< PreviousThe “New Normal” New Student Orientation Week and the first week of school gave our campus community a taste of this semester ’ s “ new normal. ” We are happy to welcome students back to campus— with masks on! Mentoring groups for new students Welcoming parents and freshmen at FIRST STOP COVID-19 testing J.N. Andrews Honors Program orientation Outdoor movie night Move-in FIRST STOP President Luxton, University Convocation Dave Faehner's Top 10 Meet-up for Hispanic students University Vespers 10 —FOCUS Campus Update“WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING AT THE Seminary at age 25 I never would have guessed that I would be there 46 years later...it just happened. As the saying goes, ‘Time flies when you’re having fun,’” says Bonnie. Bonnie graduated from Andrews with a bachelor’s degree in English and a mi- nor in speech in 1970. She then taught four years at Cleveland Junior Academy. After moving with her family to Berrien Springs, she applied for and was hired as the administrative assistant for the Christian Ministry department. “The thing I most appreciated about working at Andrews has been the interaction with students throughout the years. I made many good friends and know many pastors, conference of- ficials and GC officials. Some of us still keep in touch through social media. It has also been fun seeing the children of former students follow in their parents’ footsteps and enroll in the MDiv pro- gram,” Bonnie says. In particular, Bonnie enjoyed meet- ing students from all over the world. She remembers befriending a student from Africa named Ebenezer Sackey. “At one point I hired him to do some work at my house. He did a great job! Then, when he graduated, he returned to Africa and went back to being a conference president! So here was this humble man who didn’t think it beneath him to do some gardening,” she recalls. Bonnie has fond memories of her years in the Seminary. Throughout that time she sang in the Seminary Chorus and University Chorale. She also had a variety of great bosses including W.G.C. Murdoch, Steven Vitrano, Ben Schoun, Don Jacobsen, Steve Case, George Knight, Peter Swanson and Hyveth Williams. Additionally she enjoyed working with and developing friendships with other administrative assistants throughout the years. “It has been great working with the various secretaries through the years,” Bonnie says. “We have become friends who even do things together outside of work. The atmosphere of working in the Seminary has been great.” At work, and in her daily life, Bonnie consistently tries to follow the Golden Rule–to treat others as she would want them to treat her. “What has driven my life is to do the best I can at whatever I do and strive to serve the Lord and the church,” she says. During her years at the Seminary, Bonnie worked under eight deans and 11 department chairs. She also witnessed many changes on campus: ad- ditions to the James White Library and the Seminary; the demolition of Griggs Hall and the remodeling of Nethery Hall; and the construction of Harrigan Hall, Buller Hall, Chan Shun Hall, the Howard Performing Arts Center and the Andreasen Center for Wellness. In retirement, Bonnie will miss inter- acting with students, but she is looking forward to seeing her family and friends more often, reading, relaxing, crocheting and volunteering at Neigh- bor 2 Neighbor. Time flies when you’re having fun Bonnie Beres retires after 46 years or service “What has driven my life is to do the best I can at whatever I do and strive to serve the Lord and the church.” Top: Bonnie Beres in 1975, shortly after beginning work at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Bottom: Recent bio photo of Bonnie Summer 2020— 11 Faculty & Staff“ANDREWS IS A MISSION FIELD,” SAYS Cynthia Helms, “a little United Nations.” In fact, Cynthia was a missionary teacher in Ethiopia before she began working at Andrews University. Prior to that, she served as a librarian in the Philippines. When her husband began his graduate degree at Andrews, Cynthia came with him and began working as a reference as- sistant at the James White Library (JWL). Now, 35 years later, she has held a variety of positions at the library as an associate reference librarian, interlibrary loan li- brarian, interlibrary loan consultant, and most recently head of the Information Services Department—a role that she has had for the past 26 years. “During all the years that I worked, I witnessed and participated in the transition from print to electronic; and in the move from IBM PCs with dot matrix printers, to the use of CD-ROMS to search databases, and finally to web- based online databases,” she recalls. With each of these shifts, Cynthia helped train the reference personnel to meet the changes. She also played an integral part in creating open library workshops for international students, creating library pathfinders and setting up the instruc- tion lab. In each of these roles, Cynthia always gave her best. She remembers one phrase in particular that helped to guide her. “None of self and all of Thee. I am here to serve the Lord,” she says. One of the things that