Top Dollar - Seattle University

FALL 2009
Connecting Seattle University Alumni and Friends
Top
Dollar
A proven winner,
Cameron Dollar aims to
elevate men’s basketball
to national prominence
Story by Dan Raley

STAFF
Editor
Tina Potterf
Strategic Communications Director
Casey Corr
Creative Director
David Balzer
Graphic Designers
Terry Lundmark, ’82; Helen Kong
Photographer
Chris Joseph Taylor
Editorial Assistant
Maura Beth Pagano, ’12
Contributing Writers
Dave Anderson, S.J., Chelan David, Steve Lindell ’90,
Julie Monahan, Maura Beth Pagano, ’12, Alison Peacock
and Mike Thee
contents
Copy Editor
Sherri Schultz
Proofreader
Geri Gale
ADMINISTRATION
President
Stephen Sundborg, S.J.
Vice President for University Advancement
Mary Kay McFadden
Associate Vice President for
University Advancement
Mark Burnett, ’84
Assistant Vice President and Director
of Alumni Relations
Steve Lindell, ’90
Assistant Vice President for Marketing
and Communications
Soon Beng Yeap
Assistant Vice President for Development
Sarah Finney
Assistant Vice President for
Advancement Services and Annual Giving
Linda Hulten
Seattle University Magazine (ISSN:
1550-1523) is published quarterly in
fall, winter, spring and summer by Print
Communications, Seattle University, 901
12th Avenue, PO Box 222000, Seattle, WA
98122-1090. Periodical postage paid at
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vice president for human resources and Equal Opportunity Officer, Jerry
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huffmaje@seattleu.edu.
4 8
FEATURES
14 Top Dollar
Cameron Dollar brings a wealth of
experience—on the court and in life—
to his coaching job at Seattle University.
As head coach he’s tasked with building
a team of contenders in the competitive
world of Division I men’s college hoops.
22 Puppet Master
Artist-in-residence Brian Kooser wows
audiences with his peculiar, striking and
well-crafted puppets that come to life in
dramatic fashion on stage. This fall he
brings his latest creation, Bloody Henry,
to the Lee Center for the Arts.
28 Financing a Dream
Scholarships through the Costco
Scholarship Fund help change lives by
providing underrepresented minority
youth a financial boost to make college
possible. The program celebrates its
10th anniversary this year.

Volume 33 • Issue Number 3 • Fall 2009
10
14
22
DEPARTMENTS
2 Letters
4 People
Kamrica Ary-Turner, ’08, keeps
students in line and keeps it real as
a disciplinarian specialist at Federal
Way High School; Kelly Ogilvie,
’01, found his niche developing a
clean energy source from biofuels.
8 Campus Observer
It’s lights, camera, action for
new film studies major; English
Professor John Bean teaches the
art of critical thinking and writing
to educators in Bangladesh;
Seattle University debaters, part
of a venerable program, are among
the best in the world.
32 Alumni Focus
Alumni Relations welcomes new
alumni; police officer-turnedlawyer
Scott Leist, ’99 JD, shifts
from life in the prosecutor’s office
to life-changing work in Kenya;
Steven Fantello, ’86, wants to boost
fan interest and participation in
men’s basketball.
33 Alumni Events
40 Bookmarks
41 In Memoriam
45 The Good Word
Students and alumni are doing
amazing work in service to others.
ON THE COVER
New men’s basketball Coach Cameron
Dollar aims to raise the profile of the
program both in the city and nationally
as the Redhawks compete in Division I.
COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS JOSEPH TAYLOR
Letters
Seattle University Magazine welcomes letters
to the editor on subjects raised within the
pages of the magazine. Letters may be edited
for length and clarity. Please include a name,
address and daytime telephone number with
all correspondence. Send to:
Letters Editor, Seattle University Magazine
Print Communications, Seattle University
901 12th Avenue, PO Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-1090
Fax: (206) 296-6137
E-mail: sumagazine@seattleu.edu
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 1

letters
No special treatment for Division I athletes
Bravo to Brian Templeton, ’66, for his letter to the editor
expressing disappointment at SU’s return to NCAA
Division I sports [“Return to Division I not a good play,”
Letters, Spring 2009]. As a student and later faculty member
who was on campus during the previous period of Division I
membership, I could not agree with him more.
A local auto dealer provided the “super-athletes” with cars
and all of their expenses were paid. Some faculty members
thought it was politically expedient to give passing grades to
these athletes, regardless of their work in the classroom. My
dear friend and mentor, the late Professor Walter Aklin of
the music department, had athletes in his History of Opera
course each quarter. One of these students would come into
his class and promptly fall asleep. One day, when that same
student strolled into class 10 minutes late, Walter stopped
him mid-sentence, smiled wryly and said, “You shouldn't
be late. You know you need your sleep!”
Dr. Joseph J. Gallucci, ’57
University Place, Wash.
SU education and values enrich life
The more time that passes since I was a student at Seattle
University, the more I am proud to be a member of the SU
community. My father was the first dean of what was the
School of Economics and Finance at Seattle University,
and all seven of my brothers and sisters graduated from
SU. The Jesuit values of peace and justice are instilled in
my soul. Now as I enter a new phase in my career, I’m
more adamant about living from a place of contribution
and making a difference from a social justice point of view.
These strong values of social justice and living congruent
with these values are embedded in my life forever.
I thank my family, my education at Seattle University and
the courageous, compassionate thread of Jesus that was
embedded in my heart.
Marian Volpe, ’78, ’00, ’02
Bellingham, Wash.
Jesuits as influencers and leaders for change
Excerpt from a comment posted online on The Good Word column,
“Alumni of Jesuit Schools Have Global Reach” [Summer 2009]
From reader Roger Desmarais:
The theme you speak to is close to my heart. I was an
Oregonian Jesuit for 20 years and started SUMORE,
which celebrated its 40th anniversary this past August at
Seattle University. I teach in the business school at Santa
Clara University, have had my own consulting firm for 37
years, and have translated the Spiritual Exercises into the
Spiritual Exercises of Leadership, which I used with my
clients—corporate American executives.
I spoke at the 14th Annual Gathering of Jesuit Business
Schools at Fordham last year. …We talk a lot at conferences
but I would love to see some working commitments and
papers that would be broadcast in the media. I went to a
worldwide conference at the Santa Clara Conference Center
at which multinational organizations believe they, not
religion or politics, will bring integration to the world. …
When I have asked Jesuit alumni who are in organizational
positions of power and influence if they would come to a
two-day retreat on their closest Jesuit campus to enliven
their spirit and refocus the Jesuit ideals and charity into
their corporations, they all said in the blink of an eye they
would. Given the ethical imbalance in the world today, they
would love an opportunity to figure out how to implement,
not just hear about, values. … When I work with executives
there is a genuine affection for Jesuits and their educational
processes. They support the idea of maximizing that
affection and appreciation by taking that value into the next
level of leadership. I am doing the work and SUMORE is an
example of the influence many people can have.
2 | Letters

(Web) Extra, Extra!
If you haven’t already checked out Seattle University Magazine online
(www.seattleu.edu/magazine/) you are missing out on stories and extras you won’t
get anywhere else. Here’s a sampling of what’s available online-only this fall:
• Learn more about Coach Cameron Dollar with additional photos and
multimedia extras.
• An extended Q&A with law alumnus Scott
Leist, ’99, who left his job with the King
County Prosecutor’s Office to bring justice
and a voice to the smallest victims of
crimes in Kenya.
• Survey Says! The results of the universitysponsored
alumni survey are in. Read a
summary of its key findings.
• Have your say and weigh in on a current
topic in our online poll.
• Check out a minute-by-minute construction
web camera of the Lemieux Library and
McGoldrick Learning Commons.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Artist-in-residence Brian Kooser
crafts colorful, strangely lifelike
puppets that dazzle audiences.
READ ABOUT HIS WORK on page 22
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 3

People
Authority Figure
With respect—and understanding—Kamrica Ary-Turner, ’08, keeps teens in line
As a disciplinarian specialist at
Federal Way High School,
south of Seattle, Kamrica
Ary-Turner juggles many
roles. She patrols the halls, bathrooms
and lunchroom to dissolve potentially
disruptive incidents, supervises
extracurricular activities and assists
with classroom management. In
essence, Ary-Turner, ’08, is big sister,
counselor, role model and enforcer all
in one.
Tackling a range of duties is nothing
new for Ary-Turner, who was a standout
at Seattle University for her skills
on the basketball court. A forward on
the basketball team, the 5-foot-10-
inch Ary-Turner, who graduated with
a degree in strategic communications,
combined a hard-nosed prowess for
rebounding with a deft shooting touch.
At one point, she even had an eye on
going professional, but two surgeries
slowed her down.
While her dreams of playing pro ball
didn’t go as planned, she considers her
work on the basketball court among her
best life experiences. Mixing academics
and sports taught her valuable life
lessons: the value of being a team player,
the importance of communication and
how to understand and get through
life’s challenges.
The germination of her path toward
becoming a disciplinarian specialist
can be traced to the SU athletics
department. “I envisioned myself
being surrounded by basketball and
athletics, so during the summer of
my junior year I did my internship in
athletics,” Ary-Turner recalls. “At
the time I was thinking of entering
“Hopefully, they see a young person who’s
gotten through what they’re going
through. I am always trying to respect
and hear them out in order to
receive their trust.”
Kamrica Ary-Turner, ’08
the sports management program. But
after my internship it became very
clear that I wanted to work with kids
and coach.”
The position at Federal Way High
not only allows her to work with
young people, but to put some of the
principles she learned while in college
to use, such as conflict resolution and
problem solving.
“I’m able to walk into very difficult
situations with confidence, knowing if
you display respect for others
you’ll receive respect most of
the time,” Ary-Turner says.
“Hopefully, they see a young
person who’s gotten through
what they’re going through.
I am always trying to respect
and hear them out in order to
receive their trust.”
Principal Lisa Griebel
says she feels “blessed” to
have Ary-Turner as part of
the school’s administrative
team. “Kamrica is an asset to
Federal Way High School,”
she says. “She never gets
flustered in any situation and
takes the time to understand
all perspectives.”
Ary-Turner describes her
discipline style as tough but
fair, and she enforces the same
rules for all students. She
teaches her charges to respect
teachers and staff so they will
in turn garner respect.
Her biggest challenge: Being
consistent with students who have not
had much consistency at home and
showing concern without compromising
her authority.
“There’s a fine line between
student expectation and you trying to
show that you truly care about their
welfare. Gaining their trust is very
difficult,” Ary-Turner says. “I’ve
tried to be consistent with students
and assure them that regardless of
their past, they are capable of success
in the future.”
4 | People

PHOTO BY MEL CURTIS
As a disciplinarian specialist at Federal Way High School Kamrica Ary-Turner, ’08, is big sister, role model, rule enforcer and counselor all in one.
A native of Alaska, Ary-Turner
moved to the Seattle area when she was
12 and attended Decatur High School
in Federal Way. As a “product of the
community,” she knows a number of
her students from church and went
to school with some of their siblings.
The younger students often recognize
her from her days on the basketball
court—she was a first-team all-league
selection all three years in high school
and led her team to the playoffs each
season.
Determined to stay connected
with her community, Ary-Turner
attends sporting events, concerts and
graduation festivities even while offduty.
This school year she will serve
as an assistant for the girls’ volleyball
and basketball teams. By making a
point to support her students, she’s
been able to witness some significant
transformations.
“The favorite aspect of my job is
seeing the students grow and mature,”
Ary-Turner says. “When they show
you that they’re capable of turning
frustration into understanding, it can
be the most amazing thing to watch.”
—Chelan David
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 5

People
Positive Energy
Matteo Ricci grad taps into biofuel market for clean energy source
Standing before two large tanks, Kelly Ogilvie,
’01, is waxing eloquent about aerobic
and anaerobic respiration and fractional
distillation. If he sounds like a scientist,
there’s a good reason: In his early years, Ogilvie
aspired to become a quantum physicist. Though he
later chose another path, his interest in the natural
world never waned. Today, Ogilvie is president of
the Seattle-based company Blue Marble Energy,
and the reactions taking place in those tanks herald
a new source of energy that is clean and, just as
importantly, commercially viable.
Blue Marble Energy (BME), which Ogilvie founded
in 2007, is redefining how resources are extracted
from biomass. As Ogilvie acknowledges, many other
organizations have succeeded in developing the
technology to produce biofuel from organic materials
such as algae. But many companies struggle to eke
out a profit from this low-margin product. Blue
Marble Energy is taking another approach.
Ogilvie explains that algae and other biomass are
a good source of biochemicals. Generating a higher
profit margin than biofuel, these biochemicals can
replace petroleum-based chemicals in products such
as foods, plastics and fragrances.
But what about the energy? “Well, here’s the
beauty of it,” says Ogilvie. The reactions taking
place in BME’s patented AGATE platform, he
explains, release a by-product that can be used as
fuel. The high-margin approach is in fact a clever
adaptation of what oil companies have been doing
for years. Revenue from petroleum-based materials
that are used in consumer products allows oil
companies to produce fuel at a comparatively
lower profit, and thus weather wild fluctuations
in oil prices.
Even before BME brings clean energy to the
market, Ogilvie’s company is doing its part to
protect the environment. Four thousand pounds of
aggressive, pollution-fed algae choking Puget Sound
waterways were destined for the landfill until Blue
Marble Energy approached the state of Washington
with another solution. The company removed the
algae without harming a single fish or any other
species in the process. The harvested algae will keep
Blue Marble’s reaction tanks busy for some time, but
that’s not stopping the company from diversifying its
inputs portfolio to include other organic materials
such as yard, food and agricultural waste.
As a student, Ogilvie never imagined he’d be
working in the clean-technology field. While attending
Matteo Ricci College he became involved in politics,
working as an intern for Washington’s then-Governor
Gary Locke. In 2001 he volunteered with Greg Nickels’
campaign for mayor of Seattle. After Nickels’ election,
Ogilvie joined the mayor’s staff. Later he entered
the business world, going to work for Vulcan, an
organization founded by Paul Allen.
It was at Vulcan, Ogilvie says, that his interest in
clean technologies really took hold. He recalls getting
into a debate with a colleague over renewable energy.
Ogilvie felt compelled to do more than just talk about
it. “I decided I had to put my money where my mouth
was,” he says. “I risked everything to do this.” Blue
Marble Energy was founded as the union of Ogilvie’s
passions for science, politics and business.
“A hallmark of the Humanities program at Seattle
University is that it teaches you to be a critical
thinker. You don’t see points of light; you see
constellations and how systems come together.”
Ogilvie praises his professors and mentors at
Matteo Ricci College, including former Dean Arthur
Fisher. Another great influence, Ogilvie says, was
Jodi Kelly, who currently serves as the college’s
interim dean.
“Kelly had an urgency about him. There never
was a doubt in my mind that he would be successful
in life,” Kelly says. “He is one of those people who
brings hope with him as he walks into your world.”
One SU class in particular continues to inspire
Ogilvie. The professor was Robert Spitzer, S.J.,
whose challenge to his students, Ogilvie says, was
“If not you, then who? If not now, then when?”
Ogilvie took those words to heart. “The Jesuits
got to me,” he says. “They got me to commit to
changing the world.”
—Mike Thee
6 | People
PHOTO BY RAJAH BOSE

