Saint John's Magazine Fall 2016

FAL L 2016

M A G A ZI N E

Building a Sustainable Future Saint John’s Leads the Way p. 12

INSIDE Schmitz ’03 at the Masters p. 8 Alumni Explore Cuba p. 18 Campus Groundbreakings p. 26

INSIDE THIS ISSUE FALL 2 016

MAGAZ INE

Features Forward Thinking P. 12 The end of burning coal furthers Saint John's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Welcome to Cuba P. 18 Professor Gary Prevost leads alumni trip to Cuba and the reviews are excelente!

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SAINT JOHN’S MAGAZINE

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

EDITOR Brendon Duffy SOT ’02

STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Rob Culligan ’82 Dana Drazenovich Jennifer Mathews Emery Leslie Hanlon Ryan Klinkner ’04 John Young ’83

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DESIGN Lori Gnahn

PHOTOGRAPHY Kathy and Michael Fiala ’69 Siri and Mark Gadbois ’72 Denise Gagner Adam Herbst ’99 Brace Hemmelgarn ’12 Alexus Jungles ’19 Paul Middlestaedt Thomas O’Laughlin ’13 Nicole Pederson ’17 Steve Woit Jessica Zurcher

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Julie Scegura ’15

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST Peggy Roske ’77

EDITOR EMERITUS

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LETTERS bduffy@csbsju.edu or Brendon Duffy Saint John’s Magazine P.O. Box 7222 Collegeville, MN 56321

ADDRESS CHANGES Ruth Athmann Saint John’s University P.O. Box 7222 Collegeville, MN 56321 rathmann@csbsju.edu

Departments My Perspective 2 View from Collegeville 3 Service to the Church 10 In Sight 24 Advancing the Mission 26 Johnnie Sports 30 Alumni Connection 32 Milestones 38 Inspiring Lives 44

Lee A. Hanley ’58

Find the Saint John’s Magazine online at sjualum/saint-johns-magazine. © 2016 Saint John’s University

SJU ALUMNI ARE SOCIAL Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/sjualum

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Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/sjualumni Follow us on Instagram at instagram.com/sjualumni

MY PERSPECTIVE Michael Hemesath ’81, President

You Are Our Brand When I get the opportunity to talk with prospective students and their parents I often ask them how Saint John's got on their list of possible schools. Often the answer is through a family connection. About thirty percent of Johnnies have a legacy connection to Saint John's or Saint Ben's—either a sibling, parent or grandparent is an alum.

Of course that means that over two-thirds of our students are first generation Johnnies. At a recent admissions event, I asked a mother about her son's interest, given that there was no family connection. She replied, "I work with a lot of Johnnies and Bennies and know lots of others. They are all great people. But even more important, they look out for each other; they have each other's backs. Not to the exclusion of others or in a cliquey way but with a sense of community. It is as if they feel a responsibility for each other because of whatever they shared together at Saint John's and Saint Ben's. I want that for my son. I want him to be part of that kind of community— in college and beyond."

This mom articulated what I think many of us feel about our experiences. There is something we owe each other that extends beyond our four years on campus. There is a Benedictine sense of community that becomes a part of most students’ lives who live and study here.

But this mom brought home for me an even more important point: our alumni are our brand. The academic experiences are great, the extra-curricular opportunities are second to none, and there is something special about the tight-knit community on campus. Yet these attributes are mostly about the individual's experience at CSB and SJU. The way the rest of the world knows us is through how we are in the world, how we live our lives and interact with those around us, professionally and personally. Those interactions constitute the CSB/SJU brand: the reputation we project into the world.

While we certainly need your financial support in this complex and competitive world of higher education, and we benefit from the time and talent many volunteers share, I think it is also important to acknowledge that just being the exceptional people you are in your communities and at work and in your churches is a gift to Saint John's. You are our brand and for that we thank you.

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VIEW FROM COLLEGEVILLE

The Saint John’s University graduating class included 377 undergraduate men and 22 School of Theology and Seminary graduates.

When combined with the College of Saint Benedict’s 424 graduates, this year’s combined undergraduate class is 801.

Cavanaugh ’81 Delivers Commencement Address Joe Cavanaugh, founder and CEO of Youth Frontiers and a 1981 SJU graduate, delivered the commencement address on May 8 in Saint John’s Abbey and University Church.

Cavanaugh is a nationally renowned speaker with more than 30 years of experience working with young people on the topics of respect, integrity, courage and compassion. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Paul Knaak ’16, a history major from Forest Lake, Minnesota, was selected by the senior class to deliver the student address.

To read more about commencement or see the ceremony, go to csbsju.edu/commencement.

CSBSJU.EDU/NEWS

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VIEW FROM COLLEGEVILLE

Retiring Faculty Honored Nine longtime faculty were honored this May at the Academic Affairs Awards and Recognition Ceremony.

Retirees joined by President Michael Hemesath ’81 (far right) included (L to R): Richard White chemistry, Chuck Villette languages and cultures, Diane Veale Jones environmental studies, Bernie Evans ’65 theology and Vilma Walter Hispanic studies. Not pictured: Cynthia Curran history, Gary Gillitzer nursing and Jean Ochu accounting and finance.

Money Ranks SJU Best College in Minnesota

#1

SJU topped the list among Minnesota colleges and universities in Money’s third annual Best Colleges rankings. Money evaluated colleges on 24 factors including educational quality, affordability and career success. Here’s how SJU ranked in some of Money’s other national rankings:

# 3 # 8 # 43

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BEST LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES MOST AFFORDABLE COLLEGES BEST PRIVATE COLLEGES FOR MERIT AID

Richard Ice Named Provost Richard Ice was named provost at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict in March. Ice has served as interim provost since Rita Knuesel ’75 retired last year. He was chosen in a national search to replace Knuesel, who had served as chief academic officer since 2007.

Ice has been a member of the faculty since 1989, serving as professor in the communication department as well as holding the positions of academic dean and vice-provost.

“CSB and SJU are special places,” Ice said. “I am honored to be selected to serve in this role and I look forward to working with the whole community as we move forward, implementing Strategic Directions 2020 and continuing to be premier liberal arts colleges in the Catholic and Benedictine traditions.”

Stewart Awarded 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship Columba Stewart, OSB, executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library and professor of theology at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, has been awarded a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Chosen from nearly 3,000 applicants, Stewart is one of 175 fellowship awardees appointed on the basis of scholarly productivity, achievement and exceptional promise.

The fellowship will support Stewart’s completion of a forthcoming book, Between Earth and Heaven: Interpreting the First Thousand Years of Christian Monasticism.

A graduate of Harvard, Yale and Oxford universities, Stewart has published extensively in his field of early Christian monasticism. “Fr. Columba is a world-renowned scholar on monasticism and a tireless leader in the field of manuscript preservation,” said Michael Hemesath ’81, president of Saint John’s University. “This acknowledgement of his work is a great and well-deserved honor.”

Narloch ’91 Receives Collegium Visionary Award Rodger Narloch, associate professor of psychology at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict, received the third annual Collegium Visionary Award in May. Collegium, a national organization of 65 Catholic colleges and universities, encourages lay faculty at member institutions to find imaginative, compelling ways to engage Catholic intellectual and spiritual traditions in the classroom and in their scholarship.

The Collegium Visionary Award recognizes outstanding contributions by Collegium alumni to enhance that mission on their own campuses, in their disciplines, and in other national conversations.

CSBSJU.EDU/NEWS

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VIEW FROM COLLEGEVILLE

Hergott ’57 to Receive Reger Award Wayne Hergott will receive this year’s Fr. Walter Reger Distinguished Alumnus Award at the Homecoming Banquet on Sept. 16.

The award, the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association, salutes a notable alumnus in the name of Fr. Walter Reger, OSB (1894-1971)—longtime secretary of the Alumni Association and friend to legions of Johnnies.

After the death of a classmate in 2009, Wayne Hergott decided it was time to do something he’d been meaning to do for a long time.

He invited a few classmates he hadn’t seen in a while for lunch in the Twin Cities. They had such a great time catching up that the group decided to meet regularly, invite others, and the rest is history.

Hergott became the official convener of the Lunch Bunch, a growing group of Johnnies that meets monthly for socializing, lunch and a speaker. “Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have spent several years attending his lunches and who have known him for the past half century plus can testify to the influence Wayne has had on us,” says Jim Bassett ’58. “And anyone who knows Wayne will agree that he is our model in trying to aspire to the virtues and lifestyle of Fr. Walter.”

The Lunch Bunch is just one example of Hergott’s long history of giving 110 percent to things he’s involved in.

When Hergott came to Saint John’s in 1953, he was Coach John Gagliardi’s first quarterback. He played four years of baseball, and was a member of three championship teams. Hergott served in the military before pursuing law school at William Mitchell College of Law and embarking on a 31-year career as a civil trial attorney.

“I loved what I did,” says Hergott. “I was never bored. There are people whose lives are better because of what I did. And I believe everyone can say that. People need to be awakened to that.”

After retiring from law, Hergott completed a master’s degree in spirituality and was both a retreat leader and spiritual director.

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Schleper ’83 to Receive Basten Award Dennis Schleper will receive the Bob Basten Award at halftime of the football game on Sept. 24.

Denny Schleper had a distinguished career on the gridiron at Saint John’s. In his senior year as quarterback, he led the Johnnies to an undefeated season and a berth in the playoffs.

Schleper’s hard work and perseverance have carried him in his professional life as well. Schleper graduated with a degree in accounting and was in an administrative role in non-profits before joining the firm of LarsonAllen in St. Cloud. Over the last 25 years, Schleper has held various leadership positions in the firm. In 2015, he was appointed CEO for CliftonLarsonAllen, where he oversees a team of 4,500 employees.

Saint John’s has also been a recipient of Schleper’s leadership and expertise. He has been a volunteer for reunions, class giving, and has been the Class Fellows Society chair.

The Basten Award honors a former Johnnie football player who has been an outstanding leader as an alumnus. It is given in honor of the late Bob Basten ’82, a former Minnesota Viking, business executive and founder of the Playing to Win for Life Foundation for ALS Research.

“Much like Bob Basten, Denny is a natural leader and he inspires people to find the best in themselves and to work together as a team,” says Rick Bell ’83, a teammate of Schleper’s. “To this day, Denny remains humble and true to the Benedictine values he experienced so many years ago at SJU.”

