JUDSON todayJUDSON todayA Magazine for Friends and Alumni of Judson University

Spring 2010

Dear Judson Community,

On a recent Friday afternoon I was reminded again of the solid impact this intentionally

Christian university has on its faculty and how that faculty carries out our mission in

maintaining our Christian commitments.

Th e scene was in my offi ce with a meeting of the Appointment Committee, the fi nal

hurdle a potential faculty member must engage before a recommendation goes to the

President. Th roughout the day each interview began with a recitation of the candidate’s

testimony, a tradition that not only reveals one’s initial commitment to Jesus but also

reiterates the fact that we want our faculty to talk comfortably about their faith.

After an hour of intense conversation on faith matters, professional concerns, educational backgrounds and

teaching experience, the candidate reversed the tables and asked each member of the Appointment Committee

to share their faith journey and, though it was late on a Friday, the room was electric as 11 committee members

responded to the question.

• One veteran professor stated, “When I took this job at Judson I was so desperate, I would teach anywhere, but

now I would not teach anywhere else but Judson.”

• Th e dean of one of our schools testifi ed that, “Th ough I was a preacher’s kid and joined the church early in life,

it was not until I was in graduate school that I established a personal relationship with God.”

• Another dean, also a preacher’s kid, told how a great saint in the church advised her early that, “Your value is

not based on your father’s employment but on your personal commitment to Christ.”

• A third dean talked about her desire to know God and knew rather intuitively that one would be more likely

to fi nd God in church than anywhere else. Th us began her long-term involvement in the church, and its music

and teaching ministries.

• A long-time English professor shared his story of being saved at age nine and later deepening that personal

relationship with God as a mature adult.

• Another legacy professor talked about the infl uence of church youth leaders in his teen years who opened their

home and their refrigerator to the kids and, in so doing, opened his life to God.

• After 27 years at Judson a librarian confessed that, “I can’t remember a time in life when I was not conscious of

God’s presence and am grateful to my church and Judson for cultivating that precious relationship. Neither my

husband or I would be alive today without the prayers of the Judson community.”

• A senior administrator shared his story of delivering newspapers in a Holiness campground and because of his

desire to know God, got involved in Bible study and scripture memory.

• A Judson alum shared a testimony of, “I came to Judson to get a degree and left with Jesus in my heart.”

• An art professor confessed he had never been to church before high school but always knew there was a God.

He came to know Christ through a peer who happened to be a pastor’s son and who asked him to pray the

sinner’s prayer.

Th at pivotal Friday afternoon reinforced again the quality of the faculty we have at Judson University and

their commitment to our mission to represent the church at work in higher education. We are truly a blessed

University with such sterling persons in our classrooms.

Christus Lux Mundi,

Jerry Cain

President

From the Desk of the President

k nds and

JUDSON TODAY EDITORIAL STAFF

EDITORMary DulabaumDirector of Communications & Marketing

STAFF WRITERBethany Suckrow ‘09

LAYOUT AND PRODUCTIONKevin Lipp ‘10Kat Simmons ‘10

PHOTOGRAPHYCorey Bienert ‘10Cathy HeadleyAdam LedyardKevin Sherman ‘09Cherise Tabor ‘13

SPORTS WRITERAdam LedyardDirector of Sports Information

ALUMNOTES EDITORBonnie BienertDirector of Alumni Relations

JUDSON UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION

PRESIDENTJerry B. Cain

PROVOST & VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRSDale H. Simmons

VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRSLaine Malmquist

VICE PRESIDENT FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONSTory K. Gum

VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENTLeAnn Pauley Heard

Judson Today is a bi-annual magazine published by the Advancement Offi ce at Judson University. Please send address changes and correspondence to Judson Today c/o Advancement Offi ce, 1151 North State St., Elgin, IL 60123 or email mdulabaum@JudsonU.edu.

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C O V E R S T O R Y

Judson Theater Senior Creates Wacky Wonderland ...............................4Senior Deanna Dziedzic’s latest theater project at Judson involved writing a script and directing “Alice in Wonderland.”

Overseas Teaching Opportunities ..........................................................................6Graduating education majors are taking Adoniram Judson’s encouragementto share Christ’s light to the world by using their training and teachingoverseas.

Making a Career Out of Loving Jesus ..................................................................7A roundtable discussion with alumni and current worship arts studentsreveals the many ways to make a career out of loving Jesus.

Cracking the Nut of the Power Internship .......................................................8Heather Price’s summer internship with Fisher Nuts was the opportunity of a lifetime. She didn’t waste a minute of it!

Alma Mater Bestowes Accolades .............................................................................9

I N E V E R Y I S S U E

Faculty Sabbaticals and Accomplishments .................................................10

Sports Page .............................................................................................................................12Season Wrap-ups on Soccer, Cross Country and Basketball

Alumnotes ................................................................................................................................15

Then & Now .............................................................................................................................18

Photo Above: On one of his rare days off this spring, Dr. Jerry Cain could be seen on campus helping out Mrs. Linda Cain with the many ways she adds beauty to Judson’s campus.

Spring 2010

C O V E R S T O R Y

Spring 2010

By Bethany Suckrow ‘09

literature, so that was my frame of mind when I approached writing the script for Alice,” she explains. Deanna read both Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Th rough the Looking Glass, and took much of her dialogue and many of the scenes from these sources. Deanna has taken both a screen-writing and directing class as a Judson student, which she feels gave her the perspective and experience she needed to be successful in the endeavor.

In addition to writing the script, the task of directing the cast proved a challenge for Deanna. Having only one month to rehearse is diffi cult for even the most experienced cast, but six out of the eight cast members that Deanna chose for her production had no previ-ous acting experience.

Her status as a student was the most complicated aspect of prepar-ing her theater production as she worked to balance her academics

with her extra-curriculars. Her rela-tionships with her cast members needed balancing as well; being both their peer and their director was not always easy. “It’s a diffi cult line between being profes-sional and relational,” Deanna admits.

Senior Deanna Dziedzic Transforms Judson Theater

into a

would write and direct the production, all while maintaining her status as a senior set to graduate in May 2010.

Th e original plan for the production was a cast collaboration with an improvisation-al approach. Deanna chose to write a script instead when she realized how little time she had to prepare the cast. From the be-

ginning of the spring semester to the opening night of the show, the theater had just one month to pull the show together.

Th ough “Alice in Wonder-land” has been subject to various movie adaptations and even a children’s television show, it has not been used for many stage adaptations.

“Inconsistency is my biggest critique when viewing movie adaptations of

Senior Deanna Dziedzic has a fl air for the dramatic, to say the least. She developed a passion for performing early in life and later chose to pursue a Th eater concentration in the Com-munication Arts at Judson. Deanna has participated in several Judson Th eater productions, four of which featured her in a major role.

Despite her experiences with Judson Th eater, nothing could have quite prepared her for her most recent role in Judson’s production of “Alice in Wonderland.” Lewis Carroll’s fantasti-cal story had already been an interest to Deanna, so it was exciting news to learn that the Judson Th eater was planning a production of Alice for Feb. 12-14, 2010. Her excitement turned to shock when Dave Hunter ’02, the faculty producer for Judson Th eater, handed her the entire project. “I didn’t pick Alice; Alice picked me,” Deanna says with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief.

Deanna had the support of Professor Kimberly Schmidt as her faculty supervisor for the production, but it would be Deanna herself who

4 JUDSON today

Student Life Photos by Kevin Sherman ‘09

Performers for the fall play Angel Street. (left to right) are Mackenzie Kerr, Juddson Updike, Kevin Lipp, Jackie Mc-Namara, and Kassondra Tabb.

Left: Rachel Mead dis-cusses her senior thesis work with Chris Ammann ‘09 and his mother, Lori. Below: Guest Architecture Lecturer Yael Breimer speaks to Art, Design and Architecture stu-dents.

Megan Feigen takes on the role of Alice.

SPRING 2010 5

When the curtains fi nally opened, Deanna and the Alice cast led the audience on a beauti-ful and eccentric journey down Carroll’s rabbit hole. Although the majority of cast members were new to the stage, they delivered a nearly fl awless slapstick performance, even as the Mad Hatter (played by Juddson Up-dike) broke his nose returning to the stage after a brief pounce into the audience. Th e show sold out both the opening night as well as the following night. Th e Sunday matinee was a nearly full as well.

