stillpoint_fall_2002

Up Front

EditorPatricia C. McKay ’65

Director of CollegeCommunications and Marketing

Patti Sellers Bubna

Public Relations SpecialistChris Underation

Publication DesignLora E. Maggiacomo ’92

PrinterDS Graphics

Lowell, Massachusetts

Stillpoint, the magazine for alumni Stillpoint, the magazine for alumni Stillpointand friends of the united college of Gordon and Barrington, is published three times a year and has a circula-tion of 23,000.

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Gordon College is an equal oppor-tunity institution and does not dis-criminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, or national or ethnic origin.

T.S. Eliot, in his poemFour Quartets, refers toGod as the “still point of

the turning world.”

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Enron, Arthur Anderson, Adelphia, WorldCom, Quest Communications . . . what do these major U.S. corporations have in common? You already

know the answer: the top man age ment of all fi ve have been ac cused of con spir a cy or fraud.

Once again the integrity of corporate America is being seriously ques tioned, and right ly so. For tu nate ly we have laws to deal with this kind of behavior, and by en forc ing these laws we protect our freedom. The prob lem, of course, does not lie in the busi ness world itself but in the heart of man. Jeremiah 17:9–11 tells us, “The heart is de ceit ful above all things.” It also tells us that “like a par tridge that hatch es eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. . . . In the end, he will prove to be a fool.”

There’s an old saying that the stock market is driven by two things, fear and greed. A little over 10 years ago, when companies and individuals were borrowing large sums of money and gobbling up over-capitalized and often weaker companies (the so-called le ver aged buyout), the names were different but the headlines were similar. The prob lem was the same one we have to day: greedy people who are un able to resist the temp ta tion to lie, cheat and steal for personal gain.

After the problems of the late 1980s, a leading busi ness school decided to add several courses on busi ness ethics. However, when Chuck Colson was invited to speak on the subject, he told them ethics cannot be taught at secular schools because they have no moral foundation on which to base their teaching. This did not go over very well, but Chuck was right . . . ethics under whose au thor i ty?

At Gordon College we work very hard at in te grat ing faith and learn ing, and we trust this will extend beyond the college years to every grad u ate’s pro fes sion, vo ca tion and family. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us to “serve the Lord your God with all your heart,” and Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Ul ti mate ly, integrity and hon es ty fl ow from a heart that is pure in God’s eyes.

Based on my own experience, a high sense of integrity is what dis tin guish es Chris tians in the business world. While cut ting corners may al low some to move ahead a little faster in the short run, there’s no ques tion who wins in the long run. Show me a person who is rea son ably in tel li gent, hardworking, fair-minded and hon est, and I will show you a per son who is well on his or her way to a successful career. Honesty pays be cause it’s God’s way.

The disclosures of the past several months have certainly been very disturbing, but there does seem to be some good coming of this. New laws deal ing with cor po rate ac count abil i ty and pen sion re form are clear ly steps in the right direction, and, if noth-ing else, there is new awareness of the need for peo ple with a high sense of in teg ri ty in po si tions of re spon si bil i ty. This should provide new and special op por tu ni ties for those whose goal in life is to serve the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength.

Peter BennettChair, Board of Trustees, Gordon CollegeRetired Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Offi cerState Street Research & Management Company, Boston

Integrity—A Distinguishing Attribute

IFC Up Front by Peter BennettIntegrity—A Distinguishing Attribute

2 On & Off Campus by Chris Underation

4 Ken Olsen Science Center Launched by Patti Sellers BubnaA naming-level gift has been received for one of two proposed science buildings.

7 Healthcare: A Right or a Privilege? by James Paskavitz ’86Neurologist James Paskavitz weighs in on the national debate about healthcare for all—or only some.

10 Homecoming 2002

12 Creating Memories Worth Repeating by Pat McKay ’65Peter Herschend tells how his family built a dream into a world-renowned entertainment enterprise.

16 What I Did on My Summer Vacation by Bai Yun ’03, Chris Byers ’04 and Jeong Dae (Daniel) Lee ’04Gordon students take a break—but not a break from learning. Three of them tell about their experiences around the world.

18 Point of ViewThe Death of Character by Daniel JohnsonThe Death of Character by Daniel JohnsonThe Death of CharacterProfessor Johnson, a researcher for a book by James Davi-son Hunter ’77, discusses how our prevailing paradigm for character formation is failing us.

21 Bought with a Price by Kristin Schwabauer ’04Student Kristin Schwabauer reports on John Eibner ’74B and his controversial work to redeem slaves in Sudan. Gloria White-Hammond, who organizes trips from Boston, talks about her experiences.

24 Profs & ProgramsBoston Urban Semester by Craig McMullenBoston Urban Semester by Craig McMullenBoston Urban SemesterA school founded in the city returns to its roots through a new urban educational offering.

26 Alums at LargeFrom Grapevine Road to Winfi eld House by Bonnie Yule-Kuehne ’96Alumna Bonnie Yule-Kuehne talks about her unexpected move from the Gordon-at-Oxford program directly to the American ambassador’s residence in London.

27 Gifts & GivingOne Common Purpose by Rick Klein ’93The Clarendon Society assists students like Kristie Rose ’04 and helps ensure the future of the College.

IBC Raves & RebuffsEvents Calendar

BC A Mighty Season for the Mighty Scots by Stephen Leonard ’94Gordon athletics: the defi nition of success.

PHOTOS ON COVER AND PAGES 6 AND 27 BY FRANK SITEMAN. ON THE COVER, THOMAS (TOBY) HANCHETT ’99.

Volume 18, Number 1 Fall 2002

got integrity?

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2 GORDON COLLEGE STILLPOINT FALL 2002

On & Off Campus

(Ac)credit(ation) Where It’s DueAfter more than a year of work assessing Gordon, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges will renew the College’s accreditation for another 10 years.

In April the accreditation team visited campus to see how our insti-tutional self-study matched up with what they observed in all areas during their visit. The NEASC was compli-mentary of Gordon’s mission, the clarity and candor of the self-study, and the quality of the academic and athletic programs.

The accreditation team also rec-ommended that Gordon address the issue of racial and ethnic diversity in the student body, faculty and staff in addition to providing more resources for the library.

A First-Class CollegeGordon has once again taken its place in U.S. News & World Report’sannual listing of the nation’s best colleges.

Gordon was one of only five Council of Christian Colleges and Universities schools on the national list (the others were Wheaton, Houghton, Goshen and West-mont).

Overall U.S. News ranks 540 col-U.S. News ranks 540 col-U.S. Newsleges. Out of this number 322 are listed as regional colleges, and 218 are national colleges. U.S. News says U.S. News says U.S. Newsnational colleges require higher scores on entrance exams and are generally more selective than regionally ranked institutions.

A First-Class ClassIn August Gordon welcomed 468 new students to campus, giving Gordon a total undergraduate enroll-ment of 1,631. Like the classes before it, this class continues the trend of academic excellence and increasing selectivity.

Sandra Bowden, president of CIVA, and Provost Mark Sargent sign the contract for housing CIVA at Gordon.

BY CHRIS UNDERATION “This continues a very positive upswing that we’ve been seeing at Gordon for the last several years,” said Silvio Vazquez, dean of admis-sions. “Because we are rated as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, we have seen top students Report, we have seen top students Reportchoosing Gordon in increasing numbers.”

For the fi rst time in the school’s history, the average freshman SAT score topped 1200, with the aver-age SAT coming in at 1202. The student acceptance rate fell to 73 percent. Eight members of the class are National Merit Finalists.

Overall the student body draws students from 46 states and 25 nations.

CIVA Now at GordonChristians in the Visual Arts, an international organization founded

in 1979, relocated from Minnesota to Gordon College late last summer. CIVA’s offi ces are now located in Gordon’s Barrington Center for the Arts.

“We are delighted that CIVA has found a new home at Gordon Col-lege,” says CIVA Executive Director Dan Russ. “Gordon enables CIVA to be based in a Christian com-munity of intellectual thought and artistic creativity and to be centered in a facility that better serves CIVA’s 1,500 members in the U.S., Canada and 40 other countries.”

CIVA’s mission is to encourage Christian visual artists to develop

their callings to the highest pos-sible level and to learn how to deal with specifi c problems in their fi eld without compromising their faith or standards of artistic endeavor. The organization also works to pro-vide opportunities for sharing work and ideas; to foster understanding, trust and cooperative relationships between those in the arts, the church and society; and ultimately to foster a Christian presence in the art world.

Keeper of Gordon’s History to RetireThis fall John Beauregard announced to the campus that he will retire at the end of this academic year. To say Beauregard has been instrumental in shaping Gordon’s library and curric-ulum over the years is an understate-ment. Over the last three decades, he has helped integrate many new tech-nologies and resources into Gordon’s library program and has been very

active in organizing col-laborative ventures with other academic libraries in the region.

But perhaps his most important contribution has been as the archivist of Gordon and Barrington histories. It takes a visit to the archives to truly appreciate his work, which includes informa-tion on the beginnings of both schools and histori-

cal documents relating to the land on which the school is now located, as well as the most recent edition of the campus newspaper. His institutional memory is impressive.

During his time here he has served as a pastor at many churches in the region, most recently taking on interim ministries on the North Shore.

Watching for Wil-berforceAlumnus and former Director of the Wilberforce Papers Project Kevin Belmonte has seen a good deal of positive feedback on his book Hero

3

A sampling of faculty accomplishments and activities outside the classroomB e y o n d the Lectern

President Jud Carlberg’s essay “The Evangelical Vision: From Funda-mental Isolation to Respected Voice” appears in the book The Future of Religious Colleges, published by Eerdman’s. The essay is taken from the October 2000 Harvard Con-ference on the future of religious education.

Peggy Hothem, professor of leisure studies, and Valerie Gin, assistant professor of recreation and leisure studies, presented papers at the Asso-ciation for Christianity, Sport, Lei-sure and Health at Wheaton College (IL). Hothem’s essay was titled “The Redemptive Nature of Leisure,” and Gin spoke on “Unleashed Frontiers of Sport in Ministry.”

Grace Ju, adjunct professor of biol-ogy, praised the work of Gordon students Rachel Parsons and Jen Bonina at the American Society of Plant Biology meetings in Denver

during the summer. Ju said both stu-dents “did a great job presenting their work and were great ambassadors for Gordon and a wonderful witness for the excellence of Christ” at the con-ference. Parsons and Bonina are 2002 graduates.

Nicholas Rowe, special assistant to the president for diversity, has pub-lished an essay titled “Our Brother’s Keeper” in Regeneration Quarterly. The essay discusses Glenn C. Loury’s The Anatomy of Racial Inequality.

David Shull, assistant professor of biology, has had a grant proposal accepted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This grant funds studies to investi-gate toxic or harmful algal blooms in the coastal marine environment.

Stephen Smith, professor of econom-ics, has been published by the journal Ethics and International Affairs. The review essay by Smith discussed two

recent books released by Princeton University Press: Free Trade Todayby Jagdish Bhagwati and Free Trade Under Fire by Douglas Irwin.Under Fire by Douglas Irwin.Under Fire

Ronald Waite, professor of busi-ness, received the Merrimack Valley Regional Service Award for 15 years of service with the federally mandated regional planning agency for cities and towns along the Mer-rimack River, including his town of Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Dong Wang, Gordon’s new professor in Asian history, has been appointed a research associate at the Fairbanks Center for East Asian Research at Harvard University.