“The Jesuits got to me.
They got me to commit
to changing the world.”
Kelly Ogilvie, ’01
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 7

Campus
O B S E R V E R
academics
Film School
It’s lights, camera, action for budding filmmakers
and cinema buffs as SU launches new film studies program
This fall, the next Scorsese
or Coppola may cut their
filmmaking teeth in a Seattle
University classroom.
Movie buffs, aspiring cinematographers,
directors and screenwriters
can now learn the ins and outs
of all things film through a new film
studies program.
film-related classes for years, this will
be the first comprehensive program
of its kind not only for the university
but also in the region. Plans for film
studies have been in the works for
some time, but it was about three years
ago, while Weihe was on a sabbatical
that he discovered that many other
Jesuit schools offer some variation
here is the vibrant filmmaking community,”
says Weihe, who will teach
several courses, including screenwriting
and a section on films of the late
’60s and ’70s. “I want to celebrate it.”
The study of film history and movies
that define cinematic high points is a
central component of the program. It
will also examine the increasing role
“The biggest resource we have here is the vibrant
filmmaking community. I want to celebrate it.”
Edwin Weihe, associate professor and director of film studies
Offered as a major or minor
through the College of Arts and
Sciences—and housed in the English
department—the program enables
students to explore nearly all aspects
of film, from its genesis to genres and
everything in between.
“The film studies program is
really a program about visual literacy
at its most fundamental level and
how to understand images and
what they say,” says Edwin Weihe,
associate professor and director of
film studies.
While SU has offered individual
of the program. Considering Seattle
U’s location, in the heart of a city
with a strong film community—many
notable actors, screenwriters and
directors call Seattle home—it was
time the university had its own such
offering, Weihe says.
Drawing from an abundance of
local resources, one goal is to have
guest lectures from those in the
industry as well as involvement,
and possibly sponsorships, with
festivals such as the popular Seattle
International Film Festival.
“The biggest resource we have
of digital filmmaking and animation in
motion pictures.
Students will also be exposed
to films, genres and directors they
are unfamiliar with. This will be
accomplished through a rotating
selection of courses that focus on
genres such as Westerns, horror,
musicals and science fiction, and
movies that exemplify visual storytelling
at its best. There will also be
a course on important directors. This
fall Associate Professor Bill Taylor
will teach this course, which will look
at select works of Woody Allen.
8 | Campus Observer

A strong advocate of film studies,
Taylor has taught film-related classes
at SU for the past 30 years, including
film history and the art of film. For the
latter, a film is approached and studied
from the perspectives of a screenwriter,
director, cinematographer and an
editor. Through movie clips, lectures
and classroom discussions, students
get a better comprehension of
storytelling and narration as well as
an education in the technical side of
filmmaking, such as how lighting and
camera angles are used to achieve a
certain mood or to elevate a scene.
In both his history and art of film
classes Taylor pulls from seminal
movie classics (Chinatown, On the
Waterfront, Federico Fellini’s 8½) to
more contemporary fare, as will be
evident with his focus on director
Allen’s films. With more than 40
films to Allen’s credit, Taylor has the
enviable task of plucking a handful
of films that best reflect the director’s
work. Likely to make the cut: Annie
Hall and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Sean McDowell, associate professor
of English, will also lead classes in the
film studies program. He’ll tackle the
ever-popular science fiction genre.
“The purpose of the sci-fi film
course is to introduce students to the
genre and get them to look at these
films as artistic productions,” he says
of such sci-fi classics as The Day the
Earth Stood Still, Star Wars, 2001:
A Space Odyssey, Forbidden Planet
and the original War of the Worlds.
Students examine the rhetoric and
ideas presented in these films and then
look at their artistic merits.
One challenge McDowell and
other film studies professors
face is how to best present a genre
while limited by the length of the
course and the volume of material to
choose from. In most cases they will
screen a sampling of must-see movies,
while recommending other films of the
same director or genre for students to
watch outside of class.
“This is going to be a landmark
achievement for the university. It’s
literally the first bachelor’s in film
studies in the entire region,”
McDowell says.
Associate Professor Jim
Forsher, a prolific documentary
filmmaker whose work
has aired on the Discovery
Channel, PBS and A&E, has
been making movies that tackle
social issues for some 30 years. A
film studies program at SU was long
overdue, he says.
“Film is such a critical part of
American culture,” he says. “A program
that can examine it and look at it is
something I think will be popular.”
Because of the overarching nature
of the program, Weihe believes it will
speak to a broad range of students—
from those who want to make films or
work some aspect of the industry to
others who see it as a way to complement
their professional lives. “Anyone who
becomes visually literate through film
will be able to go out into a large world
where visual imagery plays a part,” says
Weihe. This includes law students who
want to work as entertainment lawyers,
architects who may one day build sets
or graphic designers who decide to
venture into the world of animation.
“All of those things are complementary
or fed by a major in film studies.”
Adds Taylor, “You don’t have to be
an actor or on the screen to be interested.
There are enormous opportunities in
an increasingly visual world. If you
want to make movies or be involved in
films, this major is for you.”
—Tina Potterf
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 9

Campus
O B S E R V E R
lessons abroad
Critical Thinkers
Professor and his wife team up to improve
problem-solving techniques for Bangladeshi educators
It began as an English grammar
lesson with a critical thinking
twist posed to a classroom of
college professors and Englishlanguage
instructors in Bangladesh:
The questions at hand: “What could
you, would you and should you do if
your car hits a rickshaw and injures
the rickshaw wallah?”
For rickshaw drivers and commuters
in the clogged streets of
Bangladesh, this query is indicative
of a situation they may very well face.
The simplicity of the question belies
the complex ethical issues it raises in
a country without an infrastructure
of liability insurance, quick police
investigation of accidents and lawyers
representing all parties. On one hand,
if the driver who hits the rickshaw
stops the car, they might be attacked
by angry mobs on the streets; but
leaving the scene without checking on
the welfare of the rickshaw operator
is ethically wrong.
This past September, Seattle
University English Professor John
Bean and his wife, Kit, an ESL and
composition instructor at South
Seattle Community College, led a
series of two-day workshops in
Bangladesh to teach local educators
strategies for integrating critical
thinking into an educational
system that focuses primarily on
memorization.
The couple, who spent three
weeks in Bangladesh, were invited
to host these educational workshops
by the U.S. State Department, which
financed a portion of of their work as
part of its English Language Specialist
program for developing countries,
and the Centre for Languages at BRAC
(Bangladesh Rural Advancement
Committee) University in Dhaka.
University faculty had read John’s
book, Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s
Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical
Thinking and Active Learning in
the Classroom, and were looking to
incorporate critical thinking into the
Bangladeshi educational system. The
Beans welcomed the opportunity
to work with BRAC, one of the
world’s largest non-governmental
organizations. BRAC helps people
living in poverty become selfsustainable
through microlending
programs, health care and education.
The workshops were tailored
to meet the needs and educational
interests of distinct groups of
participants that included college
professors, university-level Englishlanguage
instructors and educational
trainers working with Englishlanguage
instructors, including those
in rural elementary and high schools
and Islamic Madrassa schools.
“The goal was to teach about
problem posing and problem solving
by writing proposals,” John says,
“... It is hard to describe the complex,
transformative, almost overwhelming
effect of these 16 days in Dhaka
on our emotional, intellectual
and spiritual lives.”
John Bean, SU English professor
10 | Campus Observer

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN BEAN
English Professor John Bean and his wife, Kit, who teaches at South Seattle Community College, spent three weeks in Bangladesh where they taught educational
workshops on critical thinking and writing and problem solving. The students were college professors, English-language instructors and educational trainers.
“and to teach critical thinking through
arguments.”
With participants working in
small groups, John and Kit put
forth various scenarios—such as the
rickshaw accident—and urged the
class to openly debate the problem
and come up with the best approaches
to solve it.
“We tried to work with problems
that they would face in their local
culture,” John says.
Their work fits with Seattle University’s
commitment to social justice,
John says, as it “was sharing in a community
of teachers committed to education
for justice and empowerment.”
While the experience was highly
meaningful for the couple, for
Bangladeshi educators their efforts
inspired a series of new lesson
plans that build in critical thinking
and writing components. BRAC
University may also implement
their teaching and tools into other
programs they work with.
“For Kit and me, it is hard to
describe the complex, transformative,
almost overwhelming effect of these
16 days in Dhaka on our emotional,
intellectual and spiritual lives,” John
says. “We felt community there,
solidarity, a way of being in the world
very different from life in America.”
In June the couple joined a colleague
from Bangladesh to present a paper
on their initiatives in Bangladesh at
the European Association of Teachers
of Academic Writing conference in
England. The Beans are considering
invitations to offer these workshops
to educators in other regions and
countries, including the possibility of
going to Vietnam or South Korea.
But they will not soon forget the
people and experiences of Bangladesh.
Says John, “We fell in love with
Bangladesh and returned to our own
country with new eyes.”
—Tina Potterf
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 11

Campus
O B S E R V E R
academics
Topic of Debate
Seattle U’s team of debaters among the best in the world
No matter the topic—politics,
foreign affairs, policy
reform—or the formidability
of the competition,
Seattle University’s debate team always
brings its A-game. Case in point:
Earlier this year, a team representing
SU placed in the top five among the
best debaters from the United States
and abroad competing at a national
tournament. And at the World Universities
Debating Championship,
in Cork, Ireland, SU’s debaters took
seventh place in an international field
of some 300 competitors. (SU was
the top team from North America,
besting Harvard and Oxford.)
The debate program is venerable,
dating back to the early 1900s. While
it may not have the high profile of
other SU programs and activities,
or garner the turnout of athletic
events, those involved with debate
are passionate about it. Such is the
case with Sophia Sanders, a junior
who has been involved with SU
debate since her freshman year. She
credits her experience in debate while
in high school with her decision to
attend college.
“I really just fell in love with
it and found it helps me with my
academic work and challenges me
to think about current events,” says
Sanders, who is pursuing a Bachelor
of Arts in Humanities for Teaching
at Matteo Ricci College. “I love
being able to challenge myself;
[debate is] one of the few activities
that does this.”
The debate team, which operates
through the Communication department,
typically consists of 12 to 15
students who participate at regional
tournaments and, depending on
their success at that level, advance
to the national and international
stages of competition. SU’s team
“Across the board, debate allows you
to use all areas of expertise. The amount
of information in the debate room
is like taking another class.”
Sophia Sanders, junior
uses the British Parliamentary style,
a common form of academic debate.
Debate coach Ross Merritt describes
it as a style in which the teams are
given limited prep time as they learn
of their topics 15 minutes prior to the
start of the first round. In this format,
judges focus on the substance of the
speech, such as how it addresses the
core controversy; its breadth and
depth; and the manner in which the
argument is delivered.
“At SU, we compete in a style of
debate that emphasizes building wellrounded
speakers capable of engaging
any public audience,” says Merritt.
To prepare for a debate, which
typically covers a wide range of topics,
students meet twice a week to run
through tournament practice and
complete rounds, and then critique
and break down the components
of the arguments. Students also
submit writing assignments each
week that are shared with teammates
so everyone is up to speed on the
news headlines. But the preparation
doesn’t stop there. College debaters
often turn to publications such as The
Economist, Sanders says, and read
various newspapers and online news
sites including BBC.com for current
events.
Sanders’ strength as a debater is in
international subjects, she says.
“Across the board, debate allows
you to use all areas of expertise,”
Sanders says. “The amount of information
in the debate room is like
taking another class.”
Recent graduate James Kilcup, ’09,
was involved in debate all four years
at Seattle University. Like Sanders,
Kilcup began debating in high
school as a way to explore ideas and
viewpoints outside of the confines
12 | Campus Observer

of a syllabus and to explore topics he
might not otherwise engage with.
“I have always been a curious
person and someone who likes ideas
and hearing different sides to an issue,”
says Kilcup. “At Seattle University
I enjoyed the exchange of ideas
and getting to meet people who are
curious and like to talk about different
subjects.”
While preparation and a strong
knowledge base are important to a
convincing and successful debate, it’s
tough to predict which topics will
come up. But Kilcup offers a few tips
to tackle a debate —with erudition
rather than trepidation—and come out
winning: be open-minded and show
confidence. In other words, never let
’em see you sweat. And be ready to
challenge your own viewpoints.
Chances are, “you will be assigned
to a side, when in a debate, that you
may disagree with. You have to prepare
yourself for taking on a mentality that
is different from your own,” Kilcup
says. “You need to be prepared to
completely set aside your personal
views. What you thought you knew
before may not be helpful to you.
Debate forces you to think.”
Debate has presented a world of
opportunities for Kilcup and, perhaps
most importantly, he says, enhanced
his education.
“Debate has taken the mission
statement and contributed to it and
complemented the rest of my education.
…Debate has put me in positions where
I have talked to people from all different
parts of the world,” says Kilcup, who
will take a year off before attending
graduate school. “We have won some
awards, but the most important thing is
that my education has been profoundly
enriched by the experiences I had, the
people I have met and the places I have
been exposed to.”
—Tina Potterf
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIA SANDERS
Meet the debaters—members of the award-winning Seattle University Debate team (top row, l-r): Sophia Sanders,
Michael Flores and Jessica Bernard (front row, l-r): Ben Watts, Mathew Lane, Alex Steinkruger and Chase Parker.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 13

