ORU - Excellence Vol. 16 No. 3 Fall 2004...ORU Alumni Foundation P.O. Box 702333 Tulsa, OK 74170 Phone: 918/495-6610 Fax: 918/495-6650 Web site: alumniweb.oru.edu E-mail: [email protected]

YOURVOICE

Without that financial support, theboard members and Alumni Associationstaff may have to rethink how funds willbe allocated during the year — potential-ly eliminating many beneficial programsand services.

The monies provided by our AnnualFund campaign, which have augmentedour Alumni Foundation budget, haveenabled ORU to complete many campusprojects, even as the university continuesto pay down the debt and solidify theendowment fund. As alumni, we willcontinue to help support our alma materfinancially and leverage our giving forthe challenges ahead.

What can you do?We share this information to add to

your understanding and, we hope,motivate you to join us (or continue yoursupport). We believe that God willcontinue to meet needs through yourgenerosity.

Would you consider the followingaction points?

s Christians, now more than ever, we are bombarded by the

social and cultural challenges of today.It is easy to be distracted and lose ourfocus of fulfilling God’s purpose for ourlives. We stay on track by taking timeand remembering the glorious promisethat God has given us. We also need tosincerely reflect on this year of bless-ings, changes, and challenges, for ourcountry and for Oral RobertsUniversity. Through it all God has usedyou as His hands, feet, and heart tomeet needs here and around the world.Just some of the blessings that haveoccurred through your generosityinclude:• Industry leaders in a variety of areas

who learned to love Jesus from ORUattendance.

• A robust student enrollment and alively student body.

• A vibrant lifelong learning experiencefocusing on learning and buildingChrist-honoring careers.

• A strong Alumni Foundation that hasraised several million dollars in finan-cial support and countless prayers.

• Support for faculty training andsalaries.

• Countless souls, because of your loveand witness, have declared their faithin Jesus Christ and joined His eternalfellowship.God has blessed this Alumni

Foundation and our alumni familythrough your being here. Thank youfor your involvement.

What’s next?Well, many challenges are ahead. For

example, while our annual givingremains strong, we have not reachedour full potential. That is importantsince in faith, the annual budget for oursupport of ORU, its faculty, and alumniis based on projected donations.

1. Consider adding the ORU AlumniFoundation to your Christmas list thisseason.

2. In your quiet time with our God,please reflect on how He has blessedyou this year, and seriously considerraising your giving goals.

3. Lastly, please take a look around atthose near you. Are you looking atsomeone that you need to get to knowbetter? That person may alreadybelieve in Jesus, or they may be inneed of knowing Him as their Savior.Why not resolve to REALLY get toknow them? As great as the experi-ences we’ve had at ORU, we need tocontinue to be known also as a com-munity of caring people who carryeach other’s burdens, building eternalrelationships with Jesus Christ andwith one another.In the next several months we will

continue to ferret out ways that all of uscan grow in God-honoring commitmentand alumni involvement. In the mean-time, if you have questions regarding thefinancial opportunities that lie ahead orregarding anything involving yourAlumni Association, please contact one ofthe board members. They stand ready toassist and be of service to you.

May God richly bless you this day andthroughout this year.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded bysuch a great cloud of witnesses, let us throwoff everything that hinders and the sin thatso easily entangles, and let us run withperseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author andperfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1,2). ■

E. Rhae Buckley 80Vice ChairmanAlumni Board of Directors*Find your board representative’s e-mail address athttp://alumniweb.oru.edu/board/board.html.

But did you know they could sing? Dr. Agena Farmer (left) and newcommunication arts chair Laura Holland 74performed during the “Faculty Follies”portion of the 2004 Faculty Retreat. Thanksto support from the Alumni Foundation, the Student Association, and the university,faculty members did not have to pay a cent to attend this year’s event.

Changes, Challenges, CommitmentsA

2 | Excellence | Fall 2004 | http://alumniweb.oru.edu

TABLEOFCONTENTS

e-mail: [email protected] | Fall 2004 | Excellence | 3

Alumni Relations StaffKey Contacts

David Wagner 73President and ChairmanAlumni FoundationBoard of Directors918/[email protected]

George Paul 69Associate Vice President Alumni and Development918/[email protected]

Bob Beard 88, 99 M.A.Ed.Director of Alumni Relations918/[email protected]

Kevin Bish 93, 02 M.A.Ed.Major Gifts Director918/[email protected]

Winnie PerdueAlumni Events Coordinator918/[email protected]

Kevin Bish 93, 02 M.A.Ed.Major Gifts Director918/[email protected]

Winnie PerdueAlumni Events Coordinator918/[email protected]

PublisherORU Alumni Foundation

EditorDebbie Titus 77 George

Contributors/ WritersE. Rhae Buckley 80, Debbie Titus 77George, Elissa K. Harvill, Elaine Lau(Class of 2005), Nance Mitchell, Winnie Perdue, Laura B. Raphael, Vivian Sampson, Julie Schneider (Class of 2005).

PhotographyBob Beard 88, 99 M.A.Ed., KristenCarollo, Dimitri Doganis, Dorothea Heit,Ron Londen, Callum Macrae, Don Wilson77, ORU Sports Information.

Art and ProductionWaller & Company Public Relations

Excellence is published and distributed three times a year to alumniand friends by the Oral RobertsUniversity Alumni Foundation.

Direct all inquiries to:ORU Alumni FoundationP.O. Box 702333Tulsa, OK 74170Phone: 918/495-6610Fax: 918/495-6650Web site: alumniweb.oru.eduE-mail: [email protected] or comments? Contact the editor at [email protected].

Excellence Magazine Mission StatementThe purpose of Excellence magazine isthreefold: to make alumni aware of whattheir former classmates are doing, to tellalumni what is happening today on theOral Roberts University campus, and toshare the good news about alumniaccomplishments with faculty, staff, andfriends of the University. Excellencemagazine is proof positive that themission of ORU is being carried out on adaily basis all over the globe — “in every person’s world.”

COVER PHOTO BY KRISTEN CAROLLO.

FEATURES

Shelf SpaceFreeman Family Enterprises helps people bring home the bacon.

Doc IraqDonald “Skip” Mondragon talks about his experiences in Iraq.

I’m Glad You Asked!We were just wondering . . .

Staying in BusinessDr. Mark Lewandowski will replace Dr. David Dyson as dean, but Dyson isn’t going anywhere.

DEPARTMENTS

2 Your VoiceStay on track.

4 Presidential PerspectiveA call to arms.

13 On Campus/Off Campus• Faculty Retreat, in living color• Honors grad finds success in D.C.• ePortfolio puts “cutting” in “cutting edge”• Summer Missions bulletin• Dr. Liu engineers a return• $500,000 grant gets ORU wired• A chad-less election

22 The Eli ReportThings are looking up for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

26 Lifelong Links• Alumni City Events• Alumni News• Beard promoted• Homecoming 2005: 10 reasons to come home!

• AOY 2006: Nominations are open• Online Book Source

F O R O R A L R O B E R T S U N I V E R S I T Y A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

Fall 2004 | Vol. 16, No. 3

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PRESIDENTIALPERSPECTIVE


story! As one of the top twelve 800-meter runners in the world, he went toAthens, Greece, in August to representhis home country, Zambia (andORU!), at the Olympics. There was awhole write-up on him in the TulsaWorld, where he was allowed to sharehis entire testimony. Of course, Princewas not the only ORU presence inAthens. Your fellow alumnus,Madeline Manning Mims (A),also was there, serving as a chaplainfor the U.S.A. team. And JohnRigas 86, one of our former tennisplayers, was the coach of Greece’stennis team.

The favor of God is evident in somany of your lives, and it is my honorto claim you as ORU alumni. As I

announced to the students, faculty, andstaff when I gave my annual “State ofthe University” address on Aug. 17,this is “the year of fulfillment and over-flowing faith.” In the last issue ofExcellence, I reported to you that forthe first time in the eleven years of myORU presidency, we have a balancedbudget. We will continue to be strongand fiscally responsible, and because ofthat, I believe with all my heart that

we are now in the best position we’veever been in to receive God’s blessing.

I also shared with the students, onAug. 17, the passage about Gideon’sarmy in 1 Chronicles, chapter 12. Ireminded them that we are part of anarmy too, and being part of an army(or, an ORU student, for that matter)requires some important qualifica-tions, which I trust that you are stillexercising in your daily lives. We mustbe ready and armed for warfare withthe Word. Like Gideon’s troops, weneed to have an understanding of thetimes — to be “in the world, but notof it.” This involves being aware ofwhat’s going on in our nation and inthe world. YOU were born for thismoment! And I urge you, as I urgedthe students — be involved in theworld around you. Vote! Stand up forwhat you know is right and pleasing inthe eyes of God, and don’t be double-minded in your thinking. Listen to theHoly Spirit. He is there inside of youto guide your steps.

You’ve heard me say this before, butwhen I came to ORU as a student, Istill thought my destiny was tobecome a nightclub singer and a pro-fessional athlete. But God found me atORU, and I found my life in Him. Ihad no clue that I would somedaybecome the president of this universi-ty. And as president, I am thrilled tohear about the exciting opportunitiesGod is showing you too.

I encourage you to live one day at atime for Him, and enjoy your journeyto greatness in Him. ■

Richard L. RobertsPresident and CEO

ORU Embarks Upon ‘Year of Fulfillment and Overflowing Faith’

President Roberts declares a year of“fulfillment and overflowing faith” for the 2004-05 school year.

ack in 1995 and 1996, as some of you may remember, I was invited

to lead crusades and mass healingservices in Zambia. During one service,a young boy named Prince Mumbagave his life to Christ and heard aboutORU for the very first time. He didn’treally know what or where ORU was,exactly, but he knew in his spirit thathe was going to go there someday.

Fast-forward to the present: Princedid indeed find his way to ORU, wasaccepted, and enrolled as a full-timestudent. But that’s not the end of the

B

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ALUMNIFEATURE

Back in 1951, a man named C. GlenCatt moved to Michigan and opened asmall grocery store called, appropriatelyenough, Glen’s Market.