Marv Wilson, professor of biblical and theological studies, was honored as Person of the Year by the North Shore B’nai B’rith on October 27, as we went to press. More in the next issue of Stillpoint.

for Humanity: A Biography of William Wilberforce.

Released in October, the book has been lauded by Chuck Colson, J. I. Packer and Os Guinness. Focus on the Family magazine will feature on the Family magazine will feature on the Familya story about the book in its January issue, which will also carry an article about Wilberforce by Belmonte.

In addition, Walden Media is producing a film based on the book. The screenplay is being written by Colin Welland, Oscar award-winning writer of Chariots of Fire.

For information about the book and a PDF sample, visit http://www.navpress.com/d o w n l o a d / p d f /1576833542.pdf.

Many Miles for MilneIn the Summer 2002 Stillpoint we Stillpoint we Stillpointwrote about Gordon student Shawn Milne and his desire to become the best bike racer he could. Shortly after

Kevin Belmonte ’90 at a booksigning in Gordon’s Bookstore at Homecoming.

that story came out, Milne received a call from U.S.A. Cycling, who invited him to Europe to try out for a spot on the U.S.A. national under-23 team.

He was one of fi ve selected and has spent the last several months taking part in races across Europe. At this high level (which is one step from the U.S. Postal Service team led by Lance Armstrong), Milne has more than held his own. He was the top American fi nisher and came in 22 overall. All 176 racers were the top U23 riders from each nation.

In order to pursue this dream, Milne has deferred his study at Gordon. Early returns from the class-room of life are positive though.

“Shawn is a tough kid,” said former racing teammate Curt Davis. “He’s on track to be a professional, and I think it’s in his future.”


new science center for Gordon College has been on the hearts and minds of

many for a long time. Those closely associated with the College have known for years that a new fa cil i ty was imperative to keep step with the sterling quality of its faculty and students. While Peterson’s Top Colleges for Science guide has rec-Colleges for Science guide has rec-Colleges for Scienceognized Gor don’s sci ence programs for their dis tinc tion, professors and un der grad u ates have been operating in cramped and out dat ed laboratories and research class rooms.

The challenge to move this no ble desire to solid reality was daunt ing. If it were to happen, hard work, prayer and the generous re sponse of God’s people would be es sen tial. Now, after years of care ful plan ning, Gordon has begun its most formidable project to date. Re cent ly the College received a sig nif i cant gift commitment to launch fundraising efforts for a new sci ence complex. Cheering students, fac ul ty and staff responded to the sur-

prise announcement, made at the close of a chapel session in Sep tem ber.

Ken Olsen, for whom one of two new proposed science buildings will be named, says, “Science is more than a study of molecules and cal cu la tions; it is the love of knowledge and the con tin ued search for truth. Science fur nish es a common denominator that can break down the walls of bias and disagreement among peoples, re gard less of race or religion.”

A long-time benefactor of Gor- don, the Mas sa chu setts In sti tute of Tech nol o gy, the Mu se um of Sci ence and other or ga ni za tions, this is the fi rst time Mr. Olsen has agreed to have his name as so ci at ed with a par-ticular build ing.

The new science complex will great ly enhance the College sci ence program. The total estimated cost for both buildings is $24.5 million and will bring together all of Gor don’s sci enc es—everything from computer technology to move ment science to

The Ken Olsen Science Center

Ken Olsen is founder of Dig i tal

Equip ment Cor po ra tion. He

is one of the few who has

re ceived the National Medal

of Tech nol o gy from the U.S.

Commerce De part ment—the

na tion’s highest award for

achieve ment in com mer cial

technology. Mr. Olsen served

as a mem ber of the Board of

Trustees at Gor don from 1961

to 1993 and since then has been

Board member emer i tus.

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A naming-level gift has been received forone of the two proposed science build ings.

KEN OLSENSCIENCE CENTER

LAUNCHED

BY PATTI SELLERS BUBNA

marine bi ol o gy to chemistry. At a time when many Christian liberal arts col leg es are moving away from the hard sciences and leaning more to ward the applied sciences, Gor- don Col lege has distinguished itself by its com mit ment to prepare men and women for roles of leadership in this fi eld.

Long before Gordon earned the se lect status it enjoys today, Ken Olsen faithfully em braced and support ed its mission—to foster freedom of thought within the frame work of faith. In deed, Mr. Olsen encourages the College’s quest for quality and ex cel lence, all the while sustaining cre ative free-thinking among its pro fes sors and students. “The study of the sci enc es promotes humility,” Mr. Olsen thought ful ly attests, “leav ing us with the clear sense that we will never understand all there is to know. At the same time, sci ence pro vides a defense for truth, au then -ti cates Christianity and stems from the na ture of God.”

Mr. Olsen believes im mer sion in the sciences is one way young adults can effectively prepare for life. “It pro vides students with a basis of thought that will enable them to approach and solve life’s problems. A study of the sci enc es encourages disci-pline, crit i cal inquiry and integrity.”

Ken Olsen’s challenge gift sets into motion a building program that will ultimately be much more than bricks and mortar. Rather, stu dents will fi nd the science complex a hub of schol ar ship—providing a place where they are equipped to lead the way in years to come.

Proposed second science building


THE CHALLENGE

“Mr. Olsen’s generous gift en ables Gordon to begin fundraising in ear nest for the new academic building we need the most—a science cen ter,” notes Robert Grinnell, vice president for de vel op ment. Fundraising and con struc tion are ex pect ed to be com plet ed in two phases.

Phase One will seek to use Mr. Olsen’s chal lenge grant to raise $13 mil lion by the spring of 2005. It is im por tant that all the funds be given or pledged before con struc tion begins. “Our hope is that sci ence alum ni, parents of both cur rent students and grad u ates, and friends will rally be hind this effort. This is the key gift we have been looking for to propel a campaign for the sci enc es forward,” Grinnell says.

Phase Two will begin once a nam ing-level com mit ment has been iden ti fi ed for the sec ond sci-ence build ing. We con tin ue to pray for God’s pro vi sion and lead ing in making this new sci ence complex a reality.

Inquiries may be directed to Robert Grinnell at 978.867.4204, or email [email protected].

GORDON STUDENTS ACCEPTED INTO MEDICAL SCHOOLS

During the past fi ve years, Gor don premed students en joyed a 93 percent ac cep -tance rate into the schools of their choice. Listed below are U.S. med i cal schools that have ac cept ed Gor don students since 1998.

ALLOPATHIC Boston University School of

Med i cine Georgetown University

School of Medicine New York Medical College University of Chicago

Pritzker School ofMed i cine

University of Colorado School of Medicine

University of Connecticut School of Medicine

University of Mas sa chu setts Med i cal School

University of South Da ko ta School of Medicine

University of VermontCol lege of Medicine

OSTEOPATHICNew York College of

Os teo path ic Medicine Ohio University College of

Os teo path ic Medicine University of New En gland

Col lege of Os teo path ic Medicine

DENTISTRYTufts Dental School University of Maryland

Dental

OTHERSouthern California School

of Op tom e tryCreighton University School

of Pharmacy

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Dr. James Paskavitz says now is the time for the public

to organize for better health care for all—including

a system that allows doctors to fully implement their

knowledge and skills to heal.

physician interacts with people from every walk of life, all united by a common

bond: their health needs. All of us are susceptible to disease, regard-less of socioeconomic status, and every patient comes with a different vulnerability and need. Numerous people bear the psychological scars of a diffi cult life, manifested in physical symptoms. Many who aren’t ill want to be, enabling them to control some elements of their world.

Patients with real and devas-tating neurological illnesses teach me about life and death. I follow Alzheimer’s patients and families who are so grateful for the littlest bit of advice or modestly benefi cial medicine. I watch people with can-cerous brain tumors prepare to die, and have a bittersweet sentiment about my role in getting them ready. The rewards in neurology are rarely found in the cures—more in trying to treat symptoms while helping people adapt to their illnesses.

Being a physician is not a status symbol or an ego-building experi-ence; it is a job of service and humil-ity. And it’s hard. I rejoice in treat-ment successes and toil over patients

who don’t follow treatment plans. I argue with those who disagree with my approaches and lose sleep wor-rying about patients who are doing poorly. Still, none of these tensions overshadow why I chose this profes-sion . . . I think I can help people. Inside my offi ce, I think I do help people.

In the larger medical arena, how-ever, a struggle exists. Healthcare is in crisis, and doctors are stuck in the middle trying to balance diagnosis and health management while being fi scally responsible and avoiding legal confrontations. Physicians are over-loaded by paperwork and phone calls to justify tests and make sure details are handled correctly. This takes time away from patient contact. From the patient’s perspective, physician access has become more diffi cult, placing the patient at potential risk. If the health-care system is to see signifi cant change, patients must take a leading role.

Then and nowAcademic medical centers have changed dramatically in recent years. Past research suggested that hospitals with physician training pro-

grams gave better care and enjoyed better end results than nonacademic medical centers, probably due to multiple levels of attention given to patients. Today the task of training new physicians and medical students has become more diffi cult.

When I was in training 10 years ago, I was able to sit down with my professors, gleaning as much as I could from their knowledge and experiences. By contrast, in healthcare’s present crisis it’s harder for professors to take the necessary time to teach. And, despite their interest, residents have even less time for protracted learning. Patients are expected to move quickly in and out of the hospital, often before their diagnostic evaluations are completed. This gives residents no mechanism to evaluate whether or not they gave the patient adequate care, and the intensity and rapidity of this system stifl es their learning.

Healthcare Cost and AccessAnother diffi culty is the disparity between the cost of providing ser-

BY JAMES PASKAVITZ, M.D. ’86

A Right or a Privilege?


vices and the decrease in funding and reimbursements. As hospital expenses (including drugs, technology and workers) have steadily increased, government and private healthcare management and insurance compa-nies have decreased reimbursements. Additionally, funding for resident training programs has declined.

Access to healthcare in general has been affected by the continued cost increases of drugs and technology. Employers offering health plan cov-erage must contain their costs or pass the expense on to employees for better coverage. States struggle to control costs for healthcare and prescriptions for low-income people without raising taxes or getting more federal money, which would raise federal taxes.

Many people have little or no pre-scription coverage, causing some to take half or less of the dose prescribed to save money. This puts a physician in the diffi cult predicament of choos-ing cost-effective options so patients will comply, even though those options may not provide optimal treatment.

Some 40 million persons in the United States have no health insur-ance. These people wait until they are very ill and must seek medical attention in an emergency room, where care is guaranteed but more expensive, less effi cient and without long-term care.

Promoting ChangeOur rags-to-riches work ethic and self-made mindset have created the great educational, scientifi c, medical and technological advances here in America. Unfortunately it has also created a sense of entitlement and a consumerist mentality that infl u-ences healthcare.

People join health plans by choos-ing the product that best suits their needs. With that they expect to get customer service reflecting what they’ve paid for. Patients often come into the office insisting on tests or drugs without any background medical knowledge. If they don’t get the opinion or test they want, they

see another doctor. The medicolegal system drives this as well by encourag-ing patients to get opinions for injuries and disabilities to settle legal cases or worker’s compensation issues.

