Saint Benedict's Magazine Summer 2014

SUMMER 2014 MAGAZINE

LEGACY President MaryAnn Baenninger leaves Saint Ben’s on solid ground

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INSIDE

• CSB No. 21 in Peace Corps rankings p. 27 • A century of celebration packed into one centennial p. 30

A MESSAGE FROM THE

PRESIDENT

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FEATURES 4 A Transformational Legacy 30 Centennial Finale DEPARTMENTS 26 News 38 I’m a Bennie 39 Class Notes 46 Bennie Connection 49 Generosity College of Saint Benedict Magazine is published three times a year by the office of Institutional Advancement, Kimberly Ferlaak Motes ’89, vice president.

EDITOR: Tammy Moore CONTRIBUTORS: Margaret Arnold, Glenda Isaacs Burgeson, Kristin Sawyer Lyman ’00, Greg Skoog (SJU ’89) CONTACT: College of Saint Benedict Magazine Institutional Advancement 37 South College Avenue St. Joseph, MN 56374-2099 For address changes, please call 1-800-648-3468, ext. 1 or email csbalumnae@csbsju.edu Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer The mission of the College of Saint Benedict is to provide for women the very best residential liberal arts education in the Catholic university tradition.

The college fosters integrated learning, exceptional leadership for change and wisdom for a lifetime.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

“Our history is characterized by a fierce belief in the power of liberal education, an engagement with the world around us, responsiveness to the needs of society, an enduring commitment to our Catholic and Benedictine heritage and an unwavering focus on women’s development as leaders, professionals and scholars. We envision our future as grounded in these same commitments and we embrace the changes and challenges impacting the world with the same courage, strength and boldness of our foremothers.”

I’ve been inspired by the vision for the college ever since we developed it in the process of defining our strategic direction plan for 2010. I love the fact that it accurately describes the college in 1913, who we are 100 years later and who we will be in another 100 years. But I also appreciate that there is so much between the lines. The 100 years that have passed since the Sisters began to teach students who wished to earn a college degree have been years of profound societal change for women, and years of deep and positive change for the College of Saint Benedict.

The story for women is not a simple one and neither is the story of the college.

In her much-discussed 2013 book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg predicts that, “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” She then goes on to examine why women do not yet hold 50 percent of the leadership roles in society. Sandberg encourages women to “lean in,” rather than away and, broadly stated, not to assume that their brothers will always run the show.

The Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict “leaned in” 150 years ago when they came to central Minnesota. They “leaned in” in 1913 when they founded the College of Saint Benedict. And they “leaned in” scores of times when they took risks, made

audacious gambles and always pushed toward a better world, regardless of what they were building, literally and metaphorically. They taught the notion of “leaning in” to thousands of women before Sandberg ever used the phrase in her book.

Those thousands of women have each been beautiful individuals. They’ve had differing aspirations, they’ve had various passions and they’ve made their own choices.

But Bennies share some distinct characteristics, and they can pick each other out in a crowd. (They can pick out Johnnies too, but that is another story.)

There is a grace, elegance, commitment, strength of character, intelligence, wisdom and articulateness that defines Bennies.

And a modesty too.

I can say these complimentary things about Bennies because I am merely an honorary Bennie. Bennies almost never praise themselves. This thread of modesty runs through the history of the college. It’s partly a “Minnesota thing,” but it is more than that. And it is special. This honest humility is constant evidence of the high expectations Bennies hold for their own achievement and for the achievement of other Bennies. Excellence and continuous improvement are expected and, therefore, too often unacknowledged.

One of my jobs over the last 10 years has been to help our students understand that the Benedictine value of humility can coexist with the acknowledgement of one’s strengths. There’s no sin in a healthy sense of pride and accomplishment.

College of Saint Benedict reached its 100th birthday by continually adapting to the changing needs of women and the changing needs for women’s education.

During the last century, the movement of the college unfolded amidst prevailing political, civic and educational issues, including the suffragist movement (later the women’s movement), the discourse on equal rights, the inception and trajectory of women’s colleges and, of course, the Catholic Church and women’s roles within the Church and patriarchy. The story of the college was written in the context of the local diocese and bishops and the “lifelong” relationship with Saint John’s University, the sisters and the monks, the Bennies and the Johnnies.

The story is not always perfect or pretty, but it is real and vibrant. At its heart is the courage, strength, boldness and persistence of our foremothers and the legacy that stewards like me easily grow to love, value, embrace and fiercely protect.

As I prepare to leave Saint Ben’s, my heart is filled with deep gratitude and respect.

I will be forever grateful for the lessons of determination and courage I have learned from each member of this community and the vision that exists at its center.

Because of this unrelenting commitment, I believe Saint Ben’s women will continue to “lean in” and make lasting, positive changes in the world.

The heart of this message was originally developed for the forward that MaryAnn wrote for the book, College of Saint Benedict: Challenging Women Since 1913, by CSB/SJU Professor of History Annette Atkins. But as MaryAnn prepares to leave Saint Ben’s, so many of these points bear repeating.

WORTH 1,000 WORDS WORTH 1,000 WORDS

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Forever a Bennie

The saying goes, “Once a Bennie, always a Bennie.” And that’s now a reality for MaryAnn Baenninger. As the longest-serving lay president in the history of the college, she’s always considered herself an honorary Bennie, having spent more than twice as long at Saint Ben’s as do most graduates. During commencement 2013, her membership in the Bennie sisterhood became official when the board of trustees, represented by board chair Lynn Newman ’79, conferred upon MaryAnn honorary bachelor of arts and doctor of humane letters degrees.

Summer 2014 | 3

W

When Dr. MaryAnn Baenninger was named the 14th president of College of Saint Benedict, the board of trustees charged her with raising the school’s national reputation. But before she could do that, she realized she needed to raise the school’s status among Bennies.

As a newcomer, MaryAnn watched in bewilderment when she saw Saint Ben’s regarded affectionately as the “little sister” or an adjunct to its academic partner, Saint John’s. Maybe it was a Minnesota thing. Maybe it was a Catholic thing.

But whatever it was, it needed to stop. If institutional pride needed a shot in the arm, Dr. Baenninger had just the prescription. And, innocently enough, it started with a sweatshirt.

When she arrived on campus, it puzzled MaryAnn to see so many Bennies in Saint John’s sweatshirts. (And where were the Johnnies in Saint Ben’s sweatshirts?) But when she started noticing those Saint Ben’s students wearing Saint John’s sweatshirts … while giving guided admissions tours of Saint Ben’s, she saw a chance to illustrate a point.

“ THAT’S EPIC” BY | GLENDA ISAACS BURGESON AND GREG SKOOG (SJU ’89)

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She challenged students to be bold and dream big, and she encouraged staff to pursue greater leadership in national educational associations.

In what was reactively referred to as “MaryAnn’s ban on Saint John’s sweatshirts,” the new president simply insisted that, if Bennies employed at Saint Ben’s chose to wear logo clothing while working, that clothing must have either the CSB or CSB/SJU logo.

The resulting campus firestorm may have been much ado about nothing, but it certainly started some conversations and shifted some perspectives.

Bridget Cummings ’14 remembers having her perspective shifted. The daughter of a Johnnie and a Bennie — Steve ’83 and Laurie Lawler Cummings ’82 — she grew up attending Johnnie football games. She had logo wear from both schools, and she didn’t distinguish between the two. As a first-year member of the golf team, she was told to wear a white ball cap for her first tournament.

She showed up wearing a Saint John’s cap and was shocked when her captain, Kathryn Hauff ’12, told her she couldn’t wear it.

“She said, ‘Bridget, you cannot wear that hat. We are Saint Ben’s Blazers.’”

Bridget was mortified at the time, but laughs at the memory now. That simple, memorable incident, she says, taught her much about the importance of a strong identity.

Among the more substantive steps MaryAnn took to build that institutional identity and raise Saint Ben’s national reputation was to raise the visibility of its students, faculty and staff. She believed that Saint Ben’s offered an education of the same or better quality as higher ranked schools, and she wanted others to know that quality. She also wanted students, faculty and staff to see for themselves that the College of Saint Benedict was worthy of national standing.

A 10-year quest for excellence

MaryAnn challenged students to be bold and dream big, and she encouraged staff to pursue greater leadership in national educational associations. She championed the efforts of committed faculty to bring about our Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 2009.

MaryAnn visits with students in Gorecki Center.

PAUL MIDDLESTAEDT

She boosted funding for summer student/faculty research projects and she encouraged them to present that research at national conferences. That support for student research culminated in summer 2008, when CSB hosted the national Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR) Conference, which brought to campus scholars from across the country.

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“THAT’S EPIC”

Globalization and diversity In the process of making Saint Ben’s a world-class institution of higher-learning, MaryAnn was driven by two key realizations. In order to graduate women who could become world leaders, our students needed to see the world and our students needed to reflect the world.

“Today’s liberal arts education requires a kind of immersion in other places and other lives, forming bonds between students in the residential living and learning experience, but also connecting them to the wider world,” says MaryAnn. “They must be more than passive observers, but active participants who reflect on the meaning of culture, on sameness and difference, and the potential of each new experience as an opportunity to learn.”

need and the development of the MapCores program, which provides cross-disciplinary academic and research experiences for women in the fields of mathematics, physics and computer science.

Among the most powerful of the experiential opportunities is studying abroad. And Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are national leaders in internationalization.

We’re currently ranked No. 2 nationally among baccalaureate institutions with students who participate in mid-length study abroad programs, according to Open Doors. (For most of MaryAnn’s tenure, we’ve been ranked No. 1 or 2.)

Approximately 60 percent of Saint Ben’s students study abroad. And in 2012, we received the highest award given for campus internationalization – the prestigious Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.

In order to graduate women who could become world leaders, our students needed to see the world and our students needed to reflect the world.

And so the strong drive for experiential learning at Saint Ben’s was pushed harder.

Now, 100 percent of our students will have at least one enriching, semester-long curricular experience outside the bounds of traditional classroom work. “We are distinctive in requiring these experiences,” says MaryAnn, “which include undergraduate research, service learning, study abroad, entrepreneurship, internships and several other options.”

The National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) thought enough of her leadership to grant MaryAnn the 2013 William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education.

The NSEE was especially impressed with MaryAnn’s creation of the Office of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, the development of scholarships that support experiential opportunities for students with financial

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Beyond sending our students abroad and engaging them in rewarding experiences, MaryAnn is also especially proud of the strides we’ve made in making the campus more diverse.

We are currently second in Minnesota (and some years we’ve been first), among baccalaureate colleges, for international student enrollment. “Along with Saint John’s,” she explains, “we’re home to students from 34 different countries.”