That one store grew into a chain of29, and Catt’s grandson Tim Freemanknows why. “He treated customers andassociates fairly…and showed themrespect,” he said. It’s an example that Timand his brothers, Tom 91 and Paul 94, have followed intheir own work . . . which is operating their own chain of gro-cery stores as Freeman Family Enterprises, founded in 1999.

Tim started working at Glen’s when he was 15 — “stock-ing, bagging, sorting bottles,” he said. “All of us (his brothersand sisters Laurie, Sarah, and Jessica) worked there.” Tim andhis wife, Sarah Hughes 89, moved back to Tim’s home-town of Gaylord, Mich., a year after he graduated from ORU,

and he returned to Glen’s, starting in theproduce department at $6.90 an hour andgradually moving up to night manager,grocery manager, and assistant manager.By the time the Glen’s chain was soldin 1999, Tim was a district managerresponsible for 13 stores.

Tim wouldn’t say that he started atthe bottom in this business, but he defi-

nitely had to work for what he received. “I think going throughthose things, you know what your associates are dealing with,”he said — valuable lessons for the future entrepreneur.

Freeman Family Enterprises, which also includes alumnusMike Wolford 92, now owns seven Save-A-Lot stores innorthern Michigan, as well as a Christian bookstore, TheWord. The work ethic that the brothers learned from theirgrandfather, it’s safe to say, lives on.

By Debbie Titus 77 George

Grocery store magnateTim Freeman 88 puts alot of stock in his faith,

his family, and his work.

The Save-A-Lot store in Gaylord, Mich.,is one of seven that Freeman FamilyEnterprises owns.


“When Tom and Mike visit the stores, they’re working thetrucks and redoing the front wall,” Tim said. “It’s really ahands-on company . . . . I think because we all went throughthat (working our way up), we’ve benefited from it.” Not thatit was an easy ascent. “I remember being passed up for promo-tion [at Glen’s]. I’d say, ‘Come on! It’s our company!’ But real-ly, I didn’t have it rough.” His five children shouldn’t relax,though. “My poor kids,” he laughed. “They’re going to get thesame thing.”

The Freeman clan has lived in Gaylord since 1978, whenfather Denny was transferred there by Glen’s. It was Dad, asupporter of the Oral Roberts Ministries, who insisted that allof his children go to ORU for at least one year. Tim earned adegree in business management, but he hadn’t planned ongoing home and using it at Glen’s. “My dad mostly discour-aged it,” he said. By Tim’s senior year, however, both fatherand son agreed that it would be a good idea.

At FFE, Tim is the president, Tom is vice president, andPaul is the chief financial officer. But don’t be fooled. “We’revery, very not title people,” Tim said, joking that “we tell ourfriends, if they see us wrestling in the parking lot, we’re justmaking a decision.”

When the brothers opened their Gaylord Save-A-Lot in2000, they called Mike Wolford and asked if he wanted to comerun it. Why Wolford? It’s those old college ties — specifically,the Am Herratz wing ties. Tim, Tom, Paul, and Mike all livedon the wing, and it continues to be a major part of their lives.

“The guys on that wing completely changed my life,” saidTim. “They had as much impact on me as the university did.We were a group of 35 brothers. Last year, I was lookingthrough my sophomore-year photo album. It’s amazing howdifferent we were and the bond we had and still have.”

The new Freeman “wing” consists of the 150 employeeswho are keeping the Save-A-Lot stores in a growth mode.“We battle with Super Wal-Mart, Glen’s, and Meijer,” Timsaid, explaining that Save-A-Lot is “a limited-assortmentgrocery store, not huge. It’s challenging right now, but as faras the grocery business as a whole, when the economy isdown, people don’t eat out as much.” That said, Tim doesn’tbelieve the economy is as bad as some say. Whatever its truecondition, “People are always going to find a way to getfood,” he said.

▲The Tom Freeman family. Back: Jaclyn and Tom. Front: Michael and Theresa.

Mike Wolford’s family includes Paige, Brooke, and wife Danielle.▲


Tim says that the company will definitely continue togrow as new locations become available, but they won’t openstores for the sake of boosting numbers. “I met with some-one from Save-A-Lot recently who said we were the secondlargest Save-A-Lot retailer in Michigan. We don’t want to bethe biggest; we want to be the best that we can be.”

The brothers, who all have business degrees, aren’t bigfans of management how-to books. Their style, Tim says,can be summed up as “have fun and make good businessdecisions. We have a pretty loose culture” — plenty of paint-ball, bowling, and golf outings — “but we’re extremely pro-fessional when it’s time to make decisions.”

Known for his good humor, Tim is also serious when itcomes to his faith. He and Sarah, their pastor and his wife,and another couple planted a Free Methodist church,

Gaylord Family Fellowship, in 1997. The church built a perma-nent home in 2002. “That’s been a real exciting part of ourlives,” Tim said. “Sitting around the table that night in 1997,none of us felt qualified to do it, but we all felt called to do it.”

There’s more evidence that Tim is someone who is attunedto that still, small voice. When he came to his first CollegeWeekend at ORU, he said, “I just knew that was where I wassupposed to go.” And once he enrolled, “from day one, I knewthat was where I was supposed to be.”

There’s at least one thing he doesn’t know for sure yet,though: if his children are supposed to go to ORU someday. Butit’s pretty plain that he trusts God enough to tell them Himself.

For this hard-working, hard-playing family man, yousense that half the fun is just waiting to see what’s down thenext aisle. ■

ALUMNIFEATURE

A Note from Tim — Am Herratz, which means “scum of the earth,” was a winglocated on EMR 3 South from 1982 to 1991. The name of the wing was taken from 1Corinthians 4:13 by two of the founding “Ratzers,” David Booker and Eric Watt. Duringthe 9 years on 3 South, Am Herratz dominated intramural sports, winning five all-school championships. The relationships that were developed at ORU have continuedfor over 20 years with several different reunions across the country. Any “Ratzers” areasked to contact A.C. Griffith 86 at [email protected] to get reconnected withfriends and receive information about our 2005 reunion plans.

▲ ▲

Brothers to the end! From left: Mike Wolford, Tom Freeman, Paul Freeman, and Tim Freeman.

The Tim Freeman family consists of (from left) Nick, Alexis, Sarah, Tim, Sommer (front), Scott, and Steven.

The Paul Freeman family. Back: Heather, Gavin, and Paul. Front: Ryley and Jacob.

▲


EXC: You were in Iraq for almost a year (April 2003through February 2004), helping set up the 21st CSHand then caring for injured soldiers and Iraqi citizens.What was a typical day like for you in the 21st?

MONDRAGON: Before I assumed my OIC duties, I was thehospital’s sole Internal Medicine specialist, and my typical dayinvolved taking care of the sickest patients. We mostly sawnon-combat related illnesses and injuries until August, andthen combat injuries became far more predominant. We treat-ed Iraqis, including all EPWs (enemy prisoners of war),detainees, and some civilians.

After I became OIC, I spent far less time in direct patient careand more time in meetings, reviewing policies, interactingwith VIPs, and making plans and preparations to turn ourhospital over to our replacements and to return home. AsOIC, I was the spokesperson for the hospital, which gave me

the opportunity to show VIPs the wonderful job performedby the many talented and dedicated members of our hospital.

EXC: Is Iraq as bad as the media reports?

MONDRAGON: Media reports tend to be very biased,typically revolving around bombings, deaths, and severeinjuries. Yes, Iraq is dangerous! But you don’t hear about theimprovements of Iraqi schools, the improved status of women,the opening of small businesses, oil production, electricpower, phone service, and enhancements to hospitals, clinics,and medical schools, to name a few.

EXC: What was it like being the OIC?

MONDRAGON: Initially, I had no interest in this job, butafter four days of focused and prolonged prayer and discus-sions with my wife, Sherry, I asked to be recommended forthe job.

Donald “Skip” Mondragon (81, 85 MD) spent the last year as a doctor and then OIC (Officer In Charge) of the 21st CSH (Combat Support Hospital) North in Mosul, Iraq. Recently, he talked with Excellence about his

experience — including how it’s deepened his faith, his love for his family, and his appreciation for our country.

© CALLUM MACRAE © CALLUM MACRAE

The Mondragon family (minus son Adam) gathered on the morn-ing of March 18, 2003, to say their goodbyes. Skip left shortlyafter for Iraq, via Kuwait. Front: Jonathan and Angeli. Middle:Chris. Back: Joey, Skip, and Sherry.


I set three main goals as OIC: 1) No loss in our excellent levelof patient care, 2) Preparations for a seamless transfer of thehospital mission to our replacements, and 3) Every member ofour hospital to return home safely.

All three were accomplished, hallelujah!

EXC: You’ve written about the unexpected anger youhad when you returned home. Where did that angercome from?

MONDRAGON: I had to take inventory when I recognized Iwas angry to find out why. At least two friends I shared withtold me that anger can often be from pain and loss. I began torealize that I had suffered many losses and much pain. I’dmissed a year out of my family’s life — that was tough.

EXC: How did being away affect your family?

MONDRAGON: Military families pay a tremendous, and oftenunrecognized, price when family members are deployed.Families must still carry on with their lives and responsibilitieswith the uncertainty and possibility of injury or death to their

loved one. My family had to adapt their lives to my absence.Celebrations, such as our wedding anniversary, birthdays,and holidays, were especially difficult for all of us. I wouldgenerally write to Sherry, my wife, almost daily and to each ofmy five children two or three times weekly. After June 2003,e-mail became a mainstay to hear from others. Phone callswere infrequent, perhaps every few weeks at best. One high-light was being able to have a webcam visit while InstantMessaging on Christmas day!

EXC: What surprised you the most about your timein Iraq?

MONDRAGON: I was most surprised by my view of com-manders of our combat units. To see the kindness, compas-sion, and concern of these leaders when dealing with theirsick and injured soldiers allowed me to see them as caregivers.

