Bethany Magazine - February 2016

f e b r ua r y 2016

ANSWERING THE CALL

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Powerful Women Living in Grace Powerful Women Living in Grace

March 11–12, 2016 • Mankato, Minnesota “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9b) “ ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ ” (2 Cor. 12:9) Women of all walks of life draw strength and receive grace from their Savior, Jesus Christ.

Come and sit at the feet of His word to be reminded of this blessing. Regardless of the challenges you are facing, the Lord promises to strengthen you and give you His grace.

During this engaging weekend, you will hear three dynamic perspectives on living in grace.

Opportunity for singing, learning, delicious meals, and trying new skills abound as you spend time with your sisters, moms, and girlfriends, or come to meet new ones!

Schedule Friday, March 11: Courtyard by Marriott Hotel & Event Center 5:00 p.m. Registration 6:00 p.m. Welcome 6:30 p.m. Dinner and Welcome by Carrie Pfeifer, First Lady of Bethany Lutheran College 8:00 p.m. Evening Devotion Saturday, March 12: Bethany Lutheran College Campus 9:00 a.m. Opening Devotion - Trinity Chapel 9:15 a.m.

Session 1: More Precious Than Jewels (Prov. 31:10) 10:15 a.m. Break with Refreshments 10:30 a.m. Session 2: Life With Grace 11:30 p.m. Lunch 1:00 p.m. Skills Class 1 1:50 p.m. Break with Refreshments 2:00 p.m. Skills Class 2 2:50 p.m. Session 3: Family, Feet, and Faith 3:50 p.m. Closing

Register online at:

www.blc.edu/riseup2016 Rise Up 8x11 poster 2016 AFTER JAN 23.indd 1

Registration Register early, space is limited.

Registration available online at:

blc.edu/riseup2016 Event Fee: $115

Group rate available for 8 or more, call 507-344-7749 for details.

Deadline to register: Feb. 26, 2016 For more information, please call Joni Bode at (507) 344-7749 or email RiseUp2016@blc.edu.

Hotel Information

Reserve your room at Courtyard

by Marriott Hotel & Event Center, 901 Raintree Road, Mankato, MN 56001, by calling (507) 3881234 or online at: marriott.com/ mktcy. Mention “Bethany” to receive the special rate of $119 + tax for 2 queen beds or 1 king bed guest rooms. Special rate expires February 11, 2016.

1/28/16 11:01 AM

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FE B R UA RY 2 0 1 6 • I SSU E 1 3 3

table of

contents 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT

FINE ARTS ____________________________

SPIRITUAL LIFE ____________________________

16 A SOUND EXPERIENCE

Message of hope

Bethany alumnus Scott Winters' invention makes music more moving

5 ONE THING NEEDFUL

ATHLETICS ____________________________

Baptisms in chapel

FACULTY & STAFF ____________________________

18 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Meet the Bethany Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2015

6 FROM OUR FACULTY & STAFF

19 SEASON WRAP UP

Recent accomplishments of individuals employed at Bethany

A recap of all the fall sports action

6 NEW FACES

Get to know new faces on campus

ALUMNI ____________________________

ON CAMPUS ____________________________

22 LOHMILLER HEADS WEST Alumna Jenny Lohmiller talks about her graduate experience at the University of Washington

10 NURSING MOVES FORWARD

Learn more about our nursing program

24 FROM OUR ALUMNI

STUDENT ACTIVITIES ____________________________

27 RETROSPECT

News and notes from our Bethany family

Bethany musicians take a break from their rehearsal. Who are they?

12 VIKING VOLUNTEERS

Starting the school year with a flurry of local volunteering

13 CONTEST FOR CAMPUS Viking Cup brings the Bethany community together

“Christian education is a tool used by God for his purpose of saving lives for eternity (I Corinthians 9:22). I am passionate about using Christian education for Gospel outreach.” p. 15 Cover photo by David Norris

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cover story

PFEIFER AT THE HELM

Bethany's new face of leadership sets a course for student success

8 A FRESH LOOK FOR LOCAL CHURCH 20 PROFS AROUND TOWN Bukowski restores what time erases Bethany faculty talk about their Mankato favs

ALUMNI, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Turn to page 26 for the alumni news form. You may also submit alumni news by emailing to alumni@blc.edu, or through our website at blc.edu/submitnews.

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from the

president

BY G E N E PFE I FE R • PR E SI D ENT, B E TH A N Y LU TH ER A N CO LLEG E

True and lasting hope Years ago, I recall a guest on a late night talk show who stressed the importance of establishing hopes and dreams to drive your future. The expert encouraged viewers to write down their top ten hopes or goals for their future. Being a dreamer, I quickly wrote down my ambitions.

We all need hope. Hope gives us purpose for the future. We sometimes become frustrated by the obstacles and challenges that can prevent us from reaching our hopes and dreams. However, we can take the opposite perspective and while seeing real challenges that lie before us, look past them to hold on to our dreams for a future that by God’s grace will be filled with blessings and opportunity.

What about Bethany’s challenges? Some may view Bethany as too small, or not as prestigious as other colleges. Having just become a four-year institution in this century, some view it as too young to have accomplished and respected alumni. Others could say Bethany doesn’t have enough wellknown programs or nationally-known faculty to teach in those programs.

While it’s true that Bethany works to find solutions to challenges just like other colleges and universities, it’s also true that Bethany exists for a cause beyond academic prestige. Bethany’s purpose is to help her students grow in their relationship with their Savior, Jesus, and to help shape their God-given gifts and talents for impactful lives of service to Him and to society. Bethany Lutheran College is built on hope—hope for the future and hope for eternity.

I am excited about the future for Bethany Lutheran College and humbled to be serving this special institution. New programs are taking shape, our graduates are finding success in their careers, communities, and home churches. Our alumni and friends are consistently supportive of our mission.

Even more importantly, at Bethany, we have sure hope explained in our motto the One Thing Needful. God promises to bless Gospel outreach in verses like Isaiah 55:11 where the prophet writes, “My Word will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Bethany Lutheran College is a place that is uniquely equipped to share hope.

Founded upon the assurance of God’s promises in the Bible, Bethany Lutheran College shares hope for this life and true and lasting hope for eternal life. May Bethany continue to support her students in the One Thing Needful – a relationship with their Savior – and to build in them lives of impactful service in this world and for their citizenship in heaven.

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zine

Maga

editor, writer | Lance Schwartz designer, photographer | David Norris designer, proofreader | Andrew Rustad contributing writers | Lucas Herd Don Moldstad Amanda Quist Andrew Rustad Please direct all correspondence, letters, news, corrections, and comments to: Bethany Lutheran College Bethany Magazine 700 Luther Drive Mankato, MN 56001-6163 Email: editor@blc.edu Phone: 507.344.7000 | 800.944.3066 ISSUE: 133 The Bethany Magazine is published three times yearly by the Bethany Lutheran College Office of Institutional Communication and distributed free of charge to the college’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends.

All contents © COPYRIGHT 2016 Bethany Lutheran College. Articles, images or photographs may not be reproduced without written permission.

Mission: Bethany Lutheran College, owned and

operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, is a private, residential, liberal arts college committed to the teachings of the Bible as set forth in the Lutheran Confessions.

Bethany provides studies culminating in a bachelor of arts degree. The College serves Lutherans and others by offering a challenging, student-centered approach to education that fosters spiritual development, intellectual and creative growth, self-understanding, and responsible citizenship. In keeping with its heritage, Bethany aspires to produce students with a clear understanding of Christian vocation, which encourages students to make the most of their God-given talents.

PU SLNLI E FE WS SCA PI RM ITUA

B E TH A N Y Magazine

According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

one thing

needful

BY D O N MO LD S TA D • B E T H A N Y LU T H ER A N CO LLEG E CH A PL A I N

Titus 3:5-6

In recent years, nearly every semester we’ve been blessed to witness an adult baptism during our chapel services at Bethany.

The baptism typically involves a Bethany student who has been introduced to Christianity through a religion class, or someone who had never really learned what the Bible says about the Sacrament of Baptism.

