Saint John's Magazine Winter/Spring 2017

WINTER/SPRING 2017

MAGAZINE

INSIDE 14 The Immokalee-Collegeville

Partnership: Opening Doors 10

Minnesota Public Radio at 50

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Alcuin Library: An Inspired Transformation

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Saint John’s New Athletic Complex

INSIDE THIS ISSUE WINTER/SPRING 2017

MAGAZINE

10 Departments My Perspective View from Collegeville Service to the Church In Sight Advancing the Mission Johnnie Sports Alumni Connection Class Notes Inspiring Lives

ON THE COVER Pictured left to right are Stanley Rhau ’20, Alex Guzman ’19, Jaime Vega ’19 and Osbaldo Matias ’20 on the Link, which provides transportation between Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s.

Photo by Tommy O’Laughlin ’13.

WINTER/SPRING 2017

MAGAZINE

INSIDE 14 The Immokalee-Collegeville Partnership: Opening Doors 10

Minnesota Public Radio at 50

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Alcuin Library: An Inspired Transformation

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Saint John’s New Athletic Complex

This issue of Saint John’s Magazine introduces a more natural, contemporary paper stock. Printed with recyclable materials and inks, it provides improved color clarity and consistency with other major Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s publications. To read archived issues of Saint John’s Magazine, please visit: csbsju.edu/sjualum/saint-johns-magazine

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SAINT JOHN’S MAGAZINE

is the alumni magazine of Saint John’s University. It is published twice a year, in the spring and fall, by the SJU Office of Institutional Advancement.

EDITOR Eric Schubert ’92

CONTRIBUTORS

14 Features

Margaret Arnold Jessie Bazan Rob Culligan ’82 Dave DeLand Dana Drazenovich Scott Edstrom ’77 Jennifer Mathews Emery Leslie Hanlon Adam Herbst ’99 Troy Fritz ’88 Mike Killeen Ryan Klinkner ’04 John Rosengren ’86 John Young ’83

CREATIVE DIRECTION AND DESIGN Lori Gnahn

PHOTOGRAPHY

Minnesota Public Radio at 50 P. 10 Even for a man of vision, this seemed like a stretch: A public radio network, emanating from Saint John’s Abbey and University and reaching across the community, the state and the nation.

Tommy O’Laughlin ’13

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Julie Scegura ’15

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST Peggy Roske ’77

Opening Doors P. 14 The Immokalee-Collegeville partnership builds upon Saint John’s tradition of making college accessible to first-generation students.

EDITOR EMERITUS Lee A. Hanley ’58

EMAIL

Alcuin Library: An Inspired Transformation P. 20

eschubert001@csbsju.edu

Changes strengthen student experience and Catholic Intellectual Tradition emphasizing faith and reason.

320-363-2539

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PHONE ADDRESS CHANGES Ruth Athmann Saint John’s University P.O. Box 7222 Collegeville, MN 56321 rathmann@csbsju.edu Find the Saint John’s Magazine online at sjualum/saint-johns-magazine. © 2017 Saint John’s University

SJU ALUMNI ARE SOCIAL Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/sjualum Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/sjualumni Follow us on Instagram at instagram.com/sjualumni Subscribe to blogs at sjualum.com

MY PERSPECTIVE

Faith

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and Reason t

By Michael Hemesath ’81, President

here is a striking new view on the Saint John’s campus, which is notable on a gorgeous campus that is full of beautiful, moving views. Yet it is also a sight as old as our Catholic and Benedictine education.

Marcel Breuer was the Jewish, Hungarian architect who the monks employed in the late 1950s to re-envision the Saint John’s campus. Aspects of that original vision were limited by technology, but today, standing in the upper level of Alcuin Library, it is now possible to literally see Breuer’s vision fulfilled. As the picture on the opposite page reveals, one can now gaze southward from inside the library, across the mall, to the Abbey and University Church: a remarkable juxtaposition of faith and reason in powerful, synergistic conversation with each other.

Breuer’s plan for the campus was always to have the church and library be the physical, spiritual and academic center of campus—the pivot upon which all of university life would center and revolve. Daily monastic prayer and Masses would take place in the new Abbey Church for monks, lay people and students alike. From its completion in 1966, generations of Johnnies and Bennies would make Alcuin Library the focus of their academic life. It was where they studied, did research, hung out with friends and made a few new ones.

Alcuin has served undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff and visiting scholars remarkably well for decades, yet former Saint John’s University President Br. Dietrich Reinhart, ’71, OSB, librarian Kathy Parker and leaders in Academic Affairs including Joe DesJardins, Richard Ice and Rita Knuesel ’75 knew that change was necessary as the library’s 50th anniversary approached. Over a decade ago, planning began for the renovation of Alcuin and the construction of a learning commons addition to adapt to changing student needs, new faculty pedagogies and the information revolution.

In 2017, Saint John’s will see the dreams of these leaders come to fruition. A renovated Alcuin was ready for students in February and the Br. Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons will open for the fall semester. Architect Gregory Friesen has remained deeply faithful to Breuer’s design yet used 21st century construction technology to fill these spaces with natural light and vistas of the world beyond. Most powerful is the fulfillment of Breuer’s vision of faith and reason in communion with one another.

Faith and reason have always been central to education at Saint John’s because, as John Paul II wrote in the encyclical Fides et Ratio, faith without reason leads to superstition and reason without faith leads to nihilism and relativism.

Next time you are on campus, please visit the new Alcuin Library. I hope it will inspire you, too, to reflect on your own experience of faith and reason at Saint John’s.

Read more perspectives from President Michael Hemesath by visiting his blog Quad 136 at: sjualum.com

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An Irreplaceable SJU Friendship:

Lee Hanley ’58

The Saint John’s community lost an irreplaceable voice, eye and inexhaustible advocate when Lee Hanley passed away in October.

“Lee’s life was overwhelmed by Saint John’s,” longtime friend and Saint John’s professor emeritus of economics Joe Friedrich ’64 said in his eulogy. “His friendship pattern, wide as it was, was centered on Saint John’s. His professional development focused on his understanding of the needs of Saint John’s. He dedicated his life to this place and its people.

When he was not at Saint John’s, he did not leave this place. In a word, he loved Saint John’s.”

Saint John’s loved him back. In addition to carrying tremendous respect and forming countless friendships, Hanley was honored as Saint John's University Outstanding Administrator of the Year in 1992 and received the University's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1997.

He leaves behind a legacy that includes many roles at Saint John’s University and Abbey: director of communications, associate vice president of university relations, news services supervisor, writer, publicist and

editor emeritus of Saint John’s Magazine, to name just some.

Hanley graduated with an English degree and started working at Saint John’s as an English instructor in 1959.

He then became the University’s public information officer—a position that earned him $5,200 for a 12-month contract, according to a 2008 Abbey Banner profile on him. He moved to Washington, D.C., to work in politics in the 1960s and returned to Saint John’s in 1971 as director of communications.

In addition to his administrative work, he coordinated the Swayed Pines Festival for 25 years, taught a photography class for 15 years and tirelessly promoted and supported the Saint John’s community and its faculty, staff, students and monastics.

He retired in 1997 but returned to work as Saint John’s Abbey’s director of communications in the early 2000s, capping a distinguished lifetime of service to the Saint John’s community.

The Class of 2020: Behind the Numbers

10%: The percentage of all new SJU students who reported a high school grade point average of 4.0.

461: Total first-year entering Johnnies.

This class comprises 12 percent of all new entering males enrolled in Minnesota private colleges.

3.9+: More than one in six members of Saint John’s entering class earned a high school grade point average of 3.9 or higher.

25.2: The mean ACT college entrance exam among new entering Saint John’s University students. The average ACT score of new entering Saint John’s students places them among the top quintile of all test-takers —nationally.

150: Total number of first-year students who are legacy students, meaning their parents, grandparents or siblings attended SJU.

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3.45: The mean high school grade point average among new entering SJU students.

22: Saint John’s enrolled new students from 22 states.

14: The number of entering international students at SJU in fall 2016.

87: Saint John’s enrolled 87 entering American students of color, the largest number in the university’s history.

Collegeville Post Office Named After Eugene McCarthy ’35 Hard (as Nails) Evidence of Indianbush’s Exact Location

The Collegeville Post Office now bears the name of Senator Eugene J. McCarthy ’35 thanks to a bipartisan effort to honor his contributions to American politics.

President Barack Obama signed into law a bill naming the post office. Rep. Tom Emmer of the Sixth District authored the bill; Reps. Timothy Walz, John Kline, Erik Paulsen, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, Collin Peterson and Richard Nolan ’66 cosponsored it; and Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken backed it.

“Eugene McCarthy was an incredible servant to Minnesota and our country as a whole,” Emmer said. “In the year that would have been his 100th birthday, I am proud to have worked with the full Minnesota delegation to dedicate the post office at Saint John’s University—the college where McCarthy grew up, studied and taught—after this great public servant.”

McCarthy served five terms in the U.S. House and two in the Senate and made a strong run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. He taught economics and education at Saint John’s from 1940-43.

The idea for naming the post office came from Edwin Torres ’16, who was the point person for the McCarthy Center for Public Policy & Civic Engagement’s McCarthy Centennial last spring. Torres had worked on a similar project during his internship in Washington, D.C., said Matt Lindstrom ’92, McCarthy Center director and CSB/SJU political science professor.

“The credit goes to Edwin and Congressman Emmer for doing the heavy lifting for this project,” Lindstrom said, “and also our two senators, who supported the project from its inception.”

The newest artifacts donated to the Saint John’s University Archives are also its oldest: handcrafted nails believed to be from Saint John’s first Collegeville settlement in the “Indianbush,” the pioneers’ term for the general untamed area northwest of St. Joseph.

In 1864, eight years after arriving in St. Cloud, the monks and students erected log and frame buildings, including a house, in the vicinity of what is today’s Lake Wobegon Trail. In Worship and Work, the Saint John’s Centennial history, Fr. Colman Barry ’42, SOT ’47, OSB, refers to Abbot Rupert Seidenbusch, OSB, the first abbot of Saint John’s, as the “Abbot of Indianbush,” elected 150 years ago when Fr. Boniface Wimmer, OSB, gathered the community in that original frame house. The house was later taken apart and reassembled near Lake Sagatagan. The log building burned in 1883, and over time all traces of the original Indianbush buildings disappeared.

Archival records about building locations were contradictory. Archivist Peggy Roske plotted out the possible locations, followed an obscure footnote, and then learned of the nails, which had turned up over decades as professors Bill Cofell ’49 and Stewart Hansen and their families tilled gardens on farmland rented from the abbey.

The nails provide hard evidence of the Collegeville settlement of Saint John’s.

If you believe you have items of historical record that might be a good addition to the SJU Archives, contact SJU Archivist Peggy Roske. She can be reached by email at proske@csbsju.edu or by phone at 320-363-2129.

CSBSJU.EDU/NEWS

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VIEW FROM COLLEGEVILLE

The Bridges of Saint John’s

Robin Pierzina, OSB

Wooden bridge, circa 1888

Community, Sustainability and Design Mark New Saint John’s Bridge The Stella Maris Chapel Trail’s new timber frame bridge is more than just a crossing on the beloved path along Lake Sagatagan. It is a physical embodiment of the Saint John’s community, from the Arboretumharvested oak, pine and fieldstone to the monks, staff, alumni, students and volunteers who worked together to build it last summer and fall.

The bridge underscores the Benedictine value of stewardship and Saint John’s commitment to sustainability.

The former bridge was “structurally sound but aesthetically lacking,” explains Tom Kroll, Saint John’s Abbey forester and land manager. The design committee wanted something distinctly Saint John’s to echo the trailhead constructed in 2015. The North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minn., created the design—a nod to the Saint John’s Abbey’s history of using sustainable timber framing—and then instructors taught a group of monks and volunteers how to build it.

Concrete and metal bridge, 1914

Concrete bridge, 1917

Making it happen became a community-wide effort, with monks and lay people swinging hammers and sawing timbers together, Johnnie football players carrying the biggest beams and a First Year Seminar class volunteering to assist with stone work.

“Why did people come together to do all of this?” Kroll asks. “Because of that great affection so many in the community have for the Abbey Arboretum and especially the chapel walk so many of us have taken over the years.”

Concrete bridge, 1955 Photos courtesy of the Abbey and University archives.

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Intergenerational Impact: The Gagliardi Effect As Saint John’s community members, we continually see people’s impact span generations. This fall and winter, the intergenerational impact of legendary football coach John Gagliardi was highlighted through several major events, including the dedication of Gagliardi Field featured on page 28 and the following milestones:

“A LEGACY UNRIVALED: THE STORY OF JOHN GAGLIARDI” PUBLISHED

1953 SAINT JOHN’S FOOTBALL TEAM REUNION Nine of the 12 living members of John Gagliardi’s first Saint John’s University team, the 1953 MIAC champions, gathered for a reunion Oct. 15. Pictured left to right are: Al Jirele ’57, Jim Dalglish ’57, Ed Roos ’57, Bob Aufenthie ’55, Casey Vilandre ’54, Bill Braun ’54, Wayne Hergott ’57, LeRoy Lilly ’55 and Jeb Vachuska ’54.

Warren “Boz” Bostrom ’95, CSB/SJU associate professor of accounting and finance and former Saint John’s football player, took a sabbatical from teaching in 2012 to research and write A Legacy Unrivaled: The Story of John Gagliardi (Minnesota Historical Society Press, August 2016).

During his research for the book, Bostrom collected insights on Gagliardi’s leadership and commitment to developing young men from more than 200 former and current Saint John’s student-athletes.

