living the dream...three musketeers. even after leaving northern’s theatre department, they have...

LIVING THE

DREAM

SPRING/SUMMER 2001

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S O F N O R T H E R N M I C H I G A N U N I V E R S I T Y

Takin’ it to the CityNew York City moves. It has a pulse you can feel. It doesn’t slow down,

and it doesn’t skip a beat. If you’ve never been there before, you discover

quickly that you can either get out there and keep up the pace or be sum-

marily swept off to the side.

For this issue of Horizons, NMU News Director Kristi Evans and I

took to the streets of New York City. We tagged along with NMU theater

professor Jim Panowski and his group of theater field studies students

and had the opportunity to interview six theater alumni who have vari-

ous careers in the entertainment industry in New York City.

The range of occupations in the entertainment industry is really

quite astounding. In this city of constant motion, one of the more sur-

prising vocations perhaps is the entertainer who makes his living by

standing completely still. Call him a street performer or even theatrical

art, he is at once the essence and the antithesis of New York City.

Dressed and spray painted from head to toe entirely in gold, he stands

slightly elevated on a black platform and clutches a small paper cup tightly to his chest.

He doesn’t move, twitch, or even blink. If you cross the street and walk a few blocks far-

ther, you might even see his counterpart — perfectly still, and perfectly silver. I can’t

help but wonder how these performers got into this strangely still profession. Is it part of

a dream come true or a dream gone awry?

Perhaps their dreams are similar to the dreams of each of the NMU alumni we talked

with. They all left Marquette and ended up in New York by following their dreams. They

left a city that is perhaps more well known for its relaxed pace, lush forests, and casual

charm for a fast-paced city of sidewalks, street performers, and neon lights. And while

Marquette and New York City might vary in landscape and atmosphere, the two are tied

by the dreams of these alumni. Marquette gave these former NMU students the gift of

possibility. They, in turn, took that possibility, combined it with their dreams, and made it

their reality in New York.

Even though the pace of New York might be a bit overwhelming, there’s also a pal-

pable sense that anything is possible. New York isn’t a city you live in; it’s a city you first

survive and then become a part of. Our alumni who have found success there seem to

inherently understand this and have thrived because of it.

—KW

FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

SPRING/SUMMER 2001 • VOLUME 90 • NUMBER 3

F E AT U R E S

I dreamed a dream...You could say that Paul Truckey ’87 isleading a charmed life. For the lastthree years, he has been living hisdream of performing on Broadway inone of the most successful musicals ofall time.

Three’s companyDan Hicks ’82, Leah Hocking ’80-’83,and John Ogle ’82 call themselves theThree Musketeers. Even after leavingNorthern’s Theatre Department, theyhave maintained a strong friendship.Here’s how they went their separateways and still ended up living andworking in the same city.

D E PA R T M E N T S

2 Campus News

8 Alumni Association

18 Development Fund

20 Sports

22 Keeping Track

10

HorizonsVolume 90, No. 3Spring/Summer 2001

Cindy Paavola ’84Brian Zinser

Co-directors, Communications and Marketing, Co-Publishers, Horizons

Martha Van Der KampExecutive Director, NMU Alumni Association, Co-Publisher, Horizons

LoriLee RebhanExecutive Director, NMU Development Fund

Karen WallingfordEditor, Horizons

Kristi EvansNews Director

Jan MaranaEditorial Assistant

Deanna Hemmila ’88Assistant Director, Alumni Relations

James PinarPaul Thomas ’97

Sports Information

Cindy Paavola ’84Development Communications

Wendy CarlsonRobyn Stille ’00

Alumni Relations Staff

Contributing WriterBrandie Sheets

Editorial AssistanceDaniel Lawson

Horizons, the magazine for alumni andfriends of Northern Michigan University, ispublished three times a year by theCommunications and Alumni divisions ofNMU.

Funding is provided by NMU, the NMUAlumni Association, alumni, and friends.Subscriptions are available at $15 per year,$7.50 for NMU retirees. Views expressed arenot necessarily those of the NMU AlumniAssociation.

Northern Michigan University is anAA/EO institution.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toHorizons, Office of Communications andMarketing, Northern Michigan University,1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette,Michigan 49855. Third-class postage paid atMidland, Michigan 48642.

14

Tom Izzo ’77 returned to hisalma mater to serve as thekeynote speaker at the April 28

spring commencement ceremony. The Michigan State University

head men’s basketball coach mixedsports stories and analogies with mes-sages about important life skills andsuccess. Izzo led the Spartans to the2000 national championship and threeconsecutive appearances in the FinalFour. But he told graduates that, untila few years ago, he was most famousfor failure.

“My high school team was play-ing right here on this campus. I misseda free throw with two seconds left thatwould have sent our team downstateto the quarterfinals. That made merealize that failure is a part of life, andthose who don’t experience it reallyhaven’t tried to do anything worth-while. The missed free throw andnational championship are at oppositeends of the spectrum. But in betweenwas all the work you’re about to par-take in when you leave here.”

After graduating from NMU, theIron Mountain native had a briefcoaching and teaching stint at thehigh school level. He then served asassistant men’s basketball coach atNMU from 1979-83 before beginninghis long run with MSU.

Izzo recalled the college apart-ment he shared with best friend SteveMariucci ’77, ’83 MA. While most stu-dents had pictures or posters on theirwalls, the two future coaches hadgrease boards so they could diagramfootball and basketball plays. Theirfriendship remains solid, and Izzosaid they call each other once a week.

“When we talk, it’s never aboutthe Xs and Os,” he said. “It’s about

how we motivate our guys to becomeas successful as they can become, andhow we can get the most out of some-body. If I had a true answer for that, Iprobably wouldn’t be a basketballcoach. All of you want to be very suc-cessful. It’s a matter of who’s going topay the price that’s going to make thedifference in the success you have.”

In his closing remarks, Izzo toldgraduates that it might take a longtime to realize the true value andmeaning of their college experience:

“After we won the nationalchampionship, Magic Johnson toldthe team that none of them wouldappreciate this until 10, 20, or 30 yearsfrom now,” Izzo said. “Well, it’s beenmore than 20 years since I was in yourposition here at Northern, and I cantell you that you’ll never appreciate itlike you will years from now.

“Graduating from this institutionand spending time up here was spe-cial because people here are real,hardworking, and don’t forget wherethey came from. When I’m in IronMountain or at Northern, I’m home.”

—Kristi Evans

Campus NewsLetters

A NEW VERSE

The pasty poem inthe JanuaryHorizons(“Passionate forthe Pasty,” Winter2001) needs a finalverse. I submit:

A good Cornishpasty / By the miner

is had / In the depths ofthe Earth / At lunchtime he’s glad.

—Mary (Bernard) Lindberg ’53

PASTY MEMORY

It was interesting reading about thepasty (“Passionate for the Pasty,”Winter 2001). I still make them, andeveryone loves them, even peoplewho’ve never had one before. Ouryoungest son married a girl fromEngland. She pronounced my pasties“very authentic.” They since movedto England to live. We actuallyfound out about their authenticity inperson on one of our trips toLondon. We had lunch one day atthe Imperial War Museum where weordered pasties. They tasted exactlylike the ones I make.

—Dorothy (Dolf) Drozdiak ’51

LETTERS POLICY

Horizons welcomes all incoming let-ters for inclusion in the publication.Priority will be given to lettersaddressing issues or topics discussedin the magazine. Letters will beprinted as space permits, and theymay be edited for brevity and clarity.If there are too many letters on agiven topic for the space available,we will choose a balanced, represen-tative sample.

Send your letters [email protected] or mail toHorizons editor, Northern MichiganUniversity, 1401 Presque IsleAvenue, Marquette, Michigan 49855.

Home grown successTom Izzo addresses NMU class of 2001

2 H O R I Z O N S S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0 1

Tom Izzo received an honorary doctor ofphysical education degree at the 2001 springcommencement ceremony.

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0 1 H O R I Z O N S 3

Joyal appointed provost and vice president

Lukens appointed to NMUBoard of Control

Mary C. Lukens of Ann Arbor isthe newest member of the NMUBoard of Control. She wasappointed by Gov. John Engler toreplace Gil Ziegler ’60, whoseterm has expired.

Lukens has been an employeeof Coldwater Corporation, aresearch and consulting firm,since 1989. During her tenure withthe company, she has been respon-sible for all phases of businessoperation and has worked closelywith political, corporate, and tradeassociation clients. Her termexpires December 31, 2008.

Olson Library implementsnew automated system

Olson Library shifted to a newautomated software package. Thetransition was completed inMarch.

The new software, known asVoyager, replaced the LYDIAcatalog.

“Voyager offers severaladvantages, including Web accessi-bility,” said Krista Clumpner, headof technical services and systemsat NMU. “Users will be able toaccess the on-line catalog from anylocation. It won’t require any spe-cial software — just a computer, aconnection, and a Web browser.”

Voyager also allows users tolink to other resources on theWeb, select searchable databases,access on-line journals, and viewmaterials they have checked outfrom the library, along with theirrespective due dates.

Clumpner said the Windowsfeatures will be familiar to campususers, many of whom are equippedwith PCs or IBM ThinkPads.

Fred Joyal ‘70, 71 MA has beenappointed provost and vicepresident for academic affairs at

Northern Michigan University. Hehad occupied the post on an interimbasis for nearly two years.

NMU conducted a nationalsearch to fill the position and nar-rowed the pool to four finalists for on-campus interviews.

“Fred’s interim experience asprovost and vice president has beenexceptional,” said President JudiBailey, in announcing the selection.“He is a visionary, as evidenced bythe integral role he played in imple-menting Northern’s notebook com-puter program. He has served thisuniversity well in a number of capaci-ties over the years. I have completeconfidence in his leadership and in hisability to excel in this position.”

Prior to accepting the interim

appointment,Joyal served eightyears as associatevice president foracademic admin-istration andplanning. Hejoined the NMUgeography facultyin 1976 and later was promoted tohead of the department. He also spentseven years as the university’s aca-demic computing coordinator.

Joyal holds bachelor’s and mas-ter’s degrees from NMU and a doctor-ate from the University of Iowa. Hisposition oversees issues on faculty;academic programs; student affairs,including services such as admissionsand financial aid; and NMU’s learn-ing resources, including public radioand television.

—KE

Fred Joyal

Heldreth named associate provost

Leonard Heldreth has beennamed associate provost of aca-demic affairs at Northern. His

permanent appointment is effectiveJuly 1. He has held the position on aninterim basis for the past two years.

Since joining the NMU faculty in1970, Heldreth has served in the fol-lowing capacities: department coordi-nator for liberal studies, director offreshman English, director of advanceddiscourse, head of the English depart-ment, associate dean of the College ofArts and Sciences, and assistant vicepresident for undergraduate affairs.

“Len has communication and lead-ership skills that work well at NMU,”said Fred Joyal, provost and vice presi-

dent for academicaffairs. “He hasplayed a signifi-cant role in manycampus-wide aca-demic efforts.These includeNorth CentralAccreditation,outcomes assessment and liberal stud-ies review.“

Heldreth is a recognized scholarin film studies and in fantasy and sci-ence fiction literature. His publishedworks include articles and book chap-ters, feature stories, and book and the-ater reviews.

—KE

Leonard Heldreth

Campus News


NMU begins Quad I renovations

Renovations on Quad I diningservices and the adjacent resi-dence hall lobbies began May 1.

The NMU Board of Control authorizedadministrators to proceed with the $6.6million project in February.

A major catalyst for the Quad Iimprovements is a shift away fromthe A La Carte meal plan to a “con-stant pass” option.

“This is a new concept in univer-sity dining programs,” said AndyWasilewski, associate vice presidentfor auxiliary services. “It offers stu-dents unlimited dining access from6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. in an all-you-care-to-eat venue. It also includes $50 inflex spending per semester for con-venience store items.”

Constant pass will be the new

standard for NMU freshmen.Upperclassmen may participate in thefull program or choose either fivemeals per week and $250 in flexspending per semester, or 14 mealsper week and $75 in flex spending.

