1 20 3 https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/5d988b1d6bcc66a79ab92a36292b2635.pdf de0465b65fdf89faa8c90314f9661355 PDF Text Text S T.   J O H N ’ S C O L L EG E M AG A Z I N E Building Bridges JOHNNIES CONNECT TO THE COLLEGE AND ONE ANOTHER PAG E 4 PAG E 6 A Re-envisioned Relationship An Open Conversation PAG E 2 6 Internships Connect the Lab to Life �What, we might ask, is the nature of the thing? What is this piece you have before you? It is not a reincarnation of The College magazine, a resource-intensive publication that the college could not continue to staff and maintain. It is not an annual report, either; it is not meant to give a detailed account of what the college is doing and how resources are being spent. What, then, is this publication all about? This is a look at you and your fellow alumni—what you are doing, how you are living and modeling the Program, and how you are giving back to St. John’s in meaningful ways. It is a look at the connections you are creating around the world, and it is your guide to making them even stronger. What this piece needs from you now is a name. What captures the essence of the stories in this collection? What options do you like and which ones do you not? Visit sjc.edu/mag-survey and share your thoughts. �Dear Fellow Johnnies, I hope this message fnds you well. Refecting on our alumni community, I recall a passage in John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, written in the same century that saw the founding of our forebear, the King William’s School. John Donne wrote “no man is an island,” and yet the challenges of current times seem to contradict this notion—highlighting separations of situation and, with the pandemic, of actual distance. Despite this, we continue to fnd bridges connecting us. Bridges span divides and create meeting points. They aid the passage of ideas, communities, and conversation. Bridges facilitate growth, with movement from the familiar to the unknown, and connect challenges to opportunities. In these pages we will learn of ways alumni can serve as bridges—between the college and future students, between new graduates and careers, between the college and the world, between the Great Books and future generations—all while serving as bridges to each other. In maintaining these connections, we move beyond our individual limitations and boundaries. Just as the Program allowed us to bridge distant shores, eras, and cultures, our connections allow us to expand our understanding and our community. We have much to celebrate this past year. Through the tremendous generosity of alumni and friends, and the commitment of staff and faculty, St.  John’s was able to traverse years of fscal austerity to stand on higher, frmer ground. The strength of the alumni community has helped carry the college over and past many signifcant challenges. As the Alumni Association approaches its 200th year, and the college stands strong, I am grateful for the opportunities ahead of us. Strengthened by the foundational beginnings we all share, alumni have a key role in bridging across our community—so we may be more than “entire of ourselves.” What Donne wrote in 1623 is as true today as it was then: by virtue of the connections we foster, we are elevated. St. John’s Forever! Gigi Escalante (A92) President St. John’s College Alumni Association A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 1 �TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 4 Opening Letter GIGI ESCALANTE A92 14 A Re-envisioned Relationship Teacher Ignites International Interest in St. John’s CHRIS AAMOT SF04 ERICA BEALL A07 6 LIAM GOODACRE SF08 An Open Conversation 18 Summer Classics: A Beautiful Opacity MARTI ACOSTA A92 LEAH LASELL SFGI04 DINO ANDERSON 2 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E A99 KENNETH WOLFE SF94 �24 28 Supporting our Newest Johnnies 36 Alumni Couple Bring Their Johnnie Perspective to Life Day of Gratitude & Reunion Weekend 38 Selected Notes from Classmates 39 Highlights from Alumni Week 2022 40 KIDUS KEBEDE A20 In Memoriam CHLOE NIEDZIELSKI A25 ELI CASTRO SF94 TRACY LOCKE CASTRO SF95 41 32 26 Internships Connect the Lab to Life On Reading, Religion, Redemption, and Reasons for Giving SUSMI SHARMA SF21 MARK JORDAN SF73 Alumni Association Honorees 2022 A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 3 �A Re-envisioned Relationship A nnapolis tutor Erica Beall (A07) remembers the conficting feelings that arose in the years immediately following her graduation from St.  John’s. “It was possible to remain engaged with the college, but it was not always clear in what capacities we still belonged,” she says of herself and her fellow Johnnies. “We used to joke about how those four years of intense self-discovery can lead to an ambivalent attachment: both clinging to and feeing from the college when it’s fnally time to go.” Now, as a member of the Alumni Relations Working Group (ARWG), Beall is committed to helping change that dynamic. With representation from staff, faculty, alumni, and members of the Board of Visitors and Governors, the group advises the collegewide Offce of Alumni Relations, and Beall describes it as “almost like a think tank.” “There’s room for unstructured conversations that generate interesting ideas for how to serve, and show appreciation for, our alumni. It’s a great mix of brass tacks and broader refection, all with an eye to re-envisioning alumni relations in a way that’s both practical and true to the spirit of the college,” says Beall. For Director of Alumni Relations Chris Aamot (SF04), the ARWG serves as an invaluable source of support and encouragement—and ensures that the alumni voice is heard. “They are holding me accountable for doing the best job that I can do,” he says. “It’s the most productive relationship I could ask for.” When Aamot looks out toward alumni, he sees a community for whom “being a Johnnie is who they are.” But, he adds, that sense of identity doesn’t always translate into concrete action. 4 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E From Aamot’s point of view, the primary challenge is for St. John’s to determine how it can best support alumni while also inspiring them to take action on behalf of the college. This bidirectional approach to alumni relations is a  new industry standard and differs from the past when, Aamot says, “You simply held a get-together and hoped that happy vibes would somehow lead to good outcomes.” In pursuit of a more effective—and mutually benefcial—model, the Offce of Alumni Relations embarked on a listening campaign in recent years, approaching alumni who didn’t have histories of deep engagement with St. John’s. Alumni are defned by the college’s governing document, the Polity, as any former student who has completed one semester of the undergraduate program or one segment of a graduate program. It is a lifelong community that is not bound by time or place but is united by a common curiosity and commitment to exploring fundamental questions together. “We knew these alumni still loved the college,” says Aamot. “So we asked them, ‘what can the college do for you? What do you need?’ The universal answer was: ‘Help us continue the life of the mind that we began at St. John’s.’” �CHRIS AAMOT SF04 Aamot and his colleagues are dedicated to providing Johnnies with numerous opportunities to do exactly that, whether on campus, off campus, or virtually. He cites Summer (and now Winter) Classics as popular and enriching options along with the three low-residency programs of the Graduate Institute, which are open to alumni on a degree-track or audit-only basis. As it seeks to meet the needs of alumni, the college also asks that alumni help meet the needs of current and future students, through advocacy, philanthropy, and volunteerism. Regarding the frst of these, Aamot says, “We need our alumni to be talking about St. John’s to the people within their sphere of infuence. Our mission is to continue the Great Conversation by bringing people of all ages to the table to read these books and explore these questions. If we have empty seats, then nothing else matters.” Next, says Aamot, St. John’s needs to engage more volunteers. “That has been a longstanding challenge for us, because we’ve always had more alumni who want to get involved than we have been able to deploy, but we are going to keep working to build channels for those who raise their hand.” The third action the college wants to encourage is philanthropy. This particular need became especially crucial when the college reduced tuition by one-third in 2019. “What made that possible was an outpouring of philanthropy from alumni,” Aamot says, noting that the college needs more participation from alumni who are willing to make small gifts, year after year. “St. John’s tends to produce maximalists,” he notes. “We are the people who are going to read the thou- ERICA BEALL A07 sand-page book on the beach. But we need to remember that the little things matter. The small gifts, the little actions of advocacy, those things have real power and can change trajectories.” Like his colleague Beall, Aamot knows frsthand how complicated alumni feelings about St. John’s can be. “We want it to be better than it is because we believe in the true, the good, the beautiful—that which is the ideal,” he says. “We believe in arete, and the college is always going to fall short of arete. How do we reconcile that? We adopt a calculus where we are both supporting the college as it is and helping it to become better.” For both Aamot and Beall, that means recognizing and celebrating that Johnnies are lifelong members of one community—and then focusing on the ultimate reason for the college’s continued existence. “As a tutor, this shift has meant a greater awareness that part of what we are doing is preparing our students to be alumni,” says Beall. “Maintaining a healthy connection between alumni and the college helps me keep this essential aspect of a tutor’s work concretely in view.” This evolving relationship between the college and alumni is not only crucial to St. John’s future but is also the right approach for the present. “In this environment, where people are becoming increasingly polarized, there is nothing more valuable than true collaborative inquiry into meaningful questions,” says Aamot. “Teaching students how to do that—to stand for their own voice and genuinely listen to others who differ from them—there is no better education for the modern moment.”  A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 5 �MARTI ACOSTA A92 DINO ANDERSON A99 �An Open Conversation MARTI ACOSTA A92 T his spring, the college sat down for a conversation with Marti Acosta (A92) and Dino Anderson (A99), two of the many alumni who have positively impacted the college through their volunteerism and advocacy. Their involvement with the college as alumni is extensive and includes collaborating with the college on issues of concern to alumni, including diversity and inclusion initiatives. Marti Acosta has worked in leadership development for more than two decades. Currently a senior moderator for Harvard Business Publishing, she has facilitated diversity and inclusion programs for global corporations including Natixis, Mars, and Intel. Dino Anderson began his career teaching at Bowdoin College and Columbia University. He is the chief culture offcer at Articulate in San Francisco and is a lecturer at the Master of Liberal Arts program at Johns Hopkins and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. DINO ANDERSON A99 How have you been involved with the college as alumni thus far? MARTI ACOSTA: I’ve been involved for many years and volunteered in several capacities. I did a video around how the St. John’s education develops the leadership skills that are desired in corporations around the world. I have presented to parents of newly admitted students, and I have delivered workshops to students on topics like networking. I was on the Alumni Association Board, and now I sit on the Board of Visitors and Governors. DINO ANDERSON: I am mainly involved on three fronts: through the board Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion; I am the director of the Alumni Association Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) working group for the Alumni Association Board; and I participated in the One Table, Many Voices visioning process. A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 7 �Columbia University professor Roosevelt Montás visited both campuses to speak about the value of the Great Books and why they matter in our modern and   diverse world. Did you miss the presentation? Videos of both lectures can be found on the college’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/stjohnscollege �I know of your work on the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Task Force and related work partnering with college staff to develop a vision for One Table, Many Voices events, like the Roosevelt Montás lecture and visit. How would you describe this work? ACOSTA: It’s the work of every organization to create an environment that is supportive of everyone showing up authentically as themselves. I’m an immigrant, and I’m also mixed-race. When I was younger, I sort of accepted this feeling of not really ftting in anywhere in the world, and when I went to St. John’s I found my people. The Program, how we approach Western thought, is by its nature intellectually inclusive. For me the importance of being on the D&I Task Force is to help create an environment where everyone can fully engage in this very special education and have their diverse voices heard, even if they don’t see all their identities refected in the texts. ANDERSON: It comes from an awareness that there is an opportunity for more diverse representation among the voices that have shaped Western civilization. The conversation is not limited to the authors on the Program, since there are more voices that have contributed to sustaining and expanding the big questions on the true, the good, and the beautiful. Marti, what stood out to you from the Roosevelt Montás visit or lecture, and how would it have spoken to you when you were a student at the college? ACOSTA: One of the things that was really beautiful was that Professor Montás was talking about his personal relationship with some of the works we read at St. John’s. A crazy thing blew my mind: I asked him a question about his defnition of freedom, and he clarifed something for me, which is that the word “liberal” in liberal education is more closely related to “liberal” in the sense of “liberty” than in the sense of “broad.” I have lived in lots of different cultures and countries, and I realized that so much of the ways that we categorize ourselves are for other people. One of the liberties that a liberal education gave me is the ability to question these narrow categories, approach issues from multiple perspectives, and embrace my complexity and even my paradoxes. How do alumni help the college understand and address important efforts like this? ACOSTA: As alumni, we provide a larger context outside of the school. The St. John’s education requires study and self-refection and insularity. There’s a contraction of our activity to allow for an expansion of our minds. The alumni help people see what expansive education means in the world—what’s next after St. John’s and how we carry that education with us— because it’s hard to do that when you are focusing in on the fundamental principles of a triangle or the astronomical foundations of calculus. Dino, talk more about your role in the events related to the 70th anniversary of W. E. B. Du Bois’s visit to the college. ANDERSON: What an exciting opportunity to have collaborated on commemorating the visit of a seminal Program author to the college. I was particularly excited because in grad school I did deeper research on Du Bois’s dynamic life, writings, and pedagogy, particularly as it concerned the grounding and promise of the American polity and preservation of the contributions of the African diaspora. When I got involved with the task force and the Alumni Association, I found an article with the exact date of when Du Bois spoke at St. John’s, so I was one of the people to voice that he made an appearance. I think it is important to note that quite a few people pointed out that fact. I am glad that these voices were able to infuence the realization of this event. Sadly, I didn’t have the opportunity to attend the all-college seminar because of other teaching commitments, but I was happy about working with staff and other alumni to make sure we told the story of what it meant for Du Bois to be at the school. What did it mean for you to experience this focus on the Du Bois visit and speech? ANDERSON: I recall reading the text as a senior and not grasping the gravity and urgency of his words. This could have been due to an immaturity on my part, and our reading only a part of The Souls of Black Folk—a complex work of education written in the Bildungsroman tradition. A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 9 �Dino, take yourself back to being a student at There’s a certain maturity you need to read that St. John’s. How does your work with the college towork, because it’s representative of Du Bois’s lifelong day speak to, or from, your younger self? commitment to documenting and eradicating the social injustice and inequities that happen for Black and other people of color. And now, seeing the exacerbaANDERSON: I’ll never forget what one tutor, Debbie tion of race relations in the United States (and in other Renaut Axelrod, told me when I was adamant that I countries), we have much more context for Du Bois’s wanted to pursue a graduate degree in philosophy and text as a harrowing depiction of the U.S. polity and its maybe one day come back to teach at St. John’s. (This inability to live up to its promises. romantic vision was not uncommon.) She told me it It was exciting to have Du Bois’s voice be central— was important to gain different perspectives on othnot as a reaction or a performative gesture in the er schools of thought and approaches to philosophy. name of diversity, but because he is in the Program When I did go to grad school, I had the courage to put and because these words still resonate as strongly as the Western philosophical canon into question—from they did in 1903, and in 1952, and now in 2022: “so those who inherited the tradition and those who had that they can come to know what has their histories and thoughts contesttaken place in the past and what mised. I’m glad that I’ve had that ability to takes have been made.” mature and think differently, to quesIt gives me hope to see the college tion the canon. The Program should alAlumni should shining a light on this great thinker ways keep its central questions alive really be proud and his urgent words and, through this and always ask who is not at the table that they are part celebration, creating a space for diffand why? of a community cult conversations. I feel the college is that is willing How d id each of you v iew you r trying to heal its own soul so that it can to look at itself St. John’s education in real time and be a voice to help heal the American critically—and how do you view it now? Has your polity’s soul. also with perspective changed? compassion and Marti, I heard you participated in a also with praise. video shoot that paired a student with ANDERSON : My younger self didn’t We deserve all an alum up on Monte del Sol, having have all these resources that are on of those things. a conversation about a great book. the campus now. What a great and What did you talk about? wonderful thing to know that we can get better. I see that commitment hapACOSTA: I was paired with a student pening, and it makes me hopeful. My — MARTI ACOSTA A92 who is Nepalese, a wonderful, thoughtyounger self is glad that I made the ful Johnnie. We had a brief discussion right decision to go to a school that is about a passage in the Iliad, specifcally around the committed to giving us a foundation and always lookrelationship between Achilles and Patroclus. My biging at ways it can improve. gest problem with the video was trying to decide how to pronounce Patroclus, because we all had different ACOSTA: I often introduce myself to other Johnnies ideas! as someone who did junior year twice, not because I There’s a thread that holds all Johnnies together, had to but because I wanted to. My perspective about and even though, as I said, I found my people there, I St. John’s now is one of feeling great privilege for havfound a very diverse people: people from all over the ing been there while also being shocked that the world place with different backgrounds and different reladoesn’t recognize it fully for the gem that it is. tionships to the work and different things they wantAlumni should really be proud that they are part of ed to do with life. Being able to come back and connect a community that is willing to look at itself critically— with some students and seeing how amazing and how and also with compassion and also with praise. We dediverse they are, it was fun. serve all of those things.  “ ” 10 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �The St. John’s community marked the 70th anniversary of W. E. B. Du Bois’s visit to the Annapolis campus with an all - college seminar on his 1952 lecture. Du Bois, author of The Souls of Black Folk , is believed to be the only Program author to speak at St. John’s College. �How can I be an advocate for the college and its alumni? 12 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �Be an advocate for GivingTuesday 2022. Join us this year for GivingTuesday to watch small gifts compound into spectacular support for our students and the Program. Email development@sjc.edu to learn how you can use your networking or social media skills to further support GivingTuesday as a GiveCampus advocate. Elect your representatives on the Alumni Association Board. All alumni are members of the St. John’s College Alumni Association, an independent group that works closely with the college to advocate for St. John’s continued excellence. The Alumni Association is governed by a volunteer board of directors who represent their fellow alumni and are elected by and from the alumni body. Visit sjc.edu/alumni/association for more information about items on the ballot, including the Association’s board of directors and your elected representative to the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors. Nominate outstanding alumni for the Award of Merit. Each year the Alumni Association bestows the Award of Merit on our fellow alumni for distinguished and meritorious service to the United States, to their native state, to the college, or for outstanding achievement within a chosen feld. The Awards Committee needs your help to ensure that deserving alumni are recognized and celebrated. sjc.edu/award-merit Submit a story idea to elevate extraordinary alumni. Share your best dorm stories. Take a walk down memory lane and share your best stories about Johnnie dorm giggles, gaggles, and maybe even a few geese to support our upcoming campaign for campus infrastructure and renovations. Submit your stories and keep an eye out to see which fantastic tales are chosen. sjc.edu/dorm-stories The St. John’s Communications Offce loves to celebrate the amazing pivots, journeys, and achievements of our alumni. Highlight a signifcant moment for a peer or yourself at: sjc.edu/submit-story A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 13 �Teacher Ignites International Interest in St. John’s A ny St. John’s alum who hapas a student and now as a teacher. pened to peer into the classIn between, he found St. John’s, room of high school teacher and his encounter with the Great Liam Goodacre (SF08) would fnd LIAM GOODACRE SF08 Books shaped the trajectory of his the intellectual comforts of home— future. and some familiar friends. “The college was a step in a different direction for Aristotle, Kant, Sartre, Beauvoir: all make an apme. I had no experience with the classics, but I was atpearance. tracted to the seminar style of learning and the demoIt is not necessarily the subject matter—grounded, cratic principles of the classroom,” he recalls, adding though it is, in the classics—that would transport this that he “discovered philosophy” along the way. hypothetical Johnnie back to the seminar table; it is “St. John’s was four great years of thinking ‘what is the plurality of voices, united in the pursuit of underthis person trying to say? I have never thought along standing. these lines, and I cannot imagine coming up with this In Liam Goodacre’s classroom, conversations idea because it is so alien, so radically new.’” abound. After graduating from St. John’s, Goodacre felt he “My teaching has evolved over the years, in terms of could help other students to develop their own relaboth style and content, but Socratic teaching methtionship with “radical ideas.” Attracted to UWC’s comods are still very fundamental for what I do,” says mitment to egalitarianism in education and the diverGoodacre, who teaches philosophy at the United World sity of the student body, he joined the faculty of UWC College Mahindra near Pune, India. Mahindra, where he spent the frst fve years of his The United World Colleges (UWC) constitute an inteaching career. He then taught for four years at UWC ternational network of high schools that share a stated Dilijan in Armenia before returning to India. aim of uniting “people, nations, and cultures for peace It was during his time in Dilijan that Goodacre’s teaching methods had a profound effect on James and a sustainable future.” Goodacre has been a part of the UWC community for more than 12 years, frst Law (SF25). 14 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �“I was really struck by the detail in which Liam already have, something they can’t even imagine,” thinks about things. We would read a sentence from says Goodacre. “I suspect that at a lot of liberal arts Plato, and he would stimulate a fantastic conversation colleges, you are getting fed what you already know, just around that,” says Law, one of two students who or what you already believe. St. John’s will challenge attended Goodacre’s philosophy class at UWC Dilijan students in ways they can’t even imagine being chaland are now in their second year at St. John’s. lenged.” “Some teachers stand in this elevated role, but with That desire to be challenged also manifests itself Liam, you were on common ground. I can see now that in Goodacre’s own approach to education. For years he ran his class just like a St.  John’s he has taught Simone de Beauvoir’s class.” The Second Sex, giving students an opGoodacre says that numerous stuportunity to hear from one of history’s most infuential female philosodents will invariably ask about his educational background, giving him the The Class of 2025 phers. Most recently, he helped UWC is the largest in opportunity to describe and promote Mahindra develop a course in which a decade, and 1 in 4 students discuss the implications of St. John’s. “Every year there is at least of these rising slavery, both historical and contemone student who will respond enthusophomores siastically, and we will sit down and porary, from a multidisciplinary perlearned about talk for a couple of hours. That student spective. St. John’s College usually ends up going to St. John’s.” Both subjects address emotionally from an alum. resonant issues that are at the foreThis was ultimately the case for Law. front of a global conversation—and “I was really curious about how Liam Goodacre is convinced these are exbecame the thinker that he is, and he actly the kinds of conversations that told me about the college. We would St. meet every week to talk.”   John’s gives people of all backLaw initially succumbed to the temptation to design grounds and perspectives the tools to confront. his own education and spent a year at a college where “There is so much divide these days, and I truly behe could choose from electives—but his conversations lieve that St. John’s approach to education can help. It with Goodacre continued to reverberate. By the time helps us to listen, to fnd common causes amidst all the pandemic struck in 2020, forcing Law to leave his of the things that pull us apart. It’s not an easy thing. college campus in Maine, he had already decided he But I really do think that St. John’s College, more than wanted to be at St. John’s. With a letter of recommenmost educational systems, can help bridge divides.”  dation from Goodacre, Law applied to St. John’s and enrolled at the Santa Fe campus in Fall 2021. “When I came to St. John’s and had my frst seminar, I realized ‘yes, this is what Liam was trying to emulate in his classroom.’” ARE YOU A JOHNNIE Law joined the largest cohort of UWC students to enIN EDUCATION? roll at St. John’s in a decade—and entered a Santa Fe freshman class that was the largest in 18 years. These The college would like to thank you for all results are especially signifcant as St. John’s, like mayou do. Complete a simple form, and ny small colleges, prepares for a demographic cliff St. John’s will send you a package of swag that will see the population of college-age students and surprises, including a Great Books drop by an estimated 15 percent in the coming years. poster for your classroom. “UWC is very helpful to St. John’s because it can prosjc.edu/teacher-project vide diversity, but you also fnd people who get what the college is about,” Goodacre explains. The college, in return, has a lot to offer students. “St. John’s will give students something they don’t A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 15 �How can I  connect the college to the  next generation of Johnnies? 