How I Became a Logger

SOME SISTERLY HELP

My sister, Barb ’73, was already a Logger in 1971 when I was accepted to UPS. Unlike her, I thought the PNW was too far away from our home in Massachusetts. After my unhappy start in a college outside Boston, Barb convinced me to give Puget Sound a try for a semester. Here is the part that always makes me smile and points to a simpler time. Barb popped into the admissions office of the legendary George Mills ’68, MS’72 and asked if I could come back with her in January 1973 and he said, “Sure.” As I recall, there was no reapplication; I simply showed up with my check to cover tuition, etc., and was shown to the basement quad in Tenzler. I graduated in 1975, grateful to have changed my course and to land where I was able to learn and grow while developing some lasting friendships.

Betty Wagner Siegenthaler ’75
SALISBURY, CONN.

LIKE COMING HOME

I had decided to go to a small college in Colorado after an exhaustive search. Then I made a visit to the Northwest during my gap year and stopped at Puget Sound on a whim. Walking through the majestic stands of trees, rain-softened air, and elegant architecture on campus felt like coming home, and I was struck by a longing to return and explore further, not just at Puget Sound but through the travel and study opportunities it could offer me. All the pieces seemed to fall into place, and it wasn’t until after my acceptance that I found out about other students from my hometown, including one of my oldest friends, who had also decided to attend. Seems like it was meant to be.

Adrienne Kehn ’09
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT.

THE SCENIC ROUTE

I heard about UPS from a high school friend while living in Logan, Utah. I had visited University of Washington on a college tour with my mom and loved the area, but it was too big for me. I didn’t know Puget Sound existed until later. I applied because I wanted to become a physical therapist and it was a smaller school. We couldn’t afford another trip to Washington, so I never saw the campus before arriving for Preludes and Passages in August 1988. I worked with someone in Logan who had family in Bremerton. We caravanned together and arrived in Bremerton in the middle of the night. The next morning his family pointed me toward Tacoma and said, “Look for the signs”—but this was before GPS and before there were signs for UPS. Somehow we ended up in North Tacoma. When I asked at a gas station for directions, I was only a few blocks away. Dumb luck. I loved my time at UPS.

Kirby Houghton Burchett ’92, MPT’94
PUYALLUP, WASH.

IT WAS PREORDAINED

In June 1962, I went with my mother to the annual conference of the Methodist Church at the University of Puget Sound. My birthday always occurred during conference week, and that year, I had a choice of having a birthday party or going to the conference. We lived in Spokane, and traveling to the other side of the state was exciting for a 9-year-old. I have two special memories of that weekend. One was attending a morning worship service in Jones Hall with my father, and all those male voices singing “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” The second was the beautiful campus. That week- end, I told my parents I wanted to attend Puget Sound. I never wavered from nor regretted that decision. My favorite memory of my time there was being on the first Pacific Rim and Asian Studies trip with Dr. Robert Albertson ’44. It was a trip of a lifetime. UPS was an education of a lifetime.

Marilyn Mounts Passow ’75
ROSEBURG, ORE.

NO DEBATE HERE

I was a sophomore in the debate club in high school, and we had a meet at Puget Sound. I had lived near campus but never visited before. When our team deboarded from the van on Jones Circle, I looked around in awe at the beautiful buildings and became enamored with the natural beauty. As I toured the halls and competed in various rooms around campus, I was mesmerized. I remember telling my coach, “I am going to college here,” as I already felt at home. I had a lot of great options for college, like Berkeley, the Air Force Academy, and even Harvard, but Puget Sound won me over. After winning an award from the Boys & Girls Clubs, I got interviewed by the newspaper about where I was going to college, and I announced that I was Puget Sound bound, and that was the moment I became a Logger—at 16 years old.

Jon Orozco ’07
LONG BEACH, CALIF.