Top
Dollar
Passion for the game,
life experiences and family
drive Cameron Dollar
Story by Dan Raley
Photos by Chris Joseph Taylor
Sports writer Dan Raley, who spent more than
29 years covering the sports scene for the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, prof iles Seattle U’s
new head coach of men’s basketball,
Cameron Dollar, and gleans insight into
the man tasked with cultivating a team
for success at the highest level
of college play—Division I.
14 | Top Dollar

SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 15

Seattle U basketball and its winning
coach seem made for each other.
Cameron Dollar couldn’t be more ready.
Cell phone pressed to his ear, Cameron
Dollar crosses the intersection of 14th
Avenue and East Cherry Street and enters
the Connolly Center in full stride, chatting
so loudly his high-pitched voice, mixed with a hint
of a Southern accent, can be heard a half-block away.
This is someone expected to take his considerable
charm and vitality and use it to elevate Seattle
University’s men’s basketball program to national
prominence.
This is a 33-year-old man, born in Atlanta,
educated in Los Angeles and anchored to Seattle,
whose résúme doesn’t begin to tell his story. His
life-changing milestones remind one of the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse: In order, the former
University of Washington assistant coach and now
head coach of SU’s men’s basketball has persevered
in the face of adversity. He's overcome obstacles to
become a success story.
“This job is a challenge for him and he realizes
that,” says Huskies men’s basketball Coach Lorenzo
Romar, Dollar’s employer for the past decade at
two schools. “His whole life has been a challenge.
Nothing has come easy for him.”
Dollar’s life has fluctuated wildly between highs
and lows. As a student-athlete, he helped his team
to a national championship at UCLA, proving to
be the difference between a title-game victory and
defeat. And he accepted the challenge to take a
Seattle University program from the ground level
and make it highly competitive in Division I again.
“I don’t do this for fame or fortune; I do it for the
kids and to be as competitive as I can be,” Dollar
says. “Is it a hard road here? Is it a long road? It can
be. Those are the realities.”
No event in his life has been more cold and cruel
for him than the death of his mother in 1980. He
was four years old when Faye Dollar left the family’s
southwest Atlanta home to buy some milk and
never returned. A few days later, she was discovered
downtown in the trunk of a car, murdered. The
crime has never been solved.
From that day on, Cameron and his older brother,
Chad, became full-fledged coach’s sons. They were
raised solely by their father, Donald, one of Atlanta’s
most prominent high school basketball coaches and
more recently, an assistant coach at the University
of West Georgia. They were put on the fast track to
become coaches themselves, with Chad Dollar now
an Arkansas State assistant.
“I was really hard and tough on them; I didn’t
want them missing school or making any excuses
because their mother was gone,” explains Donald
Dollar, 69, who will be coaching alongside his son at
SU as an assistant. “Cameron never asked about it. I
don’t know if he was cognizant of it or didn’t want to
be, but he didn’t let on.”
Cameron was almost too young to comprehend
the loss of his mother. Plus, he says, his father did
his best to fill the role of two parents and minimize
the void.
“I remember the funeral and that’s maybe the
only image I have of that,” he says. “My dad did a
great job of roping us in. Because of how my dad was
I didn’t feel I was missing something.”
Family is important to Dollar. It’s
not unusual for him to greet his
wife, Maureen, and three young
children, Jalen, Jason and Giselle
in his corner office and sneak
away with them for a short break
at a nearby park. Dollar wants
to create a family atmosphere at
SU, similar to what Dean Smith
16 | Top Dollar

As head coach, Cameron Dollar will bring a style to the game that will undoubtedly
draw on his life experiences as a coach, father, mentor and leader.
instilled at North Carolina, where former players
feel compelled to hang onto the program. The hiring
of his father, known as “Pops,” to coach with him,
helps toward this goal. Father-son coaching teams,
in which the younger man is the boss, are rare for
Division I teams. Auburn Coach Jeff Lebo has his
dad, Dave, on his staff. New Mexico Coach Steve
Alford employed his father, Sam, at his previous
stop, Iowa.
At Seattle U, Donald Dollar will do everything
required of most college assistants: recruiting,
scouting and mentoring, if not provide more
hands-on coaching than most assistants.
“To put it simple, he’s good,” Cameron says of his
father. “He’s an established veteran in his field. He’s
done it for 46 years. There aren’t going to be a whole of
experiences he hasn’t been through. You want to have
people who understand how to get it done.”
“He doesn’t have to worry about dad taking
over,” Donald says. “He’s going to be the guy. He’s
strong-willed. We kind of see eye-to-eye on things.”
This is something Cameron knows well, as his
father was his coach while a sophomore at Frederick
Douglass High School in Atlanta. Cameron was
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 17

Family is especially important to Cameron Dollar, who is devoted to his young children and wife Maureen, seen here at a press conference to announce
Dollar’s hiring as the new coach. A familiar face joins Cameron at SU with the hiring of his dad, Donald Dollar (above, right) as an assistant coach.
“He’s really
trying to move
our program up...
He’s just ready
to get after it. He
doesn’t want to
waste any time.”
Check out a behind-the-scenes
look at the cover photo shoot
and more at
www.seattleu.edu/magazine/.
Chris Gweth, ’10
the starting point guard, playing on a team that
advanced to the Georgia state championship game
before losing. Yet once the year was over, Donald left
coaching briefly to become a school administrator
and Cameron was sent off to a pair of Maryland
prep schools to enhance his college recruiting
opportunities. The youngest Dollar lived in the
home of his prep school coach and attended Sunday
services at a Baptist church, something he hadn’t
done since his mother died. Define your life, the
man behind the pulpit urged one day, and a teenaged
Cameron Dollar sat up straighter and listened closer.
Find out who you are through Christ, the minister
implored, and Dollar let the words tug at his soul.
Make a public commitment, right here, right now,
the preacher challenged, and Dollar got out of his
seat and walked to the front of the church.
“I became a Christian,” Dollar says. “That
has been the biggest reason for my development,
without a doubt.”
His basketball world also evolved in a healthy
manner. Dollar was set to accept a scholarship
offer from Temple when UCLA spotted him on
the court at St. John’s at Prospect Hall prep school,
grabbing teammates’ jerseys, playing harder than
everyone else and taking charge on the floor. Dollar
was even more impressive on his recruiting trip to
Los Angeles. He wore a coat and tie and asked a lot
of questions. He requested to occasionally sit in on
18 | Top Dollar

A future hoops star? Dollar assists his son Jalen’s drive to the net.
coaches’ meetings because he wanted to follow that
career path. And he sought a private meeting with
UCLA’s Athletic Director Pete Dalis. “That was
unbelievable for a high school kid,” says the UW’s
Romar, who at the time was a UCLA assistant.
“The athletic director later said, ‘I like this kid. I’ve
never seen him play and I don’t know how good he
is, but I hope we get him.’”
“I just wanted to meet the owner of the shop,
sit down and look him in the eye and if I could do
that I could get a pretty good handle on things,”
Dollar says.
Dollar’s time on the UCLA team worked out well.
In 1995, the Bruins won the NCAA championship
by beating Arkansas 89-78 at Seattle’s Kingdome.
While Dollar considered a move to the NBA, a
logical next step, a phone call changed everything.
Months earlier, Dollar had watched on TV as Pat
Douglass coached Cal State-Bakersfield to a third
NCAA Division II national championship. UCLA
teammate J.R. Henderson remarked that he could
play for that coach. Now Douglass was on the line,
asking Dollar to join his coaching staff at a new job
at UC-Irvine. “When I hung up the phone, I was
done as a player,” says Dollar.
Dollar stayed one season at UC-Irvine. With
Douglass’ help, he became head coach at a nearby
NAIA school, Southern California College, now
Vanguard University. At 22, Dollar was the nation’s
youngest college head and younger than some of its
players. Before long there was another call, another
opportunity. Jim Harrick, his UCLA coach, asked
Dollar to join him as a third assistant at his new
job, Georgia. Dollar saw a chance to go home and
advance his career.
“It was the first time I made a bad move,” Dollar
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 19

Cameron Dollar spent his formative years as a coach working side by side with Lorenzo Romar (left), coach of the University of Washington’s men’s basketball team.
On the court, Dollar’s team will be freewheeling offensively and play man-to-man defense almost exclusively.
“I wanted to take a
job where I could stay
forever,” Dollar says.
At Seattle U, he sees
that now as a real
possibility.
GET IN THE GAME
Comment on this story at www.seattleu.edu/
magazine/ and you’ll be entered into
a random drawing to win a pair of
courtside tickets to the season opener on
Nov. 19 at KeyArena at Seattle Center.
Comments must be submitted by Oct. 15.
Ticket information: (206) 296-2835.
says of his decision to leave Vanguard. “Nothing
against Georgia, but I missed Vanguard. I missed
teaching.”
Dollar didn’t last through the summer at Georgia.
Romar called and persuaded him to come to St.
Louis. Three years later, they moved to Washington
and the UW together, marking the start of seven
solid years as assistant coach to Romar’s Huskies.
When SU went looking for a head coach after
Joe Callero left for a job at Cal Poly, Dollar quickly
became the top candidate. Romar called on his
behalf. Others vouched for him. Impressed, SU’s
Athletic Director Bill Hogan had an informal interview
with Dollar while the two were at the Final
Four in Detroit. A formal offer soon followed.
“He had a real good idea of where he was going
and how he was going to get there,” Hogan says.
“Cameron had a real sense that he could carry
on what we already started here with Joe. He was
just very prepared. He comes across like he’s been
around forever.”
As a coach, Dollar admittedly can be feistier
than most. Former UW players will never forget
a memorable post-game tirade in which Dollar
screamed his displeasure and threw things off a
locker-room wall after the Huskies blew a big lead
and lost to his old team, UCLA. Before long, he
walked away to cool off. But he’s also someone
20 | Top Dollar

Coach Cameron Dollar has his team pumped up for the season ahead, with the first home game Nov. 19 against Fresno State at KeyArena at Seattle Center.
who can supply a calming presence. He was at the
forefront in offering encouragement and scholastic
advice to Huskies guards Isaiah Thomas and Venoy
Overton in helping them become academically
eligible for the college level.
“He made you think you could do things you
didn’t think you could do,” Thomas says.
While still getting acquainted with their new
coach, Redhawks players say Dollar seems like a
man ready to make inroads and is someone who
has shared basketball nuances with them that have
resulted in new discoveries.
“I’ve already seen progress in my game, along
with my teammates,” says Seattle University guard
Michael Boxley, ’10. “I’m excited. He’s taught me a
lot of new stuff, new moves, things I hadn’t thought
about before. I just feel like it’s a blessing to have
him as coach for my senior year.”
Adds senior guard Chris Gweth, ’10, “He’s really
trying to move our program up, getting us more
gear and more big-time games. He’s just ready to get
after it. He doesn’t want to waste any time.”
On the court, Dollar’s team will be freewheeling
offensively and play man-to-man defense almost
exclusively. He intends to stock the roster with local
talent, yet he’s already received calls from players
eager to transfer from some of the nation’s highestprofile
programs.
Dollar’s arrival at SU is a strong indicator of a
program on the rise. And it coincides with the team’s
move to KeyArena at Seattle Center, one of the bestknown
basketball facilities in the Northwest. While
the complete season will be announded later this
fall the Redhawks will open against Fresno State on
Nov. 19 at KeyArena.
Mens’s basketball and its coach seem made for
each other. Each has waited patiently to move up.
And Dollar, full of personality, spirituality, energy
and all kinds of life experiences, couldn’t be more
ready.
“I started praying last year that I didn’t want to
leave Seattle,” Dollar says. “I wanted to take a job
where I could stay forever.”
At Seattle U, he sees that now as a real possibility.
SU
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 21

