RESPONSIBILITY

Stories on this page reflect how MIAA student-athletes demonstrate accountability, for themselves and others, through their personal commitment and choices, on and off the field.

The highlight of the week for many children at Albion’s Harrington Elementary School is the one-hour visit by their mentor who happens to be a student from Albion College. Three senior members of the men’s basketball program – Sean Hendon, Luke Walker, and Bob Wernet – were among 25 Albion students who recently received Michigan Campus Compact Heart and Soul awards for their dedication to community service. They were also among the recipients of the Jessie Longhurst Rotary Service Award.

The mentorship program, now known as Jessie’s Gift in memory of the 2002 Albion High School graduate and former Albion College student-athlete, was developed and is currently run by Peg Turner, the wife of former Albion men’s basketball coach Mike Turner.

Peg Turner started the program when she was a kindergarten teacher in the Albion Public Schools so members of the men’s basketball program could learn that success wasn’t solely determined by wins on the hardwood while the school children gain a positive role model.

“Ms. Turner nominated us for the awards after being impressed by how dedicated we came to it,” Wernet, an economics & management major from Rockford, said. “The three seniors haven’t missed many weeks with their mentees over the last four years.”

In a typical weekly visit, the mentors spend the first 45 minutes assisting the student with classwork and the remaining time is devoted to talking to the student or playing a game.

“My kid is really excited to see me every week and that makes it easy to go,” Hendon, an economics & management major from Fremont who already has an accounting job lined up with Ernst & Young, said. “He’s got quite the sense of humor so I get to talk with him, joke around with him while he’s doing his homework. He has really progressed in school as I’ve been there. It is very rewarding to see that – maybe what I’ve done has helped him. When we are doing math and I can interact with him I have lost track of time.

“I think the last 15 minutes are the best time because it allows me to build a relationship with him,” Hendon added. “He always asks what it is like in college so we talk about school a lot – what I’m doing and what I’m going to do. I try to encourage him by asking what he wants to do when he grows up. He asked about me playing basketball once in a while.”

While he’s completed his collegiate eligibility and will be getting married over the summer, Hendon said he hopes to continue to use basketball as an avenue to work with kids.

Walker, a Cedar Springs product who is majoring in mathematics and concentrating in secondary education, said he has become like a big brother to his mentee. The mentors and mentees pose for a picture late in the school year to provide a lasting image of the bond that was formed.

“Most of the time I think my mentee teaches me more than I teach him,” Walker said. “It’s good to work with the younger kids and see how they think. It is a progression and if I can experience how younger kids think I can relate that to when they get older."

Click here to read more about the Albion men's basketball student-athletes and their mentoring work

As a running back for Albion College's Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion football squad, Wes Dolen, '13, is usually asked to open holes for feature back Clinton Orr to run through. While Dolen has helped Orr become the MIAA's Most Valuable Offensive Player and the school's all-time rushing leader, he has found it difficult to create room for traffic to move this semester as he resides at the Tagore International Hostel on the campus of University of Hyderabad in India.

"Imagine a road with no lanes, intersections with no stoplights, no police, no speed limit signs, no blinkers being used, horns always being used, no crosswalks," Dolen said. "Then fill that road with rickshaws, cars, buses, and a lot of motorcycles, most of which have two, sometimes even three or at most four people on them.

"As far as crossing the street is concerned, let's just say it's like human Frogger," he added, referencing the classic arcade game. "The only way traffic really stops is for cows crossing the road, which happens more often than you may think. The fact is there are people everywhere. Wherever you look you will see people going about their daily lives. I wish I could somehow put into perspective the amount of crowding there is, but it is hard to communicate. I'll just say when you ride local transportation buses, you are lucky to be sitting down on the bus."

A double major in philosophy and international studies, Dolen is studying through the Council on International Education Exchange's Study in India Program (SIP). The East Lansing product is taking classes in basic Hindi and nongovernmental organizations' role in development through SIP and Indian philosophy and theories in international relations through the university.

Dolen, who chose to study abroad in India because of a longtime interest in Eastern thought, says his visits to NGOs have started to steer him toward a career in social work as well as show him the importance of learning beyond the classroom.