A GLORIOUS FIRST DAY

I became a Logger the day I stepped on campus and was greeted with a smile from every student I walked by. Not only was the campus stunning, but the students filled the environment with vibrant energy. There is something unique about Puget Sound. Students here look out for each other and make an effort to brighten each other’s days. When you walk through the grounds, you will see students studying in the fields and laughing in hammocks, families walking their dogs, and professors stopping to catch up with students as they make their way to class. I will never forget the day President Crawford took the time to chat with my friends and me as we sat watercolor painting on Todd Field. The experience made me feel seen. That’s why Puget Sound is special—it makes students feel acknowledged and accepted. I am proud to be a Logger because throughout the challenges of the pandemic, my university went the extra mile to help me feel just as welcome and validated as I did on Day One.

Elizabeth Hennessey ’23
VASHON, WASH.

NOT COLLEGE MATERIAL?

My Lincoln High School counselor said I was not college material, so I volunteered for the Air Force. After my honorable discharge, I was accepted at Puget Sound and earned a B.A. in education. Three years of teaching encouraged me to seek more learning; I earned an MEd at UW, followed by earning my PhD in curriculum design at Columbia Pacific University. Eventually, I retired from teaching at Stadium High. After 30 years of teaching at nearly every grade level in Tacoma Public Schools and 15 years teaching grad school at Pacific Lutheran University, I am now fully retired, the author of five books; one is good enough to have won four awards. Look for Stealing Puget Sound, 1832–1869. It is the most comprehensive account of 19th-century local history. It was written by a Tacoma guy who was not “college material,” and who donated the entire book, copyright, and publication rights to support the DuPont History Museum.

Jerry V. Ramsey ’67
GIG HARBOR, WASH.

A ROCKIN’ GOOD TIME

I became a Logger to rock. Or, I should say, for rocks. First rock star: Stormin’ Norman Anderson ’44, P’81, P’89. I expressed an interest in geology, and soon I was introduced to the tweed-jacketed, ivy cap-wearing chair of the geology department. I was captivated not only by his passion for all things geology, but also his calls and letters encouraging me to apply to UPS. I did. I graduated with a B.S. in geology and a minor in writing (thank you, Esther Wagner), and many wonderful experiences—crew, fraternity, clubs, events, etc.
Second rock star: The Mountain. It was “out” when I visited, and I could not stop looking at it. So majestic, powerful, beautiful. I even imagined climbing it. And then I did! Climb it, that is. For the first time in May 1984, right after the end of my junior year. And I’ve been to the summit two more times. It rocked. And so did my Logger experience!

Jim Wilson ’85, P’18
WALLA WALLA, WASH.

A MOMENTOUS CLIMB

I was raised in Pasadena, Calif., and my family made frequent trips to the Pacific Northwest for hiking and climbing outings. In August 1960, I had just turned 11, and we again returned to the Puget Sound area to climb Mount Rainier. After the climb, we stayed at the Paradise Inn, and most of the workers were young college students with the University of Puget Sound on their nametags. All the staff were so welcoming and friendly that it made a lasting positive impression on me. Fast forward to my senior year in high school. After receiving sports scholarship offers from UCLA, Oregon, and Utah State, I realized I was becoming tired of playing competitive sports. I decided to apply to attend UPS as a regular student and concentrate on academics, as well as climbing and skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Puget Sound students working at Mount Rainier were the original magnet that drew me into becoming a Logger.

Dan Clements ’71, P’07
EVERETT, WASH.

THE CHIHULY MAGIC

My high school college fair had an abundance of institutions to choose from, but I had had my eye on UC Davis ever since I could remember. Mom dutifully wandered around gathering brochures while I hung out with friends. At home she spread the stack out and suggested I take a look, “because you just never know.” When I got to the UPS brochure I was stunned by the Dale Chihuly glass sculpture window on the cover—it was gorgeous and unlike anything I’d ever seen. Inside was a picture of the docks on the Puget Sound with Rainier in the distance; it was so majestic, I was drawn in. I applied, interviewed, got accepted, and the final nail firmly lodged itself when I came for a visit that spring of 2004, threw open the curtains of our hotel room and screamed, waking my very startled mom. “What?! What is it?!” “Mmm. Mountain!!!” I said triumphantly! It was as if the brochure had leapt from the page and placed itself upon the window. She knew she had lost her California girl to UPS.