Diversity has also come in increases in the number of American students of color.

Under MaryAnn’s leadership, we’ve worked hard to recruit students of color and to ensure their success while here.

The results have been remarkable. In the fall of 2004, before MaryAnn’s arrival, American students of color made up 3.7 percent of the total undergraduate

population at CSB. In this year’s entering class, the percentage has risen to 18 percent.

One of the most visible and successful examples of MaryAnn’s commitment to diversity and to making quality liberal arts education accessible is the Intercultural Leadership, Education and Development Fellowship Program (Intercultural LEAD).

This fellowship program provides support for talented first-generation students.

Intercultural LEAD scholars benefit financially from a $10,000 per year scholarship, personal mentoring, student workshops and enhanced campus experiences that support emerging leaders.

Now in its ninth year, the program continues to graduate remarkable students like Thelma Gonzalez ’13. Thelma, from Dallas, had resigned herself to attending a community college near home because she didn’t believe a school like Saint Ben’s was a possibility for her. Now she’s returned home to Texas — to work as a guidance counselor and teach promising students that they do have options.

There’s a spirit of confidence and empowerment on campus at Saint Ben’s today. And for many students, that can be traced directly back to MaryAnn. Manju Parikh, professor of political science, recalls MaryAnn’s encouragement and advice for her student, Eve Vang ’07, when she applied for a summer research grant to the National Council on Undergraduate Research’s Summer Research Fellowship Program.

Eve received the grant and presented her research on the resettlement problems of newly arrived Hmong immigrants at the National Hmong Conference, Manju says.

After graduation, she received a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Thailand and is now earning her law degree at Hamline University. Eve serves as an example when MaryAnn says, “The world needs more Bennies.”

Visible leadership MaryAnn also has raised the visibility of Saint Ben’s through her own initiatives.

She’s served on a variety of national and

state boards. She is a tireless advocate for the liberal arts and for the education and empowerment of women. She’s spoken and written on these topics and has been frequently interviewed about them by national publications serving higher education.

Emily Cook-Lundgren ’06 experienced MaryAnn’s leadership style as a student and, after graduation, as the president’s chief of staff. In that capacity, MaryAnn encouraged her to spread her wings.

We were the first ‘Bennieficiaries’ of the vision MaryAnn brought to Saint Ben’s.

Emily has since graduated from Georgetown University with a master’s in foreign service and now works as a project associate with Innovations for Poverty Action, a nongovernment organization in Nairobi, Kenya.

“MaryAnn encouraged me to see possibilities that at one time seemed out of reach. Had I not joined her office staff, I might not be writing this from Nairobi,” Emily says.

Ashley Ver Burg ’10 and other alumnae take special pride in the leadership lessons learned under MaryAnn. Their experiences coincide with many of the milestones of MaryAnn’s presidency.

“Our class started in 2006. We were there for the ‘controversial Saint John’s sweatshirt ban,’ the so-called ‘Bennie Identity Crisis,’ the creation of the Bennie Creed, the writing of the Blazer Fight Song, the building of the Gorecki Center, dedication of the S. Nancy Hynes Institute for Women’s Leadership, development of a Women’s Health Center and our first Phi Beta Kappa induction. And as we became alumnae, we were the first graduating class with the opportunity to enter the Young Alumnae President’s Circle,” she says.

“We were at Saint Ben’s during a transformative time. We were a part of that transformation. We were the first ‘Bennieficiaries’ of the vision MaryAnn brought to Saint Ben’s. We’ve embraced that vision, and it’s shaped who we are and how we’ll guide Saint Ben’s into a second century as her sisters.”

Ashley and her friends shared text messages after the announcement MaryAnn would step down. Ashley’s favorite text, from Raquel Gudiel ’09, reads: “We got to be there while she was there. That’s epic.”

Summer 2014 | 7

PUTTING CSB ON THE MAP

PUTTING CSB on the map For MaryAnn Baenninger, the past 10 years of numbers illustrate the results of her hard work in improving CSB’s rankings and performance.

From fundraising and enrollment to national awards and recognition, CSB has not only raised its standards for success under MaryAnn’s leadership, the college became a force to reckon with in the world of liberal arts education.

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“

My charge from the board of trustees is to increase the stature of CSB and its national reputation. To do so is to increase our national enrollment and to showcase the College of Saint Benedict as an institution that has much to be proud of.” MaryAnn Baenninger, The Record, April 28, 2005

LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

in the “Up-andComing” category of U.S. News & World Report

$

3M

ANNUAL FUND GREW TO

2012 RECIPIENT OF THE

$3 MILLION

SENATOR PAUL SIMON AWARD

in 10 years

1of 2

75%

for Comprehensive Internationalization THE ONLY

Benedictine college for women in the country

MINNESOTA

FOUR-YEAR

GRADUATION RATE: National average is 56%

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

named with Distinction to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs (for three consecutive years)

ONLY

1%

MEMBER OF PHI BETA KAPPA

$

x

2

$54.7 MILLION

$

#

more than doubled in 10 years

COLLEGES IN

TEMPLETON HONOR ROLL for a strong and inspiring campuswide ethos that articulates the expectations of personal and civic responsibility in college life

report being unemployed one year after graduation

MILLION

ENDOWMENT

100

OF 2012 GRADS

82.7

$

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

2

COMPLETED IN 2008

largest campaign in college history

RANKED NO.2 NATIONALLY

among baccalaureate institutions with students who participate in midlength study abroad programs (Open Doors)

RANKED

2nd IN MINNESOTA

among baccalaureate colleges, for international student enrollment (Open Doors)

No.21

IN THE PEACE CORPS

Top Colleges 2014 rankings, which recognize the top 25 volunteerproducing colleges and universities across the country

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REFLECTIONS — VOICES FROM OUR COMMUNITY

exciting,

BOLD & transformational In the following pages, members of the College of Saint Benedict community celebrate MaryAnn Baenninger’s decade-long tenure by sharing moments and memories from her presidency. This selection of voices is neither exhaustive nor comprehensive, but it represents the collective sentiments of the Saint Ben’s community.

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“

Something is different about Saint Ben’s these days. It isn’t the BAC construction, it isn’t the road that everyone was talking about.

It definitely isn’t Starbucks. It’s MaryAnn Baenninger and her unique brand of leadership. Although she’s been here for a year, Baenninger continues to move full speed ahead on the capital campaign and her commitment to increased diversity at CSB, and we are continually impressed.” Excerpted from The Record Grades, an editorial prepared by members of The Record staff at the end of each semester that reviews events, people and places. Dec. 8, 2005

“I had the good fortune to meet MaryAnn Baenninger on the day of her inauguration, April 22, 2005. She was beginning what would be a stellar career as the president of my beloved alma mater, and I was returning to the board of trustees for the second time. One of my most cherished pictures is of MaryAnn and me with our heads thrown back in laughter and delight as we met for the first time.

I had been privileged to serve on the board of trustees under exceptional presidents like S. Emmanuel Renner ’49, S. Colman O’Connell ’49 and Mary Lyons, and I was anxious to re-engage under this new and dynamic leader. For the next seven years, I became very involved in the college and the work of the board as Saint Ben’s grew in stature and reputation under MaryAnn’s leadership. I was honored to hold several leadership positions including board chair.

During my time working with MaryAnn, I saw a brilliant leader and scholar — a woman who by her every action led with dignity, passion, strength and courage.

What I didn’t realize was that while MaryAnn was leading the College of Saint Benedict in bold new directions, I was learning how to be a college president by watching an extraordinary leader in action.

I have always had a passion for higher education, especially women’s higher education. That’s why it was easy to get

involved in Saint Ben’s after I graduated in 1973, first as a volunteer, then on the alumnae board and ultimately as a trustee.

I will never forget my dinner with MaryAnn in 2012 following a board committee meeting. After a long and proud career in the banking industry, I had left banking and was serving as an expert witness on a large federal legal case. That night at dinner, I shared with MaryAnn that after working on the case for nine months, I did not know what I would do next. MaryAnn told me I could be a college president. After pointing out to her that I had a J.D. and not a Ph.D. and that my career had been in banking, not higher education, she repeated with firm conviction that I could be a college president. In fact, she knew of the perfect opportunity for me at Columbia College, a women’s college in Columbia, S.C. With only three days left before the application closed, I worked night and day and, with help from MaryAnn and her exceptional leadership team and my wonderful husband Ted, I submitted the last application Columbia College received.

Less than three months later, I was named the 18th president of Columbia College.

At my inauguration, I was honored to have my friend MaryAnn Baenninger deliver the keynote address. Each day of my presidency, I think about the many lessons

Beth Dinndorf ’73 and MaryAnn share a laugh together on what would become the first day of a lasting friendship.

I learned from her and what a role model she has been and continues to be for me.

Having taken a non-traditional path to the presidency, I am frequently asked how I came to be the president of Columbia College. Every chance I get, I tell the story of the power of love and caring, of belief in another person and of sharing that belief. MaryAnn Baenninger gave me an incredible gift, and I do everything I can to follow her example and give that gift to others.

I am blessed beyond belief to be president of a wonderful women’s college that, like my alma mater, instills in young women that with conviction, determination and hard work, we can achieve our fullest potential. For 10 years, the students of the College of Saint Benedict and all of us who have had the privilege to know and work with MaryAnn, have been the benefactors of her love, passion and amazing intellect.

She has offered me her confidence, encouragement, support and friendship.

Like the many lives MaryAnn has touched, my light shines brighter because of her.”

Elizabeth A. Dinndorf ’73

PRESIDENT, COLUMBIA COLLEGE COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT TRUSTEE 1988-1997, 2005-2014 AND BOARD CHAIR 2010-2012 Summer 2014 | 11

REFLECTIONS — VOICES FROM OUR COMMUNITY

Being here “I first met MaryAnn Baenninger well into the first year of her presidency, and I was immediately surprised by her very open and straightforward character. I was a young, recently promoted associate professor at the time, and although I did not expect much in terms of interaction with our new president, MaryAnn quickly changed that.

MaryAnn quickly made a point of understanding our community and being a present member, despite the extended spells she spent away from the college due to her presidential duties. During that first year, I saw and talked to her at CSB soccer and volleyball games, at Joint Faculty Assembly meetings and at events celebrating our students’ achievements — whether induction into an honor society or at a presentation of an honors thesis. MaryAnn was a presence at CSB and in every conversation she had with staff, administrators or faculty like me she made a point of letting us know that she supported any endeavor that enhanced student learning and development — more so, she challenged us to be the catalysts to develop such initiatives and, through her support, gave us the confidence and determination to explore programs and initiatives that, over the years, have changed the face of CSB. Certainly, the physical appearance of CSB has changed during the Baenninger years as a result of successful fundraising and careful planning — we have Gorecki as a central campus hub, a real coffee shop, a bar that actually serves beer and wine, a wellequipped and staffed fitness facility, new dorms in East apartments and Centennial Commons. However, what has changed the most at CSB over the last 10 years is the culture of the campus itself, with MaryAnn’s initiatives promoting learning and scholarship by enhancing the central role of faculty in mentoring and working with students in settings outside the traditional classroom.