For me, as the College Chaplain, it is one of the highlights of my work on campus. Quite often it is a fellow Christian friend, or possibly a roommate who helps direct them to my office for instruction in the Christian faith.

After a student is referred to my office, I usually meet with them a number of times to instruct them in the basics of the gospel and especially teach them about what takes place in baptism. This also gives me a chance to get to know the person individually.

I often ask their religion professor to assist me in the baptismal rite, since he was instrumental in the process. We then explain to the newly-baptized student the blessing of becoming a member at a local church so their Christian faith can continue to grow.

Photo by David Norris

This past summer, a group of more than twenty students from China were on the Bethany campus for a month-long stay.

During that time, I explained to them the basics of Christianity during an organized class. One young man in the group asked to meet with me afterwards, and through our Bible studies, he requested baptism. While I never push baptism on anyone, it’s my aim to allow him or her to discover the teaching in our readings – such as the Jailer at Philippi – so that the request always comes from them, and never coerced.

We may not always think of Bethany as a place for evangelism into the Christian faith, but when these situations arise they are a wonderful example of what our work is all about. It also is exciting for our student body to remember their own baptisms, and the grace that God has poured out on us in Christ. As Paul says, “According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly though Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6).

Jayden Carter was baptized in Trinity Chapel by Bethany Chaplain Don Moldstad.

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From our faculty & staff Peter Bloedel’s (Theatre) play The Distracted Scholar’s Guide to Literature and Drama was accepted and will soon appear as a published work through Playscripts Inc. Bloedel’s other works published through Playscripts have garnered international attention receiving 4,200 performances to date worldwide.

Bloedel is currently co-writing, with Bethany alumna and playwright Emily Kimball, the 2016 Bethany spring play, with the working title Above Board. This romantic comedy will premiere on the stage of the Sigurd K. Lee Theater on April 22, 2016.

Mark DeGarmeaux (Religious Studies, Languages) recently gave an on-campus presentation about Katie Luther, wife of Martin Luther, as part of the In Depth Speaker Series at Bethany. He also gave presentations on Ulrik Vilhelm Koren (a pioneer Norwegian pastor) at a Mankato Sons of Norway meeting.

DeGarmeaux also had a busy summer finishing work on and publishing Volume 2 of U. V. Koren's Works in June 2015, played a summer noontime organ recital for the local American Guild of Organists (AGO) in July 2015, and played in the Gala Organ Recital celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Sioux Trails chapter of the AGO in New Ulm in October.

Ryan C. MacPherson (History) delivered a presentation concerning marriage and public policy at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. in May 2015. In July 2015, his dissertation titled "Debating Evolution before Darwinism: An Exploration of Science and Religion in America, 1844–1859," was published as a book, with study questions for classroom use.

fresh faces

New faculty & staff on the Bethany campus NICHOLAS COOK ESL and International Recruiter Cook graduated from Bethany Lutheran College in 2011, majoring in communication with a minor in Spanish. He then went on to complete a master's degree at the University of Minnesota with licenses to teach English as a Second Language and Spanish.

Cook has worked with students at every grade level from pre-school through high school, and now college students as well.

After finishing his master's program, he taught Spanish in Austin, Texas, before returning 6 to Minnesota to teach ESL in Mounds View Public Schools.

After meeting Emily (Anderson) at Bethany, the two married in July of 2013 and have a baby daughter named Ava.

MICHAEL DUNN Head Coach, Cross Country and Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field Dunn earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in coaching from Concordia College, Moorhead, where he competed at the Division III level in both cross country and track and field. While at Concordia, Dunn assisted with recruiting track and cross country athletes.

Dunn has also been an assistant cross country coach at Shanley High School in Fargo, North Dakota, as well as head coach of track and field at Oak Grove Lutheran High School. After graduation from college, Dunn acquired TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certification and lived in Nanchang, China, teaching English and serving as head coach of track and field at Nanchang Institute of Technology University.

After teaching in China, Dunn attended Gonzaga University where he earned a master’s degree in sport and athletic administration. He also served as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams at Gonzaga. Dunn is married to Nicole (Woinarowicz) Dunn.

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Ashley Rand (Mathematics) published a paper titled “Multiplicative Subsets of Atoms” in the International Electronic Journal of Algebra and also recently passed the actuary Exam P in probability.

FACU LT Y & STA FF

Tiffany Young Klockzeim (Exercise Science) completed her PhD in public health, from Walden University. Her dissertation investigated the effect of Bethany's required physical education class, PHED 215/Developing Life Skills, and was titled, "The Effect of a Lifetime Health and Fitness Class on College Students."

The dissertation is published on ProQuest.

Jessi Zimmerman (Reference and Instruction Librarian) completed her master of library and information science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in December 2015. Her capstone project examined Google's alleged monopoly in relation to the 19th century railroad monopoly. It also explored whether or not traditional understanding of monopolies and current antitrust legislation can effectively regulate multi-faceted digital platform competition.

NICHOLAS HAUMAN

CARRIE PFEIFER

SARA TRAYLOR

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Associate Professor of Education and Academic Resource Center Director

Director of Nursing

Hauman was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and graduated summa cum laude with a BA from Saginaw Valley State University in 2008.

Her earned an MS from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011, and his PhD from University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2015 both in sociology. He also holds certificates in interdisciplinary social theory and applied social research.

As an adult convert, becoming both a Christian and a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), Hauman’s relationship to Lutheranism and the Bethany community is newer than most of the faculty.

He noted, “Although a newcomer to the Bethany family, I am glad to be here and to be able to use my time and talents to serve this institution, its fine students, and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.”

Pfeifer joins Bethany’s faculty as a full-time professor in the Education Department, and also serves as the director of the Academic Resource Center. Pfeifer has earned degrees from Martin Luther College (BS), Minnesota State University, Mankato, (MS) in curriculum and instruction, and Nova Southeastern University with a doctor of education special education focus. Pfeifer’s dissertation studied support programs for students with learning differences within WELS secondary schools.

Helping students with learning differences is a passion of Pfeifer’s and was a focus of her previous work at St. Croix Lutheran High School and Middle School in West St. Paul, Minnesota. Pfeifer, and her husband Gene (President of Bethany) have three adult children, Jesse (and his wife Naomi), Nicole, and Jordan (and his wife Simone), and two grandchildren.

Traylor has earned degrees from Bethany Lutheran College in 1996 with an associate in arts, South Central College in 1998 with an associate in applied science for practical nursing, Inver Hills Community College in 2001 with an associate degree in nursing, and Bethel University in 2005 with a bachelor of science in nursing and in 2008 with a master of arts in nursing education. She is presently a PhD in nursing education candidate at Capella University (ABD).

Traylor has been a nurse for seventeen years working ten years in various clinical nursing roles as a licensed practical nurse and a registered nurse. She’s been a nurse educator for the past seven years at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in New Richmond, Wisconsin, and St. Catherine University in 7 Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2014, She earned designation as a certified nurse educator from the National League for Nursing.

Traylor is married to Greg Traylor and has two adult step children and two step grandchildren.

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FEB RUA RY 20 1 6

restoring

A FORMER GLORY

BY L A N C E S C H WA R T Z • D I R EC TO R O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L COM MU N I C AT I O N

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It seems as though nothing’s really built to last, but seventy-five years for anything made by humans is certainly a worthy run. Seventy-five is the number of years it took for a piece of plaster to deteriorate and eventually fall from the ceiling of St. Peter Lutheran Church in rural Elysian, Minnesota. And perhaps it was the fact that the piece of plaster nearly hit the pastor during Sunday morning worship that repairs to the ceiling took on much more than a quick patch job.

St. Peter Lutheran is a quintessential country church which looks very much like many of the white, clapboard covered churches that dot the landscape of the Upper Midwest. The building hasn’t changed a whole lot since it was built in the late 19th Century.

One aspect that did change was the painting completed in 1940 of Christian symbols on the walls and ceiling of the apse area of the sanctuary. It was the plaster these symbols were painted on that eventually gave way to gravity’s pull. Through a Bethany alumni connection, the church elders from St. Peter called Bethany Professor of Art, William Bukowski, in order to see if he could possibly recreate the painting on the damaged ceiling. And indeed, Bukowski assured them he’d be able to bring the damaged ceiling back to its original look, but that’s

Photo by Jeffrey Bukowski

not where the story ends. After looking further at the interior of the church, Bukowski was asked to bring the rest of the 1940s painting, much of it done with stencil work, back to life. While the project seemed to be possible, after further inspection more cracks (and perhaps ready to fall plaster) were discovered.

