Bob Neher, professor of biology, continues to look for new ways to encourage environmental sustainability. During his 53-year teaching career at the University of La Verne, he has focused on the importance of sustainability and taught these principles before they became fashionable. / photo by Scott Mirimanian

by Lauren Creiman
photography by Scott Mirimanian

He is the man responsible for the development of the pre-med program at the University of La Verne. He has served on the La Verne City Council, stepped in as interim provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and has celebrated a 53-year storied teaching career at La Verne. He is a father, husband, scientist, minister, environmentalist, and the man whom former La Verne mayor Jon Blickenstaff referred to as a “La Verne City Treasure.”

“He” is Dr. Robert Neher, ULV professor of biology. Bob chalks up many of his involvements to circumstances of chance or temporary necessity. It is through these experiences, however, that Bob has helped shape not only the University of La Verne but also the city that surrounds it, while discovering himself along the way.

Bob was literally born into an Illinois academic setting. His father was president of Mount Morris College where his parents were also supervisors in the men’s dormitory. It was there that Bob was delivered on Halloween night 1930 by a doctor rushing from a party still dressed as the devil. The stage was set for Bob’s foray into the world of biology, which was neither desired nor planned. “It was the path of least resistance,” he says. “Biology came naturally to me. I was good at it because I was always immersed in it; therefore, it seemed like the simplest choice. I made my decision based on what seemed like me.” That path of least resistance led to a biology bachelor’s degree from Manchester College, with a stop along the way at Bethany Theological Seminary in Oak Brook, Ill. Bob’s lineage is from a long line of ministers, and, as he did with his education, he made the decision to become ordained because he “ought to give it a try.” He earned his master’s degree in religious education from Bethany in 1957, after which he decided to pursue his doctorate degree in botany at Indiana University.

Decorated with degrees, Bob was not entirely satisfied with his Indiana life. In 1958, a phone call from a distant city offered him a promising opportunity. “I received a call asking me to come to La Verne College and develop the pre-med program, and I took it. This was my chance to make a name for myself in a place where I wouldn’t be forever tied to and compared to my father. I really wanted that chance, so [my wife, son and I] packed up and headed across the country.”

A college in transition

Bob found the 1958 La Verne College campus to be “a lot smaller. There was a sense of community that we like to think we still have today. But it was different then. Each administrator taught at least one class, so there was no real separation between faculty and administration. Everyone was involved; it was a different kind of decision-making.” In his early La Verne days, Bob worked what he said felt like 24 hours a day, acquiring equipment, recruiting quality faculty and serving as the as-needed handyman. “Back then, if you needed something, you just did it yourself,” he says. “We wanted to put a second floor in a closet, so we just did it. When the old gymnasium needed new lights, a student and I just put them in. I even acted as electrician for awhile and rewired Miller Hall. The University wouldn’t even dream of letting students and faculty do that these days.” Despite the long days away from his family and the pressure of creating a new academic program, he says he enjoyed his work and is pleased with the program direction through the years. However, in the typical fashion of a seasoned professor who has dedicated his life to serving others, Bob modestly redirects much of the credit to his colleagues. “I was challenged here; I saw the opportunity to grow something that was good. I am proud of every faculty member that we have and that has stayed and made a commitment to this program. All are outstanding in their own ways. I helped bring them here, and I consider that a great accomplishment—they’re irreplaceable, and I couldn’t get along without them. These are top of the line people who are getting grants, instituting new programs, doing great research and getting us top-notch equipment. I brought them here, but they have continued to do great work. The success of this department depends on its faculty, and we’ve done a pretty good job.”

Jerome Garcia, associate professor of biology and Bob’s former student, recalls him as an instrumental part of his La Verne education. “Bob was able to reach me as a student because he not only taught us the relevance and applicability of the basic concepts of biology but also utilized a kinesthetic teaching style. I will never forget my environmental biology course with Bob. Many of the things we are talking about today as hot environmental topics are things I learned from Bob in 1996.” Now, as his colleague, Jerome is able to absorb even more of Bob’s knowledge and techniques and implement them into his own teaching, in hopes of continuing to forward his memorable education. Says the biology department chair, “My lectures are geared around the relevance and applicability to the student’s everyday life. I have been fortunate to have top-notch professors like Bob, and I have borrowed many of their techniques.”

Although spoken of as a patron saint by his colleagues and students, Bob admits there is a side to him that “has encouraged the making of some stupid decisions.” In hindsight, some are comical. During a trip to the desert with his sons in tow, Bob found in an old mine a 25-pound box of dynamite. They put the sticks in their truck and four-wheeled it to their camp site. There, he snapped the dynamite in half and proceeded to burn it. “I didn’t know that old dynamite crystallizes and can explode from being handled wrong. I also didn’t realize that this dynamite was corroded, and that the nitroglycerin gathered in a large pool under the fire,” he laughs. “Dynamite can be burned in a fire as a means of disposal, which is what we were trying to do. I thought I knew what I was doing, because I’d done it once before with one stick of dynamite on my father-in-law’s farm a few years before. Well, it turns out that I didn’t, and the nitroglycerin made the fire blow up. It sent sticks and stones all over the place, and we were lucky we didn’t get hurt.” He chuckles at the memory. This is the Bob Neher his students know: fun, interactive and sometimes fascinatingly impulsive, which add up to make Bob a great educator.

After more than half a century at La Verne, Bob is the sturdy pillar around which the entire Natural Science Department is built. His everlasting dedication to the University has meant many hours and dollars sacrificed, but Bob would not have it any other way. He became the man whom everyone could count on to take the lead in uncertain times. “We Nehers are really good interim people,” Bob says, referring to his time as interim provost and vice president of academic affairs from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2003 to 2004. “I was offered the position because they were looking for someone who wouldn’t hurt the college. They knew I was 100 percent committed to the school. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but at least I didn’t wreck anything,” he chuckles. Bob also served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1975 to 1976 and has been the chairman of the Natural Sciences Division since 1978. Administrative positions were always carefully and often reluctantly taken by Bob, who watched the faculty-administration relationship change drastically over the years. “By the time I was asked to be provost, we really had an administration that was separate from the faculty, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to ‘lower’ myself to an administrative level.”

Of his many posts, Bob treasures his position as Natural Sciences Division chairman the most. In that role, he is responsible for keeping the sciences together instead of as separate departments. This feat is one of Bob’s greatest points of pride because it has contributed to the integration of programs that Bob considers crucial to a well-rounded science education. ”What I would like to see happen in the Biology Department is something that is already happening: We’re creating a multi-faceted department that’s not just designed to train students in health sciences, but also to prepare them for going to graduate school, which focuses on more basic subjects and research.” The benefit of this science division, he says, is everyone can work together and support each other.

Although Bob foresees more space issues as enrollment in the program continues to increase, he is most excited for the program’s reputation as the provider of a quality education. “It will be challenging to fit all these students and still give them that great education, but I see us getting more equipment to allow seamless movement from class into lab, and I know we will make it work.”

Nowhere to build but up

When Bob first drove past Indio, Calif., en route to La Verne in 1958—after the long car ride through the sweltering desert—he started to see lots of green, and he was relieved. “The cross-country ride was difficult for my wife Mary,” Bob recalls. “We were in a car without air conditioning, and Mary was pregnant with our son Jon and trying to keep our son Kenneth comfortable and occupied. When we came to the San Gabriel Valley and saw the citrus groves, that’s when she started to think we could live here. It was beautiful and green here, but the smog was terrible. Back then people still used smudgepots to keep the groves from freezing, and when you got up in the morning, the smog was so bad that it was hard to breathe.” Bob adjusted quickly to life in the city of La Verne. The greenery offered the familiar comfort of home, but he found the society to be much more tolerant than the “bigoted society of close-knit, prejudiced people” he left back East. As Bob became more involved in the University, he also began to involve himself in city matters. Before long, he had established the city recycling program and joined the city’s Planning Committee.

Despite opposing all development proposals that came through the committee, Bob says he was outnumbered and alone in his quest to prevent the entire wipeout of the citrus groves. Mayor Frank Johnson encouraged Bob to run for La Verne City Council if he wanted to make a difference. With the help of his colleagues, Bob was elected to the City Council in 1976. His first Council meeting is one that he will never forget, for it shaped the philosophy behind Bob’s decision-making process. “A developer came in with a proposal, and, of course I opposed the measure,” Bob says. “I remember we debated a little. I told the developer I could see both sides, and he got angry. Then he said something that stuck with me forever: ‘If you can see both sides of the issue, then you have no money invested in it!’ That got me thinking: Are the decisions I make based on the kind of profit I will make, or based on what is right?”

The City Council became a sounding board for Bob, who was determined to find a way to block rapid overdevelopment of the area, but he found it more difficult than anticipated. Patience, he said, became his most powerful tool, for he often had to mention an idea several times until it took root in another council member’s mind and sounded like a good idea. Through patience and the clever means of causing others to think his ideas were their own, Bob was able to change how the Council looked at development and the environment in La Verne.

Bob says his greatest accomplishment on the City Council was his use of the only tool he had to affect the nature of development: rezoning efforts. “Since we couldn’t really stop development, the best we could do was put restrictions on zoning of the development in order to lessen its impact, even if just slightly. For example, we could put zoning restrictions that would limit housing development to one house per acre as opposed to three, in order to decrease the possibility of overcrowded land.”

After eight years on the City Council, Bob grew tired of the political aspect of his position and left the Council in 1984. “I’m not a politician, so I didn’t enjoy that side of City Council,” he says. “I was still disturbed by the rate of development, too. Sometimes it seemed like there was nothing we could do to keep it from happening.” After spending years analyzing the city of La Verne, Bob sees many challenges ahead in regards to growth. The midwesterner in him still admires the city, regarding it as an interesting middle ground where the quality of life is still good, and it still feels small-town. However, the environmentalist in Bob fears for any further attempts to develop La Verne, and he says quality of life could be at risk. “I think the city has taken all the direction it can; everything is pretty fully developed. The only place to build is up. The city ought to reconsider the existing codes to allow for higher buildings if it doesn’t want to diminish the quality of life by overcrowding already developed areas.” Bob sees a need for more development of the University itself, including more efficient use of the Brown property, building the often-promised athletic pavilion and allowing the extension of existing buildings to four or five stories in order to make use of existing space.

In addition to University development, Bob calls for more parks in La Verne. “We have a La Verne Land Conservancy Committee that bought undeveloped land in northern La Verne and gave it to the city to use for recreation purposes. We envisioned that the city would make use of the property and connect the trails up there to the Claremont trails, but they refuse at present. It’s an unfortunate thing; if they did it, it would be a boom for the community, not to mention environmentally sound.”

A lasting legacy and an uncertain future

After enlightening the minds of “too many students to count” during a teaching career of more than half a century, Bob has begun making retirement plans. Persistent vocal problems have kept him out of the classroom and led him to the decision to retire by the end of 2013. “I’m basically on an extended contract right now, since I can’t teach at the moment,” he says. “There’s a lot to be done in terms of shifting my responsibilities to someone else.” The obligation that takes the most consideration is his position as chairman of the Natural Sciences Department, which is a daunting task to hand over. “Vision is what makes Bob a tremendous leader and professor,” Jerome says. “The environment, high impact practices in science education, the interconnectedness of the natural sciences, and research are concepts that Bob practiced and implemented when I was an undergraduate student here, and I am sure they were done before my time.”

Although the intricate process of shifting his responsibilities into other capable hands has Bob preoccupied, it is the looming lack of preoccupation that concerns him most. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself once I retire,” he chuckles. “My favorite places to be are the Biology Department’s Montana field station and my office.” Bob glances around at his spacious office, walled in full bookcases and dominating plant that has been given ample time to grow along the ceiling. “I’ll really miss this office,” he says. “It’s been my second home for so many years. I suppose that retirement will give me more time to spend with the family,” which includes his wife Mary, sons Kenneth, Jon and Daniel and grandchildren Hayley, Natale, Carly and Wesley.

As he reflects upon his life and his time spent at La Verne, Bob says he has only a few regrets. “One day, at the time when I was dean of the school, mayor pro-tem and moderator of the local Church of the Brethren, it dawned on me that I kind of owned La Verne,” he remembers. “I was just riding my bike, and I realized that this was my town. I wish that I had exerted a little more of the power I had to do things.” Bob says that he is not sure why he did not take advantage of the power he had, but believes he may have been afraid of it. “I liked the influence that I could have, but power is a dangerous thing because you can attempt to interject too many of your ideas on other people. I don’t like when it’s done to me, which is probably why I chose to sell my ideas to others instead. I probably could have accomplished so much more if I had exerted a little more of that power, though.”

Bob also has a few personal regrets; he says that despite the many weekend field trips he took to the desert and the foothills, he wishes that he had expanded his exploration of the sea and sky. “If I could go back in time, I would have learned to swim better,” he sighs. “I could have done cooler things within my field if I swam better, like scuba diving and sea exploration. I also wish that I had learned how to fly. I know I projected this desire onto my sons. One of them got his pilot’s license, and he took me flying once; it was a freeing experience that I wish I had the opportunity to experience more.”

