Loma Linda University news
December 3, 1997
- Hulda Crooks passes away at 101
- Faculty couple teaches courses in Peru
- LLU amateur radio club celebrates 50th anniversary
- University Church presents concert
- Faculty Notes
- Black student retreat held at Pine Springs Ranch
- School of Dentistry
Hulda Crooks passes away at 101
Memorial services for Hulda Crooks, Loma Linda resident and former long-time employee at Loma Linda University, will be held on Sunday, December 7, 1997, at 3:00 p.m. in the University Church of Seventh-day Adventists.
Mrs. Crooks died peacefully on Sunday, November 22, in her Linda Valley Villa retirement home. She was 101.
Born on May 19, 1896, in Langenau, Saskatchewan, Canada, Mrs. Crooks was one of 18 children.
In 1923, she entered LLU where she earned a certificate in nutrition and dietetics. In 1943, she completed her nutrition degree and graduated with a bachelor of science degree.
Memorial services for Hulda Crooks will be held in the University Church of Seventh-day Adventist in Loma Linda on Sunday, December 7, 1997, at 3:00 p.m. Mrs. Crooks, the oldest woman ever to climb Mount Whitney, made a total of 23 trips up the 14,496-foot mountain.
Mrs. Crooks was best known for her mountain climbing. She made her first climb at age 66 (in 1962) when she successfully climbed Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 United States.
Fondly known as "Grandma Whitney" among fellow climbers, Mrs. Crooks made a total of 23 successful attempts at climbing Mount Whitney.
At the age of 91, Mrs. Crooks successfully climbed the 12,388-foot Mount Fuji--Japan's highest peak--in 1987. She climbed Mount Whitney for the last time later in 1987.
In 1991, a peak south of Mount Whitney was named Crooks Peak in her honor and a park in Loma Linda was named for her.
Mrs. Crooks first began hiking in her 40s to combat health problems. A vegetarian since the age of 19, Mrs. Crooks jogged up Mount San Gorgonio in the San Bernardino Mountains in preparation for her climb of Mount Whitney.
The last time Mrs. Crooks saw Mount Whitney was in October, 1996, when Drs. George and Jeanne Wiesseman took Mrs. Crooks to Lone Pine so she could ride in a film festival parade. Her motel room had a view of Mount Whitney and Crooks Peak.
"She would sit and look at Crooks Peak and say, 'That's my peak,'" Dr. Jeanne Wiesseman recalls.
Her many hiking companions included United States congressman Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands), and a multitude of young and old who would climb with her on the almost 11-mile Mount Whitney trail and ask to be photographed with her.
In a statement released by Congressman Lewis, he recalled visiting her in October to reminiscence about their climb and return in 1991 by helicopter to one of the camps along the route for the Crooks Peak dedication.
"No mountain was ever too high for this gentle giant. With a twinkle in her eye, and purpose in her step, Grandma Whitney showed the world that mental, physical, and spiritual health is attainable at any age," Congressman Lewis said in his statement.
Mrs. Crooks was a research assistant to Mervyn Hardinge, MD, DrPH, PhD, the first dean of the LLU School of Public Health. After she retired, she continued as a volunteer assistant to Dr. Hardinge until she was in her 80s.
Mrs. Crooks not only climbed mountains, but was dedicated to hiking and backpacking, which she began at the age of 75. Among her long distance achievements included a descent to the floor of the Grand Canyon, and a beginning-to-end, 212-mile hike of the John Muir Trail, from Yosemite to Mount Whitney, a feat which she accomplished over five summers.
She held eight world records for women over the age of 80 including Senior Olympic events in marathon and road races. In addition she climbed a total of 86 different Southern California peaks, each over 5,000 feet between 1977 and 1983.
When Mrs. Crooks spoke about the advantage of a good diet, proper exercise, and a positive mental attitude, she was speaking from experience. It was during a period of poor health while a student at Loma Linda that she changed her lifestyle. During her retirement years, she would give up to a dozen talks a month on health and physical fitness. She would walk up to 100 miles each month to stay in shape.
Mrs. Crooks is survived by three grandchildren, Bruce Couch of Yucaipa, Tammie Singer of Colorado, and Scott Hoehn of California; and two great-grandchildren, Patrick and Ariana Couch of Yucaipa.
Faculty couple teaches courses in Peru
Two members of the Loma Linda University faculty recently traveled to Universidad Peruana Union (Peru Union University) to teach courses there.
Dr. Shirani de Alwis-Chand explains some learning theories during one of her learning skills workshops she conducted for Universidad Peruana Union (UPU) faculty, area high school and elementary teachers, and university students.
Dr. Ian Chand (back row, fifth from right) poses with his "Crisis Intervention for Ministers" workshop group during his recent trip to UPU in Lima, Peru.
Ian P. Chand, PhD, professor of counseling and family sciences, Graduate School; and his wife, Shirani de Alwis-Chand, EdD, director of the LLU Teaching Learning Center, traveled to Peru for three weeks toward the end of August and into September.
Dr. Ian Chand taught the course "Crisis Intervention" for university students there. The LLU counseling and family science department is helping Universidad Peruana Union (UPU) develop a marriage and family therapy program, the first of its kind in South America.