Areta MacKelvie ’08
SAN DIEGO

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN

I became a Logger because I wanted a small business school in the West. I grew up in the Boston area but after taking a ski trip to Colorado in 1974 (my junior year of high school) I fell in love with the West. At UPS in the 1970s, about half of the students majored in business and about a quarter were pre-med. To this day, I proudly tell people I went to Puget Sound. I fondly remember the relevant curriculum, the committed professors, the small classes, and my sharp, dedicated classmates.

Jeff Haugen ’80
LAKEWOOD, COLO.

A REFORMED REBEL

I grew up on the east side of Tacoma, attended Lincoln High School where I became a teenage rebel (shades of Grease), and graduated in 1961. I then worked as a shipping clerk at a clothing warehouse but found that wanting. I decided to try college, took the SATs that summer, and applied just to Puget Sound, which had the most beautiful campus I’d ever seen. Wonder of wonders, I was accepted. I worked part time as a shipping clerk while taking a full class load. An English professor, Ralph Corkum, saw promise in me and became my mentor. I improved, became an English major, and graduated with departmental honors in 1966. It took about two years to adjust, but I received a superb liberal arts education by the time I finished. I also took education courses and got my first teaching job at Hoquiam High School. I eventually retired from teaching high school advanced placement and international baccalaureate courses with Seattle Public Schools. I have fond memories of Puget Sound; Friday Night at the Movies in the basement of the library, Convocations with inspirational speakers, and coffee at the student union building with classmates and favorite professors. And all of this on the most beautiful campus imaginable.

Ron Cygan ’66
MUKILTEO, WASH.

AN EARLY INTRO

I grew up right behind LaPore’s grocery store and spent many a day scaling the fence at Baker Stadium to play tackle football in the mud. My mom, May Blau P’73, worked in the admission office for 16 years for Dean Smith and Larry Stenberg ’61, MEd’69. Getting to know Lew Dible, Dale Bailey ’56, MEd’74, P’85, and George Mills ’68, MS’72, it was inevitable that I would attend Puget Sound upon graduation from Stadium High School. Growing up, there were swim lessons to take and basketball games to watch, sitting high in the bleachers as Coach Russ Wilkerson ’55, MA’63 rallied the team in their maroon and white uniforms. Thank goodness for the complimentary athletic pass that got me into the field house for free. It was an easy decision to attend UPS—after all, thanks to Mom’s employment, I got in for half tuition.

Athletic Director Doug McArthur ’53 hired me my freshman year to spot for radio and TV football broadcasts with Ed Bowman. That led to keeping statistics at all Logger home basket- ball games, high school games, NCAA regional basketball tournaments, and every single game of the Class A state basketball tournament. These opportunities resulted in my career path involving athletics for the past 50 years.

Marc H. Blau ’73
PUYALLUP, WASH.

IT WAS LOTS OF THINGS

As a freshman in high school, I had an assignment researching colleges and universities. I got on the Puget Sound mailing list and then spent the next four years convincing my parents to let me move 1,800 miles away (earning a Trustee Scholarship finally tipped the scales to a “yes”). There wasn’t one specific thing, but everything combined, to make it the right place for me. I’d make the same choice today.

Jessica Johnson ’05, DPT’07
MINNEAPOLIS

A NIGHT IN A TENT

In spring 1974, I was playing baseball at Yakima Valley College and earning all-state honors. As a freshman, I was hoping to transfer to a good four-year school and continue playing baseball. My friend, roommate, and teammate, Ron Reeves ’76, invited me to Puget Sound for a recruiting visit on a wet Friday afternoon. I was envisioning a fancy dinner, meeting UPS dignitaries, perhaps some touring of the facility, and speaking with admission. Nope! I was given a better introduction by spending a long and late evening in a tent behind the field house, where future Puget Sound Hall of Famer Zeke Schuldt ’68 was living! I was treated to Logger history, heard the stories, and made my commitment that night. The following Monday, I traveled back to Tacoma, accepted the athletic scholar- ship, and sealed my love for that baseball team, my lifetime friends, and UPS. A night with true Loggers in the green and gold days was magic!

Don Papasedero ’77
BELLEVUE, WASH.