This revelation led to the recommendation that the plaster was not salvageable and the best course of action would be to sheetrock over the old walls and recreate the historic imagery from scratch. Although a departure from the plan, Bukowski was still up to the task. The congregation decided to move forward with the sheetrock repair process.

“Don’t add anything to it, don’t embellish it, don’t make any changes. Just make it look like it did,” was the request. "That was a very tall artistic challenge because now it’s not simply a repair, it’s nearly a whole sanctuary,” noted Bukowski.

By the time the sheetrock crew arrived much later than originally planned, Bukowski had exactly twentyeight days to recreate the artwork. The church agreed to rent a mechanical lift for the artist to use during the painting process, but the budget didn’t allow for any additional days of rental. The challenge was indeed on.

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Photos by David Norris

Details from the original church paintings (top) in the sanctuary were a good reference for recreating the same feel to the elements in the apse of the church.

could come and go as his schedule permitted. His son, Jeffrey, was a great help throughout as he assisted with some of the under painting and stenciling, and at the same time documented the process with video recording of the project. Bukowski hopes that the video can be shown in the near future.

“It was nice to have Jeff involved. He helped me with both the fresco and chapel works as well. It’s kind of like the old master system. It certainly made it more enjoyable.”

And while the process was exciting, it was also a little scary for the artist. The lift was small, the ceiling high, and the space was large.

Looking down was not something Bukowski intentionally tried to do, but there were moments he thought this might be a little too far out of his comfort zone.

“Certainly the lift is safe, but a few times during the first day I thought, I can’t do this. But I stuck with it, said my prayers, and I didn’t fall.”

The work was rededicated during a Reformation Sunday service where Bukowski was recognized both during prayers (a prayer of thanksgiving for the work) and during dinner at the church where, according to Bukowski, nearly every member talked with him about the project.

“There wasn’t a single person who remembered the look of the church prior to 1940, so this really does preserve something special for the congregation. For at least another several generations, the church will look like what was always there. It was enjoyable to see this reaction and fun see it’s happy conclusion.”

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Time didn’t seem to be on the artist’s side. “This was just a couple of weeks before the beginning of the school year,” explained Bukowski. He’d have to work quickly and efficiently.

Large-scale artistic projects are nothing new to Bukowski. Both the Creation Fresco in Bethany’s Meyer Hall and the Altar Triptych in Trinity Chapel are large endeavors he’s completed. And it’s some of these experiences that helped propel the St. Peter Lutheran Church project forward. Bukowski called on a former collaborator, Jim Shugrue, for advice.

Shugrue worked with Bukowski on The Creation Fresco and had experience in faux painting, which is the process Bukowski would use.

So the work began. There were multiple layers that needed to be done, including primer, under painting, painting, rag painting, and finally stenciling.

Bukowski felt the pressure to get this right.

“Everyone I met from the congregation seemed to have been members there for their entire life. They were baptized, confirmed, and some married there.

They were all pretty excited to see the church’s look come back to life. It’s something they can pass down to the next generations.”

Bukowski had complete access to the church; he

Professor William Bukowski worked in the apse of St. Peter Lutheran Church near Elysian, Minnesota.

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GET TO KNOW THE NEW

NURSING PROGRAM

BY L A N C E S C H WA R T Z • D I R EC TO R O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L COM MU N I C AT I O N

Bethany prepares to bring students a much-requested new major Bethany Lutheran College, like most colleges and universities, spends considerable time visiting with prospective students at a variety of admissions events such as college fairs and information nights. Perhaps one of the most often-asked questions by these students is a simple one—do you have a nursing program?

According to Vice President for Academics, Dr. Eric Woller, nursing is the most requested major not currently offered at Bethany. The answer to this frequent question will change in the coming months since Bethany has proposed adding a nursing major to its list of academic offerings. A major step towards the addition of a nursing program was realized in fall 2015 when the State of Minnesota gave Bethany firstphase approval for the establishment of a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program.

After years of consideration, Bethany first announced the intent to create a nursing program in April 2013. Some might ask if nursing has been asked about for years, then why did Bethany not act sooner to begin a program? Woller explains, “The problem was a perceived lack of clinical sites, which is a critical component of the nursing major.”

“A few years ago, we decided to find out for sure if this supposed lack of clinical sites was real or not. What we found out, was that there were plenty of clinical sites in Southern Minnesota, not only in Mankato but also places like New Ulm, New Prague, and St. Peter.”

After the seeming setback with clinical sites was resolved, the College 10

administration went to work with the intent to better understand all that was needed both in human and capital resources to build a nursing program. The group consulted with schools already offering a nursing major, and this work proved to not only be informative, but it was also very encouraging. In fact, the findings were so encouraging that it didn’t take long to begin a search for a director of the proposed nursing program. After considering several qualified candidates, Sara (Merseth) Traylor PhD(c), MA, RN, CNE was hired.

Woller notes, “Sara is not only familiar with Bethany and our mission because she’s a graduate, but her greatest asset is that she has a great deal of nursing education experience, which is vital to our program development.”

Traylor remarked, “I'm so joyful and blessed that God has guided my journey back to Bethany for my ‘dream job’ as the developer and director of a brand new nursing program. I’m passionate about nursing and nursing education and am looking forward to blending nursing with God’s Word while preparing future nurses to become Christian caregivers and

B E TH A N Y Magazine

servant-leaders.”

Traylor has been working with the College’s administration and State agencies to satisfy all of the requirements related to the development of the new program. The process began with the College producing a letter of intent for the State Nursing Board.

“The letter of intent summarizes why Bethany Lutheran College should be considered worthy to offer a nursing program," explains Woller. "It not only outlines the support from the College’s Board of Regents, it also demonstrates the financial commitment the College has for the program. And perhaps just as important as this institutional backing, it demonstrates the support from the Mankato and South Central Minnesota communities. We received wonderful encouragement from both the health care institutions and from other local schools offering nursing.”

The bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program/ degree is considered to be the industry standard and most widely accepted among nursing education programs today.

The first-phase approval from the Minnesota Board of Nursing occurred on October 1, 2015. The state approval process is a three-phase program and is required to develop the BSN program at any institution.

The proposed nursing program in development is projected to offer its first classes in August 2017. This formal approval allows current freshmen and sophomore students at Bethany, who declare an interest in the nursing program, the authorization to take current college courses that will be required as pre-requisites or support courses for the proposed BSN program.

The approval also gives Bethany permission to promote a proposed nursing program to prospective students.

Bethany has outstanding internal and external support for the development of the nursing program.

Traylor remarked about the support the College has received since the announcement of the proposed BSN program.

“Bethany Lutheran College is thankful for the wonderful encouragement and support we’ve received from so many in the greater Mankato area during the development of the proposed nursing program. We’re looking forward to continued progress towards our goal of offering more nursing students the opportunity to study in Mankato and at Bethany.”

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Q AND A WITH SARA TRAYLOR, DIRECTOR OF NURSING What, about this new position at Bethany, was intriguing to you?

Leading a nursing program has been my "dream job" since I started my career in nursing. Bethany is in a good position to offer a nursing major to prepare professional Christian nurses to meet the needs of an in-demand career. I've been blessed with a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to assist in building a brand new nursing program at my alma mater, an institution that remains strong in the “One Thing Needful.”

Describe your work, thus far, that to led to the first successful approval target date?

Program approval is a three-phase process. Phase one entailed developing a document of intent to establish a proposed nursing education program. This process took six months and involved meeting with internal and external stakeholders, meeting with and obtaining letters of support from potential clinical practicum partners, developing a budget, and researching data to support the need for the program. The Minnesota Board of Nursing, with recommendation from the Board's Education Committee, approved the document on October 1, 2015.

What sort of events and preparation need to occur in the coming months with regard to the second (and third) phases of the approval process?