He also held workshops for ministers and health-care workers, titled "Crisis Intervention for Ministers," and "Crisis Intervention for Health-care Workers."
Dr. Shirani de Alwis-Chand held workshops on learning skills and challenges for UPU faculty, high school and elementary school teachers from the area, and university students.
The husband-and-wife team also were asked to preach during the Sabbath services for both the University Church and the main Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lima.
LLU amateur radio club celebrates 50th anniversary
The LLU Amateur Radio Club (LLUARC) celebrated its 50th birthday recently. The club came together originally as a gathering of enthusiastic amateur ham radio operators.
Today, the club has grown to almost 200 people mostly from the Medical Center and surrounding community. LLUARC's primary concern is coverage/communication after a major earthquake. According to Dominic Mercado, president, "communication within the hospital may do well in such a situation, but communication outside the campus may be a problem. This is where LLUARC plays a role in assisting the Medical Center and community. We can communicate with other hospitals and emergency facilities using ham radios."
LLUARC owns three primary systems in the area. There is a "high frequency ring" which has the capacity to contact people around the world. Its large antennae is visible atop the Medical Center. There is a regional system located at Heaps Peak near Lake Arrowhead, which makes it possible to talk to other hospitals and emergency facilities from Victorville to San Diego. The local system covers communications throughout the Loma Linda/San Bernardino area. The club has also recently acquired a new call sign. The previous one W6FZV, has been used for many years. The new sign K6LLU will enable the club to be better distinguished from other clubs.
Although LLUARC did not commemorate their 50th anniversary with a massive celebration, they did receive congratulatory letters from California Governor Pete Wilson and University president B. Lyn Behrens, MBBS.
The Loma Linda University School of Medicine class of 1963 is planning a tour of the Greek Isles and Italy to celebrate their 35th anniversary of graduation.
Scheduled for June 14 to 26, 1998, class members are inviting all interested individuals to join them on the cruise, according to Robert E. Soderblom, MD, a member of the class of 1963 and trip coordinator.
Tour highlights include tours of Istanbul and Rome, plus visits to Ephesus in Turkey and the Greek islands of Delos, Mykonos, and Santorini. In addition, the cruise ship, Marco Polo, will call at the Mediterranean island of Malta.
Cruise prices range from $4,825 for deluxe suites to $1,895 for inside staterooms. A special round-trip airfare from selected gateway cities in the United States has been arranged for $695.
Limited space is available in all categories, and the airfare is good only with cruise. Individuals who book the tour prior to December 30, 1997, will receive a free one category upgrade and $400 per cabin rebate.
A special feature of the tour will be devotional and Sabbath services presented by Clarence Schilt, DMin, the pastor of the Calimessa Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Further information on the cruise may be obtained by telephoning Dr. Soderblom at (909) 795-3487.
University Church presents concert
The 32nd annual Loma Linda University Church Christmas Candlelight Concert will be held on Sabbath, December 13, at 4:00 p.m., and again at 6:30 p.m.
The Christmas concert will feature musical groups from the University Church including the handbell choir, sanctuary choir and orchestra, brass ensemble, men's chorus, and junior choir.
Special guest at the program will be television personality Stephanie Edwards. Ticket donations are $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Ticket information may be obtained by calling (909) 558-4570.
* Gail Rice, EdD, professor, department of physical therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, presented a workshop at the annual meeting of the International Society for Exploring Teaching Alternatives. The annual meeting was held in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in October, 1997. Her topic was "Exploring Your Metaphors in Teaching." During the workshop, Dr. Rice shared findings from data gathered from Loma Linda University graduate students and faculty.
* A book written by W. William Hughes, PhD, professor, department of physical therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, titled Essentials of Environmental Toxicology--The Effects of Environmentally Hazardous Substances on Human Health, has received a glowing review in the Journal of Toxicology. According to reviewer Ronald B. Mack, MD, "I do not at all hesitate to recommend and praise this book....The author goes to a great deal of trouble to teach what you need to learn about the principles involved in understanding environmental toxicology, but he does so in an educationally sound manner....The book flows well and if you invest the time and pay attention, you will be rewarded with knowledge." Dr. Mack is associate professor of pediatrics, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Black student retreat held at Pine Springs Ranch
The weekend of November 7-8 found the Black Alumni of Loma Linda and the Black Faculty Forum members mentoring the Black Health Professional Student Association of LLU and the Black Students Association of La Sierra University (LSU). This weekend of spiritual retreat and refreshment drew professionals and students from various cities together. Approximately 100 persons participated in the event. Held in the beautiful mountains of San Bernardino at Pine Springs Ranch, the theme of the weekend retreat was "Bridging the Gap." The weekend, organized by the LLU office of diversity and the diversity office of LSU, featured Elder Kwame R. Vanderhorst (left) of Washington, D.C. On Friday evening, Elder Vanderhorst preached on the Adventist Church's response to its community and challenged attendees to get involved with the needs of urban communities. The students of LLU and LSU provided music. Leslie N. Pollard, DMin, (right) special assistant to the president for diversity, presented a video outlining the role of the office of diversity on the LLU campus.Clinical Reference Pocket GuideMichael Gouveia, attorneyLoma Linda MotelBrill's Shoes
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