The Magazine of St. Ambrose University | Winter 2011
Learning to Forgive
ALSO INSIDE: A Legacy for Peace and Justice
Scene
4
The Magazine of St. Ambrose University
Winter 2011 | Volume XXXVII | Number 1
Managing Editor
Linda Hirsch
Contributing Editor
Jodi O’Donnell
7
Staff Writers
Jane Kettering
Robin Youngblood
Staff Assistant
Darcy Duncalf
Contributing Writers
Susan Flansburg
2 Under the Oaks
Celebratingtheoriginalsocialnetwork;Condon’s
compassionandcompetencehonored;KALA-FM’sBaker
Sarah J. Gardner
walksthetalk;Schlimmerdiscoversherpassionfor
Jodi O’Donnell
discovery;theBees’saintpraised;federalfundshelphealth
Ted Stephens III ’01, ’04
sciencesandhumanservicesstudentspayitforward;and
Designer
SGApresidentChiottiaspirestobePublicServant#1.
Sally Paustian ’94
www.sau.edu/scene
[email protected]
Photo and illustration credits: John Mohr Photography:
cover, page 17; Dan Videtich: inside front cover, pages
1, 3–17, 19, 31; Greg Boll: page 11; iStockPhoto: page
7, 20–22, 29; Ted Stephens III: page 23; page 28 photo
courtesy of The Dispatch & The Rock Island Argus.
Scene is published by the Communications and Marketing
office for the alumni, students, parents, friends, faculty and
staff of St. Ambrose University. Its purpose is to inform
and inspire through stories highlighting the many quality
people and programs that are the essence of St. Ambrose’s
distinguished heritage of Catholic, values-based education.
Circulation is approximately 23,000.
St. Ambrose University—independent, diocesan, and
Catholic—enables its students to develop intellectually,
spiritually, ethically, socially, artistically and physically
to enrich their own lives and the lives of others.
St. Ambrose University, 518 W. Locust St., Davenport,
Iowa 52803
8 Faculty Profile
Withrespect,personalattentionandexpecting
their best,EnglishprofessorBarbaraPitzempowers
her studentstogothedistance.
31
8
12
Features
10 A Living Tradition, A Vision for Living
Alumni News
26
RememberinganAll-AmericanAmbrosian;future
TheCatholicintellectualtraditionuponwhichSt.Ambrose
Ambrose alumniunite;theArtLegacyLeaguekeeps
wasfoundedismorethanjustevidentoncampus;it’s
Catichalive;andAmbrosememorabiliafindahomein
thriving.
the university’sarchives.
12 Learning to Forgive
Asstudentsinoneclassarelearning,forgivenessmust
becomeahabit,awayoflife,ifwearetofindlastingpeace
Class Notes
28
through‘Backdoor’;USAID’sScott-Vargasbringswelcome
asindividuals,asasocietyandasaworld.
relief;Deere’sSoveyextendscompany’sphilanthropic
footprint;andDBAgraduateSundbergforgesalife-
18 Leaving a Legacy for Peace and Justice
changingeducationalpath.
AgiftbythelateRev.JosephKokjohnleavesalegacy
entirelyinkeepingbothwithhislifelongdedicationto
St. Ambroseandtheuniversity’scoremissionofworking
forsocialjusticeintheCatholictradition.
20 Six Degrees to a Bee
AlumnaBergmanbringstheworldtoourfrontdoor
The Accomplished Ambrosian
32
AlumnusChadEllegood,sommelierandwinedirector
at upscaleChicagorestaurantTRU,uncorked:Bold,with
interestingdepthandtexture—andpureAmbrosian.
Everypersonisjustsixconnectionsawayfroman
Ambrosian,andyoucanhelpusproveit.
Alumni Profile
23 Passage to India Helps Chart Life Journey
ForalumnusTroyJohnson,socialresponsibilityisinthe
choiceswemakeandtheactionswetakeeverysingleday.
1
When Catholic Charities USA embarked upon its centennial year
in 2010, the social services agency decided it would celebrate the
occasion by recognizing the valuable contributions of individuals
and organizations to the reduction of poverty in the United States—
including the 13 Catholic graduate-level schools of social work
across the country.
Celebrating the Original Social Network
“Catholic Charities’ mission is the elimination
of poverty,” explains Katie Van Blair ’92, ’05 MSW,
PhD, associate professor and director of St. Ambrose
University’s School of Social Work. “Most of the
people social workers work with are lower income,
and I believe that Catholic Charities values our
programs for our commitment to social justice and
working with those in poverty. They also wanted
to honor St. Ambrose for its commitment to social
justice.”
Van Blair (second from right, above) traveled to
the nation’s capital in September to accept Catholic
Charities USA’s prestigious Centennial Medal on
behalf of the university. Among the social work programs honored along with St. Ambrose were Boston
College, Fordham University, Loyola University of
Chicago, and the Catholic University of America.
“It’s such a great peer group,” Van Blair says.
“The deans and directors of all of these programs
meet twice a year to talk about issues relevant to our
students and that are particular to our programs. We
all bring an understanding of the benefits of working
within the context of Catholic social justice.”
According to Van Blair, the organization also
sought to recognize the ongoing relationship
St. Ambrose’s School of Social Work has with area
Catholic Charities offices that is so essential to the
social services network in the region. “We have field
placements with them, and our school of social work
advisory board has Catholic Charities staff on it,”
she says. “Many staff members at Catholic Charities
are graduates of St. Ambrose. We’re often looking
at how we can partner on projects because of our
unique relationship.”
Catholic Charities USA presented its Centennial
Medal to only 100 recipients, which included organizations such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
and Bread for the World, and such individuals as
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin and Sister
Rosemary Connelly, longtime director of Chicago’s
Misericordia Home.
To be considered in the same company as these
worldwide leaders in the fight against poverty is a
great privilege, Van Blair says. “Receiving this medal
is a real honor for our program and for St. Ambrose.
Catholic Charities USA didn’t give these awards out
lightly. We’re very humbled to be among the group
being honored by them.”
—JodiO’Donnell
2
undertheOAKS
A Life of Compassion
and Competence is Honored
It was the middle of the night when a supervisor
at Davenport’s Mercy Hospital called Sister Mary
Brigid Condon about one of her nursing students.
The young “Mercy Nurse” had not completed a
minor task prior to leaving the hospital, and the
supervisor was upset. “Send her back over,” she demanded. But
Condon was unfazed. “She needs her rest,” she replied. The matter was closed.
That’s what the long time director of St. Ambrose’s Nursing
Program was like, says the current director, Dolores Hilden.
“Sister Brigid was very compassionate and believed in using
one’s authority reasonably.”
Condon’s death at age 93 this past summer marked the loss
of a trailblazer in nursing education throughout Iowa. Teaching
and directing nursing at both St. Ambrose and Marycrest
College from 1954–73 came within the span of a 50-year career
that included seven years as vice president of the Iowa Hospital
Association and an appointment by Iowa’s governor to the State
Board of Nursing.
With such a legacy, it is no surprise that several former
students have established an endowed
scholarship at Ambrose in Condon’s name.
“We were very fond of Sister Brigid,” says
Ann Keeven, a member of St. Ambrose’s
nursing class of 1959. “She was very good
to us, very fair, and we always knew where we stood with her.
By her example she taught us compassion, something we took
with us out into our practice.”
When fully funded, the scholarship will provide an annual
award of approximately $2,500 to a deserving nursing student,
something that would have pleased Condon, Keeven says.
The university also honored Condon by dedicating the computer lab in the Center for Health Sciences Education in her
name. In the lab, nursing students prepare for the state licensure
exam through trial tests.
Although such technology was not around during Condon’s
tenure, its use in nursing education today would have tickled her,
Hilden says. “She was a very progressive woman and would be
the first to push for whatever one needs to be ready, to be good.”
—JaneKettering
My long-held opinion is that we’re at our best when we abide by
Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Keeler’s motto of
KALA is proud to complement what other broadcasters are doing by providing
unique programming to the Quad Cities, including jazz, blues, Hispanic/Spanish language,
gospel, adult urban, college rock, Americana, public affairs and news.
I think this goes to the St. Ambrose mission
of uplifting the dignity of people.
That includes the many cultures
that make up our community.
‘I hit ’em where they ain’t.’
—Dave Baker ’88, KALA-FM Radio’s
chief operator, on the station’s role in the
radio community
OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD
3
undertheOAKS
Discovering
a Passion for Discovery
Danielle Schlimmer,
left, with
Assistant
Professor
Shannon Mackey
The Bees’
Saint Praised
St. Ambrose students know that
Ambrose at the university last fall, led an alumni travel
the university’s Fighting Bee
tour through “Ambrose’s Italy” over winter break 2009,
mascot is an homage to the legend
and brought noted Ambrosian scholar Marcia Colish to
of honeybees swarming around the infant Ambrogio,
campus to speak on how the modern world can make
which sparked the prediction of this 4th century Roman
the most of the saint’s legacy.
bishop’s eventual “honey-tongued” eloquence. But
St. Ambrose of Milan is otherwise not well-known in
the foundation for such precepts as church and state
America. And according to Rev. Robert “Bud” Grant ’80,
relations, Orthodox Christology, liturgical music, social
PhD, associate professor of theology, that’s unacceptable.
justice, and Catholic moral theology. Moreover, Grant
Grant, long a student of Ambrose the saint, has taken
credits Ambrose with helping create what is now called
his pursuits to a whole new level in the past few years—
“Roman” Catholicism by integrating classical culture and
all with the intent of stimulating greater interest and
scholarship into Christian theology and spirituality.
renown for St. Ambrose University’s patron saint who, he
says, was “possibly the most important man of his age.”
