Class Notes

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Find your class

• 1950-1959
• 1960-1969
• 1970-1979
• 1980-1989
• 1990-1999
• 2000-2009
• 2010-2019
• Losses

  1950-1959

• Stan Moore’51 and Anastasia Voronovsky’21, who connected through the fall 2023 issue of Beloit College Magazine, had a mini-reunion of the classes of 1951 and 2021 at Montgomery Place, Hyde Park, Chicago, where Anastasia gave a talk to senior residents.

  1960-1969

John Tibensky’68 and his wife Linda take a break in the sun with students they taught in Slovakia last summer.

• Richard Van Scotter’61 published an essay, “College Sports and Demise of the Academy,” in the December 2023 issue of Pegasus, an online journal on moral capitalism.
• Joan Hadley Cabreza’65 of Redmond, Washington, received the Nancy Pearl Award for best memoir of 2023 for Searching: A Biologist’s Journey. Her memoir describes 16 years of risk-filled living and working as a biologist in the Costa Rican jungles, and her marine biology work on coral reefs in Hawaii, Southeast Asia, and Guam. She thanks the 1964 Beloit Plan for starting her overseas journey, and Dr. Carl Welty, mentor and friend, who enabled her work in Costa Rica, providing the basis of her overseas career.
  Barbara Manger founded Artists Working in Education (AWE), then served 10 years as president and 20 years on the board of the organization that last fall celebrated 25 years of providing access to art in Milwaukee schools through artist-in-residence programs and community art projects. Each year AWE provides thousands of children with free and meaningful art projects in Milwaukee parks as well as in the schools and the community.
• John Tibensky’68 and his wife Linda had an exciting experience last July teaching English to fourth graders in Martin, Slovakia. John resurrected skills he learned when he taught fourth grade for two years in Baltimore after his Beloit graduation.

  1970-1979

Steve Schneiderman’75 and his intrepid companions explore Death Valley, California.

Sandra Rushworth’76 receiving the 2023 Clara Barton Award.

• Vid Johnson’73, Beloit’s perpetual Field Termer, is on the move again. Following Horace Greeley’s advice to “Go West, young man,” he has tied his horse to the post office rail in Scotia, Nebraska in the incomparable Sandhills of the Great Plains. He denies rumors, however, that he’s starting up a dude ranch with Toby Dewey’73, Bobby “Marvin” Perkins’73, Joel Friedman’73, Rob Mailey’73, and Julian Kerbis’74.
• Joseph Maino’73 of San Ramon, California had several of his photo-illustrations, including the cover image, published in the art/literary journal, The Write Bridge.
• Steve Schneiderman’75, after a 45-year career in media, most recently at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, has entered the ranks of the retired. Looking back, he realizes that Beloit was the perfect institution for him and, as he watches his kids navigate college, he realizes how lucky he was.
• Sandra Rushworth’76 received the 2023 Clara Barton Award for meritorious service in volunteer leadership, the highest chapter level Red Cross award given to a volunteer.
• Clyde Whitaker’76 retired in Bangkok, Thailand and received a certificate from Vararom Pachimsawat, president of Friends of the Arts, for a decade of support.
• Haris Orkin’78 of Ashland, Oregon published License to Die, the fourth novel in the James Flynn Escapade series, with Black Rose Writing. He also wrote the scripts for two recent video game releases: “Resident Evil: Shadows of Rose” and “Evil West.”
• Eric May’79 of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, inspired by the Field Term, endowed the Barbara and Bill Haseltine Prize in Media Studies at Beloit College in honor of his parents. The Haseltine Prize, worth up to $5,000, gives recipients the opportunity to pursue creative endeavors, service projects, entrepreneurial initiatives, and other activities outside the realm of media studies, away from home and from Beloit.

  1980-1989

Steve Goetting’82, Barb Ackerman Goetting’80, Jane Paschal Burns’81, and Bob Burns’80 hit the trail in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in the Santa Catalina Mountains outside Tucson, Arizona.