Wasilewski said the food will bepresented in a marketplace arrange-ment, with separate stations offeringdiverse and well-balanced meals suchas Mongolian barbecue, pizza, andmade-to-order omelets. There willalso be self-service food bars that offerBelgian waffles, potatoes, salads, pas-tas, fruit, and deli items.

The project will increase seatingcapacity in the dining room from 435 to700. Renovations should be completebefore the start of the fall 2001 semester.

—KE

NMU receives campusmentoring grant

Northern Michigan Universitywill continue a social mentoringprogram with an additional grantfrom the Michigan Department ofCommunity Health-Office of DrugControl Policy.

“The goal of the program is toprovide new students withoptions for social activities that donot involve alcohol,” said LennyShible, NMU health promotionspecialist. “Volunteer upperclass-men serve as mentors to the smallgroups of new students andencourage them to participate inselected activities during the firstsix weeks of the fall semester.”

The $14,000 grant will be usedto fund the staff to plan and imple-ment this program. The programconsists of two large group eventsand a series of small group activi-ties. The first large group event willoccur during the fall 2001 WelcomeWeek. The second large groupevent will take place in the lastweek of September and will chal-lenge participants to continue theirnetworking and mutual supportactivities on their own. In betweenthe two events, small groups ofstudents and their mentors willparticipate in a wide variety ofactivities both on and off campus.

Up to four students and oneadvisor from the program willalso attend a “Best PracticesConference and Training Session”in Big Rapids in March 2002. Thiswill allow mentors from variouscampuses to exchange ideas toimprove programs.

NMU is one of 13 Michiganuniversities that have receivedthe grant in each of the past threeyears.

A good investmentResults of economic impact study released

Northern Michigan Universitycontributes nearly $262 mil-lion and 5,000 jobs to the

Upper Peninsula, according to anupdated economic impact study.

NMU President Judi Bailey saidMichigan taxpayers invest about $50million annually in NMU. Based onthe economic output of the university,that equates to a $5 — or 400 percent— return on each tax dollar invested.

“The study found that Northernstudents spent $31 million in the U.P.for the year,” Bailey added. “If onestudent is worth almost $5,000 in liv-ing-related spending, [and] if North-ern reaches its goal of enrolling 2,750more students (above its current 8,450enrollment) by 2005, there’s the poten-tial of an additional $13.8 million putinto the U.P. economy.”

Jim Scheiner, dean of NMU’sCollege of Business, completed thestudy. It is an update of the first com-prehensive study from 1998.

Bailey said Northern makes aneffort to spend its dollars locally andregionally. Of the $170 million in totaluniversity expenditures, 42 percentstayed in the Upper Peninsula.

“Another 23 percent stayedwithin the state as Lower Peninsulaexpenditures,” she said. “And 35 per-cent went to sources outside thestate. The last figure is somewhatdeceiving in that there are severalexpenditures which the universityhas no choice in vendors or payees.These include social security pay-ments, taxes and certain employeefringe benefits.”

—KE


Individuals who suffer memoryloss due to Alzheimer’s or otherconditions often have trouble com-

municating with their caregivers. Thiscan create stress for both parties.Northern Michigan University’s com-munication disorders departmenthelps patients and their families assessproblems and explore alternativeways to interact with each other.

NMU Professor Helen Kahn hasestablished a clinical internship at TheMemory Diagnostic Center of UpperMichigan. Located in the Teal LakeMedical Center, this outpatient con-sultation service evaluates clientsusing a collaborative team approach— physician, speech language pathol-ogist, and psychologist. It providestreatment recommendations and refer-rals to appropriate support services. Italso offers advice on managing every-day problems.

Kahn has been on the staff sincethe center opened in November 1999.As part of her clinical teaching assign-ment, she supervises up to three grad-uate interns per semester.

“We think this center is the onlyone of its kind in the nation to have aspeech-language pathologist on theteam, rather than just on the receivingend of a referral,” Kahn said. “It’sunique, and I wanted our students toshare in the experience. Communica-tion deficits at some point are com-mon among those with dementia. Butthey are often ignored and many peo-ple don’t realize the relationshipbetween communication and memory.People with memory problems some-times just need help learning newways to communicate.”

For example, Alzheimer’s patients

reach a point where they can no longerhandle complex language, long sen-tences, or open-ended questions.Family members who don’t under-stand that can become frustrated.Kahn and her students help caregiversbreak down those barriers, demon-

strating how to communicate in sim-ple sentences and ask questions thatoffer clear choices.

Dr. Kevin Foley, the center’s med-ical director, makes each formal diag-nosis with input from the rest of theteam, based on their respective areas ofexpertise. Kahn said the ultimate goalis to maintain independent living in thehome environment as long as possible.

“Other centers might diagnose aproblem, but offer little or no follow-

up,” she added. “That’s important tous. If the patient and caregiver are inneed of help, we can schedule ses-sions with them or even home visits.Most families are receptive andrelieved to know they don’t have todeal with this alone.”

Kahn and the student internsfollow up with 20 to 30 percent ofthe patients who come to the center,but all patients receive six-monthcheckups with Dr. Foley and the restof the team. The students also partic-ipate in the intake evaluations, whichcan last from two to four hours. Theyconduct hearing screenings or hear-ing aid tests for a vast majority ofnew patients.

“We are definitely consideredpart of the team,” said Nicole Stone,an NMU graduate student fromIndian River, Michigan. “We are in theroom for all of the evaluation process-es and we can offer our opinion to thedoctor, so we are involved in the deci-sion-making process. It’s not just anobservation experience. We’re activelyinvolved in what goes on.”

Christi Wood, from Brimley,Michigan, said graduate students arerequired to intern at three differentsites, including the speech and hear-ing clinic at NMU.

“You can learn so much from text-books, but the hands-on experiencereally becomes ingrained in yourmind,” she added. “It’s also helpfulgoing to other internship sites besidesthe campus clinic — schools, hospitals,nursing homes. Each is different andyou learn so much by having somevariety in terms of the settings and theages of the people you work with.”

—KE

Independent livingNMU helps patients with memory loss improve communication

“Communication deficits

at some point are

common among those

with dementia. But they

are often ignored and

many people don’t realize

the relationship between

communication and

memory. People with

memory problems

sometimes just need help

learning new ways to

communicate.”

Campus News


College of Arts and Sciences

Language lab gets a boost fromtechnology

Northern Michigan University stu-dents can now supplement their for-eign language courses in an interac-tive, high-tech learning laboratory.The updated facility is equipped withnetwork connections, a wide selectionof CD-ROMs, and a docking station sostudents can use their laptop comput-ers. The lab previously housed onlyaudio tape listening stations. A limitednumber are still available. Beyond thetechnological advances, the languagelab now offers tutoring services.

The department of modern lan-guages and literatures received a uni-versity grant to expand the lab’s func-tion and to purchase interactive soft-ware for laptop computers.

“We want the lab to be someplacewhere students can get help in thelanguage they are studying,” saidSusan Martin, professor of languages.“We encourage the language profes-sors to bring their classes here. Wewant the lab to be a fun place wherestudents want to come and learn.”

Updating the lab is a gradualprocess, said Martin. One ongoingproject is designing Web pages tosupport links to sites of interest forstudents studying languages. Thedepartment is planning to purchasesoftware to enable students to authortheir own programs and install Webcams so students can talk face to facewith other students around the worldusing their laptops.

The renovated lab offers largescreen viewing of foreign videos andalso is trying to obtain satellite accessto foreign television so students can

hear languages of interest used inconversations.

“The approach we are striving formakes it important for students tocommunicate even with a limitedvocabulary,” said Martin. “Studentsmight think of technology as beingalone with a computer. It really isnothing like that. This way makes itpossible to teach to a variety of learn-ing styles.”

College of ProfessionalStudies

High marks for School of Education

Remaining true to its normal schoolroots, Northern’s School of Educationposted high overall marks in the first-ever national Title II education reportreleased in April.

Title II is a l998 amendment tothe federal Higher Education Act(HEA). The amendment addresses theissue of quality teacher preparation atcolleges and universities through acomparison of standardized measuresof education programs within a stateand nationally. Title II requires threeannual reports by all teacher educa-tion programs: one from the institu-tion to its state education office,another from each state to the U.S.Secretary of Education, and the thirdfrom the Secretary of Education to theU.S. Congress and public.

NMU education professorRodney Clarken, who spearheadedNorthern’s Title II report, said that itis good that colleges and universitiesare being held accountable for train-ing educators, but he added that thenational measures are difficultbecause each state differs in how itcertifies its teachers.

“For example, every school inMichigan has a Title II pass ratioresult of 100 percent (for certification)because a teacher has to pass thestate-required tests to be certified inthis state,” he said.

Clarken said the reports do bringto light a program’s strengths.

“Our education program standsout because of our excellent professorsand our high standards. We havedesigned our program to put the stu-dents in classroom settings longbefore they student teach,” Clarkensaid. “This wealth of classroom expe-rience learned in an incremental fash-ion really enhances the teacher learn-ing process. Our success in trainingteachers is something Northern can beproud of.”

Northern’s Title II results areavailable at www.nmu.education/titleii/index.htm.

Criminal Justice to begin new master’sprogram

Northern Michigan University willoffer a new master of science degreein criminal justice beginning this fall.

“There are no graduate programsin criminal justice between Marquetteand Milwaukee or between Marquetteand Big Rapids,” said Paul Lang,department head. “There are manypeople in the region who work incriminal justice or completed the bac-calaureate degree, but lack options foradvancing their education. This pro-gram will fill that void.”

Lang said the advanced degreecan be completed in two years, oreven less for those enrolled full time.He said individuals who obtain amaster’s in criminal justice stand abetter chance of advancement.

News from the mallUpdates from the four academic colleges


“This is a credential others mightnot have,” Lang said. “It can make abig a difference, especially in higher-level promotions.”

Athletic training major takes first steptoward accreditation

NMU’s athletic training program — inits third year as an academic major —has taken the first step toward fullnational accreditation.

The Joint Review Committee onEducational Programs in AthleticTraining, or JRC-AT, recently award-ed the program candidacy status forone year.

“Because we’ve achieved this sta-tus, we’re eligible to submit a self-study report for accreditation in June2002,” said Julie Rochester, director ofathletic training education at NMU.“Provided the JRC accepts our report,Northern would become eligible for asite visit as early as fall 2002. If thatgoes well, we would be awarded fullaccreditation as early as 2003.”

Rochester said the route tobecoming a certified athletic trainerhas veered away from internshipstoward more curriculum-basedinstruction. To legitimize this shift andensure that the educational experienceis similar for all students, the nationalassociation is requiring programs topursue accreditation.

“By 2004, any student who wantsto become a certified athletic trainermust graduate from an accredited pro-gram,” Rochester said. “In the mean-time, students who graduate from ourprogram will still be eligible to takethe national certification exam.”

Despite the move toward a cur-riculum-based model, Rochester saidhands-on, practical experience

remains a vital component of the pro-gram. Northern students work withNMU and U.S. Olympic EducationCenter athletes, as well as MarquetteGeneral Hospital patients, duringtheir clinical rotations.

College of Technology andApplied Sciences

Industrial Technologies to begin newmaster’s program

As American businesses and industriesinvest more resources in programsdesigned to enhance productivity andperformance, there will be a growingdemand for qualified training special-ists. In response to this trend, NMUhas developed a new master of sciencedegree in training and development.

The program will be implementedthis fall. Northern’s department ofengineering technology has conductedon-site training for such regionalemployers as Mead, Cleveland Cliffs,and Sara Lee.

James Suksi, industrial technolo-gies professor said training and devel-opment specialists design and delivera wide range of programs. These pro-grams target new employees whorequire training and orientation; rank-and-file employees who need toupgrade their skills or have a desirefor advancement; and supervisorswho need to improve their interper-sonal skills to deal more effectivelywith workers.

Bill Rigby, head of the depart-ment, said the degree program has thepotential to attract students from sev-eral undergraduate disciplines,including nursing, technology, busi-ness, and education.

“Our program will cover designand delivery, needs assessment, and

methods for evaluating training effec-tiveness. Students will be able tooffer training in any realm; theywon’t be limited to just factories orjust corporations.”