The Ambrose community is already benefiting from
Grant’s work: he taught the first-ever course on Saint
4
That legacy, according to Grant, is the bishop’s laying
Ambrose is interesting for his foibles, as well. Indeed,
he racked up such a slate of sins as a statesman before
becoming a bishop that he had to “experience God’s
forgiveness before he could even preach,” Grant says.
undertheOAKS
W
hile St. Ambrose University is foremost a teaching rather than
a research institution, that doesn’t mean opportunities aren’t
available for Ambrose students to participate in interesting
research faculty are conducting. Sometimes, though, it’s the
student spearheading the research project—which is precisely
what helped biology major Danielle Schlimmer win first place
in the undergraduate poster competition at the 70th annual
meeting of the North Central Branch of the American Society for
Microbiology in Mankato, Minn., in October.
Shannon Mackey, PhD, assistant professor of biology at
St. Ambrose, says Danielle’s poster won because the research
idea it explained was solely hers and not an aspect of her supervising professor’s research.
“Dani has been using the scientific method to answer biological questions since her first semester at St. Ambrose,” Mackey
says. “The research project that earned her top honors was
entirely her idea, which allowed Dani to explain the experiment
from its design to its completion with great ease.”
Danielle’s research, which she began in fall 2009, looked at
how E.coli bacteria changes when it comes into contact with
adrenaline.
“I was interested in asking the question ‘why?’ and started to
investigate if there were factors involved in gene regulation that
was causing the positive reaction of the bacteria toward adrenaline,” Danielle says.
Her findings may help explain why certain bacteria thrive on
adrenaline, which could also explain why it’s not uncommon for
a person to become sick after living through a stressful situation.
In addition to the E.coli research in her poster entry, Danielle
participated in research Mackey has been conducting with Lori
Wallrath, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Iowa,
to understand the role of Heterochromatin Protein 1 in turning
off gene expression in the fruit fly Drosophila. Such gene expression research is important because it may help explain what
causes the severity and speed of breast cancer metastasis.
It’s an area that Danielle, who graduated in December, is
particularly interested in pursuing. She is currently investigating doctoral-level graduate studies in genetics, with the intent of
enrolling in a program this fall.
“I would like to work in a lab that studies how genetic and
epigenetics factors and mechanisms relate to disease,” she says.
“In doing so, the lab could find new approaches to treating and
curing a wide variety of diseases, which is why I was initially
interested in joining the Wallrath lab. By studying that protein,
we can research new avenues of breast cancer treatment.”
—RobinYoungblood
“Ambrose is a saint because he dared to seek forgiveness, paid the price, and was led to achieve more
than anyone would ever have imagined.”
Grant is continuing his work with periodic trips
to Milan, Italy, and collaborating with the Catholic
University of the Sacred Heart and Biblioteca
Ambrosiana, one of Europe’s foremost research
libraries. He is translating into English the definitive book “Ambrose of Milan: Actions and Thoughts
of a Bishop” by Msgr. Cesare Pasini, Prefect of the
Vatican Library.
Going forward, Grant hopes to focus greater study
of Saint Ambrose through a center here on campus,
where the academic fields can be explored through
the prism of the university’s patron saint, who was
“a Renaissance man before the Renaissance.”
—Susan Flansburg
5
undertheOAKS
75%
of our health sciences graduates
went to work last year
in underserved communities
I
Federal
Funds Help
Students ‘Pay It
Forward’
6
t took a “massive spreadsheet” and months of data gathering,
but securing a federal grant of $468,753 to provide full- and
partial-tuition scholarships for students studying in the health
sciences and human services at St. Ambrose was well worth
the effort.
nearly 75 percent of the cost
“These are substantial awards that
of tuition. One such student
came as a complete surprise to the
was master of occupational
recipients,” says Sandy Cassady, PhD,
therapy student Kaitlyn Weis.
dean of the College of Education and
“The scholarship has taken
Health Sciences, and professor of physical
a lot of financial stress off of
therapy. “Some of our students sat in my
me,” she says.
office and cried.”
Looking to next year’s
Close to $1.5 million in funding
grant cycle, Cassady says
through the Department of Health and
that “As long as the money
Human Services and the American
is available we’re going to
Recovery and Reinvestment Act went
take the time to apply for it.”
to five colleges and universities in Iowa,
In fact, the plan is to seek
with Ambrose receiving the most funding.
support for students in the
That’s because grant dollars were awarded
Master of Speech-Language
in part based on the proportion of graduates
Pathology program in the
who go to work in medically underserved
next grant application.
communities, and are specifically to
“Securing the grant is
support students who themselves come
an accomplishment for the
from these types of communities or
university and a wonderful
disadvantaged backgrounds. “Our
support for our students,”
programs do a great job of tracking
Cassady says. “It’s also
outcomes. We were able to document
another way we are serving
that 75 percent of our health sciences
our community, by prepargraduates went to work last year in
ing the best health care and
underserved communities,” Cassady says.
human services professionIn all, 31 Ambrose students in nursing,
als possible so they may
social work, and occupational and physiserve where they are acutely
cal therapy received awards averaging
needed.”
—JaneKettering
undertheOAKS
Miles Chiotti has just breezed into the coffee
shop at the St. Ambrose Bookstore. Like many who
run for office, he has the charming smile and charisma
to win votes. And like many officeholders, he’s always
on the go. Between classes, meetings and phone calls to
constituents, he’s as busy as the president.
That is, president of the St. Ambrose Student
Government Association—for now. This senior from
Roanoke, Ill., who’s majoring in political science and
public administration, has high hopes for the future, and
he’s doing what he can today to prepare for it.
In October, he organized and moderated a debate
between Iowa state senatorial candidates. Held in the
Rogalski Center, the match-up was between incumbent
Democrat Joe Seng and his Republican challenger, Mark
Riley.
“I asked them about unemployment, food safety,
retention of judges, and how national health care reform
affects Iowa,” Miles says. “They were very civil. It was a
great evening.”
One of the things Miles learned was how political
rivals can be friends as well. “Mark has taken his dog to
Joe (a veterinarian) for years,” he says. “That’s heartening, in our political climate. There’s such divisiveness
today.”
Miles says the need for a balance between self-
The Making of
a President
interest and social responsibility motivates his future
plans, and that his experience at St. Ambrose has helped
fuel his passion. “Catholic social justice teachings have
helped me want to be a part of the process that advocates for people and causes,” he says.
After he graduates, Miles plans to attend graduate school in public policy, work for the U.S. State
Department, and bring what he learns to elective office.
“I’d like to be one of the first people to run a full-scale
and successful independent party national campaign,”
he says.
He’s certainly on his way.
—Susan Flansburg
7
8
facultyPROFILE
When Barbara Pitz, PhD, professor of English at St. Ambrose University, began
college as an undergraduate, she had the kind of experience no parent would
want for their student. In a conference with her advisor—the only time he would
ever meet face to face with her during her college career—she was told she
probably shouldn’t have come to college at all. “‘Your goal should be to become
a secretary,’” Pitz recalls her advisor saying, a not uncommon piece of advice for
female students at the time. Even so, says Pitz, “I was distraught.”
PitzEmpowersStudentsto
GotheDistance
It is hard to imagine an example more opposite of
how Pitz herself treats students. Pitz, who has taught
at St. Ambrose for nearly 25 years and was voted
Professor of the Year in 2008, is a dedicated teacher.
She believes in the value of one-on-one instruction.
“You have to genuinely like students and want to get
to know them as people,” she says. “It is important
they know that you respect them as individuals.”
When asked if that early encounter influenced her
own approach to teaching, Pitz responds thoughtfully. “I think what I learned from that experience is
perseverance. When I work with students now, it is
with the idea that if something isn’t their best work,
let’s make it their best. It’s never time to give up.”
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Pitz
serves as Fulbright Program advisor at St. Ambrose,
helping students prepare their applications to the
overseas post-graduate program. It is a very involved
process. Students “have to do research on their country, they have to place themselves into it, they have
to think in terms of a project, and they have to write
about it in a very sophisticated proposal that takes
them weeks to put together,” says Pitz. Through her
guidance, six students from St. Ambrose have been
accepted into the program in the past seven years.
Among those Fulbright students is 2009
St. Ambrose graduate John Kuhn, who is currently teaching English in India. He credits Pitz’s
never-give-up philosophy with the success of his
application. “She spent countless hours reading and
re-reading drafts of my essays during the application
process. She knew what Fulbright was looking for
and wouldn’t let me submit without putting forth the
best effort I possibly could,” he says.
You could even say it is a philosophy Kuhn now
carries into his classroom in India, where he teaches
50 students at a time. It’s a challenge for him, but,
Pitz says, “He’s doing wonderfully, learning about
himself, learning about teaching, making friends.
That’s exactly what I hope for these students.”
by Sarah J. Gardner
9
A Living Tradition, a Vision for Living
St.Ambrosewillberecognized
asaleadingMidwestern
universityrootedinits
diocesanheritageandCatholic
IntellectualTradition.
Ambrosiansarecommittedto
academicexcellence,theliberal
arts,social justiceandservice.
This is the second issue of Scene in which
we continue to “unpack” our university’s
vision statement to explore the meaning
and significance of each of its elements, so
that we may understand this vision more
wholly, and thus use it more purposefully
to guide us in planning for the future.
