bluffton magazine winter 2009

A magazine for Bluffton University alumni and friends Winter 2009 Vol. 6 No. 1

Bluffton

Winds of change

highlight of the fall semester for me was the BlufftonUniversity theatre production of Whatever Kindles,

a fictional docudrama exploring the work of ChristianPeacemaker Teams whose members seek to be agents of positive change in areas of conflict around the world. At theconclusion of four of the five performances, members of thecast interacted with the audience in talk-back sessions thatprovided an opportunity for dialogue about the themes thatwere portrayed on stage.

Following the performance I attended, one of the actors wasasked, “How has this role changed you?” She responded byreflecting on the depth of commitment that is so evidentlyrequired of a CPT member. She said that her on-stage experience had helped her think more about the kinds ofservice assignments she might want as part of her own life.

This is but one small example of the important connectionbetween education and change. At its best, BlufftonUniversity provides a range of resources and an environmentwhere change at the individual level is encouraged and supported. Collectively, the aspirations and actions of manyindividuals over time bring about the types of changes thatare needed in today’s world.

Year in and year out, members of the extended Blufftoncommunity become agents of change. This issue of Blufftonmagazine describes the work of four alumni and a currentstudent. It includes inspiring stories of their efforts to make a difference in environmental restoration, international education, demilitarization, political organization and globalpoverty alleviation.

Many additional stories of Bluffton alumni as agents ofchange could be told. I can speak for Bluffton faculty andstaff in expressing the joy we experience by being involved inan educational setting that helps develop students’ capacityand passions, and that prepares them to be agents of changein the world.

James M. HarderPresident

Bluffton University Winter 20092

president ’s Message

A

Winter 2009 Bluffton University 3

Winter 2009 Vol. 6 No. 1

Editor

Jill A. [email protected]

Designer

Christine Siemens Lautt

Contributing photographers

Peter AndersonBurton Andrews ’70Sean KardonJamie NygaardJeff SalisburyHilary SchwabTommy ThompsonNate Wallace

director of public relations

Robin [email protected]

Vice president for advancement

Dr. Hans [email protected]

Bluffton UNIVERSITY mission:

Bluffton University seeks to prepare students of all backgrounds for life as well as vocation, for responsible citizenship, for service to all peoples and ultimately for the purposes of God’s universal kingdom.

Bluffton magazine (USPS-059-160) is published quarterly (April, July, October,February) for alumni, parents, friends, facultyand staff by Bluffton University, 1 UniversityDrive, Bluffton, OH 45817-2104 (419-358-3000, www.bluffton.edu). Periodical postagepaid at Bluffton, OH, and additional locations.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bluffton magazine, Bluffton University,1 University Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817-2104.

We welcome your comments!

BlufftonA magazine for Bluffton University alumni and friends SSuummmmeerr

Winds of change

4 See how the winds of change blow

9 Doing whatever kindles love

12 Along the Riley

13 Alumnotes

15 Kirsten Halker-Kratz

17 Jackie (Monnin) Swabb

18 Krista Dutt

20 2008 Athletics Hall of Fame

23 “Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on”

On the coverCover photograph by Brent Nelson

S E E H O W T H E

By Jill A. Duling


Change is a part of life. We often want something—a process, a perception, a perspective—to

be both different and better. At Bluffton, students are prepared for life and service, both of

which inevitably involve alteration, transition and transformation, or, in a word, change. Here

you will meet Bluffton alumni, students and faculty who are taking what they've learned, and

what they are continually learning, and doing their part—big and small—to create a change for

the better in the world around them.

On a mission for peace

Dan Hershberger ’05 is on a mission for peace—one conversation with one United States Army soldier at a time.

In July 2008, Hershberger began serving as a GI rights counselor with the Military Counseling Network (MCN)and German Mennonite Peace Committee in Bammental,Germany. He counsels U.S. soldiers stationed in Germanyand Iraq about GI rights, U.S. Army regulations and discharges on such grounds as conscientious objection.

While taking courses at Bluffton, Hershberger says he beganto see a difference between the ways of the world—violence,destruction, coercion, force, greed and retaliation—and theways of Jesus—forgiveness, love, peace and reconciliation. Hebegan to struggle with militaristic ideals, associating the U.S.military and its soldiers with forces of evil.

“It wasn’t until I began my work as a GI rights counselor that I recognized just how much I’d dehumanized soldiers,”Hershberger says. “I had made them black and white, withno room for nuance or change. I spent years conversing withpeople about how violence is mainly facilitated throughdehumanization—black people, white people, brown people,immigrants, terrorists, etc. I saw how damaging labels were,and yet, here I had labeled soldiers.”

While Hershberger is unsupportive of war, he began to seehumanity in soldiers by listening to their stories. “I began tosee that soldiers didn’t join the military because they likedkilling or because they were full of hate,” he says. “Somewere lured by the promises of money and a career. Othersjoined to serve God and country only to find out throughtheir experiences that serving God and warfare were notcompatible. I began to see soldiers as human again—humanswho needed support and encouragement.”

In September 2008, Hershberger and others working withMCN were recognized by the Evangelical Association for thePastoral Care of Conscientious Objectors as a recipient of theFriedrich Siegmund-Schulze Award for Nonviolent Actionfor their efforts to support and assist U.S. military conscien-tious objectors in obtaining honorable discharges.

“This work is a blessing,” says Hershberger. “Listening to soldiers share stories about the transformation that takesplace when they realize they can no longer be part of amachine whose main products are violence and destruction.The greatest reward is working with a soldier who, throughhaving Jesus be revealed in a new way, is applying for a discharge on the grounds of conscientious objection.”

winds of change blow

Finding the means to rebuild

Bluffton senior Kimberly Butte did not sit around wonderingwho would rebuild the only park in Arlington, Ohio, afterthe summer 2007 floods washed parts of it away. She tookmatters into her own hands and, with the help of theHancock Park District, drafted a grant proposal for fundingto rebuild the mess.

Butte came up with the idea for the grant during a FacilitiesPlanning and Construction class she took during the 2008spring semester. Class members were asked to create proposalsfor recreation organizations in need of funding.

Having interned with the Hancock Park District for twosummers, Butte immediately contacted Tim Brugeman,director of the Hancock Park District, to explore how to bestgo about requesting funding for the county park. “I grew upin the Arlington Park,” Butte says. “I’ve been playing softballthere ever since I was old enough to play. I’ve made a lot ofmemories there. So, it made sense to look over Arlington’slong-term plan for its park and write a grant to help the village achieve its goals.”

The grant—Arlington Park Improvement & VolunteerRecruitment Program—proposed that improvements bemade that would stimulate volunteer participation and getcommunity members to become more active in caring fortheir park. Butte recommended a sand volleyball court, theplanting of trees and addition of benches. The volleyballcourt could be used for Arlington school’s summer physical-education programs and by community members. The project could also be a service-learning experience for

Arlington high school students involved in the VocationalAgriculture class, the Future Farmers of America organizationand seniors’ “Give Back” project.

On Oct. 15, 2008, Butte received a phone call from GregCraven, Arlington Park & Recreation board chairman,informing her that her grant proposal was approved, and theArlington Park would receive more than $6,000 from TheCommunity Foundation of Findlay-Hancock County.Improvements will begin in the spring of 2009.

“I have much love and admiration for the Park District and what it is doing for our communities in Findlay andHancock County,” says Butte. “I’m happy to have thischance to help others enjoy the park as much as I have.”

C a mpaigning for change

One summer in Washington D.C. and Simeon Talley ’06knew he wanted to be in politics. “D.C. opened my eyes inmany ways,” he says. “Knowing that within blocks of eachother there are people with tremendous power and influenceand people living in poverty preoccupied me. How could thisbe so?”


As someone who values justice and equality, Talley thenasked himself what he was going to do about it. “The conclusion I came to was to become more involved in politics,” he says. And, involved Talley became, eventuallytaking an active role in President-elect Barack Obama’s bidfor the White House.