Walker L. Cisler College ofBusiness

Marketing professor named presidentof research organization

College of Business marketing profes-sor James Camerius was recentlyelected president of the Society ofCase Research.

SCR was formed in 1978 by agroup of educators to developresearch, writing, and teaching effortsin the case method of instruction. Themajor objectives of the organizationare to provide programs for exchangeof ideas and the improvement of caseresearch, writing, and teaching; toassist in the publication of writtencases or case research and other schol-arly work; and to provide recognitionfor excellence in case research, writ-ing, and teaching.

Camerius has been a marketingprofessor for the College of Business atNMU since 1963. He is also Midwestrepresentative and newsletter editor ofthe North American Case ResearchAssociation and Case Colloquium andworkshop director of the World Associ-ation for Case Method Research andApplication. He is a member of theAmerican Marketing Association, theAcademy of Marketing Science, and theMarketing Management Association.

His case studies have appeared inover 120 management, marketing, andretailing textbooks, in addition toAnnual Advances in Business Cases, anSCR publication.

Alumni Association


As I begin my two-year term as pres-ident of theAlumniAssociation, Iwould like to

give a specialthanks to Paul

Suomi, past Alumnidirector and former members of theboard who gave me the opportunityto become a member of this board.

We are in the process of restruc-turing all of our committees so theyare reflective of the times and yourneeds. Feedback from you to ourchapter chairs, our Alumni Board of

Directors, our Alumni Associationexecutive director and the president ofthe university are always encouragedand welcomed.

There are two new ideas wewould like to share with you. Thefirst is “Leave a Legacy Day.” LocalNMU alumni who are lawyers, taxand accounting consultants, etc. inyour area could give a presentationfor interested alumni with sugges-tions on how to include NMU in theirfinancial planning. Lori Rebhan, exec-utive director of the NMUDevelopment Fund said, “I workedon this program in the communitywhere I was previously employed. It

is very beneficial for non-profits.”The second idea is an opportunity

for our younger alumni with familiesto become more involved. You andyour children would be invited todecorate and ride on your own floatin the NMU Homecoming parade,which is on Friday, October 5.

Please call the Alumni Associationat 906-227-2610 or e-mail them [email protected] if you are interestedin either of these ideas.

I’m proud to be a graduate ofNorthern Michigan University, andI’m looking forward to working withyou and representing all our alumnifor the next two years.

Spring break in New York

By SUSI DAHLKE ’63

Alumni Notes

My spring break in New Yorkwent beyond my expecta-tions. All I expected to do

was to see the city and a fewBroadway shows, and catch someshopping deals. But I was wrong. Inever imagined the trip would be funand educational at the same time.

Not only did I see New York Cityfor the first time, I also learned how tolive in the city by going to a field stud-ies workshop on how to survive yourfirst year in New York. Kevin Connell,an assistant professor at MarymountManhattan College, showed us how toget an apartment, get a job, and live inthe city for the first time.

I saw six Broadway shows, but to

add to the experience, the field studiesgroup was also able to meet with someof the actors after their shows. We metand talked with Andre de Shields fromThe Full Monty and the cast of DirtyBlonde including Kathy Najimy. Theytalked to us about theater in New Yorkand how they got where they are today.

We also toured Music TheatreInternational, a play leasing company,with the president of the company,Steve Spiegel. Seeing the companyshowed us that there are other jobsout there for us.

And I did have some fun, too,such as being in the audience at Livewith Regis and Kelly, seeing the Statueof Liberty, Ellis Island, Central Park,

and the Empire State Building, andshopping at Macy’s.

The most worthwhile part of thetrip, though, was meeting with NMUtheatre alumni. Paul Truckey ’87, LeahHocking ’80-’83, John Ogle ’82, DanHicks ’82, and Dan Roberts ’96 pro-vided us with backstage advice, infor-mation, and inspiration. They offeredus a personal connection and said thatthey would be willing to stay in touchif we needed help in the future.

My experience cannot be found ina book or on the Internet. I saw theopportunities in New York first hand.Now I can actually see myself in NewYork City after graduation; before thetrip, I couldn’t.

All NMU theatre majors are required to have at least one field studies experience in their four-year degree program. Students have two fieldstudies options — the Stratford Summer tour or the Theatre Field Studies Course in New York City. Nikke Nason, a junior theatre major, publicrelations minor from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, opted for New York. She received a full scholarship for the course from NMU’s First Nighter’sClub. Here’s what she had to say after she returned.

By NIKKE NASON

N O R T H E R N P E R S P E C T I V EA G U E S T C O L U M N

Laurie Schmit ’99 understandsthe value of friendship andmentoring. As an undergradu-

ate at Northern, she participated inthe Student Leader FellowshipProgram and was paired with mentorJudy Parlato ‘85, a teacher in Gwinn.

“I got so much out of my relation-ship with Judy. It was so nice to havesomeone active in the community whocould show me the opportunities thatare available.”

The SLFP is designed to give cur-rent NMU students the chance tolearn leadership skills and becomeactive community members by match-ing them with adult mentors in thearea. The SLFP also provides studentswith internship opportunities.

Now Laurie is bringing her expe-rience full circle by becoming a men-tor herself. She was matched withNMU sophomore Jeanean Ghering ofFenton. The benefits of this new rela-tionship are already apparent.

“I like the idea of having some-one to talk to,” Jeanean said. “I knowI can count on Laurie to provide agood influence. It’s nice to have some-one you can turn to and really talk toabout issues in your life.”

In the ten years since the SLFPbegan, more than 300 students andmentors have participated. Many, likeLaurie, are NMU alumni.

“I would certainly encourage allNMU alumni to consider the pro-gram,” Laurie said. “The mentor getsso much out of it. It’s the ripple effect— every person you touch, touchesanother. Do you have any idea howmany people you can touch in a posi-tive way by being a mentor for a stu-dent? It’s a great opportunity.”

If you would like more informa-tion on how you can be a part of thisprogram, contact Dave Bonsall, direc-tor of Student Activities and Leader-ship Programs at 906-227-1771.

SLFP Celebrates 10th Anniversary

As a part of NMU’s SummerReunion Weekend, former SLFP par-ticipants will be getting together tocelebrate the 10th anniversary ofthe program. Festivities are plannedfor Thursday through Saturday, June28-30. If you would like more infor-mation on the SLFP reunion, contactStudent Activities and LeadershipPrograms at 906-227-1771.


• Marshal Stewart Eldred ’50• Andrew J. Gauthier ’57, ’66• Carl Vernon Erickson ’58• Raymond Joseph Clemo ’62, ’67 MA

• Robert Leonard Fruik ’63• Roger John Buchanan ’64• Robert Walter Bray ’65, ’66 MA• Gerald Herbert Fogt ’66

A personal touchAlumni mentors help students realize their leadership potential

L O S T A L U M N I

Do you have better contacts than we do?We’ve lost track of these NMU alumni. Please help us find them.

Call toll free 1-877-GRAD-NMU or e-mail the Alumni Association [email protected].

Cleaning House!NMU JOBSearch Center to eliminate credential files

A resume, a list of references, anda cover letter — those are the threemain documents that employers useto initially evaluate a job candidate.The days of requiring candidates tokeep a credential file active withtheir alma mater are gone.

With this in mind, on June 1,2001, the NMU JOBSearch Centerwill begin destroying all of the thou-sands of credential files currentlystored in the university’s Archives.

The following points mayanswer some of your questionsabout this process.

• You cannot send for your credential file in lieu of it being destroyed.

• Files will be destroyed safely and securely either by a company licensed and bonded to handle and destroy confidential material or by a professional staff member in the JOBSearch Center.

• The absence of a credential file will not hurt your chances of finding a job. Most of the material in the files is more than five years old.

• Verification of student teaching experience will not be destroyed. It will be pulled from your file and stored with either the JOBSearch Center or the School of Education.

If an employer still wants to seeyour credential file, please askthem to contact the JOBSearchCenter. We will be happy toexplain why we’ve stopped usingthe credential file system.

For more information or if youhave questions about the process,contact the JOBSearch Center at906-227-2800 or via e-mail at [email protected]. You can also visitthe JOBSearch Center’s Web site athttp://jobsearch.nmu.edu.


By KRISTI EVANS

Dreams can be intriguing snip-pets of our subconscious.Some feature extreme plots,

hazy settings, faceless characters, andscenes that quickly fade from memory.Truckey’s was far more vivid — satu-rating his senses with colorful imagesof billboards and costumes; theswelling sounds of orchestras andapplause; and the feel of adrenalinepumping as the audience settles inand the curtain finally rises.

No matter what revealingglimpses dreams might offer about thestate of our psyches, the bottom line isthat many dreams are nothing morethan illusions. Yet if some didn’t at

least have the potential to come true,there would be no point in dreaming.Paul Truckey’s vision was not youraverage escape from reality. It wasrooted in hope and guided by cleargoals, persistence, and talent. Now thisMarquette native is living his dream ofperforming in a Broadway show.

“I absolutely love being on stageand live for those moments,” he said.“I spent a long time working andtraining to get to this point, and I’menjoying it while I can.”

Les Miserables is not just any show.It is an international sensation thatopened in London and made its NewYork City debut in 1987. The musical is

based on an epic novel by Victor Hugo.Though set in 19th-century France, itsappealing score and universal themesof love, honor, redemption, and revolu-tion have garnered a worldwide fol-lowing. Based on the barometers ofruns, receipts, and awards, Les Miz isarguably the mother of all musicals.

You cannot dream yourself into acharacter; you must hammer and forgeyourself one.

—James A. Froude

Truckey plays the role ofGrantaire, one of the studentsinvolved in the revolution. He also isan understudy for one of the lead

There is nothing like a dream to create the future.

—Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Paul Truckey ’87 once dreamed a dream — a neon-fueled fantasy set amid the bright lights

of the Big Apple. It all began with an introductory theater class at Northern Michigan

University. Like many who step on stage that first time, Truckey was bitten by the

proverbial acting bug. Its sweet, addictive venom channeled through his veins and lodged

in his heart, mind, and soul. This creative juice became — quite literally — his lifeblood.

roles, Javert. He describes the formeras a “been there, done that” type —one who offsets the idealistic attitudesof the other students.

“Grantaire hopes to convey tohis fellow students a sense of theirown mortality in a situation wheretheir emotions override their com-mon sensibilities,” Truckey said. “Heknows they can’t win the revolution,but he won’t leave the barricadesbecause he feels they are his family.He loves and admires them; in theend, to his own doom.”

Often seen with a bottle in his fistand a stagger in his step, Grantairedrinks to days gone by and to...well,almost anything. During a politicalmeeting at a small café, Enjolras, thebombastic leader, tries to prepare thestudents for revolution. He admon-ishes Grantaire to put his bottledown, then asks if they have the gunsthey need. Grantaire replies, “Giveme brandy on my breath, and I’llbreathe ‘em all to death!”

Javert, by contrast, is a relentlesspolice inspector committed to trackingdown a parole violator.

“He is not the bad guy,” Truckeysaid. “Javert is Old Testament. Hebelieves in an eye for an eye, and thatonce a convict, always a convict. Hisdemise comes from the notion that hecan’t live in a world where people canrehabilitate themselves and createnew lives.”

In order to transition to the Javertrole when needed, Truckey is requiredto attend understudy rehearsals onceevery two weeks. He doesn’t find outuntil a half hour before curtain whetherhe will have to put that practice to use.

“I don’t get nervous when I seemy name on the board for Javert; Iprefer that. The only down side is thatit’s hard to get better in a role youperform sporadically. When I get todo it a week straight, I like it because I

can grow into it.”James Panowski, theater profes-

sor at NMU, went to Les Miz on threeseparate occasions, hoping to catchTruckey filling in for Javert. His tim-ing was off, but former colleague JimRapport fared better.

“On our field studies trip a coupleyears ago, I went to see a dreadfulmusical by Paul Simon,” Panowskirecalled. “Meanwhile, Rapport made ahalf-hearted decision to see Les Mizagain. I dashed back after my fiascoand found Rapport standing at thedoor with a big grin on his face holdingup a program insert. He got to see Paulas Javert, and did he ever rub it in.”

