Io Triumphe! Fall-Winter 2014-15

10 Inauguration Signals New Local Collaboration

16 Growing Together: Area Schools’ Partnership Thrives

20 President’s Home Gets Stunning Makeover

24 Young Alumnae Show Their Moxie

COMMON GROUNDHow Our Midwestern Roots Give Rise to Our Global Future

INSIDE

Io Triumphe!THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ALBION COLLEGE FALL-WINTER 2014-15

2 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

FeaturesDRIVERS OF CHANGE 10Inauguration celebrates colleges’ role in the rebirth of America’s heartland.

PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST 16The Albion and Marshall school districts’ partnership leads to a Michigan success story.

A NEW DAY FOR THE 20 ‘COLLEGE’S HOME’ 501 East Michigan has been restored to its original grandeur. Jim Whitehouse, ’69, shares childhood memories of life at ‘501.’

CHARTING THEIR OWN PATH 24Three young alumnae have found fulfillment in some challenging environments.

DepartmentsBRITON BITS 4

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS 28

ALBIONOTES 30

Contents

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After retiring from a distinguished medical career in New York City, James Curtis, ’44, returned to live in Albion, his hometown. He found a community far different from the one he had left decades before—one with deep-rooted economic challenges. Even so, Dr. Curtis—like so many others I have met since arriving here—embodies

a refreshing spirit of optimism about the prospects for revitalizing the place we call home.

Albion College will be a vigorous and committed partner in creating a better future for our town. In doing so, we are fulfilling our founders’ vision and, at the same time, building a vibrant learning and living environment for our students, faculty, and staff. We will work together with a broad cross-section of citizens in achieving this transformation—and will provide leadership for economic development and cultural enrichment.

Through our involvement, we will show how a small college can have a profound impact on its home community—and we believe Albion College will become a national model for institutions in other small towns across America. This important work is already under way, and we will have many developments to share in the coming months.

We are on the move!

Mauri DitzlerPresident

Building Community


BRITON BITS

Albion 24/7

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T-shirts emblazoned with Mauri Ditzler’s likeness were the hottest item on campus on inauguration day. Students snapped them up in under 10 minutes prior to forming an enthusiastic honor guard for the ceremony’s academic procession.

PURPLE RAIN

Years since the founding of Albion’s Department of Geological Sciences. The anniversary was pure gold for the College’s youngest science department.

Kresge Gym basks in its all-LED purple and gold glow.

3,101Philly cheese steak sandwiches were served up in September and October from the Dub Box, Albion’s mobile food cart that makes its appearance on the Quad weekdays during the lunch hour. Other crowd-pleasers? Jumbo hot dogs (2,150), chili nachos (3,120), and beef brisket sandwiches (2,874). And, yes, grilled chicken sandwiches (947) are on the menu too. The Dub Box came as a gift to the College from Bon Appétit, Albion’s dining services provider.

At the close of this fall’s Matriculation Ceremony, our new students received a commemorative coin to mark their new status as Albion Britons. In addition to honoring their connection to the College, the coin celebrates our hometown ties.

$295

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RAISED BY 18 STUDENT CALLERS IN ALBION’S FALL ANNUAL FUND PHONATHON, A NEW RECORD AND UP $26,552 OVER 2013.

Sign of the Times650

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Tip o’ the HatWoe to the Albion College freshman caught without his cap—for many years required attire everywhere “except on Sundays and stated social occasions”—since hatless first-year men had to endure the wrath of the upperclassmen. The tradition of the freshman cap, or beanie, was common on American college campuses throughout the early decades of the 20th century and was originally intended to instill class spirit. At Albion, it was codified in the student handbook right along with the ban on smoking and the requirement to learn the “Io Triumphe!” cheer. “A Freshman should always tip his cap to members of the Faculty and to Juniors and Seniors,” it was noted in the 1922 handbook. The loyalty to the beanie faded following World War II—to the great relief of many—when the returning veterans wanted no part of the long-held tradition.

MAGAZINE WINS PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDIo Triumphe! was the Best Alumni/Institution Magazine silver winner among small colleges in the 2014 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District V “Pride of CASE V” awards. The magazine was revamped in spring 2013, with a new approach to content and a complete redesign, to mirror current trends in magazine publishing.

“We have worked hard to create a magazine that is engaging on many levels for our readers,” said Io Triumphe! editor Sarah Briggs. “Katherine Hibbs deserves special recognition for a design that is at once sophisticated and approachable. We are pleased that the magazine continues to have high readership among our alumni, parents, and friends, and we believe our new format enhances that connection.”

GO BRITS!The Britons had their share of triumphs this fall. Here are just a few.

The women’s soccer team posted their best season since 2007, going from four wins in 2013 to 11 this year. First-year forward Jenna Urso scored 11 goals, becoming the first Briton to reach that statistical milestone since Ali Oatley had 15 in 2007.

Mike Tolkacz scored a school-record four goals Oct. 25 as the men’s soccer team rolled to a 6-1 victory at Adrian. Only five Division III players scored more goals in a contest this season. Tolkacz’s teammate, Kyle Alsheskie, was among the top 25 NCAA Division III players in goals and game-winning goals through regular season play.

Quarterback Dominic Bona completed a school-record 39 passes in the Oct. 4 Homecoming victory over Hope. Only six Division III quarterbacks had more completions in a game this season.

For all the latest Briton sports news, go to: gobrits.com.

Thanks to all of the veterans and their families who shared stories of their service during World War II, in response to the article, “Hitting Home,” in the spring-summer edition of Io Triumphe! We received many messages like this one from Melanie Wheeler, daughter of the late William “Doyle” Vickers, ’50, who served in the Pacific theater. “He enlisted in the Marines right out of high school and served aboard the USS Tennessee in many campaigns retaking the Pacific from the Japanese. . . . He was a true Marine, who flew the flag of his service at his home until he died. He was honored by a full squad of Marines at his funeral [May 2014].” Among the other reminiscences and photos received was a handsome bound booklet from Dick Anderson, ’45, an Army sergeant who served primarily in northern France.

Sarah Briggs, Editor

Albion College is still accepting information on its World War II veterans via e-mail to communications@ albion.edu or via postal mail to: Editor, Io Triumphe!, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224.

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BRITON BITS

As they were planning a class gift in honor of their 50th reunion in 2010, the Class of 1960 determined they wanted to make a difference for Albion’s students and help forge a stronger relationship between Albion College and its home community at the same time. In consultation with the College’s administration, they devised a novel solution that would eventually become the Class of 1960 Albion Community Intern Endowment (www.albion.edu/acie). Starting with an ambitious goal to raise $50,000 to launch the program, the class has long since surpassed that benchmark, and the endowment currently stands at more than $85,000. As they look ahead to their 55th reunion next year (and beyond), the fundraising continues. The intern program, now overseen by the College’s Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service, provides stipends for two interns per year working in the Albion community on projects that foster local economic and cultural development.

These student profiles prove the concept is working: the interns gain invaluable hands-on experience for their future careers and community involvements, the College has expanded experiential learning opportunities to offer, and the town of Albion benefits from the students’ research skills, creativity, and enthusiasm.

To learn more about the successful strategy used in creating this and similar endowments, contact Maria Carr, associate director of annual giving, at [email protected], 517/629-0410.

Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas

Major/Minor/Institutes: Economics and management major; political science minor; member, Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management, Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service, and Brown Honors Program.

Post-graduation plans: Career in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Internship sponsor: Albion Community Foundation/Friends of the Bohm Theatre

My community internship focus: The Bohm Theatre in downtown Albion is in the final phase of a $3.7-million campaign to restore the theatre to the way it looked when it opened in 1929. As the restoration progressed toward the reopening this fall, I devoted most of my time to marketing planning and research, both on campus and in the community. I designed a survey and gathered more than 400 responses from community members and College students, gaining insights for programming at the theatre. I also created policies for the theatre such as the rental policy and advertising policy.