22 | Puppet Master

Puppet
Master
Brian Kooser
shares
the
artistry
behind
bunraku
puppetry
Story by Alison Peacock
Photos by Chris Joseph Taylor
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 23

the subjects of the final projects conceived
by students in Brian Kooser’s puppetry
class might be the most unusual on
campus. A Spanish nun, a rapper who is
unexpectedly “expecting,” a brain-seeking
zombie and a cursed fortune-teller are
just a few of the characters each student dreamed up
and carefully crafted from paper, foam, cloth and
found objects. “I was really pleased with how the
puppets turned out,” says Kooser, a fine arts adjunct
professor and artist-in-residence at Seattle University
of his students’ creations.
These aren’t just any puppets. Strangely lifelike,
they are done in the Japanese bunraku style and stand
two and a half to four feet tall with bendable limbs
and painted-on expressions. Closer to marionettes,
bunraku puppets are distinguished by the rods
attached to their heads, arms and feet. Each puppet
requires three operators, who work in full view of the
audience, usually cloaked in black.
Puppet maker and designer Kooser studied bunraku
puppetry for 10 years as a journeyman for Thistle
Theatre. As a founding member of Monkey Wrench
Puppet Lab, he now caters largely to adult audiences,
who often have a more evolved and loose sense of
humor. His recent shows, Frankenocchio (2004),
Dracula: A Case Study (2007) and UFO the Puppet
Show (2008) have tackled adult themes to critical
acclaim. The first of these shows caught the eye
of Carol Wolfe Clay, former chair of SU’s Fine Arts
Closer to marionettes,
bunraku puppets are
distinguished by the rods
attached to their heads,
arms and feet. Each
puppet requires three
operators, who work in
full view of the audience,
usually cloaked
in black.
department, which led to Kooser’s current role as
artist-in-residence through the summer of 2010.
Long before he entered the puppetry profession,
Kooser made giant wearable puppets as a hobby.
His works have loomed large and tall both on stage
and outdoors at Seattle’s Fremont Summer Solstice
parades.
In Kooser’s class, imagination is the only limit to
what his students can make. Designing the puppets
is just the start of the process: the stories behind
these colorful creations are equally important.
24 | Puppet Master

Artist-in-residence Brian Kooser, peeking out from one of his many handmade creations,
and his students make strangely lifelike puppets that are as eclectic as they are intricate.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 25

26 | Puppet Master

“These are iconic characters that can
act in ways that people can’t.”
Brian Kooser
“I built the story as I built the puppet,” says
Katie Avery, a senior in creative writing. “She
changed a lot. She was a David Bowie[–inspired]
devil character, and she became a French gypsy
witch.” In her storyline, Avery’s puppet, named
Marie the Magnificent, trapped her husband
inside a crystal ball and now she can’t tell
fortunes without his help.
Theology major Kipp Gallagher wants to incorporate
puppetry into teaching high school religion.
“I think it would be fun to use puppets for education,”
he says, “taking scripture and acting it out.”
At the close of winter quarter, Kooser’s class
surrendered their creations to the eager hands
of students in a movement class taught by
Fine Arts Adjunct Professor Christian Swenson.
This allowed the puppet designers to see how
their stories would play live, while giving the
movement students a different perspective on
motion.
Kooser shared the basic rules of bunraku
puppetry with Swenson’s class: As the person
operating the head moves up, the person
controlling the feet must move down. “This
is called tension; it allows for movement,”
he says. Deep in concentration, the students
lurched a “zombie” puppet toward its prey
with appropriate sound effects, dragging its
feet convincingly until all six piled up at the
edge of a table. “When you get in a tangle like
that, drop your body and let your arms fall so
the other puppets can catch up,” Kooser said,
coaching the students. “If it feels awkward, you
are doing it right.”
Quietly, in the back of the classroom, some
of Kooser’s students practiced with their own
puppets. Drama major Katie Carrasco rehearsed
her three-puppet soap opera in Spanish. Next
to her, visual arts major Peter Ruger struggled
with his giant “muppet” crafted out of blue
cloth—think Cookie Monster with a shock of
blond hair. “Moving puppets is hard,” he says.
“It looks easy, but it kills your arm.”
Collaboration, as the students in the movement
class learned that day, is paramount to
success on stage. “Puppetry incorporates a lot
of aspects of teamwork and problem solving,”
says Lucas Boyle, a senior in digital graphic
design who is interested in athletics, repetition,
rehearsing and movement.
Well-designed dolls and creative storylines
are nothing without performance. Drama major
Damian Peterson sees how puppets can convey
emotions beyond the scope of acting. “Puppets
are so much simpler,” he says, “so movements
have to be better to convey the same emotion.”
Kooser agrees: “These are iconic characters
that can act in ways that people can’t. We can
laugh at actions that, if we were watching
people, would be horrid.”
SU
Kooser’s latest show, Bloody Henry, which chronicles the life of
Henry VIII through puppetry, makes its debut at the Lee Center for
the Arts on Sept. 24. For tickets and more information on the show,
which runs through Oct. 24, call (206) 296-5360.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 27

Costco Scholarship Fund
Story by Julie Monahan
Portrait by Doug Ogle
Financing a Dream
Costco Scholarship Fund celebrates
a decade of support for students in need
Since it began 10 years ago this year, the
Costco Scholarship Fund has provided
invaluable financial assistance to hundreds
of underrepresented minority students. For
many of the scholarship recipients, it’s made all the
difference in actualizing their college aspirations.
Each year Seattle University and the University of
Washington alternate hosting duties for the annual
Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast, the year’s
biggest fundraising effort to raise scholarship dollars
for students at both universities. Since it began, 579
students from Seattle U—including current students
and alumni—have received scholarships.
Started by Costco’s co-founders, President and
CEO Jim Sinegal and Chairman Jeff Brotman,
the fund awarded $250,000 in scholarships in the
2000–2001 academic year. In 2008 the fund raised
more than $3 million, bringing its decade-long total
to more than $15 million, mostly donated by Costco
employees and suppliers at the annual breakfast.
“Costco scholars have changed the face of
enrollment,” says Jim White, associate provost
at Seattle University. “In 10 years, the number of
underrepresented minority students has increased.
Retention rates have increased as well.”
This student retention and graduation rate is an
important and valuable outcome of the scholarship
program, notes Bob Craves of the College Success
Foundation. “It’s great to be able to provide access
to college with the Costco Scholarship Fund but
an even greater measure of success is seeing such
deserving scholars stay in school and graduate,”
Craves says.
According to White, the percentage of African
Americans graduating from SU in six years rose
from 56 percent in the 1992–93 academic year to
87 percent in 2002–03. For Hispanic and Latino
students, the rate increased from 53 percent in
1992–93 to 74 percent in 2002–03. “That’s a pretty
significant accomplishment,” White says.
“Being chosen made me feel
like they really cared
about the financial burdens
of students.”
Chris Holder, ’03
one of the first Costco Scholars
Qualifying students on average receive about
$6,300 in annual scholarship support, but the
program goes beyond dollars. The Costco Scholars
breakfast provides an opportunity for students to
network and demonstrate the skills and intelligence
that make them so deserving of support. Just having
a program such as the Costco Scholars also says
something about Costco as a company and the
university itself, White says. “We’re reaching out
and telling these students that we believe in them
and that they can be successful,” he says. “That’s a
28 | Financing a Dream

Chris Holder, ’03
Analisa Castañeda, ’05
Costco Scholars alumni Chris Holder, ’03, and Analisa Castañeda, ’05, credit the scholarship program with providing them the resources to achieve success.
powerful message.”
Chris Holder, ’03, was among the first to hear that
message after being named one of the early Costco
Scholars. “Being chosen made me feel like they
really cared about the financial burdens of students,”
he says.
Holder brought those financial challenges to light
in his own impassioned speech at the first breakfast.
His topic was the cost of education, particularly
for underrepresented minority students addressed
through the lens of personal experience.
“I talked about the burden on my family and how
hard it would be to continue accumulating loans,”
says Holder. Now a naturopathic physician and
acupuncturist working at an oncology and neurology
clinic, Holder was seriously considering whether to
quit school, mostly because of the cost, before he
became a Costco Scholar.
Analisa Castañeda, ’05, was a Costco Scholar in
the program’s fifth year. While the financial support
helped her finish school, it was the networking
opportunities that quickly turned her degree into a
job after graduation.
At a reception hosted by Sinegal before the
breakfast, Castañeda met her boss-to-be, an executive
with a Costco supplier. The two hit it off and
stayed in touch. Although that supplier eventually
went bankrupt, Castañeda now works with another
Costco supplier, Weider Nutrition Group.
“Costco does a great job of providing networking
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 29

Photo BY TOM REESE
Since it began a decade ago, the annual Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast
has raised more than $15 million for student scholarships.
opportunities for the scholars,” she says. These opportunities
include internships, invitations to other
networking events and consultations with the company’s
human resources staff on interviewing skills.
“It’s an investment for the company and an
investment in their future workforce,” Castañeda
says. Today she does some giving back of her own
as a co-leader of the SU Costco Scholars Alumni
Chapter.
While no one could have predicted from the
program’s start that it would continue and grow to
its current proportions, those involved at Costco are
certainly pleased.
“It’s achieved even more than we expected,”
says Dick DiCerchio, Costco senior executive vice
president and chief operating officer. Part of that
goal was creating a pathway for diverse viewpoints
at universities and training high-performing
professionals who will one day work in the region’s
business, nonprofit and public organizations. “It’s
very rewarding for all of us.”
Costco Scholars
Come Together
Costco Scholars can now stay in
touch through an alumni chapter and
on Facebook where you can network,
learn about volunteer and social
opportunities, help mentor current
scholars and more. On Facebook
(www.facebook.com) interact with
alumni and current Costco Scholars
by searching out the SU Costco
Scholars Alumni Chapter or the
Costco Scholars Group for students.
30 | Financing a Dream

Photo BY TOM REESE
Since the Costco
Scholarship Fund
began, 579
students from Seattle
University have
received scholarships.
Costco President and CEO Jim Sinegal, seen here with Costco Scholar Brandon Knight, ‘09, is not only
co-founder of the successful scholarship program but also a longtime supporter of Seattle University.
At a Glance
The aim of the Costco Scholarship Fund is to provide scholarships for underrepresented
minority students at Seattle University and the University of Washington. To date, the fund
has raised more than $15 million to support the higher education dreams of hundreds of
students. Here are some key facts about the Costco Scholars Fund:
2000
The year the Costco Scholarship Fund was created by Jim Sinegal, president and
CEO of Costco and Jeff Brotman, chairman of the Costco board. That year,
$250,000 was brought in at the first annual fundraising breakfast.
14.4
The percentage of Seattle University’s underrepresented minority students.
Almost half of these students are Costco Scholars.
579
The number of SU students who have been awarded scholarships through the fund
through the 2008–09 academic year.
2001
The year the Costco Scholarship Fund began awarding scholarships to freshmen.
$3 million
The amount the fund raised in 2008, bringing its total to date to more
than $15 million, most of which was donated by Costco employees and suppliers
at the annual breakfast.
$6,300
The average amount qualifying students receive in annual scholarship support.
2009
By the end of the 2008–09 academic year, nearly 300 students have successfully
graduated from Seattle University with support from the Costco Scholars program.
SU
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 31

Alumni
F O C U S
PROFILES | ALUMNI EVENTS | CLASS NOTES | BOOKMARKS | IN MEMORIAM
“You are all part of a special tradition—
the tradition of making a difference—
throughout your life as part of our
alumni community.”
Steve Lindell, ’90, assistant VP and director of Alumni Relations
Welcome, Newest Alumni, to the Family
With undergraduate and
graduate students of the
Class of 2009 beginning
the next chapter in their
lives, we now begin a new academic
year filled with promise. I know
that you will join me in welcoming
our newest members to the Seattle
University alumni family.
You are all part of a special
tradition—the tradition of making
a difference—throughout your life
as part of our alumni community.
Together, we are creating an alumni
network that truly benefits our world
and each other’s professional, social
and spiritual lives.
All graduates of SU are alumni
for life. So much of my work leading
Alumni Relations is about developing
strategies and programs to connect with
alumni in ways that are meaningful.
Being part of SU’s alumni community
has very tangible networking
and professional benefits. From
continuing educational opportunities
to global travel services and social
networking on Facebook and LinkedIn,
we are committed to honoring your
achievements and supporting your
professional and personal growth.
Whether you are conducting research
in the South Pole, supporting sustainability
in the rain forest or
fulfilling our mission in your own
community, you can easily stay in
touch with Alumni Relations online
at www2.seattleu.edu/alumni/. I also
encourage you to show your school
pride at Redhawks athletic events,
and mix and mingle with your
peers at the many chapter gatherings
and service outings we offer each
year.
As our goal is to ensure that
Seattle University continues to be an
educational, support and networking
resource for the rest of your life, we
hope you will keep us apprised of
your accomplishments and important
milestones and allow us to celebrate
them with you. Please update us
when you move, and let us know the
best way to reach you so we can keep
you informed of happenings such as
reunions and special events. You can
also stay in touch with the university
and its people, programs and activities
through Seattle University Magazine
at www.seattleu.edu/magazine/ and
through e-newsletters and invites to
coming events.
Watch for news coming this fall
about an event to celebrate our new
home. In August, Alumni Relations
moved to a modern space at 12th and
Marion, across from the Lee Center for
the Arts. We are sharing the building
with the Office of Admissions. The
building is the first Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Gold–certified facility on
campus and another example of the
university’s leadership in sustainability.
We hope you’ll all come by to say hello
and see the new space.
Congratulations again to our newest
alumni, and I look forward to building
connections in the future.
Steve Lindell, ’90, is assistant vice president
and director of Alumni Relations.
E-mail him at lindells@seattleu.edu.
32 | Alumni Focus

