Jan.
10
G e or g e F ox U n i v e r s i t y
Colleague
Next Issue: Jan. 24
Volume 12
No. 01
E m p l oy e e N e w s l e t t e r
Send news items to spatterson@georgefox.edu
P r e s i d e n t ’s P r o l o g u e
“I was just thinking that I need to see Esther
before we leave – and then I remembered that
she’s not here anymore.” Melva said that to me
the evening before we left Newberg last week.
Visiting Esther Klages was a regular part of
Melva’s life, and I would go along when I could.
You see, Esther, who died Dec. 13 at the age of
100, was a great friend and we miss her.
We were leaving Newberg to attend the
Council of Independent Colleges President’s
Institute in Florida. Whenever we returned
from meetings like this one, Esther enjoyed
discussing the issues university presidents are
discussing. She was always interested and
carried on meaningful conversations about
meaningful issues.
Esther will be remembered at George Fox
University through the Klages Dining Room and
the Klages Plaza. Her gifts were instrumental in
providing these facilities, but she did so much
more for us than these places that carry her
name. For example, Centennial Tower came into
existence because Esther felt a need for
increased aesthetics on the campus. When the
tower was built in 1990, the Edwards-Holman
Science Center and the Edward Stevens Center
didn’t exist. Esther had a vision for an aesthetic
addition to enhance the campus, and it was
through her money that the tower was built to
honor the university’s 1991 centennial. Today,
the tower has become a symbol of George Fox
University and is featured as our logo. The
university wanted to name the tower in Esther’s
honor, but she refused, not wanting anyone to
think she wanted to honor herself. She wanted
her gifts to honor the Lord.
Esther had a deep love for George Fox
University and its people. She wanted to know
details about what was happening, and she
didn’t want to miss anything. Occasionally, she
would ask Melva a question about the university
to which Melva didn’t know the answer. Melva
would then come home and tell me to go see
Esther so I could provide the answer she
needed. Esther loved events – games, plays,
dinners, lunches, and parties. She turned on the
Christmas lights around the quad every
December, including our last ceremony Dec. 3.
Esther grew up in a very poor home in difficult
circumstances. She was careful and wise in the
use of her money. She enjoyed using her money
to enhance God’s work at George Fox
University. My hope is that we will keep on
telling Esther’s story as we use the Klages
Dining Room and Klages Plaza, enjoy the tower,
quad lighting and hanging baskets, and observe
her name on student scholarships. Esther
believed in what we’re doing at George Fox
University.We need more people like her.
Another Tragedy
For the second time in just over a month,
the George Fox community was rocked by
news of a student’s death. On Dec. 22 –
just five-plus weeks after the university
mourned the Nov. 13 passing of Karissa
Edwards – student Patrick Kibler of Lake
Oswego died after the car he was driving
was struck in Lake Oswego.
The accident occurred at 10 p.m. on
Dec. 21. Kibler’s 14-year-old brother,
Scott, and the driver of the other vehicle
were taken to Oregon Health & Science
University with injuries.The driver of the
other vehicle was arrested on charges of
manslaughter II, assault II, and driving
under the influence of intoxicants. Scott
Kibler was critically injured but has since
returned home.
Patrick Kibler, 21, was a junior business
administration major. He graduated from
Westside Christian High School in 2001
and enrolled at George Fox as an Honors
on Entrance Scholar. A memorial service
for family and friends took place in
Bauman Auditorium on Dec. 30.With
students now back from the holiday break,
another memorial service is scheduled for
Thursday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m. in Wood-Mar
Auditorium.
Loss of a Loved One
George Fox University lost a dearly loved
alumna, volunteer, and benefactor with
the death of 100-year-old Esther Klages
on Dec. 13. She died in the evening after
undergoing afternoon surgery to repair a
hip broken in a weekend fall.
Klages established a scholarship fund
for international students, volunteered
time preparing university mailings, and
served as a volunteer receptionist. She
took leadership roles for a university fundraising campaign and helped plan the
university’s Centennial Celebration. She
also made major contributions for the
remodeling of the Klages Dining Room,
which was named in her honor. Esther
Klages Plaza, in front of the Stevens
Center, recognizes her contribution to the
construction of the center in 2001. Esther
also financed the construction of the
Centennial Tower in 1990.
Until recent years, she regularly
volunteered and rarely missed music,
theater, basketball, or auxiliary events at
the university. A memorial service was
held on Sunday, Dec. 19, at Newberg
Friends Church.
Deadline for Copy: Jan. 18
meet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature
two keynote speakers and six break-out
session topics.The keynote speakers are
H.B. London, the vice president of
church, clergy, and medical outreach for
Focus on the Family, and Wes Davis, a
pastor and youth outreach leader from
Silverdale,Wash. George Fox
undergraduate students may attend for
free; the fee for employees, graduate
students, and alumni is $15 per person.