Linebacker Carter Hanson ’17 wrapped up an illustrious collegiate career by winning the Gagliardi Trophy, which honors the season’s most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. Given annually since 1993 and sponsored by Jostens and the J-Club of Saint John's, the Gagliardi Trophy recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. He also earned an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as one of 12 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, dubbed by many as “the academic Heisman.” He traveled to New York City Dec. 5-7 for the awards banquet.

Courtesy of Steve Frommell, D3photography.com

CARTER HANSON AWARDED GAGLIARDI TROPHY

Join Alumni and Friends on Social Media Join thousands of Saint John’s University alumni and friends around the world who subscribe to Saint John’s Facebook feeds and blogs, including Daily Reflections of Alumni Chaplain Fr. Don Talafous ’48, OSB; A Monk’s Chronicle by Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB; President Michael Hemesath’s insights at Quad 136; The Avon Hills Salon written by SJU faculty; and Advancing Saint John’s, an inspiring weekly feature from Institutional Advancement. Visit sjualum.com to access these blogs and/or join Saint John’s alumni and friends on Facebook and Twitter. Our newest Facebook groups are Outdoor Johnnies, a community to share stories and photos from your outdoor adventures, and the CSB/SJU Young Alum Community for alumni who graduated within the last 10 years.

CSBSJU.EDU/NEWS

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SERVICE TO THE CHURCH

from

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e n d e i c B t i n g e n i r Val a h u K o t e n e l S e y l i a v e g e l l o C

Sandy Baldwin, SOT ’13, Empowers Kenyan Youth through Education

By Jessie Bazan

S

andy Baldwin, SOT ’13, walked outside the schoolhouse to an endearing sight: young students running with each other in winter coats and snow pants. That’s a typical scene in Stearns County—except Baldwin is living and improving lives 8,000 miles away in Africa.

A retired St. Cloud Cathedral High School teacher, Baldwin is co-founder of St. Francis Moto Hope Mission (motohopemission.org), a nonprofit organization committed to educating and empowering children in the Moto region of Kenya.

“My kids in Kenya think 60 degrees is cold!” Baldwin laughs when recalling the scene of the youth in their snow gear.

Baldwin serves as coordinator of the St. Francis Moto Hope Mission’s BeFriender Program, which connects students at St. Francis Academy, an elementary school serving 332 students at the mission, with donors who help fund education expenses

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Baldwin shows a third-grade class at the mission’s St. Francis Academy how far apart Kenya and Minnesota are on a globe.

As a retired teacher and SOT alum, Baldwin draws upon Benedictine values to teach the children that there is much in common between people across the world even when miles separate them.

such as textbooks and meals. The need is great: Most people who live in Moto Village, a subsistence farming area, live below the universal poverty line of $1.90 a day.

Moto Hope Mission began as a dream of Fr. Francis Kabiru, a friend of Baldwin’s who also serves as pastor at two parishes near Leech Lake: St. Agnes Catholic Church in Walker, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hackensack. They met while Fr. Kabiru was a seminarian. After his ordination, Fr. Kabiru visited Baldwin’s in-laws in Florida, where they provide support to seminarians. During that visit, Fr. Kabiru and Baldwin toured area university campuses. The big, beautiful buildings prompted Fr. Kabiru to share his dream of building just When someone comes to the school … the one simple classroom in his Kenyan village.

He envisioned an empowering educational very first thing they receive is hospitality. experience in his native Moto. With lots of prayers and hard work, the duo raised $1.7 million for a new education complex and began the successful nonprofit.

Photos by Steve Masimore, Rock Bass Photography

Today, St. Francis Moto Hope Mission includes St. Francis Academy’s 14 classrooms, electricity, a fully equipped community library, multi-purpose hall, 30 computers, a 400-bed hostel, a well that provides clean water, a school bus, a health facility and a micro-lending program that supports entrepreneurs who cannot access other lending.

Baldwin came to Collegeville for her master of arts in pastoral ministry to bolster her understanding of Catholic social teaching and her pastoral skills. She says the impact of her SOT education is helping her bring Benedictine values to a new generation in Kenya.

“We’re not officially dubbed ‘Benedictine,’ but the Benedictine values that attracted me to the SOT are instilled at St. Francis Academy,” Baldwin says. “They set us apart. When someone comes to the school in Kenya, just like coming to the SOT, the very first thing they receive is hospitality.”

The warm, welcoming community combined with rigorous academics has made St. Francis Academy a destination for students across the region. Outreach continues to grow as does work in expanding resources for more students. Much support comes from the Minnesota communities Fr. Kabiru serves.

After collecting books from Walker-area schools, Baldwin typically returns to Kenya with a 50-pound bag of donated books. The school library now has more than 10,000 books and is a prized resource in the region. The mission’s next goal, Baldwin says, is to expand support to increase the number of students who can live in the hostel and be “safe, dry and have three meals a day.”

Baldwin draws from lessons learned at Saint John’s as she works to empower students at St. Francis Academy and others served at Moto Hope Mission.

“The SOT helped me learn how to sit and listen to God’s call in my life,” she says. “I left the SOT with the confidence to say, I am a lay minister with the skills and knowledge to answer my call to do mission work in Africa.”

Jessie Bazan is a master of divinity candidate at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary.

Baldwin cataloging books at St. Francis Academy, an elementary school serving 332 students at the St. Francis Moto Hope Mission. The school library cataloging is done by hand and not online. Baldwin is co-founder of the mission and coordinator of its BeFriender Program. The non-profit is committed to educating and empowering children in the Moto region of Kenya.

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Even for a man of vision, this seemed like a stretch: A public radio network, emanating from Saint John’s Abbey and University and reaching across the community, the state and the nation.

Minnesota

By Dave DeLand

When he looked around the campus he called home, Fr. Colman J. Barry ’42, SOT ’47, OSB, enjoyed the scenic view.

But he saw much more than that. He saw possibilities—for Saint John’s, for its students, for everyone.

“He was a man of vision who thought that the impact of Saint John’s could be considerably greater than it had been up to that time,” said Bill Kling ’64, architect of the Fr. Colman dream that became Minnesota Public Radio.

“And he proved himself correct.”

“It’s a remarkable story,” added Gary Eichten ’69, whose involvement with MPR transformed him from a rock ‘n’ roll DJ into a journalistic icon. “Nobody had any idea that this whole development was possible—well, maybe Bill Kling.

“It was just kind of a goofy little radio station in the middle of nowhere.”

That goofy little station celebrated its 50th anniversary Jan. 22, the date when KSJR-FM haltingly made its Collegeville debut in 1967.

It’s now part of a 45-station network that blankets Minnesota and has grown into one of America’s premier public radio networks. Every week, 20 million listeners tune in on MPR’s national programming division, American Public Media.

Above right: Minnesota Public Radio founder Bill Kling ’64 was cultivated to launch the network during his undergraduate days at Saint John’s University. He served as MPR president and CEO until his retirement in 2011.

Right: Saint John’s University President Fr. Colman J. Barry ’42, SOT ’47, OSB (left) and station manager Bill Kling ’64 examine an early program guide from KSJR-FM’s small announcing studio shortly after MPR’s launch in 1967.

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All that will be observed April 25 when MPR broadcasts from the KSJR studio in Wimmer Hall that helped give a half-century of SJU students the hands-on experience to play key roles in the national evolution of public radio.

“I can’t imagine it happening anywhere else,” said Kling, MPR’s founder and president until his retirement in 2011.

“Frankly, I can’t imagine it happening at Saint John’s. But it did.

“It goes back to the nature of Saint John’s, the abbey and the university and their willingness to take risks and trust people,” Kling said. “It paid off.”

Benedictine Roots Fr. Colman was SJU’s president from 1964-71, a dynamic and progressive period in the university’s history. His ideas were rooted at Saint John’s, but his vision extended to distant horizons.

Public Radio at 50 “Fr. Colman was an amazing guy,” said Tom Kigin ’70, who as a freshman began working at MPR before it actually went on the air. He eventually became the network’s executive vice-president, chief administrative officer and general counsel.

“He was energetic, gregarious and forward-thinking,” Kigin said. “He started all sorts of projects that the university became involved in. He was quite visionary.”

effort, and we think you should (lead) it.’”

Kling did just that, with a passion that rivaled Fr. Colman’s.

“The vast majority of people involved in public broadcasting around the country came to realize, hey, (Kling) is a genius,” said Eichten, who retired in 2012 after 45 years at MPR and decades as host of the All Things Considered and Midday programs.

That vision included a decidedly Benedictine element.

“The Benedictines had this tradition of going into the broader community and taking the word to the people,” said Eichten, who was a Saint John’s Fr. Colman J. Barry ’42, SOT ’47, OSB (center) sophomore when he started with discusses the Minnesota Radio Talking Book MPR on April Fools’ Day 1967. network with program director C. Stanley “Fr. Colman decided a great way to Potter (left) and Frank Rarig. The Talking literally and figuratively spread the Book network is an audio service for the Gospel is to have a radio station.” blind that MPR has distributed since 1969.

‘There’s no question there wouldn’t be a Minnesota Public Radio without Colman Barry’s leadership’ Before Kling’s graduation from SJU, Fr. Colman made him an offer: Pick a graduate school, get a masters degree in communications at Saint John’s expense, and then come back to Collegeville and start a radio station.

“Nobody would have made that offer—to me, anyway— except Fr. Colman,” said Kling, who got the degree at Boston University. “I can’t imagine taking a college senior and saying, ‘We’re going to launch this major communications

“It was interesting to watch Bill’s designs for growth, his ability to manage the relationship with Saint John’s and also build relationships with sponsors,” added Michael Barone, who became MPR’s sixth full-time employee in 1968, and is host and executive producer of Pipedreams, the acclaimed show dedicated to the pipe organ and distributed nationally by American Public Radio.

“You can’t imagine doing it better.”

50 Years of Tales MPR has amassed five decades of characters and stories, starting with KSJR’s first day on the air. A listening party including Fr. Colman and contributors gathered at St. Cloud’s Germain Hotel for the 6:30 p.m. launch.

“They brought a small FM radio with them so they could hear it,” Kling said. “Just before it was to sign on, the (station) electronics failed.”

By the time KSJR finally went on the air at about 9 p.m., the listening party had gone home.

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“It was a lesson for us all,” Kigin said, “and that is make sure the thing actually works before you have a signon ceremony.”

KSJR’s 320-foot tower projected a 150,000-watt FM signal that at the time was the strongest in Minnesota. When tower maintenance was needed, Kling (left) often inspected it himself.

Heights to install a relay antenna.

“I frequently climbed things,” said Kling, who also scaled the water tower in Columbia

career with MPR as a student intern. “Some of those would go hot off the bus and right on the radio.”

And then there’s Garrison Keillor, hired in November 1969 as a classical music announcer. His contribution morphed into A Prairie Home Companion, an engine that helped drive MPR’s success.

“I’ve worked with two geniuses, Kling and Keillor,” Eichten said. “Nothing that happened would have happened without those two guys.”

Johnnie Pride Neither would the opportunities that so many Saint John’s students enjoyed.

“As a college student I was already filing stories on the Minnesota Public Radio network, which was just amazing to me—and exciting,” said Zdechlik, who has covered health care and state government for most of the past three decades.

“He wasn’t afraid of heights,” said Eichten, who once played an avant-garde opera tape backward (no one seemed to notice) on a late-night shift in the summer of 1967. “He did everything.”

Barone arrived on a weekend in August 1968 to be classical music director, but the 22-year-old couldn’t locate his dorm

‘… what they were willing to try and then the fact they were willing to give it all away—it’s a remarkable achievement on the school’s part.’ room. He tossed a sleeping bag on the floor of the music library and slept there for a couple nights.

“Come Monday when the cleaning lady came through early in the morning,” Barone said, “she opened the door and was surprised to find me lying there in my underwear.”

Classics were a prominent part of an eclectic programming mix early on: music, Sunday Mass, lectures, a bit of news, even a decidedly non-classical offering from the campus chorus.

“They had a program that ran on Saturdays called ‘Das Biergarten,’” Barone said, “trying to get those Stearns County Germans a little hook.”

Technology wasn’t up to current standards, even during the 1980s.

“I remember running reel-to-reel tape recordings to the Greyhound Bus station so they could make it down to St. Paul,” said Mark Zdechlik ’87, who began his three-decade

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“I think (MPR) was one of the school’s great accomplishments, frankly,” Eichten said. “When you reflect on what Colman Barry and Saint John’s started, what they were willing to try and then the fact they were willing to give it all away—it’s a remarkable achievement on the school’s part.

“I couldn’t be prouder.”

The need for greater exposure and funding prompted construction of a Twin Cities station in 1968. It also underscored the necessity of uncoupling MPR from the university that had launched it.

Important Work

“Fr. Colman saw it needed to be its own thing in order to grow,” Kigin said.

“One of the first things I heard about Gary was that he was a Johnnie,” said Michael Swearingen ’17, who was selected for MPR’s Eichten Fellowship intern program for Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s students in 2015. “That was the first time I’d heard that MPR had come from Saint John’s, which was even more exciting for me.

And so, Saint John’s gave it up—the investment in Kling’s education and the studio, two years’ worth of operating expenses, everything. Saint John’s was later repaid its start-up expenses.

Fr. Colman saw it as the only chance for his dream to thrive.

“There’s no question there wouldn’t be a Minnesota Public Radio without Colman Barry’s leadership,” Eichten said. “It just wouldn’t have happened.

“He had the smarts to start the thing, and he had the smarts to let it go.”

KSJR’s studio is relatively quiet these days, but MPR still has a lot to do with Saint John’s—and vice-versa.

“That made me feel very proud to be a Johnnie,” Swearingen said, “especially as a person who wants to go into journalism.”

It’s a field that’s increasingly important.