From the beginning of her tenure, MaryAnn challenged the faculty to improve our scholarship and use it as a means to enhance our teaching. Her initiatives were clear and reflected priorities that placed students and teaching first. With her encouragement and unwavering support, faculty-student research initiatives have dramatically increased: we now have a central office coordinating undergraduate research, a large number of students presenting their scholarly or creative endeavors at regional and national meetings and our own Scholarship and Creativity Day (SCD) celebration that has grown from a small venue to a day-long event that embodies the culture of learning and collaboration between students and faculty. In 2012 alone, SCD included over 450 student presentations, some including multiple authors.

But the landscape of learning at CSB/SJU has changed in other ways due to MaryAnn’s understanding that the boundaries of the traditional classroom needed to be opened to society as a whole.

With her support, students and faculty were encouraged to embark in service-learning experiments that built upon our Benedictine values and traditions and developed partnerships within our

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community. Other forms of experiential learning also exploded as students increasingly took advantage of academic opportunities like study abroad and structured internships in businesses, government agencies, foundations and research and development companies.

Although the principles that guide our work as faculty and students are and always will be grounded in the Benedictine tradition of our institutions, MaryAnn’s initiatives have helped us institutionalize learning and scholarship in a novel way and challenged us to pursue our work in a collaborative and creative fashion.

Although I could keep on listing Mary Ann’s achievements at CSB, it may be more pertinent to explore why she has been so successful.

When MaryAnn arrived as president, she immediately set out to develop a keen understanding of CSB — the students, the staff, the faculty and the monastic community. She did this through being here — whether that meant gatherings at Renner House, attendance at sports events and other student functions, regular presence at faculty meetings or direct consultation with individual faculty and other employees about issues that were priorities and concerns. In this fashion, MaryAnn quickly developed an understanding of what was important to CSB and moved on to implement her vision for the future — a vision that was ambitious and innovative, but always grounded in a deep understanding of the traditions that will always be the foundation of our future path.

I will think back to MaryAnn’s years as president as the key formative phase of my career as a teacher and scholar. Granted, they would have been formative with or without her, but I believe that her leadership and commitment to student learning have helped make these years much more fulfilling and productive than they otherwise could have been. Interestingly, some of the more vivid memories I have of MaryAnn during these years are meetings I had with her and our SJU counterpart about employee benefits issues. These were not easy discussions, enveloped by an economy that was faltering and many other uncertainties. MaryAnn asked the hard questions and was often brutally honest, but was always clearly committed to doing what was right and realistic for CSB and its employees. I am deeply thankful for her thoughtful and balanced consideration of these issues, but more importantly, I recognize now as I did then that it was simply a reflection of how she approached all areas of her presidency.

This month, MaryAnn is leaving CSB, having fully-prepared and carefully positioned us for our future challenges and ambitions. I wish her and her family the very best and thank her for years of thoughtful, dedicated service that have made CSB better for both students and employees. We thank her for being here.”

Mani Campos

CSB/SJU PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY

A legacy for all time

Mark and Teresa Fleischhacker announced a gift of $2.5 million at the Centennial Gala for the upcoming academic building at Saint Ben’s. The gift will name the lecture and presentation hall in the new building for MaryAnn Baenninger.

“I am just one of many who have had the privilege to work with MaryAnn Baenninger for the past 10 years. From several thousand students to 20,000-plus alumnae who entrusted her with the care of their alma mater, MaryAnn has touched countless lives. Her leadership and steadfast determination to elevate the stature of Saint Ben’s on the national stage, to make diversity a priority and to make every Bennie proud to call Saint Ben’s home has been truly commendable.

On a personal note, I believe MaryAnn gave a lot personally to build her legacy. She gave up being close to family when she accepted the job as CSB’s President and had to endure some difficult times when family issues occurred. She managed these with grace and always had her eye on the ball utilizing her welltrained staff to manage in her absence. She spent an inordinate amount of time on the road building the image of Saint Ben’s and created a reputation so strong, we rarely hear ‘Saint Ben’s who?’

From a staff and faculty perspective, I have observed a constant change over MaryAnn’s tenure to an organization built on trust and high ethical standards. She surrounded herself with talented people who know how to work as a team to support a common mission. She gave those around her the opportunity to expand their knowledge, to broaden their education and to grow in their careers.

By doing this, she prepared her staff to face the constant changes the campus must face as we plan for the future.

It was commonplace to find MaryAnn interacting with students, and she made sure students were represented at events, including board meetings and holiday celebrations. She made sure that opportunities to showcase our students’ achievements were available, and I personally enjoyed learning from our scholarly students. I have seen many pictures where she put on her jeans to help students move into their dorms to begin their life at CSB. During the holidays, she would welcome international students into her home when they were unable to go home for the holidays. All in all, she put the students first and celebrated their achievements.

I had a similar experience as a member of the board of trustees.

Opportunities for growth were available on campus as part of committee assignments, at board meetings and at board retreats.

There were occasions to participate in seminars, to represent the college during the accreditation process and to work with consultants to evaluate strategies. As a result, the board was informed and prepared to provide the governance and support for the president and staff. MaryAnn led with transparency, and there were few restrictions around information, ensuring the board was always capable to serve the college at the highest level.

In closing, I want to thank MaryAnn for the wonderful years at Saint Ben’s. You have added a new layer of building blocks to the original strong foundation built by our Sisters, and you will remain in our hearts and memories forever.”

Mark Fleischhacker

COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT TRUSTEE 2003-2012 AND 2013-PRESENT

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REFLECTIONS — VOICES FROM OUR COMMUNITY

“Strong leadership is essential in taking a company from good to great performance, as noted in the book, Good to Great, by Jim Collins.

He describes ‘level five leaders’ as having ‘ambition first and foremost for the company and concern for its success rather than for one’s own riches and personal renown. Level five leaders want to see the company even more successful in the next generation, comfortable with the idea that most people won’t even know that the roots of that success trace back to their efforts.’

MaryAnn is this kind of leader. She has worked tirelessly for our students, our institution and for our partner Saint John’s University. When I was a trustee, and now as an administrator and alum, I have been struck by the way she brings data together with experience, intuition and the values of the institution. Her head and heart work seamlessly together to make strong business decisions for the betterment of our students’ experience. Whether that is encouraging faculty to expand their own

The Saint Ben’s cabinet pauses for a photo during their 2012 retreat.

scholarship or asking a donor to make a gift to establish an endowed scholarship, MaryAnn is tireless for Saint Ben’s.”

Kim Ferlaak Motes ’89 CSB VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

“ The college’s accomplishments under MaryAnn’s leadership are too numerous to list comprehensively. She has elevated the college nationally, financially and academically in extraordinary ways.

She has been a champion for our students

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and passionate about our mission as a residential liberal arts college.

The legacy MaryAnn leaves will reverberate throughout the next century of the college.”

Lynn Newman ’79

CHAIR OF THE CSB BOARD OF TRUSTEES

THREE PRIORESSES REFLECT ON THE

legacy of MaryAnn Baenninger “ President Baenninger’s accomplishments in strengthening the collective level of confidence among our CSB women is immeasurable. One of the many ways in which she has done this is by keeping the values of the Benedictine tradition before the college community at every turn, and by consistently referencing the legacy of the Benedictine sisters, who — with courage, foresight and wisdom — founded the College of Saint Benedict and continue to sponsor it up to the present day. It was a distinct privilege to work closely with President Baenninger in her first year at CSB and the last year of my term as prioress.”

S. Ephrem Hollermann

PRIORESS OF SAINT BENEDICT’S MONASTERY, 1995-2005

MaryAnn presents S. Michaela Hedican with a broadside of the Bennie Creed, in celebration of the Feast of St. Benedict.

“As I reflect on what it must be like to be president of the College of Saint Benedict, the first word that comes to mind is ‘challenge.’ To be president of any college is, of course, challenging, but to be president of this college requires entering into a relationship with three other communities that have close ties to the college — Saint John’s University, Saint John’s Abbey and, of course, the Sisters of Saint Benedict’s Monastery.

As I think of the manner in which MaryAnn Baenninger met the challenge of these multiple relationships, two words come to mind — ‘admiration’ and ‘appreciation.’

I admire and appreciate MaryAnn’s commitment to maintaining these relationships for the good of CSB. I am especially grateful for her sensitivity to the college’s relationship with the Sisters and for keeping in mind the wellbeing of the monastic community as she made decisions on behalf of the college. I am also grateful for all that MaryAnn has done to bring recognition to the College of Saint Benedict on the national level.

The college is better known than ever before. Thank you, MaryAnn.”

S. Nancy Bauer

PRIORESS OF SAINT BENEDICT’S MONASTERY, 2005-2011

“Enthusiastic dedication, wisdom, leadership and an ability to connect with others are the main hallmarks of President Baenninger’s decade of devoted service to all who are a part of the College of Saint Benedict. It has been an honor and a delight to have experienced these strengths first-hand during the three years I have served as prioress of Saint Benedict’s Monastery.

In her inaugural address, ‘A Golden Thread: The Liberal Arts in the 21st Century,’ President Baenninger concluded her remarks: ‘Without each other, without understanding each other, without connecting with, inspiring and acting for each other, we would be nothing.’ President Baenninger has exemplified what happens when one leads from this realization. She has built on the strengths of the college and expanded on them in ways that will take us into the next century.

As a member of the community that founded the College of Saint Benedict and who continue to sponsor it, I am profoundly grateful to President Baenninger for her leadership and for her friendship.”

S. Michaela Hedican

PRIORESS OF SAINT BENEDICT’S MONASTERY, 2011-PRESENT

Summer 2014 | 15

TIMELINE — A DECADE OF DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP

A DECADE

of dynamic leadership Through times of an international crisis, an economic recession and a media revolution, MaryAnn’s presidency has been a testament to momentum and success in a multitude of areas. She will be remembered for boosting the college’s self-esteem. When Saint Ben’s started expecting more of ourselves, we began to achieve more.

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2004 MARCH 3

MaryAnn Baenninger is named the 14th president of the College of Saint Benedict.

She takes office on August 1.