In his first year at Bluffton, Talley became active on campuswith Young Democrats. During his sophomore and junioryears, he interned with the late Congresswoman StephanieTubb Jones (D-Ohio), Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and former Toledo, Ohio, mayor Jack Ford. Thelatter two internships were funded by Bluffton’s Pathways toMission and Vocation Summer Dreaming grant. Drawingfrom those experiences, Talley ran for Allen County StateRepresentative as a senior, eventually losing the bid. “I waseager to make a difference,” he says. “I had a desire to putmy ideas out there about how my community couldbecome better.”

After graduation, Talley came across Young People for theAmerican Way, an organization that recruits and trains youngpeople to be future progressive leaders within a democraticsociety. It was through that organization that Talley connect-ed with Obama’s campaign for the presidency: “I crossedpaths with someone who knew someone in Iowa. I told himthat if there was any way he could connect me to please doso. And, he did.”

Talley started out as a field organizer in Des Moines, doingcommunity outreach. During the primaries, he traveled fromstate to state before settling in Chicago to work out of theObama for America headquarters as deputy director ofAfrican-American Vote.

As deputy director, Talley was responsible for interactingwith state staff to increase the number of African-Americanvoters throughout the United States. “Our goal was toengage African Americans and articulate Senator Obama’spolicy positions and agenda in ways that people could under-stand,” he said. “We didn’t want African Americans votingfor Senator Obama just because he was African-Americanbut rather because they understood and believed in his policyagenda.”

Talley says that he wanted to be part of the presidential campaign because he knew that it would be history-making.“Win or lose, I wanted to be on the right side of history,” hesays. “There was a sense of hope and optimism with SenatorObama. His ability to galvanize people and to bring newpeople into the democratic process was inspirational.”

Now working on the presidential transition team, Talleyhopes to one day work in the Obama administration.“People are attracted to politics because they see the currentstate that their community, state and world are in,” he says.“They think things could be better, or they could be differ-ent. That’s change. And that’s what I saw the summer aftermy senior year of high school. I could see that things neededto be different, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Show , don ’t tell

Bill Hilt ’91 never considered Perrysburg, Ohio, a diverseplace when he was growing up. It wasn’t until his time atBluffton that he began to think more about what it means tolive in a diverse society. “As a junior and senior, I roomedwith someone from Kenya,” says Hilt. “Jack really helpedopen my eyes to going beyond skin color to celebrating ourdifferences, not just accepting them.”

That celebration of differences is something that Hilt contin-ues to embrace every day. And, it’s an action that he encour-ages his seventh-grade social studies students at PerrysburgJunior High to embrace, too. One way he does that is to showthem his constant eagerness to learn about other cultures.


Winter 2009 Bluffton University

After hosting a Ukrainian educator as part of a teacher-exchange program, Hilt joined Bowling Green StateUniversity’s International Democratic Education Institute(IDEI), which connects school teachers, university facultyand other educators from the United States with colleaguesin emerging democracies to further the development andunderstanding of democratic education.

“In the United States, we take a lot for granted,” says Hilt.“In developing democracies, it’s amazing to see how excitedkids get when it comes to learning opportunities. IDEIencourages projects like Project Citizen that get kids involvedat the grassroots level to make change happen.” A programfor school-aged children, Project Citizen helps participantslearn how to monitor and influence public policy, whiledeveloping support for democratic values and principles, tolerance and feelings of political efficacy. “Our kids reallycan affect change,” says Hilt.

In April 2006, Hilt traveled to Ukraine to present team-teaching concepts through various workshops. Two yearslater, he went abroad again, this time to Morocco, where he met with Moroccan teachers, university deans and the country’s minister of education. He helped create a ninth-grade civic-education curriculum approved by Morocco’sKing Mohammed VI.

Hilt incorporates his work and travels into his class curricu-lum to help change perceptions his students may have ofother cultures. “As educators, we are working to createexchanges and partnerships between ourselves and students,”says Hilt. “Our goal is to reduce stereotyping and increasetolerance across all cultures.”

That’s why Hilt created the Diversity Project. For 14 years,he has assigned a six-week project that has two phases: cultural immersion and cultural study. For the first part, students participate in activities associated with a differentculture. Examples include attending another culture’s religious service, eating at three ethnic restaurants, sleepingoutside in a box, fasting from food for a day or, perhaps,using a wheelchair for a day. Students then select a countryand complete an in-depth analysis of its culture. “Over theyears, I’ve received tons of feedback from students about howmuch they enjoyed the project and how much they learned,”says Hilt. “It really helps to make students aware of thediversity around them.”

7

Bluffton vice president joins Mennonite educators in visit to Iran

During Oct. 4-10, 2008, Dr. Sally Weaver Sommer ‘74, vice

president and dean of academic affairs, traveled with five leaders

of other Mennonite institutions to Iran to explore opportunities

for collaboration with Iranian universities. Upon her return, she was

often asked “Were you scared?” Her answer every time? A resound-

ing “No!”

“How could I be scared when I was hosted with a smile and

expressions of good will?” asks Sommer. “There were no tensions

or repression. But, that's not to say Iranians live without tensions

or fear.”

Sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), the delegation

visited with administrators, faculty and students at 12 universities

and research centers in Tehran and Qom and explored possibilities

for professor and student exchanges, video-conferencing to connect

students in Iran with Canadian and U.S. students, and joint research

projects and academic conferences.

The trip grew out of MCC’s nearly 20 years of work in Iran and a

desire to increase the level of people-to-people contact between

East and West. “MCC seeks to promote understanding and friend-

ship between the United States, Canada and Iran,” says Sommer.

“Higher education is one way to interact and create relationships.

There’s a real sense that scholars can make connections that

politicians aren’t able to make.”

The Mennonite and Muslim academics identified topics of mutual

interest that could form the basis of future collaboration, including

peace and justice studies, comparative studies of the Abrahamic

traditions and the study of English and Farsi languages.

Sommer was joined on the trip by Loren Swartzendruber, president

of Eastern Mennonite University; Jim Pankratz, academic dean at

Conrad Grebel University College; Anita K. Stalter, vice president

and dean for academic affairs at Goshen College; Ted Koontz,

professor of ethics and peace studies at Associated Mennonite

Biblical Seminary; and Harry Huebner, professor of philosophy

and theology at Canadian Mennonite University. Daryl and Cindy

(Lehman ‘72) Byler, MCC reps for Iran, accompanied the delegation.

Anita Stalter, Cindy Byler, Haydeh Ramazan Rostam Abadi and Sally Weaver Sommer

Change through individuals

With World Vision since 1998, Abikök Riak ’94 has spentmuch time in a variety of roles identifying peaceful ways inwhich nongovernmental organizations can provide assistancein conflict settings and help local people to stop fighting anddevelop systems for settling the problems.

Riak says the Rwandan post-genocide days served as a wake-up call for the international assistance community: “Aidagencies were directly supporting those who were perpetuat-ing the genocide, essentially helping them to re-energize andcommit more atrocities.”

Members of the Collaborative Learning Project began tothink of ways in which individuals who work in relief anddevelopment situations in conflict could implement theirassistance more effectively. “We wanted to contribute to local capacities for peace rather than exacerbating conflict or creating more tension between groups in conflict,” says Riak.

Working as a program officer, Riak carefully studied WorldVision’s program in Southern Sudan, looking into all of itssystems and processes, from human resources, recruitmentand procurement of relief items to who World Vision

partnered with and why. “I wanted to determine if we weredoing what we were doing in a way that supported peacerather than conflict,” says Riak. She would also serve asregional peacebuilding coordinator in the Asia-Pacific regionand as a program officer for the Eurasia region.

Currently, Riak is serving as director of grants acquisitionand management. Working with a $60 million (U.S.) portfolio, she leads a team that is responsible for U.S. government grant acquisitions in Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. “We develop strategies to decide whichopportunities to pursue and, in response to that, either writeproposals or develop partnerships with those interested inbeing a lead organization on a particular project,” she says.

In January, Riak will become director of operations and program effectiveness, working to ensure that teams are effective in maximizing the contribution of World VisionU.S. in supporting child well-being through improved capacity and a consistent, unified approach to program quality.