All regrets aside, Bob says he is proud of what he has done at La Verne and hopes to continue his service to the school in some form. His dedication has led him to gradually give a large amount of his salary back to the Natural Sciences Department. Bob currently keeps only 49 percent of his salary, and donates the rest toward extra money for other faculty salaries, renovation and equipment for the Montana research station and other worthy causes. “Once you reach a certain age, you realize that you don’t need that much to survive on,” he says. “So I decided to donate the extra money I don’t need back to the University. Even after I retire, I still plan to devote my time here, especially at the Montana field station.”

Despite the incessant talk of retirement, Jerome is skeptical that Bob will be able to stay away for very long. “The new trend in sports is to announce your retirement and then un-retire,” he says. “I’m hoping Bob will do the same as his leadership guidance, counsel and friendship will be missed.”

An environmental pioneer, Bob Neher implements his philosophy of sustainability in every aspect of his life. Bob walks to work from his home on Bonita Avenue every day and replaced the grass in his front yard with drought-tolerant plants more than 20 years ago. These values helped Bob build and maintain the Natural Sciences Division and influence the University’s development toward more environmentally sound practices. / photo by Scott Mirimanian

“My favorite place: The Magpie Ranch”

Bob Neher’s favorite place to spend his time is the University of La Verne’s Clark Ford Field Research Facility, nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Drummond, Mont. The station occupies more than 160 acres of rugged, forested land on Baldy Mountain and two smaller parcels of land along the Clark Fork River. The area along the river is dubbed the “Magpie Ranch” and is being developed as a self-contained, multipurpose, year-round research facility that uses solar power to supply its energy needs.

The station is open to students and alumni during the summer and has been run by Bob and his wife Mary for the past 17 years. Research projects at the ranch include species and population level studies, reproduction and life history studies, and plant and animal surveys.

The dream to create Magpie Ranch came to fruition in the early 1990s when La Verne alumnus Richard Base and his family donated 160 acres of timberland on Baldy Mountain in Montana. However, the property can only be accessed by an undeveloped logging road that is unsafe during bad weather, which made the land impractical for a permanent facility site. Bob then went searching on several occasions for additional land to find a location suitable for the facility site. In July 1996, a group of volunteers spent nearly 2,000 labor hours to build the facility that hosts the laboratory, storage facility, dormitory, kitchen and recreation space at the station.

Now, students spend between one and three weeks at the ranch every summer conducting their own research and projects. Bob says he always welcomes more guests and plans to continue spending his time at his beloved field station.

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Joe Vaniman, of La Verne, bought his 1930 Model A Roadster in 2004 and restored it with help from friends, including Stephen Salazar of La Verne, in the Pomona Valley Model A Club. As a final touch, Joe painted his Model A forest green and affixed the Los Angeles County Forestry Service insignia to its doors to honor his 35 years of service to the department as fire fighter and fire captain. / photo by Christian Uriarte

by Jason D. Cox and Lauren Creiman
photography by Christian Uriarte

­­Weathered and dented, a relic of a past few can remember, she stood at the side of the road. She seemingly waited and hoped for someone to give her a home. She was a 1930 Ford Model A Roadster, and she had no way of knowing that she would soon find love.

Eight years ago, Joe Vaniman and his wife Stemmie were taking a friend home from church when they saw the forgotten beauty on Wheeler Avenue in La Verne. Parked with a “For Sale” sign, the Model A beckoned to Joe. He gave in to temptation and stopped to investigate. Soon, he made arrangements to bring her home. “It was everything I could do to steer the thing,” he says about driving the “A” up the twisty Live Oak Canyon Road to his home. Joe, well acquainted with engineering, joined the Pomona Valley Model A Ford Club of America for help in restoring his roadster. He reworked the steering system so that it handled “almost as if it had power steering.” He replaced the wiring, installed a Model B engine, put in a lighter flywheel to make the clutch more manageable and did countless restoration details.

Today, his roadster pick-up is painted a deep green and bears an insignia on the driver side door that reads, “Los Angeles County Forestry Service.” Joe has driven his Model A in many parades, including the La Verne Independence Day parade and the San Dimas Western Days parade. He has won numerous trophies in the San Dimas car show. These shows and parades, Joe says, are important because “you get the chance to talk to people and tell them about a different time.” For Joe, his Model A is not only “just a really fun car to have and work on” but also a relic of his eventful past.

Elvo Joe Vaniman was born June 27, 1923, in Pomona Valley Hospital. At a young age, Joe was taught the value of hard work and raised to be self-sufficient. “My father left our family when I was 1 year old, and my mother went back to school at UCLA to get her teaching credential so she could support us,” Joe says. “For as long as I can remember, if we wanted anything, we had to work so we could get it ourselves.” His mother taught at the Lincoln and Roynon grammar schools for 30 years.

Joe joined the workforce early, washing dishes in the cafeteria of Bonita High School until he graduated from there in 1941. He then bussed tables at Wilson’s Café while he attended Chaffey Junior College. It was there that he met the chief of the Los Angeles County Forestry Service, a frequent diner. The two often talked, and eventually the chief convinced Joe to take the exam to become a forest firefighter. He began work June 1, 1942, and was initially sent to Pine Canyon near Elizabeth Lake to complete his six-month probationary period. Later, he bid for transfer to the San Dimas Station and won approval but was soon drafted into military service Jan. 7, 1943. “I received Army training, even though I ended up being a pilot,” Joe says. During World War II, the U.S. Air Force was called the U.S. Army Air Corps. “Once the Army found out I studied aeronautics at Chaffey, I was automatically placed in pilot training.”

Joe Vaniman’s Model A has several custom parts, including a Weber down draft carburetor (at left) and a Model B engine. He purchased the Model A with existing modifications but also added his own to make the car easier to drive in traffic. Joe says the basic design and simple parts of the Model A bring the car within reach of owner restoration and maintenance. This is the second Model A he has owned, the first bought for $95 when he graduated from Bonita High School. Joe later sold that “A” to the owner of Wilson’s cafe, where he bussed tables. / photo by Christian Uriarte

Flight training began at Ryan Field in Hemet, Calif., with the Ryan PT-22. Following, came basic training at Gardner Field in Taft, Calif., where he mastered the PT-13. On a weekend leave, he hitchhiked home to La Verne, gathered his bride-to-be Marilyn, pastor Newt Balch, his mother and her mother, and the couple was married that night at the pastor’s Third Street home. A friend’s bungalow in Corona del Mar afforded a one-night honeymoon. Joe hitchhiked back to Gardner Field to report for Monday morning flight school. “It really gets me how people today spend so much money on a big wedding,” he says. “I was able to get married for only $20, and we were married for 57 years.” Eventually, Joe landed in Pecos, Texas, honing his skills as a Cessna AT-17 Bobcat twin pilot. Soon, he was relocated to Arizona “to fly gunners in worn out B-17s.” Then, it was on to Lincoln, Neb., where he and fellow pilots assembled their nine-man combat crews. “We had a lot of free time while in Lincoln, so I got to have Marilyn with me there, and that made things a lot better,” Joe says. His scenery changed yet again; in Sioux City, Iowa, the crew practiced missions before overseas combat deployment.

He completed 22 missions over Germany, the fifth of which involved an unplanned landing. “We were bombing Kassel, Germany, and you could see the Swiss Alps, it was so clear,” Joe recalls. “In the distance, we could see thick black smoke, and we all said, ‘They’re really getting it over there.’ Then our formation’s course started to aim itself in that direction, and we knew we were headed that way.” While passing through the intense anti-aircraft fire, their number four engine was hit. Their “Georgia Peach” made a safe landing in Liège, Belgium, which was a U.S. P-47 base. Another terrifying moment came with a premature explosion of high explosive bombs from another B-17 600 feet below them that knocked six planes out of the air. Somehow, the damaged wings stayed on their plane. “The ground crew told us rough air would have been our end,” he says.

Joe has the distinction of flying in the Army Air Corps’ very last World War II mission, a bombing run personally ordered by General Dwight Eisenhower over Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. On that April 25, 1945, day, the Germans knew they were coming to bomb the Skoda Armament Works, and six U.S. bombers were shot down.

Joe outlasted three B-17s (only one had a name) and logged more than 250 hours of combat flight time. At war’s end, he flew the plane home over the Atlantic.

Back at the San Dimas forestry station, his job was waiting for him, and leadership roles came his way: He passed his engineer’s exam to drive the fire trucks, then he was named captain. His prolific career included leading stations in Malibu, Padua Hills (Claremont), San Dimas and Via Verde, from where in he retired in 1977. Joe says he always had a second job, whether it was working at a couple La Verne tire shops or the family’s 1887 era San Dimas orange grove, inherited in 1969. The grove was “taken away by eminent domain when the 57 Freeway came in.” Other days were spent enjoying time with Marilyn and exploring hobbies, including salmon fishing. While Joe did not attend the University of La Verne, his brother Ralph did. Uncle Harper Frantz was a La Verne chemistry professor of distinction. And the Landis Academic Center is named after his cousin Beth Landis.

Marilyn passed away in 2001, and Joe later married his current wife Stemmie, whom he met at the San Dimas Community Church. The two enjoy the perks of retirement, which currently centers around Model A Club activities. And, although it does not offer the complexity of a B-17 bomber, his Model A has straight forward technology that reminds him of a simpler time. For Joe, his roadster is the time machine that lets him relive his history.

Joe Vaniman parks his Model A Ford in front of the historical San Dimas Walker House and looks down the road at the San Dimas Mountain Rescue and Los Angeles County Forestry Service. It was in that building that Vaniman started work June 1, 1942, as a forest service firefighter. / photo by Christian Uriarte

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La Verne Head Coach Scott Winterburn offers encouragement to pitcher Javi Iniguez, with infield players gathering around to assess the current game situation, during a meeting at the mound in the midst of a tense game against Claremont McKenna College. The coach frequents the mound during games to make sure his players are on track for a win. / photo by Mitchell Aleman

by Daniel Hargis
photography by Mitchell Aleman

He is a man who appreciates the little things–the core values that make up a champion, a successful person, a team. He loves what is closest to him in life: his family, his work. He gives credit to the mentors in his life for guiding him in the right direction. He expects the best out of the athletes he coaches, to turn them into “Leos.”

This man is Scott Winterburn, the head baseball coach at the University of La Verne. In his 12th season at the University, he has enjoyed success through collective values that shape the athletes he coaches and their willingness to win. Most importantly, he cares about those who surround him. In return, his players have brought him four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. Other recognition includes multiple legacy La Verne baseball players receiving SCIAC Player of the Year, Golden Glove and All-American honors. For himself, he garnered the SCIAC Coach of the Year Award in 2005.

Scott claims that his philosophies are still evolving, but one thing has always been steadfast: He wants to create a Leo. To Scott, being a Leo means something. It is a process that gets each athlete to understand, commit and buy into what the program requires. “The thing that I value most is that I want our program to reflect life as closely as possible.” In order to do this, Scott believes that relationships have to be made with the athletes, not just any kind though, but close relationships, the kind that take time to create—caring relationships to the point where he knows which players have girlfriends, what they like to do in their spare time, and what they want to do after graduation. Once these relationships have been established, those involved must work hard on them, and “only then do lessons become valuable,” Scott says.

The little things make a huge difference to this fundamental man. Saying “please,” “thank you” and “excuse me” shows him class; it sets people apart in his eyes. He sets out to improve the men who come into his program. His is a very intimate relationship, yet there is distance at the same time. The same applies to Scott’s children. “I’m not their buddy, but I’m there in every way,” he says with a sense of ease in his voice. “I treat them like my son and daughter. They have plenty of buddies. I’m there to tell them the truth. I own the truth.”

Something well-known about Scott is that he values the process as much as the results. “He is probably one of the hardest working people I know,” says Paul Alvarez, professor of Movement and Sports Science, adding, “both what you see and what a lot of people don’t see.”

On this day, Scott sits in his office with assistant coach Daniel Soriano. Their computers burn bright in front of them as they search for potential student-athletes. They ponder over these baseball candidates. It is evident that each athlete is carefully evaluated before he even has a chance at becoming a Leo. “Burn,” as Scott is referred to by those who know him, wants to ensure that athletes will fit into his program, just another step that will perpetuate future program success. “The first thing I try to find out is, ‘Can they fit here?’ That’s the most important thing,” Scott says. “The backbone of this program is people who love being here.”

Experience is key

Scott wants everyone to learn appropriate lessons from key situations, to react appropriately to the event, then to move forward with new understanding. This is an important mindset for him. If a player struggles in practice, it excites him to see that player come to the game improved because he put in thought after practice. This technique comes from one of his mentors, Rex Huigens, former Movement and Sports Science Department chair. The idea is to allow players, having failed somehow, to go home with the thought of failure in the back of their mind. After analyzing the failure and finding the personal corrective solution, players will succeed the next time. “The athlete has to start to understand that the opportunity is right here, right now,” Scott says. “Every experience impacts us. We’re not sure how it will impact us until it’s over, but over time we can look back and see how that impact was.” Experiences shape the paths of people’s lives, and this is a core baseball belief for dedicated Coach Winterburn.