Undeterred, Panowski fulfilledhis quest to see Truckey play Javertlast year.

“When you see one of your stu-dents up there,” he said, “you’realmost in tears because you’re soproud of them and happy for them.You realize that the daily grind at theuniversity really pays off.”

Most actors, including Truckey,don’t just fall into a covetedBroadway slot. He climbed the castingladder gradually, first appearing in anational tour of the show.

Let us go singing as far as we go: the roadwill be less tedious.

—Virgil

Traveling with the same cast ofplayers for two years is enough to testanyone’s tolerance. However, actorsfind innovative ways to adapt to thelifestyle and preserve their sanity.

“Normally you fly to every desti-nation, but the way to survive on theroad is to get your own car,” Truckeysaid. “You use the off day to travel tothe next stop. That way, you get sometime to yourself. The freedom isworth it.”

For those willing to forsake amore settled and stable existence, thetour offers many rewarding perks:

first-class hotels, fine restaurants, ahealthy salary, and a generous perdiem for living expenses. Savvy actorsare able to live on the per diem andbank the rest. Truckey did indulge onepassion, which required some extraspending capital.

“I called it the Golf America Tour,because I love to golf and I’ve beenable to play in every state exceptAlaska. It’s exciting because there’salways a new place to look forwardto. And if you don’t like a city, youdon’t have to deal with it for long.Some people can tour for a decadeand still love it; I just decided it wastime to plant some stakes.”

Every exit is an entry somewhere.—Tom Stoppard

Four days after Truckey made hisexit from the tour, he received a call tofill a vacancy in the Broadway pro-duction. Three years later, he’s stillperforming at the Imperial Theatre onWest 45th Street — easily identified bythe famous Cosette lithograph sus-pended above the marquee.

Despite more than 2,400 perform-ances of the same musical at a pace ofeight per week, Truckey said he hasno problem keeping it fresh.

“It’s always new for me. I getpaid to make it be like the first per-formance every night. I think aboutthe people who pay $85 to sit in thoseseats and realize I owe them my best;it’s my job to entertain them.”

An actor is only merchandise.—Chow Yun Fat

Steady work and paychecks areprecious commodities on the actingcircuit. Truckey does not take these forgranted. He knows there are hundredsof aspiring actors eager to fill hisshoes. He also realizes that Broadwayproductions are big business.Producers keep a close eye on box-office receipts and bottom lines. Some



decisions, though made with theshow’s best interests in mind, canseem cruel and highly subjective.

While Truckey was on tour, theentire Broadway cast of Les Miz wassummarily fired in an attempt to revi-talize public interest. On the same day,at exactly the same time, the touringcompany was also assembled. Eachcast member was handed an envelopewith his or her fate sealed inside — toremain with the company or be fired.Truckey emerged unscathed and, sur-prisingly, unfazed.

“I wouldn’t feel empty if it even-tually happened to me. No one wantsto get fired, but I understand it canhave nothing to do with skill or talent;it might just be that you’re starting tolook too old. I wouldn’t take it as aslap, as long as their reasoning wasbased on that and not the quality ofmy work.”

Technically, the 36-year-old actoris already making a stretch playingthe role of a student. But he can stillpull it off. Truckey emits a youthfulexuberance. He also has a smile ofOsmondesque proportion that he isn’tafraid to flash.

Humor is just another defense against theuniverse.

—Mel Brooks

Broadway is notorious for “back-stage backstabbing,” but Truckey likesto accentuate the positive. He findshumor in some of the miscues inherentin live theater. Like the power outagebefore the huge millennium celebrationin Times Square, which made it neces-sary to stop and repeat a scene. Or thetime he was looking out over the barri-cade waiting to hear trumpets but wasinstead greeted with the sound effectsof a horse trotting and dogs barking.

“Some actors won’t allow them-selves to enjoy a moment like that,”he said. “A number of us in the castare pretty goofy. You pray for

moments when you can have a littlegiggle without the audience seeing,just to break up the routine a bit andkeep things interesting.”

Truckey attributes his professionalsuccess to a strong work ethic and self-discipline. He attributes the overallsuccess of NMU theater alumni to thequality of the professors.

“It’s run like a professional the-ater,” he said. “They never tried tohide or glamorize anything about thebusiness, so there weren’t any big sur-prises when I got out here. At somelarger universities, you’re not even onstage; at Northern, you can be cast in alead as a freshman. At larger schools,it seems more about the professorsthan the students. At Northern, it’salways about the students.”

He gained insight from all fourprofessors in the department, butdeveloped his love of musical theaterfrom James Panowski. The two remainin close contact. When Truckey getsback to the Upper Peninsula, he pres-ents seminars in Panowski’s mentor’sclasses. When “Dr. P” travels to NewYork, he tries to meet up with his for-mer student.

A lot has changed since their firstmeeting at NMU. “I was in my officeand a distraught-looking studentcame in,” recalled Panowski. “Turnsout Paul had discovered a rip in hispants. I asked him his name and toldhim not to worry. I found a littlesewing kit in my desk and gave it tohim so he could make a quick repairand get back to Jim Rapport’sIntroduction to Theater class.”

Truckey later attended theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas,where he obtained a master’s degree,along with formal voice training toenhance his natural singing ability. Itwas also at UNLV that he met hisfuture wife when they starred oppo-site each other in a play.

Now on the East Coast, Truckeyfinds New York a fascinating city. “It’snot quite my speed, but a lot of peo-ple like it, and there’s this illusion thatgoes along with living here. Why elsewould people pay $2,000 a month fora tiny studio apartment?”

Truckey’s success is anything butan illusion. It’s the tangible result of adream fulfilled. Theater can be a riskybusiness to be sure, but he could notimagine doing anything else.

“Will I always perform? Yes. Evenif they told me I had to do it for free.There’s just something about the rushof being on stage and entertainingpeople. It’s hard to describe, but that’swhat it’s all about for me.” ■

Paul Truckey will be taking a break from hisNew York City life this winter, when he’ll returnto NMU as a visiting professor. He’ll be filling infor Jim Panowski while he’s on sabbatical.


three’s company

j o h n o g l e

Most people working in theentertainment field in NewYork City get a little anx-

ious if they’re between jobs for toolong. Not John Ogle ’82.

The video producer took a self-imposed break from the Live withRegis and Kelly show after the hecticFebruary sweeps period. When inter-viewed in early March, he planned towait a few weeks and then put outthe word that he was ready to getback to work.

“If you’re the least bit creative,you’ll get calls,” Ogle said. “I’ve actu-ally turned things down. I can’t stayaway for too long before I get antsy tohit it again, but I’m never concernedabout what my next assignment willbe because there’s always somethingelse out there.”

Ogle primarily works as a seg-ment producer at Live. He also free-

lances. He doesn’t hold the camera,but he directs the shots; he doesn’tedit the tape, but he supervises theprocess. Ogle said it typically takes anhour in the editing suite for everyminute of final product, and thatdoesn’t factor in the time required toshoot the raw footage.

NMU field studies participantshad an opportunity to watch one ofOgle’s creations when they were inthe Live studio audience. It was called“A Day in the Life of Regis.” Thehost’s schedule was lighter than usualthe day of the shoot, so the challengefor Ogle was to make Philbin appearbusy as he shuffled from one profes-sional obligation to the next. It helpedthat he selected an upbeat tune —“Mama Said There’d Be Days LikeThis” — to accompany the video.

“I’ve done a number of producedpieces with Regis, and I love working

with him,” Ogle said. “MichaelGelman, the executive producer, hassimilar views on what a segmentshould be like. We either concepttogether or he’ll trust me to go aheadwith it, which is what I did on the‘Day in the Life’ segment.”

Ogle thrives on the creativeaspect of his job — leading a cameracrew and developing something fromscratch. Video is his medium of choicenow, but when he first moved to theEast Coast, theater was his calling. Heand Leah Hocking ’80-’83 left NMUfor summer stock opportunities inMaine. Ogle met some people therewho eventually moved to New YorkCity, and he decided to go with them.

“I had directed summer stock, butI wanted to try something else,” hesaid. “I mentioned TV to a friend whohelped get me a job at Ricki Lake’sshow. My title there was audience

By KRISTI EVANS and KAREN WALLLINGFORD

There’s a special kind of kinship that develops among theater students at Northern

Michigan University. John Ogle, Dan Hicks, and Leah Hocking met as classmates, then

became friends, and were even roommates. More than fifteen years later, even though

they’ve taken slightly different roads, they’re still friends, and all three are working in the

entertainment industry in New York City — and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Once hooked, soap opera view-ers are incredibly loyal totheir favorite programs. It

appears they tune in not only to keeppace with the characters and cliff-hangers, but also the latest trends inclothing and accessories.

A recent visit to the As the WorldTurns Web site revealed that a largepercentage of viewer e-mails are fash-ion-related questions: Who designedthe dress Barbara wore at her weddingto Hal? What is the name and modelof the tote Margo carried to Simon andKatie’s court wedding? Where can Ipurchase the gray pants suit Camillewore in the April 14 episode?

Dan Hicks ’82 can answer thesequestions. He works in the wardrobeand design department of As theWorld Turns.

“It’s pretty ironic because I didn’tknow anything about dressing; I didn’teven know how to sew. People werewilling to show me the ropes because

they liked working with me.”The show’s executive producer

thought enough of Hicks to offer himthe role of a homeless person. Whilehe appeared in just seven episodes, itwas enough to garner a Soap OperaDigest award for best recurring roleof 1997.

Despite his brief stint in front ofthe cameras, Hicks seems contentworking behind the scenes. He andthree other wardrobe staff membersare responsible for running the show.They assemble the outfits and help theactors dress.

“We maintain continuity by writ-ing down what people are wearing ina scene so it’s the same when tapingpicks up again,” he said.

The wardrobe staff also catalogseach new item that arrives at the stu-dio. The inventory is more than 20,000pieces strong right now, and will onlyexpand with a monthly clothingbudget of $40,000.

Hicks previously worked at thesame location on the soap operaAnother World, which is no longer onthe air. The union he belongs to alsoallows him to freelance for the NBCToday show and for photo shoots thatappear in the soap opera magazines.

“There are only about 40 peopleworking in TV wardrobe in New YorkCity, so it’s actually a pretty small net-work,” he said. “It pays well and it’ssteady. Everyone around me considersit a career, but I’m the only one whotends to pooh-pooh what I do.”

Hicks finds the “hurry-up-and-wait” world of television much differ-ent than Broadway theater. Hearrived in the Big Apple about 15years ago, joining friends John Ogleand Leah Hocking from NMU. Afterwaiting tables and going to auditions,he was offered a part-time job as adresser for Phantom of the Opera. “Itwas highly choreographed because itwas such a huge production with so


coordinator, whichmeant booking the audi-ence by filling the seatswith the appropriatedemographic for theshow. For example, ifyou’re doing a show onpregnant teens, you wantto have a few pregnantteens in the audience.”

Then he movedback toward the creativetrack. Ogle spent twoyears with the FOX pro-gram Forgive or Forget,starring Robin Givens,before it was cancelled.He also enjoyed a short-lived run withthe Aimsley Harriott Show on NBC.

“I loved it there, but the showwas cancelled immediately. There was

a feeding frenzy for available talentafter that show ended. Someone thereworked on Live with Regis and recom-mended me. That’s how it usually

works: a word-of-mouthrecommendation anddemonstrated talent getyour foot in the door, butto stay there, you have tobe likable and easy towork with.”

His assignmentsmay vary, but Ogle hasevery intention of stayingput in New York City.

“I really like it here.It’s actually a simpleplace to live because it’sconcentrated; things areeither up, down, orcrossways. I’ve wanted

to live in New York ever since I was akid, and my [NMU] field studies tripreally confirmed that this was theplace for me.”

d a n h i c k s

WHILE IT MAY NOT BE JUST LIKE OLD TIMES, it’s pretty close. Dan Hicks, LeahHocking, and John Ogle got together after meeting with this year’s theater fieldstudies participants and giving them advice about getting into the entertain-ment business in New York City.

me. But I just love the theater somuch, too. It’s what I grew up with.”