We are now in phase two of the proposed program development which is creating and equipping an applied learning laboratory, developing program outcomes and curriculum, and establishing clinical practicum sites. An application for initial program approval with supporting documents will be submitted to the Board of Nursing in Spring 2016. The Board will review the application and complete a site visit. The Board's action to grant approval occurs after the site visit. Phase three is continuing approval for the program and occurs with the first graduating cohort. The program must acquire national nursing education accreditation and meet the minimum first-time licensure examination success rate.

What is Bethany now telling prospective students about the proposed nursing program?

The proposed bachelor of science in nursing program in development is projected to offer its first classes in August 2017. Current freshmen and sophomore students may take current college courses that will be required as pre-requisites or support courses for the proposed program. The proposed BSN program will prepare students with knowledge and skills necessary to provide safe, quality patient care as Christian servant-leaders within professional nursing practice.

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viking volunteers

BY L A N C E S C H WA R T Z • D I R EC TO R O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L COM MU N I C AT I O N Photo courtesy of Kate Ruschmeyer

Djem Ferkenstad is the Coordinator for Bethany’s Paul Ylvisaker Center for Personal and Public Responsibility. Ferkenstad, who is also a Residential Life Manager together with her seminarian husband Aaron, helped to organize many service projects this academic year for Bethany Lutheran College students.

Ferkenstad explained, “An exciting part of our new student orientation this year was a service project component. Incoming students were able to participate in a variety of projects in the Mankato community. This was not only an opportunity for new students to meet each other, but it also provided an opportunity for our students to visit and volunteer at many of Mankato’s nonprofit and service organizations.”

Bethany students took part in tremendous fashion, and perhaps it was the wide array of projects to choose from that contributed to the success of this community service program.

Much of the community service work occurred on August 24th when 125 volunteers, a combination of students, faculty, and staff, set out to help at seven local organizations and schools.

Volunteers helped pick up debris along Highway 22 as part of the Adopt-a-Highway program. At Oaklawn Health Care Center, the participants helped with a concert and served refreshments and visited with the residents. At the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, volunteers were able to help clean the facility and repair the popular TapeScape 2.0 exhibit. Volunteers spent time at AGAIN Thrift Store assisting in organizing merchandise. A group of thirty-six headed down the road from Bethany to Mt. Olive Lutheran School to help clean, setup classroom decorations, and prepare handouts for the start of the school year. Other volunteers traveled to the historic Betsy-Tacy houses to help clean and organize the houses for 12

public tours. And the last group of volunteers went to Nicollet County to help Trinity Lutheran School prepare for the start of the school year.

The Bethany Residential Life staff, together with the Paul Ylvisaker Center, is also helping engage students with the community by hosting multiple service leadership events throughout the year. These events are coordinated and led by residential assistants focusing on activities to help the community.

That spirit of service continued in the fall when on October 31, 2015, twenty-seven campus volunteers participated in the Rake the Town event in Mankato.

Rake the Town is sponsored by a non-profit organization that helps elderly members in the community find volunteers to rake their yards in preparation for the winter season. The group spent the morning raking six yards in the community.

The Paul Ylvisaker Center and Residential Life staff are carrying the momentum into the spring semester by participating in events like Climb 2 Feed Kids, organized by the Backpack Food Program and a food drive to re-stock the ECHO Food Shelf.

Ferkenstad commented, “It is exciting to see an overwhelming number of enthusiastic student volunteers for the many activities scheduled through the Paul Ylvisaker Center. I think it has really sparked an interest in serving for many of our students. Some have contacted me with ideas and events they are interested in to help the community.”

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a community contest

at its best

Photo by Jeff Olsen

BY L A N C E S C H WA R T Z • D I R EC TO R O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L COM MU N I C AT I O N

Viking Cup competition generates campus camaraderie For many Bethany alumni, friendly competition amongst classmates, bragging rights for a hall or club if you will, usually took the form of intramural games or a campus dorm-decorating contest. And this type of campus competition still occurs on a regular basis, but a new contest was introduced a few years ago to wide acceptance.

Viking Cup is the brainchild of women’s soccer coach and communication instructor Derick Lyngholm.

Lyngholm explained the basic concept of Viking Cup to the Bethany Activities Committee (BAC), the group was intrigued, and decided to give it a try.

BAC Coordinator, Renee Tatge commented, “We were very excited to start what we hoped would become a tradition on campus.”

Viking Cup started as a competition amongst the campus residence halls, but since then the competition added a Faculty/Staff team and incorporated off-campus students into the teams so that the entire Bethany community is included in the fun. Currently the teams are formed with groups representing Anderson Hall, Teigen Hall (and off-campus men), Gullixson Hall, Edgewood Place (and off-campus women), and a Faculty/Staff team.

Viking Cup has become an annual, campus-wide competition.

Every night for a week participants compete in various events to win points for their team. The points culminate in an overall Viking Cup champion. The event categories are Minute-to-Win-It games, trivia, Olympics, talent, and a scavenger hunt. Every year, BAC tries to put a new twist on each category to bring something unexpected and exciting to each event.

Members of the BAC team split into groups for planning purposes with each group coordinating one night of competition while all committee members assist with running events each night.

Tatge explained more, “It’s the goal of the BAC to encourage everyone at Bethany to become involved with the Viking Cup. President Pfeifer even made an appearance for the Faculty/Staff Team this year.”

The numbers speak for themselves. Tatge was thrilled when over 200 people attended the talent show portion of this year’s Viking Cup. Bethany’s size and community are the key components to making Viking Cup such a fun experience for the campus. The result is a community-building event for everyone on campus.

“The best thing about Viking Cup is that it brings together, on one team, people from every major, team, club, organization, and employees. Viking Cup is about rooting for your fellow Vikings," echoed Tatge.

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JA N UA RY RY 20 20 115 FEB RUA 6

O N CA M PU S

GIVING STUDENTS

what they need Photos by David Norris

BY L A N C E S C H WA R T Z • D I R EC TO R O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L COM MU N I C AT I O N

Bethany's new president has a vision for educational excellence mixed with gospel outreach The Bethany Lutheran College Board of Regents elected Dr. Gene Pfeifer as the College’s tenth president at their February 2015 meeting.

Pfeifer was installed at Bethany’s opening service in August 2015 and inaugurated on November 13, 2015.

Pfeifer’s election, in a way, is a departure from a history of leaders at Bethany who were either alumni (Aaberg, Branstad, Bruss, Holte, Meyer), or had served as clergy in the Norwegian/Evangelical Lutheran Synod and were also alumni (Aaberg, Branstad, Olsen, Teigen, Ylvisaker) prior to taking the top position at the College. However, Pfeifer was raised in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and his eldest son is a Bethany alumnus. He brings with him a leadership background that will certainly provide Bethany with seasoned expertise in a variety of areas.

Upon election, Rev. Herbert Huhnerkoch, chair of Bethany’s Board of Regents, said of Pfeifer, “Throughout the election process, it became clear that Dr. Pfeifer’s dedication to the mission of Bethany Lutheran College, his demonstrated leadership skills, wide-ranging experiences, and desire to prepare leaders grounded in the Christian faith, were personal attributes the College could benefit from as it looks to the future.”

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Pfeifer was born and raised in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, and attended Lutheran elementary school and Lakeside Lutheran High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from (Dr.) Martin Luther College (MLC), a master of science in education from The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and a doctor of philosophy with a major in education, curriculum, and instruction from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Pfeifer has been involved in Christian education his entire professional career. He began his service in two Lutheran elementary school settings: as principal and upper grades teacher at both St. Matthew, Niles, Illinois, and at St. Paul, Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Most recently, Pfeifer served as the President of St. Croix Lutheran High School and Middle School in West.

St. Paul, Minnesota, a position he held for eight years.

Among the initiatives that he was involved with was the development of strategic plans in which he was

O N CA M PU S

B E TH A N Y Magazine

responsible to the Board of Regents for data collection (surveys, listening sessions, interviews, focus groups, etc.), analysis of data, identification of areas for strategic initiatives, and development of a plan for achieving each. These efforts were blessed with success including enrollment growth of over 100 students, significant growth in international student numbers, expanded programs, community outreach, the addition of the middle school, and an expanded STEM program. St. Croix also saw facility growth during this time including renovation of the school’s science labs and the construction of a new dormitory.