"Both [NGOs] work with children, one with children with AIDS and the other with girls who were formerly child laborers," Dolen said. "There are so many people in the world who could use a helping hand, so why not be the one to give it? The poverty is very striking here. Wherever you go you will find people begging for money and houses made of sticks and tarp. The crazy thing is that you will see one of these shanties right next to a corporate building (quite a stark contrast).

"I have gained a completely new perspective on what I would like to do with my future. For a long time I was set on going to graduate school to further my education, but having been here and learned so much has made me question that," Dolen said. "Though [graduate school] is not out of the question, I am simply realizing that the potential to learn may be greater outside of schooling than it ever was in school."

Click here to read more about Wes Dolen

March 2012

"Being a student-athlete at Hope College is more than just playing the game; it is a privilege, and in order to use its full potential, it is our responsibility to give back to the community," says Hope senior basketball captain Allie Cerone of Wheaton, Ill.

Special Olympics has been a part of the Hope College women's basketball program for 14 years, long before it became a nationwide focus in NCAA Division III.

In recent weeks the Flying Dutch sponsored a basketball skills workshop for more than 100 Special Olympians. Later this season the team will host a tournament for Special Olympians. Hope women's basketball coach Brian Morehouse and men's coaching colleague Matt Neil will for the second year take "The Polar Plunge" into the ice-cold water of nearly Lake Macatawa in support of of the Special Olympics fundraiser.

"It's been a great opportunity to serve while providing teachable moments about our responsibility to the community," Morehouse said. "After our workshop experience I pulled our team together for an impromptu conversation on the responsibility to serve not just in college, but beyond. I admitted to not always understanding this in my post-college career until about age 26. It was at this age I discovered the absolute joy in looking beyond my own busyness to find ways to serve others."

"Our recent Special Olympics event was time well spent because it was exhilarating and helped me better appreciate being part of a community that reaches far beyond a single basketball team," Cerone said.

"Being a student-athlete at Hope teaches students how to accept responsibility, whether it is in the classroom or on the court," added junior teammate Liz Ellis. "Having this responsibility should be seen as a privilege and with it comes the task of doing things outside of ourselves and helping to serve others."

December 2011

Albion College defensive linemen Jason Bajas, C.J. Carroll, and Jacob Heinrich are on a mission to change the perception of accountants from pocket protecting, pencil sharpening, adding machine punching, tax preparing workers in a cubicle to tough guys who are smart, too.

The three ‘tough’ economics and management majors with an emphasis in accounting helped Albion’s defense rank first in the MIAA this fall in rushing defense – allowing less than 100 yards a game on the ground – and sacks. In addition to stopping opponents, Carroll and Heinrich were nominees for Capital One Academic All-America consideration in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

"When people think of accountants, they think of a guy with glasses and tie who is sitting behind a desk crunching numbers," Heinrich, a Rochester Hills native who completed an internship with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Detroit last spring and has accepted a full-time offer from the firm, said. "There were comments made (about my size during the internship). People would say, 'You’re big. You must play football.' It was a conversation starter."

The ability to start a conversation, it turns out, is critical as accountants need to have good communication skills to be effective.

"In public accounting you are going out, meeting people, talking to your clients, preparing financial statements and it’s a lot different from what people picture," Carroll, a junior from Warren who started his collegiate career at linebacker before moving up to a position as a down lineman this season. "Accountants have to ask clients how they got these numbers, where they came from, and then check to determine if those numbers are right."

The Albion Advantage helps students realize their professional goals through thoughtful integration of academic and experience-based learning opportunities, and Carroll took advantage of on-campus recruiting events to line up an internship that will keep him off campus for the first half of the spring semester.

Click here to read more on this story

November 2011

Brian Greathouse is considering a career as an emergency room doctor or a trauma surgeon, and he can make connections between that line of work and the minutes he's currently logging as the starting goalkeeper for the Albion College men's soccer team.

"I'm addicted to the adrenaline rush," Greathouse said. "One of the biggest parallels is that in the emergency room you can be having a slow night and all of the sudden a patient comes in and you instantly have to snap back in gear. In goalkeeping, you see a situation coming at you and have to make a decision. It's instinctual. I get into [the decision-making process] after going through the repetition of practice so many times.