In fact, Hocking grew up veryclose to the Forest Roberts Theatrestage at NMU. She’s a Marquettenative, and one of her best friendswas the daughter of retired NMU the-ater professor Jim Rapport. She saidthat the Rapport family, along with allof the theater faculty at Northern,have always been a strong influence.

She still feels those influencestoday each time one of her formerprofessors comes to see her perform.

“That kind of support, just tohave Dr. P and Dr. Rapport come tosee a show for the weekend — it

many costumes. One of the bodicesweighed 60 pounds!”

Other backstage work followed inthe productions Most Happy Fellow,Falsettos, and Tommy before Hicksmade the shift to television. In hind-sight, he credits NMU with preparinghim for graduate studies at BrandeisUniversity in Boston, and for lateremployment in New York City.

“I worked in the costume shop atNorthern,” he said. “Back then, Inever thought I would put that expe-

rience to use, but I’ve been at it for thelast 10 years. I’ve developed a goodsense of color, and I know what looksgood on different body types. I’ve alsolearned a lot of tricks to minimize thenegative and accentuate the positive.Water bras are the big thing now. Let’sjust say they make certain assetsappear more substantial than theyreally are.”

Hicks maintains an active interestin theater by attending off-Broadwayand experimental productions. He said

he really enjoys living in New YorkCity. His advice for surviving thereboils down to one word: flexibility.

“You need to allow yourself to trydifferent things. I used to beat myselfup because I wasn’t acting. At North-ern, I worked in many different areasrelated to theater, and that helped. It’simportant to expand your horizons asmuch as you can because you never

know which skills will help youdown the line.”

Leah Hocking ‘80-’83 seems tohave the wind at her back. Shehas a confident ease about her

— she smiles naturally and her laughcarries infectiously through whateverroom she’s in. She doesn’t seem likean actor who is between jobs. And yetthat’s right where Hocking is at themoment. Even she admits that some-thing has changed for her.

“I used to get really uptight if Ididn’t have work lined up, but I don’tfeel that right now because I feel sosupported by the people who I’veworked with and the people I’m audi-tioning for. Even if I don’t get the job, Ifeel really good about what I’ve done.”

This is a far cry from her first fewyears in New York City. Hockingmoved to the city about fifteen yearsago, and for her first five years, she didsummer stock and worked between 60and 70 hours a week as a waitress anda bartender to make ends meet.

About ten years ago, she wasclose to rock bottom. She had just fin-ished summer stock and had onlytwenty dollars to her name with no joband no prospects. She rememberedhaving a horrible attitude as sheapplied for waitressing jobs. But thenshe got the first of two significant

breaks. She received a phone callfrom the company manager for TheBest of Forbidden Broadway, whoasked her to be an understudy.She accepted the job and was inthe show for just under twoyears. She then was cast asSarah Brown in the Broadwayrevival of Guys and Dolls.

After a string of region-al theater jobs, Hockingunderstudied the role ofLucy in the Broadway productionJekyll and Hyde. While she said being apart of her first original Broadway castwas amazing, she added that experi-ence also made her realize she didn’twant to be an understudy again.

“You don’t get to make the roleyour own. It’s hard on your soul, andultimately that’s not why I got into thisbusiness. I got into this businessbecause I wanted to have the role. It’sthe only thing I’ve every wanted to do.”

Theater is Hocking’s first love,and she said she always knew she’dend up in New York. However, shealso admitted to feeling lured by thesilver screen.

“I kind of always wanted to be amovie star,” she said. “I’d still love todo movies; it just hasn’t happened for


l e a h h o c k i n g

makes you feel so good.”Hocking now has an impressive

list of Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional the-ater credits to her name. Shehas added to her Broadwayexperience by playing Marty inGrease and Mae in The Wild Party.In addition to numerous regionalshows, she has played title roles inEducating Rita, Evita, and TheDuchess of Malfi at theaters includingMilwaukee Repertory, IndianaRepertory, TUTS in Houston, and thePapermill Playhouse.

Hocking has never been in thesame show for much longer than ayear and half, and that is by her owndesign. She said she has never let her-self stay in a show until she wasburnt out in a role.

“I can generally gauge when it’stime for me to go, and I’ll go. I maynot have a job lined up, but I’ll takethat chance.”

Hocking attributes her success toperseverance and a strong belief inherself.

“Most of the time when you’recoming into this business, the onlything you have to hang onto is thefact that you believe you’re talented,because nobody else is going to tellyou that.”

Fifteen years later, Hocking ishaving a great time. Like she said,something has changed for her. Evenauditions — which she used to findnerve wracking — don’t seem asintimidating. She has learned to havefun and not take the results personally.

“It doesn’t have anything to dowith you, and if it does, it’s becauseyou’re too tall or too short or tooyoung or too old. Those are thingsyou can’t control, and the sooner youlearn that the better,” she said. “Ofcourse, it’s taken me how many yearsto learn it.” ■


Weathering the storm“New York is literally a city on caffeine,” said Dan Roberts’96 when addressing a group of NMU theater field studystudents in New York City in March. “The pace can beoverwhelming.”

He recalled when he was a student on this same fieldstudies trip six years ago. He was getting ready to go to theKennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where he wouldperform the lead role in Professor Shelley Russell’saward-winning musical Haywire. He remembered listen-ing to Leah Hocking ’80-’83 talk about her experiencesin New York. As Roberts listened to Hocking tell sto-

ries of ten years of heartache, hardship, and constant audi-tioning, he remembered thinking, “That’s not going to be me. I’ll come

here and take it by storm.” But instead, he was swept away by the storm.Before Roberts moved to New York in 1996, he had never really experi-

enced rejection. He went to New York with what he calls a “fearless naivete”and spent his first two months throwing himself at every audition he could.After thirty auditions, Roberts hadn’t heard back from a single one.

“It was really eye opening — humbling,” he said.During those first few months, Roberts learned one of his first lessons

about professional theater — know who you look like. Casting directors sawhim as a high school or college kid, and he wasn’t being considered for any-thing outside of that range.

Learning that lesson paid off. Roberts read a character description that heknew he was perfect for. He auditioned for a part in a touring substance pre-vention show called Half Way There and was offered the job on the spot.

But in 1997, he had another dry spell. Disenchanted, he left New York andspent the next five months living with his parents, trying to sort it all out. Hethen moved to San Francisco to be with his girlfriend Lorraine, who is also anactor, and pursue acting work in California. He worked on a couple of inde-pendent films, but in the spring of 1998, the couple — married and expectingtheir first child — decided to move back to New York to be closer to family.

Roberts found work in a few off-off-Broadway productions, but he quicklylearned that sporadic acting jobs weren’t enough to support a growing family.He would have to look beyond the stage doors.

After working a variety of jobs — from clerical to construction — about ayear ago Roberts landed a job with T.V. Guide working as a researcher. Hesaid it’s the happiest he’s been with a non-acting job.

But the comfort of a full-time job presents a sort of catch 22 for the aspir-ing actor. His job doesn’t give him the flexibility to audition for, or accept,many of the parts he’d be right for.

Don’t think for a minute that Roberts has given up his dream of being afull-time professional actor. While he may have been swept away at first, hehas weathered the storm and feels he now has a more realistic perspective.

“It’s been a long and interesting journey,” Roberts said. “I know whatI’m up against, and I know I have opportunities. The real trick is holding onto your optimism.”

—KW


Development Fund

Continuing a family legacyCampaign gift helps NMU students

Allyn Roberts ’50 grew up, lit-erally, at the edge of a theaterstage. Some of his earliest

memories are of being three or fouryears old and tagging along with hisparents, Forest and Esther Roberts, toold Kaye Hall for play practice.

“I grew up with theater. It’s in myblood,” said Roberts.

Recently, the Roberts family madea gift to This Decisive Season: TheCampaign for Northern MichiganUniversity of more than $14,000 toestablish the newly created ForestRoberts Family Endowment. Theendowment will provide scholarshipsfor Northern students majoring in the-ater or speech.

“As well as being the placewhere my mother and father dedi-cated their professional lives, North-ern is also my alma mater, and I per-sonally wanted to do something tosupport its theater program,” saidRoberts. “When my daughter died, Idecided this fund would be a goodway to honor Forest and EstherRoberts and Cheralyn RobertsRamirez — Forest’s granddaughter.”

Forest Roberts came to Northernin 1928 as an English professor. Duringhis four decades at Northern, hehelped establish the Department ofSpeech (now Communications andPerformance Studies) and served as itsdepartment head, was Northern’sdirector of forensics, director of theUpper Peninsula Forensics and DebateLeagues, manager of the U.P. DebateLeague, and served as an officialCertification Officer for the MichiganState Department of Speech Pathology.He also taught NMU’s first dramacourses and directed many universitytheater productions.

In 1969, Northern honored thelongtime professor by renaming theuniversity’s Little Theatre as theForest Roberts Theatre.

“I believe that support for the uni-versity’s performing arts is very impor-tant,” said Roberts. “Skills learnedfrom participation in the arts are bene-ficial to so many different careers.”

Allyn Roberts, who majored inchemistry and psychology atNorthern, is a clinical psychologistand currently serves as the clinicalservice director of PsychologyAssociates in Madison, Wisconsin.

But when he goes wanderingdown memory lane, he often findshimself back with his father near theNMU stage.

“I remember one time — I musthave been about seven or eight — andForest was directing a George BernardShaw play at Kaye Hall. There wasthis young man in the play who was

having a terrible time rememberinghis lines, so he’d ad lib. His ad libbingincreased through each scene. Finally,Forest halted practice and dramaticallyannounced, ‘As this performance goeson it has become less of a Shaw andmore of a Lowenstein.’ I ran intoAaron Lowenstein ’33 — who wenton to become a lawyer — one summermany years later and he started tellingme that story and I said, ‘I rememberthat. I was there.’”

When he recalls his ownNorthern experience, Roberts says hereceived a quality education thathelped him build a strong foundationfor his graduate and doctoral studies.

“There was a lot of interactionbetween the faculty members and stu-dents,” he said. “I appreciated theirtime and attention. I hope today’sNMU students still experience thatkind of interaction because it is part ofwhat made Northern special.”

Allyn Roberts ’50, Troy Roberts Ramirez (who will be a freshman at NMU this fall), ForestRoberts, and Cheralyn Roberts Ramirez.

Taking a chance to give

Afew weeks ago, Diana(Hannuksela) Bennett ‘89,the administrative assistant

for NMU’s Board of Control andDevelopment Fund, was organizingthe 2001-02 application for fundingforms submitted by students, facultyand staff to the NMU DevelopmentFund Office.

Each spring the DevelopmentFund’s Executive Board reviews therequests, then uses undesignatedgifts from the Annual Fund to sup-port as many projects as possible.The cost of the proposals range froma few hundred dollars to thousands,but each represents a need or ideathat comes directly from NMU com-munity members.

As Bennett rifled through thesheets, she kept returning to a requestfrom an Art and Design professor totake his students to a special artexhibit at a museum in Green Bay.Cost of the request: $275. But theexhibit itself was going to happenbefore the committee would meet to

recommend funding.“I kept looking at that sheet and I

thought, ‘Those kids might miss thatopportunity because of unfortunatetiming.’ My next thought was, ‘I couldfund this,’” Bennett said. So shewalked into the adjoining office andtold her co-worker, “I’d like to make agift to Northern to send these stu-dents to this exhibit.” Back at her deska few minutes later, Bennett wroteacross the top of the application,“Funded by a private donor.”

“I didn’t do it to get publicity,”said Bennett, who pointed out that 60percent of Northern faculty and staff, athird of who are alumni, contribute tothe university annually. “But I guesswhat other alums should know is youdon’t have to build a building to helpa Northern student. The biggest gift toNorthern is getting involved — inwhatever way is best for you.”

To obtain a list of unfundedrequests, e-mail [email protected] orcall the NMU Development Office at906-227-2627.

At the close of January, ThisDecisive Season: The Campaignfor Northern Michigan

University surpassed $27 million ingifts and pledges, thus putting thefundraising effort at 90 percent of its$30 million goal.