However, it is this same sense of entitlement and a growing sense of dissatisfaction that may be useful in enacting change. As people realize they are not getting what they’re paying for and that their healthcare may be compromised when doc-tors can’t be doctors, they must ban together and take the steps necessary to remedy the situation. Physicians cannot carry the torch because they are viewed as well-to-do pro-fessionals fearing personal fi nancial loss—not as caregivers trying to help people.

The voices of the pharmaceutical, insurance, political and legal indus-tries are comingled, not necessarily as a conspiracy but because they are more organized and have much at stake. Healthcare policies and regula-tions are not accomplished with the greatest good for the most people in

As people realize they are not getting what they’re paying for and that

their healthcare may be compromised when

doctors can’t be doctors, they must ban together and take

the steps necessary to remedy the situation.

Dr. Paskavitz has uncovered a new physi-ologic brain mechanism which will allow the study of differences in the interacting neural networks in diseases such as Alzheimer’s. It will be presented at the International Neu-ropsychological Society meeting in February.PH

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mind. Instead the industry looks to give as much as possible at the least expense.

Presently healthcare is not a right in America. For healthcare to become a right, present and future patients need to organize proactively. For healthcare to become a right, Americans must expect a very expensive system and be prepared to pay for it. For healthcare to become a right, doctors must be directed to develop a system of equality, access and reasonable resource utilization, because they are the ones seeing system failures every day.

For more information on healthcare issues, Dr. Paskavitz suggests contacting the AARP or Con-gress, or checking the website of Physicians for a National Health Program, www.pnhp.org (while this website is biased toward a particular solution, their database is extensive).

Jim and Darrelyn ’86 with their children, Rachel, 4, and Amanda, 7. Darrelyn earned her M.S.W. from Boston College and is a licensed independent clinical social worker.

HOW GORDON FIGURED INTO MY DECISION TO BE A DOCTOR

W hen I entered Gordon in the fall of 1982, I planned to become a marine biolo-

gist. By the next fall I wanted to be an academic behavioral neurologist and care for people with memory and cognitive disorders. Freshman courses in biology and psychology prompted me to ask how the brain interacts with the world to create an individual with body, soul and spirit.

I became a premed student as a sophomore at Gordon, and with the help of the Kenneth L. Pike Scholars program developed a double major in biology and psychology. It became more of a neuroscience major as I tailored independent studies and cor-respondence courses toward brain and behavior.

When I was a junior I had the opportunity to care for a local well-known outdoorsman and author who suffered with Alzheimer’s disease. I read his own outdoor fi ctional novels to him because he could no longer read. I was stunned at how an illness could steal the genius of an individual, leaving him vulnerable and dependent . . . on me.

My college experience culminated

in a senior thesis on memory, melding together different theories of neurosci-ence, neuropsychology and theology to form a model of the body, mind and soul—largely erroneous in retrospect, but a worthwhile effort.

My 11 years of training after Gordon prepared me for where I wanted to be. Along the way I married my good friend from Gordon, Darre-lyn Ripley ’86; became the father of two beautiful daughters; did research in the neuropathology of Alzheimer’s; and started a human brain mapping research program.

The more I learned about the brain, the more humbled I was by God’s cre-ative genius. I spent a few years in a private neurology practice but was drawn back into academic medicine because I wanted to teach, learn more about brain function and be more involved with evolving treatments for neurologic diseases.

In addition to having my own prac-tice, I teach clinical neurology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts. And in my research lab physicists and neuropsychologists help me unravel

mysteries of the brain and mind using a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Despite great technological advances in medicine, neurology remains more an art than a science, requiring medical knowledge coupled with an extensive patient’s story to arrive at a diagnosis. God has granted me the honor of contributing to the knowledge base of brain function as well as teaching medical caregivers how to diagnose and manage neurologic diseases.

I’m excited for Gordon to develop science programs, particularly in neuroscience. Neuroscience is the next great scientific frontier to be expounded upon, with great promise for the future of medicine. Gordon needs the new proposed science center to meet academic demands but also to attract the best and brightest students with a Christian worldview, who will infl uence the future of science and medicine.

The fi eld of medicine is a calling and a mission. There are few colleges capable of developing that combined perspective, and Gordon is one of them.


HOMECOMING 2002HOMECOMING 2002

GORDON COLLEGE STILLPOINT FALL 2002

HOMECOMING 2002

11

HOMECOMING 2002 Though a light rain kept the ’50s hot rods from exhibiting on the quad, spirits didn’t seem to be dampened otherwise. Free popcorn, cotton candy and student missions fund-raisers were a draw under the tent; children enjoyed the annual science fair and other treats planned just for them; classes and majors gathered for reunions; and—tradi-tion!—old friends discovered each other and favorite profs around the soccer game. The jazz band played, the choir sang, alumni athletes dusted off their skills to see if they still had the right stuff, and La Vida raised funds with its annual Bike-a-Thon.

If you missed this reunion of kindred spirits in 2002, plan now to join us in 2003—Colum-bus Day Weekend.

Professor Jim Zingarelli was commissioned by the Class of 1999 to create a sculpture to per-manently reside in the lobby of Phillips Music Center. Several members of the class, which had a number of fi ne arts majors, were on hand for the presentation of the gift.

Beboppin’ Eden is a part of a larger body of sculpture called The Dance Series, which is a celebration of marriage through the metaphor of dance. In marriage we learn the steps together in a daily act of rhythm, com-mitment and love. The work is not so much about the individual dancers as it is about the two becoming one in the spirit of the dance—hence its more abstract nature and improvisational paths.

The Alumni Offi ce works with each gradu-ating class to select a class gift. When enough money is raised from class members, the gift is presented to the College—usually within two or three years of their commencement.

12 GORDON COLLEGE STILLPOINT GORDON COLLEGE STILLPOINT FALL 2002

From humble beginnings to a multifaceted, world-renowned entertainment enterprise, one family dared to do things the right way—with no shortcuts.

What serious-minded businessman wouldn’t sell his birthright to acquire a hugely successful company? And what enter-

prising owner wouldn’t sell for the right price?Herschend Family Entertainment Inc. in Branson, Missouri,

owned by Gordon trustee Peter Herschend, his brother, Jack, and their families for half a century, has had several opportunities to sell. But one of the most lucrative possibilities would have raised some ethical eyebrows, Peter says.

Some in the business world wouldn’t think twice about nego-tiating such a deal. At a time when many believe corporate greed and lawlessness is on the rise, such integrity may be rare. And while staking out fi rm moral boundaries could slow down a company’s ability to pull out ahead of the pack, quite the opposite has hap-pened with the Herschends. Good guys can fi nish fi rst.

Creating

Worth KeepingMemories

BY PAT MCKAY ’65

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Christian Integrity in PracticeA brochure outlining the company’s commitment to employees and the community states that all is done “in a manner consistent with Christian values and ethics” . . . “caring for each other, for a community and for an environment blessed by the hand of God.”

Undergirding their successful business sense is a commitment the brothers made in 1960. Both new Christians at the time, they invited God into their business. They held their fi rst “board meeting” on a log bench behind Wilderness Church at their fi rst theme park, Silver Dollar City (SDC), and coined the saying “Making decisions with Christ in the room.”

Peter says that while it’s ill-advised to run to the Bible for specifi c answers in professional decision-making—for example, “Is this the best TV ad we can run?”—they pray for guidance and make choices based on ethical standards the Bible sets forth.

He does not believe capitalism is inherently evil or that being moti-vated by profi t is a fl aw. The Bible encourages us to be smart with what God entrusts to us and to be good stewards of the fi nancial blessings He allows, Peter says. And with the profi t comes responsibility. In a little play on the golden rule, the Herschends are fond of saying, “Do unto others as they expect you to do to them.”

What sinful man sometimes does with money is what creates problems, Peter reminds us, laying the current abuse in business at the feet of “dubi-ous characters and the boards of their companies.” He says, “A board that’s doing its job keeps a company on track.”

About 35 years ago the broth-ers realized they were neck-deep in operations and needed a real board of directors. They chose members who had no affi liation with the company whatsoever—he and Jack are the only two internal members. That means the board can outvote them—and has on a number of crucial occa-sions. “They’ve been right every time,” Peter says.

It is clear to prospective employ-ees that the company upholds a high standard of values. Not all employees are Christians, but those who aren’t have every opportunity to see the effects of glorifying Christ, Peter says. The corporation offers very good employee benefi ts, and a unique outreach program supports employees who have needs fi nan-cially, emotionally and spiritually. SDC has two ministers on staff and provides weekly Bible studies for employees. The company also reaches out to surrounding commu-nities by sponsoring a plethora of organizations which address family, health, education, housing and envi-ronmental issues, to name a few.

“We look for ways to share the Lord Jesus,” Peter says, “but we’re

not in your face. For instance, we fi nd new and creative ways of telling the real Christmas story, and actual services are held every Sunday in Wil-derness Church. We communicate the gospel by example—by showing our guests and each other respect, friendliness, openness, love and concern. We are not a closed circle; we need to invite in new, interesting and diverse people.”

The Shaping of a BusinessLong before Branson became a rival for Nashville, the Herschend family was there paving the way for Branson’s incredible growth. They vacationed there in the 1940s and in 1950 leased Marvel Cave, one of the largest accessible caverns in the United States. Immediate improve-ments included installing electricity, which greatly enhanced the natural beauty seen only by candle and lantern light until then. Cement replaced wooden steps, walkways and the treacherous structure that descended into the huge sinkhole at the entrance of the cave. Those changes alone brought much larger crowds that fi rst year.

After their father died unexpect-edly in 1955—with Peter fi nishing college and Jack starting his own family—both young men returned to help their mother run the busi-ness. In 1958 they blasted a new exit from the cave and added a train to

“To operate a

successful business

you have to fi nd ways

to bring people back.”

Jack, left, and Peter Herschend


take guests back to the surface. What had been a challenging trek became a pleasant tour.

In 1960 the boys and their mother opened Silver Dollar City at the mouth of Marvel Cave. It’s a working 1800s Ozark village fash-ioned after a mining town that stood on that spot until a fi re destroyed it in the mid-1800s. Visitors explore traditional lifestyles and crafts of the region while they wait to descend into Marvel Cave.

It is around these two boom-ing attractions that Branson later sprouted its current celebrity.

A BurgeoningEnterpriseTo the advantage of the company, the brothers are opposites in personali-ties and gifts. Jack is the left brain of the operation, the business and project manager. Peter is the vision-ary, marketing guru and out-front man—“Which means,” Peter says

with a chuckle, “Jack does all the work and I get the credit.”

Today Herschend Family Enter-tainment is comprised of three world-class entertainment enterprises in three states, and several smaller busi-nesses. More than eight million people visit their properties annually.

Branson holds three of their most popular attractions: Silver Dollar City, so named by an early press agent who thought of giving silver dollars as change; the Branson Belle, a paddlewheel showboat that handles 675 guests for a gourmet dinner and a show; and White Water, their popular water park.

They are also partners with Dolly Parton, operating Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. An unusual aspect of that theme park is its federally registered sanctuary for wounded eagles. And their newest venture is Crossroads, a working 1870s southern town at the state-owned Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia, built on only 50

of the 800 acres of a granite monolith that was once a volcano.

Giving Back to the EnvironmentThe Herschends are passionate about the environment and what they can do to protect it. To prove they mean business, they replace every tree they take down with two more. “Our mother would fi re on the spot anyone who unnecessarily took down a tree,” Peter says. Consequently there are odd-shaped buildings and walkways on their properties—constructed around trees.