• Barb Ackerman Goetting’80, Bob Burns’80, Jane Paschal Burns’81, and Steve Goetting’82, all of Tucson, Arizona, hiked 2,009 feet to Cardiac Gap in Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.
• Caroline Frankovich Ronten’84 of Spruce Head, Maine retired a few years back, and she and her husband are enjoying life in MidCoast Maine. She still sees Beloiters here and there. In the last decade she has begun knitting and tapestry weaving.

  1990-1999

Colleen Delaney’93, Leo Rivera’22, and Beth Padon’70 gather at the John Spoor Broome Library gallery at CSU Channel Islands for an exhibit based on Delaney's recently published book.

Lena Smith Parker’94 hugs her white oak tree on Yale's campus, a gift for her twenty years of service.

Menachem (Mark) Cohen’91 takes it to the street, practicing spirituality and offering direction.

• Todd Bothel’90 completed a 26-day trip through the northeast United States and Canada. He traveled over 2,400 miles, took 1,200 photographs, and visited nearly 150 museums, historical sites, and nature areas, including Niagara Falls, Fort York in Toronto, the Rock of Ages in Vermont, the Wheeler Mica Mine in Maine, Boston’s Freedom Trail, the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the Star Trek Experience in Ticonderoga, New York.
• Menachem (Mark) Cohen’91 (he/they) was published in the journal The Fictional Practices of Spirituality, writing about his work using tabletop role-playing games in spiritual direction, coaching, and mentoring. Menachem is the founding rabbi of Mitziut, which recently merged with Makom Shalom to form Makom Shalom Mitziut, joining Chicago’s two longest running homes of alternative, spiritual Judaism into one.
• Colleen Delaney’93 curated the exhibit “Arriving at CI: Rancho Guadalasca” at the John Spoor Broome Library gallery at California State University Channel Islands, Sept. 14, 2023, based on her recently published book (see Books & Media). Beloit alums from three decades were at the opening reception, including Leo Rivera’22 (Colleen’s eldest offspring), Beth Padon’70, and her husband, Chris Padon’71.
• Lena Smith Parker’94 of Hamden, Connecticut was honored last fall with Yale University’s Linda Lorimer Award for Distinguished Service, which recognizes staff members who exemplify Yale’s spirit of leadership, innovation, collaboration, and excellence. She was also given a choice of presents to acknowledge 20 years of work at Yale, one of which was having a tree planted on campus in her honor. She chose a White oak.

  2000-2009

Reem Totonchi’01 and Nick Hamric were married Oct. 8, 2023, in Glenview, Illinois. Left to right: Andrew Feliciano’01, Lynn Vollbrecht’06, Sara Morse’01, Cody Theis’01, Helen Gillet’00, Sarah Garcia-Linz, the bride and groom, Katie Beltrami’00, Alexa Fournier’03, Mark Lindsay’01, Tony Abell’01.

Lynn Vollbrecht’06 married Marc Kinnemann, Jr. on Dec. 31, 2023, in Beloit. Left to right: Erin Hanson Heist’06, Michael Ramsdail’06, Theron Seitz, Mary Anne Carroll Watson’01, Professor Ron Watson, the groom and bride, Frances Klaverkamp’16, Ian Hedges’12, Whitney Helm, Ellie Anderbyrne’05, Todd Anderbyrne, and Reem Totonchi’01.

Ben Singer’07 married Rachael Tillery on Oct. 8, 2022, in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. Left to right: Lukas Grabowski’07, Adam Neiffer’06, Colin McClain’06, Sara Weber’08, Scott Weber’06, Rachael Singer, Ben Singer’07, Luke Jaynes’07, Abi Jaynes’07, Mike Pangborn’07, Jess Pangborn, Andy Barks’07, and Ali Barks.

Iris-Ann Hoover’09 and Dejen Tesfagiorgis were married on Juneteenth, 2022, in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Ring Bling with Iris, Chris, Devyn, Monica, Joanna, and Sally.

Jon Haller’02 on the red carpet in New York City with his 2023 Relentless Award.