What I learned from this experience: I learned so much throughout this experience. So much effort is put into restoring a historic landmark. Elizabeth Schultheiss [executive director, Albion Community Foundation]

exposed me to all of the behind-the-scenes meetings with contractors, vendors, and board members, which helped me learn how to contribute in a formal business setting. I also put the information I learned in my classes to practical use in creating marketing and advertising plans.

The difference I made for my internship sponsor: I was (and still am) giving input on what the younger generation wants out of their movie experience. I was able to help make decisions about seating, paint color, and concession items by offering perspectives that the board had not considered before. One of the biggest changes that I was able to make was that the board could not figure out the best way to serve alcoholic beverages. I came up with a solution that would protect the historic fabric of the building and still serve our customers well. The board adopted my idea. Final thought: It’s been an incredible experience working with the different community members. It’s taught me how tight-knit the community is and how many people want both the town and the College to succeed.

To learn more about the Bohm Theatre restoration, go to:bohmtheatre.org.

Andrea Walles, ’15

The World at Our DoorstepINTERN PROGRAM LINKS CLASSROOM LEARNING WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS.

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Hometown: Boise, Idaho

Major/Institute: Political science major; member, Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service

Post-Graduation Plans: Pursuing either a Ph.D. in international relations or an M.P.A. with a focus on metropolitan development and city management

Internship sponsor: Albion Economic Development Corporation

My community internship focus: I analyzed Albion’s existing business incubator model, compared it to successful incubators in other places, and recommended improvements. Business incubators provide facilities and support programs for start-up businesses. In particular, I explored the idea of microfinance in business incubation, especially as it pertained to low-income entrepreneurs. I thought Albion might have a good pool of skilled people who had an idea for a business but who couldn’t rely on traditional bank funding, and I found relevant research that indicated microfinance could work here! I think that small-scale investment is the future for helping grassroots businesses get their start, and, of all the suggestions I made, I firmly hope that is the one that gets traction.

What I learned from this experience: This was the kind of learning that only the real world can provide. I saw how government and business interact on the local level. I also came to understand the way states and regions compete with each other—while overall the competition is good for the country, it can cause challenges for states and communities that are fighting for a diminishing pool of labor-intensive jobs. As a result, I have come to think that entrepreneurship on a smaller scale might keep our industrial regions productive and keep those economies moving as our overall economic structure transitions to a new, post-industrial reality. The difference I made for my internship sponsor: I created a business plan for Albion’s incubator site that I hope will help attract new businesses and give them an opportunity to grow and add jobs here in Albion. I realize that the EDC has many different irons in the fire, but I hope that my efforts will at least give them a future framework with which to build the incubator program into something that can directly benefit the community.

Final thought: The most amazing thing about this internship was my exposure to the dedicated community leaders in Albion. There are people dedicating their lives to Albion and trying to help this city out. There is no silver bullet for fixing the woes of small-town, post-industrial America. It’s going to take a commitment from a new generation of people willing to get their hands dirty.

Patrick Lopez, ’15

‘ARTS AND LETTERS’ REVISITEDCreating hands-on learning experiences in the arts and humanities will be the centerpiece of a new program at Albion College, funded by a $100,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced in September.

“This important grant recognizes the exciting potential within our arts and humanities departments here at Albion,” said President Mauri Ditzler.

Small liberal arts colleges like Albion are uniquely positioned to articulate the value of the arts and humanities for a new generation of students. According to English professor Ian MacInnes, “students will be challenged to move from being observers and consumers of the arts and humanities to being active participants in the disciplines’ intellectual work.”

To this end, the Mellon grant will fund the introduction of humanities labs at Albion. Religious studies professor Ron Mourad will coordinate the implementation. “Most people have experienced a physics lab or chemistry lab as places where students take concepts presented in class and apply them through experimentation,” said Mourad. “Though our humanities labs won’t necessarily be connected to a physical space, they will follow a model of exploring and expanding on the knowledge gained in the classroom. They will be collaborative, experimental, experiential, and publicly engaging.”

The grant will support bringing together humanities, fine arts, and humanities-focused social science faculty, students, and outside partners in hands-on experiences that fit Albion College’s specific needs and strengths.

The first lab will explore a theme that builds on the partnership between the College and the city of Albion. Students and faculty will work together on cross-disciplinary research and community-based projects to explore the issues, barriers, and opportunities that exist for revitalizing a small, post-industrial Midwestern city. “Because the first humanities lab will focus on the Albion community, it will be, in the best sense, where the curriculum and the community meet,” Ditzler said.


BRITON BITS

By Jake Weber

“There is nothing quite like setting a race course at 6:30 a.m. in pure silence,” says Kyle Griffin, ’14, of the early-morning work that has turned passion into profession. “The world is still as you watch the shadows of sunrise feather down the hill and the resort comes alive in the valley below.”

Skiing before sunrise was just one perk of his summer 2014 internship with Mount Hotham Skiing Company in Australia’s Victoria province. A member of Michigan’s all-state ski team while in high school, Griffin worked with Hotham’s marketing department as well as coaching young members of its race squad.

Tasked with analyzing customer feedback on their resort experience, Griffin identified a tough problem: dissatisfaction with long lines at the chairlifts. Adding lifts wasn’t economically

feasible, while increasing lift speed wasn’t safe. “We began to play music at the bottom of the lifts,” Griffin says. “Not only are employees happier, but those waiting in line are more content.”

Griffin attributes this insight to work done half a world away in Albion’s classrooms, as part of the Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management, where he says he had many opportunities to conduct research and draw conclusions based upon data collected.

As a coach with the Mount Hotham Racing Squad, Griffin worked primarily with 15- to 19-year-old skiers, many of whom travel between Australia and North America in order to train year-round. Coaching in an environment where the ski season is at least six weeks shorter than in the U.S. made for long days on the slopes, he says.

Since his graduation in September with a degree in business and

organizations, Griffin has joined Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, Mich., where he is program director/head coach of the Boyne Highlands Flyers and Team Elite, providing training for skiers aged 7-14. Next summer, he hopes to land a position in financial management at a New Zealand ski resort to further broaden his snow sports management experience.

At the end of the day, though, it’s all about the skiing. “I have a ‘bucket list’ of slopes from Japan to Argentina, but my main goal in life is to make the sport of skiing matter to the 95 percent of people in the world that have not yet experienced it,” he says. “I’ve seen it bring families together, make for a lifetime of memories, become the careers of many, and provide a way to smile on even the most bitter winter days. That is the magic.”

TURNING PASSION INTO PROFESSION

What’s not to like about a class that combines history, culture, and lots of good food? “Intersectional Pizza” was the tantalizing title for women’s and gender studies professor Trisha Franzen’s first-year seminar this fall. Revolving around food and identity, the course dealt with questions like: Who makes your pizza? Who harvested the tomatoes? And who eats most of the pizza? Pizza-making provided the starting point for an in-depth look at the people who grow, harvest, process, transport, prepare, and consume our food. But the lessons really hit home as Franzen also enlisted the students in making their own brick pizza oven. Located in Whitehouse Nature Center, the oven was fired up—to an impressive 700 degrees—for the first time in October. The consensus on the first batch of pizza? Awesome!R

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An internship at Australia’s Mount Hotham resort gave Kyle Griffin, ’14, new insights on the business side of the snow sports industry.

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Learning about food and culture in Trisha Franzen’s first-year seminar truly was a hands-on experience. In addition to building a wood-fired oven for baking pizzas made from scratch (right down to the sauce and cheese), they have compiled a book of recipes and related stories from their respective family traditions.

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PATRICK MCLEANTwo Minutes with . . .

Io Triumphe!: You’ve spent a lot of your career in Ohio—working with the state attorney general, the Ohio Senate, and the State Board of Regents, not to mention your most recent job erasing a $46-million deficit for the City of Toledo. What attracted you to a job working with college students in Michigan?