10
What is the Catholic intellectual tradition?
by Jodi O’Donnell
Pose that question to
Catholic scholars, and you’re bound to
spark a discussion that ranges across the
history of human thought and touches
upon every academic discipline. Still,
most agree that the Catholic intellectual
tradition is a body of ideas, practices and
ways of thinking in which scholarship is
informed by faith, and faith is informed
by justice, to yield new understanding
and direction.
Yet what is perhaps more difficult to
define is how this tradition plays out
in Catholic higher education today. In
that situation, who could be blamed for
copping to the old cliché of “I know it
when I see it.”
That is where we’re fortunate at
St. Ambrose. The Catholic intellectual
tradition upon which the university was
founded is more than just evident on
campus; it’s thriving. It can be witnessed
in our classrooms and our labs, even on
our stages and our playing fields, in the
balance of challenge and support and
empowerment and exploration which is
enabling our students to fulfill their intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual
potential.
In these pages you’ll find it in
“Learning to Forgive,” which takes
us into the classroom for a course on
forgiveness, reconciliation and peacebuilding that was offered this past fall
at St. Ambrose. As you’ll read, even as
students in the class learn the psychological, physiological and cultural reasons
why one should forgive, they also come
to understand how forgiveness itself is
a voluntary gift of mercy from someone
who has been wronged—and as such it is,
at its essence, an act of faith.
You’ll also find the Catholic intellectual tradition alive and well in “Leaving a
Legacy for Peace and Justice,” which tells
of the late Rev. Joseph Kokjohn’s gift to
establish an endowment for peace and
social justice initiatives at St. Ambrose.
With his gift, this priest, teacher and
longtime Ambrosian sought to enhance
the vital dialogue needed on these subjects that will stimulate succeeding
generations of Ambrose students to imagine how the world can be more just, and
develop in them the fearlessness of heart
and mind to work for that world.
These are but two examples of the
Catholic intellectual tradition in action
on St. Ambrose’s campus. Indeed, they
show, as no mere definition can, not just
what the Catholic intellectual tradition is
but, more importantly, why we consider
it essential to our institutional vision.
For while this great tradition may have
been founded in faith, it remains universally relevant because it provides a way
of learning that embraces truth of every
kind and seeks every method of attaining
it—especially as our students set about
their lifelong inquiry into what it truly
means to be human.
So perhaps the Catholic intellectual
tradition is not something that we’ll
know when we see it. Perhaps, instead,
we will know it only when we live it.
11
12
LearningtoForgive
Emma Williams’ birthday party was about to begin. A
bonfire crackled in her family’s backyard, where soon
she and her first-grade classmates would roast hot dogs,
drink lemonade and play tag. A chocolate cake with
extra frosting beckoned from the kitchen counter, along
with a mound of presents. It would be a perfect night.
Then, Emma’s mother put her arm around her
daughter, guided her into the living room and said
she had some bad news. Emma’s best friend, Cole,
wouldn’t be coming to her party. He and his grandmother had been in a terrible accident. A drunk
driver had hit their car, killing them both instantly.
Cole, her parents consoled her, was playing baseball
in heaven now.
In the 12 years since that night, Emma, now a firstyear student at St. Ambrose University, has never
relented in her anger toward the man who killed
her friend. It hasn’t helped that he served only a few
years’ time for the crime, or that he has been in and
out of jail for drinking-related offenses ever since.
In an attempt to cope with her anger, she joined
Students Against Drunk Driving in high school, and
spearheaded a memorial for Cole in her hometown of
Sherrard, Ill.
It never occurred to Emma to consider an entirely
different approach—until recently. For the first time
since Cole was killed, she has begun to examine her
response to the incident. Rather than allowing her
rage toward the man who did it continue to fester,
she has been challenged to consider forgiving him.
She’s not sure she wants to or can, but she loves the
theology course she’s taking at St. Ambrose that’s
asking her to try.
by Susan Flansburg
13
Theology and forgiveness
Thecourse,
“Forgiveness, Reconciliation and PeaceBuilding,” was offered this past fall and taught
simultaneously at St. Ambrose, the University of
Wisconsin–Madison, and St. Mary’s University
College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Instructors
and students in each classroom explored the subject
across multiple disciplines, with St. Ambrose delving
into the theology of forgiveness, UW–M examining its
psychological implications, and St. Mary’s focusing
on the role education can play in building a culture
of forgiveness. Over the course of the semester, the
students in all three classrooms came together via
the social media network Facebook to discuss their
thoughts and observations.
The global class concept was conceived by
St. Ambrose Associate Professor of Theology Mara
Fitzgibbon Adams ’82, ’95 MPS, PhD, and Robert
Enright, PhD, professor of educational psychology at
UW–M. The two educators had been collaborating
on forgiveness research in Belfast, where the long
history of Catholic and Protestant conflict has left a
legacy of hatred that can still erupt in brutal acts of
violence in otherwise quiet neighborhoods. As they
worked together, Adams, Enright and a third educator, Sharon Haughey, a senior lecturer at St. Mary’s,
became convinced that, as scholars concerned with
the Gospel, mental health and cultural violence, they
could provide their students with a holistic perspective on the value of and need for forgiveness—personally, culturally and globally.
In addition to reading within their classes’ particular discipline, students read a shared text by Enright,
“Forgiveness is a Choice,” to provide common
ground for their trans-Atlantic discussion. As they
engaged with one another, writing back and forth
on Facebook, the students wove threads from their
own classes into their comments. For St. Ambrose
students, those threads began with exploring Christ’s
teaching on forgiveness.
14
It’s a warm and sunny mid-October afternoon on
which students might like to be outdoors basking in
the sun or tossing a Frisbee. But the girls in flip-flops
and ponytails who sit toward the front of Hayes 110,
and the boys in T-shirts and jeans who are clustered
in the back corner of Adams’ class are listening attentively. They’re being asked to consider things they
may never have thought of before.
Adams challenges her students to think about what
their faith really tells them about forgiveness, but
she isn’t just looking to spur a theoretical discussion.
She wants her students to discuss the questions in a
concrete and practical way. Is forgiveness realistic for
most people? Is it even achievable, especially when
justice has not been served, or when the person who
has wronged us not only doesn’t seek forgiveness but
is unrepentant?
She offers a real-life example:
Seven-year-old Susie Jaeger was abducted,
raped and killed during a family camping trip to
Montana in 1973. The police couldn’t find the
perpetrator, who eventually began to call her
mother, Marietta Jaeger, and taunt her with the
crime. The mother’s Journey of Hope website
relays how during the year following Susie’s disappearance, Marietta had struggled to balance her
rage against her belief in the need for forgiveness.
Instead of lashing out at him in anger, which is
what her daughter’s killer wanted, Marietta—
who had struggled to find spiritual peace regarding her loss—told him, “I forgive you.”
Should she have? Did that show acceptance of a
morally evil act? While Adams maintains that we
are theologically obligated to forgive, she adds that
forgiveness does not mean excusing behavior, often
the biggest impediment to forgiving when working
through one’s anger at being wronged.
“People sometimes think forgiveness is condoning
the wrong done to you,” she says. “South African
Bishop Desmond Tutu says forgiveness is not amnesia.
You do not forget, and you may still believe a consequence is appropriate for the wrong. But you let go of
your right to revenge. You let go of your anger.”
Psychology and forgiveness
Yet beyond being called by one’s religion to forgive,
what would otherwise motivate anyone to do so?
According to Enright, the motivation can be found,
if nowhere else, in the mounting evidence that shows
the deleterious effects of anger and resentment upon
our health. Maintaining an attitude of unforgiveness
and the growing hostility it produces—whether
internalized or acted out—can result in high blood
pressure, long-term depression and heart disease.
Moreover, the effect on one’s emotional health can be
as toxic.
Enright, whose scholarly career has been devoted
to researching the psychological pathways people
follow when working toward forgiveness, elaborates
in “Forgiveness is a Choice”:
Certainly, people forgive for a host of reasons.
You may see forgiveness as intrinsically good
and also want to rid yourself of the troubling
consequences of churning anger.… At first, people want to harbor anger, thinking that it shows
self-respect to remain angry.… Eventually, they
come to see that the harbored anger is compromising their personality. They are more surly
and hot-tempered than they were before. At that
point they want to cast off the anger that is too
much to bear. Only later do they come to see the
intrinsically good nature of forgiveness.
In illustration of Enright’s point, Adams offers
another example:
In October 2006, five Amish children were killed
and five wounded by a gunman in their rural
Pennsylvania school. Most of the girls were shot
“execution-style” in the back of the head. The
ages of the victims ranged from 6 to 13. News of
the premeditated and methodical horror of the
West Nickel Mines School shootings was quickly
relayed around the world. As was the fact that
by sundown, the Amish community had not only
forgiven the gunman, dead by his own hand, but
had also reached out in forgiveness and compassion to his family.
EMMA
Williams
15
At the time, the Amish’s forgiveness had stunned
the world. It seemed too quick, too complete, to be
genuine.
On the contrary, Enright maintains that because
forgiveness is an important value within the Amish
community, forgiving the killer helped the surviving
children learn a way forward that is hope-filled.
Instead of passing on to future generations a legacy
of recrimination and revenge for the horrific grievance committed against them, and perpetuating the
emotional and psychological pain of the tragedy, they
set an example for their children and for the world.