On June 15, Donald Jackson, MVO, the artistic director and scribe for The Saint John’s Bible, received one of the highest honors bestowed upon laypeople by the Holy See. Jackson was inducted into the Order of St. Gregory the Great, a papal knighthood granted for outstanding service to the Catholic Church.

Jackson received the honor in a special ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in London from Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster.

Bugler ’17 Wins National Championship SJU Junior Ryan Bugler won the NCAA Division III national championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on May 28. Bugler was sixth out of 14 runners with three laps to go, but sprinted to a large lead to start the final lap and crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of the second place runner.

This title is SJU’s fifth individual national championship in outdoor track and field since 1999. Jim Gathje ’86 won back-to-back national titles in steeplechase in 1985 and 1986 and still holds the NCAA Division III meet record.

The Saint John’s University Archives collects and houses historical records and artifacts that document the history and activities of Saint John’s University and its people.

The archives has four beanies that were worn by first-year Johnnies from the 1940s through 1960s as part of the orientation program. Freshmen wore their beanies around campus to distinguish their status and ceremonially removed them on the day of the Homecoming game. These rituals were silly in nature and designed to bring freshmen into the fold. The most recent addition to the collection was donated last summer by Jim DeMorett ’61, whose grandson, Mason DeMorett ’18, is probably glad he didn’t have to wear one!

If you have something that might be a good addition to the Saint John’s archives, contact Peggy Roske, Saint John’s University archivist, at proske@csbsju.edu or 320-363-2129.

CSBSJU.EDU/NEWS

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EARNING MASTERS THE

By Mike Killeen

Amateur golfers everywhere cheered on Sammy Schmitz ’03 in the 2016 Masters.

But for Schmitz, it was about much more than winning.

For one week in April, Sammy Schmitz ’03 soaked in every last minute he could at Augusta National Golf Course.

There was Magnolia Lane, the majestic tree-lined entrance to the course. The practice round with Rickie Fowler. The crowd encouraging him at every turn.

Cookouts every night with friends and family.

And yes, ultimately playing in the world’s greatest golf tournament, The Masters.

“It went by so quickly,” Schmitz says. “I was trying to experience everything.

“It was really cool to be around the 50 best players in the world. In no other sport would you get that competition head-to-head against the 50 best athletes in that sport – not in baseball, not in football, not in hockey. You had to play your way in,” Schmitz says.

Schmitz did that by winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in October 2015. That qualified the fourtime All-American at Saint John’s for a spot in the 2016 Masters.

While he didn’t make the cut—he shot rounds of 81 and 75 for a two-day total of 156—he still enjoyed the experience.

Start with Magnolia Lane.

Head SJU Golf Coach Bob Alpers ’82 (r) was one of several Johnnies who went to Augusta to cheer on Schmitz at the Masters, and Alpers didn’t come empty handed. He brought Johnnie Bread.

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“I have probably driven down Magnolia Lane 10 times, but on Thursday (the first day of the Masters), it had a different feel to it,” Schmitz says. It was so inspiring, he said, that he took different folks in the car with him each day when he entered the grounds “so they could experience that same feeling.”

Then, there was the practice round with Fowler, one of the more popular and flamboyant players on the PGA Tour.

“We were pretty much done for the day on Monday, and we were getting ready to go,” Schmitz says. “We were standing by the first tee, and all of a sudden you could feel the crowd move.”

“It was a thrill to watch him play.

He holds a special spot in my heart.”

–Bob Alpers ’82

Kevin Dietsch

Schmitz’s daughters, Allie (l) and Aubree (r), stole the show at the Par-3 Contest clad in traditional white caddie jumpsuits. Schmitz said the Par-3 Contest was “one of the best experiences of my life.”

The crowd was moving to allow Fowler to get to the first tee to begin his practice round. Schmitz asked Fowler if he needed a playing partner.

“He (Fowler) was all for it. He offered up some advice on the course, and he told some great golf stories. He’s a very comfortable guy in his own skin,” Schmitz says. “He’s a fiery guy when he’s playing, and you kind of get what you see from him on television.”

The Par-3 Contest, which is held on the Wednesday before the four-day tournament starts, was a highlight of the experience for Schmitz. His wife, Natalie, carried his bag, with the help of daughters Aubree, 3, and Allie, 1.

“On the ninth hole, I was at the top of the green about 30 feet from the hole, “ Schmitz says. “I threw down a couple of balls. My daughters laid down on the green, and stuck their hands out. We play this game at home where they lay down as I putt in the living room and they try to catch the ball.

“Aubree picked up the ball and turned around and chucked it in the hole from 30 feet! The crowd went wild and she made a fist pump,” Schmitz says.

Schmitz, a two-time MIAC Player of the Year who graduated with SJU's best career scoring average at 74.4 in 91 rounds, including 23 rounds at par or better, said he couldn’t believe the positive support he received from the gallery throughout the tournament.

“It seemed like there were a 1,000 people from Minnesota there. I kept hearing ‘Go Minnesota’ or ‘Go Farmington’ (Minnesota, his hometown) or ‘Go Johnnies.’ I could definitely feel the support,” Schmitz says.

One of those who watched Schmitz play was SJU golf coach Bob Alpers ’82, who was at the tournament Tuesday through Thursday.

“It was a thrill to watch him play,” Alpers says. “He holds a special spot in my heart. But it was also neat seeing his family and friends and all the support he received at the tournament.”

During Thursday’s first round, Schmitz was even par on the front nine and even par on the last two holes. He played holes 10-16 in 9-over-par while battling strong winds. He was more consistent during Friday’s round (37-38-75).

“Overall, I was pleased with my play. I put a lot of work into my game over the winter, the most work I have done over the winter,” Schmitz says. “I felt like I got a few bad breaks, particularly with the wind when I played.

“As a spectator, you don’t realize that when you putt on a green that is as fast as they were there and the winds are high, it’s really a challenge.”

Mike Killeen is the director of content development in marketing and communications at CSB/SJU.

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SERVICE TO THE CHURCH

Heart for Genevieve Mougey, SOT ’09, works with the U.S. bishops

to fight poverty. Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary helped her get there.

How do you help people in need?

Mougey had an answer to her grade school teacher’s big question. It was the middle of the Ethiopian food crisis.

Distraught over the thought of children starving, the eager eight-year-old grabbed a stack of crayons and designed her plan. It included her sturdy hand, an Ethiopian child and a long Nebraska road.

“I knew in my little mind that Jesus calls us to help one another,” Mougey recalls. “How do you help someone in elementary school? You help them cross the street, of course!”

Years later, Mougey still has her sweet drawing—and the heart for helping.

Mougey works for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as the poverty education and outreach manager in the department of justice, peace and human development. One of her major responsibilities is organizing the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Multimedia Youth Contest. Middle and high school students from around the country submit videos, songs, artwork, poetry and essays responding to issues of poverty. Why do so many people find themselves in poverty? What can be done about it? The students have some unique ideas.

“One year the grand prize winner developed an entire

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chapter book on building community. This year someone submitted a vintage PowerPoint that’s like an interactive scroll,” says Mougey. “The creativity of these young people is amazing.”

The goal of the contest is to get young people thinking about the differences between charitable works and social justice. The two have complimentary but distinct roles in Catholic social tradition. For example, consider ministry with people who are homeless. The charitable work might

Helping

By Jessie Bazan SOT ’17

be volunteering at a homeless shelter, while the social justice activity would be advocating for affordable housing for all people.

“It’s easy to make excuses, like ‘people living in poverty seem happy to live simply. They don’t even know what they’re missing!’” says Mougey. “That’s dehumanizing.”

“The diversity of initiatives that young people are taking part in is inspiring,” says Mougey. “They’re doing community organizing because of their Catholic faith and other kinds of ministry that helps them find the resonance between their faith and their work. It’s refreshing.”

Mougey’s ministry is driven by the first principle of Catholic Social Teaching — respect for the dignity of every person. She emphasizes putting the person before the social condition.

Mougey is not the only Johnnie to work with bishops’ antipoverty programming on the national level. She follows in the footsteps of Bernie Evans ’65, SOT ’71, who came on board with the CCHD when it first began in the 1970s.

Evans retired in May after 35 years with the School of Theology and Seminary as associate professor, associate dean and Virgil Michel Ecumenical Chair in Rural Social Ministries.

“Bernie offered me and other students a place created in safety and dialogue, to think about structures that are built by the Church and society at large,” says Mougey. “We were asked to walk up to the wall of these structures and

“I use the Tradition and Scripture of the Church every day to inform my work, my life and my faith.” look for the strengths and the weaknesses.”

At the SOT, Mougey learned to think critically about church texts. It’s easy to pull out lines here or there and miss the bigger picture. What’s really being said? And in what context? These skills serve her well in her work with the church hierarchy.

“I don’t use algebra every day,” Mougey quips. “But I use the Tradition and Scripture of the Church every day to inform my work, my life and my faith.”

One of the greatest lessons she learned from Evans is there’s nothing romantic about poverty. The Christian faith demands serious action when someone does not have enough to eat or cannot earn a living wage.

Bernie Evans ’65, SOT ’71, professor emeritus of theology, taught classes on Catholic Social Teaching for 35 years.

He had an enormous impact on countless students, including Mougey.

“Consider the language we use,” notes Mougey. “It’s not ‘poor people.’ It’s ‘people who live in poverty.’ We need to recognize that, first and foremost, this is a person. This is my brother or sister in Christ.

“It takes on-the-ground work to improve. When Jesus was here on earth, he was working against systemic poverty.

That’s what we’re continuing to do.”

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

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LEADING

When Derek Larson, professor of environmental studies and history, talks about today’s sustainability efforts at Saint John’s University, his sentences are peppered with phrases that would have no doubt perplexed the school’s founders. Solar farms, greenhouse gas inventories and the President’s Climate Commitment are all terms that wouldn't have carried much meaning with the early group of monks, farmers and students.

Yet the deeper ideas of stewardship that propel today’s initiatives would most certainly have resonated. “We wouldn’t say Benedictines were environmentalists, because that would be anachronistic,” Larson says. “But we also know that the Rule of Saint Benedict says that monks should revere all tools of the monastery as sacred tools of the altar. Creation is sacred, and therefore we have an obligation to care for it.”

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Saint John’s takes its larger responsibility to the natural world seriously. Through its buildings and programs, through national leadership and on-the-ground student initiatives, Saint John’s continues to push forward to create a community that lives more lightly on the planet — and that is ready to bring the best of its environmental work to the rest of the world.