“The reality is, we’ve been doing real news since before it was popular to do real news and before it was cutting edge,” Zdechlik said. “It’s so necessary now, more than ever.”

It’s all part of that vision, the one that was planted at Saint John’s 50 years ago.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Saint John’s itself and Colman Barry in the creation of this thing,” Eichten said. “We were able to create a whole different kind of broadcasting. I don’t think that’s an overstatement.”

Fr. Colman died in 1994. But he was there to see the opening of MPR’s Saint Paul headquarters in 1980, and to see his vision become a reality.

“You could see it in his face,” Kling recalled happily. “Sometimes dreams come true.

“The dream was always there for him.”

Left: John Hovanec ’69 (right) was still a Saint John’s student when he served as KSJR-FM’s first news director. He reads a story while an unidentified technician operates the board.

Above: Gary Eichten ’69 (right) began building his 50-year MPR legacy at the KSJR studio in 1967 as a Saint John’s sophomore. That legacy continues today with the Gary Eichten Fellowship, a summer internship program for Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s students that has included Jake Schultz ’16 (left) and Michael Swearingen ’17.

Dave DeLand, editorial and content director for SJU Institutional Advancement, is an award-winning writer, guest lecturer at Saint John’s University and former columnist for the St. Cloud Times.

Photos courtesy of MPR, University archives and Tommy O’Laughlin ’13.

See a gallery of additional photos of Minnesota Public Radio’s founders and MPR’s early days at Saint John’s at sjualum.com/mpr

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iStock by Getty Images

The Immokalee-Collegeville Partnership: Building

Opening When Saint John’s University freshman Osbaldo Matias was younger, his father encouraged him to do well in school so he would not have to become a picker. Both of his parents had worked picking fruits and vegetables after immigrating to Immokalee, Fla., where the vast fields and the pickers’ arduous work provide a large amount of the United States’ fresh produce.

That’s how a Hispanic kid from one of the poorest areas in the United States suddenly found himself with the opportunity to reach for his dreams at Saint John’s. “I have the chance to be the first in my family to be something more … to have a job I want to do,” Matias said. “I want to do this not only for myself and my family but to prove for my town that we can do this. I am very proud to have been chosen for this scholarship.”

Matias’ parents didn’t have the chance to go to college or even graduate from high school. “That was my motivation,” Matias said.

Matias is one of four students at Saint John’s from Immokalee as recipients of the Rose Marie Lyden and Joananne Argus Marshall Scholarship, which is named in memory of each donor’s spouse and will eventually fund the education of eight students—maybe more. The scholarship assists Saint John’s in meeting its goal of making college accessible and affordable to academically qualified, low-income, firstgeneration students.

He worked hard in high school, achieving a 3.9 GPA and making National Honor Society while playing four years of lacrosse, doing community service work and participating in the Beta Club and Key Club. He applied to and was accepted at four colleges in Florida, but when he heard about a small liberal arts college founded by Benedictines in Minnesota that was offering a scholarship to students from Immokalee High School, the community atmosphere of the smaller school appealed to him.

First-generation students are typically defined nationally and at Saint John’s as students whose parents have not completed a baccalaureate degree. That total includes many students whose parents’ education concluded with high school. Given

Above right: Osbaldo Matias ’20 (from left), Jaime Vega ’19, Stanley Rhau ’20 and Alex Guzman ’19 are attending Saint John’s University as recipients of the Rose Marie Lyden and Joananne Argus Marshall Scholarship, which helps SJU achieve its goal of making college affordable for academically qualified, low-income, first-generation students.

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Upon a Tradition of First-Generation College Access

Doors to students from Immokalee High School, comprised mainly of Hispanic students, the scholarship also helps Saint John’s keep pace with the changing demographic of college students nationwide.

All of this has become possible through a unique story of philanthropy.

It started with a salad.

Comfortably seated in a fancy restaurant in Naples, Fla., cooled by the air conditioning, John Lyden stared into the plate of greens before him and saw in his mind’s eye the men and women and children on their knees in the hot sun picking these very vegetables on his plate.

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A Shared Vision and Goal

He knew how it worked, how they had to rise before dawn to angle their way onto the best buses, the ones that took them to the closest farms—because they got paid for what they picked, not for their time in

transit—how they picked as long as the day allowed, from first light to last, all day in Florida’s choking humidity, filling as many buckets as they could, each worth another 20 cents to them. And how they would do it all again the next day.

And the next.

And so would their children. Unless …

“I have so much,” John Lyden thought, “yet these kids have nothing. I have to do something to help them.”

Perhaps a college education could be their ticket to escape the cycle. He had been the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Brown University in 1957, thanks to a scholarship—no way his working class parents in Tarrytown, N.Y., could’ve paid the bill at an Ivy League school—and turned his degree into Lyden, Dolan & Co., a specialist firm on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

His firm was successful enough that Lyden was able to support many worthwhile causes—schools, churches,

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John Lyden (left) and college buddy Jack Marshall (third from right) saw an opportunity to change lives by funding college scholarships for deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds. That impetus eventually led Osbaldo Matias ’20 (from left), Jaime Vega ’19, Stanley Rhau ’20 and Alex Guzman ’19 to Saint John’s. hospitals—but he wanted to be more involved as he had been when he was volunteering at Covenant House in New York City and, for the last 10 years, at Naples Community Hospital. This seemed a good way, to help out the children of the pickers. But how, exactly?

Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB, a Benedictine monk of Saint John’s Abbey, would know. Lyden had met him a decade earlier on a cruise ship off the Alaskan coast. He had finished his morning workout, stopped in the dining area for an orange juice, but couldn’t find an open table, so he joined a man dressed like anybody else scribbling something on paper.

“What are you writing?” Lyden asked.

“A homily,” Fr. Eric replied.

A lively exchange followed, Lyden attended daily Mass on the cruise and the two became friends.

Turns out Fr. Eric did have a vision for how Lyden could help. He saw Saint John’s past in its future.

He explained how Saint John’s University had begun in 1857 as a school for the children of immigrant German farmers in the area. They were all the first in their families to attend college, gaining education that created new opportunity for them and others.

That first-generation approach continued for the school’s first

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100 or so years, but nationwide trends began to change in the last half of the 20th century with college students being the children of college graduates. By 2007, fewer than a quarter of Saint John’s entering class was comprised of first-generation students. That’s when the Board of Regents decided it was time to reclaim its original mission and significantly increase the percentage of first-generation college students.

The trend showed a dwindling number of high school graduates in Minnesota. Among those, there was a greater proportion from low-income families and families of color who were less likely to pursue higher education. At the same time, the fastest growing segment of the traditional collegeage population nationally and in Minnesota for the next decade was projected to be those whose parents had not attended college.

Saint John’s made it an imperative to reach out to those students and, in the process, to bolster its racial and ethnic diversity. It stated, “Our goal is to make higher education affordable and accessible to bright and ambitious low-income, first-generational college students to improve their lives and the lives of their families.”

That goal underscored Saint John’s historic foundation of creating access for people to reach their full potential and improve this world. Many first-generation Saint John’s graduates turned to help others gain similar opportunites.

Many are patriarchs of “legacy” families, who have had multiple members attend Saint John’s, continuing a cycle of expanding education, opportunity and impact.

By the time Lyden approached Fr. Eric, Saint John’s had begun to reach out to lower income areas in places like Houston, Los Angeles and Newark. Beginning in 2006, it had set up a partnership with Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., that has resulted in 36 students attending Saint John’s with an impressive graduation rate of 80 percent.

It had also set up partnerships with nearly three dozen Cristo Rey Jesuit college preparatory schools around the country located in urban areas for students with limited educational options.

his family to attend college and had parlayed his college education into Marshall Contractors, Inc., an $800 million international construction company.

Originally from Rhode Island, where he still spends summers, Marshall spent most of his time in Bonita Springs, Fla., and knew how desperate conditions were in nearby Immokalee.

“We both knew the chances of getting out of there are very slim,” Marshall said. “Here was a chance for these kids to go to a wonderful school and make something of themselves.

There’s no way in the world they could have done this without someone, somewhere making it possible.”

Lyden and Marshall The vision for the scholarship program was The initiative to increase the committed to give $60,000 number of first-generation launched when Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB, met John each for five years to fund students at Saint John’s Lyden on a cruise ship off the Alaskan coast. the scholarships for two new requires money because many students from Immokalee each come from backgrounds lacking the resources to pay tuition year. Lyden further committed a large gift from his estate costs. Like Fr. Hollas, Director of Admission Matt Beirne ’94 upon his death to bolster the endowment, which is now sees Saint John’s tradition connected to today’s work. approximately $700,000.

Those German farmers whose children were the first to attend Both Lyden and Marshall see the scholarship as the chance college? “They would bring in a cow or something else from to provide opportunities to others less fortunate, the way they the farm,” Beirne said. “Saint John’s has always been about were given the opportunity to attend college. “If you can helping people pay who can’t afford to pay.” change one life, that’s plenty,” Lyden said. “If you can change more than one, you’re blessed.”

Following the Board’s commitment in 2008, Saint John’s began to raise money for scholarships to assist low-income, first-generation students. In 2011-12, the school awarded the first scholarships to three students. (In the current school year, there are 17 first-generation scholars at Saint John’s— not including the four from Immokalee—who are receiving Once the funding was in place for the Rose Marie Lyden and “First-Gen” scholarships.) Saint John’s had proven itself as a Joananne Argus Marshall Scholarship, it fell upon Beirne to school that could accommodate first-generation students and find qualified recipients. He made several trips to Immokalee allow them to succeed. Fr. Eric believed it could do the same High School to meet with the school’s guidance counselors, for students from Immokalee. explain the concept and win their trust. He eventually made Lyden and his wife visited Saint John’s, which sealed their presentations to potential students, which is how Jaime faith in Fr. Eric’s vision. Lyden liked the way that Saint John’s Vega ’19 first heard about Saint John’s in the school library cared for its students. He had supported various causes over his senior year. the years, including donations to his alma mater, Brown, Vega was intrigued by the dual campuses of Saint John’s and but several factors swayed him in favor of Saint John’s: his Saint Ben’s, liked the study abroad program and thought friendship with Fr. Eric, the school’s smaller size, the fact it an out-of-state school would offer a fresh start. He had been was a liberal arts college and it was Catholic. accepted at two Florida schools—most people he knew He enlisted the support of longtime friend Jack Marshall— from his town who had gone to college went to state schools they had met their first day at Brown as freshmen. Marshall because they were less expensive. When Beirne mentioned the had gotten to know Fr. Eric through Lyden, and they Rose Marie Lyden and Joananne Argus Marshall Scholarship, had become friends. Fr. Eric officiated at the wedding of Vega thought, “What a great opportunity. Good thing I came Marshall’s daughter. Marshall had also been the first in to this meeting.”

Seeing the Future Come True for Themselves

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Jaime Vega ’19 (far left) and fellow Johnnies departing the cafeteria in Sexton Commons after lunch.

He applied, was accepted and saw the campus for the first time the spring of 2015 when the school hosted a visit for scholarship candidates. The size appealed to him, replicating the atmosphere of a small town. “The vibe from people reminded me a lot of what it is like to be from my town with the smaller community,” Vega said.

of the college student in America changes. Nationwide, the percentage of college students who are Hispanic, Asian, African American and American Indian have been increasing over the past several decades. In 2014, the National Center for Education Statistics predicted that enrollment for African-American students would increase 25 percent and for Hispanic students 42 percent by 2021.

“There’s a lot of learning that happens from meeting someone from another part of the country—or from another country,” Beirne said. “This prepares our students to enter a global job market.”

Beirne also recognizes the value the scholarship students During his first three semesters at Saint John’s, Vega has had from Immokalee bring to Saint John’s students from more experiences he never thought possible. Last year, he went homogenous backgrounds like Eden Prairie and Des Moines. on a school trip to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis. More “It makes us a better place to have students from South recently, the computer science Florida, Los Angeles, Houston There’s a lot of learning that happens from and Newark,” he said. “They major whose dream job would be to work at Google attended meeting someone from another part of the enrich our community so much a school conference where he because they bring in social and country—or from another country. met a Google employee who cultural and socio-economic informed him of internship opportunities. differences. Having them here enhances the value of a Saint John’s education.”

“I have been able to do an array of things I didn’t know I would do,” Vega said. “I have also discovered a lot of things here at Saint John’s I didn’t know I liked.”

Saint John’s has also opened the world beyond his small town to Vega, where more than 70 percent of the population is Latino. His parents are from Mexico.

“Coming here was the first time I was introduced to Asian culture,” he said. “I found it interesting because I didn’t grow up knowing any Asians. Now my best friend is from South Korea.”

Vega joined the Hmong club on campus and became its secretary. “I really value the opportunity of getting to know these people and learning about other cultures,” he said. “I’m grateful for these experiences.”

Saint John’s recognizes the value in this diversity as the profile

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Alex Guzman ’19 discovered there was something special about Saint John’s when he forgot his phone in the refectory and returned to find someone had turned it in to the cashier.

“It’s almost weird how friendly and honest everyone is,” Guzman said. “You can trust them.”

Guzman likes working with kids and wants to be a pediatric dietician when he graduates. He has tapped the CSB/SJU alumni network and met with representatives of companies visiting campus. He recognizes how Saint John’s can help shape his future.

“I see them (Lyden and Marshall) as a blessing,” Guzman said. “They gave me an opportunity I would never have been able to get in a million years.”

Of course, the move from a small, agricultural town in

the fact they’re hard because I'm getting the chance to learn more,” he said.

The benefits for these students of an education at a small liberal arts college like Saint John’s will extend far beyond the halls of the Quad.

“It’s an unbelievably transformative experience for them,” Beirne said. “It will change not just their lives but their families’ lives in terms of the opportunity and their ability to access further opportunity.”