A cultural call to forgive
MARA
Adams
16
Such faith-filled actions, extended in the spirit of
forgiveness, Adams explains, are the only way to
move forward in places like Belfast. History is rife
with the inhumanity of humans toward one another,
unforgiveable actions that have led to longstanding
traditions of hatred, revenge and strife. When we do
not find a way to forgive one another but hold on
to the anger from the past, Adams says, we remain
locked in that past.
She found plenty of evidence of this on a recent trip
to Belfast. There, she discovered the legacy of longheld resentment manifested in neighborhoods sharply
divided by centuries-old Irish Catholic and English
Protestant conflict. Giant murals depict masked men
with automatic rifles pointed at the viewer, and razor
wire surrounds grade schools.
Memories of past violence and fears of new violence are still pervasive in Belfast, Adams says. “A
parish priest told me he starts his car with the door
open because if it’s been rigged with a bomb that
explodes, it’s less likely to kill him. If he hears footsteps coming up behind him, he runs without looking
back. Many people live in fear and anxiety there,
because of their tradition of anger and lack of forgiveness.”
That’s why, beyond the college course at Ambrose
she is team-teaching, Adams is collaborating with
Enright to develop programming to be delivered in
Belfast’s parishes along the lines of the forgiveness
curricula Enright has worked to put into place at
many of the city’s grade schools. The long-term goal
is to help individuals incorporate daily habits of forgiveness, and build a new culture that may one day
lead to a more stable peace in Northern Ireland.
A new way of living
Whether adopted by way of one’s Christian
principles or for reasons of psychological health or
cultural well-being, Adams says forgiveness must
indeed become a habit, a way of life, if we are to
find lasting peace as individuals, as a society and as
a world. In their Facebook discussions, the students
wrestle with all that implies:
Ittakespeoplealongtimetobeabletocometo
termswithwhatsomeonedidtothem…they
maybehurtingtoo(and)needourloveand
compassion,justliketheloveandcompassion
Godgivesus. —SAU student
Whileweforgive,wedonotforgetthe
incident butviewtheoffenderinanewlight.—
St. Mary’s student
Whenangernegativelyaffectsyourhealth,
becomesanobsessionorbeginstoaffectother
areasofyourlife,itisunhealthy.…Lettingthe
angerconsumeyourlifewillhavemanynegative
consequences. —UW-M student
Forgivenessisawayoflife—wecannotjust
forgiveafewtimesinourlivesandthinkthatwe
arelivingaChristianlifefullofforgivenessand
acceptancetowardsothers. —SAU student
Authority to find ways to share her forgiveness,
reconciliation and peace-building work with the
Quad Cities community.
As for Emma Williams, she is working to find her
own way to forgiveness. It’s not easy, especially when
the drunk driver responsible for killing her friend
Cole seems unrepentant and unwilling to change or
even try to redeem himself. Although Emma believes
her anger and hurt are understandable and justified,
through Adams’ class she has come to recognize
that this man occupies a place in her heart and mind
that will only grow worse the longer she allows it to
continue. Further, she recognizes the moral call to
forgive. Adams says that is the point.
“This interdisciplinary approach underscores the
need for forgiveness on many levels, but it also offers
practical steps,” she says. “It is a practice that you
begin with intention: I have decided to forgive. That
can be a first step in a transformative practice—a
process for reconciliation.”
Students may feel overwhelmed by and unable to
do anything meaningful about violence on a global
scale, Adams says. “I ask them, ‘but what can you
do in your own neighborhood, in your own life?’
Let’s begin small. Let’s begin with forgiveness. Let’s
extend the love of God in the world.”
Emma wants to extend God’s love. And in the
company of her fellow students, both here and
abroad, who are struggling themselves to forgive the
trespasses of the past, she believes she has taken the
first step—in her own backyard.
For some of these students, the dialogue will
continue. Adams is working to organize a study
abroad trip for students to participate in peacebuilding at two world-renowned reconciliation
centers: the Glencree Centre for Peace and
Reconciliation in the Republic of Ireland, and
Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland. She has
also received a grant from the Scott County Regional
17
Leaving a Legacy for
Peaceand
Justice
by Sarah J. Gardner
18
When Rev. Joseph Kokjohn passed
away in May 2009, one chapter in his
decades-long affiliation with St. Ambrose
University came to a close. Another chapter, though, is just beginning.
In his will, Kokjohn left St. Ambrose
a gift of nearly $1 million, the bulk of his
estate, with which to establish the Rev.
Joseph E. Kokjohn, PhD, Endowment for
Catholic Peace and Justice. It is a legacy
entirely in keeping both with Kokjohn’s
lifelong dedication to Ambrose and the
university’s core mission of working for
social justice in the Catholic tradition.
“Father Kokjohn’s generous and
thoughtful legacy gift to the university
is truly a gift to future generations of
students who will come to St. Ambrose,”
says Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD, president
of St. Ambrose. “The university, as a
Catholic institution, holds peace and
social justice as core values; so too did
Father Kokjohn. His endowment enables
us to realize these values and our mission
more fully.”
Through this endowment students at
St. Ambrose who never knew Kokjohn
will have the opportunity to share his commitment to peace and justice. “He gave
back his life. He gave everything he earned
at St. Ambrose back to St. Ambrose,” says
Ed Littig, PhD, vice president for advancement, describing the scope of Kokjohn’s
gift, the largest ever made to the university
by a faculty member or priest.
A teacher of humanity It was fall
of 1946 when a young Joe Kokjohn, newly
graduated from Catholic Central High
School in Ft. Madison, Iowa, traveled to
Davenport to attend St. Ambrose College.
He would earn his bachelor’s degree in
philosophy in 1950, after which he left
St. Ambrose to work on his master’s degree
in theology and study for the priesthood.
Soon after being ordained in 1954,
Kokjohn returned to St. Ambrose to teach,
even as he completed his doctoral program
in English at the University of Iowa.
St. Ambrose would remain Kokjohn’s
home for the better part of the next six
decades. And although he would serve
the university in several capacities, from
registrar to vice president—even taking
a four-month stint as interim president
in 1973—it was his love of English and
teaching, as well as his humanity, for
which students most remember him.
“He was so knowledgeable about the
smallest details of what we were reading.
We just felt in awe of what he knew,” says
Ann Boege ’88, who studied Shakespeare
with Kokjohn. “He was very involved in
making sure we understood all the layers
and nuances of the plays.”
Now an English teacher herself
at Williams Intermediate School in
Davenport, Boege says “the way I saw
him is the way I try to be” in her own
classroom. Kokjohn was a firm teacher
and expected students to come to class
prepared, she says, but his students knew
he did so because he cared about their
success. “It really mattered to him that we
left knowing more than when we began.”
Yet who could know that the challenging yet supportive learning environment
Kokjohn created in his English classroom
would not be the only legacy he would
pass on to Ambrose students?
A lifetime of charity During his
lifetime, Kokjohn lived frugally but gave
generously. For many years he paid the
monthly utilities for the Catholic Worker
house in Davenport, and he regularly
brought soup to its kitchen to distribute to
the hungry who came there.
He inspired generosity in others as well.
While serving as pastor at St. Patrick’s
parish in Clinton, Iowa, Kokjohn convinced business leaders in that community
to fund the construction of housing for
the elderly. Through his fundraising
efforts and careful direction, the housing
units were built and continue to serve
seniors today, nearly 30 years later.
He was as conscientious with his own
income, setting aside nearly one-fifth of
his earnings annually while still a young
priest, a practice that resulted in the
$1 million gift he was able to leave the
university. It has prompted the question:
Given his support for other charitable
causes, what ultimately inspired Kokjohn
“a gift
to future
generations
of students”
to leave the bulk of his estate to support
peace and justice efforts at St. Ambrose?
Rev. Brian Miclot ’70, PhD, a colleague,
co-pastor and former student of Kokjohn,
credits a visit to campus by Charles and
Mary Ellen Wilber, who had themselves
given $20,000 to St. Ambrose to fund
a symposium on non-violence in the
Christian tradition. The Wilbers spent
an evening visiting with Kokjohn, talking
together about life at St. Ambrose and the
Wilbers’ work at the University of Notre
Dame.
As Miclot relates it, “As we were leaving
Joe’s room he turned to me and said, ‘I’ve
got to make a change to my will.’”
A call to action That change established Kokjohn’s gift to the university, one
that would combine perfectly his lifelong
devotion to the Catholic intellectual tradition, Catholic education and St. Ambrose:
Once the endowment’s value reaches
$1.5 million, annual earnings will be
directed to supporting peace and justice
programming and efforts on campus.
With such an endowment, Miclot says,
students will have even more opportunities
for learning about nonviolence, conflict
resolution, and the Catholic tradition. of
“If you want peace, work for justice.”
In the meantime, Aron Aji, dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences, has
appointed a committee comprised of
theology, philosophy and social work
faculty, all advocates for peace and
justice within their own classrooms and
the larger community, to help shape the
future of the Kokjohn Endowment. This
may involve bringing speakers and visiting
scholars to campus who are committed to
the ideals of social justice and the difficult
work of bringing it about, or engaging
students in the work of local not-forprofit organizations on issues of justice.
Such resources bring a renewed focus to
an area, both academic and fundamental,
in which St. Ambrose has a renowned
history, Aji points out. “Father Kokjohn’s
gift actively and dynamically affirms
our historic commitment to peace and
justice,” he says. A network of events and
activities with a peace and justice focus
already exists on campus, and Aji says the
Kokjohn Endowment will help strengthen
those programs and further articulate
their aims.
