MAGAZINE
WINTER/SPring 2011
Time Well Spent Not Your Typical Cooking Club
Cover: Margie Wiehoff, Tom Vitt and Sue Rockers (front row, L to R) and Mike Scholz, Nick Kozlak and Suzette Sutherland (back row, L to R), members of the service group Time Well Spent and CSB/SJU class of 1984, serve breakfast at Catholic Charities Opportunity Center in Minneapolis. (Photo by Steve Woit.) Inside front cover photo by Paul Middlestaedt.
F E A T U R E S
12 Good Times
20 Game On!
24 The Age of Entrepreneurs
Johnnies and Bennies of the Time Well Spent gang cook up good times together while serving the needy.
Johnnies make it to the majorsΓ’€”off the field.
With courses, specialized travel and alumni mentorship, the E-scholar program helps student dreams mean business.
A record-setting 16,400 fans packed Clemens Stadium for Homecoming 2010Γ’€“the largest crowd in SJU and NCAA DIII history.
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D E P A R T M E N T S 2
View from the Quad
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Behind the Pines
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Service to the Church
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Advancing the Mission
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Johnnie Sports
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Alumni Connection
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Milestones
VIEW FROM THE QUAD Fr. Bob Koopmann β68, OSB President
W INTER/ SPRIN G 2011 Editor Jean Scoon Editoria l T eam Rob Culligan β82 Glenda Isaacs Burgeson Brendon Duffy Michael Hemmesch '97 Greg Hoye Jon McGee β84 John Young β83 STAFF C ontributors Rob Culligan β82 Glenda Isaacs Burgeson Brendon Duffy Jennifer Mathews Emery Michael Halverson β01 Michael Hemmesch β97 Ryan Klinkner β04 John Taylor β58 Editorial Assistant Julie Scegura DESIGN AND Production Greg Becker, Karen Hoffbeck Editor E meritus Lee A. Hanley β58 University Archivist Peggy Roske
is published in the fall and winter and CSB/SJU Magazine is published with the College of Saint Benedict in the spring. A ddress C hanges Saint Johnβs University P.O. Box 7222 Collegeville, MN 56321 rathmann@csbsju.edu Contact 320-363-2591 800-635-7303 www.csbsju.edu Letters jscoon@csbsju.edu or Saint Johnβs Magazine Jean Scoon P.O. Box 7222 Collegeville, MN 56321
One of the things I've learned from many years as a concert pianist is how to read an audience. This past November, I had the opportunity to be part of a very special audience when Chris Howard, president of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, addressed a group of students, faculty, staff and alumni at Saint Johnβs about leadership. My read on this audience? It was enthusiastic, attentive and, most importantβengaged. Like many great events, this particular evening was the result of several organic movements that had been on the horizon at SJU for months. My part in it began in 2009, when I met Chris Howardβalso a new president of one of the four remaining U.S. colleges that educates all men. We discovered that we were both passionate about menβs engagement and about continuing to provide a holistic higher education experience that prepares male students to be leaders in our changing world. One of the ways we promote leadership development at Saint John's and Saint Benedict's is through the Inspiring Leaders Certificate Program (ILCP). The ILCP provides certification to students, training them in five core leadership practices and the Benedictine values that support them. Maribeth Overland, the director of student activities and leadership development, has worked to increase men's involvement in ILCP. Meanwhile, a group of 30 SJU student leaders came together to form RedGage, a group founded to boost menβs engagement and leadership on campus. Working with RedGage and supported by the ILCP, Chris Howard spoke to a high-powered group on Nov. 4. His speech was enlightening, but the table conversations afterward between current student leaders, faculty, staff and alumni were the highlight of the evening. The question at the heart of these conversations and of our menβs engagement conversations in general is: What does it mean to be a Johnnie? Our current students benefit greatly from the experience of alumni, and we often find that, while our hopes and challenges when we are students occur in different eras and in different contexts, they are, at their core, the same. Current Johnnies want many of the same things our alumni did when they were students. They want good role models who exercise leadership with integrity. They want to be part of viable, hospitable communities that have vision. They want to think critically about world issues and how they can respond to themβequipped with their Benedictine, liberal arts education. I encourage you to be this kind of a role model or mentor for someone, especially a current Johnnie or Bennie, if you can. And wherever your journey takes you, may you be engaged!
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Michael Becker
The Magazine of Saint Johnβs University
Casey Wojtalewicz
B ehind the P ines
SJU and CSB Ranked No. 1 in Mid-length Study Abroad Participation SJU and CSB were ranked No. 1 nationally among baccalaureate institutions with students who participate in mid-length study abroad programs, according to Open Doors 2010, the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The two schools had 398 students study abroad in mid-length programs during the 2008-09 school year. The photograph above, which won first prize in the CSB/SJU 2010 Study Abroad Photo Contest, was taken from the summit of Mt. Tajumulco in Guatemala by Casey Wojtalewicz β11.To the right, covered by clouds, is the Pacific Ocean. To the left is mainland Guatemala. Wojtalewicz was a participant in the 2010 Quetzaltenango study abroad program in Guatemala.
SJU and CSB Recognized as Top Institutions SJU and CSB have been recognized nationally by their peers in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings. Both SJU and CSB were again ranked among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the country. SJU was ranked 62nd (68th in 2009) and CSB was ranked 81st (80th in 2009). The magazine listed SJU and CSB for their strong commitment to teaching and the schools' study abroad program. The magazine asked school leadersβcollege presidents, provosts and admission deansβto identify which of their peers do the best
job of teaching undergraduate students. A total of 39 schools in the liberal arts category were singled out, including SJU and CSB. Both SJU and CSB were cited with 37 other institutions for the quality of their study abroad program. CSB/SJU was also named a "Best Buy School" by the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Fiske named 45 institutionsβ24 private and 21 publicβas Best Buys this year. There were no other Minnesota colleges or universities on the 2011 list.
csbsju.edu/news 3
Behind the P ines
What Do You Know about the Class of 2014?
Pop Quiz 2014
In August 2010, 503 first-year Johnnies converged on Collegeville to begin four formative years together. Like the classes before them, the Class of 2014 is full of promise and individuality. Test your knowledge of the newest members of the SJU family with Pop Quiz 2014.
1. How many states are represented in the Class of 2014? a. 13 b. 24 c. 63 b. First-year Johnnies hail from 24 states and 11 countries. Together with the first-year class at CSB, the combined first year class numbers 1,038. The total enrollment from first-year to senior at SJU and CSB is 3,938. 2. One β14 Johnnie received a prestigious national science award from a company named for what famous optical duo? a. Bausch and Lomb b. Laurel and Hardy c. Thelma and Louise a. Kellen Witschen β14, a biochemistry major from Aurora, Minn., received the Bausch and Lomb Science Award for academic excellence in science. Witschen, who is on the Nordic Ski team, chose Saint Johnβs for the beautiful campus and the area surrounding it.
csbsju.edu/news 4
Behind the Pines
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17 first-year Johnnies attained what prestigious rank? a. Roman Senator b. Town Crier c. Eagle Scout
c. An astounding 17 first-year Johnnies earned their Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable from the Boy Scouts of America, which culminates in a community service project. Service projects included: Rob Hedburg β14, who cleared a walking trail in Proctor, Minn.; Patrick McCarthy β14, Seattle, Wash., who created 15 community garden plots; and Michael Sandager β14, who constructed an environmental education area in his hometown of Marine on St. Croix, Minn.
5. One Johnnie was a state finalist for the high school Heisman Award sponsored by what fast food chain named after the daughter of founder Dave Thomas? a. Wendyβs b. Hildegardeβs c. Walburgaβs a. Michael Bergstrom β14, of Austin, Minn., was a Wendyβs High School Heisman Award finalist. The award is made based on academic accomplishments, community service and athletic accomplishments. Bergstrom was a three-sport scholar-athlete. First-year Johnnies who indicated an interest in at least one sport numbered 233.
4. A βlegacyβ student is someone who has had someone in his immediate family attend Saint Johnβs or Saint Benβs. How many first-year Johnnies are βlegaciesβ? a. 2 (and they are brothers) b. 160 c. 503
Bonus Question 6. What was the retention rate from first year to second year for the Class of 2013? a. 10 percent b. 91 percent c. 110 percent
b. An amazing 160 of the Class of 2014 are legacies. Abraham Lauer β14, of Sauk Centre, Minn., is the sixth person in his immediate family to attend SJU or CSB. After graduating from high school in 2009, he spent a year as an exchange student in Thailand before starting college. He learned to speak Thai and βcaught the travel bug.β He hopes to spend a semester in Chile while at SJU.
b. The retention rate of students from first year to second year totaled 91 percent, a rate that continues to be among the highest in the U.S.
Michael Becker
csbsju.edu/news 5
Behind the P ines
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Behind the Pines
Super Lawyer and Volunteer: Ann Huntrods, Chair of the Saint Johnβs Board of Regents
from the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services for her volunteer service to community. She is listed in Best Lawyers in America and has been listed as a βLeading American Attorney,β an honor awarded fewer than 8 percent of all Minnesota attorneys. She has also been designated a βSuper Lawyerβ by Minnesota Law & Politics, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Monthly. The distinction, representing the top 5 percent of Minnesota lawyers, causes Huntrods to joke, βI donβt have a cape.β Asked if the βSuper Lawyerβ designation unnerves her legal adversaries, Huntrods allows with a modest smile that they might consider her βtenacious.β Pressed to reveal more descriptors, Huntrods admits to being βenergetic, willing to take on challenges, a hard worker, a creative problem-solver and passionate about education and its ability to transform lives. βMy father was one of ten children and the only one to attend college, so I understand how education can transform lives. The FirstGen program resonates with me,β she says, referring to SJU President Robert Koopmannβs strategic priority to increase the number of students at Saint Johnβs who are the first in their families to attend college. A lifelong learner, Huntrods is a voracious reader, as her masterβs degree in English and doctoral coursework in American studies might suggest. Currently, she is enjoying Bruce Chatwin, a different sort of travel writer, whose The Song Lines takes the reader on a tour of Australiaβs outback. βI love learning about other cultures,β she says. She also enjoys sailing with her husband, Terry. The couple sails frequently on Lake Superior. They also have sailed off the coast of Maine, and ventured into international waters in the Caribbean and the Greek Islands. Huntrods believes the culture at Saint Johnβs gives it a distinctive advantage that will help the university overcome the challenges facing all of higher education. The economic recession makes it hard for families to pay for education, she says, but it also is an opportunity for SJU to use its great connections among its alumni. βWe can be creative, and we need to assist students,β she says. βSaint Johnβs is distinctive for its educational mission and its spiritual dimension. Its Benedictine character appeals to families looking for a holistic approach.β She is optimistic about the future of a liberal arts education in general and Saint Johnβs in particular, because of what it offersβ small classes, interaction with engaged teachers and a residential experience. βWe need to work to tell our story.β Spoken like a true ambassador.
Huntrods brings a distinguished record in both the legal profession and volunteer workβas well as a love of books and sailingβto her job as leader of the Board of Regents.
Paul Middlestaedt
Long before Ann Huntrods set foot on Saint Johnβs campus, she had several impressions of what it means to be a Johnnieβall of them favorable. She kept encountering Johnnies in both her volunteer work and her professional work. βI was surrounded by Johnnies,β she says laughing. Now chair of the SJU Board of Regents, she is surrounded by even more Johnnies. She got to know Jack Van de North β67, who was the hiring partner at Briggs and Morgan when she joined the law firm in 1983. Currently a Ramsey County judge, Van de North was at the time a Saint Johnβs Regent and former vice president of the Saint Johnβs University Alumni Association. βHe is a wonderful ambassador for Saint Johnβs. When I was hired at Briggs and Morgan he was my mentor, and I learned about Saint Johnβs from him,β Huntrods recalls. Huntrods has a distinguished record both in the legal profession and in her volunteer service. She is based in her firmβs St. Paul office and is chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section. Through legal circles she met Judge Diana Murphy, who was the first woman to chair the Saint Johnβs University Board of Regents and the longest serving Regent in Saint Johnβs history. Huntrods also served as former chair and member of the Saint Paul Foundation Board of Directors and as a board member of the Minnesota Community Foundation. βThatβs where I met Jim Frey,β she says. Frey β78 preceded Huntrods as chair of the Board of Regents. βHeβs a wonderful friend,β she says. βHe shared with me his passion for Saint Johnβs University.β Through the years, Huntrods says she has encountered that same passion for alma mater from other Saint Johnβs graduates. She believes that what she shares in common with the Saint Johnβs βambassadorsβ she meets is an interest in working for the common good. Huntrods has worked professionally with a number of nonprofit clients, advising them on a variety of employment, governance and litigation issues. Her clients have included libraries, private schools, community organizations and colleges. Among her many honors is a 21st Century Leadership Award
csbsju.edu/news 7
Behind the P ines
Tom Joyce β61 Honored with Faithful Servant Award
Regent Emeritus Tom Joyce β71, recipient of the Fidelis Apparitor Award
Twin Cities attorney Tom Joyce '61was honored with the Fidelis Apparitor Award at the ninth annual CSB/SJU Red Mass on Nov. 6. The award, which means βfaithful servantβ in Latin, is given to individuals who have been good and faithful servants of the law. Joyce is a partner and senior counsel in the Minneapolis and London offices of Dorsey & Whitney, LLP. He has served on a variety of non-profit boards including Common Hope, Catholic Charities and the Global Heritage Fund. Joyce served on the Saint Johnβs Board of Regents from 1978 to 1985βincluding one term as chair (1982-85) and then again from 1986 to 1995. He is a Regent Emeritus at Saint John's University and was awarded the Fr. Walter Reger Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991. He currently serves as the chair of the Board of Overseers of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John's.
