No 1, 2016 I $5

First Final Four All-American Ainise Havili helps lift 30-3 ’Hawks to volleyball’s biggest stage n POET LAUREATE n LANDSCAPE BEAUTY

Contents | Issue 1, 2016

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28 20 34 Dream Big At First Light Poetry for the People Ambitious goals and clutch Photographer Michael Tod Marshall’s journey to play—including a comeback Strickland’s approach to becoming the next poet for the ages—powered KU capturing fresh landscape laureate of Washington state volleyball’s historic run to the portraits relies on an old- started with a book- lled Final Four. fashioned formula— Wichita childhood. a large-format camera, By Chris Lazzarino lm and patience. By Steven Hill

Cover photograph By Chris Lazzarino by Steve Puppe

Established in 1902 as e Graduate Magazine Volume 114, No. 1, 2016 ISSUE 1, 2016 | 1 Lift the Chorus STEVE PUPPE STEVE

enamoured of it—always afraid of the performance standards of I’d tumble down 20 concrete college marching bands over a steps. number of years.” A history of the Marching Jayhawks compiled by In Chris Lazzarino’s article, the KU School of Music credits he states that the Sudler Trophy Robert Foster, who became honors “the country’s best director of bands in 1971, with Finnigan band.” I spent some time this introducing the pregame march year chastising K-State alumni down the Hill, but it does not famous “dive” back then. ose for saying the same thing about pinpoint the origins of the iconic of us who know Mike musi- their band’s 2015 Sudler win. pregame run down the Memorial cally know he is a real treasure e Sousa Foundation website Stadium steps. If anyone out there and talent. Even Mike’s father clearly states the Sudler Trophy remembers encountering the said, “God doesn’t care whom Strike up is not an award for the best daring dash before 1966, we’d he gives talent to—and you’re a the memories band in any particular year; it love to hear from you. good example.” is an award for sustained I lived in Lawrence in the W     excellence in band. It has never ’90s and, knowing of Mike’s about the Marching Jayhawks been awarded to any school vocal gi, I begged the director [“Suit Up the Band,” issue No. more than once. of bands to have Mike sing the 6]. I was a member of this great I rst saw KU as a high national anthem, as Mike has organization from 1963 to ’65, school student participating in done for many a sporting event and your story brought back a Band Day, in either 1966 or in the Los Angeles area. KU lot of memories. ’67, and I remember the KU basketball was honoring an Whenever we attend a pregame run-in at that game. anniversary of some sort, and football game, we always get I also remember unloading Mike and other basketball into the stadium in time to see our bus east of Allen Field Calendar kudos alumni were coming back. I the band charge out of the House and looking in awe at thought it would be great to stands for the pregame. I must the line of Daisy Hill dorms. I K    pro- “get Finnigan,” one of KU’s say there were a couple of thought they resembled a brick duced the 2016 KU Alumni basketball alumni, to sing. times when that was a chore armada sailing across the hill, Association calendar! What a Unfortunately, a student had because of the lively Friday with the McCollum agship at wonderful look back to 150 already been chosen, and it nights in Lawrence. the fore. I’m today feeling years of KU history. Four would break the student’s heart Tim Weeks, d’68 nostalgic for the loss of that generations of my KU family to be told they could not sing. Kansas City visual. [See On the Boulevard, loved scrolling through the I understood all of that, but p. 6] Memories of that rst trip years. ank you! here is my advice: If you really I    N to Lawrence were a big reason Laurie Forst Russell, d’73 want to hear the walls come issue of Kansas Alumni, but why I chose KU. Wheaton, Illinois tumbling down at Allen, get there are a couple of errors. Larry Tenopir, d’72, Finnigan to come back and In “First Word,” I think g’78, l’82 Oh say can you sing “ e Star-Spangled you’re saying that the marching Lawrence Banner” while the seniors band’s pregame run-in was please enjoy their last game at home. Editor’s Note: According to developed in 1968, but it must Mike Levand, c’76 the John Philip Sousa Foundation, Wichita substantially predate that. The Sudler Trophy (which the I     Although I didn’t join the Marching Jayhawks received in Mike Finnigan [“Get Finni- Marching Jayhawks, I was in 1989) is indeed awarded gan,” Rock Chalk Review, issue my high school marching biannually “to a college or No. 6] since I was a ninth- band. We had a KU alumnus as university marching band which grader in Wichita in 1966. director in 1966, and he had us has demonstrated the highest of In the ’80s I was fortunate to musical standards and innovative run down our stadium steps live in Los Angeles, where Your opinion counts: Please marching routines and ideas, and because he thought it was so Mike played in many studio- email us a note at kualumni@ which has made important cool at KU. As a clumsy musician bands around town, kualumni.org to tell us what you contributions to the advancement 16-year-old, I wasn’t nearly as and I saw him in many a think of your alumni magazine.

2 | KANSAS ALUMNI January 2016

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Publisher Heath Peterson, d’04, g’09 2 Lift the Chorus Editor Jennifer Jackson Sanner, j’81 Letters from our readers Creative Director Susan Younger, f’91 Associate Editors Chris Lazzarino, j’86 5 First Word Steven Hill e editor’s turn Photographers Steve Puppe, j’98 Dan Storey 6 On the Boulevard Graphic Designer Valerie Spicher, j’94 KU & Alumni Association events Sta Writer Heather Biele 8 Jayhawk Walk Advertising Sales Representative Drac’s draw, twin talents, the poop on pigeons David Johnston, j’94, g’06 and more Editorial and Advertising Oce KU Alumni Association 1266 Oread Avenue 10 Hilltopics Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 News and notes: Director targets campus racial 785-864-4760 climate; nine-year campaign frees innocent man. 800-584-2957 www.kualumni.org [email protected] 16 Sports Triple-overtime OU classic sets up epic rematch; KANSAS ALUMNI MAGAZINE (ISSN 0745-3345) is published by the women’s cross country logs best-ever NCAA run. KU Alumni Association six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November. $55 annual subscription includes member- ship in the Alumni Association. OŸce of Publication: 1266 Oread 38 Association News Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169. Periodicals postage paid at Lawrence, KS. Rock Chalk Ball embraces Oz theme; new leader touts Association history, plans for growth. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kansas Alumni Magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 © 2016 by Kansas Alumni Magazine. Non-member issue price: $7 42 Class Notes Proles of a Hollywood writer, a civic-minded lawyer, a third-generation pastor and more

60 In Memory Letters to the Editor: Deaths in the KU family Kansas Alumni welcomes letters to the editor. Our 64 Rock Chalk Review address is Kansas Alumni magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, Writer Robert Day, pianist Kai Ono and lmmak- Lawrence, KS 66045-3169. Email responses may be sent to ers Nicholas Ward and Amber Hansen the Alumni Association, [email protected]. Letters appearing in the magazine may be edited for space and clarity. For letters published, we’ll send a free gift of KU 68 KU 150 Campus Playing Cards, a $5 value. Scenes from the sesquicentennial

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 3

by Jennifer Jackson Sanner First Word

roughout his career, Marshall, PhD’95, has worked to dispel the STEVE PUPPE STEVE notion of poetry as an exalted art for a favored few. He has shared poetry with diverse audiences, and he vows to continue his mission on a more public stage as laureate, promoting poetry as a way for anyone and everyone to cope in an era of fear and distrust. “I think poetry forces us to dwell on uncer- tainty and to inhabit places with unanswerable questions—and try to be OK with that,” he says. Marshall’s words echoed as we reviewed the dicult nal weeks of the fall semester, when KU became part of a national conversation on f KU’s volleyball players have their way, December Delirium racism and discrimination in higher Imight someday rival March Madness as a certi able season education. During a Nov. 11 town hall (or syndrome). PUPPE STEVE discussion in the Kansas Union, In the waning hours of Dec. 12, when coach Ray Bechard and students, faculty and sta members his gritty team toppled the University of Southern California to cited painful personal examples of earn a Final Four berth, I was among the ecstatic fans glued to the unfair treatment and bigotry. One TV, reveling in the unexpected holiday cheer and historic group of students known as Rock achievement. As I nally settled down to sleep, visions of a cover Chalk Invisible Hawk interrupted story danced in my head. Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little to Even though KU’s ascent stopped short of the pinnacle, the present 15 demands in the rst of Strickland story of a principled, persistent coach and his determined players several campus protests. In our oers valuable lessons. Associate Editor Chris Lazzarino, j’86, Hilltopics news section (see p. 10), traces Bechard’s long career and describes the chemistry of we report on KU leaders’ initial coaches and players who have patiently, carefully built KU responses and include a timeline of volleyball into one of the nation’s most respected programs. SINISTERRA AMY key events since Nov. 11. We will Patience also is a virtue for Michael Strickland, a landscape follow the story throughout the photographer and the subject of another feature by Lazzarino. spring semester and beyond. With an engineer’s precision and an artist’s passion, Strickland, In a Nov. 13 email to the KU e’15, painstakingly searches horizons in Kansas, California and community, the chancellor denounced other regions to create breathtaking images. He eschews digital instances of racism and vowed action, shortcuts, placing his trust in time-honored tools. On a stormy Marshall declaring that KU will become a September morning, Strickland and our Kansas Alumni crew leader among universities in address- embarked on a wild ride through the Flint Hills that revealed ing racism and discrimination. She also emphasized that change insights perhaps even more valuable than the sights the young rarely happens from the top down. “Change has to happen photographer caught on lm. from within our university, and it must involve all of us— For our third feature, Associate Editor Steven Hill talked with administrators, students, faculty, sta and alumni—working Tod Marshall, a poet and professor who is beginning a two-year together,” she said. term as the poet laureate in his adopted state of Washington. “In the end, we are all human beings, and we all deserve to be Marshall grew up in Wichita, where his family faced nancial treated with dignity and respect. And we are all Jayhawks.” struggles. He found refuge in books. Years later, as a rst-genera- As many voices join the conversation and the University seeks tion college student in a writing class, he discovered “I might have solutions, let’s hope that patience, respect, and thoughtful words a voice with something to say, too,” he says. and deeds prevail.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 5 On the Boulevard DAN STOREY (5) STOREY DAN

Exhibitions FEBRUARY McCollum Hall ended its 50-year run at 9 a.m. Nov. 25 in the most spectacular way: surrounded by KU community members who came out “Writing Home: Bob Dole’s 12 e Band of the Royal KU Letters, 1941-1942,” Dole Marines & the Pipes, Drums in droves to witness the implosion of the 10-story, 220,000-square-foot Institute, through spring & Highland Dancers of the structure. In less than 20 seconds the building collapsed. Once the Scots Guards rubble is cleared, the site will be paved for much-needed parking on “Celebrating Opportunity Daisy Hill. If you missed the Alumni Association’s broadcast, including for People with Disabilities: 18 Adam Devine interviews and historical features, visit kualumni.org/mccollum. 70 Years of Dole Leadership,” 23 KU Wind Ensemble with Dole Institute, through special guest Je Nelson, spring French horn University Theatre Reef: How Human Stories 25 Chanticleer Matter,” Iain McCalman, e Lied Center events 28 Sang-Eun Lee, cello FEBRUARY Commons

JANUARY 26-28, March 3-4, 6 “ e MARCH MARCH Rehearsal & the Hypochon- 24 Moscow Festival Ballet: 4 Jonathan Rudy, Bales driac,” directed by Mechele 3 Kenneth A. Spencer e Sleeping Beauty Organ Recital Hall Leon, Craon-Preyer Lecture: “An Evening with 29 Shemekia Copeland with Andy Borowitz, in 9 e Demo: Concert eatre special guest Blind Boy conversation with Steve Version Paxton Kraske,” Kansas Union 22 Christian Tamburr, solo Lectures Ballroom vibraphone and piano 22 FEBRUARY Humanities Lecture 25 Out of Bounds, public Series: “Human Tracking performance 10 Humanities Lecture in the Heartland,” Hannah Series: “ e Great Barrier Britton, e Commons

6 | KANSAS ALUMNI Academic Calendar

JANUARY 19 First day of classes

FEBRUARY LIBRARY SPENCER RESEARCH 4 KU School of Business diversity and equity forum, Summer eld Hall 18 “e Power of Sport: A Conversation on Business, 10 Great Bend: Kansas Race and Sports” Honors Program 10 Mound City: Kansas MARCH Honors Program 14-20 Spring break 13 KU-Oklahoma pregame party, Norman, Oklahoma Alumni Events 16 SAA Networking Night, Adams Alumni Center JANUARY 21 KU Night with the 23 KU-Texas watch parties Portland Trail Blazers 25 KU-Iowa State watch 22 Beloit: Kansas Honors parties Program 25 Omahawks social hour 23 KU-Baylor pregame and watch party, Omaha, party, Waco, Texas Nebraska 23 SAA KU-Baylor watch 30 KU-Kentucky watch party, Adams Alumni Center parties, Big 12-SEC 24 Atchison: Kansas Honors Challenge Program FEBRUARY 24 Holton: Kansas Honors Program 1 Pittsburg: Kansas Honors Program 25 Washington: Kansas Honors Program 2 KU Night with the Brooklyn Nets 26 KU Night with the Sacramento Kings 2 Twin Cities Happy Hour and KU150 Exhibition, 29 KU-Texas pregame party, Minneapolis Austin, Texas 6 Southwest Tumble, Liberal MARCH 6 KU-TCU postgame party, 9 KU Night with the Fort Worth, Texas Oklahoma City under 8 Fort Scott: Kansas Honors 30 Neodesha: Kansas Program Honors Program

Events listed here are highlights from the Association’s busy calendar. For complete listings of all events, watch for emails about programs in your area, visit kualumni.org or call 800-584-2957.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 7 Jayhawk Walk

A fun class with real bite

ram Stoker unleashed the Vlad the Impaler and a blood-bathing Bmodern vampire ideal—Count Hungarian countess named Elizabeth Dracula—on the world with his clas- Báthory to create Count Dracula, sic 1897 novel, but the legends upon Kokobobo explains. which he fashioned his terrifying night This spring she shares thrilling and stalker reached deep into Slavic chilling elements of vampire lore with superstition and tradition. students in a new course, “The Vampire As far back as the 11th century, in Literature, Film, and Television.” says Ani Kokobobo, assistant profes- “We hope this will draw students to sor of Slavic languages and literatures, our department,” Kokobobo says. “We vampires were believed to be “unclean” are envisioning this as a gateway course dead relatives who returned to menace with broad appeal.” their families. After all, students who learned their Stoker, an Anglo-Irish author and numbers from “Sesame Street” and LARRY LEROY PEARSON LEROY LARRY theatre manager with a flair for the swooned over the “Twilight” saga dramatic, merged Slavic legends of should be down with the Count.

inside people’s brains,” have favored Pontiacs over pedestrians. says Ward Lyles, associate Walk Lawrence organizers hope to add professor of urban planning. to the conversation about walkability now “e signs can help address some of those underway in Lawrence, while touting the barriers. ey can ip that switch. ‘Oh, I many bene ts of hoo ng it: exercise, Foot tra c could walk from the library to South Park. weight loss, cleaner air and a greater sense It can be done.’” of community, to name a few. “I         More daunting, Lyles says, are external Best of all, when students get older, they music and dancing,” proclaims the brightly barriers such as “suburban sprawl-oriented can bore their grandchildren with stories colored sign on Jayhawk Boulevard. A development patterns” that for 70 years of walking to school—or to live music and bold arrow points the dancing—uphill, both ways. way, or smartphone users can scan a QR code for a map and RYAN EMILY Public enemy No. 2 step-by-step direc- tions to Mass Street. W    , pigeons poop, Part of the Walk and because they and other feathered Lawrence campaign friends fancy the Mississippi Street and organized by KU’s Allen Field House parking garages, both urban planning structures are stained by association. department, e Commons and the Parking ocials are well aware of the Biodiversity Institute, temporary signs problem, but solving the ongoing stink has posted on campus and downtown remind no easy solution. people that cars and buses aren’t the only “What we’re trying to do is get the way to get around. pigeons to move on,” says Danny Kaiser, “ere are internal barriers [to walking] ’89, associate director of parking and

8 | KANSAS ALUMNI people out and talking to each other,” says Julia Ireland, owner of the Torched Goodness crème brulee truck and the

CHRIS LAZZARINO food-truck-themed restaurant Fork to Fender. “People are standing on the streets or sitting in a parking spot, and people come up and say, ‘Wow, that really looks good. What is that?’ And they get to talking. You don’t do that in a restaurant.” at’s one of the reasons KU Dining Services invited four Lawrence food trucks to visit campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and ursdays last fall. e trucks parked outside the Ambler Student Recreation Center and in Lot 54, between Jay Draskovich, owner of Drasko’s, and Torched Goodness’ Julia Ireland Murphy and Green halls. ey will return in the spring, along transit. “We don’t want to hurt the come by, he really knocks down the with two expected newcomers. Hours and pigeons.” population for a little while.” locations might vary, and talks are By the time spring semester begins, Beak ’em, hawks! underway to allow students to use their parking ocials hope to have installed two KU Dining cards at the food trucks, which deterrents: wire-mesh “hardware cloth,” Ireland found to be a big boost to business shoved into nooks and crannies where Keep on truckin’ when she and her husband, Le Cordon birds nest, and lightly electried “Bird Jolt” Bleu-trained chef Eric Ireland, launched strips axed to at surfaces. L      Check. Local Torched Goodness in 2010 near the Washing the bird poop out of the entrepreneurs teamed with energetic campus of Arizona State University. structures is no easy x. Dirty water lled chefs? Yep. But there’s another ingredient As the recipe for success at KU is ne with bird and car droppings can’t be fueling food-truck fandom: tuned, we’re betting that zest for campus allowed to drain into sewers, so KU will “It really does build community. It gets food trucks will only rev higher. use a special tank, attached to drain pipes, to lter the lthy garage These sharps are on key gunk. Natural hey’ve been on Taylor Swift’s tour bus, solutions are won Olathe’s Got Talent and KU’s Got usually the best, T SHARP SISTERS COURTESY Talent, and even attended the Grammys. which is why But when it comes to show business Kaiser and his thrills, Amanda and Kelley Sharp say it’s colleagues are eager for hard to top rocking the best room on the return of an occasional visitor to the campus in front of friends, family and Allen Field House garage—a hawk, which fellow students. one morning was seen standing like a Amanda and Kelley Sharp The Olathe sophomores, twins who statue near the garage entrance. e big perform as The Sharp Sisters, played a half-dozen original songs to warm up for bad bird remained so still for so long that David Cook, 2008 winner of American Idol, at the Lied Center in October. parking employees became concerned. “It was a pretty cool experience,” Kelley says. “We usually play for, like, five people “ ey had somebody from animal in a bar on Wednesday night. It was fun to play for a bigger crowd.” control come out and take a look at him,” Aside from their parents and friends, most attendees were unfamiliar with their Kaiser recalls, “and they said, ‘No, he’s just country-tinged pop material. But by the end of their set, they’d won the crowd over. gorged himself and he can’t y.’” “They kept asking if we have an album, and we had to say, ‘No, not yet,’” Amanda e eld house garage has fewer pigeons says. The sisters are now recording an EP they hope to release someday. “We’re like, than the Mississippi Street structure, and ‘Just go like us on Facebook. That’ll do for now. Then we’ll let you know.’” Kaiser has little doubt the bird of prey is at Stay tuned. least one reason why: “When he does

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 9 Hilltopics

Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little heard from students, faculty and sta at a town hall forum that drew more than 1,000 participants to the Kansas Union in November. MEG KUMIN, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS KUMIN, MEG included the University’s low retention rates for students of color and a lack of multicultural training for students, faculty and sta . Both are areas Porras aims to address as OMA director. She also hopes to increase funding for new programs and sta members. Nate omas, vice provost for diversity and equity, who’s leading a campus climate study, cites Porras’ proven accomplish- ments in social justice when discussing KU’s plans to promote diversity and Dicult dialogues inclusion on campus. “I’m very happy to have her on board knowing that we have Veteran sta member to lead multicultural oce these areas to address on campus,” he says. “She brings an exceptional skill set. She’s as KU strives to improve campus climate already been doing fantastic things as it relates to training our faculty, sta and fter serving as interim director for and the academic unit,” she says. “We’re students. Last year they trained over 3,300 Aeight months, Precious Porras in looking at how we can help students and freshmen during Jayhawk Jumpstart.” December was named the new director of have someone be their voice to faculty.” Providing guidance and training for all KU’s Oce of Multicultural A airs Many of the struggles underrepresented students, not just marginalized groups, is (OMA). students face came to light Nov. 11 in a another priority for Porras. “Before we Porras began working at OMA in 2005 heated town hall forum. Chancellor were focused on serving mainly students with Hawk Link, an academic retention Bernadette Gray-Little moderated the of color,” she says. “Now we’re serving program to assist students of color and event, which drew more than 1,000 every single student on campus, because rst-generation college students. She was students, faculty and sta . During the dis- every student is multicultural. We’ve promoted to assistant director of diversity cussion, a student group known as Rock expanded the marginalized populations education in 2006, and in 2013 she became Chalk Invisible Hawk (RCIH) temporarily that we work with. Now we also work with associate director of diversity education took the stage and announced a list of 15 students with disabilities, students from and social justice programs. rough the demands, which included hiring a new di erent religious backgrounds and the past decade, she has played an integral role OMA director by the end of 2015. LGBT population.” in developing programs for freshman In a statement issued two days aer the Porras notes that students are eager to students and coordinating workshops for forum, Gray-Little said, “If there was one create an inclusive environment at KU, faculty, sta and students. thing I took from Wednesday’s forum, it’s and she intends to keep an open dialogue One of Porras’ main priorities in her that students, faculty and sta want action, with them. “One of my priorities is to meet new role is to hire a cultural competency and they want it now. As I said Wednesday with RCIH to talk about how we, the coordinator. “Given the conversation this evening, I am committed to continuing OMA, can support their cause,” she says. year about racial issues on campus, we’re our ongoing e orts to address racism and “I am excited to meet with lots of groups looking for someone who can make that discrimination at KU.” and have continued conversation on connection between cultural competency Other concerns cited at the forum supporting their e orts.”