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© CALLUM MACRAE


ALUMNIFEATURE

I was greatly impressed by the kindness and tenderness exhib-ited by the command staff of the 101st Airborne Division (AirAssault). Major General David Petraeus, CommandingGeneral of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), is anamazing man!

I was also impressed by the courage displayed by so many sol-diers. I remember one young infantryman who came to ourhospital in hemorrhagic shock after suffering wounds that lit-erally blew off both of his legs from an RPG (rocket propelledgrenade) attack. Later, when loading this soldier and hisbuddy (who had lost a hand in the same attack) onto theambulance to transport them to their plane, both were effu-sive in their thanks. They repeatedly told us, “Thank you. Welove you.” This left me and the others caring for them feeling,“Wow, we are merely doing our job. You men risk your liveson the front line each day.” I was told that the soldier wholost his legs was standing with his prostheses to greet his unitwhen they returned to Ft. Campbell in February.

EXC: Explain some of these initials after your name.MD is self-explanatory, but what about MPH, MC, and FACP?

MONDRAGON: Ah, what do all these initials mean?MPH = Master’s of Public Health, MC = Medical Corps, andFACP = Fellow, American College of Physicians.

EXC: How has your faith helped you, both in Iraq andreturning home?

MONDRAGON: My faith provides hope, comfort, purpose,and courage to deal with situations. I know beyond a shadowof a doubt that God loves me and He desires for all men toknow Him. When we crossed over the Iraqi border fromKuwait, I had a powerful sense that God not only meant forSaddam Hussein to be deposed, but for the gospel of the Lord

Jesus Christ to be spread. Many times I turn to scripture orto a song for comfort. One of my favorites is the 91st Psalm.I often turn to it in times of crisis and doubt. God had spo-ken to my heart from the story of Esther, and the words of“perhaps such a time as this” before we left for Iraq. When Iwas pondering my role to serve in the 21st CSH, thesewords would come back to me.

EXC: What would you say were some of the greatestlessons you learned while in Iraq?

MONDRAGON: I was affirmed repeatedly of the privilege ofbeing an American. By virtue of my being born an American,I enjoy privileges, opportunities, freedoms, and comfortsthat most of the rest of the world can only dream about.

I also took away a newfound appreciation for God’s loveand protection, my wife, my children, the importance of“promoting” others, rather than oneself, and the amazingresults of coordinated teamwork.

EXC: Finally, what did you do during your leave? After being away for an entire year, what did you lookforward to doing?

MONDRAGON: I spent time relaxing, reading, enjoying day-to-day activities with my wife and children. I was also able toattend the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships inMarch and then the Olympic Wrestling Trials in May. Bothprovided the opportunity to spend time with my children. Itook my son, Chris, and my daughter, Angeli, to the NCAAsand my son, Jonathan, to the Olympic Trials. I also managedto go through several boxes in the garage! ■

If you’d like to read more about the 21st Combat Support Hospitalin Iraq, you can view a recent NOVA special about the operationat www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/combatdocs/.


YOURVOICEALUMNIFEATURE

Who was your favoriteprofessor at ORU?

Dr. George Gillen. He always had anexuberant and interesting personality.I didn’t always agree with his econom-ic policies, but he expressed himselfvividly and entertainingly. I rememberone year, when he won FacultyMember of the Year, he got a BurgerKing crown and wore a robe aroundthe halls. — Terry Breunig 82

The Terry Breunig family

Chene Tucker, an awesome womanof God and a fabulous social worker!— Denise Noble 91

Charles Zwick, who to my amazementis still teaching at ORU. He exempli-fied the self-sacrificing, there-because-he-loves-God servant that nearly everyprofessor I had at ORU exhibited.Well done, Mr. Zwick, you’re a goodand faithful servant.— Clay Jacobsen 78

What are your three everydayessentials and why?

The basics: God, family, work.— Terry Breunig 82

Number one — time spent with Jesus,whether in His Word, in dialoguethroughout the day, or sharing Himwith others. Without Him — life justwouldn’t be the same. Number two —a hug, a kiss, an “I Love You” to andfrom my wife and two daughters.Reason number one has blessed mewith the greatest family I could everhave imagined — the joy of my life.Number three — Pepsi and M&M’s. . . can’t seem to get through a daywithout them.— Clay Jacobsen 78

1) Toothbrush for clean teeth and freshbreath. 2) Toilet paper, no explanationnecessary! 3) My family, they constantlyfill my love tank!— Denise Noble 91

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading a lot of the Tim LaHayebooks and am very impressed. He’s notsaying that this is how it’s going tohappen, but it’s one possibility of whatcould happen. He puts the end times ina day-to-day context that makes ittangible and easy to understand.— Terry Breunig 82

Sisterchicks do the hula— Denise Noble 91

2nd Corinthians and Richard NorthPatterson’s Balance of Power.— Clay Jacobsen 78

What game show would you dowell on and why?

Jeopardy — I love trivia and have neverlost at Trivial Pursuit! — Jeremy Baker 01

Wheel of Fortune. It is way too easyand people can’t seem to avoid the“Bankrupt” space on the wheel, but I’msure that I could.— Curtis Stoddard 88

In this election year,with so many big,important questions toponder, we thought itwould be fun to askalumni what they thinkabout . . . well, just lookbelow, and you’ll see.

NatashaWashington

TianaLondoff


ALUMNIFEATURE

What celebrity would you mostlike to share the Lord with,and why?

The musician Dave Matthews, becausehe has such a cult following amongcollege students and has a lot of influ-ence over them.— Matt Pinnell 02

Michael Jackson — I feel that he is oneof the most lost individuals out thereand could positively influence theworld if led to the Lord.— Jeremy Baker 01

Eddie Murphy . . . he is so funny, buthis mouth is a real problem. I wouldlove to have him on our side.— Curtis Stoddard 88

What’s the strangest thing youever did or thought as a child?(Or as an ORU student?)

That I would never get old (30), andnothing in my life would change. As an ORU student, I thought that wasthe beginning of my life, but thatkeeps changing too.— Tiana Londoff 93

I bought a goldfish and thought hewould survive swimming around in justa plastic bag. But unfortunately, it didnot work.— Natasha Washington 94

I thought that I would know when Iwas “grown up”! (When I grow up I’mgonna . . . )— Liv Bandlien 01

What is your favorite ORUcafeteria memory?

Once, as part of a missions awarenessprogram, we showed up for lunch tofind no silverware available — and thefoods being served were not finger

There are so many, from saying “I do”to God’s greatest gift to me, holdingmy daughters just seconds after beingborn, being awakened by our puppylying over my head, to hitting a per-fect 280-yard drive on a long par five.The coolest experience is knowingthat in each of these moments, Jesuswas with me.— Clay Jacobsen 78

If you could have dinner withanyone dead or alive, whowould you choose and why?

C. S. Lewis — I’d love to be able totalk to him about his faith, his creativ-ity, and the relationship between thetwo. — John I. Carney 84

Fill in the blank: If I weren’tdoing what I’m doing now, Iwould have been a great _____because . . .

Lawyer, because I love history and Ilove to argue my points!— Jeremy Baker 01

I’m currently a lobbyist for theAmerican International AutomobileDealers Association, but if I weren’tdoing that, I’d definitely be a movieproducer. — Matt Pinnell 02

Morning Drive DJ on the radiobecause I am funny and obnoxious andcan make funny prank phone calls.— Curtis Stoddard 88

foods. I was annoyed at first myself, butthen when I saw how annoyed every-one else had become, I realized thehumor in the situation — and the les-son we were being taught.— John I. Carney 84

What is your most prizedpossession?

My father gave me his old briefcase.He gave me his work ethic, so it’s kindof a reminder of that.— Matt Pinnell 02

My wedding ring.— Curtis Stoddard 88

What is your dream job?

A syndicated newspaper columnist. Ihave a blog, http://www.lakeneuron.com/blog, but nobody pays me for it. — John I. Carney 84

What was your favorite cartoonshow as a kid?

“The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour”— and I still love watching LooneyTunes whenever I get the chance.— John I. Carney 84

When you’re stressed out, whatjunk food do you inevitablyreach out for?

Chocolate, chocolate, mocha!— Liv Bandlien 01

What is your coolestexperience in life so far?

My husband surprised me with a cruisefor our 10th anniversary and wesnorkeled for the very first time. It wasan amazing experience and unforget-table trip! — Denise Noble 91

If you have a question you’d like to

ask, or if you’d like to be included

in a future “I’m Glad You Asked!”,

e-mail [email protected].


Throughout his nearly nine-year tenure as dean of theSchool of Business, Dr. David Dyson 73, 78 MBA hasbeen a strategic planner. That has translated into what he con-siders his greatest accomplishment — “a great faculty team” —as well as the Master of Management degree (added in 1999),the Executive on Campus program, and an assessment systemthat measures student learning against a national norm.

More than two years ago, Dr. Dyson began laying thegroundwork for his boldest stroke yet by speaking with a num-ber of alumni who hold graduate degrees about “leveragingtheir business experience with the local and national businesscommunity” in a manner that would benefit the school.

Those discussions resulted in what Dyson says will “helpbring to life plans that I have had for some time to try to takethe School of Business to the next level.” This summer, withthe blessing of the administration, he brought alumnus Dr.Mark Lewandowski on board — to serve as associate deanthis fall, and to take over as dean on Jan. 1, 2005.

Dyson believes he has devised a winning strategy, becausethe future dean is someone “who has a heart for the ministryand is interested in developing the School of Business andhelping the students and faculty reach their full potential.”

Why has Dyson chosen to step down as dean? He says hewants “to be able to impact the students’ lives by having alonger-term, more dynamic relationship that is the opportunityof the professor . . . I’m eager to be back in the classroom andhave the opportunity to share some of the wisdom I havelearned over the last 15 years in administrative roles.” He willalso leverage his skill set and experience on strategic planningwith the university, and assist Dr. Ralph Fagin, AcademicAffairs executive vice president, in ORU’s accreditation process.