SEEDS OF SUSTAINABILITY There’s no question that the elements of environmental stewardship and sustainability are etched deep into the DNA of the Benedictine philosophy and early life at Saint John’s, even if the terminology didn’t yet exist. Monks have planted trees, nurtured them for decades, and ultimately built their own coffins from the trees sown by previous generations of monks. Much of the furniture in the buildings was built from wood logged from the campus forest. And up until the 1950s, monks did the farming that

THE WAY

By Erin Peterson

Bold sustainability efforts have Saint John’s well ahead of schedule to carbon neutrality by 2035.

allowed them to produce their own pork, beef, and dairy products. It was the epitome of local food.

But in the 1980s and 1990s, thanks in part to a larger cultural shift happening across the country, Saint John’s students and administrators began looking at the university’s activities through a more focused environmental lens. Worldwide environmental disasters, including the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and Exxon Valdez oil spill, led to sustained attention to environmental issues on campuses.

Students wanted to see environmental changes not just in global ways, but in their own lives. “Students and faculty realized that before they started talking about global warming or the giant power plant down the road, they could start looking at where the garbage on their own campus went, where their water came from, and how much energy the campus used,” Larson says. “They could start closer to home.”

Saint John’s, nestled on 2,700 acres of lakes and woods, was particularly well positioned to take advantage of the heightened interest in environmental issues. The university launched its environmental studies program in 1993 (see “The Ever Green Classroom”), and students and faculty used the land it had been nurturing for generations—a vast living laboratory just steps away from the heart of campus—to understand environmental principles in much deeper and more nuanced ways. In 1997, the land just beyond campus was officially designated as Saint John’s Arboretum.

CAMPUS EFFORTS, NATIONAL LEADERSHIP By the mid-2000s, Saint John’s was making an even bigger commitment to sustainable initiatives. In 2007, the university became one of the country’s earliest signatories to the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), pledging to become carbon

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REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT… Saint John’s has taken major steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including expansion of the solar farm, computerized metering of energy usage in each building and installation of an energy-efficient boiler that eliminates the use of coal in favor of natural gas.

neutral by 2035. It’s well ahead of schedule: in less than a decade, the institution has sliced carbon emissions by an astonishing 56 percent.

In 2009, the Abbey agreed to lease four acres of land to Xcel Energy to build a solar farm that would produce about four percent of Saint John’s energy needs annually, says Saint John's Corporate Teasurer Benedict Leuthner ’82, OSB. “Although it was later eclipsed by bigger solar farms, it was, at the time, the largest installation of solar power in Minnesota,” he says.

With help of the partnership between the Abbey and Xcel, a 2014 expansion to the solar array increased its energy production by 50 percent. On sunny summer days, the numbers are even better: the array can generate 100 percent of university’s energy needs. Later this year, a second expansion will begin, which will more than quadruple the total amount of energy produced. As the university

Solar Farm expansion

focused on efforts to produce clean energy, it also looked to make an impact by limiting its reliance on fossil fuels and lowering its energy use altogether. In 2013, after years of discussion, the University officially stopped burning coal for energy in favor of natural gas. “Both from a fiscal responsibility and sustainability standpoint, it made sense for us,” says Dick Adamson, vice president for finance and administration. “It required some significant investments, including buying a new boiler, but we feel we’re much better positioned for the future.”

Another high-profile sustainability project was the McKeown Center on Saint John’s lower campus, which was built in 2009. The facility was built with local materials and uses energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems. It also has no-mow landscaping that reduces runoff. In 2011, the building earned LEED Gold certification, one of the highest ratings offered by the U.S. Green Building Council.

SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE YEARS Saint John’s strong environmental stewardship efforts span more than a century.

1890s

With its regimen of limited forest harvesting and active replanting, Saint John’s is a leader in the “scientific forestry” movement of the time.

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1901

The monastery requests exclusive fishing rights from the state to Lake Sagatagan to prevent overfishing; it later developed a fish hatchery to keep the lake well stocked.

Facilities metering

New boiler

Of course, not every sustainability effort has quite as much sizzle as as a solar farm or a brand-new building. Much of Saint John's under-the-radar work is making just as much impact, even if it it’s not generating local news coverage.

For example, Saint John's began metering its buildings to find the biggest energy hogs on campus—which currently include the science building, Sexton Commons, Warner Palaestra, and the Spectrum—to determine where to focus its major energy-saving efforts. Steam trap replacements and upgrades prevent heat from leaking away once it leaves a central boiler plant. And recent lighting retrofits pay for themselves through energy savings in matter of months.

“Is it jazzy? Maybe not,” says Leuthner. “But all of these things matter because they help us save a lot of energy and money.”

STUDENT-FOCUSED, STUDENT-DRIVEN As interest in sustainability on campuses has grown, so too has the world of consultants happy to help schools improve their environmental efforts. But Saint John’s sees environmental improvements not just as an institutional goal, but an educational one. Indeed, it has made

1940s

major commitments to use its most valuable resource— its students—to do this important and meaningful sustainability work.

Years ago, for example, Saint John’s turned down the offer from a Fortune 100 company to do a greenhouse gas inventory for the university. Instead, Larson hired and managed a team of students to do the work over a summer.

Students continue to do regular updates on this work to track progress.

For Larson, it’s an approach that makes sense. “It’s a great learning experience for students,” he says. “And I really believe it’s more useful to have your researchers on campus, instead of just having consultants here for a few weeks and then having them disappear.”

Saint John’s doubled down on these student-focused efforts by developing a sustainability fellow position, which is designed to give a recent graduate up to two years of experience developing and strengthening sustainability efforts on campus. Jake Lammi ’15, who begins his second year of his appointment this fall, gets a daily master’s class in the joys and challenges of sustainability work. “I run the week-long energy challenge [competition] between our

1993

Saint John’s launches an environmental studies program.

1997

Saint John’s Arboretum is officially designated.

Saint John’s begins maple syrup production.

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Erin Stout ’16 presents her final project in Environmental Architecture and Design, taught by Artist-in-Residence Richard Bresnahan ’76 (r). Students create an architectural model using sustainable materials and design. two first-year residence halls and develop a lot of different programming events with different groups on campus,” he says. “It’s such a big learning experience.” And it’s working: this year’s energy competition led students to reduce their own energy usage by close to 10 percent.

Of course, students don’t need to make sustainability their full-time work to integrate it in their lives. Many Saint John’s students volunteer at the Solar Greenhouse, which grows vegetables that are later served in the refectory. Since 2010, six Johnnies every year have lived in an eco-house, designed for students who are interested in sustainability.

And just last year, the Student Senate and the separate Sustainability Committee set up a fund of a few thousand dollars to help any student bring a good sustainabilitylinked idea to life. This is in addition to the Green Fund,

2005 Derek Larson launches the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability, an organization that brings together hundreds of higher education professionals from around the region every other year to discuss environmental issues on college and university campuses.

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established by professors Ernie Diedrich and Derek Larson in 2007 to support environmental projects initiated by students, faculty and staff.

Johnnies are making sustainability projects part of their academic experience as well. They have had the opportunity to present their own environmental research at regional and national academic meetings, and they attend conferences to learn what schools across the country are doing to make their campuses more sustainable.

Larson says that empowering students has helped them become passionate champions of sustainability efforts.

“Over the past 15 years, we’ve really seen students become [sustainability] advocates,” he says. “They see that other schools have wind turbines, or electric buses or green

2007

Saint John’s is an early signatory of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Faculty members establish the Green Fund.

2009

The Abbey leases the land that will be used to build the state’s largest solar array; the solar farm is expanded in 2014 and becomes the only solar farm with both fixed and tracking solar panels.

buildings, and they push us to think about all of these things,” he says. “Some of those big ideas are being driven by students.”

BEYOND CAMPUS AND INTO THE WORLD Saint John’s sustainability efforts may begin on campus, but they certainly don’t end there. Faculty and administration are eager to help Johnnies see how their efforts fit into the larger world. Last December, for example, Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s sent a dozen students and three faculty members to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, where they got an insider’s view of diplomatic proceedings on climate issues.

Saint John’s also helps spread ideas of sustainability to the wider community, says Thomas Kroll, forester for the Abbey and director of the Outdoor University for Saint John's University. “Every year, we have 8,000 school children participate in events here, with age-appropriate curriculum on things like energy use and the solar farm,” says Kroll. “We even have grants to help bus kids up here so that money is never a barrier [to attending].”

And in the end, of course, Saint John’s hopes that every student graduates with a greater appreciation for the importance of being good stewards of the earth, and a desire—on a small scale or a large one—to be a part of sustainable solutions. “As much as we try to encourage an environmentally responsible mentality while students are here for four years, if it doesn’t carry through after they leave here, we really haven’t succeeded,” says Adamson.

“They’re going to live the rest of their lives outside of Saint John’s. We want them to carry those values with them out to the rest of the world.”

THE EVER GREEN CLASSROOM Environmental studies is one of the most popular departments on campus. But courses with a sustainability and environmental emphasis are spread throughout the curriculum.

Here are a few examples.

Philosophy 322: Environmental Ethics Students explore issues that arise from the relationship between humans and the nonhuman natural world.

Global Business 368: Sustainable Business Students learn reasons businesses are pursuing sustainability in a globally competitive economy.

Communication 309: Environmental Rhetoric Students study ways to communicate viewpoints about the natural environment in the public sphere.

History 360: U.S. Environmental History Students learn how America’s understanding of nature changed in the 19th and 20th centuries through public policy development.

Sociology 337: Sociological Perspectives on Environmental Issues Students consider the sociological aspects of natural resource depletion, pollution, loss of habitat, energy and globalization.

Erin Peterson is a Twin-Cities based writer.

2011

The McKeown Center becomes the university’s first LEED-certified building.

2013

The university stops burning coal for energy.

2014

Based on a 2008 benchmark, Saint John’s announces that it has cut its campus carbon emissions by 56 percent.

2016

Saint John’s begins work that will quadruple the potential energy output of its solar array.

17

CUBAN EXPERT LEADS ALUMNI GROUP TO AN ISLAND IN TRANSITION

Bienven

18 SUMMER/FALL 2016

nidos a Cuba GARY PREVOST

By Glenda Isaacs Burgeson

Johnnies don’t let a little rain spoil a good time.