Alumni Events
Saturday, Sept. 26
SU Serve Seattle 2009
9 to 4 p.m., Seattle-area neighborhoods
Open to all alumni, students, faculty and staff, Serve Seattle is a themed day
of service to kick off the new academic year and live out Seattle University’s
service-oriented mission. Roll up your sleeves and spend a day making a
difference in the community. Information: Magis: Alumni Committed for
Mission: (206) 296-2637 or e-mail magis@seattleu.edu.
SEPTEMBER
Monday, Sept. 21
MPA Fall Dinner: Celebrating 35
Years of the Institute of Public Service
6 to 9 p.m., LeRoux Conference Center,
Student Center Room 160
Come celebrate the 35th anniversary of the
Institute of Public Service at the annual dinner
for the Master of Public Administration
program. Information: E-mail Alexandra
Bush at busha@seattleu.edu.
Wednesday, Sept. 23
10th Annual Costco
Scholarship Fund Breakfast
7:30 to 9 a.m., University of Washington
The Costco Scholarship Fund, which
raises scholarships for students of Seattle
University and the University of Washington,
marks its 10th anniversary at this
year’s fundraising breakfast. Information:
www.costcoscholarshipfund.org/.
OCTOBER
Monday, Oct. 5
School of Law Red Mass
and Reception
Time TBA, Chapel of St. Ignatius
and Sullivan Hall
Seattle University School of Law invites
judges, lawyers, legislators, alumni and
students to attend Red Mass, which
honors members of the legal profession.
The Mass is a tradition dating back to
14th-century England, where it was held
before the opening of each term of court
and attended by all members of the
bench and bar. The Mass is an invocation
of guidance for all who pursue
justice and an opportunity to reflect
on the power and responsibility of the
legal profession. Information and
RSVP: (206) 398-4600 or e-mail
rsvplawalumni@seattleu.edu.
Saturday, Oct. 17
Filipino Alumni Chapter Alumni
Mass and 3rd Annual Fall Reunion
5 to 10 p.m., Seattle University campus
Seattle University’s Filipino Alumni
Chapter invites alumni and friends to its
annual reunion in celebration of Filipino
American History Month. The evening
will begin with a Mass at 5 p.m. in the
Ecumenical Chapel at Campion Hall,
immediately followed by a reunion at
6 p.m. at the LeRoux Conference Center,
Student Center Room 160. The reunion
will feature authentic Filipino cuisine,
music and dancing, group photos and a
brief program. Tickets: $20 per person
by the RSVP deadline, Friday, Oct. 9.
Information: (206) 296-6127.
Friday, Oct. 23
McGoldrick Scholarship Reception
5 to 7 p.m., LeRoux Conference Center,
Student Center Room 160
Recipients of the James B. McGoldrick,
S.J., Alumni Scholarship, their families
and scholarship donors are invited to
attend a special reception honoring the
family legacies at Seattle University
during Family Weekend 2009.
Information: (206) 296-6127.
NOVEMBER
Saturday, Nov. 14
For the Difference We Make Gala
6 p.m., The Westin Hotel,
1900 5th Ave., Seattle
Enjoy a dazzling evening of dining,
dancing and entertainment at Seattle
University’s annual gala, a signature
black-tie event featuring the legendary
Gladys Knight. Join us for this special
event as we support student scholarships.
Information: (206) 296-6140;
www.seattleu.edu/gala.
Thursday, Nov. 19
Elgin Baylor Tournament Classic:
SU men’s b-ball vs. Fresno State
Time TBA, KeyArena at Seattle Center
Kick off the 2009–10 men’s basketball
season at the first home game at Seattle’s
KeyArena. On this special night, SU’s
top 29 basketball players of all time will
be recognized, as will former SU
player and NBA legend Elgin Baylor.
Information and tickets: (206) 296-2835;
http://goseattleu.com/.
Check out more upcoming
events at www.seattleu.edu/
magazine/.
For more information on alumni events, contact Alumni Relations at (206) 296-6127 or visit www.seattleu.edu/alumni/.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 33

Alumni
F O C U S
profile
Legal Ease
Lawyer Scott Leist, ’99 JD, shifts from life in the
prosecutor’s office to life-changing legal work in Kenya
From an early age Scott
Leist was mapping
in his mind his future
career. Call it sheer
determination or serendipity, but
Leist knew he would become a
lawyer. As a child he dreamt of the
day where he would
plead a case before a jury
and make arguments so
convincing they could
right an injustice.
“I have always had a
very strong sense of right
and wrong and of the need
for justice to prevail,” says
Leist, ’99 JD.
Enforcing the law or serving as
an advocate for it has defined Leist’s
professional life. He worked for nearly
seven years as a Seattle police officer,
much of that time overlapping with
his law studies. He then went to work
for a large private firm and in 2003 was
hired by the King County Prosecutor’s
Office. Over five and a half years
there he handled cases that ran the
gamut, from misdemeanors in district
court to crimes involving drugs and
property to violent offenses, including
robbery, assault and murder. He also
prosecuted sex-crime cases. Although
the work was rewarding, Leist says he
was feeling a pull to do more.
“I started wondering if God wasn’t
calling me and my family to think about
ways to serve beyond our neighborhood
in Seattle,” Leist says. An opportunity
presented itself that would tap into
“I love being a lawyer because
as a group we get to ensure that
justice does, in fact, prevail.”
Scott Leist, ’99 JD
his work in the legal community and
invoke Leist’s interest in a more serviceoriented,
faith-inspired role. In August
2008, Leist, his wife Sally and his two
young girls, Maggie and Anna, left their
comfortable life in Seattle for Kenya,
where Leist worked for the past year
as field office director for International
Justice Mission (IJM). IJM is a probono
law firm and human rights agency
that represents victims of slavery, sexual
exploitation and oppression, including
individuals who are the victims of police
abuse and illegal detention. The organization
serves what Leist calls a fourfold
purpose: help victims of violent
abuse escape their situations and get
justice; prosecute offenders; enable
survivors of violence and abuse to be
healthy and self-sufficient following
their abuse; and strive for systemic
changes to address obstacles and
remove them for future victims.
“We try to make exist-
ing justice systems work
for everyone, particularly
the poor,” Leist says.
Recently Leist shared
the details of his work in
Africa and the meaningful
impact it has had on
his life with Seattle
University Magazine. Here’s what he
had to say.
Q. How did the opportunity to
work for IJM come about?
SL: I had known about IJM for
several years. My wife, Sally, met
the founder (Gary Haugen) even
before he started the organization
more than 10 years ago. Sally and I
have always been involved in various
ministries and community service
opportunities. But unlike doctors,
engineers or agricultural scientists,
there isn’t a huge call for former coplawyer-prosecutors
in the mission
field. When I first heard about IJM,
34 | Alumni Focus

Photo COURTESY OF SCOTT LEIST
Scott Leist, ’99 JD, talks with a young girl who was one of 61 children rescued from
two separate youth homes by the Kenya Children’s Department and IJMO.
I was excited because it seemed like a
vehicle for service that I could actually
contribute to, given my background.
… At the time I started getting
interested, the Kenya field office
director was looking to step out of
that role, at least for a while, and that
position opened up with miraculous
timing.
Q. What was it like when you first
arrived in Kenya?
SL: Overwhelming. You try to prepare
for arriving in and living in a different
culture, but nothing can prepare
you properly. The justice system in
Kenya at times works very well, but
in some ways it is profoundly broken.
Working within that system is often
exhausting, broken up with moments
of unbelievable triumph and joy.
Q. What kinds of cases do you
work on?
SL: About 80 percent of our casework
involves unprosecuted cases of child
sexual assault. A Kenyan kid gets
raped or abused and, at any number
of points, the case can fall apart. The
police can decline to take a report
or can decide not to investigate the
case. They might accept a bribe
from the offender or his family, or
they might just not know how to do
the investigation. Non-capital cases,
including all sex crimes in Kenya,
are not prosecuted by lawyers, but
by police officers. … In our sexcrime
cases, we conduct independent
investigations—doing what the
police can’t or won’t do—and take
our evidence to the police to try and
convince them to move forward. If
a case is at trial or goes to trial, our
lawyers help the prosecution. The
other 20 percent of our work involves
police abuse and/or illegal detention
cases. We try to get innocent people
out of jail, defend them at trial and,
in some cases, work to prosecute the
police when abuses have occurred.
Q. What was the most challenging
aspect of your work?
SL: Dealing with underdeveloped or
broken systems. In the United States,
there are so many checks and balances
within the legal system that injustices
just don’t last for very long.
Q. What is the greatest takeaway
from this experience?
SL: The biggest takeaway is that we
need to constantly work to preserve
and improve the rule of law to ensure
that our society is fair, just and blind
to everything but the facts and what
is right. I have a new appreciation for
everyone’s individual responsibility to
do that work. We can do a lot more than
we think we can. Twenty months ago,
I would have laughed if you suggested
that my marriage, my children, my
career or I could have survived a move
to Kenya to do this work. Not only have
we survived, but we have thrived.
—Tina Potterf
Read a longer interview with
Leist, including a discussion
of his plans now that he has
finished his job in Kenya, at
www.seattleu.edu/magazine.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 35

Alumni
F O C U S
athletics
Big Boost for Men’s Basketball
Alumnus Steven Fantello, ’86, cheers on SU’s return to Division I
Steven Fantello grew up in a
football family. His father
was a standout fullback who
played on the semipro circuit;
his brothers played as well. Bucking
the trend was Steven, who gravitated
toward basketball. With his slender
build, he was better suited for dribbling
than bone-jarring collisions.
Now Fantello is drawing on his love
of the game with the recently formed
Courtside Club, a group dedicated
to supporting Seattle University’s
men’s basketball. Although the idea
originated with Athletics Director
Bill Hogan, Fantello, a 1986 graduate
of the Albers School of Business and
Economics, has taken the lead in
creating a community network that
will turn out for the games and build
engagement among alumni and fans.
After researching booster programs
in place at other universities, Fantello
settled on organizing SU’s booster
club much like a business.
Fantello’s ultimate goal is that the
Courtside Club will play a critical
role in the resurgence of SU’s men’s
basketball as a prominent and nationally
recognized program in Division I.
“I envision it helping with
recruiting top student athletes,
doubling or tripling our fundraising
and bringing back recognition to the
rich tradition SU basketball had in
the glory days,” he says.
Members of the Courtside Club,
such as Josh Cooprider, describe the
energy at club gatherings as incredible.
Steven Fantello, ’86 (second from left), shares a laugh during a meeting of the Courtside Club. Joining
Fantello is (l-r) SU Athletics Director Bill Hogan and Josh Cooprider and John Dougherty of athletics.
“We see the potential for what the
men’s basketball team can do for the
entire university,” says Cooprider,
athletics director of marketing.
New men’s basketball Coach
Cameron Dollar, who spoke at the
club’s June meeting, emphasizes that
it takes more than good players and
coaches to build a successful program.
The success of the club rests with
the support of many—volunteers, fans
who attend games and events, business
leaders who talk up the team at socials,
and networking events and fundraisers.
There are no fees to join the Courtside
Club and it is open to anyone.
More than 30 people attended the
group’s inaugural meeting this past
March, and the membership base
is steadily climbing. The general
consensus of the club’s members is
that the move back to D-I will be good
for the athletics program and for the
university as a whole.
Another important benefit of the
club, says Fantello, is the sense of
community it builds.
“Athletic fans, past and current,
build a binding sense from all walks
of life of belonging to a bigger entity.
… It is part of the experience of
educating the whole person.”
Fantello has fond memories of
watching Seattle University and the
University of Washington battle for
city supremacy on the hardwood as
a child. With the Redhawks soon to
be playing a full D-I schedule, a new
generation of Seattle youth will be
treated to similar memories. One day,
he hopes to be watching alongside his
Courtside Club members as men’s
basketball brings home the NCAA
national championship title.
—Chelan David
Photo BY CHRIS JOSEPH TAYLOR
36 | Alumni Focus

class notes
New Inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame
The 1960 men’s golf team and the 2002 men’s swim team were among those inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame
on May 23, 2009, at a ceremony hosted by Athletics Director Bill Hogan at Campion Ballroom. More than 200 guests
attended the Hall of Fame luncheon, which was followed that evening by an auction to benefit men’s basketball.
50
Kenneth R. Kirkpatrick, a
retired chief engineer for Osborne
Construction Co., and his wife, Phyllis,
celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary
on June 14, 2009. The couple is enjoying
retirement at their homes in Seattle and
Daytona Beach Shore, Fla. They are the
proud parents of sons Kenneth, president
of US Bank, and Mark, a heavy equipment
operator, and grandparents of Michael, Tina,
Bison and Anngela.
54
Yvonne Spadoni and her husband,
Dr. Leon Spadoni celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary last year at a family
reunion in San Antonio, Texas. The couple
enjoys spending time with their children and
grandchildren.
60
61
Frank Piro recently completed 50
years of teaching.
Richard Finnie has stayed active in
his retirement years. For five years
he’s volunteered with CASA, helping foster
children, and for two years has volunteered
with the Seattle Animal Shelter.
71
JoAnne Ludwig, ’77, is vice president
of academics at Seattle’s Kennedy
High School, and enjoys spending time with
her family and volunteering with Seattle’s
summer festival, Seafair. Recently Ludwig
completed her first year of leadership of the
Miss Seafair Scholarship program, for which
she saw Seattle University law student Kristen
Tateishi crowned Miss Seafair for 2008–09.
78
George J. Ladas is president of the
Seattle Film Group, a motion picture
production company.
81
Lynda Ring-Erickson, ’92
EdD, was re-elected as a county
commissioner in Mason County, Wash.
This year she was also selected to serve as
president of the Washington State Association
of Counties and vice chair of the National
Association of Counties Public Lands
Steering Committee.
86
Mark K. Barkeley currently
serves as the officer in charge of
reconciliation and engagement for Multi-
National Corps–Iraq. The organization works
to rebuild relationships through every level
of society within Iraq to create an inclusive
national identity and a trusted and legitimate
government.
87
Dr. Gary Reul retired on June 30,
2009, as CEO of the American Tinnitus
Association (ATA) and assumed the position
of chair of the board of directors and executive
officer of ATA on July 1. The mission of ATA
is to cure tinnitus, which affects some 50 million
people in the United States and is sometimes
called “ringing in the ears.” Reul lives in
Issaquah, Wash., with his wife, Barbara.
Christina Elizondo
Rainey, ’03, and her
husband, Paul Rainey,
welcomed the birth of
their daughter, Lauren
Elizabeth Rainey on
Sept. 19, 2008. Lauren
Elizabeth weighed six
pounds, 13 ounces, and
was 19 inches long.
Congratulations.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 37