Prior to his time at St. Croix Lutheran, Pfeifer served as Professor of Education and Director of Clinical Experiences at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, from 1993 until 2007 where he taught courses in curriculum and instruction and also supervised student teachers. While at MLC, Pfeifer also enjoyed the opportunities he had to serve as an assistant football coach, and later as the head women’s basketball coach, leading his team to an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference tournament championship in 2006. His passion for the classroom still remains, as he will continue to teach one summer course in the graduate program for MLC. The course, Improving Instructional Methodology, is required of graduate students in the curriculum and instruction major.

When asked about Bethany’s purpose in Christian Higher Education, Pfeifer explains his vision of the College’s role.

“Bethany, as an arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) is to both embody the spiritual and cultural beliefs of the synod, but also to lead the ELS by responding to rising issues in society, and by introducing new ideas in accord with Scripture in areas where we have the Christian liberty to do so.

“As President, my role is to ensure the ministry has the resources needed to provide an excellent college education that is attractive to students. This allows students to be engaged in the education they need and want, while also enabling them to get what they truly need – a certain knowledge of Jesus as their Savior. God blesses gospel outreach and assures us of this promise in Isaiah 55:11. I have seen evidence of this repeatedly, and every day I’m energized by it.

“Ultimately, Bethany’s role is to equip students for lives as productive leaders in society filling valued roles as citizens. Through a student’s time at BLC their faith in Jesus will grow and through this growth they will want to use their zeal for Christ to serve in active

'Ultimately, Bethany’s role is to equip students for lives as productive leaders in society filling valued roles as citizens, ' says Pfeifer.

roles in their communities and congregations.

“Christian education is a tool used by God for his purpose of saving lives for eternity (I Corinthians 9:22). I am passionate about using Christian education for Gospel outreach.”

Since arriving on campus in July, Pfeifer has made it a priority to visit directly with many of the faculty and staff members along with a variety of stakeholders. And you can begin to see some of Pfeifer’s forward vision as new programs are being discussed, alliances are being shaped, and communication with new audiences is being developed.

Pfeifer is married to Carrie Pfeifer, who holds a doctorate of education with special education focus from Nova Southeastern University. She is also a faculty member at Bethany serving as a full-time associate professor in the Education Department and Director of the Academic Resources Center. The Pfeifers both enjoy spending as much time as possible with their three adult children, Jesse (and his wife Naomi), Nicole, and Jordan (and his wife Simone), and two grandchildren.

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FI N E A R T S

FEB RUA RY 20 1 6

setting sights

on sound

BY A M A N DA Q U I S T • CO O R D I N ATO R , P U B LI C ED U C AT I O N A N D G OV T. ACCE S S

Photo montage by Holly Wilder/University of Southern California; animation by Steven Day

Bethany alumnus finds success in synchronization

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At the intersection of entrepreneur and conductor, inventor, and artist, you will find Scott Winters. Winters is a 1989 Bethany graduate who recently invented a revolutionary software product that changes the way a projected film is synchronized with live musical performance.

Most of Winters’ educational and professional background is in music. After earning his associate in arts degree from Bethany, he went on to acquire a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College. He returned to Bethany as the Director of Instrumental Music from 1991 to 1994. Winters also founded a non-profit music conservatory in Burnsville, Minnesota, called River Ridge Arts. After running this organization for ten years, he returned to conducting with the Minnetonka Civic Orchestra for three years while doing quite a bit of professional and semi-pro freelance work.

While conducting in the Twin Cities, Winters also music-directed dozens of musical theater shows. It was during this time that he developed the idea for the software. He was working with several jazz musicians who were also programmers at a local music tech company.

They spent intermissions talking about how to replace ‘click tracks,’ the industry standard. Click tracks are a series of audio cues playing in the ears of musicians,

which aims to keep them synchronized to a moving image. The big problem with click tracks is that they don’t allow for live performance to do what it does best in terms of artistic expression as led by a conductor.

To fix this problem, Winters eventually devised a tool that would invert the synchronization. The software runs on an iPad, which is “played” like an instrument to match the tempo of a film to that of the performers. In this way, the nuances of live performance are not only maintained, but also used to drive the visuals. Winters developed a prototype, the first working version of which was installed on his computer in December 2012. “I knew immediately that it was more powerful, and likely much more important than the hobby I had considered it,” he commented. From this, his company was born—Ion Concert Media.

Winters spoke at the 2013 League of American Orchestras National Conference in St. Louis, where the initial response was also strong. “The most challenging part of the project to date has been figuring out how to enter the market. We know it will be adopted very quickly, and with five very large market segments already identified, it’s hard to know what steps to take to protect the company from being crushed by opportunity.”

B E TH A N Y Magazine

FI N E A R T S

Photo by Dan Smith

Photo by Daniel Anderson/USC Thornton

Bethany senior Jeremiah Kuehne began working with Ion Concert Media in the spring of 2015 with film transcribing.

Scott Winters began his company in 2013 and now has four others as part of the Ion team.

It’s fortunate for Bethany that one of the elements in Ion’s launch plan is a partnership with Bethany’s Speechless Film Festival. Similar to Ion, Speechless was launched in 2013. The festival was originally conceived as a student competition between Bethany and United International College (UIC) in Zhuhai, China. But the event quickly transformed into a much larger festival for both students and professional filmmakers from all over the world.

With the support of Ion, Speechless began offering a visual music category with a focus on classical orchestral music. “It was obvious from the start that our company would benefit by supporting and encouraging the development of new visual music works,” commented Winters.

Bethany’s relationship with Winters and Ion continues.

Last spring, Winters was greatly in need of someone to help with film transcribing. Jeremiah Kuehne, a senior at Bethany began working with Ion. “Ion is a great fit for me in a number of ways,” says Kuehne. “I am both musical and a filmmaker. I understand the technical workings of a film rather well and also read sheet music and understand a thing or two about how music is put together. My personality fits

well with Ion because I am an entrepreneur at heart, which makes it a blast to have such a big part in growing the company. I truly feel like I’ve played a role in the success at Ion even in the short time I have been there, which makes for a very rewarding and exciting experience.”

Shortly after Kuehne began working for Ion, Winters landed a high-profile job in Santa Barbara, California. The software was put to the test with the 4k projection of an experimental film/animation by Michael Patterson, an animation faculty member at University of Southern California (USC) School for the Cinematic Arts.

“Jeremiah wound up playing an absolutely critical role in improving our film handling process and even developed ideas for tools we hope to build in the future to streamline our production process,” said Winters. “I have always been an educator at heart and it thrills me to be able to give a BLC student real-world job experience. The energy and excitement student workers bring to a young company like Ion is well worth the rare scheduling headache.”

The Media Arts Department at Bethany is excited to play a part in this convergence of fields (media arts, music, technology, and business) through Ion Concert Media. The passion, hard work, and spirit of innovation in Winters and Kuehne says a lot about Bethany’s role in training students for success. Bethany is honored to be working with Ion and we look forward to seeing what’s next for this growing company.

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S G N I K I s V c i t Y e l h N t A A H T BE

Photos by Jake Krier Photos by Jake Krier

Above left: 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees (from left) Steve Jaeger, Todd Stephan, Steve Konstantinovic, and Tiffany Young Klockziem.

Above right: Also recognized was the 1958–59 Men's Basketball Team as the first "Team of Distinction," which included Dwain Mintz, Dean Brudwick, Dale Kain, Allen Hansen, Norm Theiste, Bob Kruger, Frank Busse.

Bethany Athletic Hall of Fame adds four new members, team of distinction Bethany Lutheran College is proud to announce four new members to its Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition, Bethany honors its first-ever "Team of Distinction."

Steve Jaeger was associated with Bethany for thirty years and was involved in the College's transition from two to four-year athletics and NCAA membership. He was a two-year starter for the men's soccer team in 1970-71 which included a run to the NJCAA National Tournament in 1971. He later coached the program from 1985-89 receiving NJCAA Region XIII Coach of the Year honors every year while amassing a 62-28-11 record in five seasons as head coach. Jaeger went on to start 18

the cross country program at Bethany and served in administrative capacities that oversaw athletics from 1997-2013.