Cynthia appre- ciated the most as a JWL employee was the opportunity to attend conferences and other training sessions. “Conference attendance broadened my professional life because it allowed me to be an active participant especially in the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians where I held various positions.” She also enjoyed collaborating with faculty from other departments as a member in various committees and councils. “With Andrews’ high profile in the Seventh-day Adventist church, many people come in and go out of the portals of this University. I am able to meet new and old friends/colleagues, former students and Andrews alums who come back to enroll their kids in schools,” Cynthia says. “One of my favorite parts of working at Andrews was the joy of knowing and witnessing how the stu- dent employees I’ve coached through the years achieve success in life and occupy various positions of responsibili- ty in God’s work.” Indeed, Cynthia has noticed numer- ous qualities about students over the years, particularly their spirituality, helpfulness and willingness to say thank you. She has seen students pray with each other throughout the library and offer spare coins to other students who did not have enough cash to pay for their printouts. In one incident Cynthia was waiting for the opening session to begin at a li- brarian’s conference in another country when a man approached her and told her how much he appreciated the help that she had given him when he was a student at Andrews. “I tried to ask his name but he just smiled. When it was time for the college president to welcome the attendees to the conference, the man who ap- proached me earlier stood up to give the speech. What a surprise—the man that I helped many years ago was now the president of the college! And he did not forget what I had done for him,” she says. Cynthia was also involved in The Hon- or Society of Phi Kappa Phi. She was a founding member of the Andrews chap- ter and served as its first vice president. She later served as a public relations officer and as president. “During my term as president, An- drews University’s candidate received a fellowship. That was the first time that Andrews had received such an honor,” she says. Cynthia also enjoyed attending Pioneer Memorial Church and numer- ous programs, concerts and cultural activities on the Andrews campus. In retirement she plans to stay in the area, travel to visit family and friends and work on her hobbies—reading, organiz- ing her recipes and trying them out. The joy of knowing and witnessing Cynthia Helms retires after 35 years of service “One of my favorite parts of working at Andrews was the joy of knowing and witnessing how the student employees I’ve coached through the years achieve success in life...” 12 —FOCUS Faculty & Staff“WHEN I WAS IN THIRD GRADE I decided that I wanted to be a university professor,” says Duane McBride. “That objective really has guided my life and I am very grateful to Andrews for allowing me to fulfill that goal.” Duane, his wife Amy and two children moved to Andrews in 1986 and he began working as a professor of sociology. Before arriving at Andrews, Duane was a professor in the Department of Psy- chiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami, School of Medicine. He had also attended Andrews as a stu- dent from 1964–68. Duane served as chair of the Andrews University Department of Behavioral Sciences for 22 years and executive director of the Institute for the Prevention of Addictions. While he retired as chair a few years ago, Duane will continue in his role as executive director. “Working here has strengthened my faith,” says Duane. “I most appreciate the genuine and successful effort to inte- grate faith, learning and scholarship. Unlike most universities, we have the freedom to do this.” In addition to being a professor, Duane had also wanted to conduct research—a goal that he fulfilled at Andrews. “I am very pleased to see how the culture of Andrews has grown in its commitment to scholarly research and creative activities and integrating scholarship with teaching. The School of Social & Behavioral Sciences has the second highest scholarly productivity at Andrews and the highest in the College of Arts & Sciences,” he explains. Duane has furthered scholarship by bringing funding for Andrews research efforts from the National Institute of Health, the National Institute of Justice and the Robert Wood Johnson Founda- tion. He also led a research group that brought a large amount of research for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to Andrews and helped to create a research team here that will be conducting the next global church mem- ber survey. Additionally, he chaired the local county public health board when Berrien County became the first West Michigan county to go smoke-free in all public places. “I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best students in the world. I have very much enjoyed men- toring so many over the decades,” says Duane. “The ones that most stand out in my mind are the young scholars who have won awards for their research and even