These days, working with national staff to build their capacity on organizational effectiveness and change is ultimately what excites and energizes Riak. “These people are working in positions where they can influence change,”she says. “Working with operations at a director level andbuilding their capacity to understand their role and effective-ness as a change agent. That’s what excites me—changethrough individuals.”

And, that’s exactly where change starts—with individuals.

Individuals like these Bluffton alumni, students and

faculty. And, individuals like you.

We want to know what you’re doing to bring about

change—big or small—to your world. E-mail your

stories to [email protected] with “Creating change”

in the subject line, or mail them to Public Relations

Office, 1 University Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817. Your

story could be featured on Bluffton’s Web site.


Actors play roles. They tap into another persona, place them-

selves in a world that is not their own and develop a character.

Sometimes the roles are fictional; sometimes they are based on

real people. It can be difficult to emulate a character whose

story is real, because that is when emotions are most real,

stories most poignant and messages most challenging.

Those are just the sort of emotions, stories and messages

that Bluffton students embraced in order to perform the fall

theatre production of Whatever Kindles, a fictional docudra-

ma about Christian Peacemaker Teams and individuals’

responses to Jesus’ call to peacemaking in the world. The

production ran Nov. 12-16, 2008.

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) began in 1987 as an

effort by Mennonites, Quakers and Brethren to explore alter-

natives to war and violence. The organization sends individu-

als who are trained in methods of nonviolent intervention

into areas of conflict around the world. Written by former

CPT reservist Tricia Gates Brown, Whatever Kindles depicts

the struggles and triumphs of CPT workers in Colombia,

Iraq and Palestine.

Director Dr. Melissa Friesen was attracted to the play’s message

and its timely connection with Bluffton’s yearlong civic-engage-

ment theme “Living with Uncertainty in a Complex World.”

“I am constantly seeking scripts for production which will not

only challenge our student performers, technicians and

audiences aesthetically and intellectually, but also connect to

Bluffton’s mission,” says Friesen, who is associate professor

of theatre and communication and the Mary Nord Ignat and

Joseph Ignat Chair in Theatre. “Scripts which specifically

address nonviolence as a tool for social change and an ethical

and moral imperative are rare.”


Doing whatever kindles loveBy Andréa Ressler ’09


In choosing such a script, the possibility that the perform-

ance would stir a lot of emotions both for the cast members

and the audience became real. Rehearsals began in late

September, giving students a little more than one month to

step into their roles.

“As actors, we had to tap into different facets of emotions in

a short time,” says senior Nicole Bontrager (Goshen, Ind.),

who performed the role of a Colombian CPT member.

“Hopelessness. Fear. Strength. Frustration. Abundance of

hope. It’s hard to switch back and forth, but you appreciate

more and more what CPT workers do. This story needed to

be told, and I wanted to convey my character, Maria Inez, in

a way that would share its meaning with others.”

Twenty-one students filled roles, seven of whom stepped into

the shoes of fictional CPT workers. The cast and crew met

with current and past CPT workers to hear their stories, see

their pictures and receive insight into how to emulate real

tension in the play. Sophomore Aaron Yost (Pinetop, Ariz.)

played Bill, a CPT worker in his mid 60s who served in

Hebron and Iraq. “It was less like playing a character in a

play,” says Yost of his performance. “It felt real to be Bill,

especially after I met a CPT worker who had actually lived in

Hebron and Iraq.”

During rehearsals, cast members grappled with the realiza-

tion of what CPT workers do in order to make small differ-

ences in large conflicts. They struggled with the lack of

tangible results. “CPT workers don’t always see a change or

grand accomplishment,” says Yost. “CPT’s goal is to stand in

solidarity with people. But that’s hard when you want to see

results.” Bontrager agreed, adding that it was frustrating to

take little steps in the right direction instead of monumental

BLUFFTON GRADUATE WRITES DOWN CPT'S HISTORY

For five years, Christian

Peacemaker Teams

reservist Kathleen Kern

‘84 worked on a 600-

plus-page history of

Christian Peacemaker

Teams (CPT), the first

official history of the

organization’s nonviolent

work in various nations

since its conception in

1984.

On Nov. 14, 2008, Kern

was able to hold in her

hands the product of

years of research,

interviews and stories,

as copies of In Harm’s

Way: A History of

Christian Peacemaker

Teams (Cascade 2008)

arrived on Bluffton’s campus just in time for Kern to hold a book

signing and facilitate a discussion on the work that CPT does.

Covering the period from 1986-2006, In Harm’s Way examines

CPT’s responses to invitations from grassroots organizers all over

the world who have used nonviolent strategies to confront

systemic oppression.

Kern, who has published three books and edited CPTnet for four

years, says, “This book is a culmination of experiences, interviews,

letters, CPTnet news releases and the work of fellow CPTers who

read chapters for me, helping me to vet and then re-write as

necessary.”

Kern has been active in CPT since 1993 and has served on assign-

ments in Haiti, Palestine, Chiapas, South Dakota, Colombia and the

Democratic Republic of Congo. During her visit to campus, Kern

participated in talk-back sessions with cast members of Bluffton’s

fall theatre production Whatever Kindles and audience members.


ones. “CPT’s work isn’t going to change an international

law,” she says. “But, it’s changing hearts, one at a time. It’s

about relating to people and, through your presence, sharing

your faith and struggles. It’s more of a chain event.”

As the students performed each night, there was evidence of

reflection and reaction in the audience. Talk-back sessions

following performances created a space for open dialogue

with cast members, CPT workers and community members.

“You could tell people were really thinking about what they

had just experienced,” says senior Anna Yoder (Eureka, Ill.),

who served as a dramaturge, or research assistant, for the

production, along with Yost. “Their questions allowed us as a

cast to see that we had shared the message of CPT, and that

they were thinking about the call to peacemaking. Those

were the glimpses of change that are important to us.”

While the message may be difficult and outcomes hard to

see, Christian Peacemaker Teams continues to work for

change in a very uncertain world. Being part of Whatever

Kindles gave Bluffton students the chance to support the

organization’s mission and be challenged to think about what

it means to practice nonviolence on a daily basis.

“It’s like the last line of the play says: ‘Do whatever kindles

love,’” says Yost. “Sometimes that means doing something

that doesn’t accomplish anything tangible. But, if it forms

relationships and kindles love, than it’s still doing something.

If everyone had that mindset, we could create much-needed

change.”


Camerata Singers perform with ToledoSymphony Orchestra

The Camerata Singers performed with the ToledoSymphony Orchestra onSept. 26 and 27, 2008, incelebration of the orchestra’s65th anniversary. Theensemble joined choirs from Bowling Green StateUniversity, Ohio NorthernUniversity and HeidelbergCollege in performingGustav Mahler’s SymphonyNo. 2 “Resurrection.” Morethan 200 students performedwith the 100-piece orchestra.Bluffton choirs have sungwith the Toledo SymphonyOrchestra in the past, includ-ing excerpts from Beethoven’sNinth Symphony and HectorBerlioz’s Romeo and Juliet.

Former foreign correspondent sharesexperiences in theMiddle East

Former Washington Postforeign correspondent

Robin Wright visitedBluffton on Oct. 30, 2008,and shared stories of travel-ing in 140 countries andreporting extensively fromthe Middle East. Wrightbegan covering conflictthere when Arab statesattacked Israeli forces onOct. 6, 1973. “I have covered six wars since thatday,” she said, “and I haveseen every major turningpoint in the Middle East inthe last 35 years.” Wrighttook the opportunity toshare what she would tellthe new president of theUnited States regarding therelationship betweenAmerica and the MiddleEast. “Dear Mr. President,”said Wright, “we are now ina global world. What youdo will impact everyone inall societies. America’s roleand status will be deter-mined by what you do inregards to Iraq, Afghanistan,Pakistan, the Arab/Israeliconflict and Iran.” In orderto deal with the five chal-lenges, Wright said the newpresident will need to culti-vate what is the beginningof an anti-jihadist move-ment: “Defiant judges inEgypt and clerics in Iran,the first feminist inMorocco and female politi-cal candidates in Kuwait.Mr. President, you will

want to culti-vate this to dealwith the fivechallenges.There are people willingto put their liveson the line tochallenge ruleand create

change. There are men andwomen engaged in bringingpolitical change to placeswhere people have beenlong repressed.” Wright hasspent much time attempt-ing to change American

perceptions of the MiddleEast. She is the author ofseveral books, includingDreams and Shadows: TheFuture of the Middle East(2008).