“Hitting this milestone istremendously exciting,” said LoriRebhan, executive director of NMU’sDevelopment Fund. “The initial feasi-bility study in 1996 of Northern’spotential for a first-time comprehen-sive campaign recommended a goalof $16 million. Taking a leap of faiththat NMU alumni and friends would

support gifts for critical needs nearlydouble that, the goal was set at $30million. Now we’re in the home-stretch.”

The campaign surpassed the $16million mark in January 1999, and the$25 million mark in April 2000 whenthe campaign was made public.

This Decisive Season is youropportunity to make NMU your topphilanthropic priority. No gift is toolarge or too small to support educa-tion. Every investment in this cam-paign is an investment in the futuredevelopment of NMU students, fac-ulty, staff, and alumni.

CAMPAIGN UPDATEThis Decisive Season:

The Campaign for NorthernMichigan University

Student success and accessGoal: $12 millionEndowed scholarships, the Annual Fund,programs for innovative teaching andlearning, and technology advancements.

Received $10.3 million toward goal...$1.7 million to go.

Improving campus facilitiesGoal: $8 millionGlenn T. Seaborg Science Complex,Berry Events Center, Izzo-MariucciAcademic Center, Reynolds Concert Hall,and other on-campus facilities projects.

Received $4.6 million toward goal...$3.4 million to go.

Investing in the people of NMUGoal: $6 millionEndowed professorships and facultychairs, funds for faculty and staff leader-ship and development opportunities.

Received $242,129 toward goal...$5.6 million to go.

Outreach and partnershipsGoal: $4 millionPublic radio and television, economicdevelopment, and educational outreachprograms.

Received $3.8 million toward goal...$200,000 to go.

Other gifts received(no goal set)Unrestricted funds, pending designation,planned gifts, and gifts-in-kind.

Received $8.5 million.

25% 50% 75% 100%

25% 50% 75% 100%

25% 50% 75% 100%

25% 50% 75% 100%

Ninety percent!


In 1976, Northern Michigan

University began the ice age with

the addition of a Division I men’s

ice hockey team. Twenty-five years

later, the ice age is still present as

Wildcat hockey has become one of

the most respected and successful

programs in the country.

The highlight of Northern’s

hockey history occurred when the

Wildcats captured the 1991 NCAA

Championship. In its 25-year exis-

tence, NMU has reached the NCAA

Tournament on seven occasions in

addition to winning one regular sea-

son WCHA crown, three WCHA

Playoff Championships, two regular-

season CCHA titles, and two CCHA

Playoff Championships.

NMU launched its hockey pro-

gram under the tutelage of Head

Coach Rick Comley, who has a record

Sports


1977-78The Wildcat teamofficially becomes amember of theCentral CollegiateHockey Association.

1979-80In its fourth year ofexistence, theWildcat hockeyteam goes to theFrozen Four,becoming the firstCCHA team toreach the NCAAChampionshipgame. TheWildcatsbeatMinnesota inthe firstround of theNCAATournamentbefore losingto NorthDakota in thetitle game.

1980-81

NMU continues itssuccess with asecond CCHAregular-season title.It finishes in fourthplace in the NCAATournament.

1984-85The Wildcat hockeyprogram switchesfrom the CCHA tothe WesternCollegiate HockeyAssociation.

1989NMU captures itsfirst of three WCHAPlayoff titles,advancing to thefirst round of theNCAA Tournament.

1976

The NMU Division Imen’s hockeyprogram beginsunder Rick Comley.Their firstvictory camethree gamesinto the seasonwith a 5-3 winagainstComley’s almamater, LakeSuperior StateUniversity.

NMU Hockey: A winning tra

In addition to

coaching many cham-

pionship teams and

award-winning ath-

letes, he is a two-time

winner (1980 and

1991) of the Spencer

Penrose Memorial

Trophy, given to

college hockey’s national coach of

the year. He has twice been named

the CCHA Coach of the Year (1979-80

and 1980-81) and WCHA Coach of

the Year (1988-89 and 1990-91).

Comley also acted as head coach of

the West team in the 1981 Senior East-

West All-Star game.


Wildcats in the NHLDon Waddell (1977-80)General Manager,Atlanta Thrashers

Walt Kyle (1979-81)Assistant Coach, NewYork Rangers

Brad Werenka (1987-91)Calgary Flames

Ed Ward (1988-91)New Jersey Devils

Dallas Drake (1988-92)St. Louis Blues

Dieter Kochan (1993-97)Tampa Bay Lightning

J.P. Vigier (1997-2000)Atlanta Thrashers

1991-92NMU wins its thirdWCHA Playoff title.

1997-98A new era for theWildcat hockeyprogram begins asit rejoins the CentralCollegiate HockeyAssociation.

1998-99The team advancesto the NCAATournament for thefirst time since1992-93.

1999-2000The Berry EventsCenter becomes thenew home of theWildcats. Theyconclude the seasonin third place in theCCHA, their highestleague rating since1992-93.

1990-91The Wildcatscomplete theseason with aschool-record 26-game winningstreak, capturingthe MacNaughtonCup, the WCHAPlayoff title, and thenational title in aclimactic 8-7 victoryover BostonUniversity in threeovertimes.

of 512 wins in his 25

years at NMU. He is

the 12th college hock-

ey coach to win 450

games at one school.

This season, Coach

Comley surpassed

John MacInnes in the

NCAA All-Time

Coaching Win List

with 571 career wins.

adition


Pre-1960sTyyne Parviainen ’44, ’54 of Ishpemingis a retired teacher.

Melvin Holli ’57 of River Forest, Ill.,was appointed to the Organization ofAmerican Historians Hawley Book Prizecommittee, which selects the best bookin political history published in the year2000. His biography will appear inWho’s Who in America and the 2001 edi-tion of Who’s Who in the World.

Edward Kukuk ’48 of Iron Mountain wasinducted into the Upper Peninsula SportsHall of Fame. He was inducted into theNMU Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.

Robert Bess ’58 of Harrison is anadjunct instructor at Mid-MichiganCommunity College. He teaches coursesin the Computer Information SystemsDepartment and provides corporatesoftware training through the Businessand Industry Development Center.

Joy Holman ’62, ’67 MA of Warrenretired after working for 38 years in theFitzgerald School District. She was aprincipal and central administrator.

Joseph Todey ’62, ’65 MA of Essexvilleretired from Essexville schools and isworking at Hereford and Hops restau-rant in Bay City as a host and reserva-tion manager.

Dorothy “Dottie” (Sandstrom) Willner’62 of Kingwood, Texas, retired after 38years of service to the community. Shewas a speech and language pathologist.She now is enjoying travel, hobbies,nature, and her family.

John Moffat ’63 of Arnold, Md., wasrecently awarded a doctorate in policysciences by the University of Maryland,Baltimore graduate school. He intendsto begin a second career teaching collegecourses in American government andpolitics. He is a retired Captain with theU.S. Navy.

Jack Barry ’64, ’65 MA of Hot SpringsVillage, Ark., retired from Mt. Morris

High School after 35 years of teaching.For 26 of those years he was the boys’golf coach. He was inducted into theMichigan Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in1999.

Frank Stipech ’67 of Chassell wasrecently promoted to operations manag-er for the Upper Peninsula PowerCompany. He will assume responsibilityfor overall daily operations at UPPCO.His wife is Sharon (Aho) Stipech ’68.

70sGretchen (Sipes) Anderson ’70 ofBellingham, Wash., was recently pro-moted to admissions administrator ofthe Woodring College of Education atWestern Washington University.

Frank DeMare ’71 of Grosse Ile is thegeneral manager of sales with NationalSteel Corporation, the fourth largeststeel producer in the United [email protected]

Vicki (Lustila) Pike ’71 of Sugar Land,Texas, received a master’s in educationwith specialization in instructional tech-nology from Houston Baptist University.She is a fourth grade ELA teacher at Ft.Bend Independent School District. [email protected]

Karen (Burgess) Cleary ’74, ’78 MA ofKlawock, Alaska, was recently namedassistant superintendent of the KlawockCity School District.

Mary (Glatus) Nash ’74 of Birmingham,Ala., was recently named chief operat-ing officer for the University of Alabamaat Birmingham Hospital. She will servea dual role, retaining her position aschief nursing officer for the hospital.

Peggy (McCracken) Hoeft ’75 ofDundee, Ill., graduated from Roosevelt

University with a master’s degree inpublic administration-health servicesmanagement. She is the technical super-visor for Transfusion Services/Serologyat St. Alexius Medial Center in HoffmanEstates, Ill., and just passed her 26thanniversary as a medical [email protected]

Carl Pletzke ’75 of Oak Hill, Va., retiredfrom the Central Intelligence Agencyand the U.S. Navy Reserves. He now isa senior security manager with Booz,Allen & Hamilton in McLean, [email protected]

Howard Schultz ’75 of Seattle, Wash.,recently became one of the owners ofthe Seattle Sonics and Storm basketballteams. He is the chairman of StarbucksCoffee Company.

Gary Allen ’76 of Manitowoc, Wis., is amanager with Shopko. He has been em-ployed with Shopko since he graduated.

Stuart Betts ’76 of Green Bay, Wis., hasconcluded more than 20 years of activeduty service with the U.S. MarineCorps. [email protected]

Marco Vialpando ’76 recently completedfive years service with Cubic, Inc., a U.S.Department of Defense contractor. He isnow serving at the Combined BattleSimulation Center in Seoul, Korea, as acommand and control analyst. He is aretired Army officer. [email protected]

John Ashley ’77 of Orlando, Fla., is anassistant athletic director for CypressCreek High School and was recentlyappointed the head coach of boys’ varsitylacrosse. [email protected]

Kathleen Brutsche ’77 of Battle Creekreceived the St. Philip Catholic CentralDistinguished Alumni Award lastSeptember. She is a registered nurse in

Keeping Track

“Thanks go to Lucy Contois (my favorite teacher and friend) of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program

for a wonderful foundation.”P E G G Y ( M C C R A C K E N ) H O E F T ’ 7 5


the emergency room and ambulatory careservices at Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall.

Gail (Brugger) Goldsmith ’78 ofInterlochen is a social worker supportcoordinator for Great Lakes CommunityMental Health. She works with develop-mentally disabled children, providingservice to them and their families. Shehas two sons: Nathan, 13; and Alex, 9.

Edward Rossi ’78 of Apple Valley,Minn., is a lieutenant with theDepartment of Defense [email protected]

Gerald Franti ’79 of Burnsville, Minn.,obtained his master’s degree in bassoonperformance from Ohio University aftergraduating from NMU. He then spent20 years teaching and concertizing withsecondary band and orchestra students.He is currently making a career shift towork in the field of international travelwith Group Travel Directors ofMinneapolis, which involves arrangingmusical concert tours and study abroadprograms with [email protected]

Lynn Parsons ’79, ’87 MA ofMurfreesboro, Tenn., was promoted toAssociate Director of the MiddleTennessee State University School ofNursing. She will mainly be involvedwith faculty research and development.

80sBruce Angel ’80 of Saline is a registerednurse and first assistant of adult cardiacsurgery at the University of MichiganMedical Center in Ann Arbor.

Soren Christensen ’80 of Virginia Beach,Va., recently transferred to the NavalHospital in Portsmouth. He is a com-mander in the U.S. Navy.

Mark Kaiser ’80 of Long Beach, Calif.,was recently promoted to divisionmanager in Yamaha’s Parts Division.He is responsible for inventory control,logistics, export sales, and warehouseoperations for their nationwide distri-

bution network. He recently finishedthe master’s of business administrationprogram at [email protected]

Laurie (Burry) Blondy ’81 of Northvillewelcomed the birth of her son, Benjamin.

Christine (McLaughlin) Garceau ’81, ’87MA of Marquette is currently teachingAD117 Introduction to Black and WhitePhotography at NMU as an adjunct fac-ulty member. She has taught the sameclass for the past six spring sessions.

Raymond Kumpula ’81, ’99 MA ofGlenrock Wyo., is a teacher in theConverse County School District.