McLean: I actually feel I’m drawing on those past experiences and sharing them with our students. I’ve always been interested in revitalization and making states and cities work. Here, I can teach courses and and engage with students on that passion and other things that are important in today’s world.

“Community service” seems to be part of every school, team, and civic club these days. How does the Ford Institute define “service”?

I want Albion students to understand why we’re involved. Whether they engage with a school district, or the city of Albion, or an organization in Detroit, I want our students to understand why that organization exists and who it serves. I hope service isn’t “extra,” but something that students

understand as part of their life’s work. That’s part of the legacy of President Ford. He believed in service to advance the greater good.

President Ditzler often mentions his vision of more and better relationships between Albion College and the community of Albion. What do you see as the Ford Institute’s role in achieving this goal?

From this standpoint, there’s never been a better time to be part of the Ford Institute. President Ditzler recognizes that cities and towns throughout the Midwest have struggled, and yet they’re also home to great liberal arts colleges that are meant to provide thinkers and doers who can engage the pressing problems of our times. There are few more pressing problems than revitalizing our small Midwestern communities.

President Ford didn’t believe the government should solve all problems, but he saw government had a role. This isn’t a liberal or conservative bias; it’s a problem-solving approach within government. That view is consistent with President Ditzler’s message, and it’s part and parcel of our ethos here at the Ford Institute.

You recently wrote an op-ed about President Ford (for Bridge magazine), and you definitely have some opinions about his philosophy. Have you been an admirer for a long time?

In my interview for this job, I was asked how I would capitalize on Ford’s legacy, so I’ve worked to understand his presidency, as well as his leadership and world view. The more I’ve studied him, the more I think he’s a model for our students and for leaders in this country. His brand of government puts people and communities first. Before making a decision, he always asked, “What is good for the people and the country?”

In terms of his leadership legacy, I don’t want students to come out of this institution believing that acrimoniously is the only way the government can function. It’s the imperative of programs like the Ford Institute to tell students that there is another model: believing that others have their own approaches and are still of goodwill. If you treat others as human beings, you can solve problems. Maybe they won’t be perfect solutions, but if you start with that premise, good outcomes are possible.

You’re from Ohio, your boss is a Hoosier, and President Ford, of course, was a Michigan favorite son. So who do you root for?

I spent 20 years in politics, and I didn’t survive without learning to be diplomatic. . . . I’m a Big 10 fan.

Whether we’re talking football or politics, the reality is that we’re all Midwesterners, and one of our strengths is hard work and the willingness to roll up our sleeves. I bring that approach to this job.

Patrick McLean joined Albion as director of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service in 2013.

Patrick McLean draws on his 20 years of public sector experience in teaching Albion’s Ford Institute students the importance of civic engagement at all levels from local to global.

Mauri’s Moment The inauguration provided a “joyous beginning” for Mauri Ditzler’s presidency and underscored his commitment to making Albion College a force for change in its home community and beyond.


Drivers of ChangePRESIDENT MAURI DITZLER’S INAUGURATION CELEBRATES LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES’

CENTRAL ROLE IN THE REBIRTH OF AMERICA’S HEARTLAND.

BY JAKE WEBER

While Albion College is admired for its national reputation, its importance to the Midwest was front and center for the inauguration of Mauri Ditzler as the College’s 16th president on Friday, September 12.

Several hundred students cheered as the crowds gathered at the newly redeveloped west end of Albion’s Quadrangle for a ceremony that highlighted Ditzler’s focus on the College’s integral partnership with the surrounding community and region. Involving seven student readers in his own remarks, Ditzler outlined a vision of applying the College’s resources, especially its faculty and students, to address concerns and opportunities unique to the region.

Ditzler and Board of Trustees chair Don Sheets, ’82, also used the ceremony to disclose two major gifts to the College. Ditzler announced a new grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, $100,000 that will help the College create hands-on learning experiences in the humanities. Sheets and his wife, Angela Scott Sheets, ’82, announced their $1-million personal gift to underwrite scholarships for future students. (See the full story on page 15.)

Guest speaker Richard Longworth, senior fellow at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, noted that while president of Monmouth College in Illinois, Ditzler encouraged the development of Midwest–focused courses, a topic that is almost unexplored by institutions throughout the Midwest.

As the Midwest loses its strong identity with heavy industry, Longworth argued that “leadership can and should come from the liberal arts,” through sociologists, historians, and economists. The arts should play a role as well. “Over the past century, Southern writers defined

the trauma of that region for the people who lived within it,” he noted. “It seems to me that the proper study of our writers and poets, our artists and dramatists, is the very human drama being played out right now [in the Midwest].”

Speaker John Churchill, secretary for the national Phi Beta Kappa Society, acknowledged current concerns about the “pay off” of a college degree and the resulting pursuit of narrow specialization. “Preparation for a remunerative career is very important. . . . But it isn’t just the first job that counts, it’s the [whole] career,” he said. “And there is life beyond paid work. There is citizenship, civic life, family life, and the fullness of human experience.” The liberal arts, he noted, “engage students in a variety of subject matters, disciplines, and different points of view. You can be trained to cope with the predictable. Liberal arts is preparation to flourish with the unpredictable.”

Ditzler stated his belief that much of the Midwest’s historical strength was due to the large number of colleges established throughout the region in the 19th century. In accordance, he had students read two biblical texts that were likely influential to Albion’s founders, along with writings from a chemist and three notable Midwesterners, novelist Kurt Vonnegut, activist Eugene Debs, and journalist Ernie Pyle.

Ditzler first noted that a core strength of the liberal arts is its simplicity. Chemists, he observed, don’t memorize thousands of compounds and reactions; rather, they “learn a few basic principles and then learn how to think,” said the former chemistry professor. “Understand the important principles, develop skill at applying them, and you will do remarkable things.”

Secondly, he continued, “When we do our work well, our graduates are adept at pulling together information from a range of disciplines. This helps them to see the big picture . . . and how to change the world.” This idea, he said, “sounds like the marching orders Albion has given graduates for generations.” Ditzler closed his remarks by sharing his discovery that “Albion—the College and the town—is filled with people who give us reason to hope.” He went on to name individuals who have demonstrated passion on behalf of the College, Albion schools and children, city government, and College-community relations.

“We are blessed to be hosted by a city that refused to fold when the industry that drove the local economy disappeared. When so many other cities might have given up, Albion held the faith,” Ditzler praised. “After all, they had to nurture a distinctively American college. And because of the people on our campus and in our community, and because we have the power of the liberal arts at our disposal, we expect nothing less than a bright future for Albion College; Albion, Michigan; and all of America.”

Preceding the inauguration, on September 11, a thought-provoking panel discussion explored the College’s role in community revitalization. An inspiring Community Day on September 13 capped three days of Celebrate Albion! festivities.

More coverage of the inauguration and the accompanying Celebrate Albion! festivities, including photos and video highlights, is available at: www.albion.edu/inauguration. Full text of the inauguration speeches is also available to download.


1 Heavy Metal Board chair Don Sheets, ’82, presents Mauri Ditzler with a newly created presidential medallion during the investiture.

2 Ditzler Cubed Thanks to t-shirts bearing his likeness, Mauri Ditzler was ubiquitous on inauguration day. Over 600 students donned the shirts for an honor guard that welcomed the academic procession.

3 First Couple Mauri and Judi Ditzler visit with guests following the ceremony.

4 French Flair A delegation from the Albion community’s Sister City in France (foreground) marched in the procession, along with 19 students carrying the flags of their home countries.

5 Powerful Passages Mikal McKoy (right) and Abby Radwick were two of seven student readers featured during Ditzler’s inaugural address. The readings, from some of Ditzler’s favorite authors, illustrated his thoughts on liberal arts education.

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6 Class Act In all, 47 graduating classes

were represented at the inauguration. Among those on hand were Gail Sedrick Reed, ’63, Tamara Transue Royle, ’63, and Dennis Cawthorne, ’62.