Miclot agrees. “Stuff is already growing,”
he says. “We’re in our third year giving
an award to the student who writes the
best paper on resolving a world conflict,
and our fourth year giving a stipend to a
professor to research nonviolence in the
Christian tradition. We started a minor in
peace and justice, soon it will be a major.
While this fund is growing, we’ll be
growing, too.”
Ultimately the endowment will help
carry the university’s legacy of peace and
justice far beyond campus. St. Ambrose
students, given ever greater opportunites
to engage in social justice, will enter the
world better prepared to act, as Kokjohn
did, in service of fellow human beings.
19
You’ve heard of “Six Degrees to
Kevin Bacon,” the theory that no one
on earth is more than six links away
from actor Kevin Bacon. Well, here’s
a variation on that premise for you:
Every person is just six degrees away
from a Bee, and we can prove it.
Six Degrees to a Bee
6d2bee
Below you’ll find the names of famous (or infamous)
people, both past and present. Your challenge: Connect
that person to a current St. Ambrose faculty or staff
member in six steps, the minimum connection being at
least one personal meeting. (In other words, being one
of thousands of Little Monsters at a Lady Gaga concert
doesn’t count.)
forexample:
1. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Rev. Charles Adam ’80
For which the links connecting them are:
by Ted Stephens III ’01, ’04
1. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev came to the U.S.
in 1959 for a famous summit with
2. President Dwight Eisenhower, who was succeeded
in his Cold War fight by
3. President John F. Kennedy, who in 1963 met at the
White House with civil rights leaders, including
4. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who, while at
St. Ambrose to accept the 1965 Pacem in Terris Peace
and Freedom Award, met young social justice activist
5. Msgr. Marvin Mottet ’52, who taught at Ambrose,
including former student
6. Rev. Charles Adam ’80, St. Ambrose chaplain and
director of campus ministry
20
6d2bee #1
1. Entertainer
Be
yonce Knowle
2.
s
3.
4. Talk show ho
st Ellen DeGen
5.
eres
6. Mara Adam
s ’82, ’95 MPS, Ph
D, associate
professor of th
eology
1. “The Office” star Steve
2.
6d2bee #2
3. “Daily Show” host Jon
Carrell
Stewart
4.
Readyto
followthebuzzingbee?
5.
MSW, PhD, associate
6. Katie Van Blair ’92, ’05
the School of
professor and director of
Social Work
Here are a few tips to assist you on your way:
> Start with the Ambrosians and work outward. We’ll
even give you a little help on the first few challenges.
> You should be able to connect the dots by knowing
both your general and Ambrose history (and maybe a
little pop culture).
> Connections can be found on the Web, so if you’ve
been looking for a way to earn your black belt in
Google-fu, here it is. In fact, many connections originate from a past story, media release, or link found on
Ambrose’s website at sau.edu.
> There’s more than one way to get from A to Bee,
especially once you’ve made the key connection
between an Ambrosian and the famous person
they met.
Answers can be found on the Scene website at
www.sau.edu/scene/6d2bee.
1. Actres
sL
2.
ori Singe
r (experie
nced Bac
hould get
onthis one)
makers s
3. Actor W
illiam H.
Macy
4.
5.
6. Jon Tu
6d2bee #3
rnquist ’9
2, MOL ’10
, director
Occupati
of the
onal Thera
py Assisti
ve Lab
21
6d2bee #4
1. “Dancing With the Stars” professio
nal
hoofer Mark Ballas
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Corinne Johnson, professor of thea
tre
6d2bee #5
y crashers
ouse part
1. White H
i
Tarq Salah
Michaele
and
2.
3.
4.
6d2bee #6
or
ate profess
D, associ
Ph
,
ff
o
py
l Puth
sical thera
6. Michae
ctor of phy
e
ir
d
t
n
ta
and assis
5.
1. Legendary Major League Baseball
Yogi Berra
catcher
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. “Dawson’s Cr
6. Ray Shovlain ’79, ’82 MBA, athletics
and men’s basketball coach
eek” actor Jam
Beek
director
es Van Der
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Donald “Duk
e” Schneider ’7
operations man
ager
6d2bee #7
6, TV-11
1. Ma
2.
ul II
John Pa
3. Pope
4.
5.
ki, CSJ,
Lescins
6. Joan
rose
St. Amb
22
6d2bee #8
lcolm X
t of
residen
PhD, p
alumniPROFILE
by Ted Stephens III ’01, ’04
“IthappenedinIndia,”
..................................................................
says Troy Johnson ’00.
A moment of silence follows as he reflects on the life-altering
course charted for him on that
evening 10 years ago.
A
fter a day spent in a remote village in central India,
Johnson and the other St. Ambrose students who’d made
the unprecedented month-long service trip to India led by
Rev. Robert “Bud” Grant ’80, PhD, were making their departure
through a crowd of cheering Indian orphans. It was
surprising and somewhat confusing to Johnson,
the idea that these young children were so grateful
to have shared a day with Americans who had
traveled from afar to be with and learn from them.
Amid the commotion, he couldn’t take his eyes off
one particular child, a young girl who had stayed
by his side most the day. As he sat on the
bus that would take them away forever, that
same girl approached his window, reached up
to Johnson, and put something in his hand: a
necklace. Her necklace.
“It was probably the most valuable thing she
had,” he says.
Without thinking twice, he handed her the
ring on his finger as the bus pulled away. It
was the last he saw of her.
Or so he thought.
Back at St. Ambrose, Johnson was
rummaging through the students’ photos from
the trip. There she was, caught on film and just
as vibrant as he remembered her.
A decade later, the black-and-white image
of that nameless Indian child is displayed in
a frame in Johnson’s Arlington, Va., apartment
and serves as the screensaver on his
computer at work. 
23
f
“
...........................................
Passage to India
Helps Chart
LifeJourney
or me, India was heartbreaking,” Johnson says. “To be
from such a rich country, to have the benefits of nutrition,
political stability, physical health, education … and then
to go to a place like India, where people don’t have those
things…. What do you do with that?
“Don’t get me wrong—each of us should take advantage of every opportunity we have. But we’ve also got to
be mindful that not everyone is presented with the things
that may seem a ‘given’ to us. So where I can—where we
can—we should give to those who haven’t had those benefits. That’s what motivates me to do what I do.”
For Johnson, that work started in the Quad Cities at
Project Renewal in downtown Davenport, a program
that offers a safe and positive environment for lowincome families. Johnson served as a camp counselor
and after-school volunteer there for two years. “There
are opportunities to serve others all over the place—
including down the street from our respective homes.
You don’t have to cross an ocean to give of your time
and talent to others,” he says.
Yet Johnson’s work would indeed propel him all around
the world. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in
education from St. Ambrose, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in youth development in Kazakhstan. Subsequently,
while a graduate student in international development at
Ohio University, he would go to Indonesia to study the
habits of democracy among the Muslim groups there. He
also interned at the Wahid Institute in Jakarta and served
on a delegation to Indonesia as part of the university’s
Inter-religious Dialogue Project. After he graduated, a
Fulbright Scholarship allowed him to continue researching the topic back in Indonesia.
There, Johnson examined the Voter Education Network
of the People Program during the country’s 2006–07
elections, researching and assessing how the effort communicated voter needs to candidates and how effectively
candidates reached marginalized groups.
“It’s amazing how much Americans take basic communication for granted—the freedom we have to express
our beliefs and the responsibility we have to do so, well,
24
alumniPROFILE
“
I have realized that no matter
what you do… there is a socially
responsible way. We do have a
choice, to make the world better
in our own way. We need to
realize it, and take action—in
every action, every single day.
”
responsibly,” he says.
Johnson’s work in Indonesia ties directly to the work
In Liberia, Johnson’s work provides training and
resources to Liberian civil society organizations and inde-
he’s doing today as a program coordinator on inter-
pendent media to engage the population in the creation
national projects in Kazakhstan and Liberia through
of inclusive, peaceful and sustainable development.
the International Research and Exchanges Board in
“The government can’t just do what it wants to, and
Washington, D.C. The non-profit organization empowers
the community can’t just yell at the government,” he says.
individuals and institutions in developing countries to
“We have to find a way to work together, to be heard and
build the systems necessary for a vibrant society—things
develop solutions together. That happens by advocating
like quality education, an independent media, and strong
community engagement, transparent governments and
communities.
responsible media.”
“What we’re trying to do is empower citizens and community groups to advocate for their interests and build
partnerships with their governments even as they hold
And while that’s true for Liberia, he adds “Actually,
that’s true for America, too.”
Johnson says that both the Kazakhstani and Liberian
their governments accountable,” he says. “We do this
people—even the Indonesians he observed as a Fulbright
through strategic development and implementation here
Scholar—are essentially used to functioning in a manner
in Washington, and through ex-patriots and locals on the
that’s consistent with Western society. The challenge
ground around the world.”
lies in finding a balance of respect and learning from one
In Kazakhstan, Johnson works with the BOTA
Foundation, now one of the largest child welfare organization there, to increase the demand and utilization of
culture to another, “something else we all could use a
reminder of here at home,” he remarks.
Although Johnson would love to go back overseas,
health and education services through more than $50 mil-
closer to the beneficiaries of the work he is engaged in,
lion in conditional cash assistance, while also increasing
he’s also glad to be in the States for a while.
the capacity of social services through a multi-million dollar grants program.
