66 Fair Thee Well: Becky Bailey-Findley ’76 M’80
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Vroman’s Empire: Joel Sheldon ’66 Fair Thee Well: Becky Bailey-Findley ’76 M’80 SUMMER 2008 MA TCH MAK ER Battling leukemia and awaiting a transplant, Erica Murray ’01 becomes a crusader for the national bone marrow registry OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE MAGAZINE VOLUME 30, NUMBER 3 SUMMER 2008 DEPARTMENTS 2 CORRESPONDENCE An eagle-eyed alumni couple recognizes Dave Cole M’48, an education major remembers Carl Trieb, a second-generation alumna sings the praises of “Occidental Fair,” and a current parent shows Oxy pride. 4 4 FROM THE QUAD With the temperature climbing toward a 12 record high, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa urged graduating seniors to not sweat the FEATURES small stuff—and “make some noise.” Also: the search begins for Occidental’s 14th 8 FOSSIL FUEL president, a new master plan proposal goes Oxy paleontologist Donald Prothero dispels the notion of an evolutionary to the city, women’s golf and women’s “missing link” by boning up on his fishibians and ceratopsians. lacrosse join the Division III ranks, and Oxy’s Fulbrights hit double digits. 12 KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ With a new Los Angeles County law threatening to crack down on the 28 TIGERWIRE city’s taco truck vendors, teachers Chris Rutherford ’02 and Aaron Sonder - Class notes for odd years. leiter ’02 started a movement with the mantra “Carne asada is not a crime.” Can their cravings be saved? 16 SHELF LIFE A Pasadena institution for more than a century, Vroman’s has thrived while rival bookstores shutter their doors—which CEO Joel Sheldon ’66 links to passion, people, planning, and persistence. 18 FRIED UP, READY TO GO Becky Bailey-Findley ’76 M’80 may be retiring after 15 years as CEO of the Orange County Fair, but she’ll be back each July for the friendships 56 —as well as Tasty Chips. 22 PLACES TO GO, THINGS TO DO 56 CLASSROOM Erica Murray ’01 was on her way to a master’s degree when she was From the history of video games to a diagnosed with leukemia in 2006. After a marrow transplant, and adjusting primer on mate-swapping, a new course in to a new immune system, she is determined to get back to her life—and Writing Across the Curriculum explores the to use her blog to save other lives. wide, wide world of blogs and beyond. Cover and taco truck (page 12) photos by Max S. Gerber. Antonio Villaraigosa photo (page 4) by Ed Ruvalcaba. Illustration (page 56) by Patrick Carlson. Oxy Wear photo by Kevin Burke. Good to Their Elders CORRESPONDENCE Thank you for all of the exceptional work you do in producing such a quality maga - zine. I look forward to each issue and read it cover to cover! Cover Buoy Last issue’s letter about the alumni A few years ago (Summer 2004) I was on the couple that visited after 50 or so years and cover of Occidental , in a cow costume, as lead the wonderful experience that they had on to an article on what some emeriti are doing. campus (“Random Act of Sweetness”) was a Among other things, my wife, Dorothea, and highlight. When someone asks me where my I were entering foot races in costume. son attends college, I proudly retell the story On May 10 in Santa Rosa, we were stand - of the elderly couple and their experience at ing in the street, in our cow suits, waiting for a Oxy during their visit. race to start. A couple stopped, stared at us, I’m so happy my son goes to college and the man asked, “Are you by any chance with other kind, caring, thoughtful, and the Coles?” They were alumni from the Class mannered young adults! of ’79, and recognized us from the article. VICTORIA POLLOCK-GRASSO P’10 Barack Obama was on the cover of the Tiburon next issue. I’ll bet they would have recog - nized him, too. Bookshelf DAVE COLE M’48 THE BIN LADENS: AN ARABIAN FAMILY IN THE Sonoma AMERICAN CENTURY , by Steve Coll ’80 (Pen - guin Press; $35) . The Bin Ladens rose from Fiscal Education poverty to privilege; they loyally served the Carl Trieb—a member of the Occidental fac - Life’s a Dance Saudi royal family for generations—and then ulty from 1928 to 1963—was the most dedi - Having performed with Tigers on Toes in the late one of their number changed history on cated taskmaster we ever faced in education. ’70s, I was moved to see dancers on the cover of Sept. 11, 2001. Two-time Pulitzer Prize win - the Spring magazine. How terrific that these ladies He gave of himself to the profession so that ner Coll ( Ghost Wars: The Secret History of hopped to it and established a dance team. I have we could be the best there was in our chosen the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, From the fond memories of our instructor, Juanita Dotson, field. An Oxy physical education teacher whom I credit with influencing my modern jazz style. Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 ) docu - trained by Dr. Trieb was someone special. He Though no longer as agile as the dancers ments the story of the family’s rise to power, gave me a great education and a work ethic pictured in the article, I am pleased to be perform - revealing new information to show how U.S. that continued throughout my life. ing professionally still. Spanish dance is my focus influences changed the clan and how Osama More than 22 years after his passing, the now. A flamenca does not reach her prime until bin Laden’s rebellion changed America. Coll Carl Trieb Memorial Fund continues to bene - her 50s, when she has experienced the range of is president and CEO of the New America life’s emotions to express in her performance. The fit education majors at Occidental. I encour - Foundation in Washington, D.C. Oxy dancers, three decades behind me, can have a age my fellow P.E. majors to support this long career ahead of them. fund—in memory of Dr. Trieb, and in sup - DEANNE POULOS ’80 , Phoenix DEATH PENALTY USA: 2003-2004 and DEATH port of an Oxy education. PENALTY USA: 2005-2006 , by Michelangelo BOB MALCOLM ’43 Delfino & Mary E. (Mackey) Day ’77 (MoBeta Studio City Ward Johnson, was my aunt by marriage to Publishing; $49.95 each) . In the first two 1912 graduate Fred McPherson Johnson, books in a series intended to document all Occidental Glorious who was also a member of the faculty. Dr. 21st-century capital punishment cases in Regarding the “Correspondence” item titled Ward wrote the words to “Occidental Fair,” America, the authors examine every crime for “Fairly Well Forgotten”: I first want to thank but my aunt wrote the music. which a person was executed between 2003 Harry Gage ’49 and College archivist Jean Occidental has always played an impor - and 2006. Some crimes are exacted with Paule for resurrecting all five verses of our tant role in my family. My mother, Rachel uncontrolled rage focused on one specific alma mater, “Occidental Fair.” In addition, I Johnson Goebel ’18, my sister, Margaret victim, while others show a total indifference want to communicate more about the (Goebel) Barnes ’50, as well as many cousins to the life taken. What is common to all accreditation for this masterful work. from the Johnson and Chandler families all these murders is that each one resulted in at The author of “Occidental Fair,” William enjoyed the excellence of an Occidental least one other death—a judicially ordered D. Ward, professor of classics, taught Latin education. “Occidental Fair” is a special execution. The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. and Greek at the College for many years and symbol of our Oxy heritage. Constitution dictates that punishment must was known affectionately as the “Grand Old JEANINE (GOEBEL) SWIFT ’52 fit the crime, forbidding cruel and unusual Man of Occidental.” His daughter, Ethel Pearland, Texas punishment. Only by studying each of these 2 Occidental Magazine horrific crimes, the authors contend, can it be WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TEACHER: THE determined if the ultimate sentence of death REALITY AND GIFT OF TEACHING, by Michael was imposed with all deference to the laws of Gose ’68 (Rowman & Littlefield Education; a civilized society. Day lives in Tampa, Fla. $27.95) . Gose has been a fourth-grade teacher, Volume 30, Number 3, Summer 2008 10th-grade English teacher, director of an OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE FABULOUS FISHES , written and illustrated experimental school, vice principal, principal, by Susan Stockdale ’76 (Peachtree Publishers; professor, director of secondary education, Robert Allen Skotheim $15.95). With vibrant, richly textured illus - social science teacher, and teacher education President trations and lyrical rhymes, Fabulous Fishes division chair. He has mined those experi - John T. “Tom” Tomlinson Jr. depicts the breadth of sea life—from ences with a teacher’s playful sense of irony Vice President for Institutional Advancement the brightly colored and a deep appreciation of the old wisdom Eric Frank clown fish to the deep- about feeling “the impact of the great, occa - Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College dwelling lanternfish sional, and accidental joy” that comes with that flash lights so teaching (and from working with students, William D. Tingley Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid that they can find parents, staff, faculty, and admin istrators). each other in the Gose is professor of humanities at Pepper - Barbara Avery Vice President for Student Affairs darkest parts of the dine University’s Seaver College in Malibu. and Dean of Students ocean.