The registration fee includes lunch.To
register, go to kaleo.georgefox.edu. For
more information, contact Sheri Philips
at sphilips@georgefox.edu or call 503554-2131.
Spinning a New Web
The university’s Web site underwent
design and functionality changes this
month.While it retains most of the
functions present on the former site, some
changes have been made to enhance the
site’s usability and overall appearance.
Among the changes was the addition of a
column on the home page that spotlights
important campus events or people.
Navigation also has been improved by
enhancing scroll-down capability,
transferring the navigation links to the left
side of all pages, and repositioning the
search box to the top right corner for
improved visibility. In addition, on pages
with two sets of navigation links, the top
(main) links are now included in a dropdown menu, freeing up space for
departmental links and eliminating the
need for users to scroll to see all links.
The design, created by the Peterson &
Co. design firm of Dallas,Texas, in
collaboration with a George Fox advisory
committee, incorporates the new
Centennial Tower logo and several other
concepts and colors used by university
publications and admissions pieces.The
design is lighter and leaner, with fewer
graphics than before, so download time is
faster. In the coming months, the
university will implement designs for
admissions, athletics, and all university
schools.These new designs will
incorporate common elements and
concepts of the new Web site but will each
contain unique features appropriate for
the school and audience. Comments and
suggestions on the site can be directed to
Gloria Foltz, director of Web
Development, at gfoltz@georgefox.edu.
Kaleo Coming
MLK Holiday
Those interested in attending the first
Kaleo (“to call” in Greek) conference are
encouraged to register online prior to the
Saturday, Jan. 22, event in Bauman
Auditorium. Church and ministry teams
from all over the region will be attending
the conference, designed to equip
individuals called to youth ministry. It will
George Fox University will close Monday,
Jan. 17, to observe the birthday of Martin
Luther King Jr.There will be no day or
night classes or chapel services at the
Newberg campus, Portland Center, Salem
Center, or Boise Center. University
offices, libraries, and bookstores will be
closed.
Colleague • Newberg | Portland | Boise | Salem • Jan. 10, 2005
Wild Weather
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Wondering if school is closed because of
winter weather? There are a number of ways to
find out. For starters, listen to local radio or
television stations for closure updates. Students
and employees may also check their e-mail, call
the university’s Newsline (503-554-EVNT) or
switchboard (503-538-8383), or visit the Web
sites of Portland-area media outlets. Decisions
to cancel classes or close the Oregon campuses
are made by 6 a.m. for daytime classes and 2
p.m. for evening classes.The Boise Center
makes its closure decisions independently.
Holly Kirby (Admissions) is
now working full time as an
inquiry application
coordinator in the Office of
Undergraduate Admissions.
Holly had been working as a
temp in the same office since
November. Prior to her arrival, she was a
word processor for NORPAC Food Sales in
Lake Oswego for two years. Before that, she
worked as a legal secretary and as a word
processor at various locations in California
and Colorado since 1991. She attended the
Central County Occupational Center in San
Jose, Calif. Holly lives in Newberg with her
husband, Shawn, and children Hannah (14)
and Shawn Jr. (10).The family attends church
at Newberg First Assembly of God.
Myths and Realities
Richard Hughes, a distinguished professor of
religion at Pepperdine University and author
of the book Myths America Lives By, will visit the
George Fox Newberg campus for the Spring
Theological Conference Jan. 24-26.The theme
of the conference is “American Myths and
Christian Realities.” On Monday, Hughes will
speak on “American Myths” in the 10:40 a.m.
chapel service in Bauman Auditorium. He will
then lead a discussion on “Christianity and
Culture in America – Which Influences the
Other Most, and Why?” at lunch from 11:45
a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Cap and Gown Room.
That evening, he will lead a panel discussion
on “Christian Origins of – and Challenges to –
Aspects of American Culture” from 7:30 to
8:50 p.m. in Hoover 104.
On Tuesday, Jan. 25, Hughes will discuss
“How the Christian Faith Renews the Life of
the Mind – the Integration of Faith and
Learning” at 4 p.m. in the Cap and Gown
Room. His visit concludes Wednesday when
Hughes will join others in reading excerpts
from African-American leaders’ speeches and
writings in the 10:40 a.m. chapel service in
Bauman Auditorium.
Art on Exhibit
Members of Gary Buhler’s (Visual Arts)
watercolor class will display their artwork in
the Murdock Learning Resource Center from
Jan. 17 through Feb. 6.The show, entitled
“Fall Watercolor at Fox – 2004,” will feature
selected pieces for sale.The exhibit includes
self-portraits, landscapes, figural studies, still
life, and interpretive illustration.
Call on IT
Institutional Technology has taken over the
responsibility of managing and servicing the
university’s telephone system – a duty
formerly overseen by Plant Services.To
facilitate the switch, Andy Baker has
transferred from Plant Services to the IT
department.The IT Service Desk provides
first-level support, while more technical
service needs are handled by Baker and other
IT staff members.
