Waldorf Magazine: Spring 2017

G RIN SP 20 17

MY TWO GLORIOUS YEARS THE INSPIRING STORY OF LASANTHA RODRIGO ’00 PG. 6

THE ANSWER MIGHT BE OIL KATIE (TILLMAN) KRUG '03 WAS BORN A WARRIOR PG. 10

HOMECOMING 2016 EVENTS IN REVIEW, PG. 14

CAMPUS NEWS 3

From the President's Desk

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Letter From the Foundation Chair

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Foundation Notes

19 Christmas with Waldorf 20 Waldorf Christmas Open House 21 MLK Jr. Day Speaker 22 Campus News Briefs 24 Education Department News 25 Faculty & Staff News

ATHLETIC UPDATE 30 Volleyball 31 Football 32 Men's Soccer 33 Women's Soccer 34 Women's Cross Country 35 Men's Cross Country 36 Women's Golf 37 Men's Golf

ALUMNI NEWS 6

My Two Glorious Years LASANTHA RODRIGO '00

10 The Answer Might Be Oil KATIE (TILLMAN) KRUG '03

14 Homecoming 2016 16 2016 Class Reunions 18 Alumni Distinguished Service Award 28 Waldorf Online Alumni Profile: NICOLE MACKENDREE '17

29 Waldorf Online Alumni Profile: CHRIS BELCHER '16

38 Class Updates 40 In Memoriam 2

WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

STAY IN TOUCH As faithful stewards of our resources and in an effort to go green, please let the Alumni Office know if you prefer not to receive a printed copy of the Waldorf Magazine. A digital copy is available online at waldorf.edu/alumni/waldorf-magazine.

The Waldorf Magazine, published each spring and fall, is largely funded by donations to the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. We thank you for your continued support and welcome your input for future articles. Please contact the Alumni Office at 641.585.8148 or by emailing alumni@waldorf.edu with your ideas.

Want to stay connected to the Waldorf alumni? If you do not currently receive the Waldorf monthly e-newsletter and would like to sign up, please email the Alumni Office at alumni@waldorf.edu.

VOLUME 114, ISSUE 1

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MANAGING EDITOR

SPRING 2017

WEB

ADMISSIONS OFFICE

waldorf.edu waldorffoundation.org waldorf.edu/alumni/waldorf-magazine

admissions@waldorf.edu 641.585.8112 800.292.1903

Amy Thorson ’03 EDITORS

Kelli Harms Brittany Gibson

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FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

A year ago I wrote about a chance encounter with Bill Kidder ’69 at a bakery in Orange Beach, Alabama. Along with his delightful wife Judy, we had a brief but inspiring visit. He told me about the impact that Waldorf had on his life, and I spoke about all the great things happening at the university.

A week ago, Bill emailed to let me know that he would be in Orange Beach again for the month of February and was wondering if I would be in the area. As it turned out, I was scheduled to be in Orange Beach during the first week of February as well. We made plans to meet at the same bakery, pick up some cookies and take them to the local Waldorf facility.

There, we could tour the campus and meet the Waldorf staff in Orange Beach.

I suspected that it would be another inspirational encounter, but I didn’t know just how inspiring the day would become.

That morning, I took a call from a student who was deployed in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Darren Dibrell is taking his final courses to earn a bachelor’s in criminal justice.

He was moved to reach out because of the amazing experiences he has had at Waldorf. He couldn’t wait until graduation to share just how transformative his Waldorf education was. While he praised all aspects of his education, he singled out his academic advisor, Debra Waldrop, who had been there with him every step of the way. He wrote in his follow up email to Debra: “If I had not had you as my academic advisor for the past five years, my life would be incredibly different. I’m not

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saying it would be bad, but you opened my eyes to what I could be, what I could do, in a way that I’ve never thought possible. You took a soldier that was scared to death of starting college and made me want to see the world and beyond. Now I can say that I have two degrees because of you.

I still remember calling you almost every day to ask you 101 questions. Not once did you ever get mad at me or act like I was getting on your nerves, but instead you made me feel like I was the most important student. Mrs. Waldrop, you are a true blessing to me. There were times when I felt overwhelmed by trying to accomplish work and school. Sometimes work won the battle, but you stepped right in to help me get back on track and walked me through on how to apply for a course extension.

You have changed my whole aspect on my learning. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Your encouragement and persistence in my time at Waldorf University has taught me that I am who I am, and to get to the top, it’s all up to me. I am capable, but it will take hard work and lots of dedication.”

Staff Sgt. Dibrell’s experience mirrors many of the comments I receive from Waldorf students, whether they are taking classes in Forest City or online from around the world. It is both humbling and inspiring to hear the positive impact that a Waldorf education has had on a student, especially one who has dedicated his life to serving and protecting us.

Inspiration and motivation is exactly what Bill Kidder brought to the afternoon. After

a joyful reunion at the bakery, Bill, Judy and I made our way to the Orange Beach Waldorf facility. We toured the building and shared cookies with the staff. One thing you immediately discover about Bill is that he isn’t shy, and he loves to tell stories.

Bill shared Waldorf stories with the staff and discussed the profound influence that the school had on his career and his commitment to various ministries.

Throughout his stories, a single message rang through: What Bill values is not his accomplishments, experiences or money, but the relationships he’s formed and having the opportunity to serve others.

That day was a confluence of inspiration from the past and the present. It showed just how important the Waldorf experience has been to so many, and how those experiences will continue into the future.

Just like Staff Sgt. Dibrell, Bill’s life was transformed by his Waldorf education.

Both of these men used their personal experiences to change the world, a true testament to Waldorf’s mission of educating the whole person.

Both of these experiences give me great pride in a university that not only serves students so well, but also prepares them to make the world a better place.

Lux et Veritas Sincerely,

Robert Alsop, Ph. D. Waldorf University President

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A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIR

Dear Friends, I think many of you will recall that one of my common themes in these letters over the years has been to extol the importance of the Waldorf experience. I think I am safe in saying that the vast majority of Waldorf graduates over the university's long and storied history have concluded that their time at Waldorf was a life-changing experience. The Waldorf experience is never the same for any two students, but perhaps one young lady captured it as well as anyone when she said, "I have been challenged mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually and I have become a stronger better version of myself."

In this letter, I want to share with you the evolving story of one young man's Waldorf experience. As part of his story, I will also share with you the joy of being a donor who helps to make that Waldorf experience possible.

Two years ago, my wife Joan and I endowed the Raymond M. and Joan P. Beebe Scholarship.

Every four years, it provides an incoming Waldorf student with a four-year full-tuition scholarship.

And because of my role as president of the Forest City Education Foundation, we provided that preference would be given to a Forest City graduate planning to attend Waldorf University.

Several Forest City seniors applied for the first Beebe Scholarship and the applicants were interviewed by representative of both foundations, as well as Joan and myself. We were quickly drawn to Jimmy Blankenship ’19 who came across as delightful and insightful.

It was clear to us that this young man had a zest for life and that he was destined to make a difference. He seemed to be a perfect match for that "Waldorf experience," so we chose him to receive the scholarship.

As Jimmy now begins the second semester of his sophomore year, Joan and I could not be more pleased with our selection.

I asked Jimmy to reflect on his Waldorf experience. Here are some of his comments: While attending public school in Forest City, I never thought of furthering my education so close to home. I wanted to

Jimmy Blankenship ’16 with scholarship donors Ray and Joan Beebe.

explore, but most of all I wanted a fresh start. I quickly became intrigued by the University of Northern Iowa—a big school in a much bigger city—and a fresh start where no one would know me. As time went on, I also considered other options and eventually, enough people from the community encouraged me to give Waldorf a shot, and I did. Without even knowing it, it was the greatest decision I could make!

Ever since joining the Warrior family I have been amazed by the impact it has had on me in just three semesters. From my freshman year—joining the education club, speaking at Like Fire (Lutheran Campus Ministry), participating in the Hope Mime, going to New Orleans with our campus ministry team on our annual mission trip, being hired as a Bible camp counselor last summer and continuing my athletic career with the cross country and track and field teams—to my first semester of my sophomore year—being a resident assistant for Johnson and London Halls, acting as a peer minister on behalf of Like Fire, being a student leader for The Bridge (Baptist Campus Ministry), continuing my athletic career and being a full time student—it has been quite the journey. And a journey, I believe, only possible here.

The connections I have made, the opportunities that I have been presented with and the things I have learned about life and our reason for being on this earth would have been unimaginable just a few short years ago. My favorite thing about Waldorf would have to be the people; Waldorf—where connections are built and memories are made!

Dr. Kristen Paul, assistant professor of education, has been Jimmy's advisor since he began his freshman year. Dr. Paul looks forward to Jimmy's frequent visits to her office. She calls him a delightful young man, joyful, warm and friendly.

Dr. Paul says Jimmy is strong in his faith which he shares through his involvement with both the Lutheran and Baptist Campus Ministry Programs.

She said he also considers his track and cross country teammates to be "brothers," and further observes that the way he has "blossomed" and grown in only three semesters is truly incredible.

Outreach Coordinator for Lutheran Campus Ministry, Antoine Cummins ’15, also speaks highly of Jimmy. He said: It has been a pleasure to work with Jimmy.

Not only does Jimmy excel academically and athletically, he also serves as one of our 11 Lutheran Campus Ministry Peer Ministers at Waldorf University. Any member of the worship teams Jimmy has been associated with would agree that it is Jimmy's unique character and unceasing work ethic that make him a great asset to any team.

Whether it is through his compassion for all or his obvious passion for the word of God, it is clear that Waldorf University and any organizations with which he is involved will benefit from his leadership. You don't have to know Jimmy for very long before you notice his positive attitude and genuine appreciation for the opportunities he has been blessed with. I am certain that as he continues to grow, he will continue to push those around him to success.

Joan and I have been truly blessed by our relationship with Jimmy. I try to meet with him monthly to share breakfast, conversation and prayer. I’ve become his mentor when appropriate and he often expresses his gratitude for our help.

Jimmy’s scholarship is one of the best "investments" we have ever made. We feel there can be no greater legacy than helping young people like Jimmy reach their potential and live a lifetime of service. I ask all of you to consider how meaningful this type of legacy might be for you as well.

Sincerely,

Raymond M. Beebe Chair, Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation Retired Vice President, General Counsel Secretary Winnebago Industries, Inc. 1974–2012

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Jimmy, back row, far right, poses with other members of the Bridge, the Baptist Student Ministry group on campus.

WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

Jimmy Blankenship, back row, far right, is pictured here with other Waldorf students performing service work.

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FOUNDATION NOTES

Nancy Olson, CFRE Director of Institutional Relations Waldorf University/Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation

Amy Thorson Director of Alumni Relations Waldorf University/Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation

INSPIRING STORIES. INSPIRING ALUMNI. Greetings fellow Warriors!

With 2017 underway, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Waldorf highlights of 2016.

This past year was one for the record books and I look forward to recapping some of those events in the pages to come.

In 2016 Waldorf College became Waldorf University, the Waldorf Choir celebrated its 100th year and many came back to campus to enjoy Homecoming 2016. We also celebrated the birth of our savior with the annual “Christmas with Waldorf” concert featuring the Waldorf Choir and Waldorf Wind Ensemble. waldorf.edu

I’m now in my second year as alumni director and as I’ve said before, one of my favorite parts of this job is hearing the stories— specifically your stories. In this magazine, you will hear the inspirational stories from alums Lasantha Rodrigo ’00 and Katie (Tillman) Krug ’03.

Lasantha came to the United States from Sri Lanka and made Waldorf his home. Since leaving Waldorf, Lasantha dealt with the crushing blow of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis but hasn’t let it affect his spirit. Excerpts from his latest publication, Fireflies in the Dark: A Memoir, are

included within the article he wrote for this edition. I can’t wait for you to read his inspiring story.

Speaking of inspiring, Katie (Tillman) Krug is all that and more. Her journey after Waldorf has included a medical diagnosis of her own: ulcerative colitis. See how she has used that experience to fight for herself and others in The Answer Might Be Oil by Heather Yeoman, M.A. I invite you to sit back and enjoy what you’re about to read.

Amy (Bahr) Thorson ’03 Director of Alumni Relations

Janet Berhow Database and Gift Processing Manager Waldorf University/Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation

The Waldorf Magazine—a combined effort of the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation and Waldorf University—is published for alumni and friends of Waldorf University. Please help us keep our records up-to-date by notifying the Foundation if you have moved, changed your name or updated your email address. Contact Janet Berhow at berhowj@waldorf.edu or 641.585.8140.

Waldorf University 106 South 6th Street Forest City, IA 50436 641.585.2450 // 800.292.1903

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ALUMNI NEWS

Lasantha Rodrigo (sitting) and the rest of the Waldorf Homecoming court, taken moments after Lasantha was named Homecoming king in 1999.

MY TWO GLORIOUS YEARS

by LASANTHA RODRIGO ’00

I have multiple sclerosis.

I have had it for almost 15 years. It’s a chronic, degenerative disease of the central nervous system. I believe I’m at a fairly advanced stage of the disease, but my mind is fine and my memory is still very vivid.

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WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

As I sit here staring at this blank computer screen, a vibrant potpourri of memories is whirling in my mind. I have seen so many places and have met so many people, but today, I only want to remember the good. The beautiful. The life-giving. The angelic.

I remember landing at the Des Moines International Airport with $23 in my wallet. It was my birthday, Aug. 24, 1998.

After a very long plane ride that lasted almost two days, I had finally arrived in Iowa, all

the way from Sri Lanka, to be a student at Waldorf University on a full scholarship.