10 | KANSAS ALUMNI e campus climate study is just one part of the University’s plan to reduce Timeline intolerance and discrimination on campus. e rst phase of the study—which Nov. 11 • Town hall on race, respect, responsibility and free speech draws more than included education, marketing and 1,000 to Woodru Auditorium and overflow rooms in the Kansas Union. Rock securing the services of Rankin & Chalk Invisible Hawk (RCIH), a student group, interrupts the forum to Associates Consulting—began early last announce 15 demands. fall and will continue this spring with focus groups and survey development. Nov. 13 • Chancellor issues message to campus and vows to share plans for action in response to students’ concerns. e campus climate task force, led by • The department of African and African-American studies and the department omas and Mike Rounds, associate vice of American studies release statements criticizing KU’s response to racism on provost for human resource management, campus and supporting students’ demands. and composed of faculty, sta and • KU Student Senate Executive Committee demands the resignations of Senate student representatives, expects to conduct President Jessie Pringle, Vice President Zach George and Chief of Sta Adam the survey on all KU campuses in fall Moon. The committee pledges support of RCIH’s demands. 2016. Nov. 16 • The Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO) issues statement in In early December, following additional support of students. protests by RCIH, Sara omas Rosen, • Pringle, George and Moon issue their multicultural action plan in response to incoming interim provost, described the concerns raised at forum. impact of the climate study in an email to Nov. 18 • Racial tension on university campuses becomes part of discussion at Kansas students, faculty and sta. “ ese conver- Board of Regents meeting. Pringle, as chair of the Students’ Advisory Council of sations and, ultimately, the survey the Regents, tells the board that students are hurting. “This conversation is responses will provide our oces with occurring across the nation, and we’re not in a vacuum,” Pringle said, as deep data on the experiences of students, reported by the Lawrence Journal-World. “This discussion is important and needs to be had. I think the state of Kansas has a real opportunity right now.” • Student Senate meeting lasts more than five hours. Pringle, George and Moon refuse to resign, and the Senate passes a bill of impeachment. STEVE PUPPE STEVE Nov. 20 • Andrea Quenette, assistant professor of communication studies, is placed on leave following a complaint regarding her use of discriminatory language. Nov. 23 • School of Social Welfare students present list of five demands to Dean Paul Smokowski after the school failed to issue statement of solidarity with RCIH. Nov. 24 • School of Social Welfare releases statement in response to demands. • KU announces diversity, equity and inclusion advisory group will be led by Sheahon Zenger and Clarence Lang. Nov. 30 • First finalist for KU’s OMA director, Festus Addo-Yobo, New Mexico State Porras University, visits campus. • Schools of Social Welfare, Education and Business host forums on diversity faculty and sta at KU—both overall and and equity. within our marginalized communities,” Dec. 1 • Second finalist for OMA director, Andre Brown, Arizona State University, visits she said. Her message also announced campus. members of a new diversity, equity and Dec. 4 • Third finalist for OMA director, Precious Porras, is endorsed by RCIH. inclusion advisory group that will identify and report discrimination on campus and Dec. 9 • RCIH and supporters begin protest at Wescoe Hall and lead march into recommend solutions. Clarence Lang, classrooms, School of Social Welfare dean’s o¤ce and Strong Hall, where they confront Sara Thomas Rosen, incoming interim provost, and other chair of the department of African and administrators with their concerns. African-American studies, and Sheahon • Student Senate defers impeachment proceedings and passes legislation to Zenger, PhD’96, athletics director, lead the improve inclusion on campus with the creation of a wheelchair basketball team new group. and adoption of gender-neutral language. Kansas Alumni will continue to report on campus debate and initiatives as events Dec. 11 • Rosen issues message announcing KU’s plan, including details of the campus climate study timeline. She also names members of the diversity, equity and unfold. inclusion advisory group. —Heather Biele and —H.B. Jennifer Jackson Sanner

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 11 Hilltopics Flanked by KU law professors Jean Philllips, Elizabeth Cateforis, Alice Craig and other members of the School of Law’s Project for Innocence, Floyd Bledsoe left the Oskaloosa courthouse a free man after serving 15 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. MARK SCHOTTE, BARK PRODUCTIONS BARK MARK SCHOTTE,

killing Arfmann and provided details about the crime scene that were veried by Je erson County Sheri ’s detectives and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. During the past eight years of Floyd Bledsoe’s arduous appeal process, a law student worked with him each year, Cateforis explains, and several students wrote pivotal memos or briefs for hearings before the Kansas Supreme Court, which upheld the conviction; the U.S. District Proven innocent Court, which in June 2008 ordered Bledsoe’s release and a new trial; and the Law school helps win freedom for man wrongly convicted 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which agreed with the Supreme Court and sent Bledsoe back to prison in June 2009. loyd Bledsoe, who had served more care,” Bledsoe says. “ey are superb e appeal gained true momentum in Fthan 15 years in prison for a murder p e op l e .” fall 2013, when Kaiti Smith, l’13, who had he did not commit, started a new life Dec. e KU team, with critical funding from studied forensic science as an undergradu- 8, when Je erson County District Court the Midwest Innocence Project, helped ate at Baylor University and worked on Judge Gary Nafziger, who had presided secure Bledsoe’s freedom by obtaining Bledsoe’s case for two years at KU, led a over Bledsoe’s 2000 trial, ordered his DNA tests of semen from a rape kit that motion seeking additional evidence and release. had not been thoroughly analyzed DNA testing. Peter Conley, l’14, and Emily Professors and students from KU’s Paul following the murder, along with testing of Barclay, l’15, helped coordinate the E. Wilson Project for Innocence and new evidence. An independent lab in transfer of evidence to the lab. Post-Conviction Relief Remedies in the California ultimately determined that the “Since I met Floyd, there was not a day School of Law have worked on Bledsoe’s semen likely belonged to Floyd Bledsoe’s that went by that I didn’t think of him,” case since 2007, helping him appeal his brother, Tom, who convictions of rst-degree murder, had initially confessed aggravated kidnapping and aggravated to the crime before indecent liberties in the death of 14-year- changing his story to old Zetta “Camille” Arfmann, his implicate Floyd and sister-in-law. testifying against him. rough the years, Bledsoe relied on the Soon aer the KU KU Innocence Project, including law Innocence Project’s students and professors Jean Phillips, l’90, report in late October, PRODUCTIONS BARK MARK SCHOTTE, director and clinical professor; Elizabeth Tom Bledsoe’s body Cateforis, l’94, clinical associate professor; was found Nov. 9 in and Alice Craig, g’90, l’95, supervising Bonner Springs. He attorney. had committed “Any time people are willing to go with suicide, leaving you—not just the distance but beyond— behind letters in that speaks volumes as to how much they which he confessed to

12 | KANSAS ALUMNI says Smith, now an attorney Milestones, money with the public defender’s o ce in Louisville, Kentucky. “He will and other matters always hold a big place in my PUPPE STEVE heart.” e experience also le a lasting impact on the faculty

members. “ese cases are few EARL RICHARDSON and far between, and this certainly has been—I think I can say for all of us—the highlight of our careers,” says Cateforis, who credits Craig and the students as lifelines for Bledsoe. n Higuchi Awards went to two KU “He called us almost every faculty members during a November day the past two years,” Craig ceremony at the Lied Center. Michael says. “It was hard for him when Phillips, Cateforis and Craig Wehmeyer, Ross and Marianna Beach things slowed down. ... e pace Professor of Special Education, received is di cult for a lot of our clients the Balfour Je rey Award in Humanities because they don’t always know what’s lawsuits. “We’re friends now, and we’re and Social Sciences. Paulette Spencer, going on in their cases.” helping him gure out where he wants to founding director of KU’s Bioengineer- Since December, Bledsoe has visited take his life,” Craig says. “It’s a pretty ing Research Center, won the Dolph Lawrence to meet with the attorneys and special experience to be part of this time Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences. students as they help connect him with with him.” Established in 1981 by KU distinguished resources and consider potential civil —Jennifer Jackson Sanner professor Takeru Higuchi and his wife, Aya, the KU Endowment-administered awards recognize long-term research accomplishments by faculty at Kansas CLASS CREDIT Board of Regents universities.

n An $8.9 million grant from the U.S. opolang Mohlabeng, a Fulbright and accelerator research. Department of Education will fund a Fellow from South Africa who Mohlabeng’s work centers on dark G four-year study by the University came to KU to matter, which he calls Innovation Alliance at KU and 10 other pursue a PhD in “the cosmic glue” that campuses. The study will evaluate the physics, has earned holds the universe to- e ectiveness of analytics-based the Fermilab gether. advising to increase retention, progres- Graduate Student “If you look up on a sion and graduation rates for low- Fellowship in dark night, you see a lot income and first-generation college Theoretical Physics. of stars and some plan- students. For U.S. students ets,” Mohlabeng said in a in the research phase KU news release. “All of n Steven Soper, PhD’90, professor of of graduate study in MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS COURTESY that, including billions of chemistry and biomedical engineering theoretical particle other stars and galaxies at the University of North Carolina- physics or theoreti- that are too far away to Mohlabeng Chapel Hill, will become KU’s 12th Foun- cal astrophysics, the be seen with the naked dation Distinguished Professor. Soper’s program provides a stipend, travel eye, only forms about 4 percent of our work involves the development of allowance and tuition support. entire universe. high-tech diagnostic devices for cancer, In August Mohlabeng will begin a “The rest of the universe is composed stroke and infectious diseases. He will year-long residence at Fermilab. Lo- of ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy.’” join the department of chemistry July 1, cated in Illinois and funded by the U.S. At KU Mohlabeng works with physics and also will hold an appointment in the Department of Energy, it is America’s and astronomy professors Kyoungchul department of mechanical engineering. premier laboratory for particle physics Kong and John Ralston.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 13 Hilltopics

homophobic than we used to be. We have one remaining bigotry: We don’t

STEVE PUPPE STEVE want to be around anyone who disagrees with us.” Bill Clinton accepted Aer leaving oce in 2001, Clinton the Dole Leadership founded the Clinton Foundation to Prize with a speech address global issues of health, economics that extolled Bob and the environment. He has teamed with Dole’s bipartisanship several prominent Republicans, including Dole, with whom he worked on the as a model for how Families of Freedom Fund, which funds today’s political parties education for survivors of those killed in can more eœectively 9/11. work together. e Dole Leadership Prize annually recognizes a person or group whose public service leadership inspires others. Former DOLE INSTITUTE the door on something that could help a winners include Nelson Mandela, Lech real person,” said Clinton, who faced Dole, Walesa, George H.W. Bush and George Former president Clinton accepts ’45, in the 1996 general election to secure McGovern. It comes with a $25,000 award, Dole Leadership Prize at Lied his second term in the White House. which Clinton donated back to the Dole Clinton contrasted Dole’s “moderate” Institute to start a new Women and S    packed house at approach to governing with the political Leadership Lecture Series. the Lied Center Nov. 23 to accept the 2015 polarization that he said is now “present Clinton was chosen for “his legacy of Dole Leadership Prize, former president not just in Washington but in American bipartisanship and economic expansion,” Bill Clinton devoted much of his speech to life.” according to the institute’s prize citation. praising the long record of bipartisanship “Look at how many of our collective “Much of his work as president—including and public service of his one-time political bigotries we’ve been able to overcome in his balancing of the budget and eorts to rival, former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole. America in the last 100 years. We are less reach across the aisle—mirrors the “One of the things I always liked about racist than we used to be. We are less sexist mission of the Dole Institute and the Bob Dole is that he could ght you like than we used to be. We are less religiously values of Sen. Dole,” said institute director there’s no tomorrow, but he never closed bigoted than we used to be. We are less Bill Lacy.

VISITOR

PC PIONEER WHERE: The Lied Center ANECDOTE: Janet and Steve met when both spoke on a Apple co-founder Steve BACKGROUND: Wozniak MacMania cruise. A Baldwin Wozniak, designer of the designed Apple I and II, the City native and former science, company’s first line of personal computers that math and computer teacher, computers, visited campus with launched Apple in 1976 and Janet worked in IT and learning

his wife, Janet, g’94, for the helped shape the tech industry. technologies at Apple. “I told MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS KUMIN, MEG Anderson Chandler Lecture His partnership with co-founder her I’d move to Kansas rather Series. The couple awarded four Steve Jobs started earlier, when than lose her,” Wozniak said. “The Apple II was the one I $5,000 scholarships during the they built and sold a device for designed from the ground up as second of two presentations. making free phone calls. Since QUOTES: “Before we even a computer. It had such leaving Apple in 1985, Wozniak shipped the Apple I out of the beautiful things, because you SPONSORS: The Self has been involved in business garage, we knew it was a had to attract people in the Engineering Leadership Fellows and philanthropic ventures, dead-end project; we sold it home with fun. I believe in fun and the School of Business particularly in schools. In 2000 anyway, because Steve Jobs going with productivity he was inducted into the was a great salesman. He could everywhere.” WHEN: Nov. 20 Inventors Hall of Fame. sell anything,” Wozniak said. —Steven Hill {

14 | KANSAS ALUMNI STUDENT LIFE Milestones, money Vet services attracts accolades, and other matters plans new student center

H   this fall in several n Kevin Smith will join KU in May as forums suggest KU is a national leader in the new dean of libraries. Currently the meeting the needs of students who’ve director of copyright and scholarly NICK KRUG, LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD LAWRENCE NICK KRUG, served in the military. Plans for a new communication at student veterans center on campus are a Duke University, Smith bid by the University to keep it that way. succeeds Lorraine KU was ranked a top ve “best-value” Haricombe, who left in

school for veterans by Money Magazine, a 2014 to become vice MAR/COMM COURTESY provost and director of Welch top 10 school by Military Times, a Military the University of Texas Friendly School by Victory Media and a Smith TEACHING Top School by the 2016 Military Advanced Libraries. Education and Transition Guide to HOPE Award recognizes Colleges and Universities. n Two faculty members were elected professor of classics “e rankings are because of what we’ve Fellows of the National Academy of done so far,” says Mike Denning, c’83, Inventors: Val Stella, University Distin- T  W, professor and chair of the director of the O ce of Military Graduate guished Professor in the department department of classics, was announced as Programs and president of the Alumni of pharmaceutical chemistry, and Bala the winner of the 2015 HOPE Award Association’s Veterans Alumni Network. Subramaniam, the Dan F. Servey Distin- during the Oct. 17 football game against “e University leadership has provided guished Professor in the department of Texas Tech in Memorial Stadium. resources a lot of other schools don’t have.” chemical and petroleum engineering. Established by the Class of 1959, the ose resources include partial funding They are the first KU faculty to receive HOPE Award is the only KU honor for for a new Student Veteran Center planned the honor, which recognizes people teaching excellence given exclusively by for Summereld Hall in 2017. e center whose inventions “have made a tangible students. Representatives of the Board of will allow the O ce of Military Graduate impact on quality of life, economic de- Class O cers and its senior advisory Programs to introduce new services for velopment and welfare of society.” board select the winner aer interviewing KU’s 1,000 veteran and active-military nalists nominated by the senior class. students and dependents, and consolidate n Research funding was basically flat Welch teaches Latin at all levels as well some existing services that currently are for fiscal 2015, as externally sponsored as courses in Roman and Greek literature scattered across campus. It will also research expenditures at all KU cam- and civilization. Her research interests are include a new student lounge to replace puses totaled $238.8 million, dipping in Latin poetry, the city of Rome, and the student veterans lounge displaced by only $48,000 from 2014 levels despite Roman mythology. the December closing of Burge Union. heightened competition for federal “Tara is loved by the entirety of the Fundraising for the remaining $300,000- funding brought on by the ongoing classics department,” says Jennifer Wiebe, plus project is underway. federal budget sequester. KU ranked a Wichita senior in classics. “She is, in “A lot of student services have not 38th among national public research many of our opinions, the gem of KU. I necessarily been targeted specically for universities in federally funded research feel she should be honored for all the work veterans,” Denning says. “e new center for the second consecutive year, accord- she puts into making each student feel will bring those services under one roof ing to a survey released in November by welcomed, appreciated and validated as and also provide a specic focus for the National Science Foundation. both a student and a colleague.” veterans.” n 1,250 candidates for degree were scheduled to receive diplomas this January, according to the Univer- sity Registrar. KU’s newest graduates “Whatever you do in life, try to have fun. Pranks are represent 50 Kansas counties, 41 other states and territories, and 18 foreign creativity, because you create them from nothing.” countries. All are invited to walk down the Hill during formal Commencement —Steve Wozniak {}ceremonies May 15.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 15 Sports by Chris Lazzarino

Circle Feb. 13 STEVE PUPPE STEVE With Big 12 title likely on the line, OU will look to avenge KU’s triple-overtime victory

entucky looms—but suddenly the Kmade-for-TV Jan. 30 showdown is no longer the most anticipated game of men’s basketball’s regular season. Even more shocking: e game Jayhawks are now salivating for isn’t even in Allen Field House. It’s Feb. 13, in Norman, Oklahoma. e rematch. “I want it bad,” said Oklahoma’s All- Everything senior guard Buddy Hield, who dropped 46 on KU in the instant- classic thriller in the eld house. “We have to split this time and win the league.” Jayhawks and Sooners alike understand and it wasn’t long before a straightforward Frank Mason III (0) played 53 of 55 minutes how such an epic test of wills changes basketball game between strong rivals took against Oklahoma and saved his best for last: things: “Jan. 4,” coach Bill Self sighed, “is on the air of an old-school 15-rounder for deflecting and stealing an inbounds pass by too early to be having games like this.” the heavyweight title. Buddy Hield. “He’s a winner,” said coach Bill Even moments aer its conclusion aer According to the Associated Press poll, Self (getting his money’s worth on a technical three hours and three overtimes, Game 1 it was No. 1 (KU) vs. No. 2 (OU). With the foul, right). “He wouldn’t grade very high of the 2016 KU-OU series, a 109-106 KU USA Today coaches’ poll included, it was tonight—until it was game point.” victory, already ranked alongside Allen No. 1 vs. No. 1, only the second such Field House classics of the Bill Self era: matchup in the polls’ combined histories. On March 4, 2007, No. 3 KU rallied Trading punches in urries, the ’Hawks from a 16-point decit to top 15th-ranked and Sooners grabbed leads from each Texas, 90-86. Although the win secured other 13 times, and both teams rallied KU’s third-consecutive Big 12 title (and from decits of 10 or more points. overtime. Aer two ties and four lead rst outright since 2003), the game is best KU led by 11, 37-26, with three minutes changes in the third overtime, two remembered for Kevin Durant’s 25-point remaining in the rst half. anks in part Devonte’ Graham foul shots gave his rst-half performance and the standing to a three-point swing sparked by a ’Hawks a one-point lead with 15 seconds ovation he received from the KU crowd technical foul dropped on Self for his vocal remaining. Aer an OU timeout, Sooners’ aer returning from an ankle injury protest of what he termed a “ridiculous coach Lon Kruger asked Hield to inbound midway through the second half. call” on Frank Mason III—“I think I the ball from the sideline, near midcourt; On Feb. 25, 2012, KU’s sensory-overload probably deserved it,” the 13th-year coach admonished by the ref to give Hield plenty overtime triumph against No. 3 Missouri, said later. “I hadn’t had one in like three of room in the tight quarters, Mason did 87-86, gave the fourth-ranked Jayhawks at years, so there was a lot of pent-up as told—right until the ref whistled for the least a share of the Big 12 title in the nal frustration”—the Sooners went on an 18-3 action to start. game against their border rivals. tear to take a four-point lead into halime. “Aer he handed the ball in, there’s is season’s Jan. 4 classic wasn’t for the Kansas did not regain the lead until 3:29 nothing he can do so I stepped closer and conference title—at least not yet. But it remained in regulation, 73-72, and the went all out to deny it,” Mason explained. was Big Monday, with ESPN in the house Jayhawks later had to rally from ve down “And got the deection and got the steal.” for an 8 p.m. tipo on a cold winter night, with 2:24 remaining in the second Said Self, “Frank really labored tonight.

16 | KANSAS ALUMNI is was probably about as poorly as he’s played, oensively. Five of 20, turned the ball over, had some bonehead plays. But he “If we’d have lost the game, I would have walked had the two plays to win the game. He’s a into that locker room and said, ‘You’ll never forget pit bull.” A er scooping up the deected pass, this one. This’ll be a proud one to be part of.’” Mason charged down the court, slowed —coach Bill Self only by a Hield foul. He made both free {} throws, Hield missed a well-guarded three-point attempt with two seconds remaining, and the KU celebration “Given what’s at erupted—but not for long. Exhausted stake, and given the players and proud coaches from both sides stage and all, I PUPPE STEVE embraced their opponents, and KU fans don’t know that I’ve gave Hield a standing ovation when he been in one better, nally le the court a er an interview. other than the “It was an epic game,” Self said as the result, of course,” clock ticked toward midnight. “e only Kruger said. “It was game I’ve been a part of in this building a grind both ways. that rivals it—and we’ve had a lot of great Each team had a ones—would be the last Missouri game. little bit of a lead, But this one was more of a respect game. each team came Both teams were exhausted, but both back, and I think teams had total respect for the other. If the guys’ eort was we’d have lost the game, I would have outstanding.” walked into that locker room and said, Said Mason: ‘You’ll never forget this one. is’ll be a “Craziest game I’ve Selden proud one to be a part of.’” ever been a part of.” Coach Kruger, who has tussled with As is their style, even Jayhawks who minutes in the conference opener, Jan. 2 Kansas since he played at Kansas State in rode the bench were jubilant for the against Baylor; and never saw the court the mid-1970s, wore a satised smile. He victory, none more so than McDonald’s a er the rst half of the OU game. Neither knows better than most how dicult it is All-American freshman forward Cheick did Carlton Bragg Jr., KU’s other McDon- to win in Lawrence, but, despite the Diallo. A er he was forced to sit out two ald’s All-American freshman forward, missed opportunity, he remained proud. exhibition games and ve regular-season whose production and minutes in Decem- games while the NCAA picked through ber essentially mirrored Diallo’s. his high-school transcripts, Diallo on Nov. “I want those guys to come around,” Self 25 was nally declared eligible, eective says. “If they do play closer to their

STEVE PUPPE STEVE Dec. 1, against Loyola. ceilings and learn how to play with the He opened his career with 13 points, six other guys, then I think our team will be rebounds and three blocks in 13 minutes, really, really good. But I don’t want to say and fans stood and madly cheered when that I’m going to sacrice losses or put our he entered the game with 12:57 remaining team in jeopardy because of that. in the rst half and when he le for good “Don’t give up on those guys, because I with two minutes le in the game. really think that at some point in time “He’s not going to score 13 points in during conference play—and hopefully every game,” Self cautioned a erward. “He sooner rather than later—they’re going to did ne. He did good. He tries hard. He’s give us something that we haven’t seen by just so raw.” anybody else. But it’s just not quite A er scoring 12 points in 18 minutes happened yet.” Dec. 9 against Holy Cross, Diallo’s minutes “He’s still young,” junior Wayne Selden and production dwindled. He scored six Jr. says of Diallo. “People might expect a points in eight minutes in the nal lot out of him, but he’s still an 18-year-old nonconference game, Dec. 29 against kid not really used to the college game. UC-Irvine; tallied four points in six Got to be patient with him.”

