Congressman Hyde Visits National for Citizenship Project

On August 22nd, Illinois Representative Henry Hyde paid a visit to the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard. Together with NCC President Dr. James Winterstein, the two participated in the taping of a video program to "promote responsible citizenship."

The video, "The U.S. Congress and You," lobbies to increase voter participation in the 18-24 age group. The half-hour program describes the U.S. Congress, the legislative process, and the role citizens can play. The video, which is still in production, will be distributed to all public and private high schools, major chambers of commerce, main public libraries and cable television stations.

After taping the program at National, Rep. Hyde spoke at the college's graduation ceremony. "You can be anything your energy, your heart and your mind wants you to be in this freest of countries," the congressman told the students. "We have to do something, belong to something outside of ourselves. You certainly do. You're an important member of the healing arts, and so your great enterprise will be healing suffering and pain in a free society."

In the past few decades, several chiropractors have branched out into the literary arena. In the Jan. 12, 1998 issue, we did an interview with Alan Jacobson, DC, of northern California, whose legal thriller False Accusations had just been published.

Perhaps the most recognized chiropractic novelist was a DC columnist from 1984-92: Chap Reaver. Dr. Reaver's first novel, Mote, won the 1991 Edgar Allan Poe award for best young adult novel. Dr. Reaver's second novel, A Little Bit Dead, also won wide praise. Dr. Reaver passed away on January 11, 1993.

A new novelist, Edward Aronoff, DC, of Plant City, Florida has written an intriguing Civil War story, Betrayal at Gettysburg. Dr. Aronoff calls the work a "factional" novel, that is, a work of fiction based on historical fact.

Dr. Aronoff told DC the genesis of the novel: "I have a son who a talented writer, and in fact works as a speechwriter for a cabinet member in the state government. I had this idea for a book and mentioned it to him. He liked it and said he would start it soon. I asked him a few times if he had done anything, and he said no. To stimulate him, I wrote the first chapter. It did not get him going so I wrote the second. By the time I wrote the third I told him to forget it -- it was mine."

Betrayal at Gettysburg poses a series of "What if?" scenarios. "What if, I mused, all of Lee's generals followed his timely fashion at Gettysburg? What if Jackson were still with him, would the Army of Northern Virginia have pierced the Union line at Stone Wall? If Ewell and Longstreet would have attacked when ordered, could they have driven Meade off the heights? Thus was this story born."

Finding the time to write the novel was difficult for Dr. Aronoff, who has a considerable practice. "I had to get up at three or four in the morning," recalls Dr. Aronoff, "but I vowed to do some writing every morning and stuck to it until it was done. The most difficult thing was the research. That took lots of time."

If you would like more information on Betrayal at Gettysburg, contact Dr. Aronoff at earonoff-aol.com.

Bruce Challis, MD, has been named to Western States Chiropractic College's board of trustees. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Dr. Challis has spent four decades in the health care field and was given professor emeritus status from the University of Calgary in 1992.

Dr. Challis was appointed the chief medical officer for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, overseeing more than 760 volunteers to ensure that athletes were take care of during the competition. "I was really in the right place at the right time," said Dr. Challis.

Although he was born and raised in Canada, Dr. Challis has done extensive work regarding health care education in the United States. He completed two professional programs at Harvard University, one focusing on evaluating student performance and another for chiefs of clinical services. He was also a postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University in medical education and research.

According to James Badge, DC, FACC, FICC, chair of WSCC's board of trustees, Dr. Challis' knowledge of medical education will serve the college's needs quite well. "His background in higher education, particularly in clinical training for students, will be a valuable asset to the board," said Dr. Badge. "He offers a unique perspective and a wide range of experience to Western States."

Roger Pope, DC, has been named National College of Chiropractic's "Outstanding Alumnus of the Year." A 1977 graduate of National, Dr. Pope received the award for his work in the public sector to raise the profile of the chiropractic profession.

Dr. Pope was the first chiropractor from Illinois elected chairman of the Illinois Medical Licensing Board (IMLB), serving a one-year term (1996-1997). The board functions with the state's Department of Professional Regulation and is responsible for the licensure of medical, osteopathic and chiropractic physicians.

Dr. Pope also served as president of the Illinois Chiropractic Society (1985-86), president of National's alumni association (1988-90), and was an active member of the college's national development program (1986-90).