A PERSUASIVE ADMISSION REP

Sight unseen and without any appreciation of the cost of attendance, Puget Sound was the only school to which I applied. Growing up as a military brat, change and adventure were nothing new to me. I still remember the September 1986 visit that the wonderful Kelly Houston Staskey ’85, a Puget Sound admission counselor, made to my high school in Great Falls, Mont. Having heard about Puget Sound from a friend who attended the year before (and, ironically, ended up leaving), I decided to attend the information session. I know how melodramatic it sounds to say I knew I had found my destiny, but it was true. I credit my wonderful mother for making my Puget Sound experience happen. She supported me every step of the way, including up to Commencement Day 1991. I am so grateful for my Logger experience and all it prepared me to do in life. As everyone knows: Once a Logger, always a Logger!

Donald B. Scott ’91
PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.

FAMILY TIES

In 1988, my mother passed away while living in Hong Kong. She had recently married a UPS faculty member, Robert Terpstra. Bob was on sabbatical and working at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I came to the UPS campus because Bob was picking up some items from his office while settling my mom’s affairs. Her memorial service was at Kilworth Memorial Chapel. Sitting in the car, I watched the students and thought, I could never hope to attend a school like UPS. In 1992 my stepmother, Adrienne Steffani ’85, P’96, invited me to campus to have lunch while running errands. I thought just maybe I could be a student at UPS too. I applied, was accepted, and graduated with a B.S. in biology.

After graduation, I worked for two years at The Evergreen State College and then got a job at Puget Sound. I have now worked for 24 years in the biology department, and my son attended UPS and graduated in 2013. I guess it is a family affair.

Michal Morrison-Kerr ’96, P’13
PORT ORCHARD, WASH.

FAMILIARITY HELPS

I grew up in the area. My grandparents at one point owned the property the field house is now on. Rode my bike all around that campus. After graduating from a different college in Western Washington, I started teaching in Tacoma. I then decided to get my master’s degree and I got that through UPS. Loved my time and the professors there.

Nancy Jones Foote MEd’91
BEND, ORE.

NO ARGUMENT FROM US

Three reasons: a Methodist college, an occupational therapy school, close proximity to my hometown!

Karon Fountain Olsen Davis ’59, ’60
RENTON, WASH.

THOSE FOOTBALL ADS PAID OFF

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Channel 13 used to broadcast tape-delayed coverage of Logger football games. Players like Robert Botley ’71 were stars at the time. I would watch the games and they would feature a promotional piece about the university each week at halftime. I knew as early as middle school that UPS was where I wanted to go.

D. William Kusler ’78
SNOHOMISH, WASH.

THANKS, MOM AND DAD

I actually come from a long-ish line of Loggers! Both my mom and dad attended Puget Sound in the ’80s. They met the first day of their Passages trip and have been inseparable ever since (but that’s a story for another day). At the start of my college application journey in 2017, I did not want to come to University of Puget Sound. There was something about “copying” my parents that made me roll my eyes into the back of my head every time they brought it up. However, I bit my tongue and let them drag me to campus to get a personal tour. Every five minutes, I’d hear “This is where I used to study,” or “Oh! I had a class in this room,” along with a few other stories that are not mine to tell. After hearing stories about their college years and watching their faces light up with even the most seemingly boring stories, I started wishing for my own stories. Soon, I started imagining myself in every little inch of campus. There was a cozy spot on the third floor of the library, The Cellar had all of my favorite ice cream flavors, and there was even an open locker in the music building that had my lucky number (spoiler alert: I ended up using that locker)! By the end of the tour, I knew I was meant to end up here.

Maddie Hanses ’21
MUKILTEO, WASH.

A FAMILY TRADITION

I am the daughter of a College of Puget Sound Class of 1934 graduate. When I was growing up in Virginia, our family crossed the United States biennially to visit family and friends in Washington. What a beautiful place! What wonderful childhood memories my parents had, and our family made. Mother had received an excellent liberal arts education at CPS; such was a “must in one’s undergraduate college” she always “preached.”

Many colleges and universities in Virginia did not admit women at the time I was looking at colleges. I wanted to attend a coed college and go “away” to college. I applied to CPS. It was UPS when I enrolled, arriving on campus for the first time ever to begin my undergrad edu- cation and the making of lifelong friendships. I graduated in 1964; one of the earliest students (per the admission office) to do a junior year abroad and one of 12 family members who are alumni.