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 17 Sports KU’s best yet

Lokedi’s 10th at NCAA meet is JACOBSEN LAURA tops for women’s cross country

reshman Sharon Lokedi on Nov. 21 Fplaced 10th at the NCAA women’s cross country championships in Louisville, Kentucky, marking the best nish ever by a KU woman at the season-ending championship meet. As a team, the Jayhawks nished 27th in their rst NCAA team outing in 21 years. “Anytime you can do something that’s never been done before in the history of the women’s program, you know you had a special day,” said coach Stanley Redwine. NCAA nish in 1992. Coach Stanley Redwine told Sharon Lokedi “Hopefully this is a sign of the women’s “I’m just this new freshman,” Lokedi (above) to run with the leaders from the program moving to more great things.” said, “and to be able to run with these outset at the NCAA meet in Louisville, and With a 6K time of 20 minutes, 4.9 All-American girls is amazing.” she maintained her position in the lead pack seconds, Lokedi, of Kenya, was named the Senior Evan Landes, of Mulvane, the to finish 10th. “I felt good from the start of second All-American in the history of KU only member of the men’s team participat- the race,” she said. “I was excited and so women’s cross country. Julia Saul Mechler, ing at the NCAA meet, nished 136th, pumped up.” d’95, was the rst, with an 18th-place with a 10K time of 31:17.7.

UPDATES

hrough the at Capitol Florida. Fonseca Diaz won the junior fullback Michael Zunica TJayhawks’ first Federal tournament with a birdie on the were named honorable 14 games, freshman Natatorium in first playo“ hole. ... Volleyball mention. ...

guard Jayde JEFF JACOBSEN Topeka. Miller on Jan. 5 released its 2016 Big Rock Chalk Park was chosen Christopher leads won four 12 schedule, and the headline as host of the USA Track & Field women’s basketball individual events match is Oct. 29 against NCAA Junior Olympics, July 23-30, with 31 assists, and and was on KU’s runner-up and Big 12 champ 2017. The home of KU track and she recorded only winning Texas, the only team to beat KU field is also the site for the four turnovers in the 800-yard at home in 2015. ... NCAA West Preliminary first three Big 12 freestyle relay Junior Zainab Sanni was Championship in May. ... Senior games. Sophomore team. Yulduz named National Female Athlete midfielder Liana Salazar was guard Lauren Kuchkarova, a of the Week after winning the named All-Central Region First Aldridge is KU’s Christopher junior, won two 60- and 200-meter sprints at Team by the National Soccer leading scorer, at individual events the Bob Timmons Challenge, Coaches Association of 11.4 points per game. Freshman and helped power KU to victory Dec. 4 in Anschutz Sports America. Salazar scored or guard Kylee Kopatich is close in the 200-yard individual Pavilion. Sanni also ran the assisted in eight of KU’s final 11 behind at 10.8. ... medley relay. ... With senior leado“ leg on KU’s victorious matches. ... Jon Cornish, c’07, a Senior All-American Yupaporn Kawinpakorn 4x400-meter relay squad. ... second-round pick in the 2006 swimmer Chelsie Miller was caddying the first two days, Junior safety Fish Smithson Canadian Football League draft, named Big 12 Swimmer of the freshman Ariadna Fonseca was named second-team in December announced his Week following her dominating Diaz won the Orlando All-Big 12. Senior defensive end retirement. The future CFL Hall performance at the three-day International Amateur, Dec. Ben Goodman Jr., sophomore of Famer rushed for 6,844 Big Challenge meet, Nov. 20-22 28-30 in Winter Garden, tight end Ben Johnson and yards in his nine-year career.

18 | KANSAS ALUMNI Sports Photographs by Steve Puppe

Perry Ellis and Devonte’ Graham (clockwise from top left) working the high-low; Wayne Selden Jr. shooting over the defense; coach Bill Self congratulating Buddy Hield; a scrum in the paint; Landen Lucas showing his soft touch inside; and Frank Mason III flashing his moves with the ball. “It’s a postseason environment,” Mason said. “1 vs. 2, in the field house. Probably the best game I’ve ever played in.”

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 19 At First Light by Chris Lazzarino | Portraits by Steve Puppe | Landscapes by Michael Strickland

20 | KANSAS ALUMNI he image is out there somewhere, waiting patiently for its Michael Strickland’s eventual capture. Or, it was supposed to be. Until these photography Tstorms mucked everything up. Our photography trip to the Flint Hills had been planned since July. adventures invite Of course we had no idea then that Sept. 18 would wake up so cranky, others to see wild predawn supercells ickering menacingly on the horizon, every horizon. Twenty miles past Topeka, six of us barreling along in the landscapes through Alumni Association’s sturdy white SUV, the rain begins. Lightning his eyes illuminates sheets of black rain, and powerful vertical bolts shimmy and shine and slam to the ground.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 21 “Final Days of Harvest,” Douglas County

All is quiet inside the truck, except for stashed away in his mental catalog of wild, as we’re recounting the foray, Hansen the sound of rain and cool tunes from a open spaces worth a return trip. teases her husband-to-be, “We all thought Carmell Jones jazz CD. Lining the middle Despite the raging storm, it is impera- you were nuts.”) bench are three tired travelers, two of tive we arrive as close to the 6:30 a.m. We make our way back to the county whom landed in Kansas City a er a “civil twilight” as possible. e forecast blacktop, backtrack for a few minutes, redeye from Los Angeles only hours had called for a 40 percent chance of rain, then try Road A. It is better only in the earlier. Michael Strickland, his ancée, Jes with “scattered thunderstorms possible” at context of Road D, but at least it goes Hansen, and best man, Ethan Myers, are Olpe, southwest of Emporia, but there is somewhere. Dawn approaches, and the awake but silent. nothing scattered about what’s happening tension returns, but this time it is a Strickland, e’15, is a landscape photog- all around and on top of us. Two miles satisfying presence, a spot of adventure rapher who shoots only on lm, and before the Emporia service exit, our SUV spicing up a work day. almost exclusively with a large-format thunders like a foolhardy surfer through a As we navigate a slowly improving series camera. When he sets out to get the shot, crashing wave of storm runo ; a lesser of dirt and gravel roads, the SUV begins he means exactly that: the shot. His 8x10 vehicle could well have ended up in peril. climbing into the Flint Hills. It is the lm costs about $20 a sheet, when “Any kind of atmosphere,” Strickland unforgettable view to the west that catches purchased in bulk. Aer hauling more says soly, soothing our frayed nerves, “is your breath while driving south on I-35 than 70 pounds of gear, usually aer a always good.” past Emporia; this time, though, we’re in good deal of hiking and oen a night or Leaving the interstate highway is a relief. the middle of it, just as the sky begins to two of camping, he will come away from e sign outside a country gas station and lighten and the storm rumbles away to the most excursions with one, perhaps two, convenience store touts the latest hybrid north and east. exposed images. McMorsel, a “smoked sausage waewich.” We stop here and there so Strickland “Especially with large format, it slows We giggle; the tension eases. Surely the can scramble out of the truck, pace around you down, walking out on a hike, looking worst is past. and sni out a specic place known only for something,” Strickland explains. “It’s a Strickland is directing us now with to him—and, we begin to suspect, perhaps very emotional process, slow and time- cellphone maps supplemented by his not even that. consuming, and so my images become memory of previous visits, and we leave a “You’re getting the full experience,” emotional. It’s a unique experience.” two-lane highway and head south down Hansen comments as Strickland is out As is oen the case when he heads out something called “Road D.” Do not looking at a rock or tree or sloping hillside to hunt down an image, a eeting moment attempt Road D, especially in the wake of that look pretty much like every rock or to be captured and preserved forever, soaking rains. It is a tractor path cut tree or sloping hillside for miles around us. Strickland already has a destination in straight through a farm eld, and it ends “We get lost, he’ll get out of the car a mind, a spot he’d previously visited and unceremoniously. (Later in the morning, couple of times ...”

22 | KANSAS ALUMNI “Final Days of Harvest,” Douglas County “McWay Falls,” Big Sur, California

And then ... we’re there. It is suddenly obvious. Yellow-owering broomweed, growing lushly this wet, late summer, carpets the terrain. Looking toward the storm loping along the eastern horizon, a lone Osage orange hedge tree is silhouetted by distant lightning. e truck empties quickly, and Strick- land begins assembling his gear. He is silent, lost in his own thoughts, already composing the shot in his mind. Dawn is here. It is time to work.

o faithful readers of Kansas Alumni, TMichael Strickland’s name might seem familiar. at’s because we rst pro led him in our Rock Chalk Review section in issue No. 3, 2013. He was an engineering student then, and caught our attention with a small exhibition in Pachamama’s restaurant. “Sea of Gold,” Montana de Oro State Park, California His talent was obvious, and his story was equally intriguing. He grew up in ve months,” he told us in 2013. “It’s the camera and carried it everywhere, Liberal, where he proved to be a promising little things, being able to see the stars or especially on his evening drives through saxophone player, and in fall 2009 he le watch the sunset. at’s why I’ve really the Douglas County countryside and on for New York City to study jazz perfor- grown to love nature photography.” weekend visits to western Kansas. Deter- mance at e New School. On his rst trip He le the big city and music behind, mined to test himself as a landscape back home, for anksgiving, Strickland and in 2010 enrolled at KU to study photographer, Strickland in March 2012 was startled by the eerie stillness. engineering. In summer 2011, at the made his rst foray to the Grand Canyon, “It was the rst time I’d seen the stars for urging of a friend, he bought a digital accompanying a prominent Flagsta,

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 23 Michael Strickland’s exacting rituals (l) for finding, framing, focusing and filming images require creative flair and technical mastery. Sharing a Flint Hills outing with lifelong friend Ethan Myers (above, l-r) and bride-to-be Jes Hansen (now Strickland) makes the day rewarding, regardless of the images it produces.

Arizona, photographer, Adam Schallau, ments. I see their images, I see what speaks who became one of his early mentors. to me and what doesn’t. A lot of times it’s Strickland and Schallau hiked and completely di erent from what I do, but I camped amid a winter storm with 60 mph study them, I pay attention to my original winds that whipped snow into their faces response, and when I walk out the door I as they peered into the canyon. Schallau try to forget it all and just create.” expected the newbie to beg for retreat; Aer completing his degree, Strickland Strickland surprised him. headed west. He and Hansen—now Jes “It really says a lot about Michael,” Strickland, since their Oct. 10 wedding— Schallau said. “He knows what it takes to settled in Grover Beach, California, near create the images that we as landscape the Pacic Ocean in San Luis Obispo photographers are trying to create.” County. Jes, a Wichita State alumna, works Strickland by then was already shooting as a freelance graphic designer and with a medium-format panoramic camera, frequently accompanies her husband on but he also had another goal in mind: his excursions. “We’re the outdoors types,” large-format lm, in the style of the great she says. “Every time we go on a trip, we 20th-century masters of landscape almost always camp. We can backpack, photography, most notably Ansel Adams. sleep in the car, whatever it takes.” “I’ve always found inspiration in other Strickland’s website, michaelstricklan- people’s work,” Strickland says, “but I don’t dimages.com, o ers a portal into the look at their names, their accomplish- magnicent photographs he creates,

24 | KANSAS ALUMNI “The Balcony,” Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 25 who grow out of that and go out on their grade. Our September photo shoot in the own and create their own style, capturing Flint Hills was scheduled around a trip their own subject matter with techniques home for Strickland and Hansen to plan and compositions that are unique, pushing their wedding, in his parents’ backyard, the boundaries of the medium. and the three friends have no intention of “at’s something I saw in Michael’s being apart even brie y during the visit. work from the get-go. He’s dierent. Myers explains that he has always He’s not going out and shooting all delighted in watching his curious, intel- the clichés. He’s actually a student ligent friend leap from one hobby or of light.” interest to the next. Photography, though, Wheat does not doubt that Strickland is proving to be dierent. has the requisite talent and passion to “I call them his ‘phases,’” Myers says Kansas: Birth of a Vision “continue putting out great work.” quietly, watching Strickland frame the by Michael Strickland Whether he’ll be able to master the quite image of a lone hedge tree. “But this one’s www.michaelstricklandimages.com, $99 dierent demands of monetizing artistic not a phase. It stuck.” expression is far less certain. As Strickland busies himself for the “I denitely think he can, but it’s a all-important moment when he’ll step out including scenes from his new favorite matter of what’s he willing to deal with. It’s from underneath the dark cloth of his locale, the rugged Big Sur coastline. He really hard when you’re starting out, with tripod-mounted camera and press the oers prints of his gorgeous nature images no clientele. ere’s a lot more that goes shutter release, Myers adds, “I wonder for sale, of course, and he’ll work with into it than just the quality of work. He’s what he would be saying if he weren’t clients to print specic images to t a denitely got the quality of work; the rest being watched.” specic space. Strickland also recently remains to be seen.” “What would Michael be saying?” published his rst book, focusing on his Hansen responds. “He doesn’t really talk at images of the Kansas prairie, and he this point. He’s in the zone.” intends to publish new books annually to than Myers, b’14, who lives and works As lightning laces the storm clouds still feature his favorite work of the past year. Ein Kansas City, met Strickland “pretty looming over the eastern horizon, a cool But Strickland has done well following much immediately” aer moving to breeze cuts the remnants of humidity his passion, which now points him away Liberal, when they were both in the h following in the storm’s wake. Crickets from online commerce and toward a goal of owning his own gallery. “Getting gallery presence is incredibly dicult,” he says. “It’s always a battle, nding where I t in the art culture and the art community, but that’s where I am. I’m an artist.” His wife explains, “He’s not just an artist; he also has a technical side, so he’s very logical. He makes plans, saves, and meets the challenge. Everything is laid out. It takes both of those minds.” Strickland recently found another mentor in Bobby Wheat, a medium- and large-format photographer and owner of the successful Bobby Wheat Gallery in Las Vegas. Strickland reached out to Wheat through Facebook. Impressed by what he saw on Strickland’s website, Wheat agreed to oer encouragement over burgers and beers when Strickland visited Vegas. “ere’s so much blatant plagiarism, people shooting the same things,” Wheat says. “We all started by imitating our in uences, but great artists are the ones “Gateway to the Pacific,” Pismo Beach, California

26 | KANSAS ALUMNI sing their nal summer songs. It is nearly 8 a.m. now, a now-or-never time for photographers hoping to preserve the essence of morning light, and Strickland looks to be unsatis ed with his prospects. “I use one sheet of lm per composi- tion,” he explains later. “It’s de nitely a selective process. A lot of times I come back with either nothing or one shot; very rarely do I expose two sheets for the same scene.” at lovely cool breeze? It’s killing Strickland’s chances to create a perfect image. e big camera loaded with huge lm demands too much precision to be jostled even minutely, and, on this stormy morning, the image will probably elude him. Focus will be lost to the wind. Strickland even exposes a second sheet of lm. He won’t be thrilled with the out- come, but neither will he fret over it. “It’s exciting, the idea of creating an image with the most epic light you can imagine,” he says later. “It’s incredibly nerve-wracking, but I’ve trained myself to be a little more patient, to maintain a bit of tranquility when shooting. I’m more anxious a er exposing the image than “Kansas Wildflowers,” Arkalon Park, Seward County when I’m actually creating it. “Exploration, that’s what it is. It’s all about sharing that one tiny moment in time and creating an emotional response from the nal viewer.” A day out in the eld, we discover, is its own success. Slow down. Feel the image, not in the camera, but within ourselves. Whether it lives on in a sumptuous print is—at this moment, at least—immaterial. It already exists within each of us lucky enough to stand on a Flint Hills ridgetop, drinking in a gold-gray aerglow that has to be seen to be believed.

More online journal of the Flint Hills excursion Aby videographer Dan Storey, including interviews with Michael Strickland, can be viewed at kualumni.org/strickland. “Cliˆs of Big Sur,” Big Sur, California

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 27 Photographs by Steve Puppe

28 | KANSAS ALUMNI by Chris Lazzarino

With 30 wins, two All-Americans and a comeback for the ages, KU volleyball rallies all the way to the Final Four

he first surprise in a season full When Bechard previewed the season at and foremost, but Big 12 champs and Elite of surprises—a 30-3 record, a media day in August, he praised his Eight,’” Bechard says. “It was unique in pair of first-team All-Ameri- players’ “energy and enthusiasm,” yet his that we hadn’t ever won a Big 12 champi- T cans, a stunning upset of public predictions never ventured beyond onship, we’ve never been to an Elite Eight, top-ranked USC in the NCAA simply making the NCAA Tournament and they said, ‘This team needs to do stuff Tournament’s Elite Eight and a trip to for the fourth consecutive season. we’ve never done before.’ Omaha, Nebraska, for KU volleyball’s first What he chose not to disclose, however, “And I said, ‘OK. Let’s get after it.’” Final Four appearance—came even before was that his players were thirsting for the first practice. much more than yet another respectable The 2014 Jayhawks had stormed back season. Eleven days after the Jayhawks’ he Jayhawks opened the season from an 0-3 record in conference play to historic season ended with a loss to Tby losing just one set in the three- finish second, for the second consecutive eventual national champion Nebraska, match Arkansas Invitational, followed by season, in the rugged Big 12, and earned one victory shy of the national title game, three 3-0 victories in their home invita- their third-consecutive NCAA Tourna- Bechard chuckles as he recalls his squad’s tional. They arrived at the Sept. 11 ment berth. Yet the Jayhawks in 2014 not first meeting, when players startled their Wyoming tournament in Laramie ranked only lost their opening-round NCAA coaches with what Bechard describes as 22nd in the country, and promptly won match, a five-setter against Arkansas-Little “extremely aggressive” goals. three matches, again dropping just one set Rock, but also said goodbye to senior “They said, ‘NCAA Tournament, first in their best-of-five-set matches. outside hitters Chelsea Albers and Sara McClinton, 1-2 in kills in 2014 and both twice named first-team All-Big 12. Coach Ray Bechard entered his 18th season at Kansas last fall with a promising young team, including junior Tayler Soucie, a first-team All-Big 12 middle blocker in 2014; sophomore setter Ainise Havili, named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team and All-American honorable mention; senior outside hitter Tiana Dockery, poised to become the first Jayhawk to play in four NCAA Tourna- ments; and sophomore Kelsie Payne, an athletic force whom Bechard described as “our wild card” as he pondered moving her to one of the outside hitter positions after she spent much of her freshman year at middle blocker.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 29 Seven matches into conference play, the In a foreshadowing of the national Sweet 16 victory Dec. 11 with a 3-1 Jayhawks not only had not lost a match, semi nal match against Nebraska, the throttling of Loyola-Marymount, but the they’d lost only ve sets. Jayhawks hurt their chances with 17 most important match of the day might “About a month into the season,” service errors, yet hit at a .307 clip against have been the second regional semi nal, Bechard says, “as a sta we were like, ‘OK, a Texas team that had limited opponents featuring No. 1 USC and national player of these are loy goals, but suddenly we feel to an average hitting percentage of .163, the year Samantha Bricio against the like they’re not out of line.’” and they topped Texas in kills, 77-64. 16th-seed Creighton Bluejays. With 19 consecutive victories and a No. “e level of volleyball that was played Knowing that his young team, repre- 7 national ranking, the Jayhawks suered that night I think allowed us to realize that senting a program that had never before their rst, and worst, loss Oct. 23 at Texas. we could make a good run in the tourna- been this deep in the tournament, was KU scored just 16, 19 and 14 points in a ment,” Bechard says. “So even though we likely awed by the specter of the three- three-set sweep by the second-ranked didn’t get the result we wanted, I think we time national-champion USC Trojans, Longhorns. gained some competitive con dence.” Bechard and his coaches decided the “If this motivates the team to create Jayhawks should stay and watch. more opportunities to improve in prac- Explains Bechard, “ey thought, ‘OK, tice,” Bechard said aerward, “then it er hosting opening-weekend NCAA here’s this No. 1 seed, national player of would be a learning opportunity.” ATournament matches in Allen Field the year ... are we really in that league?’ e Jayhawks responded by dropping House in 2012 and ’13, KU in 2014 was And then they saw them play Creighton, just four sets in its next four Big 12 again chosen to host NCAA action. But a and the best thing that could happen is, matches, setting up a rematch showdown men’s hoops game against Florida bumped Creighton takes the rst set. And then with Texas, Nov. 11 in the Horejsi Family volleyball to Topeka’s Kansas Expocentre, USC takes the second set, and we sent Athletics Center. Only two matches all where KU promptly lost to unheralded them home. ey had seen enough. season had attracted less than a sellout Arkansas-Little Rock. “ey saw the very best of USC, but crowd, and the Texas showdown suddenly at mistake would not happen again. they also saw the vulnerable side of USC.” became the hottest ticket in town. When chosen to host rst- and second- e 1,503 fans who packed an arena round matches this season, KU played to with a seating capacity of 1,300 were its strength and scheduled the games for orn and reared in Grinnell, on the treated to a ve-set Horejsi, where the 2015 Jayhawks had lost Bhigh plains of Gove County, Ray thriller—KU’s rst and, just one match and ve sets—includ- Bechard rst grasped his KU allegiance until the USC ing the three sets dropped to while huddled around a television with his match, only Texas. Down went Furman, 3-0, family, watching the Jan. 1, 1969, Orange ve-setter of the followed by an equally impres- Bowl. When Penn State toppled the season—that sive sweep of Missouri, and Jayhawks with a two-point conversion saw Texas take the Jayhawks were o to San aer a controversial penalty against KU control of the Diego. extended the game by one play, Bechard Big 12 title KU scored its rst-ever noted his reaction. chase with a 3-2 victory. While the loss meant the Jayhawks would not reach one of An improbable victory over their important goals, it was USC (l) sent the Jayhawks to still another step forward. Payne, the Omaha (previous pages), preseason “wild card” who by then had where Tiana Dockery (7) JEFF JACOBSEN (2) JEFF JACOBSEN rmly entrenched herself as the right-side patrolled the left side with hitter, scored 23 kills, her third 20-kill Janae Hall (16), Cassie Wait performance in four matches. Havili (5) and Anna Church (1) notched 67 assists and 13 digs for her ready to assist; and Kelsie ninth double-double of the season. Payne (8) celebrated one of Dockery posted her third double-double with 18 kills and 13 digs. Soucie scored her 22 kills against just three 16 kills on 23 swings, and her only errors. “Payne was, I thought, attacking error occurred midway the best player at the Final through the h set. Four,” Bechard says.