"Anybody that succeeds at any task has to be confident," he added. "I believe I'm going to do the best job [at any task] and no one is going to do it better. It also provides motivation to improve if you don't achieve the desired result. The biggest key to my success is believing I can do it."

Greathouse is weighing his medical school options after scoring in the 99th percentile on the Medical College Admission Test, but the journey wasn't entirely smooth. The Dearborn native admits to getting off to a slow start academically. Lulled into a false sense of security based on his high school background, Greathouse pursued social outlets.

Click here to read more about Brian Greathouse

October 2011

There is a difference between cockiness and confidence and Albion College sophomore Paul Lewis manages to express his athletic prowess and unique talents without doing so in an arrogant manner.

The three-sport athlete finished 21st overall and earned All-Region honors at the 2010 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional cross country meet with a time of 25:35.9 in his first year at the collegiate level.

Lewis, who was a three-time Jackson Citizen Patriot Dream Team runner and a member of back-to-back state championship track teams at Albion High School, also finds time to be a track standout, varsity diver, a bass trombone player in the jazz band, and a double major in physics and music. He also peformed last spring in the Albion Theatre Department's production of "Once on This Island." (pictured right)

"Physics classes are hands down the hardest I’ve taken in my whole life," Lewis said, "but they are also the most interesting classes I’ve ever taken."

"Originally I was going to major in engineering and do the three-two program (at the University of Michigan), but cross country came in and we are building this amazing team. So I switched my major to physics because I didn’t want to leave."

Despite a numerous amount activities to choose from, Lewis loves cross country running the most.

September 2011

As part of the NCAA Division III national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Calvin athletics recently joined a partnership with the United States' Special Olympics Committee, adding a valuable opportunity to the athletic department’s already service-driven outlook.

The SAAC is an NCAA organization tiered at the national, conference, and school level. The national, and governing, branch of the organization, seeks to "to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image," according to the organization’s website. In an interview with NCAA.org, national SAAC chair Marie Godwin said of the partnership, "The partnership will serve as another opportunity to demonstrate the power of mobilizing Division III student-athletes toward a common goal."

In January, the NCAA linked with the Special Olympics as part of a citizenship and community outreach effort pledging to assist the Special Olympics in any way possible. For the athletics department at Calvin, one of the 200 schools that already participate in Special Olympics outreach efforts, that means taking more ownership of the Area 11 Special Olympics tournament, held on campus annually on the first weekend in May. In recent years, Calvin’s Service Learning Center and Amway Organization have been involved with the planning and hosting of the yearly tournament, which attracts athletes from across the area to compete in track and field events, among others.

Calvin men’s athletic director Dr. Jim Timmer sees the partnership as a natural one. He says Calvin, Division III and the Special Olympics share similar missions and educational-athletic models.

"The partnership with the Special Olympics fits our mission for student athletes and Calvin’s broader mission," said Timmer.

Timmer expects the partnership to include the set-up, planning and hosting of the event. He also hopes that Calvin’s athletes will receive firsthand contact with the Special Olympics athletes, as mentors, coaches, or training partners.

This isn’t the first, or only, experience in the charitable service arena for Calvin’s athletics teams. In 2008 and 2009, Calvin’s SAAC sponsored several group events and teamed up with Habitat for Humanity. The school’s athletic teams are also expected and encouraged to complete at least one service project in the course of their season. Calvin’s cross country teams have raked leaves for Mel Trotter Ministries and last year’s basketball team worked along Bethany Christian Services to put on a basketball clinic, for example.

May 2011

Being a part a Division III college volleyball program not only provides a tremendous experience as a student-athlete, but other opportunites such as to coach at summer camps and for club volleyball programs.

Ten members of the 2010 MIAA co-champion Hope College squad were involved in coaching club volleyball this spring and virtually all of them have the opportunity to return to campus during the summer to work the college's volleyball camps.

"As a coach, I have realized the importance of responsibility," said Hope College senior and team co-captain Sara DeWeerdt of Holland, Mich. (Hamilton HS). "I have grown to understand how important communication is to minimizing conflict, how much easier it is to achieve goals when I am prepared and how I am responsible for my student-athlete’s actions on and off the court."

