summer 2012
At h l e t i c s
Return to the Gridiron
4
Whitewater Adventures 8
A Great One-Two Punch 10
from the president’s desk
Athletics
In the contest that lies at the heart of athleticism, physical joy and physical pain, mental joy
and mental anguish connect and intertwine. We all too easily dismiss sports as “only a game,”
forgetting that without games, life would be dreary indeed.
In athletics, exuberance and exertion go hand in hand. Every concerted push for victory
contains the potential seeds of defeat, as when a runner takes the lead in the straightaway, and
yet is run down from behind. On the official timer’s sheet, only one first place is allowed. Still,
when athletics are pursued correctly, all participants are winners to the extent they have given
their best in combining exuberance with exertion.
Athletics and youth likewise go hand in hand. Those of us past our prime physically can
recapture some of our lost youth by admiring the skills of those still in their prime. Culturally,
the connection between youth and athleticism sometimes
takes an elegiac turn, as in A.E. Housman’s To an Athlete
Dying Young:
Smart lad to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.
Better, Housman implies, to die at the height of one’s
athletic powers than to outlive one’s prime. We too often
separate athletics from the rest of life when we should
instead make connections, especially connections
between study and athletics. Competition has an artful,
contemplative side just as great literature often explores
the triumphs and travails of athletics.
At The College of Idaho, connections between serious
study and athletic prowess have long been celebrated.
James Boone, son of founding President William Judson
Boone, was an outstanding scholar and captain of the
football team. In the Class of 2012, five of the 15 students inducted into the Scarab Society—
our highest academic honor—were intercollegiate athletes.
So as we celebrate the re-establishment of football at the College, let us affirm that its place
will be no different from that of any existing sport. Games elicit our exuberance, but like
everything else in the co-curriculum of the College, they must serve the main purpose for which
we exist—namely, to prepare the rising generation for the intellectual and moral challenges
they will face after their athletic glory fades.
Let us, though, not be mournful that our glory days have passed, or will shortly. Let us
instead fix moments of past athletic triumphs for celebration in our time, as do so many of
the stories in this issue of Quest. Equally importantly, let us celebrate the range of activities
that our College community has fostered. Sports have come, gone, or come and gone
(baseball and football have done both), but the qualities that most count are the devotion
and skills of the participants, as with the Spanakos brothers in the now lost sport of boxing.
Some sports have never come at all to the College in a formal sense, yet the whitewater
kayaking achievements of Devon Barker illustrate that we find a way to prize individual
excellence as much as team excellence.
At The College of Idaho, we make room in athletics for choices across a broad spectrum.
Our sports programs, formal and informal, reflect the values of our PEAK curriculum, where
depth is required but never at the expense of breadth.
marvin henberg
quest • page 2
4
Features
4
A Legacy Restored by Jordan Rodriguez
College football makes its return to the C of I campus
8
Taking the Plunge by Jordan Rodriguez
Kayak adventures take Devon Barker ’94 around the globe
10
Fighting for a Better Life by Dustin Wunderlich
The tale of boxing twins Nick and Pete Spanakos ’60
12
Photo Essay
A Winning Tradition
Editor: Jordan Rodriguez
Assistant Editor: Dustin Wunderlich
Editorial Board: Louie Attebery ’50, Jan Boles ’65, Jake McClean ’06, Alan Minskoff,
Rachel Moore ’96, Michael Vandervelden
Contributing writers: Jordan Rodriguez, Mike Safford, Robyn Sanow,
Dustin Wunderlich
Contributing artists/photographers: Jan Boles, Michael Capell, Reinaldo Gil,
Freddie Loucks ’12, Jordan Rodriguez, Mike Safford, Dustin Wunderlich
Cover illustration: Forthcoming Football, by Michael Capell
Design: Michael Capell
8
Departments
14
College News
Tyler Hatch wins Truman Scholarship; Students promote peace
through soccer in Brazil; Alumnus wins military award
18
Yote Notes
Runner Hillary Holt captures national championship;
Baseball star Izaac Garsez goes pro
20
Alumni News
Horse racing is a passion for Ed McNelis ’64; Summer fun in photos
10 14
22
Class Notes
23
Campus Notes
26
Alumni Profile
27
15 19
Alumni Calendar
summer 2012 • page 3
A
Legacy
Restored
quest • page 4
By JORDAN RODRIGUEZ
The College of Idaho welcomes football back to campus
There is something magical about a college football
game. Sunny afternoons tinged by the autumn chill and
filled with anticipation. The smell of grass and sizzling
tailgate burgers. The buzz of the crowd before kickoff &
the roar of excitement afterward. The sound of shoulder
pads popping and the referee’s whistle, signaling the
end of one skirmish and beginning the countdown to the
next. For a sports fan, it is a one-of-a-kind experience.
It has been more than 12,700 days since The College of Idaho hosted a football
game. More than three decades since crowds celebrated a momentum-swinging
Coyote touchdown. Thirty-five seasons since a high school football star accepted
a scholarship to play for the C of I. Reviving the football program had been
discussed and debated since the team disbanded in 1977, but the College’s
Board of Trustees officially ended the wait this spring, voting to reinstate the
team.
Beginning in the fall of 2014, college football will return to the C of I.
“This is a great day for The College of Idaho,” longtime Athletic Director Marty
Holly said after a crowded May 14 press conference announcing the decision.
how it would impact student life, alumni engagement, revenue and community
relations. The Board weighed that feedback and ultimately decided that the
timing was right.
“The bottom line is that things today are totally different from what they
were when the College discontinued football,” Holly said. “In the 1970s, the
Treasure Valley had 200,000 people. Today, it has close to 700,000. Back then,
we competed against Boise State for the same players. Now, Boise State is a
national top-10 program—and there is nowhere for Idaho students to play small
college football close to home. We want to fill that void.”
National Alumni Board President Diana Dron ’75 is hoping football will
generate positive energy throughout the alumni base. Dron spoke with alumni
both for and against football prior to the vote, but she would like to see the sport
have a unifying effect, particularly during on-campus events in the fall.
“I’m hopeful that football will increase College of Idaho spirit and enthusiasm,
especially during Homecoming,” Dron said. “I understand the positions of both
sides, but now that the vote has been taken, I would like to see football become
a rallying point for all of our alumni.”
THE C OF I CULTURE
“Football is going to bring so much excitement to our campus and so many
One of the primary football concerns raised by students, faculty, alumni and
great opportunities for our student-athletes, our fans and the entire Caldwell
staff is the potential impact the sport will have on the College’s academic focus and
community.”
tight-knit campus community. Football is expected to bring more than 100 new
The announcement brought an immediate buzz to the C of I campus. But it
also came with a long list of questions to answer and tasks to complete in order
students to campus, increasing enrollment by 10 percent or more. Holly, however,
is intent on bringing in student-athletes who will be a good fit for the College.
to ensure the Coyotes enjoy a successful kickoff.
WHY NOW?
Reinstating football is a bold move that, if carried out effectively, could make
a big impact on the College. In addition to bringing an exciting sport to Caldwell
and more than 100 new student-athletes to campus, football should improve
the College’s ability to attract students, raise money and enhance its public
recognition and reputation.
“Restoring Coyote football is an opportunity for us to extend our mission of
providing an outstanding liberal arts education,” C of I President Marv Henberg
said. “We believe that football is going to be a shot of adrenaline for the College
and for the Treasure Valley community.”
Prior to the Board of Trustees vote, Henberg and Holly held meetings with
students, alumni, faculty and staff to hear their thoughts about football and
C of I Athletic Director Marty Holly addresses the media during a packed press conference
announcing the restoration of Coyote football May 14 in Sterry Hall.
summer 2012 • page 5
“The No. 1 thing we are concerned about in hiring the coach is: Does he fit our
“The referendum was unanimous,” Hunter said. “Now, inside that referendum
mission? Does he understand our culture?” Holly said. “We believe there are a
are expectations that we will maintain our same culture, but we as a faculty
lot of good football players out there who also are interested in the high-quality
really believe we can do it. We’re not afraid for a moment that bringing football
education and tight-knit community the College offers.”
to campus is going to change who we are.”
History professor Steve Maughan ’85 echoed those sentiments, pointing to
“Restoring Coyote football is an
opportunity for us to extend our
mission of providing an outstanding
liberal arts education.”
the success the College has had integrating other sports such as baseball and
softball over the years.
“Those teams have become a big part of our campus,” Maughan said. “Students
don’t change The College of Idaho—The College of Idaho changes students.”
LOGISTICS
Now that the decision has been made, the College is moving ahead with
preparations for the 2014 season. The search for a head coach will begin this
—College of Idaho President Marv Henberg
fall, and the plan calls for the coach to be in place by January 2013. The coach
will recruit a class of 35–50 players who will enroll and participate in practices
in 2013. After a second recruiting class the following year, the team will be
ready for action in the fall of 2014.
Alumnus Ed “Buzz” Bonaminio ’56, who played football for the Coyotes and
“We copied the timeline from several other small colleges who have introduced
later coached the team between 1965 and 1971, doesn’t believe football players
football in the past five years,” Holly said. “We didn’t invent it. It’s proven, and
deserve the reputation they often receive.
it works.”
“The guys you see on TV, getting into trouble at the big universities, that’s not
The Coyotes will play their home games in Simplot Stadium, located across
football at The College of Idaho,” Bonaminio said. “When I played and coached,
Cleveland Boulevard from campus. Simplot seats up to 6,000 fans and served
football was a very important part of the College. It provided opportunities for
as the home football stadium in the 1960s and 70s. Improvements to the
players to get a great education at a great school. It played a very important role
stadium—which could include a press box and lights to accommodate night
in a lot of lives, and now that’s going to happen again.”
games—will be made in partnership with the City of Caldwell, which already has
Current students voiced a variety of opinions on both sides of the argument,
and preserving the C of I culture was at the top of their list of priorities. But
many, including senior theatre major Taylor Hawker, feel football will only add
added new bleachers, upgraded bathrooms and applied a fresh coat of paint in
recent years.
Caldwell Mayor Garrett Nancolas said football will boost the local economy
as fans from around the Treasure Valley patronize Caldwell businesses while
to the diverse, fun-loving atmosphere on campus.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Hawker said. “I think it will add a new life to campus.
Football games will give us a place where we can join together as Yotes, have some
enjoying games and tailgating festivities. The city and the College already
enjoy a successful partnership at Wolfe Field Baseball Stadium.
fun and increase school spirit, which is something that really could use a boost.”
“The C of I football program is going to add prestige to our community,”
Football received a rousing vote of support from the C of I faculty, which
Nancolas said. “It’s going to bring the City of Caldwell and the College closer
unanimously passed a referendum in favor of football prior to the Board vote.
together. I look at it as a win-win for everybody and a very positive thing for
Longtime political economy professor Kerry Hunter said he understands why
our community.”
some students and alumni have reservations—he wasn’t convinced football
In June, the C of I was accepted into the Frontier Conference for football
was a good idea until recently—but he believes the administration can carry
only—other sports will remain in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The
out its plan while preserving the things that make the College special.