“It’s good to be home, to be grounded,” he says. “Being
here for the last couple of years, I have realized that no
“This is a really cool program,” Johnson says, excite-
matter what you do, whether you sit behind a desk or
ment evident in his voice. “What it does for the poorest
teach in a classroom or work on Wall Street, there is a
people in ‘Kaz’ is support them by giving them money
socially responsible way that we can do everything. We
directly, on the condition that they take advantage of
do have a choice, to make the world better in our own
certain services, mostly education and health care. If a
way. We need to realize it, and take action—in every
woman is pregnant, for instance, and falls below a certain
action, every single day.”
poverty level, we give her money straight-up, if and only
if she starts going to a health clinic, gets check ups and
begins to develop positive habits that will stay with her
for life.”
25
alumniNEWS
Future Ambrose Alumni Unite
Making the jump from being a student to an alumnus can be quite a transition, which is why it should start with the Student Alumni Association, says
SAA President Tom Sendelbach, a senior from Henry, Ill.
“More and more, students are realizing that connections with the university can begin while they’re still a student,” he says, “and those connections
can help you in the job market after graduation.”
In fact, the organization regularly welcomes Ambrose alumni to its
meetings to speak about how their Ambrose education is helping them in
their career. Alumni interested in this opportunity should contact Tom at
[email protected].
UPCOMING EVENTS
Some stories capture perfectly the kind
of lifelong connections that are made at
St. Ambrose—like this one, sent along
by Tim Kilfoy ’80, ’89 MBA.
There was a group of football players from the 1950s
who all stuck together after graduating from
Bee Happy Hour, at locations around the
Midwest
March 5
Wine at the Warehouse, Dimitri’s Wine &
Spirits, Davenport
March 13–18 “Meet and Greets” with President Joan
Lescinski, CSJ, various cities
March 26
Alumni Association Trivia Night, Rogalski
Center ballroom
St. Ambrose, and often came back to the Quad Cities to see
For details on these and other events visit
their coach and my dad, Leo Kilfoy. They’d end up at my dad’s
www.sau.edu/alumni.
house with the other players from the ’50s who still live in
the area and watch old football game films—Roy Owen, Greg
Fasano, Joe DeSoto, all from Gary, Indiana (they called themselves the Gary Gang), and from Arizona there was Greg
Sharko, Tom Kenny, Bill Strenski and Bob Webb.
Bob was the first quarterback in all of college football to
pass for over 5,000 yards in a career. In his day, Bob won a
number of football honors, including first team All-American
and MVP in one of the college all-star games, which was all
Division I players except for a few guys like Bob, and was
inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
This past summer, Bob had been ill, and Mom and Dad
were planning on going out later on when Bob suddenly
took a turn for the worse. Bob had requested to see two
people before he passed—one was Coach Kilfoy. My parents
drove to Arizona as fast as they could. When they arrived
they found Bob surrounded by friends and family, including
his former teammate, Greg Fasano. Mom and Dad learned
that Bob had not been coherent. But Dad just went to his
bedside and began calling plays like he did during Bob’s
playing days. Bob opened his eyes smiled at Coach and
then passed shortly thereafter.
Bob Webb was a great man and loved St. Ambrose.
26
Feb. 24
alumniNEWS
Bring Us Your Old, Your
Faded, Your Masses of
Bee-Related Stuff
Art Legacy League
Keeps Catich Alive
More than 30 years after Father Edward Catich’s
death, he’s still as captivating as ever.
Few modern artists have the far-reaching appeal
Catich did. That’s in part the reason Linda Kelty ’75
and Amy Nielsen ’79 created the Art Legacy League
to honor their late teacher.
Since the group was established a little more than a
year ago, more Catich devotees and former students
have joined, including Kathleen Kiley ’74, Jeff ’81
and Donna ’81 Young, and Paul Herrera ’72. They
wish to “preserve the fact that anyone can be taught
to draw,” says Herrera. “It’s a teachable skill, but it’s
also perishable.”
Part of the league’s mission includes organizing
events and workshops relevant to Catich’s work and
life. Last February, the league hosted a calligraphy
workshop in conjunction with Catich exhibits in the
gallery bearing his name located in the Galvin Fine
Arts Center. Members continue to host events and
arrange exhibits, as well as volunteer in the gallery.
Another purpose is to help others develop basic
artistic skills with pencil and pen, as Catich himself
would have done, before moving on to modern tools
and methods.
“Techniques and tools change,” Herrera says was
Catich’s philosophy, “but principles never change.”
To learn more about the Art Legacy League,
contact Herrera at [email protected].
Tucked away on the third floor of the St. Ambrose
Library are mysteries, long-forgotten stories, and
beloved memories of the Ambrose of yesteryear.
They line the shelves and file drawers of the Special
Collections and University Archives, cared for by
curator and archivist Heather Lovewell.
The university’s
archives exist, Lovewell
says, to safeguard memoTips for Preserving Your
ries of St. Ambrose, from
Ambrose Memories
creased photographs
> Wear cotton gloves when
and faded felt pennants,
handling older items
to yellowed letters by
> Do not use tape of any kind,
students that provide a
Post-It notes, or paper clips
glimpse into life at college. When alumni no lon> Mark items with an erasable
ger have the need or room
pencil only
to keep their Ambrose
> Store items in acid-free
memorabilia, the univerfolders or plastic sleeves
sity archives can provide
these items a new home.
“In the world of
archives, what may seem insignificant and commonplace today may become a rare and informative
treasure in the future,” she says. “For this reason,
we value each donation we receive, no matter how
big—a letterman jacket—or small—a class pin or
homecoming button.” Lovewell encourages alumni to mail or drop off
items to the library. She also does research upon
request, although alumni are welcome to visit the
archives to do research on their own.
The archives are open 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–
Friday by appointment by calling 563/333-4211.
<
27
classNOTES
60
The Sixties
Bringing the World
to Our Front Door
Through ‘Backdoor’
As a little girl growing up
in Zimbabwe’s capital city
of Harare, Tsitsi Bergman ’98, ’04 MBA,
became accustomed to waving goodbye to
her parents as they embarked on “exotic
journeys to far-off lands,” she says. “I was so
envious of them—they traveled all the time,
leaving me and my sister behind with my
grandparents and the cattle on their farm.”
She is proud and reflective of the childhood that first sparked in her an understanding of the power of story. “I wanted to see these places, to experience these
moments that my mother and father talked about with such excitement. And
while I may not have been able to physically go to these places, I was able to
in my mind, in my heart.”
Fast-forward three decades, and Bergman is the one bringing the world
home, introducing Quad Citians to Mexican children in pursuit of freedom,
Harlem families fighting alarming literacy rates, and a young girl struggling
with racial and culture identity in Australia. She’s doing so through Backdoor
Independent Film Café at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, which screens
award-winning independent films and documentaries from around the world,
with the intent of using stories to further global dialogue.
“No matter what I’m showing, I’m always bringing in a different perspective to an audience of like-minded people who are interested in looking at life
differently,” she says. “You see, stories empower. They are a way of life—a
way we breathe. Our society is too into judging people right now. I’m interested in a return to ‘the heart’—of a story, of a person, of our world.”
Since the film café’s premiere showing this past summer, panel discussions
and social hours have indeed led to deeper discussions on cultural identity,
politics and social injustices. One film brought together Davenport’s mayor
and school board members for a panel on education reform.
These discussions, Bergman hopes, are helping create the connections she
desired when she first stepped onto U.S. soil 17 years ago—connections contributing to a global culture which celebrates the similarities that unite us,
rather than the differences that divide us.
“Maybe we all can’t travel like my parents, but there are films that can
bring us to new places, expose us to new ideas, and remind us who we are,”
Bergman says, “to bring us home.”
—TedStephensIII
28
William Stier, Jr. ’65, distinguished
service professor in the department of
kinesiology, sport studies and physical
education at the College at Brockport,
State University of New York, was
recently honored with the National
Sport Management Scholar Lifetime
Achievement Award.
70
The Seventies
Marie (Fry) Renner ’74 completed
her first triathlon in May 2010 with
her daughter and friends.
Dr. A. John Kuta ’75 of Richmond,
Va., earned a master of arts degree in
theology from Regent University in
Virginia Beach in May 2010. He was
also named the Richmond metropolitan area “Top Doc” in radiology by
Richmond Magazine.
90
The Nineties
Robin (Becker) Pingeton ’90 has
been named head coach of the
women’s basketball program at the
University of Missouri.
Scott Lammers ’91 was named
Mississippi Athletic Conference
Coach of the Year for coaching
the 2010 girls’ basketball team at
Bettendorf High School.
Daniel Schueller ’93 MBA was named
president of Brad Foote Gear Works,
Inc., the gearing systems company for
Broadwind Energy, in Naperville, Ill.
Joseph Janz ’95 is the graphic arts
department manager for Stanley
Consultants, Inc. in Muscatine, Iowa.
Kilby Watson ’95 received a master’s
degree in organizational communication from Queens University of
Charlotte, N.C.
Mara Sovey ’98 was named director
for the Corporate Citizenship Center
of Excellence and president of the
John Deere Foundation in Moline.
(see profile p. 30)
Andrew Hovey ’99, ’05 DPT, was
promoted to director of sports
medicine for Hammond-Henry Rehab
Services in Geneseo, Ill. He supervises
the Athletic Training Services and
Summit Sports Performance Program
and is also the Annawan-Wethersfield
High School football team’s certified
athletic trainer.
00
The Zeros
Jeremy Koch ’02 is the project director for the USAID-funded Teach
English for Life Learning program currently implemented by the American
Institutes for Research. He will be
based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
through July 2011.