16 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �Introduce a student to the college. Add St. John’s to your LinkedIn profle. Alumni are the best advertisement for the value of a St. John’s education. When prospective students are making their college decisions, they look to see what alumni are doing in the world. Your social media presence on LinkedIn and other platforms can show these future students what life is like on the other side of college. The Great Conversation will always need fresh perspectives. If you know a student who would enrich the St. John’s community, let the college know. The admissions team will send you a packet of information to share, or they can send information directly to the student. sjc.edu/1alum1referral Introduce a teacher to the Graduate Institute. When educators experience St. John’s discussion-based pedagogy, they are frequently inspired to model it in their own classrooms. Teachers can enjoy select seminars at no cost through the Teachers Institute or earn a Liberal Arts Education Certifcate in just two summers. sjc.edu/teachers-institute sjc.edu/liberal-arts-certifcate Be an admissions ambassador. Whether they have already been accepted to St. John’s or are still exploring their options, students have questions. You can offer answers. Share your experiences with a high school senior, answer questions from incoming freshmen, or represent St. John’s at your local high school. Spark a conversation with your Johnnie swag. Here’s how to claim your discount:  Visit johnniestore.com by September 30, 2022  Select “shop” from the drop-down menu  Choose the “Alumni Magazine” category  Stock up on alumni apparel, auto decals, water bottles, tote bags, and more... Enjoy a T SCOUN 20% DIct items at on sele e johnni om store.c Interested? Reach out to annapolis.admissions@sjc.edu or santafe.admissions@sjc.edu for more information. Support student scholarships with a gift of any size. Your annual gift to the Fund for St. John’s helps break down the fnancial barriers that stand between a St. John’s education and nearly two-thirds of all Johnnies. sjc.edu/annual-fund Submit an inspiring review of St. John’s. Prospective students and parents connect with the spirit of St. John’s through authentic testimonials from alumni like you. Share your reflections on the power of your St. John’s education with the U.S. News & World Report and other influential sites. sjc.edu/submit-review A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 17 �Summer Classics: A Beautiful Opacity KENNETH WOLFE SF94 B occaccio’s The Decameron is a collection of one hundred stories that chronicle the whims of fortune and vicissitudes of love. Set in 1348 in a country villa outside of Florence, it features a group of ten young people trading narratives while taking refuge during the aftermath of a plague. To be sure, the book’s theme has a particular resonance in light of our collective relationship to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But that’s not the primary reason Santa Fe tutor Ken Wolfe (SF94) chose it as a featured text for the 2022 session of St. John’s Summer Classics. Although strongly associated with Santa Fe, Summer Classics is emerging as a collegewide program, with more tutor collaboration, online offerings, and attendees from around the country. 18 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E LEAH LASELL SFGI04 The Decameron is also the frst major work of prose literature produced in Italy, a country to which Wolfe has a strong personal connection; he completed both a master’s degree in Latin and a PhD in classics from UC Berkeley. “I’ve had a really long-standing interest in the Mediterranean world, not just the ancient one,” he says. “I know Italy, and I love the food, the sound of the language and the music—everything.” Wolfe initially read The Decameron during spring break of his junior year at St. John’s. “It was just on my own,” he says. “I didn’t have a chance to have Johnniestyle discussions on the book, but I really got into it and found it delightful.” He began to revisit it last fall and asked Annapolis tutor Leah Lasell (SFGI04) to join him in co-facilitating a Summer Classics seminar on the text. The two had known each other for years and had previously worked together on a collegewide committee. By his own count, Wolfe has facilitated four or fve Summer Classics seminars in the past, leading dis- �cussions on topics ranging from Darwinian theory to Persian poetry. For the 2022 session, he not only collaborated in person with Lasell to discuss The Decameron but also teamed up with Annapolis tutor Allison DeWitt for an online seminar, “Reading the Qur’an as Literature.” This is the frst Summer Classics experience for Lasell, who shares Wolfe’s interest in the geographical region and culture of Boccaccio. “I have a grant to study Galileo this year and next year, so I’ve been working on Italian science and philosophy,” she says. Unsurprisingly, there are a number of factors that might draw tutors to a particular text or work of art for Summer Classics. It could be the appeal of revisiting a Program text with a fresh group of readers or the allure of exploring something new—including flms, opera, paintings, or photographs. Sometimes it’s simply committing to a book that has sat for too long on a shelf, untouched, as was the case with Lasell and The Decameron. Of course, the plague theme did play into the two tutors’ choice of text, too. Says Wolfe of the pandemic, “It’s been a really diffcult time for a lot of people in terms of isolation. You might be isolated alone, or you might be isolated with family members, and both situations will have their challenges.” The Decameron can provide an antidote of sorts to that diffculty. “It’s a really fun book,” Lasell says. “A lot of the stories are based on pleasure. There’s sort of an interesting interplay between what’s allowed, with respect to the state and religion, and how people are trying to fnd pleasure in the crevices there.” In general, she fnds that a text that engenders fruitful discussions is one that can be approached by readers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, which is also the ideal profle of a Summer Classics seminar group. Alumni accounted for 1 in 5 Summer Classics participants in 2022. 2022 session) people with a strong personal connection to the college, Summer Classics attendees are immediately immersed in the culture and conventions of a Great Books seminar. “We do have a lot of repeat participants, and newcomers can learn from people who have done it in the past,” says Wolfe. “They all bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm and freshness to the conversations.” The desire to connect through ideas is central to a St. John’s education and, some would argue, a defning characteristic of our shared humanity. For Lasell, this notion was reinforced by a story she heard on public radio some years back. In an interview, an Afghani man spoke of being middle-aged in a war-torn country and recalled how groups of people would get together to read Shakespeare. Shakespeare remains the most widely read author in 32 years of Summer Classics. “It would have been impossible to talk about war directly and about how it affected their lives—it was just too raw,” says Lasell. “But somehow talking about Shakespeare gave them the opacity that they needed to think about their life without thinking about their life. It created this barrier.” “When we’re reading Boccaccio, we’re talking about post-plague Italy. It’s as if we are not talking about ourselves at all. That allows us to talk about the things that we might want to talk about, but maybe they are too politically tense. Our emotions get too high when we talk about things directly, so this allows us to talk about them indirectly.” “That’s what St. John’s does so well,” she adds, referring not just to Summer Classics texts but to the Great Books overall. “It provides us not just some opacity, but a beautiful opaque surface.”  Whether they are alumni, lifelong learners, or (as is the case with Lasell’s mother, who registered for the A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 19 �How can I return to the conversations I love? 20 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �Join fellow seekers for a Year of Classics. Send your mind on a summer adventure— or a winter one. Spend a week (or more) among fellow lovers of intellectual inquiry as you delve into texts—as well as visual and cinematic pieces—that you didn’t have time to explore as an undergraduate. Online options are available, or you can attend Summer Classics in person and make Santa Fe your vacation destination. sjc.edu/summer-classics sjc.edu/winter-classics Savor nine months of profound, rich, and resonant readings. This once-a-month experience is the ideal in-person or online getaway for anyone whose intellectual appetite needs to be sated, from the inspired artist to the busy executive. sjc.edu/year-of-classics Johnnies are welcome. The Master of Liberal Arts degree is now open to alumni who earned a BA from St. John’s more than fve years ago. Encounter the Great Books from a new vantage point and see how the shifting sands of time have changed your thinking around the texts you explored as an undergraduate. You are entitled to an alumni discount. When you complete the application for need-based fnancial aid, you receive a 25 percent discount on your tuition. You might also qualify for additional scholarship assistance, but even if you do not, you still receive the alumni discount. You can do it online. Flexible options mean you don’t have to upend your family or career. Attend in person, online, in the evening, or only in the summers. The choice is yours. Hear from current students. Indulge in a banquet of poetry, essays, and other original content through St. John’s three primary student-run publications: Colloquy, The Gadfly, and The Moon. You are also welcome to submit your own content to Colloquy, which is produced by the Graduate Institute in Annapolis. Recent issues are available to read online. colloquysjc.com sjc.edu/gadfly sjc.edu/moon Discover what you didn’t know about the Graduate Institute. Take in a lecture, Johnnie-style. Friday night lectures remain a cherished tradition of the academic year. If you remember what it’s like to see familiar ideas thrust into new light, that experience is still yours to enjoy, free of cost. Visit events.sjc.edu for the schedule or watch past lectures on the college’s YouTube channel. youtube.com/stjohnscollege The Eastern Classics will rearrange your thinking. The classic texts of the Eastern traditions do more than enhance those of the West; they often surprise with a wholly different, frequently sublime take on timeless universal themes. Be prepared for frm ideas to develop new contours. sjc.edu/graduate-institute A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 21 �“ After graduating from the Graduate Institute, I really missed St. John’s—learning through discussion was amazing. To relive this experience, I enrolled in the Year of Classics. These seminars—just an hour and a half a month—were wonderfully enriching, with intellectual classmates and insightful tutors who enhanced my learning experience. For anyone seeking to expand their intellectual horizons, I would strongly recommend the Year of Classics as the best way to learn and to exercise your mind.” —CATHY FOGEL AGI11 “ St. John’s has remained my diamond test for intellectual engagement, so when I recently became a Johns Hopkins professor, I chose to live in Annapolis, drawn partly by the prospect of Friday night lectures. Anxious that memory’s lens would be distorted by the gauze of nostalgia, I attended my frst lecture primed for disillusion. But experience exceeded expectation. I arrived at eight and had to stand, while the students had come early, jamming the Great Hall, content to wait and to listen, and then to stay late, eager to ask questions. Whether you’re waxing nostalgic or wanting intellectual inspiration, come to a Friday night lecture. But come early. Otherwise, you’ll have to stand.” —DANIEL H. FOSTER SF90 22 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E “ A week of seminar tends to frame the events in my life. It happened all through the Graduate Institute, and it happened again at Winter Classics. We used the Emily Wilson translation of the Odyssey, and I was so taken with it that I told everyone, including an old friend from the Peace Corps. I said: ‘Dennis, I had a week seminar on the Odyssey. An old guy, after decades of sleeping with goddesses, wants to go home to see his dog, his wife, and his son, and to kill everyone who ever crossed him. His dog wagged his tail before anyone else recognized him.’ Dennis replied that he really likes to get home to see his dog too. Then in April my son’s obituary was published. Homer came again: ‘His spirit left his body. Still alive, still seeing the sunlight.’ You have to suffer, but you can get home. Consolation. Whether light-hearted or deadly serious, Winter Classics sticks with you. Come be a part of it again.” —W. PETER BALLEAU AGI17 �“ “ It was August 2020, and I was sitting in the comfort of my own home, after sanitizing groceries in our self-imposed lockdown. I pulled up my email and there was a notice from St. John’s College announcing the Eastern Classics Program would be available online. I stared at it, dumbstruck. Finally, after 20 years of wanting to study these texts, a pandemic gave me the chance. We would not sit around a physical table, but we have been participating with each other in tiles across the computer screen from homes and offces all over the world. It worked beautifully! Even Sanskrit, which I am continuing with a special study group … yes, online. Now you too can study practicerealization with Dogen, trek through the north with Basho, and translate the Gīta. Enjoy!” The Summer Classics in beautiful Santa Fe is a return to the memories, conversations, and friendships of your St. John’s experience. I loved my Johnnie experience and Summer Classics allows me to be a Johnnie all over again. Day to day it is very hard to have conversations on the beautiful and true with the nicest of people—Summer Classics is a return to the good life and is the highlight of my summer (perhaps even my year). I am so happy I made the decision to get back to Santa Fe and St. John’s. If you loved your St. John’s experience, I implore you to get back to the high desert come July. It will be like you never left. You will be instantly hooked all over again! LONG LIVE ST. JOHNS!” —BILLY GERRISH AGI11 —PAM CARTER SFGI08 A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 23 �Supporting our Newest Johnnies KIDUS KEBEDE A20 W hen Chloe Niedzielski (A25) arrived on the Annapolis campus of St.  John’s College in August 2021, she was, like many of her peers, concerned about ftting in, about making friends, and about making mistakes. She felt anxious, and she struggled—with her fears, with the weight of her college decision, and with frustratingly unfamiliar laundry machines. “I had so many questions,” says Niedzielski. “But I was also given the opportunity to ask them. I wasn’t just handed a folder and a room key and told ‘good luck fguring it out.’” 24 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E CHLOE NIEDZIELSKI A25 Niedzielski was among 54 members of the Class of 2025 whose frst year on the Annapolis campus began with the Pritzker Promise Bridge Program, an extended orientation experience for qualifed incoming students who would like additional preparation prior to the start of the academic year. The welcome she received is different from the one that Kidus Kebede (A20) remembers. “Transitioning into the college is tough,” says Kebede, St. John’s frst-year student engagement coordinator, who helps oversee the bridge program in Annapolis. “This is true of any institution, but histori- �cally St. John’s has not had a focus on easing that trannights and long papers from peer mentors who offer sition, particularly for students who are already at a a candid—and uncompromising—view of Johnnie life. disadvantage.” “Peer mentors are specifcally instructed to repSix years ago, Kebede was a frst-year student with resent the college as honestly as they can,” Kebede challenges of his own. He came to St. John’s as an insays. “And that’s important, because while new stuternational student and found an education that imdents might think they are going to leave every semmediately captivated him—and an institution that took inar with a sort of glow, that isn’t reality. There are longer to love. frustrating conversations, and students need to hear “After the frst few weeks, you were mostly left to about them.” fend for yourself,” he recalls. “I was midway through Luke Widenhouse (A25) participated in the 2021 my sophomore year before I fnally gained my footing. bridge program as an incoming freshman and says Looking back now, I feel like I wasn’t the peer mentors offered a “no holds necessarily set up for success.” barred perspective” that prepared him But that was then. Today, he says, for the classroom more than any oththe college is taking a more proactive er discussion he had. “It's one thing to The Pritzker approach to student support, spurred hear from a member of the adminisPromise Bridge in part by constructive feedback from tration, but it's another thing to hear Program alumni. about the version of St.  John’s that addresses one might be different in real life than it “Instead of waiting for students to of the concerns walk into offces and say, ‘I am strugis on paper, to learn what actually does most commonly gling,’ we are creating communicaor doesn’t work in the classroom.” expressed by tion bridges between students, staff, In 2021, eight students served as alumni and future and faculty from day one,” Kebede expeer mentors in Annapolis; this year alumni: the need plains. “Students feel more connected the campus has ten. Both Niedzielski for a strong to the school and to the administration and Widenhouse, now sophomores, infrastructure of and not left to fend for themselves.” are among them. student support. Kebede describes the Pritzker “It wasn’t long ago that I was flled Promise Bridge Program as a core with questions, and now I have some component of a collegewide effort to answers to share with the next generhelp students succeed at St.  John’s. ation of Johnnies,” says Niedzielski. “I Funded through a Freeing Minds campaign gift from can help them understand that you won’t reach your the Jay Pritzker Foundation, the bridge program is destination all at once, but you will get closer and closmeant to address the distinctive needs of new stuer until the other side isn’t overwhelming anymore.” dents whose backgrounds and circumstances could Widenhouse adds, “I am passionate about this potentially serve as obstacles to academic success. On school and want to do my part in giving back to it.” both campuses, eligible students include those who Their enthusiasm is representative of what Kebede qualify for federal Pell Grant assistance, students who sees as a broader collegewide culture shift, one that are the frst in their families to attend college, and incalls for more collective accountability in helping all ternational students. members of the St. John’s community feel connect“There are some social drawbacks and risk factors ed to the college. that come with being a part of these demographics,” “Every student who signs their name in the book Kebede explains. He says the bridge program helps during Convocation deserves to be set up for success, to mitigate those factors by giving participants more because that is the core of our message, that a libertime to adjust to campus, access to a social safety net, al arts education should be available to anyone who and an extensive overview of available resources. seeks it.” “Being a part of that is fulflling.”  What it does not do, Kebede assures, is downplay the realities of a tough course load or the demands of the St. John’s classroom. Participants hear about long A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 25 �Internships Connect the Lab to Life SUSMI SHARMA SF21 26 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �E very summer, St. John’s students fan out across who are pursuing majors in science, technology, enthe globe to gain valuable onsite work experigineering, and mathematics (STEM). ence through the Hodson Internships, which “The questions we were persistently asking were are based in Annapolis, and the Ariel Internships, ‘why do most of us spend hours using ineffective learning strategies like highlighting or rereading based in Santa Fe. Students who are interested in these summer optext?’” explains Sharma. The assistance she providportunities work with the Career Services Offce in ed during her internship will help researchers to unAnnapolis or the Offce of Personal and Professional derstand why students continue to rely on unproducDevelopment (OPPD) in Santa Fe to identify locations tive strategies and how educators can promote more and programs that align with their goals—or tap ineffective ones. to budding interests. The right match can give stuSharma now works full time as a research assistant at the University of Minnesota’s dents a deeper understanding of their Department of Neuroscience, where post-graduate choices and provide an edge as they seek employment. she continues to nurture her interest The experience can also foster deepA collegewide in the neural underpinnings of human survey of St. John’s er relationships between students, behavior. alumni shows that alumni, and the college. “My initial fascination with neuronearly 20 percent When Susmi Sharma (SF21) was science deepened after my hands-on of graduates have awarded an internship during her seinternship,” says Sharma. “Before I pursued careers in interned with Dr. Elliott, I was quesnior year, she sought to explore her STEM or a related growing interest in neuroscience and tioning my decision to some extent: I area, such as psychology. Piér Quintana, assistant did not know how or even if I could rehealthcare. director at OPPD, introduced Sharma ally help people by doing experiments to Dr. Taffeta Elliott (SF97), assistant and computational work.” professor of psychology and education “The internship opened my eyes, made me see that the task of a reat the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, known locally as New Mexico Tech. searcher is to understand the problem and then conElliott was interested in hosting a student intern in nect the experiments to real people’s lives.” her lab and, as an alum, was familiar with the advanAlumni who are in a position to host a summer intern tages that St. John’s students can bring to experimenare encouraged to fnd out how a current student can ental research. rich the workplace—and how hosting a student can en“Susmi had a great can-do approach to lab work rich their own relationship to the college. that might have been tedious to students who have “Mentoring Johnnies keeps me connected to St. John’s,” less insight about their own motivations or the value says Elliott. “Susmi brought energy to our summer projof using empirical study to test strong claims,” says ects, and she brought great conversations.”  Elliott. “She also had an advantage in that she understood clearly how her senior essay work on Nietzsche was related to psychological research on self-percepYOUR GENEROSITY CAN OPEN THE tion and metacognition.” DOOR TO A STUDENT’S CAREER. Sharma’s internship with Dr. Elliott involved two distinct research projects that took her into the seemingSummer internships at St. John’s are funded entirely through philanthropic support, making ly disparate—but perhaps not too dissimilar—brains of them more accessible to students who depend South African clawed frogs and college students. on paid summer work. Reach out to The frst study looked at how frogs use an assortdevelopment@sjc.edu to learn how you can help ment of hormones, nonverbal cues, and vocal commore Johnnies beneft from an internship. munication to mediate their behavior and their social decisions. The other study explored the learning strategies that are most effective for college students A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 27 �Alumni Couple Bring Their Johnnie Perspective to Life E ELI CASTRO SF94 li Castro (SF94) and Tracy Locke (SF95) Castro created a life and a legacy from their pursuit of knowledge of the Great Books at St.  John’s College. Their daughters Ella and Clarissa attended Summer Academy on both campuses. Ella just graduated from American University, and Clarissa will join the Santa Fe freshman class this fall. “When the parents are Johnnies, we’re always going to be talking about books,” says Eli, a Deloitte executive. “This helps us have great conversations because we have a common language.” Tracy, an independent web developer, adds: “Up until middle school, we read stories out loud, including the children’s Homer.” She remembers the girls exclaiming, “We’re on our Odyssey!” as they played. Tracy grew up on a rural Texas cattle ranch and attended a boarding high school in Dallas, Texas, where one of her teachers knew about the Great Books program. “I found a St. John’s brochure at a career fair and thought, ‘I am at the beginning of my life, and I want to know the answers to the big questions; but the books are right there in the library.’” To help her de- 28 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E TRACY LOCKE CASTRO SF95 termine whether the college was right for her, Tracy visited St. John’s, attended seminar, and was “amazed” at how the conversations continued late into the night. “It felt so authentic…the blurring of your academic life and your personal life, hiking in the mountains together,” she says. She and Eli became friends at St.  John’s and after graduation they married and settled in Texas to raise a family. Both say they could not have predicted their future careers. Tracy’s post-graduation journey initially led her into public health nursing and teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. After enjoying some time as a stay-at-home mom, she is now focused on graphic design, web design, and web development. “Our path is not straightforward,” Tracy says. “St. John’s is an education for the whole person. It helps you learn who you want to be, and the skills you can get later.” Soon after St.  John’s, Eli began working toward a PhD in economics at the University of Wisconsin, a direction he quickly discovered was not right for him. “This isn’t working for me; do we have any leads?” he �asked Jennifer Chenoweth (SFGI95), who was then it. All of us who are on the other side have fgured head of the Career Services Offce in Annapolis. She out a path. It’s really cloudy when you try to look forput him in touch with Aaron Rosenbaum (A89), who ward; it’s obvious when you look backward,” he exoperated a small consulting business that worked plains. “Anyone can share their story to help make with government clients. One week later, Eli moved the post-graduate journey seem a little less scary, and to Washington, DC. that can be impactful,” he adds. “Absolutely, St. John’s got me that job,” says Eli, who Eli notes that the college now offers students more began his consulting career through that fortuitous direct career preparation. “St. John’s summer internintroduction to a fellow Johnnie. He subsequently ship program sets the bar in education,” he says. “And earned an MBA from the University of Texas and in I work with higher education all the time.” 2005 joined professional services company Deloitte, “The world is changing, evolving, and so is St. John’s,” where he serves as a managing director focusing on adds Tracy. “The core of St. John’s is still there with higher education clients. the Great Books programs, but now The couple says their passion for there are many activities and caSt.  John’s inspired their two daughreer preparation opportunities that ters to take an interest in the colmake St. John’s even better,” she says. lege, with both daughters attending Anyone can share “While I feel strongly that being an unSummer Academy during their high their story to dergraduate isn’t about getting a skill help make the school years. so you can fnd a job, we do have to post-graduate Eli is confdent that their eldest get jobs.” journey seem daughter, Ella, beneftted from her Alumni, Eli asserts, are motivated a little less scary, to support current students for varSummer Academy experience even and that can be though she eventually chose a difious reasons, including a desire to impactful. ferent college. “I think discourse— perpetuate the distinctive and transcivil discourse—matters as much formational experience they enjoyed. when doing a public policy degree at “St. John’s exists in a world that is beAmerican University as it does when coming more and more specialized, SF94 talking about books,” he explains. so our college is becoming more and — ELI CASTRO “Approaching conversations about more unique,” he says. “The Program ideas in a certain inclusive way—lisallows people to learn to think in a way tening to and responding to what people are saying— that’s diffcult to learn in other places.” that absolutely has value. Summer Academy gives a “If you’re the benefciary of a beautiful experience little window into that. Clarissa loved the St. John’s like St. John’s, you owe it to the world to make sure conversations, and there never really was another it exists for those who come after you,” he concludes. choice even though she was accepted at other schools.” “That’s how it is for me.”  Eli’s dedication to St. John’s has also inspired him to think about ways to connect the college to students outside of his own family. He recently participated in an online workshop in which he and fellow alumIS YOUR TEENAGER CURIOUS ABOUT ni met with newly admitted students and addressed THE ST. JOHN’S EXPERIENCE? some of the most commonly asked questions: How do employers view St. John’s? What is the relevancy Children of alumni can enjoy a week of Summer Academy at half the price. to the work world? Can one get into a good graduate Ask them to note on the application that school after St. John’s? they have a parent who is an alum. “The answers were incredibly easy,” says Eli. sjc.edu/summer-academy “When you head out from St. John’s, you don’t have a direction; you’re just a college graduate,” he recalls. “Imagine a big meadow, and there’s no path through “ ” A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 29 �How can I  help fellow Johnnies fnd their paths? 