May 2011 E-Cat
Nearly 500 grads prepare to turn tassels
Linfield College will hand out 494 diplomas at this year’s spring commencement ceremony, Sunday May 29. Dave Hansen, Linfield professor and emeritus dean of students, will give the commencement address to graduates from 20 states and seven countries, including China, Vietnam, Nepal, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Commencement will be followed by the nursing closing convocation at 2:30 p.m. in Ted Wilson Gymnasium. On Saturday, May 28, Bill Apel, retiring professor of religion and former chaplain, will speak at baccalaureate. Learn more about the weekend's events online.
To go or not to go, that is the question
Each year, the Office of Alumni Relations coordinates a trip to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Spots are still available for the trip, July 28-31. The group will see five OSF productions: Love's Labor Lost, August: Osage County, Measure for Measure, The Imaginary Invalid and The Pirates of Penzance. Find out more or register for the trip.
Making the most of alumni connections
Linfield alumni in the greater Portland area will have the opportunity to make the most of their Linfield connections on Thursday, May 26. Marie (Snavely) Boatsman '02, Prudential NW Properties; Jill (Kirsch) Verboort '03, State Farm Insurance Company; and Mindy (Mello) Mathers '06, Sterling Savings Bank, Home Loan Division, will host a networking reception, allowing alumni the opportunity to promote themselves and their business. Find out more or register online.
Apel talks of open windows
Bill Apel, professor of religion since 1975 and former chaplain, will retire this year and gave his last lecture to the campus community April 28. He titled it “An Open Window: the Seen and the Unseen.” Watch a video to see a brief clip.
Wildcats climb championship brackets
It’s playoff season and Wildcats are piling up the wins. The Linfield softball team advanced to its fourth NCAA finals since 2006, with a first-round game set for Friday in Salem, Va. The baseball team is competing in the regional tournament in Abilene, Texas, with a game today, Wednesday, at 10 a.m. Pacific time against Concordia-Texas. The men’s golf and women’s tennis teams also advanced to championship play, and track and field will head to nationals at the end of May. Follow your favorite Wildcat team online.
Alumni events with something for everyone
The Alumni Office is pleased to offer a variety of events. If you like the arts, you might consider purchasing some of the group tickets for Disney’s Mary Poppins playing at the Keller Auditorium on Sunday, July 3. For the sports fans, we have group tickets to a Salem-Volcanoes baseball game. Join us for a pre-game BBQ, baseball and fireworks on Friday, July 8. The truly adventurous may want to leave this area and explore China with the eight-day Bejing City Stay in October 2011.
Celebrating Leonard with a song
Retiring music professor Gwen Leonard will be honored during the Opera Theatre Gala Saturday, May 21, at 8 p.m. in the Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall at Linfield. Following the performance, Leonard, who created the Opera Workshop, will be honored for 27 years of service to students, the music department and the Linfield community.
Looking back on four memorable years
From competing on the men’s golf team to serving as an ambassador for Linfield’s Office of Admissions and studying abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico, Beau Slayton ‘11 has taken advantage of his time at Linfield. Hear more from Beau and learn how making a gift to Linfield by June 30 can help students like him. And, if you are a Rising Alum, a graduate from one of the classes within 2000-10, your gift will be matched! Learn more here.
Honoring award-winning healthcare
The 2011 Lloydena Grimes award for excellence in nursing was presented to Nancy Rollins Gantz GSH '73, pictured left, on May 20 at the nursing and health sciences alumni event in Portland. Gantz embraces life-long learning – after completing her diploma in nursing from Good Sam, she achieved a BA in business administration, an MBA, a Ph.D. in healthcare administration and most recently an M.S. in nursing.
Calendar of events
• Saturday, May 21 – Opera Theatre Gala and Gwen Leonard retirement reception, 8 p.m., Ice Auditorium
• Thursday, May 26 – Networking reception, Lake Oswego
• Saturday, May 28 – 50-Year Club luncheon, noon, Jonasson
• Saturday, May 28 – Baccalaureate, 5 p.m., Ted Wilson Gym
• Sunday, May 29 – Commencement, 10 a.m., Oak Grove
• Saturday, June 4 – Ad Rutschman ‘54 reunion, 11 a.m., Golden Valley Brewery
• Sunday, June 26 – Welcome to the Alumni parties, various locations