published in scientific/professional journals as undergraduate students.” Duane noted that he was very fortunate to have the strong support of his family in his career. He has also enjoyed working with his colleagues and University ad- ministrators. He cites their support and continuous encouragement as a motivat- ing force throughout his career. He finds support and inspiration in the stories of Moses and Daniel. “They witnessed for God by being outstanding in all that they did; as leaders in foreign lands. I think as Christians, we are called to be the best we can be, to work hard and show the strength of our faith by our successful work,”Duane says. Though retired from teaching, Duane is eager to continue his research through his position of senior research professor of sociology. “I appreciate the commitment of Andrews faculty to advance their scholarly fields; to be content-based leaders in their fields of study,” he says. “My research has shown the basic strength of core tenants of our faith in promoting resilience as we face the vicissitudes of life.” Showing the strength of our faith Celebrating Duane McBride’s legacy of research and service at Andrews University “I think as Christians, we are called to be the best we can be, to work hard and show the strength of our faith by our successful work.” Summer 2020— 13 Faculty & StaffNEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DID KATHLEEN Demsky imagine she would be a librar- ian. In her era, librarians were grouchy, intimidating and did not dress nicely. However, when her husband, Conrad, was invited to teach at Andrews Univer- sity, Kathleen was also asked to work as the assistant to the director at the Archi- tecture Resource Center (ARC), a branch of the James White Library (JWL). While working there she took classes at Andrews and Bethel College to complete her bachelor’s degree. Kathleen then went on to study for her master’s in library science, graduating from Indiana University in Bloomington. “Only God brought me through both working in ARC 40 hours per week while attending classes full-time simultane- ously,” she says. Now, Kathleen is retired as an associ- ate professor and director of the ARC—a position she has held for over 30 years. “When I first began my employment in the ARC I made a pact with God that whomever came through the library doors, no matter what they looked like or how they acted, I would love them unconditionally. Once in a while that has been put to the test, but then I am reminded of what I promised God and that turned my heart,” she says. Because of her prior experiences with librarians, Kathleen did everything she could to make the ARC an especially wel- coming place for all who came to study. She created a handout for all incoming students to the School of Architecture & Interior Design (SAID) which began with, “The ARC is a place to read, sleep, study, eat, philosophize, dream, design and theorize.” Her efforts paid off—the ARC is known as a place where SAID students spend hours studying, resting and collaborat- ing with their colleagues and faculty. Receptions, Friday night vespers, classes and other functions are also regularly held in the ARC. “I have had the joy and privilege of working with students from every walk of life, every nation and every culture,” says Kathleen. “If you walk into the ARC you will see flags hanging from the ceil- ing, which represent students from all parts of the world. Two years ago an idea came to me to find out what countries and parts of the world our architecture students were coming to us from. I began to purchase the flags that represented their home countries. We now have over 45 flags representing various countries showing their beautiful colors.” Engaging with these students has been Kathleen’s favorite part of her work. She enjoys watching them come as freshmen and leave with their various degrees. “Students become family as the years go by—I have been privileged with receiving many cards and letters of appreciation. God receives the credit for this; it is His school and His library and His young people,” she explains. For her commitment and care toward each student, Kathleen was awarded the Faith Development Leadership Award in 2005 from Andrews. She has also been recognized for her extensive dedication as the publication display coordinator for the Environ- mental Design Research Association (EDRA)—she was the recipient of an EDRA Service Award in 1996. As de- scribed by EDRA, the purpose of this collection is “to advance the art and science of environmental design, to improve understanding of the interrela- tionships between people and the built environment and to create environ- ments responsive to human needs.” Kathleen, along with her husband, at- tended 28 consecutive EDRA conferences where they organized the annual book display and continually worked to curate and add to the collection. As a result of her dedication, the ARC is the official re- pository for the EDRA archive collections. “I appreciate the support I have had to develop my philosophy of a special library—to make it a place that supports the curriculum of SAID. It has