So when Tropical Storm Colin struck Cuba at the same time a group of Johnnies, Bennies and spouses arrived on the island for a trip of a lifetime, they did what Cubans do.

They improvised.

He is widely published on Cuban topics and is co-author of U.S. Cuban Relations - A Critical History and co-editor of Cuba - A Different America and Cuban-Latin American Relations in a Changing Hemisphere.

He is sought after by national media for commentary on contemporary Cuban issues and is a popular speaker on Cuba as well.

A CSB/SJU professor since 1977, he has led students on educational tours of Cuba for 20 years. The June 2-10 tour was his seventh group and his first leading a group of alumni.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES For decades, most Americans have been denied access to their Caribbean neighbor 90 miles south of Florida, due to a history of conflict between the two nations.

Fortunately for this band of travelers, their leader was no ordinary tour guide. While educational tours of Cuba are trending right now, not everyone gets to enjoy the insights, connections and knowledge that Gary Prevost brings to the adventure.

Prevost has extensive experience with Cuba. The professor of political science and Latin American studies at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict is known internationally for his expertise on Cuba.

Currently, Cuba is a popular destination for U.S. visitors, largely due to a decision by the Obama Administration to ease travel restrictions, Prevost says. Despite the change in travel policy, the government still imposes some restrictions. Travel in Cuba must have an educational component.

Prevost has observed dramatic changes in Cuba in recent years. Government policy has changed to allow more entrepreneurship in the service sector, including restaurants, auto repair and computers. Since 1968, services had been provided entirely by state-owned companies.

19

The past five years have seen a transformation in that sector, Prevost says, with service providers moving into private hands and cooperatives.

“When I took students to Cuba in 2012 and last year, I noticed more private services and a greater variety of restaurants for tourists,” Prevost says. “I’ve seen many more small businesses, like body massages and barbers.

because of a change in government policy, Prevost says.

“Clinton changed travel regulations in 1996 to allow undergrads. Until that time, only graduate students were permitted to travel there. We jumped on that immediately,” he says.

The students on the study tour were, and still are, friends, primarily fellow football players, Herbst says.

“For the first time, they are permitted to advertise. They are handing out fliers, and I have seen neon signs and sandwich boards.”

Among the more striking relics from pre-Revolutionary Cuba are the numerous 1950s American automobiles that are ubiquitous throughout Havana streets. Prevost explains that the vehicles were owned by middle class Cubans who fled after Castro took power.

Many of the cars sat in garages for decades. Over time, a cottage industry began to develop parts and new motors for them. Some of the cars still have original parts and engines.

“The nicer ones are used as taxis for tourists, especially from Japan, who want to be photographed with them,” Prevost says. “It’s like a time warp in Havana.”

DISTINCT GROUP For Adam Herbst ’99, the Cuba trip was a return visit. He accompanied Prevost to Cuba in 1997 on a J-term student study tour. That trip, like the current one, was possible

20 SUMMER/FALL 2016

A bus full of Johnnies and Bennies enjoyed Prevost's first trip to Cuba with students in 1997. It was Adam Herbst (lower right) who thought the trip would also appeal to alumni.

Now director of alumni relations at Saint John’s, Herbst was the catalyst for the alumni trip. He organized the tour in response to alumni feedback suggesting Cuba as a possible alumni tour destination.

After securing Prevost’s availability for the tour, Herbst posted an announcement online inviting Johnnies and Bennies to sign up. The trip was billed as a unique opportunity to learn about contemporary Cuba and its economic, political and cultural institutions.

CSB and SJU alumni seized the opportunity. Within three hours, the tour was booked.

Like the student educational tours, the alumni tour was organized by Marazul Tours and featured visits to museums, schools and clinics, with presentations by government representatives and local experts.

The group comprised an expansive range of experience and perspective, with Johnnies and Bennies, along with spouses, representing class years from 1962 to 2004.

Prevost says this demographic variety made for richer sessions with the Cuban presenters.

Because of their personal insights and experiences, they had better questions, Prevost says.

Thom Woodward ’70, former director of alumni relations

at Saint John’s and now retired, agrees that the group dynamics were a plus.

“Everybody hit it off right away,” he says. The group met up at Miami International Airport. Camaraderie was instant, and conversations ensued immediately.

During the tour, Woodward says he was struck by how all the tour guides and presenters appeared to speak from the same script.

“I don’t know if they were being monitored, but they all were on the same page,” he says. “When we saw dilapidated buildings, they told us they were rebuilding. That seemed to be the company line.”

The Cuban guides were all friendly and welcoming, he says, and they were very positive and upbeat, but the juxtaposition of their positive assessments with the dilapidation he saw was jarring.

Bob Christensen '62 was also surprised by the level of poverty. “It was a real eye opener,” he said. “The Cuban people have very little.”

The educational component of the trip was impressive. Nancy Christensen appreciated learning from insiders about the history of Fidel Castro, how and why he came to power and his initiatives in education and health care.

21

low-hanging clouds over us and the fields.”

They took shelter in a drying shed and listened for a half hour as a farmer explained how the tobacco is grown and dried. He then rolled and presented cigars to five members of the group.

PLEASANT SURPRISES One serendipitous event, though not on the itinerary, turned out to be a highlight for many on the trip. The U.S. national men’s volleyball team, ranked second in the world, was there for a match against the No. 6-ranked Cuban team.

In a way, the tropical storm was a metaphor for that juxtaposition, the way Cubans see themselves and present themselves against the way others see them.

“There was a lot of rain,” Woodward says, laughing, and their leaky tour bus lent an authenticity to the island experience and a sense of what the real Cuba is like as opposed to the postcard Cuba.

The intensity of the tropical storm disrupted some parts of the itinerary, but it also provided a spectacular backdrop during a visit to a tobacco farm.

“The tropical storm was moving right over us,” Prevost says. “The adjacent cigar factory had been closed because of the rain, and we stopped at an overlook and saw these huge,

22 SUMMER/FALL 2016

Prevost says the Johnnies and Bennies joined with a few dozen or so other Americans, in contrast with a few thousand Cuban fans, to form a cheering section for Team USA. “It was a very special evening,” Prevost says.

For Woodward, Team USA’s victory over Cuba was a highlight. The $2.50-ticket to see two internationally ranked teams on the eve of the Olympics was a memorable nugget, he says, and he loved being part of a small but rowdy cheering section.

It should come as no surprise that there was a bit of Johnnie magic associated with the evening. It turns out one of the Johnnies, Bernie Dan ’83, knew one of the team members and the Johnnie/Bennie contingent sat with that young man’s dad.

For Prevost, there was one other personal highlight––jazz. Prevost loves the improvisational musical genre. Cuban jazz follows the traditions of American jazz but with the added dimension of African percussion instrumentation.

Prevost was thrilled to share his love for the music by taking the group to a leading jazz club.

“Overall, it was a great trip,” Herbst says. “It was neat to see how a group across generations, each with a common connection to Saint John’s, came together and had a great time.”

Having Prevost as the tour leader made the trip exceptional, he says. Many of the opportunities they had to dig deeper into Cuban culture were a direct result of Prevost’s connections.

“Gary was outstanding," said Bob Christensen, who signed up immediately with his wife, Nancy. "We are delighted that we went.”

Woodward agreed. Prevost’s passion for Cuba and his vast knowledge gave the experience an edge that could not be matched, nor could it be dampened by a little tropical storm.

Glenda Isaacs Burgeson is a St. Cloud based freelance writer.

A second chance…

If you missed your opportunity to go to Cuba with fellow alumni and friends, there is another opportunity. Jim Dwyer ’75 and Jennifer Dean-Dwyer ’77 are leading a service trip through Global Volunteers, a human and economic development non-profit.

Alumni and friends of SJU are invited to participate in this trip, which will be from Jan. 7-24, 2017. Volunteers will work in community gardens, improve buildings and work with local residents. The trip will be concentrated in the cities of Ciego de Avila and Havana and combines the best of service and people-to-people exchange.

The tax-deductible program fee is $2,495. Space is limited to 23 participants, and you must sign up by Oct. 24, 2016. Go to sjualum.com/events or contact Jim Dwyer, director of planned giving, for more information at jdwyer@csbsju.edu or 320-363-2116.

23

IN SIGHT

Expanding Horizons Photo by Nicole Pederson ’17

If you would like a reprint of this image taken near the Solar Farm, please email sjumag@csbsju.edu with your name and address, and we’ll send you a complimentary 8 x 10 photo.

24 SUMMER/FALL 2016

25

ADVANCING THE MISSION

Goodbye Alcuin, Hello Learning Co Alcuin Library isn’t really going away. It’s being transformed into a Learning Commons. Renovation of the 50-year-old library, designed by renowned architect Marcel Breuer, began a year ago with the construction of a new elevator, an archives and special collections area, and revamped mechanical and electrical systems for the entire building.

All of these improvements were completed this summer. Meanwhile, renovation of the remainder of Alcuin Library began in earnest in May, and it is scheduled for re-opening in January 2017.

2

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Saint John’s on April 22 for the Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons, which will be adjacent and attached to Alcuin. The Learning Commons will feature student study areas, “Smart” Classrooms, and a Digital Technology Center.

Completion is scheduled for August 2017.

1

3

26 SUMMER/FALL 2016

4

5

ommons!

1 Leading up to the renovation, students were encouraged to bid farewell to Alcuin Library on a graffiti wall. Comments included: Rest in Peace… Hasta Luego... and the Dungeon!

6

2 Part of the south wall of Alcuin Library has been replaced with glass, revealing a stunning view of the Abbey and University Church. This fulfills the vision of Marcel Breuer and the monastic community to represent the relationship between faith and reason.

3 From the entrance lobby, visitors can now see Breuer’s “Trees of Knowledge”, the principal architectural feature of Alcuin Library.

7

4 No more dungeon! Glass walls and well-lit spaces characterize the former “basement.” Behind the display case is the Bonach Reading Room in the Archives and Special Collections Area.

5 Abbot John Klassen ’71, President Michael Hemesath ’81 and Joe Mucha ’66, Chair of the Board of Trustees, are joined by architects, contractors and donors during the groundbreaking ceremony.

6 “I am tremendously pleased that this new facility will be known as the Br. Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons. It will be the academic heart and soul of our campus.”

8

7 An architectural rendering of the Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons, connected to Alcuin Library.

8 A giant hole! Excavation on the Learning Commons began in June. Students eagerly await the grand opening in September 2017.