Coyotes’ Frontier Conference opponents will include Carroll College (Montana),
The College of Idaho
football team will play
its home games inside
Simplot Stadium, a
6,000-seat facility
located just a block
away from campus.
quest • page 6
The C of I loses a legend
Dickinson State University (North Dakota), Eastern Oregon University, Montana
State Northern, Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain College (Montana), Southern
Oregon University and the University of Montana Western.
The College of Idaho lost one of its most beloved alumni when R.C. Owens ’58
passed away June 17. Owens was a pioneering star athlete at the College who went
on to NFL fame with the San Francisco 49ers. He was 78 years old.
Owens was a three-sport star at the C of I, excelling in football, basketball and
Fundraising efforts also are under way. Funds in the neighborhood of $5
million are needed for startup expenses, including scholarships, equipment,
track. After college, Owens was drafted by both the 49ers and the Minneapolis
Lakers of the NBA. He chose to play pro football and became famous for his
travel, additional faculty and staff positions, coaches’ salaries and facility
“Alley-Oop” catches, where he would use his 6-foot-3 frame and legendary leaping
upgrades, including a new athletics locker room and weight room facility on
ability to soar above defenders for game-winning catches. The term “Alley-Oop”
campus. The College is aiming to raise $2 million before opening kickoff.
later became widely used for the lob pass-slam dunk play in basketball.
“This is an exciting challenge,” said Michael Vandervelden, vice president
for college relations. “But our alumni and friends already have shown great
support, and we are confident we can raise the money necessary to make
Owens is a member of several sports halls of fame, including The College of Idaho
Athletic Hall of Fame and the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame. He is survived by
his wife, Susan. The C of I extends its heartfelt condolences to the Owens family.
football a reality.”
A PROUD TRADITION
When the new-look Coyotes take the field in 2014, the team won’t have a
single player who was alive the last time the College hosted a football game.
Those players will be writing a new chapter in C of I football lore, but they also
will have a storied tradition to live up to—one that spans more than 70 years,
beginning at the turn of the 20th century.
The first official Coyote football game was played during fall 1905. The team
was successful during its early years under coach Anson Cornell, who compiled
a record of 55-36-4 between 1916 and 1932, including back-to-back Northwest
Conference championships in 1926 and 1927.
Coyote football experienced its golden years during the 1950s. Led by star
wide receiver R. C. Owens ’58—whose athleticism allowed the Coyotes to play a
wide-open style of offense not utilized by many teams of that era—the College
won four consecutive NWC titles between 1952 and 1955, posting a record of
28-8-1 in the process. Owens led the NAIA with nearly 1,000 yards receiving in
1953 as the Coyotes enjoyed an undefeated regular season and an invitation to
the Refrigerator Bowl.
Idaho Founding President William Judson Boone, who said: “Let them come,
Four 1950s alumni—Owens, halfback Thomas Winbigler ‘50, running back
let them all come, and we will see what they can do.”
Bob Morford ’53 and offensive lineman Joe Kahahawai ’55—went on to play
College football players now will have the opportunity to show what they can
in the National Football League. Other famous alumni who played football at
do on the field, in the classroom and as members of The College’s of Idaho’s
the College include supermarket magnate Joe Albertson ’29, former Idaho
distinctive community.
Governor Robert Smylie ’38 and current Idaho Gov. Butch Otter ’67.
It promises to be an exciting and unpredictable ride. Go Yotes!
“Football has quite a legacy at the College, and it’s something we all take a lot
of pride in,” Bonaminio said. “The former players I’ve talked to are overwhelmed
JORDAN RODRIGUEZ is the editor of Quest.
with joy that the program is coming back.”
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
With the wheels set in motion, the next two years promise to be a busy time
at the College. There are coaches to hire, players to recruit, dollars to raise,
facilities to build and uniforms to design amongst a host of other tasks to
complete before the Coyotes take the field. All the while, the College is moving
forward with its innovative PEAK curriculum, its effort to establish a joint
physician’s assistant program with Idaho State University, and its Advance The
Legacy campaign to raise $175 million by 2016.
“These are exciting times,” Henberg said. “The sport of football is going to
benefit our campus in many ways, but I’m most pleased with the fact that more
students than ever before will have access to a College of Idaho education.”
The fledgling C of I football team was named “Champion of the State of Idaho” as the Gem
Henberg’s words bring to mind an oft-repeated quote attributed to College of State’s top college squad in 1908.
summer 2012 • page 7
B Y J ordan R odriguez
T A K I N G THE
PLUNGE
Sense of adventure
takes kayaker Devon Barker ’94 around the globe
F
rom her childhood in North Idaho to her college
years in Professor Howard Berger’s history
classes, College of Idaho alumna Devon Barker ’94
dreamed of exploring the world.
“Though I said nothing, I was so very, very proud,” Berger said. “That
portion of the Port Huron Statement remains on the back of my office door
to this day.”
After graduating with a degree in history and a minor in education, Barker
Barker never imagined her kayak would become her global passport. But
took a job teaching the 4th grade at Nez Perce Elementary School. She
her 2001 decision to paddle professionally has led to many memorable
taught for seven years and enjoyed the work, but found herself spending
moments, including two freestyle national championships and more than 20
every spare moment in her kayak. When a friend urged Barker to give the
international voyages to some of the world’s wildest waters.
professional tour a shot, her sense of adventure again took over.
“I’ve wanted to see the world ever since I was little,” Barker said. “And
“There just weren’t enough hours in the day for me to do both (teaching
kayaking has taken me to so many amazing places. It’s such a unique
and kayaking),” Barker said. “Going pro was a bit of a leap of faith, but it felt
experience to view people and cultures in all parts of the world from the
like the right thing to do.”
Barker immediately made her presence felt on the pro circuit, competing
perspective of your kayak.”
in three different disciplines: freestyle kayaking (performing tricks in
Barker split her formative years between Lewiston and McCall. She chose
whitewater), surf kayaking (tricks on ocean waves) and squirtboating
to attend The College of Idaho primarily because of its ski program—she
(similar to freestyle, but in a smaller boat on calmer water). She captured
competed all four seasons for coach Ron Bonneau’s alpine team, earning
back-to-back freestyle national titles in 2004 and 2005 and won the 2005
Academic All-American honors in 1993. Barker also honed her kayaking
world championship in surf kayaking.
talents through trips with the C of I outdoor program and rolling sessions in
Competing professionally is a physically demanding commitment that
J.A. Albertson Aquatics Center. Academically, Barker wasn’t sure what to study
requires hours each day training and practicing tricks, from flips and
at first, but her Finney Hall roommate Julie Mitchell recommended Berger’s
cartwheels to aerial blunts and “Space Godzillas.” But Barker, who turned
“Western Civilizations” course, and Barker soon became hooked on history.
40 last year, shows no signs of slowing down—she recorded two third-place
“Devon was a great student,” Berger said. “She was always ready for
finishes at the 2011 World Championships, earning squirtboating bronze in
Germany and surf bronze in North Carolina.
adventure.”
Berger recalled one infamous event that illustrated Barker’s courageous
“Devon’s desire and her love for kayaking transcend the competition,” said
spirit. She was one of nine students in Berger’s “History of the 1960s” winter
Mike Hicks, Barker’s husband. “She finds great joy in the sport. Everything
course, which focused on the American student activist movement. When it
is good in her life when she’s on the water, and I think that’s what allows her
came time for the final exam, the students came to class dressed in trench
to remain competitive with athletes who are half her age.”
coats and nailed a portion of the Port Huron Statement—the student activism
In addition to her competitive career, Barker works alongside Hicks as
manifesto—to the blackboard in Berger’s classroom. When the exam began, all
co-director of Kelly’s Whitewater Park in Cascade, which opened in 2010 and
nine students removed their trench coats and took the test naked.
recently hosted Freestyle Kayak Nationals for the second consecutive year.
quest • page 8
KWP is set on the Payette River and includes four whitewater features for
kayakers, surfers, tubers and canoeists of all ages and ability levels. The park
is funded by Mark and Kristina Pickard, who dedicated KWP to the memory
of Kristina’s late sister, Kelly Brennan.
Barker has directed Kelly’s Kayak School since the park opened, teaching
about 60 kids each summer. The park is bidding to host the 2017 World
Championships and also puts on whitewater competitions, fishing
tournaments and other events for the Cascade community.
“The park is such a great opportunity for people to experience whitewater
sports here in Idaho,” Barker said. “It’s great to see local kids come out and
develop a love for kayaking at a young age.”
For Barker, her teenage hobby blossomed into a lifelong passion. And while
she’s enjoyed her share of competitive triumphs, Barker also has experienced
some of life’s most poignant moments while paddling her kayak.
One such moment came on a trip to Uganda. Barker took on the biggest
Devon Barker trains at her home facility, Kelly’s Whitewater Park on the Payette River in
Cascade. Barker paddled to a third-place finish in July as KWP hosted the 2012 Freestyle
Kayak Nationals.
surf wave of her life in the Nile River, but she was affected even more by what
and Barker finished third, and the two friends shared bittersweet tears
she saw on shore.
afterward on the awards podium.
“The Nile was amazing —just the sheer power of the river and seeing hippos
“Kayaking has made my world so much smaller,” Barker said. “I really felt
in the eddies,” Barker said. “But I was struck even more by the utter poverty
the loss, felt the impact when that tsunami hit Japan. I was happy Motoko
people live in. They don’t have paper because the termites would eat it.
came to worlds and we were able to share that moment together.”
Malaria and (tuberculosis) are devastating. It was super impactful to see
Fittingly, Barker’s love of kayaking eventually reconnected her with her
how people’s lives are being ruined by mosquitoes and diseases we never
passion for teaching. She enjoys directing Kelly’s Kayak School and recently
have to worry about. It helps you appreciate how truly fortunate you are to
resumed her teaching career as a middle-school English instructor in the
be born in the U.S.”
Meadows Valley School District.
In 2007, Barker traveled to the Basque Country in Europe for the surf World
“Devon has a heart of gold,” Hicks said. “Every time a youngster gets their
Championships. It was Barker’s first-ever trip to her ancestral homeland, and
first successful roll, her face lights up just like theirs. She’s very nurturing,
she celebrated by taking third place and attending a family reunion where
and she enjoys helping kids discover a love of kayaking.”
she was pleased to discover one of the area’s finest kayak rivers running
alongside one of her family’s homes.
Barker said she would love to see one of her students go on to compete on
the professional circuit, or even in a future Olympics. But most of all, she hopes
Barker even met Hicks, whom she married in 2011, while paddling at Mill
to instill in her pupils the belief that has guided her for more than a decade:
Wave on Idaho’s Salmon River in the late 1990s. And kayaking also has
Barker, left, and friend Motoko Ishida, right, celebrate with champion Claire O’Hara after
making the podium at the 2011 Squirtboating World Championships in Plattling, Germany.
led to many of Barker’s most cherished friendships, including with the
With passion in your heart and a paddle in your hand, no adventure is too
professionals she competes against.