30 | KANSAS ALUMNI “e ’69 Orange Bowl cemented my ties to the Jayhawks,” he told Kansas Athletics communications student assistant Krysti Cole for an online prole published in September. “at’s when I realized that, if I get that disappointed in just a football game, I must be developing some form of allegiance with KU.” A multisport athlete in high school, Bechard spent two years at Barton County Community College, where he led his basketball teams to a combined record of 45-13. He earned physical education bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fort Hays State University in 1980 and ’82, coached boys’ basketball and girls’ volleyball for three years at Lewis High School, then returned to Great Bend to coach women’s volleyball at Barton County. In his 13 seasons at BCCC, Bechard was undefeated at home (126-0) and coached his way into the National Junior College Athletic Association Volleyball Hall of Fame with a career winning percentage of .923, at the time the highest among all college volleyball coaches. e aection Cougars still feel for their former coach was evident at bartonsports.com, which prominently featured coverage of the Jayhawk’s 2015 Final Four run. In January 1998, Bechard received an unexpected phone call. It was 10 p.m. when he picked up the receiver, and he did “is going to be dominated by, ‘Jayhawks After a whirlwind two and a half weeks not need long to accept KU’s oer to are down, 13-9, against the No. 1 seed in following the Final Four, Big 12 Coach of the become the Jayhawks’ next head volleyball the  h set.’” Year Ray Bechard bolted for a quick getaway coach; 18 seasons later, Bechard owns the e rally. shortly after this Jan. 4 portrait in the Horejsi KU volleyball record book in every A er thundering to a startling two-set Family Athletics Center. “My wife and I are conceivable category. All seven of KU’s lead against the top-ranked Trojans Dec. going to get out of town for four or five days,” NCAA Tournament appearances have 12 in the University of San Diego’s Jenny he said, “and try to find a little bit of sleep come under his watch, and he’s been Craig Pavilion, the Jayhawks dropped the somewhere.” honored as Big 12 Coach of the Year in next two sets as USC regained its swagger. 2012, ’13 and ’15. With a trip to the Final Four in Omaha on His long, successful career to date the line, KU fell behind in the race to 15, Wait saved the point with an improbable peaked Dec. 17 in Omaha’s CenturyLink the winning point total in  h sets, and dig early in the rally; setter Havili looked Center, when the Jayhawks, playing in faced near-certain elimination at 13-9. to Payne on the right side for three front of the largest crowd ever to watch a With junior libero Cassie Wait serving, consecutive kill attempts, but a er the ball college volleyball match, faced Nebraska in the Jayhawks mounted the greatest had crossed the net 14 times she nally the national seminal. comeback in KU volleyball history. A er went le , to sophomore outside hitter And yet, when the 2015 season is winning points with a kill by junior Madison Rigdon, who crushed what remembered a decade from now, it might middle blocker Janae Hall and two USC Bechard calls “the best shot she could not be the Jayhawks’ Final Four debut that errors, Wait served an ace to tie the set, make.” e Jayhawks fell into a jubilant will be the rst point of conversation. 13-13. KU took the lead on Payne’s 18th pile as the Trojans watched in disbelief. “I think the season,” Bechard concedes, kill of the match, setting up match point. “We stayed true to what we talked about

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 31 “I’ve seen a lot of matches. I have never seen something as shocking as that: USC in complete control and Kansas would not be denied.” —Paul Sunderland, ESPN

defensively,” Bechard says. “As a rally goes were the hot topic of Associate head coach on in volleyball, teams tend to get a little conversation Dec. Laura “Bird” Kuhn (l) was bit out of what they’re trying to do, out of 16, as teams and named National Assistant system, out of being assignment correct. media, along with Coach of the Year. Above, But we were exact every time and we got coaches from Payne (8), Hall (16), some great touches.” across the country, Tayler Soucie (10) and Raved ESPN commentator Paul assembled in the Ainise Havili (11) in Sunderland, a member of the United CenturyLink States’ gold-medal 1984 Olympic volley- Center one day Omaha action. ball team, “I’ve seen a lot of matches. I before the Kansas- have never seen something as shocking as Nebraska and Texas- that: USC in complete control and Kansas Minnesota semi nals. When Kansas took the podium would not be denied.” Payne and Havili were both in the cavernous, curtained interview Surrounded aerward by his overjoyed named rst-team All-Americans—the rst room deep inside the CenturyLink Center, players in KU’s cramped clubhouse, the rst-team All-Americans in KU volleyball the rst question was directed at Ainise soaked coach happily announced, “13-9: history—and associate head coach Laura Havili, and it wasn’t about the looming ere’s no doubt, right? You guys believe Kuhn was named National Assistant Nebraska match. It was, of course, about in each other,” which was met by a Coach of the Year. Junior Janae Hall, who USC. resounding, “Yes!” Bechard teased them carries a 3.95 GPA, was presented the “I’ve watched those last six points like a just a bit with, “e last rally took just a NCAA’s Elite 90 Award, honoring athletes thousand times,” she said. “We all just little longer than what it needs to,” then with the highest cumulative grade-point looked at each other and relaxed, and we added, with emphasis, “But hey, we’re average among teams participating in all said, ‘We’ll take this one point a time, going to Omaha!” NCAA championship events, and Bechard and we’ll win each point and see how far was named National Coach of the Year by we can go.’ And then we won.” PrepVolleyball.com. Said Payne, “We started down 0-4 and he Final Four. Volleyball is a sport “Ray is one of the classiest coaches in we kind of freaked out a little bit. is isn’t Tdominated by a relatively small the country,” Nebraska coach John Cook going how we wanted it to. What’s number of programs—only a handful of told reporters. “It’s great for Kansas. It’s happening? is isn’t working. What’s schools have played their way into debut great for the Big 12. It’s great for this part going on? We took a time-out and we said, Final Four appearances in the past of the country. ere’s not a more deserv- ‘You know, what we have is enough. We decade—and the upstart Kansas Jayhawks ing guy than Ray to get here.” have all the pieces here. We need to trust

32 | KANSAS ALUMNI showdown with No. 4 Nebraska with four return for their junior seasons, and Soucie, service errors in the rst set? Nebraska’s the athletic middle blocker repeatedly Cook, who called KU “a great team,” cited by Nebraska’s coach as a dominant speculated that the red-heavy crowd of force at the net, will be a senior, as will 17,551 played a role: “I just think the Wait, Hall and Maggie Anderson. atmosphere got to them a little bit.” “ ere’s not a rst-team All-American Bechard disagrees: “No, I think the in that group,” Bechard said of next serving things came from, ‘Hey, this is the season’s seniors, “but there’s rst-team Final Four for the rst time.’ It was a great character, rst-team work ethic, rst-team crowd. ey know volleyball. I was happy leadership.” for our team that we didn’t go to a Final Bechard plans to help players strike a Four somewhere with 8,000 or 9,000 balance between aggressive service indierent fans who don’t really have an strategies and safer tactics designed to allegiance. Now, it would have been fun to eliminate service errors, and he hopes to have a few more KU fans, but it was more create “oensive balance” by developing a about the moment.” net player who can complement the Whatever the reason, KU’s rst-set expected attacks from Payne. Much work service errors put the Jayhawks in a hole is ahead; Bechard can’t wait to get aer it. that would be impossible to climb out of “Doing something the rst time has a against a strong side like Nebraska. e certain level of originality to it, a certain Jayhawks had three more service errors in level of, ‘Wow, this is really fun,’” he says. the second set, along with a team attack “Hopefully we can look back on this year mark of 58 percent. Aer dropping games and know that if we put our minds to it one another and know that we all have our 25-20 and 25-21, KU rallied to take the and try to do the best we can, most jobs.’ I think that’s what happened.” third set, 25-20, but despite Payne’s 22 kills anything is possible.” “ at’s not the rst time we’ve done against three errors in the match, As he reects on KU’s remarkable that,” added Tayler Soucie. “ at’s been Nebraska pounced in the fourth set, 25-16. three-loss run to the Final Four, Bechard our mantra all season. One point at a time, KU’s remarkable 30-3 season was done. says one of the most gratifying aspects was and we’re going to do it together.” As he prepared to meet with his team, a hearing from volleyball coaches across the As for the match that awaited, the notion struck Bechard: the two teams that country who were thrilled for, in Bechard’s dominant topic was the crowd. Nebraska would ght it out for the title—Nebraska words, “somebody who does it the right fans are mad for volleyball, selling out and Texas, with Nebraska emerging the way. I think it gave hope to a lot of schools every match in the 8,000-seat Devaney victor in straight sets—were the only two out there that have very competitive Center since 2001. When tickets went on teams to beat KU all season long. programs but just never got over the hump sale a year ago for the 2015 Final Four, “When we talked about that, a little bit and got to the Final Four, and if Kansas Husker fans immediately made the event a of reality hit, like, ‘Holy cow, that is a can do it, why can’t we?” sellout, long before Nebraska qualied pretty good year, when you can state it like His own highlight, however, was entirely Dec. 17 with a 3-1 victory over Washing- that, correct?’ And nobody else, including personal. ton. Nebraska entered the tournament the No. 1 seed in the tournament, could “My family has always been proud of with three national championships, two of b e at y ou .” me, but it doesn’t get very much better which were won in Omaha—with every than looking across the court in Omaha match setting a new record for the and seeing them all sitting up there, country’s largest volleyball crowd. [Note to oals: NCAA Tournament, check. Elite knowing that we’re all in this thing KU fans: Havili, Payne and Rigdon will be GEight, check. Big 12 championship, together.” seniors in 2017, when volleyball’s Final not yet. And Bechard isn’t ready to predict Goal No. 1: In it together. Always. Four is set for Kansas City’s Sprint Center.] that will come in 2016. Texas, which will Although Husker fans surely earned the add the 2014 national Freshman of the right to pack the house by buying tickets Year who had to sit out 2015 aer transfer- The Rally as soon as they were available, the NCAA ring from USC, will be favored. didn’t help matters by reserving just 200 “ ey picked us fourth in the Big 12 this inks to view KU’s epic fifth-set rally tickets for fans of other teams. Jayhawk year,” he says, “and I’d be happy if they did Lagainst USC can be found at faithful were sure to be drowned out. that again next year. But I’ve got a feeling kuathletics.com/news/2015/12/13/ Was that a factor when KU, the tourna- that’s not going to be the case.” WVB_1213153906.aspx. ment’s ninth seed, opened the seminal All-Americans Payne and Havili will

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 33 34 | KANSAS ALUMNI for the

Washington’s next poet laureate brings Wichita lines and a legacy of outreach to statewide advocacy role

oetry and public service have been that are moving us toward being satis ed with linked for Tod Marshall since he rst information,” Marshall says. “I think poetry began to think writing was something forces us to dwell on uncertainty and to inhabit he might like to do himself, back when he was an places with unanswerable questions—and try to undergraduate at Sienna Heights, a small be OK with that.” Catholic college in Michigan. Marshall grew up in a Wichita home where “I had the good fortune of falling into the money was tight and going to college “was not company of Dominican nuns, who are great part of the life plan,” but he never wanted for gadies for making you get out and do things,” books. recalls Marshall, PhD’95, the author of three “Books, the gi that they are, were always collections of poetry and an English professor available as something that I was encouraged to and Powers Chair of the Humanities at Gonzaga explore,” Marshall says, “and I love being part of University in Spokane, Washington. “ey programs that encourage that same exploration ushered me to a poetry reading/ritual for peace in children and people who normally don’t get in the chapel. It was an eye-opening, moving that access.” experience.” During his two-year term as poet laureate, at led to a place on the protest line at a which begins Feb. 1, Marshall plans an ambitious Detroit manufacturing plant that made rocket program to bring poetry to 16 underserved engines for nuclear missiles—and to a creative communities around the state. He hopes to focus writing class that helped Marshall realize, “I on isolated rural areas and economically might have a voice with something to say, too.” challenged urban neighborhoods and, with the So his appointment this fall as the next poet help of local partners, to host readings, recite laureate of Washington, weeks aer receiving an poetry and conduct workshops encouraging award from Humanities Washington for his role everyone from elementary and high school in promoting humanities education in the state, students to senior citizens to write poetry. He seems a natural progression for a writer who sees wants to gather enough work (from professionals poetry not only as a mode of personal expres- and amateurs) to publish eight to 10 regional sion, but also as an art form to which we can chapbooks, which will be collected in a statewide turn—in this age of smartphones and search publication. e goal is to publish one poem for engines—to ponder the questions that Siri can’t each year of Washington statehood—129 poems answer. in all. He’ll end his two-year term by revisiting “ere are so many energies in our culture communities and inviting local writers to

by Steven Hill | Portrait by Amy Sinisterra

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 35 “Books, the gift that they are, were always available as something that I was encouraged to explore. I love being part of programs that encourage that same exploration in children and people who normally don’t get that access.”—Tod Marshall

celebrate the project by performing their that he must prove he belonged in the own poetry. literary world. Later books, e Tangled e project in many ways extends Line, 2009, and Bugle, winner of the 2015 Marshall’s record of public service. As a Washington State Book Award, show him volunteer with Prime Time Family growing more comfortable with telling his Reading, he helps public libraries—the own story. main source for his own childhood “I realized that this poor kid from the books—involve parents and children from wrong side of the tracks doesn’t need to at-risk families in a reading, storytelling prove he’s got chops,” Marshall says. “ at and discussion program that encourages there’s something valuable writing about literacy and library use. As a teacher in the experience of growing up in a Wichita Humanities Washington’s rst Clemente trailer park, something valuable about Course in the Humanities Program, writing the experience of being served Marshall brought humanities courses to eviction papers at your house. economically disadvantaged adults. He “It took me a while to realize that’s a t also organizes Gonzaga’s Visiting Writers subject for poetry, because many people Series and frequently appears at libraries have lived that life.” and museums to read and recite poetry— During a November visit hosted by the works from the canon and from his books. KU English department, Marshall In October Humanities Washington, the discussed the evolution of his work and state’s agship nonprot agency for read his poems. If Dare Say was his humanities programming, gave him its Paradiso, he noted in an allusion to Dante, Scholarship and Service Award. then Bugle is his Inferno, “obsessed with NOMINATE “He has been really a bright light in the the ninth circle that is Wichita,” he joked. an ASSOCIATION MEMBER to serve on the board! humanities and arts community for A bugle, he explained, “is an instrument several decades, and I think it’s so tting that’s used to rouse, to waken, that can’t be that he was recognized with our award and ignored.” Indeed, many of the book’s We need your assistance in nominating future members of the KU Alumni at the same time his commitment is short—and oen not so sweet—sonnets Association’s National Board of Directors. recognized with this statewide position,” ring more like wake-up calls than soothing says Julie Ziegler, executive director of lullabies, focusing frequently on death and Humanities Washington, which is also a environmental destruction while using the To nominate a fellow Jayhawk, please complete the form partner in the laureate program with language like a live wire to jolt and jangle. at kualumni.org/board or call 800-584-2957 and ArtsWA, the Washington State Arts A bugle is sounded, Marshall reminds us, materials will be mailed or faxed to you. Commission. not played, and the book is a meditation “It’s tting and at the same time ironic— on the word in every sense: “Sound not All nominations should be sent to the Association by March 1. that he’s recognized for his achievements just as noise,” he says, “but as a fathoming, and then is willing to give even more,” a probing, a sounding out.” With your help, the Association will continue to recruit directors who represent Ziegler says. “It’s just the kind of guy he is.” Drawing children and adults to poetry the diversity of the KU family and the dedication that has been a hallmark Dare Say, University of Aer earning an MFA in creative excites Marshall far more than his own Georgia Press, 2002 writing at Eastern Michigan and a PhD in poetry, and while he’s denitely honored of KU alumni service through the years. literature at KU, Marshall published his to be chosen as Washington state’s poet The Tangled Line, Canarium rst collection, Dare Say, in 2002. Studded laureate, he says, “I see it not so much as Books, 2009 with references to Kandinsky, Bach and an honor, but as a duty to the art. Bugle, Canarium Books, Botticelli, the book’s preoccupation with “My purpose as a laureate is not to 2014 the world of abstract ideas betrays the share my poems with the world, but rst-generation college student’s worry to share poetry.” For any additional questions, contact the Association at 800-584-2957 or visit kualumni.org 36 | KANSAS ALUMNI NOMINATE an ASSOCIATION MEMBER to serve on the board!

We need your assistance in nominating future members of the KU Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors.

To nominate a fellow Jayhawk, please complete the form at kualumni.org/board or call 800-584-2957 and materials will be mailed or faxed to you. All nominations should be sent to the Association by March 1.

With your help, the Association will continue to recruit directors who represent the diversity of the KU family and the dedication that has been a hallmark of KU alumni service through the years.

For any additional questions, contact the Association at 800-584-2957 or visit kualumni.org Association communicate to alumni and friends in all media, recruit students and volunteers, serve alumni and KU, and unite all Jayhawks. “We are working on putting our own original spin on a familiar story,” says Betsy Winetroub, c’05, director of Kansas City programs. “I hope this will be a theme with which attendees can really get creative and have fun.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: SUSAN YOUNGER SUSAN ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO John, j’81, l’84, and Suzanne Adams Holt, l’84, and Joseph, c’01, and Shanna Shoemaker Grant, b’01, are co-chairs of the event. John has served on the board of the Greater Kansas City Network for several years, and he and his wife are Life Members as well as longtime ball partici- pants and benefactors. In addition, John has emceed the event several times. e Grants are annual members of the Association, and Joseph is a fourth-gener- ation Jayhawk. Leading the network board’s eorts are ball co-chairs Mark Frutiger, b’01, and Jake Ballard, b’01. Frutiger is a three-year veteran as event co-chair, and Ballard is in There’s no place like home his rst year on the network board. Topher Enneking, c’08, a spoken-word 2016 Rock Chalk Ball to highlight the merry old land of Oread poet in Lawrence, will lend his rich voice as this year’s emcee. A former KU football o loyal Jayhawks and acionados of Convention Center. Hosted by the Alumni player, Enneking wrote and narrated an T“ e Wizard of Oz,” our home on the Association and the Greater Kansas City inspirational “Welcome to KU” video in Hill is as idyllic as the Emerald City. Network, the annual tradition unites collaboration with KU Marketing Com- Kansas City-area alumni will celebrate Jayhawks in the nation’s largest KU munications. e video, which debuted at their alma mater at the 21st Rock Chalk community and raises funds for Associa- the 2014 Traditions Night, became an Ball April 23 at the Overland Park tion programs to advocate for KU, instant hit with Jayhawks old and new. DAN STOREY STOREY DAN KELSEY KIMBERLIN

Joseph and Shanna Grant, and Suzy and John Holt Topher Enneking

38 | KANSAS ALUMNI A NOTE FROM HEATH university endowment addition, Association association to manage the members give back to Alumni support critical to STOREY DAN financial contributions of KU at significantly Association’s ongoing success alumni. This model remains higher rates than an enormous competitive non-members. I’m sure am humbled and honored to work with a advantage for KU. you know other Ivery talented staŽ and Board of Directors One thing is clear: As Jayhawks who are not to build on a storied and great organization! public higher education members, and I’m On the heels of our most successful decade faces numerous challenges, confident that most of in history by nearly any measure, I am KU will continue to need the them had great especially thankful to our 42,000 members strongest independent experiences at KU, they and 500 Presidents Club members who champion it can possibly are proud of their alma fuel our eŽorts to eŽectively advocate for have. We will work diligently mater and their KU KU in the Kansas Legislature, recruit to grow the Jayhawk degrees have served Peterson students and new alumni leaders and network and identify the them well. Please volunteers, communicate with alumni in all next generation of advisers, remind them that media, serve alumni and the University, and volunteers and donors for KU. We must alumni support helped make their unite a network of more than 340,000 ensure that the next generation of alumni experience possible—and we need their Jayhawks around the world. maintains the same commitment to service support more than ever before. Encourage World-class universities benefit from and giving as the current KU stalwarts and them to follow your lead and express their involved alumni and friends who lend their those who came before. We cannot simply pride in a meaningful, tangible way through time, talents and resources to make presume that the next generation will membership. If you need help, send them otherwise average universities follow in the footsteps of their my way and I will provide numerous extraordinary. Without the shared pride, predecessors. compelling reasons why membership tradition and connection of devoted alumni, If you’re reading this note, you’re a Proud matters! the University of Kansas would be a far Member of the Association, and we are I believe our best days are ahead. Thank diŽerent place. This dedication dates back truly grateful for your vital support! you for all you do for KU. to 1883, when alumni had the foresight to Members sustain our programs to Rock Chalk, Jayhawk! establish the KU Alumni Association, and strengthen KU, and they are our most —Heath Peterson, c’04, d’09 1891, when alumni founded the first public informed and eŽective advocates. In KU Alumni Association president