In Dr. Lewandowski’s case, his appointment was timely. Heearned his B.S. (1988) and MBA (1992) from ORU and hisPh.D. (1995) from Walden University. For a short time, hecombined teaching at ORU (earning Outstanding BusinessFaculty Member for 1994) and consulting for companies suchas Outback Steakhouse and Baker Oil Tools. One client,

Johnson Brokers and Administrators, was so impressed withhis work they asked him to take over one of their companies,Provider Medical Pharmaceutical. After PMP was bought byNational Medical Health Card, Lewandowski spent threeyears there in senior management, doing mergers and acquisi-tions all over the country. He loved the job, despite the 6 a.m.to 11 p.m. daily schedule and constant travel. Then came aheart attack this past April that he was fortunate to survive,and his decision to make a career change.

One morning in June, he was in his office, praying, “Lord,if you want me to change jobs, you’ve got to make the phonering.” He hadn’t told anyone his intentions. “That day at 11o’clock, I got a phone call asking me to come back [to ORU].So here I am. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

The new dean will focus on enlarging the School ofBusiness’s national presence, and on “making our top studentsa resource that companies look to and will want to hire.”Another goal will be attaining accreditation from theAssociation of Collegiate Schools of Business and Programs;that’s an effort Dyson will spearhead.

Lewandowski believes in giving back. (While at PMP, hehired and mentored 26 ORU graduates from a variety of dis-ciplines.) It’s the reason he has returned to ORU.

“I could never have accomplished my personal goals with-out the help of so many well-trained ORU graduates, and thefoundation and mentoring I received in the School of Businessfrom George Gillen, Rinne Martin, Eugene Swearingen,David Dyson, and several others. These are people that sowedinto my life. Now it’s my turn to come back and sow into oth-ers,” he said, expressing his pleasure at joining ORU’s leader-ship team.

“This is a better place than it was 20 years ago,” hestressed. “And it will be a better place 10 years from now thanit is now.

“It’s my hope for School of Business alumni that they willsee the regeneration within the school and say, ‘I need to be apart of that.’” ■

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Dyson, Lewandowski

Anticipate New Roles▲ Dr. Ray Lewandowski and his wife, Carole, shared a break with their son Mark at the Faculty Retreat. ORU’s newest Dr.

Lewandowski is serving as associate dean this fall in the School of Business in preparation for taking over as dean on Jan. 1, 2005.


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L E T ’ S G E T A W A Y F R O M I T A L L !Perhaps Camp Loughridge doesn’t have quite the same cachet as some other exotic locales, but for the Oral Roberts Universityfaculty, it was warm and friendly and a world away from the everyday. And even with a topic like ePortfolio (see page 18) takingup a lion’s share of the agenda, these ready-for-anything academicians found plenty of time at their Aug. 5 and 6 retreat to enjoysome delicious food, cooler-than-usual temperatures, praise and worship, a communion service, a rip-roaring talent show(featuring the irrepressible George Gillen), kayaking, and a challenging ropes course (way to go, Mark Roberts!). If you thinkthese folks had too much fun, you have only yourself to blame. After all, the Alumni Foundation foots most of the bill for thisevent. Yes, Camp Loughridge is a mere 15-minute drive from campus, but when was the last time you saw a log cabin at ORU?

1 2 3

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1. Jerry Eshleman (Undergrad Education) attempts to win a prizeduring Faculty Follies.

2. Margaret Sehorn (Modern Foreign Languages) understandsperfectly.

3. Drs. Daniel Grimes (Undergrad Theology), Hallett Hullinger(Grad Education), and Bill Collier 77 (Chemistry) make merrymusic (and tell corny jokes) at most of the retreats.

4. Drs. John Matsson and Xiaomin Ma find some elbow roomwhile talking with their colleague, the recently returned Dr.Sophie Liu. (All are Engineering, Physics, and Physical Sciencefaculty.)

5. About 20 feet above the ground, Dr. Mark Roberts (director, HolySpirit Research Center) successfully “walked the plank.”

6. Dr. Daobin Zhang (Engineering, Physics, and Physical Science)is one of three professors in his department who are fromChina.

7. Dr. Julie Huntley (Grad Business) checks in — gladly, as wecan see.

8. Drs. Lanny Endicott (Behavioral Sciences) and Mark Maynard(Undergrad Business) are probably discussing service learning,the program that Endicott directs.

9. Do they have to draw you a picture? It’s Nathan Opp and DougLatta (both Art).

10. Susan McMurray and Rhonda Gallagher (both CommunicationArts) relax on the porch.

11. Charlene Huntley (right), sister of Julie, joined the School ofEducation faculty this year.

12. Susan Carr (Computer Science and Mathematics) assembles herlunch . . . without a calculator!

13. Fat cells know better than to bother HPER’s sinewy chair, Dr. Fritz Huber.

4 5 6

7 8

10

11 12 13

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14 15 16

14. Still caring after all these years — that’s Charles Zwick(Communication Arts).

15. Out for a stroll: Dr. Ken Weed 86 (Chemistry) and his son,Jonathan, and Dr. Mark Hall (English), his wife, Rachel, andtheir daughter, Kathryne.

16. Dr. Ken Preston (chair, Computer Science and Mathematics)and Dr. Dominic Halsmer (chair, Engineering, Physics, andPhysical Science) are collaborating on a one-act play:Two Chairs in Search of a Table.

17. Wasn’t that fishers of men? . . .Very early in the retreat,Dr. Ralph Fagin 70 (Academic Affairs) lowers the aquaticpopulation at Camp Loughridge.

18. Do you think Dr. Fagin is looking a little hirsute these days?Amazing what a relaxing retreat can do for you . . .

19. Dr. Larry Hart 70 (Grad Theology) gives a devotional beforecommunion is served.

20. Can I buy a vowel? Faculty members have to assemble thephrase “Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles.” Robert Kiel(Behavioral Sciences) and Brenda Calderon (Modern ForeignLanguages) are happy to be on the winning team.

21. Michael, row the boat ashore . . . Faculty and their familiesspend time on the lake on Friday afternoon.

22. President Richard Roberts is revved for a new academic year.23. On a humid Friday afternoon, Dr. Randy Feller 81 (Behavioral

Sciences) keeps a close eye on his daughter, Laura — andshe does a good job of holding onto the rope.

17 18

19 20

21 22 23

to take things a little more seriously.But they love going to the basketballgames, being stupid in the dorms,hanging out with friends . . . all ofthose things.”

In Washington, D.C., Curtisdoesn’t have much free time for bas-ketball games anymore. She admitsthat it’s a difficult place where “evennavigating the sidewalk can seemoverwhelming,” but God and herexperiences at ORU have helped keepher in balance.

“One thing I learned at ORU thathas carried me through this adventureis who I am — I am a child of God,”Curtis says. “That simple statementhas been so powerful in my life. Anytime I found myself terrified out ofmy mind — leaving my family behind,not finding a job right off the bat, try-ing not to overstay my welcome at afriend’s house — I would remindmyself that God is in charge and I, asHis child, don’t have to worry about athing!


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ashington, D.C., honorable? Hmmmm . . . that’s subject

to debate.But our nation’s capital is definitely

getting an influx of honors, beginningwith Jamie Curtis 04, one of thefirst graduates of the ORU honorsprogram. Curtis, who graduated thisspring with a degree in government(pre-law emphasis) and history, iscurrently working for the StateDepartment in D.C. as a Con-gressional Liaison for the Bureau ofInternational Narcotics and LawEnforcement Affairs.

Before that, of course, she was atORU, taking classes, bonding withfellow honors students, and helpingform the new program designed tonurture and stretch academically giftedstudents.

“My experience in the honorsprogram [at ORU] was fulfillingand challenging all at thesame time,” Curtis says.

“The program had just started, sothere were lots of kinks to iron out.However, the people that I met andworked with were just amazing. Therelationships I made that came fromthose years are what I cherish themost. I wouldn’t be the person I amtoday without it.”

According to Curtis, honors stu-dents at ORU aren’t exactly differentfrom the other students, just collective-ly dedicated to academics. “We used toget tired of people poking fun at us,thinking we were nothing but a bunchof nerds. The truth about honors stu-dents is that, despite the higher scoreson the ACT or SAT, they are dedicatedto being that whole person, striving tonot only get all their aerobics points,but also working hard for those A’s!”

She continues, “Honors studentsare normal kids, with a slight tendency

Bringing Honors to Washington

“The short and long of it is that mydream has been to work in D.C. sinceI was in high school, but more thanthat, to work for the Lord in D.C. Iwould not be here if it hadn’t been forORU — the faculty that supported me,the friends, the people that encouragedme to know the Lord more and more.”

Now that she has an honorsdegree, what honors does Curtisexpect to find in her professional life?

“I have absolutely no idea!” shelaughs. “My dreams are to work inD.C., to effect change, and to have afamily, but how those will come topass is beyond me. Everyone is differ-ent — some like to be part of theplanning process, others prefer to letGod surprise them. I’m definitely onethat likes to be surprised. I don’t knowwhere I’ll be in a year and, in spite ofmy gut reaction to worry, I choose tobe okay with that. It’s what I like tocall peaceful uncertainty!”

An honorable state to be in,Washington, D.C., or not. ■

The whole family turned out for Curtis’ graduation from ORU.

W


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Portfolios — individual collec-tions of projects, papers, and otherwork in a class — are designed to givea more accurate view of a student’sgrowth than the usual one-shot grades.Educators say it’s like having a holo-gram instead of a snapshot of what astudent has learned.

But what happens when the holo-gram becomes a surround-sound, big-screen movie of not just one student,but the entire student body, and theschool itself?

Welcome to the wonderful world ofePortfolios, the latest innovation thatis transforming how Oral RobertsUniversity educates its students.

More than a fancy container, ePortfolios ensure that ORU’s mission is accomplished

Beginning in the fall of 2003 witha pilot program in the School ofEducation and expanding to allincoming freshmen this fall, electron-ic portfolios — “ePortfolios” — willbe required for each ORU student.Individual ePortfolios will featuresignificant samples from all classesacross the curriculum and will includea variety of tests, papers, projects, andother assignments.

