WINTER 2009 Return Service Requested GRAND VALLEY MAGAZINE Classics make a comeback Students find relevance in ancient teachings Contents GRAND VALLEY MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3, WINTER 2009 FEATURES 12 Modern Classics Contemporary lessons from ancient times 16 Exxon Valdez Challenging crisis develops president’s leadership style 19 Historic Change Run for the White House energizes students and keeps Grand Valley experts in the news 38 IT supervisor earns stripes on football field 2 WINTER 2009 | www.gvsu.edu Editorial Staff Mary Eilleen Lyon, M.S., ’05 Assistant Vice President for News and Information Services, Executive Editor Michele Coffill Editor and Writer Dottie Barnes, M.S., ’05 Contributing Editor and Writer Brian J. Bowe, B.A.,’97, M.S., ’04 Contributing Editor and Writer Mary Isca Pirkola Contributing Editor and Writer Bernadine Carey-Tucker, B.A., ’99 Photography Services Manager and Contributing Photographer Amanda Pitts, B.S., ’05 Photographer Elizabeth Lienau, B.S., ’05 Photography Coordinator Sherry Bouwman Editorial and Circulation Assistant Susan Proctor, B.S., ’98 Alumni Editor Matthew E. McLogan Vice President for University Relations Design Staff Jacqueline Cuppy, B.F.A., ’87 Creative Director Christine Parkes-Schaw, B.S., ’06 Graphic Designer Contact Us Grand Valley Magazine is a publication of News & Information Services. Comments and suggestions are welcome. E-mail [email protected] Write Grand Valley Magazine Grand Valley State University 1 Campus Drive, 133 LMH Allendale, MI 49401 D E P art M ents Grand Valley State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution 4 Letters to the Editor 4 Bookmarks Look for daily campus news updates at gvsu.edu/gvnow. 5 Campus News Grand Valley m a g a z i n e 9 Arts Feature stories are also online at www.gvsu.edu/gvmagazine. 10 Donor Impact On the cover: photo by Amanda Pitts Honors College and Classics major 22 Focal Point Kate Allen translated ancient Latin poetry from a rare book in the Seidman House Special Collections. 23 Research News Read about one of the youngest, yet fastest growing, Classics departments 24 Q&A H. James Williams in the world on page 12. On these pages: photo by Elizabeth Lienau 26 Athletics Highbush cranberries capped with snow are pictured in front of the Transformational Link on the 27 Alumni News Allendale Campus. GRAND VALLEY MAGAZINE 3 LETTERS Dear Editor: Thanks for an excellent article in Grand Valley Magazine From time to time, alumni members are sparked to share (“Degrees by Design: Liberal Studies offers path for eclectic a memory from their Grand Valley days ... learners,” Fall 2008). I think it was 1976 or ’77. I went to Weirdbeards on the east It will be very helpful in enabling the larger community to bank of the Grand River just north off M-45. I was going to understand what liberal studies is (and isn’t). order dinner when the owner asked me if I was a student at Grand Valley and if I’d like to help him deliver some pizzas to the Stephen Rowe concert that was going on at Grand Valley that night. I said sure! GVSU Professor of Philosophy It so happened that Buddy Rich was headlining and he ordered the pizzas. I got backstage and handed the pizza right to Buddy, Here’s an update from a story (“Grand Valley graduates talked to him for a moment, and stayed for the concert. It was a get out the vote”) that appeared in the Fall 2008 issue ... very cool memory! The YWCA Lake County’s Get Out the Vote Coalition registered more than 1,000 voters throughout the county, Larry Rood, ’78 contributing to a record-breaking 30,000 new voters who cast Southfield, Michigan votes in the November election. We touched the lives of thousands more with information on our Web site, hosted two candidate forums and three issues forums. The campaign also generated more than 500,000 Letters to the Editor can be mailed to: impressions through its media outreach. Grand Valley Magazine I’m glad to have been able to do this work thanks to my 1 Campus Drive, 133 LMH education at GVSU. I look forward to the next project! Allendale, MI 49401 or sent via e-mail to: [email protected]. Callie Melton, ’06 Please include your name, class year (if applicable), hometown and Waukegan, Illinois phone number (not for publication). Letters are subject to editing. Bookmarks Looking for a good book? Check out these recommendations from Grand Valley staff members: Finn Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Mapping the Edge (Random House, 2007) (Random House, 2006) (Random House, 2002) by Jon Clinch by Lisa See by Sarah Dunant This novel is about Huckleberry Finn’s Ginger Randall, associate dean of In this suspenseful thriller, a mother leaves father, Pap, and