Jakubowski Receives Honor from Chinese University Dr. Henry Jakubowski, professor of chemistry at SJU and CSB, has been named a visiting professor at Southwest University in Beibei, China. Jakubowski has made seven trips to Southwest since 1997 with SJU and CSB students to promote and enhance an academic relationship between the schools. βIt was really an honor for me, to tell you the truth, because it recognizes the enormous amount of time I have spent developing opportunities for Southwest and our students,β said Jakubowski. βI think itβs a sign that our relationship is vital and still growing.β For over 25 years, Saint Johnβs University and the College of Saint Benedict have had a formal relationship with Southwest University with the goal of providing faculty and student exchanges for the colleges. More than 500 SJU and CSB students have participated in the study abroad program at Southwest since its founding.
At ceremonies in Beibei, China, Dr. Henry Jakubowski, CSB/SJU professor of chemistry, was named a visiting professor at Southwest University in Beibei.
Faith and Architecture Architecture Minnesota magazine recently featured Saint Johnβs in a story on the intersection of faith and architecture. The primary source for the story, Br. Alan Reed β68, OSB, serves as a curator at Saint Johnβs with masterβs degrees in fine arts and education. Reed guides many tours of campus architecture for visitors from around the world who have come to celebrate the modern architecture of Saint Johnβs. βBecause itβs a significant piece of modern architecture that we are entrusted with, there is the sense of our guarding a monument. But the monks donβt own Saint Johnβs in any traditional sense. β¦ and an important part of our usage of them is to share them,β Reed said. An inside view of the Abbey Church featured in Architecture Minnesota. Br. Alan Reed β68, OSB, was the magazine's primary source for an article on the intersection of faith and architecture.
csbsju.edu/news 8
Behind the Pines
Adam Konczewski
Sen. Amy Klobuchar Delivers Eugene McCarthy Lecture
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the state's first elected woman to serve in the Senate, talked with students after delivering the fourth annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.βthe state's first elected woman to serve in the Senateβdelivered the fourth annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture Aug. 30 at SJU. Her speech, "Conscience and Courage in Public Life," was sponsored by the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Saint John's University. McCarthy's independence and willingness to buck his party sets him apart from most of today's politicians, Klobuchar told an audience of students, faculty and community members. βToday a politician who bucks the party line is risking his political life," Klobuchar said. The lecture series carries on McCarthy's deep commitment to the ideals and principles of democratic self-government. It seeks to inspire a new generation of young people to pursue fresh ideas, to challenge the status quo, to effect positive change in their communities and, like McCarthy himself, to lead with honesty, integrity and courage.
Fine Arts Calendar Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul β Beyond the Bog Road Saturday, March 5 @ 7:30 p.m. Escher Auditorium, CSB A travelogue that celebrates the journey of the Irish immigrant.
Greg Brown Saturday, April 16 @ 8:00 p.m. Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU Just your ordinary Iowa Zen beatnik folkie making nuanced and intelligent music. Minnesota Orchestra Sunday, April 17 @ 2:00 p.m. Escher Auditorium, CSB A passionate classical music experience. Aszure Barton & Artists Saturday, April 30 @ 7:30 p.m. Escher Auditorium, CSB The hottest contemporary choreographer of this generation.
For tickets, contact the box office at 320-363-5777 or order online at www.csbsju.edu/fine-arts . Lionheart β John the Revelator featuring members of Pastiche Saturday, March 26 @ 8:00 p.m. Great Hall, SJU A new mass for our time.
Quick link: Use a QR code reader on your smart phone to scan this code and launch the Fine Arts website for tickets or more information.
csbsju.edu/news 9
SERVICE TO THE CHURCH
Seeing Is Believing School of Theology Brings The Saint Johnβs Bible Alive in Parishes By Joe Young β73
Many people have seen pages of The Saint Johnβs Bible displayed in museums across the country. Now they have an opportunity to experience its illuminations and texts in an even more intimate and profound wayβwithin their parish communitiesβthanks to a program called Seeing the Word. Seeing the Word is a collection of resources developed by Saint Johnβs School of Theologyβ’Seminary in collaboration with the Liturgical Press to guide people as they listen, meditate and pray with the Word of God as it is illuminated in The Saint Johnβs Bible.
βThe project provides resources for all those engaged in Scripture study, catechesis and homiletics, and for all other servants of the Word of God,β says Barbara Sutton, associate dean of the School of Theologyβ’Seminary and Seeing the Word project director. βThe power of the illuminated Word, seen with the eyes of faith, carries the possibility of igniting peopleβs imagination with spiritual, theological and artistic wisdom.β Resources include a series of full-color, four-page reflection guides, each including an illumination from The Saint Johnβs Bible with corresponding Scripture text, textual analysis, a meditative response, artistic commentary and space for journaling. Five reflection guides are now available, with 25 more to be released seasonally over the next three years. Also available is a program manual with corresponding DVD. The DVD, Sutton said, includes four good training tools to develop the program in parishes: 1. Introduction to Seeing the Word 2. Lectio Divina~A Benedictine Tradition 3. In the Beginning: A Documentary on the Creation of The Saint Johnβs Bible 4. Leading a Small Group: A Demonstration Other resources include two collections of meditative essays called βIlluminating Ministry,β and CDs with illuminations from The Saint Johnβs Bible and music from the Liturgical Pressβs new songbook
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corresponding to the reflection guides. (More information is available at www. seeingtheword.org.) Seeing the Word involves the practice of praying with images called visio divina (Latin for βdivine seeingβ) Sutton says. Visio divina is adapted from the sixthcentury Benedictine practice of Bible reading called lectio divina (divine reading) which Pope Benedict XVI highlighted during the 2008 World Synod of Bishops on the Bible as an approach to Scripture that enriches all, not just Benedictines. Every Seeing the Word reflection guide incorporates six phases that flow naturally one from another: reading, in the sense of listening βwith the ear of oneβs heartβ for that βsmall, still voice of Godβ; meditating; seeing; praying; contemplating; and applying to oneβs life. βMany who have seen The Saint Johnβs Bible displayed at museums have come away from that powerful encounter with the illuminated Word of God wanting to have something similar in their parish or Bible study group back home,β says School of Theologyβ’Seminary dean, William Cahoy. βNow they have that opportunity.β This past Lenten season, about 30 faith communities nationwide piloted the Seeing the Word resources, Sutton says, including the 2,000-household St. Joseph Parish in Marion, Iowa, which attracted more than 50 participants weekly.
βWithout exception, I heard people say that adding the illuminations to the Scriptureβs text brought the narratives alive in an entirely new way,β comments Rodney Bluml, pastoral associate, faith formation director and 14-year member of the parish. βThey enjoyed looking into the mind of the artist and speculating about the symbols and deeper meanings. The lasting effect, I believe, is that people found their religious imaginations opened up, and they now allow themselves to βdreamβ pictures as they listen to the Scriptures.β One member of Blumlβs Seeing the Word group, a graphic artist, remarked, βWhen was the last time you spent an hour looking at a piece of art? Isnβt it great!β This was greeted by a chorus of affirmatives, Bluml says. βOne of our goals at Saint Johnβs is to translate Benedictine spirituality from the cloister into the lives of people in the world,β Cahoy says. βSeeing the Word is a giant step toward that goal.β Joseph Young β73 is based in St. Cloud, Minn., and often writes on church-related topics.
Visio divina is adapted from the sixth-century Benedictine practice of Bible reading called lectio divina (divine reading) and encourages a deeper relationship with Scripture through contemplation and exploration of illuminations from The Saint Johnβs Bible. This excerpt from Seeing the Word, based on the illumination The Sower and the Seed, guides participants through the practice of visio divina (divine seeing).
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The New
Happy Hour By Mary Heer-Forsberg, CSB '83
Photography by Steve Woit
Time Well Spent is about community, hospitality and the dignity of every personΓ’€”and eggs, pancakes and bacon. 12
It helps reinforce what we already know: βIf not for the grace of God, there go I.β ~Nick Kozlak β84
Nick Kozlak β84, founder of the service and social group Time Well Spent, mixes up a BIG bowl of pancake batter, while Mike βthe Egg Guyβ Scholz β84 tends to his specialtyβscrambled eggs for 150.
Arriving at the Catholic Charities Opportunity Center in Minneapolis just after 6 a.m. on a cold, November morning, you can smell the enticing scent of bacon sizzling in the oven and hear the hiss of pancake batter hitting the griddle. Volunteers stir a huge pan of slowly-cooking eggs, slice fresh fruit and line cookie sheets with several pounds of uncooked bacon for the breakfast guests who will soon be arriving. By the time serving begins at 7 a.m., the aroma permeates the dining hall and wafts into the street, announcing that thereβs something special for breakfast on this gloomy morning. Above the sounds of food preparation, you can hear easy conversation and laughter as a group of Johnnies and Bennies eagerly fulfills its monthly commitment to preparing and serving the most delicious breakfast of the month for Opportunity Center clients. This group of mostly 1984 graduates of Saint Johnβs and Saint Benβs calls itself Time Well Spent (TWS), because thatβs exactly what itβs about. The group is the brainchild of Nick Kozlak β84, who wanted to do something different to bring together his tight-knit set of Saint
Johnβs classmates. Many of them had stayed connected over the two decades since graduation through gatherings in each otherβs homes, restaurants and bars, as well as in book clubs, gourmet clubs and investment clubs. But Kozlak wanted to try something different. In 2008, Kozlak and his teenage son, Zack, introduced the idea of Time Well Spent to their friends. The group was formed to volunteer monthly, preparing and serving meals at Opportunity Center, a walk-in community center that provides meals, basic needs and transitional services to those experiencing homelessness, joblessness or poverty. The group has served breakfast, lunch and dinner at Catholic Charities facilities, but over time Kozlak found that the breakfast shift worked best for his friendsβ schedules, so Time Well Spent became regulars at Opportunity Center every third Thursday of the month. Kozlakβs college friends responded enthusiastically, thinking it would be a great way to spend time together while doing something productive. It was easy to get volunteers on board with an activity that involved helping others because of what Kozlak calls βthe
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Sue (Erlandson) Rockers β84, aka βthe Pancake Queen,β displays her handiwork. On a recent November morning, she whipped up about 400 pancakes at Catholic Charities Opportunity Center in Minneapolis before leaving for work. Husband Pete Rockers β81 and their three children also volunteer with Time Well Spent.