Donald McGehee ’81 of Okemos hastwo daughters: Caitlin, 9; and Casey, 7.He is an assistant attorney general forthe State of Michigan.

Mark Bonenfant ’82 of Calumet wasawarded the Upper Peninsula VolunteerFirefighter of the Year award at the sum-mer meeting of the U.P. FirefightersAssociation for entering a burning apart-ment and rescuing a trapped woman. Heis a teacher at Calumet High School.

Clifford Smith ’82 of Palm Harbor, Fla.,is the national sales manager atAOL/Time Warners’ Tampa BayInterconnect and Bay News Nine.During his years in Michigan he sailedin 19 Mackinac yacht [email protected]

Lillian (Wise) Bonetti ’84 of Fletcher,N.C., was awarded a Silver Wallieaward for single audience publicationsat the Carolinas Healthcare PublicRelations and Marketing Society confer-ence in Charleston. She is communica-tions coordinator for TransylvaniaCommunity Hospital in [email protected]

Tracie (Bishop) Kochanny ’84 ofMidland is regional vice president forthe American Heart Association. Herhusband is Paul Kochanny ’[email protected]

John Clemo ’85 of Arroyo Grande,Calif., is an actor in residence with theGreat American [email protected]

Michael Ethington ’85 of Grand Rapidsis a first officer and co-pilot with UnitedAirlines out of O’Hare Airport inChicago, Ill. Following his graduation,he was a fighter/bomber pilot in theU.S. Navy. He has two children.

Mark Simon ’86 of Marquette is a finan-cial planner with American Express.

Peter Doyle ’87 of Seattle, Wash., is mar-ried and has two sons: Evan, 3; andThomas, 2. He is a senior technical serv-ices consultant with Virginia MarsonMedical Center. [email protected]

Theresa Larson ’88, ’90 MA of Anoka,Minn., is the music director at theChurch of St. Patrick in Oak Grove.

Nicholas Whallon ’88 of Anaheim,Calif., is a data entry operator atOfficeteam Employment Services inIrvine. [email protected]

Jon Zdrojewski ’88 of Cass City receiveda master of arts degree in teaching fromSaginaw Valley State University. He hasbeen married for ten years and has threechildren. He teaches 8th grade scienceand math in Cass City and coaches trackand field. [email protected]

90sJennifer (McLean) Ellis ’91 ofLaingsburg is a training and counselingofficer with the Michigan NationalGuard at Ft. Custer in Augusta. [email protected]

Kiana (Knoell) Kustowski ’91 ofBeavercreek, Ohio, is a productionsupervisor in the advertising salesdepartment of Time Warner Cable.

Donna (Sawyer) Perkins ’91 ofGoodrich is a sales representative withContinental Teves and recently had herthird child, Emily. [email protected]

Seanan Holland ’92 of Woodbridge, Va.,


Keeping Track

Television viewers whoindulged in the guiltypleasure of Temptation

Island couldn’t help but noticethe gorgeous scenery. We’renot referring to the bronzedand sculpted participants,but the natural resources ofBelize. With its white coralsandy beaches and densepalm trees, the country hasbecome a popular backdrop formusic videos, commercials, televi-sion programs, and movies.

It’s a view Jim Scott ‘87enjoys and markets on adaily basis. As general manager of the Journey’s EndResort, Scott hosted the entire Temptation Island productioncrew; the cast stayed at a couple of nearby resorts.

“I was hired on a retainer for a month and managedthe logistical itinerary for the cast and crew in terms oftransportation and expeditions,” he said. “They choseBelize because of its proximity to the United States and itsdiversity in terms of natural surroundings and culture. Ihad these people caving, horseback riding, snorkeling,repelling, hiking, and fishing all over Belize. It was greatexposure for the area.”

Like any good story, this one had a climactic endingas well. Hurricane Keith hit the island just after shootingwrapped, but before the crew had checked out.

“The island I live on (Ambergris Caye) is so narrowthat I can hit water with two throws of a football from oneside to the other. We were held up in 10 rooms on the sec-ond story and watched the island disappear, except for the

trees. Winds were up to 130 knotsand 40-foot coconut trees were

parallel to the ground. Ithink I became somewhatof an actor, because Iknew my staff’s andguests’ fear would beexponentially greaterthan mine, so I pretended

everything would be allright.”

Scott traveled to Belize in1987 as a Peace Corps volunteer.

He began working in the tourismindustry two years later.His wife, Debbie — a

native of the country — works in the same field, specializ-ing in Web site design and management. The couple hastwo children: Alina, 6; and Alistair, 5.

A few familiar faces from NMU’s past and presenthave traveled to the Journey’s End Resort over the years.Scott said he “would like to see more Yoopers down here.”He is now busy embarking on a new business enterprise.

“I will be building and managing my own fly-fishingadventure center in southern Belize starting this year,” hesaid. “It will offer high-end clientele a rustic experiencewith creature comforts — very exotic.”

Scott can still reflect on hosting the crew of one of themost talked-about network programs of the season. Hewill have to rely on his memory, though. Scott hasn’towned a television in 10 years. Why should he? No reasonto live vicariously through the small screen when a tropi-cal paradise looms large right outside your door.

—Kristi Evans

Welcome to Temptation IslandJ I M S C O T T ’ 8 7

Jim Scott (center) welcomes visitors to his corner of paradise.

is currently studying military science atthe Marine Corps AmphibiousWarfighting School in Quantico. He is inthe U.S. Marines. [email protected]

Brent Olson ’92 of Ann Arbor went tothe top of the Times Square Building onNew Year’s Eve and touched the crystal

ball. He also attended the inaugurationof President George W. Bush inWashington, D.C. He is a corporateauditor at General [email protected]

Jenell Meachum ’93, ’99 MA ofCedarville is a teacher consultant with

her district and the State of Michigan.She received her master’s degree inelementary education and learning dis-abilities under the guidance of Dr.Dennis Badazeski and the late Dr.Marjorie McKee.

Tracy Younk ’94 of Sarasota, Fla., is an


assistant underwriter with ZenithInsurance Company.

Julie Caldwell ’95 of Knoxville, Tenn., isin her second year of the doctorate ofcommunications program at theUniversity of Tennessee. She is teachingbroadcast news writing and is advisingthe department of broadcasting’s radiostation WUTK-FM. Julie says she wouldlove to hear from any of the crew fromHunt Hall. [email protected]

Joseph Gaffney ’95 of Marquette worksfor Universal Hospital Services, anational medical equipment providerbased out of Bloomington, Minn. He hastwo children: Colin, 1; and Nora, 2 1/[email protected]

Greg Geiselman ’95 has returned toMarquette and is now the materialsmanager for Pioneer SurgicalTechnology. [email protected]

Annette Johnson ’95 of Mt. Prospect, Ill.,is an executive assistant with EnescoGroup, Inc. [email protected].

William Baker ’96 of Cleveland, Ohio,graduated from law school and haspassed the Ohio Bar Examination. He isnow an associate attorney in theCleveland law firm of Wuliger, Fadel &Beyer. [email protected]

Lynn (DeYoung) Budd ’96 ofInterlochen is a teacher at the SylvanLearning Center in Traverse City. She ismarried to Jay Budd ’[email protected]

Greg Wood ’96 of Pittsburgh, Pa.,advanced to candidacy in the doctoralprogram in history at the University ofPittsburgh. He is a teaching fellow at the

university. [email protected]

Karen (Forrest) Burke ’97 of Green Bay,Wis., is a corporate trainer for SchneiderLogistics. [email protected]

Jason Graunke ’97 of Appleton, Wis.,was promoted to lab manager with INXInternational. His wife Amy (Emery)Graunke ’97 is a senior planner atOmni. [email protected]

Kari Marcotte ’97, ’99 MA of FortWayne, Ind., recently accepted the posi-tion of director of career developmentcenter at Olivet College in Olivet, Mich.She provides career counseling, studentemployment, and full-time employmentservices for students and alumni. Herhusband is Paul White III ’92, ’95 [email protected]

“My life after NMU has been a wonderful journey. I never thought that I would be inEurope training associates when I took the position with Schneider Logistics back in Mayof 2000. Although my husband Brian and I only lived in Marquette for four years, it will

always be my home. Thanks, NMU.”K A R E N ( F O R E S T ) B U R K E ’ 9 7

Moving? Promoted? Change Careers? Personal Updates? Exciting News?TELL US SO WE CAN PUT IT IN ‘KEEPING TRACK’

(and update our records)

Stay in touch with your alma mater! Tell us what’s new in your life. (Attach a separate page if you have alot to say or don’t want to write this small.) Include a recent photo if you have one — we may be able touse it in Horizons.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________________________Last First M.I. Maiden

Home Address: _______________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________

Year of Graduation:_____________________ Major:_________________________

Home Phone:_________________________________________________________

Business Name: ______________________________________________________

Business Phone: ______________________________________________________

Occupation: __________________________________________________________

Business Address: _____________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________

E-mail address: _______________________________________________________

Send to Alumni Office, Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855, e-mail to [email protected] or send via NMU’s WWW page: www.nmu.edu/alumni.


Keeping Track

Brandy Burns ’98 of Escanaba is work-ing on a master’s of public administra-tion degree at NMU and is a supportcoordinator with [email protected]

Rachel Aleknavicius ’99 of RedondoBeach, Calif., is an actuarial analyst withPacifiCare. [email protected]

Adriane (Dilloway) Dorais ’99 ofCadillac works in the marketing/funddevelopment department at the WestShore Medical Center in Manistee. Herhusband, Eric Dorais ’98, works inadvertising at Northern StarBroadcasting. [email protected]

Braden Graham ’99 of Troy is a fieldmarketing specialist with CarlsonMarketing Group. [email protected]

Jackie Wainio ’99 of Negaunee is a lawstudent at Drake Law School.

Allison Watkins ’99 of Perry Point, Md.,is a team leader with AmeriCorps’National Civilian Community Corps, anational service program that provideshelp to communities in [email protected]

00sDavid Foster ’00 of East Lansing han-dles constituent relations for MichiganState Senator Walter North. [email protected]

DeathsEvelyn (Oliver) Anderson ’19, Nov. 9,2000, Negaunee.

Edith (Jackson) Griffiths ’26, Dec. 3,2000, Escanaba.

Charlotte (Danielson) Autio ’28, Nov.23, 2000, Raleigh, N.C.

Diadama “Dama” Mason ’28, ’54, Nov.20, 2000, Houghton.

A. Laverne (Nicholls) Dahlin ’29, Dec.15, 2000, Escanaba.

Ingrid (Franz) Kilpela ’31, Feb. 5, 2001,Newberry.

Dorice (Gray) Brown ’33, ’36, Dec. 20,2000, Westland.

Luella (Raymond) Johnson ’33, ’56, Jan.6, 2001, Marquette.

Marvin Houghton ’34, Jan. 25, 2001,Wautoma, Wis.

Lois (Rowe) Olson ’34, Jan. 13, 2001,Marquette.

Miriam (Koljonen) Souvola ’34, ’42, ’63MA, Dec. 26, 2000, Calumet.

Verna (Lepisto) Koskinen ’36, Nov. 26,2000, San Diego,Calif.

Victor “Vic’ Mankiewicz ’39, ’39 MA,Jan. 4, 2001, Rock.

Helen (Tuomela) Sargent ’40, Oct. 30,2000, Richmond, Ind.

Gerald “Gerry” Grundstrom ’41, Feb.20, 2001, Marquette.

Benjamin Holman ’42, Oct. 8, 2000,Calumet.

Bonnie (Porter) Rogers ’43, Feb. 4, 2001,Sault Ste. Marie.

Rev. Harry Banbury ’50, Dec. 9, 2000,White Pine.

John Maloney ’50, Jan. 1, 2001, IronMountain.

Lawrence Nobert ’52, Nov. 27, 2000,Marquette.

Michael Bishop ’54, Nov. 20, 2000,Marquette.

V. Ellen (Nikka) Johnson ’55, Nov. 21,2000, Republic.

Ronald Pertile ’58, ’62 MA, Dec. 11,2000, Escanaba.

Patrick Coyne ’59, Jan. 23, 2001,Escanaba.