Scott knew that he loved baseball. He claims it was the only reason he attended college, but he did not know that it would become his life’s passion until he was a junior at Texas A&M University. While majoring in agricultural economics, a flash of inspiration came to him while undertaking a pedestrian assignment. He remembers thinking, “Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?” His father encouraged him to do something he liked and to work hard at it, and that day Scott realized that thing was coaching baseball. “It was very clear to me, ‘Hey I want to coach,’” Scott says. “I felt like that’s what I was supposed to do.” The people who have influenced Scott have been involved in baseball. His first baseball memories are of him and his father playing catch in their front yard and then his playing games in the street with friends. Scott says that his father was a great mentor in life and sports. Aside from his father, Scott cites influential coaches: George Dusic, his little league coach; John Meiers, his coach at Arcadia High School; Skip Claprood, his coach at Citrus College; and Tony Barbon, the coach at Azusa Pacific University, with whom Scott worked at the beginning of his coaching career. “It’s the mentors I had in life,” he says. “I am the product of people who influenced me. I don’t claim to have invented anything.”

Between the lines

Scott takes an alternative look at everything in life. What one takes from a situation may be different from how he interprets it. He sits in his office with its walls adorned with photos of family and baseball players, certificates from past All-American or All-Region athletes, baseball books and personal themed baseball memorabilia. Scott says that it is the goal of an athlete to try his best to win. However, he does not condone winning at all costs. In the dugout during La Verne baseball games, he blends in like a chameleon with the rest of the team. In his No. 14 La Verne uniform, he cheers on the batters and commends the fielders for nice plays. One only realizes that he is the coach when he is unsatisfied, when he sternly gives corrective advice to the team between innings or expresses rule book-anchored discontent toward an umpire. When he gets fired up, it creates a serious atmosphere that makes everything seem more meaningful. When that happens, the players react constructively, another testament to his creation of a Leo.

“Read the defense. I could talk all day about it; it’s no secret,” Scott says to junior first baseman Michael Stewart during a crucial conference game against Cal Lutheran on April 7. At the same time, Scott knows what matters at the end of the day. Hitting coach Scott Marcus says at the start of his senior year, he was slapped with his parents’ divorce and the death of his older brother. “No matter how I performed on the field, it didn’t affect how he treated me off of it. He has a good ability to know what’s important,” the All-American player says. “I will always have a certain level of respect for him.”

Burn expects the best from his players and deservedly so, because he first puts forth his best. When his players leave his program, they are ready for what the world has to offer; they are Leos. His baseball philosophies reflect the way he looks at life. And his life is a treasure chest of the things he values most.

It is Friday, April 27. A dog pile is taking place on the mound immediately following the Whittier strikeout that brought the 2012 SCIAC title to Scott Winterburn. He pauses for a quick moment to soak in the secret pride that wells within. Then, clapping in appreciation, he quickly jogs out to join his new champions.

His lesson delivered, Coach Scott Winterburn, returns to the Leopard dugout after coaching third base. Not content to quietly sit in the dugout, the coach is intensely involved in the game, teaching in the dugout, giving hand signals for runners on base or at bat, and calling timeouts to directly talk to his players. / photo by Mitchell Aleman

No home, no matter

Ben Hines Field no longer exists, leaving the Leopard baseball team players homeless. But their hard work and determination came to fruition on April 27 when they captured their 20th Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. Practicing at nearby Damien High School and at the Southern California Baseball-Softball Academy was no hindrance. In the fall, the team met about the upcoming season and their lack of a home, but never again spoke about it. Not having a field would never be an excuse. Hitting Coach Scott Marcus said that graduate assistant Jon-Michael Hattabaugh held batting practice sessions, some as late as 10 p.m. Practices ran until 4:30 or 5 p.m., but players regularly stayed after.

Usually only five or six pitchers are used during the season, but this season the Leos used 10 or 11. Pitching Coach Gabe Miranda worked with what Head Coach Scott Winterburn calls a “specialty staff.” “That’s the job Gabe Miranda has done; he’s done a stellar pitching coach job this season,” Winterburn says. Miranda and the staff held meetings to raise issues and address them up front. “They were struggling with all of the nuances of the game,” Miranda says. Some pitchers would pitch a majority of the game, some a few innings, and some only one out. But that was what the staff knew it needed to do to succeed. “No one whined or cried about it; it’s just the way the pitching staff was this year,” Miranda says.

Each season, the senior class takes on a big role. There was no captain, but the seniors led the team. “This senior class did a great job,” Winterburn says. “They had a lot of responsibility, and they got it all done.” They organized and ran offseason practices. Miranda, a school teacher, relied on the senior pitchers to run their practices until he arrived.

The team had something that cannot be practiced or implemented by coaches: camaraderie. Marcus recalls days when players discussed where they would eat after practice. “They hang out all the time,” he says. “They’re brothers, and there’s something to be said about that.”

Head Coach Scott Winterburn takes to the front of the dugout to instruct his Leopard baseball players on how to turn the game’s momentum in their favor. / photo by Mitchell Aleman

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At home in her store, Joann Lammens started Gina T Interior Accents 26 years ago, operating at first from her parents’ garage. She now owns two successful stores in Old Town La Verne, naming both businesses after her daughter Gina.

by Cheryl Regan
photography by Brittney Slater-Shew

Her business started in her parents’ garage with florals, trees and wreaths. Her hard work paid off, for now, with two thriving businesses in downtown La Verne, Joann Lammens, owner of Gina T Interior Accents and Gina T Home, looks back on 26 successful years of interior design. Joann’s businesses continue to thrive because of her hands-on attention to detail and stylish design. She not only performs interior home designs in La Verne and surrounding communities; she also is an acclaimed designer of office buildings, banks, hotel lobbies, restaurants and weddings. Her artistic interpretation is sought nationally and throughout the world and includes stops in Dallas, New York City, Paris and Bangladesh.

Joann started Gina T with basically no up-front money while tending to infant daughter Gina, after whom she named her stores. Her journey began with design studies at Mt. San Antonio College, while co-owning Barney’s and One West California, both restaurants in Pasadena. Weary of the restaurant business, Joann sought a new career role in interior design. Her design friends told her that many outlets offered new furniture and flooring, but there were very few businesses that offered high-end floral arrangements and trees to accent and accessorize their work. This is where Joann found her niche, and, at first, it was not easy. She was repeatedly turned down by vendors. “Finally I found someone who would sell to me because he was tired of taking my phone calls everyday,” Joann says. “I guaranteed him that I would be in business with him for at least five years.”

After scrounging up start up money, Joann went straight to work. At this time, she was a single mom living with her parents. While daughter Gina napped, she assembled her flower arrangements in the garage. “I put my floral arrangements together when she was down, and when she woke up, I would stop. When she went back down again, I would start again.” Over time, Joann began to gain more business, which meant more shipments and more deliveries to her home. “Neighbors started to complain that delivery trucks were always dropping things off at my house, so the city of La Verne strongly suggested I find a store to continue my business.” That is when Joann launched her current Gina T location on Bonita Avenue in old town La Verne. “The first seven or eight years were rough,” she remembers. “I knew that it was going to be difficult, but I also knew if I just stuck with it, I could do it.” At first, Joann rented the store, but when the building owner told her he was selling, Joann bought it outright. “He came up to me and asked whether I wanted to buy it, and I knew that I didn’t want to go anywhere, so I bought it.”

Giving philanthropist

When daughter Gina started at Bonita High School in 2000, Joann noticed how little money was saved for the graduating class Grad Night. She stepped in and started a La Verne Home Tour to raise money for Gina’s Grad Night. She decorated all of the homes in the tour; people then bought tickets to tour the homes—all adorned in their festive Christmas decorations, provided by Gina T. “I knew that a Home Tour would be a good thing to do because I had been involved with them in other surrounding cities,” Joann says. “I also knew that this would raise a lot of money in a little amount of time.” After the first year of the successful Home Tour, she helped raise money for the graduating classes for eight years up until 2010 when Bonita High School stopped hosting the Home Tour. Daughter Gina is now a graduate from California State University, San Diego, and is actively engaged in Ph.D. studies in psychology at Loyola Marymount University. Joann’s own life changed in 1998 when she married Dave Lammens, who owns D&J Electric in La Verne. “Dave and I met when he came to my store to install a security system,” Joann says. “And we have been together ever since.”

Joann opened, in 2005, her second store, Gina T Home, on D Street in downtown La Verne. Gina T Home differs from the Bonita Avenue store and features Gina T’s signature home style. “For awhile, the Bonita store carried the D Street store; now it’s really taking off on its own,” she says. With the opening, the original Bonita Avenue store features seasonal holiday accessories while the new store captures everyday home decor. Her patrons call that look warm, embracing, stylish, classic, but Joann summarizes her style best. “The look is finished. From every bookend, candleholder, to the florals, to the trees, everything is exactly where it should be placed. When someone says that Gina T has been here, that means that it’s 100 percent finished.” This is what Joann emphasizes; she makes sure that everything looks perfectly in place. “We will never just sell you a piece of furniture. To make sure that it enhances your home, we go look at the space, photograph it, measure the space and graph it out.” She has many long-time customers. Relationships quickly developed. She is known for treating her clients as if they are family.

Joann the artist

Joann lives in a world of fantasy, myth and legend. From the Romans and Greeks to the world of elves and Santas, it is a very different world in each of her stores. During the holiday season, Gina T Interior Accents immerses shop visitors with the Christmas spirit. From wreaths, trees and ornaments; it’s like Santa’s village the moment a person walks in. All year long, Gina T Home carries a wild variety of mythical pieces that bring a room to life. The store displays just a sample of Joann’s vivid imagination. She can see a photograph and visualize actuality. People often send her room measurements with desired details; she takes it from there and performs artistic designs without a physical presence—sometimes from thousands of miles away. She says her clients rave at the results.

Joann has recently found a different design venture: weddings. Featured are her signature designs for everything from the centerpieces to altars. “Joann did my flowers for my wedding [at the Hyatt at Huntington Beach], and I could not have been happier with her,” says Danielle Gallinger, a University of La Verne Law School student. “I told her my vision, and she executed it perfectly.” Adds Kasey Scroggins, a University of La Verne alumnus, “I have dreamed about my wedding ever since I was a little girl, and Joann made that dream come true with the arrangements she made for my wedding day.” Joann says she gains her inspiration from life experiences. While in Napa, Calif., she had an inspirational design flash for an underground wine cellar. She designed the whole cellar on a beverage napkin. “I came up with the design while enjoying my nice glass of red wine at the Del Dotto Winery in Napa Valley. I pictured every little detail right there.”

If a client hires Joann as an interior designer, her appointment will most likely not take place until six weeks later because of her high demand. And while she loves to work with red, brown and gold colors, she prides herself in designing whatever excites her clients. “One of the first things I say when walking into people’s homes is, ‘Tell me where your heart is, what colors make you comfortable when you’re surrounded by them; tell me where you were last that really got you excited by the colors you saw.’” Despite Joann knowing the best look for a client’s home, she will never impose her style preference. “My job is to guide the client; I always go 100 percent in their direction.” She is one who sweats the finer details for her clients.

Joann has inspired associates. Ariel Moul, a 12-year employee, says she looks forward to walking into work with myriad tasks on her to-do list. “I just love what I do; everyday I have something new going on.” Her favorite task is designing. “I love the concept of starting from scratch, then walking out of a beautiful room that is complete.” Myranda Snapp is also empowered by her work. “Everyday is something new.” She says her job continues to be exciting after four years. “Joann keeps us on our toes because we are doing so much. If we aren’t doing client work, then we are doing retail work for one of the stores.”

Joann is still learning new things. “Just because I’ve been doing this forever doesn’t mean I know everything. I get excited every time I see something new or find something that we can bring to our clients and our design.” She travels to trade shows regularly. “I am always looking for what is the new trend or new inspirations that I can bring back with my design.”

Even the depressed economy has not dampened her enthusiasm. But she has noticed designers going out of business. “We have definitely have seen a change in business, but we are so grateful to be in the position we are in right now. We are thankful to have our beloved clients who keep coming back to our stores.” As for her thriving interior design business, Joann says, “We are in La Verne to stay; we aren’t going anywhere.”

The Christmas spirit is front and center at Gina T Interior Accents. With distinctive snowmen, Santas and elves galore, it is hard not to be in the holiday spirit with the wide assortment of decorations.

Joann’s Favorite Design Tips

1. Don’t be afraid to color a room.

2. Step away from the white and beige and into some color. Texture in a room is very important. Make sure you mix smooth textures with rough textures.