I am from a middle-class Sri Lankan family. Although I desperately wanted to study theater, my parents could not afford a foreign education.

I entered the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka, but they did not offer a degree in theater. My favorite teacher in high school suggested that I write to universities in the United States and inquire about a full scholarship. I had won numerous awards in high

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ALUMNI NEWS school for acting, announcing, creative writing, debating, oratory, etc., and my teacher was confident that some university would want to have me. Because I was not in a position to pay anything at all, the scholarship had to cover everything—including room and board!

On a scalding mid-morning, I went to the American Center and hand-copied the information that I needed to send a laboriously long letter to almost a hundred universities and colleges in the U.S. I asked them what my chances were in receiving a 100 percent scholarship to study theater.

In retrospect, I’m sure some of the recipients possibly even laughed, but Waldorf didn’t.

They sent me a thoughtful letter and encouraged me to apply for the Lutheran Leader Scholarship. This is the beginning of my story.

Out of the large number of universities and colleges I had written to, about five were willing to consider a full scholarship (including

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Lasantha Rodrigo is a 2000 graduate of Waldorf College with an inspiring story to tell. Originally from Sri Lanka, he currently resides in Normal, Illinois, where he earned his Ph.D. in English studies from Illinois State University.

His most recent memoir, “Fireflies in the Dark: A Memoir,” was released in October 2016 and you will see excerpts from it in his story. “Fireflies in the Dark: A Memoir” is available on Amazon.com.

Waldorf) if I furnished further materials like test scores, recommendations, etc. Sri Lankan rupees amount to almost nothing when converted into American dollars. So, even taking some of the tests was beyond me.

Therefore, I applied only to Waldorf College. It was a long process. I took the TOEFL test, ordered transcripts and obtained the necessary recommendations. I had put all my eggs in one basket. It was either Waldorf or nothing at all. But I was young, and I had that naïve optimism afforded by youth.

Taken from “Fireflies in the Dark”:

Around four in the afternoon, when the sky was turning an unusual burgundy near the sunset, I received a call from the agency post office, saying that I had a fax from the United States: the news I had

been waiting for! I had written to [Waldorf] College, asking if I had won the scholarship.

This was my time. My moment in the sun. I was going to be a star.

I was going to leave my eventful, frosted, buttermilk home. I was going to dazzle…

But was I being too optimistic? What could I do if the fax brought me bad news?

It was a short walk from [Rajamalwatte Road]. I ran, not seeing hurrying pedestrians and screeching vehicles on the way. When I reached the little agency post office, I told the man behind the counter that I had a fax from the United States. When he brought the fax, I instantaneously grabbed it from him. The words were

smudged. I read the first few: “We are happy to inform you…”

Taken from “Fireflies in the Dark”:

I heard birds beginning to chirp. I opened eyes deprived of sleep. Sunlight attempted to enter gently through the ventilation gaps above the windows. It was a special day—the day I was flying to

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ALUMNI NEWS

Iowa. The trip would take about 30 hours. The red docket with my plane ticket caught my drooping eyes. I walked up to the teak table and made sure the ticket was still inside.

I brought it to my chest and sighed. I might be happy, I told myself. I would leave behind [Rajamalwatte Road]. I would leave behind rich brown earth where Benji was laid to rest. Then there was [Mom].

[Thilanka]. Akka. [Brother].

Everything known to me.

Everything I relied on.

[Mom] was making [milk rice], which was usually made at auspicious times. I avoided eye contact when I passed her on my way to the bathroom that all six of us had waited in line for, for years. As I opened the faucet, the coldness of the water surprised me.

Fragrance of the [milk rice] had permeated the very walls. That smell of fresh rice and coconut milk. Like [Rajamalwatte Road].

Like home. Like the kind of love only [Mom] could show. I wore clothes [Mom] had neatly ironed for me the night before.

Colombo—Seoul—Amsterdam —Des Moines—Mason City.

Heather would pick me up from there to take me to [Waldorf] College. I bowed 8

my head at my parents’ feet with betel leaves grown on the wall separating us from the Weerasinghes, to ask for their blessings. [Mom] gagged a little, and [Dad] hushed her.

Rocky licked my limp hand. He emitted a mournful sound. I welcomed the excuse to pet his head.

I took dreams, hopes, anticipation, nervousness, excitement, good wishes, the empty fish tank, Rocky’s moist nose, the milk rice, smooth, pastel green walls of the living room, [Rajamalwatte Road], and a bit of [Mom] with me.

That’s how I ended up at Waldorf. I remember how excited I was. When I landed at the Mason City domestic airport, the pilot asked me how I was, and I told him I was full of peanuts. (The airline had served peanuts!) This all happened so long ago, but I remember everything like it happened last week.

Heather picked me up from the airport to take me to Waldorf.

We drove through endless cornfields under vast blue skies. The media had made me understand that the U.S. was all tall buildings and neon signs, so I was looking for sky

WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

scrapers, Broadway, neon signs and billboards. Then Heather stopped in front of some ordinary-looking buildings.

“We are home,” she said. I could barely contain myself.

I joined the choir in my freshman year. We practiced five days of the week. The choir was directed by Dr. Bradley Creswell and Charlotte Fredrickson was the secretary of the Music Department.

I was a first tenor, and my favorite part of all the concerts we sang in was surrounding the audience and singing “Beautiful Savior” at the end. When we held hands to perform this song, something magical happened every time.

Some inexplicable electric sensation passed from one chorister to the next that was ultimately channeled to the audience.

Czech Republic and Slovakia.

We sang in magnificent churches. We went to Mozart’s house. We went to see a concentration camp in Germany. We went to the location where “The Sound of Music” was filmed. The entire tour was a magical experience, and we all flourished culturally and musically.

Back home in Sri Lanka, my parents had received a letter from my high school saying that I had been awarded a medal for being the most outstanding student at Royal College (my primary, middle and high school) for the year 1995. This was a big deal, as the award was to be presented by the then President of Sri Lanka. Although I could not be there to accept the award, receiving it—even in absentia— was truly humbling.

Taken from “Fireflies in the Dark”:

In 1999, the choir was scheduled to tour Europe. The trip cost $2,000 and I was not planning to go. Then one day, Charlotte called and asked what my summer plans were.

I told her nothing. Then she asked me if I would like to tour Europe with the choir, fully sponsored by the music department! So I went with the choir to Germany, Austria,

Theater at [Waldorf] College was greatly responsible for making those two years the most memorable years of my life. I acted in every production.

[Smith] Theater, the green room, the big mirrors, the costume shop, the scene shop, the thrust stage, the tunnels, the box office, my thespian friends, my favorite professors, the gray carpet, the red seats, waldorf.edu

ALUMNI NEWS the programs, the tickets are all so fresh and vivid in my mind. I was Shu Fu. I was Polonius. I was Creon. I was a Tragedian. I was Mr. Crampton.

I was Johnny Cantone. I was Kenneth. Johnny Cantone was my favorite role. Despite the seemingly joyful spirit of a musical, the end of “The 1940’s Radio Hour” was a well of sadness to me. When I flicked dust off the ghost light at the end, my eyes were misty.

After two years, I transferred to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, on the same scholarship. I missed Waldorf most dearly. I made new friends, but my best friends were from Waldorf.

There was something in the air. Something in the water.

Something in the paved roads in the Midwest like dripping chocolate from a milkmaid’s spoon. Tacoma, by contrast, was my seat of pain.

Taken from “Fireflies in the Dark”:

When Dr. Clifford finally came in, he was intently studying some computer printouts.

His intense focus made his

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forehead wrinkle. He avoided looking at us. At me. Then he spat it out.

“We suspect you have a condition called multiple sclerosis, commonly known as MS.” My boss’s brown eyes hinted at the gravity of this diagnosis.

She squeezed my hand. I had no idea, then. MS was just two letters of the alphabet to me.

“So how long do I have to live?” I asked.

“Oh, you’ll live to be a hundred.”

research and find out about MS. It’s a common neurological disease, but whatever you find out, keep in mind that MS is not the end of the world. We are here to help. When you come next time, we will talk about the disease and our action plan. How does that sound?”

“A little morbid, I think.”

“Las, you are a funny guy. You will beat this disease.”

“If you insist, but I don’t even know what this MS is.”

“What are they?”

Within a very short period of time, Waldorf became a home to me. Those two years just flew by, and as I reflect on those two years now, I can say without any hesitation that they were the best two years of my life. Many things have happened to me since I left, but Waldorf taught me many things to carry me through the turbulent landscape of my life today.

“We’ll take one step at a time.

Your assignment is to do some

I earned my Ph.D. in English studies (creative writing track)

“Is it that bad?? Jeez, I don’t know how I came this far, but to be a hundred!? So what would this MS or whatever do to me?”

“The symptoms can be many.

There’s no cure for MS but we can treat the symptoms as they appear.”

from Illinois State University in 2014. In January of 2017, I will be teaching online for the University of Maryland. My memoir, “Fireflies in the Dark,” was published recently and is available on Amazon. I am excited to find out where life will take me next. Someone once told me that there are no accidents in this short pilgrimage. I want to believe him. I really do.

Sometimes I lie in bed awake and wistful, barely able to get out of bed due to many complications of MS, I hum in my mind those breathtaking words of “Beautiful Savior”: Fair are the meadows, Fair are the woodlands, robed in flowers of blooming spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer; He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.

Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine!

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Oil

THE ANSWER MIGHT BE

by HEATHER YEOMAN, M.A. Assistant Professor, Communications and Religion

Some people are just born warriors.

When Katie (Tillman) Krug accepted her Waldorf diploma in December 2003, she was proud to be a Warrior. Little did she know how literally she would need to be one shortly thereafter.

With a brand-new business degree in her portfolio, the Forest City native moved to Arizona upon graduation to work for a mortgage company.

In 2006, she accepted a job offer from Verizon, where she currently serves as a national account manager.

Then she got sick. And she remained sick for an entire year. “(Doctors) just kept telling me that I had the flu,” Krug says. “I was finally hospitalized because I was in such bad shape.”

A colonoscopy during her hospitalization allowed doctors to finally confirm a diagnosis: ulcerative colitis—a chronic, auto-immune disease that causes ulcers to form around the lining of the large intestine.

There is no cure.

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Krug suffers random and frequent “flare-ups,” where she suffers excruciating pain after eating or drinking. She describes the feeling like that of salt on an open skin wound.

“You still have to try to eat, but it’s so painful to eat or drink anything because anything that goes in comes right out immediately,” she says.

In addition to the pain during a flare-up, Krug suffers high fever and weakness because she is not absorbing nutrients.

She has been hospitalized twice, a week at a time, to receive powerful steroids through an IV to calm her inflammation.

And Krug says her struggle doesn’t end there. After leaving the hospital, Krug takes a tapering dose of steroids for up to four months, suffering many side effects. During times of remission, Krug attempts to ward off the disease with an arsenal of diet restrictions and medications.

“The biggest thing for me has been making my diet be absolutely, 100 percent, really, really good,” Krug says. “I can’t cheat.”

WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

Image courtesy of the Iowa Daily Democrat; photo by Rick Smith.

State Rep. John Forbes addresses the crowd at a statehouse rally for medical cannabis in March 2016.

Krug has severe food allergies to coffee, gluten and corn, and cannot eat dairy, grains, rice or potatoes. That leaves her with a diet of protein, seeds, nuts, vegetables and some fruits.

“I pretty much have to make everything from scratch,” she says.

In addition to heeding strict dietary rules, Krug is infused with a chemotherapy-like medication though IV every eight weeks. The infusion takes an hour to complete, but Krug’s side effects, including weakness and fatigue, last a week. Krug has endured countless medications over the years.

“The frustrating thing about this disease is that the medications will work for a certain period of time, and they’ll just stop working. And you don’t really have any kind of warning,” she said.

The exhausting process of trying new medications, recovering from side effects and suffering through flare-ups has become the driving force behind Krug’s quest to find something better. And while it remains a controversial topic

for many, Krug would like to attempt a truce with her disease through cannabis oil.

Krug became intrigued with the topic after reading about a Colorado boy who is successfully managing Crohn’s disease (a similar disease to ulcerative colitis that affects the entire digestive tract rather than just the large intestine) with the oil.

“The more research I did, the more I found so many people who are treating their ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease with cannabis oil,” Krug says.

The oil is taken orally, often inside a capsule.

“And that’s where I think there is sometimes a misconception with medical cannabis that people are just smoking pot, and that’s really not what it’s about,” Krug says. “There are so many healing properties.”

She adds, “The awesome thing about cannabis is that there are no side effects; you can’t overdose on it.”

Krug has to rely on others’ experiences with medical waldorf.edu

ALUMNI NEWS

cannabis because she has never tried it herself.

“For me, it’s about advocating for my right to have that medication as an option,” Krug says.

“Because the infusions that I have are an immunosuppressant, I have to be really careful. I am more prone to getting different

Above: Iowa State Capitol

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severe infections.” (One of the risks of her current treatment is a fatal brain infection.)

lawmakers and her most formidable opponent—the pharmaceutical companies.

“I’m either in the hospital sick, or I can take this drug that has all of these bad side effects, including tiredness, risk of infection and liver damage— but it can make me lead a semi-normal life,” Krug says, describing her choice as being between the lesser of two evils.

“(The pharmaceutical companies) make so much money,” Krug says.

Advocating for her right to try cannabis oil as a medical treatment option puts Krug on the front lines against

As a point of reference, Krug said her infusions cost $50,000 a year without her insurance coverage.

“There’s so much lobbying,” she adds.

Krug is a member of Concerned Iowans for

Medical Cannabis, a nonprofit organization working to educate the public and lobby for legislative change.