Saint Johnβs and Saint Ben's attitude. You can often pick the SJU and CSB graduates out of a crowd. I am not sure what it is, but I am sure it has something to do with the solid values enhanced by the experience at the colleges, including living within the monastic communities,β he explains. Perhaps because of his family restaurant background and the influence of the Benedictine values of hospitality, community and respect for individuals, Kozlak envisioned something beyond just serving the typical soup-kitchen breakfast. βFrom the beginning we wanted to do more than just serve the food,β he said. βWe wanted to do something special, so we decided to buy, prepare and serve a really good breakfast that includes bacon, eggs, pancakes and fresh fruit.β On this morningβs breakfast crew there are three SJU grads, three CSB grads and a teenage daughter preparing breakfast for
about 150 guests. Not long after the 6 a.m. arrival of the seven slightly groggy volunteers, Sue (Erlandson) Rockers β84 is mixing up the first batch of pancake batter. Sue, nicknamed the βPancake Queen,β figures sheβll make about 400 pancakes before leaving at 8 a.m. for her job. Her husband Pete Rockers β81 and their three children have also served with Time Well Spent, and have loved it βdespite the really, really early wake up call,β Rockers says. βWe have all been touched by personal encounters with the guests we have served,β Rockers adds. βThe best way I can describe it is that it has broken down the wall between βusβ and βthem.β These people become real, funny, touching, friendly people who are hungry and need a hot meal and a place to sit down. They are not βthemβ any more, but John, who loves his bacon, or Bill, who likes extra syrup, or JosΓ©, who is diabetic and therefore would like a few
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extra orange slicesβand βhold the syrup please.β It has been a great experience for all of us,β she explains. βIt opens your eyes to other people and their needs,β Rockers adds. βAnd itβs fulfilling to be spending your time in the right way. I am not someone who can sit idle and I do not like to waste time. This is a way of doing three things at onceβthree really important things! Spending time with people I care deeply about (Bennies and Johnnies), helping to provide a great hot meal to people who don't always get one, and stretching my comfort zone a bit.β Not far from the Pancake Queen, Mike Scholz β84, the βEgg Guy,β mans a huge pan of scrambled eggs stretched across four burners, stirring them slowly and making sure theyβre not overcooked. Scholz is a fairly regular volunteer with the group, in part because he has a flexible morning schedule and because he loves the opportu-
wanting donations, but this feels more tangible and substantial than just writing a check.β While Scholz cooks the eggs to perfection, Tom Vitt β84 cuts up fruit with his daughter Julianne, who is along today for the first time. Vitt is a regular volunteer at Opportunity Centerβs luncheon meal with his church group. With TWS he enjoys being able to serve and prepare a really nice meal with friends from Saint Johnβs and Saint Benβs. βMany people going through the line give you a smile, a thank you, or βGod bless you,β and that makes you feel good. They are also happy because we serve a full, hot breakfast,β he explains. βItβs too bad that so many people are in need of a free meal. Being here each time makes you aware of that.β Thinking back to his days at Saint Johnβs, Vitt recalls the Benedictine lessons about having balance in life, in work and worship and play and sees his volunteer work as a way to help achieve that balance. And while his volunteer work sets a good example for his children, he says, βThatβs not why Iβm doing it. Iβm here because itβs a lot of fun.β Others on hand at Opportunity
Tom Vitt β84 finds that volunteering with Time Well Spent helps him maintain a "Benedictine balance" of work, worship and play.
nity to socialize with classmates. He recalls the first time he showed up to cook and serve: βMy first impression was of surprise by the number of folks who were there to eat a meal. It was a higher number than Iβd expected and was definitely a melting pot of people and cultures.β Though he has done various kinds of volunteer work over the years, Scholz says, βThis is not something I would have done on my own if I didnβt have the path to this through Nick.β His favorite thing about it is the opportunity to socialize with great people while doing something productive, he says, βand you do feel good about how youβve spent your morning. Itβs rewardingβalbeit just a small slice of making an impact on others in our community. There are certainly many viable charities
Center to do cooking and serving duty this morning include group leader Nick, Margie Engerski Wiehoff β84 and Suzette Sutherland β84. Wiehoff is a regular volunteer, and her husband, John β84, and daughter fill in occasionally when their busy schedules allow. Though she signed on to the group for altruistic reasons, she says βI realized quickly that being here is just fun. I came out of a sense of duty and doing the right thing, and I quickly discovered that itβs a lot of fun. Doing something good for others and at the same time having a great time. Itβs really been a blessing. βI especially enjoy the camaraderie, reconnecting with friends, seeing them more often and meeting their kids,β Wiehoff adds. βOur daughter, Michelle, has enjoyed meeting the Johnnie and Bennie alumni and working alongside of them like family. And itβs been good to share the mission of service to the poor and homeless with our children.β Sutherland, who brings the most energy to this early morning crew, sees how being a part of this group is an extension of the values they all absorbed at CSB and SJU. βThe Benedictine values that resonate most
s ember M t n e ell Sp e β85 W Moor e Terry Tim oore 4 rne β8 erstje k n A Mary jerne kerst n A k Kir β84 Boller 3 Sandy ond β8 Desm n h o J ond Desm β84 Julie ovan e Don g r o e G nd β84 fstra l E b Bo rand Elfst Beth e β84 Goetz r e g 4 o R on β8 nders e H Tom Hoeg Ellen oeg 4 Erin H ian β8 Huss Paul n ussia Ann H k Kozla Jodee k β84 Kozla Nick k Kozla Zack
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yM Micke β84 Poole Mary er '84 Pross y r a M er Pross Steve s β84 ocker Sue R s β81 ocker R e t Pe 4 yan β8 Dan R lz o Sch Laura lz β84 84 Scho Mike land β uther S e t t Suze 84 Vitt β m To ss sa Vo There r β84 ebste W e n Ja 84 off β Wieh 84 John off β Wieh ie g r a 4 M ms β8 Willia Paul
with me are the importance of community livingβto become who we are by our relationships with othersβand hospitalityβto offer warmth, acceptance and joy in welcoming others. Itβs through those relationships that we can better understand ourselves and our faith,β she explains. βCommunity living requires a foundation grounded in other Benedictine values like respect, justice, listening, dignity of work, stewardship, which are all part of what this experience is for us.β She appreciates how Nickβs initiative gave them all an opportunity to contribute to the needs of the greater community with their time, talents and treasure and βopened our eyes to the depth of the need in our own backyard.β And on a more personal level, Sutherland appreciates the experience because βreconnecting with fellow Saint Benβs and Saint Johnβs colleagues always rejuvenates me and helps me stay grounded.β βItβs definitely an early, great start to the day!β comments Wiehoff, as the group wraps up serving just before 8 a.m. Kitchen manager Joe Judd and his cleanup crew will finish the breakfast shift. βThis group is very generous with what they give us and theyβre fun to work with,β says Judd. βI really appreciate that they provide our clients with a special meal like this.β Just after 8 a.m., this monthβs Time Well Spent volunteers depart for their jobs in medicine, law, technology and businessβ some with pancake batter on their sleeves and probably all of them with the smell of bacon clinging to their clothes and skin, a subtle reminder for the rest of the day of the satisfying way their day began. Since Time Well Spent was formed, it has grown to about 30 members, most of them Johnnies and Bennies, their spouses and teenage children. Kozlak says that the big membership list makes it easier to fill the six to eight spots needed each month. He sends out an email ahead of time and usually has no problem filling the necessary spots. The group got connected to Catholic Charities early on through Nickβs friend and classmate Bob Elfstrand β84. Elfstrand volunteers occasionally with the group, and through his position as senior leadership giving officer for Catholic Charities, he is the liaison and assists with channeling membersβ contributions to purchasing the food supplies.
Elfstrand sees the value of groups like TWS getting more involved with Catholic Charities programs. βItβs been such a good experience because being in the group has introduced Nickβs friends and classmates to people in need in the Twin Cities,β he explains. βBy preparing and serving a meal, you get to see the face of the poorβ everyone from moms pushing strollers to 60-year-old men suffering from untreated mental illness. And you meet people in our community who will stand in line in the cold for a hot breakfast.β He points out that the TWS group has been extremely faithful. Each month they easily fill the necessary volunteer spots. βThese are people who have a desire to live their faith,β Elfstrand explains. βAnd for some, itβs a long drive from their homes in outlying suburbs to downtown Minneapolis at 6 a.m., but they do it happily. Our staff love them! Itβs a fun and cheerful group.β To reflect on and celebrate the groupβs
work each year, Kozlak and his wife, Jodee, host an annual meeting/party, which provides a great time for the whole group to socialize, as well as to talk about whatβs working and what else they could do. βWe talk about how much fun it is, which helps recruit some of those whoβve been on the sidelines,β says Rockers. After more than two years, Kozlak can see how the experience has affected the group and their relationships. βVolunteering together changes the types of conversations you have with these friends because youβre in an environment that forces you to talk about other things,β he says. βIt helps reinforce what we already know: βIf not for the grace of God, there go I.β It also reinforces that the clients are people who are doing everything they can do to survive and better their lives. Catholic Charities does a great job helping people navigate their way out of poverty by all the services they offer to help the clients help themselves. βAfter all, weβre all just a bad turn away
Margie (Engerski) Wiehoff β84 (R) is a Time Well Spent regular. Her husband, John β84, and daughter also join in as time allows. This morning, she is ably assisted by Julianne Vitt, daughter of TWS volunteer Tom Vitt '84.
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Suzette Sutherland '84 prepares bacon for the breakfast guests who will soon be arriving at the Opportunity Center. Kozlak's initiative has "opened our eyes to the depth of the need in our own backyard," she says.
We have all been touched by personal encounters with the guests we have served. The best way I can describe it is that it has broken down the wall between βusβ and βthem.β
~Sue Erlandson Rockers β84 from being in the same place,β continues Kozlak. βMost of us had a substantial leg up in our upbringing. We look out into a group of people, most of whom didnβt have as easy of a start in life as we did, or maybe they did and something derailed them. Itβs much easier than you think to find yourself in that situation. βService has always been a big part of our lives,β Kozlak continues. βThe state-
ment that, βto those that much has been given much is expectedβ is important, but in addition to that statement we believe that it is important to embrace all of this world and not hide from it or ignore it.β Thatβs what motivated Nick to start this group and what keeps him committed to continuing. βNick is really the catalyst who makes it all happen,β says Scholz. βHeβs made it
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easy for all of us to get involved and stay involved.β Time Well Spent offers a good model for groups interested in service. Alumni interested in developing a similar experience just need a leader or two to create the group and identify an opportunity that fits their interests. Elfstrand recommends contacting your favorite organizations to see whatβs available. βIt takes some effort to be organized, and it helps to be creative and flexible,β he adds. βThe Time Well Spent group has been a huge win, win, winβfor Catholic Charities, for Opportunity Center clients, and for the groupβs volunteers. I give Nick credit for having that vision and making it happen.β Kozlak says alumni interested in starting a similar experience can call him if they want some advice. βItβs easy to do. Just get in touch with your friends and contact a favorite charity. This is the new happy hour!β Mary Heer-Forsberg, CSB β83, is a Twin Cities-based writer and communications consultant.
What's your favorite place at Saint John's? We asked our Alumni Association Facebook fans this question, and hereΓ’€™s what they chose.
The Abbey Church
Tony Buesing
The woods, lakes and trails of the Saint JohnΓ’€™s Arboretum, including Lake Sagatagan and the prairie restoration.
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Clemens Stadium and the
Michael Crouser
Stella Maris Chapel
Dawid Chawbowsk
Peggy Roske
Abbey Woodworking
Paul Middlestaedt
Michael Crouser
Michael Crouser
The Saint JohnΓ’€™s Bible
Johnnie football team
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The Pottery Studio
Getting in the
Game By Shawn Fury β97
For these Johnnies, landing a job in pro sports wasnβt about making the cut on the field. But it did mean putting in long, hard hours proving their passion, commitment and abilities. They all agree: It was worth it. The good news for Trent Kirchner β00: He works in a big city at a job he loves in the most popular professional sports league in the country. The bad news? His boss is a Tommie. Kirchner serves as the assistant director of pro personnel for the NFLβs Seattle Seahawks. In addition to scouting opponents, Kirchner searches for players who could one day help the Seahawks. He came to Seattle to work with Seahawks general manager John Schneider, Kirchnerβs friend and mentor and a 1993 UST grad. Bryant Pfeiffer β94 also owes a bit of gratitude to St. Thomas. PfeifferβMajor League Soccerβs vice president of club servicesβcredits his work with the inaugural Johnnie-Tommie 3-on-3 basketball tournament for giving him invaluable experience that played a crucial role in his post-graduation career. While Kirchner and Pfeiffer operate behind the scenes, hundreds of thousands of viewers watch Anthony LaPanta β90 work. LaPanta appears everywhere on Fox Sports North, handling play-by-play duties for the University of Minnesota hockey team while working in the studio for the Minnesota Wild, Twins and Timberwolves. Kirchner, Pfeiffer and LaPanta are just three of hundreds of Johnnie grads who work in sports. Saint Johnβs graduates coach high school basketball and college football. Theyβre directors of athletics and semi-pro baseball owners. They edit the sports sections of newspapers and write columns for fantasy football websites. Like many Johnnies, Kirchner, Pfeiffer and LaPanta all knew they wanted to work in sports long before they stepped foot on campus, and all three plunged into sports the moment they stepped off it.