7 Academics Accentuated Faculty research and innovations in teaching were on display at a showcase preceding the inaugural ceremony.

8 ‘Albion Tomorrow’ Peggy Meyer Sindt, ’73, president of the Albion Economic Development Corp., and Byron White, vice president for university engagement at Cleveland State University, were among the panel of experts who spoke on how liberal arts colleges can engage in community revitalization.

9 Community Connection Some 50 student volunteers put finishing touches on a new pocket park at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street. The park, a joint project of the College and the City of Albion, was dedicated during Community Day 2014.

10 Joyful Noise Local pastors Donald Phillips (left) and Stephen Williams (right) were among the many clergy participating in a Blessing Service for Mauri Ditzler, a fitting close for Celebrate Albion! at Lewis Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

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‘PROVIDING AMERICA WITH A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE’Mauri Ditzler

Joining a new college is an exhilarating

experience. Once again, I have been energized by discovering a community of remarkably dedicated individuals who have devoted their lives to changing the world by instilling idealism and by sharing the liberal arts. . . .

Albion doesn’t claim to be the only place that empowers its graduates and supports faculty and staff as they pursue grand dreams. But, we are among a group of colleges that have done it remarkably well. The liberal arts colleges of the 19th-century frontier crafted an educational philosophy that is both unique and effective. I am convinced that we can . . . claim to provide an America with a competitive advantage. I believe the heavy concentration of liberal arts colleges in the heartland contributed to the economy and quality of life enjoyed by the Midwest throughout much of the 20th century.

Now, when the world needs graduates of our distinctive colleges more than ever, and when the Midwest is struggling to regain its footing, our sector is under attack. Our graduates are held in high esteem since their accomplishments can’t be denied. But our counterintuitive methods are discounted, and our handcrafted approach is seen as a luxury.

We can, we will, and we must withstand the skepticism and criticisms of those who have not experienced and do not understand the deceptive simplicity of the foundational principles that regularly produce remarkable graduates. We will thrive as long as our graduates continue to succeed and as long as those of us who are fortunate enough to have experienced a residential, liberal arts education maintain the faith.

PURSUING ‘THE GREAT TASK OF REINVENTION’Richard Longworth

I would argue that we can’t understand Albion these days, or this

part of Michigan, unless we understand the broader Midwest—its history, its economics, its political push and pull, its demographics—which is to say its people, its culture, its literature and theatre, and, especially, its ideas and beliefs. . . .

The Midwest rose together as a region in the Industrial Revolution and the century that followed. It declined together through the Rust Bowl days and the great challenges of globalization. It will rise again economically only as a region—a region that knows we’re all in this together—and is willing to combine and leverage all its strengths, including the intellectual firepower of its great colleges and universities.

Albion most definitely shares this dynamic past and the struggles of the present. It has been one of the cars on the rollercoaster ride that defines the economic history of the Midwest in the 20th century. But we’re in a new century now and, in many ways, in a new economy, a global economy. The challenge now is to take what we know and what we’ve learned, to let the past go, to build a future within which Albion—the town and the College—its citizens and its students, can join the rest of this region in the great task of reinvention.

DRIVING ‘INNOVATION AND INGENUITY’John Churchill

Arts and sciences education expands opportunity by enlarging

our vision so that we can see opportunity and recognize it, by increasing our flexibility to meet it, by enhancing our creativity to deal with it in novel ways, and by making the unforeseen manageable, not upsetting. In these ways it enhances our career options, our capacities as citizens, and our abilities to seek meaning and value in a changing world. Education of this sort, and not just first-job training, should be accessible to everyone. . . .

The arts and sciences drive innovation and ingenuity. As the national and world economies evolve, securing new jobs and crafting fulfilling lives will depend critically on ingenuity—the ability to see things in new ways, generating creative ideas, products, and services; and on innovation—the capacity and willingness to create novel means to success. Businesses competing on a world stage will increasingly need leaders and employees who can create, innovate, and collaborate at home and across cultures.

Inauguration Insights


By John Perney

Confidence in Albion College’s future, excitement about the presidency of Mauri Ditzler, and an appreciation for Mike Frandsen’s interim presidency all were expressed through a significant gift announced near the conclusion of President Ditzler’s inauguration ceremony.

Together on stage, Don Sheets, ’82, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, and his wife, Angela Scott Sheets, ’82, shared the news of their $1-million gift to the College to establish an endowed scholarship fund for future students.

“Angela and I met while we were students at Albion, and our Albion experience truly has shaped our lives,” said Don, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Dow Corning Corp. in Midland. “It has given us the knowledge and the confidence to achieve whatever measure of success we have earned.”

“Our gift will be used to endow a scholarship that will provide future generations of students with the same opportunities to learn and grow that Don and I enjoyed at this amazing institution,” said Angela, who worked in advertising and public relations before devoting her time to volunteer leadership roles with Midland civic groups and Albion College admission efforts.

“We know this scholarship will make a difference in students’ lives,” Angela continued. “We want to make it possible for everyone who wants to go to Albion to do so.”

The Sheets’ gift is driven by today’s realities as much as by inspiration. They cite a liberal arts education—with its critical-thinking

focus, intellectual flexibility, and global outlook—as crucial preparation for 21st-century college graduates.

“We need institutions like Albion,” Don said. “Many of us work in teams drawn from around the world to collaborate and share and learn and develop. The world is rushing to where liberal arts graduates are best equipped to go. We need more people with these broader intellectual skills.”

In announcing the gift, the couple expressed their appreciation to Frandsen, who left the College in June after serving as interim president during the 2013-14 academic year following nine years as a professor and administrator. With an eye on the future, under Ditzler’s leadership, Angela said she and her husband look forward to “sharing our Albion with others” through this gift.

“Don and I love this wonderful institution,” Angela said, “and genuinely believe that a strong Albion College changes lives. It changes the lives of students, and it changes the lives of all who live and work in this region, this state, and this country.

“We want to see Albion continue to thrive for generations. It is therefore critical to help equip President Ditzler to lead our alma mater to new distinction.”

The gift is also intended to serve as a catalyst, encouraging others to give.

“Remember the role that Albion has played in your life,” said Don, speaking directly to alumni. “You can’t deny that it had a great impact. Now is the time, in particular, when the College needs to be affordable for students. We must expand our reach, and we need the resources to do it.

“Albion needs the help of its alumni right now—to make sure that future students have the same experience we had.”

College Receives $1-Million Gift at Inauguration

In announcing their scholarship gift during President Mauri Ditzler’s inauguration September 12, Angela Sheets noted, “We want to see Albion continue to thrive for generations. It is therefore critical to help equip President Ditzler to lead our alma mater to new distinction.”


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As Dan Luciani, ’93, principal of Marshall High School, welcomed his students for the first day of the 2014-15 school year in September, he couldn’t help but think back to the same day twelve months before. In fall 2013, he, along with his students and faculty, were about to begin a bold experiment: the merger of Marshall with Albion High School. And no one knew exactly how—or whether—the experiment would succeed.

The numbers tell part of the tale. The blending of the two schools in 2013 meant that student enrollment at Marshall High School jumped from 796 the previous year to 984, which had everyone scrambling to adjust to the influx. And included among the newcomers were a significant number of students of color who, in many cases, brought very different life experiences from those of their Marshall peers.

But since the first year of the collaborative agreement between the two school districts had gone so well, Luciani felt far more relaxed this September. The unique relationship is, in fact, proving to be a model for other school districts in Michigan and across the U.S.

“We were building the bus as we were going down the highway,” Luciani remembers. “We had to spend the year building a new culture. . . . I think this year will be even better, because everyone knows what to expect.”