Richard Lusa ’60, ’61 MA, Sept. 20,2000, Hurley, Wis.

Nell (Pavlot) Veeser ’61, Dec. 10, 2000,Spalding.

Vera (Swanson) Clairmont ’63, Jan. 14,2001, Escanaba.

Freda (Lanphierd) Smith ’63, Dec. 21,2000, Vassar.

Daniel Bonetti ’64, Nov. 3, 2000, IronRiver.

Albert “Abby” Christensen ’65, Jan. 18,2001, Marquette.

Susan (Mikkola) Beck ’67, Jan. 30, 2001,Baraga.

Mark DeKeyser ’68, Dec. 16, 2000,Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Barbara (King) Bonifas ’69, Oct. 27,2000, Manistique.

James “Jim” Lindstrom ’69, Nov. 25,2000, Escanaba.

Daune (Langestaff) Weiss ’69, Oct. 24,2000, Gaylord.

Roger Spargo ’71, Nov. 17, 2000,Gladstone.

Sandra (Peltier) Caden ’72, Jan. 12,2001, Marquette.

Josephine (St. Juliana) Linderoth ’75,Oct. 12, 2000, Hermansville.

Anthony Nardi ’77, Nov. 20, 2000,Ishpeming.

Josephine Rossi ’79, July 17, 2000,Apple Valley, Minn.

L. Anne (Kuusisto) Hintsala ’80, Dec. 3,2000, Escanaba.

David Sonderschafer ’90 MA, Oct. 28,2000, Skandia.

Knute Wolfe ’94, Dec. 3, 2000,Limestone.

Stephen Kirtley ’98, Jan. 1, 2001,Marquette.

FriendsIsabelle Beaudry, Feb. 1, 2001, NMUemployee, housekeeper in AuxiliaryServices.

Philip Doepke, Feb. 11, 2001, NMUemployee, assistant professor in theBiology Department.

LaVerne Ellis, Nov. 28, 2000, NMUemployee, cook in Auxiliary Enterprises.

Ronald Lewis, Nov. 7, 2000, NMUemployee, the first acting dean of busi-ness at NMU.


John Lennon once said that lifeis what happens while you aremaking other plans. That seemsto be a fitting epigram forSachiko (Nishizawa) Willis ’92.She came to NMU as a foreignexchange student from Yokaichi,Marquette’s sister city in Japan.What started as a one-year schol-arship program turned into alife-altering experience and acareer more than eight thousandmiles away from her homeland.

“Shelley Russell [NMU the-ater professor] gets the blame,”Sachiko joked. “She’s the onewho cast me, so she gets theblame.”

Other than the opportunity to learn in another country,Sachiko didn’t have any concrete goals when she came tothe United States. That changed near the end of her scholar-ship year at Northern when she met a couple of actors fromNMU’s Theatre Department. They convinced her to auditionfor Russell’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and,to her surprise, she got a part as one of the fairies. It was herfirst stage experience, and it changed the course of her life.

“That’s when — as they say — ‘the bug bit me,’”Sachiko said. “Ever since then, I’ve known that this is what Iwant to do.”

Sachiko went back to Japan for eight months to finishher studies and then planned to return to Northern for onesemester to explore her new-found interest in theater.

But once again, Shelley Russell and another friend inthe Theatre Department intervened. They told Sachiko ifshe could get an on-campus job, find an inexpensive placeto live, and get as many scholarships as possible, she couldstay and finish a degree at Northern. Although a dauntingset of tasks, Sachiko’s enthusiasm was piqued, and she wasconvinced. She stayed and has been living in the UnitedStates ever since.

“Shelley was very helpful in introducing me into thisnew world,” Sachiko said. “Her energy, her passion —

everything — carried methrough this whole process.She’s one of my role models.”

After graduating fromNorthern, Sachiko’s interestsshifted from acting to the theo-retical and behind-the-scenesaspects of the theater industry.She went on to earn a master’sdegree in theater theory fromMiami University. While inOhio, she met her husband Jack,who is also an actor.

The couple moved to NewYork three years ago whenSachiko’s husband was cast inthe Broadway show Old

Neighborhood. She started working as an intern for TheActing Company, a touring company out of Juilliard, andwas soon given an interim position as company manager.She then worked as a communications associate for the PanAmerican Repertory Theatre — one of the oldest AsianAmerican theater companies in America. Now she’s the gen-eral manager of Ping Chong and Company and PickupPerformance Company, both non-profit, touring experimen-tal arts organizations.

While Sachiko and her husband hadn’t planned onstaying in New York, it now looks like they’ll be there for awhile. Sachiko is energized by her job and the creativity ofher boss and the artists she works with. She said the man-agement side of theater suits her character. And her hus-band was recently cast as Menalaus in the off-Broadwayproduction of Troilus and Cressida.

While it’s hard to say with certainty, Sachiko believesher life in the United States is better than it would havebeen had she stayed in Japan.

“I don’t think I would have had as many options,” shesaid. “Theater is not as highly regarded in Japan, so it mighthave been much more difficult. My parents still ask, ‘Whenyou grow up, what are you going to do?’ They don’t believethat I actually get paid for this.”

—Karen Wallingford

Staying Longer than ExpectedS A C H I K O W I L L I S ’ 9 2

Keeping Track

MarriagesCheryl Bollero ’83, ’86 toDavid Oberstar.

John Clemo ’85 to PattiWristen.

Patrick Kaski ’88 to TerriYoung ’94.

Joseph Haggenmiller ’91 toAmy Hume ’97, ’98.

Ann Mileski ’92 to DanielDeLong.

Sheila Balko ’93 to EarlRowley Jr.

Derek Hoffmann ’93 toBrenda Buschlen.

Sandy Bystrom ’94 to Bruce Weldum.

Dwayne Nyman ’94 to Pamela Prahl.

Teri Busse ’95 to Lee Haynes Jr.

Jennifer Holland ’95 to Keith Sorenson.

Michele McCann ’95 to Jonathan Hird.

Kristine Rummel ’95 to PatrickLakenen ’96.

Gregory Annala ’96 to Rachel Bjork ’99.

William Baker ’96 to Sharon Hess.

Lynn DeYoung ’96 to Jay Budd ’97.

Michelle Freberg ’96 to Benjamin Smith.

Michael Tripp ’96 to Alicia Anderson.

Mary Beth Johnson ’97 to David Paul.

Amanda LaBelle ’97 to JeremyBeerman.

Matthew Palomaki ’97 to KristiNeumann.

Brady Peterson ’97 to Maria Terreros.

Geoffrey Yandl ’97 to Carrie Iho ’99.

Eric Dorais ’98 to Adrine Dilloway ’99.

Sara Nutkins ’98 to Larry Nicholson.

Brandon Boesl ’99 to Amy Dawe ’00.

Christopher Jackson ’99 to ShannonSt. Onge ’99.

Erick Johnson ’99 to Sarah Flores ’00.

April Juopperi ’99 to ChristopherHolm ’00.

Jason Lemire ’99 to Kristi DePetro.

David Maki ’99 to Amy Stahl ’99.

Tamara Schrandt ’99 to Jason DeRuyver.

Delair Wilson ’99 to Chad Wester.

Jennifer Augustine ’00 to Sean Cahill.

John Council ’00 to (Mary) SusannaSchrank ’94.

Amanda Jandron ’00 to MichaelRoudabush.

Lindsey Nease ’00 to Joseph Prusi.


The Child Who Loved Movies

iUniverse.com, 2000

L.E. Ward ’66, ’67 MA

The Child Who LovedMovies contains more than200 new poems in the pro-lific life’s work of poet andfilm historian, L.E. Ward.

His poems range in content from memoriesof Iron River and the Upper Peninsula in the1940s and 1950s to poems on KevinSpacey, Michael Feinstein, and seanceswith Marilyn Monroe.

Haunted Lakes II: More Great LakesGhost Stories

Lake Superior Port Cities, 2000

Frederick Stonehouse’70, ’77 MA

The stories in FredStonehouse’s 17th bookHaunted Lakes II have ori-gins in superstitions and

experience. Stonehouse says his newbook is a “not so serious investigation oftruly believed superstitions and stories thathave become a part of the lore of theGreat Lakes.”

Manic by Midnight

Publish America, 2000

Faye (Grimsby)Shannon ’79

Faye Shannnon grew upin a home where multiplemembers of her familyhad untreated mental ill-

nesses. As an adult, her own bipolar dis-order (manic depression) emerged. Manicby Midnight details Faye’s recovery frommanic depression and her efforts to edu-cate the public about mental illness andthe hope that exists.

Mastodon, 80% Complete

Carnegie Mellon UniversityPress, 2001

Jonathan Johnson’90, ’92 MA

The poems in JonathanJohnson’s first book ofpoetry, Mastodon, 80%

Complete, capture his perspective on theAmerican landscape. Poet Adrienne Richdescribes Jonathan’s poetry as “vastly moreimmediate and American than the Internet,addressed by a voice you learn to trust.”

A L U M N I A U T H O R S

Wildcat WeddingsDo you remember your marriage proposal? Was it traditional — on bended knee withring in hand — or was it unconventional — a proposal before a physics final, aproposal on a billboard, or maybe a proposal delivered by singing telegram? If you’dlike to share your wedding proposal story with Horizons, we may be able to include it inour next issue. Include your wedding photo, and we’ll print it along with your story.Send your stories and photos to Horizons Editor, Northern Michigan University, 1401Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, Michigan 49855 or e-mail them to [email protected].

Homecoming ParadeSeaborg Science Complex Dedication

Steak FryAlumni Awards

BonfireCampus Tours

AA/GWC TailgateFootball — NMU vs. Wayne State

Fifth Quarter — Steer and Stein

Hockey Alumni GameAll Alumni ReceptionSpecial Reunions

Student Leader Fellowship 10th Anniversary Reunion

NMU Hockey 25th Anniversary Reunion

NMU Classes of ’50 and ’51 Reunion

North Wind Reunion

Children’s ActivitiesCampus Tours

HomecomingFriday-Saturday • October 5-6, 2001

Summer ReunionThursday-Sunday • June 28-July 1, 2001

Mark your calendars now for Reunion Weekend 2001 and Homecoming 2001. We have theseevents and more planned for you and your family. For more information call toll free1-877-GRAD-NMU, e-mail [email protected], or check out our Web site at www.nmu.edu/alumni.

HorizonsOffice of CommunicationsNorthern Michigan University1401 Presque Isle AvenueMarquette, MI 49855

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PAIDMidland MI

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To become a member of the NMU Alumni Association or to learn more about member benefits, call toll free 1-877-GRAD-NMU (locally, call 227-2610) or visit our Web site at www.nmu.edu/alumni.

Why we’re members of the NMU Alumni Association.

Kathleen (Lahtinen) Frazier ’86and Kurt Lahtinen ’95Alumni Association members since 1997 and 1998.

“Three generations and counting! We’ve had members of our family attending NMU over the last nine decades.

Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings have all attended or graduated from Northern. In fact, at one time

in the 1970s, I remember all three of us (grandmother, mother, and daughter) standing in line to register for classes together!

Because so many of our family memories are linked to

Northern, we feel a strong tie to this university. Early in our lives,

our grandmother instilled in us the value of education. We

learned the importance of doing our best, continuing to learn,

and giving back. To honor her lifetime of encouragement for

our academic pursuits, we established the Elsie O. Treves

Mayhew Scholarship. Attending Northern helped all of us

find success in our lives. Now it is our turn to help others

achieve their aspirations and realize their successes. How

do we do this? By staying involved with NMU activities,

by supporting the Alumni Association programs and

services through our annual memberships, and by

creating a student scholarship to honor the woman who

started our family’s Northern tradition. Northern is a

part of our lives — it’s as simple as that.”

—Kathleen (Lahtinen) Frazier ’86 and Kurt Lahtinen ’95

In photo: Kathleen (Lahtinen) Frazier ’86, Kurt Lahtinen ’95, Millie Hanson ’56-’57,and Elsie (Treves) Mayhew ’29, ’31, and ’79 MA.

living the dream...three musketeers. even after leaving northern’s theatre department, they have...

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