Elaine Hazleton Bolton ’64
ATLANTA

THE SCIENCE WON

I was having a hard time deciding where to go to college. I knew I wanted to be pre-med. Finally one evening, I decided on another college. I left my bedroom to tell my parents. My dad said, “Why don’t you call Fred Slee?” Dr. Slee P’99, P’02 was a member of our church and professor of physics at Puget Sound. I called him and talked for a while. He said he really thought the science departments at UPS were better than the other college. After getting off the phone I came back and told my parents I was going to University of Puget Sound. Ultimately, a very good choice.

Jennifer McCoy ’81
FEDERAL WAY, WASH.

SCORE ONE FOR THE ADELPHIANS

Age 12, living in Pocatello, Idaho. Adelphians sang a concert at my church while they were on tour. “I want to sing with them when I grow up.” Age 17, living in Ferndale, Wash. “OK, if I have to, I’ll apply to two other schools besides UPS, but look, they even have an honors program.” The rest, as they say, is history. Just too bad I was too timid to audition for Adelphians until my senior year!

Carin Torp ’85
KEENE, N.H.

A GOOD PLACE TO STUDY EDUCATION

In 1964, as I prepared to leave the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis, I decided that I would pursue a career in teaching. I received a B.A. degree in history/English from Lincoln University in 1961, prior to my military service. UPS had good programs leading to certification in secondary education, also raising my English minor to major status within a year. I completed that course of study and was hired to teach history at Huntington Beach Union High School District in California, commencing September 1965. At that time, UPS awarded a B.E. to students with a B.A. if they completed 30 credit hours and the certification program. I regret that I failed to do that, finishing with 27 hours. There was nothing offered at UPS in the summer of 1965 that fit my situation, so I took a three-hour course at Pacific Lutheran prior to departing for California. I was employed by HBUHSD for 34 years prior to retirement. I was also an active member of the Army National Guard, retiring as colonel. I next spent a couple of terms as an adjunct lecturer with California State Polytechnic University, SLO, and then five years as a nonprofit manager/director.

George Richard Gruner ’68
LAS VEGAS

WELL, FIRST I GOT APPENDICITIS ...

My senior year in high school, I was tortured with indecision about which college to attend— debating among Puget Sound, Oberlin, Reed, Wooster, and Grinnell. I headed out to San Diego on a high school choir trip. I turned 18 and, of course, headed straight to get my belly button pierced (hey, it was 1997). Later that night, I had the most intense abdominal pain of my life. “Can a piercing cause that?” I wondered. I writhed on the hotel bathroom floor for a day before the chaperones took me to the ER that next night ... for an emergency appendectomy! As I groggily emerged from anesthesia, the nurses gently asked me questions (I thought they were just being nice, but now realize they were assessing my state of consciousness). “How old are you? Are you a high school senior? Are you going to college next year?” Without a moment’s hesitation and with pure confidence I replied, “University of Puget Sound!” My decision was made in the fog of anesthesia! I never reconsidered and never looked back.

Laura Handy ’01
BEND, ORE.

IT STARTED WITH DIRTY DISHES

When I was a student at Stadium High School, a lady from my church asked me if I was looking for any work. She worked at UPS in the kitch- ens and she needed dishwashers because she couldn’t get enough college students to work there. I said yes, and worked one or two days a week. When I walked home after my shift, I would go into the classrooms after hours (they didn’t lock them up in those days) and sit and pretend I was a student. I worked there for about two years, not only in the kitchen but in The Cellar, selling food and drinks. I fell in love with UPS and when I decided to go back to college 14 years after I graduated from high school, I didn’t consider any other university. One of the best decisions I ever made.

James Watkins ’82
TACOMA, WASH.

EASY CALL

It was simple. I knew my major: occupational therapy. College of Puget Sound was closer than San Jose. Transportation would be less at CPS, and money was tight. If any of the students of Edna Ellen Bell’s first and second classes are still here, I’d love to hear from them. (I’m 95.)

Lenore Secord Blum ’50
ANN ARBOR, MICH.