Life Members Joseph B. Deneault Gri›n T. Hawkinson Kimberly PheŽer Drake Judith M. Hile he Association thanks these Jayhawks, who began their Life Paula Grizzle Edrington Lynley W. Holman Tmemberships Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. For information, visit June Sutton Erisman Brenda J. Holt kualumni.org or call 800-584-2957. Patrick D. & Veronique Daniel J. Hubbard Escalante Dean L. & Betty Lawson HuŽ Ghanem Abusaleh John M. & Lauren Kirsten Judith K. Favor James C. & Judith Locher Kimberly L. Bacastow Cain Ashley N. Fiedler Hughes Thomas J. Barnes Tony & Catherine Bubb Casey L. Filbert Lindsey HunhoŽ Julie Flynn Baumann Campbell Allan R. Fleming Levi T. Huseman Catherine F. Bettis Patrick E. Carttar Scot D. Foster Allison Hastings Jones James T. Birch Jr. Robert F. Casida Vincent T. Francisco Elaine G. Jones Ashley D. Braaksma Barbara S. Coats Randal J. Gerstner Linda L. Journeys Alexander B. Thies & Casey B. L. Cohen Megan M. Geyser Eric T. & Pami S. Keller E. Briner Abbie L. Collinsworth Michael C. Graham Frank D. Kim Jennifer L. Brown Steven W. Crahan Michael J. Gray Liam & Allie Fiss Kirby Shirley J. Brown-VanArsdale Russell L. & Ann K. Crane Michael O. Growney Brian D. Klipp George C. & Pam Bruce Robert J. & Lori Hubrig Ian J. Guenther Holly LaŽerty Lindsay R. Brunelli Crouch Roger K. Hahn Holly V. Lashmet Stefani Gerson Buchwitz Donald J. Jr. & Cynthia Gill Randy R. Hall Alan Lavery Davis

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 39 Association Life Members Immer Liza Ravalo Brian A. Richmeier Continued from page 39 Kay A. Riedl New sta roles Melissa Larson-Lewis Adam W. Rock Kyle R. Lindbery Stuart A. Schlemmer John P. Linden Shannon M. Schreiner Loretta S. Loftus Jay S. & Nancy K. Schukman STOREY DAN Kyle J. Logan Randall L. & Hannah Davoren Brian A. Long Schumacher Kristi C. Marks Lowell D. Seaton Craig L. Martin J. Stanley & Tommye C. Bradley L. Mathers Sexton Todd & Julie Matt Darrel G. Shumake Kiah C. Mattson Russ Sims Ryan G. McAtee Timothy R. Smith Thomas W. & Linda B. Helen R. Stanley McCoy Cassie A. Strom Todd A. Miles W. Keith Swinehart II Cara M. Montgomery Jaimie Wappelhorst Surcey David J. Moore Jeanette Watson Tarr & Madison S. Moser Matthew D. Tarr A. Miles Nease Joseph L. Thomas Christopher T. Nelson Richard L. Vanderslice Jay P. Newton Jr. Amy M. Warkentin Christopher S. & Alexandra Frank M. Waugh & Megan Nicholson Fowler-Waugh JeŒrey W. Nordstrom Randy L. Wenger William W. Nye Michael R. Wesley Bill H. & Sherrell A. Paige Kevin H. Williams Patricia A. Palmer James C. & Catherine S. hree Association staŒ Brad Eland, b’09, g’11, took over Dennis A. Park Wilkinson Tmembers recently earned Heath Peterson’s role as vice Melissa R. Peltier Jacob M. Wilson promotions. Heather Plante president of alumni programs, Andy & Donna J. Perry Hannah M. Wise Hawkins, j’06, now coordinates and Michelle Miles Lang, b’02, James D. & Theresa Lance E. Wright donor relations and the Fred moved into Eland’s role as Wiseman Pipkin Andrew T. & Lauren Lynn Ellsworth Medallion program. director of alumni programs. John E. Prim Wymore

DAN STOREY DAN Judy Ruedlinger scholarships

he Association presented three outstanding Student TAlumni Leadership Board (SALB) members with Judy L. Ruedlinger Awards of $500 each for spring 2016. They are Caleb Bobo, St. Louis senior; Sara Easterwood, Andover senior; and Jake Faflick, Wichita junior. The award honors the memory of former Association sta‰ member Ruedlinger, who in 1987 founded the Student Alumni Association (SAA) and was known by her students as “Judy Rudy.” SAA now includes more than 1,400 members and is among the largest student groups on campus.

40 | KANSAS ALUMNI Regional honors Kansas Alumni, other projects rank among region’s best

lumni Association programs and AKansas Alumni earned seven awards in the eight-state District VI 2015 compe- Your newest membership benefit! tition of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). e fall competition preceded the district’s annual Welcome to the KU Alumni Association conference in January. e following list National Discount Program describes the awards, categories, projects and sta members who contributed. Now Jayhawks living anywhere nationwide can • Silver, New Alumni Program Initia- enjoy members-only discounts at favorite restaurants, tives, KU Alumni Online Networking Series. e project included Debbi retailers, theme parks, travel vendors and more. Johanning, c’98, digital media content • 300,000 web-based “print and save” coupons. manager; David Johnston, j’94, g’06, vice • 175,000 “show-your-phone” mobile coupons. president for Internet services and • Travel engine with guaranteed savings on hotels and car rentals. marketing; Brad Eland, b’09, g’11, vice • Popular national brands and local favorites. president of alumni programs; and Teri Harris, assoc., vice president of membership. • Bronze, Alumni Programs for Special (Search “My Deals”) Constituencies, KU Veterans Alumni Network. Jacey Krehbiel, d’12, assistant director of alumni programs, and Eland work with network volunteers • Gold, Magazine Cover Design, issue No. 4, 2014 (“Readers, Writers, Teachers”). Susan Younger, f’91, creative director; Valerie Spicher, j’94, graphic designer; and Steve Puppe, j’98, photographer, collabo- 500+ rated on the photo illustration. Popular • Gold, Editorial Design, “For a Song,” National issue No. 2, 2015. Younger designed the Brands prole of singer/songwriter Freedy Enjoy real savings at places like: Johnston, ’85. • Silver, Editorial Design, “Face to Face,” issue No. 5, 2014. Younger designed the story, which featured Puppe’s photos of Elsa Rhae Pageler, c’13. • Gold, Invitation Design, “Hawks Ahoy,” 2014 Wichita Network Jayhawk Roundup. Younger created the invitation. • Gold, Best Articles of the Year, “ e Man with Wings on His Feet,” Kansas Alumni, issue No. 6, 2014. e cover story, by Associate Editor Steven Hill, proled To learn about and register for this member benefit, visit: KU Olympian Billy Mills, d’62. It now advances to compete in the Best Articles of www.kualumni.org/nationaldiscounts the Year category of CASE’s international Questions? Contact KU Alumni Customer Service at 1-888-278-1855. competition this spring.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 41 Class Notes by Heather Biele Barbara Shiner Padget, j’73, g’94, 73 is an adjunct professor in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. In 2014 she Catherine Moore Freed, g’61, was was published by Chandler Lake Books. retired from a 24-year teaching career 61 recently honored at the dedication of Harold Fearing, c’62, is a senior research at Topeka High School. She lives in the Catherine Freed Galleria at the scientist at TRIUMF in Vancouver, British Lawrence. University of Findlay Mazza Museum in Columbia. John Pederson, ’73, retired aer 37 years Findlay, Ohio. with the Dr Pepper Snapple Group in Joe Morris, b’61, and his wife, Susan, Otha Sullivan, d’65, co-authored Plano, Texas. assoc., were named winners of the Rich 65 African American Achievement and Judy Billings Spirit of 1912 Award at Stamped rough History, which was David Hastie, c’74, is a retired the KU Homecoming reception Oct. 31 published in September by CreateSpace. 74 defense analyst for the U.S. Depart- in the Kansas Union. e Morrises He was an administrator, teacher and ment of Defense. were recognized for their special guidance counselor for many years in David Williams, c’74, is vice president- contributions to Homecoming and Detroit public schools. general counsel at Legacy Aero Group in other KU traditions. Wichita. e Hon. Willard Hardesty, j’68, is Marc Asher, m’62, wrote Dogged 68 a judge at Brighton Municipal Todd Thompson, j’75, l’82, was 62 Persistence: Harrington, Post-polio Court in Brighton, Colorado. 75 recently inducted in the American Scoliosis, and the Origin of Spine Instru- College of Trial Lawyers. He is a partner at mentation, the story of legendary KU Keith Finger, b’69, g’74, is founder ompson Ramsdell Qualseth & Warner scholar-athlete Paul Harrington, c’35, 69 and principal of Monarch Natural in Lawrence, where he has practiced law m’38, and his creative achievement, which Gas in Greenwood Village, Colorado. for 33 years. Walter Jones Jr., l’69, was re-elected as town justice in Canandaigua, New York, James Seward, g’76, g’83, is a where he lives with his wife, Diane, and 76 chartered nancial analyst and School Codes Letters that follow names their son, Cameron. He is an attorney at serves on the board of directors of indicate the school from which alumni earned Croucher and Jones law rm. Brookdale Senior Living. He lives in degrees. Numbers show their class years. Prairie Village. Carl Krehbiel, a School of Architecture, c’70, was recently Design and Planning 70 elected an honorary life trustee of Tina Pickrell Leiker, b’77, owns b School of Business KU Endowment. He is president of his 77 Quality Water Inc. in Salina. c College of Liberal Arts family’s business, Moundridge Telephone Marvin Motley, c’77, l’80, g’81, was and Sciences Company. recently elected to KU Endowment’s board d School of Education of trustees. He is director of sourcing, e School of Engineering Mary Jane Logan Bradley, d’71, was supply chain management at Sprint. f School of Fine Arts 71 awarded Cottey College’s Alumna g Master’s Degree Service Award. She lives in Kansas City Frederick Bueler Jr., ’78, is president h School of Health Professions with her husband, Tom, c’70. of Bueler Inc. in Des Peres, j School of Journalism 78 Phyllis Farrar, l School of Law c’71, d’75, g’00, is a world Missouri. m School of Medicine language consultant for the Kansas Je‚rey Coey, c’78, is assistant regional n School of Nursing Department of Education in Topeka. She vice president at U.S. Wheat Associates in p School of Pharmacy and her husband, Gary Webber, c’73, g’98, Hong Kong. PharmD School of Pharmacy live in Lawrence. Lee Glogau, c’78, is assistant vice s School of Social Welfare Rev. Richard Moore, d’71, retired aer president and senior equity trader at u School of Music 26 years as pastor of two United Methodist Waddell & Reed in Overland Park. DE Doctor of Engineering churches. He and his wife, Margo, live in Ruth Yager Go‚, d’78, teaches art at DMA Doctor of Musical Arts Hastings, Michigan, with their two Hocker Grove Middle School in Shawnee. DPT Doctor of Physical Therapy children. Roy Heatherly, j’78, is president and EdD Doctor of Education publisher of the Wichita Eagle in Wichita, PhD Doctor of Philosophy Linda Legg, (no letter) Former student d’72, l’75, is senior vice where he makes his home. assoc Associate member of the 72 president general counsel at AT&T James Muehlberger, c’78, l’82, wrote Alumni Association Advertising Solutions in the St. Louis area. e 116: e True Story of Abraham

42 | KANSAS ALUMNI

Class Notes

Lincoln’s Lost Guard, which was published Retirement Plan Specialists in Overland Emerson Electric Company. He lives in in December by Ankerwycke. His rst Park. Houston with his wife, Lana. book, e Lost Cause: e Trials of Frank Daniel Skinner, ’79, was named director and Jesse James [“True Crime,” issue No. 3, of Kansas Public Radio and the Audio- David Haden, b’82, directs opera- 2014], was released in 2013. Jim is a Reader Network in Lawrence this fall. He 82 tions at American Sports Network partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in was previously executive director and in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he Kansas City. general manager at WKSU in Kent, Ohio. makes his home. Gerald Seib, j’78, is the Washington Kevin Harlan, j’82, is a national sports- bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal. Elizabeth Smith Blankenship, d’80, caster for CBS and Turner Broadcasting. He recently moderated the fourth GOP 80 is an advertising coordinator and John Jantsch, ’82, is a marketing presidential debate. bookkeeper at e Leaven in Kansas City. consultant and public speaker. He created James Mifsud, l’80, is vice president and the Duct Tape Marketing System in Angela Chammas, e’79, was recently general counsel at Lockheed Martin in Kansas City, where he makes his home. 79 elected to KU Endowment’s board Arlington, Virginia, where he lives. Scot Reeder, e’82, ’94, is vice president of trustees. She is vice president of human Kelly Mirt, c’80, is vice president of of quality and engineering at TSE Brakes capital strategy and technology planning advertising at the Charlotte Observer in Inc. in Cullman, Alabama. and HR relationship management at Charlotte, North Carolina. James Still, c’82, is a writer and play- Sprint. Michael Powers, l’80, was elected wright. His one-man show, “Looking Over Robert Kaplan, b’79, is president of the president of the Kansas District Judges’ the President’s Shoulder,” will be on stage Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and Association. He is chief judge of the 8th at Chicago’s American Blues eatre in co-chairman of the Draper Richards Judicial District of Kansas. February. Kaplan Foundation. Robert Meyer Jr., c’79, is conversion Robert Brown, c’81, e’81, is vice Deepak Ahuja, c’83, m’87, is the and implementation manager at TPP 81 president of ow lifecycle services at 83 senior national medical director at

44 | KANSAS ALUMNI Optum Consumer Solutions Group in Jan Swanson Glimpse, h’84, is an erapy Services. She lives in Lawrence. Moline, Illinois. 84 occupational therapist at the Charles Winters, e’84, is a neurosurgeon J. Mark Gidley, c’83, chairs the global Sunower Early Education Center in Great at Brain and Spine Specialists in Bel Air, antitrust/competition practice at White & Bend. Maryland. Case in Washington, D.C. John Hayes III, b’84, l’91, is senior vice Ngondi Kamatuka, g’83, PhD’87, president and general counsel at Dick’s Dale Goss, g’85, is senior vice received the Walter O. Mason Award from Sporting Goods in Coraopolis, 85 president and chief development the Council for Opportunity in Education. Pennsylvania. ocer at Jamba Juice in Emeryville, He directs the Center for Educational Annette Craighead Pierce, j’84, is an California. Opportunity Programs in the Achieve- online content manager and writer for Janine Gracy, d’85, g’91, is project ment & Assessment Institute at KU. Baker University in Baldwin City, where director of the Heartland Telehealth Francis Wardle, PhD’83, is an author she lives with her husband, Steve, c’82. Resource Center at KU’s School of and professor at Red Rocks Community Paula Warren, h’84, is a pediatric Medicine in Wichita, where she lives. College and the University of Phoenix. occupational therapist at Lawrence Kathy Greenlee, b’85, l’88, was named

PROFILE by Steven Hill

‘Black Mass’ opens doors Mallouk to write a script about James

in screenwriter’s career “Whitey” Bulger, leader of Boston’s MARK MALLOUK COURTESY notorious Winter Hill Gang. pair of movies changed screenwriter “Black Mass,” released in September, AMark Mallouk’s path in life. shows how Bulger expanded his criminal Mallouk, c’95, was working on his MBA enterprise while working as an informant at Pepperdine—having completed a for his childhood friend, FBI agent John triple-major bachelor’s degree at KU in Connolly. While drawing comparisons to economics, psychology and human gangster classics like “ e Godfather” and development and family life—when he saw “Goodfellas,” the Warner Bros. lm “ e Shawshank Redemption.” starring Johnny Depp as the menacing, e scene where Andy Dufresne escapes cold-blooded killer avoids mythologizing from prison hit Mallouk hard. “It was like mob life. I had been punched in the chest,” he “I wanted to make sure there was no recalls. “I was so moved, not expecting it romance in ‘Black Mass,’” Mallouk says. “I at all, thinking this was the greatest thing didn’t want anybody walking out of that “I aspire to do that,” Mark Mallouk says, I’d ever seen.” theatre going, ‘I want to be Whitey Bulger,’ e next night he saw “ e Natural” and because he’s a sociopath.” alluding to movies that still make a big impact had a similar reaction when Roy Hobbes e script’s success led to executive on him after multiple viewings. “I want to write knocks out the stadium lights with a producer credits on “Rush,” “A Walk my ‘Shawshank.’ I think I have that in me.” towering home run. Among the Tombstones” and “Everest” “I remember walking home, saying, (released the same day as “Black Mass”). ‘Yep, that’s it. at’s what I want to do,’” Now working on a screenplay about Mallouk recalls. “It makes me laugh now, Chicago’s Calabrese crime family and a tested, are theoretical,” Mallouk says. “ is because that’s not much of a plan. But I’ve graphic novel, Sun ower, about a woman world, where there is the constant threat of never looked back.” who discovers that her murdered daughter violence and intimidation, you nd out the He enrolled in lm school at the may actually be alive, the Prairie Village kind of person someone is.” University of California-Los Angeles and native who grew up a “Boy Scout and altar Adds Mallouk, “I loved ‘ e Muppet wrote a crime drama set in Kansas City, boy” is drawn to gangster stories because Movie.’ I loved ‘ e Princess Bride.’ But I “Somerset Square,” which was optioned by the criminal world’s immense pressures want to write these movies because I feel producer Brian Oliver. ough Oliver help reveal true character. extremely comfortable in this space. It just never made the project, he later asked “I think our relationships, until they are feels right.”

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 45 Class Notes

one of the 2015 Inuencers in Aging by Beaver Award, the highest honor given to manager for Astro Buildings in Omaha, Next Avenue. She is the Assistant Secre- a volunteer by the Heart of America Nebraska. tary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Council of Boy Scouts of America. Health and Human Services in Washing- William is managing director of wealth Cory Powell, j’89, is director of new ton, D.C. management at Prosperity Advisory 89 products at the Star Tribune in Maureen Murphy, m’85, was named Group in Kansas City. He served as KU’s Minneapolis. 2016 Family Physician of the Year by the student body president in 1985. Eric Soyer, g’89, is chief nancial ocer American Academy of Family Physicians. and chief operating ocer at ERYTECH She practices at Cabarrus Family Medicine Doug Anderson, d’87, g’93, PhD’02, Pharma in Lyon, France. in Concord, North Carolina. 87 is executive director of special Diane Yetter, b’85, was recently elected education for Wichita public schools. Julia Forker Sobek, c’90, owns JSRE to KU Endowment’s board of trustees. She Robert Fee, c’87, was elected to the 90 in Overland Park, where she makes is president of Yetter Consulting Services National Independent Insurance Agents her home. and founder of the Sales Tax Institute. She and Brokers of America executive team. lives in Chicago. He is president and chief operating ocer Sean Bailey, c’91, is commanding of Fee Insurance Group in Hutchinson, 91 ocer of the USS Arlington, which Steven Chrzanowski, c’86, m’90, where he lives with Annie Burger Fee, set sail for its maiden deployment in 86 was named Laureate of the Mon- b’89. October. He is a captain in the U.S. Navy. tana Chapter of the American College of Virgil Dean, PhD’91, wrote Images of Physicians. He practices internal medicine Scott Adam, b’88, l’91, is a partner America: Lawrence, which was published at Bene s Health System in Great Falls, 88 and shareholder at Adam & in October by Arcadia Publishing. He has Montana. McDonald in Overland Park. researched and written about Kansas and Sean Dow, m’86, is a critical care Raymond Dick, e’88, g’91, g’94, is CEO regional history for 30 years. physician at Bene s Health System in and founder of RD Solutions in Kansas John Morrison, j’91, is a sta photogra- Great Falls, Montana. City. pher for the Toledo Blade in Toledo, Ohio. William Easley, c’86, received the Silver John Fullerton, c’88, g’97, is the general He’s also a freelance photographer for

46 | KANSAS ALUMNI

Class Notes

several scuba diving magazines. owns Northalsted Dental Spa in Chicago, William Pinkston, c’95, manages Angela Jacobson Watson, b’91, is vice where he makes his home. development at King County Bar Founda- president of international sales Latin Lee Ann Hawley, g’94, is a consultant at tion in Seattle. He makes his home in America, Caribbean and Canada at UPS. Alignment Business Consulting in Tacoma, Washington. She also is a member of KU’s School of Shawnee. Jarrod Williams, f’95, g’03, is a training Business supply chain management C. Jason Myers, j’94, directs marketing o cer and senior chief musician in the advisory board. Angela lives in Weston, at Sales Engine Media in Austin, Texas. U.S. Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Florida, with her husband, Wendell, and William Roddy, m’94, joined the Maryland, where he lives. their two children, Taylor and Nathan. International Association of Healthcare Anne Weintraub, c’91, is principal at Professionals and will be included in e MARRIED Mercer in Irvine, California. Leading Physicians of the World. He is an Mark Button, j’95, to Amy Pengra, Nov. internist, psychiatrist and pain manage- 7 in Houston. ey live in Dallas, where he Jonathan Harrington, c’92, is a ment specialist, and he works at Shoals is the senior director of communications 92 project manager for the U.S. Army Psychiatric Medicine in Florence, for the Texas Golf Association. Corps of Engineers in Kansas City. Alabama. BORN TO: Lance Dobbins, c’93, is assistant vice BORN TO: Lisa Graham, j’95, and her husband, 93 president of medical technology at David, e’94, and Amy Carter Legler, Geo, son, Noah, Nov. 15 in Katy, Texas, GlobalLogic. He lives in Edmonds, d’95, daughter, Catherine, Oct. 15 in where he joins a sister, Jillian, 5. Washington. Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, where she joins two sisters, Savannah, 12, and Charlotte, 7. Sarah Deer, c’96, l’99, received the Christopher Coy, c’94, is a senior 96 American Bar Association’s 2016 94 patent engineer at Microso Shannon Ochoa, c’95, is a CRM Spirit of Excellence Award. She is a 2014 Corporation in Redmond, Washington. 95 analyst at Optiv in Overland Park, MacArthur fellow and a professor at Michael Gri­n, c’94, a cosmetic dentist, where she lives. William Mitchell College of Law in St.