Confronting a budget crisis

In early 2013, the outlook for the Albion Public Schools (APS) was grim. Despite posting academic gains in recent years through new programs fostered by a state grant, Albion continued to hemorrhage students through Schools of Choice. The district had closed six schools over the previous 15 years, and its high school was in its seventh year of failure to meet adequate yearly progress as defined by state standards. Albion had cut staff, ended programs, and drained its cash savings to stay afloat.

With a $9-million budget, APS was looking at a $1.1-million deficit—and if the district didn’t come up with a deficit elimination plan showing a balanced budget, a takeover by the state might follow. The challenge to keep the district open was enormous.

Marshall’s school district, too, was facing a deficit elimination plan, also suffering from declining enrollment, and had a projected deficit of $1.8 million in its $20-million operating budget. It was in a struggle to maintain its level of strong academic performance, and co-curricular and extracurricular student services.

One month after her arrival as the new APS superintendent in July 2012, Jerri-Lynn Williams-Harper, grasping the situation facing both her district and neighboring Marshall’s, reached out to Marshall’s district leader, Randy Davis, to see if, through collaboration, both districts could benefit. A committee, with members from both communities, spent months in discussion. In February 2013, Williams-Harper and Davis tackled the key issue: If Albion actually closed its high school, could a partnership be crafted with Marshall High School so that the youth of Albion could be assured of a quality education, albeit fifteen miles away?

As the Albion Board of Education considered possible solutions to address the district’s budget shortfall, they ultimately determined that shuttering the high school and sending Albion’s students elsewhere was the best course of action.

Putting Students FirstOvercoming long odds, the Albion and Marshall school districts’

partnership leads to a Michigan success story.

By Michelle Mueller


The initial reaction of the Albion community was shock and anger at the idea of their high school—established in 1872—no longer operating, and their kids being shipped to Marshall, a longtime rival.

“I’m a Wildcat, and I want to graduate a Wildcat,” Brandon Womack, then an Albion High School freshman, stated emphatically at one board meeting. “I don’t want to go to school anywhere else.” But after a visit to Marshall High School with the rest of the Albion students, where they were greeted by the school’s marching band, lots of smiling students, and an opportunity to tour the facility and meet the teachers, Womack returned to the next APS board meeting, and stood up once again to voice a comment. “I was wrong—Marshall has really great things to offer us. I’ll be a Wildcat ’til I die, but I think we should go to Marshall.”

Despite heated opposition from many Albion High School alumni, the board voted 5 to 1 to close the high school and at the same time focus on continuing the development of a first-rate K-8 program in Albion. In June 2013, the APS board approved a cooperative agreement with Marshall.

‘Melding two communities’

Williams-Harper and Davis moved quickly to lay the groundwork. Explored were issues of financing to facilitate the unique collaborative venture: grant applications, potential state aid, and the destiny of Albion’s federal Title I dollars. Albion would provide the buses to transport the Albion students to and from Marshall daily; the Marshall Board of Education opted to fund a later bus to return Albion kids from after-school activities.

“We were melding together two communities that haven’t been together in a long time

with intentionality and focus,” says Davis of their efforts.

To proactively manage what many expected to be a culture clash between students from the two communities that are quite different in terms of ethnic and socio-economic factors, the superintendents procured grant money to fund a two-day workshop on the Albion College campus in July 2013. Put on by Glasswing, a division of Starr Commonwealth, the program guided 150 participants—half from each school—through a transformation of their thinking about racism and how to relate to one another as members of the human family. The program proved to be a master stroke, since the students formed bonds long before fall classes began.

Meanwhile, at Marshall High School, Luciani was working, on very short notice, to ready his teachers for the influx of new students. He brought in Glasswing, too, to work with the teachers and staff to prepare them for kids who might need additional support.

Luciani’s words of advice to other districts that may tackle a similar kind of collaborative effort: Be prepared and foster open, and frequent, communication among students, teachers, and parents. He also hired two former Albion High School staff members to act as transition specialists.

“We hadn’t taught these students for the past 9-11 years, and we wanted them to feel safe asking for help, to help them reach the bar,” Luciani explains. “The teachers were great. I’m blessed with the staff I have. We immediately tried to figure out what to do to make this work.”

One of those teachers was Tracie Huckestein Mathis, ’97, who did a student internship at Albion’s former Crowell School and now

teaches language arts at Marshall. She appreciated how tough it was for the students to leave their old school behind, but, she says, “I had a great year!” She encouraged discussions in class on how things were going, and a recurring comment from the students was that the parents were more worried about it than the kids. Mathis notes that her classes were definitely enriched by the much greater diversity of perspectives that her students could share with each other.

Melissa Garrison Winchell, ’01, had hired on to teach art and English at Marshall after having earned her teacher certification at Albion College. An Albion High School graduate, Winchell says, “I had very mixed emotions about the closing of my alma mater—it was a little hard. But I was looking forward to my past and present coming together, excited for both groups of kids coming together and gaining from each other.” She reports that she and her fellow teachers paid special attention to the new students from Albion and to communicating with their parents—many of whom she knew from her school days.

Finding acceptance

Jontaj Wallace, a former Albion student who initially didn’t want to leave his community, had an outstanding sophomore year in Marshall. Intent on a career in music, Wallace had played percussion in the Albion High School band his freshman year, as well as in Albion College music ensembles. This past school year, Wallace tried out against four other competitors to win the coveted junior drum major position with the Marshall marching band. He is the school’s first African-American drum major.

Music instructor Jeremy Root says that 16 of his 110 current band members are from Albion. “The kids that I teach are the best of the best,” he says. “My students were excited about welcoming new people, making new friends. Any time you have the opportunity to create a more diverse population, it’s beneficial to all.”

For his part, Wallace has easily maintained his straight-A GPA at the new school, and is thriving in the Advanced Placement classes at Marshall.

“I have a Redhawk and a Wildcat heart. That will

never leave me. But if I rely on the feelings of the past,

I will never move forward.”

— Jontaj Wallace, Albion


“I have a Redhawk and a Wildcat heart. That will never leave me. But if I rely on the feelings of the past, I will never move forward,” concludes Wallace, who gets up at 5:30 every morning before catching the bus for the trip to Marshall. “This definitely was a change for the better. I believe I was meant to come here.”

Jontaj’s mother, Ayana Wallace, attended Albion High School and wanted her children to graduate there too. But looking back on the last 18 months, she says, “This past year was excellent. Jontaj made friends right away and still excelled academically. There was never a problem.”

Crafting a historic transformation

The two superintendents credit their diverse backgrounds with making their partnership so successful. Williams-Harper brings a more traditional approach to leadership, while Davis thinks more out of the box. “In all my years, Randy is probably the most forthright, forward-thinking, smart administrator that I’ve ever met. I’m the idea person, and Randy takes a lot of my ideas to the next level. I learn from him every day.”

Both superintendents are dedicated to making sure their community’s students get all of the hard and soft skills they need for the world of work. To that end, they are ensuring that both districts’ K-8 programs are preparing the students similarly for Marshall High

School. “We’re pushing each other,” says Williams-Harper, “aligning our curriculum and expectations on behavior.”

Davis saw the great potential in the collaboration from the very beginning. While acknowledging the challenges that existed in both communities, “some in common, some unique to each community,” he was determined to make the new relationship work.

“To see how transformational this was is to see history,” Davis observes.

Other Michigan school districts have taken notice. “They see the value,” Williams-Harper says. “They talk about us—we’re a model.”

Bill DiSessa, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), agrees. “Because both teams worked carefully to consider the issues and address them in a spirit of inclusion, cooperation, and teamwork, it made this thing work as well as it did. [The collaboration] has provided some positive lessons . . . that the MDE can look at in the future. The proof will be in the students’ attitudes, and success in their educational careers.”

Marshall resident Tierra Orban is now in her first year at Albion College. She has this to say about her final year in high school: “Knowing that going into my senior year I would be meeting so many new people was so exciting to me. I know what other people had to say about the new diversity coming to [Marshall] and it having a negative effect on us, but no way was that my initial thought. I got to meet so many new friends, and I say friends very truthfully. I still have some of my best friends who I met last year through the change. It made my senior year unforgettable.”

