Magazine SPRING 2019 More Than Green In class and on campus, sustainability grows and thrives. The Music Man Only at Muhlenberg Senegal, Up Close Record executive Mike Alexander Campus traditions create One international student’s short- ’05 taps the Muhlenberg Network shared experiences term study abroad experience THANK YOU #MULEMENTUM The race for 3,000 participants in 30 hours kicked-off on November 14 at 18:48 (that was 6:48 p.m. EST). Thank you for Living the Tradition. , alumni,3 parents, students,017 faculty, staff and friends joined the #MULEMENTUM, with 90% of those gifts supporting The Muhlenberg Fund. The Muhlenberg Fund supports all aspects of the student experience, from financial aid and integrative learning to experiential opportunities and career preparation. Thank you for participating in Muhlenberg College’s Sixth Annual Day of Giving. Your ongoing support provides the resources needed to continue the tradition of excellence and dedication to life-changing experiences. give.muhlenberg.edu SPRING 2019 Magazine FEATURES Sustainability’s Roots 26 The Sound of Success 34 The Pull of Traditions 38 Dedicated individuals have worked Mike Alexander ‘05, who made These memorable practices— toward “greening” Muhlenberg for Billboard’s 40 Under 40 list last year, some of which have been part of more than a decade. Now that the entered the music business thanks to the College’s culture for decades— College is committed to a strategy help from a fellow Mule. create shared experiences that for even greater change, they want unite past, present and future everyone to get on board. Muhlenberg students. Profiles Departments Alumni Eunice Umubyeyi ’21 8 Letters to the Editor 3 Alumni News 44 Mickey Kober ’20 12 News & Notes 4, 5, 7, 16, 17 Class Fund Chair Directory 46 Erika Sutherland (Spanish) 15 Dawn Eilenberger ’79 20 Creators 6 Class Notes 47 Books in Brief 7 In Memoriam 53 From the Archives 10 Alumni Notebook 57 Remembrance 11 Mules on the Move 18 Faculty 22 Perspective 24 The Last Page 56 ON THE COVER Illustrator Tim Tomkinson, tasked with summarizing sustainability at the College, turned to a Muhlenberg icon—the statute of General Peter Muhlenberg— to show that sustainability has spread across the institution. Muhlenberg Magazine spring 2019 | 1 From the Editors “Sustainability’s Roots,” page 26, is brimming with facts and figures, dates and data, all about Muhlenberg’s continuing commitment to help solve the problems our planet is facing, in the College’s day-to-day operations and in how we educate our students. I have my own facts and figures about what went into creating that feature: eight total hours of interviews with 15 different people, including six phone calls and eight in-person meetings. When I took on the assignment, I thought I’d interview Biology Professor Rich Niesenbaum, who directs Muhlenberg’s sustainability studies program, and College Sustainability Coordi- nator Kalyna Procyk and be more or less finished. Out of those two initial conversations came leads for students, alumni, faculty and staff I ought to talk to for a more complete picture, and that next round of interviews spawned even more leads, and… Let’s just say, if it weren’t for deadlines and space limitations, I could have filled an entire Muhlenberg Maga- zine with this single story. What struck me as the piece continued to grow was just how many people are instrumental collaborators in Muhlenberg’s sustainability efforts. That’s true within the sustainability studies academic program—which weaves in courses from more than 15 different disciplines—and in the institution as a whole. I couldn’t have interviewed fewer people and still captured the breadth of the College’s efforts, and I’m sure I’ll be hearing about all the things I left out. But having too much material is a good problem for a writer to have, especially when it all demonstrates the community’s commitment to working toward a better tomorrow. Speaking of too much material: My colleague, Bill Keller, attempted to collect and summarize some of the many traditions that make the Muhlenberg experience a unique one (see “The Pull of Traditions,” page 38). Does it bring back fond (or funny) memories? Do you notice one he missed? Write to us at [email protected]. We also caught up with music executive Mike Alexander ’05, who landed on Billboard’s annual “40 Under 40 Top Young Power Players” list last year (“The Sound of Success,” page 34). He got started in the business thanks to an alum he met through the Career Center. Meghan Kita Managing Editor Magazine Staff Administration Meghan Kita Bill Keller Brian Speer John I. Williams Jr., president Managing Editor Editor Executive Editor Rebekkah L. Brown ’99, vice president for advancement Brian Speer, vice president for communications Phelize Bristol ’19, Mike Falk, Jeremy Fuchs ’14, Bill Keller, Meghan Kita, Natalie Kulp Hand ’78 P’07, assistant vice president for alumni Susan Falciani Maldonado, A. Lanethea Mathews-Schultz, Brittany