment to this faithful segment of “the household of faith.”Why does Wheaton have a Colson Scholar program for ex-offenders? Read the piece on Angulus Wilson’s leadership of our Prison Ministries program. Why is there a desire on campus to involve ourselves in responding to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and elsewhere? Because we have come to see this as a kairos moment in history, an opportunity to “work the good” towards millions of people in desperate need. And then there is this question:Why does Wheaton persist in such 6:10 endeavors? Because we are confident of the promise of the previous verse: If we do not falter, in the end God will grant his harvest (6:9). Duane Litfin President volume 6 number 2 Ta ble of Contents Editor p. 2 Wheaton’s response to AIDS Georgia I. Douglass ’70, M.A. ’94 Designer Michael Johnson Design Consultant p. 22 Football Ministry Alice Isoz Chrismer ’70 p. 15 Student Center life Editorial Consultant Katherine Halberstadt Anderson ’90 Editor Jackie Noden Inouye ’00 Class News Editor Donna Antoniuk Editorial Advisers Marilee A. Melvin ’72 R. Mark Dillon Alumni Association Features President 2 AIDS: Our Samaritan Call Charles V. Hogren ’58 President-elect What is Wheaton’s response to the growing AIDS Robert D. Dye ’73 epidemic? Read about Wheaton alumni working in Executive Director Marilee A. Melvin ’72 AIDS prevention, research, and education. Professor Emeritus LeRoy H. Pfund ’49 10 Notes to Self Along a Southern Highway Alumni Trustee Representatives President Litfin gives his thoughts on Wheaton’s new Robert D. Dye ’73 Community Covenant. Charles V. Hogren ’58 A.Thomas Paulsen ’70 Board of Directors 15 Where Memories Are Made Class of 2003 As alumni recall memorable moments in the Memorial Randal Ellison ’77 Marilyn L. Himmel ’55 Student Center, current students look forward to Dwight E. Nelson ’72 making their own memories in the Todd M. Beamer Leilani Perez ’01 Shane A. Scott ’96 Student Center. Brian J.Wildman ’85 Class of 2004 Susan Fitzwilliam Alford ’77 William R. Alford ’78 Departments Ruth E. Bamford ’50 C. Kevin Bell ’81 19 Under the Tower Carol McEwing Harding ’68 On My Mind: History Professor Thomas Kay answers the Barbara Anderson Kay ’83, M.A. ’93 Estella Moore Tolbert ’82 question:“What can history teach us as Christians?” Class of 2005 Scholarly Pursuits: Spanish Professor Lindy Scott Daniel R. Branda ’61 Frederick W. Claybrook ’73 explores lessons that North American Christians can Laurelyn Domeck Claybrook ’73 Carlene Ellis Ellerman ’77 learn from the Latin American church. Jennifer M. Fichera ’02 Matthew C. Hsieh ’93 Judith Hamer Whitecotton ’64 22 Sports Wheaton College President 24 A Word With Alumni / Alumni News Dr. Duane Litfin Provost Dr. Stanton L. Jones 42 The Journal of Jonathan Blanchard Senior Vice President Diverse notes on activities at Wheaton Dr. David E. Johnston ’65 Vice President for Advancement 47 Letters Dr. R. Mark Dillon Vice President for Alumni Relations Marilee A. Melvin ’72 48 At Last Vice President for Student Development Dr. Samuel Shellhamer Wheaton is published winter, spring, special (catalog), summer, and autumn by Wheaton College, 501 College Ave., COVER PHOTO:MICHAEL HUDSON ’89. Blanchard Hall,Wheaton's first building, represents the College's Wheaton, IL 60187-5593, 630-752-5047, and longtime commitment to serving Christ and His Kingdom, the heart of the new Community Covenant. mailed free of charge to alumni and friends of Wheaton College. Periodicals postage paid at Wheaton, IL (USPS016326). Postmaster: Please send address changes to The purpose of the Wheaton College Alumni Association is to unite all alumni of Wheaton College into a compact Wheaton College,Wheaton,IL 60187-5593. organization for effective communication with each other and with the College, to arrange alumni reunions, to encourage Opinions expressed are those of the contrib- the formation of Wheaton Clubs throughout the world, to foster and perpetuate enthusiasm for the College and fellow utors or the editors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the College. alumni, and to promote alumni giving. © 2003 Wheaton College,Wheaton, IL www.wheaton.edu AIDS our samaritan call by Katherine Halberstadt Anderson ’90 with Scott Bryant ’95 At the close of 2002,roughly 42 million people worldwide were infected with the HIV virus. Last year, AIDS killed 3.1 million people—roughly one-fourth of the population of Illinois.And what’s more, experts predict that this virus is only just emerging, that by the year 2020 another 85 million more people will have died, leaving behind some 25 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa alone. 