30 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �Share your insights with current students. Your experience as a professional is one of the greatest gifts you can give to current students and fellow alumni. As an alumni volunteer, you can provide support for a spectrum of career-oriented opportunities at every commitment level, from short conversations about your career path to participation in a panel or presentation, to mentorships that support students throughout their job search process. Inspire others through a JohnnieTalk. Riff on our annual enigmatic theme as you move through a Pecha-Kucha style lightning talk to share your passion and wisdom with prospective students, current students, and alumni. Submit your proposal for next year’s round of JohnnieTalks here: sjc.edu/johnnie-talks Visit sjc.edu/career-contacts to let the college know how you can help. Find a place in your organization for a Johnnie. Contemplating a career change? The college is here for you. St. John’s offers personalized career coaching that is free of charge to alumni. The college can guide you through self-assessments, interview prep, and strategies for negotiating an offer—without the high cost of a private coach. Reach out to santafe.oppd@sjc.edu or annapolis.careerservices@sjc.edu to get support for your career transition today. Whether you are looking for remote project help, a summer intern, or are seeking to fll a part-time or full-time position, the college can connect you with Johnnies who will help your organization thrive. Many students are awarded funding for their internship choices, and staff are ready to assist if you’re looking to create an internship that aligns with student interest. To learn more, connect with santafe.oppd@sjc.edu or annapolis.careerservices@sjc.edu or connect with them both to elevate opportunities outside the local campus areas. A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 31 �On Reading, Religion, Redemption, and Reasons for Giving good, I’m not going to be fipping burgers. I can go to college.” Looking back, it is especially interesting that when I graduated from Santa Fe, the prep school from which I had dropped out graciously awarded me an honorary high school diploma. MARK JORDAN SF73 The following content has been excerpted from an interview with Mark Jordan, R. R. Niebuhr Research Professor at Harvard Divinity School. Please visit sjc.edu/mark-jordan to read the full interview. How did you fnd your way to St. John’s? I had an intense religious conversion right before I went to St. John’s. I landed in Annapolis as a fairly young February freshman, ready to do work on Christian tradition, the relation of theology to philosophy, and, especially, ethics. Having dropped out of high school, St. John’s was my gamble. I remember getting the admissions letter a few days before Christmas and thinking, “Oh 32 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E What stands out from your initial experience of the Program? One of the things St. John’s instilled in me was the courage to follow questions wherever they lead and not to worry about the property signs that people put up to fence off certain areas. So I started reading and just kept going. In high school, I’d been reading Thomas Aquinas and I continued to do so as a frstyear student, but I also fell in love with the way Plato is read at St John’s. My senior paper at St. John’s was on Thomas Aquinas and Plato. The advisor who was reading it told me that it was interesting but two times longer than it needed to be—and he was right! I went on to do a dissertation on the doctrine of creation in Thomas, on how God can be read through the creation. Are there any memories from your time in Santa Fe that strike you differently now? When I was at St. John’s there was passionate discussion about how the curriculum was or was not related to the arts and literature, because among the students and faculty there were people who wrote �novels and poems, or people who painted and threw pots and photographed morning light on chamisa (my fxation at the time). How could we include those arts within the Program? I remember sitting one day in the dining hall in Santa Fe and thinking, “We don’t have to include them. They already include us!” We were surrounded by this jaw-dropping beauty, and looking back now, I realize that part of what held me in place to do the work was the gift of being able to read powerful books in this theater of beauties. Trying to write those beauties has become more and more important to me—so I take that moment in the dining hall as a premonition. How do you characterize your ongoing relationship with your St. John’s education? I’m one of those people for whom the St. John’s curriculum was exactly right. It gave me ways of reading and teaching and writing that I have used for the rest of my life. I still own the copies of Plato and Aristotle that I bought the frst day I was on campus at Annapolis. I still use them to teach. So I feel a daily connection to the work of the college. How did you and your husband, Bill, decide what kind of gift to make to St. John’s? As a college teacher, I’ve never had a lot of money to give. That was the motive for making a bequest or planned gift. We’re not raising children, we don’t have family obligations, so we are free to say, “Here’s THE MOST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU GIVE TO ST. JOHN’S DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE ONE THAT COMES STRAIGHT FROM YOUR POCKET. It can be the gift of your legacy, given on behalf of the students to come. By including St. John’s in your estate plans, you can have a tremendous impact on the future of the college—often at little or no cost to you today. Visit sjc.giftplans.org to start planning your legacy. what we’ve accumulated. When the time comes, put it to good use.” The college was really clear that if Bill and I wanted to designate the money for particular purposes we could. But having spent my entire life in colleges and universities, I know that an overly specifc gift can rapidly become an albatross. So that’s why we decided to give our money for whatever general purposes the college deemed important. If we didn’t trust the college to make that discernment, we wouldn’t be giving the money. How do you hope your gift will support the college in the future? As a teacher, you learn over time that how you articulate your questions today or this semester can change dramatically. Still, underneath, there’s a current that fows, that continues to feed you through your teaching and writing. I feel that about the college, too. There may be— will almost certainly be—many changes in the articulation of the curriculum, but what I want to support is the current underneath. If you believe that the kind of work St. John’s does reaches deeply into human capacities or needs or pursuits, then that work will be important as long as there are humans. I look forward into a future that I really can’t discern. I have no idea what the college’s curriculum is going to look like in a hundred years, but I very much hope that St. John’s will be around to provide fundamental education.  IS ST. JOHN’S ALREADY IN YOUR ESTATE PLANS? Email plannedgiving@sjc.edu and let the college know. Documenting your intentions will ensure that your gift is used exactly as you want it to. This important step also allows the college to say “thank you” through St. John’s Forever: The Legacy Society of St. John’s College. A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 33 �How can I  support St. John’s with my giving? 34 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �Challenge your classmates to make a difference. Make the Annual Fund a yearly priority. Regular annual giving is the best way to support everything you care about at St. John’s: every student, every tutor, every conversation, and every need. Through monthly recurring gifts and multi-year pledges, you can spread your commitment over time and make a signifcant difference at a manageable level. sjc.edu/annual-fund You lived together, ate together, and learned together. Now you can make a difference together—and you don’t have to wait until  your reunion year to do so. November 29 marks St. John’s ffth year of participation in GivingTuesday, the national day of giving. Challenge the members of your graduating class to make a gift and offer to match a certain amount when they do. If a fellow classmate offers a challenge—step up to meet it. The results do make a difference. During GivingTuesday 2021, the St. John’s community collectively raised more than $200,000 to beneft students and the Program. Invest in the campus experience. Through the $25 million Pritzker Challenge, St. John’s is preparing both campuses for future generations of seekers. When you make a gift in support of campus improvements, the Jay Pritzker Foundation will match every $2 of your gift with another $1. sjc.edu/pritzker-challenge Connect your legacy to that of the college. The most straightforward way to include St. John’s in your personal legacy is by naming the college as the benefciary of a gift from your estate. Taking this step can be as simple as adding one sentence to an existing will. By combining a legacy gift with regular support for the Annual Fund, you can make a profound difference in the lives of current and future students—at a level that makes sense for you today. Visit sjc.giftplans.org to get started. Find out if your employer will match your gift. Your employer or your spouse’s employer could offer a matching gift program that will double or even triple the value of your gift. Check out the matching gift tool at the website below to see if your company participates. sjc.edu/matching-gift Honor your St. John’s education with a reunion gift. By commemorating your milestone reunion year with a gift to the college, you and your classmates can help more students beneft from a St. John’s education. sjc.edu/reunion-giving A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 35 �S T.   J O H N ’ S Day of Gratitude & Reunion Weekend AL ANNU IN S A NEW G E B IO N IT D A R T Santa Fe Annapolis FRI SEPTEMBER 9 & SAT SEPTEMBER 10 FRI SEPTEMBER 23 & SAT SEPTEMBER 24 This fall St. John’s begins a new tradition of uniting our most dedicated volunteers, ambassadors, and donors with our class reunion gatherings for a weekend of in-person celebration. FRIDAY SATURDAY Learn about your impact and let the college thank you. Celebrate a milestone… together. Both campuses will host a full day of events for alumni, friends, and student leaders who advance the mission of the college through their volunteerism, advocacy, and gifts. This year, in conjunction with the Day of Gratitude, St. John’s will welcome back to campus our 10-, 25-, and 50-year reunion classes, including those alumni who were not able to celebrate in person in 2020 and 2021. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEKEND  Seminars  Gratitude Lunch  Inaugural Freeing Minds Society Induction Ceremony  Campus Tours  Dean’s Lecture  Lunch with Faculty  Intellectual Programming  Reunion Class Dinners Reach out to alumni@sjc.edu for more information. 36 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �St. John’s is profoundly grateful for alumni whose gifts of time and resources enable the college to… KEEP TUITION REASONABLE Through widespread support for the Freeing Minds campaign, the college cut tuition by one-third in 2019, making St. John’s one of the most affordable colleges in the Small College Consortium. The modest increase that takes place in Fall 2022 is substantially below the annual rate of infation, due in signifcant part to the continued generosity of alumni. BALANCE THE BUDGET After years of running a structural defcit that peaked at $12 million, St. John’s is now entering its third consecutive fscal year with a structurally balanced budget. ATTRACT A GROWING COMMUNITY OF SEEKERS Alumni are sharing the message that St.  John’s College offers a life-changing experience. The  Class of 2025 was the largest in a decade, and one in four of these rising sophomores learned about St. John’s from an alum. EARN A POSITIVE CREDIT RATING S&P Global raised their outlook for St.  John’s from stable to positive—a strong vote of confdence from a highly regarded credit rating agency. Alumni support is one of the factors they considered when determining that St. John’s is a good place for an investment. SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THEIR CAREER GOALS Alumni said that St.  John’s must do more to help students prepare for post-graduate life—and then stepped forward to offer that help. More than 2,500 alumni have raised their hands through sjcconnect.com and signaled their willingness to have a conversation about their career paths. INVEST IN STUDENTS The St. John’s Endowment consists of invested gifts that yield an annual revenue stream for the college. For the past two years, that income stream has been equivalent to $11,000 in annual support for every Johnnie. REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE ON TUITION St.  John’s new fnancial model, bolstered by the Freeing Minds campaign, makes generosity more important than tuition. In 2021, philanthropy covered nearly 40 percent of the cost to deliver the Program, removing a heavy burden from the shoulders of students. ASSIST 90 PERCENT OF STUDENTS WITH TUITION COSTS St.  John’s ability to keep tuition reasonable and still provide students with more than $14 million in additional aid is the direct result of alumni support for the college’s philanthropy-centered fnancial model. The college thanks you for all of the above. Your gifts, volunteerism, and advocacy have made these results possible in a higher education environment where they are rare. BE A PART OF ST. JOHN’S GIVING SOCIETIES St. John’s two distinctive giving societies recognize transformative acts of generosity. The Freeing Minds Society honors alumni and friends who have made an epic commitment to St. John’s College through cumulative lifetime giving of $100,000 or more. St. John’s Forever: The Legacy Society of St. John’s College celebrates alumni and friends who have linked their legacies to that of the college through the commitment of a future estate gift. A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 37 �S E L EC T E D N OT E S F R O M   C L A S S M AT E S 1967 In July 2021, Ronald Kephart (A) retired from 32 years of teaching anthropology (linguistic, cultural, and biological) at the University of North Florida. 1977 The pandemic gave Ellen (Hamilton) O’Donnell (A) time and space to reignite her art practice. She found a wonderful teacher to shepherd this process via a second alma mater, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She’s in a virtual art group, has a studio, and is engaged in making again. 1982 This August, Marion (Betor) Baumgarten (A) and Jon Baumgarten (A) will have been married 40 years! They are both retired from the federal government and reside in the Chicago area. Leslie (Smith) Rosen (A) and James Hyder ’84 (A) have moved to a seaside cottage in MA to help take care of Leslie’s mother and to enjoy the next steps of their life’s journey with children and grandchildren not far away. 1987 Ele Hamburger (A) is happily living in Seattle with her husband and three teenagers, who constantly keep them on their toes. She is a partner at a small plaintiff-side civil rights and class action law frm, where she focuses on health care and health coverage issues. She would love to visit with 38 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E friends who are passing through the Pacifc Northwest. 1992 Captain George Dolan (SF), U.S. Navy, completed a three-year tour as naval attaché to South Korea in June and is now serving on the Navy staff in the Pentagon. He welcomes inquiries from any Johnnies considering a career in the military. 2002 Sara Abercrombie (SF) is an associate professor and department chair in the Department of Educational Psychology at Northern Arizona University. She was awarded the NAU President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellowship in 2021, a recognition of the highest level of teaching excellence and positive impact at NAU and beyond. Kate Jordan (SF) lives with partner Jeremy and daughters Esme (4) and Oona (1) in Oakland, CA. Kate serves as a chief fnancial offcer for UC Berkeley and loves to garden. 2012 Brandon Carney (A) got married in August 2021 and transitioned into fnance from scientifc research in January. LET YOUR CLASSMATES HEAR FROM YOU! If your class year ends in a 3 or 8, email alumni@sjc.edu to include your news in the next alumni magazine. PHOTOS ARE WELCOME! ALUMNI WEEK sjc.edu/alumni-week Memories that take you back. Conversations that carry you forward. No travel required. A s St. John’s alumni, our connections to one another are not bound by time or place—and shouldn’t be. After all, the texts we read and the questions we ask transcend generations and geography. The physical separation we have experienced over the past two years has given rise to more inclusive ways of being together. Alumni Week is one example— and one that St. John’s began exploring even before the pandemic emerged. Through this annual virtual gathering, alumni from around the world can enjoy intellectual engagement and community, but with fewer barriers to participation. Greater access means more opportunities to catch up with classmates and tutors, rekindle conversations, and reconnect with the college and one another. �HIGHLIGHTS FROM ALUMNI WEEK 2022 A variety of tutor and alumni-led presentations show that the life of the mind need not dwell solely in the classics or in the classroom. There are treasures to be found in unexpected places, from Tolkien’s Middle-earth to your own comfortable kitchen. If you missed Alumni Week 2022 this past June, or want to relive a moment that challenged your thinking, visit sjc.edu/alumni-week to enjoy the following highlights. Beyond the Classroom: The Mystery of Gollum Beyond the Classroom: Living the Program Gollum is perhaps the greatest villain of The Lord of the Rings—and maybe its most tragic hero. Who is Gollum? Why is he so central to the novel? Join tutors Krishnan Venkatesh and Richard McCombs to dive deeper into the intricate world of J. R. R. Tolkien. Tutors are the more senior students and role models of our St. John’s community, but what does it really look like to live the Program? Take a sneak peek into the lives of beloved tutors beyond the classroom. Hear their wisdom on balance, integration, and following thumos on the road, in the kitchen, and everywhere in between. JohnnieTalks A game designer, a pediatric neurologist, and a tech entrepreneur talk about life’s turning points— what they mean, how to live them, and how they can change everything. Alumni Association  Awards Every year the Alumni Association welcomes honorary members into our ranks and bestows the Award of Merit on those alumni who are elevating the profle of the college through their lives, careers, and contributions to the Great Conversation. Hear their stories and celebrate their achievements. In Memoriam Join your St. John’s community as we recognize the Johnnie chairs that now sit empty. Together we honor those Johnnies who have passed, leaving us with moments and memories to cherish. A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 39 �In Memoriam St. John’s College remembers the alumni, staff, faculty, and leadership who passed away during the 2021-2022 academic year. Together we celebrate the impact of their lives and legacies on our Johnnie community. Donald S. Kaplan (Class of 1945) Charles Coaston (SFGI76) Clarence R. Morris (Class of 1948) Jeffrey B. Shea (A76) Carolyn Banks-Leeuwenburgh (Class of 1955) Terence A. Teachout (A78) John Joanou (Class of 1955) Joan F. Vinson (AGI81) Barbara D. Winiarski (Class of 1955) Nicholas M. Ossorgin (SF85) Nancy Eagle Lindley (Class of 1958) Toni Wilkinson (SFGI87) Mary Campbell Gallagher (Class of 1960) Elizabeth Malmgren (AGI88) Lloyd H. Byassee (Class of 1961) Anna A. McManus (SFGI91) Natalie Silitch (Class of 1961) Amanda E. Richards (SF91) Jeffrey P. Escoffer (Class of 1964) Leo P. Kelley (SF93) Richard E. Roderick (Class of 1966) Raymond R. Ames (A94) Margaret Winter (Class of 1966) Brian C. Bowman (SFGI94) Leslie S. Bornstein (SF68) Michael A. Miller (A94) Robert A. Fielding (A68) Glenn Freitas (H04), Santa Fe Faculty Emeritus William J. Cromartie (SF69) Katherine L. Harper (H06) Patricia A. Turner (SFGI69) Tova R. LeCuyer (A14) Richard A. Treacy (SFGI70) Frederick C. Foote (SF15) Anthony Vitto (A70) Carmen Harrell (H15) David C. Chute (A72) Michael A. Thomas (A15) Fred Mattis (A73) Charles S. Trefrey (H19) Gene F. Taylor (SFGI75) Charlie H. McKenzie (SF21) This listing includes those who have passed between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. We care deeply for all members of our college community. If you know of fellow Johnnies who have passed away but are missing from this list, please contact advancement@sjc.edu so we may honor those individuals. 40 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �Alumni Association Honorees 2022 Honorees are selected each year by the Alumni Association Board of Directors and recognized for their pursuit of and success in leading examined lives, as well as their steadfast commitment to the St. John’s College community. During Alumni Week 2022, the college and the Alumni Association honored the following recipients of the Award of Merit, Volunteer Service Award, and Honorary Alumni designations. AWARD OF MERIT HONOREES For distinguished and meritorious service to the United States, to their native state, to St.  John’s College, or for outstanding achievement within a chosen feld. Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš (A88) – for extraordinary advocacy of freedom and democracy and service to the people of Latvia as prime minister. Kariņš is the prime minister of Latvia. He may be the only Johnnie alumnus to date to serve as head of state of a sovereign nation. As a freshman in 1984, Kariņš received an honorable mention for the best freshman essay, an honor he has touted throughout his adult life. He continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a PhD in linguistics. Kariņš later moved to Latvia, where he was frst elected to Latvia’s Parliament in 2002, and in 2009 was elected to serve as a member of the European Parliament. He became prime minister in 2019 and has led one of the longest serving Latvian governments in modern history. As prime minister, Kariņš has been an outspoken advocate for freedom and democracy, arguing that “Democracy is contagious. It is an attractive idea because it is the people, not autocrats, who decide who runs the country and in which direction to move.” Pedro Martinez-Fraga (A84) – for achievement in the feld of law and international relations. Pedro J. Martinez-Fraga is a renowned international lawyer. He is a partner at Bryan, Cave, Leighton, and Paisner, where he co-leads the frm’s international arbitration team and is a World Bank arbitrator. He served as lead U.S. counsel on behalf of the Republic of Chile in the case against former Chilean president, Augusto Pinochet, and has also worked on the prosecutions of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez and deposed Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. His writings in the felds of public and private international law have been published in 15 coun- A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 41 �tries and fve languages, including more than 50 reviewed articles and six books. Martinez-Fraga has lectured at more than 30 universities across the globe and is an honorary professor of law at both the Universidad de San Ignacio de Loyola and the Universidad del Pacífco in Lima, Perú. Boaz Roth (AGI92) – for achievement in the feld of education. Boaz has dedicated his life to teaching in the St.  John’s mode. He is chair of the English department at Thomas Jefferson School in St. Louis, where he has taught English, Greek, and math for almost 30 years and coached basketball for more than 20 seasons. The school has small, seminar-based discussions in every discipline and boasts that its average student will have read 80 works of classic literature by graduation. His school’s basketball court has άρετή painted on its foor and a local newspaper once found it noteworthy to state that “The varsity basketball team huddles with coach Boaz Roth, then springs back and yells, full-throated: ‘Arete!’ This is how one cheers at Thomas Jefferson School.” In addition to his master’s degree from St.  John’s, where he is remembered both for his focus as a student and his drive as a basketball player, Roth earned a BA with a double major in philosophy and economic theory from the American University. 42 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E John Ruskey (SF90) – for achievement in the arts and exploration. John Ruskey is a river guide, adventurer, canoe builder, artist, and Bluesman. He conducts workshops on ecological education, runs camps for local children, and, with his company, the Quapaw Canoe Company, leads canoe tours on the Mississippi River. He and fellow alumni once co-led a seminar on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—while traveling on the mighty Mississippi itself. One of his long running projects is rivergator.org, an all-encompassing internet and print resource providing detailed instructions for paddling the Mississippi River between St. Louis and the Gulf of Mexico. Ruskey was the frst curator of the Delta Blues Museum; is the co-founder and director of the Delta Blues Education Fund; and has written a monthly column, “Down in the Delta,” for Blues Revue since 1998. In 1997, he won the Early Wright Blues Heritage Award, presented to a non-musician for outstanding work to preserve, promote, perpetuate, and document blues in the Mississippi Delta. VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARDS Chelsea Adams (A12) Adams began volunteering for the college and the Alumni Association soon after she graduated in 2012. Her service includes ten years on the Alumni Giving Council, the Alumni Leadership Forum, the Admissions Working Group, and the Awards Committee. She has also volunteered with Summer Academy, the online Great Books Summer Seminar Series, and at numerous college fairs. In addition, she has served as class chair for the Annapolis Class of 2012. Adams is known to both college and Alumni Association leadership as a cheerful and tireless volunteer. Her service in all facets of alumni volunteerism is extraordinary. Claiborne Booker (A84) Booker has given the college and the Alumni Association years of cheerful and diligent service. He was elected by the college’s alumni to the Board of Visitors and Governors in 2011 for a three-year term, which was extended for an additional two years. After he completed his tenure on the board, he immediately began four years of service on the Alumni Association Board from 2016-20, leading our volunteer efforts to support annual giving. Booker is like Aeneas, “duty-bound, and known” in the service of St. John’s. �HONORARY ALUMNI Michael Bechko Mike Bechko is the network and telephone systems coordinator on the Santa Fe campus and joined the college’s IT department in May, 1999. Of Bechko, it is said that “his ready smile, great sense of humor, incomparable dependability, and relaxed demeanor make it possible for us to face technology’s continued stressors. Nothing rattles Mike: as one staff member notes, she’s never heard him yell, ‘though there are many times when he should have.’” In his life outside the offce, Bechko enjoys engaging in new forms of exercise and approaches to well-being; and he steadfastly believes in the  importance of using one’s brain for other-thanwork activities. Cara Sabolcik Cara Sabolcik was a vital part of the Greenfeld Library staff on the Annapolis campus for 21 years, most recently serving as the associate library director until 2021. Sabolcik was instrumental in establishing the college's digital archives and digitized the library's audiovisual collection. It was Sabolcik who confrmed that W. E. B. Du Bois gave a lecture on the Annapolis campus, an event which became the basis for a collegewide celebration this year. Sabolcik’s service to St. John’s also includes various appointments on the Staff Council and in numerous faculty, undergraduate, and Graduate Institute study groups through the years. In the great- er community, Sabolcik served as chair and vice chair of the Maryland Interlibrary Loan Group, thereby enabling access to books otherwise not readily available to St. John’s College and making the Greenfeld Library more widely known as a participating peer institution. Susan Shamos Dr. Susan Shamos is the founder of The Centus School Counseling Program, which places experienced counselors and social workers in schools that otherwise would not have enough access to high-quality mental health services for students. Together with her husband, Jeremy (SFGI76), Shamos has been a supporter and benefactor for multiple arts organizations throughout Denver and the state of Colorado. Shamos and Jeremy led Denver’s efforts to host the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention, a gathering of 5,000 U.S. and international artists and arts professionals. and theology, having received his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a PhD in systematic theology from Cambridge University. Prior to coming to St.  John’s, Sinnett was a lecturer in mathematics at Concordia Lutheran College, Kansas University, and San Jacinto College. He is also a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, having served as minister at the First Presbyterian Church, Stephenville, Texas, and as a senior minister at Clemmons Presbyterian Church in Clemmons, North Carolina. Sinnett had the honor of being a visiting scholar at St.  John’s College, Cambridge, in 1997. A beloved tutor, Sinnett was overwhelmingly chosen by the graduating Class of 2022 to be their graduation speaker. Notably, Shamos has participated in Summer Classics at the college for over three decades. She and Jeremy are among the top 15 lifetime donors to the college, inspiring others to join them in philanthropy and enriching the college community by gifting substantial works of art for public spaces on campus. Shamos has served  on the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors since 2016. Mark Sinnett Mark Sinnett served as a tutor at St.  John’s College from 20002020. In this role, he drew upon his background in mathematics A LU M N I M AGA ZI N E 43 �How can I  stay connected and informed? Don’t let the alumni magazine be your only source of updates on the college and your classmates. 44 S T. J O H N ’ S C O L L E G E �Bookmark the college website. Read the award-winning Annual Report. Recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, St. John’s 2021 Annual Report to Alumni and Friends boldly claims that the college is stronger than ever—and delivers the evidence. sjc.edu/annual-report Sjc.edu isn’t just for current and future students. Alumni can also fnd a wealth of content, from thought-provoking podcasts and recorded lectures to profles of fellow alumni. Update your email. If the college does not have your current email, you are missing out on news, invitations, and intellectual content from the college. Here are three options for updating your contact information: 1. Fill out the enclosed envelope and mail it back to the college 2. Visit sjc.edu/alumni-update to update your information online 3. Come home for a visit. If you live nearby, come grab a snack at the coffee shop, check out a book from the library, or just stroll around and see the campus improvement projects that are taking place in both Annapolis and Santa Fe. If the passage of time has put physical distance between you and our two campuses, make a plan to visit. Our frst annual Day of Gratitude would be a great time to get reacquainted with your once and always home. Scan the QR code below Follow St. John’s on social media. The college has an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Visit sjc.edu/social-media for links to all of these accounts and more. Update your information by November 14, 2022 and be entered to win one of six gift cards, valued up  to $500, to the St. John’s College bookstores. sjc.edu/alumni-update �1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca Santa Fe, NM 87505-4599 Non Proft Org US Postage PA I D St. John’s College � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alumni Magazine Description An account of the resource St. John's College began publishing the <em>Alumni Magazine </em>in 2020. It is not a continuation of <em>The College</em>.  More details about the publication are available on the <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/alumni/alumni-magazine">Alumni Magazine</a> page of the SJC website.  <br /><br />Click on <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=65&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d" title="Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection">Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Santa Fe, NM Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AlumniMagazine Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 48 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alumni Magazine, 2022 Description An account of the resource 2022 issue of the Alumni Magazine. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Subject The topic of the resource St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Alumni and alumnae St. John's College (Santa Fe, N.M.)