Expanding the Mission and Opportunity John Lyden and Jack Marshall want to make a contribution that goes beyond writing a check. They have taken a personal interest in Matias, Vega, Guzman and Rhau. The benefactors visit the scholarship recipients each year at Saint John’s.

They go to their houses and have lunch with the students in Immokalee when they are home on break.

Stanley Rhau ’20 is the first from his blended family of 12 children to attend a four-year liberal arts college.

Florida to a college campus in Central Minnesota has included its share of challenges. The scholarship recipients have had to deal with the cultural shock of living with students from vastly different social and economic backgrounds. And then there’s the climate shock of Minnesota winters. But they have done so with a positive attitude.

“What is there not to like about the snow?” Matias said the week eight inches had dropped on campus. “It’s cold, but it’s beautiful.”

Stanley Rhau ’20, who was born in Haiti and moved to Immokalee when he was 10 years old, is the first from his blended family of 12 children to attend a four-year liberal arts college. He came to Saint John’s this past fall thinking he might major in engineering but now is leaning toward computer science.

A strong student, he has been surprised at how difficult the classes were his first semester. “The classes are hard, but I like

Ultimately, Lyden and Marshall would like to see their desire to promote the welfare of these students engender further philanthropy in others. Most pointedly, they would like to see the scholarship students succeed and pay forward their success.

“They’ve got a chance to make something of themselves,” Marshall said. “When they’re all finished, the idea is that they’ll do something similar themselves.”

The students are motivated to make good on the belief Lyden and Marshall have placed in them and do their part to contribute to the scholarship’s legacy.

“They are people now who can open doors for others that seem impossible (to open),” Vega said. “I know there is no way I could have ever afforded Saint John’s on my own given what my mom makes (as a cashier in a Cuban market).

“Maybe in the future I, too, will be able to open doors for people for whom doing something like this would be impossible.”

John Rosengren '86 is the award-winning author of eight books, most recently The Fight of Their Lives: How Juan Marichal and John Roseboro Turned Baseball's Ugliest Brawl into a Story of Forgiveness and Redemption.

Help transform lives through the Immokalee Scholarship Fund and other Saint John's FirstGen initiatives by contacting Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB, at EHollas@csbsju.edu or 320-363-3961. Read his March 13 blog post on this subject in “A Monk’s Chronicle” at monkschronicle.wordpress.com 19

ALCUIN LIBRARY AN INSPIRED TRANSFORMATION

By Dave DeLand

Changes Strengthen Student Experience and Catholic Intellectual Tradition Emphasizing Faith and Reason Trees of knowledge are firmly rooted inside Alcuin Library, but at the same time their branches are constantly reaching out.

Reaching for the past. Reaching for the future.

Reaching for knowledge. Reaching for beauty.

Pulling it all together.

Michael Hemesath ’81 felt that pull as a Saint John’s University undergraduate student, even though you couldn’t see those trees from outside Alcuin’s walls.

“It was absolutely the academic center of the place,” Hemesath said.

“You’d go there in the evening and it was packed with people.”

(From left) Library director Kathy Parker explains Alcuin’s renovated features to touring CSB/SJU students Isaac Rillo ’18, Gavin Schroeder ’20, Ramond Mitchell ’17 and Jessica Voigt ’17, and Saint John’s President Michael Hemesath ’81.

Hemesath feels the pull even more strongly now, and not just because he’s SJU's president.

Those walls are now windows, welcoming abundant light on those trees and generating new energy.

Alcuin is being transformed.

“I think I see more than I saw as a student,” Hemesath said.

“I see an integration of the educational experience here.

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“Those trees—they are the center for many of our students.”

They’re also the center of a long-awaited $25 million library renovation project that will help strengthen the Catholic intellectual tradition that emphasizes faith and reason.

“It’s that vision that’s been sustaining us all along,” said Kathy Parker, director of libraries, media and archives at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.

“We want to respect, honor and preserve those parts of

Enhanced display of the trees of knowledge is merely the start of the library’s bold new vision. our history,” Hemesath said, “but do it in a way that recognizes that our students and their parents expect a 21st century education.

“It’s cutting edge.”

The construction project also includes the addition of a 22,000-square-foot Learning Commons, which is being named in memory of former Saint John’s president Br. Dietrich Reinhart ’71, OSB. It pulls together essential student services and provides a myriad of options in a campus hub that reflects dramatic changes in technology and education.

It embraces the surrounding aesthetics of the Abbey and University Church, Clemens Stadium and Science Center, along with a sense of place faithful to the original design of architect Marcel Breuer.

“The design before definitely didn’t highlight those trees of knowledge,” said Dylan Jackson ’17, who helped move 20 truckloads of books during renovation.

“We opened up the view to the Abbey Church, and we opened up the view in back,” Parker said. “There’s much more natural light coming in, and also this very clear visual link to the spiritual life of the campus and creation.”

THREE DRIVERS

In order to make it happen, Saint John’s first had to answer some questions.

The first was this: Why do it?

“We had many people who said, ‘Why would you invest in a library now?’” said Parker, adjusting her hard hat as she walked through construction cacophony on the first floor. “I think we’ve answered that question well, and compellingly.”

The answer is threefold.

“These are the drivers for us—the information technology and information revolution, changing pedagogies and student services help,” Hemesath said.

“It’s related to trying to meet students where they are and making their learning experience better.”

Changes accentuate space and interaction, consistent with changes in the way classes are taught and students learn.

“That’s where the library is changing with education pedagogy,” CSB/SJU Provost Richard Ice said. “Now, having group assignments is key. That’s the way the world works.”

Student surveys reflected a distinct preference for CSB’s Clemens Library, a more usable and inviting space than pre-renovation Alcuin.

The silent, individually focused library of the past needed to change with the times.

“I think that’s where our education system is going,” Jackson said. “We’re big advocates for group work and discussiontype learning.”

“We’ve seen dramatic changes in the way faculty teach and students learn,” Parker said. “We see a lot more collaborative work, group projects, students working with each other in an interactive way.”

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“She’s a saint,” Hemesath said with a grin. “This project has been going on for more than a decade. Kathy has been so patient and understanding.”

“She has shown incredible leadership,” Ice said.

Ice was the facilitator, steering the project and figuring out ways to make it work.

“Richard came in and said, ‘We’ve got to do this. You can’t put this off any longer,’” Parker said. “It feels like he lit a few firecrackers under people.”

Library users can comfortably work individually or in groups in Alcuin’s redesigned meeting rooms. Changes accentuate space and interaction, consistent with changes in the way classes are taught and students learn.

Her workplace had to make an equally dramatic change.

“Maybe it’s a bit of a social center,” Parker said, “with an academic twist to it.”

THE LONG ROAD

Alcuin originally opened in 1966. Discussions about renovation began in the 1980s, and it nearly happened nine years ago.

“In 2008, we had a really big plan for this space that even included a parking garage,” Parker said. “It was a $60 million project—right at the time the economy went in the tank.”

That delay may have been a blessing. The project went back to the drawing board and returned with renewed emphasis on what was most important for students.

Br. Dietrich, who died in 2009 after stepping down from a distinguished 17-year career as Saint John’s president (19912008), was the inspiration.

“He really was the driving force in saying we need a 21st century library,” Ice said.

“He’s the big-picture brains behind this,” added Hemesath.

“He’s the one who recognized that this central piece of Saint John’s had started to not serve us as well as it needed to.”

Parker was the enabler, overseeing a complex project that literally turned her workplace inside out.

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Ultimately, Hemesath was the decider willing to advocate for the financial commitment.

“Michael was persuaded and moved by Br. Dietrich’s commitment to this project,” Parker said, “and decided to champion it—both with potential donors and in making the case for why this was so important.”

“The only thing I would give myself credit for,” Hemesath said, “is saying that this project was getting past its freshness date. We needed to make it happen.”

Last May, those 20 truckloads of books headed for a warehouse in Saint Cloud. They’re all back now, stored in space-efficient compact shelving and painstakingly reorganized.

“The job title initially was ‘book un-packer,’” Jackson said.

“I didn’t realize it was lifting 50-pound boxes and then unpacking the books.”

Books were available when spring semester began in January, and the main level project was finished in February.

When the Learning Commons is complete, Alcuin will have over 100,000 feet of space for a myriad of uses—and no more construction.

“I’m a person that doesn’t tolerate chaos very well,” Parker said with a smile. “I like things orderly. It comes with the job.”

TALKING POINTS

The first word Parker learned at library science school may very well have been “sssh.”

Now, she’s encouraging the opposite.

“Conversation is one of the major frameworks for the way we’re arranging the space,” Parker said. “Now, instead of ‘sssh, you’re in the library,’ you’re in a place where you’re expected to interact with your peers.”

“On campus, Alcuin for sure is viewed as the ‘quiet’ library, and Clemens is the library where everyone talks,” said Emily Webster ’18, manager for Johnnie Bennie Campus News.

“It’s kind of the preferred choice because of that. But I think this will really give more traffic to Alcuin.”

The Saint John’s Bible exhibition gallery will open in the fall.

So will “The Schu,” a coffee shop in the Learning Commons named after the Don ’65 and Kitty ’66 Schumacher family.

All of it incorporates Breuer’s original vision.

“It’s just a real inspirational and iconic place,” Parker said.

“You know you’re at Saint John’s when you’re sitting here. I think it’s fabulous.”

“When Breuer designed that space, he had a certain set of thoughts in mind,” Hemesath said. “He had a vision of how the academic piece and our Catholic/Benedictine piece fit together. We absolutely need to preserve that.

“That’s who Saint John’s is. That’s what makes us unique.”

REACHING HIGH

Branches of those trees of knowledge are more prominent now, and more vital.

“We absolutely need our students to understand when they leave these places how to filter that kind of information,” Hemesath said, “how to know what’s quality information and what’s garbage.”

With just one hand, library users of any size can move up to 12 full shelves of books using Alcuin’s new Compaq shelving system. Watch a video of the 5-foot-2 Parker doing just that: csbsju.edu/sjualum/libraryvideo That’s just one attraction in the redesigned library.

“The goal is to have a one-stop shop for student learning,” Hemesath said.

“This isn’t supposed to be the academic mini-mall,” Parker said, “but in fact there’s close collaboration and coordination of services, elimination of redundancies, and greater consistency of expectations by having everybody here in this place.”

Parker envisions a dynamic campus hub with librarians helping students and faculty use a spectrum of services— media technology, IT services, the writing center, English as a Second Language services and student accessibility services.

“In the era of fake news,” Parker said, “who’s going to teach students to be more discerning?”

Alcuin will still feature quiet spaces for individual study. But it also will pull in the world around it, the past and the future.

“There’s always that vision of the abbey in there, and to remember your Benedictine values and Catholic views,” Jackson said. “That’s what the school is always trying to incorporate.”

“The library is right there,” Parker said. “We have faith, reason, creation.”

That’s exactly what those trees are reaching for.

Dave DeLand, editorial and content director for SJU Institutional Advancement, is an award-winning writer, guest lecturer at Saint John’s University and former columnist for the St. Cloud Times.

“The media help will be there, the writing help, the math help —really everything a student needs is right there,” Webster said. “I think it’ll be a huge benefit.”

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IN SIGHT

Trees of Knowledge Photo by Tommy O’Laughlin ’13

If you would like a reprint of this photo of Alcuin Library, please email sjumag@csbsju.edu with your name and address, and we’ll send you a complimentary 8 x 10 photo.

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ADVANCING THE MISSION

SAINT JOHN’S NEW

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Experiential learning that occurs through varsity, club and intramural athletics is integral to the holistic development of men. Such learning is bolstered by the new Saint John’s athletic complex.

Its newest additions are featured on the following pages, including:

GAGLIARDI FIELD, a year-round facility that features an artificial turf field for football, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, baseball and softball.

HAUGEN FIELD at Becker Park, home of the Saint John’s baseball team.

The CHANG TENNIS COMPLEX and the ALPERS GOLF LEARNING CENTER. The new additions join HAWS FIELD for soccer and major upgrades to DURENBERGER FIELDS and the Warner Palaestra, McNeely Spectrum and Clemens Stadium to create one of the country’s top NCAA Division III athletic complexes.

ATHLETIC COMPLEX It's All About Excellence, Opportunity and Experience

SUPPORTSJU.COM

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ADVANCING THE MISSION

“Beyond My Wildest Dreams”

Gagliardi Field Dedicated A Coach’s Milestone Birthday Celebrated On Nov. 1, 2016, Hall of Fame football coach John Gagliardi ushered in his 90th birthday without fuss or fanfare. True to form, he shared his momentous birthday in the classroom with College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University students while teaching his popular course “Leadership Lessons.”

But a few days later, on Nov. 5, hundreds of former players and fans were on hand to celebrate his birthday and to bless and dedicate the new artificial turf field that bears his name before cheering on Johnnie football. In typical fashion, Gagliardi entertained guests with his trademark humor and well-timed punch lines. “I’m happy to be here today,” he announced. “You know, I just turned 90 the other day. “When I say I’m happy to be here, I mean it. I’m happy to be anywhere!”

On a more serious note, he thanked his players and praised the donors who made Gagliardi Field possible. “Look at this [field and dome],” he said. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams . . . and I dreamt about it a lot.”

Gagliardi Field is a multi-purpose athletic field with a seasonal dome and a building that houses bathrooms and changing rooms, a reception area and the Alpers Golf Learning Center. The facility is used by varsity, club and intramural teams, as well as the student body. It complements other campus athletic facilities, including the Warner Palaestra and the McNeely Spectrum.

