Congratulations to Ayanna Johnson (2000) and Richard Watkins, who were married on October 27 at Covenant United Church of Christ in Chicago. Ayanna continues as the Director of Community Life at Chicago Theological Seminary; Rich is an attorney.

Trustee Constance Battle, MD, was a recipient of the Caritas Award from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington [DC] on October 25. She has been a volunteer for over five years at the Kennedy Institute's Early Head Start program; as a pediatrician, she helps review children's medical records to ensure all health concerns are addressed. Dr. Battle recently retired from the George Washington University, where she taught pediatric medicine and public health. From 1973 to 1995 she served as chief executive officer and medical director of the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC, where she worked closely with the late Arthur Azlein (1939), who was the minister of the nearby Michigan Park Christian Church and chaired the hospital's board.

Loris and Phil Points (1960) made a visit from Lexington, Kentucky, to Chicago in late October and were able to have lunch with Carol Browning, who still lives in Hyde Park. Phil recalls, "Don [Browning] helped unload our trailer when we moved into our apartment across the court from Carol and Don on Ellis Avenue. They invited us to their place for pizza that evening. Thus began a long, valuable and close friendship."

We are sad to learn of the death of alumnus Parker Rossman (1941) on October 18, 2013, in Columbia, Missouri. He was 94. Read the In memoriam.

Julian DeShazier (Trustee) was ordained in the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on October 6 at University Church in Chicago. He has served as Senior Minister of University Church since November 2010. He graduated from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago with his Master of Divinity in 2010. His father, Robert M. Franklin (former resident), who is President Emeritus of Morehouse College, preached at the 10:30 am worship service; Ozzie M. Smith Jr, Senior Minister of Covenant United Church of Christ, preached at the 3:00pm ordination.

Cheryl Jackson (House Scholar) is now the Transitional Minister of United Christian Church of Country Club Hills, Illinois, effective October 1.

Congratulations to Andrew Packman (Current Scholar) and Sarah Rohde, who were married September 28, 2013, in the chapel at the Lutheran School of Theology (LSTC) in Chicago. Sarah, a 2013 MDiv graduate of LSTC, is now Associate Pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Illinois. Andrew continues his studies as a PhD student in Theology; he is also a founding pastor of Root and Branch Church.

Julian DeShazier (Trustee) is part of the documentary, The Cross is Still Burning, which was broadcast in Chicago on September 22. The documentary follows the journey of a charred KKK cross burned 50 years ago when civil rights activists tried to desegregate churches in Jackson, Mississippi. Today, part of the cross stands in a sculpture in First United Methodist Church, Chicago Temple, inspiring people of faith who continue to march in solidarity for racial justice.

Dean Kris Culp (1982) gave the Seventh W. A. Welsh Seminar on the topic of "Vulnerability, Resistance, and Transformation" on Saturday, September 21, in Dallas as part of Brite Divinity School's Stalcup School of Theology for the Laity. The seminar explored the complexity of "vulnerability," looking at it theologically and in biblical and historical perspectives as well as in contemporary life.

Alexis Vaughan (2009) was ordained at her home congregation, United Christian Parish, Reston, Virginia, on September 14. Joan Bell-Haynes (1995) is the Senior Minister there; Lari Grubbs (Trustee), Regional Minister of the Capital Area, officiated. Dean Kris Culp (1982) and Cynthia Lindner (1978; Trustee) were among the participants. Emily and Ken Brooker-Langston (1985), Rob Wilson-Black (1991), and Adrienne Martin (former resident) joined in celebration. Alexis has just been called as the Associate Minister of Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ in Bethesda, Maryland.