“I am still in shock that the show was so successful. I know that I would not have had the opportunity to be so involved in another school’s theater program, much less be able to write and direct my own play,” she remarks with a clear sense of gratitude.

Despite the many predictable as well as un-foreseen challenges that the Alice production came with, Deanna and her cast rose to the occasion and gained an experience that even

Lewis Carroll himself would have considered beyond the wildest imagination.

Far Right: Deanna Dziedzic and her colorful cast of characters for Alice. From top: Cooper Flathoff and Juddson Updike, the full cast, and Aubrey Kreuzer as the Cheshire Cat.

Far left: Melissa Sommers, Kelli Pate, Jessica Palmerin and Katie Guttormson enjoy Navy Pier for Homecoming. Center: Off Stage Improv team Melody Weber, Ashley McCambridge and Kevin Lipp. Below: Lisa Jarot and Beth Doede pack meals for the Salvation Army’s program to send 1,000 meals to Haiti.

Seeking Overseas OpportunitiesBy Bethany Suckrow ‘09

(BAIS) in Kota Baru Parahyangan, a development on the outskirts of Bandung, Indonesia. Tiff any felt the calling to serve the Lord overseas in her junior year of high school. Knowing that she had always wanted to be a teacher, she pursued her degree at Judson and found many opportunities to connect with ministries throughout the world. Upon graduating, she and David researched diff erent opportunities through various organizations. David and Tiff any currently teach courses to students in preparation for their entry to English-speaking universities throughout the world.

Each of these teaching positions are based on an annual or biennial contract, which each of these alums plans to continue serving until the Lord calls them back to the States or elsewhere in the world.

For many, the prospect of leaving behind family, friends and the comforts of one’s own culture would deter them from taking these positions. However, these alums have chosen to follow the Lord’s calling and use their talents outside the States, and they are gaining invaluable professional, personal and spiritual experiences.

Many Judson alumni have chosen to follow Adoniram Judson’s motto, “Christ, the Light of the World,” by venturing out into the world to share their faith and knowledge with others.

One of Judson’s most prominent majors, Education, is seeing several of its alumni heading overseas to teach. For aspiring teachers, the opportunity to teach overseas has several benefi ts. While there are thousands of open teaching positions posted daily in the United States, the need overseas for educators is much higher.

For Kate Siscoe, a 2008 graduate of Judson’s Education Program, the opportunity to teach at Sojourn Academy in San Jose, Costa Rica, was an opportunity to gain teaching experience and learn to speak Spanish fl uently, a goal she has been working to achieve for several years. Kate

teaches a classroom of fourth graders at Sojourn Academy, a private school devoted to assisting international families prepare for their destination countries in Central and South America with Spanish language abilities and transitional educational support for K-12 students. Kate’s experience teaching at Sojourn may give her the advantage she needs to get a solid teaching position in the United States, where the need for experience and bilingual educators are high.

For Marc and Amy Shufl in, serving at the Caracas school in Venezuela was a new opportunity to fulfi ll their calling and heart for international ministry, while also fulfi lling their employment needs. Th e Caracas students are mostly embassy, business, missionary, or wealthy Venezuelan and Korean children, many of which are third culture children who may have a diff erent culture from their parents and their peers. Marc is the social studies and computer teacher for Caracas. Amy currently teaches English as a second language to students in grades fi rst through 12. She also mentors two high school girls. Both Marc and Amy lead discipleship groups.

David and Tiff any Lamb also felt a call to teach overseas and are now serving at the Bandung Alliance International School

two alternatives. Teachers can choose to pursue a Master of Education degree in ESL/Bilingual studies or they can choose only to be certifi ed in ESL/Bilingual.

“We saw a need, especially for ESL and special needs students, and we knew that we needed to make this opportu-nity available at Judson,” says Professor Chris Starzynski, the co-coordinator along with Dr. Gillian Stewart-Wells.

Recruting in China

One special market that may be interested in this program are Chinese students. Judson entered into an agree-ment with Teacher Run Hua Wang to

New ESL and Bilingual Master’s Degree Off ered to U.S. and Chinese Students

recruit students from China who may be interested in a master’s level education program with a bilingual focus.

As today’s educational system becomes increasingly diverse, teachers are re-quired to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of their students. To prepare these teachers for these challenges and re-wards, Judson’s Master of Education has a new English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual Endorsement program.

Teachers who desire ESL endorsement do not need to know or speak another language; they will be certifi ed to teach non-native English speakers. Alternative-ly, teachers who are literate in another language can be certifi ed through a state language exam.

The Endorsement program features

Dr. Jerry Cain signs an agreement with Teacher Run Hua Wang (seated) to recruit students from China for Judson’s Master of Education program.

Marc and Amy Shufl in

Kate Siscoe enjoys her class in Costa Rica.

6 JUDSON today

“Judson prepared me immensely for leading worship. I learned to think critically about worship, to ask the right questions,” said Dan Lugo, a 2006 Judson alumni and the current worship leader at Living Hope Church in Palos Heights, Ill. “Th e practical experience of being in chapel, the encour-agement to try things and fail is invaluable. I had [professors] looking over my shoulder and saying, ‘Hey, this didn’t work. Let’s talk about why and see if we can do it better.’ And the faith formation was really impor-tant. Other schools may try this, but no school does it better than Judson University. I left here loving Jesus and wanting to serve Him more faithfully.”

“Did anyone get that down?” Judson President Dr. Jerry Cain joked enthusiasti-cally.

Th e gratitude of Dan’s refl ection rever-berated through the rest of the Worship Arts Roundtable as Judson alumni, current students, faculty, and other community worship leaders gathered in November to discuss the challenges and blessings of their ministry. Th is biennial gathering is the fi fth of its kind since Warren Anderson, the dean of Chapel and professor of Communica-tion and Worship Arts, started the tradition in the Fall 2001. As a part of Anderson’s Worship Resources class, the gathering is an opportunity for current students in Judson’s Worship Arts program to hear from alumni and other area worship leaders about the diverse experiences and lessons learned.

Th e Judson alumni each spoke in depth about the impact that their Worship Arts education has had on their ministry. Whether it was the curriculum, the intern-ships, or other opportunities like the study abroad program in Sydney, Australia, each alumnus gained invaluable knowledge and wisdom to apply to their ministry through Judson.

Alumni weren’t the only ones talking about their gratitude, their experiences, and lessons learned at Judson.

“Alumni input is important to the devel-opment of the Worship Arts Department,” said Brenda Buckley-Hughes, professor of Communication and Worship Arts. “You too, have helped shape this department into what it will become for future students. We love to hear what has helped you in your career.”

Th e Worship Arts program, while a fl edgling compared to some other programs off ered at Judson, is a step ahead of other worship programs in higher education. Th e program was once housed under the Communication Arts Department, but while it still maintains the core principles of communications, it is now a department all its own.

Chad Negley, a 2002 Judson alumnus and the worship pastor at Moraine Valley Church in Palos Heights, Ill., said that he most appreciated the practicality of the communication-based curriculum that Judson implements in the Worship Arts program. “Because the degree is originally

based in communications, I learned that if I could not communicate the story of God, my worship and leadership would suff er. Taking a public speaking class really prepared me to present myself comfortably in front of a large group of people.”

Matt Archibald ’04, who currently serves as the Worship Arts Director at Gurnee Com-munity Church in Gurnee, Ill., notes, “To lead worship is to take people from where they are to where God wants them to be. Worship is leading people to Him.”

Th e diverse and evolving needs of believers worldwide has made worship leadership an essential fi eld of study. Th e Judson Worship Arts Department is intent on educating and equipping students with contemporary yet scriptural tools for worship leadership.

“I learned so much about myself, people and God,” says Nigley. “Everything I learned translated to my ministry and prepared me for my calling and who I am today.”

SPRING 2010 7

Making a Career Out of Loving Jesus and Wanting to Serve HimBy Bethany Suckrow ‘09

Worship arts students dicpict chapel drama on forgiveness.