--Alumni and alumnae Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJCAlumniMagazine_2022 Alumni Publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/242de7bb52f8998d2114a55b684d8ae8.pdf c2ce051c1e7b978f66ee71296d6e955c PDF Text Text ALUMNI ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE M AG A Z I N E Connect With Your Johnnie Community Join Us for Alumni Week 2021 Learn About the Impact of Alumni at St. John’s ��Letter from St. John’s College Alumni Association President I hope this message finds you well and, like me, seeing the first rays of “the early-born rose-fingered Dawn” of our COVID-subsiding world. As we begin to look forward, for me, the great privilege of being a Johnnie is the opportunity to look back on the books and ideas I encountered at the college for guidance and inspiration. Remember when Odysseus said, “I long for home, long for the sight of home. If any god marked me out again for shipwreck, my tough heart can undergo it. What hardship have I not long since endured at sea, in battle! Let the trial come.” (Homer, Odyssey 5.230-33)? We have all had hardships and trials this year, and I hope our shared experience of the Program continues to give you comfort and strength. The strength demonstrated by our college community during this challenging time has indeed been inspiring. Despite the difficulties, there were triumphs, like the college’s ability to take the Program into a virtual format and keep the conversation going during the long pandemic. For these efforts, the Alumni Association is forever grateful to our tutors and staff. We are also grateful for our alumni. Thanks to your support, St. John’s has grown in financial strength. Together, we have completed the Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge this year, securing $50 million in matching funds toward Freeing Minds—bringing our total campaign commitments to $246 million to date and putting St. John’s on track to double its endowment. We have watched as college leadership has worked hard in effecting St. John’s long-term financial health and we are glad to see the college is expecting a balanced budget for next year. I encourage you to learn more about these accomplishments by reading on in this publication and hearing directly from the folks who are helping our community flourish into the future. Yet, it seems that one of the most poignant lessons of the past year has been the value of perseverance. The ability to respond adroitly to unforeseen circumstances and the grit to continue forward regardless has proven successful for Johnnies—especially for our recent graduates who, because of their determination, now join us in our almost 200-year-old Alumni Association. It is in this spirit of perseverance and in celebration of our enduring love for the college and one another that I invite you to St. John’s Alumni Week 2021, Monday, September 27 through Saturday, October 1. Although we are not yet able to reunite in person, let us come together to honor and renew our connections while enjoying a modern take on traditional programming, including seminar with our beloved tutors. Until then, I leave us with a celebratory moment in the Program to reflect upon—the moment when Odysseus is recognized by his elderly nurse from tracing the old scar on his leg: “Then joy and anguish seized her heart; her eyes filled up with tears; her throat closed, and she whispered, with hand held out to touch his chin: Oh yes! You are Odysseus!” (Homer, Odyssey 19:546-50). We look forward to seeing you this fall. St. John’s Forever! Mark Parenti (AGI92) President St. John’s College Alumni Association 1 �COMMUNITY ALUMNI MAGAZINE Summer 2021 | Volume I, No. 1 Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Phelosha Collaros (SF00) Director of Alumni Relations Chris Aamot (SF04) Associate Director of Alumni Relations Maia Banks (A14) Alumni Communications Program Manager Elise Berrocal Alumni Transitions and Volunteerism Program Manager Kelsey Miller (A10) Interim Alumni Relations Associate Sue MacEachen Contributing Writers Benjamin Baum Kerri Braly Haley Ford (A17) Anne Kniggendorf (SF97) Abdullah Mirza (SF20) Mark Parenti (AGI92) Les Poling Eve Tolpa Spencer Windes (A99) Design Melissa Latham-Stevens (SFGI13) Cover Illustration Caitlin Cass (SF09) Website sjc.edu/alumni Facebook StJohnsCollegeAlumni Instagram @johnniealumni About the Cover and Illustrator Caitlin Cass (SF09) is a cartoonist, illustrator, and installation artist. She was a 2020 recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts Artworks grant and a 2018 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Fiction. Her cartoons appear in The New Yorker and in her self-published comic periodical, The Great Moments in Western Civilization Postal Constituent. When asked about what inspired the cover design, she shared: “My class read Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own for our homecoming seminar and this quote stuck with me. There’s a revolutionary aspect to it, which I think reflects St. John’s efforts to continue evolving.” In addition to working on a graphic novel about women’s suffrage and civil rights history, she is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha. View her work at caitlincass.com. 2 Pritzker Promise Bridge Program Approaches Second Year Serving Johnnies The Pritzker Promise Bridge Program is gearing up for its second incoming class of Johnnies this summer, ready to prepare St. John’s newest students for the college by helping them develop academic skills and study habits, providing guidance and support, and building relationships with faculty and peers prior to their opening seminars. Launched in summer 2020, the program seeks to equip Pell Grant recipients and underrepresented PRITZKER�BRIDGE incoming students with the tools, skills, and resources SCHOLARS�PROGRAM they need to succeed at the college, thanks to a generous grant from The Jay Pritzker Foundation in connection with Board of Visitors and Governors member Karen Pritzker. The program—the first cross-campus initiative of its kind at St. John has—originated in response to feedback from Johnnies past. According to Santa Fe Dean Walter Sterling (A93), surveys have shown that graduating seniors leave the college with predominantly positive feelings about the Program. However, about half of graduating seniors also said they didn’t feel academically prepared when they arrived at the college, with those numbers rising even higher for underrepresented groups. The bridge program is specifically designed to increase retention and counter the issues with which these students struggle. It accomplishes this through a variety of preparatory workshops led by faculty and staff targeted to financial aid recipients, first-generation students, and international students alike. Topics for such sessions include learning the basics of federal and college work study, how to manage time and money, how to find a campus job and student employment, how to prioritize personal wellness, and other aspects of life at the college. For Danielle Lico, executive director of campus health and wellness in Annapolis, the program is about engagement. “Engagement with the community, and engagement with each other—in the spirit of trying to build a ‘bridge’ intothe community for incoming students.” While many sessions have a pragmatic focus, others aim to introduce students to the academic side of the college. As Caroline Randall, director of admissions in Santa Fe, points out: Johnnies come to the college from all over the world, but few are coming from schools with the same academic culture as St. John’s. “Some of our students are nervous about seminar-style classes or the amount of reading expected, or about certain subjects,” she explains. “The bridge program is the perfect answer for these concerns.” Entering its second year of implementation, the program is facilitated by Jennifer Cline, coordinator of student services in Annapolis, and Nanette Phillips, student support coordinator in Santa Fe. According to Phillips, similar bridge and peer-mentoring programs have been successfully implemented at many other colleges and universities. She points to studies demonstrating that such initiatives have been shown to lead to better academic outcomes; she sees the St. John’s bridge program as part of “the initial stages in what will be more robust structures for students” at St. John’s in the future. Faculty and staff in both Annapolis and Santa Fe share Phillips’ outlook anticipating that with each new class of Johnnies, the program will grow more nuanced and intentional to meet the needs of its target population—a process that can only serve to further help St. John’s students this year and in years to come. �Update from St. John’s College Vice President of Enrollment Greetings, St. John’s alumni! As the college looks ahead to the new academic year, I am happy to share with you some exciting news regarding our enrollment to date. This is a record-breaking year for enrollment on both campuses. St. John’s has received more than 1,470 undergraduate applications. In Annapolis, we continue our multi-year trend of full freshman classes—between 140 and 150 students. In Santa Fe, we will have more than 125 fall freshmen—the first time in more than 10 years that the college will enroll a class of this size. Furthermore, the students attending this fall are remarkably diverse. Thirteen percent of freshmen are international students from 21 countries. This year’s domestic students are from 30 states, plus Washington, DC. Twelve percent are the first in their families to attend college; 21 percent are Pell Grant recipients; and 28 percent are students of color. In the Graduate Institute, we are also expecting record-breaking fall enrollment as students apply for either the traditional on-campus degree programs or the new low-residency program. Alumni can return to campus for the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts in Annapolis or the Master of Arts in Eastern Classics in Santa Fe, or can conveniently take classes for either program online as well. As we look toward the future, we know that Summer Academy is essential. The Summer Academy program introduces interested high school students to the Great Books and life at the college. This year’s sessions hosted more than 200 students, in person and online, many of whom were the children of alumni. All this success is attributable to many new tools employed by the Admissions Office over the course of the last year, but it is also attributable to alumni. Word of mouth continues to be one of the largest sources of prospective student inquiries for the college, with 11 percent of our freshmen being children of Johnnies. I invite you to take part in the excitement in Admissions by continuing to encourage family and friends to learn more about our offerings (or inquire for yourself). For application information, to schedule a visit, or even to register for Summer Academy 2022, please contact us at admissions@sjc.edu or visit us at sjc.edu/admissions. Thank you for sharing your Johnnie pride with others! Benjamin Baum Vice President of Enrollment Alumni Volunteerism Remains Strong Despite Pandemic Come rain, shine, or pandemic, JohnnieCorps alumni volunteers stood together in support of the college throughout the duration of St. John’s 2020–21 academic year. So much so that, in the annual Alumni Engagement Metrics report released at the end of May 2021 by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the alumni volunteer participation rate at St. John’s for the 2020 fiscal year exceeded the average among other higher education institutions globally. While many institutions saw dramatic drops in their volunteer rates in 2020, St. John’s instead experienced a minor dip—only 6/10ths of a percentage point, to be exact—a figure illustrating how well Johnnies adapted to a virtual volunteer landscape. JohnnieCorps is the college’s recently expanded volunteer program offering interested alumni tailored opportunities in an easy online format. Due to the dedication of program participants, prospective and current students alike benefitted from alumni volunteer support despite the COVID-19 pandemic. For this, JohnnieCorps coordinators and the college are grateful for the continuous commitment of its volunteers. “Thank you to our amazing alumni community for keeping volunteerism at St. John’s alive and strong throughout the height of pandemic,” says Kelsey Miller (A10), alumni transitions and volunteerism program manager. “We look forward to sharing more JohnnieCorps opportunities with you in the new academic year.” 3 �COMMUNITY A Welcome Banner for First-Gen Students “For an institution of [our] size, it’s significant that we have designated resources and personnel and employed evidence-based practices that speIn recognition of its commitment to cifically further first-gen persistence,” improving college experiences and Santa Fe Student Support academic outcomes for Coordinator Nanette Phillips first-generation students, says. She estimates that St. John’s College in Santa roughly 12 percent of JohnFe received the Center for nie undergraduates belong First-generation Student to the program’s relevant Success’s First-gen Forward demographic. “Historically, designation, March 2021. public schools The first institution in New have tended Mexico to receive the desigNanette Phillips to serve larger nation, St. John’s is one of 157 populations of firstFirst-gen Forward designees nationgen students, and private wide—a group that includes Carnegie schools are often perceived Mellon, Emory, and Wellesley, to name as financially and culturally just a few—with access to the center’s inaccessible by comparison. research and resources, including esIt’s extremely important for first-gen tablished best practices, professional students to know that they are going to development, and community-building be supported in their unique needs.” tools. Phillips is responsible for spearheading the college’s acceptance and participation in the program. It was in December 2020 that the center—an initiative of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the Suder Foundation—invited her to apply for the designation on behalf of the college. She promptly completed it with the help of colleagues from various departments. Founded in 2017, First-gen Forward is the nation’s first program to recognize institutions dedicated to the continued success of first-generation college students. “A welcome banner” is how Phillips characterizes the designation—a big draw for prospective Johnnies who “will be looking for evidence that indicates that a school has resources specific to their needs.” Johnnies Run the World During fall 2020, St. John’s athletics in Annapolis and Santa Fe collaborated on the launch of a global exercise initiative encouraging Johnnies to log enough miles to travel the circumference of the earth, virtually. Aptly entitled “Johnnies Run the World,” the exercise challenge was a great success, with a total of 24,901 miles completed in just over five months. A creative engagement initiative allowing Johnnies to connect and persevere together through COVID-19, the challenge counted any mileage-accumulating exercise, with participants like Santa Fe alum Martha (Mackey) Pendleton (SF74) diligently tracking their results. In the end, Pendleton achieved the third most miles among Martha (Mackey) Pendleton (SF74) all alumni, faculty, and staff who participated, with 302 miles logged. During the challenge, she regularly walked five miles at least six days a week, and at one point was up to eight miles daily. “I am no athlete,” says Pendleton, “but when I saw the invitation to join St. John’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni in an endeavor to circle the globe, I thought, ‘Why not?’ It was fun to calculate the miles I walk each day and have it count for something other than my health.” 4 �Alumni Help Shatter Expectations on GivingTuesday Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been known in popular culture as GivingTuesday—a rallying day in which communities gather around their favorite organizations and give for the greater good. This proved true for St. John’s in December 2020, when the Johnnie community defied all expectations in support of current and future students at the college—not only reaching its goal of 350 donors, but also outpacing previous years’ record-setting totals by midday. Of the resulting 762 donors, 75 percent were St. John’s alumni, signifying their deep affinity and care for the college and the Johnnie community. Rounding out the remaining 25 percent were parents, faculty, staff, friends, and even students. Given the unprecedented nature of the year, with the country and world suffering from COVID-19 and its economic fallout, it was impossible to predict how the day would go. Yet, by the time GivingTuesday ended, approximately $230,000 was raised, providing crucial support for the college and its students. Donations came from 47 states in the United States, and on a global level spanned South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The successful day, which joined so many members of the college community in the effort of making small-but-mighty gifts, left St. John’s better positioned to face the immediate challenges presented by COVID-19 and thrive during a most uncertain time. Jobs for Johnnies: Helping Alumni Take On the Workforce Two Years in a Row May 2021 marked the start of the second cycle of Jobs for Johnnies, a program pairing recent graduates from both campuses with alumni volunteers for career mentorship and networking. Piloted last spring with enthusiastic support from the Board of Visitors and Governors’ Visiting Committee, the program is jointly coordinated by Career Services in Annapolis and the Office of Personal and Professional Development in Santa Fe. This year’s program, which will run through end of summer, boasts 20 alumni pairs with a host of professional interests ranging from neuroscience and information technology to communications and environmental advocacy. According to Annapolis Director of Career Services Jaime Dunn, the goal of the program is not solely for new graduates to secure a job, but also to connect with an alum or board member to “receive feedback on their job search tools and learn the skills of networking and job searching Luke Olson (A20) that they’ll need to use throughout their professional careers.” For example, past Jobs for Johnnies participant Luke Olson (A20) had struggled to turn his experience into a legal career. After applying for hundreds of legal-related positions around Washington, DC, Chicago, and Boston, he was paired with Alumni Association President Mark Parenti (AGI92). Olson says conversations with Parenti opened a new way of thinking about the paths he might take. “He understood that I was committed to certain ideals,” Olson says. “That might be unique to the Johnnie experience, but he also balanced that kind of Johnnie idealism with real world professional and practical experience that he had decades of.” Together, they worked out that Olson’s ideals could be upheld in a teaching environment just as well as in a court of law. Today, Olson teaches at a private school in Fairfax, Virginia—a position that he loves and also satisfies his personal ideals. Like in the example of Olson and Parenti, “alumni can play an especially valuable role in showing grads how the St. John’s experience provides a great foundation for a satisfying career in a wide variety of fields,” says Charles Bergman, director of Personal and Professional Development. To find out about how alumni can further support recent graduates of St. John’s, visit sjc.edu/career-success/for-employers. 5 �COMMUNITY Tutor Zena Hitz (A95) Wins Hiett Prize in the Humanities The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture honored tutor Zena Hitz (A95) with the 2020 Hiett Prize in the Humanities award during its 16th annual gala on November 11, 2020. As described by the institute, Hitz was recognized for her viewpoints on defending the intellectual life—learning for its own sake, rather than in service of economic or political goals— as explored in her recent book, Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life. Aimed at furthering the humanities in the urban world, The Dallas Institute awards the Hiett Prize to those in the early stages of a career devoted to the humanities and whose work shows extraordinary promise to have a significant impact on contemporary culture. Hitz joined the college’s faculty in 2015 and holds degrees from St. John’s (BA, 1995), Cambridge University (MPhil, 1996), and Princeton University (PhD, 2005). Previously, she served as assistant professor at Auburn University and UMBC, among other roles and distinctions. 6 Simran Thapa (SF22) and Bryn Frye-Mason (SF23) Win Projects for Peace Fellowship In early March 2021, students Simran Thapa (SF22) and Bryn Frye-Mason (SF23) were awarded a Projects for Peace fellowship. Founded in 2007 by the late philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis, the initiative invites students at Davis United World College Scholars Program partner schools—a group that includes St. John’s—to formulate a project that promotes peace anywhere in the world. The two Johnnies’ winning proposal, “Securing Peace in Bardiya, Nepal: Freeing Women for Civic Engagement,” links improvements in maternal health with women’s abilities to participate fully in their communities, simultaneously laying out a plan for achieving both. To implement their proposal, which involves creating medical kits that will be delivered to five villages in Bardiya, Thapa and Frye-Mason are partnering with the Women Security Pressure Group (WSPG), a Nepalese organization founded by Thapa’s grandmother that works to increase literacy rates and political engagement among women. The kits themselves, which aim to mitigate eclampsia and other risks of pregnancy, are being designed through a collaboration with La Familia Medical Center in Las Lunas, New Mexico, and assembled in Nepal. The project plan also involves hiring a local WSPG chapter member to help distribute those kits and establish a health co-op “for women to pool money to help each other buy necessities for better health,” Thapa says. Thapa and Frye-Mason are energized by all the support they have received, including that provided by St. John’s. “We are both extremely excited to have the opportunity to implement this project on the ground in Nepal. We will be working hands-on with every aspect,” Thapa says, adding: “This project wouldn’t have happened without our friendship.” �Melanie Santiago-Mosier (A00) Named One of Maryland’s Top 100 Women In the summer of 2020, The Daily Record named Annapolis alum Melanie Santiago-Mosier (A00) as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women, an acknowledgement of “outstanding achievements of women through professional accomplishments, community leadership, and mentoring” for her work on state-level clean energy policies. Santiago-Mosier currently serves as the managing director of access and equity for Vote Solar, where her work centers on implementing the organization’s vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. She is an attorney licensed to practice law in Maryland and has worked to advance clean energy policy for more than a decade, leading regulatory and legislative affairs at a number of organizations. Among other publications, she is a co-author of Low-Income Solar Policy Guide (lowincomesolar.org), a comprehensive tool for policymakers, community leaders, and others who are working to make solar accessible and equitable. Salvatore Scibona (SF97) Named 2021 Literature Award Winner The American Academy of Arts and Letters recognized Santa Fe alum Joan Haratani (SF79) Wins 2021 Margaret Brent Award Each year, the American Bar Association recognizes up to five recipients of the Margaret Brent Award, which honors “outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way for other women in the legal profession.” As of April 2021, one of those lawyers—joining the likes of former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—is Joan Haratani (SF79): St. John’s Santa Fe alum and secretary of the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors. The Brent award is the most recent in a streak of honors for Haratani, who will receive St. John’s College Alumni Association’s Volunteer Service Award during Alumni Week this fall. Over the last two years, she has also received the global Amel Zenoune-Zouani Rights & Leadership Award and the Chambers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in the Legal Industry. After graduating from St. John’s in 1979, Haratani earned her JD from the UC Davis School of Law in 1984. Currently, she is a partner with Morgan Lewis San Francisco office, where she has worked on a variety of high-profile cases spanning state and federal law in the commercial litigation context, including national mortgage issues. She also facilitates relationships between the firm and its clientele, bringing in new clients and helping maintain a strong bond with firm clients. Additionally, she is a member of the Morgan Lewis Advisory Board as well as a board member of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). She has also served as a former president of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Salvatore Scibona (SF97) as one of 18 literature award winners at its annual ceremony, held virtually May 19, 2021. The literature prizes, totaling $600,000, honored both established and emerging writers of fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry. Also a 2008 National Book Award finalist, Scibona is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Volunteer (2019) and The End (2009). He serves as the director of the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library (NYPL). As director, he cultivates and supports the work of internationally renowned writers and thinkers and creates programming that enriches the broader NYPL community. As a novelist, he continues to write exceptional works of fiction. 7 �ANANT VASHI (SF96) 8 �Alumnus Applies Foundational Theory in Finance; an Easy Task After the Rigors of the Program Given the one-of-a-kind nature of St. John’s, many Johnnies end up at the college via surprisingly traditional means: they receive an admissions mailer and grow intrigued with the Program, for example, or they find out about the college from a teacher or family friend. Anant Vashi (SF96) was not one of those Johnnies. “I transferred to St. John’s after one year at Georgetown University,” he recalls. Prior to his freshman year in Washington, DC, he had grown up in the private school system; an “overachieving” student on what he describes as a “myopic, career-focused path” that left him burnt out and intellectually dissatisfied. “I was yearning for a more expansive perspective,” Vashi says. “I had always had a philosophical bent with a strong interest in history and economics. I decided that if any formal education was right for me, that it would be at a place like St. Johns.” To complete the paradigm shift, he applied to the Santa Fe campus instead of nearby Annapolis; by fall, he was seated around the seminar table. More than two decades after graduating, the decision to transfer has paid off in more ways than one. On an individual level, Vashi says, “St. John’s College was a transformative personal and intellectual experience for me, and I would not be the person I am today had I attended another school.” While he loved reading the works of political philosophers like Machiavelli, Hobbes, Kant, Hegel, and Marx, the books and classes represented the spark—not the flame. “The real learning at St. Johns occurs through interacting with and being challenged by your peers, whose backgrounds and attitudes can be very different than your own,” he notes. Furthermore, Vashi suggests that his St. John’s education has helped him develop a kind of mindfulness that enables him to produce high-quality work under duress, whether as director in the transportation and logistics group at Capstone Headwaters—the independent middle market investment bank where he worked until January 2021—or as the vice president of finance at Neat Capital, a Boulder, Coloradobased growth stage mortgage lender. Stereotypically, investment banking and home financing sound like fields for graduates with business and economics majors, not liberal arts degrees. Vashi is proof that’s not the case. In fact, he contends, his Johnnie education has helped him at every step of the way. “At least to my observation, many people who go to college go through life in a sequential way, without taking the time to understand how it all fits together for them as a person,” he says. “St. Johns provided me with the tools and confidence to create an intellectual space between myself and the world whizzing by.” Vashi explains that the ability to create that intellectual space—to pause, reconsider basic assumptions, adapt to unforeseen circumstances, and ask “why”—offers a sense of thoughtfulness and clarity that proves immensely “The real learning at beneficial. “[At Capstone HeadwaSt. Johns occurs ters], clients repeatedly how my abilities through interacting with described to step back, be measured, appreciate other perspecand being challenged tives, and be deliberate were qualities that really helped by your peers, whose them through the transaction process,” he recalls. backgrounds and “Negotiating transactions worth tens of millions of attitudes can be very dollars can be very tenuous and stressful, but I believe different than your own.” that the space that St. John’s taught me to make [was] critical to successful outcomes.” Vashi now puts the same skills to use at Neat Capital, a venture-backed mortgage lender that aims to simplify the home financing profess. As the leader of the finance team, Vashi relies on his experience with a variety of transactions and corporate finance to help spur the company’s growth within the industry. It all sounds very nuts-and-bolts—and intense. But for Vashi, the “intellectually rigorous” work that has defined his career connects deeply with his time at St. John’s. “[My job] is the real-world application of financial and economic theory,” he explains. Putting foundational theory into practice: the practice of a true Johnnie. 