2005 MARCH

Three CSB students embark on a lifechanging journey and join more than 1,000 students, educators and leaders from 36 countries to attend an international women’s conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “Women as Global Leaders: Educating the Next Generation” was produced and hosted by Zayed University in Dubai.

April 22

2005

APRIL 22

The inauguration of MaryAnn Baenninger caps a weeklong celebration of the college’s past, present and future. The events draw to campus more than 800 guests from across the region and country, many visiting CSB for the first time. While the week’s activities celebrate the intellectual mission of the college, they also reflect Baenninger’s personality. She chooses as the inaugural theme, “A Golden Thread,” inspired by the song “Oh, Had I a Golden Thread,” by Pete Seeger and sung by Eva Cassidy.

JUNE 9

Renner House, the new CSB president’s residence and hospitality center, is named in honor of S. Emmanuel Renner ’49, CSB president from 1979 until 1986. At a house blessing ceremony, MaryAnn Baenninger cites S. Emmanuel’s lifelong relationship with the college, as a student, alumna, professor, administrator, president and trustee.

OCTOBER 6

CSB announces $80 million campaign, “Our Place in the World: A Campaign to Inspire and Transform.”

“This greeting does not come from afar,” Reinhart said jokingly.

“We welcome you as leader and learner and keeper of the flame...”

The Record, April 28, 2005

Summer 2014 | 17

TIMELINE — A DECADE OF DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP

2006 FEBRUARY 19

MaryAnn Baenninger is appointed to the board of trustees at American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She is appointed to the board

by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and ruler of Sharjah. Baenninger has been engaged with issues related to higher education in the UAE since 2001.

AUGUST

CSB receives a $500,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help prepare a new generation of women for leadership in church and society. The grant will enhance and expand the pioneering Companions on a Journey program, which brings students, faculty, staff and alumnae together to connect their values with their life choices.

AUGUST 29

CSB breaks ground on a 51,000square-foot state-of-the-art dining and conference center to be named for donors, Benedict and Dorothy Gorecki. The couple’s $3.5 million gift for the project is the largest single gift in the college’s history. It is their second multi-million dollar gift to CSB. In 2002, they contributed a leadership gift to expand and renovate the Benedicta Arts Center.

October 19

2006

OCTOBER 19

The Renaissance Series is established by MaryAnn Baenninger to bring speakers to campus who “demonstrate the diversity of opportunities available for women and men and … to encourage them to broaden their horizons in every respect, particularly in areas that are less traditional for the respective genders.” The first Renaissance Series Speaker is Judith Yaphe, a specialist in Middle Eastern political analysis, and the last speaker under MaryAnn’s leadership is actor and women’s advocate Geena Davis, who visited in February 2014.

Actor Geena Davis presents 2014 Renaissance Series lecture.

NOVEMBER 1

The new Gender and Women’s Studies major is announced for CSB/SJU students.

“The new BAC will facilitate our students’ mastery of theatrical, musical, visual arts and dance skills,” President MaryAnn Baenninger said during the dedication and blessing of the new space.

“This rich variety of venues will inspire a new burst of creativity.”

DECEMBER 1

August 29

2006

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The Benedicta Arts Center takes a bow for its expanded performing arts facility, affirming CSB’s leadership in the fine arts.

The expansion to the building is one of 10 projects receiving an Honor Award by the American Institute of Architects Minnesota in 2007.

2007 APRIL

The Bush Foundation awards $1 million grants to CSB and SJU.

“The young women at the College of Saint Benedict are national leaders in study abroad participation and service to our global community.

They are women of integrity, intellect and courage,” said MaryAnn Baenninger. “The Bush grant will enable us to grow our endowment, and these funds will enable us to expand the unique educational experience we provide to our students even further.”

August

2007 AUGUST 29

A warm, red-bricked facade now sits at the heart of Saint Ben’s campus. The baptism for the $12 million Gorecki Dining and Conference Center heralds a new era at Saint Ben’s. A crowd of 200, including donors Benedict and Dorothy Gorecki, sprinkle the bakery, lounge, kitchen and the dining room with holy water.

SEPTEMBER

The Sister Nancy Hynes Center for Women’s Leadership is established in honor of S. Nancy Hynes, OSB, long-time member of the CSB/SJU English faculty and advocate for women’s leadership.

2008 FEBRUARY

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) elects MaryAnn Baenninger to its board. CIC, a national service organization for small and mid-sized, independent liberal arts colleges and universities, is based in Washington, D.C.

SEPTEMBER 15

MaryAnn Baenninger is appointed to and attends the inaugural meeting of the new Chronicle of Higher Education/New York Times Higher Education Cabinet. The 76-member cabinet identifies trends and discusses issues facing higher education.

OCTOBER

April

2007

MaryAnn Baenninger announces the campaign, “Our Place in the World: A Campaign to Inspire and Transform” has raised $82.7 million and has concluded one year before the June 30, 2009, target date. This is nearly three times the amount of money that was raised in the last capital campaign, which was concluded in 1996 and raised $30.5 million.

Summer 2014 | 19

TIMELINE — A DECADE OF DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP

DECEMBER 29

Br. Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, passes away after serving as president of Saint John’s University for nearly 17 years, five of those years with MaryAnn Baenninger.

“It is a privilege to have worked with Br. Dietrich as partners and colleagues, and it is an even greater privilege to call him my friend.

I will always be grateful to Br. Dietrich for the kindness, wisdom and dedication he showed during our five years of work together.”

Br. Dietrich Reinhart, OSB: A Presidential Legacy

2009 JULY 1

The Rev. Robert Koopmann, OSB, begins his official duties as the 12th president of Saint John’s University.

AUGUST 23

December 20

2009

“This is a tremendous accomplishment in CSB history, and I am deeply grateful to the faculty members in computer science, physics and mathematics who worked especially hard to make this happen,” said MaryAnn Baenninger. “This grant will allow us to continue our focus on providing exceptional opportunities and accessibility to women in these disciplines.”

The first cohort of MapCores students graduate in 2013.

DECEMBER 20

CSB receives $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, which will be used to continue and enhance a program called MapCores (Math, Physics, Computer Science Research Scholars), which was started in the fall of 2009 by CSB/SJU faculty.

The program blends scholarships, curricular refinements, monitoring and support activities designed to attract, retain and graduate more women in these disciplines. Twelve women enrolled in the pilot cohort in fall 2009.

CSB receives a $364,681 grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Major Research Instrumentation Program to purchase a 400 megahertz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. The grant, the largest awarded from the NSF to CSB, is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

OCTOBER 2

CSB/SJU will be home to a new chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

2009

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MAI TONG YANG ‘15

October 2

February 4

2010

2010 FEBRUARY 4

“MaryAnn Baenninger and SJU President Fr. Robert Koopmann found their way out of their bundled Minnesotan coats last week and into something a little more shapely — the Oval Office. The presidents were in Washington, D.C. to attend a conference for presidents of Catholic colleges and universities.” The Record, February 10, 2010.

2011 JUNE

The Minnesota Private College Council, Fund and Research Foundation appoints MaryAnn Baenninger chair of the board.

AUGUST 22

CSB becomes the first college in Minnesota and — at the time — one of nine in the U.S. to implement a water bottle policy which eliminates the sale and purchase of plain, plastic bottled water on campus. The policy includes the elimination of all bottled water from vending machines, and sales are discontinued in the bookstore, dining venues and athletic events. As an alternative, 39 hydration stations (touch-free units mounted to the wall that dispense tap water) are installed throughout the campus, with at least one in each building. CSB also broadens its sustainability practices by going “trayless” in the Gorecki Dining and Conference Center.

DECEMBER 15

MaryAnn Baenninger attends the first Women in Public Service Project (WPSP) colloquium. Led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, this colloquium discusses the goals of WPSP, namely to help women worldwide become involved in public service. Clinton created the WPSP to understand all-women colleges and how they can help women in the United States and abroad become more active in the public sector.

“Women can change the way politics work, but it’s not going to change if we don’t get into it.”

MaryAnn Baenninger The Record, January 2012

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TIMELINE — A DECADE OF DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP

JULY 1

Michael Hemesath begins his official duties as 13th president of Saint John’s University.

March 10

AUGUST 26

2012

2012 JANUARY 16 – CSB becomes the first

college in Minnesota and the fourth in the nation to sign on to the St. Francis Pledge, a nationwide effort being led by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.

The pledge is a commitment by Catholic individuals, families, parishes, organizations and institutions to live the faith by protecting God’s creation and advocating on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change.

“As a Benedictine institution, we are committed to the values of stewardship and respect for persons,” said MaryAnn Baenninger.

“The St. Francis Pledge is consistent with the sustainable practices we already enact and value at College of Saint Benedict, and consonant with our Benedictine mission and heritage.”

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MARCH 10

Both CSB and SJU are named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. CSB receives additional recognition by being named to the Honor Roll with Distinction for the second straight year.

Centennial Commons officially opens for CSB students. It is named in honor of CSB’s centennial in 2013. The $8 million project consists of four eightunit townhome-style buildings and one community center building. The complex is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified, a standard that rates buildings on their design, construction and operation. It is the first student housing in Minnesota to receive this designation.

July 1

2012

MaryAnn and SJU President Michael Hemesath share the Phi Beta Kappa handshake at the 2013 induction ceremony.

November 13

2012

NOVEMBER 13

CSB and SJU accept the 2012 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization, in Washington, D.C. MaryAnn Baenninger takes part in a panel discussion on steps higher education institutions can take to meet rising student demand for foreign languages, access to study abroad opportunities and international experiences needed to compete for jobs in today’s global economy.

“We are one of only five colleges — out of 4,700 in the nation — to earn the highest honor in international education, the 2012 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.

This award recognizes outstanding and innovative achievements in campus internationalization. It also acknowledges that our students have a global educational experience right here on campus where we bring international and global perspectives to all aspects of their learning.” MaryAnn Baenninger

2013 MAY 11

The college’s 98th commencement ceremony kick offs the centennial celebration for CSB — A Century of Connection. This significant moment in the college’s history serves as the juncture between the first 100 years and the college’s next 100 years. MaryAnn Baenninger receives honorary bachelor of arts and doctor of humane letters degrees from the college in recognition of her skilled leadership in higher education, unwavering commitment to the liberal arts, outstanding accomplishments at CSB and her devotion to the development of young women at the college.

May 11

2013

Summer 2014 | 23

TIMELINE — A DECADE OF DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP

OCTOBER 22

MaryAnn Baenninger, 14th president of the College of Saint Benedict, informs the CSB board of trustees that she will step down from the presidency on June 30, 2014.