Several Judson Programs Prepare Students for Careers in Ministry There are many ways to begin a career in ministry. Judson has three distinct programs, Worship

Arts, Music Ministries and Christian Ministries, that prepare students for their careers in ministry immediately upon graduation. Judson’s Worship Arts program is geared to teach students how to communicate through the worship experience by using music, drama and media. The Music Minis-tries program prepares students who anticipate serving the Church primarily through their musical gifts. The Christian Ministries program provides a comprehensive approach to studies and spiritual development that are essential for building ministry skills needed for youth ministry, adolescent studies, mission/intercultural ministries and social justice ministries in a variety of settings.

8 JUDSON today

By Bethany Suckrow ‘09

For students, an internship is the peak of their college career, where classroom ideals and techniques meet real world applica-tion. Internships give students the chance to showcase their capabilities and creativity, learn the challenges and rewards of their in-dustry, and earn credit towards their degree. For Heather Price, a junior graphic design student, her summer internship with Fisher Nuts was the opportunity of a lifetime, one in which both the intern and the company were pleased with the results.

All Visual Communications students are required to work 120 hours in a professional design studio as a graduation requirement. Th e internship should take place following a semester long course, “Internship Seminar.” Th rough a Judson contact, Heather learned of John B. Sanfi lippo & Sons Inc. (Fisher Nuts), and immediately sent her resume to

them for a summer internship. After two successful interviews, Heather was off ered the position to work as a Graphic Designer for the company’s Creative Services Depart-ment.

“I was responsible for organizing the department, creating mock-ups, preparing photos for projects, creating ads, creating labels, trimming, the list can go on forever! But I will never complain,” Heather adds. “Everything that I completed there has helped me become a better designer, and I loved every part of it.”

Th e most challenging part of her experi-ence was to learn the terms, rules, and laws that creating a label can entail. Th e most enjoyable part of her experience were the co-workers that encouraged and prepared her to keep up with the challenges of her fi eld.

“I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with. Th ey became amazing friends and have helped me by providing me with advice for my future,” she notes.

With the new semester’s start and sum-mer’s end, most interns conclude their expe-rience with a handshake and a new reference to add to their resume. Heather’s internship led her to a part-time job with Fisher Nuts and a chance to continue to contribute her work ethic and dedication to the company that doesn’t want to let her go.

In any occupation, there are hoops to jump through before achieving the experience and credentials necessary to being a professional. For aspiring accoun-tants, their biggest hurdle is the Certifi ed Public Accountant Examination. This rigorous evaluation requires months of preparation and months more of testing regarding four diff erent sections: Finan-cial Accounting and Reporting, Auditing, Regulation, and Business Environments and Concepts.

Recently, Judson’s Business Depart-ment has seen several students achieve their CPA examination, and several more students are currently working toward their certifi cation. Most accounting fi rms are willing to hire an individual who has not received their CPA, and may even hire someone who has not yet begun test-ing for their CPA as long as they are “CPA ready.” To be “CPA ready” means that he or she must complete 150 credit hours, 23 of which must be accounting credits.

Like many of her former classmates, Laura Weise, a Judson (2005) alumna and CPA (2006), found the credits, materi-als, and encouragement she needed to prepare for the exam at Judson University.

“From an educational standpoint, no undergraduate accounting program prepares you for the CPA exam,” says Weise. “However, I appreciate that Jud-son had the right resources available. I used those materials to begin my CPA review and that gave me a great jump start.” Of those alumni who completed their CPA examination, Laura achieved an exceedingly high score, for which she received the esteemed EXCEL Award at the annual Illinois CPA Society banquet in May 2006.

Jim Stahr, Business Department chair and accounting professor, has seen an increasing number of his former stu-dents seek their certifi cation.

“I am a CPA encourager!” Stahr ex-presses enthusiastically.

Congratulations to these Recent Judson

Alumni for Completing Their CPAAndrew Bogott ‘07

Sarah Heinrich Hernandez ‘02Sharon Matthews ‘04Adam Schwelnus ‘05

Laura Weise ‘05Rebekah Young ‘03

Studies Don’t End for Alumni As the CPA Exam Looms

Cracking the Nut of the Power Internship

Business Administration

Off ers New Three-Year Degree

Beginning with the Fall 2010 semester, students in the Judson’s Business Administra-tion program will be able to earn a degree in just 33 months.

Students will take the exact same courses as those enrolled in the current four-year program, but will be able to complete their degree in three years by participating in two full summer ses-sions.

“Th e program will allow motivated students to complete their degree and par-ticipate in two internship experiences at least a full year ahead of the normal schedule, thus allowing them to enter the workforce earlier to maximize their earning potential,” notes Tom Voigt, marketing professor in Judson’s School of Business and Leadership.

Refer a student for this program by calling Judson’s Admissions team at (847) 628-2550.

Judson people, that he was able to face the challenges and successes of his career.

Steve Layne, Ph.D., is professor of Education and Program Director for Judson’s Master of Education in Literacy program, as well as a highly esteemed author of 17 books for children and adolescents. He has been honored with national and state awards in the research, teaching and writing fi elds by numerous organizations such as USA Today, Th e International Reading As-sociation, Th e National Council of Teachers of English, Th e Milken Family Foundation, Th e Illinois Reading Council, and the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curricu-lum Development. Layne has served on an extensive and diverse array of national and state committees throughout his 20 years in the education and literacy fi elds, including his term as president of the Illinois Read-ing Council in 2005-2006. He serves as a national literacy consultant, motivational speaker and featured author at schools, insti-tutes and conferences throughout the world.

Dr. Joe Compton ’85, internist and part-ner with Dubuque (Iowa) Internal Medicine, was honored with the Alumnus of the Year Award. Compton has served as a member of several diff erent hospital committees, includ-ing as chair of the Department of Medicine Executive Committee for Mercy Hospital and as a medical community liaison for “Domestic Abuse Response,” a government program for a community response eff ort to recognize and serve battered women. He also served as chairman of the Board of Tristate Pregnancy Center and elder of Galena Bible Church. Compton has used his skills overseas. Beginning in 1996 to the present, Compton serves areas of Haiti two weeks a year with free medical care. He is currently involved in a child immunization program for orphaned children in the Port-au-Prince community.

“I look around and I feel surrounded by the love and support I have always associated with this institution,” Compton said.

Judson honored several alumni at the annual Alumni Awards Program, which was held during Homecoming weekend, Sept. 29-30, 2009. Alumni recognized at Home-coming this year were 2009 Distinguished Alumni nominees James Kruger ’97, Kraig Kleeman ’80, and Steven Layne ’87.

Chief James Kruger is chief of Police for the Roselle Police Department and the director of Criminal Justice Management at Judson. Kruger worked his way through the ranks of the Carpentersville Police Department for 20 years before leaving as commander. After nearly 30 years of law en-forcement service, he was appointed Chief of Police for the Roselle Police Department in 2006. Kruger was the recipient of the Illinois State Crime Commission Award in Excel-lence in Law Enforcement for 2008

As Kruger was awarded for his distin-guished career, he in turn thanked the institution, saying, “Judson’s mark on my life has been evident in all that I have been able to accomplish. What Judson University really taught me was the diff erence between success and signifi cance; they taught me to lead with a servant’s heart.”

Kraig Kleeman is CEO of Blaire Group and originator of Th e Must-React System. He has overseen more than one million cold-call presentations in his career. Kleeman is also a published author and frequent speaker at sales conferences, executive retreats, and motivational events. Previously, Kleeman founded and served as CEO of former company, Express Direct, through which he gained experience in every area of building and selling a $20 million business. In less than four years, Kleeman developed Express Direct into an organization of 50 people and $20 million in annual revenue. He then successfully sold this company to a west coast based, strategic marketing partner.

In thanks for his award, Kleeman said that it was with a healthy, God-inspired sense of defi ance and truth, and the support of

Alma Mater Bestowes AccoladesBy Bethany Suckrow ‘09

Mark Your Calendars for

HomecomingSeptember 24-25, 2010

Above: Alumni honorees for 2010 are Joe Compton, Steve Layne, Kraig Kleeman and James Kruger.

SPRING 2010 9

medium itself as an indicator of our contem-porary visual culture.