48 | KANSAS ALUMNI Paul, Minnesota. Her book, e Beginning MARRIED and End of Rape, was published in Milton Wendland, c’96, l’99, g’07, November by University of Minnesota PhD’12, and Michael Rezayazdi, h’13, Press. Aug. 29 in Key West, Florida. Milton is an Kamal Egodage, PhD’96, is vice attorney and instructor at the University of Lawrence with her husband, Kevin, and president of development and manufac- South Florida in Tampa, and Michael is their twin sons, Luke and Cole. turing at Symic Biomedical in San respiratory therapist at Florida Hospital in Francisco. Wesley Chapel. ey make their home in Russell Caldwell, c’98, commands Christina Kulp, c’96, is a data services St. Petersburg. 98 the USS Ross, which won the librarian at the Federal Reserve Bank of Arleigh Burke trophy in 2015. He is a Kansas City. She lives in Merriam. Jeannette Blackmar, g’97, g’99, is commander in the U.S. Navy. Brian Chun-Shing Ma, j’96, is senior vice 97 the oce manager at the Baldwin Lisa Ferris, g’98, received the Richard president and executive creative director at City Chamber of Commerce. Kinney Challenge of Living Award from Leo Burnett in Chicago. Mindy Knepp Mies, c’97, ’98, lives in the Hadley School for the Blind for

PROFILE by Chris Lazzarino STEVE PUPPE STEVE

Book, exhibition revive then in the early stages of collecting Thompson’s gonzo legacy lost political posters that Benton had parted with for a pittance asked by booze, drugs and an during years of nancial stress. Mover-the-top persona, there lurked Stranahan convinced Watkins to within Hunter S. ompson a patriot who join the quest, and in 2011 their used wit and insight to illuminate dark eorts culminated with the forces overpowering American politics. sumptuous and authoritative Daniel Joseph Watkins hopes his recently omas W. Benton: Artist/Activist, published book, Freak Power, and a winner of the Colo- companion exhibition of posters, photo- rado Book Award. graphs and writings from ompson’s Watkins’ search for DJ Watkins brought 25 of the 100 pieces 1970 campaign for sheri of Pitkin Benton artifacts made in his Hunter Thompson “Freak Power” County, Colorado, help restore the stature him intimately familiar collection to the Lawrence Arts Center for of the trailblazing gonzo journalist. with ompson, who a fall exhibition, the first outside Aspen. “Although the campaign did start as had lived in Aspen somewhat of a joke,” says Watkins, ’07, “as from the late 1960s it gained momentum it became deadly until his death in 2005. determined.” He began collecting artwork, political Watkins, a Lawrence native, was less posters, lost writings and other artifacts by space to display his permanent collection than a year into an unfullling job in San and about ompson, and in 2012 opened and items for sale, and also host a commu- Francisco when he joined his family for an the Gonzo Gallery. Aer 15 months of nity salon series. Aspen vacation in 2008 and happened to greeting fans who knew next to nothing “What I wanted to do with this book meet the widow of the late artist omas about ompson’s writing and activism, was to bring the discussion away from the W. Benton, a close friend and collaborator Watkins closed the gallery and spent more craziness, the drugs, the outlandish of ompson’s who had recently died. than a year on the book and exhibition behavior, and talk about the serious side of When Watkins told Benton’s widow of featuring ompson’s pivotal Freak Power Hunter. e greatest form of patriotism is his own background, studying art and campaign (freakpower.com/collection). dissent, and Hunter was a courageous politics and merging the two with a series ough ompson lost by 455 votes, spokesman for calling it like it is. of anti-war prints and posters, she asked other candidates on the ticket won and “He wasn’t afraid to speak what he him to immediately join her for a visit went on to establish lasting legacies in had on his mind, and I think that sort with George Stranahan, a prominent Aspen politics. His gallery now reopened of clarity and courage are lacking in entrepreneur and philanthropist who was (gonzogallery.com), Watkins uses the today’s world.”

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 49 Class Notes FredThe Ellsworth MEDALLION

Nominate a worthy Jayhawk!

ince 1975 the Fred Ellsworth Medallion has honored Sindividuals “who have provided unique and signi cant service to KU.”

Fred Ellsworth Medallion recipients are honored by the helping people with disabilities. Lisa owns Stacey Wright, b’00, is an organization appointed to the WGU Missouri advisory Association in the fall and introduced during a home Miles Access Skills Training in Portland, eectiveness consultant at H&R Block in board. She is the chief human resources Oregon. Kansas City. She lives in Shawnee. o cer at Truman Medical Centers in football game. Roseanne Olmstead, m’98, is an Kansas City, where she makes her home. obstetrician/gynecologist at Labette Travis Abicht, c’01, m’05, is a Michael Randall, e’01, is a technical Past winners have been leaders in Kansas higher education, Health in Parsons, where she lives. physician at the University of Kansas project lead at Computerized Assessments 01 members of University boards and committees, consultants Hospital in Kansas City. & Learning in Lawrence, where he lives Amy Schmidt, c’99, is a child Adam Campbell, g’01, is editor of with Angela Randall, c’01, a lead preschool for KU projects and donors to the University. 99 development specialist at era- MensHealth.com. He also wrote Men’s teacher at First Presbyterian Church. Care. She makes her home in Egg Harbor Health Big Book of Exercises and Women’s If someone you know has continually shared time, talents City, New Jersey. Health Big Book of Exercises. Russell Pine Jr., c’02, is a senior and resources to bene t KU, submit a nomination today! Alan Walker, PhD’99, is the president of Matthew Dallman, c’01, owns 18th and 02 systems engineer at EMC in Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Vine BBQ in Dallas, where he makes his Overland Park. Nevada. home with this wife, Kimi. Scott Russell, d’02, g’09, was inducted Kelly Donnelly Davis, c’01, g’03, is a in the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall BORN TO: speech-language pathologist for the of Fame. He is a physical education teacher U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, c’99, l’02, and Independence school district in Missouri. and coach at Basehor-Linwood Middle Brooke Robinson Yoder, l’05, daughter, She and her husband, Jason, live in School. Eloise Jane, Nov. 2 in Overland Park, Overland Park. Eric Snider, c’02, an attorney at Smith where she joins a sister, Caroline Lucille, 2. Tracy Eicher, m’01, is a neurologist at Moore Leatherwood in Raleigh, North the Clinical Neuroscience Institute. She Carolina, will serve a three-year term on Cynthia Lane, EdD’00, was named lives in Crestwood, Kentucky. the Henderson Collegiate Charter School 00 2016 Superintendent of the Year by Christian Morgan, c’01, is chief of sta board of directors. the Kansas School Superintendents for U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner. He lives in Association. She oversees the public Ballwin, Missouri. Erin Tornholm Baldwin, h’03, is To submit a nomination, contact schools in Kansas City, Kansas. Ruth Stricklen Pullins, g’01, was 03 director of the ielen Student the KU Alumni Association by March 31 at 800-584-5397 or kualumni.org. 50 | KANSAS ALUMNI FredThe Ellsworth MEDALLION

Nominate a worthy Jayhawk!

ince 1975 the Fred Ellsworth Medallion has honored Sindividuals “who have provided unique and signi cant service to KU.”

Fred Ellsworth Medallion recipients are honored by the Association in the fall and introduced during a home football game.

Past winners have been leaders in Kansas higher education, members of University boards and committees, consultants for KU projects and donors to the University.

If someone you know has continually shared time, talents and resources to bene t KU, submit a nomination today!

To submit a nomination, contact the KU Alumni Association by March 31 at 800-584-5397 or kualumni.org.

Health Center at Iowa State University in Brian Henry, EdD’04, was inducted in tha Jane, Sept. 4 in Lawrence, where she Ames. the Winnetonka High School Hall of joins a brother, Jack, 6, and a sister, Heather Cunningham, c’03, m’09, is a Fame. He is the superindendent of the Caroline, 4. medical oncologist at Lawrence Memorial Waynesville R-VI school district in Hospital in Lawrence. Missouri. Jimmie Manning, g’05, PhD’07, is Matthew McClasky, c’03, g’08, lives in Paul Kramer, j’04, g’09, is city manager 05 an assistant professor in the Chicago, where he is vice president of sales of Leavenworth, where he lives. department of communications at at Advance Health. Erin Nichols, b’04, is the Colorado Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. franchise developer at Always Best Care Rae Anderson Nicholson, c’05, l’08, an Jason Farley, b’04, an attorney at Senior Services. She lives in Denver. attorney for the State of Kansas, is the 04 Whit eld & Eddy in Des Moines, newest member of the Basehor City Iowa, was recognized by Great Plains BORN TO: Council. Super Lawyers 2015 as one of the rising Jacob, d’04, g’08, and Jessica Rodriguez Mary Westfall Tanner, c’05, is an stars in construction litigation. Larsen, c’04, d’05, g’08, daughter, Saman- epidemic intelligence ocer in the HIV/

PROFILE by Heather Biele KEVIN LOWDER

Attorney makes impact practicing law. “I’d always learned that the far beyond courtroom people who made the most impact—posi- tive impact—on society were preachers euben Shelton’s life could easily have and lawyers,” he recalls, “and I knew I Rtaken a much dierent course. wasn’t going to be a preacher.” Raised on the north side of St. Louis, in In the almost 40 years since that “one of those areas people like to stay away de ning moment at KU, Shelton’s impact from,” he was one of nine children born to on society has been nothing short of parents who hailed from a small town in positive. Mississippi. e St. Louis native returned aer “e rst time I had air conditioning in graduating to his hometown, where he my house was when I moved to Lawrence,” taught English and writing at a north city Shelton, j’78, recalls.“But I never knew any public school before attending law school. dierent.” “at sparked my love for helping young “Everywhere I go I tell people I’m a Jayhawk,” Despite growing up in a neighborhood folks,” he says. widely known for crime and poverty, he ese days Shelton works closely with says Reuben Shelton, whose allegiance to his was a National Honor Society student and youth organizations in the metropolitan alma mater often fuels a goodhearted rivalry played basketball at a public high school, area, including the Boys and Girls Club with colleagues at the Missouri Bar. where he made the All-America team and and Big Brothers Big Sisters, where he caught the attention of college recruiters recently became a big brother to an across the country—including KU eighth-grade boy. weren’t just about race, although inclusion basketball coach Ted Owens. Although Shelton also strives to bring positive of minority bar associations was a priority. Shelton had strong oers from several change to his profession. He has led During his presidency, he also invited a other schools, he decided to attend KU. several bar associations in St. Louis and, group of lay citizens to join the bar’s board As a freshman, Shelton and his team- most recently, he served as president of the of governors in order to bring a fresh mates enjoyed a triumphant romp to the Missouri Bar, where his motto was perspective to the organization. Final Four. His success was short-lived, “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.” Although the initiative was met with though, thanks to a knee injury during his “at’s been my theme for everything resistance at rst, it’s one that Shelton’s junior year that abruptly halted his I’ve ever done,” he says. “It’s all about immediate successors have agreed to carry basketball career—and squashed any diversity and inclusion, reaching out to get on, much to his delight. dreams he had of playing in the NBA. more people at the table, because that’s the “What happens aer that, I’m not so Not one to give up, the journalism only way we’re going to get things done.” sure,” he says. “But at least for the foresee- major turned to a dierent pursuit: Shelton emphasizes that his eorts able future, it’s gonna be good.”

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 53 Class Notes

AIDS prevention division at the Centers accounts at Splunk. June 6 in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She is a for Disease Control in Atlanta. Jacob Strecker, d’06, and his wife, trust ocer at National Advisors Trust Andrea, assoc., son, Kolbe Leo, Nov. 9 in Company in Kansas City. MARRIED McPherson, where he joins two sisters and Kyle Schanzer, c’07, to Lucy Pack, May Anne Pleviak, c’05, to Chase Dorian, three brothers. 30 in Carmel, California. ey live in Oct. 3 in Weston, Missouri. She is senior Brooklyn, New York. regulatory counsel at Mariner Holdings in Colin Brainard, c’07, is director of Brittany Simon, j’07, to Lucas Haynie, Leawood. ey reside in Overland Park. 07 government a airs for the National May 23 in Denver, where they make their Association of Chain Drug Stores in home. She is in commercial operations at BORN TO: Washington, D.C., where he lives with his Enterprise Products. Timothy Davey, b’05, and Diana wife, Kristen. Sperger, g’07, PhD’11, daughter, Brynn Jon Cornish, c’07, retired from a Luke Grover, e’08, is a technical Leonie, Oct. 2 in Belmont, California. nine-year career with the Calgary Stam- 08 architect at VML in Kansas City. Timothy is a senior key account manager peders in the Canadian Football League. Maxx Krueger, c’08, works in business at DH Pace Company, and Diana is a Andrea Lispi, b’07, owns Lispi Insurance development and analytics at Infegy in research scientist at Gilead Sciences. and Financial Services in Shawnee. Kansas City. He and his wife, Lauren, live Nicholas Sigman, c’07, is a dentist at in Liberty, Missouri. Emily Clement, c’06, is sales and Performance Dental Center in Boulder, Lauren Daly Lee, f’08, was named the 06 oce manager at ESKER Sales. She Colorado. Solidworks Women in Engineering lives in Toledo, Ohio. Nathan Smith, c’07, m’12, is a physician honoree in November. She supervises at Hays Medical Center in Hays, where he product design and engineering at Shield BORN TO: makes his home. Casework in Kansas City. Jeret, d’06, and Laura Wolowicz Patricia Barker Little, c’08, m’12, Crook, d’06, g’08, daughter, Caroline, MARRIED practices family medicine at Salina Feb. 16, 2015, in Dallas. Jeret manages Casey Cabela, c’07, to Todd Ste ens, Regional Health Center in Minneapolis.

54 | KANSAS ALUMNI Shawn Shroyer, j’08, is a disability ower State Health Plan in Lenexa, and BORN TO: analyst for the Social Security Administra- Ashley is an insurance specialist at Jerey, c’09, and Jennifer Baker O’Neill, tion. He lives in Salem, Oregon. Lawrence Family Vision Clinic in c’08, son, omas Elton, and daughter, Rick Wiedemann, g’08, directs global Lawrence. Emma Anne, Sept. 29 in Vanceboro, North business development at Tuthill Vacuum Carolina. & Blower Systems. Tricia Beelner Ast, PharmD’09, lives 09 in Olathe with her children, Chloe John Chalfant, b’10, g’11, is an MARRIED and Cade. 10 assistant manager at Ernst & Young Kalika Walker, d’08, to Aaron Neal, Oct. Elizabeth Cattell Kanost, c’09, j’09, g’14, in London, where he makes his home with 17 in Topeka, where she works as an is communications coordinator at the his wife, Kirsten. auditor for the Kansas Department of Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence Jennifer Guthrie, g’10, PhD’14, is an Revenue. Brittany Keegan, c’09, g’10, is curator assistant professor of communication Amanda Zimmerschied, c’08, j’08, and and collections manager at the Watkins studies at the University of Nevada at Las Kyle Byers, c’09, e’09, g’12, Nov. 7 in Museum in Lawrence. Vegas. Kansas City. She manages digital sales at Sean Pederson, c’09, is the city manager Michael Ricklefs, ’10, owns King of WDAF-TV Fox 4 in Kansas City, and he is of Bonner Springs. Freight in Wichita, where he lives. an electrical engineer at Honeywell. ey Chad Small, c’10, live in Shawnee. MARRIED lives in Denver, Benjamin Koehn, c’09, and Jennifer where he is a student BORN TO: Hunt, c’11, Oct. 24 in Lawrence. Benjamin adviser at Ashford Beau, c’08, and Ashley Trent Winfrey, owns Sign Up, and Jennifer is a textile University. d’09, daughter, Brynn Olivia, Sept. 29 in designer for Peruvian Connection. ey Eudora, where she joins a sister, Charley live in Lawrence. Nicole, 3. Beau is a data analyst at Sun-

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 55 Class Notes

MARRIED served in the U.S. Air Force. She makes Louis Rockford, b’11, is a residence Kaitlin Henry, n’10, to Justin Page, Sept. her home in Scottsdale. coordinator for Florida State University 19 in Olathe. ey live in Roeland Park. Joshua Nathan, c’11, co-wrote and Housing in Tallahassee, where he makes Kara Schwerdt, j’10, and Cesar Rodri- directed the short lm “Another Easygoing his home. guez, c’12, Nov. 7 in Topeka. She is the Brother in the Meadow Wind,” which was Mircea Sauciuc, g’11, is a nancial digital media and marketing coordinator screened last fall at the Tallgrass Film adviser at Morgan Stanley Wealth Man- at the KU Alumni Association, and he is Festival in Wichita. agement in Leawood. in sales at Midway Wholesale in Topeka. Rachael Post, c’11, an education Sarah Woodard, c’11, j’11, is a copy- ey make their home in Lawrence. specialist at the Topeka Zoological Park, writer at LittleBits Electronics in New York participated in a global eld course last City. She lives in Brooklyn. Mary Asbury, PhD’11, is an assistant summer at the Maasai Mara National 11 professor at Middle Tennessee State Reserve in Kenya. She’s pursuing a master’s MARRIED University in Murfreesboro. degree at Miami University in Oxford, Kelsey Richardson, j’11, and Grady Marie Biggs, c’11, j’11, is an advocate Ohio. Underwood, ’11, Oct. 11 in Lawrence, engagement manager at Health Advocacy Aqmar Rahman, c’11, l’15, lives in where they reside. She is an administrative Strategies in Seattle, where she lives. Washington, D.C., where he works for the assistant at Pennington & Company, and Rebecca Goering, g’11, is the communi- International Trade Administration at the he is an independent contractor for cations coordinator for KU Recreation U.S. Department of Commerce. Trothart Renovations. Services in Lawrence. Jody Seibel Reel, PharmD’11, owner of Lauren Studley, b’11, to Ashley Chaney, Ashley Hendry, h’11, received the Sabetha HealthMart in Sabetha, received Nov. 28 in St. Simons, Georgia. She is an American Health Information Manage- the Kansas Pharmacists Association’s employment coordinator at Sea Island ment Association Foundation’s Veterans Pharmacist of the Year Award. She also Resort in Sea Island, Georgia. Scholarship. She is a health information chairs the KPhA’s government aairs manager at Banner underbird Medical committee and serves on its board of BORN TO: Center in Glendale, Arizona, and also directors. Jason Renfrow, c’11, and his wife, Sarah,

56 | KANSAS ALUMNI daughter, Emerson Gray, July 27 in MARRIED Angel Goodrich, c’13, plays for Gorzow, Odessa, Missouri. Jason supervises Christine Davis, j’12, and Jerey a professional women’s basketball team in technical support at DST Systems Inc. in Delaroy, c’14, June 27 in Kansas City. ey Poland. She is the starting shooting guard. Kansas City. both work at KU, where she is a communi- Nicholas Kleiger, b’13, g’13, is a senior Brandon, c’11, and Nicole Jones Volz, cations specialist in the College of Liberal auditor at Deloitte in Chicago, where he c’09, daughter, Adeline, July 15 in Arts & Sciences, and he is a teaching lives with Colleen Young Kleiger, s’13. Lawrence. assistant and researcher in the department Marlon Marshall, c’13, is director of of geography and atmospheric science. state campaigns and political engagement Kelli Hamman Elmore, d’12, is the ey live in Overland Park. for the Hillary Clinton campaign. He lives 12 assistant commissioner for sport in Brooklyn, New York. communications at Kansas Collegiate Monica Engelman, c’13, is the Athletic Conference in Wichita, 13 starting point guard for Piestanske MARRIED where she makes her home with her Cajky, a professional women’s basketball Katelyn Curnes, d’13, and Michael husband, Chris. team in Slovakia. Davis, PharmD’15, Nov. 14 in Lawrence.

PROFILE by Chris Lazzarino STEVE PUPPE STEVE

asked for another opportunity Baptist pastor home again to apply for the job. at Ninth Street church “ e church had always been a blessing to me and my e’s from Missouri and lived for more wife when we were in college. Hthan a decade in Alabama, but Eric It’s home, it’s family, so when Galbreath has always considered Lawrence the opportunity opened up to home. Specically, Ninth Street Mission- go back to the people who ary Baptist Church, where he attended blessed us and looked aer us, services on Sundays while a student, it was an opportunity to served as a junior deacon and met his reverse roles, to look out for future wife. them and to be a blessing for “Ninth Street is home for us,” says them. Galbreath, c’00, “because the Galbreath “But was it time? I kind of Eric Galbreath says pastors in college towns should welcome family started at Ninth Street.” held o. It was almost like, diversity: “I don’t care what your way of life is or what your Galbreath, a fullback on KU’s 1995 really? Is this really possibly struggles are; everybody deserves to be embraced.” Aloha Bowl team, on Oct. 11 was installed going to happen?” as pastor at the historic church just a few Galbreath describes his blocks from campus. Although he had pastoring style as encouraging says, it was what everyone expected of long envisioned returning to the church and supportive, helping congregants build him. where he delivered his rst sermon (before strong lives and relationships based on Once he looked deep inside, though, he he entered the ministry, Galbreath one their Christian beliefs. Especially impor- embraced his destiny of shepherding night had a vivid dream of teaching from tant is his role in leading young people others. the Ninth Street Baptist pulpit), he initially through challenging times in a changing “God has a way of getting us to focus on declined the church’s oer to ll its vacant world. what matters,” Galbreath says. “ ere are leadership position. “My focus and drive are on identity. so many divides about so many dierent His mother-in-law was ill at the time, Once you know your identity, it impacts things, but if we get back to the basics— and the family did not feel it was the right how you handle everything else in life.” the love of Christ, loving one another— moment to leave Montgomery, Alabama, Galbreath’s father was a pastor in then that love gives us more of an oppor- where Galbreath was pastoring at his Missouri, as were his maternal grandfather tunity to have productive dialogue about father-in-law’s church. But aer delivering and great-uncles. Although he loved our dierences. a guest sermon at Ninth Street Baptist spending Sundays in church, Galbreath “ ere’s more things that unite us than during a February 2015 visit, Galbreath initially resisted the calling because, he divide us.”