“We will forever love and remain connected to the wonderful community at Saint Ben’s, and in central Minnesota. I am exceedingly proud of the many accomplishments during my tenure and grateful to all who have supported me and the aspirational vision I have had for the College of Saint Benedict.”

June 28-30

2013

2014

JUNE 28-30

More than 1,400 Saint Ben’s alumnae from 38 states and seven countries gather for the AllSchool Reunion, in honor of the college’s centennial. MaryAnn Baenninger addresses more than 1,000 people in Escher Auditorium for the kickoff celebration:

“Let your light shine. As alumnae of this college, you have each taken your light into the world and oh, have you let it shine — in lab rooms and board rooms and family rooms around the world. Your light is a powerful thing. But when we gather together we can shine our collective light on the future. The brilliance of our aggregated light can put doubt and uncertainty on the run and build a beacon to welcome the next generation. Your light is a vibrant, illuminating glow. The world needs more light like that. The world needs more Bennies.”

MaryAnn Baenninger

OCTOBER 1

MaryAnn Baenninger receives the 2013 William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education.

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February 26

2014

FEBRUARY 26

MaryAnn Baenninger, along with former CSB Presidents S. Emmanuel Renner ’49 and S. Colman O’Connell ’49, receives the SJU President’s Medal and Citation.

Baenninger is recognized for her decadelong leadership of CSB. Among the items she is cited for are establishing a Phi Beta Kappa chapter at CSB and SJU, which raised the academic profile of both schools; her commitment and support of campus diversity and global awareness; and her advocacy of the liberal arts.

TRADITIONS

Candle lighting “Sic Luceat Lux Vestra,” says the Saint Ben’s motto. “So let your light shine.” Students today bring that to life with the candle-lighting ceremonies held during the First-Year Dinner and again at the Senior Dinner.

CONNECTING the dots Tapping into traditions — old and new — is a powerful path toward strengthening “our sense of place and community,” according to president MaryAnn Baenninger. As such, initiating, reviving and reinforcing campus traditions have been hallmarks of Baenninger’s tenure. They’re the ways we connect Bennies who may have never met, through the bonds of common experience.

In 2007, a group of students created a statement about the distinctive values each Saint Ben’s student and alumna embodies. The result is a beautiful compilation of truths known as the Bennie Creed.

Each year there’s a full day of events celebrating St. Benedict’s Day.

Campus Christmas tree In a beautiful tradition started just two Christmases ago, students process from their residence halls to the center of campus. Crowd members hold tea lights as representatives from each class step forward and the women’s choir leads Christmas carols. Then the tree is blessed and the switch is flipped, illuminating over 3,000 bulbs.

During finals week every year, a pancake breakfast is hosted, prepared and served by the college staff and administration.

E very December, a festive Christmas dinner is served for Bennies and Johnnies at Saint Ben’s.

(Several weeks earlier, a Thanksgiving dinner is served for Bennies and Johnnies on campus at Saint John’s.)

Summer 2014 | 25

NEWS NEWS

Mary Hinton appointed CSB’s15th president

Mary Hinton made several trips to College of Saint Benedict this spring. But the last visit, in late March, was perhaps the sweetest — she had recently been named the college’s 15th president and came to campus for an official welcome reception with the community. “While I stand before you today, please know that my husband Robert and my children Hallela, Hillel and Hosanna are here with me in spirit,” Hinton shared at the reception. “They, along with me, are honored to be joining the community.”

Hinton, who currently serves as the vice president for academic affairs at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., succeeds MaryAnn Baenninger, who announced in October 2013, that she would step down in June 2014, after serving 10 years as president of the college.

At Mount Saint Mary College, Hinton provides senior administrative leadership for academic affairs, enrollment management, planning, assessment and institutional research and student affairs, among other areas. Hinton’s passion for student retention led to the development of the Center for Student Success, a model program that provides comprehensive academic support services to improve student retention and persistence. She has extensive strategic planning and institutional effectiveness experience and chairs the college’s Strategic Planning and Budgeting Committee.

Hinton will take office July 1, 2014. Inauguration ceremonies are scheduled for Sept. 21, 2014.

Three CSB presidents honored with SJU President’s Medal Former Saint Ben’s Presidents S. Emmanuel Renner ’49 and S. Colman O’Connell ’49 and current CSB President MaryAnn Baenninger all received the SJU President’s Medal and Citation on Feb. 26, at the annual CSB/SJU Midwinter Luncheon.

Both Renner and O’Connell were recognized for their years of leadership and specifically for their dedication to fostering the partnership with Saint John’s and implementing the joint curriculum.

Both women enrolled in Saint Ben’s in the fall of 1945, when the school was fewer than 300 students. Both women joined the monastery and taught at Saint Ben’s and eventually became president. Renner led the school from 1979 to 1986 and O’Connell from 1986 to 1996.

President MaryAnn Baenninger was also presented with the award for her accomplishments during her 10 years as president, especially her efforts to establish a CSB/SJU Phi Beta Kappa chapter, her commitment to global awareness and advocacy of liberal arts education.

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S. Emmanuel Renner ’49, MaryAnn Baenninger and S. Colman O’Connell ’49

give thanks Students

for your gifts

On March 19, a campus-wide celebration for Tomorrow Made Possible (TMP) honored the philanthropic gifts of alumnae, parents, friends, faculty, staff and students. TMP marks the symbolic day when students’ tuition stops paying the bills at the college and institutional support from donors makes a Saint Ben’s education possible. Today, roughly one-third of Saint Ben’s staff and faculty donate to the annual giving fund for scholarship support. Students showed their appreciation by learning about philanthropy and completing hundreds of thank you notes to donors.

CSB No. 21 in 2014 Peace Corps rankings Saint Ben’s was ranked No. 21 in the Peace Corps Top Colleges 2014 rankings, which recognizes the top 25 volunteer-producing schools across the country.

The college moved up 23 places from 2013. CSB was one of three Minnesota colleges in the ranking.

The Peace Corps works to improve global challenges such as climate change, food security, gender equality and disease, while promoting their mission of promoting world peace and friendship. They accomplish these goals with the help of hundreds of thousands of volunteers that serve in 139 countries. Volunteers serve 27-month terms, with two vacation days a month.

Every year, 8-10 percent of CSB students choose to volunteer after graduation, and a portion of those graduates do so through the Peace Corps. Currently, Saint Ben’s has 11 graduates serving overseas, adding to the total of 143 CSB graduates who have served since the program was established in 1961.

Summer 2014 | 27

NEWS NEWS

MAI TONG YANG ‘15

72 CSB and SJU students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa This spring, 72 students from CSB and SJU were inducted into the Theta of Minnesota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at CSB and SJU. A combination of seniors and juniors were selected by CSB/SJU faculty members who are members of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society. The basic criteria for selection are a grade-point average (3.75 for juniors, 3.65 for seniors) and a liberal arts major.

PHI BETA KAPPA INDUCTEES: Maria Anderson Brittany Ayers Heather Beckius Nicholas Benson Brian Bohman Jeffrey Bowers Amanda Brown Grace Butkowski Elizabeth Camber Hannah Christensen Kendra Coleman Bridget Cummings

Lauren Currie Hannah Deblauwe Joseph Dooher Daniel Flesher Alexander Forster Marcelline Gangl Rose Gangl Harrison Gerdes Aaron Guennigsman Michael Hajostek Preston Hardy Robert Hedburg

Abby Hendricks Joseph Hodapp Margaret Holm Andrew Hovel Anne Kampa Kathryn Keller-Miller Joseph Kinnan Nicole Kirkvold Connor Klausing Lisa Knapek Chelsea Komarek Anna Krieger

Emily Krulc Kaitlyn Lauer Mackenzie Lecy Alexandra Lentz Jennifer Line Margaret LoBianco Amanda Luby Justin Markon Camry Martinez Alexander McIntosh Ryan McMillan Erin Medvecz

Melania Meyer Patrick Miles Rachel Mullin Nhu Nguyen Michaela Patton Elizabeth Peichel Sean Pickthorn Stephanie Pinkalla Benjamin Precourt Taylor Ramler Lydia Ricard Jacob Saffert

Erica Sinner Katie Spoden Bridgette Springer Angela Stevens Melissa Stuckey Caitlin Swanson Avidan Tabak Michael Terhaar Alexander Van Loh Kelsey Weiers Chendan Yan Licheng Yin

CSB students join Delta Epsilon Sigma Saint Ben’s inducted 21 new members into the Omega Chapter of Delta Epsilon Sigma (DES), a national Catholic honor society for women. The Omega Chapter of DES was chartered March 29, 1940, at CSB. Applicants must maintain a 3.9 grade-point average or higher and must be highly involved in the community through volunteer and extracurricular activities.

DELTA EPSILON SIGMA INDUCTEES: Hannah Anderson Kayla Anderson Maria Anderson Grace Butkowski Kathryn Gaydos Rebecca Gudknecht Abby Hendricks Melissa Kahl Katie Kuehn Tessa Lasswell Jennifer Line

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Anna Marie Luke Erin Medvecz Kayla Pawek Megan Sigrist Erica Kay Sinner Bridgette Springer Molly Sullivan Weijue Wang Kelsey Weiers Chendan Yan

Track and field team races through

STELLAR SEASON

The 2014 season included many firsts for the Blazer track and field team. The team showed an all-around fierce fight to break 10 school records and to earn three MIAC titles, one MIAC championship record, 25 all-conference honorable mention performances, seven all-conference performances and five spots at the NCAA national tournament. Individual highlights include: First year Alli Kosobud won both the 800-meter and 1,000-meter at the MIAC Championships. Her 800-meter time was a new school record and an MIAC record. During the indoor season, she broke the 800-meter, 1,000-meter and mile records at CSB. Junior Manon Gammon-Deering placed fourth in the 1,000-meter event at the MIAC Championships, earning a personal record and the third best time for the event in school history.

Senior Mandy Witshen was named to the Indoor All-MIAC team for the second straight year after placing third in the Pentathlon, breaking her own school record for points.

The distance medley relay team, senior Kelsie Larson, first-year Maria Kiminski, senior Kayti Helm and sophomore Sam Womeldorf also earned All-MIAC honors after winning the conference title.

The 4x200-meter relay team of sophomore Valerie Clintsman, sophomore Micayla Westendorf, sophomore Suzi Adams and senior Clare Foley scored a third-place finish at the MIAC Championships and broke the CSB record set in 2011.

Summer 2014 | 29

A Century of

Connection

REFLECTIONS ON COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT’S 100TH BIRTHDAY YEAR In these pages, you will find some of the people and events that characterized College of Saint Benedict’s centennial year, May 2013 through May 2014. While the photographs capture the mood and significance of this moment in our history, they also represent 100 years of tradition and transformation. They are a reminder of our fundamental mission to provide women the best residential liberal arts education in the Catholic university tradition. These virtues will sustain us for the next 100 years.