“Enacting a McLuhan-style analysis of the medium, I argue that the comic book encourages psychology characteristic of oral culture and curiously, is central to our digital culture,” Wandtke states. As a result, Wandtke was able to not only research and write about his subject, but was able to “travel to the new and exciting places repre-sented by hypertext novels, internet maps, and digital culture theory.”

Sharon Kim, Ph.D., associate profes-sor, English, began her travels in May 2008

with a group of CCCU profes-sors traveling to Russia, with stops in Moscow, Nizhni Novgorod, and St. Petersburg. Th en, from August 2008

to January 2009, Kim taught at Renmin University of China in Beijing. Her studies centered on literature, the study of the hu-manities, and English and American culture. In October 2008, Kim delivered a keynote address at a conference on “Th eology and Poetics,” hosted by the Summer Institute and held at Qinghai Normal University in Xin-ing, China. Her time in China took her to many diff erent cities throughout the country, including Guilin, Tianjin, Nanjing, Shang-hai, and Longqing Xia.

“Like my time in Russia, my time in China brought me together with extraordi-nary people whom I deeply respect and love.

Brenda Buckley- Hughes, professor, Communication Arts, fondly known by her students as “BBH,” had a two-fold purpose in taking a sabbatical. First,

she examined the approach of theater to help students select Christian institutions of high-er learning, including Azusa Pacifi c Univer-sity, Vanguard University, Biola University, Concordia University-Irvine, and Augustana College. Second, she used her research to improve both the Worship Arts and Judson Th eater Program in the areas of marketing and production, as well as the education of Judson students.

“Worship Arts is a growing area of study for churches of today and the future. Th e-ater is alive and well in many Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU)schools,” notes Buckley-Hughes. “Judson University is well situated to meet this emer-gent need, and Judson Th eater has many exciting days ahead.”

Terrance Wandtke, professor, Literature and Media. “Over the course of my sabbatical, I researched and wrote. And researched

and wrote some more.”Much to his own surprise, the subject

about which Wandtke researched was comic books. Th is area of interest has been one of growth for Wandtke in the last fi ve years. For his sabbatical project, Wandtke chose to focus on the subject as more than a collec-tion of superhero stories. He focused on the

By Bethany Suckrow ‘09Faculty Sabbaticals Enrich Judson

10 JUDSON today

Judson has found through the years that the classroom experiences of both faculty and students are enhanced when professors acquire the chance to take time for more in depth study of their field. With this intent, Judson allows faculty members to take a sabbatical period, a time away from the classroom, to refresh their knowledge, research areas of interest and rejuvenate their personal lives. Below are stories of how some profes-sors used their recent sabbaticals for professional and personal growth.

Meeting them made my travels a joy, despite my frequent illnesses,” Kim notes. After returning to the United States, Kim devoted herself to full-time writing and research.

During the Spring 2009, she had two es-says published in literary journals, “Literary Epiphany and the Th eology of Grace,” pub-lished in the Journal for the Study of Christian Culture, and “Lost in Inculturation: On the Invisible and Fragmented Body of Christ in Literary Studies at the Present Time,” published in Christianity and Literature. At the end of May, Kim completed her book on literary epiphany.

Mark Torgerson, Ph.D. associate pro-fessor, Worship Studies, used his sabbatical to develop a new manu-script con-cerning religious spaces and environ-mental care. His research began with consideration of the Christian scriptures and theological refl ec-tion as they pertain to viewing this world as a primary gift from God and humanity’s role of being entrusted with responsible stew-ardship of its resources. He then explored emerging options for sustainable building design. Torgerson’s research and writings at-tracted the attention of two publishers, with one caveat: that he add a consideration of Jewish understandings of creation care and the implications for synagogue design. In August, Torgerson signed a contract with Th e Alban Institute of Herndon, Va., to publish his book, tentatively titled, Church and Syna-gogue Design as Creation Care.

“All in all, it was a fabulous sabbatical experience with continuing opportunities for professional growth and enhancing classroom teaching,” Torgerson says. He also took one month to explore parts of Ecuador and Peru with his 10-year-old son, Lukas.

SPRING 2010 11

Faculty Accomplishments Brenda Buckley-Hughes, Ph.D., Professor of

Communication Arts, directed the Christmas production at Christ Community Church in St. Charles, Ill., with more than 7,000 in attendance.

Laurie Braaten, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies, attended the Midwest Regional Society of Biblical Literature, February 12-14, and chaired a session of Hebrew Bible papers. He also attended the Annual Meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society, March 5-6, and chaired a session on Interdisciplinary Studies.

G. E. Colpitts, M.F.A., Professor of Art and Design, was re-elected for a three-year term to the Board of the Illinois Higher Education Art Association.

David Cook, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, Center for Adult & Continuing Education, spoke on Dec. 4, 2009, to the Illinois Public Pension Advisory Committee Holiday Seminar on “The 10 Mistakes Leaders Make.”

Joseph Cory, Visiting Professor of Art & Design, had three drawings selected for inclusion in the exhibition “Culture” for Christians in the Visual Arts’ biannual conference at Bethel University, St. Paul, Minn., June 2009.

Darrell Cosden, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Chris-tian Religion, Philosophy and Ministry, response to Jill Colwell’s ‘“One Who Trusts Will Not Panic’: Providence and the Prophet of Desecuritization” was published in Ex Auditu: An International Journal of the Theological Interpretation of Scripture, Volume 24, Issue: The Idolatry of Security, pp.122-126. He wrote a chapter titled “The Named Human and the Question of ‘Being’ Christlike: Revisioning Evangeli-cal Spirituality Through Renewing the Communicatio Idiomatum,” in The Bible

In World Christian Perspective: Studies in Honor of Carl Edwin Armerding. His 2006 book The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work was listed as one of the “Top Books of the Decade” (12 listed) by the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity magazine.

Jim Halverson’s, Ph.D., Professor of History & Intercultural Studies, review of Mark Gregory Pegg’s book, A Most Holy War: The Albig-ensian Crusade and the Battle for Christen-

dom was published in Fides et Historia, 41:2 (Summer/Fall 2009) 92-93.

Sojung Hong, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Music, was a guest artist-teacher at the Summer Piano Workshop held at Suwon Women’s College, Korea, in July 2009 and at the Eu-myoun Summer Piano Academy, Korea, during July and August 2009. She also was invited by the Freeport Community Concert Association to give a concert, titled “The Korean Five,” on February 27.

Keelan Kaiser, Assoc. Professor of Architecture, presented a paper, co-authored with Da-vid Ogoli, Ph.D., “Harm A. Weber Academic Center Post-Occupancy Evaluation of the First Year of Energy Use and User Com-fort,” at the 2009 Architecture Research Centers Consortium in San Antonio.

Craig Kaplowitz, Ph.D., Professor of History & Intercultural Studies, joined the Board of Sunshine Gospel Ministries, an incarna-tional outreach on Chicago’s South Side.

Sharon Kim, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Writing & Literature, taught for one semester at Ren-min University of China in Beijing, during her sabbatical. She had essays published in the Journal for the Study of Christian Culture in spring 2009, and Christianity and Literature in early 2009.

Keith Krispin’s, Ph.D., Professor of Christian Ministries, review of Introduction to Leader-ship: Concepts & Practice was published in the fall 2009 Christian Education Journal (Series 3, Vol. 6, No. 2, p. 428-32). Krispin and David Sanders, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Christian Ministries, were guest lectur-ers for the Elgin-area presentation of the Perspectives on the World Missions Movement Study Program, a ministry of the U.S. Center for World Missions in Pasadena, Calif. Sanders presented on the topic “The Living God is a Missionary God,” and Krispin presented on the topic “Mandate for the Nations.”

Steven Layne’s, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Director of Master of Education in Literacy, fi rst professional book for educators was released in December 2009: Igniting A Passion for Reading: Successful Strategies for Building Lifetime Readers.

Eric Mason, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies, gave three presenta-tions during 2009 summer for the Fifth Enoch Seminar in Naples, Italy, June 17,

2009; the International Society of Biblical Literature, Rome, Italy, July 3, 2009; and the Catholic Biblical Association national meeting, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb., Aug. 3, 2009. In addition, he had ar-ticles published in Echoes from the Caves: Qumran and the New Testament and two sections published in The New Interpret-er’s Dictionary of the Bible by Abingdon.