MOVERS & QUAKERS
Josh Nauman (Communication Arts) is now
splitting his time between the Department of
Communication Arts and Institutional
Technology. Josh joins IT to offer his
expertise in design and configuration of
technology-equipped spaces. He also
continues to provide coverage for the media
communications lab and work for the
Department of Communication Arts on a
part-time basis.
Todd McCollum (Registrar) has announced
he is leaving George Fox. His final day will be
Jan. 21.Todd has accepted a position as
director of registration and records at Linfield
College’s Portland campus.
ABOUT OUR PEOPLE
Pat Bailey (Health and Human Performance)
was presented regional and national Coach of
the Year awards for the NCAA Division III
level at the American Baseball Coaches
Association’s national convention in Nashville,
Tenn., on Jan. 7. Pat was honored for leading
the Bruins to their first national baseball
championship last spring. He also spoke on
“Winning a National Championship (Using
Small Ball as a Weapon)” in front of 5,000
high school, college, and professional coaches
at the convention Jan. 8.
Paul Otto (History) had a chapter, titled
“Reassessing American Frontier Theory:
Culture, Cultural Relativism, and the Middle
Ground,” published in Frontiers and Boundaries
in United States History.The book, edited by
Cornelis A. van Minnen and Sylvia Hinton,
was published in December by VU University
Press.
Laura Simmons (Seminary) won a $500
research award for her book, Creed Without
Chaos: Exploring Theology in the Writings of
Dorothy L. Sayers. Laura was awarded a 2004
Clyde S. Kilby research grant from the
Marion E.Wade Center at Wheaton College
in Wheaton, Ill.The Wade Center has the
world’s largest collection of writings by and
about Sayers, and Laura did research there
twice, in 1996 and 2002.The Kilby grant is
awarded to what the center determines are
the best books produced from materials in the
Wade Center archives.The chosen books are
included in a special display.
Paul Anderson’s (Religious Studies)
foreword to Henry Cadbury’s The Book of Acts
in History (Cascade Books) appeared in a new
printing of the book in November. Paul also
wrote essays on the Quaker decision-making
process for the December issues of Quaker Life
and The Friends Voice.This month, he will be
hosting a national pastoral leadership
conference in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan.
16-18.The theme of the conference is
“Discerning the Leadership of Christ.”
Information is available at
www.georgefox.edu/discernment.
Anderson also responded to Enno Popkes
from the University of Munich on the subject
of relations between the Johannine and
Thomasine traditions in the Historical Jesus
class at Princeton Theological Seminary in
October. In addition, he presented on “A
Dynamic Christocentricity – The Center of
Quaker Faith and Practice” at the Radical
Reformation Seminar at Princeton on Dec. 9.
He presented on the same theme at
Manasquan Friends Meeting on Dec. 5. Paul
was a visiting scholar at Princeton Theological
Seminary during the fall semester.
BIRTHDAYS
Jan. 10 Larry Shelton
George Byrtek
Jan. 11 Ginny Birky
Jan. 15 Debbie Hawblitzel
Jan. 17 Ron Stansell
Marley Brown
Jan. 18 Pat Bailey
Robin Baker
Dwayne Astleford
Jan. 22 John Smith
Jan. 23 John Johnson
Bill Buhrow
Pete Rusaw
CALENDAR
Monday, Jan. 10
• Newberg Chapel
President David Brandt, 10:40 a.m.
• Staff Lunch, Noon
Tuesday, Jan. 11
• Faculty Lunch, Noon
Wednesday, Jan. 12
• Newberg Chapel
MLK Jr. Focus, 10:40 a.m.
Henry Greenidge
Saturday, Jan. 15
• Women’s Basketball vs. Linfield
Wheeler Sports Center, 6 p.m.
• Men’s Basketball vs. Linfield
Wheeler Sports Center, 8 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 17
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Tuesday, Jan. 18
• Faculty Lunch, Noon
Wednesday, Jan. 19
• Newberg Chapel
Winter Serve Chapel
Thursday, Jan. 20
• Opening Reception:
Faculty Art Exhibit
Lindgren Gallery, 4 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 21
• Women’s Basketball vs. Puget Sound
Wheeler Sports Center, 6 p.m.
• Men’s Basketball vs. Puget Sound
Wheeler Sports Center, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 22
• Kaleo Conference
Bauman Auditorium, 9 a.m.
• Women’s Basketball vs. Pacific Lutheran
Wheeler Sports Center, 6 p.m.
• Men’s Basketball vs. Pacific Lutheran
Wheeler Sports Center, 8 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 24
• Newberg Chapel
Spring Theological Conference
Richard Hughes, 10:40 a.m.
• Spring Theological Conference,
Richard Hughes, Hoover 104, 7:30 p.m.
Colleague • Newberg | Portland | Boise | Salem • Jan. 10, 2005