While the group is seeing some support from their representatives, Krug said there is still an uphill battle fraught with misconceptions.

“I hear all the time from the legislators, ‘Well, it’s a slippery slope. Once you approve it for medical use, then it’s just going to be recreational, then everyone’s gonna want to get their hands on it,’” she says.

At right: (Katie Tillman) Krug is living with ulcerative colitis and has been asking legislators to allow medical cannabis to be produced in Iowa. She is pictured here with her son, Dawson. Photo courtesy of Maria La France.

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ALUMNI NEWS “The thing that they don’t understand is what we’re asking for has such low THC [tetrahydrocannabinol]. The kind of marijuana drug that people get off the street has a really high THC in it, and that’s what makes people high,” she says. “So, if you have a much lower THC and more CBD (cannabidiol) in the cannabis oil, it’s really more of a medicine; it doesn’t give you that high.” She explains that different strains of the plant can be grown to help various diseases.

Krug and Adam met in 2012 after she transferred with her Verizon job to the Des Moines area. The couple live in Grimes with two daughters, Kiera, 12, and Brooke, 10, and a son, Dawson, 7 1/2 months.

“You just have to look at all these different people being helped with awful diseases and conditions and the change in the quality of life that’s being bettered for them. It makes you scratch your head when people are questioning this,” she says.

She has come close to canceling family trips due to complications with her disease.

“It’s hard for them, too,” Krug says.

“It doesn’t just affect me; it affects my whole family.”

“There are multiple times I have to reschedule things just because I’m not feeling well,” she says.

Despite her health challenges, Krug manages to juggle her family, career (she opened a home clothing boutique, LuLaRoe, in addition to her fulltime job with Verizon), support group facilitation and lobbying efforts.

“I’ve always been a fighter,” Krug says. “If there’s something that I don’t think is right or needs to be changed, I’m always at the forefront saying, ‘How do we get this changed?’ That’s always been my personality.”

Krug was born a Warrior, but she credits the Waldorf Honors College for helping to encourage her out of her comfort zone. Waldorf President Bob Alsop was the director of the Honors College when Krug was a student.

“Dr. Alsop was very instrumental to me in that program. I remember really having to dig deep, because I’m kind of a black and white person, so I really had to think outside of the box for a lot of those honors classes…it really pushed me.”

That Warrior spirit still drives her to press forward for change. And the biggest change she hopes to see in the next year is legalization of medical marijuana in Iowa.

“This really truly is a medical treatment that is helping so many different people, and there are virtually no side effects,” Krug says. “I really want to have the right, and there are so many other Iowans that deserve the right to try this as a medical option for them.”

Krug says the Concerned Iowans for Medical Cannabis group’s hope for a comprehensive medical cannabis program in Iowa needs to start with a medical advisory board, so that doctors can choose what illnesses and conditions qualify and who gets access.

“What (Iowa politicians) are having a problem with is the thought that, “Well we’re not doctors, so we can’t decide which diseases qualify for having this program and which don’t,” she says.

Krug says the group hopes to see some movement toward a medical cannabis program in Iowa in 2017. Until then, she will continue to combat her disease through medicine, diet and the support of her family: her husband, Adam and their three children.

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ALUMNI NEWS JAN AGAIN FOUNDATION AWARDS $68,000 IN GRANTS TO MASON CITY AND NORTH IOWA ORGANIZATIONS Local Waldorf alumni Waldo “Wally” Smeby ‘57, advisor for the Jan Again Foundation based out of Mason City, announced the awarding of grants to the following organizations.

Blue Zone of Mason City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,000 Francis Lauer Youth Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 Trinity Lutheran Church Faith and Wellness Outreach . . $10,000 NAMI of North Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 NAMI Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000 North Iowa Youth for Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,500 The Jan Again Foundation, founded in 1999 to honor the memory of Wally’s late wife Jan, aims to raise awareness surrounding mental health. The foundation provides education to those vulnerable to depression, families who are supporting those suffering from mental illness and to the medical community to help them understand the needs of patients and their families.

Organizations interested in applying for a grant may contact Waldo Smeby at wallysmeabs@gmail.com.

Fargo-area alums enjoyed watching the WALDORF MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM take on the NCAA Division I’s North Dakota State University on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016, in Fargo, North Dakota.

North Dakota State University won the exhibition matchup 83-52.Waldorf alums in attendance were Dave Anderson ‘73, Roger Olson ‘62 and John Eliason ‘09. waldorf.edu

WALDORF’S HOCKEY TEAM took on the University of St. Thomas on Nov. 4, 2016. In attendance were 23 area alums including: Bob Johnson ‘54, Sonja (Bergquist) Johnson ‘61, David Damm ‘73, Larry Hill ‘73, Steve Dummett ‘75, Glenn and Janet (Grube) Gaylord ‘75, Mark and Cindy (Erickson) Robinson ‘75, Brad and Colleen (Johnson) Lamping ‘87, Doug and Annie (Furland) Olson ‘90, Nick '98 and Tiffany (Blome) Olson ‘98, Seth and Amy (Bahr) Thorson ‘03, Tara (Crawford) Kingland ‘15, Natalie Kingland, Bob Alsop, Richard Campney, John Robinson and Jaci Thorson.

NEW ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER SHARES HIS WALDORF STORY Hello, my name is Brian Chisolm ‘02, and I am one of the newest members of the Waldorf alumni board. While at Waldorf, I played football for my first two years—we were still junior college sports back then— and earned my bachelor’s degree in business finance and management during the remaining two years.

During my final semester before graduation, Waldorf’s outstanding Career Center took us to several job fairs, as well as brought in a former Waldorf student who worked at Wells Fargo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to conduct interviews. I was fortunate enough to be hired as a credit card underwriter. They also empowered me to use my new position as an internship, allowing me to finish my degree. I finished school in December 2002 and moved to Sioux Falls immediately to begin my new career.

One month into the job, I was activated by the 1133rd Army National Guard unit out of Mason City for active duty service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. My career with Wells Fargo was placed on hold while I trained and deployed to Iraq for 12 months. I had the honor and blessing to be with my great friend during this challenging time, fellow Forest City High School and Waldorf alum, Jon Olson ‘02. During our time overseas, we were overwhelmed by the support of the Forest City and Waldorf communities. The outpouring of support has always stuck with me. After 16 months of deployment, we returned to Iowa in April 2004. I returned to work at Wells Fargo in June 2004.

In 2006, I entered a new role as a mortgage underwriter with Wells Fargo in Des Moines, and have held various positions within the company since then. I am currently an FHA and VA mortgage underwriter for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. During my time in Central Iowa, I have resided in Des Moines, Ankeny and two years ago moved to Polk City. It’s in Des Moines where I met my wife Emily. We have three boys: Teagan, Zachary and Alexander and a baby girl, Evelyn.

Originally from Forest City, I wasn’t sure how attending college in my hometown would be, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I had an unforgettable experience during my time at Waldorf and the faculty and staff were wonderful. I can’t thank them enough. I am passionate about my school and want to make this campus great for both current and future students.

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ALUMNI NEWS

HOMECOMING RECAP

H O M E C O M I N G 2 016 Friday, October 7, 2016 The athletic hall of fame banquet took place Friday evening in the Salveson Ballroom. The 2016 inductees included Larry Vernon ‘65 (posthumously), Randall Herbst ‘91, Jesse Zimmer ‘98, Christina Neve ‘00 and Krista Van Hauen ‘04.

Presenters for the evening were Brian Grunzke ‘77, former coach and athlete, Hall of Fame Class 2015; Nancy (Bergland) Olson ‘75, director of institutional relations; Marty Pump ‘82, former coach, Hall of Fame Class 1988; Denny Jerome ‘70, director of athletics and women’s basketball coach (1972−2014); and Dan Mason, NIACC athletic director, former Waldorf coach and professor.

Meanwhile, at the Lodge, the Communications Department hosted COMMBACK KICKBACK, an allComm, all-class reunion. More than 30 alums attended this inaugural event and enjoyed a ‘90s-themed party, seated dinner and a look back at the last 20 years in the Waldorf Communications Department.

CANDIDATE REVIEW took place at 9 p.m. Friday in the Atrium. Homecoming king and queen candidates participated in a Pokemon Go-themed event called Warrior Go where they battled it out for the royal medal.

Following the candidate review, students made their way to the fieldhouse parking lot where the BONFIRE and CORONATION took place. Mia Crail-Yusif ‘17 of Mililani, Hawaii, was crowned the 2016 Homecoming queen and Michael Morgan ‘17 of Charlotte, Tennessee, was named the 2016 Homecoming king. Additional members of the court included, Kurtis Aguilar ‘16, James Michael Campos ‘17, LaRyan Fletcher ‘17, Megan Perkins ‘17, Isa Rabel ‘18 and Kathryn Wilcox ‘17.

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Plan Ahead! HOMECOMING 2017 will be OCT. 20–22.

Saturday, October 8, 2016 Saturday’s full slate of events kicked off with the HOMECOMING PARADE marching in at 10 a.m. The grand marshals for this year’s parade were the current and former Waldorf Choir directors. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the Waldorf Choir is the second oldest a cappella choir in the nation. Directors who attended as GRAND MARSHALS included Ben Allaway, Blair Buffington, Travis Beck and current director Joel Everist.

The class of 1966 celebrated their 50th class reunion with a special luncheon in the Salveson Lobby. The 27 luncheon attendees laughed and reminisced throughout the day as they shared memories and talked about their college days.

The all-class reunion luncheons were held in the fieldhouse gymnasium. The gym buzzed with 20 tables full of alumni who chatted about old times. Following the luncheon, the annual homecoming art and craft fair took place in the fieldhouse lobby from 1–4 p.m. The Alumni Board of Directors held their meeting from 2–3 p.m.

Waldorf’s athletic teams also had a full day of events. The FOOTBALL game took place at 1 p.m., WOMEN’S SOCCER at 5 p.m. and MEN’S SOCCER at 7 p.m. The hockey team played in their home arena in Albert Lea at 7:30 p.m.

The Waldorf alumni band rehearsed at 3 p.m. under the direction of former Waldorf band director Steven Thompson, now director of instrumental activities at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Waldorf alumni choir came together at 4 p.m. to celebrate 100 years of the Waldorf Choir under former directors Ben Allaway, Blair Buffington, Travis Beck and current director Joel Everist.

The HOMECOMING MUSIC CONCERT followed immediately after the banquet and featured the Waldorf Choir, Sangkor, Schola Cantorum and the Wind Ensemble. Conductors were C. David Rutt, Travis Beck and Joel Everist. Alumni guest conductors included Steven Thompson, Ben Allaway and Blair Buffington.

Sunday, October 9, 2016 Sunday wrapped up homecoming weekend with worship at Immanuel Lutheran Church, followed by the Musical Theatre Showcase in Smith Theatre.

Inductees into the 2016 Waldorf University Athletic Hall of Fame are (from L to R) Jesse Zimmer ‘98, Linda Vernon (accepting on behalf of husband Larry Vernon ‘65), Randall Herbst ‘91, Christina Neve ‘00 and Krista Van Hauen ‘04.

ALUMNI NEWS

HOMECOMING RECAP

CLASS REUNIONS

Celebrating Homecoming 2016

CLASS OF 1961—ROW 1 (L TO R): Mary (Reisetter) Severseike,

CLASS OF 1944—Anna Marie Mitchell

CLASS OF 1951—ROW 1 (L TO R): Beverly (Ford) Skadburg, Dolores (Jacobson) Weisbrod, Liz (Aamoth) Stadem. ROW 2: Joan (Mehus) Olson, Marion (Charlson) Erickson, Ken Bauge, Marcus Mork

CLASS OF 1956—ROW 1 (L TO R): Jim Bergeson, Twyla (Koop) Hall, Marilyn

(Gangestad) Bang, Marilyn (Mork) Day, Carolyn (Olson) Ullestad. ROW 2: Argyl Ullestad, Raymond Leerar, David S. Dahl, Naomi (Bjerkestrand) Bagley

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Janet (Hetland) Hernes, Janora (Gustafson) Hodges, Solveig (Hyland) Carlson. ROW 2: Dan Eisch, Karen (Hanna) Dyer, Karen (Weum) Meyering, Margaret (Nielsen) Rude, Ron Kvale

CLASS OF 1966—ROW 1 (L TO R): Darlene Jordahl, Roger Madson, Vicki (Stensland) John, Ardy (Proehl) Hinds, Marcia (Methus) Young, Edwin Reitan, Wayne Hansen. ROW 2: Dave Swanson, Carolyn (Loseth) Swanson, Sonja (Ausen) Honstad, Diana (Rauk) Rovang, Nancy (Ehrich) Peterson, Dion Peterson, Lois (Stenberg) Appelhons, Dennis J. Appelhons. ROW 3: Tom Ellwood, Helen (Okland) Ellwood, Dave Ulring, Ed Benson, Roger D. Severson, Bonnie (Odegaard) Schlotzhauer, Sue (Erickson) Tjelmeland, Russ Hitchcock, Larry Englund, Maurice Ehm, Joyce (Halverson) Sackett, Donna (Stille) Schoenwetter

CLASS OF 1969—(L TO R) Larry Handeland, Keith Holtan

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ALUMNI NEWS

HOMECOMING RECAP

CLASS OF 1971—ROW 1 (L TO R): Jean (Kloster) Miller, Kathy (Hanson) Handeland, Carolyn (Klima) Enstad, Sharon (Langlie) Sorenson, Susan (Moen) Bubolz. ROW 2: Dan Ensrude, Tammi (Shelton) Anderson, Miriam (Linder) Morrison, Judy (Rude) Hacker, Les Rosecke. ROW 3: Rex Ennen, Randy Olson, Brice Miller, Ole Skaar, Jr., Stan Weltzin

