2003 Spring draft - uwpiaa

UPB
EAT
Denver Alumni Baby Boom
by Cheryl Alspach (95A), UpBeat Coordinator, Denver, Colorado
when UWP closed in
December of 2000, we
not only lost an organization
that was close to our hearts,
but many of us working in the
Denver office also lost our jobs. But
as my fellow officemates and I were
closing down the physical structure
of UWP, the most often expressed
concern wasn’t “How am I going to
pay my bills without a job?” but
rather, “What would happen to the
group?”
We were a family and we wondered
what would happen when we
wouldn’t be seeing each other on a
daily basis. Over the next two years,
the answer to that question became
pointedly clear — one thing our
family would become was bigger.
Our family expanded, literally. I
guess when you have a bunch of
alumni with a whole lot more time
on their hands … well, you’ll see
where I’m going with this.
Denver has become the “birthplace”
of a new generation of UWP
students. As I was researching for
this article, I found at least 13 new
babies born to Denver-based UWP
former office and road staff since
December of 2000. (Do the math.
That averages one new baby every 56
days!)
The momentum started when
Daniel Masami Nishimura joined
our clan on April 16, 2001, just four
months after UWP closed its doors.
His parents, Hiro Nishimura (87B),
current COO of UWP, and Kristin
(Ueland )Nishimura (90E) keep quite
busy with Daniel and his older
brother, Markus Yuki. Their biggest
challenge with the boys was at their
birth. Hiro says, “It was very difficult
to decide the names for both sons
since over 1,000 names already had
faces attached to them from our
experiences with our former students
and staff!”
David “DB” Burton (94E) and
Ann-Michelle (Walker) Burton (91A)
continued the trend with the birth of
their son, Dylan Walker Burton
(known as Walker), on July 22, 2001,
conveniently, right in the middle of
Ann-Michelle’s 10-year reunion here
in Denver!
The next birth in 2001 was
Hadley Paige Turner, daugher of
Dave Turner (78B) and Kelli (Munn)
4 Spring ‘03
Front from left: Sarah (Clarke) & Madelene Kleinhans; Jenn (Parkhill) & Justin
MacLennan; Colleen (Pero) & Tripp Ceyssens; David (DB) & Walker Burton. Back from
left: Paula (Gaughan) & Madeline Schmidt; Corrine & Owen Wright (family of Scott
Wright, E88); Jen (Smith) & Jordan Mygatt; Jennifer (Galis) & Annelis Hansen; Kelli
(Munn) & Hadley Turner.
Turner (86B) and born on October
24, 2001. Finally, the last addition to
the “family” in 2001 was Owen
Patrick Wright, son of Scott Wright
(88E) and his wife, Corrine, on
November 24, 2001.
The Denver UWP family really
New Era Reps Needed
july 2003 is a month of change
for the UWPIAA Board of
Governors (BOG). Every two
years, some members rotate off the
BOG to make room for new alumni
who are interested in serving the
UWPIAA.
This July, four Era Representative
positions will be vacant. Era
Reps represent the interests of
alumni who traveled in a given fiveyear
time period — for example,
there is an Era Rep for casts that
traveled from 1965 to 1970, another
for casts that traveled between 1971
and 1976, etc. There are a total of
seven Era Reps, and they are essential
players in keeping our 18,000
alumni together.
Era Reps are elected every two
years at reunion by the cast representatives
of their era. You don’t have to
attend the reunion to stand for
election, but you do need to submit a
written one-page biography and
explain why you would like to be an
started to grow in 2002. It was about
this time that a few of us started to
realize we were no longer going to
Denver UWP parties like we used to,
we were now all going to baby
showers!
The world didn’t know what hit
Era Rep. This document will be
given to the cast reps at the reunion
so that they can make an informed
choice when they vote. You must be
an alumnus/a of a cast that falls
within the era you wish to represent.
Responsibilities include:
• Representing the approximately
25 casts in your era, working with
the cast reps and helping to identify
and recruit new cast reps if any cast
is without one
• Providing a direct link between
casts and the UWPIAA, maintaining
regular communications with all
cast reps, forwarding information to
the cast reps and bringing your era’s
issues and concerns to the BOG
• Actively promoting reunion to
all casts in your era
• Attending and participating in
BOG meetings (including reunion),
UWPIAA activities and other
special projects
Being a member of the BOG is
hard work — everyone is a volunteer
it when Madelene Gledhill
Kleinhans decided to arrive on
Valentine’s Day 2002. The daughter
of Sarah (Clarke) Kleinhans (88C)
and her husband Kip, Madelene
practically came out of the womb
wearing mini skirts and animal
prints, just like her mom!
February 28, 2002, brought
another “Maddy” – this time,
Madeline Marie Schmidt, daughter
of Paula (Gaughan) Schmidt (88E)
and Brian Schmidt (89C). Paula says,
“Hooray for ‘older’ moms!”
Gabriel Adalbert Mahoney,
named after his grandfather, joined
sister Brynn (5) and Anna (3), on
April 10, 2002. The busy household
is led by parents Pete and Nancy
(Whorowski) Mahoney (E92).
April showers brought with
them Jordan Elizabeth Mygatt on
April 16, 2002. Her parents, Jennifer
(Smith) Mygatt (88B) and Brian
Mygatt (85B) couldn’t be prouder of
their little girl. Jen says, “We look
forward to all of the babies growing
up together!”
Ashley Boozer (83A) and Mia
See Baby Boom on page 12
— but the rewards are tremendous.
In addition to making a difference to
18,000 alumni worldwide and being
at the heart of the action when it
comes to alumni news and special
events, BOG members have the
added benefit of forming a whole
new set of lifelong friendships.
The following Era Rep positions
are vacant for the 2003–2005 term:
• 1965–70
• 1976–80
• 1986–90
• 1991–95
• 1996–2000
Alumni can also stand for
election for any of the other Era Rep
positions that are currently filled —
1971–75, 1981–85 and 1991–95 —
if you would like to challenge the
incumbent to an election.
For more information, or if
you’re interested in running, please
send your biography to President-
Elect Stu Shepherd at presidentelect@uwpiaa.org
no later than
June 30, 2003.