Writing Samples

BRIDGE program will connect low-income high school students with Wheaton
by Maggie Thomas
Staff Writer
Published: 4/18/2008

When Veronica Ponce first came to Wheaton, she struggled to find others who shared her background. Few students come from a low-income community or, like Ponce, are the first in their families to go to college. Ponce is now the director of the Building Roads to Intellectual Diversity in Greater Education Program (BRIDGE).
While specifics are still being formulated, the program hopes to bring low-income high school students from the Chicago area to live on campus and experience Christian higher education while living on campus. The first class of 20-24 students are slated to come July 5th-31st, 2009, and return for a second summer in 2010.
The general theme of the curriculum will combine social justice and Christian faith. A high school teacher will assign reading and writing assignments to the class based on lectures given by volunteer Wheaton College professors.
While in highschool, Ponce spent two summers at a similar program hosted by Stanford University (Calif.). This program invited low-income, high-achieving students from all over the country to participate in an environmental science-based program.
“Almost all California state colleges and private schools have some kind of summer program,” Ponce said, “The idea seemed normal to me.” Given Wheaton’s mission “For Christ and His Kingdom” and all the resources available here, Ponce wondered why Wheaton didn’t offer a similar program.
Since 2005, a committee of students including Ponce and current students Rebekah Moses and Anna Zimbrick, and recent Wheaton grads Dhiraj Masih and Robby Rotola, worked to draw up a proposal for such a program. It was approved in October 2007 and Ponce was hired as its director in December.
While BRIDGE is new to Wheaton, the type of program is not. In the 1990’s Wheaton hosted Project S.O.A.R., a similar program with a science-based curriculum. Dr. Stan Jones, Provost, said the program was funded by a grant from the Hughes Medical Foundation. Because of this financial source, Wheaton could not operate the program with a distinct Christian identity. When Project S.O.A.R. ended, all the students graduated from high school and continued on to higher education, but none of them here at Wheaton. “The program was not the best match,” Jones said. “It did not help us advance our progress in the area of diversity on campus. BRIDGE will have none of these limitations.”
BRIDGE’s mission is to fight an inequality Ponce says exists for low-income students: “[They] aren’t getting the help they need…and they’re not going to college unless they’re being recruited.” BRIDGE will provide excellent college preparation to low-income students, and increase the exposure urban communities have to Wheaton College.
While the volunteer professors used to provide guest lectures for the program have not been formally contracted, several have expressed interest, including Dr. Tiffany Eberle Kriner of the English department. “I believe Wheaton College has a commitment to a diverse student body as a representative of the kingdom of God” Kriner said, “and I am excited about assisting in a program to support increased diversity on campus.”
Ponce agrees that the program is a community-wide effort: “BRIDGE doesn’t exist on its own. We need professors, students, and staff that are willing to help.”
BRIDGE will be hiring 10 Wheaton college students as summer program staff to help the high school students assimilate. Applications for these positions will be available either the end fall semester 2008 or right away at the beginning of the spring semester 2009.
Recruitment of the actual high school participants will proceed when BRIDGE’s promotional materials are ready, hopefully by August of this year. Ponce said the program will recruit in local communities and churches. BRIDGE candidates will be selected by an application and interview process and evaluated on the basis of their Christian commitment, success in school, and low-income status. While the urban context is part of what the program seeks to include, Ponce said it is not a requirement, as gentrification and displacement in Chicago has brought low-income families to the suburbs.
Shawn Leftwich, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, said that though the BRIDGE program will help students adjust to Christian higher education, participating in the program will not affect students’ chances of being admitted to Wheaton.. Leftwich said the Admissions office hopes BRIDGE will “assist in increasing the pool of low-income urban students who would be prepared to attend any Christian college.”
From the committee in 2005 to the proposal in 2007, the BRIDGE program still has another year before the first session will begin in 2009. Provost Jones is confident that BRIDGE will be a success. “It will happen,” Jones said in an email, “we are now planning for implementation.”



