Encounters

A Technology Pioneer's Legacy
Gordon's West Campus office building contains a treasure--the personal archives of Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and longtime trustee and benefactor of the College. The archives contain thousands of pages of research and business documents, books, and objects such as hard drives, circuit boards, an "antique" magnetic core memory (pictured to the left), a complete Digital VAX computer, and Olsen's own desktop computer. Receiving the archives was a major event for the College and was noted in an article by Hiawatha Bray that appeared on the front page of the business section in The Boston Globe on April 16, 2007. Bray interviewed Daniel Tymann, executive vice president for advancement, communications and technology, and Media Relations Manager Ashley Hopkins.

The Olsen archives are considered one of the top computer collections donated in the last century and contain valuable technology history. College archivist John Beauregard '53 estimates it will take years to sort through the collection. With consulting support from John Toole, executive director of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, and his team, Beauregard and Gordon junior Lindsey Alexander will digitize and index Olsen's papers, which now exist as hard copy in file cabinets and cardboard boxes. This painstaking process will make the data accessible to researchers interested in tracing the life cycle of the Digital Corporation and legacy of Ken Olsen. Tymann believes there are important and valuable best practices and discoveries in foundational technology, company culture, leadership models and business processes--all standards in industry today.

Olsen is notable not just as a pioneer in computer technology but as a servant leader and longtime friend of the College. He served for 30 years on Gordon's Board of Trustees, along with former Raytheon Corporation's CEO Tom Phillips and evangelist Billy Graham. More recently Olsen has lent considerable support to the construction of a new science facility at the College. The Ken Olsen Science Center is the College's most ambitious building endeavor to date--an 80,000-square-foot science and technology center to be built in two phases at the heart of the Gordon campus, between Frost Hall and the Phillips Music Center.

Read More... Ken Olsen Tribute

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Gordon Named "Strong in Music"
In the 2007 Fiske Guide to Colleges Gordon was featured in the Small Colleges and Universities Strong in Music category. Currently there are over 100 music majors and minors enrolled at Gordon, and roughly 25 percent of the student body participate in ensembles taught by over 30 full- and part-time faculty and staff. The music faculty includes distinguished teachers, scholars and professional musicians from the Boston area. "We're delighted to be included on this high caliber list alongside other institutions and conservatories internationally known for their impressive music programs," says C. Thomas Brooks, chair of the Department of Music and conductor of the Gordon College Choir and Chamber Singers.

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Honors to Stowell and Seavey
The Provost's Awards, new this year, honor two staff members who have contributed significantly to students' education and personal development. Mark Stowell, assistant director of Physical Plant, and Ann Seavey, director of the Academic Support Center, received the inaugural Provost's Awards.

Stowell, Provost Mark Sargent says, "is someone who works tirelessly, often behind the scenes to care for both the physical environment and the spiritual vitality of the College." Sargent also commended Stowell's leadership of Mexico Outreach, the program that he helped found in 1996.

Of Seavey, Sargent says: "In the last 20 years there have been hundreds of Gordon students who may never have graduated without the advice and encouragement of one woman. Long before it was fashionable, she championed the ethical responsibility of the institution to respect the learning disabilities of students, and has faithfully endeavored to help the College find that right balance between accommodating legitimate needs and holding students accountable."

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More than Just Bleachers
Recently the College has seen some visible changes for the better in its buildings and facilities. Renovations to Frost Hall, including ground floor handicap-accessible restrooms and updated furnishings, have made the lobby a more inviting environment for visitors. The chapel has received welcome cosmetic improvements, and the bleachers the College could not afford to construct at its new Brigham Athletic Complex are now in place.

All of these changes have been made possible through the generosity of Dale and Ann Fowler, who have two grandchildren at Gordon and have come to know and love the Gordon community. When they have noticed a need in their walks around the campus, they have often been moved to help--and the need for bleachers at the Brigham Complex was an obvious one. Built in 2005, the Complex is a valuable addition to Gordon College athletics, featuring a synthetic turf field and an eight-lane, all-weather track complete with spaces and facilities needed to host official NCAA track and field meets. However, spectators at track and field events had to bring their own lawn chairs or stand, spread out along 100 feet of fencing.

On June 9 the Fowlers were honored at a ceremony held outdoors at the Brigham Complex. Provost Mark Sargent said, "I feel a sense of nostalgia in seeing this project completed--partly because the older I get, the more 'spectating' I do, but also because this facility is really part of our witness. A lot of learning takes place outside the classroom--athletics isn't just something you do when you're tired of learning."

Dan Hickey '07, men's All-Conference lacrosse player, said that this year's playing has been "very special because of the bleachers--the difference in how you experience the game is amazing." Women's lacrosse player Dani Zorn '09 noted that "people are much more motivated now to come to the games."

Dale Fowler spoke of his and his wife's desire to reflect the glory of God in all they do. "We see ourselves as ambassadors of Jesus Christ," he said, "and we see that same theme running through Gordon College."

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Pentecost 2007: Fine Arts Convocation
Kirsten Eichenauer '08

According to Acts 2, when the 12 disciples gathered together for Pentecost, the Holy Spirit--the presence of God Himself--descended upon them. Yet it's a stretch for many of us to grasp this radical, transformative experience of the presence and empowering of the Holy Spirit. Kendyll Menasco Hillegas '07, Tanja Butler (associate professor of art) and I, along with others in the Arts, Theatre, Music and Chapel Departments, wanted to spark thoughtful conversation on campus about Pentecost. So we designed a fine arts convocation that would, we hoped, bring home the reality of this event.

Several themes framed the service: light, fire, the journey into clarity. We created sensory experiences of these themes to facilitate active participation of the minds and bodies of the audience. From passing strings of lights down aisles to physically rising and proclaiming the truth of Pentecost in various languages, the Gordon community was encouraged to evaluate our relationship with the Holy Spirit. How connected are we to the mysterious, the unexpected, the miraculous? Are we really ready for the Spirit of God Almighty?