K A N S A S W E S L E YA N U N I V E R S I T Y
CONTACT FALL 2016
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Kansas Wesleyan University Fall 2016 Contact is the official alumni magazine of Kansas Wesleyan University and is published by the office of Marketing and Communications. Managing Editor: Paula Hermann Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Editor: John Elmore Director of Communications Marketing Assistant: Thomas Cunningham Vice President of Advancement: Melanie Overton, Ed.D. Alumni Engagement Officer: Bryan McCullar Senior Development Officer: Jody Jorns Development Officer: Jennifer Rein ’10 Office Manager: Linda Baumberger Kansas Wesleyan President & CEO: Matt Thompson, Ph.D. Interim Provost: Bill Backlin, Ph.D. Executive Committee of Board of Trustees: Dr. Charlie Grimwood, Chair Emily-May Richards, Vice-Chair Steve Michel, Treasurer Jeff Bieber, Secretary Randy St. Clair ’66, Immediate Past Chair
Above: 169 graduates received newly designed diplomas at the Commencement Ceremony on May 5. Top Left: Dr. Dean Ellison ’80, delivered the address to the Class of 2016. Top Right: Dr. Donna McKinley, who was unable to attend her graduation ceremony in 1966, was presented with a diploma. Left: Howard Mahan gives the traditional lucky pat on the Boland Coyote nose before the ceremony—in which he earned the Medallion for achieving the highest GPA (4.0) among male graduates as well as the Fran Jabara Leadership Award.
Kansas Wesleyan University Foundation: Morrie Soderberg, Chair Ken Ebert, Vice Chair Kansas Wesleyan Alumni Council: David Branda ’76, President Randy Lamer ’06, Vice President Rick Dahl ’99, Treasurer Lori Trow ’82, Secretary Send address changes to: Advancement Office 100 E. Claflin Ave. Salina, KS 67401 Contact Information: Website: www.kwu.edu Alumni email: alumni@kwu.edu Advancement and MARCOM: (785) 833-4341 Social Media: Follow us on Facebook or Twitter @goKWU or @KWUCoyotes
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
Q&A with President Thompson
2–3 Memorable Moments 4–5 Celebrating 130 years of Innovation 6 Kansas Wesleyan Pictorial: Spring 2017
14 International Students Bring Global Perspective to Campus
15 Emergency Management Offers New UAS Minor
16 Giving Back to Kansas Wesleyan
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Where Are They Now? David Clark
Writing Assistance: Thomas Cunningham Mike Hermann David Toelle Jennifer Toelle
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Homecoming 2016 & Family Weekend
18–19 Kansas Wesleyan Pioneer Society
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Hall of Fame Inductees
20–21 Alumni News
10 Liberal Arts Colleges Remain Resilient
22 Coyote Pride, Phil Coleman ’68
Design: Rushing & Associates, Inc.
11 Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Bedrous
23 Significant Moments in Coyote Athletics History
12–13 21st-Century Pioneers
24–25 Sports Update
Photo Credits: Tanner Colvin ’11 Jeff Cooper Jason Ebberts, TBL Photography John Elmore Tom Dorsey
17 Annual Fund Success
Q&A MATT THOMPSON
Q&A
with Kansas Wesleyan President Matt Thompson
What is being planned for the 130th anniversary? It’s an exciting year for Kansas Wesleyan! We are thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit our past while looking to the future as we celebrate our rich 130-year history. We were founded on September 15, 1886, and we will be celebrating at Homecoming and Family Weekend the following weekend (September 23–25) with a carnival on Friday night and the dedication of the Graves Family Sports Complex with Bill Graves ’76 and Martha Graves Reese ’74 on Saturday. We will be honoring legacy families, past Miss Wesleyans and the Class of 1966, as well as capturing memories through social media and other media throughout the year. Be sure to check out the 130th anniversary website at www.kwu.edu/130.
event in June, and it was so fun to hear stories from alumni who said “I remember when I was here for dinner with the Kerstetters,” or “I have many memories of being in this house when I rented from Mrs. Fox.” It will be fun to start creating a new era of memories.
You moved into the Kirwin House this summer. What prompted the move? The Kirwin House holds many memories for alumni, faculty, staff and past presidents. Jennifer and I always wanted to live on campus, but the house was occupied until recently. Because the house is a block from campus, it will mean that I can easily move between family time and on-campus events. But most importantly, it will give us the opportunity to entertain before events and create memories for our Kansas Wesleyan family. We hosted our first
You’ve just concluded your third academic year at Kansas Wesleyan. What are you most excited about, and what challenges are ahead? Graduation is always a moment that makes me proud. I am amazed at how many students are pursuing graduate-level studies or have been accepted into Ph.D. programs. Plus, there are four graduates heading to law school from the Class of 2016. This issue of Contact magazine features great examples of current and former students who are moving into jobs and postgraduate experiences that will enrich their lives as change makers in their communities and in the world. As an institution of higher learning, we are always challenged with ensuring that we are providing relevant and innovative degrees that prepare students for jobs that haven’t even been created yet, and providing that education at a price that is affordable for students and manageable for the university. There are many options for students when it comes to higher education, and we have to stay relevant, affordable and unique while staying true to our mission.
“ As an institution of higher learning, we are always challenged with ensuring that we are providing relevant and innovative degrees that prepare students for jobs that haven’t even been created yet, and providing that education at a price that is affordable for students and manageable for the university.”
What construction is taking place near Fourth Street? Union Pacific Railroad and the City of Salina have granted us permission to extend the plaza of the Graves Family Sports Complex 20 feet toward the railroad track. This will provide more walking area for guests and allow us to complete the ticket booths and the Glenn Martin Memorial, which will be constructed from the sandstone rocks preserved when the old stadium was demolished. In addition, on the west side of the tracks, we will be adding a bus turnaround, a new parking lot and green space to connect the campus with the sports complex. Pedestrian crosswalks and fencing along the railroad tracks will also be added. We anticipate the east side of the project will be completed in time for Homecoming and the west side by May.
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2015–2016
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
REMEMBERING A LEGEND The university family celebrated the life of beloved longtime coach and friend, F. Gene Bissell in Sams Chapel on February 20.
WIRED FOR SUCCESS Thanks to a $1M gift from Sunflower Bank, Kansas Wesleyan was able to wire the entire campus with new fiber optics, giving each building WI-FI and upgrading the phone and email systems.
HOME AGAIN! On October 3, 2015, the Graves Family Sports Complex welcomed 2,000+ fans for the dedication of Gene Bissell Field and a Homecoming win over McPherson.
MASTERING THE ART OF STRINGS Acclaimed instructors from six countries taught and performed during the second International String Festival in April. 2
MEMORABLE
s t e n Mom
ONLINE OPTIONS Kansas Wesleyan launched four online degree programs: Emergency Management, Criminal Justice, Interdisciplinary Studies and MBA.
THE WORLD IS OUR CLASSROOM The first Wesleyan Journey courses provided students with a free servicelearning experience in Costa Rica, the Florida Keys, New York City and Washington, D.C.
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION Kansas Wesleyan and Saint Paul School of Theology joined forces to create an opportunity for a 3+3 experience for students who are pursuing Christian Ministry undergraduate degrees and a Master of Divinity.
LIFTING OUR VOICES The Kansas Wesleyan University Chorale competed for a select spot among the performers at the annual Kansas Music Educators Association workshop in Wichita on February 26. The students wowed the crowd with an impressive performance of “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine” (E. Whitacre b. 1970), which put a voice and dramatic sound to Leonardo DaVinci’s dream.
RECORD TURNAROUND The Kansas Wesleyan football team, which had won only two games in 2014, posted a 10–2 record season and landed a spot in the NAIA National Championships in Oregon. The women’s soccer team won a first-round game in the NAIA Championships, and the men’s cross country team also earned a bid to the NAIA National Championships.
KANSAS WESLEYAN RECEIVES MULTIPLE COLLEGE OF DISTINCTION™ HONORS The tradition of excellence continues at Kansas Wesleyan University, as it was named a College of Distinction™. This is the third year in a row that the university has received this honor. Kansas Wesleyan has also been named a Christian College of Distinction™ and a Kansas College of Distinction™ for 2016–17. Each of these honors represents national recognition of the school’s excellence, as
demonstrated in four areas: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes. It points to Kansas Wesleyan as an institution with exceptional quality of studies and classes taught by faculty, not graduate students or teaching assistants. Colleges of Distinction™ also provide innovative learning and service experiences and an active campus, with opportunities for personal development.
FARM TO TABLE
KANSAS WESLEYAN FUN FACT: The 1880s was a decade marked by the expansion of higher education in Kansas, with 12 small colleges, including Kansas Wesleyan University, opening their doors in a six-year span.
LOCAL FARM IS LIVING LAB FOR SCIENCE STUDENTS A local farm is giving science students out-of-the-classroom experiences while generating farm-to-table produce for the dining hall. Kirk Cusick, who has been an adjunct professor at Kansas Wesleyan for two years and teaches in the Ecospheric Studies and Community Resilience program (formerly Environmental Studies and Community Resilience), grew up on the Whispering Cottonwood Farm and riparian area located on the northeast side of Salina. Students from the Biology, Ecology and Ecospheric Studies and Community Resilience classes use the farm as a living lab to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom. Several students volunteer at the farm and help plant and harvest fruits and vegetables that are now being used by Sodexo in Shriwise dining hall.
The Ecospheric Studies and Community Resilience program launched in 2014; the first student in the program graduated in May. Students in the program also participate in hands-on experiences at the world-renowned Land Institute—co-founded by alumnus Dr. Wes Jackson ’58—located just a few miles from campus.
“Multiple student activities occur at the farm, including experiments and planting. We also support two interns,” said Cusick, who has created the Whispering Cottonwood Institute, a not-for-profit that provides opportunities for people to connect with nature. “I hope that students will be inspired by our beautiful earth so they will care for it deeply in any professions they pursue,” said Cusick. “I want them to understand the interdependence of all things in nature, and I hope they recognize that everything they do has an impact.” Angelique Archuleta (Archie) ’17, Kally Johns ’16 and Diego Sanchez ’13 harvest produce that is being used by Sodexo in Shriwise Dining Hall. Archuleta and Sanchez are summer interns at Whispering Cottonwood Farm.
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CELEBRATING
OF PIONEERING AND INNOVATING It’s hard to imagine what it was like to be at Kansas Wesleyan in September 1886—what mountains had to be moved to secure funds and hire the 11 faculty and to recruit the students who would become the forbearers of our 130-year history in Salina. But it is easy to understand our founders mission, as it is the same today as it was in 1886. From the beginning, Kansas Wesleyan has been about providing quality education rooted in the values of the United Methodist Church. It’s always been about pioneering and innovating. Kansas Wesleyan has been at the forefront of providing a liberal arts education and adapting to the needs of the times. It offered telegraphy when the railroads were bridging the east with the west, and it prepared teachers for one-room school houses. Today it offers the only four-year Emergency Management degree in the state. What also hasn’t changed is the offering of extracurricular activities that develop character and lifelong soft skills that make Kansas Wesleyan graduates great communicators, out-of-the box
thinkers and community change makers. Today we call it the Power of AND, but we can trace these experiences back to the 1900s when baseball and football teams and yearbook clubs were popular. In the mid-1900s, fraternities and sororities were all the rage. Groups such as the Mrs. Wesleyan Club, the Black American Student Union and the Varsity Club helped students from as far away as New Jersey feel at home at Kansas Wesleyan.
130TH COMMEMORATION EVENTS
Alumni, with their extraordinary contributions across the globe—from inventing the NASA Space Pen and performing on stage, television and radio, to governing the state of Kansas and changing the conversation about agriculture and our earth—inspire current students to stretch themselves intellectually and spiritually to become 21st-century pioneers in their fields (see pages 12–13). Students are working in laboratories to help develop medical advances for chronic and life-threatening diseases; they are working on the cutting edge of cybersecurity to help protect personal data; and they are in classrooms teaching the next generation of scientists, lawyers and ministers.
Homecoming & Family Weekend —September 23–25, 2016 Join us as we celebrate with a family carnival, dedicate the Graves Family Sports Complex, welcome the Class of 1966 into the Golden W, honor Miss Wesleyans, reunite the Black American Student Union, and reconnect and recollect all weekend long! For a complete schedule and to register, visit www.kwu.edu/homecoming2016.
We’ve accomplished great things in the past 130 years. It’s now time to write the next 130 as we remain true to our United Methodist, liberal arts roots, address the changing needs of a high-tech global society, and provide an experience that inspires and invigorates today’s learners. Join us this year at events and commemorations where we have a historic opportunity to highlight our progress and celebrate the people and moments that are part of our 130-year story.
Worship on the Lawn—August All are invited to welcome back our students with a worship on the lawn that will include a special tribute to our United Methodist heritage. Time Capsule—September 15 On the 130th anniversary of our founding, students have the opportunity to gather items significant to their Kansas Wesleyan experiences and bury them in a time capsule.
Throwback Thursdays—All Year Long on Social Media Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@goKWU), and relive the glory days and share your memories every Thursday! Watch for photos of you and your fellow Coyotes. Share Your Memories—www.kwu.edu/130 Our special 130th anniversary website is where you can read posts from other Coyotes and share your own memories, as well as explore the university’s history, through timelines, photos and stories. Pictorial—Publish Date Spring 2017 This spring, pick up your copy of the Kansas Wesleyan University pictorial, a visual retelling of our 130-year history. More information will follow as the publish date is announced. Read more on page 6.