Wheaton Alum Killed in Iraq
Maggie Thomas
Staff Writer
Published 4/22/08

Mark Metherell ’91 died in the early hours of April 11 in Iraq. According to his wife, Sarah, and best friend David Vanderveen, he was killed by a roadside bomb. Metherell, a former Navy SEAL, worked for the U.S. government as a civilian military adviser training Iraqi special forces. Metherell was leading a mission into Sadr City, 35 miles outside of Baghdad. He was 39 years old.
Metherell is the only Wheaton alumnus to be killed in Iraq, although Christian Skoglund ’00 was killed in November helicopter crash during a training mission in Italy.
While at Wheaton Metherell was a biology and literature major with a pre-med concentration. Although he was part of the class of ’91, Metherell did not graduate until 1992. He was a contributor to The Record, an editor for Kodon, and a member of the swim team during his freshman year.
Coach Jon Lederhouse remembers Metherell as a “versatile freestyler” who assisted Wheaton in the Conference championships of ‘87-‘88. Lederhouse also pointed to Metherell’s team spirit, which “continued to be a defining characteristic of his life.”
David Vanderveen, who was also Metherell’s college roommate, said he was so committed to being a doctor that he decided to stop swimming after freshman year. Vanderveen and Metherell were avid surfers and took many surfing trips together during their time at Wheaton, most memorably, to the Great Lakes.
Metherell was known on campus as a writer. Rob Bell ’92, founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, nicknamed Vanderveen and Metherell the ‘warrior poets.’
“We had a lot of fun,” Vanderveen said. “We made fun of all the absurd things at Wheaton.”
During his final year of college, Metherell decided that he did not want to pursue medicine, but instead wanted the adventure of becoming a Navy SEAL, the elite special operations forces of the Navy. “He burned his bridges,” Vanderveen remembers. “He bailed on his MCATs—he didn’t even go. He was very determined that he was going to [become a SEAL].”
While Metherell’s college degrees would have helped him enter the military as an officer, Vanderveen said he wanted “adventure and he wanted to serve, so he enlisted to be a part of the SEAL missions.” Metherell always encouraged his fellow SEALs to go back and get a college education.
“The part of his loss that is rewarding is meeting people whose lives Mark changed,” Vanderveen said. “At his memorial party, there were these hard Navy SEAL guys coming up to me weeping. One guy is just finishing up his Ph.D. because of Mark.”
Metherell’s memorial service was held last Saturday in Irvine, California. Vanderveen is planning another, less traditional memorial. “We’re planning a paddle-out to Mark’s favorite reef to remember him at a place he knew well.”
Wheaton alumna Cathleen Falsani ’92 wrote a column in the Chicago Sun-Times eulogizing her college friend. “[He] embodied all the qualities I like to believe God possesses,” Falsani said. “Loving. Wise. Strong. Tender. Surprising. A friend who is listening and watching even when we aren’t aware of it.”
Metherell cared deeply for his work in the Middle East. “He had a huge heart,” Vanderveen said. “He wanted to make sure that when he left, they [the Iraqi special forces] could stand on their own two feet.”
“Most of us go through life wishing we could figure out what we’re here for,” Vanderveen continued. “Here’s a guy who got it figured out and did it to the best of his ability right up until his death. We’d all be lucky to spend our lives the way he did.”
Mark Metherell is survived by his wife, Sarah, and their one-year-old adopted daughter, Cora.
Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin White, Professor of Military Science, estimated that 25-30 Wheaton graduates are currently deployed in the military.



Demanding Answers for Richard:
The cause of the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse remains
unknown to victims’ family and friends.
By Maggie Thomas
2/21/08