Bluffton senior named2008 Draddy Trophysemifinalist

In October2008, theNationalFootballFoundation(NFF) &CollegeHall ofFame named Bluffton seniorJoel Sienicki (Goshen,Ind./Northridge) a semifi-nalist for the 2008 DraddyTrophy. “The DraddyTrophy is one of collegefootball’s most sought afterand competitive awards,”said NFF Chairman ArchieManning. “It recognizes anindividual as the absolutebest in the country for hiscombined academic success,football performance andexemplary community leadership.” Nominated bytheir schools, semifinalistsmust be a senior or gradu-ate student in their finalyear of eligibility, have aGPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstandingfootball ability as a first-team player or significantcontributor and havedemonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

Volleyball finishes strong

The Beavers volleyball team (21-10, 5-3 HCAC)wrapped up its best cam-paign since 1998, finishingwith 10 victories in thefinal 12 matches of theyear. Sophomore setter

Shauna Rowland (Bucyrus/Wynford) and freshmanJenna Eshleman (Landisville,Pa./Hempfield) were namedfirst team All-HCAC forthe 2008 season. Rowlandaveraged 9.28 assists (956)and 3.24 digs (334) pergame. She finished the yearwith 88 kills, 33 serviceaces and 29 total blocks.She has 1,424 career assistsand 24 career double-doubles, including a team-high 15 in 2008. Eshlemanpaced Bluffton hitters witha team-high 314 kills (2.96per game) in her first season as a Beaver. She garnered 3.08 digs pergame (326), 32 aces and 36 blocks. She was one ofsix first-year players namedto the conference All-Freshman team. Freshmanhitter Nicole Wood (Tiffin/Hopewell Loudon) wasnamed to the 2008 HCACAll-Tournament team.

Along the riley

13

Alumnotes1930-39Nedra (Grubaugh ‘38)Altier, Glover P.Grubaugh ‘38 and BerylGrubaugh x46 are part ofa lifelong gene study beingconducted by the Universityof Pittsburgh, ColumbiaUniversity and a medicalcollege in Denmark. Thestudy will continue with theirchildren and grandchildren.They and their siblings—all80 and older—held areunion in Davis, Calif., inNovember 2008.

1960-69Richard ‘60 and Emily(Bertsche ‘57) Amstutzcelebrated their 50th wedding anniversary onDec. 22, 2007, with a cruiseof the Hawaiian Islands.Richard is a retired schooladministrator, and Emily is aretired teacher. They spendtheir winters in ApacheJunction, Ariz. They havetwo children and five grand-children.

David C. Bower ‘63,Haslett, Mich., retired after38 years as Michiganregional director of ChurchWorld Service (CWS). Theregional staff in Michiganorganizes 150 CROPHunger Walks annually,which are the primarysource of funds for CWSprograms in 81 countriesaround the world. Bowerbegan the first two walks inMichigan, in 1971, and has

directed the walks for 37years, raising more than $41 million. Bower joinedCWS one month after graduating from Bluffton as a conscientious objectorto the Vietnam War, and has served the organizationfor 45 years.

Tom ‘69 and Mary Lou(Fretz ‘70) Roush are living in Ft. Myers, Fla., forseven months of the year.Tom retired in November2008 after 31 years as magistrate and referee inthe Allen County JuvenileCourt and 35 years as anattorney in Lima, Ohio.Mary Lou retired in June2008 from The Ohio StateUniversity at Lima after 33years of teaching in earlyand middle childhood edu-cation. Mary Lou is ranked26th in her age group in the United States TennisAssociation and won theOhio Senior Olympics tennis singles and doubles.She will represent Ohio atthe National Senior Gamesin August 2009. They havethree children, including

Will Roush MAEd ‘03.

1970-79Michael W. Topham x71,Huntsville, Ark., is now anordained elder in the UnitedMethodist Church and amember of the ArkansasUnited Methodist ChurchConference. He has beenserving as a UnitedMethodist pastor since1996. He finished his under-

graduate work at SouthernIllinois University Carbondaleand received a master’sdegree from WebsterUniversity in St. Louis, Mo.He attended seminary atSaint Paul School ofTheology in Kansas City,Mo., and Phillips TheologicalSeminary in Tulsa, Okla.

Ed Bratt '72 has retiredfrom Ottawa-Glandorf LocalSchools after 36 years. Inthat time, he taught juniorhigh and high schoolEnglish, served as K-8 andhigh school guidance coun-selor and coached seven different sports teams. InSeptember 2008, he began working as a secondary curriculum coordinator at thePutnam County EducationalService Center. His wife,

Linda (Butler ‘70) Bratt,enjoys babysitting, creatinggreeting cards and scrap-booking. They have two

children: Melissa (Bratt‘96) Meyer and Brian Bratt‘98, and two grandchildren.

Mike Richards ‘73,Bluffton, Ohio, was electedpresident of the Ohio HighSchool Athletic Association,beginning Aug. 1. He hasbeen superintendent ofAllen East Local Schoolssince March 1998.

Sarah (Wolfgang ‘74)Heffner is director of theMennonite Heritage Centerin Harleysville, Pa. The center tells the story ofMennonite faith and life insoutheastern Pennsylvania.

1980-89Cindy (Ramseyer ‘81)Ropp, Bloomington, Ill.,recently completed aPh.D. in special educationat Illinois State University.She is now the director ofmusic therapy at IllinoisState. Previously, she wasan assistant professor ofmusic therapy. Her hus-band, Steve Ropp ‘80, is in his second year ofteaching junior high mathin Decatur, Ill.

Robert Sielschott ‘81,Lima, Ohio, has recentlypublished his first novel,Founding Father: The Lost Federalist Essays ofColonel Erasmus Milton. A practicing CPA, Roberthas written for technicalbusiness valuations, professional records andeducational materials.

Amy (Snead ‘83) Whitehas retired from educationafter 25 years at Allen EastHigh School and, mostrecently, Bowling GreenHigh School. At BGHS,Amy taught health and science and spent 13years as the seventh gradeguidance counselor. InNovember 2008, she wenton a mission trip to Cairo,Egypt, with OperationService International. She is actively involvedwith Dayspring Assemblyof God in Bowling Green.

Send alumni news to: Public Relations Office / 1 University Dr. / Bluffton, OH 45817 Winter 2009 Bluffton University

Carrie (Ream ‘85)Woodruff, Ada, Ohio, was profiled in the August2008 issue of SchoolNutrition magazine. Carrie is the director offoodservice for the LimaCity School District. Shewas recognized for herimplementation—alongwith the help of Super-intendent Karel Oxley—of a district-wide breakfastprogram and wellnesspolicies.

Cliff Hemmert ‘89,Wapakoneta, Ohio, waspromoted to senior vicepresident and retail marketmanager for the ChaseBank branches in South-west Ohio. He is responsi-ble for 78 branches. Heand wife, Sheila, havethree children.

1990-99Bill Hilt ‘91 is a seventhgrade social studies teacherin Perrysburg, Ohio. Herecently returned from a tripto Morocco with members ofthe International DemocraticEducation Institute. Heworked with Moroccan educators to develop andpromote a civic-educationcurriculum. In 2006, Bill traveled to Ukraine to present at various confer-ences on civic education. He

and his wife, Terri (Gladura‘90) Hilt, have two children,Kelsy, 11, and Robert, 8.They are currently hosting anexchange student fromChina.

Tara (Zeigler ‘93) and

Brian ‘95 Cumbow,Springboro, Ohio, welcomed a daughter,

Baylee Lynn, Aug. 7, 2008.She joins a brother, Bryce, 7.Tara is a medical socialworker for Miami ValleyHospital in Dayton, Ohio.Brian is product manager ofnew business developmentat Reynolds and Reynolds inDayton.