Gagliardi Field is located on the site of the longtime football practice field, where Gagliardi spent much of his coaching career. This field and seasonal dome are the final pieces of a planned athletic complex expansion nestled into the picturesque woods of Saint John’s.

“To have something like this named after me,” joked Gagliardi, “a person really should have the decency to be dead.”

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Bob Neis ’65 is much more than a fan of the Saint John’s golf team. He also has great admiration for Johnnies golf coach and athletic director Bob Alpers ’82. Alpers has won multiple MIAC titles, two NCAA Division III national championships, and was a 2010 inductee into the Golf Coaches of America Hall of Fame.

A year ago, Alpers approached Neis, a long-time friend of the golf program, with a dream to build an indoor golf learning center on campus. Bob and his wife Joanne responded with an exceptional leadership commitment, and they in turn inspired former Johnnie golfers to

Golf Learning Center Named in Honor of Bob Alpers join them. Jim Lehman ’80, Ben Goodman ’03, Matt McGovern ’01, Tom Sweetman ’88, Steve Stenbeck ’83, Tom Roos ’95 and Kim Culp ’73, together with their spouses, provided additional leadership support over the span of a few months. It wasn’t long before the extended SJU golf family of alumni and parents embraced the project in honor of their friend and the program’s coach.

The 1,800-square-foot center is a golfer’s indoor dream come true. Located in the Gagliardi Field building, the center includes two hitting bays that feature TrackMan Golf technology, allowing golfers to measure their club speed, launch angles and spin rate. The two bays also double as golf simulators where one can play simulations of some of the world’s most famous courses, such as Augusta National, St. Andrews and Pebble Beach. The center also features two putting greens and mats to hit short chip shots, providing year-round practice opportunities for all Johnnie golfers.

To watch the action in the Alpers Golf Learning Center go to csbsju.edu/sjualum/mission

Chang Tennis Complex Dedication – April 22, 2017 The blessing and dedication of Saint John’s recently completed tennis complex will take place 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 following the SJU Alumni Tennis Open at 10 a.m. and a picnic on Lynch Plaza at 1 p.m.

The Chang Tennis Complex is named in honor of Dr. Lian Chang by her spouse, Paul Winter ’61, who is an avid tennis player. A Twin Cities psychiatrist, Dr. Chang was born and raised in Taiwan and attended Fu-Jen Catholic University. In 1972 she moved to the United States and received a master of science degree at Texas Woman’s University before attending the University of Minnesota Medical School and completing her residency in psychiatry.

The Chang Tennis Complex consists of seven United States Tennis Association-approved courts, complete with lights, fencing, bleachers and a storage building. The complex is located in the Saint John’s athletic complex, adjacent to the new baseball park, soccer field and intramural fields.

Individual tennis courts have been named in honor of the following individuals: Fr. Alfred Deutsch ’40, OSB, (by Michael ’61 and Jane Murphy), Karin Wendt (by Dave Wendt ’63 and Jim and Chriss Renier), George and Marian LaDouceur (by Dr. Michael ’79 and Penny LaDouceur), Michael Lilly ’78 (by LeRoy ’55 and Colleen Lilly), Raymond Rossini ’70 (by Jamie ’70 and Penny Volin, the Rossini family and Raymond’s teammates), and former tennis coaches.

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JOHNNIE SPORTS

HAUGEN FIELD Celebrating a Successful Coach’s Many Contributions​ By Mike Killeen f you would have told Jerry Haugen in the spring of 1976 that he would be coaching at Saint John’s University in 2017 and that the baseball field would be named after him, he probably would have laughed in disbelief.

“I certainly didn’t envision being here for 45 years,” said Haugen ’76, who arrived in Collegeville as a freshman in the fall of 1972.

In the fall of 2016, Haugen completed his 41st season on the Johnnies’ football staff. This spring, he’ll celebrate his 40th season as head coach of the SJU baseball team playing on the newly designated Haugen Field at Becker Park.

Haugen said it is humbling to have the playing field named after him at Becker Park—honoring stadium benefactors Scott ’77 and Julie Becker. Haugen’s uniform number 21 is located in the third base coaching box he inhabits when the Johnnies are batting.

The words “Haugen Field” are etched behind the home plate area.

“I think it’s a tribute to all the guys who have helped me—the assistant coaches, certainly all our players and to the people who helped get the new facility built,” Haugen said. “They’re all connected. It’s more than me. If I didn’t have guys that could pitch well, catch and hit, they certainly wouldn’t be naming a field after me. It’s a real testament to our guys and the people who have helped me.

“The No. 21 personalizes it to me, but the ‘Haugen Field’ incorporates the entire Haugen family and the significance of my father,” Haugen said. “I am an extension of his legacy. I wouldn’t have attended Saint John’s if it were not for him.”

Jerry Haugen remembers watching the 1963 Camellia Bowl —the NAIA championship football game played in Sacramento, Calif., between SJU and Prairie View

30 WINTER/SPRING 2017

A&M—on television with his father Robert ’42 in their home.

“That was my connection here,” Jerry Haugen said. “I came up for a couple of football games when I was a little kid. I can certainly remember my dad following Saint John’s in the Prairie View A&M game (won by the Johnnies 33-27 for their first national championship). He was all fired up to watch it.”

Even then, Haugen almost didn’t come to SJU. The Robbinsdale (Minn.) Armstrong High School graduate had scholarship offers to attend the University of Minnesota to play baseball or football. He also had a baseball scholarship offer to attend Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. But it was John Gagliardi who won this recruiting battle.

“I had gotten information (on SJU) from John, but he actually came to my house in New Hope,” Haugen said.

“Years later, John drove all the way out to Cold Spring (Minn.) to recruit Ricky Bell ’83. I think my visit was the last home visit he made outside Stearns County.”

Haugen was a three-year starter for Gagliardi as a defensive back after beginning his collegiate career as a running back.

His 15 career interceptions still rank third in SJU football history, and Haugen played on two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) championship teams in 1974 and ’75—earning All-MIAC and All-NAIA District honors as a senior in 1975. He also played center field for the SJU baseball team and helped the Johnnies win the league title in 1974.

Upon graduation, Haugen again turned to his father to get a little post-graduation advice.

Young Jerry had a number of career options he could take— attend graduate school, pursue a law degree, possibly become a teacher. Oh, and Gagliardi was wondering if he wanted to become an assistant football coach for the Johnnies.

OK, Robert Haugen—what should your son do?

“He said, ‘Well, you can always go to law school. You can always go to grad school. You may never get a chance to coach again,’” Jerry Haugen recalled. “And, he was pretty smart.”

over to football practice until roughly 6:30 p.m., then returns to the baseball field. The lights at Becker Park allow the team to practice later into the evening.

“It’s boom-boom-boom,” Haugen said. In the spring, the process is essentially reversed—the baseball season takes precedence, and does not allow him to participate in spring football practice.

Perhaps the two biggest changes he’s seen in coaching are the increased specialization of one-sport athletes and putting far more time into recruiting student-athletes to SJU. “Nowadays, specialization certainly hurts people, and it’s certainly proven that it’s not good for you,” Haugen said. “It’s much better to be a multi-sport athlete than specialize (in one sport). You don’t break down as much. Orthopedic surgeons are telling you the same message—play more sports.”

Haugen said there have been several “phases” to his coaching career.

“Having a family, that certainly changed how I coached. I think my communication increased, and I probably simplified

“The No. 21 personalizes it to me, but the ‘Haugen Field’ incorporates the entire Haugen family.”

Haugen laughed. Forty-one years later, he’s still coaching at SJU. It was common for many small college coaches to coach two sports in the 1970s and 1980s.

Haugen, who actually coached three sports at SJU for 12 years (he was head coach of the SJU hockey team from 1977-81 and an assistant basketball coach from 1981-89), remains one of the few people nationally to still coach two sports in 2017. “(Coaching two sports) certainly isn’t easy, but I guess it’s all that we know,” Haugen said, laughing.

things a bit. I think I became a much more understanding coach,” Haugen said. “I’m having a lot more fun now. You connect with the guys a lot more.”

Even after all these years.

Mike Killeen is director of content development with the Office of Marketing and Communications for the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. The Winona State University graduate was a sportswriter for the Winona Daily Times and St. Cloud Times for nearly 20 years.

His schedule creates some long days. During the early fall, he’ll drop by the baseball field from 3-4:15 p.m. He’ll hurry GOJOHNNIES.COM

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JOHNNIE SPORTS

Scorecard FOOTBALL The SJU football team (10-2, 7-1 MIAC) advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs for the third consecutive season in 2016. The Johnnies ended the season ranked as high as No. 9 nationally by D3football.com.

In addition to winning the Gagliardi Trophy, linebacker Carter Hanson ’17 also earned an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as one of the 12 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy and traveled to New York City Dec. 5-7 for the awards banquet.

Hanson earned All-America honors from D3football.com, while center Ben Eli ’16, who will play professionally in Sweden, was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) AllAmerica first team. Ninety-five SJU football student-athletes have earned All-America honors a total of 124 times in the program’s 106-year history.

Hanson, safety Lucas Glomb ’17 and defensive lineman/linebacker Jack Pietruszewski ’17 were named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Division III football first team.

Eli, Hanson, Pietruszewski, defensive lineman Nathan Brinker ’19, wide receiver Evan Clark ’17 and defensive lineman Peyton Thiry ’17 were named D3football.com All-West Region.

Defensive back Garrett Ackerman ’17 and kicker

32 GOJOHNNIES.COM

Alexi Johnson ’17 joined those six on the AllMIAC first team.

SOCCER The Johnnie soccer team (7-9-3, 5-4-1 MIAC) made its fifth consecutive appearance in the MIAC playoffs and earned a first-round win over Carleton before falling to Macalester in the semifinals.

Defender Dylan Lehrer ’17 (left) was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America second team. He is the third Johnnie soccer student-athlete to earn the distinction and the second in as many seasons.

Forward Paul Wageman ’16 was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America second team last fall. Midfielder Ben Passe ’07 was a first-team honoree in 2006.

Forward Zack Boerjan ’19, forward Rocky Harmon ’17 and defender Justin DuQue ’17 were named to the All-MIAC first team. Lehrer and forward Daniel Bruckbauer ’18 were honorable mention.

CROSS COUNTRY SJU finished second out of 11 teams at the 2016 MIAC Championship for the second consecutive year, its best backto-back finishes since conference titles in 2006 and 2007. The Johnnies recorded an eighthplace finish out of 30 teams at the NCAA Central Regional.

SJU has 34 top-eight finishes at its last 35 NCAA Central Regionals (going back to 1982), including five titles and 23 top-five finishes.

Ryan Bugler ’17 (left) finished second overall at the MIAC Championship and third at the NCAA Central Regional.

He qualified for the NCAA Championship but did not finish the race due to injury.

GOLF The Johnnies won the MIAC Championship by 18 strokes in early October to earn their 15th NCAA Division III Championship berth in the last 18 years. The national tournament will be held May 16-19 at Howey-in-theHills, Fla. SJU boasted the top two finishers in the MIAC Championship for the first time in school history. Sam Olson ’18 (left) claimed medalist honors with a three-day total of 215 (-1), while Ryan Gallagher ’17 followed closely with a 217 (+1). Two other Johnnies earned All-MIAC honors (top 10 individually, including ties). Austin Kottke ’18 tied for fifth and Mack Farley ’17 tied for ninth.

A CoSIDA Academic AllAmerican last spring, Farley also received the MIAC’s Elite 22 Award, which is awarded to the highest GPA among the AllMIAC honorees.

ALUMNI CONNECTION

Several thousand Johnnie and Bennie friends and family members came together Sept. 16-17 to reconnect and celebrate our campuses and communities.

The weekend’s festivities included the Red Ride, with cyclists traveling the Wobegon Trail; a pregame party, kids’ festivities and pep rally at Saint Ben’s; a concert by the Heritage Blues Orchestra; and a Homecoming Art Reception with Fr. Jerome Tupa ’69, SOT ’83, OSB. During the Saint John’s Alumni Association Banquet, Wayne Hergott ’57 was honored with the Fr. Walter Reger Distinguished Alumnus Award. The award, the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association, salutes a notable alumnus or alumni in the name of Fr. Walter Reger ’21, OSB, who was longtime secretary of the Alumni Association and a friend to legions of Johnnies.

The Homecoming football game featured a 44-0 Saint John’s victory over St. Olaf before an announced crowd of 10,347 fans at Clemens Stadium. At halftime and throughout the weekend, Saint John’s celebrated the 1976 National Championship football team and the 40th anniversary of that historic season. Following the game, family, friends and faculty joined the Celebration on the Tundra.

Mark your 2017 calendars for Homecoming 2017, which will be held Friday, Oct. 6Saturday, Oct. 7.

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CLASS NOTES

Johnnies in the Media

Milestones

In addition to Saint John’s alumni featured in this issue’s story Minnesota Public Radio at 50, many other Johnnies contribute to the country’s robust media landscape, including:

…in the news

AL EISELE ’58, editor-at-large and founding editor of The Hill newspaper, which covers Congress; JOHN THAVIS ’73, author, commentator and former Rome bureau chief for Catholic News Service;

ANTHONY LAPANTA ’90,

play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Twins’ television studio host and;

LINO RULLI ’93, SOT ’95,

host of the The Catholic Guy Show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

We’d like to introduce you to a few more of the many Johnnies who have made media their vocation.

1964 Denis Hynes (above) was

featured in the St. Cloud Times

highlighting his achievement

as the oldest public defender

in the state of Minnesota. After

working as assistant general

counsel for the Federal Trade

Commission and practicing law

in private practice earlier in his

career, Hynes settled into a St.

Cloud public defender role in

1994. Rex Tucker, his boss, told the Times he is “still working

on 115-130 cases at a time, and

isn’t treated any differently

than any other full-time

attorney in the public

defender’s office.”