Angelene Naw, Ph.D., Professor of History & Intercultural Studies, gave a presentation, titled “In Search of the Karen Genesis: Myth and Reality,” on March 24, at Payap University, Mae Khao, Thailand.

David Sanders, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Christian Ministries, presented a paper at the July 30 – Aug. 1, 2009, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School International Conference. He also was Plenary Conference Speaker at the July 16-21, 2009, Military Com-munity Youth Ministries European Staff Conference in southern Germany. He also began part-time work as Deputy Director of the Military Youth Ministry Institute.

Christine Starzynski, Assist. Professor of Com-munication Arts/Education was elected as Treasurer of the League of United Latin American Citizens of Elgin. She also pre-sented at the Illinois Reading Conference in Springfi eld on March 18 and 19: “Suc-cessful ESL Collaboration with Classroom Teachers” and, along with Professor Patti Hut-ton, “Transforming Parental Involvement for Bilingual and Monolingual Students.”

Gillian Stewart-Wells, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Education, was the keynote speaker at Ken-dall College’s Faculty Conference titled “TALK: Teaching And Learning at Kendall.”

On February 14, Darren Wilson’s, as-soc. professor, Communications, second feature fi lm “Furious Love” premiered nationwide. The fi lm is Wilson’s highly anticipated sequel to “Finger of God,” a fi lm he released in 2008. Since the release of “Furious Love,” Wilson’s story has been featured on the 700 Club and he was named as one of the 21 emerging leaders of the church in the April issue of Charisma magazine.

Sports Page

Th e men’s soccer team enjoyed another successful season as they won their fi fth CCAC regular season title in six years and claimed their sixth NCCAA National Championship. Th ey fi nished with an overall record of 19-3-1 and were 8-2 in the CCAC. Judson’s fi ve year stretch of CCAC Tournament Championships and NAIA National Tournament berth came to end as they fell to Olivet Nazarene in the 2009 championship game, 1-0.

Th e loss, though, opened up the door for the team to participate in the NCCAA regional and national tournaments. Judson traveled to Greenville, Ill., to face the top seed in the region, Greenville College, and came away with a 2-0 victory and the auto-matic bid to the NCCAA National Tourna-ment in Florida.

Seeking an unprecident sixth NCCAA National Championship, Steve Burke guided his team to two wins and an exciting shootout victory for the championship. Judson started the tournament with the shootout win over NCAA Division II Palm

Beach Atlantic. Judson hit all fi ve of their shots and Alex Tyton stopped two to ad-vance Judson to the next round. Judson then shutout Mid-America Christian, 2-0, and held off powerful Indiana Wesleyan, 4-3, to win the championship.

Th e wins for Judson extended their un-beaten streak in the NCCAA National Tour-nament to eight matches dating back to the 1999 season. Judson has now won NCCAA National Championships in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2002, and 2009 while playing in 13 NCAA National Tournaments.

Women’s Soccer Finishes Third

at NCCAA National Tournament

Taking another step to becoming a national name in the NAIA and NCCAA, the Judson University women’s soccer team made a run at the NCCAA National Tournament fi nishing in third place. Judson also broke their post-season winless record against Trinity International and fi nished the season with a 14-7-3 record. Th e 14 wins are

the second most ever in the history of the program behind 15 wins in the 2006 season.

Judson fi nished the season winning seven out of their last 11 matches with a key win over Trinity International University. After falling to Trinity International, 1-0, in the fi rst round of the CCAC Tournament, Judson had a 0-10 record against the Trojans in post season since 2000. Th e two teams would meet just over two weeks later for a NCCAA Regional Tour-nament game and the nine-year streak came to an end as Judson pulled off a 3-2 over-time win to advance to the NCCAA regional championship match.

Falling to Olivet Nazarene in the regional championship, Judson received an at-large bid to the NCCAA National Tournament in Florida as the No. 3 seed. Judson proceeded to take the fi rst game, 1-0, over Grace Col-lege for their fi rst win in the tournament since 1997. Th ey then fell to Th e Master’s College, 4-1, but bounced back in the third place game with a 2-1 win over Covenant College.

An unbelievable career came to an end, too, in 2009 as Christina Th ornton fi nished her four-years at Judson as the all-time goals (79) and points (181). She also holds the single season goals and points record. In four years, she was a three-time NCCAA and NAIA All-American, four-time All-CCAC First-Team, CCAC Player of the Year, CCAC Freshman of the Year, and was a member of the NCCAA All-Tournament team.

Men’s Soccer Scores Sixth NCCAA National Championship

Skills Grew Each Game with Volleyball

Th e record of 8-26 does not tell the story of the season for Judson University as the volleyball team improved in each match. Four of the eight wins came in the CCAC with two overall wins coming in fi ve sets. Judson improved their record in the CCAC by one win and had one more win in the fi rst season under new Head Coach Jill Pearce.

Judson played seven matches that went fi ve sets in the season and won three of them. In the fi nal match of the season at the CCAC Tournament, Judson took back an earlier loss to Trinity Christian with a three-set sweep to fi nish the tournament at 1-2. Th e win mirrored how they fi nished the 2008 season as they also defeated Trinity Christian in the fi nal match.

Another key win for Judson came in their sixth CCAC contest as they came from be-hind to defeat St. Francis, 3-2. Coming into the match, St. Francis was undefeated in the CCAC and did go on to play in the CCAC Tournament Championship. Judson fought their way back from being down 0-2 (25-16, 25-16) to winning the fi nal three sets 25-18, 25-23, 15-12.

Another storied career came to an end at Judson as Deb Leganski fi nished up her four-year career. She is a three-time All-CCAC selection along with being named a NCCAA All-American once. She re-wrote the record book for digs as she leaves as the all-time leader with 2,681 digs and will also be in the NAIA career top 20 for digs. At Judson, she owns the No. 1, 2, 3, and 7 spots in for digs in a single season and is third all-time in serving aces (181).

Also fi nishing a strong four-year career was Danielle Dull. In her four years, she was a two-time All-CCAC and All-NCCAA Regional selec-

tion. She will also fi nish in six diff erent categories for Judson in the all-time top 10.

Cross Country Programs Continue to Grow

Both programs grew in their second year of existence and began to form a strong foundation for the future. On October 3, both teams made history as they claimed the Wisconsin Lutheran Invitational Championship. With 15 teams competing on both sides, the women won by seven points and the men by six points.

Rachel Dean and Kim Peek continued to make history for the women’s program as they both qualifi ed for the NCCAA and NAIA National Meets. Dean fi nished third at the NCCAA National Meet and

was named a NCCAA All-American, which is the fi rst for the program. Peek fi nished 26th out of 134 runners. At the NAIA National Meet, featur-

ing over 330 runners, Dean fi nished 50th while Peek was 227th.

Th e women’s team also continued to stay in the top tier of the CCAC

with a fourth place fi nish out of eight teams as the

CCAC Champion-ship meet.

Th e 2010 season will also bring a new change to the program as

Joel Cotton has taken over the

women’s program as the head coach.

Cotton ran collegiately at Indiana University and is

an assistant men’s basketball coach at Judson.

New Teams andSome Coaching Changes

Judson will add men’s lacrosse and men’s

and women’s indoor and outdoor track and

fi eld. All the teams will be full scale in the 2010-

11 athletic year. A.J. Collier was hired to start the

lacrosse program while the coaching positions

for men’s and women’s track and fi eld were split

up between Rich Weinhandl and Joel Cotton.

Weinhandl will take care of the men’s

team while Cotton will coach the

women’s team.

Hall of Fame Celebrates New Inductees

Judson University inducted fi ve athletes into its Hall of Fame family on January 22. New members to the class of 2010 are: (front row, left to right) Jeff Montgomery

‘99 for men’s soccer and Andrew Burdett

‘99 for a career in men’s basketball and soccer; (back row) Jon Hanchett ’73 for baseball and soccer; Jennifer (Gentry)

Salazar (att. ‘92-’94) for volleyball, volley-ball coach in 1997-2001; and Jason Russell

‘94 for men’s basketball and baseball.