There are several importantfeatures of the ORU ePortfolios,however, that make them one of themost exciting educational innovationsto come along since ORU wasfounded forty years ago. (Really.)

First, every ePortfolio entry will betied to the mission of ORU, throughone of 16 general proficiencies linkedto four main learning outcomes: i.e.,that students will become spirituallyalive, intellectually alert, physicallydisciplined, and socially adept. (Pleasesee chart on page 19.)

“We’re trying to prove that studentsare gaining competence and growth inthe learning outcomes that we value,the ones that are directly tied to ouroverall mission,” Dr. Ralph Fagin 70,executive vice president for AcademicAffairs, said. “Everything flows fromthe mission; this is just a tool that willgive students an opportunity todemonstrate how they are gaining inthese four learning outcomes thatcome directly from the mission.”

How are sophomore nursingmajors doing in communicationskills?

But ePortfolios are not just for indi-vidual students. Information fromevery ePortfolio can be combined,compared, and separated according tovarious questions. Called “the aggrega-tion and disaggregation of data,” thisprocess is particularly exciting to Dr.Fagin and others because it will allowORU professors, departments, andadministration to immediately identifystrengths and weaknesses at variouslevels — student, student groups, anduniversity-wide.

“A student will get feedback on acertain outcome, so they will knowhow they’re doing, but what theePortfolio system also does is help ussummarize the data and then break itdown,” Fagin said. “For example, howare our English majors doing com-pared to our engineering majors, howare seniors doing, how are our interna-tional students doing? We’ll be able tobreak down the data according todemographic groups as well as the 16

From Snapshot to Surround-Sound Expanding the vision with ePortfoliosBy Laura B. Raphael

The old joke goes that teachers grade papers by throwing themacross the room and seeing where they land. Those by the easychair: C. Those by the window: B. And the one or two that make itto the front door? A+.

Students like Cara Ojeda, a socialstudies education major, are makinggreat use of ePortfolios.

▲


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general proficiencies. How are ourstudents as a whole doing in commu-nications skills? What about biblicalknowledge?”

The feedback will be invaluable,particularly in developing future cur-riculum and responding to needs thatthe system will reveal. “We’ll be ableto say, we have a gap here, or we’redoing better here, or this is workingwell and maybe we can duplicate it inthis way,” Fagin said. “That’s thebottom line of the ePortfolio system:to assess how we’re doing and todetermine how we can improve at thestudent level, the department level, theschool level, the university level.”

Playing — not just talking — a good game

Finally, what makes the ePortfoliosystem at ORU unique is the remark-able and, in some cases, unexpectedbenefits for faculty, students, and theuniversity itself.

The seemingly simple process ofdeveloping learning outcomes andproficiencies demanded that depart-ments work together more closely,which has led to strengthened rela-tionships among faculty members, notto mention a clearer shared vision ofwhat ORU students should look like atthe end of their four years.

“Sometimes you can talk a goodgame, but the critical question is, areyou actually doing it? Just by settingthis up, we’ve already improved,”Fagin said. “We’re increasing ourwriting assignments, our servicelearning opportunities, our Christianworldview experiences. We’re begin-ning with the end in mind, and thathas given all of us — faculty, students,and all university staff — a moreintentional direction and focus.”

Ultimately, the purpose ofePortfolios is to enhance what hasbeen the hallmark of ORU educationsince the beginning: educating fullydeveloped men and women to takeGod’s message to the world.

“Every year, President [Richard]Roberts tells parents, ‘Send me yourstudents and in four years I’ll sendthem back, only better,’” Fagin said.“This system will help us documentthat growth — not only document,but deliver.” ■

ROME, ITALY, MAY 2004 • Julian Campbell, a senior from Jamaica majoring inevangelism and broadcast journalism, said she and her summer missions team met thiswoman and her child at a train station. “She was asking for money to buy food for herbaby,” Campbell said. “We gave her money, ministered, and prayed for her.” The Italyteam was one of 21 sent by ORU all over the world last summer. Campbell said hermonth-long trip was “life-impacting and life-changing,” and that she realized “nomatter the language barrier, love is an effective tool.” She has a deeper appreciationfor “the diversity that God created,” and would love to go on another missions trip.“The foundation of ORU is missions,” Campbell asserted, and added, “I cannot livefor myself. I have to live for others.” For more on 2004 Summer Missions, and onhow ORU selects its sites, go to http://alumniweb.oru.edu. ■

SpirituallyAlive

IntellectuallyAlert

Physically Disciplined

SociallyAdept

A. Biblical Knowledge A. Critical Thinking A. Healthy A. Communication Lifestyle Skills

B. Sensitivity to B. Information B. Physically B. Interpersonal the Holy Spirit Literacy Disciplined Skills

LifestyleC. Evangelistic C. Global and C. Appreciation of

Capability Historical Cultural & Perspectives Linguistic

Differences

D. Ethical Behavior D. Aesthetic D. Responsible Appreciation Citizenship

E. Intellectual E. Leadership Creativity Capacity

Prof

icie

ncie

s an

d Ca

paci

ties

Student Learning Outcomes


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he engineering, physics, and physical science department

had its first-ever female facultymember in the spring of 2001. Femaleengineering students were ecstatic, andeveryone in the department came tolove and appreciate Dr. Sophie Liu.When Dr. Liu had to leave to gohome to Singapore in 2002, manywere sad to see her go, for she hadadded a new dimension to thedepartment.

Mourning has turned to joy, how-ever, because Liu is back on campusthis fall.

“I was just simply answering God’scall,” said Liu, when asked the reasonfor her return. “God showed us signsto move. I am learning not to questionGod but instead, trust His guidance, asHe always gives the best to Hischildren.”

Once again the only female facultymember in the department, Liu isteaching Network Analysis II,Electromagnetic Theory, andEngineering Computational Methods.She said that God has put her “in thisspecial position” so He will guide herto “be a role model to female engi-neering students.”

Originally from China, Liureceived her bachelor of science inradio and electronics from SichuanUniversity in 1982 and then her mas-ter of engineering from XidianUniversity in 1992. She and her family(husband Chun Biao and son Michael)moved 12 years ago to Singapore,where she obtained her Ph.D. fromthe National University of Singaporein 1996 and their two younger sons,Fred and Felix, were born.

Liu taught in her homeland ofChina and then at the School ofEngineering at Temasek Polytechnic,Singapore before coming to ORU in2001. She taught at the School of

Computer Engineering at NanyangTechnological University in Singaporefor two years before returning to ORUthis fall.

Liu first learned about ORU on theInternet. Seeing a job opening in theengineering, physics, and physical sci-ence department, she decided to apply.Once on campus, Liu recognized sev-eral elements that set ORU apart fromother schools. She said there is a senseof deep trust between the facultymembers, who all possess “a heart ofprayer” and “a generous heart.”

One of Liu’s concerns was thatORU students would not understandher strongly accented English. Tosolve the problem, she created an envi-ronment where teacher and studentscould learn from each other, and toldher students to correct her if she mis-pronounced a word.

“I was so touched that they (stu-dents) always understood me as a for-

eigner,” said Liu. “They gave me theencouragement and corrected mewhen needed.”

Dr. Dominic Halsmer, departmen-tal chair, said he was more than happyto be welcoming Liu back on staff.

“I know she is a great teacherbecause I heard firsthand from her stu-dents, who were the beneficiaries ofher expertise,” he said. “I alsoobserved her in the classroom, and Iam confident that she knows her stuff.She will add a missing dimension toour department and serve as a rolemodel for young women in engineer-ing. She also has plans to assist us inthe recruitment of engineering stu-dents, especially from Asia.

“Dr. Liu is a strong Christian whois very involved in her church, and inoutreach to those in need,” Halsmeradded. “She is a blessing to studentsand faculty alike.” ■

Welcome Back, Dr. Liu By Elaine Lau, Class of 2005

T

Liu and her husband, Chun Biao, are the proud parents of three boys: Michael (standing),Fred (far right), and Felix.

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“Technology grant money has

defined my job at ORU,”

remarked Don Eland 75, 84,

assistant professor and director

of the MultiMedia Institute.

Over the past 10 years, the Sandersfamily (Dr. Robert Sanders taught atORU in the computer science andmathematics department for 15 years)has made gifts in amounts of up to$500,000 each year through theLinden Root Dickenson Foundation.Eland said these gifts “have allowed usto leverage ORU’s technology com-mitments and have attracted the inter-est of students, faculty, local business-es, and other necessary supporters.Judging by programs I have seen atother top schools, ORU has maxi-mized the impact of technology pur-chases and made good use of seedmoney from [these grants].”

Last year, purchases made with a$500,000 grant — coupled with fundsfrom other sources — includedenhancements that provided wirelesslocal area networks, computers and

projection systems for classrooms andmodular programs, multimedia fieldproduction equipment, enhancedlibrary holdings, high-usage printers,laptop computers for honors fellows,and equipment to support ORU’sePortfolio initiative (the university-wide system through which all stu-dents track their progress in becoming“whole people” — spiritually alive,intellectually alert, physically disci-plined, and socially adept).

For the 2004-05 school year, alongwith continued enhancements to theinfrastructure, the grant will affordhand-held computers for honorsfellows and for six honors programfaculty members.

“The impact of the Sanders granthas rippled throughout the entire uni-versity,” said Dr. Ralph Fagin 70,Academic Affairs executive vice presi-dent. “We have made great strides inour general computing labs, withmultiple specialized labs that requirecutting-edge equipment, electroniclibrary holdings, and unexciting-yet-essential infrastructure to support thetechnology that is necessary for aneducation in the 21st century.” ■

ORU Gets Technical with $500,000Foundation Grant

Wide OpenS P A C E SWe’ve got lots of those on the

Alumni Board of Directors! This must mean — you guessed it

— that it’s time for another election.