SUPPORTSJU.COM

27

ADVANCING THE MISSION

Gagliardi Field Saint John’s celebrated the groundbreaking of Gagliardi Field, our new multi-purpose turf field and seasonal dome, on May 5.

This extraordinary facility, named in honor of Hall of Fame Coach John Gagliardi, will be used by varsity, club and intramural programs.

More than 20 members of the extended Gagliardi family were on hand to break the ground and celebrate with John.

Attendees also included more than 200 former football players representing six decades. Bill Laliberte ’70 (r) noted that John always saw the potential in ordinary guys, especially when others did not.

“John, I want you to know what an inspiration you have been to me in my life,” Laliberte said. “I suppose nobody stepped out and talked to you about it, but I’m here today to say that most of us owe what we are today, to what you made us.”

Others who offered special reflections included John’s long-time friend and leadership benefactor, Norm Skalicky, Joe Mucha ’66, Blake Elliott ’03 and SJU President Michael Hemesath ’81.

28 SUMMER/FALL 2016

Groundbreaking John expressed his appreciation to the many men who are important in his life.

As always, he did so with humor. “I think I’ve actually heard my eulogy here today,” he joked. “Peggy, you need to remember some of these guys. Sign them up!”

Alpers Golf Learning Center It was also announced that the Alpers Golf Learning Center will be part of the Gagliardi Field complex. Five alumni leadership donors, along with other golf leadership benefactors, requested naming the center for Bob Alpers ’82 to recognize the achievements he has accomplished as Johnnies’ golf coach.

The 1,800 square foot center will be part of the entrance building on the north side of Gagliardi Field and the dome. It will include two hitting bays which will feature TrackMan technology, two putting greens and mats for players to hit chip shots.

SUPPORTSJU.COM 29

JOHNNIE SPORTS

Becker Park and Lynch Plaza Dedication The new baseball park and plaza were dedicated and blessed in early May. The picturesque ball park and grandstand have been named in honor of Scott Becker ’77 and his wife, Julie Hartmann Becker, and their family.

Scott was a successful student athlete at SJU and was a champion of the project from the very beginning.

Becker family L to R: Jenna Becker Christensen ’09, Cory Christensen, Julie Becker holding grandson, Scott Becker ’77, Connor O’Neill, Ellie Becker O’Neill and Brett Becker ’15.

The plaza has been named in honor of Pat Lynch ’88 and Granite Logistics, Inc. Pat is a loyal fan of SJU athletics and an active alumnus. He has also funded an endowed scholarship in memory of his uncle, William Drahota.

30 SUMMER/FALL 2016

Scorecard BASEBALL The Johnnies (32-14, 13-7 MIAC) set a school record for wins, including a 4-2 mark to finish runner-up at the NCAA Midwest Regional. SJU hosted the 2016 MIAC Tournament and posted a 3-0 record to earn its second consecutive MIAC Playoff Championship, and third in the last five seasons. Six Johnnies were named All-Midwest Region: Logan Hershey ’16, Alex Kendall ’17, Nick Noack ’18, Derek Schiebel ’17, Patrick Strey ’16 and Cole Weaver ’19. Kendall also earned an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award as the best defensive pitcher in NCAA Division III. Hershey was named an Academic All-American for the second consecutive season and earned the MIAC’s Elite 22 Award.

BASKETBALL SJU (19-8, 13-7 MIAC) finished third in the conference and earned a trip to the MIAC semifinals under the direction of first-year head coach Pat McKenzie ’04. Mitchell Kuck ’16 and Alex Schmitt ’16 were named to the All-MIAC first team for the second consecutive season, and Joe Risinger ’16 was named All-MIAC honorable mention and to the five-man MIAC All-Defensive Team. David Stokman ’19 was named to the five-man MIAC All-Freshman team. Schmitt was named to the D3hoops.com All-West Region third team.

GOLF Mack Farley ’17 and Ryan Gallagher ’17 received GCAA All-Central Region honors, while Farley and Austin Fowler ’16 were named GCAA Scholar All-Americans. Farley was also named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.

HOCKEY The Johnnies (13-10-4, 10-4-2 MIAC) finished third in the conference standings and advanced to their second MIAC Playoff Championship game in the last four seasons, thanks to a 10-game unbeaten streak (8-0-2 record). Andrew Commers ’16, Saxton Soley ’16 and Huba Sekesi ’18 were named to the All-MIAC first team. Mitch Fritz ’19 and Sean Lang ’19 were named to the six-man MIAC AllRookie team. Daniel Tripicchio ’17 received the MIAC Elite 22 Award and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD SJU finished third out of 11 teams at the 2016 MIAC Indoor Championships. Max Martin ’19 won the conference title in the 55-meter hurdles and was also a member of SJU’s MIAC champion distance medley relay.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Thomas Feichtinger ’16 made his third appearance at the national meet and finished 16th in the 1,500 meters. The Johnnies finished second out of 11 teams at the MIAC Outdoor Championships held in Clemens Stadium. Mitchell Peck ’18 won the 400-meter hurdles, Randy Perez ’16 won the javelin and SJU took first in the 4x800-meter relay. First-year head coach Jeremy Karger-Gatzow was named the MIAC Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year.

SWIMMING AND DIVING Kenny Bergman ’17 defended his conference title in the 100-yard freestyle. The SJU swimming and diving team finished second out of eight teams at the 2016 MIAC Championships. Bill Saxton was named the MIAC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (2003).

TENNIS SJU tennis (10-9, 5-4 MIAC) tied for fourth in the conference standings and advanced to the semifinal round of the MIAC Playoffs for the third straight appearance. Tim Larson ’18 earned All-MIAC honors in singles competition for the second consecutive year, while Larson, Jack Hansen ’16, Ben Lahren ’16 and Andrew Nagel ’16 achieved the distinction in doubles.

WRESTLING Teddy Erickson ’17 (165 pounds), Ben Henle ’16 (141 pounds) and Mike Pleski ’16 (133 pounds) advanced to the 2016 NCAA Championships, but none placed.

Henle and Robert Tait ’17 were named NWCA All-America Scholars.

GOJOHNNIES.COM

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ALUMNI CONNECTION

Making History at Reunion 2016 From June 24-26, more than 1,300 alums and guests from Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s gathered to celebrate our first joint reunion.

Alums from graduating years ending in 1 and 6 enjoyed activities that included class gatherings, picnics on the SJU Tundra and the CSB Mall, a beach bash with Calypso music on the shore of the Sag, alum college sessions and beer tasting with alumni brewers.

If your class year ends in 2 or 7, mark your calendar now so you won’t miss Reunion 2017 June 23-25!

32 SUMMER/FALL 2016

SJUALUM.COM

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ALUMNI CONNECTION

Johnnies

…in the media

Terry Dosh ’53 was remembered in the National Catholic Reporter after his death on April 7. Dosh, a former monk of Saint John’s Abbey, married and became a national leader and organizer of numerous Catholic reform groups that came out of the Second Vatican Council.

Rene McGraw ’58, OSB, was featured in an editorial, along with S. Colman O’Connell ’50, OSB, in MinnPost. The writer profiled McGraw and O’Connell to give readers a glimpse into the lives of monastics who live lives of faith and connect with countless students and alumni.

Rene McGraw

Mark Kennedy

Mark Kennedy ’79 was named the 12th president of the University of North Dakota in March. The Minneapolis Star Tribune noted that the former Minnesota congressman, who had been the director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., was selected over two other finalists.

Michael Wethington ’79, founder and chief executive of Outsell, was interviewed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune about the company’s success.

Outsell, a marketing service provider to auto dealers, currently has about 100 employees and plans to add 30 this year. Wethington’s strategy is to value employees and grow the collective intelligence of the company.

Michael Wethington John Wiehoff ’84, CEO of C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., was interviewed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune for a profile of C.H. Robinson, one of the largest U.S. logistics companies. “There’s a lot of good things that come from size,” Wiehoff said. “But if you become a big nameless company, that’s not good either. You need those local relationships, you need to understand what’s happening in these markets to do the best job you can.”

…in the spotlight Bernie Litecky ’73 was inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in April.

Litecky is an assistant coach at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, Minn.

Bernie Litecky

34 SUMMER/FALL 2016

Michael C. Black

Michael C. Black ’75 received a 2016 Law Day Award from the Ramsey County Bar Association. Black, an attorney in private practice in St. Paul, received the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award.

John Wiehoff

Joel Cherrico

Nick Kleespie ’06, OSB, was profiled in U.S.Catholic on his workfaith balance. Kleespie, a monk of Saint John’s Abbey, showed readers a monk who juggles daily prayer, beekeeping, preaching and serving on the fire department. “There’s something powerfully mindful about our Christian life and vocation to work and prayer,” Kleespie said.

Nick Kleespie

Brace Hemmelgarn

Potter Joel Cherrico ’10 is listed on the Guinness World Records website after a year of training. Cherrico broke the Guinness World Record for number of pots thrown in one hour, throwing 159 pots at Brother Willie’s Pub on the Saint John’s campus on March 7.

Brace Hemmelgarn ’12 is the first full-time staff photographer for the Minnesota Twins. Hemmelgarn, employed by the Twins since 2011, was interviewed for KARE-11 about his “dream job” and what it’s like to get as close as you can get to the players and coaches.

…finding their vocation

Bernie Terrien

Photo by Sam Lucero The Compass

Bernie Terrien ’87 (l) was ordained to the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Green Bay and will serve at St. Bernard Parish in Green Bay. Terrien and his wife, Lynn, have done mission work in Nicaragua for several years and have also started an annual motorcycle ride to raise funds for their mission work.

SJUALUM.COM

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ALUMNI CONNECTION

…on the move Jeffrey Bakken ’77 was sworn in on May 12 as the new U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) mission director for South Sudan. Bakken will oversee USAID’s extensive humanitarian and development programs in South Sudan, which have provided more than $1 billion in assistance since 2011. He was joined at the ceremony by DC Alumni Association Chapter members Colin Frederick ’12 (l) and Jessey Niyongabo ’12 (r).

Mike Hagstrom ’81 has been named the president of St. John Paul II Catholic Schools and director of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Fargo.

Jeffrey Bakken

Mark Kappelhoff ’83 was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton as a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District.