One of Barker’s closest friends, Japanese kayaker Motoko Ishida, paddled
big to take on.
at last year’s Squirtboating World Championships in Germany just weeks
after losing her boyfriend in a devastating tsunami. Ishida placed second
JORDAN RODRIGUEZ is the editor of Quest.
summer 2012 • page 9
BY DUSTIN WUNDERLICH
A n A mer ic an S t o ry:
F i gh t i ng fo r a be tte r life
Nick and Pete Spanakos ’60 were born fighters.
The identical twin sons of Greek immigrant
parents—neither of whom received an education
beyond the 6th grade—grew up in Brooklyn’s
Red Hook neighborhood, a poor, crime-ridden area
in the 1940s and 50s. It was a place where
opportunities to climb out of poverty or avoid
being drawn into criminal activity were few.
Boxing proved to be the Spanakos’ salvation. Instead of succumbing to
the violence surrounding them, the brothers channeled their energy, spending
nearly every day of their adolescence in a Red Hook gym. Working the speedbags, skipping rope and sparring, Pete and Nick learned discipline and hope.
During their senior year at Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton High School, Nick
Spanakos said he and his brother got a list of colleges across the country that
offered scholarships for boxing and wrote them letters.
they set up a ring in the gym for us, the place was packed full. It was great to
box and have people coming from such a distance.”
Ed “Buzz” Bonaminio ’56 was teaching at Caldwell High School when the
Spanakos brothers arrived at The College of Idaho and remembers watching
their bouts at the old Kirkpatrick Gymnasium (subsequently converted into
McCain Student Center).
“They were good, crowd-pleasing fighters as speedy as they were,”
Bonaminio recalls. “They were really quick getting in there and mixing it up.”
Representing their country
While boxing for The College of Idaho, the Spanakos twins also traveled the
country, competing in AAU and Golden Gloves bouts. Pete was an unprecedented
10-time, undefeated Golden Gloves champion from 1955 to 1964, while Nick
won seven Golden Gloves championships between 1955 and 1961.
It was a golden era for boxing, and while representing the C of I, the
twins were able to meet and fight alongside the legendary Muhammad Ali,
then known as Cassius Clay.
“We got responses back from (The College of) Idaho and Wisconsin,
which both offered us scholarships,” Nick said. “Coming from New York to
Caldwell was a big downsizing, and it was very refreshing. Instead of being
filled with despair, it was inspiring to be in this small town and on a campus
where everyone was happy and friendly.”
The Spanakos twins—who in 1955 became the first twins to win the
Daily News Golden Gloves, amateur boxing’s most prestigious crown—started
boxing for The College of Idaho in 1957.
Pete Spanakos recalled the initial shock of arriving at the College, which
at the time had approximately 600 students.
“We never knew what western culture was like or how to behave,” Pete said.
“The hospitality was amazing and we were a little paranoid at first, thinking
people were setting us up because it was so unlike where we grew up.”
They weren’t the only C of I students who came hundreds or even
Nick Spanakos (front left) was a teammate of Cassius Clay (far right) on the 1960
United States Olympic Team in Rome. Clay went on to fame as the legendary
heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.
thousands of miles from home to attend the small liberal arts college,
Pete first met Ali in 1959 as a teammate on the United States boxing
dreaming about a better life. Pete said many of his boxing teammates and
team at the 1959 Pan-American Games, where Pete won a bronze medal. Also
other student-athletes came from big cities like Chicago, Boston and New
on the team was C of I boxer Heiji Shimabukura.
York, or from lower income families as far away as Hawaii.
In 1960, the Spanakos twins and Ali each won the Outstanding Fighter
“The College of Idaho gave us an opportunity to see a very different way
of life and to fulfill our aspirations,” he said.
trophy in their respective weight classes at the Western Golden Gloves at
Chicago’s Soldier Field as well as the National (Inter-City) Golden Gloves at
The C of I boxing team traveled to places such as Washington State,
Madison Square Garden.
the University of Nevada and California Poly Tech for bouts, while boxing
While Pete lost a qualifying bout to make the 1960 U.S. Olympic team,
matches on campus were a prime event not just for the campus, but for the
Nick, alongside Ali, did qualify and boxed in Rome. Nick lost a disputed
entire region.
decision against a Russian boxer—the Rome Olympic Committee removed
“They were just starting to get TV in the Northwest at the time, so
half of its boxing officials, all from Soviet Bloc countries, the day after his
we would have to drive into Boise to be able to watch a boxing match on
fight—but the U.S. team and his roommate, Ali, did capture gold medals
television,” Nick said. “We had people coming from Oregon and Washington
in the Games. Nick also had an exhibition match against the champion of
and all across Idaho to watch our boxing matches at the College, and when
Greece outside of Athens during the last week of the Games.
quest • page 10
Nick Spanakos
won seven
consecutive
Gold Gloves
championships
between 1955
and 1961. While
boxing for the
C of I, Nick won
titles at both the
Rocky Mountain
and Pacific
Coast Collegiate
Championships
in 1958. He was
a three-time
competitor at
the U.S. Olympic
Trials and
qualified for the
1960 Summer
Olympic team.
Pete Spanakos
was a 10-time
Gold Gloves
champion and a
bronze medalist
at the 1959
Pan-American
Games. Pete also
was a three-time
competitor
at the U.S.
Olympic Trials.
Both Spanakos
brothers were
inducted into The
College of Idaho
Athletic Hall of
Fame in 2001.
The brothers continued to box until 1964, when Pete was in law school
“Kids from the south side of Chicago blended in with the kids from New York
and Nick was working on his doctorate in business. By the time the twins
and kids from Hawaii. It was a really interesting cross-cultural experience for us,”
hung up their gloves, each had racked up 200 fights during careers spent
Pete said. “I think it may have been a combination of the western attitude and
juggling school, work and boxing.
the Presbyterian legacy of the College that carried over into a valuing of
“We have no regrets,” Pete said. “It left us with a rich legacy of wellness:
healthy eating, daily exercise and controlling stress, anxiety, depression,
diversity.”
Bonaminio, who grew up next to the steel mills on Chicago’s south side,
experienced the same cultural adjustment that the Spanakos twins did and,
fear and hubris. Boxing defined our lives.”
like them, found Idaho to be an invigorating environment.
An education for life
“[Nick and Pete] were a novelty,” Bonaminio said. “That made them stand out
The discipline the Spanakos twins learned in the ring complemented their
education at The College of Idaho and led each to successful careers: Pete is
a counselor at junior high schools in Brooklyn and Nick retired as a tenured
on campus and they were very friendly. They had a great rapport with everyone
on campus and with the local community; people really appreciated them.”
Most of all, the Spanakos brothers treasure the relationships that they had
with their fellow student-athletes, professors and other members of the C of I
business academic for the State University of New York.
Nick said his professors at the C of I such as George Wolfe in political economy,
family. During their senior year, when the twins missed six weeks of class
Robert Bratz in biology, Edward Allen in business and Joseph Dadabay in
as they traveled across the country to box and achieve their Olympic dream,
sociology were easy to get to know on a personal level, and their example has
their professors did everything they could to help Nick and Pete make up their
influenced his own career in education.
homework and tests.
“I was inspired to emulate the professors I met at The College of Idaho who
“They were in our corner all the way,” Pete said. “The College bent over
were always willing to meet with me outside the classroom and engage with
backwards to help Nick and me. Those were precious years that Nick and I
me,” Nick said.
enjoyed and grew from.”
Pete said he was impressed by the College’s diversity and the tolerance
displayed by its students, faculty and staff. He and Nick remembered the
College’s academic dean at the time telling a local barber to learn how to cut
DUSTIN WUNDERLICH is the assistant editor of Quest.
the hair of African-American students after the barber said he didn’t know how.
summer 2012 • page 11
faces and places
A Winning Tradition
For more than 100 years, College of Idaho student-athletes
have excelled both in the classroom and on fields of competition.
Those who have worn the Coyote uniform include NBA Hall-ofFamer Elgin Baylor and NFL “Alley-Oop” innovator R.C. Owens,
whose recent passing was felt by the entire C of I community.
Countless others have gone on to great success, not only in
professional sports but also in business, public service, teaching
and coaching. Today, the century-old tradition lives on.
James Ralph Bennett was a five-sport
star from 1938–1942, excelling in football,
baseball, basketball, track and boxing during
his C of I career. He is considered one of the
great multisport athletes of his era.
Then:
Bernie Hamilton won back-to-back-to-back
Northwest Conference championships in the
100-meter dash between 1970 and 1972. He
still holds the school record in both the 100
and 200 meters.
R.C. Owens starred in football, basketball and
track at the College. He collected 206 catches
for 3,285 yards and 22 touchdowns in his NFL
career, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers.
The 1998 Baseball Team won the NAIA National Championship, defeating Indiana Tech 6-3 in the title game to finish
with a record of 55–8, the best in school history.
Elgin Baylor led the C of I to a perfect 15–0 record during the
1954–55 season, averaging 31.3 points per game. He went on
to make 11 NBA All-Star teams and score 23,149 career points
with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers.
quest • page 12
Now:
Hillary Holt won the 1,500-meter title at
the 2012 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field
Championships, becoming the first individual
national champion in program history.
Izaac Garsez was a two-time All-American and NAIA West Player of the Year for the Coyote baseball team. He was
selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 30th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.
Kelley Fitzpatrick won the 2011
USCSA Freestyle Skier-X national
championship, securing the 17th
individual title in the history of the
Coyote ski program.
Whitney Brigham was named a 2011 NAIA First-Team All-American,
capping an amazing senior season during which she led the Coyotes
to the best finish in program history at the National Championships.
The 2011–12 Women’s Basketball Team captured the Cascade Collegiate Conference championship and enjoyed its
fourth consecutive trip to the NAIA Division II National Championships.
summer 2012 • page 13
college news
C of I student Tyler Hatch named a
Truman Scholar
College of Idaho student Tyler Hatch has a passion for effecting social change through public policy.
As a 2012 Truman Scholar—one of 60 students nationwide selected for the prestigious award—
Hatch hopes to draw on that passion to help protect the rights of students in America’s public schools.
Hatch, a senior political economy and history double-major from Nampa, believes that a safe school
environment is essential to a quality education. His Truman-winning policy proposal to Idaho Senator
Mike Crapo advocated an amendment of the No Child Left Behind Act that would extend anti-bullying
protection to students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“I think it’s a timely issue,” Hatch said. “In the past year, teen suicide rates among LGBT youth have
skyrocketed. We can see that bullying within public education is something that has lifelong effects on
individuals, and refusing to protect certain classes of students because of their orientation or identity, I
don’t believe is acceptable.”
Hatch and his fellow Truman Scholars were chosen from a pool of more than 600 applicants. Each
scholar will receive up to $30,000 in grant money toward graduate school as well as leadership training,
foundation support and special internship opportunities within the U.S. government. In return, each
scholar is expected to dedicate at least two years of their life to public service.