been said that the ARC is the jewel in the crown of James White Library. We have been told by the National Architecture Accredit- ing Board that our library collection is cutting edge and outstanding,” Kathleen says. In each of her pursuits, Kathleen cites her faith in God’s leading as a driving force in her life. She fondly recalls a card in her father’s handwriting which had been tucked into his Bible. When he passed away the Bible became hers and she frequently refers to that card: “One must accept the fact that there are things and people over which we have no control. Therefore, these things are not our responsibility and must be left with an all knowing and all wise God.” She enjoys passing these words onto her students as well. Kathleen is retiring as director of ARC, however she is staying on part-time as an adjunct faculty for JWL and SAID. She is looking forward to continuing work with students and colleagues in this position. “I would make the choice to be here at Andrews Architecture Resource Center over again,” she says. “It was the best decision of my life.” Loving unconditionally Kathleen Demsky serves as the ARC librarian for over 30 years “I have had the joy and privilege of working with students from every walk of life, every nation and every culture.” 14 —FOCUS Faculty & StaffIN 1992 THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST Periodical Index moved from La Sierra University to Andrews University, and Dan Drazen came with it. As editor of the Index, Dan’s job was to unpack the resources and rebuild it. This was not Dan’s first time at An- drews. He had earned a bachelor’s in theology in 1974 and met his wife, Nan- cy Noble, on the Andrews campus. They were married for a little over 34 years before she passed away in 2011. “At Andrews I appreciated the sense of belonging, and not just because I was working at an Adventist institution. Between graduating from Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois, and coming to Andrews, I worked for a number of companies large and small, and none had the same feel that I experienced at Andrews, and not just because I was an alumnus,” Dan explains. “As the flagship institution of higher education for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it became clear to me what the overall purpose was of indexing and making accessible published articles in the Seventh-day Adventist press. The job was as much of a mission as classroom teaching or serving overseas.” Throughout his years in the field of library science, Dan has seen the role of technology grow immensely. When he was younger he loved going to the library and had fond memories of its wood floors, shelves and furniture. “When I worked on getting my Master of Arts in library science in the mid- 1970s, however, library automation was one class, and electronic database searching was one day of that class. Now, there is no aspect of library science that does not involve automation or comput- erization in some way, and the Index is no different; what began as an annual printed index is now an online database in the process of being incorporated into the Adventist Digital Library,” he says. Despite the changes in the field, Dan has stayed committed to his guiding principle: service. “On the last day of the Library Administration class in graduate school, the professor passed out a simple cardboard sign to each student with one word printed on it: ‘SERVICE.’ I keep coming back to that because it’s a reminder of what working in a library, no matter the de- partment, is all about,” he says. While Dan’s job was mostly a solitary activity, he still viewed it as an act of service and enjoyed developing new skills and having the freedom to create a helpful routine from nothing. “I had gotten so used to getting blank looks from people when I told them I edit a periodical index that I changed the answer to ‘I read magazines for a living.’ People usually pause for a second trying to process what they just heard, then break into a smile. I then tell them about the work part...but that’s still the heart of the job: reading magazines for a living,” Dan explains. “For some people, it would be as inter- esting as watching paint dry, but I can now say that it was my dream job.” In retirement, Dan will miss the constant access to the wide variety of articles from church management to church design, from missions to nutrition, from church celebrations to controversies. “Though confined to a single religious denomination, there was a wonderful eclecticism about the content,” he says. Dan plans to stay in the Berrien Springs area, spend time with his twin brother and get back into writing. “I also feel I can continue being of service as a retiree: being a church usher, volunteer- ing at the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen and helping to stock the food shelves at Neighbor 2 Neighbor.” In between the lines A literary mission —Dan Drazen retires as editor of the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index “For some people, it would be as interesting as watching paint dry, but I can now say that it was my dream job.” Dan Drazen