When Minneapolis’ Interstate 35-W Bridge collapsed last August, we wanted to know why. We asked questions of the construction company, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the governor. No one seemed to know why and we are still lacking a complete answer. I want to know what part of the bridge malfunctioned yes, but I also want to know why an innocent 20-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, my classmate Richard Chit, was killed.
The last time I saw him in high school, Richard was walking down Jock Hall, normally occupied by athletes and cheerleaders. On that day, the last day of the school year, Richard greeted other students with hugs and high-fives. His face was shining, a reflection of the joy he brought to those who had the privilege of spending time with him. When I saw his face again, it was a picture on the 10 o’clock news, naming him the bridge’s 6th victim.
In his Legacy Guestbook, an online memorial sponsored by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Richard’s high school teachers described him as “one of the most precious people that anyone could ever know.” Others commented on Richard’s love for his family, his high school football team the Jaguars, and the Minnesota Twins baseball team. While each offered a different memory, they all considered themselves lucky to have known Richard and his love for life.
Unfortunately, I am not among the lucky. Being a special education student, Richard was not in any of my classes or extracurricular activities. While I was not afraid of Richard and his fellow special students, I did not search for opportunities to be around them. The school at large was very receptive towards these students; that same year, we proudly crowned a mentally disabled boy as our Homecoming King. Still, I did not make time for interacting with these students. Instead I made excuses. And now, I think I missed out.
In the days following the collapse, I paid special attention to the news, listening for names I recognized but afraid to hear them. My best friend Amanda and I were cooking dinner one night when our conversation turned to the bridge.
“Did you see the final list of victims? I think one of them went to Jefferson with us. Richard Chit – he had Downs, remember?” We watched the news later and there I saw his shining face and kind eyes.
I have had few interactions with death in my life, and each remains vivid in my memory. Learning of Richard’s death will stay with me forever. My mourning the loss of Richard Chit occurred mostly by proxy of those who knew him better, but I am still decidedly affected with a sense of disappointment and injustice.
When it happened, Senator Betty McCollum of Minnesota declared my obvious feelings: “Bridges should not fall down in America!” The National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark Rosenker made promises: “We will determine the probable cause…make recommendations, and help restore public confidence that this kind of accident will not happen again.”
“Never again” is a good promise, but it doesn’t change what already happened. I am still embittered that Richard lost his life, and no promise will restore him to us. That anger and hurt has been recently refreshed by the NTSB’s inconclusive report on the cause of the collapse. Even though the official investigation is still ongoing, Chairman Rosenker still cited faulty gusset plates as a critical factor in understanding what happened. Minnesota Representative Jim Oberstar criticized this choice, calling it inappropriate to identify a possible cause and rule out another cause without complete information. When Oberstar confronted him, Rosenker softened his comments to appease those who felt his early conclusions were irresponsible.
As of now, a final conclusion is pending, but expected later this year. Those of us still needing closure, like the family, friends, and acquaintances of Richard Chit, will be forced to wait as the months drag on.



Vaccine for Sexually Transmitted Infection Available on Campus
Written by Maggie Thomas
November 17 2008