Hatch is The College of Idaho’s third Truman Scholar, joining James Wonacott (1993) and Varina Van
Veldhuizen (1984). He also is the first Idahoan to win while attending an in-state school since 2003.
“I think it’s very telling that the foundation believed an Idaho student attending an Idaho school
was capable of making social change,” Hatch said. “I hope that my experiences here at the C of I will
prepare me for larger experiences throughout the country and, hopefully, the globe.”
C of I political economy professor Jasper LiCalzi encouraged Hatch to apply for the Truman, and
English professor Sue Schaper served as his fellowship coordinator. Hatch also credited political
economy professor Kerry Hunter and history professors Steve Maughan and Mee-Ae Kim for helping
him pursue his academic and career goals.
See a video interview with Tyler on the C of I YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/goyotes.
Tyler Hatch is the third Truman Scholar from
The College of Idaho.
C of I celebrates the Class of 2012
T
he College of Idaho welcomed 163 new
graduates to its alumni ranks May 12 as the
Class of 2012 celebrated commencement in
Morrison Quadrangle. Commencement speaker
Dr. Joan Houston Hall ’68, C of I President Marv
Henberg and senior class speaker Jon Weese
addressed a crowd of more than 1,000 and
each graduating senior then received his or her
diploma on the steps of Boone Hall.
Weese spoke of the personal changes each
member of the class has undergone over the past
four years, comparing them to the many on-campus
building renovations that have taken place.
“We may look the same on the outside,” Weese
said. “But internally, we’ve all done some serious
remodeling.”
Cheers, hoots, hollers and cat calls showered
each graduate as Dr. Mark Smith read the
names and Henberg awarded the diplomas,
underscoring the close personal connection the
class shared as Yotes.
“The Class of 2012 had a lot of fun,” student
body president Amanda Frickle said. “We’ve
had a really special bond together ever since
freshman year.”
Hall, a 1968 C of I alumna and current chief
editor of the Dictionary of American Regional
English, received an honorary Doctorate of
Humane Letters, as did Shelby Davis and Phil
Geier from the Davis United World College
Scholars Program. The C of I President’s
Medallion was awarded to Caldwell physician
Dr. Patrick Stowell as well as to Orma J. Smith
Museum of Natural History director William Clark ’68
and his wife, Mary Clark ’67. The alumni office’s
Half-Century Lifetime Achievement Award winners
were Dr. Dean Barnhouse ’62, Don Hendrickson ’62,
Dr. Leroy Lewis ’62 and Dr. Don Mott ’62.
Check out more than 300 photos from
commencement on the C of I Flickr page
at www.flickr.com/thecollegeofidaho.
Fiifi Appiah
receives his
diploma from
C of I President
Marv Henberg
during the 2012
commencement
ceremony.
quest • page 14
A COMMON GOAL
C of I students promote peace through soccer in Brazil
By Jordan Rodriguez
As native South Americans, College of Idaho
juniors Mauricio Santiago and Luis Reyes know
firsthand how poverty impacts their homeland.
Santiago and Reyes also share their culture’s
deep love of soccer, an affection they plan to
use to help impoverished children this summer
through their Davis Project for Peace, “Peace
Me the Ball.”
The two students will travel to Santiago’s
hometown of Lauro de Freitas, Brazil, thanks
to a $10,000 grant from the Davis Foundation.
From July 30 through August 25, the students
will coach soccer and help teach children—
including homeless street kids, public
school students and residents of the local
SOS Children’s Village—about the dangers
of drugs and delinquency through conflict
resolution seminars and other activities aimed
at developing tolerance, respect, humility and
honesty.
“Luis and I really care about our Latin
American communities,” said Santiago, who
is majoring in business, language and culture at
the C of I. “Most of these kids are homeless, and
it’s hard to see those situations. We want to use
soccer to educate kids and get them to use their
talents for the best.”
Like many Latin American boys, Santiago and
Reyes played soccer growing up. They met while
attending an international high school in Costa
Rica and both came to the C of I as Davis United
World College Scholars. Their inspiration for
“Peace Me the Ball” came while watching a
group of shoeless boys kick an old ball around
on the dusty streets of Havana during a recent
visit to Cuba.
“We just thought about how people are
investing in our education in the U.S. and
how there are a million boys just like us back
home who will not have that chance,” said
Reyes, a native of Lima, Peru, who is studying
anthropology, sociology and political economy
at the C of I. “At that point, we agreed we should
use the resources and opportunities we had if
it could help even a small number of people.”
In preparation for the project, Santiago and
Reyes organized two on-campus fundraisers:
a PlayStation tournament and a 7-on-7 soccer
tournament. The students also received support
from professors, the International Student
Organization and community members. The
soccer equipment purchased with the extra
funds will be left in Brazil at the end of the
project in hopes that “Peace Me the Ball” will
be replicated throughout Latin America.
The College of Idaho now has had a Davis
Project for Peace funded in each of the last five
years. Students previously completed projects
in Malawi, Tanzania, Egypt and Ecuador.
To learn more about the project, check out
the “Peace Me the Ball” Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/PMTBP.
C of I student Mauricio Santiago plays with children from
his hometown of Lauro de Freitas, Brazil.
College receives $500,000 scholarship gift from Carter estate
The College of Idaho in April received a
$512,043 gift from the estate of the late William
J. Carter, a grandson of founding C of I President
William Judson Boone. Carter, who passed away in
2011, left his estate to the John O. and Sara Boone
Carter Family Scholarship, an endowed fund set
up to honor his parents and support students who
are in need of financial assistance to complete
their educations. The gift makes the Carter Family
Scholarship the largest endowed scholarship fund at
the C of I.
“We are delighted to assist in helping deserving
young men and women afford the quality education
for which The College of Idaho is justly known,” said
William’s brother, James Carter. “The bequest is
likewise a testament to how firmly we descendents
of President William Judson Boone believe in the
continuing mission derived from his founding vision.”
summer 2012 • page 15
The Carter Family Scholarship is one of more
than 200 endowed scholarships at The College of
Idaho—funds that ensure virtually all C of I
students receive financial assistance. The
scholarship gift is in addition to decades of
annual gifts made by Carter and a designated
$150,000 donation from his estate to establish
the endowed Carter-Chalker Lectureship Series
on Faith and Contemporary Issues in 2011.
college news
Heroism on display:
Eric Grunke ’01 named Marine Corps Aviator of the Year
BY DUSTIN WUNDERLICH
Flying in the darkness toward Libya’s coastline on
March 22, 2011, Maj. Eric Grunke ’01 raced to save a
brother in arms.
On the ground below, an Air Force pilot
whispered to Grunke from a hiding place near his
crashed F-15.
“Tell my wife I love her.”
It was day three of Operation Odyssey Dawn, an
international effort to protect the Libyan people
from Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, and the pilot
was being pursued by several vehicles near the city
of Benghazi. As the Libyan troops closed in, Grunke
dropped two bombs from his Harrier, destroying
their targets and causing the other pursuers to
retreat.
Thanks largely to those heroic actions, Grunke
recently was named Marine Corps Aviator of the Year.
“I never thought I’d be in the same category as a
person like John Glenn, who was first recipient of
the award,” Grunke said. “I was not alone that night.
It was a team effort, everyone from my wingman
who flew right next to me and looked out for surface
threats to the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft pilots who
flew out to pick up the pilot. I was so happy to be a
part of that.”
From College to the Corps
Grunke’s connections to The College of Idaho and
the military are extensive. Both of his parents, a sister
and his wife are alumni of the College, while his father
served in the Navy Reserve and brother served in the
Marine Corps Reserve.
While the Weiser native started as a pre-med
student, his thoughts soon turned to flying, and he
discovered the Marine Corps would guarantee him a
spot in its pilot training program. So Grunke attended
officer training at Quantico Marine Corps Base during
his summers and went on active duty after graduating
from the C of I in 2001.
Throughout his time in the Marine Corps, Grunke
said his experiences at the C of I have been invaluable.
“I was part of a tight knit community at The College
of Idaho, and being a pilot is like that...the sense of
camaraderie is similar,” Grunke said. “The diversity,
being a music minor and biology major, that broad
background has been really helpful as a Marine officer.”
Protecting Libya’s People
Before participating in Operation Odyssey Dawn,
Grunke’s unit had been deployed on a humanitarian
aid mission to Pakistan.
Grunke’s Harrier jet on the deck of the assault ship U.S.S. Kearsarge the night of March 23, 2011.
quest • page 16
Maj. Eric Grunke ’01 is an 11-year veteran of the United States
Marine Corps.
“We were following along what was happening
with the Arab Spring, but we weren’t sure whether
we’d get involved,” he said.
The situation escalated, however, and on March
19, Grunke’s squadron was called into action,
tasked with destroying tanks and other military
targets that Gadhafi was using to attack his own
people.
Grunke is proud of what he and his fellow Marines
accomplished during two weeks of operations in
Libya. On the first night of operations, one of the
major roads into Benghazi—a flashpoint for the
Libyan uprising— was completely blocked off by
troops loyal to Gadhafi.
“By night four after we had been pounding him,
the road was open and there was civilian traffic
going both ways,” Grunke said. “I witnessed a really
tangible result from that mission to support the
rebels. I could see the difference and I’ll always
remember how important that was.”
C of I alumna reaches for the stars
through NASA academy
By JORDAN RODRIGUEZ
Working in outer space is a dream shared by
many and realized by a very hard working and
fortunate few.
This summer, College of Idaho graduate
Trisha Randazzo ’12 is taking a big step toward
achieving her ultimate goal. Randazzo, a
Salt Lake City native who in May received her
bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics,
is working at the prestigious NASA Ames
Academy for Space Exploration in Moffett Field,
Calif. She is one of 16 students from around
the globe chosen for the immersive 10-week
program, which provides opportunities for
future leaders of the space industry.
“I’m really interested in understanding the
universe and where we come from,” Randazzo
said. “And I like the challenge and adventure
of going to space and trying to explain the
phenomena that happen that we don’t see or
experience on our own planet.”
Randazzo already has completed three NASA
internships— two at the Johnson Space Center
in Houston and one at the Ames Research
Center, which inspired her to apply for the
Ames Academy. Randazzo currently is working
Former C of I skier
Trisha Randazzo poses
with Robonaut 2 at
NASA’s Johnson Space
Center in Houston.
alongside a NASA professional on a space debris
research project. The academy also includes group
and individual projects, lectures, team building,
community service and a trip to NASA headquarters
in Washington, D.C.
As Randazzo continues her pursuit of outer space,
she is grateful for her experiences at the C of I. In
addition to her math and physics studies, Randazzo
earned a minor in German, competed for the freestyle
ski team, served as student director of the Outdoor
Program and cofounded the Space and Aeronautics
A Competitive Legacy
Club. After the Ames Academy, she plans to
study planetary physics in graduate school.