Luciani says with a grin that his favorite part of last year was the basketball games, a sport he once coached at Marshall. “To hear those same [Albion] voices at Marshall games, now shouting for our Marshall players by name. Oh, my goodness, it was just great!”

Editor’s note: On December 8, Dan Luciani will become an educational consultant for the Jackson County Intermediate School District.

Marshall High School principal Dan Luciani, ’93, says his teaching staff, including Albion College alumnae Tracie Huckestein Mathis, ’97, (left) and Melissa Garrison Winchell, ’01, all helped ‘build a new culture’ as they welcomed the new students from Albion.

Building NextGen Leaders Albion College recently launched a new financial aid program that will have long-term benefits for the greater Albion community and its young people. The program, known as “Build Albion Fellows,” will begin in fall 2015 and will assist local students with high financial need, supplementing existing scholarships and other aid. It is intended to strengthen the bonds between Albion College and its host community by providing a college education and meaningful work experience for the students while also benefiting the community through the services the students will provide in return for the financial aid they receive. “Our hope,” notes President Mauri Ditzler, “is that these young people will become part of the city’s next generation of leaders and impact-makers, building their town of tomorrow.” To learn more, go to: www.albion.edu/news.

(Opening photo) The students’ resilience and ultimate optimism about the Albion-Marshall collaboration have been key elements in its success. Pictured are: (from left) Jontaj Wallace (Albion), Maya Caldwell (Albion), Emily Delmotte (Marshall), Owen Osborn (Marshall), Keifer Bartlett (Marshall), Governor Stovall (Albion), Chloe Nash (Marshall), Olivia Hancock (Albion), Willie Couch (Albion), Brooklyn Tobias (Marshall).

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President Mauri Ditzler loves living just a five-minute walk from his office. It means he can easily share his home with the campus community and with visiting alumni and friends—and he often does, as his fall calendar will attest. But he believes living on Michigan Avenue in the heart of Albion also signals to our local neighbors how vital the connection is between the College and the town, and he wants them to know that they will be welcome at his home too.

“To make friends, there is nothing more important than eating together and laughing together,” Ditzler says. “I’m delighted that community members—from on and off campus—come to my office to talk about the future. But it’s a completely different situation to do this in a living room, with coffee after dinner.”

This past summer, the residence at 501 East Michigan has become even more inviting for visitors, following its restoration to its early-20th-century grandeur. From attic to cellar, the home has been transformed. Its stunning woodwork has a new finish, the oak floors gleam, and the three fireplaces beckon.

“My wife, Judi, and I are like any couple in a big house,” Ditzler says. “We have a few rooms we really live in—and here at 501, the campus lives in the rest.”

‘College’s Home’

AFTER 30 YEARS, THE ALBION COLLEGE

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS IS AGAIN 501 EAST MICHIGAN.

A New Dayfor the

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The grand staircase greets visitors in the front foyer. The home’s oak wainscoting, which also lines the dining room walls, has been painstakingly refinished.

This fall, President Ditzler has invited all 26 first-year seminar groups to his living room to hear their thoughts about their first semester on campus.

An upstairs bedroom is graced with a fireplace, one of three in the home. The oval window with leaded glass had been plastered over and was opened up during the restoration.

A commercial-grade catering kitchen means the home easily accommodates large gatherings.

A brand-new piece of student art, one of two recently installed panels, has become an instant historic detail in an upstairs transom window. Designed by Lauren Daniels, ’16, the windows were created by stained glass artist Lee Klade and feature references to the College’s history.


The house, built around 1910 by a local industrialist, was acquired by Albion College in 1940, serving as home to Presidents Seaton, Whitehouse, Norris, and Lomas before being converted to administrative offices and then a residential annex. The 2014 restoration was funded through gifts from individuals, foundation grants, and proceeds from the sale of Briton Manor, which had served Albion’s presidents since 1981.


A House

We often visited, and, every night at bedtime, we’d all climb into one of those beds, side by side, siblings and cousins, and listen as Granddad (known to the rest of the world as President William Whitehouse) told us a story.

He would tell enchanting tales of his youth in Yorkshire, England, and his early days preaching to Native Americans in the Upper Peninsula.

When the story was completed, we would beg him to “do the Io!” With great fervor, he would dance about and bellow the Albion cheer, “Io Triumphe!,” with that same deep, educated, British-accented voice that he used, minus the dancing, on every dais during his 15 years as president of Albion College.

Come morning, we would head downstairs for breakfast. Granddad would already be out of the house, tending to the affairs of the College. Our step-grandmother, Adele, had married Granddad before any of us were born, after our biological grandmother died of breast cancer. NanAdele was a beautiful and intelligent lady, and she always made our visits warm and wonderful.

She had lots of help from Louise, the housekeeper/cook the College provided to assist with the never-ending entertainment of students, faculty, and supporters of the College. They plied us with pancakes, cherry pies, grilled cheese sandwiches, and boundless love.

The big house was magical. We played in the spooky old basement, in the attic and the garage. These were forbidden places that attracted little boys eager for adventure. We discovered a secret trapdoor in the second floor of the garage. In its recess was hidden a detailed model of a World War I artillery gun that fired caps, hidden by some forgotten stableman.

Those places were in contrast to the beauty of the big old house itself, which was not lost on us. How we loved running on the stairways, playing hide and seek in all the nooks and crannies, and pushing our toy trucks around the patterns on the rugs.

So many terrific memories fill my mind.

Big family dinners. A dozen of us around the huge dining room

table. Christmas carols around the piano in the parlor, with my father at the keyboard, straying from the traditional style of the carols and into his favored Dixieland beat. Granddad, wearing a Santa Claus suit, distributing presents. “Mommy, why is Santa wearing Granddad’s shoes?” asked my sister on one occasion.

In the summer, we wandered in Granddad’s rose garden as he snipped blooms to fill the vases that scented the house. I remember NanAdele, sitting quietly at her desk in the big room at the top of the grand staircase, tending to her correspondence. We played Canasta in the living room with Nana Dryer, our beloved step-great-grandmother, our small hands bulging with cards.

Then there are my memories of 501 from a much later era; memories of good people doing good work for Albion College, when the building was used as office space for Institutional Advancement. For 10 years my office was in one of those guest bedrooms where Granddad did the Io; where I had played, slept, giggled, wrestled, listened to stories of Yorkshire, and experienced unbridled love.

Now, the building is again a home. Perfect. Do the Io, Mauri Ditzler. Do the Io. Keep our Albion fair.

By James Whitehouse, ’69

“Do the Io, Granddad! Do the Io!”we children would giggle as we lay tucked in a bed in a guest room at 501 Michigan Avenue.

Becomes aHome Again

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Charting Their Own PathTHESE YOUNG ALUMNAE HAVE FOUND FULFILLMENT IN SOME CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS.

Interviews by Whitney Wilson


In a nutshell, what do you do?As the booking producer for Comcast SportsNet Chicago, I am in charge of coordinating all of our interviews for our coverage. It’s different every day, and because we cover all the Chicago sports teams I get a lot of variety. Some of the athletes I’ve had in the studio are Mike Tyson, Terrell Owens, and Dwyane Wade. Also we do some celebrities like Lupe Fiasco and Jonah Hill. At games or important events, I am the onsite liaison, supervising guest interviews and making sure live coverage remains on schedule.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be inside the Blackhawks’ locker room during the Stanley Cup Final, and at the 18th hole at the Ryder Cup, the NBA playoffs when Derek Rose won his MVP, and, of course, Cubs and Sox games. I love it and feel very blessed to do what I do.