NOTABLE KANSAS WESLEYAN GRADUATES: D. DALE BROWNING ’59 CHAIRMAN OF FRONTIER AIRLINES | JERNARD BURKS ’90
“ It is the strength acquired by meeting the obstacles and overcoming them that makes us better and stronger men and women. It is the victory over those obstacles that gives us the courage for life’s best work.”—Rev. H.M. Mayo, 1887 Graduation Speech
1880
1890
1885: The Conference of Northwest Kansas raises $3,500 to fund a new college. Several cities vie for the location of the new college, but Salina’s offer of 15 acres and $26,000 is accepted.
1890: Two student publications, the Wesleyan Lance and the Kansas Wesleyan Advocate, merge to form the Wesleyan Advance.
1886 | September 15: The Administration Building opens its doors to the first class of two (one senior and one freshman) and 61 students in preparatory classes. Tuition and fees are $13 per term. There are 11 faculty members.
1891: C. W. Burch is the first graduate to complete all of his work at Kansas Wesleyan.
1887: H.M. Mayo is the first graduate of Kansas Wesleyan. 4
1900 1909: University Methodist Church is organized to serve the university and south Salina, with services held in the Kansas Wesleyan Administration Building until 1917, when the present structure was built.
1910 1911: Glenn Martin flies his self-built plane over southern Salina, near campus. Martin attended Kansas Wesleyan Business College in 1908 but later moved to California, establishing several aircraft and aerospace companies. 1916: King Gymnasium opens with a swimming pool and gymnasium. The face of the clock, salvaged from the destructive fire in 1987, is preserved in the Advancement Office in the Hall of the Pioneers.
BLACK STUDENTS FOUND SALINA WELCOMING DURING TURBULENT ’60s THE BASU WILL REUNITE IN SEPTEMBER Kansas Wesleyan University was a leader in welcoming students from various cultures and backgrounds. In the 1960s, Head Football Coach Gene Bissell took a stand against discrimination at a Salina restaurant, whose owner refused to allow his black players to eat with the rest of the team in the public dining room. The team left the establishment and ate elsewhere.
For Brenda McDaniel ’73, the Black American Student Union (BASU) was like a family away from home, encouraging and tutoring each other. In a program called “The Family,” students performed solos, read poetry, spoke to the group and performed comedy routines. The “Family Voices” sang gospel music. The women also belonged to a black sisters group, an outreach of the BASU. “It started out as an alternative for black students to the frat/sorority scene to provide them with a place to gather and have a semblance of home,” recalls Lloyd Baskett ’71. “The majority of black students came from major metropolitan areas in/around New York, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis and Denver. Salina was an emotional and cultural shock for all of us, so we tried to band together to fit in and assimilate. Not to be isolationists or to segregate, but to just relate. It was someplace for us to discuss, deal with and adjust to the many issues of the day—Vietnam, racial inequality, the draft.”
McDaniel and Charles Jessamy ’72 are planning a reunion of the BASU during 2016 Homecoming and Family Weekend. An on-campus meet and greet is planned for Friday evening, and on Saturday, the group will gather for a post-game event after the Homecoming football game. There is a church service planned at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday. For more information, visit www.kwu.edu/homecoming2016.
According to Baskett, as time went on, the BASU morphed into community outreach initiatives, such as assisting with the tutorial center for black children on the north end, working at the Carver Center and hosting relevant speakers.
PROFESSIONAL ACTOR | THOMAS CRAVEN ’08 ANTI-MODERNIST ART CRITIC AND ART HISTORIAN, AUTHOR, ESSAYIST | PAUL C. FISHER ’35 SCIENTIST AND INVENTOR OF THE NASA FISHER SPACE PEN
“ I studied business administration and played football for three years. We played the whole 60 minutes. The entire team was 20 players. We won the school’s first KCAC Championship in 1940. I also helped build Martin Stadium as a Works Project Administration project and got paid 25 cents an hour. Only three students on campus had a car back then.”—Bill Keeler ’44
1920 1928: The Grafton-Club mural “The Coming of the Pioneers” in Sams Chapel is dedicated. 1928: The KCAC is formed with Kansas Wesleyan, Bethany, Ottawa, Baker, McPherson and St. Mary’s. 1928: Ruple Perkins of Athens, OH, a running back for the Coyotes, is the first African-American to play college football in Kansas. Despite discrimination by teams that refused to take the field with him, he earned All-KCAC First Team honors his freshman and sophomore years.
1930 1930: Tuition, room and board is $400 a year. 1936: Marking its 50th anniversary, Kansas Wesleyan has grown to 24 faculty members and a student body of 450.
1940 1940: Glenn Martin Stadium is built with Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor, including Kansas Wesleyan students. The football team wins the KCAC Championship. 1948: Memorial Library is built and dedicated to the 24 students who died in World War II. Students help transport the books from Carnegie Science Hall to the new building.
1950 1956: Kansas Wesleyan is accredited by the North Central Association, now called the Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Kansas Wesleyan continues this accreditation today.
4A
CELEBRATING 130 YEARS
MY LILAC FÊTE MEMORIES ALUMNI HOLD LILAC FÊTE MEMORIES “I was nominated by the student body
Close to Heart
Nearly everyone who attended Kansas Wesleyan prior to 2006 has fond memories of Lilac Fête. The tradition, which filled the campus with energy and romance for more than 60 years, was more than a formal dance. Lilac Fête lore includes trips to cities outside of Salina, with scissors in hand, scouting out lilac bushes that would supply the traditional lilac rope and bouquets. Many relationships sprung out of the event; and many quintessential white gowns worn by Miss Wesleyans were repurposed as wedding dresses. But it wasn’t all about the women. Fraternities would outdo each other with skits and musical numbers, and the crowning of Mr. Wesleyan was introduced to the Lilac Fête activities. The dance, which began in 1940, continued through 2006, with only two years’ hiatus in 2002 and 2003.
in my senior year to be Miss Wesleyan, Queen of the Lilac, with Elaine Maduros, Virginia Paxon, Lorene Slavik and Eula Razak. We rode the bus to downtown Salina and picked out our dresses. Mine was white, and the other four were purple. My escort was Hal Hanable, whom I later married. I used my white gown as my wedding dress. We celebrated 58 years of marriage in June.”—Louise (Briney) Hanable ’58 (married Hal Hanable ’58) “For Lilac Fête in 1961, boys in the graduating class drove all night to known spots in neighboring states where lilacs bloomed before they did in Kansas. The lilacs, wrapped in wet paper to keep them fresh, were laid out in long lines on tables high up in a little room at the top of Pioneer Hall. Senior girls took shifts working on the line, tying bunches together so they could be carried down the aisle in the auditorium on the night of the Fête. The lilacs were a beautiful, continuous line held by many girls processing down both aisles, walking
slowly toward the stage to ceremonial music. It was a beautiful sight and a night of excitement and pride.”—Marlene Lee ’61 “I remember the Lilac Fête being one of the reasons I started going out with my now husband, Tim, after meeting him at a party at the chaplain’s apartment. I wanted him to ask me to the dance. He did, and we have never looked back.”—Linda (Smith) Stauffer ’78 (married Tim Stauffer ’79) “One of my favorite memories from my time at Kansas Wesleyan was getting dressed up for Lilac Fête.”—Calvin Brown ’93 SHARE YOUR MEMORIES AT WWW.KWU.EDU/130.
| WILLIAM P. GRAVES ’76 43rd KANSAS GOVERNOR 1995–2003 | DR. S. WESLEY JACKSON ’58 BIOLOGIST AND FOUNDER OF THE LAND INSTITUTE | CHARLES JESSAMY JR. ’72
“ The women’s dorm, Pfeiffer Hall, had curfew hours. Miss Jean Bradley, the Housemother, stood inside the front door … and she locked it exactly at 10:30 p.m. or midnight! If you were to approach Pfeiffer Hall’s front door around 10:20 p.m. on weeknights—or 11:50 p.m. on Saturday—you would see a bevy of couples within 20 or 30 yards of the front entryway. Obviously, they would be shaking hands and bidding each other good night.”—Bob Pinkall ’58
1960
1968: Enrollment hits a record 800 students. Many male students are shuttled to campus from rented barracks at the former Schilling Air Base because the campus residence halls are full. 1968: Women’s athletics begins with the formation of the Association of Kansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports. 1969: A men’s dorm is opened. It was called “New Men’s Dorm” until the mid-1990s, when it was renamed Wesley Hall.
1970
1980
1978: Kansas Wesleyan Kansas Delta chapter of Alpha Chi honor society is chartered.
1986: The Kansas Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame is launched with 100 inductees to celebrate Kansas Wesleyan’s 100th anniversary.
1979: Muir Gymnasium is built.
1988: Kansas Wesleyan acquires the Asbury nursing program, located at Asbury-Salina Regional Medical Center. In 1994, the program moved to campus.
“ There was a rule that all girls had to dress up in a skirt or dress to eat dinner in the dining hall. Many of the girls hated having to change back from their jeans and casual clothes to dress up for dinner. Finally, the girls had a ‘sit-in’ in front of the cafeteria to protest the policy since there were no dress code restrictions for the guys. The dean finally gave in and changed the policy!”—Janet (Wright) Sammons ’69
“ When I arrived at Kansas Wesleyan in 1980, I was an inner-city kid from Newark, New Jersey, coming from a single-parent household. I was the first one in my family to attend college. I remember Homecoming, Lilac Fête, the Christmas concerts and dinner at a professor’s house for those who couldn’t go home for Thanksgiving. I learned not only how to live alone but also how to live a life at Wesleyan.”—John Brooks ’84
4B
CELEBRATING 130 YEARS
“When I was a junior, I went on the choir trip through Canada to the east coast, traveling six to a car, and freshman Sarah Wyatt and I were in the same car. We were married a year later, resulting in three beautiful children and 58 wonderful years as man and wife. She passed away in 2012.”—Bud Grant ’54 (married Sarah (Wyatt) Grant ’56)
WISHING WELL AND WEDDING BELLS The iconic J.W. Bean wishing well has been the site of numerous marriage proposals, first kisses and wishes throughout its 88-year history on campus. A tradition at the annual Lilac Fête included Mr. and Miss Wesleyan throwing wishes for the university into the well. Mike Malone ’70 recently shared that a wish at the wishing well is a must-do for his grandchildren when they visit campus. “Since we really didn’t have much money, we spent lots of evenings taking walks around the campus. At the end of the Lilac Fête program, we decided to take another walk around campus before the annual formal dance. We stopped at several places, and at the wishing well, Dean proposed to me. I said yes. It was a night that has always been high on my list of memories at Kansas Wesleyan! Dean and I were married just a few days after my graduation in 1965. Our marriage lasted 48 years until Dean’s death in 2014.”—Becky (Lambert) Creech ’65 (married Dean Creech ’65)
Read more memories and share your own Wishing Well, engagement or other favorite memories on our 130th anniversary website: www.kwu.edu/130.
Records indicate that there are more than 400 living Kansas Wesleyan couples, and chances are love was in the air for many years prior to what’s in the database. After World War II, enrollment at Kansas Wesleyan surpassed 500, as many married couples and veterans comprised the student body. The North and South Apartments were opened in 1957 and 1958, respectively, as housing for married couples. Here are a few memories of love that blossomed on the Kansas Wesleyan campus. “Things I remember from my student days include square dancing on the tennis courts and making wishes at the wishing well like ‘I wish he would ask me out.’ We had required chapel with alphabetical seating assignments. I was last because my name was Zook. My future husband, Warren, arrived at Wesleyan two weeks late, so he was assigned to sit by me. After we were married, one of the professors gave us an alarm clock for a wedding present. We were both in her eight o’clock class!”—Dr. Mary Virginia “Ginny” (Zook) Bevan ’56 (married Warren Bevan ’56) “I lived in Pfeiffer Hall, and whenever a female student got engaged, someone got on the intercom in the middle of the night and called everyone downstairs. With the lights out, we would stand in a circle and sing ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart,’ passing a lit candle around three times until the newly engaged student blew it out. The lights would go on, and we would rush to congratulate her. One of those times was for me to celebrate my engagement to my husband of 45 years, Russell!” —Janet (Wright) Sammons ’69 “In February 1967, a casual girlfriend invited me to the annual Sadie Hawkins Dance. We went through the customary hide and seek routine, with the girls finding their beaus, followed by a ‘forced wedding’ during which, when I was asked whether I took the girl as my wedded wife, I said a loud ‘No!’ Within a year, we actually got married. And we’re still together 49 years later!”—Dr. Wayne Brindle ’69 (married Nancy (Stewarz) Brindle ’69)
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER FOR THE NEW YORK GIANTS | GLENN L. MARTIN ATTENDED ’08 AVIATOR, INVENTOR |GEORGE MURDOCK ’56 PROFESSIONAL ACTOR | WILLIAM “BILL” WHEATLEY
“ Being in choir was the greatest joy for me at Kansas Wesleyan, and choir tour was one of my favorite experiences. The musical performances were fun, but the bus trip and traveling with my friends was the best.”—Amanda (Montgomery) Gutierrez ’92
1990 1994: MBA program is launched; fiber optic cable is run to most of the buildings on campus. “ I remember the games, the lectures, the connection to the University Church and many more things that made Kansas Wesleyan feel like home. My most embarrassing moment was when I blew up a microscope in Dr. Neuberger’s microbiology class. I went on to graduate in 1977 with a B.S., simultaneously with my R.N. diploma from Asbury Hospital School of Nursing. —Jerri Phillips ’77, ’92, ’07
2000
2010
2006: The first Project HERO day, the brainchild of two seniors, is organized by the Student Activity Board and continues annually.