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 57 Class Notes

She teaches h grade at Corpus Christi Catelyn Smith, s’14, s’15, is a social work Catholic School in Lawrence, and he is a specialist at the Kansas Department for pharmacist at Walgreens. ey make their Children and Families in Overland Park. home in Lawrence. anist at ARCCA Inc. in Seattle, where he April Miller, DPT’13, to Travis Banwart, makes his home with Krista Sanchez Cyr, MARRIED Nov. 7 in Wichita. She is a physical e’11, g’15, who works at the Seattle Shelby Mattox, p’14, to Cameron Sale, therapist at Wesley Rehabilitation Hospital Veterans Administration. Aug. 5 in Key Largo, Florida. in Wichita, where they live. Daniel Dutcher, j’14, is district manager Kenneth Titus, l’14, to Kara Evans, Oct. Kathleen Wheatley, e’13, and Jesse at the Lawrence Journal-World. He lives in 17 in Lawrence. He is a sta attorney for Clayton, ’14, May 16 in Lawrence. Lawrence. the Kansas Department of Transportation She is an engineer at Halliburton Cole Finley, c’14, lives in Lawrence, in Topeka. Energy Services, and he is a student at where he is a collections assistant at Breanne Wasinger, g’14, to Gabe Perry, the Commonwealth Medical College. Watkins Museum. Oct. 3 in Kingsville, Missouri. She is the ey live in Hanover Township, Blake Hollingshead, e’14, is a project assistant volunteer coordinator at the Pennsylvania. engineer at Apex Engineers in Kansas City. Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Danielle Husted, b’14, g’15, is a tax Gardens and the collections assistant at Nicole Balderston, d’14, lives in San associate at Grant ornton in Kansas Shawnee Town. 14 Antonio, where she is an assistant City. She lives in Merriam. athletics trainer at Trinity University. Katie Kyzer Just, u’14, is a music Asia Boyd, c’15, is a small forward Catherine Carmichael, c’14, was the therapist at Flint Hills Music in Emporia, 15 for Lulea Basket, a professional grand marshal for KU’s Homecoming where she lives with her husband, Michael, basketball club in Sweden. parade in October. She is assistant director e’15, a mechanical engineer at Vektek. Amber Hanschu, a’15, works in indus- of football recruiting for Kansas Athletics Danny Portillo, c’14, coaches boys cross trial design and user experience support at and the reigning Miss Kansas World. country at Capistrano Valley High School Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care in Adam Cyr, PhD’14, is a senior biomech- in Mission Viejo, California. Tarrytown, New York. Alexandria Katzfey, c’15, is a stylist at Trunk Club in Dallas, where she lives. Lauren Longbine, j’15, is director of Southwest promotion at Big Machine Label Group in Nashville, Tennessee, where she makes her home. Katherine Malotte, l’15, lives in Wichita, where she is an attorney at Joseph, Hollander & Cra. Tyler Riedel, d’15, teaches in the Auburn-Washburn school district in Topeka. He commutes from Lawrence. Roberta Wells, e’15, is a civil engineer at the U.S. Department of the Interior. She lives in Denver.

MARRIED Garrett Barton, m’15, and Kinzie Kiser, m’15, May 2 in Chanute. ey make their home in Florence, South Carolina. Nathanael Joslyn, g’15, to Claire Kennedy, Oct. 16 in New York City. He commands a U.S. Army Special Forces company at Fort Carson, Colorado. Kylee Mercer, c’15, to Andrew Davids, May 30 in Topeka. ey live in Wineld. Eric Williams, g’15, to Allison Berg- kamp, Nov. 1 in Lawrence. ey live in Littleton, Colorado.

58 | KANSAS ALUMNI ISSUE 1, 2016 | 59 In Memory service. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. She is survived by two sons, G. Sid, c’67, l’70, and Stephen, c’70, m’74; a daughter, Susan Smith Rosemary Smith Headley, c’37, Adam, b’86; a brother; eight grandchil- Moeser, f’75, g’77, g’82; three grandchil- 30s 100, Aug. 5 in Auburn, California, dren; and two great-grandchildren. dren; and nine great-grandchildren. where she was a retired freelance writer. Robert Light, e’49, 88, Oct. 26 in Glee Smith, c’43, l’47, 94, Nov. 16 in Surviving is a son, David, e’63, g’64. Carlsbad, New Mexico, where he was a Lawrence. He was a retired attorney and a business owner and held several roles in Kansas State Senator for 16 years. He also M. Daniel Chase, e’45, b’48, 90, local and state government. He is survived chaired the Kansas Board of Regents. He 40sSept. 18 in Kansas City, where he by a son; a brother, John, b’49; a sister, Ann served as president of the KU Alumni was retired from a 30-year career with Light Burns, d’56; a granddaughter; and Association and was a member of its board Colgate-Palmolive. He is survived by a son, two great-grandchildren. of directors. In 1984 he received the George, e’72. Noble Melencamp, c’49, 86, May 22 in School of Law Distinguished Service Jack Du y, c’49, 93, Sept. 24 in Okla- Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he was Award and KU’s Distinguished Service homa City, where he was an environmental a retired foreign service diplomat and Citation, and in 1989, he was honored specialist at the Oklahoma City Health former White House Chief of Sta in the with the Alumni Association’s Fred Department. Two daughters, eight grand- Richard Nixon administration. Ellsworth Medallion. A memorial has children and four great-grandchildren Fred Merrill, ’47, 91, Oct. 20 in Mission been established with KU Endowment. He survive. Hills. He created Cereal Food Processors is survived by two sons, G. Sid, c’67, l’70, Irven Hayden Jr., d’47, 94, Sept. 10 in in 1972 and also founded and chaired and Stephen, c’70, m’74; a daughter, Susan Atwood, where he had a family farm and Mission Hills Bank. In 1990, he and his Smith Moeser, f’75, g’77, g’82; three also served as a city judge and councilman. wife, Virginia Urban Merrill, c’47, pro- grandchildren; and nine He is survived by his wife, Ruth Kelley vided an endowment to create the Merrill great-grandchildren. Hayden, c’43; two daughters, Katy, p’75, Advanced Studies Center at KU. e Marion Pugh Strand, c’48, 87, July 14 in and Sally, c’78, ’12; four sons, three of center is part of the Schiefelbusch Institute Rochester, New York, where she was a whom are Kelley, c’69, g’72, g’73, PhD’83, for Life Span Studies. In addition to retired employment counselor. Survivors omas, ’71, and Paul, ’87; and four Virginia, other survivors include three include ve sons, ve daughters, a brother, grandchildren. daughters, one of whom is Melinda, g’03; a a sister, 21 grandchildren and several Mary Parker Huber, b’47, 89, Sept. 10 in son; a sister, Jeane Merrill Rhule, ’43; 11 great-grandchildren. Kansas City. She was a teacher and home- grandchildren; and seven Mary Duckett Wise, n’41, 97, Oct. 31 in maker. Survivors include three sons, Louis great-grandchildren. Olathe, where she volunteered at several Huber III, b’74, Stephen, b’76, and Robert, Arthur Nystrom, c’49, l’50, 94, Oct. 7 in hospitals and organizations. Survivors c’78; a daughter, Ann Huber Adamson, Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he retired include two daughters, Judy Wise Frey, c’83, c’85; two brothers, one of whom is aer owning several title and escrow n’67, and Jane Wise Yourdon, c’74; a son, David Parker, c’66; nine grandchildren; and companies and serving as president of the James, s’70, g’74, ’92, PhD’93; a sister, three great-grandchildren. Missouri Land Title Association. Survivors Helen Duckett Campbell, n’39; six George Huvendick, e’49, 93, Oct. 4 in include his wife, Patricia Pearson Nystrom, grandchildren; and two Leavenworth. He owned Missouri Valley ’49; a son; two daughters; four grandchil- great-grandchildren. Fabricators and also served as a commis- dren; and a great-grandchild. sioner and chairman for the Kansas City Robert Samson, e’47, 92, June 17 in Mona Co man Benham, d’52, 84, Area Transportation Authority for more Chagrin Falls, Ohio, where he was a 50sJune 30 in Lafayette, Colorado, than 40 years. A daughter survives. retired quality control engineer and where she was a retired secretary and Joan Kirkham, c’48, 90, Oct. 11 in manager at General Electric. He is teacher. Surviving are her husband, Alvin, Lawrence, where she was a retired math- survived by his wife, Nancy; a daughter; a e’52, g’54; two sons, one of whom is ematician. A memorial has been established son; a sister, Mary Louise Samson Stuckey, Christopher, c’86, j’86; a daughter; eight with KU Endowment. She is survived by a ’47; and two grandchildren. grandchildren; and two brother. Geraldine Buhler Smith, c’43, 93, Dec. great-grandchildren. Brownell Landes, e’49, 91, Sept. 12 in 28 in Lawrence. She served on several Diane Dey Spencer Burkholder, ’56, 81, Kansas City, where he was a retired senior committees at KU and also was president July 5 in Moscow, Idaho. She was a supervising engineer at Bendix/Allied of P.E.O. Sisterhood chapters in Lawrence corporate relocation manager for Raychem Signal, where he worked for more than 40 and Larned. In 1989 she received the Corporation and served on the board of years. He is survived by his wife, Edna; two Alumni Association’s Mildred Clodfelter directors for the National Employee daughters, one of whom is Diane Landes Award for her outstanding volunteer Relocation Council. She is survived by two

60 | KANSAS ALUMNI daughters, one of whom is Shari Spencer Eldon Herd, b’52, 89, Oct. 15 in Law- retired pathologist. Surviving are his wife, Horton, d’76; two sons; a stepdaughter; rence, where he served on the board of A. Ramona Woolley Ruggles, n’56; two three stepsons; a sister, Sharon Dey directors of Douglas County Senior sons; a daughter; a stepson, Kevin Land- Wainwright, d’60; 17 grandchildren; and Services. Five sons, two sisters, eight ers, p’86; and three grandchildren. 21 great-grandchildren. grandchildren and four great-grandchil- Ann Galloway Salome, c’52, 85, Oct. 27 Mary Ann Curtis, f’56, 81, Oct. 9 in dren survive. in Wichita, where she was a homemaker. Washington, D.C., where she was a retired Rosalie McCray Humphrey, d’51, 88, Survivors include her husband, William, U.S. Navy commander and an educator at Aug. 6 in Portland, Oregon, where she was ’51; a daughter, Diane Salome Dixon, c’76; the American Occupational erapy a retired senior management analyst at the a son, Scott, ’83; ve grandchildren; and a Association. Several nieces and nephews U.S. Department of the Treasury. Surviv- great-grandson. survive. ing are her husband, Clare, a son and a Edward Schmidt, ’50, 91, Oct. 14 in Richard Davis, c’53, m’54, 89, Oct. 6 in daughter. Spring eld, Missouri, where he was an Leawood, where he was a retired psychia- William Lyons, b’57, 89, Oct. 11 in architect for the city and BNSF Railway. A trist and director of the Family and Child Owensboro, Kentucky. He served 11 years son and two granddaughters survive. Psychiatric Clinic. He was also well known as Mississippi Athletic Commissioner and Richard Sellars, b’54, 86, Sept. 27 in as the creator of KC Masterpiece barbecue also owned King of the Hill Productions. Nixa, Missouri, where he was retired from sauce. In 2002, he was awarded the He is survived by a son, two daughters, a 29-year career with United Telephone Distinguished Service Citation by the KU three brothers, six grandchildren and four Company. His wife, Peggy, two sons, a Alumni Association. He is survived by his great-grandchildren. daughter and two grandsons survive. wife, Coleen, assoc.; two daughters, one of Lois Miller McCann, b’57, 78, Oct. 7 in Claude Sharp, b’50, 90, Feb. 10, 2014, in whom is Laura Davis Gregory, j’75; two Kansas City, where she was an auditor for North Richland Hills, Texas, where he was sons, one of whom is Richard Davis Jr., the Missouri Department of Labor. Her a retired salesman. He is survived by his c’77; 10 grandchildren; and a husband, John, assoc.; and a sister survive. wife, Valetta, assoc.; a son; a daughter; and great-granddaughter. Lewis Mitchell, e’50, 90, Sept. 22 in two grandchildren. Donald Elliott, e’57, 87, Oct. 27 in Scott City, where he was retired general Robert Toalson, c’54, 83, Sept. 15 in Wichita, where he was retired from a manager of Wheatland Electric Coopera- Urbana, Illinois. He was general manager 35-year career with Boeing. His wife, tive. Survivors include his wife, Donis; a of the Champaign Park District and Laurene, and a sister survive. son, Marc, b’74; three daughters, two of president of the National Recreation and Howard Finke, e’50, 95, Oct. 26 in St. whom are Meredith Mitchell, c’72, and Park Association. Surviving are his wife, Charles, Missouri, where he worked in Melanie Mitchell Key, b’75; and a Dianne Nothdur Toalson, b’56; a son; a avionics systems development at McDon- granddaughter. daughter; a brother, William, c’59, m’63; nell Douglas. He is survived by his wife, Marna Brewer Moore, ’55, 82, Oct. 15 ve grandchildren; and a Ida, three daughters, a son, three grand- in Lawrence. She is survived by her great-granddaughter. children and a step-grandson. husband, Robert, ’53; a daughter, Melonie Ellen Meador Tracy, ’57, 79, Oct. 2 in Donald Glasco, c’52, m’56, 85, Jan. 18, Moore Sullivan, ’76; a son; and ve Lawrence. She was a retired attorney. 2015, in Denver, where he was a retired grandchildren. Survivors include her husband, Terry, c’57; psychiatrist and an instructor at the Dwight Patton Jr., d’55, g’59, 82, Sept. a son, Kent, c’89; two daughters, one of University of Colorado Health Sciences 12 in Wichita, where he was a retired whom is Allison Tracy, ’80; a sister, Nellie Center. He is survived by his wife, Jo Ann computer services manager at Boeing. He Meador Miller, assoc.; a brother; and four Lewis Glasco, n’54; a son; two daughters; a is survived by his wife, Kay Brua Patton, grandchildren. brother, Dean, a’55; three grandchildren; ’57; three sons, Timothy, c’79, Jon, c’83, Balie Waggener III, b’51, 88, June 10 in and four great-grandchildren. and Je, c’84; a daughter, Krista Patton Panama City, Florida. He is survived by his Robert Hamilton, c’53, m’56, 84, Sept. Roller, s’77; 12 grandchildren; and eight wife, Susan; two daughters; two step- 13 in Bellingham, Washington, where he great-grandchildren. daughters; a brother, Sterling, c’51, l’53; was a physician and president of North- Helen Dowell Powell, c’54, 83, Sept. 26 and a grandchild. west Medical Center. He is survived by a in Evergreen, Colorado, where she was a Donald Watson, ’56, 86, Sept. 28 in daughter; two sons; two sisters, one of retired international marketing manager. Topeka. He was president of the Buchman whom is Mary Hamilton Mead, d’61; and She is survived by her husband, C. Seed and Feed Company in Paola and four grandchildren. Richard, c’53; a daughter, Ann Powell director of the Kansas Grain Inspection Wilmer Harms, c’52, m’56, 93, Sept. 17 Ryan, c’83, l’87; two sons, one of whom is Service. He is survived by his wife, Joan in Newton, where he was a retired Cory, j’89; a sister, Alice Ann Dowell Buchman Watson, g’86; ve sons, three of ophthalmologist. Survivors include two Johnston, assoc.; and ve grandchildren. whom are Paul, ’82, David, b’84, and sons, one of whom is Willard, m’77; a James Ruggles, m’57, 82, Sept. 21 in James, b’89; two daughters, Donna Watson brother; a sister; and six grandchildren. Yankton, South Dakota, where he was a Laroux, c’82, and Margaret Watson King,

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 61 In Memory

’83; 17 grandchildren; and 4 Sept. 23 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was Chris McClintic Bishop, c’87, 50, great-grandchildren. retired assistant director of nursing and 80sOct. 12 in Lawrence. She was a Robert Weatherholt, b’51, 86, July 13 in inservice director at Lake Ridge Health senior administrative associate at KU. A Overland Park, where he was a retired Care Center in Roseville. Survivors memorial has been established with KU salesman and co-founder of Olander- include her husband, Wayne, ’63; a Endowment. Her husband, Mark, e’95, and Weatherholt Inc. Surviving are a son, daughter; a son; seven grandchildren; and a brother survive. Laurence, c’76; two daughters, Leigh two great-grandchildren. Kathryn Cook, c’85, c’88, 52, Sept. 7 in Weatherholt Mutert, g’80, and Nancy Thomas Hamilton, b’67, 70, Sept. 8 in Overland Park. She was a geologist and Weatherholt, b’80, g’86, PhD’89; a sister; Troy, New York. He was a hunter-safety, also worked at several bookstores. A and eight grandchildren. rearms and archery instructor. His wife, memorial has been established with KU Laurin Wilhelm, c’59, d’68, g’70, 78, Andrea, a son, a daughter, a sister and two Endowment. Survivors include her June 19 in San Antonio, where he was a grandchildren survive. parents, David, assoc., and Emma Cook, retired teacher. He is survived by his wife, G. William Henry, b’66, 71, July 31 in assoc.; and a sister. Gracie Ramos Wilhelm, ’95; two sons, Chester eld, Missouri. He was president William Lee, ’80, 68, Oct. 16 in Law- Christopher, c’87, and Phillip, ’82; a of SBPI. He is survived by his wife, Vicki rence. He worked at several radio stations, daughter; and ve grandchildren. Whitaker Henry, d’66; three sons; a sister, and in 2004 he founded the Kansas Music Karen Henry Post, c’69; and six Hall of Fame. He is survived by four sons, Sam Ashley, c’60, 77, Sept. 4 in grandchildren. two of whom are Kent Lee, c’13, and Jon 60sOverland Park, where he worked Sharon Smysor Lindenmeyer, d’64, 73, Dean Barta, ’92; six daughters, two of at Lohse Ashley Associates. Two daugh- Oct. 15 in Ellsworth, where she was a whom are Teresa Lee, ’10, and Beth Lee ters, a son and a grandson survive. homemaker and an educator. Surviving Tennyson, ’15; a brother; a sister; 25 William Bridges, d’61, 76, Sept. 25 in are a daughter, Karen Lindenmeyer grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Santa Monica, California, where he was a Hunter, p’91; two sons, one of whom is Margaret Thum McNiel, d’80, 60, Sept. retired NBA basketball player and Daniel, p’94; a brother, Frank Smysor, d’70, 23 in Lawrence, where she was a computer three-time NBA All-Star. He also had a g’75; and ve grandchildren. programmer. A memorial has been consulting business. Susan Nelson Morris, n’61, 76, Oct. 8 in established with KU Endowment. Surviv- Pamela Rice Dykes, d’64, 73, Nov. 6 in Lawrence, where she was a retired nurse. ing are her husband, Dennis; a daughter, Kansas City, where she was a retired high Survivors include two sons, Frederick, ’83, Abigail Rosdahl Johnson, b’01, g’03; a son, school teacher. A memorial has been and Jerey, c’90, l’93; and two Andrew Rosdahl, c’04, ’10; a stepdaughter, established with KU Endowment. She is grandchildren. Kristen McFarren, c’99; a stepson; her survived by her husband, Gerald, c’64, mother; three sisters, two of whom are l’67; a daughter; a son; her mother; a Brenda Boehm, d’78, g’97, 60, Mary um, j’71, and Kathleen um brother; and three grandsons. 70s Oct. 11 in Mapleton, where she Modrcin, c’75; two grandchildren; and two Lynne Meyer Egan, d’63, 74, Aug. 9 in was a retired construction services step-grandchildren. Olathe, where she was retired from a administrator at Kansas City Power and career in health care management. A son, Light. She also was a longtime volunteer Joan Witt Cowan, c’91, 46, April John, j’86; and a sister, Sondra Meyer for CASA. She is survived by two brothers, 90s19 in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Raile, ’65, survive. one of whom is Michael Boehm, b’82; and She worked in marketing and promotions Allen Finch, e’62, 76, Aug. 21 in a sister, Barbara Boehm, j’84. for General Mills and Land O’Lakes. Towson, Maryland, where he was retired Richard Randolph, c’76, 79, Oct. 28 in Surviving are her husband, Chris; two from a career in sales and marketing. He is Lawrence, where he was a retired substi- daughters; her parents; and two sisters, survived by his wife, Sandra McDonald tute teacher. He also was the secretary and one of whom is Linda Witt Polnicky, e’89. Finch, ’61; a son; two daughters; three manager of the Eagles Lodge in Lawrence. Olivia Thompson Maresh, j’98, 39, July sisters, one of whom is Jane Finch Wells, Surviving are two sons, one of whom is 16 in Overland Park, where she was an d’70; and seven grandchildren. Michael, c’90; a daughter, Margaret editor for a medical journal. Surviving are Linda Pedlar Godbey, c’68, 69, Oct. 28 Randolph Dougherty, c’99; a sister; and her husband, Ian, ’99; a son; a daughter; in Parsons, where she had a long career eight grandchildren. her father, Walter ompson, c’70; her with the Kansas Department of Social and Marcos Rubert, c’74, 63, Nov. 9 in mother, Kaye Salminen ompson, d’72, Rehabilitation Services. A memorial has Celebration, Florida, where he was a ’96; and two brothers, Douglas, j’01, and been established with KU Endowment. banking professional. He also was an Brett, b’02. She is survived by her husband, Michael; a advisory board member for KU’s College Christopher Sulzer, c’90, 47, Sept. 30 in daughter; a son; her mother; and a sister, of Liberal Arts & Sciences. He is survived Kansas City, where he was a senior supply Nadine Beech, b’62. by his wife, Kathryn, two daughters, chain manager at Corbion. Two sons, his Carolyn Bolenbaugh Griesel, n’60, 77, a son, a brother and a sister. parents, a brother and two sisters survive.