Mike Heroux ’84 was recently appointed to senior scientist at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There are only 30 senior scientists in the lab of 10,000 employees. Heroux will continue as a scientist-in-residence at SJU. Tom Mahowald ’86 has joined Evercore Wealth Management as a managing director and portfolio manager.

John Murray ’88 was appointed vice president of human resources at The Marcus Corporation in Milwaukee, Wisc.

Michael Schaefer ’90 has been appointed principal of Gresham High School in Gresham, Ore. Schaefer worked as a commodities trader for 10 years before going back to school for education.

Mike Hagstrom

Mark Kappelhoff

…on the bookshelf Franco Pagnucci ’63 released his sixth volume of poetry, Firstborn, published by North Star Press.

Bob Louisell ’70 wrote I Do, and I Understand: Helping Young Children Discover Science and Mathematics. It was published by Constructivist Press.

Wayne Liebhard

Nick Lenczewski

Mark Reps ’73 published his latest book, Butterfly, a murder mystery involving the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on a POW. Dr. Wayne Liebhard ’79 released his latest book, The Vortex Effect, a suspense novel set in the Minnesota River Valley.

Tom Hughes ’86 wrote Admiral Bill Halsey: A Naval Life, a biography of the famous World War II naval officer. It was published by Harvard University Press.

Nick Lenczewski ’07 published Ultimate China Guide: How to Teach English, Travel, Learn Chinese and Find Work in China.

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Dr. James Hebl ’91 has been named regional vice president for Mayo Clinic Health System. Hebl will oversee six hospitals and 22 clinics in Southwest Minnesota.

Jim Shaw ’91 has joined Coborn’s Inc. as the grocery retailer’s new chief financial officer. Shaw will oversee financial operations, information technology services and loss control for the 55 stores Coborn’s operates.

Dexter Newman ’01 has been appointed chief financial officer at Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que of America, Inc. Tom Mahowald

Mike Heroux

John Murray

Dr. James Hebl

Jeff Butorac ’07 has been named the head boys basketball coach at Century High School in Rochester, Minn.

Dexter Newman

…doing cool stuff George Maurer ’88 embarked on his third annual bicycle tour of Iceland. Maurer covers 1,500 miles on the month-long tour to raise funds for cancer research.

Lars Liepold ’00 has founded a biomedical testing company called MeasureMeNow. Liepold has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Montana State University.

Ryan Ruff Smith ’06 had his short story “The Disturbance” published in the Winter 2015-16 issue of the literary journal Ploughshares.

George Maurer

Shane Jensen

Shane Jensen ’14 is the home clubhouse and equipment manager for the St. Paul Saints baseball team.

Enter your class note online in sjualum.com/classnotes or email it to Adam Herbst, alumni relations director, at aherbst@csbsju.edu. All class notes appear online, and some may also appear here in print.

SJUALUM.COM

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MILESTONES

Alumni Achievement Awards The Saint John’s University Alumni Achievement Award is given to outstanding alumni in seven reunion classes annually and presented at their reunion dinners. Recipients are nominated by classmates, with final selection made by the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients!

STEVE ASKEW ’66 TERRY HARTMAN ’66 J. TODD KELLY ’66 JOHN LAWLER ’71 FRANK DOOLEY ’76 EVAN APPLEQUIST ’81 SHAUN McELHATTON ’81 PAUL NAKASONE ’86 MURRAY McCARTAN ’91 DAN SCHUMACHER ’96

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Share Your News SJU publishes alumni births, marriages, deaths and other class notes that are reported to us. Go to sjualum.com/classnotes to enter your class note anytime, or email Adam Herbst, director of alumni relations, at aherbst@csbsju.edu, and we’ll enter it for you.

MARRIAGES ’83 Jim Newstrom to Les Bendtsen, Feb. ’16 ’03 Mary Claypool to Peter Ehresmann, Feb. ’16 ’03 Kathleen Dickinson to Jim Pach, June ’16 ’04 Kristin Machtemes to

Aaron Lais, Apr. ’16 ’06 Sarah (Spaanem ’06) to Matt Foehrenbacher, Apr. ’16 ’07 Katherine Briener to Samuel Krystosek, June ’15 ’08 Sarah Cline to Ben DeMarais,

June ’16 ’08 Michelle (Peltz ’12) to Jason Hoffmann, June ’15 ’09 Molly (Bodeker ’09) to Jason Johannes, Dec. ’15 ’10 Jessica (Najarian ’10) to

Eric Bell, May ’15 ’10 Tamara Breig to Bobby Chapman, May ’16 ’10 Colleen Kannen to Tony Foehrenbacher, May ’16 ’10 Sophia (Nolan ’13) to Adam McMonigal-Sundsmo, Oct. ’15 ’10 Elizabeth (Gallus ’12) to John Miller, Oct. ’15 ’11 Alex (Brancale ’14) to Drew Larson, June ’16 ’11 Maria (Willkom ’11) to Benjamin Machemehl, July ’14 ’11 Melissa Ogg to Andy Obritsch,

July ’16 ’11 Elizabeth (Carroll-Anderson ’10) to Patrick Twhoy, Feb. ’16 ’11 Megan (Bennett ’11) to Bennett Vathing, Jan. ’16

’12 Ashley Papenfuss to Derik Gertken, June ’16 ’12 Calleigh (Brown ’11) to Lucas Kennedy, June ’16 ’12 Laura (Trent ’12) to Sean Lynch,

Oct. ’15 ’12 Liz (Harrison ’12) to Alex Mundt, July ’15 ’12 Katie (Bauer ’13) to Jacob Salzl, June ’16 ’13 Meg (Deignan ’13) to Dave Kaster, July ’15 ’13 Clare Wocken to Aaron Remer,

Sept. ’15 ’14 BreAnna (Ahrenholz ’12) to

Eric Dirkes ’15 Laura (Fox ’15) to Brennan Hall, July ’16

BIRTHS ’92 Angela & Tom Bassett, boy,

Alexander, Feb. ’16 ’94 Nicki & Nick Krawczyk, girl,

Keira, Mar. ’15 ’98 Helena & Ryan Jense, girl,

Clara, Sept. ’15 ’98 Kent Karls & Ben Rosch Karls,

boy, Thomas, Feb. ’16 ’99 Paula (Traeger ’99) & Jason Bloch, girl, Adara, May ’16 ’99 Krista & Brian Gerten, girl,

Lillian, July ’16 ’99 Basilia & Jeff Muntifering, girl,

Meme, Apr. ’16 ’99 Sarah (Spitzmueller ’99) &

Jesse Stremcha, boy, Lowell,

May ’16 ’00 Lisa (Neu ’00) & Anthony Kapinos, girl, Vivian, Feb. ’16

’00 Heidi (Sunderman ’00) & Brent Schloe, boy, Harrison, May ’16 ’00 Amanda & Mike Timm, girl,

Brynn, May ’16 ’01 Amanda (Albers ’01) & Patrick France, boy, Zachary, June ’15 ’01 Melissa & Tory Oelfke, boy,

Brayden, Jan. ’16 ’01 Teresa (Kerres ’00) & Nick Schicker, boy, Lucas, Apr. ’16 ’02 Eden (Contardo ’02) & Seth Boyer, girl, Havalynn, May ’16 ’02 Sarah (Madge ’03) & Mike Carey, boy, John, May ’15 ’02 Katie (Vandendriessche ’02) &

Mike Cass, boy, Connor,

May ’16 ’02 Jennifer & Donavon DesMarais, boy, Breckan,

June ’16 ’02 Mary (Joyce ’02) & Joe Houghton, boy, Tommy, May ’16 ’02 Kristina & Jamie Louwagie,

boy, Landon, May ’15 ’02 Marian & Andy Stolp, girl,

Mavis, June ’16 ’02 Emily (Tretter ’12) & Charles Walters, girl, Kenza, Jan. ’16 ’03 Courtney & Adam Anderson,

boy, Russell, Jan. ’16 ’03 Laura & Chuck Griffith, boy,

James, May ’16 ’04 Kate (Rasmussen ’03) & Bryan Blessing, girl, Julia, Feb. ’16 ’04 Kathy (Wenker ’04) & Steven Gilk, boy, Andrew, Apr. ’16 ’04 Heather & Brian Schnese, boy,

Tuck, Jan. ’16 ’04 Amy (Martinka ’05) & Dustin Schuett, boy, Daniel, Dec. ’15 ’04 Alissa (Keene ’04) & Joshua Theis, boy, Sullivan, June ’16 ’05 Tamara (Yost ’05) & Eric Anderson, girl, Clara, Jan. ’16 ’05 Ellen (Hunter ’05) & Paul Gans,

boy, Hunter, Feb. ’16 ’05 Brianne & Aaron Hill, boy,

Bennett, Jan. ’16 ’05 Stephanie & Max Holmquist,

boy, Soren, Apr. ’16

’05 Michelle (Matters ’05) & Ryan Petz, girl, Hadley, Dec. ’15 ’05 Brieann & Dan Remiger, boy,

Harrison, Dec. ’15 ’05 Amy (Hogerton ’10) & Jason Stading, boy, Leo, Feb. ’16 ’06 Emma & Paul Bachand, boy,

Wesley, Apr. ’15 ’06 Erin & Ben Dziengel, boy,

Thomas, Apr. ’16 ’06 Sarah (Spaanem ’06) & Matt Foehrenbacher, boy, Miles,

Apr. ’16 ’06 Meghan (Deichert ’06) &

Andrew Johnson, girl, Brynn,

Feb. ’16 ’06 Jennifer & Tyler LaBonne, girl,

Adeline, Feb. ’16 ’06 Kelly (Denne ’06) & Adam Minnich, twins: boy & girl,

Mason & Elin, Jan. ’16 ’06 Maria & Mike Schmidt, boy,

Jacob, June ’15 ’07 Katherine (Hartman ’07) &

Michael Beckstrand, boy,

Peter, Feb. ’16 ’07 Heather (Cherpelis ’06) & Noah Faase, girl, Landyn, Feb. ’16 ’07 Katie & Sam Krystosek, girl,

Emily, Mar. ’16 ’08 Michelle (Peltz ’12) & Jason Hoffmann, girl, Clara, May ’16 ’08 Nikki (Bender ’08) & Peter DeLisi, boy, James, May ’16 ’08 Natalie (Arel ’08) & Nathan Justin, girl, Hannah, Feb. ’16 ’08 Carly (Andresem ’08) & Ryan Snee, boy, Ezra, May ’15 ’09 Leslie (Rau ’07) & Daniel Kirscht, girl, Sarah, Apr. ’16 ’09 Stacy & Michael Kortenbusch,

girl, Allison, Apr. ’16 ’09 Catherine (Desalvo ’09) & Trent Miller, girl, Nora, Sept. ’15 ’09 Amanda & Joe Polingo, girl,

Savannah, Jan. ’16 ’09 Jeana & Joe Schoolmeesters,

boy, Graham, Apr. ’16 ’09 Kaitlin (Cloud ’09) & Mike Thompson, girl, Grace, Apr. ’15

STEVE ASKEW ’66 Steve Askew had a well-documented career of working to make the judicial system effective while serving Minnesota’s citizens, particularly some of its most at-risk.