3. Your powder room is the smallest room in your home but should be the most interesting because that is where your guests always go. If you want the “wow” factor, then go for it.

4. You might have the most beautiful furniture in a room, but the room is not finished until you have the right accessories to add to it.

5. Make sure you and your guests are comfortable.

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Proudly holding the flag that graced his father’s funeral, Tim Morrison is reminded of his father’s tribute to America while serving as a Marine Sergeant fighting in WWII. Tim displays his father’s flag in his home’s front window.

by Elsie Ramos
photography by Candice Salazar

Before the mile and half parade begins, men, women, children and war veterans bow their heads, say a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, and end with a “Hoo-rah!” It is not the typical way to start a city parade, but it is when Tim Morrison is leading it. With his hands steady but his heart racing, Tim kick starts his 2005 Wild Glide Harley to life, and soon his engine beat is joined by the rumble of 70 more. “Get us fired up; we’re gonna roll in two,” he shouts. Tim, wearing his leather biker cut and an American flag bandana on his head, is leading the San Dimas Parade for the first time. His black Harley holds the biggest American flag—four feet by six feet; therefore, he rides in front. The bikes roll out of the parking lot, two at time, with “Wild Thing” blaring in the background.

Tim is not just a biker; he is a cowboy, a kayaker, a patriot and a University of La Verne alumnus. All those labels take a back seat to the one he finds most important: the label of being American. “The hat I like wearing the most is anything with the red, white and blue.”

He is the son of a Marine Sergeant who fought in WWII and a Lieutenant Navy nurse; his stepson Scott is serving in the Army and stationed in Washington. Tim’s dad was the beloved city of Claremont chief of police from 1958 to 1971 and designed the original police patch, which Tim wears on his biker vest. “I love my country and respect the armed forces, but I wish we’d just kick some ass and get the hell out of there,” Tim says. “They’re old enough to come home in body bags, but not old enough to have a drink.” Tim never served in the Armed Forces—the Vietnam war ended just before he became draft eligible. That was a war he says was more political than anything else. Even so, his father advised him to go to college first and then, if he still felt like he wanted to serve, to enlist afterwards. Regarding present day wars, he says, “If they would let me take the place of one of those 19-year-olds so he can come home, I would.”

His patriotism really kicked into gear in 2004 when he heard of an atheist’s petition to remove the phrase “one nation under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Tim says that it bothered him that someone would want to change something that has been the same for so long. “A lot of people don’t have it in here [points to his chest] to respect and honor our flag.”

He enlists now in a different way, volunteering his time to honor those who have served. He gives some of his time to The Patriot Guard, an organization of motorcycle riders who lead funeral processions for veterans. Their mission, stated in their website, is to “show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families and their communities, and to shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters.”

They help prevent hecklers, like those from the Westboro Baptist Church in Arkansas, who protest and interrupt the funerals of soldiers with derogatory language. “We’ll link arms and sing Yankee Doodle Dandy if we have to,” Tim says. “It usually doesn’t get that far. They see a bunch of motorcyclists, and they just turn around. I do what I can to honor all of our past, present and future heroes.” Tim has shepherded 12 funerals. At each one, he has been given a dog tag with the soldier’s name, age and Armed Forces branch of service. The dog tags hang on his outside front door porch hook—a place of honor at Tim’s house. The ages of the fallen soldiers range from teenagers to men and women in their 30s. Tim says that his most memorable experience as a Patriot Guard was when he helped take a fallen soldier out of a plane at Ontario International Airport. “To carry a casket, draped in our flag [his words are momentarily blocked by emotion; he takes a breath and continues]; carrying one of our own was an honor and a privilege that most citizens will never get to experience.” The first funeral procession he took part in also had a profound effect on him. “I wasn’t mentally prepared for what happens.” He says the emotion that is felt throughout the funeral is something that cannot be described.

Fourth of July rumble

Tim dedicates much planning time toward La Verne’s Fourth of July parade. When he first started volunteering, he helped organize the neighborhood floats. Six years ago, he went to Jeannette Vagnozzi, La Verne city treasurer and fellow parade volunteer, and asked her whether the organizers could somehow involve motorcycles. Jeannette says the first year they were able to recruit 51 Harleys, each sporting a different huge state flag. It was colorful and a talked-about entry. It was also doomed to be a one-time thing because the constant stopping, waiting and starting that comes with a parade was overheating the Harleys’ air-cooled engines. That is when Tim came up with the idea to have the motorcycles lead as a parade prelude. Before launching the parade, the riders gather for a patriotic presentation staged by La Verne’s children. Then, accompanied by a low flying Army Huey, Chinook or Black Hawk (Tim always delivers the near impossible), the Harleys, staged at Bonita High School, roar down D Street at slow speed, individual flags stiffened in their wake.

The parade’s start is an extraordinary tradition born in the mind of Tim Morrison, a person who always brings a high level of adventure to his ideas. “He brings such excitement to the committee,” Jeannette says. “It’s always a bigger and more exciting idea with Tim.” Since that first year, the Harley presence has increased from 51 bikes to more than 200. Each bike carries a state flag, an American flag or a flag from a different branch of the military. All flags range from four by six to three by five feet. The riders come from throughout the Western states with their own flags or flags that Tim provides. “He has an excitement and a zeal. He thinks about it all year long,” Jeannette says. “He’s very dedicated to our military and our country and has become a staple in our community. He’s very, very passionate about national pride, and the flag means a lot to him.”

Tim says that the parade has gained so much recognition throughout the biker community that riders have to be turned away. The parade has a limit of 200 bikes, but Tim says if he could he would have 2,000. “Word just gets out. I can’t say ‘no’ to anybody, and if I have to take myself out of it I will. I can have just as much fun in my front yard with Sharon [his wife]. I know what I’ve done.”

Tim does not just have adventures on two wheels; he also has them on the rapids. His passion for saddling up in his kayak and riding America’s wildest rivers began at the University of La Verne. As an undergraduate, he enrolled in a beginner’s watercraft class at La Verne with legendary Coach Roland “Ort” Ortmayer as his instructor. Tim immediately excelled. When Ort saw his potential, he told him to pursue kayaking further. “He told me that he had done all he could for me, and that I should find someone with more expertise,” Tim says. That is when he met International Whitewater Hall of Famer Tom Johnson at Kernville, Calif., and began competing nationally at a high level. Tim says he lived out of a tent and would go out every day to train, even in the winter. He competed from Wisconsin to Montana to Oregon. In his first race in the expert class, Tim finished in the top 10 with his parents there to watch. Tim says he had dreams of going to the Olympics and came very close, but things just never panned out for him. Later, he became a professional master river guide for Orange Torpedo Trips, specializing in the Salmon River.

Tim’s list of recreational accomplishments doesn’t end with kayaking, as he placed second in the Yellowstone Triathlon; a mere 18 seconds out of first place. The triathlon includes running, biking and kayaking. And even though it is not current, Tim earned an instrument flight rules (IFR) private pilot’s license. In all he does, he is very competitive. When his step-son’s friends challenged him to a biking race in the local mountains, he beat them by several minutes. “Scott warned them not to tempt me,” he says. “At 56, I can still hold my own.”

His fondest recreational interest is the rodeo. He finds it to be the most American. Most boys dream of wearing the cowboy hat and roping cattle, and that’s exactly what Tim does as an adult. “I think cowboy is definitely the most American hat you can wear,“ he says. In 1995, he roped his first steer on his first horse, Dynamite. He has had two other horses since then, Rusty and Alice, the latter named after his mother. For Tim, being a cowboy doesn’t mean just roping cattle, it also means teaching a dance class. The city of La Verne asked him to help teach a tap dancing class, and Tim agreed. He incorporated roping into the girls dance. Hanging from a frame in his garage is a hand written note of gratitude from the girls that reads, “You roped your way into our hearts. Thanks for your time and patience.”

Tim’s days at the University of La Verne were full of adventures and practical jokes. When construction cones were found at the top of the Dailey Theatre, everyone looked at him. “Administration came up to me and said, ‘We’re not accusing you, but if anyone knows how to get them down, we know you do,’” Tim recalls. Taking advantage of independent study opportunities, he would make up his own classes and go out into the wilderness for weeks at a time and gain academic credit. He earned his pilot’s license while taking a La Verne independent study “Theory and Practice of Aviation” class. His University of La Verne studies culminated with a master’s of arts teaching degree.

His greatest influences at La Verne to be Coach Ortmayer. “He was my coach, mentor, teacher and friend. Ort let me be me. He saved me from myself.” Ort encouraged Tim to take classes that would develop character, not just make him a smarter person. He says that part of his wanting to honor war veterans came from values Ortmayer taught him. “He always told me that the time to honor people is when they’re here, not when they’re gone. That’s where part of my drive to help people comes from.”

When he is not engaged in an adventure, Tim spends his time at home with his wife of 13 years and their handful of animals. He proposed to his wife in an unconventional but thoughtful way. He put together a photo album of all the adventures they had together and with friends. He showed her that he may not have all the riches in the world but no one was going to make her happier than he would. At the end of the photo album was an indent where he placed the ring, with a handwritten phrase above it: “Here’s your ring; will you marry me?” “I wouldn’t believe anything he says,” Sharon shouts from the laundry room. “If that’s not confidence then I don’t know what is,” Tim says.

His house and yard are a great representation of himself—patriotic and eccentric. Just beyond the red and blue hand printed white picket fence, Rosie, the life-size plastic cow stands prominently in the front yard garden. Wind chimes hang on the front and back yard porches, the latter of which Tim constructed. In the backyard, under an orange tree and in a kiddy pool, is a plastic, camouflage painted, Army-hat-wearing brontosaurus. Fifty-one state flags are rolled up and stacked against the garage. His yard becomes a theme park exhibition for the holidays. At Christmas, a full size sled with Santa is strung from the Third Street deodar trees. At Halloween, he matches the over the top zaniness of his Third Street neighbors. But it is on the Fourth of July and Veterans Day when Tim’s front yard has no equal. His 50 state flags plus special flags commemorating 911, along with the patriotic display of a huge American flag, have won the Fourth of July decorating award many times. He has received many plaques and awards over the years, including a 2007 city of La Verne proclamation honoring his valuable civic contributions. The La Verne City Council, in a special Feb. 6, 2012, ceremony, presented Tim with its Jack Huntington “Pride of La Verne“ award. His mother Alice and sister Kathleen were proudly at his side.

Despite earning the highest respect from city leadership, Tim says that’s not what gets him up in the morning. “Getting a certificate is cool, but it’s not what motivates me. I do all that I do because that’s just who Tim is.”

Shared love passes between Tim Morrison and Bubba, Tim’s constant companion, at his Third Street La Verne home.

Patriotism on display

Known for exhibiting the best decorated house in La Verne for several years running during the Fourth of July city contest, Tim Morrison’s front yard never falls short of entertainment during all holidays. For significant patriotic events, large 50 state and American flags are posted around the perimeter of his yard. A white picket fence is covered with red and blue children’s handprints. A 20-foot flag pole holds court front and center. Tim’s friends often give him eccentric pieces for his collection. One such gift, a lifesize plastic cow, perpetually resides on his front lawn.

On his front porch are trappings of his life as a cowboy, patriot guard, river guide and University of La Verne alumnus.

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Holding on to the passion that has taken him around the world and earned him Olympic medals, Kevin Brousard, University of La Verne senior radio broadcast major, has not let his lack of sight stop him from believing in his abilities. Specializing in discus, shot put and javelin, Brousard has won significant awards in games for the blind. Brousard says that many times he throws as hard as he can and then asks how far it went.

by Aisha Gonzales
photography by Andrew Vasquez

Kevin Brousard is no stranger to hard work in the broadcast industry. His resume clearly shows he is intelligent, athletic, dedicated and ambitious. He takes on leadership roles with ease. It is not only his numerous athletic accomplishments that have made him stand out from the rest, but also Kevin’s ability to make people look past the fact that he is legally blind. “My biggest challenge has been to make people look past my disability. I always go above and beyond to show what I can do, because I know people look at me differently.”

Kevin does not appear any different from any other person walking down the street. Standing at 6’5” with dark black sunglasses, he has the persona of an athlete enjoying a day in the sun. Little do bystanders know that when this gentle giant man looks down at them, his gaze is not quite focused. Many quickly forget that he has a disability. “There are a lot of people that ‘A,’ do not know he has it, and ‘B’ do not believe him when he says he does,” says Mike Laponis, University of La Verne professor of communications.