62 | KANSAS ALUMNI Joseph Barr, g’01, 50, Oct. 24 in chaired the department of pediatric a daughter, Rebecca, c’92; a sister; a 00sBozeman, Montana. He was an nursing at KU Medical Center. A sister stepbrother; and three grandchildren. adjunct professor and adviser at Montana survives. Franklin Shontz, assoc., 88, Aug. 6 in State University. His parents, a sister and a Martin “Mutt” Henry, c’61, 87, Oct. 29 Lawrence, where he was professor brother survive. in Fairfax, Virginia, where he was a retired emeritus of psychology at KU and a U.S. Navy commander and senior vice consultant for the Resource Development Shadi Nmair, p’14, 30, Aug. 14 in president for property management at KU Institute in Kansas City. He is survived by 10sLenexa. His parents, a sister and a Endowment. He is survived by a daughter, two daughters, Jennifer Shontz, s’77, and brother survive. Janet Henry Hodges, d’74; two sons; a Sally Shontz Fiske, c’80, s’82; a son, K. brother; and 10 grandchildren. Curtis, e’84, g’98; ve grandchildren; and a Paul Jess, 83, Oct. 22 in Lawrence. great-grandson. THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY He was professor emeritus of journalism William Woods, assoc., 68, Sept. 11 in Harrison Clarke Anderson, 83, Oct. 8 in and also served as general manager Lawrence, where he was professor Kansas City, where he was a retired of the University Daily Kansan, chair emeritus in the department of geology and professor and chairman of the department of the news-editorial sequence and former director of environmental studies of pathology at KU Medical Center. In associate dean of the William Allen at KU. Surviving are his wife, Deanna; a 1990, he was appointed the rst Har- White School of Journalism and Mass son, Colin, b’99; a daughter, Gillian Woods rington Professor of Orthopaedic Communications. Survivors include Bauer, c’00, PhD’08; a sister; and four Research. Surviving are his wife, Nina; two his wife, Jan Hurt Jess, s’82; two sons, grandchildren. daughters, one of whom is Heather James, ’83, and David, c’89; a daughter, Anderson Quest, ’89; two sons; and ve Jill Jess Phythyon, j’90; and three grandchildren. grandchildren. ASSOCIATES L. Joseph Bauman, e’61, 75, Oct. 12 in Charles Michener, assoc., 97, Nov. 1 in Ray Farha, assoc., 92, Aug. 15 in Lawrence. He was dean of KU’s School of Lawrence. He was the Watkins Distin- Wichita, where he owned Ray Sales Business and a professor of management. guished Professor Emeritus of ecology and Company and Farha Liquor Store. He is He also was vice president of manufactur- evolutionary biology and curator emeritus survived by his wife, Nahia, assoc.; three ing at IBM and CEO of Adams Business at KU’s Natural History Museum. He also daughters, one of whom is Jane Farha Forms and Cardinal Brands. He was was regarded as one of the world’s fore- Mosley, d’86, n’88; a son; eight grandchil- recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by most experts on bees, and he continued dren; and nine great-grandchildren. the department of mechanical engineering researching, publishing and mentoring Arthur Lonborg Jr., assoc., 87, Aug. 16 and was given the School of Engineering’s a er retiring from KU in 1989. He is in Wichita, where he was owner of Arthur Distinguished Engineering Service Award. survived by three sons, David, c’64, Lonborg and Associates. A memorial has A memorial has been established with KU Daniel, c’66, and Walter, ’79; and a been established with KU Endowment. He Endowment. He is survived by his wife, daughter, Barbara, ’69. is survived by two daughters, Lynn Joanie; four daughters, three of whom are Capt. J.W. “Buck” Newsom, assoc., 96, Lonborg Loveland, ’76, and Laura Lonborg Mary Bauman Foster, a’90, Molly Bauman Nov. 26 in Lawrence. He served as KU’s Peterson, h’85, g’92; a son, Arthur, c’82, Ward, c’94, and Meg Bauman Roggero, Naval ROTC commanding ocer and g’84; and seven grandchildren. s’95; a son; two sisters, one of whom is also was a professor of naval science. Carol Lonborg, assoc., 86, July 24 in Linda Bauman Shumway, d’69; and 12 He later worked for Centron Productions Wichita, where she was a retired kinder- grandchildren. in Lawrence. Surviving are his wife, garten teacher. She is survived by two Warren Boozer, ’66, 95, Oct. 12 in Las Faye, ’82; a son, John Newsom Jr., e’73, daughters, Lynn Lonborg Loveland, ’76, Cruces, New Mexico. He was a retired U.S. g’75; two daughters, Jennifer Newsom and Laura Lonborg Peterson, h’85, g’92; a Navy commander and directed KU’s Rogozinski, c’68, and Elizabeth Newsom son, Arthur, c’82, g’84; and seven student union recreational department for Amyz, b’82; a brother; and two grandchildren. 19 years. He is survived by his wife, Nancy granddaughters. Shirley Barnes Welch, assoc., 79, Oct. 6 Moore Boozer, d’51; four daughters, three Lawrence Sherr, assoc., 74, Sept. 20 in in Lawrence. In 2001 she was honored as of whom are Barbara Boozer Morgan, Lawrence, where he was professor the “First Lady of Kansas Law Enforce- d’76, Beth Boozer Buford, d’78, and emeritus of business and in 1986 was ment” by several law enforcement organi- Beverly Boozer, b’84; a brother; seven awarded a Chancellors Club Teaching zations. A memorial has been established grandchildren; and ve Professorship. He also directed instruction with KU Endowment. She is survived by great-grandchildren. for KU’s School of Business. A memorial her husband, Larry, c’58, l’61; two sons, Marilyn Chard, 84, Oct. 20 in North has been established with KU Endowment. Ladd, j’79, and Lanny, c’84; a daughter, Gra on, Massachusetts. She was professor Survivors include his wife, Suzanne Laurie Welch Brown, c’86; a brother; and emeritus in KU’s School of Nursing and Burnstein Sherr, c’76; a son, Jerey, c’89; eight grandchildren.

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 63 Rock Chalk Review

Chance Encounters of a Literary Kind Serving House Books, $10 Let Us Imagine Lost Love Thane & Prose, $27.99 The Billion Dollar Dream BkMk Press, $15.95

ing. I’ve had the good luck of not having writer’s block. I’ve just kept on going.” Day credits his English professors— including Ed Wolfe, Ed Ruhe, Charlton Kansas quarto Hinman and Caroll Edwards, all of whom Four new books from the author he has written about in the pages of Kansas Alumni—with helping him develop of ‘The Last Cattle Drive’ the tools that have stood him in good stead across a long writing career. he narrator of Robert Day’s new Letters magazine. Chance Encounters of a “Saul Bellow said, ‘Writers are readers Tnovel, Let Us Imagine Lost Love, is not Literary Kind, reminiscences of Day’s moved to emulation.’ I learned that when I big on words. encounters over the years with literary met my KU professors. If you learn from Unmarried and unnamed, he’s a gures such as William Staord, c’37, g’46, professors who are willing to show you designer of books bought chie y for looks, Raymond Carver and John Barth, is how these things work, the process of not language: address registers, recording published by Serving House Books. Due in emulation comes very quickly.” calendars, abecedarians and coee table January is Robert Day for President: An Let Us Imagine Lost Love features a rich tomes. “But my favorites are ‘Blanks’— Embellished Campaign Autobiography, a scenic structure that toggles between books with empty pages for memoirs to be memoir of Day’s political life growing up present-day Kansas City, the narrator’s written or diaries to be kept,” he condes. with a Republican father, a Polish socialist college years in Emporia and Berkeley, “I am Mr. Tabula Rasa of Kansas City.” He grandmother and a Catholic Democrat California, and his adolescence in nearby even names his one-man publishing mother. Merriam. Time isn’t unscrolled in Day’s company, run from his Country Club e publication of so many works in nonlinear telling so much as it is juggled: Plaza apartment, Blanche de Blank Books. so short a time may have the appearance Events are recounted out of order, creating He’s similarly reticent in his personal of a literary “gusher,” to use one of an intricate jumble of memory, musing life, frustrating repeated attempts by his Day’s favorite meta- and longing that adds to the sister, Elaine, to learn about his no-strings- phors about writing, but plot’s many mysteries, attached entanglements with a series of it’s anything but. including its predominant DAN STOREY DAN married women he calls “my Wednesday “It probably does look one: Will the narrator wives.” eir clipped, witty exchanges run like a gusher, but it has reunite with the long lost throughout the Kansas City scenes like an never been a dry well,” (and unrequited) love of his urbane Greek chorus. He keeps her says Day, whose rst life, a famous painter whose guessing. She calls him enigmatic. novel, e Last Cattle exhibit is about to open at A novel 10 years in the making, Let Us Drive, appeared in 1977 the Nelson-Atkins Museum Imagine Lost Love is one of three books to great acclaim and has of Art? that Day, c’64, g’66, published this fall. e since aged gracefully During a Dec. 8 conversa- Billion Dollar Dream, a collection of short into a classic of the tion at the Kansas City stories and a novella, is published by picaresque form. “I’ve Public Library with director BkMk Press, the University of Missouri- never stopped writing, Crosby Kemper—the rst in Kansas City outt aliated with New never stopped publish- Day a series of events funded by

64 | KANSAS ALUMNI the new Robert Day Endowment for the French horn and his professor says he has Smith, a full-time member of the KU Literary Arts, established by Day and his a ne singing voice, too. He composes faculty for ve years, previously taught in wife, Kathryn—Kemper noted how the music, performs in the KU Jazz Ensemble Irvine; although Ono was not one of his book is “really in many ways about the I and KU Wind Ensemble, and works as students, the two knew each other and in uence of the past. It’s a brilliant view of an accompanist for ballet classes at the were eager to work together at KU. how we come to terms with our past, by Lawrence Arts Center. “I’ve known Kai for half of his young telling stories about the past.” Which helps explain why the so-spo- life,” Smith says. “He was good friends In recounting the story of his past, the ken junior from Irvine, California, with one of my students back in Califor- narrator of Let Us Imagine Lost Love is at cherishes that magical, eeting moment, nia. ey played duets together, and I last writing his own book—“lling in his aer he’s seated at the bench and before always thought there was something own blanks,” Day says—which he also he’s pressed the rst key. special about him.” designs and gives to his sister to present to “I really love listening to how quiet the Johann Sebastian Bach, whom Ono his lost love. It’s the kind of playful meta hall is before I play,” says Ono, who last describes as “the god of Western classical touch (reminiscent of Nabokov or Twain) October won the Rosalyn Tureck Interna- music,” presents unique challenges, that Days delights in. tional Bach Competition for Young especially for young pianists. Not only is “I’m a literary writer. I combined the Pianists, in New York City. “Because I every nuance of the Bach canon familiar to literary tools I learned at KU from Ed spend so much time playing and writing music acionados—“ere is just no Ruhe and Ed Wolfe and the experiences I and listening to all things music, silence is faking it,” Ono says. “Everybody knows if had in life,” he says. “at’s the way it so beautiful sometimes. I don’t want to say you messed up, and it’s very easy to mess works for me, and it’s a lot of fun.” it’s a break, because that would make it up”—but Bach’s “polyphonic” composi- —Steven Hill sound like the music is a chore, but it’s tions, with “melody on top of melody on such a nice contrast. e quieter the hall, top of melody” are also vastly more the more surreal the moment feels.” complicated than “homophonic” music Bach overdrive Ono did not get serious about piano with a primary melody textured with until early in high school, which is late for chords. Piano student who reveres young pianists. He spent every summer “It’s incredibly dicult to memorize ’god of Western classical music’ during his high school years at KU’s Bach because his music is so complicated,” tops New York competition International Institute for Young Musi- Ono says. “And because pianists have to cians—“Everybody there is incredibly separate their mind, allocating dierent ai Ono, a piano performance and good, some of the best pianists of my parts of their mind to dierent parts of the Kmusic composition major, surrounds generation”—and was thrilled to attend melody, depending on which part you’re himself with sound. He plays the piano, of KU and study under Scott McBride Smith, at, it just makes it a very busy performance course, but also the clarinet, saxophone, g’76, Cordelia Brown Murphy professor of for the mind.” cello and percussion. He’s dabbled in the piano pedagogy. Smith says Ono’s intelligence, curiosity and maturity make him more adept at accomplished Bach performance than others of his age, which is why they agreed STEVE PUPPE STEVE the Tureck competition would be appro- priate for Ono to enter. “His Bach has always been really beautiful, and he’s played a lot of it, so this seemed like a good next step,” Smith says. “Not everybody his age understands it. Some people think it’s a little too dry. ere’s certain pieces that require a certain kind of maturity to understand, which somebody his age doesn’t necessarily have. But he does.” —Chris Lazzarino

Kai Ono’s career goals are simple: “As long as I am performing and writing in some way or another, I will have absolutely no complaints.”

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 65 Rock Chalk Review

Old life made new PUPPE STEVE App delivers digitized fossil collection he Biodiversity Institute’s Digital Atlas Tof Ancient Life began as a quest to digitize the entire KU fossil collection catalog so scientists and researchers worldwide could access the trove of information detailing remnants of earth’s earliest life forms. With the rise in Bruce Lieberman hopes the new app blends kids’ interest in popularity of custom apps for phones and fossils and ever-growing attachment to their phones: “It tablets, Bruce Lieberman, professor of engages both in the natural world and digital world, which ecology and evolutionary biology, also saw kids spend a lot of time in today.” an opportunity to reach a much wider audience. Amateur fossil hunters, kids exploring create his iconic Panorama. and Nicholas Ward, g’10, Loewenstein creeks, farmers turning up soil, hikers “A focus of my research, and my invited them to become mural assistants exploring the Flint Hills and schoolchil- students’ research, is to look at what the on the project, which was inspired by the dren and their teachers on eld trips are fossil record can tell us, deep time, about community mural movement. the sorts of audiences for which the new climate change and evolution and extinc- Moving to Tonkawa, Oklahoma, to work Digital Atlas of Ancient Life app was tion,” Lieberman says, “and I think there is on the rst mural in turn inspired Hansen designed. a real opportunity to integrate what we’ve and Ward. “It was really a transformational Modeled on popular bird-watching got in the history of life with our modern experience for us, and when we called guides, the app and its online counterpart world. It is sort of a paradigm shi that back home to tell people about it, there feature photographs, maps and scienti c unleashes great opportunities. was no way to do it justice,” Ward says. data about the most common fossils found “We also saw the opportunity to engage “We decided the experiences were a in Kansas and nearby states—invertebrates with the public in a new way, which is part narrative we had a responsibility to tell, from the Pennsylvanian period, about 290 of a long tradition here. We wanted to and lm seemed the best way to do it.” million years ago. Designed in conjunction make information about our collection eir 80-minute documentary, “Called with researchers from Ohio University, accessible so the general public could To Walls,” chronicles four of the six San Jose State University and the Univer- know more about our fossils, but also so projects—in Tonkawa; Newton; Joplin, sity of Florida, with grant funding from they could discover more about what’s Missouri; and Arkadelphia, Arkansas—in the National Science Foundation, the free found in their backyard or places they which Loewenstein guides local citizens in app for iPhone and iPad also features like to go.” designing and painting a mural that tells fossils typical to those regions. —Chris Lazzarino their town’s story. “Kansas is blessed with spectacular fossil e idea behind the community mural deposits, and people come in contact with movement, Loewenstein explains in the them all the time,” Lieberman says. “I Moral murals lm, is to bring people together “to talk think it does make people wonder about about the issues that matter to them most, the natural world.” Documentary film explores and then collaborate as a group to translate Beginning with its Specify soware, the power of large-scale those experiences into large public now the database management tool of community art murals.” choice for nearly 400 biological collections Each project creates a beautiful piece of worldwide, KU has long been a world n spring 2010, Lawrence-based mural art that will remain in the community for leader in the urgent push to digitize Iartist Dave Loewenstein, ’93, working all to enjoy. It also becomes a tool for civic natural history collections. With the in collaboration with the Mid-America engagement, giving each member of the app now available as a tool to aid anyone Arts Alliance, started a three-year, six-state design team (open to any citizen who interested in learning more about fossils, project to create community-based murals wants to get involved) opportunity to Biodiversity Institute digitization truly across the Midwest. participate in the decisions made in their reects the public outreach that drove Having seen a set of Junction City community. Professor Lewis Lindsay Dyche to murals created by Amber Hansen, g’10, e lm documents the process, which

66 | KANSAS ALUMNI is at times upli ing and unifying, and at other times contentious and divisive. In Joplin, where work was scheduled to begin PUPPE STEVE shortly a er an EF-5 tornado destroyed nearly two-thirds of the city, the mural becomes a healing tool—despite the team’s WALLS CALLED TO COURTESY initial reluctance to let the disaster dene their design. At one point, a er an ocial with the convention and visitors bureau tells designers a downtown site they have in mind is not to be used as a tornado Loewenstein memorial, but as “ypaper” to attract tourists, Loewenstein counsels the team to hometowns in new ways. stick to its guns. “You are asking questions “e theme of the mural, the content of that are really making us it, what you would like it to be about and think about, ‘Is this really depict is up to you,” Loewenstein tells the what Tonkawa’s about? Is Hansen and Ward group. “Is up to you, right? And if that this really something that is conicts perhaps with what the city wants, important?’” says a team member in work can be done without being didactic,” in some way, I think we need to have that Oklahoma. “You really bring out new ideas Ward says, “and at the same time still conversation. Feel empowered to tell the and new thoughts about our community contain some of the emotive and playful story you want to tell, and we’ll nd the and our history that we don’t think about.” and really heavy experiences we had.” place it can go. If it can’t be on that wall, “Called to Walls” is visually, sonically, Mission accomplished. “Called To we’ll nd a dierent place.” and emotionally a beautiful lm: e Walls” is a delight to watch even as it poses In Tonkawa, the dicult conversation camera lingers frequently on small taxing questions that can only be answered concerns how to represent Tonkawa moments—a delightful shot of a little girl by the communities and the people who Indian tribal history. In Arkadelphia, jumping on a bed, an elderly couple form them. But the essential thing, it controversy grows out of eorts to include relaxing on their front porch—and the makes clear, is to ask. issues important to the minority African- soundtrack includes music by local —Steven Hill American population. e lm shows how musicians, Lawrence bands and even the “Called to Walls” premieres in the process can unite or divide, but most lmmakers themselves. “We wanted the Lawrence Feb. 27 at Liberty Hall. Visit of all how it can help people look at their lm to lay out the potential for how this calledtowalls.com. for more information.

Sentries at the Gate Bleeding Kansas veterans raised by Kansas senator Jim Lane to protect Abraham Lincoln at ames Muehlberger’s 2014 book, The Lost Cause: PUPPE STEVE the White House during the first 10 days of the JThe Trials of Frank and Jesse James, hinged on a Civil War, when Washington, D.C., was nearly long-lost legal file that Muehlberger, a former devoid of federal forces and vulnerable to Johnson County prosecutor and a partner at the law attacks by Confederate troops from Maryland firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon, discovered in a county and Virginia. clerk’s o ce in Gallatin, Missouri. In an interview Before Muehlberger found the document, at with Kansas Alumni [“True Crime,” issue No. 3, the Library of Congress, historians knew the 2014], Muehlberger, c’78, l’82, called his identities of only 51 of the men and had no discovery of the first case prosecuting the account of their actions. Addressing one of the notorious outlaws “probably the most Civil War’s great mysteries (why did Southern exciting thing I’ve done as a lawyer.” forces not immediately attack the defenseless His new book, The 116: The True Story of capital and kill or capture the president?), he Abraham Lincoln’s Lost Guard, Muehlberger documents the pivotal role played by a little- (Ankerwycke, $24.95) benefits from known outfit previously relegated to a footnote another triumph in the discovery process: in most Civil War histories, arguing that safe passage of capital and the muster roll and action reports of the country through the early days of war was steered by a contingent Frontier Guard, a 116-man force of of battle-tested Kansans. —Steven Hill

ISSUE 1, 2016 | 67 KU 150 Historical notes in celebration of the University’s sesquicentennial

Vince Meserko (far left), an Overland Park graduate STEVE PUPPE STEVE student and KJHK DJ, hosts weekly shows “Hickory Wind” and “The Jookhouse.” SPENCER RESEARCH LIBRARY SPENCER RESEARCH In the late ’50s, Wilt Chamberlain (left) had his own 30-minute weekly radio show on KUOK, “Flip’er with Dipper,” which featured Chamberlain’s own brand of banter.

adio broadcasting has come a long Lindley announced, “ is is KFKU, the residence halls, debuted in 1956. Rway since the early 1900s, and the new radio station of the University of As the ’70s rolled around, the University University’s foray “into the ether” is no Kansas, at Lawrence.” e broadcast agreed to allow KUOK to become a exception. continued with greetings from faculty full-edged, publicly accessible radio KU rst took to the airwaves on April 8, members, performances by the KU Men’s station. Aer switching its call letters to 1916, when alumni nationwide tuned in to and Women’s Glee Clubs and the Univer- KJHK and receiving permission to what KU News Bureau dubbed “the rst sity Band, and introductions of athletics broadcast at 90.7, the station broadcast its transcontinental alumni reunion.” coaches and team captains by KU Director rst song on Oct. 15, 1975. Organized by the Alumni Association, of Athletics Phog Allen. Although KJHK had its share of hard which leased 3,800 miles of telephone wire A total of 160 telegrams rolled in from times in the beginning, including public for the event, it was reportedly the rst alumni across the nation that evening and, pushback about the “progressive” music radio rally broadcast by any college or as noted by the University Daily Kansan, selections and several run-ins with the university. all “expressed their delight at hearing the FCC, the self-described “Sound Alterna- By 1924, the University was primed old rally yells and songs and greeted tive” found its way into the hearts of for a station of its own. Aer building a faculty members and speakers.” President listeners and won awards in the ’80s for radio tower behind Marvin Hall, KU Calvin Coolidge’s secretary of commerce, “developing and promoting local music.” launched its rst station, KFKU, on Herbert Hoover, was among those who at trend continues today for the wavelength 275. sent a message congratulating the Univer- student-run station, which in 2010 moved To prepare listeners for the station’s sity on its venture into radio. out of its longtime, aptly named home, inaugural broadcast at 8 p.m. on Dec. 15, Despite its initial success, KFKU became “the Shack,” and into a more professional the Alumni Association posted a notice in “low in wattage and program quality” by studio in the Kansas Union. Now stocked the November issue of its Graduate the early ’50s, according to historian with more than 150 student volunteers Magazine, stating, “Telegrams from Cliord Grin, and was overshadowed by and nearly 60 DJs, the award-winning alumni will be read and a great exchange the University’s rst FM station, KANU station keeps a lively mix of music on air, of greetings will be passed back and forth 91.5, which launched in 1952. Now known with crowd pleasers such as “Jazz in the among old timers. It is hoped that every as Kansas Public Radio, the station over 63 Morning” and “Breakfast for Beatlovers,” K.U. alumni group now organized will be years has dramatically expanded its as well as talk shows, sports broadcasting, together … and that they will send in programs and reach. KPR now serves live in-studio performances, and arts and messages saying whether they are able to 100,000 listeners weekly in 34 Kansas and culture programs. hear the new station and how they like the four Missouri counties. e Kansas “We have a little bit of everything,” says program.” Association of Broadcasters has named station manager John Dillingham, a Katy, e program didn’t disappoint. Alumni KPR Station of the Year 15 times in the Texas, senior majoring in architecture. were treated to a moving rendition of John past 20 years. “Any kind of niche program we can oer, Philip Sousa’s “ e Stars and Stripes Another station, KUOK, run by School we have.” Forever” before Chancellor Ernest H. of Journalism students and heard only in —Heather Biele

68 | KANSAS ALUMNI

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