A CENTURY OF CONNECTION

The yearlong centennial celebration began in May 2013, with the graduation of 514 women who comprise the largest graduating class in the college’s history and the last graduating class of the college’s first century. Each woman took the stage like many before her, inspired to leave her mark on the world.

Harvey Jewett, a member of the Saint Ben’s board of trustees and long-time supporter of the college was presented the President’s Medal.

President MaryAnn Baenninger received honorary bachelor of arts and doctor of humane letters degrees from the college in recognition of her skilled leadership in higher education, unwavering commitment to the liberal arts, outstanding accomplishments at CSB and her devotion to the development of young women at the college.

Sisters for the second century More than 1,450 people from 38 states and seven countries gathered at Saint Ben’s in late June 2013 for the All-School Reunion. Festivities included an outdoor concert, Blazer Hall of Fame ceremony and a kickoff celebration where the Sisters of Saint Benedict “passed the torch� to the alumnae of the college, signifying the continuation of a legacy of community and learning.

The weekend concluded with a gala reception and program, where more than 20 alums and alum groups were honored for their contributions in their personal and professional lives.

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Saint Ben’s celebrated with the local community during several summer events including Joe Town Rocks and Millstream Fun Run.

100 Candles Hundreds of faculty, staff and students gathered in August for a festive campus birthday celebration. In addition to cake, music and party hats, a giant centennial gift box collected birthday wishes from current students.

Summer 2014 | 33

More than 600 people attended the 2014 Renaissance Lecture by Geena Davis, academy award-winning actor and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Using a mix of spot-on humor and statistics, Davis talked to the crowd about inequalities in media — mostly confined to movies and television, but also mentioning sports reporting and governmental representation.

On March 22, Bennies and community members gathered for Bennie Day of Service to inspire, recognize and celebrate the power of women to improve their communities and create change through service to others.

On Nov. 13, 2013, CSB received $240,539 in donations from alumnae, students, parents and friends who were encouraged to make a gift to the “$100K in a Day” challenge. Every gift will go to support students.

To every alum and donor who provided matching gifts and to each person who made a gift, we thank you for helping reach (and pass!) our goal. This day is one for the history books!

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Our athletes and performers rose to the occasion and filled the year with unforgettable milestones and achievements!

A three-month tour brought members of the Saint Ben’s community around the U.S. and the Bahamas, to honor and celebrate the centennial. Alums and friends enjoyed renewing friendships, sharing stories and learning about the future of Saint Ben’s.

Summer 2014 | 35

Spirits illuminated as alumnae, friends, donors, faculty, staff and students gathered for a special grand finale to the centennial year. More than 500 people attended the Centennial Gala on April 26, at The Depot in downtown Minneapolis. Proceeds from the event will go toward student scholarships. A highlight from the evening was a $2.5 million gift presented by Mark and Teresa Fleischhacker to be used toward a new academic building. Twenty-seven sponsors added to the outpouring of support to create a memorable centennial finale event!

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Our sincere gratitude for our sponsors: Century of Connection Sponsors

The Schmid Family Wine Sponsor

Harvey and Cynthia Jewett Centennial Brand Sponsor President’s Sponsors • Abbot Downing • Coborn’s • Sand Companies, Inc. • LeAnne Matthews Stewart ’87 and John Ogilvie Stewart • The Jeanette ’45 and Bob ’48 Welle Family

Benedictine Table Sponsors • Campbell & Company • Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis & The Catholic Community Foundation • Cindy, Dwayne, Judi ’04 Dockendorf — Family & Friends • Andy and Jodi Fritz, El-Jay Plumbing & Heating • General Mills • GNP Company • Granite Equity Partners • Elizabeth Hayden ’68 & Charles Flinn • HGA Architects and Engineers • Mathew Hall Lumber Company — In honor of the four generations of Hall women attending the College of Saint Benedict • Teresa Mazzitelli ’72,The Mazzitelli Group, executive search consultants • McGough Construction • Margaret Murphy ’90 & Steve Olin • Lynn Newman ’79, chair, CSB board of trustees • Dr. Chriss Renier • Joan Strom Riebel ’64 • Saint John’s University • Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s Abbey • Xcel Energy

Summer 2014 | 37

I’M A BENNIE I’M A BENNIE

Jackie Murillo

’10

LEADER. MENTOR. WARRIOR.

Jackie Murillo has fought statistics much of her life. As a young girl, her family moved often between California and Costa Rica, unsure of where they wanted to be or where they fit in. She questioned her identity — she was an American girl in Costa Rica and a Latina in the U.S. When her parents split up, she discovered that money was the root of the problem — money they talked about and fought over. Money they didn’t have. “We were a family of four children with a single mother, receiving welfare because my mom’s job was not enough to make ends meet,” Jackie explains.

“I was fighting against statistics, like the ones from my high school.

My incoming freshman class had 1,200 students. By the time we were seniors, this number dropped to 800. Only 600 graduated with me.”

Unsure if she would ever go to college — her parents and two older siblings did not — she accepted support from her family and high school advisor and applied to Saint Ben’s. She received an Intercultural LEAD scholarship and became a first-generation college student.

Throughout her four years at Saint Ben’s, she immersed herself in classroom and extracurricular activities, determined to take advantage of every opportunity. Since graduation, she’s pursued her dream to attend law school at Seattle University School of Law. Major at CSB: English, minor in political science First-year residence hall: Aurora D-lounge Favorite course at CSB: Modern Literature with S. Mara Faulkner Best college food: Gary’s Pizza Life motto: Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

Most treasured possession: My mind

38 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine

How did you first feel coming to Saint Ben’s?

I fell in love with it. Although I was a city girl, there was something about Saint Ben’s that simply felt right. I loved how people received me and treated me like I was really welcome and wanted there. I liked that it wasn’t just an institution but also a community that practices Benedictine values, which I think is one of the best things about Saint Ben’s.

How did your CSB experience influence your path to law school?

CSB allowed me to explore my options with different fields, including the legal field, and because of this, I realized that I wanted to further my education after college and develop a career within the legal community.

How did your family relationships change because of your CSB experience?

My family relationships became stronger because of my choice to attend CSB. My experience at CSB allowed me to become more independent from my family and at the same time realize how much they meant to me and how much I appreciate having my family with me and having their constant support.

What were the most important lessons you learned through the Intercultural LEAD program?

To work with others in a shared purpose (to teach others about diversity and how we each represented diversity in different ways); to support our fellow Intercultural Leaders and rely on them as well; and to take the lead to create the change we want to see.

What advice do you have for young women about to graduate?

Always be open to other people’s opinions, but never let those opinions keep you from pursuing what you really want. Do not settle, seek to love what you do.

What is the most important thing a woman should know when entering the professional world?

Be confident in your ability to improve. You will not know everything at first but remember everyone comes in with a disadvantage. Fight the insecurity and be assertive. Take risks, take initiative, be proactive and put yourself out there. Have an open mind and don’t stop striving for your ultimate goal.

CLASS NOTES CLASS NOTES

MILESTONES 1973

athy Domino Ohman will direct a Galway K study abroad trip in fall 2015. This will be her second time going to Ireland and third time leading a study abroad trip. She also received the Nursing Research Publication Award from the St. Cloud Hospital Nursing Research Committee for her contributions to evidence-based practice and research.

LAURA NEUMANN WASILOWSKI

is the author of three books: Fusing Fun! Fast Fearless Art Quilts, Fuse-and-Tell Journal Quilts: Create your Story in Cloth and Fanciful Stiches, Colorful Quilts. She is the owner of Art Fabrik in Elgin, Ill. Her work is portrayed in a number of galleries, and she has appeared on numerous television programs.

’74

Mary Hanzal Alink is the intake 1979

administrator at Golden Living in Fort Smith, Ariz.

Mary Voight is a teacher at DeLaSalle 1980 Catholic High School in Minneapolis.

1986

ary Devine Mayers is the executive M director for the Mesabi Humane Society.

1989

Sandra Huberty Vetsch works in U.S. sales and new market development at ExSilent in Plymouth, Minn.

’89

MARY MAUS KOSIR recently founded

WholeMe, which produces whole-food-based, healthy, grain-free and truly tasty snacks, in St. Paul, Minn.

Carie Schulte Braun authored a chapter 1992

in the book, Complementary Alternative Therapies in Nursing, which focuses on a meta-analysis of the integration of alternative and complementary therapies into nursing education.

Deborah Kolar received the Building Owners and Managers Association of Minneapolis President’s Award. Kolar is a senior property manager at Beacon Real Estate Services.

1996

1997

icole Theisen Lang received her MSN/ N Ed from the University of Phoenix in October 2013. Her practicum focused on stress and time management of baccalaureate nursing students, particularly those of sophomore CSB/SJU nursing students.

E mily Osadebay wrote the book, Going Back and Moving Forward: Remembering the Past with Fondness.

Jodi Friedrich Berndt received a Ph.D. 1998

from Capella University in October 2013.

Her research involved perceptions of nurse educators and the value of active clinical practice in addition to the nurse educator role.

RUTH COLLER FORBES

’89

is the warden at the Kulani Correctional Facility on the Big Island in Hawaii.

BC

For complete news and notes from classmates and to post your notes, go to BenniesConnect: www.csbalum.csbsju.edu or email us at csbalumnae@csbsju.edu.

J ennifer Kelm Peterson received a master’s degree in nursing in May 2013. She also passed her family nurse practitioner national certification exam in July 2013.

JODI MONTGOMERY MAYERS

owner of and lead stylist at Corset Styling and Fashion Boutique took home three Best of Edina awards in 2014: Best SmallBusiness Customer Service, Best Boutique, and Best New Shop.

1999

MICHELLE MACY

’99

was one of 15 nominees for the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year, which was won

by Russia’s Olga Kozyydub. Macy was the first American and third person overall to achieve the Oceans Seven. As a full-time Nike employee, she has taken time out of her busy work schedule to become one of the most prolific and accomplished open water swimmers in contemporary times. Without sponsors and without hype, she moves about the globe to cross channels and help others in their own quests.

Naomi Johnson Schneider received 2000

the Outstanding Achievement in Use of Evidence in Nursing Management award from the St. Cloud Hospital Nursing Research Committee, Nursing Research and Scholarly Activity Awards.

Mattie Hawley is the lead customer relationship specialist at Symplicity.

2001

nne LaFlamme received a Doctor of A Nursing Practice degree specializing in nursing informatics from the University of Minnesota in December 2013.