New directors are needed for these segments:

Segment II (1979-82) — one openingSegment III (1983-86) — one openingSegment IV (1987-90) — one openingSegment VI (1995-99) — two openingsAt Large (all years, all schools) — three openings

The 21-member Board of Directors serves as yourvoice on campus. Before they can speak up, how-ever, you need to make your voice heard by cast-ing your vote.

Go to http://alumniweb.oru.edu and click on Vote.Make your selection(s) by midnight Dec. 5 andwatch the Web page for the results.

Some of our segment elections have beensqueakers, so believe us when we tell you thatyour vote counts.

Just ask the alumni who lost by five or six votes . . .

In this photo (from left), honorsprogram fellows Jami Harris and LisaTrussell, scholar Charlotte Wenzel,fellow Heather Ellsworth, and scholarShalimar Tiwari are attending an honorsseminar called “Faith and Civilization.”This class meets at Nordaggio’s, afavorite coffee retreat of ORU students.For the past four years, the Sandersgrant has enabled ORU to providelaptops for honors fellows.

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X


ELIREPORT

Neither coach is brash enough topredict a trip to the Final Four forhis team, but both are more optimisticabout their teams’ prospects than atany other time during their tenure.

Climb Every Mountain . . .Women’s head coach Jerry

Finkbeiner found an unusual way toprepare for the new season: Heclimbed Mt. Fuji (6,500 of themountain’s 12,387 feet, anyway).

“Japan is kind of like the newfrontier of women’s sports, of women’sbasketball,” Finkbeiner said, explainingthe primary purpose of his summertrip. Seeing that Japan’s nationalbasketball team was going to theOlympics for the first time, Finkbeinerdecided to begin developing somecontacts.

“Soar With Us” is the all-sportstheme that ORU Athletics has

adopted for the 2004-05 season. It seems especially appropriatefor men’s and women’s basket-

ball when you consider what theteams accomplished last yearand how many honors-laden

players are returning.

By Debbie Titus 77 George

Coach Finkbeiner (left)says that Elisha Turek

(below) “is always the first one to

practice and the last one to leave.

She works extremely

hard.”

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ELIREPORT

ORU’s winningest women’s coachever is always thinking ahead. Hearrived at ORU in 1996 with a five-yearplan that included going to the NCAAtournament — which the women didtwice, in 1999 (their first trip ever) and2001. They came within one point ofgoing again last season, losing in theMid-Continent Conference tournamentfinal to Valparaiso by a 64-63 score.

“The next step that we’re continuallyplanning for and recruiting for is notonly to win our conference tournament,but to win in the NCAA tournament,”Finkbeiner said. The question is, canthey not only win the tournament but“get through that first round and maybethe second round [of the NCAA tourna-ment] and become a nationally knownteam? It may seem like that’s a lofty goal,but that’s what drives us day to day.”

It helps to have returning players likejunior Leah Cannon, who was second inthe U.S. last year in assists per game(8.4) and Mid-Con tournament MVP,and Mid-Con Newcomer of the YearElisha Turek, who led ORU in scoring(14.5 points per game). Alycia Seay,Jamie Fithian, Claudia Louis, MaureenObudho, Julia West, Jessica Boan, KatieLangford, and Sarah Davidson round

out the squad of returnees. “This may be the best returning

team we’ve ever had,” Finkbeiner said.He also has high hopes for his newplayers: walk-on freshman KatieFichtner, freshman Jeri Gilmore, andthree junior college transfers —Tiffany Johnson, Claudia Pereira, andEbony Haliburton — who he said “willhave a chance to make an impact.”

Ford Every Stream . . . Finkbeiner describes their precon-

ference schedule as “probably thehardest we’ve ever had from top tobottom.” It includes a Dec. 9 game atTexas Tech. With this game, he said,“We’ll see what we’re made of. Thegirls are excited about the opportunitybecause any time you play a top-10team, it’s a no-lose situation. They’re agood standard to measure against.”

At the Fun in the Sun Shootout inMexico (Dec. 19 and 20), ORU willface Memphis, who made it to the sec-ond round of the 2004 WNIT, andcould also face Western Kentucky, aWNIT quarterfinal finisher. Otherearly-fall match-ups include TexasState, the University of Tulsa, andOklahoma State.

Yes, the women should have theirhands full this fall. But Finkbeinerbelieves “we’re ready for a schedulelike this. I think . . . if we should fallshort of our early-season goals, wehave enough experience to not crashand burn, to know that it’s a long sea-son and the conference is where it’s at,anyway. Even if we were to upsetsome of these high-profile teamsearly, it won’t mean anything if welose the last game in March.”

That “last game in March” will betaking place in Tulsa for the first timesince ORU joined the Mid-Con. Boththe 2005 (March 5-8) and 2006 con-ference tournaments will be held atthe new Union Multipurpose ActivityCenter. Finkbeiner doesn’t consider ita home-court advantage, although, ashe says, “it’s nice to stay in your ownsurroundings. And it’ll be easier forour fans to see us, obviously, than ithas been in the past.”

March is still four months away.Between now and then, fans canexpect to see “a team that has highexpectations out of the gate,”Finkbeiner said. “In years past, we’vekind of been a slow-starting team.This is a more seasoned team that’sgoing to be able to get some goodthings happening earlier for us.”

And chemistry counts. “Our teamchemistry has probably been our beststrength,” Finkbeiner added. “Thegirls — who they are, how they feelabout each other, what they sacrificefor each other for the team good —those kinds of things can overcomethe intangibles that you just can’tplan for.”

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Since 2002, Australia’s LeahCannon (right) has given Finkbeinerand all her team’s fans plenty ofreasons to smile. Last year, she wassecond in the nation in assists pergame.


ELIREPORT

Follow Every Rainbow . . .

The NCAA allows teams to makeone trip to Hawaii every two years.The ORU men will be part of aneight-team field at the RainbowClassic, Dec. 20-23 in Honolulu.

As attractive as that trip sounds, it’sbeen trumped by the news that ORUis one of 64 teams that will play inESPN’s third annual Bracket BusterSeries on Feb. 19. This will be ORU’sfirst appearance in the series.

“This is a great opportunity for ourprogram,” said men’s head coach ScottSutton. “It will give us a chance toshowcase our team heading into thefinal weeks of the regular season, andwe will also get a quality nonconfer-ence opponent to come back to theMabee Center next year.” (The 2005road teams will host their 2005 oppo-nent during the 2005-06 season.)

How did this happen? Last year’snumbers no doubt helped: a 17-11record, a tie for second in the Mid-Con, and an eight-game winningstreak. Then there was the publicitygenerated by wunderkindern CalebGreen and Ken Tutt.

“You don’t ever expect freshmen tocome in and produce like they pro-duced and be so consistent throughoutthe year,” Sutton said. “Ken wasincredible. It was almost like he gotstronger as the season went on, whichis extremely unusual for freshmen. Youkeep thinking they’re going to hit awall, and I kept thinking, this cannotcontinue, and he just got better. AndCaleb — he went through a periodwhere teams started double- andtriple-teaming him, and he had a fewgames where he wasn’t quite as pro-ductive, but for the most part, he hadan outstanding season as well.”

Green, a center, and Tutt, a guard,made ORU the first school in 73 yearsto have two freshmen selected forFirst-Team All-Conference honors.Green was also named Second-Team

All-District 12 by the NationalAssociation of Basketball Coaches. Tuttwas named Mid-Major Freshman of theYear by CollegeInsider.com and Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year and wonthe Basketball Hall of Fame’s EdwardS. Steitz Award for having the best 3-point field-goal percentage/number offield goals made combination.

Green and Tutt will be joined thisfall by fifth-year senior Luke Spencer-Gardner, who redshirted in 2003-04due to an injury. “He understands thathe’s going to have a little rust when hecomes back, sitting out that long,”Sutton said. “But he’s the type of guythat’s going to work as hard as he can.”Spencer-Gardner, considered the bestdefensive guard in the Mid-Con, isexpected to become ORU’s all-timeassists leader this year. He needs 65 totie Arnold Dugger’s 501 record. “He’san ultimate team player,” Sutton added.

Also returning are Jonathan Bluitt,Matt Gastel, Eric Fowlkes, YemiOgunoye, Andrew Meloy, and MikeMorgan. Schuyler Thomas tore hisAchilles tendon this summer and willmiss the season. “We were expectinghim to have a good senior year,” Suttonsaid, expressing disappointment, “but atthe same time, it opens up opportuni-ties for some of our younger players.”

New this year are second-team jun-ior college All-American Larry Owens,6'-10" junior center Mickey Michalec,junior guard Chris Riouse, and fresh-man guard/forward Moses Ehambe.Sutton, who had praise for all fourplayers, singled out Owens, saying he is“an extremely talented basketball player. . . a guy that will make our team veryversatile. He’ll be a lot of fun for ourfans to watch.”

Till You Find Your Dream

The Golden Eagles willneed all the fire power theycan get this season, espe-cially when they play at

Indiana on New Year’s Eve. Indiana“probably has one of the top 10 or soprograms in the country,” Sutton said.“It’ll be great for our players to go playin an atmosphere like they have and willprepare us for the Mid-Con.”

Before Indiana, they have to get pastteams such as Northern Arizona, St.Louis, Loyola, University of Tulsa, andGeorgetown. And after Indiana, it’s con-ference time — and the Mid-Con,Sutton says, is getting stronger everyyear. That doesn’t worry him — much.

“Hopefully this year, we’ll take thenext step, and that’s to get to the NCAAtournament. I think we have a greatopportunity with the team we have com-ing back and the newcomers, and alsohaving the tournament here in Tulsa.

“There’s a lot of optimism about thisteam — and there should be," Suttonsaid. “If things go right and we stayhealthy, we have a chance to have a greatseason.”

You can catch Golden Eagle sports action live onthe Internet at www.orugoldeneagles.com. Checkthe Web page for broadcast information and for themen’s and women’s 2004-05 basketball schedules.

Along with his many other awards,Ken Tutt (left) was Second-Team All-District 12.