Alumni
F O C U S
class notes
Sendoff to the Class of ‘09
Alumni Relations staff, including Steve Lindell, ’90, and Leilani Balais were
joined by alumni chaplain Dave Anderson, S.J., and student alumni
ambassadors for a special dinner to send off graduates of the Class of 2009,
which included four seniors in the group.
Vanessa Backlund, ’02, married Matt
Enany on June 27, 2009. The couple wed
at St. Jude Church in Redmond, Wash.
Members of the bridal party included maid
of honor Sara Peake, ’02. The couple
currently reside in the Seattle area.
89
Norma Ureña was named Pro Bono
Attorney of the Year by the King
County Bar Association and honored at an
awards ceremony in June.
91
Lorelie Olson and her husband,
Timothy, spend most of the summer
and fall at their home near Leavenworth,
Wash., where the couple enjoys gardening,
tending to their horse and staying involved in
the community. Lorelie is professor emerita of
education at Seattle Pacific University.
92
Shaunta Hyde was recently
appointed by Washington Gov.
Christine Gregoire as the newest member
of the State’s Board for Community and
Technical Colleges. Hyde, who is government
relations manager for Boeing, previously
worked in former King County Executive Ron
Sims’ office as a government relations liaison
and as a senior assistant to the King County
Council chief of staff. In addition to her work
with Boeing and her new appointment, Hyde
serves on various community boards, including
Pioneer Human Services, Kent Chamber of
Commerce, Manufacturing Industrial Council
and the Southwest King County Chamber.
In 2006 the Puget Sound Business Examiner
recognized her as one of the “Top 40 Under
40.” In 2004 Hyde was honored with the
Community Leadership Award from the
Renton Chamber of Commerce and in 2002
was named Volunteer of the Year by the Center
for Human Services
Nancy Anne Wilson, EDLP, retired in June
as principal of St. Catherine School in Seattle.
She and her husband, Dennis, have relocated to
Ellensburg, Wash.
94
Thomas Egnew, EdD, wrote
an article, “Suffering, Meaning
and Healing: Challenges of Contemporary
Medicine,” that was published in the March/
April 2009 Annals of Family Medicine.
99
Jill Charles recently had a book published,
Marlene’s Piano, by Booklocker.
com. Read an excerpt from Marlene’s Piano at
www.booklocker.com/books/4109.html.
01
Kelli Koenig Horner, MBA,
launched Zebra Partners LLC, a
marketing and public relations firm with two
former Nintendo executives. The Seattle-based
company specializes in brand strategy, public
relations and viral marketing.
07
Kevin Hoppe is senior project
engineer with Express Construction.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., Express specializes
in mixed-use, retail, office and industrial
construction projects.
38 | Alumni Focus

Gen. Peter Chiarelli, ’72, visited Seattle
University’s campus on Feb. 13, 2009, to
share with students what it’s like to be vice
chief of staff of the U.S. Army. Gen. Chiarelli
oversees more than 1.2 million soldiers.
Game Faces
Members and friends of the Filipino Alumni Chapter relive the glory days of Seattle U
athletics with a friendly game of basketball at Connolly Center on May 2, 2009.
Debbie Dawson, ’96, MPA,
was presented with the 2008
Employee of the Year Award
by the city of Edmonds,
Wash. Dawson is a senior
animal control officer and
was honored for her efforts
to find homes and care for
animals while helping pet
owners respond to their
four-legged friends’ needs.
Class of 2009, You’ve Made It!
On June 14, the 1,100 undergraduate
and 700 graduate
students of Seattle University
walked across the stage at
KeyArena at Seattle Center as
members of the graduating class
of 2009. Congratulations for a job
well done. James Pigott, longtime
friend and supporter of SU,
gave the keynote address at
the graduate commencement
ceremony.
STAY IN TOUCH
Do you have a new job or an addition to the family to
share? Are you a newlywed or want to reconnect with
former classmates and other alumni? Seattle University
Magazine welcomes news of accomplishments or
changes in your professional or personal life for inclusion
in Class Notes. When submitting items include your
graduate name and year, your present name and a
daytime phone number. We publish high-resolution
photos (300 dpi) as space allows. Please submit
photos online at www.seattleu.edu/magazine/ or via
e-mail: sumagazine@seattleu.edu. If available, include
a photo caption with the names of people and where
it was taken. Submissions to Class Notes are edited
for space and clarity to adhere to the style and tone of
the magazine.
Submit news and photos to:
Class Notes Editor
Seattle University Magazine
Print Communications
Seattle University
PO Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-1090
E-mail: sumagazine@seattleu.edu
Online: www.seattleu.edu/magazine/
For more information, contact the
editor at sumagazine@seattleu.edu.
deadlines for submissions
Seattle University Magazine is
published in the fall, winter, spring
and summer. Class Notes will be
printed as space allows and, when
possible, in the order they are
received. If you submit an item for
the fall issue, for example, and it
doesn’t appear, it most likely will
be in the winter issue.
Submit items for…
Fall: Mid-July
Winter: Mid-September
Spring: Mid-January
Summer: Mid-March
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 39

Alumni
F O C U S
The Unchanging God of Love: Thomas Aquinas & Contemporary Theology
on Divine Immutability by Michael J. Dodds, ’62 O.P.
Spend much time on the campus of a Jesuit university and chances are you’ll become acquainted
with Thomas Aquinas. For centuries his ideas on political theory, natural law and ethics have influenced
scholars studying both within and outside the Jesuit tradition. In The Unchanging God of
Love: Thomas Aquinas & Contemporary Theology on Divine Immutability, author Michael J. Dodds,
’62 O.P., explores the work of this prominent theologian, particularly his teachings of
God as unchanging.
Bookmarks
The Unchanging God of Love is the latest book from Dodds, a professor of philosophy and theology
at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, Calif., and author of Happily
Ever After Begins Here and Now: Living the Beatitudes Today. Although Aquinas’ views on the
immutability of God may seem largely immune from controversy, they have nevertheless sparked a
debate among modern theologians and philosophers.
With great ease, Dodds begins his exploration of Aquinas by explaining how this contemporary
debate over ancient teachings got started. Within the past 30 years, some modern theologians
have begun to question the widely held belief in the immutability of God. They claim that for
God to be unchanging, he must be “indifferent, uncaring and remote from creation.” Further, it
is suggested that if this is so, then an unchanging God is not consistent with the God of love and
light that is spoken of in scripture. Their critique of divine immutability is often directed toward
Aquinas, who is considered to be a champion of this position.
Dodds sees the argument against God’s unchanging nature as a misunderstanding
of Aquinas’ actual teachings and, throughout this book, seeks to clarify the fundamentals
of his theology. In The Unchanging God of Love, Dodds fearlessly asserts
that an unchanging God can indeed be a God of love, and that any contradiction
of this is rooted in misrepresentations of Aquinas’ authentic theology.
Editor’s Note: If you have a book published, Seattle University Magazine wants to hear about it. We review books
released within the past two years by alumni, faculty and staff. Send notice to sumagazine@seattleu.edu.
Writing in a prose inviting and readable even for non-theologian types, Dodds
offers an honest account of how this theology applies to both God and earthly
creatures. To make his explication of Aquinas’ teachings clear and effective,
Dodds employs an analysis of the theologian’s actual writings, pulling from
both his commentary on biblical scripture and his independent works. Using
these writings from the 13th century, Dodds presents a convincing rebuttal
to Aquinas’ modern-day critics.
In the book’s final chapters, Dodds aims to put to rest any remaining
suspicions regarding the cruelty or indifference of an unchanging God.
What is made clear to the reader is that immutability does not have
to be in opposition to God’s love, but rather is essential to His limitless
compassion.
—Maura Beth Pagano, ’12
40 | Alumni Focus

in memoriam
Dian Alyea, ’85, MSE, died Feb. 20, 2009.
She was 57. Alyea was born in Oakland, Calif.
Her father was in the US Marines and was
stationed in various American cities during
her childhood. In 1968, the family moved to
Tacoma, Wash., where Alyea attended Clover
Park High School. She then went onto receive
a bachelor’s degree from the University of
Puget Sound, followed by a master’s degree
from Seattle University. Alyea spent most of
her professional career working as an aerospace
engineer for The Boeing Company. She loved
her work and had great admiration for her colleagues.
She played field hockey and tennis,
and enjoyed spending time in Washington’s
San Juan Islands. She is survived by her father,
Clifford Alyea; mother, Phyllis Russel; brother,
Alan and his wife, Marie; niece, Rachel; nephew,
Eric; devoted dog, Maggie; and many beloved
friends.
Tara Dee Blair, ’95 JD, died Oct. 6, 2008.
After graduating from Seattle’s Nathan Hale
High School and the University of Washington
Blair earned her law degree from Seattle
University School of Law. As an Inupiaq Eskimo
Blair spent much of her professional career in
Indian country, where she specialized in Indian
and public benefits law, and in areas including
child welfare, community relations, tribal courts,
public utilities and public policy. Blair worked
as a policy analyst for the Governor’s Office of
Indian Affairs, as a program administrator for
Washington state, and was an assistant attorney
general and a court administrator/pro tem
judge, among other professional achievements.
Additionally, she was chair of the Indian law
section of the Washington State Bar Association
and treasurer of the Northwest Indian Bar
Association. She received recognition from the
governor several times for her tireless work. In
her free time, she enjoyed long-distance running,
jazz music, golfing, skiing and snowboarding.
She is survived by her children, Stephanie,
Andre and Jason; and her siblings, Bruce, Dennis,
Diane and Kristen.
Bernice Boyd, ’45, died Dec. 5, 2008. She
was 84. Born in Tacoma, Boyd graduated from
Stadium High School before coming to Seattle
University to earn her nursing degree. In 1946
she married a young Navy Lieutenant, Gene
Boyd. She put her nursing career on hold to
raise her daughter, Cori. With Cori in school,
a casual golf lesson turned into a lifetime passion.
As a member of Overlake Golf Club, Boyd
loved the athletic and social aspects of the game.
She was also an avid bridge and tennis player.
A member of the Seattle Tennis Club, she was
on the activities board and chaired numerous
luncheons and the club’s annual holiday bazaar.
Boyd is survived by her sister, Betty; her daughter,
Cori, and her husband, Dr. John Kirkpatrick;
her grandchildren, Bradley, Jill and Julie; and her
great-grandchildren, Kate, Natalie, Alex, Hailey
and Makena.
Madelyn Frances (Paquin) Cardarelli, ’43,
died Sept. 13, 2008. She was 86. Born in St.
Louis, Mo., Cardarelli attended Seattle College
and worked in public health services, where she
met her husband, John. After living in Ossining,
N.Y., the couple and their children relocated to
the Pacific Northwest. Cardarelli worked as a
clerical temp and for The Seattle Times. Despite
health complications later in life, she inspired
others with her determination and optimism.
Cardarelli’s quick wit and kind words helped her
forge many friendships including one with her
best friend, Margaret. She loved dancing, bridge,
reading, traveling, cooking and word searches,
but most of all she loved her family and friends.
Cardarelli is survived by her children, Lisa, Kiki,
Carole, Bob and Barbara; her grandson, Gregory;
her sister and brother-in-law, Dr. and Mrs.
Edward and Lorraine Risher; and many extended
family members. She was preceded in death by
her husband, John.
Everly Cox, ’55 MEd, died July 2, 2008. He was
88. Born to parents Ruth and Everett Cox, he grew
up in Wapato and Ellensburg, Wash. He went on
to attend college at Central Washington University
and later Seattle University, where he earned his
master’s in education. After a heroic career in
naval aviation in World War II and the Korean
War, he became an educator, administrator and
principal in the Lake Washington School District,
where he spent 30 years before being appointed
to the Kirkland City Council. Re-elected to office
three times, he retired in 1991. Cox was an active
member of the Kirkland Rotary, with 34 years of
perfect attendance. He is survived by his daughter,
Janet Caletti; his son, David Cox; five grandchildren,
10 great-grandchildren and three greatgreat-grandchildren.
Cox was preceded in death
by his wife of 58 years, Genevieve.
Frank Demyanovich, Jr., ’52, died Dec. 23,
2008. He was 89. Demyanovich grew up in
Pennsylvania and served in World War II. In
1944, he married Helen Pedersen. After graduating
from Seattle University Demyanovich began
a successful 30-year career in finance with the
Boeing Company. He was a lifelong sports enthusiast
and enjoyed attending various Seattle events
and festivals. Friends and family will remember
Demyanovich for his great sense of humor. He is
survived by his daughter, Margaret, and her husband,
John; his grandsons, Darren and Brett; his
brothers, John, Bill and Paul; his sisters, Mary,
Ann and Helen; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen, and
three brothers.
Owen Durkin, ’43, died Jan. 21, 2009. He was
96. A Seattle native, Durkin was raised in Seattle
and attended Broadway High School. During
college he worked for the Merchants Exchange
U.S. Shipping Board on the Lake Union Reserve
fleet. After working as a stenographer with the
U.S. Immigration Service, Durkin held several
positions with the Army including as comptroller
auditor. In 1969, he retired from the field office at
the Maritime Commission in Seattle and shortly
after married Betty Bradshaw. Over the years the
couple shared many adventures together including
trips and cruises. Durkin loved to golf and ski and
was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the
Issaquah Eagles and the Issaquah Elks. At one
time, he even took up ice dancing and was a member
of the Seattle Skating Club. He is survived by
his wife, Betty; his niece, Pamela Woods; and his
nephew, David Stratton.
Laura Eubanks, ’91, ’98 MS, died July 12,
2008, after a long battle with breast cancer.
She was 57. Despite her illness, friends always
found her to be positive and cheerful. She grew
up in Pasadena, Calif., and went on to earn her
bachelor’s degree—graduating cum laude—
from Seattle University, where she also received
her master’s in counseling. For years Eubanks
worked at several mental health agencies and, up
until the time of her death, was a psychotherapist
at Harborview Medical Center. She enjoyed
reading, theater and the company of her pets and
friends. She is survived by her parents, Suzanne
and Edward Eubanks; her sister, Ellen Eubanks;
and her brother, David.
Jay Stanley Ford, ‘73, ‘78 MBA, died April 8,
2009. He was 64. A longtime resident of Renton,
Wash., Ford worked for The Boeing Company for
35 years until his retirement in 2006. Friends and
family will remember him for his integrity, generosity
and sense of humor. He was devoted to
his family and to his wife of 44 years, Mary. Their
deep love for one another began as teenagers and
never faded. Ford enjoyed attending football and
baseball games, reading, fishing and gardening.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; his mother,
Helen; his sons, Jay Jr. and Jon; his daughter-inlaw,
Theresa; his brothers, Jeffrey and Jerry; his
grandchildren, Sam, Elisabeth and Adeline; his
uncle, Gary; and many brothers and sisters-inlaw,
nieces, nephews and cousins.
Marcia Jane Glendenning, ’88, died Dec. 4,
2008. She was 81. Marcia graduated from Holy
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 41