CLASS OF 1986—ROW 1 (L TO R): Kristin “Inger” (Morine) Schmitt, Ellen Eliason, Wendy (Fiebiger) Kretzmann, Cindy (Stinson) Gilbertson, Melodee (Weisbrod) Reineke. ROW 2: Carrie Rogness, Lila (Mellmann) Rehnelt, Dan Hetland, Alana (Bang) Hetland, Sheryl (Swartz) Christensen

CLASS OF 1976—ROW 1 (L TO R): Chris (Olson) Phelps, Soni (Osnes) Kegler, Jill (Richards) Clark, Jody (Meyer) Rodriguez. ROW 2: Don Shunkwiler, Kathy (Hennessy) Jerome, Joyce Meldrem, Paulette (Muhm) Westerberg, Bev (Welhousen) Trampel, Donita (Patterson) Grebner. ROW 3: Connie (Burgardt) Hildebrandt, Janet (Happel) Brown, Lori (Tweedt) Ness, Paul Ness, John Grebner

1990s CLUSTER REUNION—ROW 1 (L TO R): Janet Zarich ‘91, Lynda “George” Tysver ‘90, Renae (Hemingway) Bahr ‘91, Kari (Van Auken) Stern ‘91. ROW 2: Lance Skov ‘91, Esther Nelson ‘91, Tina (Steele) Miller ‘91, Mallette Parry ‘91, Loren Marlette ‘91. ROW 3: Nathan Hunter ‘91, Calvin Caltvedt ‘92, Shaun McFarland ‘91, Shane Tastad ‘91

CLASS OF 1981—(L TO R) Ann (Abele) Fischer, Kim (Huck) Miller, Mark Miller

PAST AND PRESENT WALDORF CHOIR DIRECTORS

(L TO R) Travis

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Beck, Ben Allaway, Joel Everist, Blair Buffington

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ALUMNI NEWS

HOMECOMING RECAP

ALUMNI DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Recipients Honored at Homecoming Alumni Banquet

During the Homecoming alumni banquet, Waldorf honored the recipients of the Alumni Distinguished Service Award.

The Alumni Distinguished Service Award recognizes Waldorf alumni who have performed distinctive and meritorious service in areas such as public affairs, education, church, business and government and have demonstrated their Christian faith in service to community and church.

Waldorf President Robert Alsop presented the awards to this year’s recipients, Bruce E. Carter ‘73, from Rock Island, Illinois, and Capt. Donald R. Shunkwiler, USN, Ret. ‘76, from Ferryville, Wisconsin.

Bruce Carter was honored for his outstanding service and leadership to the aviation industry and commitment to serving both profession and church with integrity and faith. Carter was born in Sioux City, Iowa. While attending Waldorf, he met his future wife, Faith (Griffith) Carter ‘74. After graduation from Waldorf, he entered the aviation program at Mankato State and soon began a livelihood in aviation.

Throughout Carter’s 40-year career, he has served as the airport operator in Clarion, Iowa, and as the airport director in Waterloo, Iowa. After Waterloo, Carter held the aviation director position in Springfield and then Peoria before joining the Quad-City team in 1999.

In 2012, he was elected chairman of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). Before that, Carter served as president of the Great Lakes Chapter of the organization, chaired the National Airports Conference and the Airport Ground Handling Association. He also served on the International Association of Airport Executives.

Legislature for his service to Illinois aviation.

He is currently the director of aviation at the Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois.

He retired from the Navy in 2012. He and his wife Lisa have been married 38 years.

He currently serves as the executive director of Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Ferryville.

Waldorf also recognized Capt. Donald Shunkwiler for his exemplary leadership and service to the United States Navy and lifelong dedication to church and community. Shunkwiler, a native of Callender, Iowa, earned his associate degree in 1976 from Waldorf and his bachelor’s degree from Augustana College before receiving his commission at Officer Candidate School in 1982.

He went on to serve a proud and busy career aboard several vessels including the USS Dubuque, USS McClusky, USS Peoria and the USS Duluth, where he won the Pacific Fleet Junior Officer Shiphandler of the Year award. Shunkwiler has held various commands and officer positions throughout his career including command of the USS Harpers Ferry and USS Germantown. He later returned to the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon where he served as the Head, East Asia and Pacific Branch, Maritime Security Cooperation Division and then as executive assistant and chief of staff, Expeditionary Warfare Division. Afterward, Shunkwiler assumed command of the USS Tarawa. He completed his Navy career as commanding officer, Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific.

Shunkwiler has been awarded the Legion of Merit with three gold stars, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, the Navy Commendation Medal with four gold stars and numerous campaign and unit awards.

Mr. Bruce Carter '73 receiving his award from President Robert Alsop “For outstanding service and leadership to the aviation industry and commitment to serving both profession and church with integrity and faith.”

Capt. Donald R. Shunkwiler, USN, Ret. '76 receiving his award from President Robert Alsop “For exemplary leadership and service to the United States Navy and for lifelong dedication to church and community.”

In 2014, Carter was honored with AAAE's Distinguished Service Award and was recently recognized by the Illinois State

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Photos taken by Kurtis Aguilar '16

CAMPUS NEWS

Adore the Child

CHRISTMAS with WALDORF Playing to a packed audience, this past year’s Christmas with Waldorf was a huge success. Held Dec. 3-4, 2016, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, the concert featured Sangkor, Schola Cantorum, the Waldorf Choir, Waldorf Wind Ensemble and the Atlantic Piano Duo. The theme for this year’s concert was “Adore the Child," in memory of Waldorf alumni family members, Roger Holtan '52, Lois (Bakke) Holtan '53 and Julie Holtan '88. The song was originally written by Lois during her high school years. Nancy Farndale, accompanist for the Waldorf Choir, took waldorf.edu

Lois’s original lyrics and by God's grace and inspiration, set them to music.

Christmas with Waldorf 2016 was the world premiere of the song with Professor Jessica Saunders as the featured soloist performing with the Waldorf Choir. On select pieces, guest artist Paul Micich accompanied the choir on the EVI electric horn. Waldorf director of choral activities Joel Everist served as artistic director for the event.

Conductors included Everist, Travis Beck and C. David Rutt. They were accompanied by Nancy Farndale and Melissa Phillips.

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CAMPUS NEWS

WALDORF CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE Waldorf held their annual Christmas Open House on Dec. 1, 2016. The community event featured delicious holiday and Scandinavian treats in the Salveson Ballroom. Guests also enjoyed the second annual Festival of Trees, a Kids’ Zone and pictures with Santa. More than 250 people attended this festive event to kick off the holiday season.

Next year, Waldorf is expanding the Festival of Trees event.

During the 2017 event, Waldorf will invite community members to decorate a tree that will be on display in the Atrium in addition to trees decorated by Waldorf’s faculty, staff and students.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

WALDORF WELCOMES WASHINGTON TO SPEAK

Monti Washington Inspires Waldorf Students to be TRU to Themselves Waldorf University welcomed Monti Washington on campus as part of its Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events on Jan. 16.

Monti’s presentation, “From the Streets to the Stage,” is designed to help students gain the problem-solving skills needed to be successful inside and outside of the classroom.

His passion for helping students stems from the adversity he faced early on in life.

Forced to live in poverty due to his mother’s drug addiction, Monti grew up sleeping on cardboard boxes, living in parks and being abused by foster parent after foster parent.

Until the eighth grade, Monti was in special education classes and was held back on two separate occasions.

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Despite his adversity, Monti earned two college degrees, became a state basketball champion, award-winning poet, McDonald’s All-American nominee, a nationally recognized actor and co-founder of Truality.org, a non-profit organization aimed at inspiring youth to be TRU, The Real U. Monti was part of the Waldorf University Speaker Series. The Speaker Series committee endeavors to bring presentations to campus that promote diversity and give students an awareness of different perspectives. It enables Waldorf University to be intentional about creating a lively community of learning and faith for its campus and the outside community.

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CAMPUS NEWS NATS COMPETITION Waldorf Sends 19 Competitors Students from the voice studio of Professor Jessica Saunders traveled to Iowa City to compete in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Among the 19 total competitors from Waldorf—13 Waldorf students, one alumnus, Phil Detrick ’16 and two of Saunders’ private studio students—several competitors vied for spots within two categories (classical voice and musical theatre). This is the largest contingent of singers

ROAD TO TREE TOWN HOSTED AT WALDORF Waldorf University hosted the Road to Tree Town concert on March 18, 2017 at the Waldorf fieldhouse. The event, which is a part of Forest City’s Tree Town concert, featured leading country music artists Jason Brown, Jesse Allen and headliner Craig Morgan. Tree Town takes place May 25-28, 2017 and will feature legendary performers Bret Michaels, Thomas Rhett, Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and more.

from Waldorf in 10 years.

Students who competed include Lauren Babcock, Makenzie Davis, Zach Feldt, Myriah Hacker, Jeffery Hartnett, Brooke Hildebrand, Jacquelyn Imsande, Anna Johanns, Jennifer Martin, Samuel Morrison, Gabriella Reyes-Cruz, Matthew Sink and Luke Zacharias. The following singers moved on to the semi-finals at the NATS competition: Jacquelyn Imsande ’17 Category 11-1 Upper College Women

Anna Johanns ’18 Category 11-3 Upper College Women Luke Zacharias ’17 Category 10 Upper College Music Theatre Men Mariah Hacker ’19 Category 5 Lower Music Theatre Women

WALDORF AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO 9 HOBY PROGRAM ALUMNAE

WALDORF HOSTS SPEECH CONTEST Iowa State High School Individual Speech Contest Waldorf University hosted the 2017 Northeast District State Individual Speech Contest for the Iowa High School Speech Association on Saturday, March 11, 2017. Four districts in Iowa hosted the state contest and it was a huge honor for Waldorf to be chosen as a host site.

According to contest site manager Brian Keely, director of conferences and dining for Waldorf University, “We had approximately 88 schools with 1,000 high school speech students, along with 1,500 or so parents, coaches, judges and supporters on campus from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

Students competed in 18 categories for the privilege of receiving All State Honors and for the opportunity to perform at the All State Festival held at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Monday, March 27, 2017.

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Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) is grateful to Waldorf University for awarding nine outstanding female HOBY program alumnae with the opportunity to receive full tuition scholarships. Because of their HOBY leadership experience, these alumnae are ideal candidates for the Chantell Cooley Leadership Scholarship for Women, a scholarship that awards recipients based on their leadership potential and membership in specific, co-curricular campus organizations.

Since 1958, HOBY has empowered high school students to make a positive impact in the world. Each year, the organization’s leadership programs are administered throughout the United

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States, serving high school students.

Its programs also provide adults with opportunities to impact the lives of youth through volunteerism.

More than 4,000 committed HOBY volunteers plan and execute the programs each year. Due to the selfless efforts of volunteers and the contributions of generous donors, more than 10,000 students participate in HOBY programs annually.

Today, more than 450,000 proud alumni make HOBY stronger than ever.

Its alumni are leaders in their schools and communities throughout the United States and the world, making a difference for others through service. Learn more at HOBY.org or email hoby@hoby.org.

Nikki Adolphson ’19, attended Iowa in HOBY in 2013. She has a full tuition leadership scholarship in campus ministry.

Waldorf admissions counselor Rachel Anderson ’08 attended HOBY in 2002. She has been instrumental in the Waldorf/HOBY partnership.

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CAMPUS NEWS Education Department faculty members met with Dr. Lebo during her visit to Waldorf.

From left to right: Dr. Becky Hill ’73, Daryl Sherman, Dr. Ann Lebo, Sheila Willms and Steve Putz.

DR. ANN LEBO VISITS CAMPUS Attends STEM Conference Dr. Ann Lebo, executive director of Educational Examiners for the state of Iowa, visited Waldorf Nov. 30, 2016. While here, Dr. Lebo received a tour of the campus by education students, met with education department faculty members and took part in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) discussion.

Lebo was named executive director of the Board of Educational Examiners and began her appointment July 1, 2016. Lebo replaces Duane Magee who resigned to become superintendent for the Norwalk Community School District.

“I’m pleased to be able to name Dr. Ann Lebo as the new executive director of the Board of Educational Examiners,” said Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. “I’m appreciative of Duane Magee’s service and wish him well as he begins a new career opportunity. “Dr. Lebo will be a great leader and asset to the board and has an impressive resume, which makes her uniquely qualified to lead as executive director.”

Lebo was the secondary principal at Grundy Center Community School District and previously served as a member of the Board of Educational Examiners.

She also serves as an online adjunct faculty member in the organizational leadership program at Waldorf University. Prior to being principal at Grundy Center, Lebo taught at Hawkeye Community College and coached sports at Grundy Center High School, Mason City High School and Gilbert High School. Lebo also served on the statewide Teacher Leadership and Compensation taskforce in 2012.

Lebo holds a Doctor of Education and Specialist in Education in educational administration from the University of South Dakota. She also holds a Master of Arts in English language and literature from the University of Northern Iowa, a Bachelor of Arts in English education from the University of Northern Iowa and a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication from Iowa State University. She resides in her hometown of Grundy Center with her husband Andy and three children Ella, Lucy and Pete.

BUSINESS LAW HOLDS MOCK TRIAL Re-enacts Martin v. Big Burger Waldorf University business law students had a real-world experience in October as part of their class when they re-enacted a trial at the Winnebago County Courthouse courtroom. In cooperation with the Winnebago clerk of court, the class met in the courtroom and received a first-hand explanation regarding how civil cases are handled.