Gina Wesley received the inaugural 2013 2002

’98

hannon Slaikeu Horstman was promoted S to human resources specialist at Guild Incorporated in St. Paul in March 2014.

Early Professional Achievement Award from The Ohio State University College of Optometry Alumni Society. The award reflects professional accomplishment within the first 15 years of optometric practice.

Leeza Martinez Byers was one of the 2003

authors of The Confident Woman: Tapping Into Your Inner Power, released at the PWN International Conference in Louisville, KY.

Summer 2014 | 39

CLASS NOTES CLASS NOTES

2009 Dana Joseph is a litigation associate

attorney at Maser, Amundson, Boggio, Hendricks in Minneapolis, Minn.

Samantha Schmidt is an attorney at Bruno Law.

’04

KRISTIN HOLMES STAPLETON

’06

was honored as WCCO’s Teacher of the Week in January 2014.

2004

eidi Symons received a master’s degree H in nursing and family nurse practitioner degree from the University of Phoenix.

RAGANA VIDOVIC D completed an internship at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia in December 2013 and will receive a master’s degree from the University of Bradford in Yorkshire, U.K., June 2014. She was accepted to a Ph.D. program at the University of Essex in Colchester, U.K.

Christine Johnson Henken is a project 2005 manager II at Rust Consulting, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minn.

Emily DeCoster Deziel is an experience reporting advisor at Securian Financial Group.

Corey Hickner-Johnson received a 2007

2007

master’s degree in English from the University of St. Thomas and is studying for a Ph.D. in gender, women’s and sexuality studies at the University of Iowa.

J enna Lynner is a behavior interventionist at Easter Seals in Santa Ana, California.

2009 Kristen Perry is risk manager at

Enterprise Risk Management at U.S. Bank. She received her J.D. degree from William Mitchell.

J aqueline Van Moer received a J.D. degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and is an attorney at Ranstad USA in St. Paul, Minn.

mber Helper Scott earned an associate’s A degree in graphic communication technology from Kirkwood Community College. She is a graphic designer at Technology Media Group in Dallas, TX.

tephanie Rothstein has received S a master’s degree in public health epidemiology from the University of Minnesota in August 2013.

amantha Schmidt received a J.D. from S William Mitchell Law School in January 2013 and graduated with honors.

2010

olly Bray is a registered dietitian at M Jewel-Osco in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Calleigh Brown is a human resources manager at Delaware North in Minneapolis, Minn.

Maggie Venell is working full-time for Ventures Travel, a travel company that sends adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities on vacations.

EXPERIENCE A PLACE

G C AT T H E C O L L E G E O F S A I N T B E N E D I C T

ALL-INCLUSIVE EVENT PLANNING 320-363-5791 email: csbevents@csbsju.edu www.csbsju.edu/csbeventsandconferences

40 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine

BANQUETS • RETREATS • TRAINING • WEDDING RECEPTIONS • HOLIDAY GATHERINGS • SPECIAL EVENTS • SUMMER HOUSING

2011

rie Hamilton is a business analyst at A UnitedHealth Group in Minnetonka, Minn.

argaret Rothstein is a youth M development counselor at Southdale YMCA in Edina, Minn.

arrie Vandelac is self-employed as a C holistic health coach.

my Weum is the English language A development teacher at Hiawatha Academies.

atie Hansen is the senior high program K assistant at Wooddale Church.

Sarah Krantz is the human resources 2012 administrator at Olympic Steel.

ara Wilde is a seventh grade math S teacher at Plymouth Middle School.

Traci Thielen is a fourth grade teacher at 2013 Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Colo.

riel Reischl received the Outstanding A Nursing Student Award in Evidence-Based Practice from the St. Cloud Hospital Nursing Research Committee.

J ill Wees is a product assistant at Opera Omaha.

licia Renstrom is the administrative A assistant at Mar Cor Purification.

2014

anielle Liebl is a therapeutic recreation D program assistant at Reach for Resources, Inc. in Hopkins, Minn.

MARRIAGES Amanda Turner to Michael Lampson, 1997 Nov. ’13

2000 2002

Lisa Voit to Brad Zimmerman, Dec. ’13 Kelly Reinert to Chad Lower, Dec. ’13

CAITLYN LOTHIAN TO SCOTT FRANCOIS ’09, SEPT. ’13

’09

2003 Danielle Hannon to Korey Boser, June ’12 2006 Maria Carrow to Kevin Ryan, May ’13 Jaime Goehner to Andy Humann ’07, 2007 June ’13

Megan Peterson to Timothy Christofield, Jan. ’14

2007 2008

Erin McGowan to Eric Fugleberg, Sept. ’13 Kassie Koltes to Kevin Ryan, Dec. ’13

’10

JOY POHLAND TO TIM JANSSEN ’10, NOV. ’13

Melissa Ulrich to Robert Murtaugh ’08, 2008 Sept. ’13

VAN TRAN TO JUSTIN TRIMNER, NOV. ’12

’02

Keep the connections alive at facebook.com/SaintBensAlums

Annie Clintsman to Matt Rivard, Aug. ’13

Claire Anderson to Levi Teigen ’09, 2009 June ’13

2010

ngela Rodgers to Cole Hickman ’08, A Oct. ’13

Summer 2014 | 41

CLASS NOTES CLASS NOTES

’10

HAYLEY BERRISFORD TO KYLE MUELLER, JAN. ’14

Alissa Burg to Nicholas Gunderson ’09, 2010 Dec. ’13

2011

shley Studniski to James Kimeu ’09, A Jan. ’14

’97

ANNE OLSON KILZER & TOM KILZER ’97, GIRL, CHLOE, AUG. ’13

BIRTHS

Kimberly Landrigan Stone & Marshall 1993 Stone, girl, Addison, Dec. ’11

1991

italee Heurung Walters & Bruce Walters, R girl, Winifred, Nov. ’13

Molly Bergstrom Berg & Jon Berg, girl, 1996 Annika, Sept. ’13

1992

onnie Kalla & Kurt Moreland ’91, girl, B Monica, Jan. ’14

1997

Cash

More must-see performances: Jose James Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014 Gorecki Family Theater, CSB

CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE

ROSANNE

Don’t miss an incredible evening with American music royalty. Singer and songwriter Rosanne Cash and her band are celebrating the release of her highlyanticipated album, The River and the Thread, a collection of new, original songs that reconnect Rosanne to the American South, the place of her birth and the home of her ancestors. Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014

E rin Hicks Crowder & Benjamin Crowder, girl, Anna, May ’12

Khumariyaan

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU

American Public Media presents Wits Friday, Oct. 3, 2014 Escher Auditorium, CSB

Marjane Satrapi

Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 Gorecki Family Theater, CSB

Theatre Latte Da presents Steerage Song

42 | CollegeFor of Saint Benedict Magazine the complete schedule and to purchase tickets, visit www.csbsju.edu/fine-arts.

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU

Nicole Kroetsch Leimer & Braden Leimer, 1998 boy, Nicholas, Feb. ’14

Bobbie Stotz Scherping & Alvin Scherping, 1999 girl, Jasmin, Feb. ’14

2001

mber Dingmann Jacobs & Paul Jacobs, A boy, Lukas, Jan. ’14

Jennifer Fischer DuBois & Michael DuBois, girl, Norah, May ’12 Jessica Johnson Keating & Ryan 2001

Keating ’03, girl, Savannah, Jan. ’14

’02

’00

KIMBERLY THERRES OH & JOSEPH OH, BOY, SAEJOON, OCT. ’12

IAVANA BAIN JONES & DAYTON G JONES, GIRL, DAELYN, JULY ’13

Rebecca Orud Brown & Jeffrey Brown, 2002 son, Gabriel, Aug. ’13

Deanna Brand Thompson & Michael Thompson, girls, Victoria and Natasha, Jan. ’14

elly Wegwerth Johnson & Weston K Johnson, boy, Asher, July ’13

Stephanie Braegelmann LaBine & Nathan LaBine, boy, Beckett, Feb. ’14

Laura Stork Beirne & Matthew Beirne ’94, girl, Lydia, Feb. ’14

Liz Deziel & Thomas Stukel ’02, girl, Noelle, Dec. ’13

Erin McGeary Selix & Jason Selix, boy, Brett, Feb. ’14

atricia Herou Trier & Philip Trier ’01, boy, P Harrison, May ’13

Maluszka Slabinski-Schmidt & Mason 2003

Rachael Arrington Ausmus & Aaron 2005

Pettit ’04, girl, Isla, Oct. ’13

Jill Ryan Czeck & Jonathan Czeck, boy, Frederick, Sept. ’13

2006

rittany Mrozek Shou & Andy Schou ’06, B boy, Oliver, Feb. ’14

arrie Loundon Mohs & Zachary C Mohs ’03, boy, Calvin, Aug. ’13

ndrea Brandel Weier & Ryan Weier, girl, A Evelyn, Sept. ’13

Brigette McKenzie Pettit & Adam 2004

Alissa Keene Theis & Joshua Theis ’04, girl, Celia, Jan. ’14

’03

Amanda Blank-Smith & Shannon 2004

Schmidt, girl, Olive, Sept. ’13

E RICA LINDQUIST RADEMACHER & CHAD RADEMACHER, BOY, BROOKS, DEC. ’13

nn Trebtoske Jacobs & Cory A Jacobs ’03, boy, Carson, Jan. ’14

Smith ’02, boy, Oliver, July ’13

ally Larson Hagen & Scott Hagen, S boy, Gabriel, Dec. ’13

Ausmus, boy, Knox, March ’14

Meghan Marrinan Feliciano & Garrett 2005

Amber Zoller Elfering & Joshua Elfering, 2007

Jocelyn Johnson Domeier & Andrew Domeier, boy, Elliot, May ’13

Feliciano, boy, Harlan, July ’13

girl, Wren, Dec. ’13

L eslie Rau Kirscht & Daniel Kirscht ’09, girl, Ella, Jan. ’14

Summer 2014 | 43

CLASS NOTES CLASS NOTES

’07

’09

HOLLY BREEGGEMANN MCMAHON & LUKE MCMAHON ’07, BOY, DREW, DEC. ’13

JILLIAN RIGG MCKENZIE & PATRICK MCKENZIE ’04, GIRL, EVELYN, DEC. ’13

2007

Kaylle Schmit Foley & Michael Foley ’07, 2007

2009

Crystal Schoon Blommer & Jordan Blommer, girl, Elle, Jan. ’13

2008

E mily Rayman Luitjens & Steven Luitjens ’08, girl, Chloe, Jan. ’14

Jackie Carlson & John Hayden, boy, 2012

2009

ichelle Horning Sperr & Adam Sperr, girl, M Adelyn, Aug. ’13

L aura Ficker Gearman & Kyle Gearman ’07, boy, Wesley, July ’13

E mily Langmade Schwantke & Brad Schwantke ’07, boy, Andrew, Feb. ’14

boy, Aythan, Jan. ’14

E llen Jansen Flood & Garret Flood ’06, boy, Nolan, Jan. ’14 Theodore, March ’14

WHO’S YOUR BENNIE FICIARY? When you make a planned gift to Saint Ben’s,

These are the powerful teaching moments

you’re giving a Bennie the chance to reach

made possible when you gift a portion of your

for the stars and pursue an internship at NASA,

life insurance policy, retirement plan assets,

quench the thirst for an entire community in

real estate or other investment to Saint Ben’s.

the Dominican Republic, learn life-changing advocacy skills at a women’s shelter or build

Contact Bill Hickey, director of gift planning,

self-confidence by unraveling an elusive

at whickey@csbsju.edu or 320-363-5480 for more information.

math problem.

