Fosters Friendship and Cultural Understanding Between the City of Leon, Nicaragua and the Community of Gettysburg
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fosters friendship and cultural understanding between the city of Leon, Nicaragua and the community of Gettysburg. Since the project's founding, hundreds of students have learned firsthand about realities in Central America. FROM THE PRESIDENT My Vision for Gettysburg College WHEN BOARD OF Trustees Chair Jim Weaver '64 asked Gettysburg College, you will find someone who can share a me to serve as interim president last spring, never in my story about a Gettysburg College graduate whose actions will wildest dreams did I imagine that less make you very proud of your own association with the College. than a year later, I would be chosen to * ( While this vision might sound idealistic, I would suggest serve as Gettysburg College's 14th that it is attainable. To realize this vision, we must: president. I am deeply grateful for the • Continue to attract the very best faculty and staff and trust the Board of Trustees has placed support them as they deliver a profound and contemporary in me, and I will respond to that trust liberal arts education to our students; by working as hard as I can to help • Continue to emphasize learning opportunities for students Gettysburg College more fully realize outside the classroom that will engage them in independent its potential as one of the nation's best and creative thinking — through independent study projects liberal arts colleges. I take on the role of president with j and research collaborations with faculty; seriousness, with great enthusiasm, and with great passion for this institution that has played such a significant role in • Continue to build co-curricular experiences that my life and has opened so many doors to me. I know that complement the academic learning experience and that many of you share that same passion. build habits of civic engagement and public service; and The Presidential Search Committee asked me to describe • Continue to work toward a Gettysburg community in which my vision for Gettysburg College in my conversations with diversity of thought and experience are welcomed as part of them this winter, and I want to share a piece of that with our everyday interactions, and which sends Gettysburg stu you. This vision has evolved from my experience as an dents out into the world and brings the world to Gettysburg. administrator and faculty member here at Gettysburg and It is no accident that each of these initiatives begins with also from conversations with students, alumni, parents, the word continue. Although the foundation for this vision is faculty, and staff. It is a vision that will no doubt continue to already here, we must press ahead aggressively in each of evolve, but will also continue to focus on preparing our these areas. In these challenging times, the Gettysburg students to take leading roles in their professions and experience must prepare students to live full and effective communities — for it really will be our alumni who will lives, marked by intellectual curiosity, open-mindedness, a bring distinction to Gettysburg College. sense of civic responsibility, and a desire to make the world Our alumni will be known for having had a Gettysburg a better place. There has never been a better or more experience grounded in academic excellence. They will important moment for Gettysburg to offer a compelling graduate with a broad and deep liberal arts education that liberal arts education. will form a basis for life-long learning. They will be known I am honored and humbled by the faith the community for their intellectual curiosity and their capacity to think has placed in me to lead Gettysburg College and by the critically, to express themselves clearly, and to understand support that so many of you have offered. I look forward how to apply multiple perspectives to solve complex to working with you as together we help our gem of an problems. But beyond that, our graduates will be known for institution, Gettysburg College, to shine in new ways. their strong sense of responsibility to others, to society, and to the world; and they will be known for acting on that sense of responsibility. Our alumni will engage in a wide variety of professional pursuits — medicine, research, teaching, public Ch^L Y^)(S^ K^ service, law, business, music — but what they will have in common are the desire and ability to put their superb Janet Morgan Riggs '77 education to good use. Wherever you go, when you mention President Gettysbur: A Magazine for Gettysburg /College Alumni, Parents, and Friends 4 SPRING 2009 VOLUME 100 • NO. 2 EDITOR Jerold Wikoff P '03 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jim Hale, Judith Lindquist, Kendra Martin CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Patricia A. Lawson P '09 CLASS NOTES EDITOR Sue Dyer EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Joe Lynch '85 PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT GETTYSBURG LEON Jim Hale 10 DESIGN + PRODUCTION Started in the early 1980s, Project Gettysburg Leon MSK Partners, Inc. fosters friendship and cultural understanding between the city of Leon, Nicaragua and the community of Send comments or address changes to: Gettysburg. Since the project's founding, hundreds of OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS Gettysburg students have learned firsthand about & PUBLIC RELATIONS GETTYSBURG COLLEGE realities in Central America. 