2010: Communication students launch the first Internet radio broadcast of KKWU.
2008: The Student Activities Center opens and includes the Hauptli Student Center, Brown Mezzanine, Mabee Arena, Muir Gymnasium, The Den and Yotee’s Bookstore.
2014: Demolition begins on Glenn Martin Stadium to make way for the new sports complex.
“ Coach Jerry Jones would have us end our preseason basketball conditioning workout with a run across a lake, which some years was only wrist deep. It was hilarious and fun, and afterward we would barbecue at the lake.”—Brandon Cheeks ’05
2011: The Albert Nelson Student Success Center opens in Memorial Library.
2014: Wesleyan Journey program is launched. Every qualified student can have an academic and international service experience, with travel in or outside the U.S. First courses are in Costa Rica during fall break. 2015: $1.2 million of technology upgrades expand Wi-Fi and fund installation of new fiber cable in every campus building. 5
at the Smoky Hill Museum, Toelle actively cares for the artifacts and archival collections. She attended Kansas Wesleyan for a year in 2001, where she served as yearbook editor-in-chief; her husband David ’01, ’08, has been the sports information director at Kansas Wesleyan for the past 15 years. Her passion for Kansas Wesleyan, her love of history, and her keen appreciation for the value of research elements and archival documents make her an ideal candidate to compile the pictorial.
1907 Advance staff
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Research began in the spring, and Toelle said she has gained a deeper appreciation for the staff and students who wrote about the events on campus and arranged for photographs to be taken to document the academic year. She was particularly inspired by Ann Partner Nelson ’66, yearbook editor for the 1964 Coyote. Nelson’s words align with Toelle’s vision for the book. “With the passage of time, the visions of college life grow dim. It is the purpose of this book and others like it to help recapture these moments and make them clear again.”
New Kansas Wesleyan Pictorial Will Recapture Stories Publishing Date Spring 2017 Many stories of yesteryear will be shared during the university’s 130th anniversary celebration, and to complement the narratives, Jennifer Toelle has undertaken the task of producing a pictorial of Kansas Wesleyan University that will provide a visually appealing and cohesive historical glimpse of the spirit of the campus and the strength of the university throughout its history. The images selected will highlight the university’s leadership and community involvement over the course of 130 years. The book will be available in the spring. “One of the best ways to highlight and keep memories alive is to reminisce through visual representation,” says Toelle. “The visually captivating images and historical accounts selected for this book will help to preserve the university’s history by continuing to strengthen the spirit of Kansas Wesleyan and to continue to bind the community.” Toelle drew inspiration from some of the people who have exhibited inspiring traits and have carried a torch for Wesleyan’s spirit. The registrar ATTENDED ’28 MEMBER OF THE 1936 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL BASKETBALL TEAM
“ I was recruited by Kansas Wesleyan to participate in debate and forensics. I have fond memories of team dinners, traveling to new places, meeting new friends and feeling like family. One meal in Louisiana introduced me to the taste of alligator. Yum! —Meriah Moore ’11
2010
CONT.
Toelle has sifted through thousands of photos, course catalogs and yearbooks and says selecting the images has been a daunting process. “Selecting the photographs has been one of the toughest challenges. I want to ensure the photographs selected spark a memory and capture the essence of the campus spirit. A little over 200 photographs will make it into the book. When 1966 yearbook editor, making selections, I look for Ann Partner Nelson photographs that help to illustrate the history and progression of the university and that will be visually captivating for the alumni.” Toelle is utilizing her research skills and experience with archival documents to compile the pictorial history. The photographs selected will highlight and complement the university’s already documented history. Archival records, newspapers and genealogical resources are being utilized during the research process. Toelle is spending a great deal of time in the university archives in Memorial Library to conduct research. Dr. Ruth Mirtz, director of library services, and Kat Wise, associate librarian, have been extremely helpful during the process. The pictorial history book, Kansas Wesleyan University, will be published by Arcadia Publishing as part of its Campus History series and is scheduled for release in spring 2017.
2015: The Graves Family Sports Complex stadium opens October 3 to a record crowd of 2,011; legendary coach Gene Bissell helps cut the ribbon as the new Gene Bissell Field is dedicated. 2015: Kansas Wesleyan forms the only marching band in the KCAC. 2016: Four fully online bachelor’s degrees are launched: Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, Interdisciplinary Studies and MBA 2016: Kansas Wesleyan wins its 30th National Debate Championship. 6
1965 Advance editor, Tom Hoisington
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
In 1885, the Rev. Dr. John Peate built a 12-inch reflecting telescope for his Greenville, PA, observatory. He made an offer in 1902 to Professor W.F. Hoyt to sell the telescope to Kansas Wesleyan University for just $500, on the condition that a suitable building would be constructed to house it. By the end of 1902, the compact brick Hoyt Observatory was in operation. In 1903, it was advertised as “the only college observatory in Kansas,” and the Peate Telescope was declared “the largest in the state.” In 1909, the telescope was moved to the observatory atop the new three-story Carnegie Science Hall and eventually sold to a Kansas Wesleyan student. When Peters Science Hall was constructed in 1969, an observatory was included, and two years later, a 16inch telescope was installed. Kansas Wesleyan faculty Dave Clark and Sam Chrisbens ’78 held viewings of Halley’s Comet in the observatory and on the science hall rooftop, with Salina Astronomy Club (SAC) members providing talks and scopes.
DAVID CLARK Music Faculty 1975–1994 Registrar 1994–95 David Clark was something of a renaissance man at Kansas Wesleyan, with his many talents, skills and interests. He wore a variety of hats, and his effect on the university and the Salina community is still present today. He spent a year studying at Juilliard School of Music in New York before earning his Bachelor of Music in Trumpet from the University of Kansas. He honed his talent during four years with the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C., as a cornet soloist for two years. He returned to KU for his Master of Music in Trumpet and arrived at Kansas Wesleyan in 1975. “I taught everything instrumental,” said Clark. “When I arrived, I immediately established a pep band, a fight song and various pep tunes, a brass quintet, and a woodwind ensemble. I also created a small jazz group, and we began producing musicals that first year with the theatre department.” Clark chaired the Music department for 10 years and aligned the music curriculum with state standards. He served on many committees and was chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee. Clark also presented math and computer lectures, and he and Tom Duell ’73, Computer Science faculty, revived the basic astronomy course. He later taught astronomy with Dr. Dorothy Hanna, professor of Chemistry. In 1985, Clark and Sam Chrisbens Jr. ’78 started the Salina Astronomy Club because of the growing interest in Halley’s Comet. When the Kansas Wesleyan Music program was closed in 1994 due to budget cuts, Clark became the registrar. In 1995, he accepted the job of personnel manager for the Kansas City Symphony (KCS), a full-time professional orchestra with 80 musicians and nearly 40 support staff. He often played with the symphony as an extra trumpet. For outdoor concerts,
“We had hundreds of people wanting to see the comet when it was closest in February 1986,” said Clark. “One man had seen it in 1910 with his grandfather. He brought his grandson.” In the mid-2000s, three SAC members began restoring the observatory dome and telescope. In 2010, Clark wrote a program to provide positioning data. Dr. Dorothy Hanna, professor of Chemistry and current SAC president, has taught an astronomy course every other year, and the club currently hosts regular stargazing events.
he applied his knowledge of astronomy by scouting locations to determine orientation and concert start time in order to minimize direct sunlight on the instruments and musicians. For 15 years, in the summertime, Clark was principal trumpet and personnel manager for the Missouri Symphony. Clark retired from the symphony in 2007, and in 2008 he began serving on the outside volunteer music committee that chooses the program, narration and soloists for the KCS’s annual “Symphony in the Flint Hills” outdoor concert. He established and coordinated the astronomy program that follows each Flint Hills concert and features the Salina Astronomy Club and the Wichita Astronomical Observers. Clark continues to play as principal trumpet for the Overland Park Orchestra, whose second trumpet happens to be one of Clark’s former trumpet students from Salina South High School. 7
HOMECOMING 2016 & FAMILY WEEKEND
HOMECOMING
&
FAMILY WEEKEND
130TH CELEBRATION SEPTEMBER 23–25
There is no other weekend on the Kansas Wesleyan University campus that can match the energy and excitement of Homecoming and Family Weekend, and this year will be no exception.
A pregame tailgate fan fest will take place on the quad prior to the football game. Special hospitality tents will be reserved for legacy families, anyone in the classes ending in “6” and the Black American Student Union.
The university will celebrate its 130th anniversary on September 15, and a week later, hundreds of alumni and friends will gather for a celebration like no other. The weekend includes a Friday night family carnival complete with rides, games, a petting zoo and festive food. The Class of 1966 will be inducted into the Golden W on Friday, and three graduates will receive special recognition at the Alumni Awards ceremony prior to the carnival.
The Graves Family Sports Complex will be dedicated at 5:40 p.m. in a ceremony in which former Kansas Governor Bill Graves ’76 and his sister Martha Graves Reese ’74 are expected to attend. Governor Graves and the late Gene Bissell served as co-chairs of the capital campaign for the Sports Complex project. The stadium, which hosted its first football game on October 3, 2015, when the main field was dedicated for former football coach Gene Bissell, hosts home football, soccer, and track and field competitions.
On Saturday, a full slate of activities are planned, beginning with the Hall of Fame breakfast, a volleyball match where former Miss Wesleyans will be recognized, and an opportunity for alumni to learn about the Kansas Wesleyan student experience of today.
HOMECOMING AND FAMILY WEEKEND RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE ONLINE AT WWW.KWU.EDU/HOMECOMING2016 OR THROUGH THE MAILER THAT WAS SENT IN AUGUST.
HOTEL DEALS
Book your weekend stay at one of our partner hotels in Salina to receive the Kansas Wesleyan discount. Visit www.kwu.edu/hoteldeals for a complete list of participating hotels.
HOMECOMING HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday, September 24 8 a.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 10 a.m. All Alumni Meeting, hosted by Alumni Council Officers Friday, September 23 10 a.m. Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair Parade Noon Class of 1966 Induction into 11 a.m. Alumni Flag Football, hosted by the Golden W Patrick Shelton ’10 Noon Coyote Club Golf Outing Noon Miss Wesleyan recognition at varsity 2–4 p.m. Welcome Lounge, hosted by Dean ’54 volleyball vs. Friends and Betty (Conrad) Groves 1 :30 p.m. Wesleyan Showcase Concert, 5:30 p.m. Alumni Awards Presentation Sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless 6–9 p.m. 130th Anniversary Carnival—bring your family and enjoy inflatables, rides, 2:30 p.m. Campus Tour 3 p.m. Kansas Wesleyan Today Presentation games, petting zoo, music and food! 4 p.m. Alumni Band Clinic (musicians, bring 8 p.m. Black American Student Union Meet your instrument to play along) and Greet, hosted by Brenda McDaniel ’73 and Charles Jessamy ’72 Visit www.kwu.edu/homecoming2016 for a complete schedule of events.
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Saturday, September 24 (cont.) 4 p.m. Coyote Tailgate Party, food by Sodexo; Legacy Tent (gathering for alumni who have generations of Coyotes in their families); Class of 2006 Reunion, hosted by Krista (Marsicek) Blaisdell ’06; “Sixes” Tent (every class ending in a “6” can gather for their special reunions) 5:30 p.m. Graves Family Sports Complex Dedication Ceremony 6 p.m. Football vs. Southwestern Post-game Yotes on the Patio; BASU Banquet Sunday, September 25 10 a.m. Church Service at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church 10:30 a.m. Church Service at University United Methodist Church, featuring the Wesleyan Choir
2016 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Kansas Wesleyan will induct seven individuals and two teams into the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame on September 24, 2016, as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend activities on the Kansas Wesleyan campus. Inductees will be formally inducted at the Hall of Fame Breakfast on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. in Muir Gymnasium. Inductees will also be recognized Saturday evening during halftime of Wesleyan’s football game against Southwestern. Tommy Abrado was a four-year letter winner for the baseball team from 1969 to 1972. He TOMMY ABRADO ’72 was the 1972 Dean Evans MVP award winner, BASEBALL batting .390 and was named All-KCAC and AllNAIA District 10 in 1971 and 1972. Abrado has spent the last 20 years in distribution management for Florida’s Natural orange juice.
ASCENDRA (PETERS) DONALD ’07 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Ascendra Peters, a four-year starter, set three new career records in field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and total rebounds. She set multiple records, including single-season records in rebounds and free throws made as well as career free throws made, and her 1,537 career points remains second highest in school history.
Bruce Pinkall was stellar on the offensive line as a starting guard. In 1976, it was the work of Pinkall and the offensive line that produced a BRUCE PINKALL ’79 No. 9 ranking in the NAIA for rushing, as well as BASEBALL KCAC’s leading scorer and leading rusher (Ron West). Pinkall received the M.C. Cullota Award for best blocker and was Honorable Mention All-KCAC. Pinkall works as a city recreation director and has officiated football for more than 30 years, thrice earning post-season assignments in the NAIA. Steve Sokolski was a four-year letterman. He hit .481 in 1972, a top-10 mark in the NAIA. He was All-KCAC and NAIA All-District 10 as a third STEVE SOKOLSKI ’73 baseman. He helped the Coyotes to a KCAC BASEBALL Championship title in 1972. Sokolski earned more than 300 wins coaching high school baseball and basketball during his career.