in memoriam, cont.
Names High School in 1955, and went on to
receive her bachelor’s degree in journalism from
Washington State University. Later she earned
a master’s degree in counseling from Seattle
University and worked for Catholic Community
Services for 20 years, until her retirement in 2007.
Active in her church, Glendenning also enjoyed
steelhead fishing, reading and walking. In 2007,
she fulfilled her dream of traveling to Ireland to
see her ancestral homeland. She is survived by
her three children, Kevin, Brian and Mark; and
her grandchildren, Stephen, Terry, Joshua and
Chantel.
Helen Naomi Lasky, ’49, died Jan. 12, 2009.
She was 80. A graduate of Seattle University’s
nursing program, Lasky spent more than 30
years at Swedish Hospital in Seattle’s Ballard
neighborhood. The joys of her life were traveling,
the Red Hat Society and the Northwest
Senior Center. She will be fondly remembered
for her laughter, her loving acceptance of others
and her enjoyment of life. Lasky is survived
by her children, Donn, Terry, Shaun and Kari;
her grandchildren, Donn Jr., Cori, Tyler, Katia,
Trent, Nate and Micari; six great-grandchildren
and many nieces and nephews.
Frank Lorenz, ’63, died Dec. 15, 2008. He was
78. At age one Lorenz and his family immigrated
to America from Spiazzo, Italy. After graduating
from Seattle University in 1963, Lorenz went on
to pursue a career in the insurance industry. He
retired as president and CEO of Schwarz, Shera
and Association, Inc. In 1959, he married Rae,
his wife of 34 years. He embraced his love of
boating by spending summer vacations in the
San Juan Islands. Lorenz was also an avid skier
and spent his winters skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho,
where he forged many friendships. Lorenz is survived
by his sons, Lance and Rome; his brothers,
Ed and Larry; and many nieces and nephews. He
was preceded in death by his wife, Rae.
Patricia Lott, ’97, died Sept. 26, 2008. She
was 57. Born June 8, 1951, in Cedar Falls, Iowa,
she moved to the Pacific Northwest to attend
Evergreen State College and later, Seattle
University, where she earned a master’s degree.
Before earning her master’s Lott pursued an
opera and concert-singing career that took her
around the world, culminating with a solo concert
at the Mahler Festival in the Italian Alps. At
age 39, she found her operatic career cut short
when she was diagnosed with scleroderma. She
then founded a local chapter of an organization
that provides patient support and funds for scleroderma
research, which continues to help people
in the Pacific Northwest living with scleroderma
cope with this debilitating disease. She was also
an active member of Audubon and other ornithological
societies. Lott is survived by her mother,
Kathryn; her sister, Diana; her domestic partner,
Alan; and other family members. She was preceded
in death by her father, Dr. Fred W. Lott, Jr., and
her brother, Dr. Fred W. Lott III.
Sister Lisa Lucht, ’82, died Dec. 13, 2008. She
was 65. Sister Lucht joined the Franciscan Sisters
of Christian Charity in Manitowoc, Wis., in 1962.
In 1973, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Silver
Lake College. Two years later she transferred to
the Racine Dominicans and then in 1982 earned a
master’s in ministry from Seattle University. Sister
Lucht spent many years teaching children and
adults and serving as a pastoral associate. After
receiving a doctorate degree in ministry from the
Graduate Theological Foundation in Donaldson,
Ind., in 1995, she became chancellor of the Green
Bay Diocese until 2000. She is survived by three
brothers and two sisters. Sister Lucht was preceded
in death by her parents.
Doris Macfadden, ’52, died Feb. 23, 2009. She
was 83. Macfadden traveled from her home in
Clearbrook, Minn., to pursue a degree in nursing
from Seattle University. After graduation,
Macfadden married her husband, Howard, and
together they raised six children in addition to
Macfadden working full-time as a registered nurse.
Church was important to Macfadden, who was
also active in Camp Fire Girls and the Nursing
Guild. Macfadden is survived by her children,
grandchildren, great-grandchildren, three sisters
and one brother.
Donald E. Maddox, ’55, died Jan. 6, 2009. He
was 75. Maddox was born in Oklahoma City and
grew up in Seattle. He attended Holy Rosary
and Seattle Prep before graduating from Seattle
University. After graduation Maddox embarked
on a career in financial planning with Investor
Diversified Services/American Express. His retirement
was filled with golf, good friends and family.
Maddox is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jane;
his children, Nancy, Sally, Lynn and Rick; his
grandchildren, Larry, Dawn, Michael, Christopher,
Kelly, Tyler, Amy and Reef; and his beloved dog,
Mr. Bogey.
Bob May, ’69, died Dec. 19, 2008. He was
78. After earning a degree in mathematics from
the University of Washington, May spent many
summers doing post-graduate work at Seattle
University. He served in the National Guard
and the Navy and was awarded several medals
throughout his military career. He met his wife,
Ruth, when he went to donate blood. During their
58 years of marriage, May and his wife raised two
daughters, Pamela and Margaret. In addition to a
full-time teaching career May also had time to
be a cattle rancher and orchardist. Friends and
family remember him for his unique hobbies
that included cattle cutting, dressage, boating
and fishing. He was also an avid golfer and
loved to spend time with friends perfecting his
game. May delighted in sharing life with others
and was a loving husband, father, grandfather
and great grandfather. May is survived by his
wife, Ruth; his daughters, Pamela and Margee;
his grandchildren, Robert, Megan, Kyle,
Marnie, Trevor and Kevin; his great-grandson,
Tyler; and his brothers. John and Bill. He was
preceded in death by his parents and his brothers,
Raymond and Doyle.
Lucille McCarthy, ’47, died Dec. 12, 2008.
She was 83. McCarthy graduated from Seattle
University with a nursing degree. After raising
five children, she returned to her career working
in the emergency room of Northwest Hospital
where she worked part time until she was 80.
McCarthy will be remembered for her love of
the sun and the rain, the beach and the snow.
She enjoyed cross-country and downhill skiing
as well as tennis. McCarthy was a dedicated basketball
fan during the Elgin Baylor and Eddie
Miller era at Seattle University. She is survived
by her sister, Shirley; her children, Patrick,
Mary, Michael, Peggy and Tim; her grandchildren,
Eric, Katie, Dan, John, Bo and Matt; and
one great-grandchild. McCarthy was preceded
in death by her husband of 47 years, Robert.
Richard McGovern, ’63, died Jan. 8, 2009.
He was 69. McGovern grew up outside Seattle
in Kent, Wash., where he attended Kent
Meridian High School. After high school
he went on to Seattle University, where he
earned an electrical engineering degree. After
graduation McGovern went to work in sales
for GE Medical Systems and was passionate
about customer service. Outside of work
McGovern was an active member of Holy
Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle and a
dedicated member of the St. Vincent de Paul
Society. McGovern loved to vacation in Hawaii,
and was an avid gardener, gifted craftsman and
expert handyman. He is survived by his wife
of 41 years, Ellen; their daughter, Kate and her
husband, Sandy; his grandsons, Zachary and
Luke; and his sisters, Eileen and Jean.
Thomas J. McInerney died Dec. 13, 2008.
He was 87. McInerney served in the Navy
during World War II, prior to attending
Dartmouth College, where he earned his
undergraduate degree in 1946. That same year,
he married Patricia Mason, his wife of 62 years.
In 1948, the couple moved west to Seattle
42 | Alumni Focus

so McInerney could teach English at Seattle
University, a job he held for nearly 20 years.
For four years, beginning in 1961, McInerney
took a brief hiatus from Seattle University to
teach in the English department of Fairfield
University. In 1968 he returned to Fairfield as
a faculty member in the English department,
where he also served twice as its chair until his
retirement in 1996. Friends, colleagues and students
remember his passion and commitment
to teaching. He is survived by his wife, Patricia;
his children, Brian, Stephen, Sara, Anne and
Thomas, Jr.; his grandchildren, Rebecca, Ben,
Lauren, Emily and Liam; his brother, Francis;
and many nieces and nephews. McInerney was
preceded in death by his brother, Edward.
Virginia McKibben, ’68, died Dec. 10, 2008.
She was 62. After attending Holy Names
Academy in Seattle, McKibben went on to
graduate from Seattle University with an economics
degree. When not reading, McKibben
was working on quilts, bowling or watching
the Seattle Mariners. She is survived by her
mother, Mary Shelley; her husband of 39 years,
Larry; her children, Lisa and Kevin; her sister,
Margaret; and her brothers, David and Allan.
Cathleen Hanley Mead, ’46, died Sept. 14,
2008. She was 84. Mead grew up in Seattle’s
Capitol Hill neighborhood and attended school
at Holy Names Academy. Following high school
she went to Seattle University, where she earned
her bachelor’s degree. It was here that she met
her husband, George Mead. Together the couple,
married for nearly 60 years, had nine children:
George, Mary, Stephan, David, Joe, Mark,
Theresa, Casey and John. Mead was known for
her encyclopedic memory of events and relationships
in her life, and for an enthusiasm that was
contagious. She was also passionate about travel,
reading, planning celebrations for family and
friends, and attending daily Mass with her husband
until his death in 2007. Mead is survived
by her children and 19 grandchildren. She was
preceded in death by her husband, George, and
her eight siblings.
Joan Elaine Misenar, ’83, died Oct. 2, 2008.
She was 76. Having spent a portion of her childhood
on the family farm in Cutbank, Mont.,
Misenar always considered herself a “Montana
girl.” A graduate of Franklin High School, she
married her high school sweetheart, Wayne
Misenar. After raising five children, she earned
a degree in psychology from the University of
Washington and a master’s in counseling from
Seattle University. A nationally certified counselor
in domestic violence, Misenar worked in
private practice in Bellevue, Wash. She loved
music, dancing and traveling the world, as well as
skiing, hiking, horse racing and community theater.
Misenar was a member of the Washington Mental
Health Counselors Association, the American
Association for Counseling Development, the DAR
and the National Ski Patrol alumni. She is survived
by her husband of 55 years, Wayne; her brother,
Dr. John Rush; her five children, Kimball, David,
Deborah, Gregory and Christopher; 10 grandchildren;
one great-granddaughter; and numerous nieces
and nephews.
Nicholas Leonard Nelson, MD,’49, died July
22, 2008. He was 88. Nelson was born on June 27,
1920 in Sheridan, Wyo., but grew up on Seattle’s
Capitol Hill. He attended St. James Cathedral,
O’Dea High School, Seattle University and
Creighton University Medical School. Nelson
served in World War II in New Guinea, the
Philippines and Japan. While at Seattle University
Nelson met Katherine, and the couple married in
September 1952. Together they raised six children
in Seattle’s Mount Baker neighborhood. Nelson
was a family physician in Seattle for many years,
and he operated a clinic in Saudi Arabia from
1982 to 1984. His love of traveling led him and
Katherine to Africa, the Middle East, Europe,
Japan, China, Russia, Australia and the South
Pacific. He is survived by his wife of 55 years,
Katherine; his children, Margaret, David, John,
James, Judith and Kathleen; his grandchildren,
Michael, Stephen, Nicholas, Sean, Christopher,
Mia and Nicholas; his niece, Kathryn; and his sister-in-law,
Rose Mary. He was preceded in death
by his parents, Nels and Elizabeth Nelson; his sisters,
Helen and Patricia; and his nephew, Anthony.
Dominic Otter ’63, died Jan. 31, 2009. He was
69. Born in Kansas in 1939, Otter and his family
moved west to Anchorage, Ak., where he was
raised and graduated from high school. After
moving to Seattle and graduating from Seattle
University in 1963, Otter entered the insurance
business where he spent a successful 40 years.
Otter was known for his adventurous spirit and
lifestyle. As an avid sportsman, he loved to fish,
hunt and ski. Many will remember his generosity
and hospitality. Otter is survived by his three
children, Stacie, Patrick, Wendy and their spouses;
his seven grandchildren, Kyle, Karlie, Brittany,
Keegan, Erika, Kole and Annika; his eight siblings,
Dennis, Dolores, Doreen, Donella, Delbert,
DeChantal, Delia and Deanne; and many nieces,
nephews and friends.
Emma Park, ’58, died March 3, 2009. She was
72. Park graduated from Holy Names Academy
and Seattle University before starting a family
with her first husband, Gerald Stevenson. In 1989,
Park married her husband, Jerry. After retiring,
the couple spent winters in Palm Desert and
summers in Seattle. Park is remembered as
delightful, vibrant and compassionate and
as a wonderful friend. She is survived by her
husband, Jerry; her children, Brad, Michelle,
Colleen and Cheryl; her stepchildren, Jennifer
and Jeff; her siblings, Marian, Rita, Tim and
Mike; and eight grandchildren. She was preceded
in death by her siblings Mary Pat, Dick
and John.
Marie Agnes Parker, ’52, died on June 12,
2009. She was 89. Born on May 17, 1920, in
Hazel, S.D., to Lloyd and Agnes Parker she
lived and went to school in Timber Lake, SD.
On May 29, 1943, Marie joined the Army
as a nurse. Upon her return she moved to
Seattle, where she attended Seattle University
and earned master’s degrees in nursing and
education. She also earned a degree in library
services. Parker taught school in the Highline
School District for many years and was an
active member of the Tukwila American
Legion, even serving as its commander for a
time. Another cause important to Parker was
supporting the Puget Sound Blood Center and
her church, St. Stephen the Martyr in Renton,
Wash. Parker is survived by her sisters-in-law,
Betty Thomas and Rita Parker, and a large
extended family.
William Ryan, ’51, died May 20, 2008. He
was 86. Following service in the Navy during
World War II, Ryan graduated from Seattle
University with a degree in engineering. For
more than 38 years he worked as a mechanical
engineer for The Boeing Company. In 1954, he
married Lenore, and together they built a home
on Mercer Island, Wash., where they raised
their three children. Ryan took great pride in
the care of his family and his home. He will
always be known as an inventor and a tinkerer:
he could make or fix just about anything. He
is survived by Lenore, his wife of 54 years;
his children, Sheila, Michael and Ann; and
his grandchildren, Allison, Ryan, Stephanie,
Joseph, Jennifer, Maggie and Evan.
Jeanne Marie Sack, ’47, died Feb. 11, 2009.
She was 82. In 1947 Sack graduated summa
cum laude from Seattle University, where she
served as editor of the student newspaper, The
Spectator. In 1948, she married Victor, her
husband of more than 50 years. While raising
their children, Sack was involved in volunteer
organizations in her community, especially
Camp Fire Girls. In 1977, Sack received her
master’s degree from Seattle University in
religious studies. She then went on to become
the first religious education coordinator at St.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 43