▲


ELIREPORT

Coach Sutton is looking forward to histeam’s first exhibition game. Both the menand the women will play at the UnionMultipurpose Activity Center on Nov. 3 — the women at 5 p.m., the men at 7:35 p.m.

26 | Excellence | Fall 2004

Dear ORU Alums, The Atlanta event was great! ...despite a fewsprinkles that came and went. Our event wasat the beautiful Stone Mountain Park, wherewe catered a picnic dinner for alumni andguests. We had 35 in attendance. Everyonetelling stories about their time on campuswas enjoyable for all. After dinner, we gaveaway door prizes and then met at the bot-tom of the mountain. We scattered ourblankets and lawn chairs and enjoyed a clearevening with a huge laser light and fireworksshow!!! Some had driven two hours ormore to be there for the event. All inattendance were glad to see other alumniwho lived in the area. And, in case youwere wondering: While we were there, thedevil did NOT go down to Georgia.(Neither did the Charlie Daniels Band, whopopularized that song.)

You shoulda been there,Bob Beard

My Fellow Alumni,

Denver is fabulous! W

e had 22 alums from

the area, all enjoyin

g an evening of din

ner

and delicious PIE!

We had our own pr

ivate

room, where alumni

from as far back a

s

’78(!) were there to

talk and reminisce-

-all

of them asking abou

t how ORU and Or

al

and Evelyn were doi

ng these days. Every

one

enjoyed all the Gold

en Eagles merchandis

e we

brought for door pr

izes…

In Colorado Spring

s, our dinner event

was

at New Life Church

. We had an intimat

e

meeting with some

very impressive alums

who

said they enjoyed all

the university upda

tes

and were so glad to

see each other. We

didn’t leave until 10

p.m.! (They wanted to

do the "Titan Train

.")

You HAD to be th

ere…

Bob Beard

Fall 2004 | Excellence | 27

Dear ORU Alums,

At our Los Angeles

event, we had a

night to remember n

ear Hollywood at

Marie Callender’s. (L

eave it to Winnie

Perdue to find a Ma

rie Callender’s in

LA…) We watched

Californians roll in

who had driven for

hours to come and

reconnect with fellow

alumni. It was

so good to see thes

e alums come

together after so lon

g and talk about

the things that mak

e ORU great. We

enjoyed steak and, o

f course, pie. The

door prizes were a

hit, and Marie

stayed up late that n

ight, locking the

door behind us at m

idnight!!

Live from LA-LA

Land,

Bob

Mis Amigos! The evening of our San Diego event wasa lovely time spent on an open patio atone of the city’s finest Mexican restaurants.About 22 of your fellow San Diego alumsenjoyed chatting over chips and salsa. Theflan was awesome! We were serenaded by amariachi band, which made our time evenmore festive, if you can imagine. Everyonewas excited to hear about ORU’s excellentranking in the U.S. News and World

Report College Guide. Also, some L.A.alums had so much fun at their event thenight before, they couldn’t resist joining usfor our San Diego fiesta.

Hasta la vista!Senor Roberto

Notes From Alumni


1970sL. Christina Nystrom 71Sjostedt and husband Svenbuilt a house in westernWisconsin last winter and movedthere in June, but have sincedecided to move back toMinnesota. This fall, Chriswrapped up her term on theORU Alumni Board of Directors,but has decided to run foranother term. She also hopes tostart law studies soon, saying, “Ibelieve the Lord has shown methat there are too few Christiansworking in what would be myspecific area of law.” Sven is stillworking at Target headquarters inMinneapolis.

Randy 76 and Deanna Clift76 Harrison moved to Coted’Ivoire, West Africa, in August,where they took a teaching job atWest Africa Alliance Seminary ofAbidjan. They have three chil-dren: Daniel, 22, Christy, 20, andRachel, 14.

Dale Murphy 76, his wife,Cheryl, and their two children,Ginger and Hayden, have beenresiding in a “Mayberry-esque”town in Colorado for the pastnine years. Dale works as a wellsite geologist.

Scott 77 and MargeeGolden 78 Aycock want tohear from old friends. For thepast 20 years, Margee has been apracticing artist and paintinginstructor. She is part ownerof a local gallery, is an Arts

and Humanities Artist in the Schools teacher, and has juststarted an online gallery atwww.stores.ebay.com/margaretaycockimpressionistoils.Scott is still working as a mar-riage and family therapist,singer/songwriter, and host of aradio show, “Folk Salad,” on thelocal NPR station, KWGS; theshow is on Sundays at 7 p.m.and can also be streamed on theInternet. Photo below includessons Jesse and Dylan andDylan’s girlfriend.

Kim Hiscox 79 and herhusband, Garry Law, live inWest Des Moines. Kim hasserved on the Board of Directorsof Amnesty International-USAGroup 277. She was involved inorganizing one of many cam-paigns designed to secure therelease of Dr. Saad EddinIbrihim (her former professor atThe American University inCairo) from imprisonment forhis human rights activities inEgypt. Kim’s contacts with U.S.representatives and senatorshelped bring Dr. Ibrihim’s caseto the U.S. Department of State.Ibrihim was acquitted last springafter almost 3 years of arrest,imprisonment, and repeatedprosecution. Kim says, “I have agreat deal of respect and admira-tion for the stand that he and hiswife have taken to protect therights of women and Christiansin Egypt.” Kim is employed bythe National Child SafetyCouncil as an advocate forchild protection.

1980sKim Oswald 82, 89 MSNobtained her education specialistdegree in adult human perform-ance and development in May2002 and a doctorate in educa-tion leadership in August 2004,both from Drake University. Herdissertation was titled, “Nurses’Perceptions of Spirituality andSpiritual Care.” She writes,“Presently, I work at the IowaHeart Center, P.C., a cardiologypractice. I continue to be deeplycommitted to lifelong learning.God is so good!” Christopher Bozek 87 hasbeen teaching English in Japanfor more than 11 years, the last 5at Hokkaido University ofEducation. He lives inIwamizawa, population 83,000,and belongs to a nondenomina-tional charismatic bilingualchurch in Sapporo. In May, hewrote, “I work on a yearly con-tract and, due to changes in thenational university system, thismay be my last year at the uni-versity. I am praying and seekingGod as to what He wants for myfuture. I do not know if I will stayin Japan or move back to theU.S.A.” Photo below is of“Chip,” his colleague, andstudents who graduated fromthe English department in 2004.Chip says he buys a new kimonoevery year for graduation.

Kent Bailey 88 and his wife,Michelle, have a new son, Brent,born Jan. 4, 2004. Kent writes,“After some success in TV, film,and commercials and as a talentagent, God steered me in a newdirection. I traded my member-ship in Screen Actors Guild forteacher certification. I now teach8th grade American History forTucson Unified School District. Ihave been active in leading Biblestudies and being a kids campdirector for five years at ourchurch and am about halfwaythrough my second master’sdegree — M.Div. from PhoenixSeminary.” Friends from BadCompany, Vatican, and commu-nication arts department canwrite him

Kevin Cooney 88, wifeAtsuko, and their children,Aiyana and Kian, have moved toJackson, Tenn. Kevin has accept-ed a tenure track position asassistant professor at UnionUniversity.

Bobbi Reilly 88 Sheahanand her “brilliant softwaredesigner husband” Ben have twodaughters, Evelyn and Isabella. In1991, Bobbi graduated fromBaylor Law School and then wenton to pursue a career in litiga-tion. She became a name partnerin a law firm before retiring tobecome a part-time author and“post-career trophy wife.” Bobbi’sTexas automobile insurancereference book is in its third edition.

SJOSTEDT 71 HARRISON 76 AYCOCK 77 HISCOX 79 BOZEK 87


LIFELONGLINKS

have three children, Riley,Jackson, and Gigi. Deana workedas a freelance producer and assis-tant director for commercials andchildren’s shows until her daugh-ter was born in 2002. She is cur-rently busy “chasing toddlers”and says she is “blessed to beentrusted” with part of her par-ents’ ministry, where she “pro-duces and mails newsletters forseveral hundred missionariesglobally.” Eric works as a clinicaleducation coordinator for theEmergency Medical ServicesAuthority in Tulsa and planned toattend medical school this fall.Eric is also on the SpecialOperations Team for the TulsaCounty Sheriff’s Office.

Lynda Fritel 93 Sliningerand her husband, Rob, are enjoy-ing their first child, BellamyRose, born Aug. 23, 2003. Lyndais a stay-at-home mom and lovesit. Rob is a First Sergeant cur-rently being deployed to Iraqwith a Signal Battalion.

Wendy Harrison 96Murakami and husband Josh00 are happy to announce thearrival of their baby daughterChloe, born on June 26. Wendywrites, “Everything from thepregnancy to the delivery wasfabulous. She is truly a miracle.”

Robin Hatfield 96 Osbornand husband Rick welcomed thearrival of their new baby girl,Sara Elizabeth, on July 16. They

also have two boys, Stephen andAndrew. Robin writes, “We areall doing well and adjusting withthe Lord’s help. I would love tohear from any of my nursingbuddies or wingmates fromChosen.”

Joy Lea 98 married ReverendGabriel Stefan Palazzo. Shewrites, “The wedding was won-derful and both sides of our fami-ly were able to make it from allover the world (he’s Italian)! . . .Stef is the associate pastor ofRiver of Glory Church in Plano,Tex. My commercial litigation/law practice with Gardere Wynne& Sewell in downtown Dallas isquite challenging, but my trueand growing passion is our workwith the church that is keepingme busy in all of my spare time!”They love married life.

Aaron 98 and KellyOpperman 99 Snavely writethat they “would love to hear

from our ORU friends.”

Merchelle Burkhalter 99graduated this past May fromLuther Seminary in St. Paul,Minn., with a master of divinity.