A four-year letter winner for the Coyotes, Rich Troiano helped Wesleyan to a KCAC Baseball Championship in 1972 as a pitcher. He was named All-KCAC and Honorable Mention All-NAIA District 10 in 1972 in pitching and in 1973 was named All-KCAC as an outfielder.
RICH TROIANO ’73 BASEBALL
Blake Turner played two outstanding seasons for the Coyotes. He helped Kansas Wesleyan to a twoBLAKE TURNER ’00 year record of 33–9 in the KCAC, the 1999–00 MEN’S BASKETBALL KCAC Championship and the 2000 National Small College Athletic Association National Championship. He set school records in several categories, and his single-game record of 10 three-pointers in a game still stands. He was Honorable Mention NAIA All-American and a two-time NSCAA All-American. Turner coaches at Lanphier High School in Springfield, IL, where he has led his team to back-to-back city championships. As a transfer, Darla (Gadberry) Villalpando led the KCAC in scoring and rebounding in the 1990–91 season, averaged nine points per game her junior season and tied the then school record of 17 rebounds in a game against Missouri Valley in 1990. A softball standout, Villalpando helped coach the Sacred Heart softball team to the state championship.
DARLA (GADBERRY) VILLALPANDO ’91 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SOFTBALL
Exceptional pitching from 2016 individual Hall of Famers Abrado and Troiano helped the Kansas Wesleyan baseball team win the 1972 KCAC Championship. Sokolski’s (2016 HOF) prowess 1972 BASEBALL TEAM with the bat helped the team to a .320 batting average, one of the best in the NAIA. Abrado, Troiano, Sokolski, Steve Shrader and Terry Thomas were named All-KCAC; George Ibach earned Honorable Mention All-KCAC. Abrado and Sokolski were named All-NAIA District 10, and Troiano earned Honorable Mention. Roster: Tom Abrado, Ron Altman, Rich Gerner, Joe Gray, George Ibach, Chuck Jannelli, Mike Painter, Steve Saracino, Steve Sokolski, Steve Shrader, Stan Smith, Terry Thomas, Rich Troiano; Head Coach: Fred Reed, Assistant Coach: Dee Kozlow, Assistant Coach: Dr. David Fancher
Kansas Wesleyan won its first-ever KCAC Women’s Cross Country Championship under the direction of 2004 WOMEN’S CROSS a first-year coach, the late Zach Kindler. Sophomore COUNTRY TEAM Nicole Heptig won the individual title; Mandy Martin earned All-KCAC honors; Andrea Velez and Meredith Harns earned Honorable Mention All-KCAC honors. Kindler was named KCAC Coach of the Year. Roster: Amber Canterbury, Elizabeth Harns, For a complete description of award winners and Hall of Fame inductees, Meredith Harns, Nicole Heptig, Mandy Martin, Emily Ptacek, Sarah Vanek, visit www.kwu.edu/homecoming2016. Andrea Velez; Head Coach: Zach Kindler
2016 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS Rex Buchanan ‘75 Alumni Achievement Award
Rex Buchanan has had a successful 28-year career at the Kansas Geological Survey, where he has been interim director since 2010. A published author, he has held several leadership positions in the industry, including serving as secretary of the Association of American State Geologists, chairing the Kansas Task Force on Induced Seismicity, and serving as president of the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE), the Kansas Academy of Science and the Association of Earth Science Editors. He has earned numerous awards, including being named a 2008 Fellow of the Geology Society of America (GSA).
Nicole Dekat ‘07 Young Alumna Award
Nicole Dekat has served the Kansas Bureau of Investigation since graduation. A rising star within the organization, she helped launch the Kansas Incident Based Reporting System and aided in the passing of legislation that made Kansas just the 11th state to become federally compliant with the Adam Walsh Protection Act, earning her the Jack H. Ford Exceptional Service Award in 2012. Her unit received the Director’s Unit Citation Award for developing the database that is now used by the state to track and register offenders. She is a digital forensic examiner in the Cyber Crimes Unit.
Stan Razak ‘73 Alumni Service Award
Stan Razak caught the Coyote spirit at a very young age. He attended his first Kansas Wesleyan basketball game when he was less than a month old with his father, Buster Keith Razak ’56. Now he regularly operates the clock at Kansas Wesleyan football games and attends most other Coyote home competitions as a spectator. He has also served on the Night with the Yotes Committee. Razak played tennis for the Coyotes, and after graduating, he began a 32-year career with the Solomon School District mostly teaching sixth grade. At Solomon High School, he established the tennis program and coached basketball for 20 years. He is married to Kathy (Sheppard) Razak ’70. 9
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Dr. Rebecca Chopp ’74, chancellor of the University of Denver, says there is a bright future for liberal arts colleges.
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES REMAIN RESILIENT With more than 1,800 private, four-year institutions in America, how do small liberal arts universities continue to attract students? Alumna Dr. Rebecca Chopp ’74, has co-edited a book, “Remaking College: Innovation and the Liberal Arts” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013), which illustrates why liberal arts education is at the forefront of so many emerging trends in higher education and why no approach better prepares students for life after graduation, no matter which path they follow.
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Four new members were elected to a threeyear term on the Kansas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees during the June 2016 meetings. Charlie Ault-Duell, Rafael Mendez, Jerry Norton and Mary Quinley join a distinguished group of 20 civic and business leaders who set the future of the university. Four trustees were elected for an additional three-year term on the board: Dr. Charlie Grimwood of Fort Collins, CO; Byron Norris ’72 of Salina; Steve Rivers ’85 of Salina; and Glenn Tombaugh ’74 of Wichita.
Officers were also elected: Chair Dr. Charles G. Grimwood, Fort Collins, CO; Immediate past Chair Randall St. Clair ’66, Parkville, MO; Vice-Chair Emily-May Richards, Atlanta, GA; Treasurer Steven B. Michel, Salina, KS; Secretary Jeffrey H. Beiber ’71, Castle Rock, CO.
Charlie Ault-Duell, J.D., ’05 A resident of Salina, Ault-Duell is an attorney with the law firm of Norton, Wasserman and Jones-Kelly, LLC. He received his B.A. in History from Kansas Wesleyan and earned his J.D. from Washburn University.
Rafael Mendez, J.D., ’06 A resident of Bentonville, AR, Mendez is currently the senior director of Acosta Sales & Marketing. He is a 2006 graduate of Kansas Wesleyan with a B.A. in Business Administration, and he earned his J.D. from Washburn University. Mendez and Ault-Duell served together as student leaders on campus.
Jerry Norton, J.D., ’59 Norton is a retired law professor from Loyola University. He earned a B.A. from Kansas Wesleyan and obtained his J.D. from Washburn University. Norton previously served nine years on the board. He is a resident of River Forest, IL.
Mary Quinley, MBA, ’98 A long-time Salina resident, Quinley is an RN and director of inpatient medical at Salina Regional Health Center. She graduated from Marymount College with a BSN and earned a Master of Business from Kansas Wesleyan.
“The resiliency of the liberal arts college has been demonstrated across many generations, and with the addition of a growing public liberal arts sector to reaffirm the value of broad-based learning in a small campus setting, the future offers great promise,” writes Dr. Chopp.
at employer preferences and alumni satisfaction and what they want and need, it matches the experience and production of knowledge in our schools.”
“We live in the 21st century, where knowledge is about continuing innovation, it's about collaboration, and it's about working in diverse teams. However, the dominant model of education in this country is going in the opposite direction—back to the industrial world, back to specific training for specific jobs. The liberal arts setting is one of the few places you can obtain broad-based knowledge. And if you look
In addition, two trustees were recognized for their service to the board: M. Luci Larson of Salina, for serving six years, and Donna L. McKinley ’66 of Broomfield, CO, who served nine years, including three years as treasurer and three years as secretary.
Dr. Chopp is the chancellor of the University of Denver, where she is leading a comprehensive effort to transform the student experience, expand the design of knowledge and engage with the liberal arts in new ways. Previously, she served as the president of Swarthmore College and Colgate University. Dr. Chopp has returned to campus on several occasions to deliver the commencement address and present on “Empowering Women to Lead” during Women’s History Month.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
DR. BEDROUS GETS SOCIAL When Dr. Andrew Bedrous is in the classroom, he is a people person. He studies human behaviors and leads difficult discussions on racism and social justice. But outside the classroom, he enjoys enriching his own soul through music, gardening and woodworking. Dr. Bedrous, an assistant professor of sociology, has a passion for broadening students’ perspectives by teaching them the importance of environmental sustainability and cultural awareness. Why sociology? I started college as a business major and began studying sociology my sophomore year. Business was a bit too rigid. Like myself, sociology challenges conventional thinking. It forces a person to dig deep and truly analyze how to determine right from wrong. What are the most difficult topics for students to discuss? Race and racism are always difficult for students. For the most part, it’s not something they’ve given serious thought to. Students get caught up in the hyperbole that everything they say will be interpreted as racist by certain people, that everything they say will be representative of their entire racial view. It is an oversimplified breakdown of the problem, which paralyzes students because they fear that they are racist for having an opinion. How did you find Kansas Wesleyan? I went to graduate school in the Midwest and wanted to stay in this region. I wanted to focus my career on teaching students rather than researching and fighting for grant money. The best part about Kansas Wesleyan is the opportunity to have engaging discussions with students about real issues. I am very passionate about environmental sociology, particularly how people are or are not adapting to changes in the ecosystem. Whether these changes are manmade or not, people don’t seem interested in changing. One of the most rewarding aspects of this job is to see a shift in a student’s thinking as he or she is exposed to new information and perspectives.
What has been your most memorable experience at Kansas Wesleyan? In April I helped organize a poverty simulation for Circles of the Heartland. There was a great turnout of students and community members. The poverty simulation allowed participants to experience a full month in the life of a poverty-stricken citizen over the course of about two hours. Participants had to achieve certain basics within whatever scenario they were assigned, like paying for rent, utilities and food. Participants also experienced random incidents such as a house fire, eviction, job loss or criminal arrest. Each scenario was based on the life and background of an actual person (or family). Volunteers sat in as employees of local services (like a homeless shelter or charity) or as the staff of a government agency, employer or utility company. By trying to accomplish goals with limited means, participants got an opportunity to see what challenges are faced each day in the U.S. by those living below the poverty line. The experience was eye opening for many participants, and I am hoping to make this an annual event at Kansas Wesleyan.
KANSAS WESLEYAN FUN FACT: During Freshman Week in the 1930s, a greased telephone pole was erected about four yards northeast of the Wishing Well, which then stood in front of the east entrance of Pioneer Hall. Young men took turns to see who could climb the farthest up the pole. The one who got the highest was a campus celebrity.
What are your interests outside of the classroom? I have always loved music. In my younger years, when I was involved with live music, I played electric guitar and bass guitar for various small bands. I listen to ’80s and ’90s hip-hop. Lately, I have developed an interest in gardening and in woodworking. These skills are intriguing to me because they develop self-sufficiency and reduce my carbon footprint. Also, I love brewing beer and am a member of the Salina Brewers Guild. 11
21ST-CENTURY
21ST-CENTURY PIONEERS
LAW SCHOOL BOUND Tremayne Jackson, who graduates in December with a degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology, was accepted into George Washington University School of Law for fall 2017. He is finishing his MBA online from Kansas Wesleyan while working as an office logistics coordinator for Crown Agents, an international development organization in Washington, D.C.
Meriah Moore, Ph.D. ’11 Ann Arbor, MI Biomedical Chemistry Graduated from KU School of Medicine in Wichita this spring; began a three-year primary care residency in Internal Medicine at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, WA.
Alexandra “Alex” Pierce ’15 received a full scholarship to the University of Kansas School of Law where she began her studies in May. Alex received her degree in Psychology.
TREMAYNE JACKSON ’16
KANSAS WESLEYAN FUN FACT: In 1905, the Kansas Wesleyan Business College in downtown Salina was the only school in the state to employ an exclusive penmanship teacher.
Karlee Perez ’15, graduated summa cum laude with a Marketing degree and was accepted to six law schools. A native of California, Perez is attending Pepperdine University School of Law and also is pursuing a Master of Dispute Resolution. Jake Provo ’15, a Geopolitical Studies major, has been accepted to Washburn Law School in Topeka, KS, for fall 2016. Provo spent a semester in the nation’s capitol as a Washington Center intern with Junior Senator Jerry Moran (KS-R) and has also worked with Congressman Mike Pompeo (KS-R).
MERIAH MOORE ’11
ZACHERY BROWN ’13 Jake Hawkins ’16 Modesto, CA Emergency Management: Homeland Security Completed a spring 2016 Washington Center internship at the U.S. Marshals Service.
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JAKE HAWKINS ’16
Zachery Brown ’13 Fort Worth, TX History Graduated cum laude in May 2016 from Texas A&M Law School in the top 6 percent of his class (No. 10 of 159 grads).
PIONEERS Exercise Science is one of the most popular majors at Kansas Wesleyan, and students in the program are moving into graduatelevel coursework in master’s programs across the country. Colton Spresser ’16, who graduated cum laude with a degree in Sports Management, accepted a graduate assistant position for Student Success at Florida Atlantic University. He is pursuing an M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership. Twin volleyball standouts Sabrina and Sandrina Hallahan ’16, both Exercise Science majors with
21ST-CENTURY PIONEERS
concentrations in Personal Training, are gaining skills in athletic clubs this summer. Sabrina landed an internship with Kansas Wesleyan alumnus Kyle Story ’14 at the Denver Athletic Club. She is pursuing an M.S. in Health and Human Performance at Fort Hays State University where she will also be a graduate assistant coach for the Tiger volleyball team. Sandrina, who graduated cum laude, is participating in an internship in High Performance Training at Wichita State University. Tracer Paul ’15, who graduated magna cum laude with a Sports Management degree, is now a graduate assistant fundraiser in the Business Development and Administration department for Kansas State University athletics. He is pursuing his MBA. Kenny Diaz ’16, an Exercise Science major and former Student Government Association president, accepted a graduate assistant position at Mississippi State University where he is pursuing an M.S. in Sport Administration.