“I was able to use my interests to a bigger
potential as part of such a small community,”
Randazzo said. “I’m really grateful that I had so
many opportunities in leadership, athletics and
volunteer work. And it was a big advantage that
teachers knew me personally—they wrote great
letters of recommendation, which is such an
important way of getting into the industry
I want to pursue.”
By Robyn Sanow
Mark Owen ’85 is a basketball legend at The College of Idaho. From his playing days—which included NAIA AllAmerican honors and the most assists in school history—to a successful coaching career that spanned nearly two decades,
Owen was fueled by a raw, competitive drive to be the best.
It’s a drive that led Owen to the brink of the NBA—and one that he passed down to a new generation of Coyote athletes.
“I loved to play against anyone and everyone,” Owen said. “The drive to win inspired me to try and get better every time
I was on the court.”
Owen won a state championship at Boise High School in 1980 and then played a year at College of Southern Idaho. He
took a two-year hiatus from the sport before enjoying three outstanding seasons at the C of I, where his quickness and
shooting ability caught the attention of NBA scouts.
“It’s unusual for the NBA to look closely at a player from a small college,” said C of I athletic director and former
basketball coach Marty Holly. “But Owen was so quick and put up so many big numbers that he made an impact.”
After his senior season, Owen was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers, becoming the College’s fourth NBA draftee.
Owen never played in an NBA game, but Holly offered him a position as an assistant coach in 1991, and Owen began a
new chapter of his C of I career. He was an assistant on the Coyotes’ 1996 national championship team, and he went on to
coach the team for a decade after Holly retired. He currently works as the College’s NAIA compliance officer and head of
game management.
Owen also established a family legacy at C of I—his son Josh Owen ’08 is the fourth-leading scorer in program history
and his daughter Whitney Brigham ’12 was an All-Conference performer in both basketball and volleyball.
“C of I people stick together—it’s a special place,” Holly said. “Back then, it was a special place for Mark, and now it has
Mark Owen is the ninth-leading scorer and secondbecome a special place for his whole family.”
winningest coach in the history of the C of I
ROBYN SANOW is a College of Idaho senior and freelance writer.
summer 2012 • page 17
basketball program.
yote notes
Hillary Holt captures national
championship
Victory caps an outstanding weekend for the C of I track team
By MIKE SAFFORD & JORDAN RODRIGUEZ
C
ollege of Idaho sophomore Hillary Holt became the first individual
national champion in the nearly 100-year history of the Coyote track
and field program this spring, winning the 1,500-meter title at the NAIA
Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 26 in Marion, Ind.
Holt, a graduate of Mountain View High School in Meridian, defeated a field
of 15 runners in a school-record time of 4 minutes, 30.10 seconds, winning by
1.5 seconds over Maria Bernard of the University of British Columbia.
“My goal all year had been to win the 1,500,” Holt said. “(C of I track coach)
Pat McCurry gave me a great race plan that played to my strengths...I just
hung back and waited and was really patient. And then I got to the last 200
meters and took off and didn’t look back.”
College of Idaho runner
Hillary Holt pulls away
from the field during
the 1,500-meter final
at the 2012 NAIA
Outdoor Track and
Field Championships in
Indiana.
It was a victory that seemed unlikely for Holt earlier in the season,
when a stress fracture in her leg held her out of the NAIA Indoor National
Championships and had her walking on crutches. But the resilient junior-tobe was able to overcome her injury and Indiana’s sweltering 104-degree heat
index to bring home the first national title in program history.
“It was pretty spectacular,” McCurry said. “Two months ago, she had a
broken bone in her leg and now she is a national champion. We have told
Hillary all along that she could win the 1,500, and today it set up perfectly.
The race was very tactical and she executed our plan perfectly and pulled
away on the final lap.”
Holt also placed fourth in the 800 meters, earning her third career outdoor
All-America honor and capping a successful weekend for the Coyotes at
nationals. Sora Klopfenstein added a second-place finish in the 3,000-meter
steeplechase, finishing in 11:16.32. The sophomore from Meridian High
School is the second C of I runner ever to earn a national runner-up finish.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better meet at nationals after all that
happened this year,” said Holt, who also battled a thigh injury during winter
training. “To come back and win the 1,500, I just feel so thankful and so
blessed. And I was so excited for Sora also. She ran so well.”
On the men’s side, C of I junior Greg Montgomery placed third in the
5,000 meters, finishing in 14:55.75. Montgomery is the College’s first male
student-athlete to earn All-America honors in cross country, indoor track
and outdoor track in the same season.
Holt’s victory and the Coyotes’ overall performance at nationals mark
another big step for McCurry and the track program, which has grown rapidly
since its restoration in 2005. And with six of the seven student-athletes who
qualified for national finals returning next season—including all three of the
program’s 2012 All-Americans—the Coyotes’ future looks even brighter.
“In just one year, we doubled the number of people that we qualified for
Sora Klopfenstein hurdles to a second-place finish in the national 3,000-meter
steeplechase final.
nationals,” Holt said. “It’s awesome. I think it says a lot about our coaches
and shows that we are really improving as a program. It’s just really exciting
to be a part of.”
Mike Safford is the sports information director at The College of Idaho.
quest • page 18
Coyote baseball team enjoys
NAIA World Series run
By MIKE SAFFORD
The 2012 baseball season was a banner year
for The College of Idaho as the Coyotes
recorded the ninth 40-win season in program
history and qualified for their fifth NAIA World
Series. Led by NAIA West Player of the Year
and first-team All-American Izaac Garsez, the
Yotes were dominant at Wolfe Field, winning
24-of-30 games in their home park including
series victories over rivals Menlo College and
the University of British Columbia.
Starting pitchers Chad Yeggy and Taylor
Nicholson were solid all season, helping the
Coyotes earn the No. 1 seed into the NAIA
West Tournament and an at-large spot in the
NAIA National Tournament Opening Round
site in Azusa, Calif. The C of I advanced to
the National Tournament title game, where
senior shortstop Tanner Hodges scored the
winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning
as the Coyotes toppled Azusa Pacific 7–6
in dramatic fashion to earn their first NAIA
World Series berth since the 2002 season.
“It was an amazing run by our team,” said
C of I coach Shawn Humberger. “I am proud
of the guys who stepped up this season into
their roles and took advantage of the opportunity.”
The Coyotes lost a pair of tight games at
the World Series in Lewiston, but the season
was still considered a surprise by many and a
success by all. Four players—Garsez, Nicholson,
Hodges and junior catcher Jarel Lewis—were
honored as All-NAIA West selections, with
Lewis earning honorable mention All-America
recognition. Senior pitcher Todd Griffiths
also stepped up down the stretch, going
2–1 with a 1.23 ERA in his six postseason
appearances—including three complete
games—while racking up seven saves as the
team’s closer, one shy of the school record.
Garsez set a new school record with 12
triples on the season, while Lewis racked up
24 doubles and hit .370 on the year. Hodges
knocked in a team-high 67 RBIs, and Yeggy
finished his career with 19 victories, among
the top-10 in program history.
Humberger will have to replace eight
departing seniors next season, but the
Coyotes should once again contend in the
NAIA West thanks to a talented group of
returning players led by Lewis, Nicholson,
outfielder Tyler Andazola and first baseman
Jesse Dodd.
Garsez drafted by Chicago Cubs
Former College of Idaho outfielder Izaac Garsez on June 6 was selected
by the Chicago Cubs in the 30th Round of the Major League Baseball
First-Year Players Draft, joining nine other former Coyote baseball players
who’ve been drafted by MLB clubs.
Garsez, a two-time NAIA All-American and two-time NAIA West Player of
the Year, hit .389 as a senior with eight home runs and 53 RBIs, leading the
NAIA with 12 triples. He also led the NAIA West with 93 hits and 75 runs
scored. Garsez was recommended to the Cubs by the team’s area scout, Al
Geddes.
“There definitely were a lot of emotions when I got the call,” said Garsez,
the 914th overall pick in the draft. “I was so relieved and also extremely,
extremely excited. I just feel really blessed.”
In four years with the Coyotes, Garsez posted a .361 batting average
while accumulating 45 doubles, a school-record 30 triples, 27 home runs
and 151 RBIs. He becomes the first C of I player to be drafted by an MLB
club since Jason Stefani in 2001. The highest draftee in C of I history was
Don Bellum, taken in the eighth round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1992.
“I’m so glad I was able to play for the C of I program,” Garsez said. “Coach
(Shawn) Humberger is an unbelievable coach—he taught me so much
and helped me get better and expand on my game every year. I’ll have to
continue improving to compete at the next level, but I know playing for
this program has helped prepare me for what I’m about to face.”
Shortly after the draft, Garsez signed a contract and reported to the
Cubs’ training facility in Mesa, Ariz. He then was assigned to the Arizona
League Cubs, Chicago’s rookie-league affiliate, where he began his
professional career June 21.
summer 2012 • page 19
Izaac Garsez is the
tenth C of I baseball
player to be selected
in the MLB Draft,
and the first since
2001. On July 17th,
Garsez was called
up to play for the
hometown Boise
Hawks, a Class A
affiliate of the
Chicago Cubs.
alumni news
A Winning Pedigree:
Alumnus Ed McNelis ’64 thrives in the horse racing business
By Robyn Sanow
W
ith a rich ranching culture, a large
network of breeders and a local
racetrack at Les Bois Park in Boise,
the Treasure Valley is a horse racing hotspot.
College of Idaho Alumnus Ed McNelis ’64 is
proud to be in the middle of the action, raising
and entering dozens of prize-winning horses
into races every year.
“Racing has a deep, rich history and a huge
future potential,” McNelis said. “It has a
wonderful story to tell.”
So does McNelis. Born and raised on a farm in
rural Nebraska, he learned early to respect hard
work, the fragility and luck of horse breeding
and his family.
“Horses were in my blood to begin with,”
McNelis said. “They have been a part of most of
my life.”
McNelis enjoys relating the following story
to illustrate his early relationship with and
lasting appreciation for horses: When McNelis
first moved to Idaho at age 8, his cousin gave
him a few glass starters for the game of marbles.
McNelis prized the marbles dearly, and he
gradually learned the stakes and the skills of
the game by watching his friends closely until,
little by little, he was able to win marbles from
other kids. Eventually, McNelis’ small handful
of marbles grew into an entire oats container
full of winnings. He learned from his experience
the significance of taking smart risks and
appreciating what he had, and took these
values with him into the businesses of banking
and horses.
When McNelis arrived at The College of Idaho
in the early 1960s, he continued to hone his
professional skills and business acumen. All of
the tools he needed for success in the equine
business were sharpened and encouraged,
including management, presentation, business
and leadership.
“The C of I has made all the difference in my
Ed McNelis’ horse Eyes Movin races to victory at Les Bois Park
in Boise. Eyes Movin will run in a $100,000 race this fall at
Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Iowa.
life,” McNelis said. “Everything I learned there has
been applicable to what I do now. I couldn’t be
more appreciative.”