Steve ‘93 and Paula (Geis‘94) Owen live in Wapa-koneta, Ohio. Steve is aspecial education teacher at Shawnee High School inLima. He teaches drivers’education and coaches foot-ball and track. Paula is theband director at BotkinsLocal School. They have two sons, Matthew, 3, andWilliam, 1.

Lonnie ‘94 and Sarah(Schaeffer ’93) Gerschutz,Florence, S.C., welcomed a baby boy, Graham Shaw,June 20, 2008. Grahamjoins two brothers, Gabeand Gavin, and a sister,Gracey. Lonnie continues to work for FedEx Freight,and Sarah teaches atFlorence DarlingtonTechnical College. She isthe owner of TherapeuticMassage & Bodywork Inc.

Lynn (Woeste ‘95)Carpenter, Lima, Ohio, was recently named to theLima/Allen County Chamberof Commerce board of direc-tors as the nonprofit/health-care representative. She isthe executive director ofLima Memorial ProfessionalCorporation and PhysicalRecruitment. She also oversees Lima MemorialHealth System’s Center forOccupational Health andCommunications andVolunteer Services depart-ments. She and her husband,Mike, have three children,Lily, Ally and Jackson.

Sara (Webb ‘95) Webb-Sunderhaus and GregorySunderhaus ‘95, FortWayne, Ind., announce thearrival of a son, PeterAnthony, April 23, 2008. He joins big sister Maria, 5.Sara is an English professorat Indiana University-PurdueUniversity, Fort Wayne. Gregis a stay-at-home dad.

Andi (Kaverman ‘95) and

Drew Wertenberger,Delphos, Ohio, announcedthe arrival of a daughter,Briley Anne, June 5, 2008.Briley was welcomed homeby her big brother Zane.

Melissa (Bratt ‘96) Meyerteaches freshman WorldStudies and seniorAmerican Government atLeipsic Local Schools inLeipsic, Ohio. She is alsothe yearbook advisor.Melissa and her husband,Mike, live in Ottawa withtheir two children, Cody, 7,and Paige, 4.

Amanda (Moon ‘96)Thomas gave birth to twingirls, Rylie Dixon and LaykinJewell, Nov. 11, 2006. While the girls were born3½ months early, both aredoing well. Amanda is theunit management adminis-trator at the Ohio Reform-atory for Women. She ispassionate about offenderre-entry and mentoring, andwill complete her master’sdegree in justice administra-tion from Tiffin Universitythis spring.

Brian ‘97 and Lisa(Gingerich ‘97) Keim, BayPort, Mich., welcomed ason, Hesston James, Aug. 5,2008. He joins siblingsHalle, Hunter, Hannah andHeidi. Brian is employed byUnionville-Sebewaing Area

Schools, as director of guidance and special education, head coach ofboys’ track and field teamand advisor for the PeopleHelping People Club. Lisa operates NoteworthyStudios, where she teachesvoice and piano. She hasdirected several musicals incommunity and high schooltheatre. The Keims areentering their third year as coordinators ofMarriage Adventure, acouple’s ministry at theirhome church, Pigeon RiverMennonite Church.

Jared ‘97, MAOM ‘02and Sarah MAEd ‘05Lehman, Bluffton, Ohio,welcomed a son, EliBenjamin, Aug. 6, 2008. He joins 3-year-old brotherJacob. Jared is the execu-tive director at OtterbeinRetirement Community-Cridersville.

Brian '98 and Shelby Brattlive in Findlay, Ohio. Brianteaches sophomore andsenior English and is theyearbook advisor at VanBuren Local Schools.

Ginger Hartman ‘98,Wickenburg, Ariz., participated in a mission trip to the Bicol region ofthe Philippines. She assisteda medical team, workedwith hundreds of childrenthrough a Vacation BibleSchool ministry and participated in nightly filmevangelism with Filipinoministers. She continues towork as a registered dieti-tian at Remuda Ranch inArizona, a treatment facilityfor eating and anxiety disorders.

Bluffton University Winter 200914 E-mail alumni news to: [email protected]

A L U M N I P R O F I L E

Kirsten Halker-KratzBranch director, Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, Pa.Bluffton ‘96Majors: music and chemistry

A place in the arts for everyonePolar-opposite interests. Not many would attempt to combineloves that fall on the opposite ends of a spectrum, but that’s exactly whyKirsten Halker-Kratz came to Bluffton. “Bluffton was willing to let medouble major in music and chemistry unlike other places I applied thatsaid the majors were too diverse,” she says.

“Do what you love.” A conversation with a job recruiter during her senior year at Bluffton steered Kirsten toward a musical career. “Iremember the woman saying, ‘You have all the goods to do well inchemistry, but it’s clear this isn’t really what you love, and if there’s anyadvice I can give you, it’s to do what you love.’”

Inspired at age 3. Kirsten says her true musical inspiration was hergreat-grandmother, who played for silent movies to make ends meet. “Ican remember as a three-year-old, standing in her living room, listeningto her play classics from the 1920s and ’30s. I begged my parents fromthat point forward to play piano.” She began formal lessons at age 6,and has been playing ever since. Kirsten went on to earn a master’sdegree in piano pedagogy and organ performance from Bowling GreenState University (BGSU).

“Everyone has a place in the arts.” Through her connections at BGSU, Kirsten heard about Settlement Music School (SMS) inPhiladelphia, Pa., the largest community music school in the UnitedStates. With no openings for a piano teacher, Kirsten applied for andaccepted an executive assistant position. “I really wanted to get involvedwith this organization,” she said. “At SMS, everyone has a place in thearts regardless of age, race, creed or ability to pay. I really wanted to bea part of a place that provides music to everyone.” After two years, shewas promoted to assistant branch director. In 2003, she was again promoted, this time to branch director.

A need for nonprofit leaders. Kirsten is one of 14 nonprofit executives in Philadelphia participating in The Leadership Project, a two-year-long Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative that is funded byPew Charitable Trusts. Last year, she was immersed in all aspects ofPhiladelphia and nonprofit organizations. This year, she will be pairedwith a nonprofit leader who will serve as a mentor, sharing the ins andouts of running a nonprofit organization. “Coming up in 2010, there’sgoing to be a big turnover for nonprofit organizations, as many founderswho have held executive roles for the past 30 years are going to be retiring,” says Kirsten. “There’s a concern that many nonprofit groupswill go under because there are few people ready to take over.”

In-between chords. In addition to her role at SMS, Kirsten is directorof music ministry at Trinity Lutheran Church in Havertown, Pa. She plansall music and conducts two choirs. Additionally, she and her husband, composer Girard Kratz, have two daughters, Caroline and Charlotte.

— Jill A. Duling

John ‘98 and Mary

Stephens, Arcanum, Ohio,welcomed a son, LukeGregory, July 15, 2008.John is in his third year aselementary principal atArcanum-Butler LocalSchools.

Tim Stried ‘98, Powell,Ohio, is the director of information services for theOhio High School AthleticsAssociation, beginning in

September. His wife, Anna(Diller ‘01) Diller-Stried, isa math teacher at BuckeyeValley High School in

Delaware, Ohio.

Jackie (Monnin ‘98) andJustin Swabb, Covington,Ohio, welcomed a son,Philip Owen, Sept. 9,2008. He joins a sister,Danielle, 10, and a brother,Asa, 9. Jackie is director of social services atCovington Care Center.

Carrie (Lintner ‘99) andDavid Hall, Lebanon,Ohio, welcomed a son,Reece Louis, Aug. 22,2008. He joins a big brother, Landon. Carrie isa facility administrator anddietitian for KetteringDaVita Dialysis Unit inKettering, Ohio.

Peter Rafaniello ‘99,Findlay, Ohio, recentlyaccepted a position asfinancial consultant withThe Union Bank Co. inLima, Ohio. He and hiswife, Kirstie (Wehri ‘98)Rafaniello, have a son,Leo, 4. Kirstie is a recruiterin the human resourcesdepartment at BlanchardValley Health Systems inFindlay.

Ben ‘99 and Kate(Oswald ‘01) Simcox,Harrisonburg, Pa.,announce the birth of adaughter, Claire Juliana,June 29, 2008.