Students re-enacted components of the Martin v. Big Burger case.

The plaintiff sued his former employer, claiming wrongful discharge from employment and sought reinstatement and damages in the amount of lost earnings.

Different members of the class assumed different roles in the trial. Although questioning was authored by the two attorneys, testimony was from actual scripts from the trial. Following testimony, the jury discussed the case and made a final ruling.

“We have a complicated legal system,” said Dr. Larry D. Hill ’74.

“By re-enacting actual cases in an actual courtroom, students are better able to connect the litigation issues discussed in class with real-world application; thus bringing the textbook to life.”

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CAMPUS NEWS

iPads are becoming widely used in K-12 schools. The Waldorf University Education Department invested in iPads to allow students the opportunity to explore educational applications to use with their future students. Learning to use the new Education Department iPads are (from left to right) Professor Sheila Willms, Dr. Kristin Paul Berg, Justin Pruisman, Reed Loucks, Trista Bures, Georgina Wirth and Dr. Rebecca Hill.

Education Department

FACULTY INTEGRATES iPADS INTO TEACHER PREPARATION Students and instructors in the Waldorf teacher education program are exploring apps for education.

This past year, iPads were purchased for integration into classroom research and instruction with the goal to prepare graduates to hit the ground running upon entering careers in K-12 classrooms. With an initial purchase of three new iPads, the education department’s faculty are exploring how to best integrate the devices into their instruction and are encouraging students to explore educational apps that will positively impact teaching and learning.

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With many K-12 students already having one-onone and small group access to various technologies, students are eager to explore methods of creatively integrating the technology into their teaching preparation plans. In fact, as they explore more apps, students are finding applications for almost any subject area that they are interested in teaching upon graduation.

The department’s goal is to eventually add more technologies for students and faculty, ensuring that its graduates enter the field armed with the knowledge and skills of a changing educational landscape.

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CAMPUS NEWS

FACULTY & STAFF

WALDORF NAMES WILSON INTERIM HEAD COACH

by MATT OLIVER

Waldorf University named Kalea Wilson interim head coach of the Warriors cheerleading program in July.

Wilson, who also oversees game day promotions for Waldorf’s athletics department, is a member of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) and the Iowa Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA).

Possessing a true passion for the sport of cheerleading, Wilson is excited to take the reins of Waldorf's program.

"I am proud to have the opportunity to help shape the lives of student-athletes and to develop their strength, technique and confidence

waldorf.edu

levels in cheerleading," Wilson said. "I am looking forward to enhancing the cheer program and establishing a successful competitive team."

Wilson said a significant aspect of her coaching philosophy involves assisting studentathletes in developing qualities that will enable them to achieve success academically, in the community and in the sport as well as in all of their future endeavors.

"I believe in leading by example, morally and ethically," Wilson said. "My athletes will be ambassadors of school spirit and pride."

A native of Salina, Oklahoma, Wilson graduated from Salina High School in 2010.

Throughout grade school and high school, she participated in competitive cheer and dance. Wilson was a member of the Ladies of Liberty, a semi-professional cheer team for the Tulsa Revolution of the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) during the 201314 season.

Wilson earned an A.A. in business administration from Carl Albert State College in 2016. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in business administration at Waldorf.

Wilson resides in Forest City with her husband Michael who is the head coach of the Waldorf men's and women's soccer programs. The couple has one son, Lexton.

The 2017 season marks the Warrior cheerleading team's first year of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) competition.

Raising the bar for the program to compete on local, regional and national levels is what Wilson hopes to see the Warriors achieve.

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CAMPUS NEWS

FACULTY & STAFF

WALDORF SELECTS CHRISTIANSON AS NEXT HEAD COACH Seeks to Improve Cross Country and Track & Field Programs

by MATT OLIVER

In July, Waldorf University selected Nathan Christianson as the next head coach/director of cross country and track and field.

Christianson—who spent the past season coaching cross country and track and field at the University of Southern Indiana where he served as an assistant for NCAA Division II's Screaming Eagles—also possesses head coaching experience at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institutions.

Waldorf's track and field programs enter the third season of competition during the 201617 academic year. With a strong work ethic, Christianson came ready to hit the ground running to lead the Warriors.

A native of Charles City, Iowa, Christianson returned to his home state where his familiarity of the region will play a vital role in recruiting and further solidifying the culture of Waldorf's programs.

"I'm excited to join Waldorf because I get to come home to Iowa close to where I grew up and be a part of a young, building program," Christianson said. "I like the energy and growth of the university and I see a lot of potential in it."

"The university has a lot of the same goals and visions that I do," Christianson added. "I think Waldorf University has everything 26

necessary to be successful at the conference and NAIA national levels."

Intramural/recreation director, CIC desk/ mailroom director and student transportation coordinator BRETT GEELAN and his wife Amanda welcomed their son, Ryan Robert, on Aug. 10, 2016.

Christianson attended Northwest Missouri State University where he ran NCAA Division II cross country after recovering from a career-threatening car accident.

He worked as a student assistant at Northwest Missouri State for two seasons prior to arriving at Southern Indiana.

Christianson said his coaching philosophy centers around the individual, but heavily emphasizes a team-first concept.

gone," Christianson said. "My main goal is to be competitive at the conference and national

"I create workouts for individual needs, but at the same time the team always comes first," Christianson said.

levels as the programs grow. I

A commitment to developing athletes and stressing the importance of academics are also cornerstones of Christianson's philosophy.

In his first year at Waldorf,

"I like to grow my studentathletes as people academically, athletically and socially," Christianson said. "I build around solid hard work and the love of the sport. I'm very passionate about the sport and my studentathletes feed off that" The No. 1 goal for Christianson is to continue building Waldorf's programs.

"My teams have always been competitive wherever I have

WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

like my teams in the mix whether they have a chance to win or not."

Christianson and the Warriors put together a strong cross country season this fall. The indoor track season got under way in the winter while the outdoor season follows in the spring.

"I'm looking forward to continuing this program, making new relationships and building a young program," Christianson said. "It's always fun setting school records as a young program grows. Our first goal will be to improve on last year and go from there. I think there's a lot of potential right away to do some good things."

DR. BRYAN STANLEY and DR. KRISTÍN TAYLOR have been asked to present at the Northeast Area Music Teachers Association (NAMTA) Piano Pedagogy Workshop at Wartburg College in Waverly this June 26-27, 2017. NAMTA is an organization dedicated to the professional growth and development of its members by furthering the art of music through programs that encourage and support excellence in teaching and performance. waldorf.edu

The WALDORF YOU LOVE

The FLEXIBILITY YOU NEED.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

in your career.

Did you know that Waldorf has a completely online master’s degree program? Take the next step in your career by earning your Master of Arts in organizational leadership. Focus on general organizational leadership or choose one of Waldorf’s optional applied leadership concentrations including: // Criminal Justice Leadership // Emergency Management Leadership // Fire/Rescue Executive Leadership

// Human Resource Development // Public Administration // Sport Management // Teacher Leader

Have questions?

The Waldorf support staff is here to help you every step of the way. Contact us to learn more about our master’s degree programs and their concentrations, tuition costs, academic planning and more. waldorf.edu // 877.267.2157

ALUMNI NEWS WALDORF ONLINE ALUMNI PROFILE: NICOLE MACKENDREE MASTER OF ARTS IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP, JUNE 2017

Before Nicole Mackendree started her online class for her Master of Arts in organizational leadership with Waldorf University, she explained to her professor, Dr. Larry Hill ‘74, that the upcoming weeks may be challenging—but exciting as well. She and her husband Steven were expecting their first child and the due date was soon approaching.

Nicole just didn’t realize how soon. She and Steven had their first child, Dylan, during the first week of class.

required surgery for pyloric stenosis, an uncommon condition in infants that blocks food from entering the small intestine. It was a challenging three weeks for Nicole and her family—and it was also the first three weeks of her online class.

“Dr. Hill was amazing,” Nicole said. “He was compassionate about what my family was going through and was patient with me and my assignments. He also made sure that I understood the material."

"It really made everything my family was going through much easier to deal with knowing that Dr. Hill was so supportive.”

Since beginning her master’s degree in 2015, Nicole’s life has seen major changes with getting married and having Dylan, but through it all, working toward her master’s was possible thanks to the support of the professors and staff at Waldorf University.

“I would especially recommend Waldorf University to others,” Nicole said. “Dr. Hill allowed me to adapt my class to my schedule and my life events.”

Dylan’s delivery wasn’t easy, which meant a longer hospital stay than with a typical delivery. The following week, Nicole returned to the hospital for treatment for postpartum preeclampsia.

And the week after that, Dylan

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Currently, Nicole works as a financial aid counselor at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.

She enjoys working in the higher education field and hopes that she will be able to further broaden her career upon her graduation in the summer of 2017.

WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

waldorf.edu

ALUMNI NEWS WALDORF ONLINE ALUMNI PROFILE: CHRISTOPHER D. BELCHER BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE IN FIRE SCIENCE ADMINISTRATION, MAY 2016

Some things happen when you least expect it—and that’s exactly what happened to Chris Belcher ’16.

Chris was on a break from a training seminar when he saw a display for Waldorf University. He had his associate degree, but was interested in working toward his bachelor’s.

After talking to the admissions representative and learning more about the online opportunities at Waldorf University, Chris signed up to complete his Bachelor of Applied Science in fire science administration.

Chris started taking classes in 2015. “It was nice to take classes and do the work on my schedule versus being in the classroom,” Chris said.

“Each class had a wide variety of students and professors, which brought many different perspectives to the class.”

He was dedicated in his approach to his online classes by scheduling time to do the required coursework.

“My advisor was always checking on me, asking if there was anything I needed.

It’s clear they want students to be successful—and that’s appreciated.”

In May 2016, Chris came to Waldorf to participate in graduation. “As a teenager, I wasn’t able to walk with my class for high school graduation, so participating in graduation brought a tremendous amount of joy to my parents,” Chris said. waldorf.edu

When he arrived on campus, he was welcomed by professors, and even President Alsop.

“It was neat and exciting to come to the campus and see Waldorf University first hand,” Chris said. “I was introduced around campus, and it really made me feel like part of the Waldorf family.”

After graduation, Chris was promoted to the WinstonSalem Fire Department’s first-ever Training and Special Operations Captain. In his position, Chris is responsible for the training of 355 personnel on three different shifts and functions as the first field liaison officer between the department and the State Bureau of Investigation/ Department of Homeland Security Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

“I would highly recommend Waldorf University—and I have. I have posters and cards that I’ve put up in the station for our young firefighters to see,” Belcher said.

“All around, taking online classes at Waldorf University was an excellent experience. From beginning to end, it was amazing!”

So amazing, that Chris will start work on his master’s degree this fall with Waldorf University online.

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CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL Takes Step Forward in 2016

During its 2016 season, the Waldorf University volleyball team improved its overall record from the previous year by eight wins.

They finished out the year with a 17-22 record and posted a 6-10 mark in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) action.

Briley Sullivan received second-team all-conference recognition from the NSAA. The libero from Laurens finished the season with 806 digs, ranking third in Waldorf single-season history and eighth among National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) leaders. Sullivan averaged 5.64 digs per set throughout the season and six digs per set during the conference circuit to lead the NSAA in both categories.

An academic senior, Sullivan concludes her three-year career as Waldorf's all-time leader with 2,113 digs. She also owns an NAIA single-match record after collecting 76 digs in five sets against NCAA Division III's Cornell College during the 2015 season.

Rebecca Bartnicki led the Warriors with 340 kills during the season.

The 6-foot-1-inch junior middle-hitter from Chicago broke a school single-season record with 112 blocks. Bartnicki posted the highest single-match attack percentage in school history for a player with at least 10 attacks, finishing Waldorf’s Nov. 4 matchup against Presentation College (4-28) with a 0.800 hitting percentage.

Senior Valerie Rivera dished out 819 assists on the season, which marked the fifth most in school history. The Victorville, California, native concluded her career ranked second among Waldorf's alltime leaders with 1,385 assists.

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Sophomore Kayla Budgins turned in a 0.316 hitting percentage for the season, the second-highest attack percentage in school history.

Senior Megan Perkins finished her career ranked fourth among Waldorf’s career leaders with 802 kills.

Waldorf set four single-match school records throughout the season. The Warriors topped the four-set match record after delivering 63 kills against Presentation on Oct. 7 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Waldorf later smashed 58 kills and tallied 52 assists in a sweep over Mayville State University (11-26) on Oct. 28 in Mayville, North Dakota, breaking the three-set match record for both categories. The Warriors crushed the school’s three-set match hitting percentage record after compiling a 0.462 attack percentage against Calumet College of St. Joseph (2-34) on Sept. 17 in Dubuque.

Both Perkins and Sullivan were honored as NAIA Scholar-Athletes this season as well as senior Isabelle Rothbauer and juniors Erica Fee, Molly Minich and Kaitlyn Monck. It was the second straight season that Perkins earned Scholar-Athlete recognition while Fee, Minich, Monck, Rothbauer and Sullivan received the achievement for the first time.

Waldorf earned the No. 7 seed in the NSAA Tournament and fell to second-seeded Bellevue (32-12) in four sets during an NSAA quarterfinal on Nov. 8. The Bruins, ranked No. 23 in the NAIA postseason poll, ended their season in pool play of the NAIA National Championship. waldorf.edu

CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIOR FOOTBALL

Exhibits Competitive Spark Against Tough Competition Despite fielding a young roster, the Waldorf University football team never backed down during the 2016 season.