As a result of his experiences at the College,
McNelis has made it a personal goal to recruit at
least one new student to the C of I every year. He
also is a strong believer in equine programs for
youth, including horsemanship programs, trailing,
rodeo and local shows. McNelis and his family are
heavily involved in these programs and look to
groom future generations of horse lovers who will
keep Idaho horse racing traditions alive and
strong.
Today, McNelis travels the Northwest showing
horses and advocating equine and livestock
issues as a director of the American Quarter
Horse Association. He also encourages local
youth to get involved with the ranching scene,
horse breeding programs and higher education.
McNelis’ children and grandchildren are avidly
involved with horse shows and horsemanship
competitions and have impressive experience,
including championship victories and AQHA
Board positions.
Like McNelis before them, these youngsters
are learning the hard work and appreciation
essential to becoming a successful horseman.
They are a living continuation of the
determination that has taken McNelis so far.
Ed McNelis’ column, “Sagebrush Smoke,”
appears in Intermountain Farm & Ranch, a
weekly newspaper distributed throughout
eastern Idaho.
Former Idaho Horse Council president Ed McNelis ’64 spends time with Little Amy, his four-month-old Quarter Horse filly.
Little Amy’s mother passed away, but the young filly was adopted by a Thoroughbred mother at McNelis’ stables in Nampa.
quest • page 20
College Relations hires two new directors
T
he College of Idaho welcomed successful fundraiser Jack Cafferty ’97 and long-time educator Sally Skinner ’78
to its staff this summer as director of development and director of alumni and parent relations, respectively.
Cafferty earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the C of I in 1997 and began his career in corporate
real estate at Albertsons Inc., cultivating acquisitions across a nine-state-territory. In 2001, he started working
for The Peregrine Fund as program executive. Cafferty in 2003 was named the Fund’s interpretive center
director, managing the operations of the Velma Morrison Interpretive Center and leading Treasure Valley
development activities. During his tenure, Cafferty orchestrated significant gifts from corporations, foundations
and private individuals for operating support, capital campaigns and planned giving.
The College always has remained a special place for Cafferty, who met his wife, Ashley, while they both were
pursuing degrees in biology. As director of development, Cafferty will manage the College’s fundraising office,
which currently is in the midst of its Advance The Legacy campaign to raise $175 million by 2016.
Skinner comes to the College after a 34-year career as a teacher and administrator in the Boise and
Meridian school districts. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education and
administration at the C of I in 1978 and 1981, respectively, and has remained active as an alumna ever since.
She first served on the College’s National Alumni Board in the early 1990s and recently returned to the Board
as a Treasure Valley area alumni representative.
Skinner also earned an education specialist degree in adult and organizational learning from the University
of Idaho and has long enjoyed teaching classes for teachers as well as working with students. As director of
alumni and parent relations, Skinner will oversee the College’s efforts to cultivate relationships with alumni
and friends, involve parents of current students and engage alumni in events both on and off campus.
Sally Skinner ’78 is the new director of alumni and parent relations at The College of Idaho, while Jack Cafferty ’97 has been
hired as the College’s director of development.
Summer Fun
History majors gather
during a GOLD
alumni happy hour
event at Highlands
Hollow in Boise.
(above)
Helen Strine and
Dr. Gary Strine chat
with the guest of
honor at the Frank
Specht Pasta Feed.
(right)
Jasper LiCalzi and
Steve Maughan
serve up some fun
at the Frank Specht
Pasta Feed.
Aurora Kyle starts a game
of soccer at the Alumni
and Friends Picnic.
summer 2012 • page 21
Homecoming 2012
November 7–10
Go Yotes! The College of
Idaho is building this year’s
Homecoming festivities
around the annual rivalry
game between the Coyote
men’s basketball team and
NNU! Come to campus for a
weekend full of school spirit
and activities, including
tailgating, food and fun
on the day of the game
and the annual Alumni
Awards Dinner. For more
information, call the Alumni
Office at (208) 459-5770
or visit
www.collegeofidaho.edu/
homecoming. We hope to
see you in November!
class notes
Want to submit a class note? Quest would
love to hear from you. Share your news
at www.alumniconnections.com/yotes.
Or, email us your information at
[email protected]. We look
forward to hearing about your
accomplishments.
1960s
Dean Farley (’61) is enjoying retired life
with his wife, Lola, in East Wenatchee,
Wash. Farley’s career as a teacher and
school administrator spanned 40 years
and included stops in both Idaho and
Washington. He retired for good in
2001 as superintendent of the Mackay,
Idaho school district. Dean and Lola’s
two children both work as school administrators in the East Wenatchee area.
Jan Boles (’65) had artwork featured in
“Sustenance: An Exhibition about Food
by Idaho Artists” May 11–23 inside
the Visual Arts Center at Boise State
University. College of Idaho alumna
Terra Feast (’02) and current student
Rahul Sharma also contributed to the
exhibition.
Dr. William Clark (’67) and his wife,
Mary E. Houston Clark (’68) in May were
honored as 2012 recipients of The
College of Idaho President’s Medallion.
William is the co-founder and
longtime director of the Orma J. Smith
Museum of Natural History, while Mary
is a lifelong College and O.J. Smith
Museum supporter who worked at the
Idaho Department of Labor for more
than 25 years.
Don Haagensen (’67) was featured on
the cover of the 2011 Oregon issue of
Super Lawyers magazine. Haagensen
is an environmental attorney with
the firm Cable Huston Benedict
Haagensen & Lloyd LLP in Portland.
He is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard
and often uses his background in
oceanography to help him tackle cases
involving hydroelectric projects and
other environmental issues.
Leon Long (’63) will be inducted into
the Idaho High School Activities
Association Hall of Fame on Aug. 3,
2012 for his contribution to Idaho
athletes and youth. Long was a coach
and longtime athletic director for the
Nampa School District.
Diana Thomas (’66) was elected mayor
of the city of Weiser in November 2011.
Thomas spent more than 30 years as a
teacher, principal and superintendent
in Idaho and Oregon. She also served
for seven years as Washington County
Commissioner and spent one year as
a representative in the Idaho State
Legislature. Diana lives in Weiser with
her husband, Mike.
1970s
Kay (Cottrell) Field (’78) in June was
named the 2012 Pro Bono Lawyer of
the Year by the State of Washington
Bar Association. Field works for the
free family law clinic at Pathways for
Women/YWCA in Lynnwood, Wash.,
which she founded in 2002. She
studied political philosophy at the
C of I and earned her master’s degree
and law degree from the University of
Washington.
Dr. Kent Holsinger (’78) recently
was named a Board of Trustees
Distinguished Professor of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology, the highest
faculty honor given at the University
of Connecticut. Holsinger majored in
biology at the C of I.
Tim Rosandick (’79) has been hired as
the new superintendent of Caldwell
Schools. Rosandick, a graduate of
both Caldwell High School and the
C of I, previously served as a teacher,
principal and assistant superintendent
in Caldwell. He has spent the past
seven years as a superintendent in
nearby Homedale. The Caldwell School
Board announced Rosandick’s hiring
in April and he began the job July 1.
Construction Claims Group. He has
more than 20 years of experience
in construction claims and project
management oversight. Zollman
studied accounting at the C of I
and also earned a law degree from
Pepperdine University.
1990s
Bryon Farnsworth (’95) has joined
the Denver law office of Fulbright
& Jaworski LLP as a senior counsel.
Farnsworth’s public finance practice
concentrates on complex conduit
and governmental bond counsel
representations and health care
financing. Prior to joining Fulbright,
Bryon was a member with the law firm
of Sherman & Howard LLC in Denver.
Chris Farnsworth (’93) on April 25
released his novel Red, White and
Blood, the third installment of The
President’s Vampire book series. To
learn more about the books or to order
a copy, visit Farnsworth’s website at
www.chrisfarnsworth.com.
Sean Rogers (’94) has embarked on a
career as a full-time music composer,
arranger and traveling performer.
Rogers, who plays piano and organ,
has earned degrees in organ performance,
piano performance, sacred music and
religion from the C of I. Rogers is on
tour this summer, playing concerts in
more than 15 states.
2000s
Tim Callender (’00) has been named
to the position of corporate counsel
with AmeriBen/IEC Group in Meridian.
Callender has spent the past seven
years in various areas of the law,
including a position as an assistant
city attorney with the city of Boise
and as an associate attorney with
Foley Freeman, PLLC, in Meridian. In
addition to earning his bachelor’s
degree from the C of I, Callender
earned his law degree from the
University of San Diego in 2004.
Kate Comstock (’03) recently released
her debut album as a jazz singer. The
Stan Zatica (’76) has been named to the
board of the Cenarrusa Foundation
for Basque Culture in Boise. Zatica
studied business administration,
marketing and management at the
C of I and currently is the owner of
Paul’s Markets in Homedale, Nampa,
Caldwell, McCall, Kuna and Boise.
Singer Kate Comstock ’03 (above) recently released her debut album, while musician/
composer Sean Rogers ’94 (below) is on a 15-state concert tour this summer.
1980s
Ray Lopes (’87) has been hired
as an assistant coach of the
Washington State University men’s
basketball team. Lopes, who played
basketball and majored in business
administration at the C of I, has
enjoyed a successful coaching career
for more than 20 years, including head
and assistant coaching positions at
Fresno State University, the University
of Idaho, Oklahoma University and
the Idaho Stampede of the NBA
Developmental League.
Joshua Pilote (’98) was the inspiration
behind a $5,000 gift from Broadway
Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to the North
Idaho AIDS Coalition in Coeur d’Alene.
Pilote works as a stage manager in New
York City and is an active volunteer for
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Mike Zollman (’88) has been named a
vice president at Hill International,
a construction risk management
firm. Zollman joins the company’s
quest • page 22
album, Up!, is available on her official
website at www.katecomstock.com.
Comstock majored in music at the C of I.
Samuel Elias (’04) is a professional
climber who was part of a recent
National Geographic adventure team
that climbed to the summit of Mount
Everest.
Maj. Eric Grunke (’01) recently was
honored as the Marine Corps Aviator
of the Year for his role in a rescue
mission in Libya. Read more on
Page 16.
Jeremy Johnson (’05) and Rachel Johnson
(’03) are members of the Nashville
country/folk band The Barrel Jumpers,
in memoriam
which will record its first studio album
this year. Become a fan of The Barrel
Jumpers on Facebook to hear sample
tracks and to learn more about the
band. Jeremy and Rachel are siblings.
Marissa Price (’01) appeared in episode
19 of the hit NBC show Grimm on
April 27. Price played a minor role as
bereaved assistant Diana Massey.
Cassandra Schiffler (’07) displayed her
new artwork, “Constructing a Visual
Space,” during a First Thursday
reception June 7 in Downtown Boise.
Schiffler currently is the Artist in
Residence for the Boise City Department
of Arts and History’s AiR program.
Ineke (Wanders) Severa (’02) married
Tony Severa on June 4, 2011. The
couple has five beautiful children, and
the family lives in Caldwell. Ineke works
in marketing for St. Luke’s Health
System and also is an active volunteer
and board member of the Caldwell
YMCA advisory committee. Tony is
supervisor of the Caldwell and Wilder
Grower Solution agri-business centers
for Simplot.
