Monmouth College Best of 2012

Hopefully, the Mayans are wrong, and this won’t be the last year that Monmouth College provides a look back at its top stories and photos from the past calendar year.

President Mauri Ditzler unveiled a strategic plan that included four aspirational guiding principles: to build an environment that promotes active learning; to inspire students to lead and serve society using democratic principles; to prepare students to solve complex problems; and to guide students to discover meaningful careers and purpose in life.

The new Center for Science and Business grew before our eyes throughout the year, with one major milestone being a “topping off” ceremony for the final structural beam. President Ditzler was also invited to speak about the innovative building at a national conference in San Diego. The $40 million facility is progressing on schedule and will be completed in early 2013. It will be open for classes next fall.

Physics professor Christopher Fasano was awarded a $228,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the generation of X-rays from lightning. By studying the rays, Fasano and his students hope to learn more about the production and characteristics of lightning strikes and contribute to the growing field of atmospheric electricity and atmospheric particle acceleration.

History professor Stacy Cordery had wanted to write about Girls Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low for a long while. The centennial of the organization – which was founded March 12, 1912 – provided the perfect deadline. The biography, titled “Juliette Gordon Low: Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts,” received favorable reviews and provided considerable national exposure for the college, as well.

Political science lecturer Robin Johnson has taken the college’s Midwest Matters initiative and run with it. Among other projects, he has conducted public opinion polls – including one in 2012 on unions – which have received widespread coverage in the region. He also organized another post-election forum, once again attracting former Democratic National Committee chair David Wilhelm and other notable panelists.

For one of his classes, Johnson brought U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin to campus, and Iowa governor Terry Branstad joined the class via Skype. Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman delivered the Whiteman Lecture, stressing stronger leadership and globalization, and Phi Beta Kappa CEO John Churchill spoke at one of the first Introduction to Liberal Arts convocations of the year, discussing the values of a liberal arts education.

Speaking of globalization, Monmouth students left the continental U.S. on several occasions, including a three-week trip to Southeast Asia, during which biology professor James Godde and three students spent five days in the jungle. The Monmouth College Chorale traveled to Spain; four students and associate dean Bren Tooley spent two weeks in Bulgaria; and biology professor Ken Cramer led a 10-student trip to Hawaii.

It’s too early to tell yet, but it looks like the college’s next incoming class might be one of the largest in its history. Applications are coming in at a record rate, and that is music to the ears of new vice president for strategic planning Tim Keefauver, who is overseeing the office of enrollment management, and new director of admission Phil Betz. Both men began their positions in the summer.

Orientation programs have become a routine experience at colleges for decades now. But starting in August, the college implemented a new type of orientation program, titled Bridge to Success. Listed as “College 101” in the course catalog, the goal of the bridge program is to assist students in transitioning from a high school approach to learning to a first-year college approach.

Monmouth can lay claim to a national title after the men’s club water polo team outlasted top-ranked Washington University 12-11 in sudden death at the Division III Club Water Polo National Championships. Tony Marino buried the game-winner just 48 seconds into sudden death as the No. 2-ranked Crab People downed the defending champions. Raheem Brown was named the Player of the Game and the tournament’s MVP.

Brittany Forney is a picture of excitement moments before the start of Monmouth College’s 155th commencement exercises. Joining Forney were approximately 250 other members of the Class of 2012, who heard several student speakers and an address by retiring physics professor Rajkumar Ambrose.

One student who participated in a 10-day trip to Hawaii following the spring semester praised the 50th state’s “perpetual beauty.” But biology professor Ken Cramer, who led the excursion, saw another side of Hawaii – its chilly conditions at one of the observatories on Mauna Kea.

Monmouth College didn’t let Mother Nature rain on its Homecoming parade because, well, it canceled the parade due to rain. But other events went on as scheduled, including the Spirit Shout, where Brinton Vincent and Megan Zaubi (left) were crowned king and queen.

The college’s Poling Hall has a beautiful stained glass window on its south side. It did not, however, get one installed on its east side. Rather, freelance photographer Kent Kriegshauser captured this reflected image of the Wallace Hall cupola on its neighboring building.

Fortunately, ice was all that was broken during a high-rope activity at the Stronghold Camp and Conference Center in Oregon, Ill. The “ice-breaker” was part of a retreat led by MC’s chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Teri Ott, for the college’s first class of Presbyterian Scholars.

MC is the new headquarters of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. “I am honored to serve the classical profession in this way and bring national – even international – attention to Monmouth College,” said Classics professor Tom Sienkewicz, who’s serving a five-year team as secretary-treasurer of CAMWS.

Much like the hijinks they remember from their days as students, 1965 classmates Bill Goldsborough and Bill Simpson had ideas of making off with the Bronze Turkey at the President’s Homecoming Gala. The college’s two imposing bodyguards had other ideas.

Despite not being the No. 1 seed, the women’s basketball team won two games at the Midwest Conference playoffs to advance to their first-ever NCAA tourney. At press time, the Fighting Scots were off to a 9-0 start, so coach Melissa Bittner’s players might have to get used to striking this pose.

No, they’re not a relay team, but they are the four – count ’em, four! – members of the women’s track team who qualified for an indoor or outdoor meet in a throwing event. From the left are Amanda Streeter, Allison Devor, Kayla Corzine and Raven Robinson. Streeter, Devor and Robinson were All-Americans.

Who says everyone on the volleyball team needs to look the same? Coach Kari Shimmin’s squad blatantly defied a uniform look for their Oct. 31 practice in preparation for the Midwest Conference tournament. We hope the pirate on the left didn’t get too carried away when it came time to end a point with a kill.