DEATHS 1937 1939 1941

Lillian Beaudry Zeiner, Jan. ’14

Dorothy Eisold, OSB, Feb. ’14

1942

Jeannette Klassen, OSB, Jan. ’14

Nordica Bjornson Cox, Feb. ’14

Marie Torborg O’Gara, Jan. ’14 Carolyn Cox Killackey, Jan. ’14

Paul McCann ’42, spouse of 1944 Anne Marie Zwisler McCann, June ’13

1947 1948 1949 1950

Jean Zachman Salk, Jan. ’14 Dolores Beaudette, March ’14 Lois Kamm Adler, Jan. ’14 oger Nierengarten ’48, spouse of R Dolores Lehman Nierengarten, Dec. ’13

1952

Patricia Martin Laliberte, Jan. ’14

Rose Dunbar Beavers, Jan. ’14

1954 Mary Quinlivan, Jan. ’14 1956 Marion Sauer, OSB, Feb. ’14 William Draxler ’59, spouse of 1957

Mary Jo Krech Draxler, Feb. ’14

Robert Theis ’61, spouse of 1959 Della Pauly Theis, Dec. ’13

1963 Madelyn Hankins Snyder, Jan. ’14 1965 Ira Neary, spouse of Kathy Scheuer Neary, Dec. ’13

1966 Jacques Sebasky, spouse of

Gloria Zellweger Sebasky, Feb. ’14

Yvonne Wagner Notsch, Dec. ’13 Patricia Tracy Renteria, March ’14

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU! Who’s got more than 21,000 friends willing to offer advice, lend a helping hand and keep them up-to-date on their beloved college home? You! That’s who. Your Saint Ben’s connections never have to fade away — keep them growing strong and find us online today!

www.facebook.com/SaintBensAlums

Search CSB/SJU Alums group

www.csbalum.csbsju.edu or email csbalumnae@csbsju.edu

1974 Jim Burroughs, spouse of

Deborah Wagner Burroughs, March ’14

Judy Nelson Dellenbach, Feb. ’14

1975 James Nelson, spouse of

Terry Monn Nelson, Oct. ’13

Denise Savageau Lahn, Feb. ’14 1985

Monica Masek Loye, March ’14

1986 Dana Goranson, son of

Barbara Goranson, Jan. ’14

1987 James Morgan, spouse of

Deborah Vadnais Morgan, Dec. ’13

Nancee Ochsner Kretschmer, Feb. ’14

Carmen Gooder Shoberg, Feb. ’14

1988 Mary Reimer Hall, Dec. ’13 1990 Bill Thurmond, spouse of

Sandra Thurmond, Jan. ’14

1995 Rodney Ophoven, spouse of

Janet Kerzman Ophoven, Nov. ’13

CONNECT WITH A BENNIE

SISTER Check out the Bennie Mentor Program and exchange ideas, friendship and expertise with other Bennie alums. The only requirement is a commitment from September to May and a minimum of one contact per month.

2000 Joshua Behling, spouse of

Kari Atkinson Behling, Feb. ’14

John Buchmann, spouse of Amy Leba Buchmann, Jan. ’14

Apply online July 1-31:

www.csbsju.edu/CSB-Alumnae/MentorProgram.htm

2009 Calvin Steen, infant son of Cortney Lyons Steen, Dec. ’13 Summer 2014 | 45

BENNIE CONNECTION BENNIE CONNECTION

INSPIRING

1 1. Saint Benedict’s Monastery prioress S. Michaela Hedican and CSB president emeritus S. Colman O’Connell brought smiles to those working in the CSB Main Building as they spread their Irish cheer on St. Patrick’s Day.

2

2. The Blazer golf team enjoyed a return to action for the first time since October, playing a dual tournament with host Arizona Christian on March 7 and spending time with CSB alumnae. Front row: Kathy Kurvers Henderson ’85 (trustee), Annalise Wallerich ’15, Amy Knutson ’14, Megan Lutz ’17, Jillian Sampair ’14, Kaitlyn Ludlow ’17, and Theresa Loehrer Wurst ’69 (trustee). Back Row: Grace Todora ’15, Jenna Traut ’15, Hanna Honn ’15, Bridget Cummings ’15, Lauren Wise ’16, Paiten Schreiner ’17, Coach Daryl Schomer.

3. On January 22, the CSB/SJU Young Alum Committee hosted a professional development event titled, “When Generations Connect,” which featured generations expert Scott Zimmer (SJU ’00), from BridgeWorks and Kurt Rakos, founding partner at SkyWater Search Group. Pictured are the event organizers and speakers: Kurt Rakos, Jess Bauer ’08 (YAC volunteer), Alex Koich ’12 (YAC volunteer) and Scott Zimmer ’00.

3

4. Bennies from the class of 1994 gather in Chicago for their annual Bennie weekend. Left to right: Tracy Sterk, Jennifer Fontaine Modeen, Stephanie Wells, Katie Politis, Jennifer Johnson Sayers. Jennifer Modeen writes about her CSB “circle of sisters:” “There is something to be said for history.

Seems time and passing moments gravitate us to what is really important.”

5. Ashley Studniski ’11 and James Kibutha Kimeu ’09 celebrated their wedding on January 4, 2014, in Kenya surrounded by their Bennie and Johnnie friends.

4 46 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine

5

6. Forty-one CSB alums, family and friends joined together on March 22 to volunteer at Kids Fighting Hunger in Sauk Rapids, Minn. as part of Bennie Day of Service. The team, ranging in age from two to 84, packaged 11,880 meals.

VIBRANT

6 7. Noses were cold, but hearts were warm the week of Feb. 6-9 when an intrepid group of alumnae and friends hailing from as far away as Wasilla, Alaska and Los Angeles, embarked on the annual CSB Eco-Spirituality Dogsledding Retreat at Wintergreen Lodge in Ely, Minn. Back row: Julie Busch Simons ’80, Jean Busch Laue ’83, Lisa Korus ’03, Laura Nezworski ’03, Marg Volz ’77. Middle/front: Amy Freeman (guide), Bridget Penfold Bahneman ’97, Ellen Storms Capecchi ’77, Julia (guide), Kathy Wentz Bartemes ’85, Kate Ritger ’03 (spirituality leader), Ellen Root (guide). Not pictured: Tina Keferlis ’85 and Kristin Sawyer Lyman ’00.

8. Nearly 70 alums and friends joined us on Valentine’s Day for some music lovin’ with Pastiche, the CSB/SJU faculty chamber music ensemble. It was CSB/SJU’s 5th annual Mingling & Music event!

7

8 Summer 2014 | 47

Shine I WILL LET MY LIGHT

Because of the passionate support of alumnae like you, I stand ready to take my light out into the world.

Today’s Bennies stand on the shoulders of the 100 years of women who came before them. Make a gift before June 30 and it will count toward the current fiscal year. Let your light shine bright for the next century of Bennies.

www.givecsb.comÂ

GENEROSITY GENEROSITY

A major Progression BY | GREG SKOOG (SJU ’89)

Dr. Dale White has been professor of brass and director of wind and brass ensembles at CSB/SJU for decades. “I’ve always enjoyed the process of taking a student who’s starting out with a certain concept of music and how to perform and what it takes to be a good performer,” he explains.

“The enjoyment comes in, after four years, watching them become strong enough to get up there on their own. It’s seeing the concepts work.”

“Much the same way I would get a new piece of music and rehearse it,” White continues, “everything in music is a progression. It’s getting to the end product that is exciting.”

We could say the same thing about philanthropy — and again, Dr. White would be an excellent example. It’s not something he talks much about, but this beloved professor and performer has also been a consistent and generous donor over the years.

It started decades ago with a simple payroll deduction plan. “They used to have a basic building fund,” he recalls. “And that’s where my wife and I started.”

“Then, years ago, Saint Ben’s started talking about expansion of the Benedicta Arts Center.” The possibilities of an expanded

Dr. Dale White

studio space intrigued him, “So we decided to make a gift toward my studio.”

Eventually, White’s giving focus branched beyond the institutional and into the individual. “I’d always wanted a scholarship.

So my family, friends and I got behind it and we had a big alum concert to get it started. On my 50th birthday we were able to start awarding a scholarship to a music student. And now it’s grown to where we can give a $2,500 scholarship each year.”

That’s a legacy that will go on and on.

In May 2014, Dr. White retired from the CSB/SJU Music Department after 35 years.

And this fall, for the first time since 1979, the stately metallic brilliance of his trumpet won’t be found anywhere on campus.

“I’ll still perform,” predicts White. “I’m looking forward to doing some guest conducting and playing at festivals and other venues.”

And beyond music? “I have quite a few hobbies,” he laughs, and goes on to describe his assortment of Victrolas and his 1974 Volkswagen project. And, as with most of what Dr. White comes up with, it sounds good.

Rhythmic giving Dr. White began giving to Saint Ben’s through a payroll deduction program. (Today roughly one-third of Saint Ben’s staff and faculty donate, with most being through payroll deduction and most going directly toward student scholarships.) It’s a simple process and your gift is spread out over the course of the year.

Similar online giving options are available for everyone at givecsb.com, including Electronic Fund Transfer forms that take just minutes to complete. You can arrange to have steady, regular donations made — at a level that’s affordable for you — right from your checking account.

Summer 2014 | 49

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit #93723

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT 37 South College Avenue St. Joseph, MN 56374 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Your Life THE TIME OF

Reunion isn’t just “right around the corner” anymore — it’s straight in front of us! So if you haven’t registered and reserved your room yet, now is definitely the time.

This is your chance to see familiar faces, visit favorite places and recharge your Bennie batteries.

REUNION 2014 Class years ending in 4 or 9 • June 27-29 www.csbreunion.com