enjoyed reading magazines for a living while he served as editor of the Seventh- day Adventist Periodical Index. Summer 2020— 15 Faculty & StaffDAWN DULHUNTY BEGAN WORKING for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in 1975, firstly in Zambia, followed by Nepal and Kosovo, where she and her husband Paul worked tirelessly to defend the oppressed and inspire change for a better life. In 1996, Dawn was part of the first cohort to undertake the Master of Sci- ence Administration (MSA) program at Andrews University designed for ADRA employees, which combined theory with practical humanitarian management skills. “It was such a rewarding experience,” she says. In 2000, Dawn became program director for the off-campus Interna- tional Development Program (IDP) through Andrews, the successor to the MSA degree. In this role she has worked with over 1,000 students and 100 instructors representing nu- merous countries, organizations and language groups. “The personal stories of what these students have experienced in a complex and challenging world is humbling, and their achievements with the help of Andrews University higher-degree education is truly amazing,” Dawn says. “I have an enormous sense of pride to see the enthusiasm these mature-age students dedicate to their learning and the value they place in their association with Andrews University.” While obtaining the Master of Inter- national Development Administration (MIDA) degree, these students have attended teaching intensives in sites around the world including Chile, Dominican Republic, Togo, Ghana, Kenya, Italy, Ukraine, Rwanda and South Africa. “It has also been extremely reward- ing to work behind the scenes with Andrews University faculty and staff to develop a high-quality program delivered by a talented group of aca- demics and mentors,” she says. “The humanitarian and outreach focus of Andrews University to provide schol- arships and support for students from some of the most disadvantaged coun- tries around the world also makes me proud.” Some of the Andrews faculty and staff have had a particularly lasting and positive impact on Dawn. Øystein LaBianca, professor of anthropology and associate director, Institute of Archaeology, played a strategic role in designing the IDP and encouraged Dawn to apply to be the first program director. She is humbly grateful to La- Bianca and others at Andrews for the acknowledgement that she and her husband, Paul, received as recipients of the J.N. Andrews Medallion for their work with the IDP. Dawn is also thank- ful for the dedication and friendship of Rodrick Snow, program manager. As the IDP winds down in its current format, Dawn intends to continue advising the last cohort of students who are completing their requirements to graduate in the 2020–2021 school year. In retirement she plans to spend more time with her family including her husband Paul and her children, Joel and Mechelle, who live with their families in and around Brisbane, Australia. “From my early years of growing up in a missionary family in India until now, my life’s journey has been inspired by the verse: ‘Learn to do right; seek justice; defend the oppressed’ (Isaiah 1:17),” Dawn explains. “God has blessed me in so many ways. The Andrews University song says: ‘A lofty purpose you in- spire, you help us reach our hearts desire, our dear AU.’ My desire is that our Andrews University stu- dents always succeed and make this world a better place.” Doing good, seeking justice and defending the oppressed Dawn Dulhunty retires after 20 years of service at Andrews “My desire is that our Andrews University students always succeed and make this world a better place.” 16 —FOCUS Faculty & StaffIN 1988, XIAOMING XU SERVED AS a national guide for a group from Berrien Springs, Michigan, that visited Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Hang Zhou and Shanghai, China. She had been working in the travel business for more than 13 years as a tour guide for the China International Travel Services, Shanghai branch. “We got to know each other quite well. This group impressed me deeply and they were impressed by my service,” describes Xiaoming. “They asked me what my plan for my future was and I told them I wished to be able to improve myself and go to school to study. They told me about Andrews University and sponsored me to come to Andrews to study.” Xiaoming was hired to work at the James White Library (JWL) as a staff member in the bibliographic services department in 1993 after graduating with her MBA from Andrews. From staff to faculty, she has worked at Andrews for 27 years. “I have learned a lot. It changed my life goal. At the beginning my goal was to get a degree and to land a good job with a higher income. By and by I was influ- enced by the Christians around me and I thought more of giving and contributing than getting. And I have been enjoying working as a cataloguer in the library,” Xiaoming says. Over the years Xiaoming has enjoyed working with numerous hard working, humble and honest colleagues including Lauren Matacio, Eva Visani, Terry Rob- ertson, Judy Nelson and many others. Throughout her