Jack has received several awards for his efforts “in the cause of tree planting, conservation and envi-ronmental stewardship.” With a goal to plant a million trees in his lifetime, he’s already planted 100,000. Several years ago Jack facilitated a contract in which the State of Missouri promised that when building superhighways,

Top left clockwise: the Branson Belle; fun at SDC; Wilderness Church; Marvel Cave; World-Fest. The Ozarks is a plateau of ancient sea sediments from the Paleozoic era. These 200-million-year-old carbonate rocks are soluble in the acidic ground water, causing water-fi lled cavities to form over time. As the limestone dissolves and the water table drops or the region is uplifted, a col-lection of rooms and tunnels emerges as in Marvel Cave.

15

they would plant two trees for every felled tree over six inches in diameter.

How to Succeed in Business“To operate a successful business you have to fi nd ways to bring people back,” Peter says. In fact, their mission statement is “To create memories worth repeating.” Their theme parks provide supe-rior service, entertainment of the highest caliber and wonderful food. Mary Herschend established early on that any project they undertook would be the best it could be—no shortcuts.

Every day 400 guests are asked to assess the parks—40–50 a day are asked to do extensive reports. Their feedback is taken very seri-ously, and managers are evaluated by how well customers respond.

The Herschends believe fi ve types of customers must be satis-fi ed with memories worth repeating:

1. All types of families—couples as well as those with several children—must want to come back.

2. Employees (over 5,000 of them) must feel they are valued and that their contributions to the parks’ operations are worth repeating day after day; each one must be attuned to pleasing the visitors.

3. Stockholders must feel the company is worth owning as a memory they want to keep—a good fi nancial investment.

4. Suppliers must feel it’s worth repeatedly delivering the materials needed to run the business.

5. The community must affi rmatively answer the question “Would you like your children to work at Silver Dollar City?”

Because they take so seriously this commitment to creating mem-ories worth repeating, their Missouri and Tennessee enterprises have the highest visitor return rates of any theme parks in the nation.

They are not, however, immune to economic cycles. In tough times they simply try a little harder to tackle problems with creative solutions. For instance, during the oil embargo in the spring of 1979, the Herschends had three-quarters of a million gallons of gas delivered to local vendors, guaranteeing visitors within a 250-mile radius enough gas to get home. Attendance at their parks was off by only two percent that year compared to an average decline of 15–20 percent across the nation.

Holding the LineThe Herschends’ dream is that the company would be family-owned forever. All stockholders are the children and grandchil-dren of Peter and Jack—30 in all. About 10 years ago Jack and Peter determined to make sure their families were trained to own the company properly. They have taught them what good management does and does not do, knowing the downfall of many owners is that they get in the way of their managers. The company hires professionals in their own right and sets them free to do their jobs.

Just as they established it a half century ago, the Herschends continue to lead the company with a focus on the Ozark region and its pioneer spirit, the deeply-rooted Christian values which precede profi ts, preservation of the natural landscape, loyalty to employees, and providing unforgettable experiences for their guests—all of which create memories worth repeating.

The brothers honor their wives as a source of much strength—“the

unsung equal partners in every

aspect of develop-ing and growing the

company.”

Two of Peter Herschend’s fi ve chil-dren gradu-ated from Gordon: Anne (Herschend) Ficarra in 1998, and Jacob in 2000. Anne married Gordon grad Joseph Ficarra Jr. ’95, and both serve on Gordon’s La Vida Advisory Board.

“We know about Gordon because of Anne,” Peter says. “She could have gone anywhere to a Christian college. But out of the blue three people called to encourage her to go to Gordon, includ-ing then Senator John Ashcroft, a good friend of the family. Anne investigated and chose Gordon.” Her brother Jacob later selected Gordon as well.

Peter has been a leader in public education for many years, sitting on the Missouri State Board of Education for the past 12 years and currently serving as vice president. Whether it be in public or private education, the key to a great program is the leadership, he says.

He has been a member of Gordon’s Board of Trustees since 2000 and serves on the Academic Affairs Committee. Peter says, “Gordon has an incredible opportunity to become a leader in the Northeast and a runaway leader in the Christian market in biotechnology. The new Ken Olsen Science Center will not only be a state-of-the-art building but will also support a tremendous reputa-tion in biotechnology for Gordon.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SILVER DOLLAR CITY PROPERTIES

Left, JoDee and Peter;Left, JoDee and Peter;Below, Jack and SherryBelow, Jack and Sherry

Left, Jacob;Below, Joe and Anne


Student Stories

Here’s what a few Gordon students did last summer—

around the world, in various venues.

I was sitting in front of the telephone, miserable and inarticulate, trying to think of something a little more exciting to tell my parents than just that I had to stay and work on campus this summer. Suddenly the phone rang. It was Howard, an artist and owner of a design company, whom I knew

through my friend’s friend’s . . . friend.He was working for General Electric Plastics on a trade show called Chinaplas to be held during the

summer in Shanghai. Howard was conducting auditions to select someone to demonstrate GE’s new products and technology applications at Chinaplas—someone who would be “convincing, appealing, professional and fl uent in English and Mandarin Chinese.” He asked me to accompany him to New York and assist in judging the candidates’ Mandarin fl uency and accents.

We spent a whole day in a little studio on Sixth Avenue shooting videos of 18 candidates. While waiting for the last candidate to show up, Howard suddenly turned to me and said, “Hey, Bai Yun, why don’t you stand in front of the camera and read the script?” Two weeks later Howard called to say I had been chosen.

Chinaplas is Asia’s premier plastics and rubber industries exhibition, held in Shanghai’s New International Expo Center. GE’s stage was the largest one there, taking up 20 booths and presenting a series of cutting-edge resin products for a wide array of market segments including telecommunications, construction, media, business equipment and transportation.

My presentation lasted 20 minutes, running once every 45 minutes for seven hours every day. While I was speaking, I also

controlled the background screen video, did several chemical and physical experi-ments, pulled props from seven secret places on the stage (and, most importantly, put them back without breaking them), and answered random questions from the audience. It was a dynamic experience.

That wasn’t the best part of my summer, however. My parents can tell you how wonderful it was when we were fi nally together again after two years. They also enjoyed the company of cue cards that were always in my pocket, helping me remember all those plastics terms composed mostly of consonants—like NORYL PPX.

What I Didon My

Summer Vacation

BY BAI YUN ’03BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, ECONOMICS AND ACCOUNTING MAJORS

SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG, PR CHINA

Bai Yun

17

Spending the past two summers as a guide for Noah’s

Ark Rafting has been pivotal in developing my

worldview and furthering my relationship with Christ. Working for a company owned and operated by Chris-tians on the Arkansas River means more than just having one of those crazy jobs that seem out of reach past the college years.

With zero rafting experience on my resume, I trained to be a fi rst-year guide during the summer of 2001. Rocks

appeared out of nowhere and thrashed my raft on those initial runs, and I didn’t know if I had what it took to be a river guide.

This past summer, however, the doubts and fears of the four rigorous weeks of train-ing were just a memory. I accepted much more responsibility and was able to refl ect on the more intricate points of my experience. What I’ve discovered is that any technical aspect of my job was in no way as valuable as the relationships I built with the customers and staff at Noah’s Ark. It truly is a people-oriented business. I desired to know the people in my boat and see their time in the raft as an opportunity to share my life and fi nd out about theirs as well.

There is a sense of aliveness embodied by Noah’s Ark staff, who come from all corners of the United States. Some have played key roles in my life, infl uencing me far beyond

the realm of rafting. To be encouraged by those you live and work with, day in and day out, makes for true lifelong friendships. They are people who exemplify in word and deed what Christ calls us to be.

Rafting has taught me to pursue my dreams. God places desires and aspirations in our hearts because He wants us to become alive in His presence. We are called to lead lives of adventure and passion. We can never settle for complacency, because as we pursue our dreams, God gives us opportunities to grow and learn in order to prepare for the next thing He leads us to.

BY CHRIS BYERS ’04SOCIAL WORK MAJOR

BROWNSVILLE, VERMONT

The time was early June, the place Hong Kong. My desk was piled up with newspaper clippings on union resistance against pay cuts, the fi nancial

secretary’s Budget 2002–03, and books on foreign experi-ences of public sector reform. I was an intern in the offi ce of Mr. Bernard Chan, a legislator and key person in the ongoing debate on Hong Kong’s civil service pay reform. My job was to stay on top of that debate and make sug-gestions from an outsider’s view.

Hong Kong is a city of 7 million but also a semi-inde-pendent entity in itself. The place is so dynamic and yet small enough for a fi rst-timer to get a rough idea of its governing bodies and how they relate to each other. To an economics major, it was an unbelievable experience.

In mid-August I handed in my fi nal report, and with cup-noodles and a backpack I hopped onto the train for a 28-hour ride to Beijing. I had always wanted to go to China, and this was my chance. I spent almost a month traveling through Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. I can tell you what it feels like to stroll around Tiananmen and the bustling streets of Pudong—a glimpse of the past and the future together. I can tell you how good it was to fi ll my stomach with Canton cuisine in its original southern town, and about my two days working on a farm—which shattered my romantic notion of being a farmer.

There was immense exposure, but my time was too brief to give a proper account of something as big as China; I felt like an ant swimming across a gigantic cup of tea. One thing I can say for sure: there exists a strong, faithful body of believers in China. I met several missionaries who reach out to university students, train underground church leaders, build better relationships with the offi cial church of China, and do Bible recordings for minorities in rural areas.

Traveling is not simply a drive to experience something different. It’s a quest for a fuller vision of life, of human nature itself. When I saw a crooked old man scraping for food in fl y-infested garbage cans, I asked myself: What’s his life like? What does sin mean to him? What’s his soul worth?

In my unfi nished account, it was the people more than the places I visited in which I found inspiration and learning. It was an ironic summer of more doubts and more assurances.

BY JEONG DAE (DANIEL) LEE ’04ECONOMICS AND ENGLISH MAJORS

GUISAD BAGUIO CITY, PHILIPPINES

Dan, right, with Mr. Chan. The East-West Institute Hong Kong offi ces are in the Lippo Centre tower

in the distance.

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recent survey of American adults asked how much respondents agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “Our values are something that each of us must decide without being infl uenced by anyone.”

What is most striking about their responses is not that more than 85 percent of respondents voiced agreement, or even that evangelical Christians were just as likely as anyone else to agree. Rather, it is that in face-to-face interviews in which they were encouraged to ask questions, out of several thousand respondents not one felt compelled to say “I don’t get it. How could anybody determine their own moral values without being infl uenced by anyone?”infl uenced by anyone?”infl uenced by anyone?

Even the small handful of folks who disagreed with the statement were apparently able to imagine a character that can only be pure fi ction: a perfectly autonomous, freely choosing moral agent, wholly unfettered by social, cultural and historical ties.

In Place of CharacterSociologist James Davison Hunter chronicles the rise of this fi ctitious fi gure in his latest book, The Death of Character (Basic Books, 2000). Hunter uses the more than three centuries of moral education initiatives in America as a window into the changing moral constitution of American culture. What he sees there is a long, inexorable movement away from moral orders grounded in transcendence and lived out in communities of particularity. The principal moral universe that has risen in their stead is a psychological one wherein therapeutic values and language reign supreme.

