A Tradition of Service
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Ohio Wesleyan Magazine OWU VOLUME 87 ISSUE NO.1 r SPRING 2010 A Tradition of Service. VOLUME 87 ISSUE NO.1 r SPRING 2010 Find YOUR Passion OWU Ohio Wesleyan Magazine www.owualumni.com Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Online Community FEATURES // Editor Pamela Besel Assistant Editor 14 DO you remember thAt? Ericka Kurtz Three emeriti professors look back on their years at Ohio Wesleyan Class Notes Editor and—they are all smiling! Andrea Misko Strle ’99 [email protected] Designer Sara Stuntz 20 Faces Of thE fUturE Contributing Photographers John Holliger What are recent OWU graduates doing these days? We talked with Doug Martin several “younger” alumni about their jobs and their journeys Paul Molitor during the past decade. Marketing and Communication Office (740) 368-3335 Director of Alumni Relations 24 bUilDiNg hopE for thE Children Brenda DeWitt Alumni Relations Office Of hAiti Phone: (740) 368-3325 Fax: (740) 368-3328 Espwa—Hope—is what Doug Dittrick ’55 and so many others Email: [email protected] are desperately trying to bring to hundreds of impoverished and Web site: www.owu.edu orphaned Haitian boys. We bring you a sobering but spirited story OWU Magazine: http://magazine.owu.edu about the great accomplishments of Theo’s Work, Inc. The Ohio Wesleyan Magazine (ISSN 0030-1221) is published in Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring by Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. Periodicals postage paid at Delaware, Ohio and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Magazine, Ohio Wesleyan ON THE COVER: Students, staff members, and alumni supporting University, Delaware, Ohio 43015. General OWU’s tradition of service. Clockwise from top left: The Columbus Initiative, University telephone number: (740) 368-2000. Project ESPWA in Haiti, Habitat for Humanity, and a mission team visit to Dominica. Printed on recycled paper EDditorial A visory Board Members Pam Besel, Marketing and Communication Mark Cooper, Marketing and Communication Ohio Wesleyan University Campus Karen Crosman, University Relations Carol DelPropost, Admission & Financial Aid Brenda DeWitt, Alumni Relations February 2010 Roger Ingles, Athletics Ericka Kurtz, Marketing and Communication Ed Lenane, Alumni Relations Ida Mostofi, Marketing and Communication Charlie Powell, University Relations William Preble, Enrollment and Strategic Communication Melinda Rhodes, Journalism Department David Robbins, Provost Hon. ’08 Sara Stuntz, Marketing and Communication DEPARTMENTS // 4 // fROM thE JAyWAlK President’s Honor Roll From Theory to Practice…at the New York Botanical Garden Celebrating Achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. OWU Faculty Art Exhibition Jamming with the Kansas City Jammers 11 // iN WRitiNg Folk Music Hero Anne Laylin Grimes ’33 Richard North Patterson’s ’68 New Book, The Spire Rusty McClure’s ’72 Latest Novel, Cincinnatus 28 // gifts AND gRAtitUDE Ohio Wesleyan Remembers Margaret Pickett Sagan ’48 Honoring Payson Merrill Corbiere ’96 32 // bishOP bAttlEs Big News for OWU Track & Field 34 // AlUMNi hAPPENiNgs Off Campus Events Cluster Reunion Brings Together Classes of ’84, ’85, and ’86 Calendar of Events The Alumni Gallery in Mowry Class Notes r OWU S PRING 2010 1 Leader’s Letter >> Recognizing OWU’s Education for Leadership, Service and… Global Outreach The Ohio Wesleyan faculty has spent learning courses. Students cross social, much of the past year engaged in cultural, and national borders when they substantive conversations about the study cultures different from their own structure of the OWU curriculum and and through international study and the distinctive OWU approach to the travel. liberal arts. Among the metaphors that have emerged in considering We are particularly eager to increase the essential ingredients of an OWU international opportunities for students, education is the concept of crossing through enhancing options for semesters borders. The arrival at college involves abroad, creating summer study-travel the initial crossing of boundaries opportunities, and developing new that separate family and home from travel-learning courses. This spring, university and campus. A rigorous liberal students in an astronomy course arts curriculum is designed to challenge accompanied Dr. Bob Harmon to Japan students to confront the borders of their to study the Japanese space program; intellectual development to date, to students in a Latin American Studies discover and explore new ideas and to course accompanied Dr. Bob Gitter to President Rock Jones relish the study of disciplines they have Mexico to study immigration patterns; not previously considered, and to hone and students in a 20th century American capacities of discernment and critical History course will