The diagnosis and the disease

In first grade, Kevin began to notice his poor eyesight. At first, he could not read the front board. His parents took him to many doctors; he was continuously misdiagnosed and prescribed with ever thicker glasses. In eighth grade, an eye specialist at the UCLA Medical Center diagnosed that he was afflicted with Stargardt’s, a rare hereditary disease in which the macula of the eye degenerates, causing legal blindness. The macula is the central portion of the retina, which allows a person to see fine details. Although there was no prior family history, Kevin was told by the doctor that he had inherited a recessive gene from both parents. The family was put on alert that one out of every four of their children could develop the malady. Kevin has two brothers, Patrick, 23, and Dominic, 14. “I’m the lucky one in the family who got it. My brothers are both supportive of my activities and are very helpful in assisting me.”After his diagnosis, Kevin was issued a lens prescription, which would enable him to gain visual acuity of 20/400. Individuals who have vision worse than 20/200 are considered legally blind. “I can see color and light; it is just blurry. It is like seeing through a camera out of focus.” With clouded central vision, Kevin has to rely on his peripheral vision. “Voice recognition is a major resource for me. Certain individuals with distinctive voices I can ‘see’ from 50 yards away. Others, I can recognize by body shape, walking stride and other physical habits. I cannot recognize someone simply by facial features alone unless they are within five feet.”

Growing up, Kevin endured constant teasing. “The early part of high school is when I remember the teasing being the worst,” Patrick says. “Kevin’s eyesight, along with his changing height and weight, attributed to people mocking him. I would try to keep his spirits up.” Kevin used the experience as motivation. With more perseverance than a fairy tale hero, he was determined to show that his qualities could surpass his disability. “I want to prove myself beyond the point of my disability and have people know I am the man for the job. This has been my attitude since I was young.” He focuses on his strengths and works hard. “Everyone always focuses on the bad parts of life. People take general health and their abilities for granted. Focus on your abilities, not disabilities. Everyone has something they are good at. Do not let other stuff get in the way; let your abilities shine through.”

Nevertheless, at first, he thought life was unfair. “I would dwell on the negatives and had a ‘woe is me’ attitude. Now, I have realized just how blessed I am. I have never had surgery, never been in a serious health matter, or have suffered major physical limitations because of my disabilities. I focus on what I can do, rather than what I cannot do. I can never drive, and it’s hard to recognize people, but I have been blessed with a great, supportive family, an amazing education, a beautiful home and community, teachers who support physical strength, height and me, and countless other privileges that others would love to have. I always say, ‘Do not dwell on your disabilities, but showcase your abilities.’”

As a child, Kevin’s first interest was athletics. In elementary school, he enjoyed basketball and flag football. He was a valued six-foot tall offensive football tackle and also a field competitor for the San Clemente High School track team. “I think a lot of his determination came from the teasing in high school, and his way of dealing with those emotions was to focus on athletics,” Patrick says.

During his high school junior year, Kevin received an invitation to the World Youth Games for the blind in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where 500 competitors represented 30 countries. Kevin won a silver medal in shot put, missing gold by half an inch. “I always knew track was my main goal. I knew track could take me around the world. This event opened my eyes to how widespread athletic competitions are in the world for the blind.” Summer 2008, Kevin traveled to the International Blind Sports Association’s Bench-press and Power-lifting World Championship in Miami, Florida. He was one of 15 athletes chosen for Team USA, sponsored by the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Kevin took fourth in his weight class, lifting 270 pounds on the bench, 325 pounds in squats and 400 pounds in deadlift.

Kevin developed another passion—sports radio broadcasting. As a child, he would listen to sports announcer Chick Hearn’s broadcast of the Los Angeles Laker games. “Chick Hearn made me fall in love with sports broadcasting. His way of broadcasting had a positive impact on me, and I want to have the same effect on someone else.”

With the start of his studies at the University of La Verne, Kevin had three objectives in mind: to continue track, develop his passion for sports broadcasting and succeed in all his classes. Though athletics come natural for him, homework tends to be a bit difficult. “For homework or any reading, I have to be very close to the text, normally one to two inches from the surface. I have been doing this my whole life, and my eyes are used to it. My eyes do get tired easier because of the proximity and squinting.” He joined the La Verne track team and sports broadcasting crew instead of continuing with football. As a radio broadcast major, he took on the moniker, “DJ Buzzsaw,” announcing select sporting events at the University of La Verne. “My nickname in high school was Buzzard, something that a football coach coined because he had trouble saying my last name. Also, I grew up listening to a sports radio host named Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton. I combined the two names and got Buzzsaw.”

People ask him how his visual disability affects his live broadcasting of athletics. He answers, “When I announce a game, I use a monocular device that magnifies the view times eight. I also use this device in class to see the board. I have trouble making out numbers of players and sometimes loose track of the ball, but I prepare before each game to make sure I have each team’s players memorized by heart so I can minimize these mistakes.” He says certain sports are easier to announce, such as basketball and volleyball, because of the fewer number of players.

The summer following his college freshman year, he was invited to the Pan American Games in Colorado Springs. Athletes from all western hemisphere countries attended this major sporting event. Kevin competed in the shot put, discus throw and javelin events. With throws of 125 feet in javelin, 117 feet in discus and 39 feet in shot put, he took gold in each event. “The night before each track meet, I calmed my nerves by going through a meditation session in a quiet room. These last anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. I am not a person who blasts heavy metal or gets amped up for a competition. I have tried that approach, and it has not worked for me. I find that when I am calm, my nerves are level, and I do not over think what I am doing. That is when I have my best performances.”

Kevin was still determined to do more despite his hefty schedule of classes, broadcasting events and athletic competitions and practices. During his La Verne sophomore year, he became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. SAE’s mission “to promote the highest standards of friendship, scholarship and service” plus the warm fraternity friendships had a profound effect on him. “The members of SAE looked beyond my disability and saw my positive qualities,” Kevin says. “They have my back, and the support really helps. Our motto is to be true gentlemen and not to make anyone aware of their disability.”

Spring 2011, Kevin was invited to compete as one of the 40 Americans attending the World Championship for the Blind in Antalya, Turkey. The international event hosted eight different sports for 60 countries and 1,000 blind athletes. Kevin used his track season at La Verne as preparation. “There was no difference in training,” Pat Wildoff, La Verne track coach, says. “He is willing to work extra and throws until he gets tired.” A month before his departure to Turkey, Kevin developed a shin stress fracture that forced him to sit out practices. Determined to compete, he traveled to Turkey in April with his American team. “The minimal training I had actually was a blessing in disguise. My body had a chance to heal up, and I felt fresh and healthy when I competed.” Kevin proceeded to show off his athletic ability in the shot put and discus. With throws of 42 feet in shot put and 139 feet and six inches in discus, he set a new personal record and an American record for the blind, taking home gold medals for each event. “During the event, I asked an official what time it was, and she showed me her watch,” Kevin says. “I asked her if she knew where she was at,” he laughs, at his sight joke.

Summer 2011, Kevin gained a lucrative internship at XX1090 AM Sports Radio Station in San Diego. On air, he became known as “The Blind Intern.” Anchor Scott Kaplan sometimes good naturedly used Kevin to gain a laugh. “I do not know the young man’s name,” he said on air in July. “I thought everyone just called him the ‘blind intern.’” Kevin grabbed a mic and good naturedly defended himself. “It is visually impaired,” he answered. “I am considered blind by the legal terms of the state of California, but I can still see. I’m walking around without a cane.” Kevin told his story to the regional audience. At the end of the lengthy interview, he had turned the joke around. “I like informing people about my disease, and how it affects me personally. If you take the effort to ask what is wrong with my eyes, it shows me that you legitimately care and want to learn more about my disease.” Kaplan was amazed at Kevin’s long distance travel on public transportation. He took one train and two buses two days a week in order to fulfill his internship requirements. “I still do not feel comfortable asking people for rides. It is always a big step for me. I’d rather take the bus on my own. I have realized, though, that it is OK to ask for help sometimes.”

As a La Verne senior, Kevin serves as a radio sports announcer and personality for 107.9 LeoFM at La Verne plus is the program director. “He has the experience, work ethic, interest and passion, so faculty and staff chose him for the position,” Laponis, the faculty radio program head, says. Kevin has also taken the position as eminent deputy archon for SAE, as well as president of the Interfraternity Council. After college, he plans to find a career in the sports broadcasting industry. He has prepared himself for the question employers might ask. “I would be realistic. I would also tell them that I make up for those tasks by doing things I can do to the fullest potential. Being disabled, I have learned that people will always doubt you, and that has taught me to prove to people beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am capable. I see myself as a role model for those with disabilities,” Kevin says. “Even though I have the disease, I can still stack up.” Kevin Brousard has proved to his peers that he is not defined by his disability but by his qualities and life outlook. “He’s already a success and will continue to be,” says Laponis, his radio professor. “He’s a real can do guy, and I have much respect for him.”

Champion at heart, Kevin Brousard takes pride in his Olympic Gold medal that captures his athletic accomplishments in the World Championships for the Blind.

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by Angie Marcos
photography by Christopher Guzman

Devorah Lieberman comes to the University of La Verne at a time of great change and opportunity. Not only is she the 18th president of the University but also the first woman in La Verne’s 120 year history. Adding to the importance, she is taking over a position held by Steve Morgan for 26 years. Steve, a 1968 La Verne College graduate, came into the presidency in 1985. “He is beloved by the entire institution and the community,” says Devorah, who was coincidentally raised in Covina, the same as Steve. “I look forward to having the same dedication to the institution that President Morgan has had. Being a successful president is a remarkable achievement, and I am in awe of President Morgan and what he has achieved in his time here. I want to follow in his footsteps.”

On July 1, Devorah Lieberman officially commenced her new role as the University of La Verne’s president. She says that while her decision to join the ULV community is based on many factors, she does not hesitate in naming just one: The University’s mission statement. “The minute I read the mission of the institution, I said, ‘This is the kind of mission that speaks to my heart. That’s a mission statement I would write.’ This is the kind of institution I would want to go to school myself. I believe this is an institution where many individuals would like to be president because of the mission statement and the potential.” She says being chosen as La Verne’s first female president “communicates to me that the Board of Trustees and the campus are seeking to not follow only in the tradition of having a male president but are seeking to find what they believe to be the best person to meet the needs of the institution, regardless of gender.” Says Steve, “It brings me great satisfaction that she’ll build on what she finds here.”

The dynamic search

Witt/Kieffer, a national firm specializing in executive searches, was hired by the Board of Trustees to assist in finding appropriate candidates following Steve’s February 2010 retirement announcement. Ken Calkins, Board of Trustees member and co-chairman of ULV’s search committee, says it was just as difficult forming a search committee as it was to accumulate the best candidates. After all, it had been 26 years since ULV pulled together a presidential search. A team of 15 individuals took on the task; of the membership, seven were from the Board of Trustees. “Everybody on that committee really cares about La Verne,” Ken says. “We didn’t always agree, but we always listened.” The committee composed a list of key questions as simple as “What is it we’re looking for exactly? What is La Verne?” Adds Ken, “We asked ourselves, ‘What have we been? What are we now? And what do we hope to be in the future?’ We wanted someone who could manage and could lead the University of La Verne. Could they be a visionary? Could they take the University somewhere else?”

Luis Faura, ULV Board of Trustee chair, says, “The most difficult thing was coming to grips with the fact that Steve Morgan was leaving us. I have the utmost respect for him.” After a thorough national search by Witt/Kieffer, the committee was presented with 30 viable candidates. Ten were chosen, and the committee commenced interviewing to see whether “they fit in the climate of La Verne,” says Ken.

“We heard input, but the final responsibility was that of the Board,” says Emmett Terrell, board member and search committee co-chair. It took about 10 months of search deliberations from the day Steve announced his retirement to the day Devorah was announced president-select. “The committee did an outstanding job. I told them this was probably the single most important decision they would make while on the Board,” says Luis. According to Ken Calkins, “[Devorah] by far got the most votes from the Board.” Because the presidential search was secretive, due to candidates not wanting their identities made public, search members signed confidentiality agreements. “We had to comply with many of the applicants’ wishes,” Luis says. Making the names public may have jeopardized many of the candidates’ current job positions. Glenn Gamst, ULV professor of psychology, represented the College of Arts and Sciences on the Committee and says the restrictive search was a good decision because “we were able to identify some top candidates, and some of them may not have been in the pool had we not done it that way. ULV is poised to make a qualitative leap in the very near future, and I look forward to Devorah Lieberman’s guidance as we make this transition.”

“She more than overwhelmingly filled all of the qualifications that we had,” says Luis. “She is very charismatic and very focused on true leadership. I think she is just full of energy and is going to bring a new breath of air to the University.” Says Emmett, “We knew we had somebody with the skills, the aptitude and belief system of the University. Dr. Lieberman is consistent with La Verne’s belief system. We’re proud that the University made its decision based on the best possible candidate. Period.”

When all was said and done, the Board chair visited Devorah at Wagner College. “I wanted to see where she hailed from,” he says. “They are all sad that she is leaving.” Luis commends Richard Guarasci, president of Wagner College, for his support during the search and during the transition. “I can’t thank him enough for the support,” he says. “Devorah has done an outstanding job acclimating herself to the University.”

“There’s just something about her,” Ken says. “That dynamic personality that she has that you just can’t put into words. When you meet her, you know you’ve met someone special.” Adds Luis, “Her personality is contagious. The way she communicated with students and alumni made me proud. She is going to be a great leader for our University.”