Along the way, moral instruction has generally been emptied of specifi c content. Direct injunctions—against lying or for treating others fairly, for example—give way to the premise that the unconstrained individual, given a healthy environment, will naturally choose the proper moral paths. The job of the moral educator thus becomes one of teaching the principles of personal well-being and the process by which moral decisions are made.

Even where specifi c virtues like honesty or fairness are endorsed, the reasons given for choosing such behaviors are wholly self-referential. What makes a behavior valuable is its capacity to better the individual’s life, especially in psychological and emotional terms. So honesty is valued not because it accords with a transcendent moral code, but because telling the truth leads to a healthier self-concept. Fairness is favored not because it enjoys divine sanction, but because it helps the individual get along better with others.

So pervasive is this psychological framework of moral reasoning that Hunter refers to it as a veritable “regime” governing contemporary moral education efforts. It dominates classroom-based moral education in both public and private schools. It suffuses popular parenting literature and the parental training programs sponsored by social service agencies. And it has radically transformed the rhetoric and practices of such self-styled character building organizations as the YMCA and the Scouts. The writings and programs that advance moral education today are many and varied, but nearly all are rooted in the same basic moral cosmology.

Thousands of studies reveal the reigning strategy of moral education does not appear to work,so say sociology professor Daniel Johnson and sociologist James Davison Hunter ’77.

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Point of View

Challenges to Psychological RegimeThe psychological regime in moral education is not entirely unopposed . . . in theory at least. Two of the most conspicuous challenges to it are found in the neoclassical and the communitarian movements.

The neoclassicism of William Bennett maintains that transcendent moral truths are revealed by their endurance across time and cultures. Since these truths are most faithfully carried in story form, exposing young people to these stories is the starting point of sound moral education.

The communitarian movement, by contrast, holds that the demands of life in community carry a moral authority that transcends the self. Responsibility to community thus trumps responsibility to the self as the basis for moral reasoning.

Yet neither of these movements has advanced much beyond cultural critique and political declamation. Indeed, the few alternative educational resources they have produced actually end up repackaging the very moral framework they seek to counter. For all their insistence on transcendent sources of moral authority, when it comes to explaining why any particular behavior should be embraced, they why any particular behavior should be embraced, they whyrevert to the same old self-referential, therapeutic reasoning.

Even the practices of our dominant religious institutions bear the telltale signs of the psychological regime’s infl uence. The Sunday school curricula, video and audio materials, and parenting literature produced in mainline and evangelical Protestant circles typically affi rm a divine moral code. Yet they resort almost exclusively to therapeutic language when articulating reasons for adhering to the specifi c elements of that code. This tendency is far less pronounced in the resources produced for Catholic and Jewish audiences, but even those resources are often translated into such terms when used in instructional settings. While religious institutions have been relegated to the sidelines of modern efforts at moral education, the extent to which they have been colonized reveals just how thoroughly the psychological regime has reshaped the moral landscape.

What makes these developments all the more remarkable is that the reigning strategy of moral education does not appear to work. In literally thousands of studies conducted since 1970, the relationship between psychological well-being (however defi ned) and moral conduct has proven weak at best, and moral education programs building on psychotherapeutic premises have been found to have little or no positive impact on moral behavior. Indeed, some of the evidence suggests they may have the opposite effect.

No OffenseSo if it is not a matter of effi cacy, what explains the emergence of psychotherapeutic discourse as the dominant moral discourse of the day? In short, it’s the promise of

BY DANIEL JOHNSON

Even the practices of our dominant religious institutions bear the telltale signs of the psychological regime’s infl uence. The Sunday school curricula, video and audio materials, and parenting literature produced in mainline and evangelical Protestant circles typically affi rm a divine moral code. Yet they resort almost exclusively to therapeutic language when articulating reasons for adhering to the specifi c elements of that code. This tendency is far less pronounced in the resources produced for Catholic and Jewish

COVER AND TITLE USED WITH PERMISSION; THE DEATH OF CHARACTER BY JAMES DAVIS HUNTER, 2000, BASIC BOOKS.


inclusiveness—a way of thinking and talking about moral matters that does little to offend or slight even the most diverse moral communities.

But the inclusiveness it offers is on the cheap. It is achieved only by denying the particularity of moral orders and their embeddedness in real-world, historic communities. It comes only by pretending that differences in moral understandings are not there—reducing our moral lives to their lowest common denominator (and what a low common denominator it is).

This bypasses the hard work of genuine pluralism: of identifying similarities and differences in the worlds we inhabit; of tracing our differences to their sources; of negotiating our differences and seeking ways to order our lives together, perhaps even fi nding new and unexpected harmonies in the process.

The reigning moral discourse offers us moral instruction without the potential for discord, misunderstanding, hurt feelings or confl ict, but it exacts a high cost in doing so. Bad enough that it dismisses out of hand the experience of millions whose moral lives are rooted in transcendence. It also forfeits the opportunity for enrichment and understanding that cultural diversity provides, simply paving over all the messiness associated with genuine dialogues of difference. Worst of all, it abandons us to a morality that begins and ends at the borders of the self, which is no morality at all.

Framing a New Moral DiscourseThere are those who would have us respond to all this with a return to the halcyon days when a broadly Judeo-Christian normative order was supposedly assumed by all. Yet Hunter’s analysis raises deep questions about whether such a return is possible or even desirable.

In any case, efforts to turn back the clock by foisting an absolutist moral vision on a restive culture are not the way forward. The more urgent task confronting all Americans, and Christians not least, is one of forging a framework of moral discourse within which they can express and negotiate their deepest moral differences—a discourse that takes divergent moral visions seriously and does honor to the communities that make them lived realities. For the reigning fi ction of a perfectly autonomous, freely choosing moral agent is simply not up to the task of building the genuinely democratic, pluralistic society we seek.

The reigning moral discourse . . . abandons us to a morality that

begins and ends at the borders of the self, which is no morality at all.

Dr. Daniel Johnson, left, has been teaching at Gordon since 1998 and is currently chair of the Department of Sociology and Social Work. He holds a doctorate from the University of Virginia.

Johnson has worked alongside James Davison Hunter, right, and provided statistical research for The Death of Character. Dr. Hunter graduated from Gordon in 1977. He is professor of sociology at the University of Virginia and the author of several books including Culture Wars.

21

BY KRISTIN SCHWABAUER ’04

John Eibner ’74B cannot turn his back on the plight of Dinka womenand children sold as slaves in Sudan. Through Christian Solidarity

International John buys their freedom for $33 each.

xhausted and dirty, a young Sudanese woman sits in the shade with a child plastered

to her body. She waits. She is not afraid as she sits in scorch ing heat with 400 other Dinka wom en and chil dren. The worst has already been done. She has been abused, raped, and treat ed like an animal.

Abducted by Arab raiders, these Dinka women are distributed among the raiders or sold into slavery. Some are forced to march on a two-week trek to the north. Raiders gang-rape the wom en before they sell them to their Arab mas ters, who use them to fetch wa ter, clean house and as con- cu bines. Many are sub ject ed to genital mu ti la tion, giv en an Arab name and forced to say Mus lim prayers. Some- times young males also suf fer gang-rape by their own ers.

For the last 20 years the gov ern ment has armed Arab mi li tia men to storm

south ern African villages in an at tempt to Islamize the country by force. The raids are sponsored by an Islamist regime in the context of a declared jihad. Coupled with con- ven tion al war fare, the raids have been the most pow er ful means of car ry ing out this pol i cy. All non-Mus lims are tar get ed; men are killed while wom en and chil dren are tak en by raiders.

John Eibner, a 1974 Barrington graduate, has been in the middle of this dilemma since 1992. Under the ban ner of Christian Solidarity In ter na tion al, an organization that fi ghts glo bal repression of all kinds, John is in volved in an activity that appears anach ro nis tic for the 21st century—the freeing of slaves.

On October 21, 2002, President Bush signed The Sudan Peace Act, cor rect ly identifying the govern-ment of Sudan as being responsible for “acts of geno cide” including slavery. Eibner feels this law will add

enormously to the pressure on the Sudanese gov ern ment to desist from committing such internationally rec-ognized crimes against humanity.

Were it not for organizations like Christian Sol i dar i ty In ter na -tion al, there would be little hope for these women and children. CSI, which is non profi t and Swiss-based, ad vo cates glo bal re spect for hu mans, relief from re li gious re pres sion and other vic tim iza tion, and gives as sis -tance in di sas ters. CSI uses the Bi ble and prayer as its foun da tion, quoting I Corinthians 12:26—“If one part suf fers, every part suffers with it.”

Other or ga ni za tions in volved in anti-sla very work in Sudan include the American Anti-Slavery Group (see the article by Gloria White-Hammond on page 22), the STOP Cam paign and the Na tion al Black Lead er ship Roundtable.

Eibner is currently the act ing ex ec u tive director. He says the char-

Bought with a Price

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Boston Physician-MinisterInvolved with Slave Buy-Back

I’ve always played life by the book, inside the box, ac cord ing to the

rules. How ev er, my efforts to con-front the trag e dy in Sudan fi nd me right in the middle of con tro ver sy.

This tragedy is not just about war and slavery. It’s also about rape and gang-rape. It’s about female genital mu ti la tion and forced re li gious con ver sions. It’s about stabbings, burnings and beatings of innocent wom en and children.

Thus I went to Sudan in the spirit of Moses and Harriet Tubman. Here in lies the controversy.

ac ter of Barrington College helped him look at his to ry and world affairs with a Chris tian perspective.

Eibner’s first fact-finding vis it to Sudan horrifi ed him. By 1995 Eibner and other members of CSI had dis cov ered that chattel sla very is a thriv ing practice between southern Sudan and the regions of Darfur and Kordofan in western Sudan. After speak ing to sur vi vors, Eibner was in vit ed to sup port local community ef forts to free the Dinka.

Today Eibner travels to Sudan ev ery two months. Since 1995 more than 70,000 slaves have been freed through CSI. Recently CSI has been pro mot ing lo cal peace agree- ments be tween the Dinka and their Arab neigh bors, and, as a result, slave raids have di min ished rath er than in creased. The rate of re lease has ac cel er at ed, and some slaves have even been returned free of charge.

However, two basic con tro ver sies dog Eibner’s work of buying back slaves. First, many believe buying slaves fuels the slave trade. But CSI’s monitoring shows far few er slave raids since 1998. Though there are no of fi cial sta tis tics, Eibner wit ness es reg u lar ly the se cu ri ty con di tions and re ceives reports from lo cal ci vil ians

and re sis tance fi ght ers. The U.N. Spe cial Rap por teur on Sudan Ger-hard Baum has con firmed these reports.

Antislavery organizations work with Arabs who go un der ground to buy slaves from Arab mas ters or to help slaves es cape. The an ti sla very groups pay the slave re triev ers $33 for each slave re cov ered—a price that has remained fi xed since Arabs and lo cal Dinka lead ers agreed on it 10 years ago.

The second criticism claims the people freed are not slaves but rather players in a large-scale fraud. To re fute this, Eibner al lows in de -pen dent jour nal ists and re search ers to ac com pa ny him and wit ness the buy-backs. Jour nal ists from CBS News, the BBC, The New York Times, The Bos ton Globe, The Times (Lon don), The Times (Lon don), The Timesand many news pa pers from around the world have con fi rmed the real-ity of sla very and not found a sin gle in stance of fraud u lence. In stead many have pro vid ed pub lic i ty and sup port for Eibner’s work.