Men’s Cross Country

Th e men’s team continued to build their foundation for a stronger team. With the addition of several new recruits, the team improved their times and places in most meets. Th e Wisconsin Lutheran Invitational Championship was the highlight of the season for the program’s fi rst meet cham-pionship. Zach Adams, Nate Nevius, Tim Ciochon, Robert Altenburger, and Dakota West all were strong runners

for Judson. Judson will only lose West to graduation as all the runners return for the

2010 season. Th e 2010 season will also bring a coach change as Rich Weinhandl will be in charge of just the men’s program. After two years of coaching both programs, he will be just the head coach for the men’s cross coun-try and track and fi eld program.

Men’s Basketball Starts Off Slow But Ends

Season with 17-13 Record

After a 1-10 start, the Judson University men’s basketball team won 16 of their last 19 games and won the automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament to fi nish the season at 17-13. Judson claimed their second CCAC Tournament Champion-ship in three years with a 70-65 win over No. 9 Cardinal Stritch in Milwaukee, Wisc., to snap the Wolves 19-game winning streak. Judson was down four points with 4:53 left in the game when they fi nished on an 11-2 run for the win.

With the win, Judson advanced to their second NAIA Division II National Tourna-

ment in three years. Judson took on No. 2 Oregon Tech and almost pulled off the upset but fell, 63-57. Judson was down by as many as 21 points and came back to take a three-point lead with just over four minutes to go before Oregon Tech made one last run for the win. Sophomore Landon Skinner hit a milestone in the season as he became the 26th player in the history of the program to score over 1,000 points. He now has 1,045 points.

Judson will lose fi ve seniors from the team but returns the core off ense that led Judson in 2009-10. Judson has now won two regular season CCAC championships (2008, 2009) and two CCAC Tournament Championships (2008, 2010) in the last three seasons.

Women’s Basketball

Working through injuries and a tough schedule, the Judson University women’s basketball team fi nished the 2009-10 season with a 9-19 record and was 3-7 in the CCAC. After winning three games in a row at the end of January, Judson fi nished the season dropping eight of their last nine games. Judson also played fi ve teams that made the NAIA National Tournament, too, in the 2009-10 season.

Alicia Rovertoni and Kirstin Johns fi nished their four-year career at Judson as both players just missed scoring 1,000 points. Rovertoni fi nished her career as the second leading rebounder in school history with 918 rebounds and had 901 points. Johns came away with 931 points. Both players have been on the All-CCAC team at least twice and Rovertoni led the CCAC in rebounding three straight years. Crystal Goodall also was a four-year player for Jud-son as she fi nished with 612 points.

Judson will have a new look team in the 2010-11 season as six seniors leave the team in the hands of six underclassmen.

Take advantage of Judson’s many summer camps —Soccer, Basketball and Volleyball

Visit www.Judsoneagles.com!

Take in the fi rst home game

of the Bandits, the Women’s

Professional Softball team that

plays at Judson, on June 20!

Tickets: (877) 7BANDIT

“Being a student at Judson

is a great thing. I had

been looking for a small

Christian university. I was

looking into other options,

but Judson was what I

was looking for and what

God had for me. Judson is such a welcoming

school. The professors, students, and people

around campus just give this community a

sense of belonging. I know I belong here. I

have wanted to go to college ever since I was

in elementary school, but my ideas of it have

changed since then. My goal is to do well and

succeed here at Judson. After the fi rst month, I

knew that I have every opportunity to succeed

at whatever I [pursue].”

— Adam Westhauser, sophomore,

Hartford, Wisc., Men’s Tennis

“One of my favorite parts

about our team is our

cheer. We incorporated

Isaiah 40:31 which talks

about God lifting us up on

wings like eagles. Some-

times when I get down my

doubles partner will remind me that He lifts

me up!”

— Danielle Sum, junior,

East Dundee, Ill., Women’s Tennis

Why Do You Love Being At Judson?

14 JUDSON today

Join the Judson alumni online community at www.judsonalums.com to reconnect with fellow alumni.We want to know what our illustrious alumni are up to! Tell us about your latest personal and professional achievements today! Alumnotes are published in each issue of Judson Today. Please submit news and photos for inclusion in the next

issue of Judson Today by August 1. Digital photos may be submitted in JPG format and should not exceed 5MB in size. If you would like fellow alumni to be able to contact you, please submit your email address with your alumnote.

Please send your Alumnote to: Judson University Alumni Offi ce | 1151 N. State St. | Elgin, IL 60123Alumni@JudsonU.edu | 847.628.2083 | Fax 847.628.2094

Spouses Sabine and Christopher Bieschke

On December 12, 2009, many graduates continued the Judson legacy begun by a parent, sibling or spouse.

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 C o m m e n c e m e n tLegacyLAlumni@JudsonU.edu | 847.628.2

OOtL

Steff anie Sawyer and mother, Allison Stuertze ‘00

Jaclyn Jorgenson and mother, Lynn Jorgenson ’08 Kendra Stewart and brother, Chris Stewart ‘07 Amanda Rivera, sister Alexandra (Rivera) Cranmer ’07, and brother-in-law, Michael Cranmer

SPRING 2010 15

Jason Kennell and brother, Joshua Kennell ‘08

Kym Cameron and father, Jim Cameron ’93

Commencement ScenesPhotos by Corey Bienert ’10Clockwise from far right: Graduation moments with a reading by Alexandra (Rivera) Cranmer ’07, Kevin Sherman, the fi rst graduating class of the Master of Education in Literacy, and keynote presentation by Dr. Aidsand Wright-Riggins, executive director of the American Baptist Churches USA.

In 1968, Paul Dreiske ’69 and Donna Ackmann (att.

’67-’69) started dating on choir tour and contin-ued sporadically over the next two years until life took them in very diff erent directions. Paul graduated from Judson in 1969 and Donna from NIU in 1971. Both married and had children but Donna left Illinois and Paul

settled in McHenry to start a business. Fast forward 40 years, both of them single, Paul surprised Donna with a phone call. One year later to the day, they were married in Portland, Ore. After honeymooning on the Oregon coast, Donna moved to McHenry. Paul continues with his family business, Dreiske Local Moving, and Donna commutes to Chicago where she is the executive director of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness. They live every day as a precious gift from God and are grate-ful that love has brought them back together at this point in their lives.

Josiah Naumann was born to Michelle (Borges ’95)

Naumann and Robert Naumann ‘96 on Aug. 16,2008. Josiah weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 21 inches in length. Robert

is the owner of his own law practice and the Naumann family resides in Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Craig ’98 and Miriah (Wilger ’99) Pfi le announce the arrival of Jonathan Michael born on Jan. 27,

2010, at 5:02 p.m. Jonathan weighed 9 lbs. 1 oz. and measured 20 ½ inches. He joins big sister Gwendolyn, 4 years old, and big brother Benjamin, 2 years old, in

their Cortland, Ill. home.

Beth and Travis Dodge ‘99 announce the arrival of Anthony Everett born on Feb. 4, 2010, at 12:48 p.m. Anthony was 7 lbs. 11 oz., measured 21 inches in length and joins his big, 3-year-old sister Ellie in their Wauconda home.

Amelia Grace Teitge arrived on July 2, 2009, weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 inches in length. Elisabeth (Farnum

’99), Bill and big sister Marion were thrilled to welcome little Amelia into their Aurora, Ill., home.

Meghan (Dunn ’00), Chris Watson

’01 (and big sister Georgia) wel-comed Lucy Elizabeth on Jan. 13, 2010. Chris is the head golf coach at Judson and the Watson family resides in Lake in the Hills, Ill.

Tiff any (Lacey ’02) and Brandon

Van Yzendoorn ’05 announce the arrival of their little boy, Trent John born on Aug. 14, 2009. Trent weighed 8 lbs. 14 oz. and measured 21 ½ inches in length. The Van Yzendoorn family resides in Elgin, Ill.

Joel ‘03 and Cara (Lyons ‘03) Fulkerson are the proud parents of their fi rst son, Ezra Anthony, born on Aug. 11, 2008. Ezra weighed in at a hearty 9 lbs., 8 oz. and 22 inches in length. He is now an active toddler who loves to play, read books, and laugh! The Fulker-son family resides in Bartlett, Ill.