• Reem Totonchi’01 and Nick Hamric were married Oct. 8, 2023 in Glenview, Illinois. Beloiters in attendance included Katie Beltrami’00, Helen Gillet’00, Tony Abell’01, Andrew Feliciano’01, Mark Lindsay’01, Sara Morse’01, Cody Theis’01, Alexa Fournier’03, and Lynn Vollbrecht’06.
• Emily Greenquist’02 recently published a new ebook, Disease Is a Mirror: A Lyric Memoir, through SheBooks Press.
• Jon Haller’02 won a 2023 Relentless Award, sponsored by The American Playwriting Foundation with the Relentless Theater Company. The contest, for writers in the Writer’s Guild on strike, called for short plays about picketing or the strike. Haller’s short play “Scorpion Dance” was chosen as one of the winners, and received a cash prize and a staged reading at Theater Row in New York City on Nov. 5, 2023, with two of the writer’s Beloit friends, Andrew Lynch’02 and Claire Schroeder’02, in attendance.
• Elena Ilina Nicklasson’06 was named vice president of university relations at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California on Jan. 30, 2024. Since joining Fielding in 2017, she has served as director of development and director of development and community relations.
• Lynn Vollbrecht’06 married Marc Kinnemann, Jr. on Dec. 31, 2023 at Hotel Goodwin in downtown Beloit. Beloiters in attendance at the New Year’s Eve celebration included Erin Hanson Heist’06; Michael Ramsdail’06; Mary Anne Carroll Watson (attended ’98-’01 and parent of Isaiah Wisdom’21); Frances Klaverkamp’16; Ian Hedges’12; Senior Director of Strategic Research and Initiatives Ellie Anderbyrne’05; and Reem Totonchi’01. The couple resides in Beloit.
• Ben Singer’07 married Rachael Tillery Oct. 8, 2022 in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. Beloiters in attendance included Lukas Grabowski’07, Adam Neiffer’06, Colin McClain’06, Sara Weber’08, Scott Weber’06, Luke Jaynes’07, Abi Jaynes’07, Mike Pangborn’07, and Andy Barks’07.
• Iris-Ann Hoover’09 and Dejen Tesfagiorgis were married on Juneteenth, 2022 in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Beloiters in attendance included Joanna Johnson’09, Gladis Herstv’09, Sally Murphy Toso’09, Monica Christina Dickey’09, Chris Hawn’09, and Devyn Brown’09.

  2010-2019

Jacob Gray’16 and Kelsi Brooks’14 were married Aug. 26, 2023, in Hood River, Oregon. Back row, left to right: Aaron Joiner’12, Joe Peacock’17, Matthew McKay’13, Ethan Ley’14, Palmer Gunderson’13, Jessica Vogel’15, Anna Wenzel Gunderson’15, Josh Smith’15, Karly Clippinger’15, Turner Smith’13, Kyle May’16, Joe Skurski’13, Alissa Anderson’13, Emma Koenig’16, Cameron Dieter’16, Sam Gartzman’16, George Gray’16. Front row, left to right: Maggie Cress’15 (and baby Willa!), Sara Delong’15, Camilla McKay’14, Alex Hinck’14, Kelsi Brooks’14, Jacob Gray’16, Emily Sneed’16, Karen Jones’16, Marie Meroney’16.

Jessica Rardin’13 and Ethan Robson were married August 5, 2023 at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin. Beloiters and their partners in attendance included Ellie Waddle’17, Emeline Beck’13, Geoff Stevens’16, Kyndall White’16, Grace Kellogg’13, Joe Skurski’13, Alissa Anderson’13, Karin Carlson’12, and Betsy Wynn’13.

• Jessica Rardin’13 and Ethan Robson were married Aug. 5, 2023 at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin. Beloiters and their partners in attendance included Ellie Waddle’17, Emeline Beck’13, Geoff Stevens’16, Kyndall White’16, Grace Kellogg’13, Joe Skurski’13, Alissa Anderson’13, Karin Carlson’12, and Betsy Wynn’13. The couple lives in Laramie, Wyoming.
• Jacob Gray’16 and Kelsi Brooks’14 were married Aug. 26, 2023 in Hood River, Oregon.

Losses

Recognizing members of the Beloit College community we have lost.