Despite the challenges, Eibner considers it an act of Christian integ-rity to con tin ue the work because of the knowl edge he has acquired. “My faith has a lot to do with keep ing me

going,” says Eibner. He also clings to I Corinthians 7:23 as jus ti fi ca tion for redeeming others: “You were bought at a price; do not be come slaves of men.”

“The work we do to redeem slaves is a physical reflection of our own spir i tu al redemption. We have to be aware that the same demonic powers and principalities that placed Christ on the cross also strive to foil the re demp tion of slaves. We stand in a long Judeo-Christian line of redeeming slaves,” says Eibner.

Eibner has great admiration for the Sudanese who remain hopeful in the face of their desperate situation. They lift his spirit when he’s there. Con verse ly, he feels disheartened when sur round ed by the affl uence and ap a thy in Eu rope and America, par tic u lar ly when he sees it among Chris tians. “If my right hand were in the fi re,” Eibner says, “my left hand would in stinc tive ly pull it out. The body of Christ is not work ing that way in many cases, and even tu al ly the deep burns will be come in fect ed and the body will die. As Chris tians we have an ob li ga tion to use what God has given us to make the world a better place.”

“The work we do to redeem slaves is a physical reflection of our own spiritual redemption.”

BY GLORIA WHITE-HAMMOND

Gloria and Ray with the Sudanese people.

PHO

TOS C

OU

RTES

Y O

F AM

ERIC

AN

AN

TI-S

LAVE

RY G

ROU

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23

The young Dinka wom an continues to sit in the scorch ing heat. She looks up to see a man stand ing be fore her. “You are all free,” he says.

Free? She can hardly un der stand those words. A surge of strength rush es through her body as she search es the sur round ing crowd for a family mem ber’s face.

John Eibner stands, watch ing the ex cite ment in each Dinka’s face, and re al iz es these peo ple who have suf fered in tense bru tal i ty have just been giv en a second chance.

“The work we do to redeem slaves is a physical reflection of our own spiritual redemption.”

One concern is that returning slaves in the midst of ongoing slave raids cre ates the risk of reenslavement. Doc u men ta tion cited in the preceding ar ti cle concludes that while reenslave-ment is a pos si bil i ty, it is not a prob-ability. The greater concern is the potential for fraudulent schemes.

While these concerns are pos- si bil i ties, there is no doc u men ta tion that they are re al i ties. None of the critics of this work has ever spe cifi - cal ly iden ti fi ed and interviewed any dishonest ben e fi cia ries or fake slaves. Com pe tent Eu ro pe an and American jour nal ists who have traveled to Sudan have mon i tored and ver i fi ed the in teg ri ty of the operation.

I continue to do this work despite the controversy. How could

I over look the 11-year-old boy whose nose was chopped off when as a young servant he lost a cow? How could I dismiss the young boy who trem bled as he recalled watching another slave boy sodomized by the master and four other men until the victim hem or rhaged, developed abdominal dis ten tion and became unconscious? How could I say to him, “Relax, remain enslaved, take it like a man”?

I am not special. I fi nd each trip is physically stress ful, emotionally drain ing and spiritually challenging. Like my colleagues, I go forth with the strength of Him who compels me to bind up the brokenhearted and pro claim freedom for the captives. I am among those of whom Maya

Angelou spoke when she de clared, “You are the hope and the dream of the slave.”

Gloria White-Hammond is on the boards of both the American Anti-Sla very Group and Christian Solidar-ity International. Since the sum mer of 2001 Gloria has traveled to Sudan three times, or ga niz ing a trip last July for a large ly fe male delegation called My Sis ter’s Keep er, which has an ongo-ing ministry to the women of Sudan.

Gloria and her hus band, Ray, are both physicians in Boston. Ray is pastor and Gloria is copastor of Bethel AME Church in Ja mai ca Plain. Both are in volved with slave buy-back.

Kristin Schwabauer is a junior En glish major at Gordon. Last summer she led a youth missions trip for ra cial rec on cil i a tion to Jackson, Mis sis sip pi. She has also worked with the Cher o kee Indians in North Caro li na, the Pima Indi-ans in Arizona and the Portuguese in Lisbon, Por tu gal.

One of the preeminent antislavery campaigners of modern times, John Eibner has served as CSI’s main rep re sen ta tive at the Unit ed Na tions, Geneva. He has ap peared before the U.S. House of Rep re sen ta tives, Subcommittee on Africa, the Con- gres sion al Human Rights Caucus, and the U.N. Com mis sion on Hu man Rights. In this role as ad vo cate, Eibner has testifi ed on behalf of the Sudanese slaves and other victims of the National Islamic Front’s jihad (Is lam ic Holy War) against the coun try’s Black African Chris tians and other minority groups. He has fre quent ly briefed senior policy mak ers at the White House and State De part ment.

His writings on advocacy have been published in news-papers around the world. John holds a doc tor ate degree in history from the Uni ver si ty of London.

Visit CSI’s website at www.csi-int.org or email CSI’s offi ce at [email protected].


hen Gordon was founded in Boston in 1889 as an urban school for mission-

aries and ministers, it was a radical educational experiment. With stu-dents from varied backgrounds and often poor, Dr. F. L. Chapell, the school’s fi rst instructor, described it as “an unconventional gathering of earnest souls to get what preparation they can in the time they may com-mand for whatever work the Lord may induct them into.”

Dedicated to upholding God’s sacred Word while ministering to the whole person, the program involved students in city ministries and encouraged them to learn from the diverse cultural opportunities all around them.

Over the years Gordon evolved into a Christian liberal arts college and in 1955 moved to its suburban 1,000-acre campus in Wenham. While the school never lost its love of the city and ministries there, students could no longer immerse themselves in urban life as they once had.

The merger with Barrington Col-lege of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1985 renewed interest in reconnect-ing Gordon to its roots in the city. Several ideas have been explored since that time, culminating this fall in the launching of the Boston Urban

Semester (B.U.S.). We extend special thanks for the persistence of former Associate Dean of External Education Dr. Diane Blake; economics profes-sor John Mason, who leads Gordon’s Urban Presence Committee; and the support of Provost Mark Sargent and Associate Provost Herma Williams. Dr. Sargent says, “I am excited about the possibilities for our students to live in a multiethnic community and to learn about the history, art and sociology of Boston.”

On August 28, 2002, in Dorchester, Boston’s largest inner-city neighborhood, close to one hundred Gordon faculty, staff and administrators held a celebration luncheon and dedicated the Boston Urban Semester program, taking long-awaited steps toward bridging the gap with our urban brothers and sisters in Christ.

B.U.S. will host students from Gordon College and the Council of Christian Colleges and Universi-ties for a unique semester of studies focusing on the multifaceted dimen-sions of urban life. B.U.S. offers six specially designed courses. Two quad courses deal with social, economic and political realities. In Art in the City, students travel for classes to the many popular art venues in Boston. The hands-on courses The History

of Boston and Church in the City round out the course offerings. Pro-fessors for the program are drawn from Gordon and other local higher education institutions.

Home base for the program is Jubilee House, a 23-room Victorian mansion built in 1880 in the heart of Boston’s most diverse commu-nity, Codman Square. The Salva-tion Army purchased the home in August of 1996 and has turned it into an exciting urban church ministry.

Each student will also partici-pate in a service learning internship to gain fi rsthand experience in their career path while serving the people of Boston. Current internships include A Woman’s Concern Medi-cal Center; Neighborhood House Charter School; Bluehills Boys and Girls Clubhouse; and Abundant Life Youth Department.

Majors William and Susan Dunigan, whose son Brian is a junior at Gordon, are the resident directors for the B.U.S. program. They believe this partnership between Gordon and the Salvation Army is “a match made in heaven” and hope it will open the eyes of more people to the possibilities of life and ministry in the city.

Five students initiated B.U.S. in September. Student Rebekah

Gordon is reconnecting

with its roots in

“this city on a hill”

through a new

off-campus program.

Boston Urban Semester

25

Profs & Programs

Photos from top left clockwise: Director Craig McMullen (front left) with B.U.S. students in front of Jubilee House. Others in front, left to right, Rebekah Puz ’04, Sharon Patterson ’06, Chris Ryan ’04; in back, Sarah Per-ruccio ’05, Ashleigh Foote ’02.

Professor Larry Mayes (center), director of Log School Settlement House, a social service agency in Dorchester, teaches selected topics on urban sociology.

Student Rebekah Puz.

The U.S.S. Constitution, a famous Boston landmark.

BY CRAIG W. MCMULLENBY CRAIG W. MCMULLENBoston Urban SemesterPuz ’04, says, “The relationships with the Jubilee House family really enhance the program—I love Jubilee House!” Sharon Patterson, a recent transfer student, chose to begin her fi rst semester with Gordon at B.U.S.: “It’s excellent for building bridges of diversity and between cultures.” Chris Ryan ’04 says he likes the small and personalized classes, with professors taking the students out into the fi eld to see fi rsthand what they’re learning about.”

Integrity in the city is measured by long-term commitments. As the great migration of Puritans sailed to Boston in 1630, Governor John Winthrop assured them the world would be watching to see if they could remain faithful to their Chris-tian calling. “For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a Hill,” Winthrop said, “the eyes of all people are upon us.”

The Boston Urban Semester program has been established in this “city on a hill” to connect Gordon to the heart of the city and to prepare students “for whatever work the Lord may induct them into.”

For more information on B.U.S., email [email protected], call 978.867.4399 or write to the Offi ce for External Education at Gordon.

The Rev. Dr. Craig W. McMullen is the director of B.U.S. and developed the program and curriculum. He was formerly copastor of the Dorchester Temple Baptist Church in Boston. McMullen holds a doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.


Alums at Large

BY BONNIE YULE-KUEHNE ’96

s I walked up the curved drive to the sprawl ing man sion in Regent’s Park,

Lon don, my palms were get ting in creas ing ly sweaty. I pressed the ornate brass buzz er and waited only seconds before the high, arched door swung open to reveal a but ler—a real, live En glish but ler, re splen dent in his full morn ing suit. He escorted me into the draw ing room, poured me a cup of coffee from a mag nifi cent silver ser vice and left to in form the mis tress of the house that I had ar rived . . . and had I ever ar rived! The grand opulence was like step- ping into a fairy tale.

Momentarily left alone, my thoughts flew around my head in complete dis ar ray. What was I do ing here?

Five years earlier I had chosen to at tend Gor don Col lege because of the out stand ing Off-Campus Pro- grams De part ment, which proved to be the be gin ning of an in ter na tion al ad ven ture. I took ad van tage of the op por tu ni ties pre sent ed by study ing with Dr. Skillen in It a ly, par tic i pat ing in the Latin Amer i can Studies Pro- gram and spend ing my se nior year in the Gor don-at-Ox ford pro gram, during which time I met my hus- band-to-be, Ross Kuehne ’84.

After grad u at ing, I chose to stay on in the Unit ed King dom to enroll in a master’s degree pro gram in so cial an thro pol o gy at the London School of Eco nom ics. At the completion of

our course, my LSE class mates dis- persed to the far corners of the earth to pur sue an thro po log i cal studies. Meanwhile I found my self in the Amer i can am bas sa dor’s draw ing room at Winfi eld House in London to interview for a job I learned of through a con nec tion the am bas sa dor and his wife had with Gor don.