There’s a new sexually transmitted disease in town, infecting millions of people worldwide. But the human papillomavirus (HPV) isn’t a recent discovery at all; what is a recent discovery is the link between HPV and cervical cancer. In fact, Harald zur Hausen of Germany just received the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work with HPV and its causal connection to cervical cancer. In 2006, the FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine for women, which guards against four strains of HPV: two that cause 70% of cases of cervical cancer and two that cause 90% of genital warts. While the vaccine is praised by doctors as a preventative measure against cancer, the Gardasil advertising campaign exhorts parents to vaccinate their daughters so they may be “one less” woman affected by cervical cancer. Critics, however, especially those in the Christian community, believe that the vaccine appears to condone premarital sex by “undermining abstinence teaching,” as Lindsey O’Connor of Today’s Christian Woman said.
What’s surprising is that the vaccine is available to Wheaton students. The Wheaton College Student Health Center offers the vaccine with the following explanation: “It is wise for Student Health Services to carry and inform female students that [the vaccine] exists.” But the Center for Disease Control (CDC) maintains that the virus is transmitted sexually, not through handshakes or toilet seats, as rumor may have it. Consider the transmission method as compared to Wheaton’s Community Covenant, a lifestyle agreement that all students and employees of the college sign prior to entering the Wheaton community. Some of its directives include “[to] uphold chastity among the unmarried…[and to condemn] sexual immorality, such as…premarital sex…and all other sexual relations outside the bounds of marriage between a man and a woman.” Is a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease counterintuitive to the lifestyle Wheaton College students agree to uphold?
Before making a decision on the morality of the Gardasil vaccine, it is crucial to understand the nature and effects of HPV. HPV is, in fact, the most common sexually transmitted infection. According to the CDC, approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected, and another 6.2 million new infections will occur every year. It only takes one exposure to the virus to contract it, and least 50% of sexually active Americans will contract HPV at some point in their lives. Furthermore, HPV causes up to 98% of cervical cancer cases.
As for the Gardasil vaccine, it is intended for women aged 9-26, administered at least 7 months prior to becoming sexually active. While the vaccine targets 4 specific strains of the virus, over 60 strains exist and 15 of those have been attributed to cervical cancer. The vaccine is administered in 3 doses and costs around $350. Most insurance companies will cover this cost as preventative care. Britt Black, Health Center Director, gave her opinion of the vaccine: “The vaccine has been on the market for almost three years…I believe it is safe.”
For many young women, the decision to be vaccinated is based on personal cost, side effects, risk and prevention. Black encourages all females deciding whether to be vaccinated to visit the Health Center: “The visit is free and the nursing and physician staff can help dispel fears, misnomers and also assist in knowing whether [Gardasil] is right for them.” While Black acknowledges that this personal decision must be made on an individual basis, she also upholds that “God’s ultimate design for sex is that it only be shared between man and wife.”
Despite the moral issue at hand, senior Sara Beth Bock was very open about why she chose to get vaccinated. “A lot of it has to do with knowing that the majority people will get some form of HPV in their lifetime,” she said, “and I’m not going to limit my choice of marriage partners by their sexual experience. To be able to have a vaccine that could prevent most developments of cervical cancer, it’s kind of like a ‘Why not?’”
Senior Kristi Larned opted against the vaccine because it “guards against sexually transmitted diseases and I am not sexually active nor do I plan to marry someone who has been. I don’t need it and it also poses risks to me, so why would I receive the vaccine?”
The risks Larned mentions is a reference to the 9,000 documented cases of adverse reactions to the vaccine itself. That number includes 27 deaths since September 2007. The reported adverse reactions range in severity from fever and dizziness to anaphylactic shock and grand mal convulsions. In comparison to the millions of women vaccinated worldwide, however, many are not concerned by the percentage of adverse reactions. Black confirmed that “most side effects [to the vaccine] are local, meaning redness at the [injection] site.”
Ultimately, the decision must be made on an individual basis after considering all the potential risks and potential benefits. Wheaton students are encouraged to visit the Health Center for advice and/or vaccination. Though some women may balk at the moral implications of offering the vaccine at Wheaton College, the reality is that Gardasil guards against a virus that causes cancer. That hope has many women cheering “One Less!”

Celebrating Small Victories

In the face of my overwhelming future options, it's really nice to claim tiny moments of success.

Yesterday I completed my second triathlon. This one I did for me. I didn't have my security blanket running every step of the way with me (although Jake was there in spirit - I wore his t-ball t-shirt from kindergarten). I wasn't in a lake, I wasn't on Mom's bike, I wasn't running in the forest preserve back home, I didn't have my iPod workout mix. Nothing about this race was familiar or comfortable, but I completed it anyway.

The race was scored by distance, not by time. And my personal goal was to log 6 miles in the 3 events. I finished with 7.68.

So it wasn't a marathon, and it wasn't Olympic distance, and I didn't win anything, but I didn't come in last place and I beat my personal goal. I did it for me this time, and there's a lot of power in that.

And maybe, just maybe, it was a little bit for the person who told me I didn't have a high energy level. I might have done it to prove to myself that I'm not who he thought I'd become. I might have done it to prove us both wrong. Maybe just a little.

Fear is not the natural state of civilized people.

I try really hard to not shoot daggers at the person who asks "What are you doing after college?" Sometimes I fail at this.

I wish I could say that, with less than 100 days until graduation, I know what my plans are. Oh, how I wish I knew. Everyone's telling me how many options I have, but it's that very idea that is so crippling to me. If I had only one or two really good options, I could go all Type-A and OCD and write a list of pros and cons and figure it out, even if it came down to a coin flip.

But I don't have one or two options, I have about a hundred, and last night I should have stayed up and done some more research and applied to more jobs and looked into the employers I'm meeting with on Friday, but this inexplicable terror seized me and all I could do was close my computer and go to bed. I went to bed! Because I can't deal with how my life is about to change! Does anyone else realize how counterintuitive that was?!

I am not afraid for life after college. I'm really not. I'm pretty sure I could do just about anything for the first couple years. It's the not knowing that kills me.