Christopher Stone ’02 MED has
entered his second year as a full-time
doctoral student and graduate assistant
with the Graduate School of Education
and Human Development at George
Washington University, Washington,
D.C. Stone has also secured a year-long
internship in educational programs and
publications with the American College
Personnel Association.
Jayne (Lunz) Antonik ’05 has completed her master’s degree in secondary education from Saint Xavier
University, Chicago, and is pursuing an
art teaching position.
Ryan Antonik ’05 is employed as a
firefighter for the city of Chicago. He
also plays on the CFD football team
“The Blaze” and is a substitute teacher
for math.
Barbara Allen ’08 has retired from the
Social Security Administration after
33 years of service.
Krista Helling ’09 was named a 2010
Young Woman of Achievement by
the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and
Western Illinois and the Women’s
Connection. She is currently working on her master of science degree
in speech-language pathology at
St. Ambrose.
Michael Van De Wyngaerde ’09 was
recently hired as a human resource
international intern for a 10-week
internship in Manchester, U.K., for
Belden, Inc. He is the first domestic
student in his master’s program to
have an international internship.
If you’ve ever eaten
iguana for breakfast
or brushed your teeth in a
stream, you have something in
common with Susan Scott-Vargas ’93.
As a foreign service officer with the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID), she has also helped implement
critical aid and relief programs in impoverished countries from Asia to Latin
America. Although she travels all over the world, Scott-Vargas currently calls
the Dominican Republic home. She spoke with Scene from Jamaica.
A Welcome Relief
What kinds of things do you do?
I’m a regional contracting officer for USAID. We design sustainable programs to help alleviate poverty and bring health and education services,
self-governance and development to poorer nations. USAID also offers
humanitarian assistance where disasters have happened. For example, USAID
helped provide relief last fall after a hurricane hit six Caribbean islands and
a cholera outbreak killed hundreds of people. Providing relief in these situations is dangerous and unrelenting but critically important.
What have been some of your most rewarding experiences?
I volunteered as an international election day observer in the Mexican
state of Chiapas in 2000. A very old woman came out of the voting booth on
her cane, hobbled over to me and grinned, showing me her brand new
voter’s registration card. I asked her if she was told who to vote for. “Yes,”
she laughed. “But my vote was secret, and no one will ever know what I
really did. All of us women voted the way we wanted!”
Another story comes from the farthest reaches of the Northwest Frontier
in Pakistan. It can take doctors days to reach the remote villages, making
childbirth especially dangerous. Studies show three out of 10 mothers and
five out of six babies die there. We helped create a network of educated midwives to assist in childbirth. One day a young mother not more than 15 years
old appeared at a USAID clinic with her small child and baby. The elder
child said, “My mother says thank you for her present from the American
people.” The staff asked what she meant. She answered, “My little brother,
he was the present.” It dawned on them then that her mother was referring
to the tagline that appears on the USAID logo that says, “From the American
People.”
What’s in your future?
I plan to stay with USAID till the day I die or must retire. I am committed
to doing social service and to living my values.
—SusanFlansburg
29
Alumna Extends Deere’s Philanthropic Footprint
classNOTES
Consider how you might spend $50. On dinner out? A new
sweater? A concert ticket?
How about equipment that would allow you to launch a business to feed your family and send your children to school?
As president of the John Deere Foundation, Mara Sovey ’98
has seen $50 make that kind of difference to African families
who receive the money as “micro-loans” designed to help them
help themselves. The program, funded in part by the foundation, allows family farmers in Malawi and Mozambique to buy
everything from seed and fertilizer to the equipment they need to
transport their harvest to market.
Sovey says it is both gratifying and humbling to be in a position to help others pull themselves out of poverty.
“The foundation is making a real difference in people’s lives,”
says Sovey, who had the opportunity to travel to Africa last summer to see some of those differences herself. “The kids were so
grateful to be able to go to school. They were so happy, mugging
for the camera. I came back thinking, ‘What else can we do?’”
While Sovey explores ideas to expand the reach and impact of
Deere’s global philanthropy, she also lauds an innovative program that has helped change kids’ lives here at home.
“We are partnering with local food banks to help feed kids
when they’re not in school,” she explains. “The Backpack
Program fills backpacks—actually, Ziplock bags—with food for
5,500 kids in the Quad Cities and five other communities. We’re
hearing from teachers and administrators that the kids are less
anxious and more focused come Monday morning.”
Sovey says her work for Deere dovetails with both the skill set
acquired in her accounting major and the philosophy of social
justice developed during her four years at St. Ambrose.
“My professors helped my work ethic, creativity and skill set
blossom,” she says. “They formed the foundation and building
blocks for this position. And Ambrose’s culture of social justice
helped lay the building blocks of my personal philosophy. We
have a responsibility to give back, whether to a farmer in Africa
or here in our local community.”
—SusanFlansburg
What’s New? Let us know
what you’ve been up to! Drop us a
note at Alumni & Parent Relations,
St. Ambrose University, 518 W. Locust
St., Davenport, Iowa 52803 or go online to www.sau.edu/keepintouch. Be
sure to include your full name, class
year and a phone number or e-mail
address where we can contact you to
verify your information.
■
Marriages
Megan Schroeder ’01 and Chuck
Ikewood, Eldridge, Iowa
Laurie Proesch ’02 and William
Edwards, Long Grove, Iowa
Christopher Stone ’02 and Claire
Nichols, Clinton, Iowa
Jennifer Kislia ’03 and Eli Kincaid,
East Moline
Hosia Towery III ’03, ’05 MOT, and
Christina Lash ’04 MOT, North Las
Vegas, Nev.
Nicole Blazina ’04 and D. J.
Brown ’05, Midlothian, Ill.
Shawn Staples ’04 and Suzanne
Dunning, Palos Park, Ill.
Ryan Antonik ’05 and Jayne Lunz ’05,
Chicago, Ill.
Ashley Baxter ’06 and Michael Spain,
Delmar, Iowa
Melissa Kline ’06 and Jeric
Armstrong, Clarence, Iowa
Michelle Pressly ’06, ’08 DPT, and
Brad Heitz, Rock Island
Nicholas Bitting ’07 and Tegan
Young, Rock Island
Brad Cook ’07, ’09 MBA, and Kristin
Brasseur ’08, Davenport
Annaka Shackleford ’07 and Joshua
Whitting, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Kathryn Ybarra ’07, ’08 MOT, and
Justin Miller, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Katie Adams ’08 and Alex Johnson,
Coal Valley, Ill.
Molly Harris ’08 DPT and Joseph
Bailey, Davenport
James Howard ’08 and Diana
Grotzinger, Hampton, Iowa
30
Laura Sadd ’08 and Brian Nagle,
Davenport
Michael Chipman ’09 and Jamie
Kidwell, Lakeside Park, Ky.
Nicole Happ ’09 and Clifford Rudzki,
Davenport
Kristin Koch ’09, ’10 MOT, and
Nicholas Hansen, Davenport
■
Births
Doug ’96 and Joanna (Kinate) ’97
Gross became the proud parents of
a baby boy, Liam David, on Nov. 23,
2009. Liam is welcomed into the family by big brother Cian and big sister
Maeve.
Carey (Sehmann) Brewer ’97 and
her husband, Steven, celebrated the
birth of their son, Ethan Michael, on
Nov. 25, 2009. Ethan joins the Brewer
clan along with big sisters Heidi and
Hailey.
Paul Taylor ’97 and his wife, Kim, are
proud to announce the birth of their
first child, Charles “Charlie” Patrick,
on April 16, 2010.
Megan (Slick) Blackmore ’99 and her
husband Matt, welcomed the birth of
a baby girl, Maggie Shea, on Nov. 9,
2009. She joins big brother Will and
big sister Finley.
Jennifer (Hamming) Fitzgerald ’99
and her husband, James, are the proud
parents of a baby girl, Kylie Noel, born
on May 3, 2010. Kylie was welcomed
home by big brother Hudson.
Elizabeth (Irmen) Sander ’00 and her
husband, Ryan, celebrated the birth
of a baby boy, Isaac Ryan, on June 23,
2009. Isaac was welcomed home by
his proud sister, Sydney.
Alex ’02 and Ashley (Baldwin) ’03,
’04 MOT, Komoroski are happy to
announce the birth of their daughter,
Rosalie Megan, on Nov. 25, 2009.
Paul ’02 and Breann (Malik) ’05, ’05
MAcc, Thompson are proud to announce the arrival of their new baby
girl, Kenzington Ann, born on Aug. 1,
2010.
Gina (Ryan) ’02 and Anthony ’04
Schlicksup welcomed the arrival of
their son, William Anthony Ryan, on
classNOTES
Aug. 25, 2010. William was welcomed
home by big brother Noah and big
sister Josie.
Kristine (Dalgaard)’03, ‘05 DPT, and
Kyle ‘05 DPT Cottone are happy to
announce the birth of their daughter,
Emily Rachel, on June 16, 2010.
Juliet (Hites)’04 and William ’04
Thomas celebrated the arrival of a
baby girl, Poppy Tallulah, on Oct. 2,
2009.
Robert “Bob” Webb ’59, Sun City,
Ariz., Aug. 1, 2010
Rita (Engeljohn) Houtchens ’60,
Ft. Worth, Texas, Oct. 4, 2009
Joann (McGrath) Peters ’60, Hilton
Head Island, S.C., June 25, 2010
Sister Genna Mary Michael Hibser
OSB ’65, Rock Island, Oct. 13, 2010
Sister Marilyn Mary Mark Hettinger
OSB ’66, Rock Island, July 3, 2010
Rachael Padavich ’05 and Nealon
Marti are the proud parents of a
daughter, Isla Grace, born Sept. 24,
2009.