With that being said, Sara sets an example of what is acceptable – being kind, motivating, excited, passionate, encouraging and responsible. When she demonstrates these characteristics, here student-athletes do as well.

"Above all, coaching has helped me learn more about myself – about what I expect from my student-athletes and what I expect from myself."

April 2011

The few, the proud, the Marines. It might just be the most well-known mantras of all the branches of the United States Armed Services. It could easily be adjusted to fit the majority of colleges and student-athletes - the few, the proud, the Belles, or the Irish, or the (your mascot name here).

Very few people, especially college student-athletes, are able to intertwine both the present and the future in such a way that their lives are defined by those six words that summarize one of the nation’s strongest lines of defense. Saint Mary's sophomore swimmer Katie Griffin finds herself in that small population.

It seems only fitting that a collegiate swimmer would find a home in the Marines. Someone who stands alone but is a part of a whole dedicated to a common cause describes so many who fearlessly dive into a pool or readily dive into the front lines of combat.

"A lot of people think swimming is an individual sport, but each athlete on the team has a commitment to one another to do our best in every race, in every set, and every practice," commented Griffin. "I know without my team I wouldn't achieve the same things on my own."

That sentiment makes the lines between swimming and the Marines about as transparent as a pool itself.

A competitive swimmer for the past 11 years, the computational mathematics major from the small town of Bristol, Ind. has grown to merge both her responsibilities of school and swimming with her additional responsibility of becoming a Marine.

Click here to read more about Katie Griffin

March 2011

It’s not unusual for Albion College students to be constantly on the go. Each student’s calendar is an interesting blend of classes, research or creative activity, and membership in clubs and organizations.

Effrem Grettenberger, ’12, faced such a grind each Tuesday and Thursday during the months of January and February as he tackled directing the Theatre Department’s upcoming main-stage production of Once on This Island along with his regular class load and preparing for his role as a sprinter on the track and field team.

Grettenberger said he attended class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays before heading to the Lomas Fieldhouse in the Dow Recreation and Wellness Center for track practice from 3:30 p. m. to 6 p.m. Afterward, he made the short trip to the Herrick Theatre to lead rehearsal for the musical. It’s not like any other day of the week was less busy, however, as Grettenberger’s cast rehearsed 7-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday along with a 3-5 p.m. session on Sunday.

Once, one of the events the college had planned in commemoration of Black History Month, took Herrick’s main stage Feb. 23-26. The production was months in planning, as Grettenberger worked with Albion students Danielle Bonifer, ’12, and Colleen Brewster, ’12, during the fall semester on choreography. Bonifer and Brewster are both off campus this semester, and dance captain Chrissiey Jackson, ’12, was placed in charge of that aspect of the production. Because Grettenberger was leading a cast of mostly first-year students and sophomores, he instructed them to start preparing their role during the break between semesters.

Click here to read more about Effrem Grettenberger

February 2011

Bryan Goyings has the opportunity to rebuild the Kalamazoo College women’s soccer team and enable them to compete at the national level after becoming the program’s first full-time head coach. Goyings (pictured with Hornets' midfielder Julia Schroeder) was named head coach in February 2010, and has since been focusing on moving the team in the right direction. This involves not only coaching the team, but teaching the athletes the importance and meaning of responsibility, not only to the team, but also to the school and the surrounding community.

"The athletes are students first and their ultimate responsibility is to their education," said Goyings. "They are in the public eye more than the average student and have to represent the school by acting and being part of a first-class operation. Part of accomplishing this is by being present in the community and working to benefit others."

Over the years the women’s soccer team has done many service-oriented activities as a way to get them involved in the community and to use their talents to help others.

"In the past we have gone to the Children’s Hospital and talked to patients and spent time with them," Goyings said. "We have also hosted clinics for ‘at risk youth’ in the Kalamazoo area, specifically at the Peace House, and we have also done some projects with a local organization called Building Blocks.

"These events not only build teamwork, but they also instill a strong sense of responsibility to the community and using your talents as an athlete to give back to the community."

Click here to read more about Bryan Goyings

January 2011

If you ask Trine football coach Matt Land, winning isn’t just what happens on the field. It’s a consistent, intentional effort to contribute to the well-being of the community and for players and coaches to pull their weight.