In his 26 years as an Anoka County District Judge, Askew had the difficult and important task of presiding over many child protection cases. He was recognized for his public service in an October 2015 story in the Star Tribune when a former minor under court supervision singled him out for making decisions that laid the groundwork for her transition from court jurisdiction to Harvard Law School graduate and Hennepin County assistant public defender.

TERRY HARTMAN ’66 His 34 years as a history and social studies teacher in Hastings, Minnesota, and 40year coaching career allowed Terry Hartman to mentor countless students and earned him Employee of the Year in 1999-2000. He donates his leadership and communication talents to his church. He played on two national champion Johnnie football teams. However, when asked his most significant accomplishment, he answers his 48-year marriage to Renee Dinndorf. “This may be surprising to some who do not know what a humble man he is,” one classmate says, “but Terry realizes his role as a loving husband takes precedent over more public roles and achievements in his life.”

SJUALUM.COM/CLASSNOTES

39

MILESTONES

J. TODD KELLY ’66 An inherited retinal disease that took his vision inspired J. Todd Kelly to help others see their full potential as he was able to realize his own.

Kelly taught middle school social studies and religion for 26 years and started instructing blind adults how to use computers in 1992. In 2000, he began teaching other adults with disabilities computer skills at the Courage Center in Golden Valley, Minnesota, showing them that if he could do it, they could do it. As a classmate says, “Todd believes that when a disabled person is able to work, their self-esteem, satisfaction and happiness skyrockets.”

JOHN LAWLER ’71 John Lawler puts his expertise to work for corporations and Christian faith-based non-profits. A finance executive in the Washington, D.C., area for more than 40 years, he became the youngest U.S. House of Representatives Chief of the Office of Finance in 1975 at age 25.

He founded East West Financial Services, Inc. in 1987 and remains its president in addition to starting and leading two other investment advisory firms. Lawler also helped two parishes in Washington, D.C. establish endowments now worth millions of dollars and currently is the chairman of the finance committee of his local mission church that is building a new church.

40 SUMMER/FALL 2016

’09 Taylor & Nick Truso, boy,

George, Apr. ’16 ’09 Dana (Scheppmann ’09) & Alex Wieme, boy, Samuel, Mar. ’16 ’10 Rebecca & Dan Backes, girl,

Adeline, May ’16 ’10 Jessica (Najarian ’10) & Eric Bell, girl, Charlotte, Apr. ’16 ’10 Anna-Lisa (Rustad ’10) & Brady DeVaan, girl, Ivy, Apr. ’16 ’10 Alex (Sundlof ’13) & Mike Latterell, boy, Xain, Feb. ’16 ’10 Kayla & Nick Richards, girl,

Scarlett, May ’16 ’10 Erin (Herberg ’10) & Patrick Sinner, girl, Nora, Feb. ’16 ’11 Kaila (Eberhardt ’11) & Brett Kramer, girl, Brielle, Nov. ’15 ’13 Clare & Aaron Remer ’13, girl,

Sophie, July ’16

DEATHS ’39 Jeanette Reber, spouse of deceased Carl ’39, May ’16 ’41 Catherine Blommer, spouse of deceased, Earl ’41, Mar. ’16 ’41 Rev. Richard Herrmann ’41,

Feb. ’16 ’42 Rosemary Calhoun, spouse of deceased Ray ’42, May ’16 ’42 Bill Clemens ’42, Mar. ’16 ’42 Jeanette Wander, spouse of deceased, Robert ’42, mother of

Terry ’72, Robert, Jr. ’73,

Daniel ’77 and Michael ’86,

May ’16 ’43 George Widman ’43, Dec. ’15 ’44 John Gilman ’44, Mar. ’16 ’46 Shirley Dominik, spouse of deceased, John ’46, mother of

John ’87, June ’16 ’47 Harris Hanson ’47 father of Br.

John Hanson, OSB ’78, Apr. ’16 ’48 Barbara Rethlake, spouse of deceased Maurice ’48, Feb. ’16 ’49 Rev. Douglas Gits ’49, brother

of deceased Tom ’56, Mar. ’16 ’49 Dr. Robert Liners ’49, May ’16 ’49 Albert Nieters ’49, July ’16

’49 Bob Pappenfus ’49, father of

Tom ’87, Apr. ’15 ’49 Donald Peterson ’49, father of

Bill ’96 and Richie ’00, May ’16 ’49 Clifford Scherer ’49, brother of

Rev. Gerald Scherer ’50,

Mar. ’16 ’49 Elizabeth Schneider, mother of

Rev. Todd, SOT ’85 and the

spouse of deceased, David ’49,

May ’16 ’49 Larry Schwietz ’49, father of

Mark & deceased Rev. Paul, OSB ’76, June ’16 ’50 Thomas Fandel ’50, father of

Kent ’83 and brother of

Mike ’58 and deceased brothers John ’47 and Val ’37,

May ’16 ’50 John Kosch ’50, Jan. ’15 ’50 Robert Rickert ’50, Jan. ’16 ’50 Richard Stranik ’50, Feb. ’16 ’50 Rev. Everett Trebtoske ’50,

brother of Peter ’58, Feb. 16 ’50 James Unger ’50, June ’16 ’51 Peter Ganzer ’51, Feb. ’16 ’51 William Jackels ’51, June ’16 ’51 Joseph Kastelic ’51, father of

Joe ’77 and Dave ’77, Apr. ’16 ’51 Donald Miller ’51, Nov. ’15 ’51 John Pfau ’51, June ’16 ’51 George “Judd” Pribyl ’51,

father of deceased son, Don ’87, Jan. ’16 ’51 Rev. Allan Tarlton, OSB ’51,

Jan. ’16 ’52 Margaret Abler, spouse of deceased, Roger ’52, Jan. ’16 ’52 Gene Fox ’52, father of

Patrick ’83, Apr. ’16 ’52 Joseph Kimlinger ’52, Feb. ’16 ’52 Robert “Bob” Simons ’52,

Apr. ’16 ’52 Joanne Willette, spouse of deceased, Michael ’52,

Sept. ’14 ’53 Terry Dosh ’53, Apr. ’16 ’53 James Harty ’53, Feb. ’16 ’53 Rita Kellner, spouse of deceased, Albert ’53, Mar ’16

’53 Aloysius Then ’53, Jan. ’16 ’54 Rev. Thomas Thole, OSB ’54,

brother of Rev. Simeon Thole, OSB ’58 and Br. Otto Thole, OSB Feb. ’16 ’54 Mary Unger, spouse of deceased John ’54, Apr. ’16 ’55 Colleen Donlin, spouse of deceased Gerry ’55, July ’16 ’55 Edward Zeman ’55, Apr. ’16 ’56 Nancy Galatowitsch, spouse of

deceased, Ken ’56 and the

mother of Paul ’85, Feb. ’16 ’56 Robert L. Johnson ’56,

Mar. ’16 ’56 Col. John F. Phelps, III ’56,

father of John, IV ’79, Jim ’82 and Mark ’86, Jan. ’16 ’57 Rev. James Motl, O.P. ’57,

Apr. ’16 ’57 Rev. John Runde ’57, May ’16. ’58 Joanne Adams, spouse of deceased James ’58, mother of

Jim ’82 and Kevin ’84, Mar. ’16 ’58 Moira Eisele, spouse of Al ’58,

May ’16

’58 Elmer Kopp ’58, father of

Jim ’84, May ’16 ’58 Joyce Omann, spouse of

Ray ’58, Apr. ’16 ’59 Dennis Farrington ’59, Jan. ’16 ’59 Donna Kinnick, spouse of Norb ’59, May ’15 ’59 Harvey Kruchten ’59, Mar. ’16 ’59 Roger Ludwig ’59, father of

Michael ’95, Jan. ’16 ’59 Dr. Michael Kao ’59, Dec. ’15 ’61 Collette Mahowald, spouse of Pat ’61, mother of Tom ’86 and Andrew ’91, Dec. ’15 ’61 Charles Schwartz ’61, June ’16 ’61 Mary Kay Skjolsvik, spouse of deceased, Gerald ’57, Apr. ’16 ’61 Dr. Rose Mary Tauscher, sister of Rev. Donald, OSB ’61 and

Leon ’69, Apr. ’16 ’61 George Wieland ’61, brother of deceased Herman ’59, Apr. ’16 ’62 Thomas Haessler ’62, Feb. ’16 ’63 David Hoss ’63, brother of

Bill ’68, Mar. ’16

FRANK DOOLEY ’76 Frank Dooley, Ph.D., is a renowned agricultural economics teacher and researcher. He has taught at Purdue University since 1998 and currently serves as vice provost for teaching and learning. Dooley has received numerous awards at Purdue and nationally for teaching, research, and service.

He has published four books and more than 200 articles or other publications in his area of expertise, logistical and supply chain management for food and agribusiness. He has done much to further both student learning and the food and agriculture business. As one of his nominators notes, “Food and learning have been made better

by Frank Dooley.”

EVAN APPLEQUIST ’81 (posthumous)

Alumni and Friends Cemetery

Remember. Celebrate. Believe.

Capt. Evan Applequist held many distinguished positions during his 30-year career as a naval dental officer, including personal dentist for President George W. Bush. He also served on the aircraft carrier USS America and as program director for the Comprehensive Dentistry residency at the Naval Postgraduate Dental School in Bethesda, Maryland. Applequist made time to teach as an adjunct faculty member at George Washington University and became a mentor to his students, many of whom flew across the country for his memorial service in Washington after he died from cancer on Dec. 11, 2015.

saintjohnsabbeycemetery.org 320-363-3434 or info@saintjohnsabbycemetery.org

SJUALUM.COM/CLASSNOTES

41

MILESTONES

SHAUN McELHATTON ’81 Shaun McElhatton is an attorney with a unique sense of service.

