Elisabeth Meinecke/Collegian
A pinball machine is just one example of VanOrman’s fun-loving side.
A zip-line hangs between two trees that border the clearing in the wooded backyard of Chris VanOrman, associate professor of Chemistry. Still dressed for work and looking as comfortable as if he were mixing chemicals or blowing up things in his chemistry classes, VanOrman takes off from the edge of a fort that he built for his children and glides along the zip-line.
Moments after his successful demonstration, two college students attempt the same thing. Afterwards, the two first-timers—in honor of their successful landings—get to ring the old bell attached to the fort.
The zip-line and bell are just precursors to the treasury of fun toys found inside the house. The basement contains pool, poker and air hockey tables, a big-screen television with surround sound and a pinball machine from 1988 that VanOrman found on Ebay.
“I’m a kid at heart,” VanOrman said. “I do believe the one who has the most toys wins.”
Growing up, VanOrman said his toys often had a more chemical bent. He spent one summer experimenting with a carport and electrical poles in his garage. Now, he devotes his energy to handy-man jobs such as refurbishing the pool in the backyard. He also travels with the American Chemical Society Student Affiliation to all of the schools in the county and performs experiments for students.
VanOrman’s experiments have a felt impact on Hillsdale’s campus as well. To date, he has taken out several ceiling tiles in Kresge Center for Traditional Studies and fights a continuous battle to avoid setting off the fire alarm in the building, particularly at 2 a.m. when he is setting up demonstrations for classes the next day.
“I went into chemistry to blow things up,” VanOrman said.
VanOrman said initially he planned to work in the chemistry industry when he graduated from Case Western Reserve, the alma mater of American chemical giant Herbert H. Dow, in 1992. One of his professors, however, urged him to consider a job as a teacher, so VanOrman agreed to apply for teaching positions at Hillsdale and a few other institutions.
“I fell in love with the place,” VanOrman said. “I think the thing I liked best was the students. I got up in front of the classroom and it was like second nature. I thought, ‘This is what I should be doing.’”
Hillsdale students, who have christened him “Dr. V,” returned VanOrman’s warm sentiments.
“Dr. V is knowledgeable, personable and entertaining—pretty much everything you could ask for in a professor,” said junior Will Dunham, an English major who chose to add a chemistry minor mainly due to his experience of working with VanOrman freshman year.
Dunham also mentioned VanOrman’s rapport with students outside the classroom, which he cultivates by inviting them over for barbeques and rides on the zip-line. VanOrman also served as the Delta Tau Delta fraternity adviser for several years.
Despite his passion for teaching chemistry, however, VanOrman said his family comes first. He and his wife Laurie, a schoolteacher, have two children, Sarah, 11, and Zachary, 10.
VanOrman said some of his favorite activities are playing sports at home with his two children—they play everything from football to basketball to croquet.
“My children and my family are the number one priority in my life,” VanOrman said.
He added that he wants his home to be a place where his children and their friends enjoy coming over and playing—hence the backyard fort complete with cup holders and the air hockey table in the basement.
VanOrman has another hobby, bordering on addiction, that ranks above his work in the classroom—golf.
“Golf is way up there,” he said. “It’s terrible. It’s an obsession.”
He added that one of his aspirations is to join the senior tour.
This is one area, however, where his students disagree with him.
“His golf tips leave something to be desired,” Dunham said. “But nobody’s perfect.”