I was hired on the spot and put straight to work managing the many details of their personal lives. My new work en vi ron ment was lux u ri ous—very dif fer ent from what I had pic tured my first real job would be. During high school sum mer va ca tions, I had worked in a Nic a ra guan ref u gee camp in Costa Rica, a Hai tian cane-cut ters vil lage in the Do min i can Re pub lic, a Chris tian chil dren’s camp in Pa k-i stan and an or phan age in Egypt. Those ex pe ri enc es left me feel ing pret ty con fi dent the Lord was pre- par ing me to work with those whom so ci ety marginalizes, and my mas ter’s in an thro pol o gy seemed to fi t right in with that plan. In stead I found my self living at the am bas sa dor’s res i dence—36 el e gant rooms in the midst of 12 man i cured acres of gar-dens in the mid dle of Lon don.

So out went the steel-toed work boots of the mission fi eld and in came the glam or ous hats for Roy al Ascot. In stead of la bor ing in impoverished con di tions amongst the voice less, I found myself in grand sur round ings meeting global lead ers, in clud ing

Pres i dent Clinton, Vice President Gore, Prime Min is ter Blair, Queen Eliz a beth and Prince Philip, sena-tors, Su preme Court justices and many others.

The residence proved to be very busy indeed, host ing an av er age of 45 events a month—everything from in ti mate la dies’ teas to the July 4th par ty for 4,000 peo ple. The hours were often long and the work chal- leng ing, but it was certainly reward-ing and never dull.

After three and a half very full years, my work at Winfi eld House drew to a close. The change in ad min -is tra tion brought a new U.S. ambas-sador to the Court of St. James, and it was time to move on. It felt slightly odd to leave—not just a job but also my home—for the last time, but I felt ready for new opportunities.

Ross and I decided to remain in England. I now work for the execu-tive director of the charity Alpha International, prob a bly best-known for its Alpha course, a prac ti cal in tro -duc tion to the Chris tian faith aimed pri ma ri ly at non church go ers. Devel-oped over 20 years ago, it operates in 133 coun tries with al most 24,000 cours es run ning in a wide range of set tings.

I certainly don’t know what the future holds. What I do know is that God is guiding each step along the way and that Gordon prepared me well for whatever the future may be.

From

Grapevine

Road to

Winfield HouseGraduate Bonnie Yule-Kuehne’s mission—should she choose to accept it—was a world away from the setting in which she expected to serve.

Bonnie says Gordon prepared her well for the opportunities that have come her way. Here she meets Her Majesty, Queen Eliz a beth II.

27

Gifts & Giving

Clarendon Society members help ensure Gordon’s fi nancial future and assist students in getting a Christian education.

arbara Hackett, Gordon Class of 1933, blessed the College through out her life.

The last com mu ni ca tion the Col lege received from Bar bara was a re sponse card she mailed in Jan u ary 2002. She had com mit ted to pray for a team of Gordon stu dents serv ing the Lord in Managua, Nic a ra gua. Her hand writ ing was shaky: “May all be blessed with good health and safe trav el.” A few months later, Bar bara went home to be with the Lord.

Two words describe her life fo cus: Christian ed u ca tion. At Gor don she majored in Christian ed u ca tion; in graduate school she mas tered it. She promoted it by serv ing as a director of Christian ed u ca tion programs.

In a recent phone conversation with her nephew, Com mand er Dou glas Hackett said, “Please use her gift to help your students with tuition. She’d be glad to know she’s still helping young people receive Christian education.”

If the Clarendon Society had a sig na ture verse, it might well be Mat- thew 6:20—“Store up for yourselves trea sures in heaven.” The Clarendon Society is the planned giving orga-nization of Gor don. It was named for the Clarendon Street Baptist Church in Boston, where Rev. A. J. Gordon was the pastor. He was also the founder of the Bos ton Mis sion ary Train ing In sti tute, which later be came Gor don College.

Those who have named Gor don as a ben e fi cia ry of wills, trusts, re tire ment ac counts, life in sur ance and an nu ity agree ments are welcomed as Clarendon members as soon as we learn of their inten-tions.

If Matthew 6:20 is the sig na ture verse of the Society, the second half of Mark 12:44 may best de scribe its spirit—“They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44, NIV).

Jesus was looking at the heart of the giver—not the size of the gift. The College is continually blessed by gifts of all amounts. They sig ni fy to us our donors’ commitment to Chris tian education.

People from all walks of life and economic means have one com mon purpose in the Clarendon Society: to help ensure Gor don’s fi nancial fu ture through scholarships, the li brary endowment fund and the di ver si ty initiative, to mention but a few.

Listed on page 28 are the names of cur-rent Founding Mem bers of the Claren-don Society. If you have al ready named Gor don as a ben e fi cia ry in a will or estate plan and would like to be added to the Found ing List, please contact the Devel-opment Offi ce. They will want to thank you and wel come you into the Society.

Your inquiries about how you can name Gor don as a benefi ciary are wel-come. Call Rick Klein, director of special and planned gifts, at 978.867.4002, or email [email protected].

The Clarendon Society provides scholarships for students like Kristie Rose ’04, who delights us with her enthusiasm for life and ministry. She told her story at the Clarendon Luncheon last spring.

BY RICK KLEIN ’93

One Common Purpose

A s a junior here at Gordon, I am able to look back on how God’s hand has been upon me, pro tect ing and lead ing me from the time I was a small child. I distinctly

re mem ber feel ing God’s love for me as I sat un der a play ground jun gle gym when I was about 6 years old.

In spite of my father’s drug ad dic tion and the bro ken ness it brought to my family, I be came a Christian when I was 12. Grow ing up was diffi cult because I knew my dad was different, and that made our house hold dif fer ent. I held back in es tab lish ing re la tion ships be cause you usu al ly in vite friends to your home, and I knew I couldn’t do that .

When I was in the ninth grade, my fa ther’s ad dic tion es ca lat ed to crack cocaine. My mother be came very de pressed, and my two little sis ters had no idea what was happening. It was at that low point in my life I heard God speak into my very soul: “Kristie, your life does not have to be like this. I have plans for you that are much


big ger than the things you are fac- ing right now. Fol low and lis ten, and I will lead the way.”

I grabbed onto those words and held them close, and the Lord was faith ful. While I was in high school, God gave me a pas sion to see His King dom grow. People began to tell me I would be great at youth min- is try. I thought, “Why would the Lord call me into youth ministry? That isn’t what I’m sup posed to do—I’m go ing to be a veterinar-ian.” Wow, was I wrong.

I fi nally gave into God’s call ing on my life, and Gordon has been a tre- men dous blessing on my jour ney. Here I am being prepared to ac com plish the vi sion and dream God has given me. The op por tu ni ties to grow and be chal- lenged have been in nu mer a ble.

Last March I went on a mis sion trip to Wales, where I had the privilege of helping others see God. And my own faith was stretched as I be gan to under-stand just how big this world is.

I am fortunate to be com plet ing the practicum re quire ments for my

youth ministry major with Pro fes sor Bob Whittet, who es tab lished the Cen ter for Stu dent Lead er ship a few years ago to train stu dent lead ers across New En gland. This in tern ship is right in line with what God has placed on my heart, and I look forward to growing with this min is try.

God is tru ly bless ing my life. I am so grateful for the en cour -age ment and the fi nancial as sis tance the Clarendon Society has pro vid ed to help me continue my Chris tian ed u ca tion.

Frank L. ’59 and Frances B. ’55 Accardy

Margaret C. Alsen ’54David L. and Carolyn AmesAgnes Anderson ’58BHarold R. and Joyce P. ’58

AndersonJohn F. ’82 and Jan B. AndersonBarbour FamilyKenneth E. ’37 and Jane BathJohn Beauregard ’53BGeorge BedigianMargaret Ann Bentley ’78Kenneth R. and Dorothy BernardAnna G. Beveridge ’41BDiane E. Blake ’58Phillip M. ’64 and Linda ’65

BonardDudley L. Bowser ’45Cecil C. ’52 and Florence E. ’51

BretonTori Jaye Britton ’84Kenneth R. and Polly BrownArnold S. and Betsy BruceCarl F. ’50 and Caroline BurkeHelen BurrillBetty E. Burtsche ’56Frank A. and Ruth ButlerJames R. ’54B and Gertraud

’52B CampbellRobert L. CarlbergR. Judson and Janice D. CarlbergCarl A. and Randi CarlsonPaul R. ’54B and Myrtle CarlsonRoy C. and Barbara M. Carlson Jr.G. Lloyd ’64 and Gwendolyn

CarrVirginia B. CarvellCarolyn J. Cassidy ’63Donald P. and Barbara S. ChaseWilliam W. and Betty ClayJohn L. CoulsonJohn D. Craig ’43Francis F. and Elizabeth W. ’39

CrisciEva Cross ’46Joanne W. Davis ’61BRichard E. Detrich ’50Judith S. DolezalNorman and Alys R. Dorian ’64Henry E. ’53B and Ruth ’54

DoughtyMabel U. Downing ’32Joyce B. DuerrKenneth B. DurginHarry M. Durning

Esther D. EichelbergerEthel N. ’53 FernVirginia A. FernaldEric S. ’76 and Robin M. ’80

FeustelWinston E. and Ruth FoxDavid L. Furman ’57BOlive GardeCalvin B. and Barbara GearyLillian C. GemkowMary L. Gibbs ’64Robert W. Goodwin ’59Margaret Goodwin ’59Judson C. ’69 and Joan L. ’74

GuestChester Gushee ’50 Barbara W. Hackett ’33 Eldon C. and Grace HallLeona A. Harmon ’41 Glen L. ’64 and Marcia

HarringtonGrace L. Hawkins ’38Laura HeadleyGeorge HeinThomas J. ’65 and Charla W. ’65

Holt Sr.Roy D. and Beverly HoneywellDavid and Cecelia HornNathan C. and Jewell Hubley Jr.Edward R. and Ellen HuffJoseph and Margaret HuntElizabeth J. Hunter ’75BLeslie W. Irving ’36T. David ’53 and Margaret

JansenRaymond W. JarvioPhilip and Judith M. ’60 JohnsonRuth JonesRuth M. JosephsonWilliam E. ’78 and Jane KeepRobert D. and Miriam KenyonAndrew M. ’50 and Mary ’70

KilpatrickRichard T. ’93 and Sherrie Klein Jr.Daniel ’57 and Ronnie Jean KlimPaul C. ’43 and Madelyn C. ’47

KloseRosalie C. Kollett ’61BDaniel M. ’74 and Darlene A.

’74 KuzmakSarah W. LakeRichard S. LaneVeronica H. Lanier ’54Roger A. ’58B and Mary A. ’54B

LarkRaymond C. and Priscilla Lee

Katherine A. LindsayRichard and Marsha K. ’63

LittlerThomas W. Lorenz Sr. Willis W. and Margarie LundCharles S. ’46 and LaVonne

MacKenzieRonald P. ’81 and Jerilyn ’82

MahurinRaymond Mann ’61Don L. ’51 and Cora MarcumElizabeth Marstaller ’43Graham E. MasonR. Preston ’85 and Pamela E.