Shelley Gross ’04 was married to David Kress on June 27, 2009, in Crystal Lake, Ill. Sarah Hunt-Slater

’05 and Sarah Hammerlund-

Allen ’05 were among the bridesmaids. Jeanette Kress

’02 is the Mother-of-the-Groom. The couple currently resides in Las Vegas, Nev., where they both teach in middle school.

Heather (Gerschefski ‘04) and

Ellison Cooper ’05 welcomed their fi rst child into the world on Nov. 9, 2009. Arabella Elizabeth Cooper was 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 19.5 inches long. Ellison serves as resident director of Lindner Tower.

On Oct. 3, 2009, Nickolas Coile ’05/’07 was married to Linda Nowaski ’05/’07 in a ceremony in Boise, Ida. Judson alumni in the wedding party were: Nina

Salazar (att. ‘01-

’05), Jana Brink

‘07/‘08, Charisma

Choudhury ’05/’07, Josh McGarvey

‘05/’07, Chris

McKee ‘05/’07 and Matt Simpson ‘05/’07. The couple is now residing in Richmond, Va.

J.D. Jespersen ’06 was married to Evie Schumacher on May 16, 2009, at Willow Creek Church in South

Barrington, Ill. J.D.’s sister, Lau-

ren Jespersen ’09 served as the “best woman” and groomsmen were Stefan Pfautz ’07, Michael

Smith ‘05, Rayne Warne ’06,

Brandon Estrada ’06 and Adam

Greene ’09. Other Judson grads that participated in the

ceremony were Andy Engelhardt ’07 and Greg

Wheaton ’04. The Jespersens currently reside in South Elgin, Ill.

Kristi Kurschner ’06 was married to Joel Anderson on Oct. 11, 2008, with Ashley Smith ’06 serving as maid of honor. Joel is the youth pastor, sports director and day camp director for their church, Three Rivers Church in Plainfi eld, Ill. Kristi has been working for Christian Family Ministries at the Lamb’s Fold Center for Women and Children for three years. The Andersons reside in Joliet, Ill.

Jennifer Fisk ’06 was married to Jeremy Nocchi on Oct. 10, 2008, in Rolling Meadows, Ill. The Nocchi family resides in Algonquin, Ill.

On Feb. 22, 2010, Dennis ’06 and Deanna (Thomas-

Burks ’02) Gruening welcomed baby Leyna Irene into their family. Leyna was 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 18 inches in length. Big sister, 3 year old Lorelei, is thrilled to have a new baby sister in their Hampshire, Ill., home. Dennis works for Harvest Bible Chapel and Deanna works for Harvest Christian Academy in Elgin.

Rachel Dente ’07 and Mark Valentini ‘07 were married on July 4, 2009, in Wadsworth, Ohio. David

Behm ’07 was included in the wedding party. Mark is a PE teacher at Prairie Knolls Middle School in Burlington and Rachel is a paraprofessional at Prairie View Elementary School. Rachel earned a teaching certifi -cate from Judson in December 2010. Rachel and Mark live in Elgin, Ill.

Chris ‘08 and Angie (Stallone ‘07)

Oates welcomed a healthy baby girl, Mackenzie Elizabeth Oates on Sept. 4, 2009. Mackenzie weighed in at 9 lbs. 7 oz. and was 23 inches long. The Oates family resides in Bartlett, Ill.

Stephanie Richardson ’08 and Christopher

Bauknecht ’08 were married on May 30, 2009, in Oshkosh, Wisc. Josh Landers ’08, Elan (Griffi s ’08)

Bogott and Kristin Gerber (att. ’05-’08) were part of the wedding party. The Bauknechts reside in Elgin, Ill.

Jennifer Evans ’08 was married to Bryan Clancy on July 12, 2008, in York, Pa. Judson alumni in the wedding party included Melissa Read ’08, Martine

(Evans ’02) Hunter and Dave

Hunter ’02. Bella and Iliana Salazar (daughters of Jen and

Kiki ’94 Salazar) were the fl ower girls. Jennifer is cur-rently a second grade teacher at Harvest Christian Academy

and Bryan is a Media Specialist at Christ Community Church.

On Aug. 8, 2009, Bethany Droscha ‘09 was married to Matthew Suckrow ‘07 in a ceremony in Char-lotte, Mich. Judson alumni in the wedding were: Rachel Moody

‘09, Heather Slater ‘09, Becky

Mentele ‘08, and Mackenzie

Kerr ‘10. The Suckrows reside in Elmhurst, Ill. Bethany works as a writer and Social Networking manager in Judson’s Communi-cations Offi ce.

A L U M N I W E D D I N G S & B I R T H S

ALUMnotes

16 JUDSON today

I N M E M O R I A M

Sally Gelfer ‘67 recently retired from running the of-fi ce at Orkin Exterminator and is enjoying life in the Fort Myers area. Sally, a sociology major, has fond memories of Dr. Myhrman and chapels conducted by Dr. Besancon and Dr. Erickson.

Margaret Guyton ’72 stays active in her church as well as a caretaker for her 91-year-old father (a World War II veteran) and a volunteer at the Department of Aging on the westside of Chicago. Prior to her disability, Margaret worked as a substitute teacher in the Chicago Public School System and Case Manager for The Salvation Army.

Since August 2009, Tena (Graf ’78) Robotham has been the executive assistant to the president of Judson University. Tena is still married to a wonderful husband, George, and their son, Rich, is a senior at Judson set to graduate in 2011.

Charmel (Leindecker ‘80) Jacobs, a 16-year veteran in radio, has recently developed an inspirational speaking ministry, “Becoming Women of the Word.” Speaking at ladies’ functions such as banquets and retreats, Charmel and her ministry partner, Bobbi Chance, also off er music and personal fi tness tips. Check out their website at www.becomingwow.com.

Milwaukee Magazine published an article writ-ten by Cliff Leppke ‘82, titled “Auto Artistic” in its February 2010 “Insider” column. The piece explores the aesthetic relationship between the Santiago Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum and the 2010 Chicago-built Ford Taurus.

Doug Clark ’82 has accepted the position of Chair, Division of Advanced Studies for Teacher Leaders, School of Educational Leadership, College of Adult and Professional Studies at Indiana Wesleyan University. His wife, Dianne (Montonera ’80) was hired as the Assistant Seminary Representative at Indiana Wesleyan. The Clarks reside in Marion, Ind.

Huntley Brown ’88 was recently appointed musical ambassador for CTS Christian TV station in Seoul, Korea. Huntley was also announced as one of eight people chosen to join the Class of 2010 Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame. The Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame exists to honor artists associated with the Fox Valley area.

Alumni friends gathered to support Steve Orr

’88 during the recent passing of his dad. Alumni pictured are: Tom Ensign ’88, Steve Guy ’88, Wade

Harrison ’88, Eric Anderson

’88, Rick Jenkins (att. ’85-’86),

Steve Orr ’88, Tina Orr and

Gayle Medina Gianopulos ’88.

In November 2009, Jeff Hunt ’89 and his wife Abby moved to South Africa to serve as missionaries with the organization, Engage Africa. The mission of Engage Africa is to empower people to make a diff erence in the lives of South Africa’s orphans. Learn more about their ministry at www.engageafrica.com.

Kent Svendsen ’90 is a United Methodist Evangelist serving as pastor of First United Methodist Church

of Forreston, Ill., and United Methodist Church of Leaf River, Ill.

Sharon Heldman ’96 recently released her book, There Was a Great Storm. There Was a Great Calm, (avail-able through Amazon) that tells the story of her husband’s unexpected death and her subsequent grief and pain, hope and victory.

Braden Curtis ’98 graduated magna cum laude from Liberty University School of Law in May 2009. Braden passed the bar exam in fall 2009 and is an associate at the fi rm, Freeman, Dunn, Alexander, Til-ler & Gay, P.C. Braden and Calli (Lamoreux ’99) have four children: Owen, 7; Rhyle, 5; Livia, 4; and Tate, 2 and live in Lynchburg, Va.

Kevin Fiddler ’00 was recently hired as a fully licensed teacher in the Media Academy at the Northwest Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas. Kevin was also named the 2009 Nevada State American Legion Baseball Coach of the Year for leading Bonanza High School’s baseball team to its fi rst postseason berth in three years as the No. 3 seed. Kevin is the varsity baseball coach at Bonanza High School in Las Vegas and has coached there for the past fi ve years.