McElhatton specializes in real estate development issues, particularly affordable housing projects, and was involved in high-profile projects like downtown Minneapolis’s Block E and Graves 601 Hotel. Meanwhile, the Harvard Law School graduate dedicated countless hours to the Boy Scouts High Adventure program leading scouts on trips to destinations including Glacier National Park, Isle Royal National Park and the Florida Keys. In 2014, he resigned his shareholdership in a national law firm and has spent the past two years in the Peace Corps serving the people of Naryn, Kyrgyzstan.

PAUL NAKASONE ’86 Maj. Gen Paul Nakasone is Commander of the Cyber National Mission Force and a highly decorated officer who has held command and staff positions across all levels of the U.S. Army with assignments in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He previously served as Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Cyber Command, as Director of Intelligence, J2, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan and on two occasions as a staff officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His classmate nominator explains, “He has dedicated his career to educating and leading countless military personnel.”

42 SUMMER/FALL 2016

’63 Kenneth Ley ’63, brother of

Eugene ’56, deceased brother,

Robert ’61, deceased father,

Gerald ’26 ’63 Lawrence Symalla, son of

Robert ’63, Feb. ’16 ’63 Thomas Thein ’63, brother of

Tony ’60, Apr. ’16 ’63 Rev. Louis VanderLey, OSB ’63, Feb. ’16 ’64 Jerry Carey ’64, brother of

Patrick ’62, July ’16 ’64 David Feltl ’64, Feb. ’16 ’64 Michael Goeb ’64, Feb. ’16 ’64 Dr. John Isaacson ’64, Feb. ’16 ’64 Margaret Rand, spouse of

Bill ’64, sister of deceased

William Chisholm ’56, Mar. ’16 ’65 Daniel Burke, Sr. ’64, Apr. ’16 ’65 Tom Diffley ’65, father of

Jim ’92, brother of John ’64,

June ’16 ’65 Kathleen Dorn, spouse of

John ’63, Apr. ’16 ’65 Henry Hanson ’65, Mar. ’15 ’66 Jerry DeGidio ’66, Mar. ’16 ’66 Michael Driscoll ’66, Nov. ’12 ’66 Bill Goblirsch ’66, June ’16 ’66 Paul Vanderhoff ’66, brother of

John ’64, Apr. ’16 ’67 Br. Paul Fitt, OSB ’67, June ’16 ’67 Richard Koch ’67, Mar. ’16 ’69 Rev. Leonard Loegering ’69,

Nov. ’15 ’70 James Gilroy ’70, Apr. ’16 ’70 Karen Johnson, spouse of

Kalman “Chip” ’70, Apr. ’16 ’70 Rev. Michael Tegeder ’70,

brother of Tom ’72, July ’16 ’73 Michael Brum ’73, brother of deceased James ’65, June ’16 ’74 Alvin Cahoy, father of Bill ’74,

Feb. ’16 ’74 Henry “Joe” Niebauer, III,

brother of Br. Paul-Vincent, OSB ’74, Feb. ’16 ’74 Rose Wachlarowicz, mother of Jim ’74, Jeff ’74, Tom ’75,

Frank ’79, Jack ’81 and brother of Steve Rohlik ’67, July ’16

’75 Rev. Brian Fenlon ’75, May ’16 ’75 Terri Fitzgerald, spouse of

John ’75, Feb. ’16 ’75 Deborah Ginder, spouse of deceased Mark ’75, Feb. ’16 ’75 Rev. Michael Klarer ’75,

Apr. ’16 ’75 Thomas Manahan, brother of

Br. David, OSB ’72, May ’16 ’75 John I. Norton, III ’75, Dec. ’15 ’76 John Coughlin ’76, brother of

Thomas ’81, Aug. ’15 ’77 James Broad ’77, Apr. ’16 ’79 Francis M. Stark, Jr., father of

John ’79, Andy ’83, Steve ’87 and Pete ’90, Feb. ’16 ’82 Robert J. Alpers, father of

Bob ’82 and John ’85, Mar. ’16 ’82 Sister Elizabeth Roufs, OSB ’82, Feb. ’16 ’83 Jim Newstrom, spouse of Les Bendtsen ’83, June ’16 ’84 Rev. Ronald Clubb ’84, father of Joe ’83, June ’16 ’88 Rev. Andrew Vollkommer ’88,

Jan. ’16 ’96 Rev. Timothy Schoen, OSB ’96, Mar. ’16 ’96 Traci Wulff, spouse of

David ’96, May ’16 ’00 Sister Rose Bahr, ASC ’00,

Feb. ’16 ’07 Adolph Burckhardt, spouse of

Rose ’07, Jan. ’16 ’11 Dave Forster ’11, son of

Dave ’83, brother of Max ’13 and Sam ’14, May ’16 ’15 Justin Flascher ’15, Feb. ’15

MURRAY McCARTAN ’91

FINE ARTS SCHEDULE Mercy Killers Thursday, November 10, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, November 11, 7:30 p.m.

Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU Heritage Blues Orchestra Friday, September 16, 7:30 p.m.

Escher Auditorium, CSB Max Pollak: RumbaTap Friday, September 23, 7:30 p.m.

Dance Club Performance, 10 p.m.

Gorecki Family Theater, CSB Kenny Barron Trio Friday, October 7, 7:30 p.m.

Gorecki Family Theater, CSB Pastiche Friday, October 14, 8 p.m.

Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU Orchestral Lunacy: Tomáš Kubíek with the CSB/SJU Orchestra Saturday, October 15, 7:30 p.m.

Escher Auditorium, CSB

Amahl & the Night Visitors Friday, November 18, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 19, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 20, 2 p.m.

Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU Blind Boys of Alabama featuring Liz Vice Saturday, December 3, 7:30 p.m.

Escher Auditorium, CSB

Complexions Contemporary Ballet Saturday, October 22, 7:30 p.m.

Escher Auditorium, CSB Sultans of String Friday, October 28, 7:30 p.m.

Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU

Murray McCartan is recognized not just for contributing to society, but for helping those who need it most. As a special education teacher at Bloomington Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minnesota, he has spent nearly 20 years teaching his students the skills they need to live as independently as possible and was a semi-finalist for the 2013 Minnesota teacher of the year. When one of his children was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, he threw his passion for fitness into the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Minnesota NF Endurance team and continues to do endurance runs and marathons with the NF TEAM Foundation to raise awareness and money for neurofibromatosis.

DAN SCHUMACHER ’96 As CFO and chief operating officer at Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare, Dan Schumacher helps lead the country’s largest health insurance company. When the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal named him its CFO of the Year in 2014, it noted the finesse he used to guide the company through health care reform and adjust to rising health care costs. Today, he uses that same sense of collaboration and teamwork to help people live healthier lives. One classmate, who also cited Schumacher’s involvement in the community, says, “He is an extremely ethical individual. Dan has the ability, and intelligence, to create ways to help the bottom line without compromising his principles.”

Box Office: csbsju.edu/wow or 320-363-5777 SJUALUM.COM/CLASSNOTES

43

INSPIRING LIVES

Words to Live By Bob Seng ’83

I came to Saint John’s in 1979. I was the son of a divorced Mom—not an easy gig as a Catholic in the 1970s—who raised four children on a school nurse’s salary. I’ll never forget what it was like to say goodbye to her on that first day in front of Mary Hall.

I was a 18-year-old young man who was angry at the world and didn’t have much sense of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go.

Enter Louis (prounounced “Louie”) Blenkner, OSB, an idiosyncratic monk who wore a black robe, sandals and no socks, even in winter. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I could have been having more fun on Thursday nights than I was having in Br. Louis’s freshman English colloquium for three hours in Engel Hall. But that class was the start of something special.

for each of the three men in my family who had attended Saint John’s. They took the time to drive to the Twin Cities, gave a few hugs and condolences, and were off. No grandstanding. Just caring.

No institution is without faults and we’ve seen some of those very clearly at Saint John’s in the recent past.

However, when I look back on my experience, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the care these dedicated people showed to me. These characters added dimension and direction to my life that I think about every day, even 35 years later.

Br. Louis sensed my lack of interest in business and economics classes and encouraged me to enroll in Eila Perlmutter’s advanced composition class my sophomore year. I can imagine Br. Louis chuckling to himself when he thought about my first few weeks in a class of senior English majors. Dr. Perlmutter was difficult, demanding and a little scary at first. But she taught me how to write.

As a lawyer, I make my living in no small part by written words. I couldn’t have done it without her!

The next professor Br. Louis recommended was Alfred Deutsch, OSB. Before I took Fr. Alfred’s Milton class, I could have counted on one hand the number of poems I had read. I can still see the twinkle in Fr. Alfred’s eyes as he read “Paradise Lost” aloud. He sparked a love of poetry in me that continues today.

Finally, there was Janet McNew. Professor McNew brought 18th and 19th century literature to life and left an indelible impression on me. To this day, I credit her as the person most responsible for my metamorphosis from non-reader to reader. It was a lifetime gift.

My Mom died way too young—at my present age of 55—of ovarian cancer. Three monks from Saint John’s came to her funeral. My brothers and I said that one came

Bob Seng is a husband, father and proud uncle. He is a partner in the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis for his day job.

Inspiring Lives is reserved for reflective pieces with a Benedictine theme written by Saint John’s alumni. Please submit essays, poetry or other reflections for consideration to the editor: bduffy@csbsju.edu.

44 SUMMER/FALL 2016

A Class Act

When the Class of 1964 was planning their 50th reunion celebration in 2014, three classmates, John Chromy, Michael Healy and Eugene Weber, wanted to establish a scholarship with their classmates to help young men receive a Saint John's education.

The three men all chipped in to start the fund, and encouraged classmates to do the same. To date, 98 class members have contributed to the Class of 1964 scholarship fund. With the planned estate gifts of five classmates, the fund is on track to eventually have $1.2 million.

And the scholarship is already helping deserving young men become Johnnies.

For years, the Class of ’64 has billed themselves as the “Greatest Class Ever.” With the establishment of the Class of 1964 scholarship, they are living up to their reputation.

John Chromy

Michael Healy

Eugene Weber

It’s your will.

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

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT P.O. Box 7222 Collegeville, MN 56321

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

September 16-17 Come home for Homecoming 2016. It won’t be the same without you!

Find out more at csbsjuhomecoming.com.