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Persistence Pays Off: Trent Kirchner '00 Trent Kirchner '00 attended school in Fulda, a town of 1,300 in southwestern Minnesota three hours from Collegeville and a million miles from the NFL. By the time Kirchner arrived in Collegeville, he was set on having a life in sports. Although he researched sports agents and spent a summer working with the Twins, Kirchner focused on football, his first love. With no connections, Kirchner embarked on a massive letter-writing campaign, the type people usually do when trying to stop wars or save TV programs. He mailed letters to everyone: scouts, general managers, coaches. He asked for advice and insight. He asked how they earned their positions. βBut I never asked for a job,β Kirchner says. βI knew the second I did that, theyβd throw it away.β Some wrote back, most didnβt. Kirchner savored any information he received and saved all the responses, even the ones offering no help at all. By his senior year, Kirchner needed a bold move. He set his sights on the NFL Scouting Combine, which takes place each February in Indianapolis. Coaches and executives attend the event, making it fertile ground for an aspiring employee. Kirchner skipped his Friday class and drove south, even though he didnβt have a pass and didnβt really know anyone. On the drive down, he picked up team media guides, enabling him to match faces to the names on his letters. The Combine takes place in a dome and only authorized personnel are allowed on the field. But the bathrooms sat outside the secure area, so Kirchner approached the NFL people as they walked to the restroom and told them his story. He didnβt get far. Kirchnerβs most substantial conversations occurred with a security guard. But on his second day, Kirchner spoke with Arizona offensive coordinator Marc Trestman and found a receptive audience. Trestman told Kirchner, βHold on, hold on. You mean to tell me you drove down from Minnesota just to talk to people? Thatβs so awesome.β Trestmanβs quarterbacks coach didnβt arrive until the next day, so he told Kirchner to go to his hotel for the coachβs security badge. Kirchner breezed through the security line, passing the guard heβd become friendly with. βI held up the badge, and he just winked at me and said, βMan, Iβm so happy for you. Congratulations.ββ Kirchner was insideβthe dome and the league. It was then that he introduced himself to John Schneider, who also admired Kirchnerβs tenacity. After helping Schneider and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Combine, Kirchner returned to school, graduated and accepted an internship with Seattle. After serving as the college scouting coordinator for the Washington Redskins, Kirchner worked as a pro scout for Carolina from 2002 until early 2010. Thatβs when Schneider hired Kirchner for Seattle. Kirchnerβwhose wife, Jessica, joined him in Seattle from Carolina at the end of the yearβtravels about every other week during the season, scouting opponents and potential free agents. He often arrives at the office by 6:30 a.m. and stays until 9 at night, breaking down hundreds of hours of tape. Itβs a long way from Fulda and Collegeville. Today Kirchner receives letters from students, and heβs now the one handing out advice. They can follow in his footsteps. All they need is talent, a little creativity and a lot of persistence. A borrowed security badge wouldnβt hurt, either. Trent Kirchner β00 serves as assistant director of pro personnel for the Seattle Seahawks.
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Steve Woit
Sportsman and Salesman: Bryant Pfeiffer '94
Bryant Pfeiffer β94 is vice president of club services for Major League Soccer, where he spearheaded the creation of the National Sales Center in Blaine, Minn., which trains sales agents for MLS.
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In 2010, Bryant Pfeiffer '94 spearheaded the creation of the National Sales Center in Blaine, which trains sales agents for Major League Soccer. The students sell real MLS tickets to real customers while Pfeiffer and his team record and instruct them. When the 45day program ends, Pfeiffer and his team βplay matchmakerβ with MLS franchises. βWhat happens at most teams is sales leadership hires someone locally, maybe a kid out of college,β Pfeiffer says. βThe team gives them an entry-level sales position and gives them two to five days of training and throws them into the cubes and says, βGo figure it out kid.β We try to fast-forward that progress so the salespeople can make a much quicker impact.β The students shouldnβt worry about the credentials of the centerβs architect. Following college graduation, Pfeiffer worked as an unpaid intern with the Timberwolves, a position he turned into a full-time sales gig. Within a few years, Pfeiffer led the NBA in ticket sales. He became the teamβs senior director of ticket sales, before leaving for Major League Soccer in 2007. Think selling soccer in America is tough? Try selling Timberwolves tickets during the J.R. Rider era, or when apathy set in after years of first-round playoff exits. But selling and sports were always passions for Pfeiffer, who originally wanted to attend a Big Ten university. Visits to a few big schools proved something of βa turnoffβ and then Saint Johnβs entered the picture. He appreciated the sports tradition and loved a school where βyouβre less of a number and more of a name.β While he credits SJU coaches Jim Smith and Bob Alpers with introducing him to people who helped him along the way, Pfeiffer didnβt rely on anyone else when he seized his biggest opportunity. As a senior, Pfeiffer organized the Saint Johnβs portion of the first Johnnie-Tommie 3-on-3 basketball tournament. He volunteered after talking with a Tommie grad who worked with the Wolves and dreamed up the idea. Pfeiffer recruited teams, raised funds, found sponsors and solicited door prizes. More than 50 squads participated, with the champions from each school playing in the Target Center. That entrepreneurial effort gave Pfeiffer an edge. It became his calling card and led to the Timberwolves, where he rose through the organization. Now, as VP of club services for MLS, Pfeifferβs department acts as a consulting group for the league. Pfeiffer speaks with everyone from salespeople to owners, helping with marketing, sponsorships and mentoring. He travels to New York, Seattle and points between, spreading the soccer gospel while working with each franchise. Although the most recent World Cup captivated the U.S., soccer here has never had the popularity of football, baseball and basketball. Pfeiffer believes that can change, perhaps by the 2022 World Cup. βWe think that by that time for sure, if not sooner, we will absolutely be in the conversation of mainstream fans.β In the meantime, Pfeifferβwho has three kids with his wife, Julie Reissner Pfeiffer, CSB β94βstays busy with the leagueβs current concerns and the sales center. Itβs a full schedule, but he still makes time to play in the 3-on-3 event that bears his fingerprints. βThe tournamentβs something Iβm really proud of,β he says. βItβs not the biggest thing or a life-changing thing, but it was neat that it was something a student had the opportunity to create entrepreneurially.β
A Man for All Sports Seasons: Anthony LaPanta '90 Turn on a Minnesota sporting event and chances are Anthony LaPanta '90 is on the television. But it took a lot of time and energy for the Emmy-winning LaPanta to reach this stage of his career. LaPanta always dreamed of being a broadcaster, from the time he was 7 and called βplay-by-playβ action for Wiffle Ball and electric football games. Sports played a big role in bringing LaPanta to Collegevilleβ specifically, the schoolβs football team. When LaPantaβa TotinoGrace High School gradβreceived his driverβs license, he often drove with a buddy to Saint Johnβs. They attended the game, played touch football, grabbed a sandwich and headed home. LaPanta eventually enrolled at Saint Johnβs, even though the school didnβt have a communication major until after he graduated. βIt felt like the right place to be,β he says. βIt just kind of felt like everybody up there was happy.β LaPanta started dating his wife, Margo Wallin LaPanta, CSB β90, his senior year and left school preAnthony LaPanta β90 is an Emmy-award winning sports broadcaster for Fox Sports North in Minneapolis, where pared for the often-brutal world of he covers the Twins, the Wild and the Wolves. broadcasting. Everyone had different advice. βSome people told me to go to the biggest station and take whatever theyβll give you, even postgame dissections of the Twins, Wild and Wolves. But even if itβs sweeping the floors, just so you have your foot in the door. today LaPanta savors his time with amateur sports. To him, thereβs Others said do whatever you need to do to get on the air, even if itβs nothing as exciting as broadcasting an intense high school hockey doing the weather.β LaPanta instead listened to those who insisted game. In 1999, the same year he called Twins games on the radio, he needed play-by-play experience. He approached public access LaPanta worked the radio for the SJU football team, ably balancTV stations in the Twin Cities, asking if they needed a broadcaster. ing MLB duties with Division III football. LaPantaβs connection to Eventually he called volleyball, football, wrestling and basketball, Saint Johnβs remains strong. He has two sons and two daughters, making $50 a week but gaining experience. He called everything, and they all visit the campus, taking part in familiar traditions: the including the world championships for ringette, a sport thatβs a games, the woods, the hike to the chapel. little like hockey and unlike anything LaPanta had ever seen. LaPanta also works as an assistant with the Totino-Grace football A devotion to lower-profile gigs played a key role in earning team and has coached youth football and summer baseball. βWe higher-profile jobs. A KFAN executive called LaPanta, asking him donβt get a lot of free nights,β LaPanta says, βbut itβs all good. I to broadcast MIAC football games. He explained that heβd attended couldnβt imagine doing anything different.β the state high school hockey tournament and was impressed when Especially since heβs imagined this life since he was 7 years old. he heard LaPanta treat the Class A third-place game βlike the StanAnd he's not the only Johnnie living the dream in pro sports. ley Cup Finals.β Kirchner says his wife, Jessica, tells him sheβs jealous that he can βThat supported what I always believed,β LaPanta says. βYou wake up every morning and say, βMan, I canβt wait to go to work. always do the best job you can, and you never phone it in just beAnd thatβs really a blessing.β cause in your perception it doesnβt seem like itβs the biggest event.β LaPanta and Pfeiffer know the feeling. Now he works the big events for Fox Sports North, calling play-by-play for one of the elite college hockey programs, playShawn Fury β97 is the author of Keeping the Faith: In the ing point guard on pregame shows and directing traffic on the Trenches with College Footballβs Worst Team.
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By Be nj am in
Be sas ie
β1 2
ola r
V of e an n E- tu Sc re h s
The E-Scholar program of the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship at Saint Johnβs University, launched in 2006, gives selected students from all disciplines the opportunity to learn and practice small-business ownership. E-Scholars take entrepreneurship courses, travel to Silicon Valley and China to learn from successful entrepreneurs, develop feasibility plans and create new business ventures. At every turn, they are supported and mentored by alumni. The program now boasts graduates who have become successful entrepreneurs in their own right while it continues to attract students who aspire to business ownership. In this before-and-after story, current EScholars Benjamin Crist β11 and Jared Sherlock β11 share their entrepreneurial hopes, while former E-Scholars Jon Goodman β08 and Greg Schmidt β06 describe the businesses theyβve launched.
Campus2Canvas: Fast Turnaround, High Quality While traveling in China, Benjamin Crist β11 and fellow EScholars David Forster β11, Jingkun Li β11 and Ben McDermott β11 visited Dafen, where hundreds of artists line the streets with thousands of paintings. One womanβs work of landscapes and nature especially struck them, reminding them of Saint Johnβs. The students asked her to paint three photos of the Saint Johnβs campusβthe Stella Maris Chapel, Lake Sagatagan and the Abbey Bell Banner. Once they saw the finished paintings, the E-Scholars decided to pursue a business venture: selling high quality oil paintings created in Dafen to SJU and CSB alumni. They developed a business plan, and Campus2Canvas (C2C) was born. The company has two products: custom paintings and campus scenes (available in the CSB/SJU bookstores). C2C's custom paintings are hand-painted oil paintings directly from customer's photographs. Turnaround time is usually two
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months from order to delivered painting. Cost can vary, though prices start at $225. After graduation, Crist plans to continue Campus2Canvas, expanding into new areas.βBeing an E-Scholar has helped open my eyes to endless opportunities and given me the skills and resources that I need to succeed,β Crist says.βWithout E-Scholars, I never would have dreamed of creating a business as exciting or as challenging as Campus2Canvas.β For more, visit campus2canvas.com.
Pro Action Realty, LLC: Real Estate Services
All About Illusions
Greg Schmidt β06 entered college as a computer science major but was never intrigued by it. He switched to management and, in 2004, became one of twelve students selected to participate in the inaugural E-Scholar program. He and a group of E-Scholars developed the business venture The Fat Rat. They created a website where college and university students could trade textbooks, couches and appliances, similar to Craigslist. On graduation, Schmidt landed a job as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker. Three years later, he started his own real estate brokerage, Pro Action Realty, LLC, serving the Twin Cities. He considers excellent communication and flexible, customized service using technology to its fullest potential as the foundation of his companyβs competitiveness. He provides customers their own accounts, where they can reach their agent and send feedback anytime of the day. He is also thinking about designing a mobile application for buyers and sellers. While many real estate agents are closing their doors in the current economy, Schmidt sees a strong future in the business. "There is opportunity for someone who is well positioned to take a large market share now and capitalize on the investment when the economy rebounds," he says. For more, visit proactionrealty.com.