9 �SHEBA DELANEY (A22) 10 �Student’s Path of Lifelong Learning Leads to St. John’s Sheba Delaney shares how, at 66 years old, her pursuit of the examined life brought her to the college. L ike most Johnnies, the last three semesters presented Sheba Delaney (A22) with extraordinary challenges— from the sudden transition to online learning to hybrid classes and masked conversations. Unlike most Johnnies, though, Delaney has a bit more life experience to lean on during hard times: She began her freshman year at 66 years old. In 2017, Delaney says, “I was living in New York City, my home for more than 40 years, spending five hours a day in my studio, painting, and working at Trader Joe’s. The years of raising and educating my children were almost over.” As she emerged from several significant life changes, she realized that the rest of her life might not play out exactly how she’d imagined. “Dostoevsky said the second half of life is nothing but the habits we acquire in the first half,” she explains. “I didn’t want that.” So that year, Delaney traveled to Spain and walked the 500-mile El Camino de Santiago. When she got back, she applied to St. John’s—the college she’d first heard of while studying illustration at the Pratt Institute decades earlier. “I never considered applying anywhere else,” she says. “Although I’ve read widely over my lifetime, I wanted to go through the history of Western culture in a systematic way.” Delaney arrived at St. John’s in 2018 and immediately encountered obstacles. She hadn’t studied basic math in decades, let alone demonstrated a Euclidean proposition. Despite her excitement for seminar, she was a lifelong solitary reader and found the idea of diving into conversation somewhat intimidating. Most difficult, she says, was time management. Referencing her “touch-and-go” first two years at the college, Delaney says she felt exhausted and stretched to her limit on more than one occasion. “My lifelong work habit has been obsessive monotasking,” she explains, “which works well for an artist but isn’t so great when you’re trying to keep up with three challenging tutorials and a massive amount of reading.” Importantly, though, she instantly felt welcomed into the Johnnie community, and—together with her classmates— she’s been able to surmount such challenges, including arduous music theory and algebra tests. “I was one of the first people to go to the board to do a Euclid proposition,” Delaney recalls. “I was shaking, but at least I never had to do it for the first time again.” Perhaps the biggest challenge emerged in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the St. John’s Program online. It was extremely difficult, Delaney says, to transition overnight from gathering together around a table to conversing via Zoom. Nonetheless, the St. John’s community rallied to make things work. Delaney, her classmates, and her tutors persisted with tenacity and good humor, trading Johnnie chairs and seminar tables for at-home desks and computer screens—a testament to the Program itself. Even in times of difficulty, the study of Great Books endures, and the conversation it elicits continues. For Delaney, persevering through the demands of everyday life and the famously rigorous St. John’s Program is nothing new. During her first couple of years at the college, she reflects, “I was constantly worried that I just wasn’t going to make it.” But the experience has been worth it— “there has been so much to enjoy.” She calls the opportunity to work through the Great Books a “luxury.” Similar “I’m able to think about to most alumni, in spite of initial butterflies, she adores the things I am interest- seminar—and the ongoing conversation that often ed in in a much richer spills from the classroom to the quad and beyond. The way and with a better Program has even inspired Delaney to try humorous sense both of context writing, and she cherishes the Johnnie tradition of taking tutors to lunch or coffee. and of how things are Most of all, “Everything I’ve learned so far is absolutely connected.” affecting my whole life,” she notes. “I’m able to think about the things I am interested in in a much richer way and with a better sense both of context and of how things are connected.” After graduating, Delaney hopes to earn a master’s degree in theological studies; having written for religious publications in the past, she’d like to continue exploring humanity through religion (and religion through humanity). In other words, the journey of lifelong learning she resumed at the college has only just begun. “At St. John’s, we engage with the slow unfolding of human beings trying to understand themselves,” Delaney says. “I hope that I can, in some small way, be part of that conversation.” 11 �DAVID TOWNSEND 12 �Longtime Annapolis Tutor Wins Prestigious Faculty Award Tutor David Townsend joined St. John’s College’s faculty in 1974. democratic society. On a similar note, he rejects the idea that the purpose of education is purely pragmatic; that any and all learning exists only in pursuit of material gain. He acknowledges that American society necessitates a certain uring the course of his career at the college, he amount of financial success, and he maintains that prosperhas become a beloved facilitator of learning and exploity isn’t something to avoid. But, he adds, “Everything that ration—admired not just by current and former students, we’re doing [in life] is not for the sake of more profit or more but also by the Association of Graduate and Liberal Studies wealth. It’s to elevate the human spirit; to think about, as Du (AGLSP). Bois says, the soul. That’s what the liberal arts are all about.” At a gala held in October 2020, the association formally Importantly, Townsend notes, a liberal arts education honored Townsend with its annual faculty award: a recbenefits tutors and students alike. The equal exchange ognition of superb faculty who teach and inspire students of varying perspectives, ideas, and beliefs that seminar both within and outside the classroom. With his dedicaaffords is transformative for everyone involved. There’s tion to the liberal arts and his devotion to becoming what nothing like the mind-blowStringfellow Barr called a “citizen of the world,” Townsend ing moment when a student “Nevertheless, there is a certainly meets the criteria. Fittingly, he considers the reor teacher genuinely considcipient—himself—the least important part of the deal. ers an idea that challenges, path to achieve greatThe AGLSP describes itself as “deeply committed to the changes, or elevates their value of interdisciplinary education in the liberal arts and point of view. “It’s universal,” ness,” he says. “If we sciences.” That holistic focus on liberal arts is what makes Townsend contends. the faculty award meaningful to Townsend. Rather than a Despite that universality, move forward with glamorous recognition of his lengthy career, he hopes the the economic climate in the award functions as an acknowledgement of the deeper States causes a conhonesty, vision, integrity, United goals of true education. “The original movement at stant “crisis in the humanSt. John’s in the ’30s was that we had a mission not just to ities” rhetoric that, some fear, and effective hard work, drives students away from be a little college, but to be emblematic of a way that a society, a community, could improve,” Townsend says. schools like St. John’s. Partly St. John’s can be more “Our mission is to teach the capabilities of the liberal arts in response to those conto give us what we aim for in life,” he adds. “So, what do we cerns, Townsend is constantly live for the sake of? We live for the sake of the good, the true, than we might imagine.” searching for ways to bring and the beautiful; not just for instrumental goals like wealth more people to the liberal or honor or fame. I think the liberal arts are at the heart of arts. In addition to teaching and community education, he what we do at St. John’s.” has conceived of two potential master’s programs that he Townsend’s belief in the liberal arts manifests itself believes could broaden the appeal of the St. John’s Graduate beyond St. John’s. He teaches adult education offerings in Institute. The more people engaged in the liberal arts, he both Santa Fe and Annapolis, including recently, an examreasons, the better for St. John’s. ination of the fearless pursuit of love and intellect depicted “The survival of St. John’s is at stake at a time when in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse. He has also taught libmany small colleges will fail. Nevertheless, there is a path eral arts seminars in local prisons, Baltimore police departto achieve greatness,” he says. “If we move forward with ments, and to the chief financial officers of PepsiCo, as well honesty, vision, integrity, and effective hard work, St. John’s as been involved with the Touchstones Discussion Project— can be more than we might imagine. For St. John’s to live up which brings the seminar model to elementary, middle, and to its untapped potential, we must, to paraphrase Frederick high schools across the world—for more than 30 years. With Douglass, be true to our past, true to our present, and bind every group of learners, the St. John’s seminar pedagogy ourselves to be true to the future.” proves invaluable. “I think the method works, whether I’m teaching in a community seminar, whether I’m doing a year of classics,” he says. “It’s an aspect of the human soul; people are hungry for this kind of endeavor.” Townsend suggests that the rigorous dialogue that defines seminar provides the foundation for any functioning D 13 �Q&A with Alumni Relations Working Group Co-chairs: Caroline Gorman (SF11) and Ken Resnick (SFGI19) In the beginning of 2020, St. John’s embarked on an effort to better understand how alumni want to engage with the college. After months of alumni focus groups and surveys, and an audit of current programs, a working group of the Advancement Committee of the Board of Visitors and Governors was formed to help evaluate findings and generate guidance on how to reinforce a strong and meaningful connection between alumni and the college. Get to know the Alumni Relations Working Group Co-chairs Caroline Gorman (SF11) and Ken Resnick (SFGI19), and the significance of this work and alumni at St. John’s, through their reflections below. What prompted you to attend St. John’s College? Gorman: I attended almost on a whim; I saw the old marketing materials that said, “This year, the following teachers will be returning (then listing Program authors),” and I just knew St. John’s was the place for me. Resnick: I moved to Santa Fe in 2014, and to be honest, did not know anything about St. John’s. I experimented with the Summer Classics program, and then I was hooked. I enrolled in the Graduate Institute (GI) program in 2017 and graduated two years later. For me, the Great Books were an attraction—original texts, original thinking and writing about the texts, and, most important to me, civil discourse with friends and strangers. This is what I love about the college—I’ve not found anything else quite like it anywhere. How has the college affected your professional pursuits? Gorman: As a trial attorney, St. John’s has been an enormous benefit in terms of reading, writing, and analyzing. I went into law school more accustomed to deep reading and analysis of the written word, which has helped immeasurably. I also found that the conversational skills I gained at St. John’s are good for interviewing clients and witnesses. Resnick: I retired from General Electric in 2014 after serving as the general counsel for its global oil and gas business based in Florence, Italy, and currently consult in the areas of corporate governance, ethics, and compliance programs. I also teach a course on international business ethics at Syracuse University in Florence. The GI program has improved my critical reading skills and helped me discern some of the ethical principles that are often deeply embedded in business decision-making, yet are rarely discussed. Helping my students understand the values they choose when making so-called “strictly business” decisions has been a good area for classroom discussion. What roles do you serve at the college? Gorman: I am an alumni-elected member of the Board of Visitors and Governors and co-chair of its Alumni Relations Working Group (ARWG). Resnick: In addition to co-chairing the ARWG, I am a regular member of the board and serve on the Finance, Advancement, and Trustee and Governance Committees. What is most satisfying to you about serving on the board? Gorman: The most satisfying part is twofold: 1. Seeing how many people, including many non-alumni who found the college later in life, deeply love the college. 14 �2. Seeing how many people are constantly working to improve the college in every way. Resnick: The board is a collaborative body, and each member cares deeply about St. John’s and its distinctive Program, mission, and pedagogy. What this translates into is a board that passionately desires to be active in service to the college. The formal meetings are the veritable “tip of the iceberg” in terms of board activity. Between meetings, the members are busy in committees and working groups to address various policy issues and other matters related to the college. I think this is the most gratifying aspect of my board experience. Why is the work of the ARWG important? Gorman: There are a number of big objectives that the college has successfully completed or is in the middle of—such as the tuition decrease, eliminating the deficit, and the Freeing Minds capital campaign. But amid all that, the board realized it is also time to examine how to reinforce a meaningful connection to alumni and strong support of the college. The college’s Alumni Relations Office has already taken a number of steps to critically examine itself, and the ARWG, with representation from the Alumni Association, discussed the issue from all angles. Resnick: During our benchmarking of other small colleges, we learned that successful alumni engagement strategies create a sort of “virtuous circle” for the alumni and the college in terms of volunteerism, philanthropy, and participation in alumni events. For example, we know that alumni who volunteer or become engaged with their college are many times more likely to promote, donate, and express satisfaction with their relationship to the school. We want to build our own virtuous circle at St. John’s that creates lifelong connections among Johnnies—and between Johnnies and the college. How will the outcomes of the ARWG influence the future of St. John’s? Gorman: I hope that we’ll take what the ARWG discovered after talking to staff, volunteers, and alumni, and find better ways to encourage volunteers and strengthen ties between alumni and the college. Resnick: We hope that the results of our working group will positively influence the culture at St. John’s for alumni engagement. Ultimately, we will measure our progress in terms of expanded alumni engagement and participation in the college’s alumni communications, volunteerism, philanthropy, and events. One positive development from COVID-19 is the use of technology to convene people from around the world to engage in communal learning, events, seminars, and such. I was a doubting Thomas, but then I participated in several online events and seminars and found that the discussions and personal connections to the other participants were rich despite our distance. So we hope that the programming for alumni events and communications will include both in-person and online opportunities going forward. What encourages you to engage with the college? Gorman: I love that you can approach any Johnnie—anywhere, any time—and ask: “What have you been reading lately?” and an amazing conversation follows. I’ve never found another community so free with ideas, and that keeps me returning to the college and alumni. Resnick: I continue to engage with the college because I feel like it is an endangered species. St. John’s offers to students of all types and ages—from all around the world— the unique opportunity to engage directly with some of the best thinkers, scientists, philosophers, artists, and musicians of all time, and discuss their works in a reasoned and civil manner. We are slowly losing such precious learning environments, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. We can’t let that happen to St. John’s. What do you hope for the future of St. John’s? Gorman: My hope is that St. John’s continues to be a place where people with a deep love of learning and thinking gather—while also providing better support for a more diverse group of students than we traditionally have. Resnick: I hope for the revitalization of alumni relations at St. John’s. If you are an alum who perhaps has not been engaged with the school recently, I would ask that you consider getting involved in some way to support the college—through the Alumni Association, seminar offerings, donations, volunteerism. What I have learned through my participation in the ARWG and on the board is that alumni support of the college, regardless of the amount of time or money involved, is so critical to its continued success. 15 �Campaign Chair Reflects on Success of Freeing Minds Warren Spector (A81) Warren Spector (A81) speaks on on the Alumni-fueled completion of the Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge amid year of his 40th Reunion W arren Spector (A81) never doubted that St. John’s alumni would meet the Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge, raising $50 million toward the Freeing Minds campaign and securing another $50 million in matching funds. “I was confident from the beginning that alumni would step up and meet the Challenge, I always believed it,” says Spector, a member of the St. John’s Board of Visitors and Governors and campaign chair. “Our alumni base cares very deeply about the college and wants to see it flourish, wants to see it maintain its values.” 16 What he didn’t anticipate was just how quickly it would happen: alumni and friends completed the Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge in only two and a half years, crossing the finish line this spring. “Had this Challenge been offered five to 10 years ago, I think it might have taken twice as long to achieve it.” Back then, Spector says, there was simply less confidence in the financial stability and direction of the college. As recently as 2016, St. John’s structural deficit had reached $12 million. The college was balancing its books, but only by applying every dollar toward operating costs, at the expense of building a base of support for the future. Enrollment, conversely, was declining, hampered by a tuition price that, when combined with ancillary expenses, put the total cost of a St. John’s education at close to $70,000 a year. “We needed to get our fiscal house in order, that was a priority, but we didn’t like being so expensive that only a few families could afford us,” says Spector. “The more the board talked about it, the more we realized that St. John’s needed to make a strong statement about its values.” By the time the Freeing Minds campaign went public in the fall of 2018, the college had lowered tuition by a third, approved a plan to balance the budget, switched to a philanthropy-centered financial model, and raised more than $100 million in support. Those results attracted the attention of winemaker Warren Winiarski (Class of 1952), founder of Napa, California-based Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and Barbara Winiarski (Class of 1955), a member of the first class of women at St. John’s. Inspired by the steps the college was taking to achieve financial stability, the Winiarski Family Foundation issued a challenge: if alumni and friends could raise another $50 million in cash gifts, the Foundation would match those gifts, dollar for dollar, with a $50 million contribution to the St. John’s endowment. �Barbara Winiarski (Class of 1955) Warren Winiarski (Class of 1952) The Winiarski Family Foundation Challenge came with What these plans won’t include, Spector cautions, are a stipulation: the gifts that had already been made to the facilities that come with ultra-luxurious price tags that campaign would be ineligible for the match, including students inevitably have to pay. “When you make a gift Spector’s own pledge, one of the largest in to Freeing Minds, you are delivering a St. John’s education St. John’s history. at a price that is defensible. We aren’t The Winiarski Family Foundation, spending money on luxuries but on “I think it goes to show Spector explains, was adamant that the the small classroom experience that is Challenge would not be met through a few being abandoned by other colleges.” that if people see large gifts but by thousands of supporters It is clear to Spector that his fellow who were willing to stretch themselves and alumni care passionately about the the college doing the make gifts they would not otherwise have values that distinguish St. John’s from considered. its peers, and he’s convinced their right thing, they will Nearly 5,000 alumni and friends passion will drive the campaign to its responded, offering more than 17,000 next big achievement: the $300 million individual gifts, of which 96 percent were campaign goal. As of June 2021, total support it, and support gifts of less than $5,000. commitments to the Freeing Minds “I think it goes to show that if people see campaign had reached $246 million. it enthusiastically.” the college doing the right thing, they will “The campaign, and all that has support it, and support it enthusiastically,” gone with it, highlights the difference says Spector. between St. John’s and other schools. Our alumni are Now that St. John’s is no longer operating with a deficit, excited to support that, and I think the college can be in a Spector says the college can invest campaign gifts in the strong position for a very long time.” student experience—and afford to build for the future. Of the $300 million being raised for Freeing Minds, $225 million, or 75 percent, will go toward academic and student support, an area that includes health and wellness programming, career services, and improvements that foster lively, welcoming communities. 17 �JOIN US FOR ALUMNI WEEK 2021 e Monday, September 27 through Saturday, October 2 REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 19 AT SJC.EDU/ALUMNI-WEEK 18 �ALUMNI WEEK SCHEDULE AND REGISTRATION Alumni are invited to join classmates and members of the college community for St. John’s second annual Alumni Week—a weeklong series of your favorite Homecoming activities offered in an online format. Renew your lifelong connection to St. John’s and experience what it means to be part of our Johnnie community by joining us this fall. SCHEDULE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Welcome Alumni Association Awards Q&A with College Leaders TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Return to the Classroom: How to Read a Painting and Lab Revisited WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 JohnnieTalks THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Breaking Barriers Panel Presentation with some of St. John’s first women students (live event) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1 What Did Einstein Predict? Annual All Alumni Meeting and Alumni Association Election (live event) Friday Night Lecture (live event) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2 Seminar (live event) Toast and Tributes with Alumni Association Board (live event) All live programming will be recorded and made available post event at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week. Alumni Week programming subject to change. See webpage for details, or contact the Alumni Relations Office for assistance at alumni@sjc.edu. REGISTRATION AND PRICING Live Events: must be registered for in advance in order to provide login credentials on the dates of programming. Pre-recorded Activities: will be posted at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week on the date of their occurrence and are open to all participants. To receive links to pre-recorded content via email, registration is recommended. PRICING Payment, along with registration, is required for participation in virtual seminars only. Price per seminar: $50 CANCELLATION POLICIES • Due to the limited availability of virtual seminars, spaces are nontransferable and nonrefundable. • Seminars with fewer than five participants are subject to cancelation. If a seminar is canceled due to low attendance, registrants may choose to transfer to an open seminar or request a refund. 19 �ALUMNI WEEK SEMINARS GRADUATE INSTITUTE Class Reading Tutor GI TBD Kenneth Wolfe (SF94) GOLDEN YEARS Class Reading Tutor Golden John Stuart Mill’s “The Subjection of Women” Tom May Class Reading Tutor 2016 William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra Hannah Hintze 2006 Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics Peter Kalkavage 1996 F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Walter Sterling (A93) 1991 Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July;” Declaration of Independence Chester Burke (A74) 1986 Anthology for Sophomore Language Poems Jonathan Tuck (H14) 1981 W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk Joan Silver (A76) 1976 Michel de Montaigne’s “Of Experience,” “Of Cannibals” Steven Crockett 1971 William Shakespeare’s The Tempest Nick Maistrellis (H15) 1960s Plato’s Symposium Joe Macfarland (A87) ANNAPOLIS 20 �SANTA FE Class Reading Tutor 2016 James Baldwin’s “Many Thousands Gone,” Nothing Personal Sarah Davis 2011 Sophocles’ Antigone Andy Kingston 2006 Emily Dickinson’s Final Harvest: 66, 87, 122, 202 Claudia Hauer 2001 Plato’s Republic: Book 2 Krishnan Venkatesh 1996 TBD Frank Hunt (A75) 1991 William Shakespeare’s The Tempest Nancy Buchenauer (H16) 1986 Michel Foucault’s The Order of Things: Preface, Chapter 1 “Las Meninas” Llyd Wells 1981 Franz Kafka’s “Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk” Peter Pesic (H17) 1976 Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things Don Cook (H97) 1971 Plato’s The Apology of Socrates Michael Golluber Class Reading Tutor OPEN Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Eternal Husband Louis Petrich OPEN Euripides’ The Bacchae Gregory Recco OPEN Wallace Stevens’ “Connoisseur of Chaos” Jim Beall OPEN Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy Ibn Yaqzan Brendan Boyle OPEN 21 �ALUMNI WEEK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONOREES 2021 Alumni Association honorees are selected annually by the board in recognition for their pursuit of and successes in leading examined lives, as well as their steadfast commitment to the St. John’s College community. Following are this year’s recipients of the Award of Merit and Honorary Alumni designations to be commemorated during Alumni Week 2021. AWARD OF MERIT Robert George (A85) – for achievement in the field of journalism and distinguished service to the college and its alumni Robert George (A85) has served both the college and its alumni through extensive volunteer activity, including service on the Alumni Association Board and its committees, the Board of Visitors and Governors, and volunteering as a DJ for nearly every Annapolis homecoming over the past three decades. His distinguished career in politics and journalism, where he has quietly championed civility and served as a model for civil discourse, displays how we hope Johnnies might contribute to society. George currently writes editorials on education and other policy issues for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously a member of the editorial boards of the New York Daily News and New York Post. He began his career in politics working for the Republican National Committee and as senior writer and special assistant for then-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. He was involved in election monitoring in Nigeria, reported on slavery in Sudan, and has participated in fact-finding missions to Israel and China. Over the course of his career, George has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and many other political affairs outlets, and has written for National Review, Reason, HuffPost, and a variety of other print and online publications. John Sifton (A96) – for achievement in the field of human rights advocacy John Sifton (A96) has devoted most of his career to human rights. After focusing on international humanitarian law in law school (NYU 2000), he worked for Refugees International in the Balkans, and then as a researcher and later advocate at Human Rights Watch. In an interview last year with the college about human rights work, he described human rights research and advocacy as “a relentless pursuit of the truth and a constant but often unrewarding effort to bring abusers to justice.” In addition to advocacy, Sifton is a writer, starting with a New York Times article published after 9/11 and leading up to his 2015 book, Violence All Around. Praised by The New Yorker, HuffPost, and other outlets, Violence All Around offers insights into human rights work as well as meditations on the nature of violence. Using his work on atrocities and war crimes as a springboard, Sifton explores the reluctance of historians and philosophers to analyze violence itself, not just as moral or immoral activity or as means to an end, but as a set of independent phenomena that condition human existence. According to Sifton, few observers, perpetrators, or victims are given an opportunity to consider these contexts. “I just don’t get the sense that a lot of the people who work in human rights think about that.” 22 �William Fischer, PhD (SF86) – for achievement in the field of evolutionary biology and bioinformatics Will Fischer, PhD, (SF86) is a scientist who works at the interface of viral evolution, vaccine development, and pandemic prevention. His work has contributed to mitigation efforts against HIV, filovirus diseases (Ebola and Marburg), Hepatitis C, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, and COVID-19. He played a vital role in the development of the mosaic vaccine design concept, which enables construction of vaccines for previously intractable pathogens. Since 2005, his work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has been focused primarily on HIV. In 2020, he turned his attention to tracking the molecular evolution of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. His recent work has significantly contributed to a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and ways to apply this understanding to ensure continuing success with vaccines and antibody therapeutics. Fischer’s deep biological knowledge, computational skills, and ability to design visual presentations of complex data—a skill he began to develop at the chalkboard in the St. John’s classroom—have significantly contributed to vaccine design strategies and have helped save lives around the globe. He is a well-rounded, deep-thinking scientist, and his insights have benefited many issues relating to public health. Natalie Goldberg (SFGI74) – for achievement in the field of arts and literature Natalie Goldberg (SFGI74) is the author of 15 books (and counting), including Writing Down the Bones, which has sold more than one million copies, has been translated into 19 languages, and revolutionized the way we practice writing in this country. Her most recent book, Three Simple Lines: A Writer’s Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku, has garnered wide praise—and includes a shout-out to the Santa Fe college bookstore. Her other books include the novel Banana Rose, memoir Long Quiet Highway, and a collection of essays, The Great Spring. For more than 40 years, Goldberg has practiced Zen Buddhism and taught seminars in writing as a practice. People from around the world attend her life-changing workshops, and she has earned a reputation as a great teacher. The Oprah Winfrey Show sent a film crew to spend the day with Goldberg for a segment on spirituality that covered her writing, teaching, painting, and walking meditation. She has been a speaker at commencement and other college events, including an event in 2018 where she reflected on the value St. John’s College has had in her career as an author, noting that, “[At St. John’s] you meet the mind of the author, which is really how you learn to write. The books you love, you study the mind of the authors, they’re your teachers. So, me and Socrates and me and Aristotle, we’re good friends … And that’s what you need in order to write.” 