Steve Konstantinovic was a men's soccer and tennis player from 1972-74. On the pitch, he was the leading scorer (31 goals) on a squad that placed third at the 1973 NJCAA National Tournament as he received All-Conference and All-Region honors. On the court, he advanced to the state semifinals in 1973.

Todd Stephan starred in baseball and basketball

B E TH A N Y Magazine

ATH LE TI CS

FALL SPORTS RECAP

BY LU C A S H E R D • CO O R D I N ATO R O F SP O RT S I N FO R M ATI O N

in 1985-86. He received All-Region and All-State honors in both sports before moving on to Point Park College where he earned All-American and Region Player of the Year awards. He went on to pitch in the minor leagues for five seasons including four years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, reaching the AAA level.

Tiffany Young Klockziem was a threesport star from 1992-94. She helped lead the '93 volleyball squad and '94 softball team to NJCAA National Tournament appearances. She received All-Southern Division volleyball honors her first year, and added All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region awards in 1994. She went on to receive more recognition on the basketball court earning All-State and All-Division honors in 1992-93 and was a Kodak All-American and NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention player in 1993-94. Young Klockziem later was the head coach of the Bethany women's basketball team for eleven seasons (2003-14) and is an assistant professor in the Health and Human Performance Department.

Receiving the College's first "Team of Distinction" honor is the 1958-59 Bethany Men's Basketball Team. The squad, coached by Dwain Mintz, finished with a 20-3 record and placed second in the NJCAA National Tournament before losing to Weber Junior College of Utah (now Weber State University) in the national championship game in Hutchinson, Kansas.

This group of four inductees joined twenty-eight current members in the Bethany Athletic Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony Friday, September 18. The "Team of Distinction" was honored at the same event as part of Bethany's Fall Festival Weekend.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Fourth Place UMAC Owen Richardson (Lake Elsinore, Calif.) earned Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) all conference second team honors by placing eighth overall at the conference championships with a time of 27:56.4. Luke Thun (Silver Bay, Minn.) received the individual sportsmanship award for Bethany.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Fourth Place UMAC Megan Sauer (Lismore, Minn.) earned all-conference first team honors with a fourth-place finish (24:29.6) at the UMAC conference meet.

Sauer went on to become the first-ever Bethany runner to also earn all-region honors. She ran a personal best (23:24) leading her team to their best regional finish in program history.

Lauren Farquhar (Plymouth, Minn.) and Morgan Sauer (Lismore, Minn.) received all-conference second team honors by placing ninth and thirteenth respectively at the conference championship. Farquhar also received the individual sportsmanship award. Bethany also earned the team sportsmanship award for their work and efforts both on and off the course.

MEN'S GOLF

Third Place UMAC The men's golf team captured a third-place finish at the 2015 UMAC Championships.

Brenton Pennells (Toowoomba, Australia) was named to the all-conference team. The freshman finished the season with an average score of 79.11 per round. His best round was at the Northwestern Invitational on September 16, 2015, at the Gross National Golf Course in Minneapolis where he shot 71 (E). At the UMAC Championship, Pennells tallied rounds of 75, 79, and 77 to total 231 (+15) for the tournament.

Zach Curtis (Elmore, Minn.) was chosen as Bethany’s individual sportsmanship winner at the conference tournament.

WOMEN'S GOLF

Second Place UMAC The women's golf team earned a second-place finish at the UMAC Championship. The Vikings finished with a three-day score of 1185, just fifteen strokes behind Wisconsin-Superior.

Three golfers were named to the all-conference team. Jessica Neaton (Big Lake, Minn.), Mackenzie Manthei (Belview, Minn.) and Allie Curtis (Elmore, Minn.) all earned recognition.

Vikings Head Coach, Ryan Kragh, was selected as the 2015 UMAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year.

Bethany's Jenna Albrecht (Fairfax, Minn.) received the individual sportsmanship award for Bethany.

MEN’S SOCCER

6-13-3 (4-4-2 UMAC) Conference Tournament Qualifier Three men's soccer players were named to the all-conference team. Jorge Perez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned second team all-conference honors. Perez finished his senior season with eight goals. Sophomore goalkeeper Matt Bitter (Bemidji, Minn.) and senior defensemen Jason Buechler (Kasson, Minn.) earned all conference honorable mention awards. Adam Kluball (Clifton Park, N.Y.) was chosen for the conference individual sportsmanship. Kluball is a senior defenseman who played in all twenty-two Viking soccer matches.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

9-9-3 (5-3-2 UMAC), Conference Tournament Qualifier Seniors Taylor Friehl (Albert Lea, Minn.), Bridget Hennen (Apple Valley, Minn.) and sophomore Nicole Moldstad (North Mankato, Minn.) all were chosen for the UMAC all-conference second team honors. Moldstad was also named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III All-North Region Third Team.

The North Region includes NCAA Division III women's teams from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. After just two seasons, Moldstad is fourth all-time in scoring for the Vikings. In forty-two contests, she has scored 20 goals and recorded 21 assists to compile 61 total points for the Vikings.

Abby Goss (Neenah, Wis.), Ali Mix (Oklahoma City, Okla.), and Sarah Paul (Chisago Lakes, Minn.) were all chosen for all-conference honorable mention recognition.

Rachael Heidorn (Fergus Falls, Minn.) received the UMAC individual sportsmanship award. An honor for a player that best exemplifies sportsmanship throughout the entire season.

VOLLEYBALL

5-20 (2-6 UMAC) Alex Hansen (Austin, Minn.) was selected for the conference individual sportsmanship award.

Her work on and off the court demonstrated sportsmanship throughout the entire season.

Hansen finished her freshman season second on the team in kills (170), averaging 2.05 kills per set.

The outside hitter tallied 28 total blocks to add to her impressive season as a first year player for the Vikings.

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Great places and spaces

AROUND TOWN

BY A N D R E W R U S TA D • CO O R D I N ATO R O F D E S I G N A N D COM MU N I C AT I O N S Faculty photos by David Norris

Find out what makes the Mankato area special for these Bethany faculty members When they're not busy grading papers, preparing lectures, or advising students, Bethany faculty members like to take time enjoying all that Mankato has to offer. We caught up with six of them to learn

more about their experience in Mankato, and find out where they like to go and what they like to do.

Enjoy this trip around Mankato!

WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST OFF-CAMPUS MANKATO MEMORY?

WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST OFF-CAMPUS MANKATO MEMORY?

Each year I enjoy the Mankato City Art Walking Sculpture Tour and recouping the calories spent at Mom & Pop's ice cream parlor.

Sledding/tubing with my kids at Sibley Park and exploring the local state parks, like Minneopa.

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY TO DO IN MANKATO.

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY TO DO IN MANKATO.

My family loves to bike on the trails, especially Seven Mile Creek trail.

We once took our dog Rosco with us. Rosco is a 120-pound South African Boerboel. My huband, Brad, and our two boys went off on their bikes, and I walked with Rosco. When the family got out of sight, Rosco went crazy that we weren't all together and I ended up having to jog the entire trail.

It was only funny after the fact.

I enjoy going on walks, especially on the Sakatah Trail, during any season, but especially the fall.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN MANKATO? I enjoy Tav on the Ave. My husband and I go there frequently for date night and order the same thing every time. We have the super fries, extra side of ranch, and an order of the Caribbean jerk chicken wings.

Excellent.

JENNIFER WOSMEK

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PSYCHOLOGY

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN MANKATO? Mazatlan is my favorite restaurant; great food (the Chile Rellano is especially good); great prices; locally owned and run for the better part of twelve years. Favorite coffee shop is at Barnes and Noble. Strong, rich Starbucks coffee and I'm surrounded by books (how could it get any better).

LARS JOHNSON

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ENGLISH

WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST OFF-CAMPUS MANKATO MEMORY?

WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST OFF-CAMPUS ATH LE TI CS MANKATO MEMORY?

At the top of the list is attending a BoDeans concert at Vetter Stone Amphitheater with my husband and friends.