The competitive nature of the process was not lost on Devorah. For her, every time she went through a new and different interview, it bolstered her resolve that ULV was the right school for her future. One interview session that sticks with her was conducted with students from both the main campus and the regional campuses. “The passion and the love that they had for the University of La Verne and the appreciation that they had for going to college stood out,” she says. “Some were working full time and still managing to go to school. The one thing they had in common was their love for the University of La Verne.”

Devorah recognizes the importance her new educational leadership role holds. “It was as vice provost that I felt I could make the biggest difference in peoples’ lives,” she says. “Since then, all of the institutions with which I have been associated, whether it be Wagner College or the University of La Verne, I have chosen to be a part of upper administration because that’s where I feel I can make the greatest difference in students’ lives.”

Initiating a new Leopard

“Hold on. I think…did I just pass my exit? I don’t…oh no, I didn’t. Good! So what was your next question?” So went a phone interview with the double booked president while she was driving a New York throughway. “Balancing my responsibilities at Wagner College and at the University of La Verne has been challenging,” Devorah explains. There was a six-month period when Devorah met her provost responsibilities at Wagner College while helping the incoming provost adjust. Simultaneously, she worked with Steve Morgan to make her own transition into the ULV presidential position. Devorah would spend about two hours each day involved in phone meetings with La Verne and visited the campus at least three times a month. “These past months have been unbelievably busy, but it has also been an enjoyable six months of mental, emotional and intellectual transition,” she says.

During one of her March visits to campus, the petite 5 foot 4 inch, blonde curly-haired president-select and I crashed the refreshment table at a meeting in the Campus Center. Moments before her photo was taken for this article, she joked, “How’s my hair? Is it straight?” Devorah may be coming in this fall semester as the new reigning leader of the University of La Verne, but more than an authoritative figure, she is a warm, gentle-hearted woman who wants to not make decisions for students, but with them. Devorah is actively reaching out to students, both current and prospective. “Become one of my Peeps! Follow me on Twitter @PresLieberman,” says the yellow tag with her color picture that was attached to a yellow marshmallow Peep during the campaign’s April 8 start. Yellow buttons with her picture exclaim, “I’m one of President Lieberman’s Peeps.” She says she created the Twitter account solely for the purpose of connecting with students. “I’m always looking for ways to be more accessible to students. Twitter is one more way for students to feel connected to me. For example, the other day I tweeted, is that the correct term? Tweeted? Or is it twittered?” she asks with a laugh. After I acknowledge that the former is correct, she continues, “I tweeted from an NCAA game. A couple of days ago, when I felt overwhelmed by all of the boxes in my house, I tweeted. The students get to see my human side.” But it is not just students with whom she wants to become familiar. Devorah hopes to become well-acquainted with the entire University community. “To be successful,” she says, “an institution has to have these three elements: focus on student learning and success, focus on faculty scholarship and the pursuit of professional passion, and service to the institution and the community.”

Steve Morgan, who is known as a personable speech giver and communicator, shared some advice with his successor. “The advice I give to any person who is moving into a leadership role is to ask a lot of questions, listen to the answers, and get to know the culture and personality of the organization.” He claims to be a strong believer in “walking around the campus and talking to people.” This, says Steve, is how one “gets a real pulse for the University. Get out of the office. When I have lunch at Davenport, I really find out what’s going on around the campus.” He shares the best advice he received upon entering as president: “Someone told me, ‘When you address the faculty, they will have a strong disregard of what you say.’ This taught me that when I was working with the faculty I needed to walk in their shoes, see through their eyes. The faculty determine what the product is, what the curriculum is. The people who have impressed me most are not those who have the answers, but those who ask the right questions.”

Devorah looks ahead

“Move across the country! That’s my first plan,” she laughs. “I want to immediately get involved with the campus at every level—from getting to know the faculty, getting to know the students, visiting the regional campuses, getting to know the deans, having lunch with the students as often as I can, going to athletic events, going to plays, to going to gallery exhibits. My immediate plan is to become a part of the campus community.”

Devorah says moving back to the West Coast was not in her plans. “Never in a million years did I think I would move back to California. Never.” Her second plan, she continues, “is to immediately become a part of the Inland Empire community. I’d like to go see the house I grew up in. Oh, and I’d really like to go to Red Devil Pizza where I used to work when I was in high school.”

“Next,” she says, “I’d like to work with the entire campus for the 2011-2012 year to identify strategically where we want to be in five years in educational excellence, facilities, reputation-building and financial stability. If we work together as a campus, we can identify what our priorities are.” Devorah says she also plans to bring in a new type of program to the University. “In that first year, I’d like to work with the campus to identify a signature program that every student who graduates from the University of La Verne says, ‘I was a part of the La Verne experience.’ It will help to create a national reputation for the University of La Verne. And, of course, everything has to be grounded in the mission statement.” The president-select stresses the importance of the role of the faculty on students’ education. She would like to see faculty incorporate their own personal scholarship and research into their teaching so students can also benefit from their work. Devorah views students, staff and administration working together in strategic planning as key to forming the educational programs from which all can benefit.

Her Oct. 21 inauguration is set to be intertwined with this year’s homecoming weekend as an attempt to bring the entire University community together. “I am delighted that my inauguration will be tied to homecoming. What better way to become a part of homecoming and have the students become a part of the inauguration? It couldn’t have been planned better. I think everyone who attends the inauguration will be proud to be a Leopard and to be associated with the University.”

Helping La Verne expand

In Devorah’s eyes, the University of La Verne deserves more national recognition, and she is bringing it upon herself to make sure this is accomplished during her presidency. “Nationally, not enough organizations and individuals know the quality of this institution. I will work with this institution to further create distinctive programs that make the University of La Verne more distinct than other schools in this region,” she says.

She hopes to continue her personal scholarship as well. “I feel a responsibility to continue to contribute to bodies of knowledge and the literature in higher education,” she says. “Some of my first questions and scholarship will probably be around how we can harmonize the main campus and the regional campuses while maintaining quality of delivery, pedagogy and learning across all campuses. Publishing these results will benefit other institutions who also have a main campus and regional campuses.” Devorah’s most recent publications focus on institutional change, faculty development, leadership and diversity.

“As the president of the University of La Verne, I look forward to having contact with every faculty member, every staff member and every student. The Board of Trustees and the campus have put a lot of trust in me, and I have a tremendous responsibility to the entire campus and community to support this University, its mission and every one of its constituents. I am enthusiastic and proud to be a part of this University and to be a Leopard.”

Flanked by La Verne’s leaders, incoming president Devorah Lieberman takes part in the March 31, 2011, residence hall ground breaking ceremony. Steve Morgan, former president (left) and Luis Faura, ULV Board chair (right), have been working with Devorah to better shape La Verne’s future since she was named president-select, Dec. 7, 2010. Kurt Rothweiler, former ULV Board of Trustees member and president of K.A.R. Construction (far right), heads the construction project. / photo by Christopher Guzman

Dr. Lieberman’s academic 411

Devorah was born in Baltimore; her family moved to Covina when she was 2 years old. She attended Covina High School, then earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Humboldt State University, her master’s degree in Intercultural Communication from San Diego State University and her Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication and Gerontology from the University of Florida.

Devorah has invested 33 years in higher education. For the past seven years, she has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. (2004-2011). Prior, she spent 16 years at Portland State University as a Department of Communication Studies faculty member, area and founding director and, in her final four years, served as vice provost and special assistant to the university president (1987-2004). While at Portland State, she was honored as Oregon Professor of the Year (2000) and received the Distinguished Faculty Award (1999). She served as an assistant professor for the University of Southwestern Louisiana in the Department of Speech Communications (1984-1986) and as an instructor at Decree College and the University of Maryland in Athens, Greece (1978-1984). In 2010, Devorah was awarded the American Council on Education “Bringing the World into the Classroom” award for an Intercultural Business Communications class she co-taught online with a professor in Athens, Greece.

Continuing her duties as provost at Wagner College in New York as well as preparing for her transition to president of the University of La Verne was difficult but exhilarating for Devorah Lieberman spring 2011. / photo by Christopher Guzman

10 questions for Devorah

Television viewing?

“60 Minutes,” “The Good Wife” and CNN.

Can’t live without?

Her husband and her two daughters.

Can live without?

Gossip, egos and traffic.

Likes?

Clean, healthy food. No sauces, no red meat and lots of fruits and veggies. “I’m not a big fish fan either.”

Ideal meal?

“An enormous salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus, red bell peppers, lots of exotic different vegetables, grilled chicken, no dressing; and for dessert, sliced fruit; preferably berries.”

Loves?

A workout. “I was a runner for about 30 years. I ran almost every morning at 5:30 a.m., and I loved every minute of it.” She has run in several marathons, but four years ago a serious injury forced her to slow down.

Favorite Exercise?

She now devotes most of her time to spinning, yoga or Pilates. “Everyone recommends golf, but that seems so time consuming.”

Ideal day?

“Waking up without the alarm, having coffee with my husband, reading the LA Times, going to spin class, then working from home for a few hours. Afternoon, go for an outdoor walk with my husband. Evening, go to a movie or a concert and finish the day with reading.”

High School Alumni?

Devorah and Steve Morgan are fellow Covina High School alumni. “We sang our alma mater together at our first meeting,” Steve says. “As a Covina Colt, I know she’ll be very successful.”

Dodgers or Yankees?

“Oh, not the Yankees, currently the Mets. I will be moving my loyalty to the Dodgers, but my primary support will go to the Leos.” Well said, President Lieberman.

Meet Devorah’s family

Roger Auerbach

“My husband is a saint. He changed his whole lifestyle 10 years ago to move to New York [from Oregon],” says Devorah. “The Board of Trustees made an outstanding decision,” says Roger, who describes his wife as enthusiastic, engaging and dynamic. “I think it was a difficult decision after Steve Morgan had been there for 26 years to choose someone new.” Roger is president of Auerbach Consulting, Inc., a company that aids the federal government for long-term services to older adults and individuals with disabilities. He will continue in this role in California. “The mission of the University is something Devorah holds dearly; I’m looking forward to engaging with the La Verne community. It is a new adventure, especially for my wife.”

Allie Lieberman-Auerbach

“I am very proud of her as my mother, as an academic, as a woman leader and as a person,” Allie, the couple’s 25-year-old daughter, says. Allie claims to have never come across an academic who is as passionate as her mother. “Just by watching her, she’s given me a great example. She will never settle and will always go that extra mile. I’ve seen her live her dream. She’s been a great role model.”

Allie, who grew up in Oregon and currently resides in North Carolina, is a research analyst for RTI International in Raleigh, North Carolina. She earned her bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and her master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Emery Lieberman-Auerbach

“I’m just overcome with pride,” Emery says of her mother’s new position as ULV president. “She’s been working toward this position her entire life.” The 19-year-old college student says the passion her mother feels for the University, its mission and its students is obvious. “Even if she’s just talking one-on-one with me or speaking in front of a group of people, I know she really cares about La Verne,” she says. “She told me in applying for colleges or jobs, ‘You can’t reject or accept anything you haven’t applied for. Always put yourself out there.’” One of few students from her graduating 2010 Staten Island Academy class to move far from home (the complete opposite side of the country), she now is a sophomore at Scripps College in Claremont, a mere three miles from her parents. While at first taken aback by the news, she now is fully supportive of her parents’ close proximity. “My friends are more excited than I am about my parents moving here because it means home cooked meals,” she laughs.

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Donning designer pieces from her own personal wardrobe, Mimi Assefa shows her versatility by modeling clothing with drastically different patterns, cuts and styles. / photos by Christopher Guzman

by Andrew Vasquez
photography by Christopher Guzman

For a moment, she seems helpless as a plethora of hands wave brushes, large and small, over her face. Combs and curlers engulf her hair as the sickly sweet hair spray smell saturates the air. She pulls on the dress she has been directed to wear, and, again, another flurry of hands tug it into a perfect fit. Now, finally free of her handlers, she is on her own. Her heart races as she approaches the pearly white catwalk, outstretched before her like a path to heaven. She bursts forth from her backstage world into the limelight, and hundreds of pairs of eyes instantly, expectantly focus upon her. She takes a deep breath, but it is not fear that makes her breath low and heavy; it is exhilaration. Tigist “Mimi” Assefa is a runway model, and at age 29, the catwalk is still her world. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches, her statuesque figure and striking features, coupled with her confidence, fit well with the modeling world’s expectations. Even dressed in plain street clothes, she gives off a sense of elegance and grace hinting that in addition to being a University of La Verne student, she is someone who has already made a professional name for herself.