23 �ALUMNI WEEK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS HONORARY ALUMNI Donlin Long, PhD Donlin M. Long, PhD, is the head of a dedicated family of Johnnies. His wife, Harriet (AGI93), served on the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors, his daughter Elisabeth Long (A86) currently serves on the Alumni Association Board, and he himself served on the St. John’s College Presidents’ Council. He is also the loving father of two other graduates of St. John’s, Kimberly Riley (AGI87) and David Long (A90). After completing a PhD in neuroanatomy in 1964, Long served as professor of neurosurgery and chief neurosurgeon at the Johns Hopkins University for 27 years. He was one of the first program directors in the nation to adopt a major interest in chronic pain and developed an infrastructure for patient care at Johns Hopkins while advancing the standards for pain care around the world. During his career, Long has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and 100 book chapters, as well as 16 books. He was named a distinguished professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins from 2000 until his official retirement in 2010. In addition to these accomplishments, he and Harriet have been active members of the college community and consistent donors since 1983. In 2019, they established the Long Family Endowment with a leadership-level legacy commitment to the Freeing Minds campaign and are sustaining members of the college’s Mitchell Gallery. Mary Anne Burke Mary Anne Burke has been a member of the St. John’s College community for more than 14 years, beginning as a staff member of the Advancement Office before transitioning to the Student Activity Center as fitness and wellness coordinator in Santa Fe. Burke, a known fitness and wellness buff and certified personal trainer, was nominated by current students in recognition of her extraordinary dedication, enthusiasm, and attention to the wellbeing of the college community. To create a more inclusive environment and to increase community engagement, Burke launched the Warrior Women Workouts, designing a fitness program that is welcoming, non-judgmental, and inclusive, and allows for customization by each participant. In response to the isolation caused by the pandemic, Burke organized the “Meta-Ionnathon”—a special race event, inviting Johnnies (including alumni) from all over the globe to log enough miles to travel the circumference of the earth, virtually. She also brought the archery program to the college, in which students compete locally, regionally, and nationally. Whether by student, staff, or faculty, Burke has been described as relationship-focused, maintaining connections with former students even after graduation. As Assistant Dean Michael Golluber notes, “Mary Anne has changed my life. Before she came, all [I] did is study and suffer from stress and anxiety. She helped me to start moving and to remember I had a body. I might be dead now if it weren’t for her. I know many feel the same way I do about this.” 24 �“What is the meaning of life? That was all—a simple question; one that tended to close in on one with years, the great revelation had Paul and Cecie Dry Paul and Cecie Dry’s embrace of the St. John’s College community and their commitment to the Program have resulted in their ongoing participation in classroom learning and financial support to the college. After reading a small ad in The New Yorker, Cecie and Paul first attended Summer Classics in Santa Fe in 1996 and have participated almost every summer since. In 2004, they initiated and funded a twice-yearly seminar in Annapolis led by tutors Eva Brann and Sam Kutler. Cecie attended the Executive Seminar program in Philadelphia and studied in the Graduate Institute in Annapolis. At Paul Dry Books, Paul has published numerous works by St. John’s tutors. The Dry Family Foundation supports The Eva Brann Endowed Tutorship and the Southwest Scholars Partners Program, which is designed to benefit enrollment on the Santa Fe campus. Their engagement with the college is generational as Guillermo Bleichmar, their son-in-law, has been a tutor at the Santa Fe campus since 2009. The Drys have truly embraced the spirit of St. John’s College and made its health and wellbeing a central part of their lives. (Volunteer Service Award winners to be announced during Alumni Week 2021) never come. The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead, there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark ...” – VIRGINIA WOOLF, TO THE LIGHTHOUSE 25 �COMMUNITY PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF FOR CLASS OF 2021 26 �College Celebrates Graduates with Poignant Commencement Ceremonies I t was a strange year for Johnnies in both Santa Fe and Annapolis: following an online fall semester, many students returned to campus in spring, combining the Program with similarly rigorous COVID-19 safety protocols. Ultimately, the work paid off—in May, graduating Johnnies celebrated their accomplishments with in-person commencement ceremonies. May 16 was a beautiful spring day on the back lawn of the Annapolis campus, with socially distanced chairs, a cordoned ceremony area, and a stage set up in view of College Creek. In his welcome address, Annapolis President Pano Kanelos noted that commencement is an opportunity to look toward the future, simultaneously pointing out the challenges of the immediate past. “We have been a community dispersed, a polity in diaspora … we have all had to find ways to endure the challenges we’ve faced,” he remarked. “Without you—your voices, your presence, your minds— there is no college,” Kanelos added. “You are strong, you are tenacious, and we are so proud and grateful that you are Johnnies.” The ceremony culminated with tutor Chester Burke’s (A74) address to the Class of 2021. As he recounted the last yearplus of college life, Burke cited the determination, humorous missteps, and heartwarming moments he shared with the Class of 2021, connecting the tenacity displayed by Johnnies over the last three semesters to that of the last four years. “Despite an ultimately inexplicable circumstance that stretched all of us to the limit of despair,” Burke said, “each of you graduating students … accomplished a genuine version of what it is we do. If Aristotle is right, and he usually is, this serious and pleasurable activity is something available to all human beings at all times; something that under the best of circumstances is difficult to sustain but is nevertheless worth fighting for and falling towards.” In Santa Fe, more than 40 graduating students and their families celebrated commencement on May 22, narrowly avoiding a rare storm later in the afternoon. President Mark Roosevelt began by acknowledging the extreme challenge both of the St. John’s education and of the last year. He also noted that graduating students are entering “an increasingly fractured, deeply divided world and country.” However, “there is reason to hope,” Roosevelt pointed out. “You have what the world needs … A dedication to listening that is rare—and a desire to find truth, as nuanced as it may be, rather than a need to be right and to win.” The Santa Fe commencement speaker was The Dallas Morning News’ Alfredo Corchado, an award-winning journalist and nonfiction writer. Corchado, in his speech, told a story of personal perseverance—that of a high-school dropout who, after emigrating from Mexico, worked as a teenage laborer in a California farming town—through the lens of three lessons: Surround yourself with people who believe in you; find your purpose; and take risks. Through those lessons, Corchado recalled the experiences that shaped his life. First, leaving California and attending college on a promise to his mom. Then, falling in love with journalism. And finally, persevering until he ultimately succeeded, earning positions at news outlets like National Public Radio and the Wall Street Journal along the way. Before repeating his three lessons, Corchado concluded his speech with a tribute to the crowd of graduates: “You are leading us into the next chapter,” he said. “I couldn’t be more hopeful for this country because in you I see the anger, the passion, the will, tolerance, imagination, and drive to keep the great American experiment, once debated in Philadelphia, going—moving us closer to a more perfect union. The perennial journey.” In both Annapolis and Santa Fe, the message rang true: As they proved throughout the last year, the newly minted St. John’s alumni have the grit, intellect, and character to persist through any circumstances. Congratulations, Class of 2021! 27 �DAVID SCHWARZ (A78) Renovating the Student Experience, Together 28 �COMMUNITY ST. JOHN’S MAKES CAMPUS CULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPROVEMENTS THANKS TO ALUMNI SUPPORT T hrough his Washington, DC-based architect firm, David Schwarz (A78), founder of David M. Schwarz Architects, has worked with projects as varied as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, the Texas Rangers Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now he is returning to the college he loves to help update a building he remembers well: Mellon Hall. Schwarz says that helping St. John’s build for the future feels to him like a way of thanking the college for its part in his success. “What the college did for me was it taught me to think, it taught me to speak, and it taught me to write,” Schwarz explains. All skills necessary, he adds, to do a good job in his chosen field. Mellon Hall stands out among the Colonial architecture that dominates the Annapolis campus, but the mid-century modern building has its own historical significance: famed architect Richard Neutra agreed to design it after visiting the campus. Dedicated in 1959, the sprawling building houses the 600-seat Francis Scott Key auditorium, many classrooms, the Mitchell Gallery, and a planetarium—but has limited space for socializing. Schwarz hopes to change that. “It’s not a particularly humane series of spaces. I think I feel best about trying to fix that, which will largely be done with warm, welcoming materials and furnishings.” The feel of home is the goal: Schwarz says the lobby will be furnished with soft, comfortable seating and tables in the fashion of a living room. St. John’s Vice President for Advancement Kelly Brown says the project will have important social and cultural implications for the 325-year-old Annapolis campus. “To create a sense of community, it’s really important to have physical spaces where students can relax and engage with one another and with the tutors.” Brown adds that the project will restore Neutra’s original vision of Mellon Hall as a center of community life and the arts. The auditorium’s large backstage space will be divided into two parts for a dance recital studio and a black box theater. Multi-purpose areas will be available and appropriate for other performing arts. The Mellon Hall project is partly funded by a $5 million grant from the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA). Every four years, schools can apply for money to support capital improvements; the last grant St. John’s received went toward the renovation of McDowell Hall. The current grant, however, stipulates St. John’s raise matching funds to support the project. To date, alumni and friends have contributed $1.8 million to the Mellon Hall renovation through the Freeing Minds campaign. The renovation comes at a time when the college is looking with enthusiasm toward the future and a return to a fully residential experience for undergraduates. Brown notes that while some small colleges must now regain their former strength in the wake of the pandemic, St. John’s, she says, is in the fortunate position of being able to build on its strengths, with alumni-funded improvements underway on both campuses. In Santa Fe, sustainability initiatives aim to bring St. John’s closer to a carbon-neutral future. The entire campus recently converted to longer-lasting, energy-efficient LED lighting, replacing the outdated fluorescent tube lighting that had previously been used in almost every campus building. A solar power project featuring ground and carport-mounted solar panel arrays is currently in progress and expected to be complete by spring 2022. The college estimates that the two upgrades will save the college $150,000 a year and reduce annual electricity usage by 1.67 million kWh. An anonymous alumni couple funded both projects with a combined $3.2 million dollar gift to Freeing Minds. Those same two donors have also given to the Annapolis campus to renovate the Randall Hall dorm rooms and add energy efficient air conditioning units. “Our students need and want environmentally sustainable campuses and gathering spaces that facilitate community and creativity,” Brown says. “Our alumni have shown that they are committed to making that happen.” 29 �COMMUNITY REUNION CLASS NOTES 1971 Jay Gold (A) retired in April 2020 and began the Master of Arts in Eastern Classics graduate program at St. John’s in August 2020. Gold writes, “It has been such fun, I may continue for the MA in Liberal Arts.” Additionally, Gold and wife, Sabrina, will celebrate 25 years together and 18 years of marriage in fall 2021. 1976 Neal Allen (SF) is currently attending the college’s Eastern Classics graduate program (2020–21). In May 2021, he published his latest book, Shapes of Truth: Discover God Inside You. Allen writes, “It includes a brief sophomore year at St. John’s story that references Jon McCracken (SF76) and Hunter Hyde (SF76).” Allen has been married for two years and has one grandchild from four adult children. Sheri (Rothstein) Brown (A) retired in May 2021 from a career in early childhood education and moved to California to be near two of her three grandchildren. Brown writes, “I stopped to see the Santa Fe campus on our drive west, as I had never been there.” Mark Copper (SF) completed constructing and outfitting an astronomical observatory near Magdalena, New Mexico, in March 2021. Copper writes, “If you enjoyed plotting retrograde motions, come take a look!” Leslie Graves (A) is the CEO of Ballotpedia.org and is approaching her 40th wedding anniversary. Graves has 10 grandchildren. Jon Hustis and Marion Condon Hustis (A) recently celebrated the birth of their first granddaughter, Stella Marion McQuail, with a second grandchild expected in July 2021. They write, “We are splitting time between Dallas and Lucknow, Ontario, Canada, and are now farming in addition to working, caring for family, volunteering, reading, trying to stay fit, and hanging with dogs and kids.” Judy Kistler-Robinson (SF) retired mid-2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kistler-Robinson writes, “Instead of planned travel to new places and old friends, I gardened, read, sketched my surroundings, and started teaching Tai Chi Chih on Zoom.” David Pex (SF) has been busy building a log cabin in the woods near Mount Hood, Oregon, over the past year. Pex writes, “My carpentry skills have vastly improved!” 1986 Kristen (Baumgardner) Caven (SF) authored The Reason She Left: and other stories in 2011, a philosophical comic book exploring cultural dualism through the character-driven narrative of a young woman trying to find her place in the world—a project born from her propensity for sketching and illustrating as a student at St. John’s. 30 She writes, “As a bored, unguided, and pensive high school student, I found that I listened best in class when I was doodling in the margins of my notebooks … In sophomore lab, my doodles became paper-doll booklets, and I discovered the cult of publication.” In 2020, Caven returned to the creative process by making a full-length animated feature for her neighborhood beer festival, which was transformed into a worldwide virtual Oktoberfest due to COVID-19. Today, she continues to explore the graphic narrative as a tool for philosophical communication and understanding across a variety of mediums. 1991 Joan (Ross) Crist (A) is happy to be serving as a Title I aide and Latin teacher at a school in her community. Theresa Duncan’s (SF) role as an attorney in the fight to free Guantánamo Bay prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi was made into the feature film The Mauritanian. Released in spring 2021, the movie stars Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley (as Duncan), and Tamar Rahim. 2001 David Weiskopf (SF) is living in Sacramento, California, working in climate policy and politics, and welcomed a baby in November 2020. 2016 Samantha Ardoin (SF) graduated in May 2021 from Naropa University with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and a concentration in mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling. Ardoin is now working as a psychotherapist at Queer Asterisk Therapeutic Services, offering affordable identity-affirming mental health counseling to queer and trans adults and youth. Anne Horowitz (SF) recently completed her first year of medical school. Rebekah McLellan (SF) recently began veterinary studies at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. William Palm (SF) completed a master’s degree in special education in spring 2020 and married partner, Isaac, in 2019. Palm writes, “We are happily living together in Salt Lake City.” James Spencer-Zavos (SF) is currently enrolled in an “Umschulung,” or training program, in Berlin to become a qualified carpenter, after which he is eligible to train to become a “Meister,” or master carpenter. We’d like to hear from you! Please send correspondence and class notes to alumni@sjc.edu. Address changes and other updates may be submitted at sjc.edu/alumni-contact. �IN MEMORIAM St. John’s College remembers the alumni, faculty, staff, and leadership who have passed away during the 2020-2021 academic year, and celebrates the impact their lives have had on our Johnnie community. Stephen Benedict (Class of 1947) Stephen W. Bergen (Class of 1947) Mary S. Blomberg (Class of 1957) Katharine Boaz, Santa Fe Faculty Emerita Ray C. Cave (Class of 1948), Trustee Emeritus Stefano J. Coaloa (SFGI11) Gerald D. Cohen (SFGI90) Sharon S. Cooper, Santa Fe Staff Richard T. Edelman (Class of 1951) David J. Freedman (SF76) Peter Gardiner (A73) Robert M. Hampton (SF73) Alan D. Hornstein (AGI86) H. Gerald Hoxby (Class of 1947) Susan H. Jones (SFGI71) Daniel “Bud” T. Kelly, Jr. (H02) Gertrude Koch (AGI82) Charles E. Lynch (Class of 1951) Richard A. Malmgren (SFGI91) Jake Martinez (SFGI70) John W. May (SFGI94) Gerald “Simon” V. McNabb (A88) Jack S. Moorman (SFGI94) Robert S. Musgrave (SF90) Judith Penelope (Class of 1967) Mark A. Piekarski, Santa Fe Staff Josephine J. Poe (Class of 1957) David T. Reiner (A02) Mara Robinson (SFGI83) William D. Shafer (Class of 1962) Thomas K. Simpson (Class of 1950) David L. Smith (A86) Leslie E. Starr (A72) E. Cary Stickney (A75), Santa Fe Faculty Susan L. Swartzberg (SF70) George Usdansky (Class of 1950) Robert J. Wekselblatt (Class of 1963) John F. White (Class of 1964), Annapolis Faculty Rebecca M. Wilson (H83) Michael C. Wood (SF80) Patrick F. Woods (SF80) Cary Stickney (A75), Santa Fe Faculty Beloved Santa Fe tutor Cary Stickney (A75) died peacefully at home on April 7, 2021, of cancer. He was 66 years old. “Many of us, across our campuses and across the generations at the college, knew and loved Cary,” said Santa Fe Dean Walter Sterling (A93) upon the time of Stickney’s passing. He embodied, and improved, the spirit of our college.” After graduating from St. John’s in Annapolis in 1975, Stickney joined the Santa Fe faculty in 1980 to live out his life’s work as a tutor. Even in his final days, he was close to and reading rogram books. “It was especially meaningful to him to be involved in reading groups at the college on [Don] Quixote and on Plato,” said Sterling. “He derived great consolation from these experiences.” According to Stickney, the great books were safe. They would always be read somewhere in the world by people questing for understanding. Stickney is survived by his wife, Susan, Santa Fe faculty emerita; his daughters Amelia (SF14) and Sarah (A04), a tutor in Annapolis; and his son-in-law, Jake. This listing includes those who have passed July 1, 2020 through July 1, 2021. We care deeply for all members of our college community. If you do not see a name listed above, please contact advancement@sjc.edu so we may honor those individuals. 31 �ST. JOHN’S FOREVER PLANNED GIFTS ARE A WONDERFUL WAY TO SUPPORT ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE AND ACCOMPLISH YOUR OWN PERSONAL, FINANCIAL, ESTATE-PLANNING, AND PHILANTHROPIC GOALS. WHEN YOU DOCUMENT YOUR BEQUEST INTENTIONS, YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE LEGACY SOCIETY OF ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE, WHICH HONORS THOSE WHO HAVE PROVIDED FOR THE COLLEGE IN SUCH A GENEROUS WAY. Planned giving strategies give you the opportunity to extend the impact of your gift and receive financial benefits. Our development team can help you make your gift to the college—whether it be a gift that can be used right away or a vehicle that produces lifetime income for you and/or others. Examples include designating gifts of property, life insurance policies, charitable trusts or annuities, and bequest intentions. To learn more about how to provide for the future of St. John’s, please visit sjc.giftplans.org. If you have already included a gift to St. John’s in your will or living trust, please notify our office at plannedgiving@sjc.edu. JOIN YOUR CLASS IN GIVING BACK Do you remember what made your St. John’s College experience meaningful? Was it the Program, classmates, and tutors? Perhaps it was the special moments shared around the seminar table, or the freedom to think deeply, debate openly, and learn from one another. Maybe it was the feeling of being part of something much larger than you are—a community of individuals brought together by the common pursuit of deeper understanding. Like Elisabeth, each year more and more alumni commemorate “I learned that when you see something you value in the world, you need to nurture it—not just for their St. John’s experience through philanthropy—building a strong legacy of giving by Johnnies who care deeply for the future of the college. Alumni give back in a myriad of ways: volunteering as a yourself, but so others can benefit from it as well. class chair, supporting a class endowment fund, making a gift in The college changed me, and I want to be sure honor of their class, and many more. that many more students can have that same experience, long into the future.” – Elisabeth Long (A86), Alumni Association Board Member and Class of 1986 Gift Leader VISIT SJC.EDU/REUNIONGIVING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN COMMEMORATE YOUR ST. JOHN’S EXPERIENCE. �>Thank you … … TO ALL OUR ALUMNI USERS OF SJC CONNECT, ST. JOHN’S OFFICIAL ONLINE PLATFORM FOR CONNECTING JOHNNIES. SIGN ON TODAY TO: Join interest groups SJCConnect Upload and search job postings Follow activities in your area Calendar upcoming events COMING SOON Even more ways to get involved! Check out the JohnnieCorps alumni volunteer program—powered by SJC Connect—and learn about available virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities. Browse and apply to openings directly from SJC Connect! SIGN UP TODAY OR CHECK BACK IN AT SJCCONNECT.COM St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s A gift to the Fund for St. John’s is a gift for the good of the College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Col- NEW DONATION ADDRESS whole college. Your money be immediately directed to whereCollege St. lege St. John’s College St.will John’s College St. John’s In addition to Ben Franklin, the need is theSt. greatest, to benefit students tutors alike. Gifts toSt. John’s Liberty Bell, and cheesesteaks, John’stheCollege John’s College St.and John’s College this fund are what College allow us to operate at our lower tuitionSt. costJohn’s and College St. John’s St. John’s College Col- Philadelphia is now home to one more claim to fame. It’s the new still John’s balance our budget year year. It’s College the most efficient way of College St. lege St. College St.toJohn’s St. John’s mailing address for donations to John’scontributing CollegetoSt. College St. John’s College St. John’s St. John’s College. (The college is all John’s that we are. College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Col- not relocating, just our bank’s lege St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St.mailroom.) TO L ECollege A R N M O RSt. E John’s College St. John’s Please send any future mail John’s College St. John’s donations to: THE FUND FOR ST. JOHN’S and St. John’s ColCollege St.about John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College Advancement give for the good, visit sjc.edu/annual-fund. lege St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St.PO Box 715905 John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Philadelphia, PA 19171-5905 College St. John’s College St. John’s College St. John’s Col- Give for the good. �1160 CAMINO DE CRUZ BLANCA SANTA FE, NM 87505-4599 Non Profit Org US Postage PAID St. John’s College � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alumni Magazine Description An account of the resource St. John's College began publishing the <em>Alumni Magazine </em>in 2020. It is not a continuation of <em>The College</em>.  More details about the publication are available on the <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/alumni/alumni-magazine">Alumni Magazine</a> page of the SJC website.  <br /><br />Click on <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=65&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d" title="Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection">Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Santa Fe, NM Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AlumniMagazine Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 36 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alumni Magazine, Summer 2021 Description An account of the resource Volume 1, number 1 of the Alumni Magazine. Published in summer 2021. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2021 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Subject The topic of the resource St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Alumni and alumnae St. John's College (Santa Fe, N.M.)--Alumni and alumnae Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJCAlumniMagazine_2021 Alumni Publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/7067078af55775bad985057c1ef6761a.pdf a61b19f257e4c0644ceac97aaa7dac7a PDF Text Text UNTIL�WE�ARE� TOGETHER�AGAIN� Alumni Engagement at St. John’s College “I’m proud to be a Johnnie. The UNTIL�WE� ARE� TOGETHER� Homecoming and Alumni Engagement AGAIN� atARESt. John's College Program helped prepare me for my career, and the friendships I made as a student continue to enrich my life. The further out from my graduation I go, the more I want to stay connected with the college.” —KATARINA WONG A88 “The Program and its emphasis on dialogue is what first grounded me to my Until We Are Together Again classmates and the college, and is what continues to inspire, motivate, and connect me to St. John’s today.” —ASHISH DHAKAL SF19 YOU IN? “I believe strongly in the and Homecoming St. John’s education and Alumni Engagement mission—it’s what connects me to the Johnnie community atandSt. John's College motivates me to stay involved however I can.” —BOB KASENCHAK SF95 ��LETTER FROM ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD PRESIDENT Dear Johnnies, I hope this message finds you safe and well amid the unprecedented events we have faced over the past several months. Yet, even in trying times, I deeply believe in hope. When Aristotle taught us about bravery, he grounded this virtue in hope. He instructed us in the Nicomachean Ethics that “A coward is someone with faint hope, since such a person is afraid of everything, and a courageous person is the opposite, since confidence belongs to someone full of hope.” Hope gives us courage and allows us to move forward. It is in this vein that the college sends you this expanded version of our annual homecoming brochure, aptly entitled Until We Are Together Again. I understand that a publication cannot replace the togetherness we enjoy at homecoming. Rather—through its alumni stories, college news, and collection of photos—it can offer us some joy and remembrance of what it means to be part of our exceptional Johnnie community. As you turn these pages, you will learn about the many great things happening for alumni, the strength of our community as a whole, and how we can stay connected with one another through the Alumni Association and the college, especially through our first-ever virtual Alumni Week to be held Monday, September 21 through Saturday, September 26, 2020. Inspired by alumni feedback, Alumni Week promises to bring us together in community and in thought through daily online programming that is both nostalgic and informative, until we can be together again in person. Highlights include virtual presentations of favorite homecoming activities, engaging career talks, updates from college leadership, and—of course—seminars with our much-loved tutors. Albeit not what we expected initially, the year 2020 still affords us the chance to reconnect with and revisit what is unique and meaningful about St. John’s. Our Association remains strong, as it has been since its establishment nearly 200 years ago. And our college community is just as vibrant as when we were students in the hills of Santa Fe and on the banks of College Creek. Join me along with your entire Alumni Association Board by participating in Alumni Week this September. Are you in? We look forward to seeing you this fall. Until we are together again… St. John’s Forever! Mark Parenti AGI92 President St. John’s College Alumni Association 1 �UPDATES ALUMNI 50 YEARS APART are making a lasting environmental impact on St. John’s College with the Class of 2019 inspiring an anonymous gift of $3.2 million from members of the Class of 1969. Over its long history, the college has developed many traditions within its Johnnie community—including that of the Senior Legacy Project, where graduating seniors adopt a class project to improve the student experience for future years. Previous examples of this tradition include the Class of 2004’s fundraising and installment of a functional armillary sphere on the Santa Fe campus. Predecessor to the telescope, the sphere was fabricated using the designs of 16th-century astronomer Tycho Brahe and is the only one of its kind in the world. Class of 2019 Inspires Alumni to Fund Solar Energy and Sustainability Initiatives 2019 Senior Legacy Committee Members with President Mark Roosevelt, pictured left to right: Ashish Dhakal SF19, Oona “Bella” Bjornstad SF19, President Roosevelt, Pavitra “Pavi” Antony SF19, and Sophia Paffenroth SF19. Stay connected with your Johnnie community. Follow St. John’s journey toward sustainability and other inspiring college news by visiting sjc.edu/news. 2 As for the members of the Class of 2019, they chose to