With an interest in live performance, an obsession with comedy and storytelling, and a desire to please and amaze an audience, Jared Sherlock β11 began practicing his skills as an illusionist at age 8. In 2002, he founded his own business, The Magic of Jared Sherlock, a live theatrical production company. He is now pursuing a degree in entrepreneurship and theater. Sherlock became an E-Scholar to cultivate his business, open his eyes to new opportunities and gain formal training in entrepreneurship. With the help of the program, his company produced Night Games: An Evening of Illusions, Comedy, and Dance in January 2010, which premiered at the College of Saint Benedict. It sold out to more than 1,700 people and raised more than $13,000 to benefit the retirement communities of Saint Benedictβs Monastery and Saint Johnβs Abbey. His productions include catching a speeding paintball in his teeth, vanishing assistants into thin air, and performing a comedic six-ball juggling duet. Sherlock says the E-Scholar program has been limitless, teaching him to be open-minded, strategic, and risk-taking in refining his business plan. Prior to graduation this spring, Sherlock and his team will launch a 20-stop regional college tour with one actor, one dancer and himself. For more, visit JaredSherlock.com.
JGoods, LLC: Sneaker Art
Goodman became an E-Scholar in 2006. He wanted to explore all the possibilities for running his own company. As an E-Scholar, he received loans to expand and produce the customization kit. βThe people I met through the E-Scholar program were very important and helpful, especially the alumni,β Goodman said. βDeveloping a business plan made me think realistically about my company.β After graduating, Goodman added a business partner, Kellen Groves β09, to build, run, and expand his venture. JGoods, LLC is now a thriving design, paint manufacturing, and clothing company, dedicated to Goodmanβs belief in the importance of originality. For more, visit jgoodsonline.com.
In tenth grade, Jon Goodman β09 (right) was sick of the same old shoes that everyone was wearing in high school. He would surf the web, looking for new and unique shoes. With a good eye for detail and artistic talent, he created a paint specially made for leather and began designing and painting his own shoes. In 2002, Goodman established JGoods, LLC, to design and sell customized painted shoes. All shoes are hand-painted and average a cost of $1000. Some of his clients include Jay-Z, Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter and Larry Fitzgerald. Not only does he paint shoes, he has also produced a sneaker customization kit that simplifies the process for those wishing to paint their own leather shoes. βI feel like originality is important. Everyone is different and I wanted to be different. Painting custom shoes just brought it to the next level,β Goodman said.
Benjamin Besasie β12 is an editorial assistant in CSB/SJUβs communication and marketing services department.
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Advancing the Mission
$5 Million FirstGen Challenge Announced First-generation college studentsβ those who are the first in their family to attend or graduate from collegeβare on the rise. So too are our efforts to ensure that they can afford to attend Saint Johnβs University. This was the central message delivered by Fr. Bob Koopmann, president of Saint Johnβs University, at the 2010 Homecoming Alumni Association Banquet. Speaking to alumni, Fr. Bob noted that demographics show that the primary growth in the percentage of college age students will be concentrated among students who are the first in their family to attend college. A great many of these are high school students from rural communities and students of color or immigrants who need extra tuition assistance and educational services to make it to and through college. The FirstGen initiative at Saint Johnβs (see Saint Johnβs Magazine, Fall 2010) is a three-pronged program aimed at recruiting first-generation college students, awarding them financial aid and providing them with the academic and student support services that they need to thrive at Saint Johnβs. βAt the Homecoming banquet, I had the privilege to announce that Saint Johnβs University had achieved the first requirement of a $2.5 million challenge grant from the Frey Foundation,β said Fr. Bob, βnamely, to raise an equivalent amount from a handful of benefactors. We actually exceeded our goal by raising $3 million.β This included a $1.25 million gift from Ralph Gross β65 (see p. 27), as well as a $1 million commitment from Robert and Rita Kuester to establish the βOld Bobβs Angus Ranch Scholarship Fundβ. Saint Johnβs also received major contributions from three members of the Board of Regents: Dan and Katharine Whalen β70, Steve and Diane Halverson β74, and Greg and MaryJo Soukup β79. βIt costs $17,500 per year to fully fund one
Bob Koopmann '68, OSB, announced the FirstGen initiative at the Homecoming Banquet.
FirstGen student,β noted Rob Culligan β82, vice president for institutional advancement. This translates into a $350,000 endowment per student. Our ultimate goal is to build a $25 million endowment for FirstGen. This will enable us to fully fund the FirstGen Initiative and to award scholar26
ships to about 75 additional students. βWe have coupled the Frey Foundation grant with the other lead gifts that we received into a $5 million challenge for the FirstGen Initiative,β Culligan continued. Through this challenge, we seek to reach the next milestone of $10 million.β
Ralph Gross β65 Leaves $3.25 Million to Saint Johnβs In January 2010, Saint Johnβs mourned the loss of alumnus Ralph Gross β65. A few weeks earlier, Ralph was diagnosed with liver cancer, and after a short battle, he succumbed to the illness. Ralph was a humble man with a terrific smile, an infectious laugh and a great sense of humor. Friends and family described him as a gentleman, a trusted friend and, although never married, a man committed to his parents and siblings. He was known to his employees as an ethical businessman and a quiet leader. One of his branch managers observed: βI was very fortunate to be inspired by a very humble business-
man. He always made you feel comfortable around him and treated everyone as equal. He had great trust in his employees and would help guide us in his own way by his wisdom.β Ralph had a deep and abiding affection for Saint Johnβs. βThroughout his life, Ralph was very generous to SJU,β commented Rob Culligan β82, vice president for institutional advancement. βFollowing his passing, we were humbled to learn that he had named Saint Johnβs as the primary beneficiary of his estate. In all, Saint Johnβs will receive roughly $3.25 million.β βWe are deeply grateful to Ralph for his extraordinary generosity to Saint Johnβs,β commented Fr. Bob Koopmann, president
The Gross family: (Back) Roger, Lois, Mary, Steve and Tom. (Front) Ralph, Margaret and Michael.
of Saint Johnβs University. βThis is one of the largest estate gifts that Saint Johnβs has ever received, and it will make a transformative difference for our faculty and students.β After consulting with his family, Saint Johnβs designated $2 million from this estate gift to establish the Ralph Gross Chair in Management. This endowed chair will be used to attract a senior professor to the management department. The remaining $1.25 million from the estate has been designated to the Ralph Gross Scholarship Fund for first-generation college students at Saint Johnβs University. βFaculty and students are the backbone of a good university,β observed Ralphβs brother, Dr. Michael Gross β62. βSo when it came to the designation of Ralphβs estate, our family wanted it to support both.β βIt made sense to our family to contribute to the area in which Ralph was trained and devoted his professional life,β commented Dr. Stephen Gross. βPlus, the management department serves an important need and attracts students.β βScholarships? Absolutely,β added Stephen. βWe want to support students who look a lot like the Gross siblings in the 1950s and 1960s: small-town kids, bright, not especially privileged and the first generation to go to college.β βOne of the appeals of supporting students,β said Michael, βis that it fits nicely into our own family background, which was modest and made attending a university a challenge.β
Ralph Edward Gross was born in 1943 to Margaret and Ralph J. Gross in St. Cloud, Minn. He graduated from Preston High School in 1961 and Saint Johnβs University in 1965 with a degree in economics. He went on to pursue advanced studies in business and accounting at the University of Minnesota and later qualified as a CPA. He began his professional career at Arthur Anderson Accounting and continued as comptroller at SPS Companies, a plumbing supply business in the Twin Cities. In 1989 he became part owner of SPS and, in 1999, president and CEO. The Gross family has a long history with Saint Johnβs. Ralphβs father attended Saint Johnβs, and his uncle, Lawrence (Zook) Iten, graduated from Saint Johnβs in 1935. Two of Ralphβs brothers, Dr. Michael Gross and Dr. Thomas Gross, graduated from Saint Johnβs in 1962 and 1968, respectively. His sister, Lois Rogers, is married to a Johnnie, John Rogers β62, and she has served on the Board of Regents and the Board of Overseers of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library. His nephew, Joe Rogers β89, is the director of the Center for Global Education at CSB/SJU.
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Ralph Gross '65
Johnnie Sports
Fast and Flexible: Tyler Etheridge β11
John Biasi
By John Taylor '58
Cross-country and track standout Tyler Etheridge '11 hopes to join the Benedictine Volunteer Corps on graduation and then head to medical school.
Tyler Etheridge β11 is a young man with a knack for reevaluating his life journey. At Eau Claire North High School, in Eau Claire, Wis., he was the recipient of several academic awards and a dominant basketball player. A four-year starter, he was chosen to play in several Wisconsin all-star games, and he was wooed by a number of Division III colleges. It came down to Saint Johnβs or Wartburg. He decided on Wartburg and a major in biology.
During his freshman year, Etheridge dislocated his shoulder playing basketball, requiring three surgeries. This led to several major shifts in his life: he transferred to Saint Johnβs, changed his academic focus to medicine and switched from basketball to track and cross-county. βMy dad is an engineer, my mom an accountant, and my sister is pursuing a degree in occupational therapy. We are a very close-knit family. Everyone has supported
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my decisions,β says Etheridge. βI really liked Wartburg, but after my injury, I had to reconcile what I really wanted out of my college experience. Saint Johnβs just felt a lot different to me then, and I decided to come here for the academics.β During the 2009 summer break, Etheridge shadowed a number of physicians at the St. Cloud Hospital. βI had a powerful experience, a real eye-opener, when I attended a person who was in the throes of passing. I knew then that I wanted to dedicate myself to medicine, to help others wherever they were in their life.β Etheridge counts a number of highs during his time at Saint Johnβs. He has managed the Outdoor Learning Center staff, has a number of close SJU friends, and loves his science classes, particularly biology. Two teachers stand out. βI attended Sister Mary Reuterβs Benedictine Spirituality class. I do not come from a Catholic background but have always considered myself religious. We had great discussions in class, and today I have a much greater appreciation for my relationship with God.β Another class that has made a difference was Professor Steve Wagnerβs Moral Philosophy course. βSteve is very passionate about wanting his students to think critically about what constitutes happiness in their lives by reflecting on the relationships we share and moral values we hold.β After graduation, Etheridge wants to spend a year in a faith-based experience. He hopes to go to either Guatemala or Tanzania with the Benedictine Volunteer Corps. Then itβs on to medical school. John Taylor β58 is senior associate for institutional advancement at Saint Johnβs.
Scorecard Football (7-3, 6-2 MIAC) has now posted 43 consecutive seasons without a losing record. Head coach John Gagliardi ended his record 62nd season with a 478-129-11 (.782) career record and a 454-123-10 (.782) record in 58 seasons at SJU. Quarterback Joe Boyle β11, offensive lineman Jeff Gilbertson β11, defensive back Ian Goldsmith β11, offensive lineman Tim Juba β11 and defensive lineman Kyle Schroeder β10 were named to the 2010 All-MIAC first team. Schroeder earned the MIAC Mike Stam Award as the conferenceβs most outstanding lineman. Offensive lineman Jeff Gilbertson β11 was named to the ESPN Academic All-America second team. Schroeder was later named to the D3football.com All-America first team. The Johnnies have now had at least one All-American on the defensive line 10 of the last 11 seasons. Five former All-Americans were named to the D3football.com All-Decade Team of 2000-09. Wide receiver Blake Elliott β03 and defensive end Jeremy Hood β04 were named to the first team. Defensive tackle Nick Gunderson β09 and linebackers Beau LaBore β01 and Cam McCambridge β03 were named to the fourth team. Elliott was also named to the third team as a return specialist.
Head coach Bob Alpers β82 was inducted into the Golf coaches Association of America Hall of Fame at ceremonies in Las Vegas in December.
Soccer (6-6-4, 5-3-2 MIAC) finished sixth in the conference standings, two points from the MIAC playoffs, in the first season for head coach John Haws β99. The Johnnies were predicted to finish ninth in the MIAC preseason coachesβ poll. Midfielder Michael Coborn β14 was named to the 2010 All-MIAC first team, while goalkeeper Matt Anderson β11 was named All-MIAC honorable mention. Defender Ryan Fuchs β13 was named to the ESPN Academic AllDistrict second team. Cross Country finished third overall at the MIAC Championship. Dustin Franta β11 and Ruairi Moynihanβ12 earned All-MIAC honors with a third- (25:50) and 11th-place finish (26:34), respectively. Franta advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship and finished 76th overall out of 279 runners. Golf won its sixth MIAC Menβs Golf Championship in the last seven years to earn its 12th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Championship in Greensboro this May. Four Johnnies earned All-MIAC honors (top 10): Dennis Granath β13, Alex Klehr β13, Tony Krogen β12 and Casey Vangsness β14. Head coach Bob Alpers β82 was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Hall of Fame during enshrinement ceremonies held in Las Vegas in December. CLUB SPORTS Rugby was undefeated in the regular season with wins over Mankato, UM Duluth, St. Cloud State, Bethel and Winona State. The team won the Minnesota tournament, beating D1 University of Minnesota in the finals, after defeating UW Milwaukee and the University of Iowa. It finished fourth and ranked ninth in the country in the Midwest DII finals. It was the only college with fewer than 10,000 students to advance to the round of 16.