How did Albion help you get to where you are today? At Albion, I was the Pleiad sports editor, and I also worked in the sports information office. I always knew I wanted to work in sports. My junior year, I did two internships in Chicago media, one at the Sun-Times and another at WGN Radio. I was the morning show intern at WGN—that meant that I had to get to work at 3 in the morning. There were only three of us who worked on the show, so during breaking news they had me finding guests to come on the show to talk about the news stories. After graduating from Albion, I worked for the Chicago Tribune doing social media. In December of 2010, I heard the booking producer job was open at Comcast SportsNet; I was referred over, and the rest is history.

Why do you love what you do? I love sports, and I love working in TV. Both are fast-paced and competitive. I get to meet and work with a lot of amazing people. Above all, Chicago is a big sports town, and we’re producing content that thousands of sports fans are watching every day. The guests and analysts I book are a big part of our coverage, so it’s really rewarding to do that.

What is the greatest challenge you face? Sports is never-ending, and people want the news instantaneously. There are so many ways to get your news, be it Twitter, online, TV . . . we need to be sure we’re staying competitive and bringing our viewers the best coverage so that they continue to come to us and trust us. It’s almost like a relationship we’re building with the viewer. Guest interviews are a big factor in that, so I can never really have an “off” day. I love that. I love people depending on me. But that’s the greatest challenge.

What are your favorite memories of Albion? Definitely times spent with my sisters. My older sister, Kristin, graduated in 2008; I was with her as a freshman and sophomore. And Lauren, my younger sister, and I were together my senior year; she graduated in 2013. So Albion is a “family thing.”

I’ll often laugh about being at the Pleiad. At that time it was a print version. On Tuesday nights we’d be there until 4 in the morning, pulling all-nighters getting the paper together—that was great work experience. Because it was in print we were doing editing and layout as well as reporting and writing.

What’s next for you?I am currently working on my master’s in sports administration at Northwestern University. I say that I have my dream job at 26, but I know that as I grow in my career I want to be ready for my next dream job. I am furthering my education so that I can be ready for those next challenges.

Danni Wysocki, ’10: “We need to be sure we’re staying competitive and bringing our viewers the best coverage. . . . Guest interviews are a big factor in that, so I can never really have an ‘off’ day.”

Danni Wysocki, ’10 TV Sports Producer

Danni Wysocki is an Emmy-winning booking producer for Comcast SportsNet Chicago, the television home to the Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, and White Sox. She has facilitated over 2,000 interviews with leading athletes, team personnel, analysts, and celebrities. She also helps manage social media platforms for CSN Chicago. Her career highlights include covering NFL Bears Sundays, the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, and the 2012 Ryder Cup.

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In a nutshell, what do you do? I majored in French at Albion, and while I studied abroad in France, I was doing food photography. I knew I wanted to get into some type of food styling, and that was what led me to start my business, A Piece O’ Cake, right after I graduated in 2007. I was enjoying doing the cakes. But then I started thinking about France and what I enjoyed there . . . and it was the pastries, of course! I realized there was a need for the macaron in the area. My dad started making them with me. It was fun for us to do that together. And my mom, who helped me start A Piece O’ Cake, is now also a partner with me in Le Bon Macaron.

The French macaron is a meringue cookie with really delicious fillings in the center. They all have different colors to coordinate with their flavors, so that’s what makes them visually appealing and also delicious.

How did Albion help you get where you are today?The study abroad experience was really important. To start your own business, you have to be very confident in new situations, and study abroad gives you that. I really carved out a path. I left Albion not sure what I was going to do, but I wanted to do something related to art and French, if I could. It all just came together.

I am reminded all the time of why Albion is so great. I ran into one of my French professors recently, and I was talking to her about a plan I have for offering culinary tours in France. She encouraged me, and had lots of great ideas. The professors really stay with you beyond graduation. That support is always there, which I think is something you can’t find anywhere else.

Why do you love what you do? I love baking. I love making things that are delicious and good to eat, and I love making things that are pretty . . . pieces of art . . . especially the macaron. It has the whole package. It’s really fun to bring a little bit of France to Michigan.

What is the greatest challenge you face? The industry is always changing. There are new trends, new flavors, new packaging. We really do our best to do as much research as we can on what’s developing, then experimenting so that we have the most current product to offer.

Beyond work, what are you most passionate about? My family! We are so close. I am launching a blog that highlights our family and stories, recipes, how much we love to cook together, and the importance of Sunday dinners. I love to cook at work, and cooking at home is really something I am passionate about . . . how that brings family together.

What would you tell a current student who wanted to pursue an entrepreneurial path similar to yours? I think it’s important to recognize what you’re passionate about. Work is fun for me! It’s hard work, but it doesn’t feel like work because it’s so enjoyable. Every day is different. If you want something that’s constantly changing, and it’s something that you love, go for it. You definitely have to have support. It makes it so much better to have people there who believe in you and are there to support you.

Le Bon Macaron, located at 1133 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, is on the Web at: ilovemacarons.com.

Kelly Kobus Toland, ’07: “To start your own business, you have to be very confident in new situations. . . . I really carved out a path.”

Kelly Kobus Toland, ’07 Culinary Entrepreneur

After spending a year studying in France, Kelly Kobus Toland returned to Albion College intent on fulfilling her passion for creating pastries that looked as delicious as they tasted. Upon graduation, she opened a bakery, A Piece O’ Cake, in East Lansing, quickly earning recognition from WeddingWire.com and TheKnot.com. Based on her initial success, Toland believed there was a market for one of her favorite French delectables, the macaron. In 2010, she and her father, restaurateur John Kobus, ’78, began perfecting the challenging delicacy. The result? The sale of her bakery and the launch of a new venture, Le Bon Macaron.

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In a nutshell, what do you do?When I first started with the Department of the Interior, I focused on various types of energy projects and other activities on public lands, but now I am primarily responsible for advising the Alaska Region of the National Park Service. I handle day-to-day legal questions that the national parks have—ranging from concessions contracts to resource management issues. Right now, I am just starting to dip my feet into issues related to a Park Service proposal that would prohibit certain hunting practices in Alaska’s national preserves. And in the near future, I will be working on contracts for mountaineering guides in Denali National Park and tour vessels in Glacier Bay National Park.

How did Albion help you get to where you are today? Engaging in class discussions with my professors and classmates has really helped me in my career. So much of what I do happens in meetings. When you’ve got a group of people together sharing ideas, being able to pick out the best parts of those ideas to come up with solutions—that’s huge. I’ve also been amazed at the number of times in my work where I think back to concepts I learned in biology or geology. Having that basic background really has helped me. In college I didn’t realize those courses would be so useful in the long run.

Why do you love what you do? I really believe in the mission of the Department of the Interior—to manage America’s public lands and to find the right balance between conservation and development. The Park Service in particular has a core mission to conserve these really special places for the enjoyment of current and future generations. An example is Denali National Park. When you stand in the middle of one of these parks, it’s so beautiful, and when I think that my job is to help protect these places, it’s really humbling.

What is the greatest challenge you face? I work with a lot of scientists in preparing environmental impact studies. A big part of my job is to take the scientific jargon and translate it into language a lay person can understand. It’s fun! I end up learning so much about subjects I would not know anything about otherwise.

Tell us about an experience that has changed your life.Taking Prof. Wes Dick’s modern American history course changed the way I view the world. The readings focused on ordinary people, and the way they were affected by or drove events, rather than the famous players or events themselves. I learned to ask probing questions before accepting conventional wisdom on any given topic. I still have the books from that class and go back and read a chapter here or there from time to time, just to re-inspire myself.

What has been most memorable from your time in Alaska? I was stranded in a little hut on a glacier for a week earlier this year! The hut is on a rock outcrop about 10 or 20 miles south of Mt. McKinley, and the only way to access it is by a prop plane or helicopter. A friend and I flew in there and got dropped off with all of our gear. We were supposed to stay for one night. An hour after we were dropped off, the weather came in and did nothing but snow for a week! So we were stuck there waiting for the plane to come back. It was never life-threatening because we had firewood and more than enough food to survive, but it was surreal in that we couldn’t leave and we had no way to communicate with the outside world. Our entertainment was going outside to listen to avalanches. Still, it was so beautiful in the brief periods where you could see through the storm and the sky would clear. They finally got us out with a helicopter.