2 Wheaton AIDS our samaritan call t is difficult to know how to respond to cultural issues that shape the epidemic in Africa such staggering statistics.What can one and around the world. Icollege student, or one graduate, do? Convicted to continue his involvement in Questions such as this were raised on the cause even after his college years, Brian says, December 4, when Bono, the lead singer of the “I’m going to be fighting it whether it is my Irish rock band U2, took the stage at Edman official job or not. I believe that it is something Chapel. He did so with the hope of God calls us to respond to.” encouraging students, and the entire Christian Unfortunately, Brian’s response to the AIDS community, to wake up to the urgency of the epidemic has not been the overwhelming AIDS epidemic.“When 2.5 million people die response of the North American church.When in Africa each year from AIDS, that’s not a cause; World Vision conducted a study of North it’s an emergency.” American Christians last year, 54 percent of those Arguing from the Gospel of Matthew, Bono who responded stated that they would be urged the packed audience to see the faces of unwilling to assist with any efforts targeted their neighbors, their brothers and sisters, in these toward combatting HIV/AIDS.Another 61 per- millions.“This is our holocaust,” Bono cent said they would not support any overseas pronounced near the end of the evening,“and work focusing on AIDS prevention or education. we need students like you to sound the alarm. Grace Tazelaar ’72, RN ’70, a nurse who Will you sound the alarm for us,Wheaton worked in Uganda for years, experienced these College?” attitudes firsthand ten years ago when she In the ensuing weeks and months, returned from Uganda and began planning 54 students have joined together, committing to health ministries in the United States.“I felt like fight AIDS through education, direct action, and John the Baptist in the wilderness.To many advocacy. Brian Davis ’04 says the student group Christians in North America,AIDS was God’s has already learned a great deal—about the curse on the homosexual lifestyle.After several falling prices and availabilities of medications; attempts, I gave up. I had burned out.” about the nature of the disease and the scale of More recently, however, evangelical leaders its reach; and about the social, economic, and have been instrumental in not only changing Wheaton 3 attitudes, but also in encouraging North voices of compassion American congregations to act. In the November by Katherine Halberstadt Anderson ’90 2002 issue of Christianity Today, Franklin WHEATON ALUMNI WORKING IN GOVERNMENT, Graham was quoted asking churches,“How IN MISSIONS, AND IN RESEARCH SHARE THE much money do you have in your budget for HOPE AND HEARTBREAK OF AIDS. HIV/AIDS? Make it a line item so that the elders and the deacons and the pastor, everybody, Debbie’s voice sees it.” “Our focus is on enabling churches to be the church.” At the Bono event on December 4, When Carolyn Abbott Nystrom ’62, M.A. President Duane Litfin urged the Wheaton ’02 traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, last fall, she went community to “stand in solidarity” with those with a purpose: to research and write “Our who see the world’s suffering—and respond.To Children,” a manual guiding church-based care stand with those already on the front for children orphaned by AIDS. She would spend lines of AIDS research, education, prevention, three weeks with Debbie Mull Dortzbach ’71, and care for the suffering and dying.To stand international director of HIV/AIDS programs for with people like Dr. Elizabeth Corwin Marum World Relief, who had enlisted her help. ’70, who was singled out as being one of Friends for many years, the two met the most influential figures in the development after Debbie returned to the United States, and implementation of HIV awareness programs having survived 26 days of captivity at the hands in Uganda; with Dr.Art Ammann ’58, who of pistol-carrying rebels in Ethiopia.That was started an organization with the goal of 24 years ago.The baby that Debbie carried safely preventing HIV transmission from pregnant in her womb throughout her kidnapping (see women to their infants; and with Debbie Mull her book, Kidnapped, by Karl and Debbie Dortzbach ’71, international director of Dortzbach [Harper & Row]), now has a child of HIV/AIDS programs for World Relief, who his own—born during Carolyn’s visit.