This must be the chapel at Good Counsel Abbey. It's an amazing acoustic, and beautiful building. For many years we went there with the choir to record, or just to sing, so that students could have the experience of singing the great music of the church in an acoustical environment for which it was written. The School Sisters have always welcomed us with the spirit that is coincident with their confession, and I'm so thankful for that. It's been many years since we've recorded there, but that has been the place where I've heard the Bethany Choir sound, well, not just amazing, but astonishing.

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY TO DO IN MANKATO. Bike and/or walk on the Red Jacket Trail between the YMCA and Rapidan, or attend baseball games at Franklin Rogers Park—either watching the MoonDogs or my son play for American Legion.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN MANKATO? Dino's. They have yummy specialty pizza and fabulous tiramisu.

LAURA BUCH

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR MATHEMATICS

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN MANKATO? Copper Alley Restaurant. It's not there anymore, but was a part of the old downtown mall. Food was excellent and it was a part of the short-lived and very "neat" downtown mall. It's too bad we killed it. It was the secondary murder, perhaps, after Mankato chose to destroy what was a very picturesque and lively town center. Too bad.

DENNIS MARZOLF WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST OFF-CAMPUS MANKATO MEMORY? When I was a student it was a pretty regular thing to walk to Happy Chef at midnight and get some pie. Swimming at The Pit (Hiniker Pond) was always fun in late spring and early summer. Otherwise a bunch of us would go to Seven Mile Creek Park, eat a roasted hot dog lunch and then hike up the middle of the creek on stepping stones as far as we could without getting wet. Of course we came back drenched. I get to see so many of those friends still. Many of their kids are starting to come to Bethany now themselves. I think that’s pretty awesome..

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY TO DO IN MANKATO. Cast parties and holiday parties are always a highlight. I still love to go out and do magic and juggling tricks for people. My band, The Divers, remains one of my most steady social outlets. Unplanned spontaneous walks/hikes with the family are also super fun things for me.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN MANKATO? My family and I like to go to Mom & Pop's Ice Cream Shop. Tandem Bagels is also a fun place. We also like to walk downtown to see the sculpture tour.

PETER BLOEDEL

PROFESSOR THEATRE

PROFESSOR MUSIC

WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST OFF-CAMPUS MANKATO MEMORY? Tav on the Ave is a fond memory from college days. We still go there now but the focus has shifted from classmates to little ones.

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO DO IN MANKATO. We enjoy the YMCA. The Children’s Museum is a great environment for exploring and learning through play. Kiwanis Holiday Lights creates a special magic at Christmas in Sibley Park, and the Mankato Marathon is a fun family weekend.

Minneopa Falls is a fun location to hike and is where we got engaged.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN MANKATO? Number 4. It feels like a grown-up version of the Tav on the Ave. Although, with a one, three, and five year old, you are more likely to find our family with take-out from the local Indian restaurant.

Delicious.

SARAH HARSTAD

INSTRUCTOR

BUSINESS ADMIN.

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Jenny Lohmiller ('14) is well on her way to a shining career in environmental health.

lohmiller

highlights

Submitted photos

BY L A N CE S CH WA R T Z • D I R EC TO R O F I N STIT U TI O N A L COM MU N I C ATI O N S

Jenny Lohmiller is a 2014 graduate of Bethany Lutheran College. Originally from Thornton, Colorado, she is a graduate of Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School. She is currently in graduate school at the University of Washington. We contacted Lohmiller to ask about her Bethany experience, graduate school, and future plans.

What brought you to Bethany, or how was your decision made to enroll at Bethany?

I originally became interested in Bethany through a recruitment visit to my high school. Bethany’s small size and Christian focus were appealing to me. The prospect of moving away from home sounded exciting. A visit to the College showed me a beautiful campus with friendly and welcoming students, staff, and faculty. I was also blessed to receive the Meyer Scholarship.

What was your major at Bethany?

Biology with a minor in mathematics 22

How (and when) did you decide what your major would be at Bethany?

I’d like to start out by confessing that I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. Biology has always interested me. What could be more exciting than studying life itself? While studying biology remained constant from the beginning of freshman year, little else did. There was a semester when I thought I would double-major with art. Then I switched to doubling up with math. There was a period in my junior year in which I thought I’d minor in both math and chemistry.

Within the biology major itself, I took both the human (anatomy, physiology) and animal (invertebrate and vertebrate zoology, avian ecology) sides and waffled between which side I’d pursue after graduation. I think I saw choosing a major as an endpoint to my other interests. Now I realize that choosing a major is an opportunity to delve into the depths of a branch of knowledge rather than placing a limit on exploring your other passions.

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How did Bethany prepare you for your next academic experience?

Bethany prepared me with the basic background knowledge to succeed in my classes, but more importantly I was prepared to critically analyze new information and communicate my work with others. It’s not enough to be able to regurgitate facts, you have to be able to take your knowledge and solve new problems.

It’s not enough to be able to solve problems; you also need to be able to share your solutions with others.

Bethany helped me to develop these skills on which I continue to expand through my education at UW. Are there any professors/instructors at Bethany that played an important role in your undergraduate education, and why?

Chad Heins was my academic advisor as well as my professor for more courses than he probably cares to remember. As an academic advisor, he was incredibly patient as I fumbled through trying to figure out what I wanted from my education at Bethany. As a professor, his passion for learning instilled in me a curiosity for the world around me. As a mentor, he encouraged me to explore my interests, work for my dreams, and grow in my faith.

We noticed that you did some research/graduate work at Kansas State before enrolling at the University of Washington. Tell us about that experience and how it came to be.

I participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Kansas State University. Universities around the nation offer these opportunities in many study areas, not just science, and the programs look specifically for students from smaller colleges or minorities. At Bethany, I had completed an independent research project looking at spiders. I applied this experience to my time at K-State and researched the diversity of spider species on the prairie. That summer was an amazing experience spent conducting research, discussing ideas, and making lifelong friends. Being able to add that research experience to my resume has also been very valuable as I applied to graduate schools.

How did you decide to enroll in graduate school at the University of Washington?

I knew that I wanted to attend graduate school in order to tailor my biology degree to a more specific field. The University of Washington’s School of Public

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Health is ranked exceptionally well, and its location in Seattle offered me the opportunity to explore a new city. Their offer of a research assistant position sealed the deal by paying for my degree.

Tell us about your work/classes/research at UW. I am earning a master's of science in environmental health. Among other topics, environmental health looks at how we can prevent disease by controlling air pollution, maintaining clean drinking water, and limiting the spread of pathogens. My focus is on controlling infectious diseases. If you were to follow me around to class, you’d probably hear discussions on the media’s portrayal of Ebola, the effect of Syria’s civil war on citizens’ access to safe water, or Americans’ views on vaccinations.

In addition to my classes, I’m also working on a specific research project involving tuberculosis diagnostics. While tuberculosis isn’t a disease we think about very often in the US, it kills millions every year. It’s exciting to be working on a project that has the potential to save many of those lives through better diagnostic techniques.

We understand you received some substantial scholarship assistance at UW. What was that? How did it happen? What did you do to earn the scholarship?

When I applied to the University of Washington, I was automatically considered for various funding opportunities. They flew me to Seattle for a round of interviews and shortly after accepted me to the program.

After reviewing the pool of applicants, I was also offered a research assistantship. A research assistantship funds the student’s tuition and living expenses in exchange for the student working in a lab. I’m also able to use this lab work as the research for my thesis.

In addition to the research assistantship, I received a scholarship to fund a trip to South Africa. During this trip, I attended an international tuberculosis (TB) conference and met with my collaborators.

What are your long-term career ambitions?

I’d like to use my gifts and abilities to improve others’ lives. Today, that means I’m working towards new TB diagnostics. Next year, I’d like to be outside researching vector control (think ticks and mosquitoes). Eventually, I’d love to be working with a science outreach group so that I can share my knowledge and excitement for this field with others.

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from our

alumni 1940s

JA N UA RY 20 1 6

Pulmonary Fibrosis.

JoAnn (Munson) Morgan (’51) lives in Northfield, Minnesota. In February 2015, she and her husband, Dick, were involved in a traffic accident in which he was killed instantly. She has recovered and is doing well. JoAnn takes exercise classes at the senior center and is back to jogging with her Golden Retriever, Henry.