Liz Gobeski, ’03: “When you stand in the middle of one of [our national] parks, it’s so beautiful, and when I think that my job is to help protect these places, it’s really humbling.”

Liz Gobeski, ’03 Environmental Attorney

Liz Gobeski is an environmental attorney with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Anchorage, Alaska. After graduating from Albion, she earned her law degree at the University of Michigan and then joined a large law firm in San Diego. A growing desire to work in public interest law led her to opportunities with the Department of the Interior, and she is now responsible for advising the National Park Service in Alaska. She says she developed new survival skills during an unexpected wilderness adventure this year.

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS

When Mercedes-Benz USA announced it had internship openings for summer 2014, Brooke Kaltz, ’05, went into action. Kaltz, a manager in International Procurement Services for the company, quickly notified Albion’s Career and Internship Center, and Gerstacker Institute student Ross Muniga, ’15, jumped at the opportunity. Muniga spent the summer at Mercedes-Benz USA headquarters in New Jersey, supporting operational buying teams in the Americas and corresponding with staff around the globe.

Briton alumni play a vital role for today’s students by offering career insights and opening doors to internships and full-time employment. They also share their expertise during campus career fairs and lectures. Among those who have spoken at Albion this fall are Lexi Hansen, ’97, senior

policy advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development; Bill Sweeney, ’98, chief of staff for U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow; and Patrick Coyle, ’84, first vice president-investments at Merrill Lynch in Chicago.

“Our alumni are an invaluable resource as we grow our recruiting program,” says Troy Kase, director of the College’s Career and Internship Center. “They are providing rich opportunities that will benefit our students throughout their lives. At the same time, our students are displaying their knowledge and talents as interns and full-time employees. The Briton Network has become a proven success.”

To learn more about the Briton Network, go to: www.albion.edu/careerdev or e-mail: [email protected].

High-Speed Network

Ross Muniga, ’15, interned with Brooke Kaltz, ’05, at Mercedes-Benz USA headquarters last summer. Kaltz also met on campus this fall with students interested in international management careers.

CHAPTERS ON THE GO

1. Thirty-five members from the Southwest Michigan Alumni Chapter socialized at Bell’s Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo last August. Pictured are three generations of Albion graduates from the Olcott family: Vernon Olcott, ’49, Bonnie Allgeo Olcott, ’48, James Moore, ’03, Sue Olcott Chappell, ’77, and Lisa Chappell Moore, ’05.

2. Thirty-five Washington, D.C., area alumni, including Mark Wisnieski, ’92, Julie Eagle Briggs, ’93, and Todd Briggs, ’93, gathered in Georgetown last July to mingle with fellow Brits and take a cruise on the Potomac River.

3. Paul Scarcello, Rebecca McBrayer Scarcello, Missy Robinson Ewald, Jeff Ewald (all Class of 1992) and their sons had fun clowning around during the Detroit Alumni Chapter’s November outing to the Parade Company. Over 60 alumni experienced the float-building in advance of Detroit’s traditional Thanksgiving parade.

4. In November, 17 Chicagoland alumni, friends, and family members got a head start on their holiday shopping at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago. Jim Anderson, ’83, (pictured second from the right) helped coordinate the event with the mall.

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Homecoming— OCTOBER 3-5, 2014 —

The rain didn’t keep Briton spirits from soaring—especially after a thrilling football victory against Hope in overtime (37-36). Returning alumni connected with classmates, friends, and former faculty at weekend events ranging from art exhibits to open houses, and from lectures to music performances. Watch for details on Homecoming 2015 in the spring.

Homecoming 2014

At the 2014 Alumni Awards Ceremony, President Mauri Ditzler (third from left) welcomed Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award recipients Shari Parker Burgess, ’80, and Paul Dixon, ’83, and Distinguished Alumni Service Award honoree Carolyn Aishton Ouderkirk, ’64. All of them served as resource persons for current students at the Briton Career Connections fair during Homecoming Weekend. To learn more about this year’s recipients, go to: www.albion.edu/daa.

Nick Morgan, ’04 (center), joined here by Amanda Thompson and Charles Lott, ’06, spoke on behalf of the 2014 Athletic Hall of Fame honorees at this year’s induction ceremony. A top runner for the Britons, Morgan won the 2004 NCAA Division III national title in the 110-meter hurdles. Ten individual athletes and the 1996 football team were inducted this year. Information on all of the 2014 Hall of Famers appears at: www.albion.edu/hof.

Chemistry Department faculty, alumni, and students were among the hundreds of fans tailgating before the football matchup with the Hope Flying Dutchmen.

The Alumni Band, 40 players strong, was featured once again during the British Eighth’s halftime show. Trumpeter Tim Newsted, ’78, (at left) made his 37th consecutive appearance with the band.

On hand for the 50th reunion celebration of the Class of 1964 were: (front row, left to right) Jack Lawrence, Mary Moyer Bennett, Joan DeShon Reichenbach, Joan Fraser Albrecht, Carolyn Aishton Ouderkirk, Donna Gabehart Burk, Janet Matilo Goudie, Shirley Ruemele Bloomquist, Susan Keyes Brown, Terry Clark. (Second row) Robin Diller MacMorran, Kristi Wells Ryan, Wilma Payne Kime, Lynne Byrne Krieg, Beje Abbott Schweitzer, Carol Allman Lee, George Croll, J.B. Elzy, Jim Hansz, Pat Conner, Al Tegge, Sara Meriwether Maxfield, Eileen Wilkinson, Barbara Newcomb Behrmann, Nancy Miller Kufchock, Jock MacMorran. (Back row) Denny Kime, Doug Nott, Bruce Deardorff, Bob Hetler, Glen Cannon, Norris March, Mickey Dodge Harper, Herold “Mac” Deason, James Stuart, John Lepard, Bill Richardson, Ernie Lindblad, Rick Maibauer, Charles Mielke, Dave Barrett, Randy Minnich, Ben Soderquist, Diane Madison Switalski, Bill Lauderbach, Dennis Bloomquist.

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Io Triumphe! EDITORSarah Briggs

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSBobby Lee, Michelle Mueller, John Perney, Jake Weber, James Whitehouse, ’69, Whitney Wilson

CLASS NOTES WRITERSLuann Shepherd, James Fiorvento, Matthew Kleinow DESIGNERKatherine Mueting Hibbs

MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS John Thompson, John Perney, David Lawrence

Io Triumphe! is published twice annually by the Office of Marketing and Communications.It is distributed free to alumni and friends of the College.

Letters to the editor may be sent to: Office of Marketing and Communications Albion College 611 E. Porter StreetAlbion, MI 49224 [email protected] ABOUT OUR NAMEThe unusual name for this publication comes from a yell written by members of the Class of 1900. The beginning words of the yell, “Io Triumphe!,” were probably borrowed from the poems of the Roman writer, Horace.

In 1936, the alumni of Albion College voted to name their magazine after the yell which by then had become a College tradition. For years, Albion’s incoming students have learned these lines by heart:

Io Triumphe! Io Triumphe!Haben swaben rebecca le animorWhoop te whoop te sheller de-vereDe-boom de ral de-i de-pa—Hooneka henaka whack a whackA-hob dob balde bora bolde baraCon slomade hob dob rah!Al-bi-on Rah!

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Living ColorA new flower-lined boulevard brightens up the scene along Hannah Street (bordering the east end of the Quad). The new landscaping was part of campus improvements this past summer that included updates to Kresge Gym’s front entrance (go to page 4 to see the new look) and the addition of more green space in the oak grove behind Baldwin Hall.

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Documents

Io Triumphe! Fall-Winter 2014-15