2000sCorey Smeltzer ‘00 is the director of finance at Sauder Village inArchbold, Ohio. He andhis wife, Jennifer (Cramer‘01) Smeltzer, and son,Noah, live in Wauseon,Ohio. Jen is the specialevents coordinator of BigBrothers/Big Sisters ofFulton and WilliamsCounties.

Todd ‘00 and Clare(Cedoz ‘00) Smith,Oregon, Ohio, welcomeda son, Lucas Aaron, Aug.13, 2008. He joins a sister,Lily, 3. Todd is the chiefoperator for the City ofOregon WastewaterTreatment Plant. Clare is a theology teacher atCardinal Stritch HighSchool in Oregon.

Jayme (Myers ‘04) andJerod Hiller, Indianapolis,Ind., announce the birth of a daughter, KaelynnGrace, Aug. 2, 2008.Jayme is a stay-at-homemom.

Alberto ‘01 and Jennifer(Lamb ‘01) Arroyo,Warrenville, Ill., welcomeda baby girl, Sofia Lynn, inJune 2007. Big brotherCaleb is 4. Alberto finished a master’s degreein industrial/organizationalpsychology and an MBA in2007. He is a consultant at

Corporate Insights, a firmcomprised of consultingpsychologists and management-develop-ment professionals thathelps organizations bestrecruit employees.Jennifer completed hermaster’s degree in specialeducation in 2005, and is currently a stay-at-homemom.

Greg ‘01 and Kim Bruns,Chickasaw, Ohio,announce the birth of adaughter, Gina Marie,Sept. 11, 2008. Greg is ahigh school career-basedintervention teacher andcoach at Marion LocalHigh School in MariaStein, Ohio.

Jaclyn (Vickery ‘01)and Christopher Tubbs,Willoughby, Ohio, wel-comed their first child,Joaquin Delonte, July 26,2008.

Matt Francis ‘02 andKristen Stager ‘03 havemoved to Laramie, Wy.Matt accepted a facultyposition at the Universityof Wyoming. He is anarchivist for the AmericanHeritage Center.

Jenna (Rode ‘02) andChristopher Geissler,Sydney, Ohio, welcomed a baby boy, Keaton Elliot,Oct. 2, 2008.

Paula (Sweebe ‘02) andMarcus Ma, Temperance,Mich., welcomed a daughter, Claire Ruth,June 18, 2008. Paula is a stay-at-home mom.


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Jackie (Monnin) SwabbDirector of social services, Covington Care Center, Covington, OhioBluffton ‘98Major: social work

Easing life’s transitionsA “homey” appeal. Growing up in Russia, Ohio, and graduatingalongside 25 high school seniors, Jackie (Monnin) Swabb wanted to contin-ue her education in an intimate setting. “I liked Bluffton’s small-town feeland atmosphere,” she says. “It was appealing because it was ‘homey.’”

In a hurry to help. With a strong desire to help people, Jackie chose tomajor in social work. “I knew I’d be able to help people more quickly witha social work degree as opposed to psychology,” she says. Jackie initiallyworked with children and their families at Adriel School in West Liberty,Ohio; Family Resource Center in St. Marys, Ohio; and Big Brothers, BigSisters of Miami County. She then transitioned to nursing-home care,spending time at Spring Creek in Huber Heights, Ohio, and KoesterPavilion in Troy, Ohio.

Similarities between the young and elderly. Transitioningbetween generations was easier than one would think, Jackie says: “In the geriatric population, individuals are dealing with issues like memoryimpairment and thought-processing problems. That’s very similar to children, who make decisions based on impulses because they want something right now.”

Helping others in crisis. For the past two years, Jackie has worked at Covington Care Center, a skilled-care nursing home and rehabilitationcenter. As director of social services, she handles crisis intervention, treat-ment planning and family conferences. She often helps families cope with a loved one being admitted to a long-term care facility. “Admitting a lovedone is a very hard transition,” says Jackie. “And it often follows some kindof crisis, like an injury. It’s very difficult for family members to tell someonethat it’s not safe to go back home.”

Taking on two tots. After watching Jackie’s sister serve as a foster parent, Jackie and her husband, Justin, began to consider adoption. Theystarted foster-parent training in January 2003, and were licensed in March.“In November, we were on a plane, flying to Oregon, to meet our children,”says Jackie. “It took almost nine months from being licensed to having thechildren. We thought, well, it takes nine months to have a baby!” Theyreturned home with Danielle and Asa, who are now 10 and 9, respectively.

“A life-changing experience.” Although the Swabbs received muchtraining to prepare them for what to expect when bringing the childrenhome, Jackie says, “You never really know what to expect. All of a suddenyou have two kids that you don’t know who now belong to you.” While thefirst year and a half was rough, everyone is now settled in. “Adoption is alife-changing experience,” says Jackie. “It’s hard. It’s wonderful. And, it’sworth it!” On Sept. 9, 2008, the Swabbs were blessed with another life-changing experience, as Jackie gave birth to Philip Owen. “He’s definitelyour miracle baby,” she says.

— Jill A. Duling

Drawn to the cityA clear-cut path? When she began the college search, Krista Duttwas certain she was going to enter a dietetics program and, one day, be a chef. “I was so sure that’s what I wanted to do with my life,” she says.During her second quarter at Bluffton, Krista opted to take a non-dietetics elective, Christian Worship. That made her second-guess her initial decision. “My professors reassured me that it wasn’t the end of theworld if I changed my major,” says Krista.

Urban interests. Krista chose Chicago for her cross-cultural experiences. “The Chicago trip did more for me than anything else career-wise,” she says. “That’s when I began thinking about the effects of racism and classism and how what I purchased at a store in Lima orFindlay really did affect people I met in the city.”

Impacted by internships. Krista decided to attend AssociatedMennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), and earn a master of divinity.While at AMBS, she spent a year and a half in Chicago, interning atEnglewood Mennonite Church on the south side and with DOOR, anonprofit organization that provides groups and individuals with missions,service and learning experiences in an urban setting. “I fell in love withDOOR because of its emphasis on education in the midst of service in the inner-city,” says Krista.

Seeing God everywhere. After AMBS, Krista joined MennoniteVoluntary Service and spent time at a family advocacy in La Jara, Colo.—“the farthest you can be from a city,” she says. “I wanted to re-find the balance of seeing God at work in both the city and country.” Krista visited with families, engaging parents and children and teaching life skills. She also filled in as pastor at United Church of La Jara.

“To learn and keep on learning.” Krista moved back to Chicago,taking a city director position with DOOR. She was recently promoted to national program director and travels to all DOOR cities, includingAtlanta, Denver, Hollywood, Miami and San Antonio. She develops curriculum across the board, from weekend and week-long trips to semester, summer and year-long experiences. “DOOR participants aregiven opportunities to volunteer in many different places,” she says.“Ultimately, we want to talk about all the different issues that come withrace and class. DOOR isn’t just about serving and helping out with a‘problem’ for a day. It’s also about thinking about how these issues affect us at home. Our objective is to learn and keep on learning.”

Living life by experiencing it. Krista sends Chicago DOORparticipants out into the city to learn about its culture by taking in alecture or an art exhibit among other things. She says, “People ask mehow I find out about events. I love exploring Chicago and learningnew things.”

— Jill A. Duling


Krista DuttNational program director, DOOR (DiscoveringOpportunities for Outreach and Reflection), Chicago, Ill.Bluffton ‘99Major: religion


Jessica (Good ‘02)and Tim Pohlman, UpperSandusky, Ohio, welcomeda son, Zachary Aiden, Feb. 7, 2008. Jessica continues to teach familyand consumer science atUpper Sandusky HighSchool, and she recentlycompleted a master’sdegree in classroom technology at BowlingGreen State University.

Alysa Sauder ‘02graduated from BowlingGreen State University in December 2007 with a master’s degree inSpanish. She teaches highschool Spanish and K-12ESL in Fayette, Ohio.

Kristen (Washington ‘03)and Adam Hall, Leo, Ind.,announce the arrival of ason, Braxton, July 3, 2008.Kristen is a stay-at-homemom and works part-timeas a veterinarian assistantat an emergency, surgeryand specialty hospital inFort Wayne, Ind.