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Crew doubled its number of rowers this season and participated in three regattas in the fall season: Death Row in Duluth and Head of the Des Moines and Quad Cities in Illinois, where one of the CSB/SJU boats took third. Lacrosse, primarily a spring sport, will play non- conference games at Western Washington, Western Oregon, Davenport and Missouri Baptist. This past season, SJU led the country with seven Academic All-Americans including Ryan Bailey β10, Brian Kubovec β10, Brandon Brinkman β10, Alex Fulton β12, Lucas Gellerman β12, Mike King β13 and Steve Johnson β13. Water Polo finished the season with a 4-4 record. It took fourth place at the Heartland Conference, losing in the second round to first seed Monmouth.
ALUMNI CONNECTION
Executive Appointments
Tim Marx β79 has been named CEO of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He will begin his job duties in April, succeeding co-CEOs Paul Martodam and Bob Spinner β64. Marx served as Commissioner of the Minnesota State Housing Agency from 2003 to 2008, when he became executive director for New York City Common Ground, a nation-leading nonprofit housing, community development and social services agency. The agency provides supportive housing and social services to the formerly homeless, low-income and other special needs populations. Prior to his tenure as state housing commissioner, Marx was a shareholder at the law firm of Briggs and Morgan and served as general counsel to several major foundations and nonprofit organizations, including Catholic Charities and the Wilder Foundation. He received the 2004 PiiNZHO Award for contributions to the field of supportive housing and was named the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year in 2002. Previously, he served as deputy mayor and city attorney for the City of St. Paul. Marx holds a J.D. from the University of Minnesota and a masterβs in public affairs from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
Paul Krump β82 became president of commercial and specialty lines at Chubb Corporation in January. He is also responsible for Chubb's accident business. Krump previously served as chief underwriting officer responsible for Chubb Commercial Insurance, Chubb Personal Insurance and Chubb Specialty Insurance and Surety. From 2000 to 2008, Krump was the chief operating officer of Chubb Commercial Insurance, after serving in other management roles for the unit. From 1989 to 1994, Krump held several positions in Chubb's department of financial institutions, including northern zone manager and U.S. underwriting manager. He also had served as an executive protection and international underwriter in Dusseldorf, Germany, and held various commercial lines underwriting positions. He joined Chubb as an underwriting trainee in 1982. Krump has attended executive management programs at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland; the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill; and the U.S. Army War College/Columbia Business School. He is a member of the Board of Regents of Saint John's University and serves on the Family Service of Morris County Corporate Leadership Council in Morristown, N.J.
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Stuart Harvey β83 became chief executive officer and president of Ceridian Corporation in August, 2010. Harvey was most recently chief executive officer of Elavon's Global Acquiring Solutions organization and had executive management responsibility for the overall strategy, vision and operations of Elavon's worldwide business. Elavon is a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp. Mr. Harvey joined Elavon (formerly NOVA Information Systems) in April 2003 and based in Dublin, Ireland, led the company's international expansion, directing all business development and merger and acquisition initiatives in Europe. He was subsequently promoted to CEO and president once Nova was re-branded as Elavon and assumed global responsibility for the business in 2005. Prior to joining Elavon, he was a managing director with the investment banking firm of Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis. He is also a former practicing attorney having worked previously with two Chicago-based law firms. Harvey holds a J.D. from The National Law Center at The George Washington University and a masterβs in business administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Are You a YAC? YACs have a keen sense of career development
Through careful phrenological analysis of a wide variety of young alumni, we were able to pinpoint four distinct behaviors of the Saint Johnβs Young Alumni Committee. If you recognize yourself in one or more of these behaviors (and you graduated in the last ten years), then YOU are a YAC.
YACs strive to give young Johnnies an opportunity to meet older alumni and business people who share a wide breadth of knowledge in their field.
YACs are found in large groups socializing
βWith such a strong alumni network, SJU grads have a unique opportunity to learn from other successful and knowledgeable Johnnies. The YAC Career Development Pillar is committed and passionate about providing an opportunity to learn from and build relationships with fellow alumni." β Justin Clark '07
YACs want to foster the great Johnnie and Bennie connections that are made throughout college years. This is a light-hearted group that focuses on having a good time and reminiscing about college days.
"It is an excellent opportunity to network and socialize with our far-reaching alumni association. What better way to spend a night out on the town than with fellow Johnnies and Bennies.β β Alex Siebenaler '02
YACs are often seen supporting SJU
YACs support Saint Johnβs through fundraising and donating time. Whether you can give a lot or a little, simply donating is the important part to show your pride. Equally important to fundraising is donating time back to Saint Johnβs. When you volunteer, you show current students and other young alumni the opportunities available to them.
YACs have a dedication to service
YACs focus on the Benedictine value of stewardship. Through service and volunteerism, they build fellowship, recreation and networking among young alumni.
βWhile at SJU all my friends and I participated in numerous different volunteer activities. When we graduated we had these Benedictine values of community living, respect for all persons, hospitality, stewardship and helping the common good instilled within us, but no avenues to continue living them out.That is why we created the YAC Volunteer Pillar. Its purpose is to provide alumni with opportunities to continue expressing the values they learned while at SJU.β β Jeff Snegosky β06
βI support Saint John's because I feel committed to honor the legacy of the men that came before me and gave me the opportunity to be a part of the Saint John's community. I want to extend that same opportunity to future Johnnies.β β Luke Hellier '07
To get involved, go to Chapters and Affinity Groups on sjualum.com and click on Young Alums.
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AL U M N I C ON N EC T I O N
MAKING HISTORY Homecoming and Reunion 2010 Photos by Paul Middlestaedt
On Oct. 1, 2010, Saint Johnβs hosted 16,400 fans for the Johnnie-Tommie gameβsetting a Division III record. Many of those fans were on campus for reunions. A good time was had by all.
Bob Lyngen β96 shares Homecomingwith son Daniel, age 5.
Bill Bachand β75 (L) and Horace βBubbaβ Small β75 (R ) reconnected at their 35th Reunion.
The game kept Joe Witt β90 and Maury OβBrien β90 on the edge of their seats.
The Rat Pack was on hand to keep fans cheering.
The Class of 2005 returned to campus to celebrate their fifth reunion.
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ALUMNI CONNE CTION
These three enjoyed the best seat on campus!
It was the 30th reunion for the Class of 1980. (L to R) Greg Maden β80, David Borka β80, Andrew Kimbell β80, Jim Lynch β80, Jim Yanisch β80.
Steve Jacobs '75 (L) and Thomas Johnson β75 (Center) wait their turn to check out their class yearbook.
The Celebration on the Tundra drew thousands of alumni, families and friends after the football game.
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Milestones
Marriages β69 Judy Hoolleran to Jerry Loomer β69, Sept. β09 β71 Kim Monahan to Michael Dady β71, May β10 β89 Carol Marshall to Michael Nemanich β89, Sept. β09 β95 Heidi (Euteneuer β97) to Kurt Meyer β95, June β10 β99 Marian (Studer β05) to Kyhl Lyndgaard β99, June β10 β01 Maria to Mike Slavik β01, Sept. β09 β03 Jodi Kendrick to Nicholas Bancks β03, Aug. β10 β03 Kate (Johnson β03) to Luke Doubler β03, July β10 β03 Emily (Sirek β03) to Mathew Ferche β03, Oct. β10 β03 Melissa (Petterssen β05) to Eddie Kaiser β03, Sept. β10 β03 Wendy Croatt to Dan Kosel β03, Aug. β10 β03 Yuri to Jared Pangier β03, May β10 β03 Allison Donnelly to Paul Ponath β03, June β10 β03 Medora (Gruber β03) to Joel Schou β03, July β10 β04 April Then to Adam Benoit β04, Oct. β10 β04 Bethany (Keene β06) to Ryan Buus β04, Aug. β10 β04 Kristin (Holmes β04) to Christopher Stapleton β04, Oct. β09 β05 Karolina Wanielista to Tom Craft β05, Oct. β10 β05 Alyssa (Wenz β05) to Mark Dunnigan β05, July β10 β05 Molly (Rinowski β05) to Andrew Olsen β05, Sept. β10 β05 Meghann (Green β05) to Andy Witchger β05, July β10 β06 Lindsay (Krieg β06) to Joseph Block β06, June β10 β06 Melissa (Cambronne β06) to John Broich β06, June β10 β06 Laura (Sand β06) to Blake Cheeley β06, Aug. β10 β06 Jennifer Arnold to Douglas Gleisner β06, May β10 β06 Jade Peterson to Savo Heleta β06, Oct. β10 β06 Jessica Laird to John Jantzer β06, Oct. β10 β06 Sophia (Polasky β06) to Christopher Lauer β06, July β10 β06 Jill Feichtinger to Sean Leary β06, June β10 β06 Jaclyn (Kalkman β06) to Joseph Nelson β06, Aug. β10 β06 Ashley to Matthew Reubendale β06, July β10
β06 Kathryn (Thompson β05) to Michael Scharenbroich β06, June β10 β06 Danielle (Weber β05) to Andrew Spaanem β06, Aug. β10 β06 Kate Roseland to Mathew Wachlarowicz β06, Aug. β10 β07 Elizabeth (Sauer β07) to Bryan Bauck β07, July β10 β07 Dawn (Moldan β07) to Brian Chen β07, Aug. β10 β07 Stacy (Woodle β07) to Jesse Ellens β07, Oct. β09 β07 Tanya (Lindquist β07) to Bryan Fleegel β07, July β10 β07 Emily (Cook β06) to Jeffrey Lundgren β07, July β10 β07 Christine (Synnott β07) to Jason Prostrollo β07, July β10 β07 Calley (Kingston β08) to Derek Roers β07, June β10 β07 Brittany (Billehus β08) to Chris Sele β07, July β10 β07 Jesse (Lindgren β07) to Lucas Van Leeuwe β07, June β10 β08 Angela Seppelt to Justin Athman β08, Aug. β10 β08 Sarah (Mattson β08) to James Bockwinkel β08, Aug. β10 β08 Kelly (Holmseth β08) to Matthew Bohlig β08, Oct. β10 β08 Kim (Murphy β07) to Erik Ellingboe β08, June β10 β08 Rachael (Smith β08) to Luke Fischer β08, Sept. β10 β08 Sarah Beckermann to Philip Ghizoni β08, June β10 β08 Mya (Olsem β10) to Daniel Herscher β08, May β10 β08 Marit (Swartout β08) to Tom Kirzeder β08, July β10 β08 Danielle (Di Fabio β08) to Joe Moravec β08, Oct. β10 β08 Melissa (Viaene β08) to Dan Nelson β08, May β10 β08 Ashley (Rhein) to Andrew Salvato β08, July β10 β08 Carolyn (Hejny β08) to Chad Stang β08, Aug. β10 β08 Kelsey (Hanks β08) to Alex Tatone β08, June β10 β08 Elisabeth (Degen β08) to Jon Werth β08, June β10 β08 Leah (Pleiss β08) to Tony Zimmerman β08, Oct. β10
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β09 Sonya (Kamen β09) to Andy Gaydos β09, June β10 β09 Stephanie (Krzmarzick β09) to Rob McMillan β09, June β10 β09 Catherine (DeSalvo β09) to Trent Miller β09, Aug. β10 β09 Christy (Wurm β08) to Vinnie Schleper β09, Aug. β10 β09 Lindsey (Novak β09) to Jon Shellenberger β09, Aug. β10 β09 Ashley (Brandel β09) to Joe Veeder β09, Oct. β10 β10 Maria (Gau β10) to Eric Bavier β10, July β10 β10 Kimberly (Watkins β09) to Jason Lutz β10, May β10 β10 Amanda Scheff to Matt Neubauer β10, Aug. β10 β10 Megan (Maus β09) to Mike Radtke β10, July β10 β12 Jessica (Huot β11) to Nick Lahti β12, Aug. β10
Births β79 Kristi & Jim McManus β79, boy, Joseph, July β10 β86 Donna & Dave Caldwell β86, Girl, Brennan, May β10 β89 Stacy & Thomas Kowalkowski β89, girl, Gloria, Aug. β10 β89 Kathleen & Larry Reichert β89, boy, Luke, Sept. β10 β90 Angella & Eric Boyer β90, girl, Marie, Mar. β10 β91 Julie & Gerard Henry β91, boy, John, July β10 β92 Tania & Patrick Hicks β92, boy, Sean, May β09 β92 Amy & Jim Jech β92, boy, Nathan, May β10 β93 Kassi & Pat Grove β93, girl, Morgan, June β10 β93 Anna & John Haire β93, boy, Caden, Sept. β10 β94 Amy & Luke Bassett β94, boy, Anderson, July β10 β94 Jess (Konrad β94) & John Bueckers β94, girl, Bernadette, May β10 β94 Kathy (Bentler β93) & C.J. Kobbermann β94, boy, Philip, Sept. β10 β94 Sara & Eric Kohn β94, boy, Liam, July β10 β95 Amy & Chris Boys β95, boy, Andrew, Mar. β10 β95 Michelle & Troy Kockler β95, boy, Logan, Oct. β10 β95 Tessia & Pat Melvin β95, girl, Teegan, Sept. β08 β95 Karla & Ted Nett β95, boy, Theo, Aug. β10 β96 Sherry (Christenson β96) & Tony Amelse β96, boy, Joseph, June β09 β96 Faith & Steve Bruce β96, boy, Benjamin, June β10
An Amazing Trip: Sports Collectibles Dick Pope β58 grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota and had 12 people in his graduating class at Cleveland High School. Today he is chairman and CEO of the Winona-based WinCraft, a sports marketing company that specializes in licensing collectibles and has more than 500 full-time employees. Sports have certainly been good to Pope. Along the way heβs gone to Super Bowls, the World Series, Stanley Cups and the Olympics. βItβs been an amazing trip,β Pope says. In 2010, WinCraft acquired McArthur Towel & Sports, a company best known for its sports rally towels. The companyβs a good fit for WinCraft, which licensed the Homer Hankies that Twins' fans waved during the 1987 and 1991 World Series. Pope has been a part of WinCraft since 1979, and he guided it through the sports boom. And heβll keep leading it, serving basketball, baseball and football fans along the way. βI canβt think of anything Iβd rather do,β he says.