Robert “Bob” Davis ’69, Davenport,
Aug. 9, 2010
■
Leroy “Butch” Benker ’70, Rock
Island, Sept. 19, 2010
Deaths
Henry “Vernon” Behan ’34 Academy,
Davenport, May 12, 2010
Anthony “Tony” Navarro, Sr. ’37
Academy, Davenport, Oct. 26, 2010
Bernice (Moore) McMahon ’40,
Hermosa Beach, Calif., Nov. 5, 2009
Ralph Ehlers ’42 Academy,
Davenport, June 22, 2010
Monroe Keys ’69, Rock Island, July 18,
2010
Jim Groene ’75, Oster Bay, N.Y., July
10, 2010
David Schricker ’77, Davenport,
March 21, 2010
Sister Mary Brigid Condon RSM, ’82
(Hon.), Aurora, Ill., July 21, 2010.
Elizabeth Watson ’86, Bettendorf,
July 15, 2010
Beth Fox ’84, Davenport, Dec. 11, 2010
Richard Cook ’87 MBA, Clinton, Iowa,
April 9, 2010
Joseph Gstettenbauer ’43, Ventura,
Calif., July 23, 2010
Dale McAvan ’91, DeWitt, Iowa,
May 11, 2010
Eugene “Gene” Glowacki ’44
Academy, Rock Island, July 24, 2010
Abby “Ab” Hatfield ’99, Creal Springs,
Ill., Oct. 9, 2010
Robert Haase ’46 Academy,
Davenport, June 2, 2010
Daro Dick ’00, Long Grove, Iowa,
April 11, 2010
John Carton ’48, Moline, June 4, 2010
Letisha Joseph-Mathews ’02,
Davenport, June 12, 2010
John Nolan ’50, Leawood, Kan.,
Aug. 14, 2010
Bert Robinson ’50, Olmito, Texas,
Oct. 22, 2009
Paul Kelly ’51, Gulfport, Miss., July 30,
2010
Lawrence Ketza ’51, Sugar Grove, Ill.,
Oct. 8, 2009
William Schadt ’53 Academy,
Bettendorf, March 6, 2010
Sister Katherine Antonia Keogel
OSB ’54, Rock Island, Oct. 11, 2010
Domenico D. J. “Petro” Petruccelli
’55, Fort Myers, Fla., May 14, 2010
John “Jack” Reasoner ’55, Bingham
Farms, Mich., July 19, 2010
Perhaps more than
most people, Lori
Educational
Sundberg knows
how life-changing
Path Brings
higher education
Alum Back to
can be. Last year,
Community
the 2003 St. Ambrose
College Roots
Doctor of Business
Administration
graduate was
named president
of Carl Sandburg
College in
Galesburg, Ill.—the
very place that redirected her career path as a first-generation
college student in her 20s.
“Community colleges can come into our lives during a time
of uncertainty,” Sundberg says . “I think I may relate to the students that attend our institution because I was in many of their
shoes years ago: working full time and going to school, and discovering new passions.”
Sundberg first earned her degree in cosmetology at CSC, and
ran her own salon, The Best Little Hair House in Galesburg,
while returning to the college to finish general education courses
toward a bachelor’s degree. When she graduated a few years
later from Knox College with a double major in economics and
history, she was invited to return to Carl Sandburg to teach, an
experience that solidified her love of learning.
“Higher education made sense to me,” she says. “It was where
I belonged.”
Sundberg sold the salon in 1997 to take a position at CSC as its
coordinator of institutional research, and would serve in capacities of increasing responsibility at the college ranging from dean
to vice president, all while working toward her DBA degree at
St. Ambrose.
Now, as president of her alma mater, Sundberg is determined
to make sure the students who walk through the school’s doors
are equipped with the education and skills to beat the turbulent
economic times the country continues to experience.
“It’s one of the most stressful and challenging parts of the
position, and the nature of the time we’re living in,” admits
Sundberg, who has been dealing with dramatic cuts in state funding for community colleges. “Students need access to quality,
affordable education. I see my job as ensuring that regardless of
your age and background, if you want to go to college, you can.”
—TedStephensIII
31
While a theatre major at St. Ambrose, Chad Ellegood ’00 started the
weekly open mike performance forum “Inside Down There” to provide
students a way to participate in creating a fun evening for everyone. And
although he didn’t know it at the time, it was just the beginning of bigger
things for him.
He would eventually marry Jenny Lesner ’99, the pretty Buzz reporter
who interviewed him about his project. (The couple now has a two-year-
Sommelier
Chad Ellegood…
old son, Phineaus Joseph.) What’s more, Ellegood’s talent for bringing
together complementary dynamics and elements to create an inspired
experience would eventually find its expression not in acting, but in wine.
Ellegood first fell in love with wine when supporting
his nascent acting career as a waiter at the now defunct
Printers Row in Chicago—although he admits at first his
interest was financially motivated. “The more you know
about wine,” he says, “the better your tips as a waiter.”
To up his game, he got hold of a copy of “Wine For
Dummies.” Ellegood gulped down the primer and found
himself thirsting for more.
Then came his big break, wine-wise if not in acting:
A group of gentlemen would hold monthly dinners at
the restaurant, to which they brought their own rare,
expensive wine. “No one wanted to work the group
because they required a lot of extra time and the tip was
rarely more than 15 percent of the food bill,” Ellegood
says. One evening, though, he drew the short straw
among the wait-staff. That night he opened a collection
of red Bordeaux, all from 1966, all of which the men
insisted Ellegood taste. He was hooked.
Ellegood would go on to establish his chops at
Spiaggia, where he learned from the legendary
sommelier Henry Bishop how to listen to guests and
make the pairing recommendations that would not only
elevate their dining experience but also their knowledge
and appreciation of wine. Now sommelier and wine
director at the upscale restaurant TRU, Ellegood recently
shared with Scene how he still loves bringing it all
together into a memorable performance.
by Jodi O’Donnell
32
theaccomplishedAMBROSIAN
Uncorked
Life is a Cabernet
Reds, whites and TRU
Personalities complex
The grapes of gaffe
What was the creative journey
from actor to sommelier like?
Which wines delight or
intrigue you most, and how?
What’s in your personal wine
collection?
I still very much have an act-
What’s the thought process
that goes into building a
restaurant’s bottle list?
People are often shocked
My wife and I are wine drinkers,
ing job. When I was in theatre
It definitely revolves around
that I gravitate toward white
not collectors. I receive a lot of
at St. Ambrose, I enjoyed the
the kind of restaurant. At TRU,
wines. A white Burgundy can
gifts from winemakers, and she
period pieces the most because
our focus is on wines from all
age beautifully over 20 to 30
has problems with me not label-
they require a lot of precision.
over the world, with a deep
years. When it’s young you
ing “very special” bottles. Once
(He played the title role in
foundation in the white and red
experience apples and pears,
that led to her making a $200
“Tartuffe,” among others.)
wines of Burgundy. (The restau-
very fresh, and as it ages, all
pot roast!
There are multiple aspects to
rant’s wine list is 67 pages long,
of those flavors roast, turning
serving guests, and a big part is
with 1,800 wines, and is one
into hazelnut or even bacon.
the show the whole restaurant
of 75 restaurant wine lists in
A wine that I get to drink a lot
is putting on—especially when
the world to receive the Wine
that’s a surprise is German
the average check at TRU can
Spectators Grand Award.) We
Riesling. It has an amazing
be $200 a person, more than
look for wines that tell a story
ability to age. In their youth
most Broadway shows. I have
or aren’t readily available, that
well-made Rieslings offer pure
lines to memorize—facts about
allow us to show guests some-
flavors with great balance of
Last question: If Martin
Scorsese walked in today and
offered you a leading part in
his next film, how would you
answer him?
the wines. And giving people
thing new and special, because
sweetness and acidity, but
If asked to be in a Scorsese
the wine experience they
TRU is a special occasion
with more time in bottle those
movie, who wouldn’t say yes!
want—whether it’s serious and
restaurant. Choices that are
elements compound into an
But going through the process
proper or being more convivial
offered by the glass change to
intense combination of flavors,
of auditioning to be in one—no.
and joking—involves improvisa-
accompany the ever-evolving
yet that balance of sweetness
I could see being in community
tion. Even the movement of
menu.
A great judge of
character
and acidity remain. For me, one
theatre in the later years of my
presenting the wine, opening
of the biggest draws of wine is
life. I do still critique acting,
it, tasting it—that’s all choreo-
that there’s always something
but then, I critique everything,
graphed to create a memorable
new to learn. When I meet wine
especially at TRU. I’m constantly
experience.
experts, they almost always
looking at how to get the wine
tell me something they’ve just
to the table in the most beauti-
learned or figured out.
ful way.
33
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Oedipus Rex
Catie Osborn as Jocasta and Grant Legan as Oedipus (left) perform in the
St. Ambrose University Theatre Department’s production of “Oedipus Rex,”
directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Daniel Rairdin-Hale ’04. The play
was one of five selected within SAU’s six-state Kennedy Center American
College Theatre area to compete at the regional festival in January.
Catie also was chosen as one of four students nationwide to
perform an original poem in Washington, D.C. on January 31 at a
program honoring the legacy of John F. Kennedy.
For more theatre news, go to web.sau.edu/theatre.