The Warriors rolled into a 42-0 victory over Trinity Bible College (4-7) on Sept. 3 during Community Night at Bolstorff Field. They finished the season with a 1-9 record and a 0-6 mark in North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) play. Though it wasn’t the type of season the Warriors envisioned, they were highly competitive and fell by just an average of 7.67 points during the final three conference games of the year. They also had strong performances against three ranked opponents.

Sione Aonga, Dubem Awuzie, LaRyan Fletcher, German Ponce and Rigo Verdin closed out the season with allconference honors from the NSAA. Awuzie was tabbed a second-team all-conference selection. Verdin, Ponce, Aonga and Fletcher earned all-conference honorable mention recognition.

Verdin ranked second for Waldorf as he recorded 64 tackles. Seven of Verdin's tackles resulted in a loss and the 6-foot, 300-pound senior defensive tackle from Los Angeles also came away with half a sack.

team with 42 tackles while racking up a team-high 11 tackles for a loss. Aonga, a 6-foot, 230-pound junior defensive end from Reno, Nevada, also forced two fumbles during the season.

Ponce helped set the tone for the Warriors on the offensive line as the team's starting center. Aside from making an impact with solid blocking, the 5-foot-10-inch, 285-pound senior from Whittier, California, also served as Waldorf's point-after attempt kicker. Ponce converted on 88.2 percent of his PATs, splitting the uprights on 15-of-17 attempts.

Fletcher finished second among Waldorf's receiving corps, turning in 363 yards and a team-high five touchdowns. The 6-foot-3inch, 180-pound senior wide receiver from Pelahatchie, Mississippi, led the Warriors with 37 receptions while averaging 36.3 yards per game and 9.8 yards a catch.

Fletcher hauled in a season-long 64-yard TD reception and finished with two TDs in a 23-19 loss to Briar Cliff University (1-10) on Aug. 27 at Vermillion, South Dakota.

Aonga was a force for the Warriors on the defensive line. He finished fourth on the

Awuzie led the Warriors with six interceptions on the season, which ranked seventh in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and tied for second in the NSAA. The 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound sophomore defensive back from San Jose, California, collected 24 tackles and broke up 11 passes.

Awuzie ranked third in the nation with 1.7 passes defended per game. He recorded 114 yards on interception returns and returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown during a 35-28 conference loss to Mayville State University (4-6, 2-4) on Oct. 15 at Mayville, North Dakota. Awuzie averaged 18.1 yards on kickoff returns totaling 163 yards and a long of 31 yards on nine returns. waldorf.edu Athletics Articles by MATT OLIVER

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CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIORS MEN'S SOCCER

Kicks in Competitive Conference Season The Warriors closed out the 2016 year strong with a 12-6-1 record, marking the most wins since becoming a fouryear program. Waldorf strung together a five-match winning streak, the longest as a four-year program. The Warriors posted a 2-1-1 mark in North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) play to earn the No. 2 seed in the NSAA Tournament for the second straight season.

Opening the postseason, Waldorf scored a convincing 3-1 victory over third-seeded University of Jamestown (8-9-2) during a NSAA Tournament semifinal on Nov. 4 in Omaha, Nebraska. The Warriors advanced to the conference championship match for the first time since joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and battled top-seeded Bellevue University (12-6-2) in a 2-1 loss on Nov. 6.

Seven Waldorf players were NSAA allconference selections at season’s end.

Senior Cristian Alvarez, junior Riley Gibson, sophomore Cameron Saul and freshman Jacob Harris earned first-team all-conference honors. Juniors Jean Bonnin, Oscar Valencia and sophomore Humberto

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WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

Figueroa garnered second-team allconference recognition.

Alvarez established a single-season school record with 33 points. With 14 goals on the season, the midfielder from Santa Maria, California, matched the school’s single-season goals record. Alvarez concluded his career as Waldorf’s all-time leader in points (54) and goals (22).

Gibson notched 12 points on the season behind five goals and two assists. Saul contributed three goals and an assist while Harris added a goal and an assist.

Figueroa set single-season school records in shutouts (6) and goals against average (GAA), allowing 1.10 goals a match in his first season at Waldorf. The goalkeeper from Santa Maria, California, is currently tied as Waldorf's all-time career leader in shutouts. Figueroa rejected 48 of the 65 shots he faced throughout the season to post a 0.738 save percentage. He also broke the school record for consecutive shutout minutes, holding opponents scoreless for 276 minutes, 54 seconds.

Bonnin finished the season as Waldorf's second-leading scorer, recording 17 points

off seven goals and three assists. Valencia played a vital role for the Warrior backfield, racking up 16 starts during the season.

Waldorf set three single-match records, totaling 43 points off 16 goals and 11 assists during a 16-0 victory over Grace University (3-13-1) on Oct. 15 in Omaha.

The Warriors compiled 63 goals, 37 assists and a 3.32 goals average, setting new school records in each category. Waldorf ranked first in the NAIA with 25.16 shots per match and second while averaging 11.79 shots on goal. The Warriors finished 14th in the country in goals per match and 15th in total goals.

Waldorf's goalkeepers ranked second in school single-season history with six shutouts and a 1.26 GAA. The Warriors played in five overtime matches during the year, which also set a single-season school record. Following the first winning season as a four-year program, Waldorf continues to set its sights on raising the bar and is prepared to make noise during the 2017 campaign.

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CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIORS WOMEN'S SOCCER Kicks in Competitive Conference Season

The Waldorf University women’s soccer team made strides during the 2016 season, showing fight during North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) play.

Waldorf turned in a 4-10-2 record and finished 0-2-2 in NSAA play. The Warriors recorded five consecutive shutouts from Sept. 18 to Oct. 22 to set a new school record. Waldorf established the program’s longest unbeaten streak (5) while recording scoreless ties during conference matchups with Presentation College (11-6-2) and the University of Jamestown (126-1).

Senior Brittney Thornton, junior Hanna DeVries and freshman Tyler Ledford received secondteam all-conference honors from the NSAA. Thornton amassed a singleseason school-record 26 points to lead the Warriors behind team-highs with 12 goals and two assists. She surpassed her 25-point performance from the 2013 campaign. Thornton shattered Waldorf's singlematch record as the forward from Denver scored five goals in a 5-0 win over the University of Saint Mary (5-10-1) on Sept.

23 in Leavenworth, Kansas. waldorf.edu Athletics Articles by MATT OLIVER

She delivered two gamewinning goals and 30 of her 69 shots were on goal, giving her a 0.435 shots-on-goal percentage. Twelve goals matched Thornton's total from the 2013 season, which ties for second among school singleseason records. She topped the school record books with 1.63 points per match this year and ranked second among Waldorf’s single-season records with 0.75 goals per match.

Thornton concludes her career as Waldorf's all-time leader in points (81), goals (37), goals per match (0.54) and points per match (1.19). She claimed all-conference honors in each of her four seasons.

DeVries notched five shutouts during the season. The feat ranks second among Waldorf's career shutout leaders and is also second among school single-season records, trailing only Kaylee Vitale’s six-shutout performance from 2013.

DeVries became the school record holder for consecutive shutout minutes as the goalkeeper from Albert Lea, Minnesota, held opposing teams scoreless for 552 minutes, 38 seconds from Aug. 31 to Oct. 26. Named the NSAA Defensive Player of the Week for three consecutive

weeks during the season, DeVries posted a 3-3-2 record while recording 66 saves, a 0.917 save percentage and a 0.67 goals against average (GAA) with 805 minutes in goal.

Ledford provided significant contributions, anchoring Waldorf's defense during the highly-competitive season.

The defender from Detroit registered a 0.750 shots-ongoal percentage with three of her four shots on target.

Among Waldorf’s all-time leaders, senior Mia Crail finished her career ranked second for points (53), third in assists (13) and tied for third in goals (20).

Waldorf racked up six shutouts, which tied for second in school history. The team’s string of

five straight shutouts set a new unbeaten streak record.

The Warriors allowed 24 goals during the season, just one more goal surrendered than the school-record mark set in 1999.

Fiercely denying shots this year, Waldorf's goalkeepers ranked second in school single-season history with both a 0.841 save percentage and a 1.50 GAA. The Warriors tallied 127 saves and recorded 7.94 saves per match, which rank fifth and fourth, respectively among Waldorf's single-season marks.

Waldorf earned the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament and closed out the year in a hard-fought 1-0 loss to fourthseeded Presentation during a NSAA Tournament quarterfinal on Nov. 3.

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CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIORS MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Sends 3 Runners to Nationals in Record-Breaking Season Waldorf University men’s cross country runners Marquis Cox, Nic Ganzeveld and Nathan Meiners each advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championships.

The Warriors took second place at the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Championships with 39 points, finishing five points behind Dickinson State University (34) in the race for the conference title.

Ganzeveld recorded a third-place finish at the conference meet with an 8K time of 26 minutes, 15.87 seconds. The junior from Fort Dodge established allconference honors.

Cox, a junior from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, earned fifth (26:27.85) at the

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conference meet to garner all-conference recognition.

Meiners, charged to sixth (26:33.12) for all-conference honors. The Omaha, Nebraska, native posted the fastest time in school history by a senior.

Waldorf closed out the season at the NAIA Championships on Nov. 19 in Elsah, Illinois.

Ganzeveld charged to 142nd place (26:17.50) on the 8K course at North Farm Cross Country Course while leading the Warriors and recording the fastest national meet time in school history.

Cox claimed 162nd (26:24.00) with a personalrecord time in the national meet and Meiners crossed the finish line in 186th (26:33.70).

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It was a historic season for Waldorf who sent three runners to the national meet for the first time. The Warriors entered the year never having won a meet, but captured two meet championships during the season. They won the 4th Annual Viterbo Night Flight on Sept. 2 at La Crosse, Wisconsin, and then chased down the team title in the Fighting Bee Invitational on Oct. 8 at Bettendorf.

It was a tremendous season for Waldorf's three national qualifiers, who account for the 10 fastest times in school history.

Ganzeveld tops the school record books after racing to 19th (25:56) in the NAIA Seminole Valley Stampede on Oct. 22 at Cedar Rapids.

During the course of the

season, Ganzeveld took first at the 4th Annual Viterbo Night Flight and was selected as the NSAA Runner of the Week on two occasions.

Ganzeveld currently owns the school's four fastest times.

Cox also had a breakout year in his first campaign with the Warriors, delivering three performances that rank among the school's top-10 record times. He also earned NSAA Runner of the Week honors during the season.

Meiners' name appears in the top 10 three times.

He concludes his career as Waldorf's first-ever two-time national qualifier.

The Warriors return a promising corps as they aim to contend for the NSAA crown next fall and further their postseason success.

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CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIORS WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Claims Fifth in NSAA Championships

With a young and talented roster, the Waldorf University women’s cross country team put together a solid season in its return to competition.

The Warriors claimed a fifth-place finish in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Championships with a team score of 118 points on Nov. 5 in Dickinson, North Dakota.

Fielding a full team for the first time during the season, the Warriors didn't back down from the competition as they powered past Valley City State University (155) and were just eight points behind Dakota State University (110).

Marissa Kuik and Marissa Widener paced Waldorf as the freshman duo provided the team’s top two performances in the conference meet.

Kuik charged to 16th with a time of 21 minutes, 50.86 seconds on the 5K course at Heart River Golf Course.

Widener chased down 17th (21:52:19).

Sophomore Patricia Molina raced to 25th (23:16.70) for the Warriors, improving her personal-record time by four seconds. Molina, a heptathlete for the Warrior track and field team, used the final two races of the season to gear up for the 800-meter run during track season.

Waldorf junior Charley Buddenhagen ran to 28th (24:46.99), erasing 2:21 from her PR in an extremely strong showing.

Freshman Taylor Navratil crossed the finish line in 32nd (28:08.76) for the Warriors. The former Central Springs High School track standout made her cross country debut in the conference meet.

Waldorf junior Danielle Holt, who's a sprinter and hurdler on the track team, closed out the race in 36th (30:51.89) as she competed in her first cross country race since 2014.

It was a breakout year for Kuik and Widener, who established two of the fastest times in school history during the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Seminole Valley Stampede on Oct. 22 in Cedar Rapids. Kuik battled to 101st (20:45), shattering her previous school record mark by 12 seconds from two weeks earlier. Widener took 117th (20:59), delivering the third-fastest performance in the school record books and improving her PR by 40 seconds.

The 2016 season marked Waldorf’s return to competition following a one-year hiatus. With an influx of talented recruits joining the program, the Warriors look to increase their competitiveness in the coming years.

waldorf.edu Athletics Articles by MATT OLIVER

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CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIORS WOMEN'S GOLF Drives in Two Tournament Titles

The Waldorf University women’s golf team captured two tournament championships during the fall season, winning the North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) Fall Invitational and Waldorf Invitational in 2016.

On Sept. 12, Waldorf earned its first tournament win of the season by defending its NIACC Fall Invitational title.

Senior Maggie Peters took the individual crown, shooting a 75 on the par-72 layout at the Fort Dodge Country Club.

The Warriors won their second consecutive tournament by securing the championship in their home invitational on Sept. 18 at Forest City’s Bear Creek Golf Course.

Fernanda Valdes captured the individual title, putting together a round of 75 on the par-68 course. The junior from Morelia, Mexico, has recorded a top-10 finish in 26 of the 27 competitions throughout her career.

Waldorf turned in a 701-stroke total in the two-day fall portion of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Championships. The Warriors, who hosted the fall conference tournament on Sept.

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26–27, conclude the second half of the 72-hole cumulative conference tournament in the spring.