1979 Tim Marx, president and

CEO of Catholic Charities

of St. Paul and Minneapolis,

was featured in the Star Tribune for the opening of

Higher Ground Housing in

St. Paul, designed to help

people out of homelessness.

Enter your class note online at sjualum.com/classnotes.

All class notes appear online, some may appear here in print.

You may also email Adam Herbst, alumni relations director, at aherbst@csbsju.edu for Milestone submissions.

34 WINTER/SPRING 2017

1983

Drew Jansen was mentioned in the Star Tribune for his songs in “Away in the Basement, A Church Basement Ladies Christmas” a musical comedy at the Plymouth Playhouse Theater.

1984

John Wiehoff, CEO of C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., was listed in Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal’s “CEOs’ Alma Maters: Where top Minnesota CEOs got their degrees.”

1986

John Rosengren has been nominated for a National Magazine Award and the Pulitzer Prize for his exposé "How Casinos Enable Gambling Addicts," published in the December 2016 issue of The Atlantic.

1992

Denis McDonough, who served as chief of staff to President Obama, was the featured guest of Charlie Rose on Bloomberg TV for a one- hour interview on life in the White House and his work as chief of staff.

1994

Tim Haeg was the cover story of OnSite Installer magazine, an industry publication for professionals in the wastewater treatment industry. Haeg is founder of Watab, Inc., in St. Joseph, Minn., which guides customers through the septic system design and compliance inspection process.

1999

Ian Andersen, who coaches professional hockey in Norway, was featured in a BBC World Service story on introducing hockey and mentoring young players from disadvantaged backgrounds in remote regions of the Himalayas.

Jeff Muntifering, a conservation biologist for the Minnesota Zoo, traveled with and was featured in a story by KARE 11 meteorologist Sven Sundgaard in “Explore with Sven:

Week’s 5 Must-See Minnesota Music Videos.” Paquette, founder of the folk rock ’n roll band “John David & The Jerks,” has released two full- length albums and a number of singles.

2006 Ed Heisler was featured

in a Minnesota Public Radio

story recognizing Men

as Peacemakers for winning

the prestigious Bush Saving the black rhino in

Foundation prize. Heisler, the Namibia.” Muntifering (above) organization’s executive works with Save the Rhino

director, said “the group’s big Trust to help develop the best picture goal is to build a new ways to balance tourism and

culture, a new way of thinking, rhino conservation.

about how men talk and treat

women.” The nonprofit received 2002 Seth Brown, a math $125,000.

teacher at Wayzata West

Middle School and a 2015 Connor Franta was the

2011 Milken Educator Award

cover story of Entrepreneur

winner, was featured in a

magazine in an article titled

WCCO-TV story on

“The Surprising Second Act

incorporating mindfulness

of One of YouTube’s Biggest

meditation into the school

Stars.” Franta’s career and

day. After receiving training, celebrity were profiled as he

Brown experimented with

was asked about his plans for

mindfulness exercises and

life after YouTube and his new

found students are less

lifestyle brand Common

stressed, more focused and

Culture founded by the young

patient with one another. He entrepreneur.

was interviewed in his

classroom on the new social … honoring a friend

and emotional learning and classmate training.

John David Paquette was featured on Minnesota Public Radio “Friday Five” and City Pages “Local Frames: This

2011 Runner’s World’s article “Four

Inspirational Stories from the

2016 Chicago Marathon” profiled Matt Clasen ’10,

Kurtis Nusbaum ’11 and

Patrick Sitzer ’11. Clasen and

Johnnies in the Media JOHN BODETTE ’72

John Bodette dedicated his entire 42year journalism career to the St. Cloud Times in Central Minnesota, working his way from wire editor to executive editor before retiring in December.

The Minnesota Newspaper Association noted his contributions by presenting him with its highest honor, the Distinguished Service to Journalism Award, at its annual convention in January.

Bodette might be retired, but he’s not done with journalism. He is now working on a book about what it was like to live through the tremendous transformation the news industry experienced during his tenure.

“I’m writing the book because I met so many interesting people during my life at the Times,” he says.

In addition to ushering the Times from the age of hot metal type, once-aday publishing to this era of 24-hour, multimedia online news—and winning many awards along the way—Bodette had a hand in print journalism’s evolution as a member of the team that created the prototype for USA TODAY in the early 1980s.

“That was an amazing adventure,” he says. “That will be several chapters in the book.”

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CLASS NOTES

Johnnies in the Media

1980 John Coy has received The 2017 Kerlan Award. The award is given “in recognition of singular attainments in the creation of children’s literature and in appreciation for generous donation of unique resources to the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota for the study of children’s literature.” Coy’s most recent book is Gap Life, published in 2016.

MICHAEL MISCHKE ’76

How does a free neighborhood newspaper thrive in this era of corporate journalism and a 24-hour news cycle?

Michael Mischke, publisher of St. Paul’s the Villager, follows the formula that helped his father Maurice ’47 rescue the paper in the 1970s: deliver high-quality, in-depth, “insufferably hyperlocal” reporting, exclusively on paper.

“We have chosen, quite consciously, not to put our content online, and I think that has been a good decision,” Mischke says.

Both Mischkes learned the ropes as editors of The Record at Saint John’s, and Michael served as the Villager’s editor under Maurice until becoming publisher in 1991. He continued his late father’s dedication to neighborhood journalism, and the 60,000 copies of the Villager printed every two weeks— 50,000 of them delivered door to door —provide 105,000 avid readers with news coverage they can’t get anywhere else, he says.

Local advertisers are key.

“We operate in a very desirable area of the Twin Cities,” he says. “There are many, many small, independent businesses that support us, and because they do, we’re able to produce a quality newspaper.”

36 WINTER/SPRING 2017

Sitzer carried and passed the running bib of friend and former cross-country teammate David Forster ’11 (above) for the 26.2 miles. Forster, who collapsed and died during a training run in June, was remembered for “helping so many people cross marathon finish lines,” said Clasen.

“We kind of owe it to him, for someone to help him cross 1983 Bill Hoye was named a Fellow of the National Association this time.” of College and University Attorneys. Hoye is executive … in the spotlight vice president, general counsel and chief operating officer of 1969 Fr. Bob Flannery received IES Abroad. the Rev. Donald E. Mason Ecumenical Award for 1986 Ben M. Henschel has received board certification as a family trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a shareholder of the law firm Henschel Moberg Goff, P.A.

Christian Unity and Mission.

Flannery, pastor of the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Carbondale, Ill., was recognized for his ecumenical initiatives, which serve to nurture growing relationships among Christian churches and generate ecumenical witness and mission.

1995 Cory Ehlert was named 2016 Realtor of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Realtors. Ehlert has worked with Edina Realty for 20 years and is past president of the St. Cloud Association of Realtors.

1998 Brandy Lamb is a recipient of the SGB 40 Under 40 Award.

The honor is awarded each year to 40 sporting goods industry executives and managers who have shown proven leadership skills within their organizations

and the industry. SGB 40 Under 40 award recipients are recognized as the future of the sporting goods industry. Lamb is the senior brand manager of Mountain House at OFD Foods in Albany, Ore. 2001 Matthew Stockinger was featured in ISD 742’s “Staff Spotlight,” stories highlighting unique and talented staff in the school district. A science teacher at St. Cloud Apollo High School, Stockinger was featured for his enthusiastic work with students in the classroom and for starting a rock climbing club.

Acquiring Solutions, a subsidiary of U. S. Bancorp, Ceridian Corporation and Comdata.

… on the move 1983 Stuart C. Harvey, Jr. was appointed president and chief operating officer of Piper Jaffray Companies. Harvey worked in top leadership positions for Elavon Global

JULIO OJEDA-ZAPATA ’85

1984 David F. Hermerding was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton as district court judge in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District and will be chambered at Aitkin in Aitkin County.

1993 Timothy Byrne (above) has joined Sanford Health Plan as its vice president of operations.

Byrne has held health leadership positions at Network Health Plan, Redbrick Health and UnitedHealth Group.

2008 Joe Mailander and childhood friend Justin Lansing (above), aka the Okee Dokee Brothers, have received a Parent’s Choice Award for “Saddle U! A Western Adventure” album.

The GRAMMY® Award winners were also nominated for the Best Children’s Album award, for the 59th annual GRAMMY® Awards in Los Angeles.

Johnnies in the Media

1995 Nick Leonard has opened Kata Organic Café and Fitness Boutique in Minneapolis, serving cuisine with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

1996 Lt. Col. Steven Knapp has taken command of the William Beaumont Army Medical Center’s Troop Command at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Lt. Col. Knapp served as the Army Nurse Corps personnel proponent officer and AMEDD personnel proponent directorate, Fort Sam Houston.

2001 Mike Slavik was selected by his fellow Dakota County (Minn.) board of commissioners to serve as Dakota County board chair in 2017. Elected to the board in 2012, he represents

Being a self-described nerd has paid off for Julio Ojeda-Zapata, a St. Paul Pioneer Press and twincities.com technology journalist and blogger, author of three books and contributing editor for Apple enthusiast site TidBITS. Ojeda-Zapata knew he wanted to be a journalist as an introverted but ambitious boy writing for his parochial school newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Saint John’s helped him find his voice. “I just thrived there,” he says.

He majored in political science, got his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and, in 1987, landed a job at the Pioneer Press. His lifelong fascination with technology—his nerd tendency—was a perfect fit for the new technology beat when the internet exploded in the 1990s. He is now a highly regarded tech writer who frequently contributes his expertise to other local and national media outlets.

“My trajectory in hindsight was perfect. I came out of my education phase as well-rounded,” he says. “I feel I’m a much better person and much better journalist for having studied at Saint John’s.”

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CLASS NOTES

Johnnies in the Media MAURY GLOVER ’91

District 1, which covers Hastings, Farmington and the county’s southern townships.

2003 Brian Edel has been named upper school director of St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, Minn. He previously was dean of students at the Academy, a position he held since 2011.

take place in 1945 and 1950 respectively.

1974

Todd Mueller wrote Town Ball Parks of Minnesota: Exploring the Heritage of the State’s Unique, Historic and most Beloved Ballparks.

… on the bookshelf The same thing that drew Maury Glover to Saint John’s University attracted him to television journalism: community.

Glover is well-known to MinneapolisSt. Paul audiences as a reporter for KMSP-TV 9 News, where he tells inspiring and upbeat stories about the people and good things happening in the Twin Cities.

“By informing people about what is going on in our community, I hope I’m making the world a better place,” he says.

This is a reflection of his time at SJU. “It’s not just the books and education.

It really is the values and what makes a community and how and why people contribute to that community,” says Glover, who grew up in Minneapolis.

Glover got his start as a producer but quickly realized he wanted to be out talking to people. He has been a reporter for KMSP since 2002.

“I love telling stories about the people here and what makes the state so great,” he says.

“I’m always amazed at what gracious and open people there are here in Minnesota.”

38 WINTER/SPRING 2017

1965 Edward Vogt wrote American Hearts: A Particularly American Love Story, a novel featuring Ted Dalton, who leaves his San Francisco law practice after his wife’s death to teach at a small-town college in Southern California. Available on Amazon.com, it features many Saint John’s influences.

1968 Jim Mohs, a retired physician in Melrose, Minn., published his second novel A Rabbi, a Lady and a Gun, a book written “for all the Vietnam veterans who entrusted their health care to me during my medical career. It was during visits with them and listening to their stories that the idea for this story was born.”

1969 Larry Millett, a 2016 Minnesota Book Award winner for his Minnesota Modern: Architecture and Life at Midcentury, wrote Sherlock Holmes and the Eisendorf Enigma. Published by the University of Minnesota Press, it is his eighth mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes in Minnesota.

1971 R.J. Hinkemeyer has published two more books in his Minnesota Mystery series; Where Cannons Echo and Beyond the Bleachers, which

Mueller’s coffee table book, featured on local broadcast program Life to the Max and ESPN, offers a tour of 27 unique amateur baseball fields located throughout Minnesota and features 500 photographs.

2001 Patrick Bottiger wrote Borderland of Fear: Vincennes, Prophetstown, and the Invasion of the Miami Homeland. It was

published by the University of Nebraska Press. Bottiger, an assistant professor of history at Kenyon College, explores the diversity between and among the communities that were the source of the violence to the Battle of Tippecanoe and the War of 1812.

2014 Dana Hicks wrote Blair’s Beginning, a science fiction e-book under his pseudonym D.R.L. Hicks.

… doing cool stuff 1976

1999

2010

Michael Schley invented an ingenious lawn mower for extremely steep hills. His creation was featured for a KARE-TV story.

Andy Zimney was the featured speaker and facilitator for the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Fall 2016 Global Business Cohort Common Day Gathering.

A professional stage improviser, Zimney is the founder and lead principal of Leading Off the Cuff.

John Stanton (above) continues his football career playing tight end for Japan X League’s IBM BigBlue. BigBlue won Japan’s Pearl Bowl title in 2016. Stanton, called one of the IBM BigBlue’s “most feared offensive weapons” by The Japan Times, arrived in Japan as an English-language teacher in rural Mie Prefecture before returning to the football field.

Nick Blanco will be featured through April 23 on the DIY Channel’s new Sunday evening series called Building Alaska. The show features his work of building a fishing and hunting lodge in the Alaskan wilderness. Nick also teaches grades 1-6 in a one-room school house in Larsen Bay, Alaska.