SABRINA & SANDRINA HALLAHAN ’16
APRYL SAUNDERS ’15
NOTEWORTHY December graduates have accepted exceptional positions since graduating. Apryl Saunders, who double majored in Biomedical Chemistry and Chemistry, was accepted to the Ph.D. program in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Graduate College of the University of Oklahoma. Catherine Williams, an English major, was accepted to the M.A. in English program at Kansas State. Teacher Education grads Tandee Jasnoski and Karly Foster have secured teaching positions. Jasnoski taught Title 1 reading and math for grades K–5 last spring at Cottonwood Elementary in Salina and was recently hired to teach kindergarten at Jackson Elementary in Wichita. Foster teaches kindergarten at Heusner Elementary in Salina. Classmate Shelby Heim, a Coyote basketball veteran, will teach second grade at Ness City (KS) Elementary School and serve as assistant girls’ basketball coach for Ness City High School.
AUTUMN ZIMMERMAN ’19 Autumn Zimmerman ’19 Concordia, KS Pre-Law, Speech Communications, History Participated in the National Christian College Forensics Invitational in San Diego, CA, March 5–7, 2016, and was declared the National Champion Novice Parliamentary Debate Speaker, bringing home Kansas Wesleyan’s 30th national debate and forensics championship.
SEAN GROVE ’14 Sean Grove ’14 Fort Worth, TX History Completed his second year at Texas A&M Law School in the top 14 percent of his class; his article, “How the Government Can ‘Come and Take It’: Asset Forfeiture and How Texas Should Change Its Practice,” will be published in Texas A&M Journal of Property Law.
Rachel Rheaume, a Riley, KS, native who earned degrees in Chemistry and Biomedical Chemistry (cum laude), is now a lab technician at Sheffield Lubricants in Casa Grande, AZ. Emmaly Phipps ’16, who received degrees in Psychology and Sociology, will begin her studies toward an M.S. in Family Therapy at Friends University in Wichita this fall.
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The Hauptli Student Center is adorned with 27 colorful flags representing the homelands of students at Kansas Wesleyan. While international students immerse themselves in a new lifestyle in central Kansas, their diverse and distinct backgrounds expose the campus community to ideas and cultures they may not otherwise have experienced. In fall 2015, international undergraduate and graduate students represented 10 nations. Currently, 343 international alumni live in 35 countries around the world. How do international students make their way to central Kansas? Some follow a dream, like Djurdjina Vrhovac ’19, a junior Business Management major from Banja Luka, the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Zhichen “Will” Liu
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BRING GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE TO CAMPUS
“My biggest wish was to study in the U.S. and play tennis at a collegiate level,” said Vrhovac, who this past season had a record of 15–10 in singles and 11–12 in doubles and was named to the All-KCAC First Team for Women’s Tennis. “Kansas Wesleyan did a great job helping me adapt. The professors always challenge the students, and they are ready to help us with our academics or life.” Zhichen “Will” Liu, a senior Mathematics and Physics double major from Luoyang, Hunan Province, in the People’s Republic of China, heard about Kansas Wesleyan from a Salina native he met while studying English as a Second Language (ESL) at the University of
Central Florida. UCF has an enrollment 100 times the size of Kansas Wesleyan. Zhichen likes the small-campus environment at Kansas Wesleyan. “Small is a good thing,” said Liu. “In my field of math and physics, the class size is small, and every person has the opportunity to ask questions. You learn from books, but also from the character of the faculty.” Mario Rincon, a sophomore business management major from Bogota, Colombia, was invited to play tennis for the Coyotes. In April, Rincon was named to the All-KCAC second team for men’s tennis. “What I like most about this school is the academic program because the teachers are always available for the students, and they know the students’ academic strengths and weaknesses,” said Rincon. Michiel Nijsten hails from Limburg, Belgium. A junior Marketing major, he was playing soccer for San Bernardino Valley College (CA) when Kansas Wesleyan Head Men’s Soccer Coach Phillip Bohn contacted him about playing for Kansas Wesleyan. “I like that you are not just a number in this school, but a person,” said Nijsten. “The teachers, coaches and counselors really care about you. And I have made friends for life at Kansas Wesleyan.”
COACHES FEEL AT HOME AT KANSAS WESLEYAN They came to America to play sports and to study. Four graduate assistant coaches, who hail from countries around the globe, are now sharing their leadership and athletic skills with Kansas Wesleyan student-athletes while they pursue Master of Business degrees. After graduating from the University of Texas at Brownsville, Michelle Marquez, a former professional volleyball player from Brazil, joined the Coyote volleyball program last fall as an assistant coach. “Living in the U.S. is completely different from Brazil,” said Marquez. “The distinctions between a first-world country and a third-world country are very clear. Brazil is a great place to visit as a tourist, but those who live there have a harder lifestyle.” Leonardo Mendez Beltran came to the U.S. from Bogota, Colombia, in 2012 to play tennis at Kansas Wesleyan. He earned his B.S. in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems in 2015 and has stayed as a graduate assistant coach for men’s and women’s tennis. 14
He also works in the Computer Studies department. “The main difference here is culture,” said Mendez. “Colombians are outgoing, and you can see that reflected on the tennis court, where it is about grinding it out and controlling the pace of the game. Here, you have to focus more on technique and how to finish the point faster.”
William Broomfield (England), Leonardo Mendez Beltran (Columbia), Sean Geoghegan (Ireland) and Michelle Marquez (Brazil) have brought international perspectives as well as leadership and athletic skills to their graduate assistant coaching positions.
Sean Geoghegan, from County Kildare, Ireland, played soccer in Missouri and then for Queens College (NY). Before arriving at Kansas Wesleyan as goalkeeping graduate assistant coach, he was the women’s soccer coach for Manhattan College (NY).
William Broomfield, of Brighton, England, men’s soccer graduate assistant coach, played soccer for Cloud County Community College (KS) and Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. “I have had a good experience at Kansas Wesleyan, both in the classroom and on the field, with a real community spirit here,” said Broomfield.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFERS NEW UAS MINOR
NEW UAS MINOR
There is a disaster with casualties. An emergency management team and an unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, support team both arrive. How do they speak each other’s language and work together? Two of Salina’s leading higher education institutions have joined forces to tackle that issue in a historic partnership that will prepare future emergency managers on how to best utilize unmanned aircraft when deploying resources and to understand and analyze the data they collect. And in turn, future UAS pilots will learn how to efficiently operate unmanned aircraft, often known as drones, within disaster sites and support the efforts of emergency response teams in crisis situations. The partnership enables Kansas Wesleyan University Emergency Management (EM) majors to cross-register and earn a minor in Unmanned Aircraft Systems at Kansas State University Polytechnic, and it allows Unmanned Aircraft Systems students at Kansas State Polytechnic to cross-register and earn a minor in Emergency Management at Kansas Wesleyan.
University. “The graduates of these nationally recognized programs will have crossover training and knowledge that makes them more prepared and, therefore, in higher demand in their career fields.” Visit www.kwu.edu/emergency for more information.
KANSAS WESLEYAN FUN FACT: In the early ’60s, the student movie series was showing such pictures as “North By Northwest” and “Cheaper by the Dozen” for a 25-cent admission fee that included the cost of refreshments.
“This is the first collaboration of its kind between state and private universities for such programs,” said Matt Thompson, Ph.D., President and CEO of Kansas Wesleyan
THE LONGEST YARD Ask any professional golfer what is the most important decision he or she will make on the course, and it will most likely be which club to use. In order to select the most appropriate club, he or she must know the distance to the hole. Troy Martin, former Coyote golfer, has developed a solution that hundreds of pro golfers are now using to perfect their games. Martin turned professional in 1995 and has won 13 pro tournaments on various worldwide tours and mini tours. In 2003, Dave Stockton Sr. asked Martin if he would consider caddying for him on the Champions Tour. He has since caddied for some of the game’s leading men, including Jerry Pate, D.A. Weibring, Nick Price, Mark Calcavecchia, Peter Jacobsen and Jay Haas.
In 2006, Martin was spending less time playing the links and more time measuring them, and hence, BucketBoy Graphics was born. “I noticed that the quality of yardage books at many events needed improving, so I often made my own. A pro at one of the courses we were playing noticed I had a yardage book and asked if I would make one for his club. That’s how it all started.” His first order was for 25, 3-D color yardage books. After recently securing major accounts such as the PGA, Champions, LPGA and Web.com tours, as well as the NCAA National Golf Championship, BucketBoy Graphics’ annual production has surpassed 100,000 books.
At 6’2”, Martin was originally recruited to play basketball at the Division I level but chose to pursue his interest in golf. He transferred to Kansas Wesleyan from Central Community College in Hastings, NE, played for two years (1993–94) and was an assistant coach to Jim Crawford for a year. Learn more at BucketBoyGraphics.com.
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GIVE TO KANSAS WESLEYAN
SERENDIPITOUS CONNECTIONS MADE DURING PHONATHON In addition to many wonderful conversations and generous gifts pledged, some unexpected connections were made this year during the annual fund Phonathon. Among the many calls made by Kenzie May ’16, of Andale, KS, was one that connected her to Frances (DeMoss) Woodworth ’46, of Hutchinson, KS, who was crowned Miss Wesleyan in 1945. During their years at Kansas Wesleyan, both were cheerleaders and both were ministry majors with an interest in psychology. “I spoke with Mrs. Woodward for a good 30 minutes,” said May. “I will never forget that conversation. Before ending the phone call, she asked if I would be her friend on Facebook and share email addresses. I am blessed to have this new friendship and appreciate the amazing advice she shared.” Women’s soccer player Melissa Motta ’19, an Exercise Science major from Martinez, CA, enjoyed her conversations with Kansas Wesleyan alumni, including one with Dr. Ralph Matkin ’69, who taught at California State University Northridge. They swapped culture shock stories—him going from Kansas to a big city in southern California and she moving from a large community in northern California to Salina. “I enjoyed listening to the stories from alumni and hearing how different the school was for those who were here a long time ago,” said Motta. The Phonathon is an annual opportunity for current students to connect with alumni and to secure pledges toward the university’s annual fund, which directly affect the student experience with scholarship dollars. Twenty-six students made 3,224 calls over the course of 10 days, resulting in more than $40,000 in pledges and 25 new Alumni Association memberships. Cell phones and unlimited minutes were provided by Nex-Tech Wireless, and food was provided by Jimmy John’s. Thanks to our alumni and friends of the university who welcomed our students’ calls and supported the annual fund. 16
REDDINGS CONTINUE TO CHEER ON KANSAS WESLEYAN John ’91 and Jennifer ’90, ’92 Redding, of Salina, KS, feel blessed to have attended Kansas Wesleyan, where they experienced strong support from faculty, were involved in a tight-knit campus community and learned the value of making a difference in the lives of others. While pursuing his B.A. in Business Administration, John was involved in student government and served as a resident assistant. Today he is vice president and chief lending officer for The Mortgage Company in Salina. Jennifer was a cheerleader and sang in the choir while she earned her Associate of Applied Science in Nursing. She became a Registered Nurse focusing on surgical nursing and then went on to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). She took a 13-year break to raise their three children and recently returned to nursing at Salina Regional Health Center.
Every year for the past 10 years, the Reddings have made a financial commitment to Kansas Wesleyan with gifts supporting such projects as the Graves Family Sports Complex, the Cheer and Dance program, and the Annual Fund. “We want to do what we can to make it possible for others to experience Wesleyan like we did,” said John. “This is why we give. We are raising three kids, which means our priorities have moved around, but we still want to support Kansas Wesleyan.” “Wesleyan provides so much more to its students than when we were there, and that excites us,” said Jennifer. “Alumni need to be a part of that.” Visit www.kwu.edu/igive2KWU for more information on how you can support Kansas Wesleyan.
Administration. Tyler Welch, a junior Computer Science major from Goleta, CA, is the first recipient.
PASSING THE TORCH Shannon Botz, a “brittle diabetic” for more than 23 years, had only one place of employment in his life, Kansas Wesleyan University. He worked in the university’s computer department while pursuing his Computer Science degree and then became Lead Computer Services Technician. He served in this capacity until his passing on April 18, 2014, at age 38. He strongly believed in the mission of Kansas Wesleyan University, and his life’s work was dedicated to assisting staff and students in achieving their goals. The Shannon Christopher Botz Endowed Scholarship was established as an annual award to a worthy junior or senior majoring in either Computer Science or Business
“I am extremely honored,” said Welch. “I am very proud to be receiving this award because of the effort and time I have put into my studies, not only to excel in all my classes but to graduate early as well. This scholarship will really help me with tuition.” The Botz family has a legacy at Kansas Wesleyan. Botz is the son of former Vice President for Institutional Advancement Brad Botz and his wife, Jane. Their eldest son, Daniel Botz, J.D., is a Professor of Business and Accounting at Kansas Wesleyan. Their youngest son, Dr. Chad Botz ’00 is director of coagulation/associate professor at University Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. “Our family established this lasting tribute to honor this remarkable young man, whom we were proud to call son, brother and uncle,” said Brad Botz. “We hope others will see what we have done and think, ‘Hey, I can do something like that to honor a loved one and help Kansas Wesleyan students.’” Many friends of the Botz family, including Kansas Wesleyan faculty, staff and students, contributed to this scholarship.