Dick Pope β58 β96 Helen & Chad Mountain β96, girl, Clara, Aug. β10 β96 Elisa & Greg Seibert β96, girl, Lucy, Apr. β10 β97 Bridget (Penfold β97) & Chad Bahneman β97, boy, Tommy, Apr. β09 β97 Michelle (Kelash β02) & Michael Hemmesch β97, boy, Alexander, Sept. β10 β97 Jane & Jerome Illg β97, boy, Logan, May β08 β97 Stacy (Schmitz β98) & Ben Jansky β97, boy, Jake, Aug. β10
β97 Amy & Jeff Sieben β97, boy, Luke, Oct. β09 β97 Lisa & Ben Wannebo β97, boy, Boden, May β10 β98 Corie (Dumdie β97) & Marty Barry β98, girl, Jackson, May β10 β98 Jill & Aaron Boatz β98, girl, Grace, June β10 β98 Tracy (Lepper β97) & Bryan Gilbert β98, boy, Gunner, May β10 β98 Michelle (Frith β98) & Joseph Heiland β98, boy, Jake, Jan. β10 β98 Eleanor (Mamer β98) & Micah Kiel β98, boy, Brendan, Oct. β10
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β98 Kelly (Kofstad β00) & William Lavigne β98, boy, Keaton, April β10 β98 Naomi (Nakada β00) & Brian Lynch β98, girl, Marika, June β10 β98 Meg (Kulenkamp β00) & Ryan Mitchell β98, boy, Jack, June β10 β98 Kelly (Blommel β02) & Don Neu β98, girl, Mallory, Oct. β10 β98 Rachel & John Rossman β98, boy, Easton, June β10
M IL E ST ON E S
Stay Focused: Scouting for the Vikes Ryan Monnens β98 has worked for the Minnesota Vikings for 13 years, the past nine in the scouting department. As a pro scout, he evaluates players and opposing teams. He travels frequently but also watches hours of film in the office. He always focuses on the work, even when thereβs unrest in the organization. When Leslie Frazier replaced Brad Childress, he became the fourth Vikings coach since Monnens joined the team. But scouts concentrate on what happens on the field, no matter what takes place off of it. βItβs important for us to not get too high with the highs or too low with the lows because our job doesnβt change,β Monnens says. βWe go into the office and grind whether weβre 3-7 or if weβre 7-3. Weβre still trying to put the same scouting report together, weβre still trying to find good football players.β Monnens was a pretty good player himself at Saint Johnβs, where he was a wide receiver. βI was extremely fortunate to be able to play for John [Gagliardi] and play with a great group of guys.β
Ryan Monnens β98 β98 Jen (Loos β98) & Eric Schneider β98, boy, Zachary, Mar. β10 β99 Shannon (Speidel β99) & Randy Braaten β99, girl, Liv, July β10 β99 Amy & Chase Bryson β99, boy, Ashton, May β10 β99 Theresa (Hanish β99) & Charlie Covert β99, boy, Thomas, Sept. β10 β99 Karey & Scott Frieler β99, girl, Hannah, Sept. β10 β99 Mary (Anderson ββ00) & Travis Jenniges β99, girl, Hailey, May β10 β99 Shannon (Roers β99) & Ross Jones β99, girl, Katherine, May β10 β99 Meagan (Sauder β99) & Eric Ricard β99, girl, Mara, March β10 β99 Moriya (McGovern β99) & Sam Rufer β99, girl, Marielle, Mar. β10
β99 Angela & David Rust β99, twin boys, Alex and Charles, Oct. β09 β99 Rebecca (Maly β99) & Chris Schimming β99, girl, Maren, Apr. β10 β99 Sally (Koering β99) & Andrew Zimney β99, girl, Harper, Mar. β10 β00 Melissa (Grange β00) & Benjamin Fogal β00, boy, Samuel, Sept. β10 β00 Celine (Vanderkelen β00) & Michael Garcia β00, girl, Onya, July β09 β00 Holly & Larry Hosch β00, boy, Gavin, Oct. β10 β00 Johanna (Steffen β01) & Mike OβMalley β00, boy, Leo, Aprl. β09 β00 Angela & Adam Rushmeyer β00, boy, Emmett, May β10 β00 Sara (Pedersen β04) & Adam Sagedahl β00, girl, Sophie, July β10 β00 Sara & John Soma β00, boy, Jackson, Mar. β10
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β01 Angela (Sinner β01) & Joe Begnaud β01, girl, Grace, July β10 β01 Suzanne (Kuboushek β01) & Ben Britton β01, girl, Molly, Jan. β10 β01 Kristi & Brad Dingman β01, boy, Dylan, June β10 β01 Theresa & Luke Ferkinhoff β01, boy, Tucker, Aug. β10 β01 Valerie & Blair Folkens β01, boy, Landry, Apr. β10 β01 Beth (Pribyl β04) & Aaron Johnson β01, girl, Eleanor, July β10 β01 Jessica (Zellmer β03) & Nathan Kirschner β01, girl, Charlotte, Oct. β09 β01 Katie & Kevin Kohnen β01, twin girls, Keeley and Finley, Sept. β10 β01 Lindsey & Bryon Krause β01, girl, Avery, Sept. β10
MILE STONE S
β01 Laura (Wendorff β00) & Nick Meyer β01, boy, Samuel, June β10 β01 Emily (Glenz β00) & Chris Nordmann β01, boy, Porter, June β10 β01 Beth & Mike Omann β01, girl, Raya, Sept. β10 β01 Christine (Dickinson β02) & Tom Piersma β01, girl, Madeline, May β10 β01 Leah (Klocker β03) & Stephen Schwarz β01, girl, Natalie, Oct. β10 β01 Molly & Brian Willaert β01, boy, Samuel, July β10 β02 Becky (Cole β02) & Justin Ahlstrom β02, boy, Mason, July β10 β02 Alice & Aaron Bidle β02, girl, Emilia, Sept. β10 β02 Katie (Low β02) & Curt Coudron β02, boy, Owen, Apr. β10 β02 Mindy (Schumer β03) & Shane Hoefer β02, girl, Eva, Oct. β10
β02 Jessica (Foster β03) & Benjamin Imdieke β02, girl, Evangeline, Aug. β10 β02 Katie (Bodeker β03) & Joe Koopmeiners β02, boy, Nicholas, June β10 β02 Sara (Anderson β02) & Brendon Krieg β02, boy, Colin, Mar. β10 β02 Chris (Miller β02) & Andy McCarthy β02, girl, Lucy, April β10 β02 Jessica & Jason Miller β02, girl, Leighton, Aug. β10 β02 Rita (Imholte β03) & Wade Moravec β02, girl, Myra, May β10 β02 Kati (Hoen β02) & Jason Mousel β02, girl, Isabel, Mar. β10 β02 Kate (Tillemans β02) & Travis OβHara β02, boy, Charlie, May β10 β02 Kelly (Taylor β04) & Jed Olson β02, boy, Wesley, July β10
β02 Angie (Laveen β01) & Gaurav Pokharel β02, boy, Nitesh, Mar. β10 β02 Lindsi & Benjamin Shanahan β02, boy, Conner, Dec. β09 β02 Maria & Andrew Stolp β02, boy, Urban, Aug. β10 β02 Anne (Ceronsky β02) & Tom Warrington β02, girl, Adeline, June β10 β02 Julie (Hanson β02) & Adam Zimny β02, girl, Nora, Apr. β10 β03 Briana (Schnurr β03) & Dan Adams β03, boy, Jackson, Dec. β09 β03 Megan (Sand β06) & Charlie Carr β03, girl, Madyson, Sept. β10 β03 Noelle (Gunderson β02) & Blake Elliott β03, twin girl & boy, Harper & Hudson, May β10 β03 Libby (Viola ββ02) & Paul Johnson β03, girl, Paige, Mar. β10
Business and Sports: The Best of Both Worlds Brandon Vonderharr β00 played football at Saint Johnβs, but heβs made a career in baseball. For a decade, Vonderharr worked in sales and marketing for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. In 2009, he left for Alliance Sport Marketing. But Vonderharr says heβs had the most fun with the Nashville Outlaws, a franchise founded by Vonderharr and two others in 2010 that plays in a summer wood-bat league. βBefore, with minor league baseball, we dealt with the business side of things,β Vonderharr says. βThis time we hired a coach and found players and got to do the baseball operation type of things that are really what you think of when you say you work in sports.β Alliance works with a diverse group of clients, including highway safety offices that team up with Alliance to promote their message at sporting events. βSome people grow up saying, βI want to work in sports,ββ says Vonderharr, one of three partners in Alliance. βSome people grow up saying, βI want to own my own business.β Alliance gives me the opportunity to have my own business in sports.β
Brandon Vonderharr β00 37
M IL E ST ON E S
Edward L. Henry β43, 1921-2010 Edward L. Henry β43, who served Saint Johnβs for 19 years as professor and vice president, and also served as president of St. Maryβs, St. Michaelβs, Marian College and Belmont Abbey, died September 30, 2010. After graduation, Ed attended Harvard and the University of Chicago and began his teaching career at Mount St. Scholastica in Kansas before returning to Saint Johnβs in 1953. During World War II, Ed was supply officer on the Kretschmer, a destroyer escort, seeing battle in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He wrote accounts of Italy after liberation and the evacuation of Allied POWs from Formosa, survivors of the Bataan Death March. He served on the St. Cloud School Board and then was elected mayor of St. Cloud for two terms beginning in 1964. With funds from a Ford Foundation grant, he founded the first small-city research center in the nationβthe Center for the Study of Local Government. Ed and his wife, Betty Anne (Reiten, CSB β45), had nine children. In 2005, Katharine and Dan Whalen β70 named a professorship in Henryβs honor, currently held by Dr. Matthew Lindstrom of the political science department.