Marriages

Johnnies in the Media

1983 Cindi Merifield to Mark Irion, Sept. ’16 1992 Amy (Brockman ’91) to Thomas

MATT SMITH ’07

Thoemke, Aug. ’16

1993 Sara (Burnett ’95) to Ross Drever,

July ’16 Tiffany Walz to John Rubischko, July ’16 Mary to Lino Rulli, Aug. ’16 2000 Philip Faggianoto to Bjorn Gustafson,

Sept. ’15 2003 Melissa (Horning ’06) to Steven Dehmer, July ’16 2004 Rachel Nelson to Tim Flagstad,

Sept. ’16 2005 Andrea Osborne to Chris Loth,

Sept. ’16 2007 Jennifer Hostrawser to Matthew Wocken, Sept. ’16 2008 Stephanie (Deter ’08) to Kevin Crane,

Aug. ’16

Anna (Martin ’12) to Peter Larson,

Aug. ’16

Lucy Massopust to Jeremy Robb,

Sept. ’16

Jenny Lambrecht to Andrew Rustad,

Aug. ’16

Laura Powell to James Shockman,

Dec. ’16 2009 Allyson (Draxler ’09) to Darrell Cameron, Dec. ’16

Lindsay (Baun ’10) to Anthony Schulte,

Nov. ’16 2010 Stephanie (Lahr ’10) to Peder Jacobson, Aug. ’16

Callie (Harp ’10) to Jake Koehler,

Jan. ’17

Brittany (Fabry ’10) to Brian Kubovec,

May ’14

Clare (Nolan ’10) to James Latterell,

Oct. ’15

Mallory to Ryan Minnehan, Dec. ’16

Madeleine to Valentin Sierra Arias,

Oct. ’16

Tamara (Krueger ’11) to Ryan Wimmer,

Apr. ’16 2011 Sara (Freed ’11) to Andrew Clear,

Mar. ’16

Kelsey Saehr to Derek Eisenschenk,

Oct. ’16

Katya (Karaz ’11) to Andrew Enzler,

June ’16

Kayelee (Gill ’13) to Jack Freeman,

Aug. ’16

Matt Smith has a gift for being at the right place at the right time.

“I don’t know if the news travels with me or if I’m just that lucky,” jokes Smith, a communication major.

Smith was an anchor and reporter at WBAY-TV Channel 2 in Green Bay, Wis., a crucial swing state, which led to a one-on-one interview with President Barack Obama the summer before the 2012 election.

“No matter what political affiliation you are, to interview a sitting president is pretty surreal, to be standing in the White House.”

Smith is now an anchor and reporter for CBS4 and Fox 59 in Indianapolis, Ind., Vice President Mike Pence’s home state.

“I had interviewed Governor Pence numerous times when he was sitting governor, so we followed him and his ascension to now vice president, which has been quite the experience,” he says.

“To be there firsthand and to witness all this history right before your eyes is pretty surreal, and to be able to tell people about that is pretty incredible.”

SJUALUM.COM/CLASSNOTES

39

CLASS NOTES

Johnnies in the Media NATE PTACEK ’08

Nate Ptacek found a career that combines his environmental studies major, art minor and dedication to the environment.

For the past eight years, Ptacek has worked as a video editor at Patagonia, a California-based active wear company famous for its environmental activism.

“I was able to figure out a way not to compromise,” Ptacek says.

Ptacek built an impressive résumé at Saint John’s University, creating a documentary about environmental issues in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) for a summer internship and working on the first Extending the Link documentary, “Somos De Café.”

Extending the Link is a group of Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s students, working together to produce documentaries to ignite social change.

His first two years out of college he spent juggling three jobs in the Twin Cities, working at a Patagonia store, doing marketing for an environmental nonprofit and freelancing video work. It all came together when he landed his job at Patagonia’s corporate headquarters in Ventura, Calif.

“It’s working with purpose,” he says. “It took a lot of perseverance and it wasn’t the most straightforward route, but here I am doing work for arguably the most environmentally influential company on the planet today.”

40 WINTER/SPRING 2017

2011 Aaron Komo to Eric Loehr, Nov. ’16

Carolyn (Triggs ’12) to Ryan Moscho,

July ’16

Lauren (Marston ’12) to Jonathan Neitzke, Jan. ’16

Katherine (Bloom ’11) to Jerome O’Connell, Sept. ’16

Emily (Sherlock ’12) to Tom Purnell,

Oct. ’15

Olivia (Paline ’12) to Jared Sherlock,

Sept. ’16

Katie Brahy to Mike Wallgren, Aug. ’16 2012 Megan (Boll ’12) to Jim Foley, July ’16

Feiran (Chen ’13) to Benjamin Gilles,

July ’16

Megan (Seipel ’12) to Ian Hansen,

Sept. ’16

Catherine (Luckemeyer ’12) to Jon Holmers, Oct. ’16

Doria Shima to Jessey Niyongabo,

May ’16 2013 CoCo (Behne ’13) to Nick Elfering,

Sept. ’16

Hannah Erickson to Reid Herd,

Sept. ’16

Savannah (Kuester ’13) to Matt Horning, Oct. ’16

Jamie (Korin ’13) to Abraham Lauer,

Oct. ’16

Yingting (Wang ’13) to Lichuan (Tony) Liang, Oct. ’16

Samantha (Kessler ’13) to Ed McGinty,

Sept. ’16 2014 Kayla (Parker ’14) to Kevin Jennissen,

Oct. ’16

Mariya (Lawinger ’15) to Wes Kemper,

Aug. ’16

Katherine (Zuroski ’14) to Thomas Koehler, Nov. ’16

Elizabeth (Peichel ’14) to Wade Kohls,

Aug. ’16

Brianna (Blatzheim ’14) to Adam Kunkel, July ’16

Annie (Hansen ’14) to Daniel Larson,

Oct. ’16

Maigos (Vue ’14) to Patrick Nguyen,

July ’16

Emily (Roberts ’14) to Jay Roane,

Aug. ’16

Katelyn (Tiffany ’13) to Joshua Santos,

Nov. ’15

Shelby (Spinner ’14) to Jack Wittenborg, July ’16

Andrea (Eberhard ’14) to Ryan Wojciechowski, Nov. ’16

2015 Jane (Theobald ’11) to Alan Albert,

Aug. ’16

Elizabeth (Ringle ’15) to Michael Benson, July ’16

Laura (Fox ’15) to Brennan Hall,

July ’16

Katy (Smith ’15) to Justin Markon,

Oct. ’16

Kendra (Peyton ’14) to Ethan Reinert,

Oct. ’16

Shelby (Weisen ’16) to Robin Swingley,

Aug. ’16 2016 Kathryn (Cleary ’16) to John Kelly,

Oct. ’16

Lauren (Rupp ’16) to Peter Valois,

Sept. ’16

Births 1994 Abby & Michael Cunningham, girl,

Violet, Sept. ’16

1996 Kay (Kofstad ’96) & David Bruni, boy,

Donovan, Mar. ’16 Lora & Ben Kmetz, boy, Franklin, July ’16 1997 Stacy & Paul Coufal, girl, Anna,

Dec. ’15

Anne (Olson ’97) & Tom Kilzer, girl,

Audrey, Oct. ’16 1998 Alissa & Nels Hinderlie, girl, Solveig,

Aug. ’16 1999 Emily & Tim Enright, twin boys, Pierce

and Colin, Jan. ’17

Kyoung & Mike Needham, boy, Isaac,

July ’16

Nghe & Loc Nguyen, boy, Gai-Hy,

Aug. ’16 2000 Margo (Bassett ’00) & Andy Dvoracek,

girl, Lane, Jan. ’16

Sue (Schulzetenberg ’04) & Mike Gully,

girl, Abigail, Nov. ’16

Kathryn & Mark Neuville, girl, Maren,

June ’16

Angela & Adam Rushmeyer, boy,

Graham, Dec. ’16 2001 Carrie & Josh Otto, twins boy/girl, Luke

and Brooklyn, Dec. ’16 2002 Melinda (Schumer ’03) & Shane Hoefer, girl, Sofia, Feb. 16

Karla & Darek Olson, girl, Leilani,

Dec. ’15

Heidi (Anderson ’02) & Ryan Reuter,

boy, Kellan, Sept. ’16 2003 Sarah (Johnson ’03) & Mark Bot, boy,

Samuel, Sept. ’16

Erin & Patrick Garay-Heelan, boy, Ellis, Feb. 16 Jennifer (Myers ’03) & Ryan Kutter, boy, Cisco, Sept. ’16 Yuri & Jared Pangier, girl, Sophia, Oct. ’16 2004 Bethany (Keene ’06) & Ryan Buus, girl,

Ellory, May ’16

Erin & Isaac Flenner, girl, Annie,

Sept. ’16

Lori & Barry Folkens, girl, Kambrie,

July ’16

Andrea & Luke Lisell, girl, Ava, June ’16

Ashley (Agerter ’04) & Matthew Raitor,

boy, Max, Aug. ’15

Cheryl & Jed Riegelman, twins boy/girl,

Forrest and Aurora, Aug. ’16

Melinda & Derek Tamm, boy, Colton,

Nov. ’16

Katie (Ruprecht ’04) & Louis Wittrock,

boy, Louis, Aug. ’16

Kristin & Joe Zimmer, girl, Taya, Aug. ’16 2005 Heather & Chris Bell, girl, Jaycee,

Dec. ’16

Angie & Rich Loeber, girl, Madison,

Oct. ’15

Melissa & Dan Murphy, twin girls, Audrey

and Dorothy, Jan. ’17

Julie & Tim Roth, girl, Colette, Oct. ’16 2006 Kristy (Kingsley ’09) & Webster Ford,

girl, Margaret, July ’16

Rebecca (Kastner ’06) & James Holden,

boy, Kellan, Aug. ’16

Anne (Redmon ’07) & Kyle Johnson, girl,

Chloe, Dec. ’16

Brittany (Klang ’06) & Patrick Kalmi,

boy, Marcus, May ’16

Laura (Doboszenski ’08) & Tim Lahti,

boy, William, Oct. ’16

Jennifer (Fasnacht ’07) & Josh Pope,

boy, Isaiah, July ’16 2007 Heidi (Abfalter ’07) & Adam DeMarais,

girl, Lynley, June ’16

Brooke & Aaron Kleinschmidt, boy,

Grayson, Aug. ’16

Holly (Breeggemann ’07) & Luke McMahon, boy, Connor, Nov. ’15

Kayla & Shawn Schoenberg, girl, Violet,

Nov. ’16 2008 Lauren & Pat Eagles, boy, Maxwell,

Nov. ’16

Flor & Peter Frey, girl, Sofia, July ’16

Amanda (Dunlap ’08) & Chris Gabiou,

boy, Beckham, Nov. ’15

Bethany & Levi Glines, girl, Emery,

Aug. ’16

Holly & Lincoln Haugen, girl, Harper, July ’16 Alison (Roeer ’09) & Joe Mailander, boy, Hap, Jan. ’17 Nicole & Matthew Meyer, boy, Colton, Dec. ’16 Sarah & Bryan Mills, girl, Margaret, Aug. ’16 Melissa (Ulrich ’08) & Bob Murtaugh, boy, Jack, Sept. ’16 Natalie (Ulrich ’08) & Dan Petersen, boy, Theo, Sept. ’16 Carolyn (Hejny ’00) & Chad Stang, girl, Catherine, Dec. ’16 Alison & Jordan Swan, girl, Nola, Nov. ’16 Amanda (Broman ’08) & Jason Weigel, girl, Addison, Aug. ’16 2009 Bree (Auringer ’10) & Tom Allen, boy,

Dawson, Oct. ’16

Kelly (Zachman ’09) & Andy Ball, girl,

Harper, Oct. ’16

Megan & Joe Daly, boy, William, Dec. ’16

Brittany (Boll ’09) & Nick Elsen, boy,

Oliver, May ’16

Nicole (Larson ’09) & Jason Fogt, boy,

Hunter, Nov. ’16

Emily (Renner ’09) & Andrew Heitner,

boy, Benjamin, Aug. ’16

Sarah (Chuppe ’09) & Stashie Mack, III,

boy, Stanley, May ’16

Jill & Jeff Nechas, boy, William, Aug. ’16

Katie & Greg Stumvoll, boy, Reese,

Dec. ’16

Megan (Hedstrom ’09) & Ryan Tansom,

twin girls, Everly and Zoey, Nov. ’16 2010 Taylor (Kannawin ’10) & Tim Backes,

boy, Waylon, Aug. ’16

Katie (Kalkman ’06) & Gabriel Harren,

boy, Jackson, Sept. ’16

Halyce (Jackson ’10) & Kirby Johnson,

boy, Crosby, Aug. ’16

Emily (Persichetti ’09) & Nick Schuster,

boy, Lawrence, Oct. ’16

Heather (Ley ’09) & Tyler Trettel, boy,

Kade, Sept. ’16

Justine & Jordan Urshan, boy, Ezekiel,

Aug. ’16 2011 Jennifer & Logan Gruber, boy, Finn,

Nov. ’16

Kayla (Becker ’13) & Paul Johnson, girl,

Aria, Aug. ’16

Maira (Willkom ’11) & Ben Machemehl,

girl, Magdalena, Oct. ’16

Courtney (Christenson ’11) & Luke Opsahl, boy, Cael, July ’16

Cindy (Gonzalez ’14) & Jake Peterson, boy, Franco, Aug. ’16 Ashley (Quam ’11) & Jacob Reiter, boy, Vince, Dec. ’16 Courtney & Bradley Wiehoff, girl, Allison, Aug. ’16 2012 Karli & Luke Riordan, boy, Nolan,

Sept. ’16 2014 Amanda (Linn ’14) & Tyler Roles, girl,

Thalia, Jan. ’16

Katelyn (Tiffany ’13) & Joshua Santos,

boy, Julian, Oct. ’16

Deaths 1933 Alvin Valerius, Aug. ’16 1935 Florence “Bridget” Ryan, spouse of deceased Simon, Jan. ’17

1939 Geraldine Nierengarten-Johnson, spouse of deceased Wallace Johnson and sister of Ed Schnettler ’52, Oct. ’16 1941 Rev. William Rickert, Nov. ’16 1942 Alphonse Schindler, Aug. ’16 1946 Jack Rathbun, Aug. ’16 1947 Frederick "Fritz" Fandel, father of

Peter ’76, Jan. ’17 1948 Catherine Carufel, spouse of Louis,

Jan. ’16 Rose Fier, spouse of deceased Floyd;

mother of Bob ’76, Rev. Brian ’81,

Jonathan ’93 and Justin ’93,

Jan. ’17 1949 Mae Bolger, spouse of deceased

Thomas, July ’16 Georgia Diedrich, spouse of deceased E.