Valdes secured fourth in the conference tournament, firing a 165-stroke total behind rounds of 83 and 82 on the par-72 layout at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

Junior Halle Hauer tied for ninth for the Warriors, shooting a 174 following rounds of 91 and 83. Peters tied for 13th after carding a 177 on rounds of 88 and 89.

Junior Kailee Ward tied for 17th with a 185, putting together rounds of 91 and 94. Sophomore Haleigh Biernacki tied for 22nd, turning in a 196-stroke total on rounds of 99 and 97.

Bellevue University, ranked No. 21 in the latest National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll, locked up first with 659 strokes. Viterbo University (684) grabbed second while Waldorf took third to place ahead of the University of Jamestown (716), Valley City State University (800), Dickinson State University (821) and Presentation College (1,496).

Bellevue's Faustina Peve secured first with a 157 while her teammate Ivane Helias nabbed second with a 161-stroke total.

Jamestown's Annie Nelson placed third with a 163, just two strokes ahead of Valdes.

The conference’s team and individual champion advance to the NAIA National Championships, scheduled for May 23–26, 2017, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Valdes led Waldorf during the fall campaign, averaging 80.67 strokes per round. She recorded five top-five finishes.

Peters ranked second on the team while averaging 83.67 strokes a round and posting three top-five performances. Hauer recorded the third-best average for the Warriors with 85.56 strokes per round and she notched three top-10 finishes, including two in the top five. Ward added a top-five performance for Waldorf, which also received top-10 finishes from Biernacki and Haley Lawrence during the season.

Following a competitive fall season, the Warriors are preparing to continue the trend of success this spring.

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CAMPUS NEWS

ATHLETICS RECAP

WARRIORS MEN'S GOLF Holds Fifth Place in NSAA

In a competitive fall season, the Waldorf University men’s golf team put together strong performances and hosted the first two rounds of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Championships in September.

The Warriors enter the spring season in fifth place in the NSAA Championships, following a 36hole total of 656 strokes during the fall stage of the conference tournament held on Sept. 26–27 in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

Hugo Becerra led Waldorf in the fall portion of the cumulative conference tournament, finishing in a 13th-place tie after carding a 160. The senior from Ocotlan, Mexico, put together rounds of 81 and 79 on the par-72 layout at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club and looks to remain in the hunt for the conference title in the spring.

Senior Chad Hein claimed 17th for the Warriors in the fall stage of the conference tournament with a 162-stroke total on waldorf.edu Athletics Articles by MATT OLIVER

rounds of 83 and 79 while senior Thomas O’Rourke tied for 18th, shooting a 166 behind rounds of 84 and 82. Freshman Justin Pierce finished in a 24th-place tie, turning in a 173 on rounds of 92 and 81. Sophomore Zabdiel Flores rounded out Waldorf’s lineup, securing 26th with a 174 on back-to-back rounds of 87.

Bellevue University, which is receiving votes in the latest National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll, topped the fall portion of the NSAA Championships with a score of 607. The University of Jamestown (624), Valley City State University (630), Viterbo University (635), Waldorf (656) and Dickinson State University (726) rounded out the team standings.

Bellevue’s Fernando Arzate and Valley City State’s Kyle Wiebe tied for first, each shooting scores of 149 while Juan Gomez and Diego Gudino shared third with 150-stroke totals. Jamestown's Jacob Rice took fifth after

carding a 152. The NSAA’s team and individual champion advance to the NAIA National Championships, scheduled for May 16-19, 2017 in Silvis, Illinois.

Becerra led the Warriors during the fall campaign, averaging 78.7 strokes per round. O’Rourke and Flores each earned top-five performances during the season, while Becerra posted a top-10 finish.

In the Waldorf Invitational on Sept. 18, O’Rourke locked up fifth with a 6-over-par score of 75 at Forest City’s Bear Creek Golf Course. Becerra tied for 10th behind a 78.

Flores tied for fifth in the William Penn Classic held on Oct. 9–10 as he fired a 142 on consecutive 71-stroke rounds on the par-70 layout at Oskaloosa’s Edmundson Golf Course.

Following a promising fall season, the Warriors aim to continue elevating their level of success during the spring campaign.

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ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS UPDATE

CLASS UPDATES: 1950s

CLASS UPDATES: 1980s

Helen (Hanson) Holtan ‘51 celebrated her retirement from 40 years of teaching. She enjoys traveling, reading and music. Helen takes organ classes twice a month and gave a concert for the Kansas City Organ Club in May of 2016. She lost her husband Elmer in November 2014 and lives in an independent retirement community in Lenexa, Kansas.

Sheryl (Swartz) Christensen ‘86 and her husband Dean are in Des Moines where Sheryl has worked at Lutheran Services of Iowa as an accounts receivable technician for the past 21 years. They have three children, Laura, 15; Dayna, 12; and David, 9. Other than school activities, they are also active at Grace Church in Des Moines.

Rev. Marcus Mork ‘51 and his wife Marilyn have 12 grandchildren.

Their oldest grandson just graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and is now attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.

CLASS UPDATES: 1960s Janora (Gustafson) Hodges ‘61: Upon graduating from Waldorf, Janora became a secretary at California Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks. After marrying her husband Russell Hodges, she completed her Bachelor of Arts in health education (K-12) and earned her Master of Education in counseling before becoming a clinical hypnotist in 2000. Janora retired in December 2016. She and her husband have a combined family of six daughters, three sons, 22 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They have lived in Sun City, Arizona, for the past 22 years and have been blessed with all areas of the wellness wheel.

Donna (Lynn) Hinch ‘64 lost her husband Thomas on Oct. 13, 2016, following a courageous 13 year battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Ardis (Proehl) Hinds ‘66 retired from teaching special needs in Perry and married her wonderful husband Bruce in May 2009. Between them, Ardis and Bruce have seven kids, 15 grandkids and six greatgrandkids. They enjoy living in Mesa, Arizona, and spend about five months there enjoying the sun and fun offered in a 55+ resort.

Joyce (Halverson) DeWaard Sackett ‘66 moved to Waterloo in 2012 to be closer to her daughter and to put her dear husband of 46 years in the nursing home. He passed away on Aug. 31, 2013. On July 2, 2016, Joyce married Robert Sackett and they live at Landmark Commons, a retirement apartment complex in Waterloo.

Roger D. Severson ‘66 is mostly retired and living in Des Moines. He travels several times a year and also consults with his daughter helping in her business. Roger stays busy biking, walking and attending local events.

David Ulring ‘66 and his wife Carol live in Walker, Minnesota, where Dave retired from a career in medical sales and Carol from dental office management. They have four children with families living from Chanhassen, Minnesota, to Twin Bridges, Montana, providing them great places to travel and enjoy their seven grandchildren.

Peggy (Duenow) Guenther ‘68 retired in February 2012 after 44 years as a registered radiographer. Peggy and her husband Larry have been married 45 years and have two daughters and five grandchildren.

Larry is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. Larry and Peggy enjoy traveling and their most recent trip was an African safari.

CLASS UPDATES: 1970s Randy Olson ‘71 retired in November 2014 after 38 years of working in the purchasing department for Ag Chem Equipment Co., in Jackson, Minnesota. He was previously on the Jackson Fire Department and Ambulance Service for 28 years and officiated high school football and basketball more than 20 years. Randy enjoys bow hunting, golfing, fishing and taking vacations.

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WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

Kristin "Inger" (Morine) Schmitt ‘86 and Arron Schmitt were married Aug. 1, 2015.

CLASS UPDATES: 1990s Jennifer "Jenner" (Harsh) Dailey ‘90 has returned to the dental field after an eight year hiatus working as an office coordinator/dental assistant with Family First Dental. She and her husband Corey live in LeMars and enjoy spending time with her boys, Austin and Nate, and grandsons Aiden and Karsen.

Lois (Behrens) Rasgorshek ‘90 is the dean of students at Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska, where she resides with her husband, Stephen.

Craig Volk ‘95 was honored by Northwestern Mutual’s Forum Group, a group that recognizes company leaders who have eclipsed specific milestones. Craig is affiliated with the Heurung Network Office based in Minneapolis and this is the sixth time that he received the Forum honor.

CLASS UPDATES: 2000s Lasantha Rodrigo ‘00 released his book, “Fireflies in the Dark: A Memoir” in October 2016. Lasantha currently resides in Normal, Illinois, and received his Ph.D. from Illinois State University in English studies. His book is available on Amazon.

Aaron Seifert ‘02 and his wife Jamie welcomed Finley June Seifert to the world on Oct. 12, 2016. She joins big sisters Avery and Harper.

Ermira Babamusta ‘03 received the Albanian Excellence Award by Albanian President Bujar Nishani at the Albanian Women of New York’s grand gala in September 2016. Ermira received recognition for her achievements in politics, diplomacy and community building. She is also a past recipient of President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award in 2014, the Distinguished Humanitarian Award in 2013 by Senator Harry Reid and the Winner of Women Courage Award in 2005 presented by the Kessel Peace Institute.

Seth Miner ‘03 is the director of admissions at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois, and was previously the interim director of admissions at Bemidji State University. Seth is also pursuing his doctorate of education with an emphasis on higher education policy and administration at St. Cloud State University.

Nicole (Robertson) Van Every ‘06 graduated from the University of Oklahoma with her Doctor of Musical Arts in May 2016. She joined the faculty at the University of Oklahoma as an adjunct professor of voice and also teaches and directs at the University of Central Oklahoma. In February she made her professional opera debut as Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata,” with Painted Sky Opera at the Oklahoma City Civic Center’s Freede Theatre. In her downtime, Nicole continues to dabble in her other passion of weather and meteorology.

Lisa Balvanz ‘09 married Elijah Nelles on Aug. 6, 2016. They currently reside in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Lisa works as a publications technician and Elijah as director of maintenance at Wright Air Service.

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ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS UPDATE

CLASS UPDATES: 2010s Makenzie Bemis ‘11 and Lucas Russo ‘12 were married on Nov. 11, 2016, in Chandler, Arizona.

Jeffrey Peterson ‘11 works with K-5 at-risk youth teaching elementary physical education at St. Cloud Math and Science Academy.

He also became fully qualified in passing his Minnesota Teaching tests and finished his health endorsement in the summer of 2016 to be fully licensed in health.

Sarah (Berhow) Lewis ‘12 and husband Brett welcomed their first child, Charlotte Marie, on Oct. 5, 2016. Sarah is a Judicial Specialist II in Hancock County and Brett is an Iowa State Patrol Officer. They reside in Clear Lake.

Mary Argall ‘16 and Joshua Forrest ‘16 were married July 1, 2016 in St. Louis.

Class news and updates are also available on our blog at www.waldorffoundation.org/ blog. Let the Alumni Office know of your newsworthy happenings by emailing alumni@ waldorf.edu. Deadlines are the first of the month in January and July for the Spring and Fall publications respectively.

Tristin (Glidden) Peterson ‘16 married Lane Peterson on July 15, 2016. Tristin works as the financial aid office assistant at Waldorf.

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ALUMNI NEWS IN MEMORIAM: 1930s DOROTHY (HANSON) NELSON ‘37 died in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on Dec. 1, 2016. She sang in the Waldorf Choir and was active in the Lutheran Student Association. While attending an LSA ashram in Washington, D.C., she met Elmer C. Nelson from Maple Lake, Minnesota, and after two years of courtship, they were married on May 21, 1939. Dorothy is survived by her two sons, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

IN MEMORIAM: 1940s ARDIS (BRANDSTAD) HELVICK ‘40 of Forest City died Aug. 12, 2016. She is survived by her children Allen (Lois Scott ‘65), Steven ‘65 (Mary Ellen Peffer ‘65), Diane (Helvick) Jackson ‘67 and Paul ‘70 as well as six grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. As a dedicated partner, farm wife and mother, Ardis made certain that her family was well taken care of in a loving manner.

KATHRYN "KAY" (CHARLSON) GALVIN ‘43 died Aug. 28, 2016.

After her husband Dean retired, they moved to North Carolina where Kay was an active member of the local mountain hiking group, the Pisgah Hikers. She sang in both church and community choirs and played the piano and French horn. She is survived by her husband, her son-in-law David, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

PHYLLIS (VAUDT) BEHNKE GREENWOOD ‘43 died Aug. 31, 2016 in West Des Moines. After receiving her BS in education from Drake University, Phyllis taught at Valley High School in West Des Moines. She will always be known for her love of her Lord and the importance of passing on that love of Christ to her family and friends. She is survived by her daughter and granddaughter; son and his family; two step-sons; two step-grandsons and two step-great grandchildren.

ARLENE (HALVORSON) THORSHEIM INGEBRITSON ‘44 died Oct. 8, 2016 in Lake Mills. Arlene was a beloved teacher who possessed immeasurable musical talent. She played the trumpet, piano and church organ and devoted her time as a choir director at Our Savior's Church in Leland and organist at the United Methodist Church in Forest City. Arlene is survived by her two children, Kendra Thorsheim Berkeland ‘70 and Kevin Thorsheim ‘72; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

LOVENEA (LIEN) GROE ‘46 died Aug. 5, 2016 at her home in Lake Mills. Lovenea enjoyed knitting, embroidery, cooking, baking and making lefse. She is survived by her son, Loren; five grandchildren and two sisters, Enid (Lien) Wogen ‘56 and Arlene (Lien) Schlader ‘47.

LORRAINE (CHAPMAN) PASKEWITZ ‘46 died Sept. 20, 2016 in Mena, Arkansas. She is survived by her six children, 12 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

SOLVEI (NELSON) SLICK ‘47 died Dec. 5, 2015, in Spring Park, Minnesota.