Kelly Retz ’02 participated in the Chicago Red Stars Combine, which is part of Women’s Professional Soccer, and was registered for the 2010 draft which took place in Philadelphia, Pa., in January 2010. Kelly resides in Crystal Lake, Ill.

Kruggel, Lawton & Company CPAs recently announced that Adam Schwelnus ’05 earned his MSA (Master of Science in Accounting) degree from Indiana University South Bend and passed all parts of the CPA exam to be licensed as a certifi ed public accountant. Adam began his public accounting career at Kruggel, Lawton & Company in 2006. Since then he has been promoted to the senior staff level and provides audit, review and compilation services, and tax preparation services.

Rebekah (Pribyl ’05) Ten Haken recently released a CD entitled, “Look To You” (www.RebekahTenHaken.com.) The album was produced and recorded by Aaron Ruse ’01. Rebekah currently serves as the administrative assistant to Adult Ministries of Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, Ill. Rebekah and her husband, Rece ‘06 reside in Carpentersville, Ill.

Nancy Hubbs ’06 was installed on Oct. 25, 2009, as Minister of Student Housing for the Baptist Housing Ministry of the University Baptist Foundation at the University of Illinois.

In June 2009, Carl Gustafson ’08 was promoted to the position of director of Supply Chain and Materials Management for Centegra Health System. Carl has been with Centegra for 8 years where he has been a leader in the pharmacy, materials man-agement and surgical services departments.

A L U M N I A C H I E V E M E N T S

ALUMnotes

A few Judson college friends gathered together in Columbus, Ohio, in June 2009. Pictured are: Kelly Wallace

’77, Jay Walden ’77 and Bill

Schultz ’77.

A group of local alumni, spearheaded by Brenda

(Atkinson ’77) Santa Maria, launched Judson Mocha Moments. This July 2009 event was held at Starbucks in St. Charles and more Judson Mocha Moments will occur in 2010. Watch the Judson alumni Face-book page for the next coff ee time. Pictured in the back row: Bill Boscaljon ‘79, Randy Creath

‘77, Brenda (Atkinson ’77) Santa

Maria, Shannon (Ost ’79) Wat-

son, Pat Hargis ’77. Middle row: Sally (Ackemann

’73) Boscaljon, Sheryl (Seiple ’77) Cloud, Margo

(Amos ’77) Shufl in, Kristen (Leidig ’79) Stombres,

Linnea (Johnson ’78) Anderson. Front row: Steve

Alcantara ‘77, Barbara (Hunter ’77) Huls.

In November 2009, Judson alumni and friends gathered at a restaurant in Indianapolis, Ind., for a

“get acquainted” dinner. Pic-tured are: Angelo Bravos ’81,

Bob Nelson, Margaret Nelson,

Julie Miller ’91, Karen Hetrick

’75 and Mark Hetrick ’74.

A L U M N I G A T H E R I N G S

Wilbur Craig ‘83, Jan. 11, 1932 – Dec. 10, 2009

Robert Bredemeier ‘77, Dec. 11, 1954 – Dec. 20, 2009

Eldon Ray Weber ‘70, Feb. 23, 1948 – Feb. 24, 2010

C. Elvan Olmstead ‘96, Sept. 11, 1914 – March 16, 2010

Dorothy MacKay ‘70, July 30, 1914 – March 31, 2010

,

Judson’s Ready to Hit the Road

Bus trips to endless games around the Midwest have taken on a new feel with Judson’s latest addition, two 15-passenger vans. The vans were needed to eliminate the growing costs of renting vans big enough to take Judson’s athletic teams to their games. Nancy Binger, athletic director, said the costs to obtain the new buses worked out to cost less than what the university was spending in renting. As a result, Judson has the added benefi t of being able to use the buses for events such as Commencement and Prayer Breakfast.

big

M a r k i n g t h e B e g i n n i n g s

Judson University hosted friends, students, alumni and the Chicago media on January 11 for a sneak peak of the Tata Nano, which has been dubbed the world’s low-est price passenger car. The car was squeezed into the Harm A. Weber Academic Center for the evening so that visi-tors could explore this unique car and experience Judson’s Gold Leed certifi ed building as well.

The preview at Judson of the Tata Nano was made possible by Tata Technologies, where Judson Alum and Trustee Kevin Noe ‘79 was involved in marketing the car. Tata Technolo-gies, with regional headquarters in Novi, Mich., played a key role in engineering the Nano, which is produced by Tata Motors in India.

Another Transportation First: World’s Lowest Price Passenger Car Comes to Campus

Plan your visit to our campus online today!

www.VisitJudson.com

When Steve Shafer began his freshman year at Judson College in 1970, he knew he wasn’t a great student, but he knew he was a good musician with a passion for compo-sition and theory. With the encouragement of Judson faculty, namely the late Dr. Ed Th ompson, Steve was able to gain skills and experience to refi ne his talent and passion for music and prepare for graduate school.

Steve graduated from Judson in 1973, and continued his education at Northern Illinois University, where he earned a mas-ter’s degree in theory and composition. He spent the next 20 years pursuing a career in music recording, focusing on the advertis-ing music (admusic) business. After several years and a lot of freelance work, Steve’s pursuits began attracting major accounts and campaigns. He began his own business in 1993, Steve Shafer Music, and wrote the jingles for high profi le commercials, such as “Be Like Mike” for Gatorade, “What You Want Is What You Get” for McDon-ald’s, and “Cool Me Down” for 7-Up. In 1997, Steve cofounded Spank! Music and Sound Design with composers Greg Allan and Mat Morse.

Th en, in January 2004, Steve’s growing career was cut short when he was diag-nosed with kidney cancer. Th e doctors removed his kidney, but the extensive surgeries and treatments in the months following did not improve his health. On Dec. 30, 2004, Steve passed away, just one day before his fourteenth wedding

anniversary and at the age of 52. Steve was survived by his wife Roselle, his daughter Maya, his parents, his sister, and his nieces and nephew.

Th e pain was deep and the loss surreal for his family, friends and peers. Steve’s nephew, Brandon, gave a heart-wrenching tribute at Steve’s funeral.

“I never saw my uncle leap tall build-ings or run faster than a speeding bullet, but he could play the piano like nobody’s business. He was amazing,” said Brandon. “Whenever he was around, I couldn’t keep from grinning from ear to ear. I was in the presence of greatness.”

Steve’s passion, talent, and hard work in the admusic industry are also notably missed. Reelchicago.com hailed Steve as “a visionary who revolutionized commercial music production through his early use of synthesized music.” Steve’s friend and part-ner, Greg Allan, echoed these sentiments as he gave the eulogy at Steve’s funeral.

Steve’s loved ones were proud of his numerous accomplishments despite how acutely his presence was missed. Steve’s par-ents, Carl and Louise Shafer, knew that they wanted to honor their son’s life and work.

“Steve’s memorial had to be music and it had to involve Judson. So what else could it be but a memorial music scholarship at Judson?” said Louise Shafer. “Sometimes an endowment is part of a person’s will at death. We chose to create the endowment while we could still see someone benefi t

Steve Shafer’s Love for Music and Judson Keeps the Music Playing

from it. When we posed the question of ‘how long will the scholarship be made available to Judson students?’ President Jerry Cain answered, ‘Till Jesus comes!’ Th at was good enough for us!”

Despite the pain of losing a father, hus-band, son, brother, and uncle, the Shafer family has found joy at Judson and brought joy to Judson. Several students have benefi t-ted through the creation of the Steve Shafer endowment. Most recently, Moonja Jeong of Korea and Francis Kaggwa ‘10 of Uganda have received endowment support to help them study music at Judson.

Th e growth of this institution and the lives of our students are interconnected; their growth and development are inspired by one another, creating a legacy that lasts far beyond the limits of time, or even death. Steve Shafer’s life and career, he insisted, were positively infl uenced by his time at Judson. Judson’s growth and the lives of future music students will now be positively impacted as a result of Steve’s life, and we are deeply grateful.

By Bethany Suckrow ‘09

1151 North State StreetElgin, Illinois 60123

JudsonU.edu

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Consider making a diff erence by creating an Endowment Scholarship to benefi t Judson’s students.For more information, call 847.628.2080.