Risher, affairs and career services Kristine Yahna Todaro ’84 Contributing Writers Contact Managing Editor, Muhlenberg Magazine Brian Speer 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 18104-5586 Design and Art Direction [email protected] 484-664-3230 Tom Amico, Phelize Bristol ’19, Eric Gebele ’21, David Joel, Paul McEwan, Brian Mengini, Paul Pearson, Jeff Rudski Muhlenberg Magazine is published three times a year by the Contributing Photographers Muhlenberg College Office of Communications. Tim Tomkinson, Colleen O’Hara Contributing Illustrators 2 | Muhlenberg Magazine spring 2019 | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | Health Hazard perspectives are heard, welcomed a fellow alum in the “A Teller of Ales” and represented? story. I really enjoyed reading about I am the executive director of a In line with the story’s “simu- students’ experiences in the class- small academic and enrichment lation” of poverty, the majority of room—it almost made me feel like program located in the greater Hous- pictures of students of color in your I was back in the classroom again. ton area. It has recently come to magazine include those who are “Understanding Poverty” and its my attention that some of our teens playing sports. Why is equal weight descriptions of students’ volunteer are vaping on our campus. I made not being given to their academic work made me proud of current stu- your article “Tempting Fate” (Fall achievements in this magazine? dents and the work that the College 2018) available to our parents and This is a racial stereotype that puts into bettering the whole city students, as I believe it addresses the magazine, and potentially the and community. the potential dangers of vaping in a campus at large, is reinforcing. The And lastly, my very favorite part, clear, concise manner. literature and social media content as the president of EnAcT [Muhlen- Anne Trapani ’80 that Muhlenberg produces must berg’s Environmental Action Team] executive director, do better. With proper, ongoing and from 2005 to 2008, I am beaming Home Run Ministries deep equity and inclusion training with pride to read about the commit- for staff and students—especially ment to the environment carrying white staff and students—such over into Muhlenberg Magazine with microaggressions have the potential the awesome improvements that to be avoided. have been made to the magazine’s Ally Margolis ’11 production process. Social media informed me that Muhlenberg was Cheers to You awarded the second highest rating from the Association for the Ad- I thoroughly enjoyed the profile of vancement of Sustainability in High- Sam Calagione ’92 (“A Teller of Ales,” er Education [see page 17 to learn Fall 2018). I understand alumni piec- Problematic Piece more], and I’m ready to re-enroll just es can be a heavy lift as there are to be a part of the incredible things I recently read the magazine’s institutional considerations as well happening on campus! Keep up the piece “Understanding Poverty” (Fall as journalistic ones—a challenging great work. 2018) discussing the poverty sim- balance. However, you pulled it off, Jacy Good ’08 ulation that took place in Professor penning a story that one could find Bagley’s class. I finished this article in any well-respected consumer feeling deeply upset and concerned magazine—while also instilling Looks Good for Muhlenberg students who may confidence in parental readers that Just finished reading a copy of themselves be living at, near or be- they’ve sent their offspring to the the revamped Muhlenberg Mag- low the poverty line. For them, this is right place. azine. Congratulations to all for not a mere simulation; this is reality. James Devitt P’21 launching a readable, well-designed, What are Muhlenberg’s professors, managing director of public affairs, graphically appealing and informa- advisors, recruiters and overall New York University tive publication. campus community doing to support Ron Czajkowski ’71 students who themselves are grow- Green Journalism ing up in adverse circumstances? As I love the new layout and orga- the school takes steps to advance Correction: An obituary in the nization of the magazine—it kept racial, ethnic and socioeconomic Fall 2018 issue misspelled Albert me engaged the whole time and I diversity and inclusion on campus, Neumeyer’s name. We regret felt like I got a lot out of the stories. I what are its leaders—department the error. loved learning about the success of chairs, professors, recruitment officers, financial aid officers, com- munications and public relations Share your thoughts about stories in the magazine. Email your managers—doing to ensure that all letters to [email protected]. Muhlenberg Magazine spring 2019 | 3 | NEWS & NOTES | Muhlenberg Announces Smoke- and Tobacco-Free Campus Policy On August 15, Muhlenberg will “It’s so rewarding to see all my who are interested in quitting with become a smoke- and tobacco- efforts were not only valued but cessation programs.