Mimi started her modeling career in 2000 at age 18, and, after three years of trials and tribulations with Los Angeles agencies, she signed non-exclusive agreements with two: Whittier Rodriguez and LP Entertainment. “I ate, drank and slept fashion,” Mimi remembers. It was not without sacrifice. Mimi was born in Ethiopia and at age 3 moved to the United States. Her parents, both college educated and highly valuing education, did not approve of her career choice. This was especially true for her father, who Mimi says is traditional and believes that an education is the only way to gain a successful career. “At first it was hard for my father to grasp what I was doing; he couldn’t understand why I was putting my education on hold,” she says. “I was even basically kicked out of my house for choosing to model over going to college. He saw it as me using my body and not my intellect to get ahead in life.” Her friendships were also tested as a full-time model. “My days were so strategically planned. I had no social life. And when most people were just getting out of bed, I was halfway through my day. But I loved it.” However, not everyone in Mimi’s life remained unsupportive. “My mom has always been my cheerleader. She has always helped me with whatever I needed and has been to my runway shows,” she says.

Katie Magnuson, friends with Mimi since 2001 while both were trying to make it as model/actresses and working at Gold’s Gym in Long Beach, validates Mimi’s career choice while acknowledging that the family stress was tough. “It tore her up inside because she and her family are so close. But she would probably never tell anyone that. For Mimi, it spurred her to make her father proud of her.” And she did make a name for herself on the runway, modeling in shows sponsored by well-known designers and sponsors including Emanuel Torres, BCBG, G-Unit, Venus Swimwear, Donna Loren and the Art Institute. Her father eventually accepted her career choice and became involved. “Once he saw the contracts and answered the phone calls from agencies, he saw that I was doing something and was actually being successful. However, his acceptance of what I was doing was always with the expectation that I would be going to college to get a degree eventually.”

Mimi says her experiences have taught her an important lesson and given her the mind-set all aspiring models should have. “For anybody who wants to be a model, do it. Forget what anyone else says.” Katie says that Mimi has “made it” but probably will never admit that. “She has become very successful, and I am proud of her,” she says. “But I know her too well, and this is just the beginning. She will be more successful than this. She is blessed with incredible beauty and is a natural at every part of the modeling business. But it is her presence more than anything. When people work with her, they want to work with her again.” Actor and Producer Joram Moreka, friends with Mimi since meeting her on a movie set four years ago, says she can make it in other art arenas. “Not only is she talented and willing to work hard, she is also a very talented actress.”

Finding modeling success is not easy. There are many industry pitfalls. “It’s easy to get talked into doing something that you don’t want to do, that compromises who you are and your morals. You have to know who you are, and what kind of model you do and don’t want to be. There is the artistic, and then there is a part where sex sells. You should always speak up, especially when you are told to do something you don’t want to do. It is easy to be taken advantage of. If it is something that compromises who you are, don’t do it,” Mimi says. Another industry pitfall: not all agents or agencies are truthful about promised work or future success possibilities. “People lie to you in this industry; they make it seem like they can get you in the door easily. Some will, but many won’t, and you have to be a smart model and know who is just trying to take advantage of you. You can be sweet, but you can’t be naïve in this business.”

Aspiring models should not look to reality television shows such as “America’s Next Top Model” as a real look into what the modeling world is like or as a way to become a real top model, she says. “‘America’s Next Top Model’ is not an entirely accurate portrayal of many things in the industry. It’s definitely more of a G-rated portrayal of the atmosphere of a photoshoot. Drugs and alcohol are a reality in many photoshoots. Also, most female models are not put in a modeling house and therefore do not get catty with each other as they do on that show. There are only two people whose opinions matter for models during a photoshoot: the artistic director and the photographer,” she says. “Girls looking to this show as a doorway to instant success should keep in mind that no industry wants to be told by a TV show who or what is hot. I have worked with and seen only one contestant from that show, but she was not by far any big name. I can’t think of one girl who won that show who actually went on to become a top model.”

Mimi says that modeling success is simple yet extremely important. One is networking. “Follow up; you want to be at the top of their minds and on the tip of their tongues.” She encourages aspiring models to start young. “Agencies just need a bodyshot and a headshot, and they always have open calls. Or you can start modeling independently by creating a profile on websites like ‘Model Mayhem’ that allow you to network with local photographers and other people.” Regarding agencies, Mimi says the best are approved by the Screen Actors Guild. “Always keep on top of your agents to make sure they get you jobs. You aren’t their only client so you have to show them that you’re serious.” She also has more practical advice, “Keep yourself healthy by exercising and eating healthy. But don’t diet; make it a lifestyle. I have made it a lifestyle, and I will still be able to model even though I am 29.” She says that the perceived age gap for models is not as serious as most think as long as models keep themselves healthy and fit.

Mimi feels that some people have a negative understanding of modeling. “It is easy for people to blame others for their problems. If a child is anorexic, there are deeper issues than a girl in a magazine. It’s a profession; not everyone can or should be a model. When you are modeling, especially high fashion, you have to be a certain body type to fit the clothes.” Normally, female high fashion models are expected to be 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall with a bust size between 32 to 35 inches, a waist size between 22 to 25 inches, hips between 22 to 25 inches and a shoe size of 7. However, these measurements are only for high fashion models. Models in other categories of fashion have different acceptable measurements. “It’s not a statement about what is attractive or how every girl should look. High fashion models act as a frame for the clothes. That’s it. A model should not have to be a role model. It’s not my job; it’s the job of the parents,” Mimi says. And she does not want to be judged by preconceived notions. “I wish everyone saw the art in it,” she says. “Modeling has such a negative connotation attached to it, whether it is eating disorders or vanity. Some people have a negative opinion of me when they find out I am a model so I don’t tell many people. But to me it’s all fun; it’s playing dress up. It’s art, and it’s work, and during a show you feel honored to be allowed to wear something that someone put so much time and effort into creating.”

Presently, Mimi has dialed down on her modeling gigs and focused on school partly because that was the agreement she and her father had when he finally accepted her modeling career. Ever still the independent woman, Mimi says that her choice of majoring in radio broadcasting at La Verne is for her. “If it were up to my father, I would be going to law school after graduation this fall. But I want to some day be a sports commentator on ESPN or a political commentator on a station like KNX or KFWB. Sports and politics are the things, besides fashion, that I have always been most interested in.” She also plans to continue modeling for as long as she can. Her agent still is active in getting her jobs, and she says right after she is done with school she will start modeling full time again.

“For anyone who wants to be a model, you have to do it for you,” Mimi says. “People may not agree with it or understand, but it’s your future and your life.”

Spinning Top 40 hits on 107.9 LeoFM, Mimi Assefa rules the air on Tuesday mornings. / photo by Christopher Guzman

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Ear drums pulsate as Mike Bennett, international percussionist and co-owner of Music Evolutions, passionately plays a private set in the intimate setting of his Sherman Oaks studio. / photo by Christopher Guzman

by Christopher Barnes-Baxter
photography by Christopher Guzman

Lights are blazing, the music is blasting. The crowd is rocking, and everyone is screaming your name. This may seem like another average teenage dream, but in actuality, it is Mike Bennett’s everyday reality. His appearance—black finger nail polish, lip piercing, long hair—screams punk-rocker on the surface, but that is a false mask to just how international and humble this guy is. From flamenco to pop rock, Mike has created a name for himself through his music versatility and his mastering of not only the drums, guitar and synthesizer but also percussion instruments from around the world. He has booked gigs since he was 16 in multiple venues and even staged a southland tour. Coming from a family involved in law enforcement, his musical interest was separate from the family business. “This is not something that came second nature to me; I practiced my ass off,” Mike says. At first, music was just a fun obsession. “It took me to the end of college to realize that I actually wanted to buckle down and do music,” he says.

Not too cool for school

All that practice paid off. During his first college year, a Cal State Fullerton music professor referred his name to a big band musician, which led to Mike being invited to go on tour with Maynard Ferguson, a well-known Canadian jazz musician. But Mike did not go. He was 19, and while he understood that this was a rare opportunity, he also realized that it takes more than just experience to gain longevity within the music industry. He needed to educate himself and gain more practice within the Los Angeles market. “I knew that if I left school then, I would never come back.” He began using the college campus as a place to not only establish networks, but as a musical resource as well. Despite being a La Verne native and attending elementary, Romona Middle School and Bonita High School, the University of La Verne was not his first college choice. Among his choices were Boston University, California State University, Fullerton and the University of California, Berkeley. And while Mike ultimately ended up studying at Fullerton for his first two years, he then decided to enroll in the music program at the University of La Verne. During his time at ULV, Mike not only used the available facilities to practice his art, but he also was able to perform at least twice a semester with the help and guidance of Reed Gratz, professor of music. Mike says Reed not only provided him a strong music foundation, but he also was able to work with him to fine tune his craft and to open up many performance opportunities. As the old saying goes, “It is not always about what you know; it is about who you know” and, according to Mike, a person’s networking skills can make or break a musician. “Every student should know Reed Gratz. He is such a great resource and a knowledgeable man,” Mike says.

“As a student, Mike was definitely one of our stars here at the University. He was and is very driven, and, nowadays, that’s the only way a musician can make it in the world,” says Reed. “With his determination, he was bound to do something important. I had never seen a student like him; he was not out in the clubs every night partying, he was working.” Reed thinks highly of Mike, not only for his ability to play so well, but for his humility and humble personality. Reed says he never took on an arrogant attitude when interacting with his peers. “I really admire the fact that he always wanted to learn; he always approached people in a humble manner.”

Tricks of the trade

It was not Mike’s pure talent that made him successful within the industry; it was his determination and proactiveness that launched his career. “I do not sit by my phone and wait for it to ring; I am not the waiting type,” says Mike. This aggressive demeanor propelled him to be the lead drummer of Hilary Duff’s band. Day in and day out, he would go on Google to search for information about drummers leaving bands. Then he gained a helpful tip from a friend that a drumming position was open for Hilary Duff. He sourced the location and made his presence known to all the big names while at the audition. Mike did what he does best—played his heart out and walked away with the job. Now that her tour has ended, Mike says his experience playing with Duff was one unlike any other. He was able to travel the world and go to places that he never imagined. As he explains, there was a sense of community within the band; they were not just band members, they were a family.

Most musicians do not realize the plethora of jobs that are out there for artists; they usually pass up the gigs that have low pay or are at low-key venues; nevertheless, sometimes those gigs will lead to promising future ones. “This industry is all about networking, even if it comes down to taking the crappy jobs just to get the exposure,” says Mike. “The people that you least expect will get you a job.” Those unexpected contacts have led Mike to playing with big names such as Richie Kotzen, Marie Digby, Hilary Duff, Jamie Foxx, Mary Mary, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and more. Saying “yes” more than he says “no” when booking potential gigs is coupled with Mike’s other performance philosophy that musicians must treat every gig as though it is their last performance. “Just because the gig is not one that you may prefer, does not mean that you should not play at a 100 percent level.” Mike also stays marketable due to his versatility. Michael Ryan, ULV adjunct professor of music and leader of a musical group that plays in a nuevo flamenco genre, attests to Mike’s versatility. “He has studied our music and gives the right tempos and rhythms that allows us to play our best. When the music gets passionate, he is right there driving the intensity. His ability to give such support makes him a great percussionist and drummer.”

Mike also has his hands in producing and teaching. His book, “Demystifying Drumming” has sold many copies nationwide. He began writing it while on tour with Duff. The book is essentially a technical book, filled with essays about drumming and percussion. “It is difficult to do just one thing in this industry, especially if you want to be successful,” he says.

Although Los Angeles is a tough market filled with those who will take advantage of the young and inexperienced, there are ways to achieve industry success. Having a good business sense will get you far in Los Angeles, especially if one is good at developing positive relationships and has talent. “Successful musicians in this industry are good business people,” he says. Humility is also a vital factor. No one wants a show boat musician who is full of himself. “Every musician needs to have a lot of humility in whatever they do,” says Mike. His appearances on television shows such as “The Tonight Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Good Morning America” and “The Today Show” have given much exposure to his talent and his personality. Fame, he says, is something that is flattering but at the same time weird. “It’s a bit creepy when I show up to different places and people know a ton of information about me.”

Mike’s versatility in the music industry has now led him to producing and composing music for artists and live bands. With the help of friend and fellow musician Dave Wood, he has opened up a studio called Music Evolution in Sherman Oaks. There, they provide state-of-the-art services that range from guitar and drum playing to piano and songwriting. Currently, Mike is not taking on as many gigs as he used to, allowing him to focus more of his energy toward his studio and his position as a clinician.

Mike Bennett generates his own positive high energy through his passion and his versatile style. He believes not only in himself but his craft too. And while the bright lights, screaming fans and rocking crowds call out his name, he answers with a humble, grounded belief system that came from within him, not outside.