ANNUAL FUND GROWTH SPARKS PROGRESS ON CAMPUS Annual Fund gifts of all sizes enable the university to expand upon its tradition of excellence by providing operating support in the areas of most immediate need. There are many ways to give, including stock transfers and bank drafts. Many organizations match gifts made by employees and retirees. Those who give a leadership gift of $1,000 annually become members of the Pioneer Society. Call the Advancement Office today at (785) 833-4341, or make your annual gift online at www.kwu.edu/igive2KWU.
ANNUAL GIFTS
ANNUAL FUND GROWTH
2015–16: $605,355 Rolled out new Liberal Studies curriculum; added four online degree programs and a Music Theatre degree; hosted Journey to the Table pilot UMC program; added wrestling, men’s and women’s bowling and eSports
2014–15: $558,975 Added Marching Band; expanded fine arts faculty; launched Intersections; completed technology upgrade across campus
2013–14: $432,452 Developed Wesleyan Journey servicelearning/travel courses and opened The Center for Global Service Learning
2012–13: $312,297 Created degrees in Emergency Management, Christian Ministry, and Ecospheric Studies and Community Resilience
KANSAS WESLEYAN ADVANCEMENT OFFICE TEAM Dr. Melanie Overton | Vice President of Advancement | (785) 833-4336 Melanie Overton, Ed.D., joined the Advancement Office staff in March after serving for five years as assistant general secretary for The United Methodist Church’s higher education arm. In her role as vice president, she oversees all fundraising, marketing/communications, and alumni endeavors for the university. Jody Jorns | Senior Development Officer | (785) 833-4342 Jody Jorns joined the team as senior development officer in July. Most recently, she served as the development officer for HopeWest hospice care in Grand Junction, CO. Prior to that, she was the director of development for Pratt Community College in Pratt, KS. Jody works specifically with the Pioneer Society, the Heritage Society and major gifts fundraising. Bryan McCullar | Alumni Engagement Officer | (785) 833-4339 Bryan McCullar, who has served as a special assistant for Advancement on several occasions, has moved into the new position of alumni engagement officer, in which he will work with alumni, manage the annual fund and write grants. Previously, he served in advancement roles for Florida Southern College (Lakeland, FL) and Georgia College & State University (Milledgeville, GA), as well as the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (Miami, FL).
CALL FOR ALUMNI COUNCIL NOMINATIONS The Alumni Council of the Kansas Wesleyan Alumni Association seeks nominations from former students and current Alumni Association members to serve on the Alumni Council for the 2016–17 term. Selfnominations are accepted. Council members are required to attend 75 percent of council meetings and to participate in the planning of council and Alumni Association activities, programs and events, which includes allocation of a portion of alumni membership fees as mini-grants in support of appropriate student, faculty and campus needs. The Alumni Association’s largest activity is Homecoming. The various chapters of the Alumni Association are represented on the Alumni Council and conduct their own activities with limited staff support. Submit nominations (name, contact information and a brief statement of qualifications) by August 15, 2016, to Bryan McCullar, alumni engagement officer, at bryan.mccullar@kwu.edu. Alumni Council applications will be sent to nominees. Current council members will appoint new members at the All-Alumni meeting during Homecoming.
KANSAS WESLEYAN FUN FACT: The 1928 student handbook instructed all freshmen to wear a designated cap while on campus, from the opening football game until the Thanksgiving game.
Jennifer Rein ’10 | Development Officer | (785) 833-4338 After serving as the university’s director of Alumni Relations for the past five years, Jennifer Rein has transitioned into a new role as development officer. She will travel throughout the country meeting with alumni and creating opportunities for them to advance the work of their alma mater. Linda Baumberger | Office Manager | (785) 833-4341 Linda Baumberger has been serving as the Office manager for the Advancement office for the past two years. She coordinates schedules, manages the database, assists with event coordination and provides support for both Advancement and Marketing/Communications. 17
KANSAS WESLEYAN PIONEER SOCIETY 2015–2016 18
Pioneer Society members provide annual support for the university in the amount of $1,000 or more ($500 for faculty and staff). If you are interested in joining the Pioneer Society, please contact Melanie Overton, vice president of Advancement at (785) 833-4341. PIONEER PARTNERS ($25,000+) Advancing the Vision/Sacred Heart Jr/Sr High School Roy and Donice Applequist Blue Beacon International Richard and Joyce Brown William H. Graves Family Foundation The Honorable William P. ’76 and Linda Graves Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church John and Mary H. Hart Foundation Barbara A. Hauptli ’54 Jerry ’59 and Margaret ’61 Norton Dale C. Olson ’46 James and Emily May Richards Salina Regional Health Center Foundation Lester T. Sunderland Foundation Sunflower Bank Jack and Donna Vanier
Pioneer Society members gathered at the Kirwin House on June 17 for the annual spring social. Top left to right: Darleen Harris-Lindsley ’55 and Robert Lindsley ’57, Dr. Kathleen Barrett-Jones and Jerry Jones; center: Betty and Bill ’44 Keeler; bottom: Dr. Wes Jackson ’58; Page 19 top: Larry ’57 and Barbara Houdek; bottom: Pat Lambert, Jeffrey Bieber ’72, Kent Lambert ’72 and Donna McKinley ’66.
LOCKWOOD CIRCLE ($10,000–$24,999) Barbara Arensman-Snyder ’53 and Dale Snyder Ellene ’66 and Richard Austin Lee ’65 and Marla ’64 Beikman Melba Borger Estate Edward Doherty ’47 Ken and Karen Ebert
Dr. David ’64 and Patricia Fancher GT Grandstands, Inc. Kent ’72 and Pat Lambert Marlene Lee ’61 Miller Family Charitable Trust Darwin L. & Delma M. Sampson Fund Randy ’66 and Mary Ann St. Clair McDowell (Mac) Steele Verla Nesbitt Joscelyn Foundation T. W. ROACH CIRCLE ($5,000–$9,999) Advantage Trust Company Brad and Jane Botz Senators Robert and Elizabeth Dole Tom and Lou Ann Dunn Pauline Eaton ’49 First Bank Kansas Karen Eaton Garth General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, UMC Dr. Charles and Pat Grimwood John ’73 and Beth ’73 Hartshorn Larry and Barbara Marshall Nex-Tech, Inc. Pleasant View Church Joy ’58 and Leo Schell Mike and Linda Tilton SCHUYLER CIRCLE ($2,500–$4,999) Dr. Mark and Dr. Trish Bandré Jeffrey Bieber ’71 Dale ’59 and Susan Bradley M. Lavon Brosseau Dr. Robert ’66 and Patricia Bruchman Clark, Mize & Linville, Chartered Phil Coleman ’68 Debora L. Cox Crown Distributors, LLC/Mark Ritter ’02 Eagle Technologies, Inc. Tadaaki Hakoda Dr. Donna McKinley ’66 Robert ’71 and Patricia ’69 Murray James ’77 and Charlotte Nelson Brady and Jane ’80 Philbrick Steve ’65 and Jewelda Scofield Dr. Roy and Grace Smith The Reverend Dr. Marshall and Janice Stanton Dr. Matthew and Jennifer Thompson STANTON CIRCLE ($1,886–$2,499) John ’70 and Mary Baker Warren ’56 and Dr. Ginny ’56 Bevan Carlene Childs Rev. Harold Cooper ’59 Dr. Dean Ellison ’80 and Mary McElligot Dianne Fahring ’74 Gordon ’67 and Joyce ’67 Gorton Larry ’72 and Sonja Kaiser William ’44 and Betty Keeler Kansas Wesleyan Alumni Association Dr. James ’79 and Tamra Larzalere Jack and Donna Lennon C. Robert Lindsley ’57 and Darlene ’55 Harris-Lindsley Merck Partnership for Giving Dr. Patricia Ann Michaelis ’71 Steven and Pamela Michel Roger & Sissy Morrison Rev. Paul Mugler ’53 & ’56 Chester Ross ’52 Charles and Betty ’51 Rudasill
Marlene Selden ’55 Eugene ’60 and Glenna Sheets Richard ’69 and Sarah ’70 Short Dr. Gary and Mary Anne Weiner J.W. Welch ’72 Mark Zimmerman and Dr. Carolyn Hofer-Zimmerman STOLZ CIRCLE ($1,000–$1,885) James and Betsy Alexander Rev. Tim ’76 and Rev. Pat Ault-Duell Dr. Mark and Dr. Trish Bandré Bennett Autoplex, Inc. Mike and Debra Berkley Dr. Kent and Dena Berquist Dr. Aaron ’65 and June Blair Scott and Anamari Boswell Philip ’71 and Linda Bowman The Honorable Dan ’62 and Dorothy ’61 Boyer David Branda ’76 Martin ’66 and Wanda Brotherton Dr. Rebecca Chopp ’74 and Frederick Thibodeau Consolidated Printing Company Rebecca Copley and Don Johnson Diane ’73 and Addison Davis, IV Andrew ’64 and Linda Deckert Phyllis Deckert Dillon Companies, Inc. Disabled American Veterans Jaclyn Douglass ’79 Kenneth ’63 and Janet ’64 DuBois Robert P. ’69 and Micaela Gibson Eric ’64 and Mollie ’63 Haberer Harley Hamilton Ken ’81 and Debra ’82 Hanson Lloyd Holbrook ’59 Jeffrey Horlacher ’76 Larry ’57 and Barbara Houdek J.R.C. Group, Inc. Dr. Wes ’58 and Joan Jackson Dr. Karen ’68 and Gerald Johnson Jerry Jones and Dr. Kathleen Barrett-Jones Kansas Area United Methodist Fund Marilyn ’68 and James Kirk Dr. David ’79 and Susan Laha Sarah Anne ’61 and James Lindblad Ty Lohman ’95 Long-McArthur, Inc. Wayne Lowen and Brigid Jensen Trisha Marietta ’71 Rev. Bruce Marshall ’60 and Janice Rundle Marshall ’61 Lynn ’06 and Curtis Marshall Dr. Gordon and Evelyn Maxwell Jeanette McKee Robert ’73 and Karen Meyer Mark Miller and Julie Sager Miller Bryan and Peggy Minnich Brian ’89 and Crystal Mitchell Cheryl ’68 and Donald Monaghan Rev. Harold ’49 and Evelyn ’50 Nelson Barbara Marshall Nickell Byron ’72 and Sandy ’73 Norris Jeanette Otto Kaye ’57 and Barbara Pearce Pete and Rita Peterson Michael and Susan Ramage Martha Rhea Michael Ritter Ritter Tile Shop, Inc. Kay ’64 and Max Russell
PIONEER SOCIETY
S & B Motels, Inc. Salina Charities League Salina Rotary Club Salina Symphony Southwind Physical Therapy, Inc./ Dave and Bonnie Sanderson Sunset Properties Dr. Clifford ’51 and Jo Anne Trow UMB National Bank of America United Methodist Thrift Shop, Ness City United Methodist Thrift Shop, St. Francis Union Pacific Fund for Effective Government USA Wrestling-Kansas, Inc. Darrell Victory Stanley Weilert Jeff ’92 and Marcia ’91 Wells Jerry and Debra Wilmoth ’77 James and Diane Wilson William ’62 and Judith Yeager MAYO CIRCLE ($500–$800) Matt Drinkall Marcus ’79 and Michelle Greene Ken and Kaoru Hakoda Mike and Paula Hermann Dr. Steven and Anne Hoekstra Lois Madsen ’15 & Christopher Curry Dr. Melanie and Charles Overton Bill and Jan Shirk Ray and Sue Tucker Darrell and Lisa Victory
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ALUMNI NEWS
ALUMNI NEWS
Share your news with your classmates by emailing alumni@kwu.edu.
1949 William Brookhouser, of Bel Aire, KS, passed away August 22, 2015. He was a teacher, principal, counselor and the first mayor of Bel Aire.
Thomas Taylor, of Columbia, SC, passed away October 26, 2015. He served in the U.S. Army and retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1983.
Mary (Canfield) Schrader, of Phoenix, AZ, passed away February 13, 2016. She taught at elementary and junior high schools in Jetmore and Hutchinson, KS, and was a second grade teacher and a reading specialist at Alta Vista Elementary in Phoenix.
Dr. Wes Jackson, of Salina, stepped down as president of The Land Institute in June 2016 when he turned 80 years old. He earned a degree in Biology from Kansas Wesleyan and has a storied career as a widely recognized leader in the international movement for a more sustainable agriculture. He taught at Kansas Wesleyan prior to co-founding the institute in June 1976. He has authored several books and has been honored with multiple awards. Life magazine included him as one of 18 individuals predicted to be among the 100 important Americans of the 20th century. While he is resigning as president, he is not retiring. Rather, he will focus on writing and lecturing.