John, Oct. ’16 Barry Hawkins, son of George and

brother of Mark ’86, Aug. ’16 1949 Dr. Eugene Herzog, father of John ’77

and brother of Peter ’62 and deceased

John ’52, Aug. ’15 1950 Jeanne Bresnahan, spouse of Ellery;

mother of Michael ’75, Patrick ’88;

sister of George Sinner ’50 and deceased Rev. Richard Sinner ’46,

Dec. ’16

Michael Dressen, July ’16

Seraphine Hagen, brother of

Harold ’51, Aug. ’16 Toni Hunstiger, spouse of deceased

Eugene, Jan. ’17

Thomas Lahr, brother of John ’53,

July ’16 Dawn Miller, spouse of Dr. Joseph,

Nov. ’16

SJUALUM.COM/CLASSNOTES

41

CLASS NOTES

1950 Eileen Northup, spouse of Maurice,

1958 Elaine Cunningham, spouse of Doug,

Jan. ’16

Lee Hanley, father of Mark ’94,

Jim ’94 and brother of Dennis ’65,

Oct. ’16

John Muchlinski, brother of Jim ’56 and Tom ’72, Nov. ’16

Raymond Omann, Nov. ’16

James Rains, Dec. ’16 1959 Jerome Grow, Sept. ’16

Norbert Kinnick, brother of

Bernard ’58 and deceased Leonard ’60,

Nov. ’16

Gerald Navratil, Feb. ’16 1960 Dr. Peter Ahles, brother of Jim ’76,

Mark ’76 and Rick ’64, Oct. ’16

Mary Ann “Molly” Gillespie, sister of Rev.

Tom and Rev. Joseph ’64, Oct. ’16 1961 Gerald Grzeskowiak, twin brother of deceased, Harold, April ’16 1962 Dick Evans, brother of Bernie,

Aug. ’16 1963 Dale Brummer, Oct. ’16

Michael Gerbich, July ’16

Tom Stockert, father of Mark,

SOT ’98, Aug. ’16 1964 Gary G. Anderson, Aug. ’16

Tom Arvig, Dec. ’16 Nancy Beckman, spouse of Bernie,

Nov. ’16

Bob Faust, Dec. ’16 1965 Stephen Gerlach, father of Robert ’92,

Sept. ’16

Dr. William Perrizo, brother of

Jack ’63, July ’16 Bernadette Stangl, mother of

Thomas ’88 and twin sister of Bernie Evans, Aug. ’16 1966 David Cartwright, Aug. ’16

Joseph Hartle, brother of James ’72

and deceased David ’63 and Philip ’69,

Jan. ’17 1967 Ann Orth, spouse of Donald, mother of Michael ’05; daughter of deceased,

Leander Terwey ’39; sister of Joseph Terwey ’66 and George Terwey ’81,

Oct. ’16 1968 Gerald Jaeger, May ’15

Jerry Koshiol, father of Dan ’97 and

Steve ’01 and brother of Robert ’68,

July ’16

Vicky Lansky, spouse of Stephen Schaefer, Jan. ’17

Peter Smith, Dec. ’16

Sept. ’16 John Oberst, Dec. ’16 Rev. Thomas Ryan, Jan. ’17 Jim Seifert, Dec. ’16 1951 Raymond Charlton, July ’16

Robert Henry, father of Joe ’79;

brother of deceased John ’39,

Edward ’43 and Rev. Charles ’50, OSB,

Oct. ’16 Margaret Sturm, spouse of Jim,

Oct. ’16

DePaul Willette, father of Willie ’83,

Pierre ’87, Eric ’91; brother of Pierre ’58,

Tom ’59 and deceased Michael ’52,

Sept. ’16

Rev. Richard Zenk, Nov. ’16 1952 Barbara Hartinger, spouse of Bert,

Oct. ’16

Dr. John "Jack" Herzog, brother of

Peter ’62 and deceased Eugene ’49,

Oct. ’15

John Horan, Sept. ’16 Phyllis Humbert, spouse of deceased

Vernon, Jan. ’17 Rita Lange, spouse of John “Jack”

and mother of Mark ’90, Dec. ’16

Norman Meye, father of David ’79,

Ken ’85 and Joe ’87, Dec. ’16

Louise Theisen, sister of Rev. Wilfred and Lyle ’53, and deceased John ’56,

Jan. ’17 1953 H. Thomas Krause, Jan. ’17

Rev. Daniel Majerus, Aug. ’16

Edward "Bud" Reichert, Jan. ’17 1954 Jerry Baenen, brother of Tom ’53 and deceased Richard ’56, Dec. ’16

John Massmann, brother of deceased

Sylvester ’51, Aug. ’16

Jerre Miller, father of Michael ’82 and

David ’85, Jan. ’17

James A. Pierret, Sr., father of James, Jr. ’84, Aug. ’16 1955 Leon Thurmes, Sept. ’16 1956 Beth Gilboe, spouse of deceased,

Daniel, July ’16

Dr. Dean Goblirsch, Nov. ’16

Thomas McMenimen, July ’16 1957 Rev. Gabriel Bullock, OSB, June ’16 Joseph McGraw, brother of Rev. Rene McGraw, OSB, PhD, Aug. ’16

Dr. Martin Olsen, Oct. ’16

Ronald "Sid" Sandeen, father of

Mike ’83 and Tony ’84; brother of

Geraldine ’64, Dec. ’16

42 WINTER/SPRING 2017

1969 Sonny Beckel, father of Greg, Oct. ’16 Annette Beckel, mother of Greg,

Sept. ’16 1970 Rev. Gregory Elmer, OSB, Aug. ’16 1971 Thomas L. Rafferty, Jr., Sept. ’16

S. Rosemaire Terwey, May ’16 1972 Jose Roman, Dec. ’16 1973 Joe Schulte, son of Quentin ’39,

May ’13 1974 David Harmeyer, Nov. ’16 Giles Jantzer, father of Mark, Jan. ’17 Richard Lindmark, Sr., father of Roger and Diana McCarney, SOT ’01, Aug. ’16 1975 Steven Polglaz, Nov. ’16

Tom Svendsen, brother of Gary ’73,

Aug. ’16 Karen Becker, spouse of John,

July ’16 1976 Rev. Robert Wurm, July ’16 1977 David Broeren, son of John “Jack” ’51, July ’16 1978 Jim Hausauer, Sept. ’16

James Kuhl, Nov. ’16 1979 Joan Welsh, mother of John, Nov. ’16 1980 John Herzog, Sept. ’16 Michael Kallas, father of Mike and

David ’85, Oct. ’16 1981 Joseph Fasching, father of Gary,

July ’16 1983 Rev. Martin Rath, OSB, Aug. ’16 1987 Donald Loegering, June ’16

Ken Trobec, brother of Jay ’80 and

Scott ’83, Aug. ’16 1988 Charles Bock, father of Todd, Oct. ’16

Francisco Ojeda, brother of Julio ’85,

Jan. ’17

Jim Young, Nov. ’16 1997 Bradley Gamble, brother of

Kenneth ’94, July ’16 Tom Shomion, father of Todd, Dec. ’16 2003 John "Jack" Cronin, father of Brad,

Dec. ’16 2004 Gene Tamm, father of Derek, July ’16

Paul Wegerson, Nov. ’16

FINE ARTS SCHEDULE

THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS Saturday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Escher Auditorium, CSB RANI ARBO & DAISY MAYHEM – AMERICAN SPIRITUAL WITH THE CSB WOMEN’S CHOIR Saturday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU LIZ VICE TRIO Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU

A NUMBER, BY CARYL CHURCHILL Features CSB/SJU professor emeritus Tom Darnall and former CSB/SJU professor Adam Houghton Wednesday, April 19, Thursday, April 20 and Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Colman Black Box Theater, CSB TIERNEY SUTTON WITH THE CSB/SJU JAZZ ENSEMBLE Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Escher Auditorium, CSB

Box Office: 320-363-5777 or www.csbsju.edu/wow

43

INSPIRING LIVES

Remembering “Griff” and Healing at Homecoming

By Scott Edstrom ’77 I first met Mark Griffin ’77, of Moose Lake, Minn., on the Saint John’s football field more than 40 years ago. “Griff” became my roommate, best friend, and the best man at my wedding. He is part of who I am as a human being and as a Johnnie.

I am blessed with an incredibly loving family, but when Griff died of cancer in 2015, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to lose my best friend or how hard it would be to heal. My parents and another close friend died years earlier, but this was different. I cannot really explain it.

Game day brought 70 degrees, sun, the smell of burgers and brats grilling at Clemens Stadium, and a homecoming sea of red. I could sense something extraordinary about this day.

It began with a beautiful pregame tribute to Jacob Wetterling. Saint John’s players honored Jacob by wearing #11 on their helmets. A moment of silence was punctuated by the Saint John’s Abbey and University Church bells striking a single chord at 1 p.m.

At halftime, the 1976 team was introduced. Faye and Mary joined my teammates and me on the field. I held Faye’s hand as she stepped forward as Mark’s name was announced over the loudspeaker. She fought back tears.

The Johnnies won the game handily. A perfect conclusion to a beautiful day.

And then it happened.

Thirty minutes after the game, Della, Faye, Mary, Ray and I gathered at midfield to hold hands and say a blessing for Griff who loved Saint John’s. I truly felt his spirit there that day— we all did. As we turned to leave from the SJU sports emblem at the 50-yard line, one player and his family remained on the field. We stopped. We were speechless. His back was to us.

He was tall just like Griff. The player wore number 47, Griff’s old number. Griff’s mom began to cry. It was as if this young man was waiting for us.

Returning to Saint John’s always takes me back to a “happy place.” It is grounding. Yet I could have never predicted what occurred when I attended last fall’s 40th anniversary reunion of our 1976 National Championship football team.

Joining my wife Della and me that homecoming weekend were Griff’s mom Faye (97 years young), his sister Mary, and her husband Ray. Faye had last visited campus 40 years ago for Mark’s final football game. Mary had not been to Saint John’s in about 15 years.

I approached the player and his family and told them about Griff. Instead of leaving for the locker room, Josh Sitarz ’18, the young man wearing number 47 that day, graciously extended his time on the field with us. He was so kind. Josh created a moment for us we will never forget, and I left that field feeling very different. I began to heal.

People talk about Saint John’s being a special place. We all have our own stories. Now I know which one is mine. Field of Dreams—Saint John’s style.

Scott and Della Edstrom reside in Edina. Scott can be reached at sjedstrom@gmail.com

Top right: Scott Edstrom ’77 (left) and Mark Griffin ’77 (right) pictured at the 2015 Tackle Cancer game on Sept. 12, 2015.

Mark died on Dec. 29, 2015. Above: Scott with Mark’s mother, Faye and sister Mary during the halftime celebration.

44 WINTER/SPRING 2017

Inspiring Lives is reserved for reflective pieces with a Benedictine theme written by Saint John’s alumni.

Please submit essays, poetry or other reflections for consideration to Dave DeLand at ddeland@csbsju.edu.

Planned.

Giving.

Impact.

Bequest by Noreen Herzfeld, PhD., Advances Deepening Questions, Greater Understanding

Planned giving through bequests that support Saint John’s University’s mission build upon and advance Saint John’s excellence and possibilities. Noreen Herzfeld, PhD., the Nicholas and Bernice Reuter Professor of Science and Religion at Saint John's University and the College of Saint Benedict, came to Saint John’s to teach computer science.

The atmosphere on campus deepened her awareness of ethical and religious questions and has led her to make a planned gift that will establish the Noreen Herzfeld Professorship in Technology, Religion and Ethics at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict.

“My involvement with Benedictine values and my conversations with the monks led me to ask more about the theological and ethical questions in my field—these were questions related to technology and religion that no one was asking.”

Saint John’s not only sparked her interest in combining the fields but provided her with the generous flexibility that allowed her to pursue the intersection of technology and religion. She completed a doctorate program at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley after first receiving her master’s in theology at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary.

Today’s ethical concerns about technology are more important than ever and affect every field—influencing and infiltrating politics, social sciences and medical sciences, says Dr. Herzfeld. “It’s tremendously important at a liberal arts college like Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict to help students think through the ethical implications of the technology that saturates their lives.”

Dr. Herzfeld believes professorships bring expertise not only to students but to the wider world. They provide faculty the space and time to be a public intellectual.

“A professorship has the duty to communicate with a wider and broader audience—bringing our insights to the public.”

For Herzfeld, the deep questions about technology and religion and ethics began at Saint John’s. The Noreen Herzfeld Professorship in Technology, Religion and Ethics at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict will ensure students and faculty continue to ask, think deeply about and act on those questions.

Your Gift. Your Impact.

To learn more about making a bequest to Saint John’s, contact Jim Dwyer ’75, director of planned giving at 800-635-7303 or jdwyer@csbsju.edu.

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID

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Saint John’s University

P.O. Box 7222 Collegeville, MN 56321

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