support an energy audit of the Santa Fe campus to reduce the college’s carbon footprint, lower operating costs, and encourage the installation of solar energy on site. With a 100-percent participation rate among the 2019 class—a feat achieved only three other times in Santa Fe’s history—the classmates were able to cover a portion of the cost of the campus energy audit. “The support the project received was overwhelming and more than I had hoped for,” remarked Ashish Dhakal SF19, who served on the Senior Legacy Committee. “I think in the end it really augmented that togetherness we felt as a class.” But their impact didn’t stop there. When two members of the Class of 1969 learned of the Class of 2019’s passion for sustainability and 100-percent participation rate, they were inspired to make a gift of their own. This spring, two anonymous donors from the Class of 1969 contributed $2.2 million to install rooftop solar panels and an additional $1 million to convert the entire campus to LED lighting, for a total gift of $3.2 million. President Mark Roosevelt shared a message from the anonymous members of the Class of 1969 with alumni from the Class of 2019. “Dear Fellow Alumni of the Class of SF19,” the message begins. “We are so grateful to you for getting the project started by donating the planning piece. We are proud to join you in your vision of a sustainable campus, and we treasure this connection between our two classes, 50 years apart.” Combined, the two class gifts are a major step toward St. John’s achieving its sustainability initiatives. By installing solar panels and LED lighting, the college is expected to save approximately $150,000 in electricity costs annually and reduce its electricity use by 1.67 million kWh per year. “The donations from the Class of 1969 mean that there is hope, especially in the current climate of global crises,” Dhakal reflected. “I think it sets a significant precedent in our Johnnie community and beyond, and proves the impact we can have when we work together.” �LAST DECEMBER, FEW KNEW how significant innovation, leadership, and disruption would soon become in the landscape of American higher education. It was then that St. John’s College received the “Four-Year College of the Year” Dive Award from leading education news publisher Education Dive, for its forwardthinking approach to a problem that confronts many colleges across the country, especially now during the novel coronavirus pandemic: ballooning tuition prices that most American families cannot afford. Education Dive acknowledged St. John’s solution—described by author Natalie Schwartz as “switching to a philanthropysupported financial model and cutting down on administrative expenses”—as a progressive initiative designed to provide an affordable education for all students and put the college in a secure position moving into the future. “At the time, we believed strongly we were doing the right thing in committing to our new financial model by launching the Freeing Minds campaign and resetting our tuition,” said Annapolis President Panayiotis Kanelos. “What we couldn’t have anticipated was how this decision would place us in a position of strength to confront the financial and enrollment challenges of this new era brought on by COVID-19.” Today, the award continues to underscore the college’s momentum in these areas, and allows St. John’s to join a storied array of institutions to have been honored by Education Dive in past years, including the University of California system and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The people and organizations that win Dive Awards are trailblazers and leaders in their markets,” said Davide Savenije, editor-in-chief of Education Dive’s publisher Industry Dive. “Their achievements in 2019 are shaping the future of where the latest strategies and trends are going.” Trailblazing Proves Fortuitous for College amid Pandemic Education Dive provides in-depth journalism and insight into the news and trends shaping the education world, including policy, classroom tech, online learning, and more. Each year, the editors of Education Dive use the Dive Awards to acknowledge visionaries and disruptors that stand out from the rest of the field: colleges, universities, companies, and individuals that create bold, progressive solutions for modern-day challenges in order to bring the world of education into the future. The thing to remember, President Mark Roosevelt said, is that St. John’s couldn’t have done it alone. “We forged a vision that was informed by our community’s input. We implemented that vision and our community rallied around it,” he explained. “We’re succeeding because of them. Their courage to speak out, their generosity, their love of the Program and college, and their desire to make this education affordable to future generations. Through our continued resilience and perseverance we will achieve this goal, together.” To learn more about St. John’s journey toward affordability for generations of Johnnies to come, visit freeingminds.sjc.edu. 3 �UPDATES COMING THIS FALL, St. John’s College will begin piloting its next generation of volunteer engagement with a newly expanded alumni volunteer program entitled JohnnieCorps. Aptly named for the college’s longstanding force of alumni volunteers, JohnnieCorps— with its tailored opportunities discoverable in an easy-to-use online format—promises to be the vehicle to take volunteerism at St. John’s to the next level. JohnnieCorps: A New Era of Volunteerism at St. John’s “Throughout the college’s history, St. John’s has had a strong corps of alumni volunteers who have helped fortify the institution,” said Kelsey Miller A10, the senior alumni engagement officer leading the program’s development. “Alumni have provided integral direction and support for everything from the Mitchell Gallery to the Admitted Student Outreach Team, and even the Alumni Association itself.” Building upon this Johnnie tradition of volunteerism, the college has now formalized a way for alumni to access volunteer opportunities suited to their individual interests. What’s more, according to Miller, is alumni have had a direct hand in shaping how such a program operates. “Data from two of our most recent alumni surveys show that there are many who want to be more involved in volunteering with the college,” she explained. “Through alumni feedback, the college has also learned what hasn’t worked for volunteers in the past. The features of JohnnieCorps are a direct response to that input.” In addition to its usability, JohnnieCorps primarily offers alumni aggregated volunteer opportunities by bringing together all collegewide positions in one place, categorized by roles related to alumni’s experience, skills, and interests. “It’s important for me to give back and share my expertise with the college,” said Bob Kasenchak SF95, who supports outreach to accepted students, among other volunteer activities. “Just imagine if 100 alums each gave one hour of their time what 100 hours could do to help our students,” he continued. “Getting involved through JohnnieCorps provides an easy method to make a big impact, without taking a lot of your time.” Join the new movement of volunteering at St. John’s—go to to sjc.edu/volunteersurvey to complete a quick five-question survey about how you’d like to get involved, and stay tuned for our official launch. Become a JohnnieCorps volunteer today! 4 It is with consideration to alumni’s busy schedules that college departments have scaled JohnnieCorps offerings into varying time-commitment levels. Doing so “allows Johnnies to give back in whatever capacities they are able,” Miller said, “whether that be in one-off, short-term, or long-term roles. We want positions that feel sustainable amid their other responsibilities and goals.” Lastly, and possibly most significantly given the current COVID-19 pandemic, JohnnieCorps will provide remote and virtual opportunities, affording alumni the option to participate from the comfort of their own homes. Alumni will also benefit from notifications when roles matching their volunteer preferences become available—both optimizing volunteerism at St. John’s and ensuring its success for years to come. �AS THE AGE-OLD ADAGE GOES, “many hands make light work”—and it’s proven true for St. John’s College in its adoption of crowdfunding. A fundraising practice allowing organizations to inspire contributions from a large number of donors over a specified amount of time, crowdfunding began for St. John’s in the fall of 2018—launched as part of the college’s #GivingTuesday campaign that year. Typically observed the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, at the onset of the winter holiday season, GivingTuesday strives to promote generosity between people and the causes they care about through online monetary giving. Prior to crowdfunding, St. John’s yielded approximately $10,000 from 50 donors on GivingTuesday 2017. Since then, crowdfunding has generated an overwhelming philanthropic reaction— boasting an astounding 532-donor response of nearly $126,000 in 2019 alone. For Director of Annual Giving Mark Piekarski, “it is not the size of the gift you make, it’s the fact that you make it. We owe our successes to donor engagement— specifically alumni engagement,” he said. “Through its dynamic and interactive nature, crowdfunding provides alumni a tangible way to showcase their Johnnie pride while leveraging their social networks to benefit this cause they care about.” Another example of this is the Temple Iglehart scoreboard challenge this past winter, where alumni rallied to exceed a goal of $6,000 in just 12 days to purchase a replacement board for the Annapolis gymnasium. “This fundraiser is such an excellent example of the power of the Johnnie community,” said Annapolis Athletics and Recreation Coordinator Chris Krueger A07. “Inspired Johnnies are unstoppable!” Crowdfunding Epitomizes Strength of Johnnie Community Most recently, crowdfunding also played a crucial role in raising support for Johnnie students experiencing financial hardship or difficultly in continuing their studies remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From it, nearly $23,000 was donated to the college’s Student Emergency Relief Fund, which directly benefits affected students. As the college expands its crowdfunding efforts, it does so in the hope that donors will continue to aid future projects with the same generosity they have shown so far. As Piekarski remarked, “we can do more by joining together. Every gift plays a vital role in supporting students and tutors as they engage in the work of our exceptional St. John’s education.” Do more together! Check out the results of our most recent crowdfunding effort by visiting givecampus.com/schools/StJohnsCollege. 5 � “St. John’s has given me the freedom to engage with various subjects and fields, which has helped me realize my passion for human rights.” 6 �Raised by a single mother in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa, Nani Detti SF20 has held a strong interest in human rights for as long as she can remember. “G rowing up hearing stories about injustices like child marriage, I was desperate to raise awareness for the abuses young girls and women suffer in my country,” she explained. “Seeing the unfair treatment my mother faced when seeking support from the justice system only increased my desire to get involved.” Yet, despite her experiences, Detti did not have a suitable outlet for her concerns. That was until she discovered St. John’s College. In 2014, shortly after her 16th birthday, Detti’s journey toward St. John’s began with her acceptance to an allgirls boarding school in Toronto. In order to attend, she left behind everything familiar—her culture, family, and friends—but one comfort remained, her love of reading. While adapting to her new academic environment, she immersed herself in literature, deepening her fondness for it. In fact, it was Detti’s appreciation for books that first connected her to the college. “I had applied to a bunch of colleges in Canada and the U.S., but I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to study after high school,” she shared. While conducting some online research, she stumbled upon St. John’s listing on a website entitled Colleges that Change Lives. “The first thing that attracted me was the reading list,” she said. But there was something more. According to Detti, it was the opportunity to study diverse subjects. “St. John’s has given me the freedom to engage with various subjects and fields,” she said, “which has helped me realize my passion for human rights.” In her time at the college, Detti has put that passion into action. Most notably, she raised awareness for human rights among her classmates by starting the Amnesty International student chapter in Santa Fe. She also addressed student issues of discrimination, mental health, and wellness on campus through her leadership of the Santa Fe Johnnie Community Board. For her collective efforts, Detti earned the Santa Fe Council on International Relations’ Student of the Year Award in 2019. Among other accolades, she also received the Kathryn W. Davis Projects for Peace Award last summer, affording $10,000 for her “Misale (or ‘role model’) Initiative.” A project aimed at promoting mentorship between professionals and students in Ethiopia, and reducing the country’s unemployment rate. “My St. John’s experience has prepared me to enter any field of my choosing,” Detti reflected. Upon graduating this spring, she will embark on a gap year to refine her research skills with organizations working in international relations and development. Afterward, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in a related field. “Government is what I’m most interested in,” she shared. “Eventually, I want to go back to Ethiopia and apply what I’ve learned to make my country a more just and equitable place.” However, Detti’s St. John’s education would not have been possible if it weren’t for a well-timed scholarship from the college. Due to unforeseen financial difficulties, she found herself abruptly confronted by the need to halt her studies and return to Ethiopia midway through her freshman year. “It was a stressful situation,” she recalled. “Thankfully, everyone at St. John’s rallied around me to find a solution.” That is how Detti was named the recipient of the Norman Levan Scholarship; a fund endowed by the late alumnus Dr. Norman Levan SFGI74, whose bequest benefits students in financial need. “Everything I have accomplished as a student is because I was able to continue my studies,” she said. “Without St. John’s, I would not have become the strong and ambitious young woman I am today.” [ KNOW A STUDENT WHO’S JUST RIGHT FOR ST. JOHN’S? Connect them with our Admissions Office through the college’s One Alum-One Referral program. Visit sjc.edu/one-alum-one-referral to learn more. 7 �FEATURE Story ALUMNUS TRANSLATES LOVE FOR ST. JOHN’S INTO ACTION WITH CHARITABLE GIVING “I have really benefitted from St. John’s well-rounded education and I want others to have the same opportunity; I feel responsible to help share that with others.” 8 �In its ancient Greek origins, the word “philanthropy” is a term meaning “love of mankind.” In its modern usage, it is regarded as an action done to better humanity. For alumnus Craig Sirkin A95, philanthropy means both. He has turned his love for St. John’s College—the polity, the Program, and the campus—into the action of charitable giving, allowing him to share the experience of St. John’s with others. A precocious teenager with a particular interest in the writings of Aristotle, Sirkin first learned of St. John’s from a recruitment mailing that piqued his interest. “I was a big reader—always had my nose in a book,” said Sirkin. “I had read Aristotle’s Poetics and was interested in reading more texts like it; I wanted to learn more about what St. John’s had to offer.” So on a warm day in the fall of 1991, Sirkin, along with three of his high school classmates, headed off for a prospective weekend in Annapolis, about an hour’s drive from his home in Washington, DC. “It was a beautiful fall weekend in Annapolis,” Sirkin recalls. “I remember observing my first class—I was sitting around a seminar table in McDowell Hall with the windows wide open—and I knew this is where I wanted to be.” And just like that, Sirkin had found refuge among history’s great books and renowned thinkers. “St. John’s was like an oasis for me, in a way,” he shared. “It was different than other programs I had originally considered, and I was lucky to have found it.” In the years immediately following his enrollment, Sirkin went on to study the classics as he had hoped. He also joined the croquet program, coordinating its participation in the U.S. Croquet Association’s collegiate national championship and even serving as the team’s imperial wicket his senior year. Yet, his college experience provided him with much more than he could have anticipated during his initial visit to campus. [ “I learned about many more topics than I had first considered,” said Sirkin, now a large-scale computer-networking consultant. As part of his profession, Sirkin is constantly learning new technologies, and often must translate the meaning of complex, technical concepts for others—a talent he credits to his time at St. John’s. “My experiences at St. John’s, especially the tutorials, greatly helped prepare me for the job I’m doing today,” he attests. “I have really benefitted from St. John’s well-rounded education and I want others to have the same opportunity; I feel responsible to help share that with others,” he goes on. A St. John’s donor for the past 20 years, Sirkin has contributed to a great number of initiatives at the college, including the Fund for St. John’s and campus-specific efforts, such as the Annapolis croquet program and infrastructure improvement projects. “I’m happy to be able to play a role in offering the St. John’s experience to future students.” With 2020 marking his 25th anniversary of graduating from St. John’s, Sirkin is especially motivated to give back this year. “I think milestones like this are a great reminder to give to the college,” he said. “They remind us about the things we learned, the environment that nurtured us for all those years, and most importantly the people,” he continues. “Those people shaped us.” If you would like to express your meaning of philanthropy for St. John’s College like Craig Sirkin this reunion year, please visit sjc.edu/reuniongiving to learn more. 9 �VIRTUAL LEARNING AT ST. JOHN’S Tutor and her Students Rise to the Challenge “Through all this, I have been most impressed with the students’ resiliency. Despite the challenges presented, they have remained dedicated to the St. John’s unique style of learning and been heroic in a time of hardship.” 10 �When St. John’s College made the decision this spring to send students home and move classes online due to safety concerns related to COVID-19, tutor Zena Hitz A95—among fellow faculty around the globe—found herself abruptly thrown into the world of virtual instruction. “O nline instruction is not the norm for the St. John’s Great Books Program,” said Hitz, a 1995 alumna who joined the Annapolis faculty in 2015. Since the establishment of the New Program in 1937, classes on both campuses traditionally have been conducted in person around the seminar table. Undeterred, St. John’s mobilized quickly in identifying online services and resources to help students and tutors alike finish the spring semester remotely. In the span of a few short weeks, Hitz transitioned to facilitating her junior courses in language, math, and seminar primarily through the Microsoft Teams communication and collaboration platform. “For me, online learning was at first like ‘emergency learning’—like teaching with a flashlight when the power goes out,” she described, “especially with the subject of math, which requires an enormous amount of focus and concentration from students.” That’s when Hitz assembled what she termed virtual study groups, so students could collaborate on problems prior to class. Utilizing shared files and video chats, they would offer descriptions to the class outlining their difficulties and questions, allowing the classmates a chance to dig deeper into coursework and solve issues together, almost as they would do in person. challenges presented, they have remained dedicated to the St. John’s unique style of learning and been heroic in a time of hardship.” As a graduate of the Program herself, Hitz understands the transformative experience that is the St. John’s education. “My tutors empowered me to take responsibility for my own learning and made me feel like my inquiries really mattered. Watching this same thing happen for my students, especially during this year of COVID-19, has been unbelievably touching and wonderful to see,” she shared. This year also marks one of celebration for the Annapolis tutor, as she enjoys the recent publication of her first book and commemorates her 25th Reunion with the college. “I’m looking forward to seeing old friends during Alumni Week this fall and celebrating all the college has to done in shaping the people we have become,” she said. Published by Princeton University Press in May, her book—entitled Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life—was supported by a research stipend she received from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Readers of the piece are invited to rediscover the impractical splendors of a life of learning. A pursuit Hitz’s students will likely carry through this unprecedented period of learning, and beyond. “Through all this, I have been most impressed with the students’ resiliency,” Hitz remarked. “Despite the [ For the latest information on St. John’s fall planning for students, faculty, and staff, visit sjc.edu/fall-plans. 11 �Alumnus Committed to Helping Johnnies Find their Way in Business “As St. John’s alumni we can trace our steps back to where we started, but as students we don’t necessarily see the paths that lie before us, and they are not always straight lines. This is why it’s important for me as a Johnnie to relay my story to current students.” 12 �Eli Castro SF94 began his journey toward St. John’s College as a Michigan high school junior visiting the Santa Fe campus in the summer of 1990. D uring his tour of the college, he instantly fell in love with campus and the Program—so much so that when he returned to Michigan he completed high school early just so he could enroll at St. John’s immediately after his junior year. “I was curious about what I saw—the discussions and how students were respectful of the work, the people, and the school. There were no doubts in my mind about wanting to attend,” he said. After graduating, Castro pursued graduate school in Wisconsin, but realized at the time it was not for him and instead took a consulting job through a Johnnie connection in Washington, DC—eventually landing at Deloitte in Austin, Texas, where he is a senior manager in the higher education consulting practice. “I enjoy tackling thorny problems, applying different perspectives to break them down into manageable pieces,” he shared. “The Program taught me that, and I was eager to put my skills to use in the practical world.” As an alumni volunteer for the college over the past five years and counting, Castro believes that the paths we take in life are important. His has crossed the country. From growing up in Michigan, he took an early turn toward St. John’s in Santa Fe, then to grad school in Wisconsin, a redirection to consulting in DC, and now to Austin, where he earned a MBA from The University of Texas and lives with his wife, Tracy Locke SF95, and daughters Ella and Clarissa. [ “Being St. John’s alumni we can trace our steps back to where we started, but as students we don’t necessarily see the paths that lie before us, and they are not always straight lines. This is why it’s important for me as a Johnnie to relay my story to current students,” he explained. Through his volunteering, Castro shares his professional experience with students to help them translate their knowledge of the Program to practical employment in consulting and management careers. “I want to help students find their way in the business world,” he said. Castro has also served as a mentor to students participating in the St. John’s Consulting Group as well as worked directly with students to bolster their interview skills. “In my job, I interview recent college graduates all the time, but it’s been my time spent helping Johnnies with their skills that has made me a better interviewer,” he attests. With JohnnieCorps piloting this fall, it will be easier than ever for alumni to get involved with the college. Accessible online, the volunteer program will bring together all collegewide positions in one place categorized by roles related to alumni’s experience and scaled according to time-commitment levels. “With the number of varying things Johnnies are out in the world doing today, there is so much opportunity for alumni to get involved with students,” said Castro. “Let’s help them find their way.” Want to share your professional experience to help the Johnnies of tomorrow chart their course to career success? Contact the Career Services Office in Annapolis and the Office of Personal and Professional Development Office in Santa Fe by visiting sjc.edu/career-success/staff to find out how! 13 �14 �MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 THROUGH SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 ARE YOU IN? Remember what made your St. John’s College experience meaningful? IN Was it the Program, classmates, and tutors? Perhaps it was the special was the feeling of being part of something much larger than yourself—a TO ENGAGE WITH THE COLLEGE AND EACH OTHER. IN feeling of connection. Even in this time of physical distancing, membership in the St. John’s College community is lifelong—once a Johnnie, always a Johnnie! Until we can be together again in person, come celebrate your lifelong connection to the college by attending Alumni Week 2020. COMMUNITY CONNECT VIRTUALLY WITH CLASSMATES AND TUTORS, AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO MADE YOUR JOHNNIE community of individuals brought together by the common pursuit of deeper understanding. Whatever it might be for you, what persists is the JOIN FELLOW JOHNNIES FOR A WEEKLONG VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE OFFERING NEW WAYS moments shared around the seminar table, and beyond. Or the freedom to think deeply, debate openly, and learn from one another? Maybe it STRENGTH EXPERIENCE SPECIAL. IN THOUGHT RETURN FOR SEMINARS ON CHERISHED TEXTS AND ENJOY FAVORITE TUTORIALS WITH ESTEEMED TUTORS. IN HONOR CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALUMNI AND FRIENDS WITH A SPECIAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS PRESENTATION AND CONVERSATION WITH COLLEGE LEADERS. Coordinated with consideration for alumni feedback and safety concerns related to COVID-19, Alumni Week provides Johnnies a virtual mode of togetherness this fall by offering favorite homecoming activities in an online format. Join us and experience what it means to be IN the Johnnie community. [ REGISTRATION OPEN JULY 15 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 13 at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week For questions or assistance, email the Alumni Relations Office at alumni@sjc.edu. 15 �IN COMMUNITY: ALUMNI WEEK SCHEDULE & REGISTRATION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21—SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 SCHEDULE MONDAY FRIDAY Welcome Alumni Association Awards & Conversation with College Leaders *Live Event JohnnieTalks *Pre-recorded Event Meet the Armillary Sphere: demonstration by Tutor Emeritus Bill Donahue Return to Lab: demonstrations by Director of Laboratories John Balwit *Pre-recorded Events Jacob Lawrence: Image and the Word Exhibit, virtual guided tour by Mitchell Gallery Art Educator Lucinda Edinberg *Live Event WEDNESDAY Alumni Association Meeting & Election *Live Event TUESDAY Return to Ptolemy: planetarium demonstration by Tutor Jim Beall Higher Gossip by Jeremy Sheeler & Maxwell Anthony AGI15 *Pre-recorded Events THURSDAY Johnnies in Healthcare Career Panel *Live Event [ 16 SATURDAY Seminar *Live Event; Payment Required Toasts & Tributes with Alumni Association Board *Live Event All live programming will be recorded and made available post event at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week. Alumni Week programming subject to change. See webpage for details. �REGISTRATION & PRICING REGISTRATION OPEN JULY 15 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 13 AT SJC.EDU/ALUMNI-WEEK Live Events after registration, login credentials will be provided in advance of the dates of programming. “…nothing prevents a man, after recalling one thing only—a process men call Pre-recorded Activities will be posted at sjc.edu/Alumni-Week on the date of their occurrence and are open to all registrants. learning—discovering PRICING Payment, along with registration, is required for participation in virtual seminars only. if he is brave and does not Price per Seminar: $50 tire of the search, for CANCELLATION POLICIES searching and learning are, Due to the limited availability of virtual seminars, spaces are nontransferable and nonrefundable. as a whole, recollection.” Seminars with fewer than five participants are subject to cancelation. If a seminar is canceled due to low attendance, registrants may choose to transfer to an open seminar or request a refund. everything else for himself, ~Socrates, Meno 17 �IN THOUGHT: ALUMNI WEEK SEMINARS GRADUATE INSTITUTE Class Reading Tutor GI William Shakespeare’s Othello Louis Petrich Class Reading Tutor Golden Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year Chester Burke A74 Class Reading Tutor 2005 Plato’s Euthyphro Michael Golluber Franz Kafka’s Description of a Struggle John Cornell Euclid’s Elements, Book 1 Krishnan Venkatesh Simone Weil’s “Human Personality” Phil LeCuyer H17 GOLDEN YEARS SANTA FE 2000 1995 1980 18 �ANNAPOLIS Class Reading Tutor 2015 Anne Carson’s Bakkhai Patricia Locke 2010 Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Jason Tipton 2005 Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Joe Macfarland A87 1990 Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan David Townsend 1985 Tommy Orange’s There, There Jonathan Tuck H14 1980 Ernest Hemingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” Deborah Axelrod A68 1975 Euripides’ The Bacchae Michael Dink A75 1970 Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, Chapters 13, 14, and 17; Declaration of Independence, first two paragraphs; U.S. Constitution Preamble Ron Haflidson 1960 The Book of Job Tom May OPEN Class Reading Tutor Open Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Books 8 and 9 Gregory Recco Open Jane Austen’s Persuasion Judith Adam Open William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell David Carl Open Genesis Mitchell Gallery Open Martin Heidegger’s The Question Concerning Technology Brendan Boyle Wallace Stevens’ “Peter Quince at the Clavier” Jim Beall Open [ Seminars with fewer than five participants are subject to cancelation. If you do not see a seminar listed for your class year, it is due to low class participation. We welcome you to register for an open seminar. 