1950 James Joyce, of Seattle, WA, passed away September 13, 2015. After completing his degree at Kansas Wesleyan, he earned a B.S. in Agriculture from Kansas State College in 1953 and moved to Japan, where he began a 42-year career as a liaison between the Japanese and the U.S. Dairy Association. He retired from Kwansei Gakuin University as Professor Emeritus in 1995. Joyce was the first recipient of the Kansas Wesleyan Young Alumnus Award in 1959. His last trip out of the country was with the Kansas Wesleyan Choir in May 2014, traveling to the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. He established the Jeannette Clark Joyce Endowed Scholarship in 1990 to honor his first wife. 1952 Virginia (Hansen) Richardson, of Salina, passed away November 8, 2015. She taught elementary school in Cawker City, KS. Frederick Smith, of Lawrence, KS, passed away April 15, 2015. He was an architect for Shaver and Company and for Wilson and Company, both Salina architecture and engineering firms. 1953 Leland Long, of Bentonville, AR, passed away January 26, 2016. He served 22 months in the U.S. Army, and taught in Kansas public schools while earning his master’s degree in Guidance Counseling from Emporia State University. He also served as Dean of Men and Director of Student Affairs at Iowa Wesleyan University and taught music and band for U.S. military installation schools at Clark Air Force Base, Philippines, and in Yokohama, Japan. He then became a guidance counselor at a U.S. junior high school in Germany. 1954 Harold Frazell, of Salina, passed away February 3, 2016. He was a 16-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves. From 1966–68, he worked in Kansas Wesleyan Admissions and was assistant Football coach under Gene Bissell. He taught and coached at Culver, Atwood, Smith Center, Salina Central and Salina South High Schools, retiring in 1992. He sang with the Sunflower Barbershop Chorus and the Salina Crossroads Barbershop Chorus. 1958 Garold Culley, of Derby, KS, passed away December 15, 2015. He was married to Dorothy Culley ’60. 20
1960 Quong Bow “Q.B.” Low, of Topeka, KS, passed away March 3, 2016. He was born in 1938 in the village of Toyshan, near the capital city of Guangdong (also known as Canton), China. Forrest Middleton, of Temple, TX, passed away December 21, 2015. After Kansas Wesleyan, he was a District Scout Executive for Boy Scouts of America in Oklahoma and Texas, then was an independent carpenter/contractor in San Antonio. He and his wife became family teachers for six teenage boys at the Boys Town site at the St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, MT, and later moved to Minneapolis, MN. Karen (Reed) White, of Junction City, KS, passed away October 26, 2015. She was on the Board of Directors of BirthLine in Junction City. 1961 Barbara Muriel Nelson, of Salina, passed away February 20, 2016. She taught at schools in Rooks County and Hedville, KS, and served 25 years with USD305 in Salina. She was a founding/charter member of Child Advocacy and Parenting Services (CAPS), then known as Child Abuse and Prevention Services, and continued as a board member for 10 years. Nancy (Larsen) Sanders, of Colby, KS, passed away March 25, 2016. An English major, she taught English and Reading and established a Learning Disabilities and Special Services program in the Colby school district. She also worked as a college teacher of composition and literature, creative writing, and English as a second language. When she retired from teaching, she pursued her passion for writing and published six novels under the pen name Nancy Larsen-Sanders including “All Stubborned Up” and the five-book series “Earth’s Memory.” 1967 Steve Burr, of Salina, passed away May 30, 2016. A cattleman, he owned Burr’s Farm and Ranch Realty and was a real estate broker for more than 40 years, selling farms and ranches in North Central Kansas.
1968 Phyllis (Ummel) Flaherty, of Salina, passed away November 19, 2014. She taught full-time while attending Kansas Wesleyan and completed a bachelor’s degree in Education and Music. She earned her master’s degree from Kansas State University in 1974, and taught at Bennington Elementary School for more than 20 years. Rev. Olin Belt, of Pierce, NE, passed away June 10, 2015. He studied at Kansas Wesleyan and Saint Paul School of Theology, serving churches in Bennington and Wells, KS. His first church after seminary was in the Wausa/Magnet, KS, area. He served Peace United Church of Christ in Hoskins, NE, for 15 years, and retired in 1991. 1971 Dennis P. Brown, of Gardner, KS, passed away January 22, 2016. After initial studies at Kansas Wesleyan, he completed his bachelor’s degree in Business at Fort Hays State University. He was a selfemployed salesman for more than 40 years. Tom White, of Westfield, NJ, wanted to find a new way to give back to Kansas Wesleyan. He is now a volunteer recruiter for Admissions, working to generate interest in Kansas Wesleyan among students in New Jersey high schools and leading the charge to encourage fellow alumni to refer prospects who could benefit from a Kansas Wesleyan education. 1973 Deborah E. Berkley, of Great Bend, KS, passed away on March 20, 2015. She earned her master’s and J.D. degrees from the University of Kansas and was a juvenile lawyer. She started the Great Bend chapter of “Quilts of Valor,” which has made and donated 151 quilts to veterans. Ron Smith, an attorney with Smith and Burnett, LLC, of Larned, KS, has published his first novel, The Wastage, about the Civil War, written under the pen name Dean Halliday Smith. On the cover, John Carlin, former U.S. Archivist (1992–95) and governor of Kansas (1979–87), describes it as being about “Civil War failures of the key leaders from the top all the way down.” Smith’s first published book was about the history of Kansas Wesleyan Football from 1893–1972. Craig Townsend, of Newton, KS, has retired after 30 years in law enforcement, most recently as sheriff of Harvey County, KS. 1974 Talmadge Betts, of Chicago, IL, passed away April 13, 2016. He was program manager of antiviolence and prisoner re-entry programs of the Black United Fund, a nonprofit in the South Shore area of the city.
1976 Joe Snyder of St. John, KS, retired in May 2015 after 34 years with USD 495 in Fort Larned, KS. 1978 Christie (Allen) Snyder of St. John, KS, is now Central Kansas Library System (CKLS) School Library Consultant after 24 years as librarian for Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library in St. John.
2013 Amanda DiPrima, a dayshift nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Salina Regional Health Center, and Nate Theis, associate director of Kansas Wesleyan Student Development, were married in Las Vegas, NV, on July 18, 2016.
1980 Felix “Phil” Wasserman, of Kechi, KS, passed away on January 15, 2015.
2015 Joseph Evans, of Vacaville, CA, was hired as a lending assistant for Solano Mortgage.
1994 Randal Williams, of Castle Rock, CO, is now a pediatrician at Parker Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in Parker, CO.
FRIENDS OF KANSAS WESLEYAN Former Kansas Wesleyan Head Football Coach Jon Bingesser (1981–84), of Beloit, KS, was selected for induction into the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) Hall of Fame He earned 12 varsity letters in high school and college. He coached several high school sports and served as a high school athletic director, college coach and senior Olympic participant. His high school football coaching record over a span of 41 years was 170– 70–1 (.708). He also coached in two Shrine Bowl games and was inducted into the Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame in 2007. Also in 2007, he was inducted into
1999 Mike Dibinni, of Manhattan, KS, has spent the past two years building the new Kansas State University women’s soccer program as its first head coach. The Wildcats will play a short 16-game schedule in its debut season this fall. During Dibinni’s tenure as director of Kansas Wesleyan soccer programs from 2005–12, the men’s and women’s teams recorded an overall record of 244–65–23, with 12 regular season titles and 12 tournament titles, and the women reached the 2012 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championships. 2005 Phil Beckner was hired in April 2016 as an assistant coach for the NCAA Division I Boise State University men’s basketball team. He joined the BSU Broncos after one season on the men’s basketball coaching staff at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Following graduation from Kansas Wesleyan, he began his coaching career at Buckeye High School in Arizona, guiding the boys’ basketball team to the 2006 state title. Jesse Santos, of Boynton Beach, FL, accepted a position with the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL, as Senior Clinical Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator. He completed his MBA from Kansas Wesleyan this summer. 2009 Steve Cilladi, a native of Arizona, was hired in 2014 to join the coaching staff of the Los Angeles Dodgers as full-time Bullpen Catcher. He was the 997th player selected by Major League teams in 2009 when the Dodgers spent its 33rd-round draft pick on him. He played Single-A ball for the Inland Empire 66ers (San Bernardino, CA) and the Great Lakes Loons (Midland, MI). In July 2013, after two years of not seeing action with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, he was called upon to catch for what became his final minor league game. It went 18 innings for a win. His interest in baseball comes naturally. Cilladi’s father, Dave, was the first head athletic trainer for the Colorado Rockies. 2011 Douglas Webster, of San Jose, CA, who broke 12 quarterback school records at Kansas Wesleyan, joined the Příbram Bobcats in the Czech Republic as quarterback and to help coach American-style
ALUMNI NEWS
football from April–July, 2016. In 2015, he was the quarterback for the Seinajoiki Crocodiles in Finland.
the Kansas Wesleyan Hall of Fame as a member of the 1982 KCAC Championship Football team. Anne Stauffer, the wife of Max Stauffer ’53, who died in 2011, passed away July 29, 2015. Together, the couple made significant contributions to the university. Francis “Fran” Dwight Jabara, of Wichita, KS, passed away July 25, 2015. In 1989, he founded the Fran Jabara Family Foundation and established scholarships at numerous faith-based institutions in Kansas, including Kansas Wesleyan. At Kansas Wesleyan Commencement, every year since 2010, one female student and one male student, selected by the Department of Business and Accounting, have been presented with the Professor Fran Jabara Leadership Award, each receiving a $1,000 scholarship.
FACULTY & STAFF NEWS Gerald Gillespie, associate professor of Psychology (1989– 2016), now retired, was named Kansas Wesleyan Exemplary Teacher of the Year for 2016 for modeling effective teaching and course innovation. He also received the Student Government Association’s Faculty Distinguished Service Award, as voted on by the students.
Sokol Area Chair Award for his work with the Animation Division of the PCA/ACA.
In early April, Lori Wright, associate professor of Art and chair of the Department of Art & Design, juried a Congressional Art Competition for Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R–Salina), open to all high school students in Kansas’ First District. The overall winner from each congressional district throughout the country is displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol.
Frank Roth was named director of Human Resources and is in charge of HR process design, implementation and oversight. Wayne Schneider, Vice President of Finance/CFO, who celebrated 30 years at Kansas Wesleyan in 2015, announced his retirement. He will be on board through December to assist with the transition.
In April, the faculty elected Dr. Mike Russell, professor of History, to represent them during the 2016–17 academic year as Faculty Presiding Officer. Tricia Petak, assistant professor of Accounting, will serve as Faculty Secretary for the 2016–17 school year. Dr. David Silverman, associate professor of Communications, was invited by the 2016 Sunflower Visual Arts Festival in Lucas, KS, to speak before the screening of “Paper Moon” (1973) on April 30. The Kansas Movie Hall of Fame was unveiled with 12 inaugural honorees, including this film. On March 23, at the national conference of the Popular Culture Association/ American Culture Association in Seattle, WA, Dr. Silverman was presented with the David
Dr. Bill Backlin, hired in January 2016 as Assistant Provost, has been serving as Interim Provost since May. Dr. Damon Kraft, associate professor and chair of the Department of English, has been named Director of Graduate and International Education and Interim Associate Provost. Teacher Education has hired former part-time faculty Angela Pavey as assistant professor, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Ray Tucker.
The Admissions Office recently welcomed Hollie Grebin as Office Manager. Also joining the Admissions staff are two graduate assistants, Pedro “Pete” Martinez ’16 and Morgan Johnson ’16. Mike Hermann was recently promoted to Vice President and Director of Athletics, and Bridget Weiser was recently promoted to Vice President of Student Development. During the 2016 Honors and Awards Convocation, the Student Government Association presented the Administration & Staff Distinguished Service Award to Cameron Jackson ’08, ’15, director of Spiritual Development since 2008. Jackson resigned from Kansas Wesleyan in May to follow his dream of planting a church in the Wichita area.
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COYOTE PRIDE
COLEMAN PAYS IT FORWARD WITH POSITIVE ACTIONS Phil Coleman ’68 has spent his life helping others achieve their personal best, emphasizing the importance of positive actions, optimistic attitude and servant leadership. His motivation to inspire others, he acknowledges, came from his experiences and mentors at Kansas Wesleyan.
motivational speeches at the Salina Rescue Mission and has served on the fundraising committee to build the Museum of Scouting. He has provided more than 1,000 pro-bono motivational and leadership seminars to various organizations in Salina.
Coleman, originally from Goddard, KS, was recruited by Coach Ken Cochran to play baseball and basketball. He was also active in the Varsity Club, was a resident assistant and worked part-time in Shriwise Dining Hall. The baseball program was coming off a 20-year hiatus, and the team won the KCAC Championship in 1966. The basketball team won back-to-back KCAC titles in 1966–67 and 1967–68. Coleman was inducted into the Kansas Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986 and again in 2006 with the 1966 baseball team.
In addition to giving back to the local community, Coleman makes Kansas Wesleyan a priority. He has been a host family for student-athletes, provides one-on-one and group mentoring to students, coaches and teams, supports the Coyotes by his presence at home athletic competitions, helps students and Kansas Wesleyan employees find rental property (he started Coleman Rentals 40 years ago), provides financial support to purchase meals for athletic teams during breaks, and has funded items for the Pep Band, Nursing faculty and students and numerous athletic teams. He has also provided significant gifts to the Student Activities Center and the Graves Sports Complex and is a member of the Pioneer Society.
“ Part of my mission in life is to help others. I’m in the business of teaching that, and I apply it to myself. If each one of us were to do a minimum of ten acts of kindness a month, we could make the good a lot better.”