PLAYING CATCH-UP

When I was 9, my cousin’s husband, Laurel V. Nelson ’49, ’50, told me I would make a good occupational therapist. Laurel was a WWII veteran who had graduated from the first OT class at the College of Puget Sound. Some 24 years later, I applied for a Bachelor of Science degree. I was a divorced mother with a 6-year-old. I had graduated from Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen in 1960; however, my grades in the last quarter were not good. I also had taken two classes in the 1960s at University of Oregon, where my grades were better. After my interview in June 1973, I was told to wait. Soon the director of the occupational therapy department came out to tell me I was accepted on probation—I would have to take anatomy and physiology to catch up with other students. In late August, my son and I moved into a duplex on North Warner Street. In September 1973, he started first grade at Washington Elementary School, and two days later I began the A. & P. class in Thompson Hall and I became a Logger.

Margret Riddle Kingrey ’75
BLAIR, NEB.

HAWAI`I IS TOO ... SUNNY?

I was accepted to University of Puget Sound as a sophomore in 1968. I also had been accepted to the University of Hawai`i and had to choose rain over sun. I knew if I went to Hawai`i I would still be there working on my bachelor’s in English or would have graduated with a degree in “tan,” because I love the sun and the warmth. (I live in Santa Cruz a block from the ocean.) I promise you, though, choosing UPS was the best decision I ever made. I had a ton of fun—and even studied a bit—and I did graduate on time with my bachelor’s in English.

Ann E. Moseley Rauen ’71
SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.

FROM THE SKI SLOPES TO B-SCHOOL

I consider it destiny on how I became a Logger. After a career as a professional skier and an executive in the snow sports industry, I decided that I wanted to go back to graduate school. My undergraduate degree was from a top-tier public school. I had a strong desire to live in the Puget Sound region because of my fondness for the area; I scheduled three business school interviews in the region and one in the Bay Area. Those interviews enlightened me on which school took a very personal interest: Puget Sound Business School Dean Roy Polly (and Co-dean John Dickson P’84, P’01) were head and shoulders above the other business school deans I interviewed with. I came to really like Phil Phibbs—his and Roy Polly’s contribution to UPS have become a storied legacy. It’s a decision I’ve never regretted.

Timothy Drew Wahlin MBA’81
MERIDIAN, IDAHO

IN, OUT, THEN BACK IN

It all started because my father was a Methodist preacher and I would get half-price tuition! I got my acceptance letter to the nursing program and was thrilled. I was interviewed by Dr. Karlstrom as a potential honors program student and was asked if I would enjoy going abroad for a semester. Later, at church with my parents, we were surprised to see two Puget Sound students we knew; when the service was over, one of them rushed up to me and said, “Have you heard? They are discontinuing the nursing program!” I was in shock. My parents took me to other universities with nursing programs, but I didn’t like any of them. We had a family meeting, and my father said, “I suggest you go to Puget Sound your first year. Any classes you take should be transferable, and that gives you time to figure out if there is someplace else you would rather go.” The first semester, when I took one of the required introductory religion classes, Dr. John Phillips invited some of us to his home. He told all of us there we had potential to be leaders in the church! I pondered this, talked with my parents, and by the end of the semester, decided that I wanted to go into Christian education. I was a Logger!

Alice Ann Glenn ’68
MONTEREY, CALIF.

NEVER SAY NEVER

In 1945, I was a junior on the basketball team at Buckley High School. Our coach somehow scheduled a game against the then-College of Puget Sound. We traveled to Tacoma and ended up winning. That was really something—a high school team beating a college team. In my senior year, a CPS recruiter came to our school; as she was speaking, I was thinking, That’s the last school I would think of attending. Our high school team beat them in basketball. Well, things changed. On graduation night, Frank Patrick, the Puget Sound football coach, came out to Buckley to offer me a scholarship (tuition only, $150 per semester) to play football. I told him I wanted to play basketball. He told me he would give me a half-scholarship, which was $75 per semester. I accepted. I spent five great years get- ting my education at CPS. I played basketball for three years and discovered in the intramural program that I had extraordinary skill as a fast- pitch softball pitcher. I pursued that game for 22 years after graduation. I always considered the five years I spent at CPS some of the most memorable years of my life. I also learned “to never say never.”

Lloyd Blanusa ’51, ’76
BUCKLEY, WASH.