19 �IN HONOR: ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONOREES Alumni Association honorees are selected annually by the board in recognition for their pursuit of and successes in leading examined lives of virtue, as well as their steadfast commitment to the St. John’s College community. Following are this year’s recipients of the Award of Merit, Volunteer Service Award, and Honorary Alumni designations to be commemorated during Alumni Week 2020. 2020 AWARD OF MERIT HONOREES SANTA FE Alice Ericsson SF75 A distinguished leader and innovator in the field of beauty, cosmetic, and fragrance advertising, Alice Ericsson is well known for creating one of the world’s most recognized taglines: “Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Covergirl.” This campaign introduced a diverse group of inspiring brand ambassadors, including Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Ellen DeGeneres as well as the first Coverboy, James Charles—an effort that, literally, changed the face the beauty industry forever. She has also helped build brands for L’Oréal, Revlon, Shiseido, and others, and has focused on mentoring women in advertising. Currently, Ericsson works as a creative freelancer—strategizing and writing for clients such as Bobbi Brown, Hermès, MAC, and GrowNYC, among others. In addition to her professional pursuits, she is an active philanthropist with special regard for St. John’s College. A faithful financial supporter of the college, Ericsson’s contributions also include her longtime volunteer service to education—especially her role as a member of the Board of Directors for the Touchstones Discussion Project over the past 10 years. Mark Sanfilippo SFGI00 Upon graduating from St. John’s College Graduate Institute in 2000, Mark Sanfilippo began a career as a screenwriter, where he even channeled his knowledge of western canon into some of his scripts. Little did he know then, that eight years later he would end up the producer of fine, artisan charcuterie recognized by Forbes magazine as the “Best Salami in the Country.” It was an advertisement offering employment at Pizzeria Mozza that set this trajectory in motion. Despite his lack of culinary experience, Sanfilippo, while on hold for a writing project, applied to the restaurant and soon found himself in the job of food preparation, including curing meats. Doing so ignited his passion for the delicacy of charcuterie, which 20 first took form as a hobby in a closet of his Los Angeles apartment to eventually a full-on business and 8,000-square-foot production facility in St. Louis. Opened in 2008, Sanfilippo’s artisan salumeria aptly named Salume Beddu, which translates to “beautiful” in Sicilian dialect, specializes in Italian and European-style cured meats. Sanfilippo asserts the acclaim Salume Beddu has garnered from Forbes and others is due to an adherence to traditional techniques, a use of only the best ingredients, and an intellectual approach (likely instilled from his time at St. John’s) he takes to not just the curing process, but to every step of production—from farm to final product. Today, Salume Beddu distributes nationwide, and has become a fixture in award-winning kitchens as well as family gatherings, alike. ANNAPOLIS Judith Abrams A65 Working at the university level since 1987, Judith Abrams, PhD, is professor of oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine and director of the biostatistics core at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. In her academic work at Wayne State, Abrams collaborates with cancer investigators, applying biostatistical methods in cancer research projects. Her contributions in the areas of experimental design and statistical analysis have resulted in publications in the field of oncology, especially in cancer clinical trials and observational studies. She is a four-time winner of the Wayne State University School of Medicine College Teaching Award, most recently received in 2017. In her more than 20 years with the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Abrams has been important to the design of cancer research studies. Building on her readings in philosophy of science at St. John’s College, she ensures that scientific questions are framed so they can be answered precisely and efficiently, and that analytical conclusions are accurate and valid. �Abrams embodies the spirit of inquiry that is so integral to the college’s Program. In addition to her bachelor’s degree from St. Johns, she holds a doctorate degree in biostatistics from the University of Michigan and two master’s degrees—one in computer science from New York University and another in biometry from the University of Vermont. Kevin R. Fitzgerald AGI85 With more than 40 years’ experience in the field of education—first as a Maryland social studies and English teacher, and now as superintendent of the Caesar Rodney School District in Delaware—Kevin R. Fitzgerald, EdD, has dedicated his career to equipping students with the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving world. A leader in classroom technology integration, Fitzgerald has helped his district become a model for equitable instruction by offering multi-level learning modules to support students throughout the various stages of their intellectual development. For his efforts in creating learning environments where both students and teachers alike can thrive, Fitzgerald received the award for Superintendent of the Year in 2018 by the National Association of School Superintendents. Today, Fitzgerald’s work continues as he pioneers the implementation of immersive language programs across his district, with Caesar Rodney students having access to the most language programs throughout the state of Delaware. Fitzgerald’s emphasis on language is rooted in his strong belief that the study of classic literature is what best prepares students for the future. This understanding, which demonstrates both a diversity of interpretations and shared commonalities, he owes to his studies as a graduate student of St. John’s College. Top to bottom: Alice Ericsson SF75, Mark Sanfillippo SFGI00, Kevin R. Fitzgerald AGI85; not pictured: Judith Abrams A65 21 �2020 VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD HONOREES SANTA FE Elihu Dietz SF06 In recognition of his longtime role as New York alumni chapter leader, as well as his service on the Alumni Association Board and its Nominations Committee. His service has both increased engagement among alumni and enhanced their connection with the college. Brenna Strauss SF04 and Heather Upshaw SF04 Joining awardee Annette Prapasiri SF04, in recognition of the leadership exhibited by the alumnae team responsible for the completion of the Class of 2004 senior gift—the installation of a functioning armillary sphere on the Santa Fe campus. Through their dedication, these alumnae have helped achieve the largest class gift in St. John’s history, as well as galvanized members of the college community in the effort. ANNAPOLIS Johanna Wilson A90 and Richard Smith A90 In recognition of their commitment to Johnnies through their employment of St. John’s College alumni at their company OpenPath Products, and their continual willingness to offer Johnnies career guidance—as highlighted by their participation in the hugely successful Johnnies in Tech+ panel discussion hosted by the college in March. Both Wilson and Smith are faithful financial supporters of St. John’s, with Wilson joining the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors last year. 2020 HONORARY ALUMNI INDUCTEES SANTA FE Lise van Boxel, Tutor The St. John’s College community experienced an enormous loss with the death of longtime tutor Lise van Boxel in January 2020. Regarded by her students as thoughtful, acutely intelligent, and always open to discourse, van Boxel first joined the Santa Fe faculty in 2001. In her nearly 20-year career at the college, she taught across both campuses and was deeply devoted to all her students—advising with care many senior essays each year, and mentoring Johnnies in their studies and careers after graduation. In return, she drew much inspiration from her students’ “earnest desire to learn and their willingness to be vulnerable in pursuit of genuine conversation,” as she once stated. She also had a particular respect for military service, which led her to co-found 22 the “St. John’s Combat and Classics” podcast. The audio series has helped service members connect to the Program by examining historical and fictional leaders featured in military-themed literary works. As St. John’s College classrooms continue to seek what it means to lead an examined life, they will do so in the spirit with which Lise van Boxel led her own life. Van Boxel held degrees in political science—BA and PhD from the University of Toronto, and MA from Boston College—all with an emphasis on political philosophy. Her doctoral thesis was on the standard of truth in Nietzsche’s philosophy. Robert Mass, Returning Member, Board of Visitors and Governors A dedicated champion of the college, Robert Mass joined St. John’s College Board of Visitors and Governors in 2013. He demonstrated great leadership, especially through his committee service, in his role as board secretary, and as Audit and Compliance Committee chair. Through his leadership, Mass guided St. John’s through some of its most challenging times, including the current deficit reduction initiatives, helping ensure the future success of the college. He helped St. John’s prioritize student safety and wellbeing initiatives through his service on the Campus Culture Committee. Mass has been an advocate for international student recruitment, funding and fundraising for scholarships as well as making personal calls to admitted students. He has also advised and supported students in their search for finance industry internships and post-graduation employment. Mass’s service to the college draws on his deep legal and compliance experience at public and private firms, including the American Civil Liberties Union, New York County District Attorney’s Office, and Goldman Sachs where he is a managing director. Lifelong learning is a commitment Mass shares with St. John’s, as evidenced by his current pursuit of a PhD in Philosophy at The New School in New York City. An active participant in the Executive Seminar and Summer Classics programs for over 15 years, Mass deeply values the classroom experience at St. John’s—an appreciation that has contributed to his ongoing and tireless support of the college. �ANNAPOLIS William Pastille, Tutor Described by his students as a clear thinker, an effective writer, and a compassionate listener, St. John’s College tutor William Pastille first joined the Annapolis faculty in 1986. During his longtime career at the college, Pastille has held several important roles, including serving as NEH chair in Ancient Thought over the past two years. From 2001 to 2003, he directed the Graduate Institute in Annapolis and served as assistant dean in Annapolis from 1993 to 1995. In addition to his role in the classroom, Pastille is a participating tutor in the Annapolis Community Seminar Program and has been editor of The St. John’s Review, an annual publication featuring works from college faculty, for the past 13 years. In all his duties, Pastille has shown an unwavering passion for discovering truth through questioning—a pursuit that has deeply affected Annapolis students and community members alike. With the close of this year’s spring semester, he will retire from St. John’s and be named Tutor Emeritus by the college. With this new title, Pastille will continue to embody the ideals for which St. John’s stands, and remain a valued member of the college for years to come. Pastille holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in musicology from Cornell University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in music from Brown University. Katharine “Casey” Pingle, Chair, Mitchell Gallery Board Casey Pingle joined the St. John’s College Mitchell Gallery Board of Advisors in 1994, and has served as its chair for the past seven years. In her more than 25 years of involvement with the gallery, Pingle has provided integral oversight of the operation—from supporting fundraising and membership efforts, to event coordination for “town and gown” events, student receptions, and more. Her leadership with such initiatives, combined with her work as the gallery representative for the college’s Friends Board, have helped strengthen relations between St. John’s and the greater Annapolis community, immensely. Additionally, as a former board member and current supporter of the Caritas Society of St. John’s College, Pingle helps the charitable community organization provide monetary support for SJC students faced with financial hardship or emergencies. Clockwise from top left: Elihu Dietz SF06, Brenna Strauss SF04, Heather Upshaw SF04, Johanna Wilson A90 and Richard Smith A90, Lise van Boxel, Robert Mass, William Pastille, Katherine “Casey” Pingle For her consistent efforts on behalf of St. John’s, Pingle is recognized as a true advocate for the gallery and the college as a whole. Pingle is co-owner of PMD International, Inc., a private investment bank formed in 1987 with offices in Annapolis and London. 23 �AROUND CAMPUS: COMMENCEMENT SPOTLIGHT > Virtual Programming Pivot Yields Poignant Celebration for 2020 Grads When St. John’s College made the tough decision this spring to send students home and move classes online due to safety concerns related to COVID-19, much of the college’s in-person activities and events were canceled, especially Student Life programming. That did not deter resident advisors, staff, and faculty who worked determinedly to retain as much activity as possible for those students who remained on campus and beyond. Creative student programming that continued through the spring included an Easterinspired egg hunt, campus-to-campus foot races (including the college’s first-ever “Meta-Ioannathon” and virtual Johnnie 5K), an online collegewide performance of Collegium, and most notably, virtual commencement. Coordinated in a matter of weeks, virtual commencement brought together members of both campuses this May—from Information Technology Services to the offices of the Registrars, and many other departments—in a collaborative effort to provide seniors with well-deserved and ceremonious send-offs, online. The result—livestreamed celebrations possibly more poignant than the norm, as noted in the special messages shared during the events by Presidents Mark Roosevelt and Panayiotis Kanelos, deans, keynotes, and Alumni Association Board members alike. Read on to catch the excitement of Commencement 2020! Behind the Scenes: members of Information Technology Services support the livestreaming of President Roosevelt’s address as part of Santa Fe’s Commencement Celebration May 23. 24 Dean Joe Macfarland congratulates graduates in compilation video honoring the Class of 2020’s academic achievements. President Kanelos addresses the Class of 2020 May 10 from McDowell Hall in Annapolis. �> JOIN IN CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020! TO WATCH RECORDINGS OF THE ANNAPOLIS AND SANTA FE SEND-OFFS, VISIT SJC.EDU/COMMENCEMENTAN AND SJC.EDU/COMMENCEMENTSF, RESPECTIVELY. FOR A COMPILATION OF VIDEO, STORY, AND PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS CREATED IN APPRECIATION FOR THE CLASS OF 2020, VISIT SJC.EDU/ANNAPOLIS-GRADUATE-CELEBRATION AND SJC.EDU/SANTA-FE-GRADUATE-CELEBRATION. Note: Both the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses currently remain closed to the public, with in-person event programming postponed until further notice. For the latest information on St. John’s fall planning for students, faculty, and staff, visit sjc.edu/fall-plans. “Many colleges and high schools will follow the example set Sunday by the small liberal arts college, which has been offering an education based on the study of great works of Western civilization since 1937.” ~ Capital Gazette, Annapolis, MD Santa Fe staff rally together in stuffing 120 gift boxes for this year’s grads—a congratulatory gesture to further celebrate the college’s newest members of the alumni body. Recognized as a pioneer among Maryland academic institutions by the Capital Gazette, St. John’s Annapolis campus was among the state’s first area colleges to host a virtual commencement for its graduates in May. 25 �AROUND CAMPUS: HISTORICAL SPOTLIGHT Faith and John Meem Library CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY THIS FALL! N ovember 10, 2020, commemorates St. John’s College 30th anniversary of the Faith and John Meem Library. Built between 1989 and 1990, the Meem Library was erected 26 years after the founding of the college’s Santa Fe campus where it is located. “It may come as a surprise to some alumni that for nearly two and a half decades Santa Fe had no dedicated library building,” said Craig Jolly SFGI02, Meem Library senior acquisitions and archives librarian. “When the Santa Fe campus was first conceived in the early 1960s, a library had of course figured into the original plans,” he continued. Yet, due to financial constraints, those plans were deferred while the campus opened for classes in the fall of 1964. In the time leading up to its construction, the library was scattered across many different locations within a variety of campus buildings. From the Peterson Student Center lower level to the Evans Science Laboratory; in the Fine Arts Building and the basement of Weigle Hall; and other places in between. Ultimately, the challenge of maintaining multiple library locations simultaneously, combined with a steadily growing collection and the lack of a quiet and central study space, drove the construction of Meem. By the mid-1980s, Presidents Edwin Delattre H85 and Michael Riccards launched a concerted fundraising effort for the project, while a steering committee spearheaded by alumna Lisa Carey SFGI86 worked to survey students, faculty, staff, and board members in determining the ideal library makeup for a college like St. John’s. Among the foremost requirements was that it have space for half the student body at any given time—a rare accommodation among colleges and universities where the capacity average is typically 10 to 15 percent of a given student population at one time—signaling the centrality of books and reading to the St. John’s Program. Groundbreaking finally occurred just before commencement on May 14, 1989, and in a year’s time a new 24,414- square-foot library—fashioned in the distinctively Southwestern Territorial Revival architectural style of the original campus buildings—had begun to take shape. On October 26, 1990, President John Agresto canceled all classes for the day so the entire campus community could participate in what he termed a “booket brigade” (pictured top left) to move all the college’s 50,000 book and music holdings from their dispersed locations into their now permanent home. Two weeks later, on November 10, 1990, the new building was formally dedicated for the renowned and beloved Santa Fe couple Faith H85 and John Meem, who 26 years earlier had donated most of the 280 acres on which the Western campus of St. John’s was built. “Three decades later, this uniquely beautiful library with its well-stocked shelves of great books stands as elegant testament to both our singular college and to all those visionaries and benefactors who brought it into—and have kept it in—existence for the present generation and for all the generations of serious readers yet to come,” Jolly concluded. 26 �In Memoriam St. John’s College remembers the alumni, faculty, staff, and leadership who have passed away during the 2019-2020 academic year, and celebrates the poignant and profound impact their lives have had on our Johnnie community. Jeffrey A. Alcorn A00 Michael Maddex A69 Stephen S. Anderton Class of 1968 Matthew T. Mallory A72 Edward F. Bauer Class of 1954 Ociel G. Martínez Avilés SF13 David A. Bolduc A82 Danielle S. Matland A74 Margaret M. Booker SFGI94 Zachary D. Miller A90 Loretta E. Breese SFGI72 Maxine M. Moore SFGI73 Lois C. Carroll SFGI76 Virginia D. Clarkson, BVG Former Trustee Charles A. Nelson Class of 1945, BVG Trustee Emeritus Raymond H. Coleman Class of 1952 James A. Nicholson Class of 64 Geoffrey Comber H95, Annapolis Tutor Charles L. Olivea SFGIEC08 Kelly J. Cook A85 Michael P. O’Mahony A77 Peter J. Davies Class of 1948 William J. Rada A76 Arthur O. Davis Class of 1947 George L. Raine Class of 1960 Santino DeJohn SFGIEC95 Barry B. Reardon SF05 Edwin J. Delattre H85, Past President Robert Schuerrman, Annapolis Staff John A. Dito SFGI05 Worku Sharew A70 Elizabeth L. Durston SF72 Sarah W. Steel AGI87 Scott C. Evans AGI01 Allan L. Swartzberg SF69 Janet Gerety, Annapolis Staff Lise van Boxel H20, Santa Fe Tutor Sylvia K. Greer SFGI73 Nancy G. Wallace SFGI83 Phyllis E. Guest SFGI02 Jack Ward Class of 1963 Margot J. Hamill Class of 1949 April R. West SF93 Jonathan B. Hand, Santa Fe Tutor Linda Wiener Elmore, Santa Fe Tutor Barry H. Hellman A84 Jeffrey P. Winslow SF78 Sara H. Homeyer Class of 1964 Cheryl J. Wise SF73 Robert C. Kanode Class of 1939 Abner W. Wooten SF79 Barbara B. Kiebler Class of 1955 Mira B. Kofkin A90 L. D. Koontz Class of 1951 Sheela S. Lampietti Class of 1961 Raissa Landor SFGI73 Stephanie T. Lang SF1968 Edwin B. Leimkuhler AGI87 This listing memorializes those who have passed between August 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020. We care deeply for all members of our college community. If you do not see a name listed above, please contact advancement@sjc.edu so we may honor those individuals. �There are a number of St. John’s College resources available to Johnnies beyond graduation? Because of your alumni status and lifelong connection with the college, you are invited to take advantage of a variety of St. John’s programs and benefits. Read on to learn more... CAREER SUPPORT Gain career support through the college’s Career Services Office and Office of Personal and Professional Development (OPPD). Available to assist alumni—especially those who may be encountering career challenges or reimagining their professions due to COVID-19—both offices offer extensive resources regarding career counseling, resume writing, networking strategies, graduate school applications, and more—including Handshake. > 28 DID YOU KNOW : CAREER SUPPORT | > DID YOU KNOW? ALUMNI RESOURCES & BENEFITS One of the largest digital collections of jobs, internships, and EDUCATIONAL volunteer opportunities chiefly suited for college-level students DISCOUNTS and graduates, St. John’s Handshake job board currently Revisit great books and conversations by enrolling in the Graduate Instifeatures over 1,700 jobs, tute (GI)! Alumni have always been welcome to expand their St. John’s 400 internships, and 200 experience from the West to the East by enrolling in the Master of Arts in fellowships sourced from Eastern Classics in Santa Fe. Now, Johnnies who are at least five years more than 3,200 organizations removed from their undergraduate education can apply for the Master of over a large number of Arts in Liberal Arts on either campus. All alumni benefit from a shortgeographical locations—and ened application process and receive 25-percent off tuition (or more, is accessible free of charge depending on need). To learn more about the program and application to Johnnies! process visit sjc.edu/academic-programs/graduate and www.sjc.edu/ To join, visit sjc.joinhandshake. academic-programs/graduate/combined-degrees, respectively. com/register using your preWhat’s more, alumni are also welcome to participate in GI preceptorials ferred email address (a college in person or online for the 2020-2021 academic year, without enrolling email account is not required). in a degree program (depending on availability). For details, please For further information about contact Santa Fe GI Administrator Chelsey Hudson at chelsey.hudson@ alumni career services, sjc.edu or Annapolis GI Associate Director Brandon Wasicsko at contact Career Services brandon.wasicsko@sjc.edu. Program Manager Kathleen Cady in Annapolis at Send your student to Summer Academy—St. John’s summer program kathleen.cady@sjc.edu or for high school students, ages 15 to 18, modeled after the college’s OPPD Office Manager discussion-based method of teaching the Great Books. Children of Mary Versace in Santa Fe alumni receive 50-percent off one week of Summer Academy. To reat mary.versace@sjc.edu quest information for 2021 sessions, visit sjc.edu/summer-academy �GRADUATE INSTITUTE | SUMMER ACADEMY | NETWORK | COMMUNITY EVENTS | TRANSCRIPTS | SHOP > SJC CONNECT Join SJC Connect, the St. John’s official alumni-networking platform providing Johnnies the opportunity to exchange with one another in a private online space. Post status updates, share photos, join peer groups, follow chapter activity, calendar upcoming events, receive college news, upload and search job openings, and more! To sign up, visit sjcconnect.com. Registration takes less than two minutes using your email, LinkedIn, or Facebook accounts. Explore fundamental questions and enjoy open discussion of great texts through the college’s Community Events. Offered across both Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses, these events are held annually, weekly, on weekends, and in the summer—join as many as you wish or your schedule allows! For updates on future program delivery formats (online vs. in person), as well as registration and pricing information, visit sjc.edu/santa-fe/community and sjc.edu/annapolis/ programs. > Easily order official transcripts—both electronic and paper versions— through the college’s transcript services partner the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) by visiting your campus’ Office of the Registrar online at sjc.edu/annapolis/offices-services/registrar or sjc.edu/santa-fe/ offices-services/registrar. For your convenience and the safety of your personal information, electronic transcripts sent through the NSC allow alumni to upload attachments required by recipients, as well as carry a security feature verifying the transcripts have not been altered during transmission. For questions about St. John’s transcript ordering procedures, email annapolis.registrar@sjc.edu or santafe.registrar@sjc.edu PERMANENT SJC. EDU EMAIL Request a permanent SJC.edu email account! As an alum, you are able to request a St. John’s email address from the college. Visit sjc.edu/alumni and click the “Permanent SJC Email” link from the right-hand navigation to login to the Alumni Profile Portal (different than SJC Connect) to make your request. If you have forgotten your portal password, follow the prompts to create a new one. Show your Johnnie Pride and get your account today! > > COMMUNITY EVENTS > TRANSCRIPTS ONLINE STORE Show your Johnnie Pride with the online purchase of branded college apparel and other St. John’s merchandise by visiting the Johnnie Store at johnniestore. merchorders.com. Choose from a wide selection of coffee mugs, wall decals, duffle bags and more, all featuring the St. John’s seal and orange color palette. 29 �WHY I GIVE TO ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE Alumni like Sarah are the lifeblood of the college. Gifts of any amount provide a firm base for financial aid, internships, student health and wellness programs, and books. They allow for essential improvements needed for campus safety and Johnnies’ residential experience. Gifts also go to the endowment, our most important tool for maintaining the long-term financial health of the college. To learn more about the impact of annual giving at St. John’s, and how you can “ With each year that passes, I find more and more desire to engage with my ‘self’ at its core. Many of what I would consider my best aspects were allowed to sprout and grow during my time at St. John’s. Giving annually is a way for me to help each class year grow similarly, and reminds me of my appreciation for who I continue to become with St. John’s in my life.” 30 – SARAH SHEPHERD SF05 participate like Sarah, please visit sjc.edu/annual-fund. �SAVE THE DATE St. John’s College Alumni Association Board Annual Meeting & Election Friday, September 25, 2020 Please join your fellow Johnnies in electing this year’s Alumni Association Board officers and at-large members, as well as one alumni representative to the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors. VOTE ONLINE OR BY MAIL Ballots will be made available beginning Thursday, September 3, 2020, online at sjc.edu/alumni/association. Paper ballots may be requested by contacting the Alumni Relations Office at alumni@sjc.edu and returned by mail to the following address no later than Tuesday, September 22: ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE 1160 CAMINO DE CRUZ BLANCA ATTN: KELSEY MILLER, ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE SANTA FE, NM 87505 Don’t miss this important opportunity to have your alumni voice heard. Your participation ensures that the rich traditions of St. John’s and the Program will endure for generations to come. “A society grows great when old men and women plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.” – ANCIENT GREEK PROVERB 31 �CONSIDER A PLANNED GIFT AND BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE TOCQUEVILLE SOCIETY Named for French diplomat Alexis de of property, life insurance policies, Tocqueville, who identified the American charitable trusts, gift annuities, and spirit of support for education in his 1835 bequests. book Democracy in America, the Society proudly welcomes donors who share in Our development team is ready to serve as this spirit of support. your philanthropic advisors for planned gifts to the college. Become a member and help provide for the future of St. John’s by remembering the college in your will or other estate plans. Examples include giving gifts CONTACT US AT DEVELOPMENT@SJC.EDU ��1160 CAMINO DE CRUZ BLANCA SANTA FE, NM 87505-4599 Non Profit Org US Postage PAID St. John’s College � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alumni Magazine Description An account of the resource St. John's College began publishing the <em>Alumni Magazine </em>in 2020. It is not a continuation of <em>The College</em>.  More details about the publication are available on the <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/alumni/alumni-magazine">Alumni Magazine</a> page of the SJC website.  <br /><br />Click on <a href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=65&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d" title="Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection">Items in the Alumni Magazine Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Santa Fe, NM Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AlumniMagazine Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 36 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alumni Magazine, 2020 Description An account of the resource 2020 issue of the Alumni Magazine. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Subject The topic of the resource St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Alumni and alumnae St. John's College (Santa Fe, N.M.)--Alumni and alumnae Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJCAlumniMagazine_2020 Alumni Publication