She would love to hear from friends at her email address: jcmorgan1804@gmail.com.

p Barbara (Ylvisaker) (’45) and Jack Newsom (right) were visited by Art Westphal.

p Bethany alumni gathered in Naples, Florida, recently. Larry and Sandra Nelson (‘63) from Petersen, Minnesota; Michael Schmidt (’70) from Naples, Florida; Wanda (’70) and Marv Berke (’70) from Rockton, Illinois; and Terri (’71) and Art Westphal (’70) from Mankato, Minnesota.

1980s

p Bethany Alumni in attendance at the Burgdorf Family Reunion at Camp Shiloh Lutheran Retreat in Pittsburg, Texas, on July 4, 2015.

Front row from left: Renelda (Burgdorf) Arkebauer (’50), Howard Burgdorf (’47), Lois (Gosewich) Burgdorf (’47), Ted Burgdorf (’46), Rev. Larry Burgdorf (’50), Margaret (Burgdorf) Oesch (’54). Back row from left: Mildred (Burgdorf) Burmeister (’51), Hal Burgdorf (’52), Rev. Wayne Fischer (’72), Douglas Burgdorf (’79), Paul Burgdorf (’08). There were over 100 in attendance.

1950s Larry Burgdorf (‘50) has had a number of Arch Books for children published by Concordia Publishing House. His tenth Arch Book, The Night Peter Cried, is scheduled for release in January 2016.

Dick Bode, (HS ‘51), and his wife, Doris, of Racine, Wisconsin, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a private chapel service with their children and grandchildren on the afternoon of June 12, 2015, followed by a dinner at a local restaurant on the shores of Lake Michigan. In the afternoon and evening of June 13 they gathered at their daughter’s home.

Two weeks later on June 26, Doris died from 24

p The Rev. Elmer Boniek (Sem ‘53) and his wife, Sharon, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on, June 26, 2015. The Bonieks have seven children, 26 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Pastor Boniek is retired after serving congregations in South Dakota and Michigan. The celebration took place in Edmond, Oklahoma, where a granddaughter was married on the anniversary date. A family reunion was held that weekend with 50 of the 60 family members present. Elmer and Sharon then took an anniversary trip to the South Pacific Islands of Tonga. They currently reside near Ocala, Florida.

Darold (’53) and Dorothy (’54) Treffert celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary in 2015. They were married June 11, 1955, in Faribault, Minnesota, and have resided in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, since 1962. They have four married children: Jon, Joni, Jill and Jay and seven grandchildren.

1970s Carol Lehtola (’71) led a gallery discussion for the exhibit “Florida Girls & Boys & Their Toys“ at the Matheson Museum in Gainesville, Florida, on November 22, 2015.

p Jodi Kuball (Johnson ’88) reports that she and five other Bethany alumnae have met every August for the past 14 years at Heartwood Retreat Center in Trego, Wisconsin, for a girls’ weekend. Top row from left: Lois (Weigand) Mathis-Gleason, Cyndy (Skaff) Cohen, Jodi (Sladek) Love, and Jackie (Tiegs) Maechtle. Bottom row from left: Jodi (Johnson) Kuball, and Kim (Patterson) Studanski.

2000s Kevin (’01) and Angela Peterson welcomed a daughter, Chelsea Awuor Peterson, on October 19, 2015. She was 7 lbs.

5 oz. Kevin currently works for Charter Business, and Angela just started a new job as a nurse practitioner for Mayo Health Systems.

Kevin also plans on starting at Concordia Seminary in 2017.

December ‘05 graduate and News Director at KWTX Channel 10 in Waco, Texas, Mikel Lauber, has been awarded an Emmy for his work on the Baylor football pregame show.

B E TH A N Y Magazine

Jamie Hughey ('06) graduated with a BA in psychology. Afterwards, she moved back home to Whiteriver, Arizona. In 2007, she was married to Darrell Baha, and later had a son, Douglas Ryan Baha. In October 2013, she graduated with her MA in mental health counseling and is a licensed associate counselor. She is also finishing basic training in EMDR, and is working at Rainbow Treatment Center in White River, Arizona, as a women's residential in-patient/ day-treatment supervisor. She is also a local motivational speaker, and has spoken for various trainings, retreats, and local conferences.

2010s Charlotte Ann Emory was born on May 10, 2015, (Mother’s Day) at a weight of 6 pounds 1 ounce to Jace (’11) and Michelle Emory. Charlotte is very joyful and a true blessing. Jace is currently in his fourth year teaching at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, Minnesota.

Michael (‘11) and Sarah (Doepel ‘12) Lilienthal are living in Iola, Wisconsin. Upon his graduation from Bethany Theological Seminary on May 13, 2015, Michael was ordained and installed in his first pastoral call at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Iola, Wisconsin, and Messiah Lutheran Church, Omro, Wisconsin. Sarah works in the activities department at the nursing home in Iola.

p Amanda (Johnson) Kroll (‘13) and Ezekiel Kroll (‘14) were married on August 30, 2014, in Lake City, Minnesota. Amanda is a 3rd and 4th grade teacher at Salem Lutheran School in Greenfield, Minnesota, and Ezekiel is a historic site interpreter at the Gibbs Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota. They reside in St. Michael, Minnesota.

A LUM N I

Caleb Zahn (’14) graduated from the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army.

Josh Pederson (‘14) won the Waseca Lakeside Club Championship in August 2015 by shooting an even par through both days of the tournament.

p Aimee Bruss (’15) began her career just a few months after graduation by accepting a broadcast motion graphics position with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Today, she is highly involved with the CBN and her church as well as working hard in her new position with God guiding her along the way. Soli Deo Gloria!

In Memoriam

Gudrun (Annexstad) Kenyon was called to her eternal rest on June 3, 2015. Born in Norseland, Minnesota, “Gudie” attended Bethany Lutheran High School (‘48) and Bethany Lutheran College (‘50). Her husband, Dave Kenyon, was also a 1950 BLC graduate, and they lived their entire married life in Oakfield, Wisconsin. Her funeral service was held at St. Luke’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Oakfield. In addition to her husband Dave, she is survived by her children, Dave and Betsy Kenyon, Tom Kenyon (‘77), and Todd and Carol (Kenyon) Dekker (‘78), eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Lois Tonn (’54) died on September 4, 2015. She always spoke fondly of her years at Bethany, especially singing in the choir and sitting on the steps leading up to Anderson Hall.

Yolanda Richey Brubaker (’58) loved being at Bethany for six years. She went to be with the Lord on July 9, 2015, in Madison, Wisconsin. Affectionately known as Yo, she was pretty much a fixture in Bethany’s kitchen, serving meals to the students and faculty. After graduation, she taught in Crete, Illinois, then enlisted in the WACS and honorably served her country.

She is survived by her three children: Sandra Brubaker, Susan Liberman, and Scott Brubaker, and was grandmother to four and great grandmother to one. She is also survived by her sister Yvonne Jessup and her brother Van Lee Richey.

James Peter Faugstad (’76) of Emmons, Minnesota, was called to his heavenly home May 13, 2015, after an eleven-year battle with multiple myeloma cancer. Jim was a lifelong member of Scarville Lutheran Church. He attended Scarville Lutheran School, Kiester High School, and then Bethany Lutheran College. He is survived by his wife, Emily (’76) and his six children, Maria (’98) (Glenn ’92) Smith, Laura (’00) (Eric ’95) Harstad, Peter (’05) (Kristin ’07) Faugstad, Benjamin (’07) (Ashley ’07) Faugstad, Kristin Capp (’09), and Joel Faugstad; 15 grandchildren, and many relatives. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Nels and Camilla Faugstad, and grandson, Matthew Smith. Although Jim often had to endure much pain, he handled it with humor and an optimism that comes from a strong faith in God. The family looks forward to seeing him again in heaven.

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B E TH A N Y Magazine

Bethany

retrospect

Remembering a campus moment from years gone by.

FACE TH E MU S I C: The 1977 Woodwind Choir in the chapel.

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Send your response to editor@blc.edu.

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