“Athletics is in my blood,” said Coleman. “The valuable lessons learned in athletics—winning, losing, mental toughness, success strategies, overcoming tough times, helping others, not quitting—are essential to living a successful life.” These have been familiar themes in Coleman’s more than 2,000 motivational presentations he has delivered during the past 40 years through his Champion Seminars business. “Part of my mission in life is to help others. I’m in the business of teaching that, and I apply it to myself. If each one of us were to do a minimum of ten acts of kindness a month, we could make the good a lot better.”
Coleman teaches people the art of positive actions in his seminars, and he practices what he preaches. He volunteers monthly at five nursing homes, prepares meals and provides 22
Coleman served for nine years on the Kansas Wesleyan Board of Trustees, spent a decade as the Alumni Association president, has been a member of the Hall of Fame and Night with the Yotes committees, and he has served on the fundraising committees for the Student Activities Center and the Graves Family Sports Complex. Coleman received the Gerald Lilly Award at the annual Night with the Yotes dinner and auction on August 20, 2016. The award is presented to a person who exemplifies outstanding dedication and commitment to Kansas Wesleyan athletics. Coleman and Lilly enjoy watching many athletic competitions together. “I am honored to receive this award, named for a good friend and fellow supporter of Coyote athletics. Kansas Wesleyan did a lot for me. I enjoy paying it forward by staying actively involved on campus. Eighty percent of my blood is purple!”
RIVALRIES CONNECT US TO OUR PAST Rivalries are the fabric of the sports season. Like family traditions, rivalry games bring the Kansas Wesleyan family together, connect us to our past, and help us create memories that we will treasure and recount in the future. Many former players can recite key plays in rivalry wins over Bethany or other KCAC foes, and there is hardly a gathering of Coyotes when a story about shenanigans during Bethany week isn’t shared. Mike Hermann, Vice President & Director of Athletics
As the university celebrates its 130th anniversary, we reflect on the good fortune that Kansas Wesleyan has enjoyed with long-standing rivalries. In college sports, various factors have ended rivalries like Kansas State-Nebraska and Missouri-Kansas. But, in our section of Kansas, the Coyotes have competed against schools like Bethany, Sterling and Friends for more than 100 years. When the Swedes travel to Salina to face the Coyotes on Saturday, October 22, in football this fall, it will be the 104th meeting in the series. The two schools have competed 210 times in men’s basketball. McPherson is close behind with 92 football games and 203 men’s basketball competitions. The “Kansas Conference” history can be traced to 1890 and some of the first organized competitions among Kansas colleges. The present legal entity of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) was formed in 1928 and included Baker, Bethany, McPherson, Ottawa, St. Mary of the Plains and Kansas Wesleyan. Bethany, Kansas Wesleyan and McPherson have been members of the conference for the entire 88-year history.
Based on conversations with alumni, the rivalry games were played with as much enthusiasm in our history as they are today. While there may not currently be as many incidents of hijinks between the two student bodies, the games against Bethany carry extra weight today. I’m sure it’s a combination of the history of the rivalry, the proximity of the institutions, the competitiveness of both athletics programs, and team pride. The administration at both programs have worked to build a positive culture around the rivalry. The last two years, each program has hosted a blood drive, and a traveling trophy is presented to the school with the most donors. While Kansas Wesleyan won both times, the real winners are the lives impacted by the blood collected and those that will be affected by future donations from students who may become regular donors. But make no mistake about it, the games against Bethany are circled on each team’s schedule, and they are must-attend events for local alumni. Make plans to attend this year’s rivalry matchups or check the Athletics website (www.kwucoyotes.com) to make sure the Coyotes came out on top. After all, it is a rivalry that has been part of our tradition for nearly all of our 130 years! “ It was always fun to have the big rivalry with Bethany. One year when football was scheduled to play the Swedes at home, Ed Temple and I went over to Martin Stadium to make sure nobody from Bethany had done anything to the field. We saw somebody with what looked like a lighter in his hand, and we took off running toward him and yelling. It turned out to be a Kansas Wesleyan freshman who had been assigned to guard the field. He did have a lighter and was getting ready to throw a firecracker at us until he recognized who we were.”—Dr. Dave Fancher ’64
COYOTE HISTORY
SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS: 1893—After a 44–0 romp from Baker that resulted in numerous injuries, Kansas Wesleyan bans football for the next five years. 1903—After a 40–0 defeat by Bethany, Kansas Wesleyan cancels football until 1914. 1940—The first season in Glenn Martin Stadium, the football team wins the first KCAC Championship; Coach Gene Johnson leads the basketball team to the first of its three consecutive KCAC titles 1950—Wally Forsberg’s basketball team posts a 22–2 overall record and a perfect 12–0 record in the KCAC, winning the conference for a second straight season and making Kansas Wesleyan’s first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Championships. 1952—Coaching legend F. Gene Bissell becomes the head coach of Kansas Wesleyan football, embarking on a 26-year coaching career that netted him 116 career wins. 1963—Ken Cochran takes over the basketball program with immediate results, and in his fourth year, Kansas Wesleyan won the first of two straight KCAC Championships. Cochran coached seven years at Kansas Wesleyan, including posting a 21–4 record his final season. 1966—The earliest record of the new era of women’s sports on campus. Led by Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Bevan, a pioneer in the Title IX movement in Kansas, the Coyotes participated in volleyball, softball and basketball in the Association of Kansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports (AKWIS) and the Kansas Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (KAIAW), which began in 1968. The Kansas Wesleyan administration formally recognized women’s athletics in 1972 as varsity sports. 1982—Jerry Jones arrives on campus as the men’s basketball coach, doubling the team’s wins from the previous season in his first year. By his fourth year, Jones turned the Coyotes into KCAC Champions in 1986. Jones returned to campus after a short leave and led the Coyotes to the 2000 KCAC Championship and coached until the 2005–06 season, leaving as the program’s all-time wins leader. 1996—Men’s and women’s soccer are added as varsity sports. The men’s program flourished immediately, winning the 1996 KCAC Championship. The men won again in 1998 and won both the regular season and tournament titles in 1999. 2006–07—Tommy DeSalme guides the men’s basketball team to its first KCAC Championship since 1986, setting a new school record with 28 wins in a season. 2007—Volleyball wins its first KCAC Championship since 1998 with a 17–1 record. The team also reached the semifinals of the NAIA Region IV Tournament, the final year of regional play in the NAIA. 2015—Under the direction of head coach Matt Drinkall, Kansas Wesleyan football posted a school-record 10–2 season coming off a 2–9 season. The Coyotes reached the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time since 2002. 2015—The Kansas Wesleyan men’s soccer team’s remarkable 51–0–3 streak comes to an end. They completed six full seasons in the KCAC without a loss. Read more at www.kwu.edu/130. 23
SPORTS UPDATE
SPRING HIGHLIGHTS KANSAS WESLEYAN FUN FACT: Early on, the Kansas Wesleyan athletic teams were simply called the Wesleyans. By 1916, the yearbook was called the Coyote and the athletic teams adopted the Coyote mascot.
COYOTES EXCEL IN ACADEMICS AND ATHLETICS Golfer Howard Mahan, tennis player Cassidy Cook and baseball outfielder Jordan Rouselle were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. Soccer midfielder Karlee Perez had earned the honor in the fall. All time, Kansas Wesleyan athletes have earned Academic All-America honors 22 times, the most of any KCAC program. Cook led the tennis program to a fourth-place finish in the KCAC, earning a seventh straight KCAC tournament appearance (top four teams). Rouselle captained the Coyote baseball squad that finished fifth in the rugged KCAC baseball race. Conference newcomers York and Oklahoma Wesleyan were both nationally ranked during the year, as were Sterling and Tabor. The KCAC is now one of the top baseball conferences in the country with three teams earning postseason bids and a KCAC team playing in the NAIA College World Series the last four years. Junior newcomer Payton Deiters set a single-season record with 91 hits and tied the home run record with 18. The first baseman was named a First-Team NAIA All-American.
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The Coyote softball team (36–18) won 30 plus games for the sixth straight season behind the strong arm of first-team All-KCAC pitcher Casey Zook, who was 23–7. The team was equally as impressive off the field, earning the Buffalo Funds NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character Team Award. The student-athletes logged more than 1,900 hours of community service during the year. Daryl Hoelting, who served as head coach for six years, retired July 31 with 216 career wins, tied for the most all time. Following the winter and spring seasons, 52 Kansas Wesleyan student-athletes earned Academic All-KCAC honors, pushing the 2015–16 total to 101. The Coyotes also had 43 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and had 15 teams qualify for the NAIA Scholar Team recognition with team GPAs over 3.00.
SPORTS UPDATE
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW FOOTBALL Coming off a 10–1 regular season and the program’s first NAIA post-season bid since 2002, the Coyotes, under head coach Matt Drinkall, open the season ranked 14th in the country in the preseason poll. Four first-team All-KCAC standouts return including junior Kelly Cordova, who will shift into the quarterback role, along with senior fullback Colby Donahue, senior tight end Mitch Kufahl and senior lineman Ayrius Brown. The five-game home slate includes an October 15 matchup with Tabor, the only KCAC team to beat the Coyotes last year, and an October 22 rivalry game against Bethany. CROSS COUNTRY The cross country teams are both eyeing the top of the KCAC this season. The men’s team finished second in the 12-team race a year ago, earning a trip to the NAIA National Championship. Five of those seven runners, including top finisher Greg Vasquez, return for the Coyotes. The women’s program, which won the KCAC title in 2013, has a strong recruiting class to complement a young team. Junior Chelsea Kostyak will be counted on for leadership. VOLLEYBALL Fred Aubuchon, the dean of the Kansas Wesleyan coaches heading into his eighth season on the sidelines, looks to keep his Coyotes at the top of the KCAC. Kansas Wesleyan has an amazing 80–12 KCAC record over the past five seasons and has advanced to the conference championship match each of the five years, winning titles in 2011 and 2014. Aubuchon will have to replace three first-team All-KCAC players and the lone secondteam selection. Senior middle blocker Jessica Webb and senior defensive specialist Shelby Craig will lead the team. The Coyotes host Friends in a key KCAC match on Homecoming Day. The Salina Alumni will host a reception before the November 3 match against Saint Mary. MEN’S BASKETBALL First-year head coach Anthony Monson has a veteran squad this year. Seniors Dominique Johnson (17.7 ppg), Ryan Hill (12.1 ppg), and Jacob Lunz (9.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will provide plenty of fire power. Monson, who spent 11 years as an assistant at Tabor, has quickly recruited an outstanding class to complement the returning Coyotes. The KCAC opener for the squad will Anthony Monson, be November 19 against McPherson. Bethany Head Basketball Coach will be visiting Mabee Arena on January 28. Last year, the Coyotes won a three-overtime thriller over the Swedes in Mabee. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Head coach Ryan Showman ’04 enters his fifth season on the sideline with an experienced squad returning led by seniors Jenna Farris and Karlie Steinle, both honorable mention All-KCAC selections a year ago. Farris led a balanced scoring attack at 14.5 points per game, helping the team to a 17–14 mark. The Salina Alumni will host an alumni reception following the women’s game against Friends on January 12.
MEN’S SOCCER The men’s soccer squad is looking forward to the first full season on Bissell Field and bouncing back from last year’s fourth place finish in the KCAC. Third-year head coach Phillip Bohn’s Coyotes will open KCAC play on September 28 against rival McPherson. After a thrilling 1–0 loss to No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan a year ago, the Coyotes will face the KCAC newcomer and defending KCAC champions on the road this year on October 19. Senior Evan Williams and junior Juan Maldonado, who were named to All-KCAC teams a year ago, will be counted on for leadership. WOMEN’S SOCCER Head coach Blake Reynolds, who was selected for NAIA Regional Coach-of-the-Year honors last season, guided his Coyotes to a 15–5–3 mark, including an NAIA postseason win that earned the team a trip to the national championship site in Orange Beach, AL. He will have to replace six starters including two Honorable Mention All-Americans in his fourth season at the helm. But, don’t expect the defending KCAC champions to rebuild; the squad will reload behind senior Cynthia Chavez, who was the KCAC Newcomer of the Year last season after scoring 12 goals for the Coyotes. Other team leaders include senior Katie Hernandez and junior Renee DeAnda, both second team All-KCAC selections a year ago. The Coyotes have October 22 circled on the calendar as they host Ottawa. Either Ottawa or Kansas Wesleyan have won the KCAC women’s soccer title the last 11 years (7 Kansas Wesleyan, 4 Ottawa). BOWLING Head coach Todd Zenner has nine women and 12 men heading up the first bowling teams in school history. The Coyotes will compete in a number of invitationals throughout the region during this inaugural season. WRESTLING New head coach Matt Oney will lead the first Coyote wrestling team into action in October. The schedule, which will include several home dual meets, will be announced later on www.kwucoyotes.com.
Matt Oney, Head Wrestling Coach
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100 E. Claflin Avenue Salina, KS 67401-6196
KANSAS WESLEYAN BY THE NUMBERS
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ACRES WERE GIVEN BY THE CITY OF SALINA TO START KANSAS WESLEYAN
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KANSAS WESLEYAN FACULTY MEMBERS WERE EMPLOYED ON OPENING DAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1886
17 YEARS THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING STOOD ALONE ON THE CAMPUS BEFORE SCHUYLER HALL, A WOMEN’S RESIDENCE, WAS CONSTRUCTED
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TUITION WAS CHARGED PER 12-WEEK OR LONGER TERM IN 1898–99
1 $ 400
COLLEGE STUDENT, HENRY MILTON MAYO, MADE UP THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS IN 1887
WAS CHARGED FOR TUITION, FEES, ROOM AND BOARD IN 1930