2010s
graduate next spring with an MFA in
fiction from the University of New
Mexico. Emily is working with visually
impaired elementary school students
and plans to attend graduate school
and study art history after Adam
graduates. The couple currently lives
in Albuquerque, N.M., but hopes to
settle in the Northwest.
Ali Rabe (’10) has been awarded a Boren
Fellowship to study in Cambodia.
Rabe, a law student at William and
Mary, is working as an intern for
the United Nations Office of Drugs
and Crime in Cambodia until her
fellowship begins in August. The
highly competitive Boren Fellowship
provides American graduate students
with up to $30,000 to support study
and research in areas of the world that
are critical to U.S. interests. Rabe’s
fellowship will support research,
language development and exposure
to international law that will help her
pursue her goal of working for the U.S.
government in Southeast Asia.
Jenna Raino (’12) has been accepted
into graduate school at Southern
Oregon University, where she will
study environmental science and
education beginning this fall. Raino
also received an assistantship
position that will help pay for tuition
and living expenses.
Trisha Randazzo (’12) is participating in
the prestigious NASA Ames Academy
for Space Exploration in Moffett Field,
Calif., which aims to provide opportunities
for future leaders of the space industry.
Read more on Page 17.
Joseph Hilby (’10) has been commissioned
as an ensign in the United States Navy. Campus Notes
During his June graduation from Officer
Candidates School, Hilby was awarded “The Hat” at The College of Idaho is a
the prestigious Leadership Award from
2012 winner of an Orchids and Onions
the Navy League, as selected by his
Award, given annually by Preservation
OCS peers. Hilby is pictured with his
Idaho to celebrate individuals and
father, Bruce Hilby.
organizations that have made a positive
contribution to historic preservation.
The Hat, formerly known as College
Heights Station, recently was renovated
by the College and the Caldwell Historic
Preservation Commission, with
funding from the Idaho Heritage Trust.
FACULTY FOOTNOTES
Adam Nunez (’10) and Emily Manny (’10)
were married on March 15, 2012, fiveand-a-half years after first laying eyes
on each other at the C of I freshman
orientation in McCall. Adam will
Dr. Paul Blom, a research associate
at the Orma J. Smith Museum of
Natural History, and his wife, Gwen,
welcomed a son, Samuel John Charles
Blom, on April 19, 2012. Samuel
weighed 9.0 pounds and was 20
inches long at birth. Both he and his
mother are happy and healthy.
The following alumni and friends of
the College have passed away. When
you learn of the death of a College
of Idaho alumnus or alumna, please
email the information to:
[email protected].
1920s
Helen Lowell (’26)
1930s
Mary Baxter (’37)
1950s
Evaine Fehrer (’58)
Irene Jackson (’57) Lorin Kenyon (’59) Richard Mosman (’59) Wayne Naylor (’51)
R.C. Owens (’58)
Dencel Pollett (’56) Dale Ross (’52) Elmer Thomas (’56)
John Settle (’38)
1960s
Obed Dahl (’60)
Bruce Donnelley (’61)
Roy Griggs (’60)
Kathleen Lattimer (’69)
Miriam Terlisner (’65)
1940s
Aayrelle Anderson (’41)
1980s
Rodney Pharris (’84)
Elwood Becker (’45)
Earl Williams (’80)
Irene Bevington (’37)
Edna Conley (’39)
E. Hurd (’34)
Margaret Mattson (’39)
Francis Byer (’40)
Grace Iverson (’42)
Friends
Joan Carley
Lila MacLeod (’48)
Edmond Robert Mansoor
Eledes McConnel (’40) Forest McConnel
Wilma Strasser (’46)
Terry Porter
Warren Tolmie (’43)
Robert Stolz
Leo Wissel (’44)
Cathy Warren
Eldon Holcomb (’43)
George Weitz
Dr. Robert Dayley (political economy
and Asian studies) was the keynote
speaker at a recent Northern Illinois
University conference themed
“Building our Global Future: Teaching
Southeast Asia to Undergraduates.”
Dayley’s speech was titled “Using
Discovery to Inspire Exploration:
Teaching Southeast Asia at Liberal
Arts Colleges.” Dayley earned his Ph.D.
from NIU, which is home to the Center
for Southeast Asian Studies.
John Rember, The College of Idaho’s
writer-at-large, recently published
a new book of stories titled Sudden
Death, Over Time. Rember describes
the book as a collection of “dark,
seductive and broodingly ironic”
short stories. It is available for
purchase on the publisher’s website,
www.wordcraftoforegon.com.
STANDOUT STUDENTS
Hailey Bull (track), James Collet
(tennis), Jocie Cracroft (golf), Jesse
summer 2012 • page 23
Dodd (baseball), Trish Gibbens (golf),
Andi Hayes (track), Bryan Hildebrand
(baseball), Tanner Hodges (baseball),
Meghan Hughes (basketball), Andrew
Hugill (track), Jordan Huttash (softball),
Cassie Low (tennis), Matt Malek
(swimming), Molly Mills (softball),
Nikki Shumway (softball), Chenjerai
Simpson (tennis), Elynn Smith (track),
Brett Ward (baseball) and Tyler
Young (basketball) were named NAIA
Scholar-Athletes this spring and
summer.
James Collet (tennis) and Trish Gibbens
(golf) were honored this spring as
first-team Academic All-Americans.
Collet becomes the College’s first twotime Academic All-American. Jesse
Dodd (baseball) was named a thirdteam Academic All-American.
Izaac Garsez was named an NAIA FirstTeam All-American, becoming the
second first-team honoree in school
history. Garsez, a senior outfielder,
also was named the NAIA West Player
campus notes
of the Year for the second consecutive
season. He was joined on the 2012 AllNAIA West team by shortstop Tanner
Hodges, catcher Jarel Lewis and pitcher
Taylor Nicholson. Third baseman Jeffrey
Harris and pitcher Chad Yeggy earned
NAIA West Gold Glove honors. Lewis
was an honorable mention All-American.
Ryan Gibson and Kendra Knighten
are working as interns for Partners
in Sustainable Development
International this summer in the
South Asia nation of Bangladesh.
Gibson and Knighten both are
majoring in political economy. The
internship includes projects such as
well building and tin roofing in rural
Bangladesh and producing content
for the PSDI website in the capital city
of Dhaka. Follow what the interns are
doing through their blog on the C of I
website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/
blog/bangladesh.
Felicity Jones this spring was named to
the 2012 NAIA Division II Women’s
Basketball All-America Team. Jones
earned honorable mention status after
averaging 13 points and 5 rebounds
per game while leading the Coyotes to
the Cascade Conference Tournament
championship.
Association All-NAIA West Region
first-team, while outfielder Shumway
and pitcher Skinner were named to the
All-CCC Gold Glove team.
Luis Reyes and Mauricio Santiago are
in Brazil carrying out their soccerthemed Davis Project for Peace, “Peace
Me the Ball.” Reyes, an anthropology/
sociology and political economy
major from Peru, and Santiago, a
business, language and culture major
from Brazil, received $10,000 for the
project from the Davis Foundation.
Read more on page 15.
David Seppi is spending the bulk of
his summer performing a service
project in Costa Rica. Seppi, a junior
majoring in math and physics, is in
the midst of a 10-week trip renovating
and building child-care facilities in
conjunction with the International
Volunteer HQ program, an independent
volunteer organization based in New
Zealand. Seppi lives with a host family
and takes daily Spanish lessons. He
will have the opportunity to help out
at a wildlife turtle conservation center
during his last week in Costa Rica.
Austin Mendiola and Nate Gier in May
were named to the Pacific Northwest
Collegiate Lacrosse League’s 2012
All-Conference team. Mendiola, a
second-team midfielder, is the first
C of I freshman to earn All-Conference
honors. Gier, a senior defenseman,
earned an honorable mention.
Pitcher Nickayla Skinner was one of three
softball players named to the All-Cascade
Conference team.
Molly Mills, Nikki Shumway and
Nickayla Skinner were named All-Cascade
Conference First-Team softball players.
Mills, an outfielder, also was named
to the National Fastpitch Coaches
Katy Stewart is working as a farmhand
at an organic cheese farm in the
Calabria region of southern Italy.
Stewart, a senior from Coeur d’Alene,
will be in Italy through Aug. 11,
helping her host farm family raise
and care for 500 sheep and 100
goats while learning the process of
making traditional Italian cheeses.
The project is part of Stewart’s senior
honors thesis for her anthropology
and sociology major. She will compare
her experiences in Italy to her work
on a local Idaho farm, from the way
the animals are raised and fed to
the methods used for harvesting,
producing and selling farm goods.
Ben Tjaden is participating in the
National Science Foundation Research
Experience for Undergraduates at the
University of North Texas this summer.
The course offers students full room
and board, a $4,000 award and the
opportunity to benefit from workshops
in conjunction with research design
and analysis on an international
topic of their choice. Tjaden, a junior
majoring in political economy, plans
to study the Kurdish population in the
Middle East. He will use what he learns
to deliver a paper on the subject at the
Midwest Political Science Association
Conference next spring.
49th-seeded Carleton College to
advance to the round of 16, where they
fell to eventual champion Washburn
University. The C of I tied for ninth,
the highest finish in school history.
Participants included Kris Cruz, Tyler
Guryan, Scott Culpepper and Skylar Hall.
The Howlin’ Yotes are coached by Mack
Sermon and Jerry Mooney.
JOB CHANGES
Tracylea Balmer (’02) has been
promoted to events director for the
College’s Office of Special Events and
Conference Services. Balmer formerly
was the events coordinator and has
worked for the College since 2004.
Former director Maggie Colwell will
continue in her position as President
Marv Henberg’s executive assistant.
C of I graphic design instructor
Michael Capell, students Reinaldo Gil
and Kier Padilla and Capell’s wife, Brita,
were part of the “Team Yotes” squad
that captured the “People’s Choice”
award at the July 4 Idaho Statesman
Chalk Art Festival at Ann Morrison
Park in Boise. “Team Yotes” created
a colorful composition honoring the
2012 Summer Olympics in London.
The C of I speech and debate team
enjoyed unprecedented success at
the 2012 National Parliamentary
Debate Association Championship
Tournament, held this spring at
Western Washington University in
Bellingham, Wash. The 48th-seeded
Howlin’ Yotes defeated 17th-seeded
Abilene Christian University and
Dr. Lauren Brewer has been hired as
an assistant professor of psychology.
Brewer recently earned her Ph.D. in
social psychology from Florida State
University, where she also completed
her master’s and bachelor’s degrees.
She also has worked as a psychology
instructor, research assistant and lab
manager at Florida State.
Dr. Dennis Cartwright has retired as a
professor of education and director
of The College of Idaho’s education
programs. Cartwright joined the C of I
in 2006 and brought great vigor and
professionalism to his multi-faceted role.
Cartwright’s kindness and inimitable
laugh will be missed greatly, but the
College thanks him for his service and
looks forward to continuing to benefit
from his many contributions.