experiences, she has been inspired and guided by two Bible verses in particular: Jeremiah 29:11 and Ecclesiastes 9:10. “I trust the Lord brought me here with a purpose, for my benefit and good. I should do my best in whatever I do in my work and life,” she says. In addition to working with her library colleagues, Xiaoming also enjoyed working with Jerry Chi, assis- tant dean, professor of management and graduate program director for the College of Professions, and his wife, Grace, professor of nursing and cur- riculum committee chair, to nurture, care for and help the Chinese students at Andrews. Though retired, Xiaoming and her family are planning to stay in the area. She will continue to do the things that she enjoys—gardening, photography, scrapbooking and fine arts. “At the beginning my goal was to get a degree and to land a good job with a higher income. By and by I was influenced by the Christians around me and I thought more of giving and contributing than getting.” Brought for a purpose Celebrating Xiaoming Xu's years of service at the JWL World Changers Made Here. Summer 2020— 17 Faculty & StaffIllustration by O’livia Woodard THE HISTORICAL RECORD OF BLACK STUDENTS at Battle Creek College, Emmanuel Missionary College, and early 1960s Andrews University is meager at best. We glimpse the Black experi- ence in the earliest years mostly through the incidental anecdotes of white students or the occasional revealing record of a faculty meet- ing. By the middle of the 20th century we begin to hear the oral histories that make the picture of student life at EMC and Andrews University more complete and inclusive but also bear wit- ness to the institutional policies that set aside and disadvantaged the Black students. Students of color attended Battle Creek College (1874–1901) quite likely from its very inception if we pay attention to the clues embedded in personal reminiscences such as that of Drury Reavis, son of a plantation owner and former slaveholder, who arrived in Battle Creek in January of 1875, halfway through the first school year. Drury himself was the subject of consider- able harassment because of his “Missouri drawl” and unusual “frontier” appearance. He recorded an incident in which he was rescued from the taunts of schoolmates by an African Ameri- can student with whom he had made friends. Interracial relations, however, were not always so friendly. Faculty minutes from the 1890s document that the gym teachers had excused Black student Minnie Davis from a gymnastic demonstration “on account of a dislike for her color.” They claimed that the other students had complained about having to perform with Minnie. The college faculty voted to cancel the “exhibit” entirely. After the school’s move to Berrien Springs in 1901, the record of minority students at the newly established Emmanuel Missionary College remains very limited for at least the first 40 years. Black student voices recounting their own experiences emerge mostly in oral histories. One of the earliest comes from Ruth Blackburn North, who took the teacher training course at EMC from 1919–1921. Ruth remembered both kindness from the girls in the dormitory as well as mean comments about “a little black storm cloud” that she was supposed to overhear. As campus life became more and more thor- oughly documented, a record began to emerge of discriminatory institutional policies—segregated seating in the dining room, for example, where all the Black students were assigned to the same tables. When, in the 1930s, the students asked that the segregation stop, the board reaffirmed its policy—twice. Upon a third request, supported by an African American administrator from the Negro Department of the Lake Union, the board granted the Black students “the coveted pleasure of segregating themselves.” Some policies began to change in the late 1940s, especially when the veterans, Black and white—who had served together—descended on campus after World War II. But change came slowly, racism was entrenched in official proce- dures such as admissions, and information was suppressed, even as the portentous decade of the 60s arrived and the college became Andrews University. In 1965, when Karl Anatol, a student from Trinidad, became the first Black student to run for Student Association president, the Student Movement editorial declared: “Such things as the color of a man’s face, … should not be the determining factors in the selection of the next Student Association president” (25 Feb. 2). But the paper only alluded to and did not report on the unrest that apparently accompanied the election, during which campaign posters were “defaced.” Anatol won the election. These and many more stories like them must be sought out, uncovered, requested, listened to, and fully heard and acknowledged. Only then will the true history of Andrews University be complete. Only then will our history help us con- front the burdens of our past. Meredith Jones Gray (BA ’78, MA ’77), professor of English, is the author of “As We Set Forth,” the history of Andrews University from 1874–1960. PREFACE by Meredith Jones Gray Stories to Tell Summer 2020— 19Next >