β03 Jennie (Scott ββ03) & Adam Lanz β03, boy, Jack, Sept. β09 β03 Kelly (Sherman β03) & Brian Peterson β03, girl, Adelynn, Apr. β10 β03 Katie & Lonnie Provencher β03, girl, Claire, Jan. β10 β03 Becky (Dick β00) & Steven Saffert β03, girl, Kendal, Mar. β10 β03 Hannah & Richard Spiczka ββ03, girl, Emma, Aug. β10 β04 Kristie & Jason Blonigen β04, boy, Gavin, Sept. β10 β04 Christine (Hirte β04) & Nick Boisen ββ04, girl, Lola, Sept. β10 β04 Libby & Nathan Brever β04, girl, Liesl, May β10 β04 Anne (Radabough β03) & Matthew Darling β04, girl, Cailin, Sept. β10 β04 Erin (Cooney β02) & Ben Fisher β04, boy, Isaac, Oct. β10 β04 Ember (Francl β03) & Matthew Hutton β04, girl, Elleny, Mar. β10 β04 Jaclyn (Bodeen β04) & Ryan Klinkner β04, boy, Brayden, May β10 β04 Ann & Mike Marschel β04, boy, Dominic, June β10 β04 Juliet (Govern β04) & Tommy OβKeefe β04, girl, Elena, Oct. β10 β04 Becky (Wolf β04) & Adam Pitz β04, girl, Ella, Aug. β10 β04 Claire (Callahan β05) & Christopher Stocker β04, boy, Miles, June β10 β04 Megan (Hubley β04) & Brian Vetter β04, boy, Drew, Oct. β10 β04 Kristin & Joseph Zimmer β04, girl, Elli, May β10 β05 Danielle (Schiffler β05) & Adam Benjamin β05, girl, Lauren, Aug. β10
β05 Christine & Matthew Breen β05, boy, Jack, Oct. β10 β05 Jill (Bauer β05) & Kyle Brehm β05, boy, Daniel, June β10 β05 Ann (Dickinson β04) & William Degenhard β05, boy, Simon, Sept. β10 β05 Susan & Nathan Haasken β05, girl, Julia, July β10 β05 Sarah (Ryan β05) & Justin Olsen β05, girl, Ella, July β10 β05 Erin (Schumacher β05) & Benjamin Scherer β05, girl, Greta, June β10 β05 Emily (Terpstra β05) & Michael Utsch β05, girl, Anna, May β10 β04 Julie & John Hoffer β04, girl, Margaret, Sept. β10 β10 Amy & Kyle Christiansen β10, boy, Jordan, Mar. β10
Deaths β34 Lois Himsl, spouse of deceased Matt β34. Mar. β10 β36 Joseph F. Spanier, PREP β36, father of Eric β68, Nov. β10 β38 Virginia Kelso, spouse of decease Joseph β38, sister of Chuck Pillsbury β40, Sept. β10 β39 Elizabeth (Betty) Smisek, spouse of deceased, Joe β39, Feb. β10 β41 Leroy Ross β41, Mar. β10 β41 Charlie Schneider β41, May β10 β41 Georgina Eichers, spouse of deceased Deacon Elmer Eichers β41, May β10 β41 Mary Vos, spouse of Norb β41, mother of Leo β74, and Daniel β76, Sept. β10 β42 Walter Conrad β42, father of Michael β68, June β10
Alumni and Friends Cemetery
Remember. Celebrate. Believe.
320-363-3434 or info@saintjohnsabbeycemetery.org
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MILE STONE S
β42 Bud Perronβ 42, July β10 β42 J.J. Willenbring β42, father of Bede β70 and Tom β78, July β10 β43 Ed Henry β43, fatherof John β85. Brother of Very Rev. Charles, OSB β50, Robert β51, and deceased John β39, Sept. β10 β43 Rev. Edwin Stueber, OSBβ43, June β10 β44 Carl βTedβ Norlin β44, Sept. β10 β44 Rev. Stanley Roche, OSB β44, May β10 β44 Francis Weber β44, May β10 β46 Daniel Eich β46, Oct. β10 β48 Bill Bunkers β48, June β10 β48 Robert Hick β48, brother of Jerome β48, June β10 β49 Ray Endres β49, brother of Richard β49, Aug. β10 β49 Rose Schwankl, spouse of Joe β49, Oct. β10 β49 George Weidner β49, β50 Eugene Hunstiger β50, brother of Paul β61 and deceased Tom β45, Aug. β10 β50 Bob Ligdayβ50, July β10 β50 Delores Dobmeyer, spouse of deceased Donald β50, Aug. β10 β50 Paul Proulx β50, Nov. β09 β50 Arleen Willek, spouse of deceased Anthony β50, May β10 β51 Ray Diemert β51, May β10 β51 Jerry Hansen β51, July β10 β51 Donald Lais β51, father of Tom β76, Greg β78, and Charlie β79, July β10 β51 Jim Scheller β51, Nov. β10 β51 Elizabeth Paul, spouse of Vince β51, mother of Michael β77 and Paul β86, Nov. β10 β51 Elizabeth Schneider died on August 8, 2010. She is the spouse of Leon β51, Aug. β10 β52 Dale Dirkswager β52, Nov. β10 β52 Robley Evans β52, father of Robley β80, brother of Dick β65, Oct. β10 β52 Jim Gebhard β52, Oct. β10 β52 Vern C. Humbert β52 May β10 β52 Bernie Quinlivan, spouse of Dennis β52, Aug. β10 β52 Richard Jelinek β52, father of Jeffrey β76, Apr. β10 β52 Janet Zangs, spouse of Jackβ52, Sept. β10 β53 Jim Silbernagel β53, Jan. β10 β53 Paul βBobβ Southers β53, Sept. β10 β54 Rev. Maurice Landwehr β53, Sept. β10 β54 Clint Wyant β54, father of Chuck β83, Sept. β10 β55 Rev. John Conway β55, Oct. β10 β55 John βJackβ Gebhardt β55, July β10 β55 Ron Schmitz β55, Oct. β10 β55 Donna Schneider, spouse of Bill β55, July β10 β55 Regina Silver, spouse of Jim β55, May β10 β56 Clair Norman β56, Oct. β10 β56 Thomas Welsch β56, Aug. β10
β57 β57 β57 β57 β57
β57 β57 β58 β58 β59 β59 β59 β59 β59 β59 β59 β61 β63 β63 β64 β64 β66 β66 β68 β69 β69 β70 β73 β73 β81 β81 β83 β84 β86 β88 β92 β92 β94 β94 β97 β03
Rev. Thomas Campion, SOTA β57, Nov.β10 Marv Davis β57, brother of George β62, Jan. β10 Abbot Timothy Kelly, OSB β57, Oct. β10 Bill Knippβ57, Aug. β10 Mike Ryan β57, father of Joe β83 and Dan β84, brother of Jim β60 and deceased John β62; son of deceased Joe β31, Sept. β10 Russell Streefland β57, father of Christopher β94, June β10 Agnes Eichten, mother of Vincent β57, Oct. β10 Terry Martin β58, brother of Joeβ49, Jack β50, Wayne β52 and Roger β59, Sept. β10 Joe McDonough β58, Oct. β10 Jim Bias β59, July β10 Ray Foley β59, July β10 Tom Hobday β59, father of Tom β86 and Hud β87, Oct. β10 OβDean Judd β59, July β10 Rev. James Tuxbury, OFM β59, Apr. β10 Henry Janzen, father of Herman β59, Warren β64, May β10 Shirley Sullivan, spouse of Bob β59, mother of Tim β84 and Bubba β89, Oct. β10 Lloyd Klapperichβ61, Apr. β10 Jim Nelson β63, father of Jimβ90, Sept. β10 S. Mary Jean Tuttle, OSB SOTA β63, June β10 George Flynn β64, father of Timβ91, Sept. β10 Dave Honer β64, July β10 Charles Casey β66, Aug. β10 Tom Foster β66, Nov. β10 Kenneth Clinton β68, Apr. β10 Tom Fournelle β69, brother of John β60, Aug. β10 John Sall β69, July β10 Bernard Andert, father of Rev. Tom Andert, OSBβ70, Nov. β10 Joseph Demgen β73, brother of James β82, May β10 Mark Hirschey β73, brother of Bill β75, Paul β77 and Steve β80, July β10 Rev. Robert Juroszek, TOR. β81, May β10 Paul V. Webber, father of Paul, III β81, Oct. β10 Msgr. John Sankovitz SOTA β83, Aug. β10 Ronald Mulvany β84, Oct. β10 Scott Houle β86, May β10 John Meany β88, May β10 Mary Smith, mother of Aaron Smith β92, Oct. β10 Rev. Christopher M. Trussell, SOTA β92, Nov. β10 Jeffrey Roach β94, Aug. β10 Kit Arom, father of Dan β94, May β10 Annie Bahneman, 7 year old daughter of Chad β97, Aug. β10 Mary Fiedler, mother of Josh β03, Oct. β10
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Abbot Timothy Kelly β57, OSB 1934-2010 Fr. Timothy Thomas Kelly OSB, Saint Johnβs Abbot and University Chancellor from 19922000, and president of the AmericanCassinese Congregation of Benedictine men from 2001-2010, died on Oct. 7, 2010. Fr. Timothy began his career as an English instructor at Saint John's University. This was followed by service in a variety of pastoral positions, including at Saint Anselmβs Church in the Bronx, New York, and as chaplain for the Benedictine sisters at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery in Crookston. In 1986, Fr. Timothy was one of six American monastics selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to visit Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India as part of the dialogue sponsored by the North American Board of East/West Dialogue. As Abbot, he was involved in the countries and culture of the Pacific Rim, in monastic communities in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia and China, and he cooperated in the establishment of the Benedictine Commission for China. Fr. Timothy was deeply anchored in the Benedictine practice of lectio divina. ββ¦the scriptural Word was the heartbeat of Abbot Timothyβs spirituality as a monk and as abbot,β said Abbot John Klassen, OSB, at his funeral.
Inspiring Lives
Formation for All Seasons By Gerald Pierre β59
βSince no one speaks English here, I am on loan from Saint Johnβs Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, and Iβll be your guide this afternoon.β The guideβa young monk who at 6β5β and 270 lbs. looked more like a defensive tackle for the Johnnies. The locationβthe Benedictine monastery Subiaco, perched high on a mountainside outside Rome, a place new to me, yet somehow familiar. Suddenly the Benedictine tradition I had been a part of 50 years ago in the 50s became real, almost tangible, the puzzle pieces fitting together. I had received an education, not a secular one, but a Benedictine formation, a road taken by few college studentsβand that has made all the difference. Arriving at Saint Johnβs in the fall of 1955 eager to play football and perhaps get an education in the process, I emerged four years later with a liberal arts degree, headed for graduate school and college teaching. What I thought were the essentials at the time (classes, GPA, schedules, professors, friends, athletics) were really only the surface of a 1,500-year formative force, the Benedictine tradition that helped shape my life as I formed attitudes, values and friendships. Simplicity stood out. Lights out at 10:30 pm each evening, no cars, ice cream once a week, movie night on Friday, walking to the chapel on a bright fall day, distributing Thanksgiving turkeys to the needy for Alpha Phi Omega, and, of
course, the ubiquitous Johnnie Breadβthe pleasures were basic, unadorned, almost monastic. Even 50 years later, things like the size and location of our house, the make of our car, the length of my resume are relatively unimportant, nonessentials in the flow of life. Equality was evident everywhere. Status, titles, rank, pomp and circumstance were foreign to the Saint Johnβs experienceβwhether it was Steve Humphrey inviting each of us freshmen into his campus quarters for a get-acquainted session, football players getting their βscholarshipβ (an extra glass of milk for supper), playing handball with my mathematics professor, Fr. Godfrey chuckling at his attempts to play tennis (βThereβs no fool like an old fool.β), or being treated with respect as a lowly freshman by Jim Lehmann, an allstar, senior halfbackβa sense of equality prevailed. I played varsity tennis, for instance, with a student whose father was on the Minnesota Supreme Courtβa fact I only discovered years later. Such humility influenced my teaching, parenting and relationships significantly. Above all, tradition and transcendence prevailed. Monks walking two by two on the road, the Gregorian chant filling the chapel, the tradition of hospitality which
βEven fifty years later, things like the size and location of our house, the make of our car, the length of my resume are relatively unimportant, nonessentials in the flow of life." 40
Jerry Pierre '59
attracted an older gentleman to lunch each Sunday, compline in the dorms, monks waiting for busses to take them to weekend parish assignments, stuffing envelopes at the Liturgical Press, sharing Eucharist with my teammates. A sense of permanence, stability, transcendence undergirded my myopic personal concerns. Saint Johnβs was a house built on rock, unwavering amidst the winds buffeting the sands of society. Yes, a βguide for the afternoon,β and a guide for a lifetime of choices. After earning a masters and a Ph.D from the University of Minnesota, Jerry Pierre β59 taught composition and literature for 40 years at Marquette University and in the University of Wisconsin system. Now retired, he teaches literature to seniors in Whitefish Bay, a suburb of Milwaukee. He and his wife of 48 years, Jean, have three children and six grandchildren. He enjoys golf, hiking, canoeing, writing, reading and parish work.
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