Darius Gould 99 writes,“Hello to all my fellow alumni.Life after ORU has not quitegone as I would have planned it,but I believe the Lord will stillhave His way. I was pursuing acareer in information technology,but the economy and being laidoff interrupted those plans. I haveexperienced God’s faithfulness insustaining me through financialdifficulties. I am now embarkingon a new venture. I have started aWeb site called www.SayAmen.net.It offers a service to churches thatwant their sermons available forlistening online. It’s my prayerthat it will be a benefit for bothchurches and for the community.Tell your church about this andjoin me in this venture.”

1990sLisa Butkiewicz 92 has land-ed the film rights to G.P. Taylor’sdark Christian fantasy novel,Shadowmancer. Fortitude Films,the company she and a partnerfounded, estimated the film’sbudget to be between $75-$100million. She hopes to have themovie out toward the end of2005 or early 2006. Lisa was fea-tured in the August 2004 issue ofCharisma magazine (page 43).Eddie 92 and LarissaHilbert (A) Hornsby celebrat-ed their fifth wedding anniversaryrecently and moved to a newhome. Eddie received his masterof education degree in schoolcounseling this May from XavierUniversity. He teaches science atMt. Healthy High School inCincinnati. Larissa is still work-ing for the Kroger Company andalso in their church nursery atFaith Chapel in Goshen. Theywrite, “We would like for ourfriends to know that God hastruly blessed us, and we are antic-ipating great things to come inJesus’ name.”

Camille Young 92 Pennywrote again and sent in the photobelow. “I was looking at my sen-ior picture in the 1992 year-book,” she said, “and I still lookthe same. Beautiful and not a dayolder.” You may write to her orhusband Victor 93

Deana Davis 92 Spyres andhusband Steven “Eric” (A)

BAILEY 88 SHEAHAN 88 PENNY 92 SPYRES 92 SLININGER 93 LEA 98

TULSA, OKLAHOMA, AUGUST 2004 —

Bob Beard 88, 99 M.A.Ed., formerly director ofAlumni Annual Fund and Programs, has been pro-moted to director of Alumni Relations. He “replaces”George Paul 69, who had continued to serve asdirector even after his promotion (in 2002) to asso-ciate vice president for Alumni and Development —a position Paul continues to hold. The Office ofAlumni Relations moved this summer from LRC 605to LRC 616. The phone number remains the same:918/495-6610.Beard’s direct line is 918/495-6588.

Notes From Alumni

Joy Pittman 99 was a delegaterepresenting Oklahoma at theRepublican National Conventionin New York City. Joy was on the“Protecting Our Families” sub-committee, chaired by Mississippigovernor and former RNC chair-man Haley Barbour. She said thatthe subcommittee, which dealtwith social issues, was harmo-nious, conservative, and pro-life.The platform section was verysimilar to the language in the2000 platform. The mainCommittee on Resolutions(Platform Committee), which waswriting the 2004 RepublicanPlatform for the delegates toapprove, was chaired byTennessee senator Dr. Bill Frist.Joy's brother, Greg 96, is anadjunct professor in the ORUUndergraduate School ofBusiness. They are both gradu-ates of the University of TulsaCollege of Law as well.

2000sRichard Coleman 00, 03MDiv is the missions director atNew Birth Missionary BaptistChurch. He developed his lovefor evangelism and world mis-sions while at ORU. He says hisdesire is to see more Christians,particularly African-Americans,involved in global missions.(Currently, African-Americansmake up less than 1 percent ofthe American missions force.)

Genard Hajdini 00 obtained amaster’s degree in business man-agement with a concentration inorganizational change and devel-

opment from Regent Universityin May 2003. He moved back tohis home country, Albania, andcurrently teaches biology, chem-istry, philosophy, and economicsfor grades 9 to 12 for QualitySchools International at TiranaInternational School.

Hillary Renfrow 00 marriedChris Jarrard on Sept. 20, 2003.They planned to celebrate theirone-year anniversary by travelingto Scotland. Chris works forAmerican Airlines. Hillary man-ages the apartment complexwhere they live in Valley Ranch,home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Ryan Tedder 01 loves it inL.A., but he says he also misses“the quality friends” he had “liv-ing in EMR for four years, andthe ‘non-craziness’ of Tulsa. L.A.is fun, but it’s also insane.” He ismaking it big as a music produc-er/writer for Interscope Recordsand Sony. Some of his work, rang-ing from hip-hop to Christian, hasmade the charts in the States andin the U.K. He is also in a bandcalled Republic, which tours andplays regularly at the House ofBlues in Hollywood.

Thomas 04 and Lauren 04Gancarz were married one weekafter they both graduated. Laurenwrites, “Thank you to our ORUfriends for making our collegeexperience so rich and memo-

rable. This fall, Thomas beginshis full-time position with YoungLife, a youth ministry to highschool kids. Also this fall, I beginmy job teaching middle schoolvocal music in the Broken Arrowschool district. We are excited tostay in the Tulsa area! We’d liketo say hi to all of our ORU palsand give a shout out to Armor!”

AssociatesJennifer Wynn Armstrong1996-99 writes, “I am inSpringfield, Mo., working for thelargest fully accredited publicschool district in the state. I aman Addy award-winning studiovocalist and perform with theSpringfield Regional Opera andthe Springfield Little Theatre.”She would love to hear from girlsthat were on Imago Dei.

ObituariesFlorian Chess, a 1985 graduateof the O.W. Coburn School ofLaw, died on April 13, 2004, inAustin, Tex. He was 46.

Michael Foster died suddenlyof diabetic ketoacidosis on April11, 2003. A founding member ofthe wing Heirborn and an intra-murals enthusiast, Michaelattended ORU from 1989 to 1993and left to join the United StatesArmy in the field of counterintel-ligence, going on missions in

Belgium, Hungary, Turkey,France, and other locations. Hemarried Justine Hood 94 onJuly 4, 1998. When Michaelreceived a medical discharge fromthe army, he and Justine movedback to Tulsa, where Michael fin-ished his degree in literary writingin 2002. Justine says, “The pastyear has been quite a growingexperience for me. God has beenso faithful, and because of Him Iam happy again. Our two childrenare such a blessing. Alden is fourand Lillian just turned one. I amblessed to be able to stay homewith them and be mommy. I soappreciate all the prayers and sup-port I have received. My friendsfrom ORU have made such a dif-ference in my life . . . Michael wasa man of integrity and loyalty andalways put his family first. He isgreatly missed, but we know wewill see him again in heavenwhere there are no tears.” You canvisit his memorial Web site atwww.michaelfostermemorial.com.

Mark Goodwin, D.M.D., bornSept. 21, 1959, passed away onAug. 19, 2004, in Tulsa. He was a1985 graduate of the MichaelCardone, Sr., School of Dentistryand had established a practiceknown as South Tulsa Dental. Heis survived by his wife, Sara,daughter Jordan, and sons Nickand Sammy, as well as his parents,two brothers, and many niecesand nephews. His family says, “Hehad a passion for dentistry and tomake people smile.”

Ozella M. Willis, a 1982 gradu-ate of the O.W. Coburn School ofLaw born on Feb. 15, 1934, isdeceased. ■


GOULD 99 COLEMAN 00 HAJDINI 00 GANCARZ 04

e-mail: [email protected]

http://alumniweb.oru.edu

LIFELONGLINKS

Alumnus of the Year 2006

Who will be chosen?

Help us decide! Go online(http://alumniweb.oru.edu),click on “Alumnus of theYear 2006,” and use the formto nominate the alumnus ofyour choice. Deadline is July 1, 2005.

Save. . .and Give!

Yes, you can multitask at theAlumni Book Source. You’llget a discounted price on awide range of books, DVDs,CDs, audio books, Bibles,gifts, and more, and aportion of the amount youspend on each purchasewill go to the AlumniFoundation. The foundationfunds and supports programsfor ORU alumni and stu-dents. Everyone benefits!

Click on the “Alumni Book Source” link at http://alumniweb.oru.eduand start shopping (andsaving, and giving) today.

Here are the top ten reasons why YOU should join us . . .1. It’s not until February (11 and 12), so you’ve got at least 3 months to get into

tip-top shape. (No, we’re not keeping track of aerobics points, but go ahead if itmotivates you.)

2. There are no hurricanes in Tulsa. (Except TU, and we play them in December.)3. Catching up with friends who have been on missions in Third World countries

will make remodeling the guest bathroom seem so much less urgent.4. Free parking for everyone!5. People will be excited to see you, and you’ll have a chance to talk about yourself

endlessly without feeling guilty. (You might even get your story published inExcellence magazine!)

6. You can personally congratulate Bob Beard on becoming the new director ofAlumni Relations (and ask him why he chose “Shades of Yesterday” as our 2005Homecoming theme).

7. VIP seating at chapel. (Attendance will not be taken!)8. Find out which of your former professors still have hair.9. If you’re married, you can show off your spouse. If you’re single, maybe you’ll

meet your spouse there! (Exhibit A: Paul and Beth Aquino)10. Golden Eagles basketball!!!

And now, a bonus brainteaser: What do thefollowing items have in common: harvest gold, a parasol, and Jackie O’s sunglasses? (See clue in Reason #6 above.)

If, for some reason, you need more reasons to come to Homecoming, visit our Web site (alumniweb.oru.edu) and see exactlywhat’s happening on February 11 and 12. With apologies to the English department, it’s gonna be good.

?Shades ofYesterday,

alumni!It’s almost time for Homecoming 2005!


ORU Alumni Foundation, Inc.Oral Roberts UniversityP.O. Box 702333Tulsa, OK 74170

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDTulsa, OKPermit No. 777

Simon Cowell would be taking his lifeinto his hands if he dared to criticizethe musical stylings of ORU’s ownczar and American Idol wannabe, Dr. George Gillen. Those who attendthe Faculty Retreat are savvy enoughby now to just sit back, relax, andwatch a master at work. (See more onthe Faculty Retreat on pages 14-16.)

Documents

ORU - Excellence Vol. 16 No. 3 Fall 2004...ORU Alumni Foundation P.O. Box 702333 Tulsa, OK 74170 Phone: 918/495-6610 Fax: 918/495-6650 Web site: alumniweb.oru.edu E-mail: [email protected]