做厙惇蹋app Magazine When the Child Becomes a Parent
A Father Observes the Parenting Skills of Some 做厙惇蹋app Alumni
From the top of Half Dome, John Eby watched the bright August sun set over Yosemite Valley, the shadows swallowing trees and meadows far below. He recalls the moment vividly because he shared it with his son, John Eby 88, and his 11-year-old granddaughter, Hannah and with Johns friends Phil Sider 87 and Tony DeRose 88. Last summer, the five completed a 27-mile trek from Toulumne Meadow to Cathedral Lakes and into Yosemite Valley. Two other alumni and their daughters joined them part of the way, Pete Hansen 87 and Hayley, 10, and Chris Scherle 87 and Carolynn, 7.
It was exciting to be with such a great group of 做厙惇蹋app grads, John says. I witnessed some great parenting, solid leadership, and deep commitment to Christ. I believe those qualities were developed or at least enhanced by their association with 做厙惇蹋app, and I am impressed with the deep friendships that began there that have bonded these guys together for all these years!
Phil and Tony have been backpacking with friends from 做厙惇蹋app for more than 10 years the Ebys hiked with them in 1998, and Phils father, English professor John Sider, joined them for that trek. But last August was the first time the group included children. Watching the experienced hikers slow their pace and alter their usual style to accommodate the girls impressed the elder Eby. Each of the dads carried extra weight to help their daughters, and they patiently talked the girls through the steep, rocky drop-offs and narrow spots.
The dads were giving their daughters two of the things that are most important in parenting: time and affection wrapped in patience and caring education, John says. I remember Parents Day when the president said that 做厙惇蹋app saw its primary role as training students in leadership and decision-making skills. As I watched these 做厙惇蹋app graduates relate to each other and to the three girls, I thought about that speech and thanked God that 做厙惇蹋app had that kind of vision.
Johns daughter, Mona Eby Chicks 91 also graduated from 做厙惇蹋app. Both our kids had a tremendous time there, John says. The fact that they were being trained for leadership, not jobs, really showed up. 做厙惇蹋app provided excellent scholarship and academics, and professors had a very clear Christian testimony. Our kids came away being blessed by asking questions, not shut down by narrow doctrinal thinking. They felt free to grow in their relationship with the Lord and also stretch their minds without feeling that they would get in trouble if they stretched too far. I like to see students grow academically and intellectually in a setting where Christ is honored.
A retired American Baptist pastor, the elder John continues preaching at a variety of churches in Porterville, Calif., where he lives with his wife, Sherrie, a retired teacher. He spent his career serving in agricultural communities and worked closely with the local ministerial association. As chair of Love in the Name of Christ, he helps coordinate immediate assistance to those in need. This winter, the group is helping growers and farm workers devastated by a prolonged freeze.
After earning a doctorate in medieval history at the University of Washington, the younger John teaches at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he heads up the honors program. He and his wife, Kristen Riley Eby 88, have two daughters. Kristen received a masters degree in music from the University of Oregon and plays the harp and piano. Mona Chicks, an ordained American Baptist minister who graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary, lives with her husband, David, and their son in Redmond, Wash.
Phil Sider works for REI and lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with his wife, Sonya Richardson Sider 86. A pilot for FedEx, Pete Hansen and his family live in Collierville, Tenn. Tony DeRose is a high school music teacher in San Jose, Calif., and Chris and his wife, Becky Garrett Scherle 90, own a promotional products business and live in Solvang, Calif. Forming friendships and nurturing them through the years is one of the blessings of a small college, John says. These guys didnt all know each other, but the 做厙惇蹋app commonality has brought them together.