"We tell our players that service is as important in leadership as steering the ship or making big plays," Land said. The philosophy is gaining attention in Angola and nationally.

In early December, quarterback Eric Watt was awarded the Gagliardi Trophy. The award is about on-field success, character and academics, but also about giving back. Land, meanwhile, is himself is a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year - another honor that values a spirit of responsibility.

In 2010, the Thunder were also recognized by Jostens and National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA) Community Service Awards at the annual NCAA convention.

Trine was awarded honorable mention for two spring 2009 programs. One provided volunteers for in-classroom tasks at Carlin Park Elementary School in Angola, Ind., while a variety show titled "The Lack of Talent Show” benefitted those suffering from Rett Syndrome.

"A lot of kids have an entitlement mentality. This exposes our players to doing things that help others with no benefit to themselves," Land said. "This teaches them important lessons about volunteerism and community service. I’m very proud of this award and our kids. We’ve been able to show success on the field, in the classroom, and now in the community."

December 2010

Alma College’s Exercise and Health Science (EHS) program was put in place more than 20 years ago and allows students to learn the field of athletic training and puts them in a position to obtain careers in the varied health practioner field. The EHS program requires 1,000 clinical hours before graduation and allows many student athletes the opportunity to see first-hand, the responsibility it takes to conduct an athletic program.

"First and foremost, this program teaches life skills, time management and the personal responsibility it takes to be an athletic training student," said Denny Griffin, Alma’s director of athletic training and the Scots' long-time softball coach. "Even though these kids participate in their own sports, they know they are still responsible for coming in early to help other student athletes with rehab and preparation."

The word responsibility can be used in many ways, but the Scots’ athletic training students understand that they have made career choices which affect more than just their own athletic endeavors. Their fellow students count on them to prepare them for practices and games in the best way possible.

November 2010

From the time prospective student-athletes visit Olivet College to the time they walk across the stage at graduation, they are constantly reminded of the Olivet College Compact, which gives further definition to the college’s institution vision of "Education for Individual and Social Responsibility."

Comprised of seven principles, the Compact was developed to show what it means to be a responsible member of the Olivet College community. It serves as a guide and inspiration to Olivet's students, faculty, staff, administrators and trustees alike. Olivet College is founded on and devoted to student learning, growth and development. The college values diversity within a community built on trust, participation and a sense of pride.

Click here to read more about the Olivet College Compact and how student-athletes live up to it

October 2010

Four years ago when Adrian College hired James Larson to be its head cross country and track & field coach, he knew the first item he wanted to implement into the program was to create the opportunity for his student-athletes to grow not only as a team, but as individuals.

Each season, in the week before school starts in August, the cross country team packs up and travels to Myers Lake Campground, a Methodist run camp, in Byron, Mich., for two days of team bonding and individual reflection. Most of all, Coach Larson enjoys Myers Lake for the opportunity to get the kids away from the distractions that come with a typical campground.

These student-athletes have spent the entire summer training by themselves, but during the two-day retreat, they are thrown into a situation where they must bond right away. At the retreat, student-athletes participate in the Bulldog Games, where they are split into teams and they create their own team names. Student-athletes participate in activities such as water balloon volleyball, greased water football, relay and canoe races.

Click here to read more about Adrian's team building exercises

September 2010

A concept that began more than seven years ago continues to bear fruit for the Calvin College athletics program.

Now in its seventh year of existence, the Gainey Leadership Retreat for Calvin's student-athletes continue to thrive. The weeklong retreat, which takes place in mid-August at the Gainey Ranch in southwest Montana, seeks to build leadership skills for leaders and future leaders of Calvin's sports teams both at the club and varsity level.

Representatives from each of Calvin's 17 varsity sports teams are selected by their respective coaching staffs to participate in the retreat as well as representatives from Calvin's club ice hockey and club men's and women's lacrosse programs. While in Montana, the student-athletes are mentored by members of Calvin's chaplain's office, administrators from its student life office and also from its athletics department.

The goal of the retreat is to provide time and space for student-athletes to focus on knowing God and themselves better, to equip varsity leaders with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to effectively lead their teams and create a Christian community among student-athletes that extends beyond individual teams.

Click here to hear an interview with Calvin chaplain Aaron Winkle on the leadership retreat