300 North Washington Street Pennsylvania Hall, 2nd Floor 16 LINCOLN SLEPT HERE Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325-1486 In celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, the 717-337-6800 or [email protected] www.gettysburg.edu house where Lincoln spent the night before his famous address opened as a museum on the Gettysburg Square. MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD: John Baer P '01, Jennifer (Fisher) Bryant '82, Don Burden '63, Carolyn Donofrio '90, Jon Drayer '02, The house belonged to David Wills, a graduate of Sheridan Falvo '96, Bill Fleischman '60, Bob Hershey '61, Pat Gettysburg College in 1851. (Hughes) Hutchinson '70, Keith "Kip" Jones '03, Kelly Woods Lynch '82, Ken Maskell '69, Nanette "Tricia" (Sinclair) Smelter '71, 22 LACROSSE AT GETTYSBURG Jerry Spinelli '63, Jackie Zakrewsky '86. Gettysburg lacrosse is preparing to celebrate the men's Gettysburg (USPS 218-120/ISSN 0899-6792) is printed three times team's 50th anniversary in 2008-09, and the women's a year, in January, April, and October, by Gettysburg College, team's first-ever hosting of NCAA Division II and III Gettysburg, PA 17325. A fourth issue appears online in July. Postage paid at Gettysburg, PA. Finals in 2010. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: GETTYSBURG, Advancement Services, Box 423, DEPARTMENTS Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA 17325-1486. 2 AROUND THE CAMPUS Gettysburg College assures equal employment and prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, national 9 LETTERS TO EDITOR origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. 28 CONNECTIONS Printed in the U.S.A. SPORTS ©Gettysburg College 2009 33 CLASS NOTES ON THE COVER: A late afternoon in the streets of Leon, Nicaragua, photographed by Kaylan Neelamraju. 51 IN MEMORIAM 52 LAST WORD SPRING 2009 • GETTYSBURG COLLEGE 1 Around-Campus Number 14 College names Janet Morgan Riggs president THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES unanimously appointed Janet Morgan Riggs '7714th president of Gettysburg College at its meeting on Feb. 6. Riggs, who had served as interim president since last March, became president effective immediately. "We're excited to make this appointment," said James M. Weaver '64, chair of the board. "Dr. Riggs has excelled in a number of key administrative appointments, most recently interim president at Gettysburg, and we know that she will move full steam ahead in building campus- wide support for her vision. As an alumna who has also been a 20-year professor and a provost at Gettysburg, she deeply understands the lives of our students and faculty, who are the heart of our academic mission." In March 2008 the board appointed Riggs interim president after the resignation of Katherine Haley Will. A national search was conducted for her replacement. A 15-member Presidential Search Committee — chaired by Trustee Bob Duelks '77 and composed of faculty, alumni, trustees, an administrator, and a student — received more than 100 applications. "We enjoyed meeting Flood of support a very impressive slate of follows appointment candidates," Duelks said. A flood of favorable reaction "But at every turn Janet followed the appointment of Janet Morgan Riggs 77 as Riggs remained in the top the College's new president. tier. She set herself apart The College's website regis with her passion, tered thousands of "hits" commitment, and vision and dozens of comments for her alma mater. were posted by alumni, Throughout the process, parents, and others. For her understanding of more go to our website. where liberal arts educa tion is headed, her vision for advancement of Gettysburg, her operational insights and her relationship-building skills helped set her apart." Riggs accepted the appointment with enthusiasm. "It is a great honor and privilege to accept the appointment as 14th president by the College's Board of Trustees," she said. "Gettysburg College and the local community have been my home since 1981. I'm thrilled to be asked to serve my alma mater in this way." For more about Riggs' appointment, including photos, videos, and comments, see www.gettysburg.edu/riggs. 2 GETTYSBURG COLLEGE • SPRING 2009 AROUND THE CAMPUS /?&< ^m^ • I •£•;.-' --^W•"•;->/• ""V-^aSlgii! "It is a great honor and privilege to accept the appointment as 14th president by the College's Board of Trustees. Gettysburg College and the local community have been my home since 1981. I'm thrilled to be asked to serve my alma mater in this way." SPRING 2009 • GETTYSBURG COLLEGE 3 AROUND THE CAMPUS Best place to work The Right Kudos to... For the sixth consecutive year, & Sylvia Asante, associate director of Gettysburg College has been named Stuff the Intercultural Resource Center, one of the 100 "Best Places to Work in Prof.