Music Evolution co-owners Mike Bennett and Dave Wood (right) met each other while performing with Hilary Duff. The two spent several years building their own production studio in Wood’s home in Sherman Oaks. Dave has performed with Lil Wayne, Gladys Knight and Jesse McCartney, among other artists. He has also written a book titled, “The Secret Guitar Method." / photo by Christopher Guzman

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A human skull tells its story of cannibalism in the hands of Felicia Beardsley. The La Verne associate dean and associate professor of anthropology has a significant collection of artifacts from her two decades of anthropological discovery in Micronesia. / photo by Christopher Guzman

by Angie Marcos
photography by Christopher Guzman

Felicia Beardsley’s University of La Verne office would not confuse an archaeologist. Even though she is arts and sciences associate dean, her work space shows a different side to the administrative grind associated with academic bureaucracy. Artifacts, photographs of far-away lands and sculptures engulf the visitor, all visible reminders that for the past 30 years, Felicia has earned distinction as an acclaimed, accomplished archaeologist.

Felicia is one of a few official Pacific Island archaeologists – and for about 20 years has traveled to Micronesia to lead digs. Micronesia, one million square western Pacific Ocean miles in area, is made up of many small islands. While a formal country, since 1986 it has had a Compact of Free Association with the United States that allows Micronesians to live, work and study in the U.S. without a visa and gives the U.S. full authority and responsibility for the defense of Micronesia.

Felicia is an acclaimed archaeologist for the entire region. “You get lectures from everybody. You are under a microscope; everyone is watching you,” she says. “It’s nice when you’ve been there long enough that you’ve built a reputation for yourself. They call you instead of the other way around.” She typically spends two to three months in Micronesia every year, depending on the nature of the project and the funding available. “I used to go every year, but this summer is the first time I’ve gone in four years.”

In 1998, the Micronesian government officially named Felicia as its consulting archaeologist. “I was brought in to set up archaeology programs across the country. There are not many people who have Pacific Island experience, and I am one of those few people.” She began her archaeological research more than 30 years ago, specializing specifically in prehistoric stone architecture. “I find and put a physical face on the actual locations in oral histories,” she says. “Every project is different. That’s one of the things in the field that holds my interest.” While on archaeological digs, Felicia looks at existing models of settlement in the region and tries to find inconsistencies that may lead her to something fascinating and unknown.

Discovering hidden treasures

Being in the presence of a goddess might send the average being into a state of bewilderment or amazement. For Felicia, however, coming in contact with royalty was simply just another day in the field. This past summer, while on the island of Kosrae, she was charged by the government to find a sacred goddess’ temple. Felicia’s quest brought other incredible discoveries. In the midst of dangerously steep slopes and heavily jungled surroundings, on this island, called the emerald of the Pacific by European explorers, she found the goddess’ temple. Felicia says it was located in the Menke Valley near the junction of two rivers. “The whole structure was overgrown by the jungle, with vines, trees and other plants occupying and obstructing the structure from our view,” she says. “It wasn’t until we started clearing it with our machetes that we began to see the true form emerging.” Following, she was able to deduce where the accompanying sacred worship area most likely was and identified a likely area inside a cave. Inside, she found paintings that suggested it was used by a priest or priestess to communicate with the goddess.

While in pursuit of the temple, she sifted through local lore and was challenged to verify claims made by area hunters that the goddess had revealed herself to them. Her biggest concern, of course, was just how much truth there was in these sightings. Some legends mentioned a temple; others noted a worship center. Her findings suggest she might have discovered both. Then came a bonus: A pig hunter recounted a story of a time when the goddess revealed herself to him with a throne. Word of the hunter’s story spread throughout the surrounding villages in the area, and Felicia was asked to find this throne. The problem was the pig hunter’s inconsistent descriptions. “We ended up finding three possible thrones, and they all fit his descriptions at different times,” Felicia says. So, despite finding physical evidence that suggests it could have been the goddess’ temple and cave, Felicia, a precise scientist, is still not completely convinced that what she found did indeed belong to the goddess. Her future research and expeditions may present a more definitive answer.

Uncovering a massacre site

From 2004 to 2006, Felicia worked intently on finding a massive massacre burial pit. Oral history across Kosrae states that the village people became irate with the king’s absurd and demanding rules. They killed him and his men and buried them in this pit. “Everybody on the island knows this story, even the school children. It is a well-known story,” Felicia says. “This is a story that puts every leader on notice. It tells them, ‘If we don’t like what you’re doing, we’ll get you.’”

To start, Felicia had to determine the village’s location. “I knew the village had to have access to a shoreline,” she says. Then, she had to visualize the village’s location. “The village had to be a place where the king might go – a formal, stately place. Also, it had to be large enough to hold a place for a feast,” she says. Next, she had to research possible locations for a burial ground. By the end of 2004, she had narrowed her search down to two villages. Felicia and her crew chose to excavate a site that depicted formal architecture fit for a king and that held artifacts of previous feasting activity. For two months in 2006, she and her crew carefully studied the site. “When excavating, we came across the edges of a pit. It had obviously been built hastily. You could still see the pit marks. It has anything and everything thrown in there,” she says. Included in the hastily dug burial pit were a beautiful ornamental axe and ceremonial artifacts. Found in the pit, too, was the presence of grave wax— bodily fluids mixed with soil. Also found were two exotic carved stones. According to Felicia, these stones suggested someone of importance and high status had been buried there. Through her research and analysis of the soil, Felicia was able to determine that the grave pit had been dug during a torrential downpour.

In this oral, story-based society, Felicia feels her field research suggests but does not confirm that this was the site of the king’s death and burial. Nevertheless, many of the native islanders do conclusively believe she found the massacre site. “It’s just one of those things where you’ll never know,” Felicia says.

This past summer, Felicia spent time in Kosrae sampling soil. Her most current research is based on what is left behind in a burial ground, a question she finds herself constantly asking during her research collection. “The soil is very acidic so anything organic disappears instantly. Tissue will be gone; bones will be gone. What can you detect?” The entire pit, as with most other archaeological finds, was not completely excavated to allow future archaeologists with better technology, techniques or research to excavate the site as well. “You always leave something behind, unexcavated, just in case,” she says.

In 2001, Felicia made a discovery unlike any other – the existence of coral fish hooks. These hooks were not thought to have existed and had never previously been seen by anybody in the world. While there had been findings of fish hooks constructed from shell or bone, none had ever been found made of coral. The V shaped coral hooks are thought to have been used to catch flying fish. According to Felicia, different types of coral hooks constructed and used between 1000 AD and 1600 AD were found – each shape thought to have been constructed to catch a specific species of fish. “I was elated. I looked twice. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. I was absolutely thrilled,” Felicia says of her discovery. What made this discovery even more unique was the difficulty involved in recognizing the coral artifacts as fish hooks. Because coral is typically used as a floor covering throughout Micronesia, it was very tricky to make this discovery, she says.

“The goal of any archaeologist in her career is to discover a type site, [a first of a kind archaeology site or object not thought to exist],” says Kimberly Martin, ULV professor of anthropology. “Most archaeologists spend their entire lives looking for this. I believe it’s Felicia’s ability to see things differently that has made it possible.”

Felicia says she takes various steps to make these discoveries. First, she gathers oral histories and analyzes them. Next, she finds commonalities between all stories –including geography and activities. Finally, she concludes a general area to search. “You must try to pin point the particular site, and from there it’s just pure guess work.”

Jonathan Reed, ULV dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, works as an archaeologist in the Middle East and knows of the many obstacles archaeologists must cross. “The qualities Felicia Beardsley possesses are the strength of her character, her perseverance and the highest level of archaeological professionalism,” Reed says, adding, “When directing an archaeology program, you have to deal with leading skills, personality conflicts and negotiate through an indigenous theocracy in a different climate and in a different culture. What distinguishes archaeologists from most other scholars is they can’t just sit in an air-conditioned library and think. They have to obtain their data from the ground and interpret it. Felicia helps elevate La Verne’s academic reputation because she’s a nationally and internationally respected archaeologist. She’s one of the most well-known archaeologists of the Pacific Rim.”

During the four years she has not traveled to Micronesia, Felicia has engaged in the writing of books on her research, which focus mainly on settlement patterns and interpreting Micronesian archaeology, including bioarchaeology. Research for her trips is made possible through grants. “I keep pushing them out hoping that someone will respond,” she says. Although grants in the United States are usually doled out in the sum of millions of dollars, Felicia refers to her grants as “third world grants.” She typically receives $20,000 to $30,000, “which is actually a lot of money when you go out there,” she says.

Obstacles along the way

Felicia has had to encounter—and continues to encounter—many obstacles. “In addition to all of the existing hurdles in archaeology, she faces the added obstacle of being a woman,” Reed says. “As a woman archaeologist, I have many conditions placed on me depending on what island I’m working in,” Felicia says. “You have to work almost twice as hard to get that recognition. You have to be better than the best. To most of these people, women are supposed to be doing lab work or the quaint stuff.” The island of Kosrae is a male dominant island where reputable people receive titles as a form of respect, says Felicia. “I come in, and I’m a woman and a professional. They can’t treat me as a woman because I’m a boss, so they gave me the title of ‘fine gentleman,’” she laughs.

Because the islands of Micronesia are male-dominant, Felicia’s crews typically consist of seven members – all men, of course. She has worked with many of the same crew members during the past 10 years and continues to request trusted individuals. This, however, sometimes proves to be difficult, as private land owners have regulations that demand their workers be included. Because of existing class systems on some islands, other types of adaptations exist. On the island of Yap, she once took on a crew member from the high class and a crew member from the middle class. The high class member decided he was not going to participate and insisted the middle class crew member take on his share of the work, Felicia says. “So it ended up being me and the middle class guy doing all the work while the high class guy napped,” she laughs. While for many the adaptation of new cultures and experiences would be difficult, Felicia instead shares, “In a way it’s kind of liberating. After all, it is their culture.”

Weather also plays a factor. “[In Micronesia] you have a rainy season and a dry season. The only difference between the two is it doesn’t rain as much in the dry season,” she smiles. “But you find ways to get around it. You put up tarps. We still go out on excavations in the rain. The weather is always going to be there – you can’t stop it. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could?” she ponders aloud.

“Kosrae is about five degrees north of the equator. It’s hot, and it’s humid, but because it’s an island you also get sea breezes. It’s also mountainous because this island was founded by volcanic eruptions. The costal lines are sandy. Some other areas are covered in thick and lush jungle,” she says. In fact, while walking in these rain forests, Felicia notes that at times their feet are unable to touch the jungle floor because of the thick vegetation and many vines. This makes it easier for Felicia and her crew to make their discoveries. “You can typically feel stone underneath the vines or the vegetation before you can see it,” she says. “However, you can’t see holes in the ground or cliff lines either. It gets kind of scary sometimes.”

Yet another obstacle Felicia must confront is communicating with the locals. The government language in Micronesia is English. And while most people speak some level of English throughout the country, they also use tribal languages. She has managed to converse in some of the local languages, which change from island to island. “In the field of archaeology, there are instances where you find yourself working in rural, high-risk areas. You’re stuck in the frontier area,” she says. Felicia recalls a time when she fell off a cliff and had to drive herself to the hospital, as well as times of having to deal with exposure to various illnesses that are present in certain areas. “It’s definitely a high-risk profession in that sense.”

Felicia received a bachelor’s degree in languages from the University of California, Riverside. “What I really wanted to do though was study history. I was absolutely fascinated with the topic,” she says. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D., both in archaeology, at the University of Oregon.

Felicia became a full-time faculty member at La Verne in 2003. She resides in Wrightwood and is married to Edward Beardsley, an adjunct professor at the ULV in the art and photography departments. Their daughter Teresa currently attends La Verne. “I enjoy teaching here because of what you can teach, what you can include and the ability to develop new classes. With small classes, you get to really know students in an intimate way. You get to know students’ interests and tailor classes around their interests.”

One is left to wonder whether any of the objects in use today, whether it be the latest cell phones, iPods, photographs or written works, will one day be placed on the shelf in an archaeologist’s office – objects ever so small in size, but offering a glimpse into an entire way of life.

The two worlds of archaeologist and professor become one in the persona of Felicia Beardsley. The University of La Verne educator has made recent significant archaeological discoveries on the Micronesian island of Kosrae, most recently in the Menke Valley. “Micronesia is a marvelous but sadly neglected laboratory that may hold the answers to many important questions about migration and settlement across the Pacific, “ Felicia says. / photo by Christopher Guzman

Felicia’s field survival tips

1. As a woman, be prepared to be referred to as a man.

2. Don’t whistle at night, or you may attract wandering ghosts (advice given to Felicia by local islanders).

3. Learning to live with spiders and rats is a must.

4. Show an appreciation for local food, even if you find it just a tad bit repulsive.

5. Keep good and detailed field notes and don’t (seriously, don’t!) leave them on the plane.

6. Keep your first aid kit well stocked and be informed on the basics of local/traditional medicine in case of emergencies.

7. Citrus oil is a great repellant for mosquitos. Eat lots of citrus and rub the skin oil on you as repellant.

8. Have a gift and speech ready when meeting with village chiefs because you need their permission to work in their area.

9. Be able to recognize local poisonous plants.

10. Always be respectful of those around you; it really is the best way to avoid a nickname.

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