RUTH (ZARICH) DOSEN ‘48 died March 28, 2016 in Hibbing, Minnesota.

STANLEY NERVIG ‘48 of Marcus died Oct. 1, 2015.

THOMAS INGEBRETSON ‘49 died Sept. 6, 2016, in Modesto, California. Thom was a gifted singer with a heart for God, music and people. He is survived by his wife Helen, three children, brother Chester Ingebretson ‘50 and brother-in-law Richard, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

ROGER LONNEVIK ‘49 died Feb. 23, 2016 in Glenwood. On Aug. 13, 1949, Roger married Mildred Mehus in a triple wedding ceremony with his twin brother, Russell, who married Ruth Nelson, and Roy

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WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

IN MEMORIAM

Larson, who married Esther Nelson. Roger is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years; four daughters, Marcia (Lonnevik) Cain ‘72, Lois Whitacre, Signe Bonnet and Sonja (Lonnevik) Cambridge ‘85; four grandchildren; five step-grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.

CLARICE (STEENSON) MARX ‘49 of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, died on Oct. 8, 2016. Clarice was a gracious and thoughtful presence, a friend to all she met.

FREEMAN "DEAN" ROGNESS ‘49 of Albert Lea, Minnesota, died Jan. 16, 2016. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Maxine, five children, six grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, siblings Ralph Rogness ‘49, Charles Rogness ‘51 and Gary Rogness.

IN MEMORIAM: 1950s CAROLYN (BRUGET) ELLISON ‘50 died March 12, 2016, in Omaha, Nebraska. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Charla (Ellison) ‘72 and Larry Johnson ‘71; son and daughter-in-law Stu Ellison ‘75 and Marcia; daughter Janelle (Ellison) Belcher ‘78; daughter Kirsten; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

OLIVE (RASMUSSON) GODTLAND ‘50 died Aug. 15, 2016 in Benedict, Minnesota. Olive was a teacher for 38 years and, after retiring, was “The Queen” of the Leech Lake Ladies Red Hat Society, a member of the Sons of Norway, the American Legion Auxiliary and enjoyed doing stained glass. Olive is survived by her four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

WILLA MAE (BAUGE) JOHANSEN ‘50 died Sept. 12, 2016, in Urbandale. Willa loved her family and enjoyed attending family gatherings, visiting with her grandchildren and, most recently, watching her great-grandchildren grow. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Arnold Johansen ‘50, two sons, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and her sister.

JAMES "ERNIE" SANSGAARD ‘50 died Oct. 10, 2016, in Overland Park, Kansas. Ernie is survived by his two sons, Paul and Mark Sansgaard ‘81, three grandchildren, one great-grandson, sister, brother, Richard Sansgaard ‘60; sister-in-law, Marilyn Lekwa ‘50 and brother-in-law.

EUGENE FREESE ‘51 of Atlantic died Sept. 19, 2016. Eugene served in the Navy and eventually settled in Atlantic where he worked as the office service manager for Walnut Grove Products for 36 years. He is survived by his wife, Carole, two daughters, two granddaughters, brother and sister-in-law and many nieces and nephews.

PAUL LEWISON ‘51 died Oct. 30, 2016 in Anamosa. Survivors include his wife, Verna; three children; eight grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; sister, Helen (Lewison) Peterson ‘56 and sister-in-law, Alice (Bartleson) Lewison ‘52. Paul was a beloved teacher and coach and was inducted into the Iowa Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in 1991. His passions were his family, church and community.

MARILYN (TENDALL) HOWIESON ‘55 of Clarion died Nov. 6, 2016. Marilyn was known for her wisdom, being a great listener and for her love of family. She is survived by her husband, three children, 10 grandchildren and two siblings.

HAROLD JASPERSEN ‘55 of Thornton died July 31, 2016. Harold and his wife Viola were married in 1942 and spent 74 beautiful years together. After he was honorably discharged from the US Navy, he and Viola worked side by side and eventually were able to buy their farm near Thornton. Harold started Jaspersen Insurance and Real Estate in 1959. He is survived by his wife Viola, two children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

CAROL JANE (BIERSTEDT) MEYER ‘56 died Nov. 15, 2016 in Algona.

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ALUMNI NEWS

IN MEMORIAM

SHARON (LUNDE) ELLINGSON ‘58 of Strasburg, North Dakota, died Oct. 16, 2016. Sharon was a loving mother, wife and grandmother. She enjoyed entertaining, cooking, bowling and attending her grandchildren's sporting events.

ADRIAN PLOEGSTRA ‘58 of Elkhart died Aug. 17, 2016. Adrian served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 and attended Waldorf upon discharge where he met Shirley Sande ‘58. They were married in 1964. After graduating from Luther College in 1960, Adrian went to work for Farm Bureau Insurance and was there until his retirement in 1992. His main hobby was farming his 340 acres and working on his tractors and equipment. Adrian also loved to travel, visiting all 50 states and every continent except for Antarctica. Adrian is survived by his wife Shirley ‘58; his children, Paula, Mark and Carl ‘91; and two grandchildren.

IN MEMORIAM: 1960s RUTH (SCHREUR) DIRKSEN ‘60 died Dec. 2, 2016 in Buffalo Center.

Ruth enjoyed gardening, working on the farm, baking, reading,

being a housewife and helping others. She is survived by her husband Larry, three children, 15 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and a sister-in-law.

LAUREL ANN (PAULSON) FLORA ‘60 died Oct. 15, 2016 in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Waldorf in 1960, Laurel Ann received her ASCP certification in medical technology and spent more than four years providing medical services at Sudan Mission Hospital in Ngaoundere, Cameroon, Africa. After returning to the U.S., she moved to Portland where she worked as a medical technologist for many years. Laurel Ann is survived by her two children, sisters Marlys and Elaine (Paulson) Fick ‘63 and brother, Arlan.

SHIRLEEN (CHARLSON) HOWIESON ‘61 of Delavan, Minnesota, died Sept. 16, 2011.

SHERRY (GRUNSTED) MCDONALD ‘61 of Roland died Oct. 10, 2016. Sherry is survived by her two sons, five grandchildren, a greatgrandson and two sisters, Mary Ann Anderson and Bev (Grunsted) Stole ‘56.

ROGER OPPEDAHL ‘61 died Oct. 29, 2016, in Fort Dodge. Roger was a pilot and served in Vietnam and then as an aerial firefighter in Alaska. In May 2015, Roger was awarded the prestigious Wright

IN MEMORIAM: REV. ROBERT VAAGE ‘79 The REV. ROBERT (BOB) VAAGE '79, of First Lutheran Church, West Okoboji, Iowa, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016 at Spencer Hospital. He was 57 years old.

Bob was born on Feb. 27, 1959 in Forest City to LaVern and Karen Vaage. Dedicating his life to Christ at a very young age, he attended Waldorf from 1977–1979 where he cultivated many lifelong friendships and served as religious life director.

He attended Oral Roberts University for one semester and transferred to Concordia College in early 1980. It’s here where he met the love of his life, DeeAnn, while singing together on an outreach team.

Following his graduation in 1981, Bob felt called to ordained ministry and began studying at Luther Northwestern Seminary in St. Paul.

A year later, on Sept. 4, 1982, Bob and Dee were married in Herman, Minnesota. In 1985—under the faithful leadership of his lifelong mentor, Pastor Durwood Clauson—

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Bob completed an internship at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church and accepted his calling as associate pastor to First Lutheran Church in Sioux City on June 8, 1986. In 1996 Bob was called to serve as senior pastor to First Lutheran Church in Milford where he devoted 20 years of service. One of his greatest accomplishments at First Lutheran was building a new home for the church on Three Cross Road.

Bob had a passion for preaching, evangelism, mission work, camping ministry, contemporary worship and mentoring interns and lay leaders within the church. One of his gifts was remembering people’s names even after only one encounter. He loved to play guitar during worship and many times used it to entertain nursing home residents. He was an active member of Lutheran Services in Iowa, Kiwanis Club of Milford, Via de Cristo and the Dickinson Country Ministerial Association.

Bob is survived by his wife DeeAnn, their three sons Jonathan (Michea)

of Austin, Texas; Christopher of Austin, Texas; and Erik of St. Paul, Minnesota; his parents, LaVern and Karen (Stossivich) Vaage of Mason City, Iowa; and one brother, Jeff (Beth) Vaage of Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Bob was preceded in death by his grandparents and other extended family members.

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ALUMNI NEWS

IN MEMORIAM

Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration, recognizing his 50+ years of making significant contributions to aviation.

ROSEMARY (SHERWOOD) SPRATT ‘62 of Webster City died Aug. 22, 2016. Rosemary and her husband, Jack, were the owners of D's Coffee Shop and Kountry Fried Chicken, where she enjoyed serving people and visiting with the many customers. For a number of years she and Jack were in charge of food preparation for the community Christmas dinner, serving 125-200 people.

And when anyone came to visit, she would have their special pie made. Rosemary is survived by her husband, two children and three grandchildren.

JUDY (ABBAS) ARROWOOD ‘66 died Sept. 1, 2016 at her home in Mason City after a two-year battle with cancer. Judy was a talented artist and poet and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. She is survived by her husband, Greg; two sons; five grandchildren; siblings Christina (Abbas) Christen ‘53, Marge, Ted, Delbert, Derold and Elmer.

JANE (GLEASON) ANDERSON ‘68 of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, died April 10, 2016. Jane enjoyed the four "C's" throughout her life: church, crafts, camping and canning.

IN MEMORIAM: 1970s DAVID LIETTE ‘72 died Dec. 11, 2016, in Saint Marys, Ohio. David was a life-long dairy farmer and will be remembered as a devoted family man who took great pride in his wife, children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, four children and eight grandchildren.

PAUL CARL ‘73 died July 27, 2016, in Florida after a long struggle with multiple health issues. Paul was adored for his deep love and commitment to friends and family, his uncanny wit and insight and his unforgettable hearty and contagious laugh.

IN MEMORIAM: LORA (BRODLAND) MEANS ‘84

by BARB (HUBER) BREZA ‘84

Lora had many friends from Waldorf.

OLAV JOHNSON ‘73 died Sept. 13, 2016, in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania.

In fact, we celebrated her 52nd

He will be remembered by those he knew as an extremely giving man who enjoyed sharing stories and laughs.

birthday on Aug. 24, 2016 in

MARILYN MEINECKE ‘75 died Dec. 1, 2016, in Mason City. She was known for her wonderful smile and her generosity in caring for others. Her giving in life continued by donating to Iowa Donor Network.

New Braunfels, Texas, with a card shower. Many of the birthday cards and email wishes that she received came from her Waldorf friends.

IN MEMORIAM: 1980s JENNIFER JOY ANDERSON ‘89 died Aug. 20, 2016, in Minneapolis after a brief, courageous battle with cancer. Jennifer loved people, especially children, and enjoyed spending her time with her family and friends. She is survived by her mother, sister, brother, aunts and uncles.

DARIN CURTIS ‘89 died Aug. 11, 2016 in Indiana after a short struggle with advanced lung cancer. Darin was an all-conference and all-state nose guard in high school and played football for two years at Waldorf before earning a full-ride scholarship to play nose guard at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is survived by his daughters Susan, 12, and Payton, 4; his father; three siblings and girlfriend.

Lora and I met at Waldorf. We were best friends during our two years together in college and every year since.

LORA (BRODLAND) MEANS ‘84 died Oct. 1, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas, after a courageous battle with cancer. Survivors include her husband, three children, parents Ray

IN MEMORIAM: 2010s LT. CHRISTOPHER M. LEACH ‘15 of Wilmington, Delaware, died tragically responding to a house fire on Sept. 24, 2016. Christopher was currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in fire/rescue executive leadership at the time of his death. He is survived by his mother, three children, their mother, his sister and his fiancée.

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WALDORF MAGAZINE // SPRING 2017

‘58 and Connie (Roinos) Brodland ‘59, sister Carin Brodland ‘84 and two other siblings.

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Share your Warrior pride.

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C OC T S T O E GE L S TS G A I L E C L L G O C I A C I A T SO T O GE GE S L S A T I T E L L G E C I A C I A SO C L I A SO SO G E T E T A L G CI T AL T E E L G L G CI I A SO C A O I O G E T G E T AL S WaldorfUniversity C S T O GE E T I AL I AL O CI G C OC T S T AL IALWaldorfUniversity O C T S T S L G E G E IAL O E IA EWaldorf_U S L OC G G A I L C L C ET S T A A O I I O S E IAL S G G OC Swaldorf.edu OC GET// 800.292.1903 T L L E C E T I A L A L G O C I A O C I A T SO E G E T AL C O CI T S T S G O S TS E G E I AL AL O CI G G E C I A L C I A L SO C O C I E T S S G L CITY’S E T O T SOFOREST L S E G G CI A CI A DEAN NAMED T BORG L E L A GCOMMENCEMENT I CIA SPEAKER O SO C S SO T SOand Commencement ET GET Baccalaureate G L class of exercises AfiLrst graduating GE forCthe A I I Cbe held Saturday, WaldorfO University will O S S Baccalaureate will be May 6, 2017.TThe E at Immanuel G Lutheran Church at 10:30 RI O

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The 2017 Commencement speaker is Forest City native Dean Borg. Borg recently retired from his role as the host of “Iowa Press” on Iowa Public Television (IPTV). Borg worked for IPTV and “Iowa Press” for more than 40 years. He was honored

by Iowa State University with its Distinguished Achievement Citation, the university’s highest award to alumni.

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a.m. with Commencement following at 2 p.m. at Hanson Fieldhouse.

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