Amanda (Wannemacher‘03) and Bob Stechschulte,Lima, Ohio, welcomed theirsecond daughter, AllisonMarie, June 14, 2008. Shejoins a sister, Izzy Rose, 3.

David ’04 and Diana(Hardy ‘03) McMillen,Shreve, Ohio, welcomedtheir third daughter, Cara,July 15, 2008. She joinsher sisters Ella, 3, andAllie, 2. Dave works for aconstruction company inWooster, Ohio, andenjoys fly-fishing. Diana isan intervention specialistat Ashland City Schools,and is working on her

master’s degree in admin-istration.

Jillian Kerlin ‘04 andAndrew Miller were married Aug. 30, 2008.They reside in Sandusky,Ohio. Jillian is the officemanager at RestoreProInc., a company that provides disaster clean-upand restoration services.

Ben ‘04 and Lisa (Grieser‘04) Osterland, Archbold,Ohio, welcomed a son,Jaden Dean, April 14,2008. Ben is a first gradeteacher in the Bryan CitySchools. He coaches trackand field at Bryan HighSchool and is working onhis master’s degree. Lisa isa nanny for a local family,plays bells with the churchchoir and loves spendingher days with her son.

Dan ‘05 and Nicole(Yoder ‘06) Hershbergerare completing a three-year term of service withMennonite MissionNetwork in Bammental,Germany. Dan is a GIrights counselor with theMilitary CounselingNetwork and GermanMennonite PeaceCommittee. He assistsconscientious objectorsand other military dis-charges. Nicole is a registered dietitian, and is currently involved in intensive language study.

Jonathan Sharp ‘05 ispursuing a master of divinity at WinebrennerTheological Seminary inFindlay, Ohio.

Amy Spallinger ‘05 andNicholas Roby were married Oct. 11, 2008.After a honeymoon inHilton Head Island, S.C.,the couple resides inBluffton, Ohio.

Lindsay (Yoder ‘05)Williams is a program coordinator for NationalFFA in Indianapolis, Ind.She takes care of planningand logistics for severalprograms within the organi-zation. She says she hasdiscovered a love of teach-ing group fitness and nowteaches at area fitness clubsseveral times a week.

Becky (Ghesquire ‘06)Burgoon, Toledo, Ohio, is in her second year ofteaching K-12 music atMonclova ChristianAcademy. She and her husband, Chipp, have atwo-year-old daughter,Patty.

Stephanie Gorgeny ‘06is a seventh grade intervention specialist atKeystone Local Schools in Lagrange, Ohio. She participates in KeystoneMiddle School’s BuildingLeadership Team. Shecoaches the freshmen volleyball team and assists with the varsity.Additionally, Stephanie iscompleting a master’sdegree at Baldwin-WallaceCollege.

Travel withBlufftonalumni &friends

PLAN TO DEPART SPAINOCT. 22 - NOV. 1

Join Dr. Mary AnnSullivan, professor emeritus of English and art history, for atour of Spanish history, culture, arts and archi-tecture. Visit the citiesof Madrid, Seville,Granada, Valencia andBarcelona, among others.

The cost is $3,499.Registration deadline is March 1.

Visit the Web atwww.bluffton.edu/blufftonalumni/events/spain/ for details.

Visit the BlufftonUniversity alumni Web site atwww.bluffton.edu/blufftonalumni/ formore information onscheduled and futuretravel.

Have an idea for a future adventure?Share your ideas orlearn more aboutfuture destinations by [email protected]

E-mail alumni news to: [email protected]


2 0 0 8 A2 0 0 8 A T H L E T I CT H L E T I C S H A L L O F FS H A L L O F F A M EA M E

MIKE RICHARDS ’73

Mike Richards graduated from Blufftonin 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in edu-cation. He was a two-year letterwinnerin football and a member of the 1972Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate ConferenceChampionship team. He was also amember of the golf team for two years.While on campus, he was a member ofthe Ohio State Education Association;

Ohio Association of Health, Physical Education andRecreation; and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

After graduation, Richards earned a master’s degree in educa-tion administration from the University of Dayton. He hascontinued to be active in athletics. He was an assistant footballcoach at Bluffton in 1981 and from 1993-97. He was a regis-tered track and cross country official for 28 years and spent 15years as head football coach at four high schools. Additionally,he has coached basketball, track and baseball at the highschool level.

At this time, Richards is the superintendent of Allen East LocalSchools and president of the Ohio High School AthleticAssociation (OHSAA) board of directors. He is serving the second of a two-year term with OHSAA’s State Board ofControl. He has been an elected member of OHSAA’sNorthwest District Athletic Board since 1995, and he was a2002 recipient of the Ohio Association of Track and CrossCountry Coaches’ Distinguished Service Award.

Richards resides in Bluffton, Ohio, with his wife, Jane (Bower’72) Richards. They have three sons, Matt, Bret and Jeff ’08.

JOHN S. MAST ’87

John S. Mast graduated from Blufftonin 1987 with a bachelor’s degree inart. A four-year letterwinner in base-ball, Mast earned all-district honorstwice. He is Bluffton’s career leader inbatting average, on-base percentageand slugging percentage. He also leads

Bluffton ballplayers in triples and ranks third all-time indoubles.

While on campus, Mast was the intramural sports directorfor two years, a member of the senior art show and the1987 May Day king. Mast continued to play ball aftergraduation, participating on a team that won Class C slow-pitch softball titles at the United States Specialty SportsAssociation (USSSA) State and Nationals, as well as theAmateur Softball Association (ASA) World title in Atlanta,Ga., in 1987. He was named MVP of the USSSA Nationalsthat year. From 1984-1990, Mast played with the AkronAA Amateur League. He was a two-time All-Star and wasnamed co-MVP in 1989.

Currently, Mast is a graphic designer at GraphicPublications Inc. He is actively involved in his church’sworship team and Sunday school, and he has been aVacation Bible School director, along with his wife, Jalaine,for the past 15 years. He coaches his children’s baseball,soccer and fast-pitch softball teams.

Mast resides in Millersburg, Ohio, with his wife and twochildren, Maryssa, 13, and Braden, 10.

ANDY NOWLIN ’90

Andy Nowlin graduated from Blufftonin 1990 with a bachelor’s degree inrecreation management. Nowlin wasan outstanding football player offen-sively as well as a leader on the field.He was a four-year letterwinner andearned all-district honors all four years.

He holds the NCAA Div. III record for longest receivingcatch of 99 yards and is at or near the top of the Blufftonrecord book in numerous offensive categories.

Since graduating from Bluffton, Nowlin has earned a master’s degree in human services management fromFranklin University. He is currently the director of risk management for Starr Commonwealth. He has been anactive member of the Van Wert, Ohio, American Legion andformerly sat on the board of directors with Upward Bound

Bluffton University is inducting three individuals and one athletics team into the Athletics Hallof Fame on Jan. 24, 2009. This annual event recognizes those who have distinguished them-selves in athletics while in college and who have contributed to society after leaving Bluffton.

Athletics Hall of Fame Nomination

Bluffton University Athletics Hall of Fame awards are presented annually to individuals and teams.

Qualifications:

• Nominees, if athletes, must have earned two letters in one sport or oneletter in two or more sports;

• Nominees, if coaches or athletics administrators, need not have been former students, but must have served the university at least 10 years andmade contributions significant to athletics;

• Nominees, if athletes or athletic teams, must have been out of BlufftonUniversity at least 10 years;

• The record and/or leadership qualities of nominees must be so outstanding that their qualification for the Hall of Fame would be incontrovertible.

• The Athletics Hall of Fame committee, appointed by the president of the university, will select the recipients from all nominations received. The awards are presented at the Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony andbanquet.

I nominate: _____________________________________ , __________(class year), to the Bluffton University Athletics Hall of Fame for the following reasons:

__________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Persons other than relatives who could serve as references for the nominee:

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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Return to: Athletics Office, Attn: Phillip Talavinia, Bluffton University, 1 University Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817, or fax to 419-358-3232.


and the YMCA Central Ohio Eldon W. Ward Branch, ofwhich he was the vice-chair. Nowlin has also been active inThe Optimist Club in Van Wert, Ohio; tutoring; and themen’s ministry at his church, as well as six years of basket-ball officiating for the Ohio High School AthleticAssociation.