accompany Dr. analysis that allow them to cross the Michael Flamm to Vietnam in May. borders of pre-existing world views. This summer, OWU students will study child welfare in India, ecology and social As we have discussed the distinctive challenges in Bolivia, marine green OWU approach to the liberal arts, turtles in Costa Rica, and post-conflict we have been reminded of the ways transitions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which our curriculum encourages among numerous other projects that students to cross the border between have been funded in the first year of theory and practice, to take the theory-to-practice grants to students. theoretical lessons of the classroom and test them with experiences in the In the past couple of months, we have real world. This happens through the been fortunate to receive recognition Wesleyan in Washington Semester, the from external organizations that affirm New York Arts Program, the Summer the historic commitment at Ohio Science Research Program, study abroad, Wesleyan University to crossing borders. and increasing opportunities for travel- In February, the Corporation for National r 2 OWU S PRING 2010 >> Leader’s Letter and Community Service published the education and the growing recognition and we share stories of initiatives that President’s Higher Education Community that Ohio Wesleyan is among the reflect Ohio Wesleyan University’s Service Honor Roll, recognizing colleges nation’s leaders in structuring a global emergence as a leader in a distinctive and universities that exemplify high education for undergraduate students. form of liberal arts education that levels of commitment to volunteer This commitment is critical as we prepare connects theory to practice in a global service. In addition to the larger honor students to become global problem context. While these themes reflect roll, six universities in the country were solvers in the global economy of the 21st current initiatives, they are consistent singled out for special recognition. Ohio century. It already is expressed at OWU in with historic commitments at Ohio Wesleyan was one of only three to be the extent to which global issues infuse Wesleyan that continue to be reflected recognized in the category of General the entire curriculum, the fact that ten in the lives of our alumni who provide Community Service. We will join the two percent of our students are international leadership and service across the other recipients at a special presentation and represent 57 countries, and the rapidly country and around the world. in New York at the June annual meeting increasing opportunities for OWU students of the Corporation for National and to study and travel abroad. OWU is the As you read this issue, I invite you Community Service. Last year, OWU only co-educational, liberal arts institution to reflect on your Ohio Wesleyan students completed more than 45,000 to be included among the ten selected for experience and on ways in which you hours of community service. This award this prestigious program. can support these important initiatives affirms the well-regarded commitment and their impact on our students as of OWU students, faculty, and alumni to The OWU strategic plan calls for they prepare to become the leaders of serve the common good. In the process, “curricular enhancement (that) will tomorrow. I look forward to hearing we learn more about one another and the encourage students to move from theory to from you. world in which we live, crossing borders in practice and will give particular emphasis ways that ultimately lead to the erasure to substantially increased opportunities of boundaries and the creation of new for international exposure… Through understandings of the human condition. this process, OWU embraces its historic commitment to Education for Leadership In March, the Institute for International and Service by dedicating itself anew to a Rock Jones, PhD. Education selected Ohio Wesleyan as transformational educational experience President one of only ten colleges and universities that prepares a new generation of in the country to participate in the leaders for an increasingly complex and newly developed International Academic interdependent world.” Partners Program, designed to develop partnerships between American colleges In this issue of the Magazine, we present and universities and institutions in India. stories of students, faculty, and alumni This selection affirms the longstanding who have crossed borders through their commitment of OWU to international service to the larger community and world, r OWU S PRING 2010 3 From the JAYwalk >> Making a Difference Ohio Wesleyan Earns Presidential Award for Community Service OWU’s Bishop makes the rounds at the February 25 campus celebration in the campus center. Ohio Wesleyan takes —and enjoys—the cake. Just