MasonMabel A. MathesonMargaret E. Mattison ’79 Peter ’63 and Julie M. ’64

McClellandPeter B. ’65 and Patricia C. ’65

McKayBillie McKinneyJohn L. and Jacquelyn E. MeersRichard K. ’45 and Joyce MercerIrving E. Mitchell ’43Doris P. MonroeInez B. MooresWilliam and Kari H. ’91 MyersEvelyn C. NelsonRuth E. NewhouseArthur M. ’45 and Opal NortonDavid N. ’50B and Shirley A. ’47

NystedtWayne L. ’56B and Kathleen

OwensIda H. Parker ’50H. Leroy and Inez PattersonRonald A. Perry ’65W. Ross ’51 and Lucille PetersenLeonard J. and Judy PetersonDavid P. ’52 and Margaret

PiccianoF. Grace Pierson ’33BMarc A. ’95 and Emily J. ’96

PitmanLois D. PollardElinor PouliotJames R. ’70 and Patricia L. ’70

RahnGrace B. RaymondCaryl A. ReidWalter E. ’49B and Audrey J. ’53B

RiceGlen A. ’77 and Leigh Anne ’79

RinesEleanor R. Roberts

Harold F. Roberts ’46Elizabeth M. Robertson ’33Earl B. ’63 and Linnea RobinsonAlexander M. Rodger ’36Thomas P. and Carolyn RodgerMonroe L. RosenthalRichard C. ’53 and Dorothy H.

’50 RungEdwin T. SchemppCharles L. Schenck Jr. ’48Inez SchumacherDiane ShawJames H. and Vera ShawThomas and Madelyn ShieldsPriscilla B. ShoreyErnest D. ’35 and Aldine ’35

SillersGeorge W. ’36 and Jean L. SmartFrederick R. ’53 and Margaret C.

’58 SmithMark A. ’80 and Jill SmithH. Sue Snyder ’78 June SpauldingEdith J. Spinney ’57T. Grady SpiresFrances K. ’36 and Barbara ’40

SteevesEdward L. and Marjorie SteltzerArnold G. StephensPeter W. and Betsy StineRobert E. ’54 and Charlotte S.

’54 StuartRobert A. and Jean SvobodaAnn TappanRuth M. TaylorElizabeth Gordon ThompsonEdna S. Tobey ’29Susan C. Trafton ’63Lester E. ’53 and Ruby M. ’53

TuftsDavid A. Vander MeyJames E. and Barbara Vander MeyViolet E. Vogel ’47BRobert L. and Nance WareOlga WashburnRuth C. Wessel ’49Eleanor C. Wilson ’61BHelen R. WilsonMary D. Wilson ’49BFlorence M. Winsor ’56Ralph and Barbara WolfWalter R. Wood ’47Warren C. ’42 and Alda H. ’45

YoungThomas E. ’68 and Linda H. ’69

ZiegerFOU

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Raves & Rebuffs

In this column our readers can respond to articles in STILLPOINT or voice thoughts about Gordon in general. Reserv-ing the right to edit for space, we will attempt to publish a balance of positive and negative comments. We hope to hear from you. Write to Editor, STILLPOINT, Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA 01984, or email: STILLPOINT, Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA 01984, or email: STILLPOINT

[email protected]. Anonymous letters will not be published. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE EXCERPTS OF YOUR CORRESPONDENCE PUBLISHED, PLEASE NOTE THAT. Letters written to individuals other than the editor are forwarded to those persons whenever possible.

We were [house parents of Bruce Wilkinson and Jim Bennett, “The

Mt. Whitney Fiasco”]. The soccer team basically occupied all of Conrad house, and it was a most interesting and reward-ing year for us. It encourages us, both Gordon alumni, to hear years later how God was building something special through the bond of friendships when we as houseparents wondered, “What will happen to these guys?”

Glenn ’73 and Marie (San Filippo) White ’72

[Marv Wilson is] right on target [“Seek Justice: The Christian

Response to Israel”] and able to say it very well in concise, powerful prose. I am going to put the column up on the bulletin board at the School of Social Work at Baylor University.

David Sherwood, former professor of social work at Gordon

Editor’s note: The title of Dr. Wilson’s article was misprinted in the Summer 2002 Stillpoint. The actual title was “Seek Justice: A Christian Response to Israel.” We apologize for this error.

I’m afraid [Paul] Carlson’s rather one-sided account [“Elusive Shalom”] per-

petuates the often ungrounded favoritism toward Israel that I perceive among many American Christians, often typifi ed by highlighting only Arab wrongs.

[David Cashin, who] had some important things to say about the roots of militant Islam [“Roots That Go Deep”], seemed to make the coverage even more lopsided.

At my job at the Associated Press, where I edit international news, [we] are constantly under pressure to present all the facts possible and include oppos-ing views. I was glad to see Dr. Marvin Wilson’s column come through with a warning on that.

At the same time, I was glad to read Peggy Wehmeyer’s commencement address. God cares deeply [about jour-nalism] because He cares about truth and justice. There are enormous opportuni-ties for Christians in journalism.

Malcolm Foster ’88

Imust write to express my surprise and dismay at the article “Ambassador for

Christ in Peace and War.” I am a Viet-nam veteran—a navy hospital corpsman stationed with the marines.

The Viet Cong were not my enemy, nor were they God’s enemy. That Viet-namese soldier I might have faced was created in the image of God and was one whom Jesus came to redeem. It was not my job to take his life, regardless of what my country’s leaders thought. I witnessed the destruction of life for the purpose of “protecting American interests.” I hear the same words today. Those aren’t my interests, nor do I believe they are God’s interests. We must each face our own conscience, but I cannot “kick butt and take names, and at the same time enjoy great spiritual growth.” To my way of thinking, those are incompatible.

Dale Herman ’66

We have been receiving your lovely magazine since 1987. I read it

from cover to cover and it has been shared by all kinds of visitors in the reception area of my offi ce over the years. We look forward to receiving it.

Harry K. Panjwani, M.D.

For info, updates and tickets, call 978.867.3400 for music events and 978.867.3200 for theatre productions. Music events are held in Phillips Recital Hall (PRH), located in Phillips Music Center, in A. J. Gordon Memorial Chapel (GC), or in Lane Student Center. Art exhibits and theatre productions are in the Barrington Center for the Arts (BCA).

JANUARY

16–February 12 Art Exhibit—Seeing Is Believing:

Drawing as Insight; an exhibition Drawing as Insight; an exhibition Drawing as Insightof faculty artwork in both tradi-tional and innovative materials

FEBRUARY

15–March 28 Art Exhibit—Both Sides of the

Cut; photographs by six Cape Cut; photographs by six Cape CutAnne-based photographers

7 Thompson Chamber Music Series; 8 P.M., PRH

14 Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble; 8 P.M., GC

15 Salvation Army Band; 7 Salvation Army Band; 7 Salvation Army Band P.M., GC

17 Jazz Ensemble; 8 P.M., Lane

23 Gordon Symphony Orchestra; 3 P.M., GC

MARCH

29 College Choir Home Concert; 7 College Choir Home Concert; 7 College Choir Home Concert P.M., GC

30 Bach Recital by James Buswell and Bach Recital by James Buswell and Bach RecitalCarol Ou; 3 P.M., PRH

APRIL

Art Exhibit—Senior Art Major Thesis Exhibits

4, 5, 8, 9, 10–12 Theatre Production—A Tale of Theatre Production—A Tale of Theatre Production—

Two Cities, adapted from Dickens by Robin Olson; 8 P.M. perfor-mances and 2 P.M. matinees on April 5 and 12

5 Pops—Wind Ensemble and Sym-phonic Band; 7 phonic Band; 7 phonic Band P.M., GC

25 Choirs! Choirs! Choirs!; 7:30 Choirs! Choirs! Choirs!; 7:30 Choirs! Choirs! Choirs! P.M., GC

27 Gordon Symphony Orchestra; 3 P.M, GC

MAY

2 Scenes from Operas by music Scenes from Operas by music Scenes from Operasmajors; 8 P.M., PRH

3 Wind Ensemble Home Concert; Wind Ensemble Home Concert; Wind Ensemble Home Concert 7 P.M, GC

4 Scenes from Operas by music Scenes from Operas by music Scenes from Operasmajors; 3 P.M., PRH

5 Jazz Ensemble; 8 P.M., Lane

16 Baccalaureate

17 Commencement

Events Calendar

255 Grapevine RoadWenham, Massachusetts 01984978.927.2300www.gordon.edu

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PAIDGordon College

The fall season was a winning one for the fi ghting Scots. As

Stillpoint goes to press:Stillpoint goes to press:Stillpoint Total wins and losses for the

Fighting Scots are 76-9-2 (.885 winning percentage).

The all-time school best win-loss record of 29-1 goes to the women’s volleyball team.

Women’s volleyball is also ranked #22 in the entire nation for NCAA Division III athletics.

Three teams are ranked in the New England region for their sport—women’s volleyball–#1, women’s fi eld hockey–#3 and women’s soccer–#9.

Three teams lead or share the lead in their Commonwealth Coast Conference standings—women’s volleyball–lead, women’s soccer–lead and women’s tennis–share.

With three teams in defense of their 2001 Commonwealth Coast Conference championships (women’s volleyball, women’s fi eld hockey and women’s tennis) and three athletes returning as reigning Commonwealth Coast Conference Players of the Year (Lauren Barnes–women’s volleyball, Lindsey Benson–women’s soccer and Jen Anderson–women’s tennis), could things look any rosier for the Fighting Scots?

For the fi rst time since joining the NCAA Division III and Commonwealth Coast Conference, Gordon College athletic teams had a legitimate shot at fi nishing as conference champion or conference

runner-up in each of the seven fall sports. Three teams, if advancing in the conference tournament, would have an opportunity to earn championships on November 2; the remaining four teams would have their turn on November 9.

Individually the Fighting Scots boast conference and national leaders among women’s volleyball players (Lauren Barnes and Sara-Britt Johnson, juniors; and Joy Potter, senior); women’s soccer players (Lindsey Benson, junior; Bess Watson and Anna Stempien, seniors); men’s soccer players (Matt Smith and Scott Brooks, freshmen; and Mike Egan, senior); and women’s fi eld hockey players (Megan Benevides and Krista Yoder, freshmen; Brianna Riddell and Becky Hughes, juniors). Freshman cross-country runner Courtney Hopkins is a favorite in the women’s conference race, and junior tennis player Jen Anderson has won

27 singles matches with only one loss dating back to October 2000.

Finally, school record books are presently being rewritten in nearly every fall sport. Women’s soccer forward Lindsey Benson has already become the Fighting Scots leader in goals in a season, points in a season, goals in a career and points in a career. The 28-0 start by women’s volleyball is the most wins without a loss and longest win streak for a Fighting Scots team in Gordon history.

Keep your eyes and ears open for more names and numbers from the Fighting Scots fall teams when the dust settles in late November.

Sports stats are updated frequently on Gordon’s website—w w w. g o r d o n . e d u / a t h l e t i c s /scoreboard.htm. Look for fi nal fall updates in the next Stillpoint.

—Stephen Leonard ’94Sports Information Director

A Mighty Seasonfor the Mighty Scots

JIM DALYFRED POTTER

stillpoint_fall_2002

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college years

stillpointgordon college

united college of gordon

busi ness world

busi ness ethics

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