runs parallel to the classic students, enjoyed this book about on a short trip to Italy but does not return by Mark Twain. Gary Van Harn, Padnos 19th century China as told through the to London on her scheduled flight. Her International Center assistant, said the experiences of two young girls, Lily and 6-year-old daughter and friends know it is book was brooding and fascinating. He Snow Flower, from childhood through not like Anna to disappear. Rachel Siglow, called it “an overlooked masterpiece,” adulthood. The girls rarely meet in person, executive secretary to the president, said and said it’s the story Twain would have but communicate by sending messages Dunant wrote the story as two on-going written if he lived in this century. written on the folds of a silk fan. Randall narratives and readers decide which story said the author portrays China’s customs to believe. At the end of the novel, Siglow and its code of conduct vividly and said, “You’ll be able to answer whether beautifully. you are a ‘glass half-empty’ or ‘glass half- full’ type of person.” The University Bookstore is offering a 20 percent discount on these titles. 4 WINTER 2009 | www.gvsu.edu CAMPUS news Grand Valley celebrates historic inauguration eople cheered, hugged, At the Fieldhouse, remarks Pjumped up and down were made by President and waved American flags as Thomas J. Haas; Jeanne Barack Obama was announced Arnold, vice president as the nation’s 44th president. for Inclusion and Equity; Many had tears in their eyes Gleaves Whitney, director of as they witnessed the historic the Hauenstein Center for inauguration at a campus- Presidential Studies; and faculty wide event on January 20 members Mark Richards in the Fieldhouse Arena on and Louis Moore before the the Allendale Campus (see start of the inauguration. page 19 for more on this Richards, associate professor event and the election). of political science, called A live Webcast of the speakers Obama a transformational and a link to the inauguration leader whose story inspires was made available on Grand and gives hope, and one whose Valley’s homepage. In addition story is not fully written. He to Allendale, viewing locations led the Fieldhouse crowd in a were held at each campus and chant as everyone stood and regional center. More than shouted, “My president is 1,500 people participated at one Black!” This prompted cheering of the sites. and clapping, and some Michael Blair, a junior waved their American flags. majoring in psychology, Several Grand Valley students attended the Allendale traveled to the nation’s capital celebration. “I am excited to to watch the inaugural events, see so many people coming including four political science together to witness the students who attended an inauguration,” said Blair. “This academic seminar through the is a pivotal moment in history. Washington Center. One of Being half African American, those students, Selma Tucker, this makes me feel like I can a senior from Buchanan, said accomplish anything.” he could feel the energy as Caitlin Cherney, a junior he stood on the Mall in front from Muskegon, said she of the capitol. He said it got wanted to experience the quiet when Obama began to moment with others at Grand speak: “The crowd hushed. photos by Bernadine Carey-Tucker Valley. “There’s an excitement We were hungry to hear it, Top, the campus community watches the presidential inauguration in the within the student body,” to hear him repeat the words Fieldhouse Arena. said Cherney. “This is a big for the oath of office, to know President Thomas J. Haas and Marcia Haas were among the enthusiastic step for our society. I heard it was really happening. And, celebrants. about the celebration and I after he said ‘So help me From left are Molly Stabler, Louis Moore and his wife, Ciciley Moore. The wanted to be a part of this God,’ fireworks went off.” kids are (from left) Elle Stabler and Amaya Moore. Louis Moore was one memorable moment.” of the speakers. GRAND VALLEY MAGAZINE 5 CAMPUS news More student housing planned for south campus More students than can fit useful lives. A two-story want to live on the Allendale dining facility is planned and Campus, and the university’s will include a convenience Board of Trustees took steps store and coffee lounge. to provide them with beds. The project will increase the The board on December 5 number of beds in on-campus approved a project that would housing from 5,464 to 5,924, add more living and dining yet still not meet the demand facilities to the south end of by students to live on campus. campus by 2010. Grand Valley’s Last year, campus housing housing and dining systems received 6,500 applications are self-sustaining businesses; for 5,464 beds.