Dr. Scott Draper has been hired as
an assistant professor of sociology.
Draper comes to the College from
Baylor University, where he has
David Seppi is spending 10 weeks of his summer vacation performing a volunteer service project
in Costa Rica.
quest • page 24
campus notes
worked as a sociology instructor since
2007. Draper earned his Ph.D. and
master’s degree in sociology from
Baylor. He also holds a secondary
teaching license from Metro State
College of Denver, an MFA in acting
from Harvard University and a
bachelor’s degree in English from
Wheaton College.
Dr. Ryan Francis has been hired as
an assistant professor of exercise
physiology. Francis received his
Ph.D. in kinesiology from Michigan
State University in 2010. He also
holds a master’s in kinesiology from
Michigan State and a bachelor’s
in health science from Lock Haven
University. Francis’ teaching experience
includes work as a visiting lecturer
at Skidmore College and positions as
a teaching and research assistant at
Michigan State.
2008. He also has worked as a professor
at Southeast Missouri State University
and San Jose State University in
addition to several visiting lecturer
positions. Johnson earned his Ph.D. in
business administration from Arizona
State University. He also holds an MBA
from the University of San Francisco
and a bachelor’s degree from
California State University, Fresno.
Frank Jones has been hired as an
assistant professor of computer
science and mathematics. Jones
is completing a Ph.D. in computer
science at the University of Colorado.
He holds master’s and bachelor’s
degree in computer science from
the University of Idaho. Jones’
professional experience includes
graduate assistant teaching at U of I
and work as a National Science
Foundation Fellow assisting Colorado
high school students.
Ann Kuck (’75) has retired as registrar.
Kuck held the registrar post for 21 years,
and the College thanks her for more than
two decades of outstanding service on
behalf of the thousands of students
and faculty members she assisted.
Victoria Jaurena has retired after nine
years as an instructor in modern
foreign languages. Jaurena offered
these thoughts about her tenure at
the College: “These last nine years of
teaching at The College of Idaho have
been the most rewarding of my career.
Nelson Mandela, while commenting
on language in 1995, said, ‘Without
language, one cannot hope to talk
to people and understand them;
one cannot share their hopes and
aspirations, grasp their history,
appreciate their history or savor their
songs.’ My students have shared with
me all of those things in my native
language, and I am very thankful for
that wonderful experience. I will miss
very much the daily contact with the
students and the wonderful friends
I made among faculty and staff. For
all of this, and the opportunities I
was given, there in only one word I
can say: ¡Gracias!”
Dr. Scott Johnson has been hired
as director of the business and
accounting program. Johnson comes
to the College from the University of
Greenwich in London, where he has
worked as a lecturer and employer
liaison for the business school since
Freddie Loucks (’12) has been hired as
the College’s audio-visual technician
and support staff for the Office
of Special Events and Conference
Services. Loucks is responsible
for event set up and AV duties. He
graduated in May with a bachelor’s
degree in theatre.
Lonnie Marshall (’10) has been hired as
the events coordinator for the Office
of Special Events and Conference
Services. Marshall comes to the
College from United Way, where
she most recently served as the
community engagement coordinator.
Dr. Gregory McElwain has been hired
as an assistant professor of religious
studies. McElwain comes to the
College from the University of Florida,
where he received his Pd.D. in religion
and philosophy while working as an
instructor and graduate teaching
assistant. McElwain holds a bachelor’s
degree in biblical text from Abilene
Christian University and a master’s
in ethics from Vanderbilt University
Divinity School. His wife, Alyson
McElwain, also works at the College
as an institutional research assistant.
Dr. Terah Moore has been hired as
an assistant professor of education.
She comes to the College from
George Fox University, where she
was co-chair for the Master of Arts
in teaching program. She previously
was a bilingual classroom teacher
in the Nampa School District.
Moore holds a Ph.D. in adult and
organizational learning from the
University of Idaho, a Master of Arts
in education from Boise State
University and a bachelor’s degree
in elementary education with a
Spanish minor from Idaho State
University.
Dr. John Ottenhoff has been hired as
vice president for academic affairs
and dean of faculty. Ottenhoff comes
to C of I from the Associated Colleges
of the Midwest, where he has served
as vice president for the consortium
of 14 liberal arts colleges since 2007.
Prior to ACM, Ottenhoff worked at
Michigan’s Alma College for nearly 20
years, serving as a professor of English,
an English department chair and an
associate provost. Ottenhoff received
a bachelor’s degree in English from
Calvin College in Michigan in 1972.
He went on to receive his master’s
and Ph.D. in English language and
literature from the University of
Chicago.
Susan Randolph has retired after 36
years as assistant registrar. Randolph
helped keep the registrar’s office
running smoothly for more than
three decades and formed a great
team alongside longtime registrar
Ann Kuck. The College extends its
sincere gratitude to Randolph for
her countless hours of diligent work
serving the C of I and its students.
Dr. Mark Smith is returning to the
classroom after serving 10 years as the
College’s vice president for academic
affairs and dean of faculty. Smith, a
professor of history, will resume
teaching classes this fall. Smith is in
his 23rd year at the College overall.
The 2012 winners of The College of Idaho’s Half-Century Life Achievement Award are, from left to right: Dr. Donald Mott ’62,
Don Hendrickson ’62, Dr. Leroy Lewis ’62 and Dr. Dean Barnhouse ’62. The four recipients were honored during 2012 commencement
festivities in May.
summer 2012 • page 25
alumni profile
investigations, environmental litigation
and pro bono work on behalf of civil rights
organizations. But the thing I enjoy most is
that the law is a service profession. At the end
of the day, it’s about helping people during
critical and often difficult times in their lives.
stats
name Ray Marshall
year of graduation 1975
major History and American
Studies
favorite professors
Frank Specht, Chris Eismann, Ralph
Sayre, George Wolfe
profession
Attorney and partner at Bingham
McCutchen LLP in San Francisco,
representing clients in both complex
civil and white collar litigation cases.
The College of Idaho was the beginning of
big things for alumnus Ray Marshall. After
graduating in 1975, Marshall went on to
Harvard Law School and has since become
one of the most respected attorneys in
California. He also is actively involved in
community affairs and civil rights advocacy.
This summer, Quest caught up with Marshall
to discuss his career, C of I memories and
his recent recognition as the 2012 winner
of the Judge Learned Hand Award.
Quest: When did you decide you wanted to be a
lawyer?
Not until my senior year at the College. I was
originally thinking of going into grad school for
teaching, but Professor Eismann suggested to
me that there were a lot of unemployed Ph.D.
candidates at that time and asked me to consider
going into law. I thought about it and ultimately
met with George Wolfe and decided law school would
be the better path for me. I applied and was lucky
enough to be accepted into Harvard.
Quest: How did you feel about getting into Harvard?
I was thrilled. Harvard had the name, the
reputation, the mystique. It was clearly a big jump
to go from The College of Idaho to Harvard on the
East Coast, but I was excited, proud and confident
that I had received an education that would help
me do well there.
Quest: What kinds of cases do you handle, and
what do you enjoy most about your profession?
My work is extremely interesting, complex and filled
with great diversity—I’ve handled cases dealing
with the financial crisis of 2008, white collar crime
quest • page 26
Quest: How do you feel about being selected as
the 2012 Judge Learned Hand Award winner?
It’s an honor. I am very happy to receive it,
and very appreciative of the American Jewish
Committee for the acknowledgement. The
award is given for work promoting equality and
civil rights across the board, so I am thankful
that the AJC views me as someone who is
helping afford people opportunities and equal
rights in my community.
Quest: Tell us about your athletic career at
The College of Idaho.
I was a wrestler. I wrestled at 126 pounds,
so I remember always being hungry between
September and March (laughs). It was fun;
it was a good outlet for me. The wrestling
program was just getting started when I came
to the College, but our coach Lloyd Hardesty
was a good guy and I met a lot of great people
through wresting.
Quest: How do you feel your C of I education
has helped you succeed in your legal career?
The College had good academic rigor. The small
class size was a great benefit. My professors
were supportive, but they also pushed and
challenged me to excel. And they gave me the
confidence that I could and would. I also think
the emphasis on reading, writing and analytics
was essential, because that’s what you do as a
lawyer. I didn’t feel intimidated when I got to
law school.
Quest: Do you have a favorite C of I memory?
The thing I remember most is the people.
People like George Wolfe, who was retired but
served as my unofficial advisor while I was
applying to Harvard. Also student dean Sue
Weitz and my professors, such as Frank Specht
and Ralph Sayre, who provided support and
motivation to excel at the College. Those were
difficult years for the College and, at times,
for me. But I’m glad I stayed and I’m certainly
pleased to see the College has weathered the
storm. I’m very excited about the direction the
College is headed, with continued emphasis on
academics and diversity.
alumni calendar
For a complete schedule of events, please visit the
Alumni Calendar at www.collegeofidaho.edu. Event dates
are subject to change. For more information or to RSVP
for specific events, email [email protected]
or call (208) 459-5770.
AUGUST 2012
10
McCall Alumni & Friends Event
22
Alumni & Friends Night at Idaho Shakespeare
Festival (Boise). To receive your C of I discount,
mention source code #3579 when you call the box office at (208) 336-9221.
SEPTEMBER 2012
12
Ada County Luncheon (Boise)
18 Half Century Luncheon (Simplot Dining Hall)
OCTOBER 2012
16
Half Century Luncheon (Simplot Dining Hall)
18
Alumni Book Club
NoveMBER 2012
7–10 Homecoming 2012, featuring the United Heritage Insurance Mayors’ Cup: NNU vs. C of I
men’s basketball game at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. For more information and a full schedule of events, please visit www.collegeofidaho.edu/homecoming.
14
Ada County Luncheon (Boise)
20
Half Century Luncheon (Simplot Dining Hall)
Share your feedback!
Our goal is to make each issue of Quest better than
the last. With that objective in mind, we created
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readers. Please take a few minutes to share your
ideas about Quest and let us know what we can do
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To take the survey, please visit:
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summer 2012 • page 27
2112 Cleveland Boulevard
Caldwell, Idaho 83605
r e m e m b e r w h e n…
The College of Idaho loves its Yotes.
From football games in Simplot
Stadium to basketball contests in
Kirkpatrick Gymnasium and the J.A.
Albertson Activities Center, the
College’s student body, faculty, staff
and alumni have shown great support
for Coyote athletics over the years.
Today, the College has 19 varsity teams,
and attending games clad in school
colors and body paint remains a favorite
campus pastime. This photo shows
the C of I student section cheering on
the men’s basketball team during a 1971
home game. Then, now, and always,
Go Yotes!
Quest is published by The College of Idaho.
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Editorial offices are located in Sterry
Hall, 2112 Cleveland Blvd., Caldwell, ID
83605-4432. Telephone 208.459.5529.
Email: [email protected].
Opinions expressed in Quest are those of the
individual author and do not neccesssarily
reflect the views of the College administration
or the Board of Trustees.