in memoriam, cont.
Francis of Assisi in Burien, Wash. Sack finished
her professional life in 1994, when she retired
as a case manager for the King County Division
on Aging. Sack is survived by her brother,
Robert; her children, Peter, David, Janice and
Paul; and her nine grandchildren and three
great-grandsons.
Sister Anne Schafer, ’64, died Dec. 4, 2008.
She was 69. Schafer devoted nearly 50 years
to religious life, spending 43 years in the
Dominican Sisters of Edmonds and five years in
the Adrian Dominican Congregation. She grew
up in Aberdeen, Wash., and in 1964 earned
her bachelor’s degree from Seattle University
followed by a master’s degree in library science
from the UW and a second bachelor’s degree—
in music—from Marylhurst College in Oregon.
For 42 years she taught at St. Luke School in
Shoreline, Wash. Her love of travel was rivaled
only by her interest in British mysteries, the
Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Mariners.
She also liked to play bridge and solve the New
York Times crossword puzzles. Sister Schafer
is survived by her brother, Ralph; her sister,
Judith; and her many friends and peers of the
Dominican Sisters and St. Luke community.
Patricia Shields, ’56, died Sept. 17, 2008.
She was 74. After graduating from Seattle
University, Shields became a dedicated social
worker on behalf of children in California’s
Sacramento County. After she retired she
moved to Auburn, Wash., where she spent
her time volunteering with Wellspring and
St. Joseph’s resale shop as well as pursuing
her love of golf. Her family and friends will
remember Shields for her great and spirited
character. Shields is survived by her brothers,
Bob and Terry; her sister, Sally Norton; her
cousin, Don Bradley; and her nieces and nephews,
Jessie, Dave, Claire, Mike, Tammy, Mark,
Sean, Kristen, Kieran, Stacey, Patrick, Terrance,
Michael and Erin.
Leon Schovaers ’50, died Jan. 6, 2009. He
was 80. Schovaers was raised in Spokane,
Wash., where he attended Gonzaga High
School. After graduation, Schovaers enlisted
in the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon finishing his
service, he enrolled at Gonzaga University
and eventually Seattle University, where he
met his wife, Charlotte. In 1951, the couple
was married at St. James Cathedral in Seattle.
Schovaers worked for companies such as Boeing
and Univac, before starting his own business,
Schovaers Electronics Corp., in Salt Lake
City. Although he retired in 1997, the business
continues to thrive today. In their retirement,
Schovaers and his wife split their time between
Twin Lakes Village in Rathdrum, Idaho, and
Palm Desert, Calif. A lifelong advocate of physical
fitness, Schovaers could often be seen walking
or riding his bike. He is survived by his wife of
57 years, Charlotte; their six children and their
spouses, Bob and Kim Schovaers, John Schovaers,
Mary Jane Schovaers, Susan and Eric Heusser,
Judy and Robert Green, and Barbara Schovaers;
his grandchildren, Scott, Dan, Michelle, Aundrea,
Anna, Hilary and Nathaniel; his great-grandchildren,
Tyler and Kaia; and his siblings, Charles,
Amelia and Laura.
Kenneth Seng, Jr., ’65, died May 7, 2008. He
was 73. Seng received his bachelor’s degree in
Michigan before coming to Seattle University to
earn a master’s in education. Following graduation
he met and married his wife, Joanne, and
together the couple raised three daughters. His
long career in education began in Mercer Island,
Wash., where he was a teacher, counselor and
principal. In 1979, Seng and his family moved to
Auburn, Wash., where he took a job as principal of
Cascade Junior High School. Even after he retired
from the Auburn School District, Seng continued
to make education a priority in his life by supervising
interns from Western Washington University’s
education program. He was not only a dedicated
educator but also a devoted volunteer and board
member for various organizations, including
the Puget Sound Educational Service District,
the Messiah Lutheran Church Council and the
Auburn Valley Kiwanis. He was elected fire commissioner
for King County Fire District #44. He
is survived by his wife, Joanne; his mother, Grace
Seng; his sister, Marilyn; his daughters, Carol,
Kathleen and Kimberly; and his grandchildren,
Blake, Mackenzie and Zachary.
Richard Tazioli, ’51, died Feb. 17, 2009. He
was 82. A Seattle native, Tazioli attended Seattle
University after an honorable discharge from
the Navy in 1946. After obtaining a bachelor’s
degree and a master’s degree in education from
SU Tazioli embarked on a 30-year career as
a teacher and principal in the Seattle School
District. He cared greatly for the many students
and colleagues he encountered over his long
career. Not only was Tazioli passionate about his
work, but also he loved baseball. In 1957, when
he couldn’t find a little league team for his son to
play on, Tazioli founded the Pee Wee Baseball
League in West Seattle. He was also very active
in the Thunderbird Little League in Bellevue,
Wash., where he served as president for two years.
During his tenure, Tazioli added girls softball to
the league. Tazioli was also proud of his Italian
heritage and the traditions of the culture. He is
survived by his wife of 32 years, Janez; his sons,
Gary and Greg; his daughter, Lynette; his stepsons,
Steve and Brad; his brother, Ed; his grandchildren,
David, Julianne, Sam and Spencer; his
step-grandchildren, Annie and Cameron; his aunt,
Mary Swisher; his nephews, Terry and Jeff; and
his nieces, Pam and Alisa. Tazioli was preceded
in death by his parents, Louie and Amelia; his
brother, Leonard; and his niece, Kai.
Ronald P. Tipple, ’83, died on Aug. 15, 2007.
He was 56. Tipple, who attended the University
of Texas and of Colorado, earned his bachelor’s
degree from Seattle University and later went on to
establish his own business, Seattle-based Electrical
Design Associates. Tennis was Tipple’s favorite
sport and he was active in the Central City Tennis
Club in Kirkland, and previously served on its
board of directors. Tipple is survived by his mother,
Dr. Marjorie Tipple of Canton, Mich.
Alfred A. Werran, ’51, died on April 6, 2009.
He was 80. After serving in the Air Force during
the Korean War, Werran, who was born in Balta,
N.D., earned a bachelor’s degree from Seattle
University. For 39 years he worked as a laboratory
technologist at a Veteran’s Administration
Hospital. Following retirement he volunteered
time at his church and with various charities. He
enjoyed attending daily Mass, taking long walks,
singing and spending time with his grandkids.
Werran is survived by his children, Lisa Weaver,
Tina Murison and Anita Canon; seven grandchildren,
Blake, Sydney, Chase, Jacob, Paige, Jay and
Mason; his sisters, Anne Marie Standish, Regina
Turk and Kathy Cooper; and many nieces and
nephews. He was preceded in his death by his
wife of 23 years, Evelyn.
Obituaries
Seattle University Magazine relies on
family members to inform us of the
death of alumni and friends. If a newspaper
obituary is available, we would
appreciate a copy. Send notices to:
Attn: Obituaries
Seattle University Magazine
Seattle University
901 12th Avenue
PO Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-1090
E-mail: sumagazine@seattleu.edu
Online: www.seattleu.edu/magazine/
44 | Alumni Focus

the good word
Students and Alumni
in Service to Others
This is a time of great celebration
at Seattle University.
As many of you
know, we have surpassed
our fundraising goal, an achievement
that befits the theme of the capital
campaign, For the Difference We
Make. It is a theme that is reflected
in the difference our alumni, friends,
benefactors and students continue to
make in the world.
This past spring Corey Paulino, one
of our graduating seniors, stopped by
my office to ask for a letter of recommendation.
After graduation Corey
hopes to spend two years working
with underserved youth, either with
the International Jesuit Volunteer
Corps in Tanzania, or in Haiti with
the Haitian Project. I thought he
would just hand me the forms and I’d
begin writing. Instead, I asked Corey
why he wanted to spend this time
volunteering, which led to a lengthy
conversation about his vocation.
At a young age Corey realized how
fortunate he was to have grown up in
a loving family, to be a gifted student
and to have superb health. This was
not the case for his younger brother,
who was born with a cleft palate.
As they grew up, Corey noticed
his brother struggling socially and
academically. He lacked the supportive
friendships his older brothers had and
as a result was not performing well in
school. Their parents knew that if he
was going to succeed, he would need
surgery.
After researching the procedure
and learning more about the expense
involved, they almost gave up hope.
Then, miraculously, Corey’s parents
located a surgeon in California who
was willing to perform the surgery for
free. The first surgery showed some
significant improvements. After two
more surgeries, Corey’s brother’s scar
was barely visible. He began making
friends, and his grades dramatically
improved the following year.
During Corey’s senior year of
high school, he began looking at
universities. What he thought about
most was the dentist who had so
generously performed his brother’s
surgery. He dreamed of becoming a
dental surgeon as well to help those
in need. He also heard from Seattle
U students and alumni about the
high-quality liberal arts education
he could receive here and how an
undergraduate education would
prepare him for dental school.
Once enrolled at SU as a biochemistry
major, Corey made the
Dave Anderson, S.J.
dean’s list every year. He also logged
many volunteer hours at the
Union Gospel Mission Dental
Clinic, serving those who would not
otherwise receive any dental care.
As Corey told me his story, I
could feel his passion for the service
opportunities he has experienced. He
is excited to use his gifts to share with
others what he has so abundantly
received from God. Wanting to serve
others as a dentist is clearly a desire
that comes from God, born of his
gratitude for the help his younger
brother received. The closer he gets
to putting his gifts into practice, the
more joyful he becomes about the
opportunities he has to serve others.
Corey is one of many students
at SU who are making a difference
in our world. Let us thank God for
them, as we continue to work together
to help make our world a better place
for everyone.
—Dave Anderson, S.J.
Father Anderson is alumni chaplain
at Seattle University.
Pilgrimage to Spain
Seattle University and the Spiritual Exercises of Everyday Life sponsor a pilgrimage to Spain, “In the Footsteps of Ignatius
of Loyola,” March 19-30, 2010. The experience will be guided by the spiritual direction of Gennyn Dennison, Steve
Donaldson and Pat O’Leary, S.J., chaplain for Seattle University faculty and staff. To learn more about the trip, including
travel costs and itinerary, contact Father O’Leary at (206) 296-5315 or e-mail oleary@seattleu.edu. Deadline: Dec. 1, 2009.
SU Magazine Fall 2009 | 45

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
901 12th Avenue
PO Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-1090
FOR THE
FOR THE
GALA
WE MAKE
WE MAKE
November 14, 2009 at The Westin Seattle
Celebrate the difference you make in the lives of SU students at our annual scholarship gala.
Join us for an inspiring evening of dining, music and dancing featuring
entertainment by Gladys Knight.
Gala Chairs: Joe, ’67, and Terri Gaffney, ’67, ’89
www.seattleu.edu/gala
Table sponsorship begins at $5,000; individual tickets are $500. All proceeds from this event benefit student scholarships at SU.
For more information or to sponsor this event, contact Donna Warren at (206) 296-6140 or gala@seattleu.edu.