Nowlin and his wife, Denise (Fair ’90) Nowlin, reside inColumbus, Ohio, with their daughters, Mikaila, 13, andMakena, 10.

1987 FOOTBALL TEAM

The 1987 Bluffton University football team finished asuperior season with an 8-1 record under the direction ofhead coach Carlin Carpenter. The 1987 squad was rankedNo. 1 in the NAIA District 22 and No. 10 nationally, andit was the first football team to represent Bluffton in thenational playoffs. The Beavers averaged 33 points per game and held their opponents to just 15 points a game.Between the 1987 and 1988 teams, more than 75 teamand individual records were set, and three of the playerscontinued their football careers by playing professionally in Europe and the United States. Coach Carpenter was recognized as Coach of the Year, and 10 players werenamed to the District 22 first team.

— Brandy Bidlack ’11 and Jill A. Duling


Michael Klotz ‘06 andCristina Rheinheimer ‘03were married on Oct. 4,2008. Michael is employedas a youth care worker at Bashor Children’sHome, and Cristina is the program director atthe Boys & Girls Club ofMiddlebury, Ohio. Theyreside in Goshen, Ind.

Jessica (Crawford ‘06)and Kenton Reichleyrecently moved to Stow, Ohio. Jessica is a substitute teacher for theSummit County schoolsand a part-time assistantmanager at Maurices.

Katelyn Baker ‘07 andBrent Gable were marriedJuly 26, 2008. After a honeymoon trip toEngland, Germany andLouisiana, the couplereside in Houston, Texas.

Meggan Hartzog ‘07teaches middle schoolhealth, and coaches a seventh grade girls’ basket-ball team in Lima, Ohio.

Derek Ickes ‘07 teacheskindergarten at KeanElementary School inWooster, Ohio.

Shandon North ‘07 andCortney Younker ‘07 weremarried June 14, 2008.They reside in Dublin, Ohio.

Brittany Shultz ‘07 andAdam Sams were marriedMay 24, 2008. After a honeymoon in theDominican Republic, the couple reside in NewCastle, Colo. Brittany is an accountant at TotalMerchant Services inBasalt, Colo.

Tim Kauffman ‘08 andMegan Bruner ‘08 weremarried July 26, 2008.They reside in Syetteville,N.C.

Mariel Nash ‘08 and ZachBingham were marriedSept. 6, 2008. They residein Bluffton, Ohio.

Lisa Pongtana ‘08 andJeff Bradley were marriedJune 27, 2008. Theyreside in Toledo, Ohio.

Michael Stulman ‘08recently accepted a position with Africa Action,based in Washington, D.C.The oldest organization inthe United States workingon African affairs, AfricaAction seeks to changeU.S. foreign policy and thepolicies of internationalinstitutions in order tosupport African strugglesfor peace and develop-ment. Michael is the associate director of policyand communications.

ADULT &GRADUATE EDUCATIONJamie Trombley BCOMP‘01, Ottawa, Ohio, hasbeen promoted to projectcontrols manager atTouchstone CPM. Shemanages the processesthat provide project con-trols for the firm's con-struction projects.

Eric Amstutz BCOMP ‘03,South Bend, Ind., worksfor Federal-Mogul, a global automotive partssupplier. He recently relocated to South Bendfrom a facility in Wausau,

Wis., to take on the role ofhuman resource manager.

L. Brian East BCOMP ‘06,MBA ‘08 recently accept-ed the position of produc-tion manager withYorktowne Cabinetry inRinggold, Va.

Philip Crusey BCOMP ‘07and Dawn HowardBCOMP ‘07 were marriedJune 14, 2008. Theyreside in Piqua, Ohio.Philip is an officer with thePiqua Police.

IN MEMORIAMAdeline (Neuenschwander‘33) Berkey, Smithville,Ohio, passed away Nov.10, 2008, at age 99.

Rollin W. Moser ‘39,Bluffton, Ohio, passedaway Nov. 21, 2008, atage 92.

Theda D. Hankish ‘40,Bluffton, Ohio, passedaway Sept. 16, 2008, atage 90.

Eugene R. Zuber ‘40,Arlington, Ohio, passedaway Oct. 23, 2008, atage 98.

Richard C. Yeck ‘55,Cleveland, Ohio, passedaway Oct. 11, 2008, atage 75.

Ronald L. Rupp ‘67, Fort Myers Beach, Fla.,passed away Oct. 4, 2008,at age 63.

David S. Platfoot ‘94,Plain City, Ohio, passedaway Oct. 11, 2008, atage 34, after a brief battlewith cancer.

An invitation to shareBluffton is in the

process of being

re-accredited as an

institution of higher

learning, and you are

invited to share

comments with our

accrediting association.

Bluffton will have a

comprehensive

evaluation of its

programs, March 23-

25, 2009, by a team

representing The

Higher Learning

Commission of the

North Central

Association of Colleges

and Schools.

You are invited to

submit comments

regarding Bluffton to:

Public Comment on

Bluffton University,

The Higher Learning

Commission,

30 North LaSalle

Street, Suite 2400

Chicago, IL 60602

See more details

about this invitation

at www.bluffton.edu/

about/hlc/.

Send alumni news to: Public Relations Office / 1 University Dr. / Bluffton, OH 45817


Recently, we invited graduates of the last 10 years torespond to a survey on the impact of their Blufftoneducation. It was heartening to learn that many recentgraduates are very satisfied with their academic andcareer preparation and the way in which their Blufftonexperience has contributed to their approach to life. Infact, respondents were nearly unanimous in confirmingthat Bluffton provided an intellectually stimulatingatmosphere in general education and their fields ofstudy. An overwhelming majority reported a significantimpact on their personal growth across a wide range ofethical and values criteria.

Bluffton aspires to high standards for our educationalprogram and in the outcomes we expect from gradu-ates. So, it is good to know that we are sending forthtalented and committed graduates to serve others in aglobal community with great needs.

I am going to date myself, now, by remembering the1970 song “Carry On” by Crosby, Stills, Nash &Young, which challenged my generation to be agents of change. This song takes on a different meaning forme as I understand that in my fifth decade I need tocarry on behind the scenes so that new generations ofstudents can grow and make a difference in the world.All of you, who support Bluffton in so many ways, arepart of this story of academic excellence, high standardsfor professionalism and service to others, as well as life-long values that mature as part of a faith journey.

Together, we can help change the world—one graduateat a time—by staying committed to Bluffton’s mission,

programs and future. May Day 2009 would be a greattime to renew your connection to the campus commu-nity and to carry on with classmates and friends. Asalways, I invite your continued financial support as amember of Bluffton’s giving community and, whereveryou are, to carry on in your efforts to make a differenceand to help Bluffton students become graduates whowill change the world!

“Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on”By Dr. Hans Houshower, vice president for advancement

Visit us at www.bluffton.edu/giving/ and learn

more about ways to join our giving community

and help carry on Bluffton’s tradition of academic

excellence and service . . .

Your gift to the Bluffton Fund: Every gift to the

Bluffton Fund helps us carry on the tradition of

highest-quality academic programs and student

experience.

Your gift to the future: Consider helping

Bluffton carry on its effort to prepare for the

future through an estate or other planned gift.

Your membership in the President’s Society:

Consider joining this circle of contributors who

commit $1,000 or more each year to Bluffton and

together carry on a tradition that has provided

more than $42 million in gifts since 1980.

Please contact the advancement office to explore

ideas for giving to Bluffton: 419-358-3240 or visit

www.bluffton.edu/giving/.

Periodical postage PAIDat Bluffton, Ohio andadditional locations

SAVE THIS DATE!This one right here Saturday, May 2, 2009That’s when MAY DAY 2009 happens.You won’t want to miss this chance to

reconnect with friends!

Visit www.bluffton.edu/blufftonalumni/ for all the details.Featuring the 30th annual May Day Run/Walk and a musical performance of The Spitfire Grill.

bluffton magazine winter 2009

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